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diff --git a/36020-0.txt b/36020-0.txt index d069a11..dbbfea6 100644 --- a/36020-0.txt +++ b/36020-0.txt @@ -1,30 +1,4 @@ - Slave Narratives - - Volume I: Alabama Narratives - - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost -no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it -under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this -eBook or online at http://www.gutenberg.org/license. - -Title: Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States -From Interviews with Former Slaves: Volume I, Alabama Narratives - -Author: Work Projects Administration - -Release Date: May 02, 2011 [EBook #36020] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SLAVE NARRATIVES: A FOLK -HISTORY OF SLAVERY IN THE UNITED STATES FROM INTERVIEWS WITH FORMER -SLAVES: VOLUME I, ALABAMA NARRATIVES *** - - - +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 36020 *** Produced by the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net. @@ -14067,377 +14041,4 @@ piece of wood, such as a stake" (American Heritage Dictionary).—The Works Progress Administration was renamed during 1939 as the Work Projects Administration (WPA). - - - - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SLAVE NARRATIVES: A FOLK HISTORY -OF SLAVERY IN THE UNITED STATES FROM INTERVIEWS WITH FORMER SLAVES: -VOLUME I, ALABAMA NARRATIVES *** - - - - -A Word from Project Gutenberg - - -We will update this book if we find any errors. - -This book can be found under: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/36020 - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no one -owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation (and -you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without permission -and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or re-use it -under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this -eBook or online at http://www.gutenberg.org/license. - -Title: Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States -From Interviews with Former Slaves: Volume I, Alabama Narratives - -Author: Work Projects Administration - -Release Date: May 02, 2011 [EBook #36020] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SLAVE NARRATIVES: A FOLK -HISTORY OF SLAVERY IN THE UNITED STATES FROM INTERVIEWS WITH FORMER -SLAVES: VOLUME I, ALABAMA NARRATIVES *** - - - - -Produced by the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at -http://www.pgdp.net. - - - 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 I - - - - ALABAMA NARRATIVES - - - - - - - - - Prepared by the Federal Writers' Project of - - - - the Works Progress Administration - - - - for the State of Alabama - - - - [HW:] Handwritten note - - - - [TR:] Transcriber's note - - -[Illustration: _A Slave Cabin in Barbour County near Eufaula_] - - - - -INFORMANTS - - - - Charlie Aarons - - - Anthony Abercrombie - - - Molly Ammond (Ammonds) - - - Charity Anderson - - - Gus Askew - - - Tom Baker - - - Henry Barnes - - - Nathan Beauchamp - - - Oliver Bell - - - Nelson Birdsong - - - Ank Bishop - - - Siney Bonner - - - Jennie Bowen - - - Nannie Bradfield - - - Martha Bradley - - - Allen Brown - - - Gus Brown - - - Walter Calloway - - - Esther King Casey - - - Amy Chapman - - - Emma Chapman - - - Henry Cheatam - - - Laura Clark - - - Hattie Clayton - - - Wadley "Shorty" Clemons - - - William Colbert - - - Tildy Collins - - - Sara Colquitt - - - Mandy McCullough Cosby - - - Emma Crockett - - - Cheney Cross - - - Matilda Pugh Daniel - - - Carrie Davis - - - Clara Davis - - - George Dillard - - - Ella Dilliard - - - Rufus Dirt - - - Katherine Eppes - - - Reuben Fitzpatrick - - - Heywood Ford - - - Bert Frederick - - - Delia Garlic - - - Angie Garrett - - - Henry Garry - - - Georgia - - - Fannie Gibson - - - Frank Gill - - - Jim Gillard - - - Mary Ella Grandberry - - - Esther Green - - - Jake Green - - - Charity Grigsby - - - Charles Hayes - - - Lizzie Hill - - - Gabe Hines - - - Adeline Hodges - - - Caroline Holland - - - Jane Holloway - - - Joseph Holmes - - - Josh Horn - - - Emma L. Howard - - - Everett Ingram - - - Hannah Irwin - - - Martha Jackson - - - Jane - - - Hilliard Johnson - - - Randolph Johnson - - - Abraham Jones - - - Emma Jones - - - Hannah Jones - - - Josephine - - - Lucindy Lawrence Jurdon - - - Lucy Kimball - - - Ellen King - - - Mandy Leslie - - - Dellie Lewis - - - Lightnin' - - - Billy Abraham Longslaughter - - - Louis - - - Tom McAlpin - - - Anne Maddox - - - Mandy - - - Frank Menefee - - - Isaam Morgan - - - Tony Morgan - - - Mose - - - Sally Murphy - - - Hattie Anne Nettles - - - W.E. Northcross - - - Wade Owens - - - Molly Parker - - - Lindy Patton - - - Simon Phillips - - - Roxy Pitts - - - Carrie Pollard - - - Irene Poole - - - Nicey Pugh - - - Sally Reynolds - - - Mary Rice - - - Cornelia Robinson - - - Gus Rogers - - - Janie Scott - - - Maugan Shepherd - - - Allen Sims - - - Frank Smith - - - John Smith - - - Annie Stanton - - - Theodore Fontaine Stewart - - - George Strickland - - - Cull Taylor - - - Daniel Taylor - - - George Taylor - - - Amanda Tellis - - - Ellen Thomas - - - Elizabeth Thomas - - - Mollie Tillman - - - Alonza Fantroy Toombs - - - William Henry Towns - - - Stepney Underwood - - - Charlie Van Dyke - - - Lilah Walker - - - Simon Walker - - - Lucindia Washington - - - Eliza White - - - Mingo White - - - Abe Whitess - - - Callie Williams - - - Silvia Witherspoon - - - George Young - - -*ILLUSTRATIONS* - -A Slave Cabin in Barbour County near Eufaula -Molly Ammond (Ammonds) -Charity Anderson -Gus Askew -Nathan Beauchamp -Oliver Bell -Ank Bishop -Siney Bonner -Jennie Bowen -Martha Bradley -Allen Brown -Gus Brown -Walter Calloway -Esther King Casey -Amy Chapman -Henry Cheatam -Laura Clark -Laura Clark's House -Wadley (Shorty) Clemons -William Colbert -Sara Colquitt -Emma Crockett -Emma Crockett's House -Matilda Pugh Daniel -Carrie Davis -George Dillard -Bert Frederick -Delia Garlic -Angie Garrett -Henry Garry -Jake Green -Charity Grigsby -Charity Grigsby's House -Lizzie Hill -Gabe Hines -Jane Holloway -Emma L. Howard -Everett Ingram -Hannah Irwin -Martha Jackson -Abraham Jones -Abraham Jones' Back Yard -Abraham Jones' House -Lucindy Lawrence Jurdon -Tom McAlpin -Anne Maddox -Frank Menefee -Isaam Morgan -Hattie Anne Nettles -Rev. Wade Owens -Molly Parker -Lindy Patton -Simon Phillips -Carrie Pollard -Nicey Pugh -Mary Rice -Cornelia Robinson -Maugan Shepherd -Allen Sims -Frank Smith -Theodore Fontaine Stewart -George Strickland -Daniel Taylor -Ellen Thomas -Alonza Fantroy Toombs -William Henry Towns -Stepney Underwood -Simon Walker -Cindy Washington -Abe Whitess -George Young - - - - -Charlie Aarons - - - *Personal contact with Uncle Charlie Aarons* - *Oak Grove, Alabama* - --_Written by Mary A. Poole_ - -_HE LOVED YOUNG MARSTER JOHN_ - -Some friends driving to Oak Grove, Ala., gave the writer the opportunity -on August 4th to interview an old ex-slave, Charlie Aarons, who is quite -venerable in appearance, and who, when asked his age, replied: - -"Madam I don't know but I sure been 'round here long time", and when -asked how old he was at the time of the Surrender he answered: - -"I was a man able to do a man's work so I 'spects I was eighteen or -twenty years old." - -Uncle Charlie, as he is known among his own color and the white people -who know him, told the writer he was born at Petersburg Va., and his -parents, Aaron and Louisa, were owned by a Mr. J.H. White, who had a -store in the city, but no plantation. His parents had three children, -two boys and one girl, and when Uncle Charlie was about ten years of -age, he was sold by Mr. White to a speculator named Jones who brought -him to Mobile. He recalled being placed on the block, at the slave mart -on Royal and State streets, and the anxiety of hearing the different -people bidding for him, and being finally sold to a Mr. Jason Harris, -who lived near Newton Station in Jasper County, Miss. - -Uncle Charlie never saw or heard of his parents or brother and sister -again and never knew what became of them. - -Uncle Charlie said Mr. Harris was a pretty rough master, and somewhat -close. All rations were weighed out and limited. He had a white overseer -and a negro driver, who was the meanest of all. - -Mr. Jason Harris had about sixty slaves, and a large plantation of a -hundred acres, the men and women worked in the fields from six to six, -except on Saturday, when they had half day holiday to clean up -generally. - -The home of the Harris family was a large two story house and the -quarters were the regular log cabins with clay chimneys. They cooked in -their cabins, but during the busy season in the fields their dinners -were sent out to them each slave having his own tin pail marked with his -name. Water would be sent out in a barrel mounted on an ox cart. - -The old men and women looked after the children of the slaves while -their parents worked in the fields. - -When the writer asked Uncle Charlie, if his master or mistress ever -taught him to read or write, he smiled and said: - -"No, Madam, only to work". - -When asked if they had any special festivities at Christmas or any other -holiday, he replied: - -"No, we had no special jolifications". - -Saturday nights they would sing and dance in the quarters and have -prayer meetings, then on some Sundays, they would hitch up the mules to -a big wagon and all go to the white folks church: and again there would -be camp meetings held and the slaves from all the surrounding -plantations would attend, going to same in these large wagons, sometimes -having four mules to a wagon. They then would have a jolly time along -the way, singing and calling to one another, and making friends. - -Uncle Charlie, said, he drove many a load of cotton in the large mule -wagons from Newton Station to Enterprise, Mississippi. - -When asked if that wasn't a chance to run away, he replied: - -"Git away, why Madam, those nigger dogs would track you and all you got -was a beating." - -Uncle Charlie seemed to look off in the distance and said: "You know, -Madam, I never saw a slave rebuked until I came to Mississippi," and I -just couldn't understand at first, but he grinned and said: "Lordy, -Madam, some of those niggers were onery, too, and a nigger driver was a -driver sure enough." - -When the Master's son John Harris went to war, Charlie went with him as -his body guard, and when asked what his duties were, he replied: - -"I looked after Marster John, tended the horses and the tents. I recalls -well, Madam, the siege of Vicksburg." - -The writer then asked him if he wasn't afraid of the shot and shell all -around him. - -"No, Madam," he replied, "I kept way in the back where the camp was, for -I didn't like to feel the earth trembling 'neath my feet, but you see, -Madam, I loved young Marster John, and he loved me, and I just had to -watch over that boy, and he came through all right." - -Uncle Charlie said when they were told the Yankees were coming through -from their headquarters in Meridian, Mississippi, and warned of their -raids, they all made to the swamps and staid until they had passed on, -but that the Yankees did not disturb the Jason Harris plantation. - -After the Surrender Charlie came to Mobile and worked at the Yankee -Camp, living in the quarters located in Holly's Garden. He drove their -wagons and was paid $14.00 a month and his keep. After his discharge he -worked on steamboats and followed different lines of work, being -employed for several years at Mr. M.L. Davis' saw mill, and is at -present living on the Davis place at Oak Grove, Ala., an old Southern -home, with quarters originally built for the employees of the mill and -still known as the "quarters", and like other ante-bellum homes they -have their private burying ground on the place. - -Uncle Charlie was married four times, but now a widower. He had four -children, two boys who are dead, and two girls, one Carrie Johnson, a -widow, living in Kushla, Ala., and the other, Ella Aarons, a grass -widow, living in Mobile, Ala. - -Uncle Charlie says he saw Jeff. Davis as an old man, after the war at -Mississippi City, Miss., and then his face lit up, and he said; "Wait a -minute, Madam, I saw another president, let me think,--Yes, Madam I saw -President Grant. He came through Mobile from New Orleans, and my! there -was a big parade that day." - -When asked about Abraham Lincoln, Uncle Charlie thought awhile, and -answered: - -"According to what was issued out in the Bible, there was a time for -slavery, people had to be punished for their sin, and then there was a -time for it not to be, and the Lord had opened a good view to Mr. -Lincoln, and he promoted a good idea." - -When he was asked about Booker T. Washington he replied: - -"It was traversed out to him until the white folks took part with him -and helped him carry on." - -Uncle Charlie thinks the present day folks are bad and wicked, and dont -realize anything like the old folks. - -Charlie is a Baptist, became one when he sought the Lord and thinks all -people should be religious. - - - - -Anthony Abercrombie - - - *Interview with Anthony Abercrombie* - --_Susie R. O'Brien, Uniontown, Alabama_ - -_OLD JOE CAN KEEP HIS TWO BITS_ - -Uncle Ant'ny sat dozing in the early morning sunshine on his rickety -front porch. He is a thin little old man with patches of white wool here -and there on his bald head, and an expression of kindness and gentleness -on his wrinkled old face. - -As I went cautiously up the steps, which appeared none too safe, his -cane which had been leaning against his chair, fell to the floor with a -clatter. He awoke with a start and began fumbling around for it with his -trembling and bony hands. - -"Uncle Ant'ny, you don't see so well, do you?" I asked as I recovered -the stick for him. "No ma'am, I sho' don't," he replied. "I ain't seed -none outen one of my eyes in near 'bout sixty years, and de doctor say I -got a catalac on de yuther one; but I knows you is white folks. I always -is been puny, but I reckon I does purty well considerin' I is a hundred -years old." - -"How do you know you are that old?" I inquired of him. Without -hesitation he answered, "I knows I's dat old 'cause my mistis put it -down in de Bible. I was born on de fourth day and I was a full growed -man when de war come on in '61. - -"Yassum, my mind kinder comes and goes, but I can always 'member 'bout -slave'y time. Hits de things what happen in dese days dat's so easy for -me to disremember. I b'longed to Marster Jim Abercrombie. His plantation -was 'bout sixteen miles north of Marion in Bibb county. When his son, -young Jim, ma'ied, old Marse Jim give me to him and he fetched me to -Perry county. - -"No'm, old marster didn't go to war 'ca'se he was corrupted; he was deaf -in bofe ears and couldn't see good nuther. But he didn't care much 'bout -me 'caze I was puny like and warn't much 'count in de field. - -"My mistis, Miss Lou, was raisin' me up to be a carriage driver, an' she -was jes' as good to me as she could be. She useta dose me up wid castor -oil, jimson root, and dogwood tea when I'd be feelin' po'ly, and she'd -always take up for me when Marse Jim get in behind me 'bout somep'n. I -reckon though I was a purty worrisome nigger in dem days; always gettin' -in some kind of mischief. - -"O yassum, I useta go to meetin'. Us niggers didn't have no meetin' -house on de plantation, but Marse Jim 'lowed us to build a brush arbor. -Den two years atter de surrender I took consideration and j'ined up wid -de Lawd. Dat's how come I live so long. De Lawd done told me, 'Antn'y, -you got a hundred and twenty miles to trabel. Dat mean you gwine to live -a hundred and twenty years, if you stay on de straight an' narrow road. -But if you don't, you gotter go jes' de same as all de yuthers.'" - -"Tell me something about your master's slaves and his overseers," I -asked of him. - -"Well," he said, "Marse Jim had 'bout three hundred slaves, and he hed -one mighty bad overseer. But he got killed down on de bank of de creek -one night. Dey never did find out who killed him, but Marse Jim always -b'lieved de field han's done it. 'Fore dat us niggers useta go down to -de creek to wash ourselves, but atter de overseer got killed down dar, -us jes' leave off dat washin', 'cause some of 'em seed de overseer's -ha'nt down dar floatin' over de creek. - -"Dar was another ha'nt on de plantation, too. Marse Jim had some trouble -wid a big double-j'inted nigger named Joe. One day he turn on Marse Jim -wid a fence rail, and Marse Jim had to pull his gun an' kill him. Well, -dat happen in a skirt of woods what I get my lightwood what I use to -start a fire. One day I went to dem same woods to get some 'simmons. -Another nigger went wid me, and he clumb de tree to shake de 'simmons -down whilst I be pickin' 'em up. 'Fore long I heared another tree -shakin' every time us shake our tree, dat other tree shake too, and down -came de 'simmons from it. I say to myself, 'Dat's Joe, 'cause he likes -'simmons too.' Den I grab up my basket and holler to de boy in de tree, -'nigger turn loose and drap down from dar, and ketch up wid me if you -can. I's leavin' here right now, 'cause Old Joe is over dar gettin' -'simmons too.' - -"Den another time I was in de woods choppin' lightwood. It was 'bout -sundown, and every time my ax go 'whack' on de lightwood knot, I hear -another whack 'sides mine. I stops and lis'ens and don't hear nothin'. -Den I starts choppin' ag'in I hears de yuther whacks. By dat time my -houn' dog was crouchin' at my feets, wid de hair standin' up on his back -and I couldn't make him git up nor budge. - -"Dis time I didn' stop for nothin'. I jes' drap my ax right dar, an' me -and dat houn' dog tore out for home lickety split. When us got dar Marse -Jim was settin' on de porch, an' he say: 'Nigger, you been up to somep'n -you got no business. You is all outen breath. Who you runnin' from?' Den -I say: 'Marse Jim, somebody 'sides me is choppin' in yo' woods, an' I -can't see him. And Marse Jim, he say: 'Ah, dat ain't nobody but Ole Joe. -Did he owe you anythin'?' An' I say: 'Yassah, he owe me two-bits for -helpin' him shuck corn.' 'Well,' Marse Jim say, 'don't pay him no mind: -it jes' Old Joe come back to pay you.' - -"Anyhow, I didn' go back to dem woods no mo'. Old Joe can jes' have de -two-bits what he owe me, 'cause I don't want him follerin' 'roun' atter -me. When he do I can't keep my mind on my business." - - - - -Molly Ammond (Ammonds) - - - *Interview with Molly Ammond (Ammonds)* - --_Gertha Couric_ - -_JESUS HAS MY CHILLUN COUNTED_ - -I walked along a dusty road under the blazing sun. In the shade of a -willow tree a Negro man was seated with his legs drawn up and his arms -crossed upon his knees. His head rested face downward upon his arms, as -he had the aspect of one in deep slumber. Beside him munching on a few -straggly weeds, a cantankerous mule took little notice of his -surroundings. - -"Can you tell me where Aunt Molly Ammonds lives?" I asked in a loud -voice. The Negro stirred slowly, finally raising his head, and -displaying three rabbit teeth, he accompanied his answer with a slight -gesture of his hand. - -"Yassuh, dar her house raght across de road; de house wid de climbin' -roses on hit." - -"Thank you," I said. - -"Yassuh," was the drawled response, and the Negro quickly resumed his -former posture. - -Aunt Molly Ammonds is as gentle as a little child. Her voice is soft and -each phrase measured to the slow functionings of her aged mind. - -[Illustration: _Molly Ammond (Ammonds), Eufaula, Alabama_] - -"Honey," she said, "you ain't gwineter believe dis, but I is de mammy of -thirty chilluns. Jesus got 'em counted an' so is me. I was born in a log -cabin dat had a loft, an' it was on Marse Lee Cato's plantation five -miles wes' of Eufaula. My pappy's name was Tobe Cato an' my mammy's was -Sophia. I had one sister, Marthy, an' two brothers, Bong and Toge. My -pappy made all de furniture dat went in our house an' it were might' -good furniture too. Us useta cook on de fiahplace. Us would cook ash -cakes. Dey was made outen meal, water and a little pinch of lard; on -Sundays dey was made outen flour, buttermilk an' lard. Mammy would rake -all de ashes out de fiahplace, den kivver de cake wid de hot ashes an' -let it cool till it was done. - -"Yas Missy," she continued, "I recollects dat I was 'bout twelve or -fo'teen when de s'render come, kaze a little atter dat I ma'ied Pastor -Ammonds. We walked ober to Georgetown an' it was de fus' time I eber had -shoes, and I got dem fum ole Massa. I remembers dat I ma'ied in a -striped calico dress." - -"Aunt Molly," I said, "you're getting a little ahead of your story, tell -me something about your plantation life before the war." - -"Well, honey, Massa Lee's place was 'bout three miles long an' two miles -wide, and we raised cotton, cawn, 'taters and all sorts of vegetables. -We had a mean oberseer dat always wanted to whup us, but massa wouldn't -'llow no whuppin'. Sometimes de massa whould ride over de place on a -hoss, an' when he come up on de oberseer a-fussin' at a nigger, Massa -say, 'Don't talk rough to dat nigger when he doin' de bes' he can.' - -"My pappy had a little garden of his own back of his cabin, an' he -raised some chickens for us to eat, an' we had aigs nearly ev'y mornin'. - -"De only work I done on de plantation was to nuss some little niggers -when dere mammy an' pappy was in de fiel's. Twarn't hard. - -"Nawsuh! I ain't never seed no slave in chains. Massa Lee was a good -man. He had a church built called de brush house, dat had a flo' and -some seats, an' a top made outen pine boughs, an' massa's pa, Mr. Cato, -would preach eve'y Sunday. We sung songs lak 'I Heered De Voice of Jesus -Say,' an' 'I'se Gwine to Die no Mo.' We was all babtized in de creek, -but none of us was taught to read or write. - -"No-suh, I ain't never seed no slave run away. Us was treated fine. Our -folks was quality. We had plenty som'n t'eat, but dem slaves hadda work -powerful hard though. Atter dey come home fum de fiel's dey was so tired -dat dey go raght to sleep, except when de massa had barbecues. Christmas -was de big time; dere was several days to res' an' make merryin' an' -lots of dem no count niggers got drunk. - -"When us slaves was sick, Massa Lee would send to Eufaula to fetch Dr. -Thornton to give us some medicine. We had de bes' treatment ever. - -"Yassuh, white folks, dem days is long ago. All my chilluns done died or -wandered away an' my ole man been dead goin' on twenty years. I been -here a long time by myself." - -"Aunt Molly," I interrupted. "There's one thing I've always been wanting -to ask one of you ex-slaves, and that is: what you thought of people -like Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis and Booker T. Washington." - -A puzzled expression came of the face of the old Negro. "White folks," -she said after a moments deliberation, "I don't believes I is had de -pleasure of meetin' dem gent'mens." - - - - -Charity Anderson - - - *Interview with Charity Anderson* - --_Ila B. Prine_ - -Charity Anderson, who believes she is 101 years old, was born at Bell's -Landing on the Alabama River, where her owner, Leslie Johnson, operated -a wood-yard, which supplied fuel to the river steamers, and a tavern -where travelers whiled away the delays of a dubious riverboat schedule. - -Rheumatic and weak, she no longer ventures from her house in -Toulminville, on the outskirts of Mobile, but sits, with her turbaned -head and bespectacled eyes, rocking the long hours away in a creaky old -chair and knitting or sewing, or just gazing into a past painted by the -crackling flames in the fireplace. - -[Illustration: _Charity Anderson, Toulminville, Alabama_] - -"I has so much trouble gittin' up and down de steps and ober de groun', -I jist makes myself happy heah, cause--thank de Lawd--I'se on Zion's -March," is her resigned comment. - -"Missy, peoples don't live now; and niggers ain't got no manners, and -doan' know nothin' 'bout waitin' on folks. I kin remember de days w'en I -was one of de house servants. Dere was six of us in de ole Massa's -house--me, Sarai, Lou, Hester, Jerry and Joe. Us did'n' know nothin' but -good times den. My job was lookin' atter de corner table whar nothin' -but de desserts set. Joe and Jerry, dey was de table boys. Dey neber -tetched nothin' wid dere han's, but used de waiter to pass things wid. - -"My ole Massa was a good man. He treated all his slaves kind, and took -good kere of 'em. But, honey, all de white folks wan't good to dere -slaves. I's seen po' niggers 'mos' tore up by dogs and whupped 'tell dey -bled w'en dey did'n' do lak de white folks say. But, thank de Lawd, I -had good white folks and dey sho' did trus' me, too. I had charge of all -de keys to de house, and I waited on de Missis' and de chillun. I laid -out all de clo'se on Sat'dy night, and den Sunday mawnin's I'd pick up -all de dirty things. Dey did'n' have a thing to do. Us house servants -had a hahd job keepin' de pickaninnies out'er de dinin' room whar ole -Massa et, cause w'en dey would slip in and stan' by his cheer, w'en he -finished eatin' he would fix a plate for 'em and let 'em set on the -hearth. - -"No mam, Missy, I ain't neber worked in de fields. Ole Massa he neber -planted no cotton, and I ain't seen none planted 'tell after I was free. -But, honey, I could sho 'nuff wash, iron and knit and weave. Sometimes I -weaved six or seven yahds of cloth, and do my house work too. I lernt -the chillun how to weave, and wash, and iron, and knit too, and I's -waited on de fo'th generation of our fambly. I jes' wish I could tell -dese young chillun how to do. Iffen dey would only suffer me to talk to -dem, I'd tell dem to be more 'spectful to dere mammies and to dere white -folks and say 'yes mam' and 'no mam', instid of 'yes' and 'no' lek dey -do now. - -"All dis generation thinks of is 'musement. I neber had seen a show in -my whole life 'tell jes' dis pas' yeah when one of dem carnival things -wid de swings, and lights, and all de doin's dey have stop right in -front of our house heah. - -"And I ain't neber been in no trouble in all my life--ain't been in no -lawsuits, and ain't been no witness eben. I allus treat ebrybody as good -as I kin, and I uses my manners as good as I knows how, and de Lawd sho' -has took good keer of me. Why, w'en my house burnt up, de white folks -helped me so dat in no time you couldn't tell I ebber los' a thing. - -"But, honey, de good ole days is now gone foreber. De ole days was -railly de good times. How I wish I could go back to de days w'en we -lived at Johnson's landing on de riber, when de folks would come to -ketch de steamboats and we neber knowed how many to put on breakfas', -dinner or supper fo', cause de boats mought be behin' times. I ain't -neber had to pay a fare to ride a steamboat needer. I was a good lookin' -yaller gal in dem days and rid free wherever I wanted to go. - -"But whut's de use dreamin' 'bout de ole times? Dey's gone, and de world -is gettin' wicked'er and wicked'er, sin grows bolder and bolder, and -'ligion colder and colder." - - - - -Gus Askew - - - *Interview with Gus Askew* - --_Gertha Couric_ - -"Dat was one time when de ban' was playin' and flags was flyin' dat us -lil' niggers didn't get no joy outen it." Gus Askew smiled at the -thought of the occasion as he sat on the sunny steps of his comfortable -house in Eufaula. Gus was telling about the investment of Eufaula during -the War between the States. - -"Gen'l Grierson and his men marched right through town," Gus went on -with his story of his boyhood. "Mr. Lincoln done said we was free, but -us lil' niggers was too skeered to lissen to any ban' music, even iffen -the so'jers had come to set us free. 'Pears like us was allus gittin' in -somebody's way in dem days and gittin' skeered of somepin'. But we went -on away from the so'jers and had a good time 'mongst ourselves like we -always done when there wasn't any cotton pickin'. Cotton pickin' time -was when we didn't have any chance to do any playin'. - -"After the surrender I didn't have to do any more cotton pickin' and I -went blacksmithin' for Joe Sturgis. He was the first blacksmith in dis -here town. I was the second. Now my son done took on de work. They ain't -so much sence all dese here automobiles done got so plentiful and might -'nigh ruint de business. But for seventy years I riz wid de sun and went -to dat blacksmith shop. I's enjoying a little misery now; so I's takin' -my rest." - -[Illustration: _Gus Askew, Eufaula, Alabama_] - -Gus Askew was born a slave of the Edwards family in Henry County in -1853. He was brought to Eufaula just before the close of the war and -stayed on as a blacksmith after he was freed. In his seventy years of -hard work he saved enough to buy his home and some property which -maintains him and his wife since age and infirmity forced him to turn -over the work to his son. He has been married 54 years, numbers his -white friends by the hundreds and is held in great respect by his own -race. - - - - -Tom Baker - - - *Interview with Tom Baker* - --_Susie R. O'Brien_ - -"Sho, I recollects about de slabery days," said uncle Tom as he whittled -shavings from a soft piece of white pine. "I lived on a plantation down -in Perry County an' I remembers a story bout somp'n dat happen to me a -way back dar. - -"I was a water boy for fifty fiel' han's dat worked in de sun all day -long, an' I hadda carry many a bucket from de spring dat was one fiel' -ober from where most of dem was workin'. De spring run down between some -willow trees an' it was powerful cool down dere in de shade. I use' to -lie on de moss an' let my bare belly git cool an' put my face in de -outlet of de spring an' let de water trickle over my haid. Jus' about de -time I gits a little rest one of dem niggers would call: 'Water boy! -Bring dat bucket!' Den I grab up de bucket an' run back out in de hot -sun. - -"One day, on my las' trip, I was mighty tired an' I flop down on dat -moss wid de sweat a-drippin' from my body, an' 'fo' I knowed it I done -fell slap to sleep. When I woke up, it was almos' dark, an' I couldn't -hear de slaves a-singing' in de fiel's, so I knowed dat dey had gone -home. I shake my haid, an' look about me, an' my eyes came to res' on a -little black bear cub a-drinkin' outen de spring. He so was a cute -little boogar an' I made up my mind right den to try an' kotch him. I -was jus' a little nigger 'bout ten year old an' didn't have no sense, -but I sho' wanted dat little bear. He ain't seed me a-settin' dere, so I -snuck up real cautious like, an' afore he knowed it I had dat little -debil a-squealin' in my han's. I was jus' about to start home wid him, -when I hears a rustlin' in de bushes an' afore I went ten feets, here -come a big, black bear a-lopin' along right outen dem willow trees. I -drop dat little critter 'caze I knowed dat was his mammy an' she was -ravin' mad. When I let de little feller fall it must have hurt him -somp'n awful caze he howl mo' dan eber, an' went a limpin' up to his -mammy. Well, suh, dat ole woman she got so mad she made fo' me lak two -bolts of lightnin', but dese here feets of mine begin a-doin' dere -stuff. I knowed she was a-gainin' on me so I lets out a whoop for help. -She chased me 'cross dat empty field an' 'bout dat time I seen big Jim -a-comin' through a row of cawn. 'Hurry Big Jim,' I calls, 'a bear is -atter me!' Big Jim was de biggest nigger on our place. He must have -weighed as much as half a bale of cotton. I was jus' 'bout gittin' to de -aidge of de cawn when dat bear ketched me. He give me a slap wid his paw -an' I goes down wid my mouf a-scoopin' up de dus'. My back felt like -somebody done put a hot iron on it. Dat bear was a mean one. I was -expectin' her to chaw me up an' I drawed my body up in a knot and -kivered my haid wid my hands an' waited. But dat bear neber touch me -agin'. I kinda snuck my eye aroun' an' I saw big Jim havin' it out wid -her. Jim, he had a long knife an' dey was a-tumblin' an' a-rollin' in de -dust, while I sot dere wid my eyes a-poppin' outen my haid an' my back -feelin' like it was broke. Jim he wrap his legs roun' dat bear an' 'fore -you knowed it he had done stuck dat ole critter a dozen times wid dat -knife. - -"About fifteen minutes later me an' Jim was a-walkin' back through de -cawn fiel' an' I guess we looked a sight, 'caze I was all tore up an' -Jim he looked like he done mess up wid a fambly of wildcats. He was -bleedin' from haid to foot. When we walked into de big house to git some -treatments an' medicine for our hurts, Mistis was a-standin' dere, and -when she seed me an' Jim, she almost faint. She say: 'Whut done happen -to my niggers?' - -"Atter me an' Jim got fixed up I was jus' as happy, kaze I done seed de -bes' fight dere eber was, an' I had me a little orphan bear cub." - - - - -Henry Barnes - - - *Interview with Henry Barnes* - --_Ila B. Prine, Mobile_ - -_HE MISSES DEM 'SET-DOWN HAWGS'_ - -In Prichard, a suburb of Mobile, lives an old, blind Negro, "Uncle -Henry" Barnes, who says he was born in 1858, near Suggsville, Clarke -County, Alabama. - -"Cose I was borned a slave, but I don't 'member much 'bout hit, 'caze I -was li'l. Dere is one t'ing I does 'member, an' dat was when dey cut -watermelons at de oberseer's house an' dey want us li'l niggers run -races to git our piece. I jes wouldn't run an' my mammy she whup me -'caze I so stubborn an' when I git my piece o' melon, I fly down de lane -whar our log cabins was. Dem cabins was daubed wid clay, an' de -chimbleys was built outten clay an' stick. Our beds was homemade an' had -t'ree legs wid de yuther side nail to de wall. I 'member atter I got a -big boy, my mammy had a bed made outten lumber an' I slep' in dat bed -'twel I was growed an' ma'ed. - -"I 'members us's Ole Mistis, Miss Dell. Miss Dell was a good Mistis an' -she useter hab Sunday School ebber' Sund'y mornin' at de Big House an' -all us li'l niggers went up dar for her to teach us 'bout de Bible an' -Jesus. - -"Marse John was good to all he slaves an' he wouldn't stan' no rush er -meanness to his niggers. Iffen de o'seer got mean, Ole Marster would -turn him off. Ole Marster allus tuk good keer of he slaves, 'caze when -dey got sick, he hab de doctor, jes lak when de white folks got sick. -One o' Marse John's boys, Marse Bennie, was a doctor, an' he was a good -doctor, cep'n' he gin us bad med'cin', but he cyured you. - -"Cose us hab our med'cin' sich lak elderbush tea. Hit was red 'mos' lak -whiskey an' us used hit for feber. Den dere was red sassafrac tea fer -spring feber, an' dey made Jerusalem oak candy full o' seeds an' gib to -de chilluns to eat so dey could git rid of worms. Den us had mullen an' -pine-top tea for colds an' feber. An' when us had a swellin' dey made a -poultice of mullen leabes to take de swellin' out. - -"Sometimes I wishes dat I could be back to de ol' place, 'caze us did -hab plenty to eat, an' at hog-killin' time us had a mor'n a plenty. Ole -Marster kill eight or ten set-down hawgs at one time, an' de meat, an' -de lard an' de hawgjowl an' de chitt'lin's--m'm' I kin see 'em now. - -"What a set-down hawg? Hit's a hawg what done et so much corn he got so -fat dat he feets can't hol' him up an' he jes set on he hin' quarters -an' grunts an' eats an' eats an' grunts, 'twell day knock him in de -head. - -"Dem was sho' good times, 'caze us had all us could eat den, an' plenty -sugar cane to make 'lasses outten. An' dey made up biscuits in de big -wood trays. Dem trays was made outten tupelo gum an' dey was light as a -fedder. Us had plenty den, all de time, an' at Chris'mus an' when de -white folks get ma'ed, dey kill hawgs, turkeys, an' chickens an' -sometimes a yearlin'. En dey cook de hawgs whole, barbecue 'em an' fix -'em up wid a big apple in he mouf. When de big weddin' come off, de cook -in big pots, so's to hab 'nough for eber'body. Cose us didn't hab eaten' -lak dat all de time, 'caze de reg'lar rations was t'ree pound of meat -an' a peck of meal fer eber' han' from Sat'day twell Sat'day. - -"De niggers was 'lowed to hab a li'l patch of dey own, dat dey could wuk -at night an' Sat'day ebenin'! What dey make on dis patch was dey'n, an' -Ole Marster pay 'em money for hit. Nobody didn't make de niggers wuk dey -patches--iffen dey want de grass to took 'em, dat's all right wid Ole -Marster. Ole Martser hab a big gyarden, 'mos' big as a fiel', whar dey -raise greens an' collards an' turnups fer de whole place. - -"My granpappy was a carpenter an' Ole Marster contrac' him out to de -yuther plantations to build dey houses. De grown niggers had to be up -'fo' day. De oberseer blow he horn fust to git up by an' de nex' time he -blow dey hatter be ready to go to de fiel'. - -"Dere was a ol' 'oman what kep' all de li'l niggers, whilst dey mammies -was in de fiel'. Dis ol' 'oman cooked fer de li'l uns an' fed 'em all -day, an' dey mammies tuk 'em at night. - -"Us's clo's was made outten osnaburg cloth an' dyed wid cop'rus an' -sometime dey mix terbaccy an' peach tree leabes wid de dye. Us had a big -orchard wid apples an' peaches an' pears, more'n us an' de hawgs -togedder could eat up. - -"When a nigger died, dey was buried in de graveyard lak dey do now, an' -dey shouted an' hollered an' sometime a 'oman she faint an' hab to be -tote home. De song dey sing mos' at de fun'ral was: Hark from de Toom'. - -"Us sho' did hab plenty singin' o' hymns an' shoutin' at night in de -cabins. Iffen de men want to break a night res' he go possum huntin' or -rabbit huntin' jes' so he git pass from Ole Marster an' was at de fiel' -nex' mornin' on time wid de yuther han's. - -"I knowed Ole Marster went to de war, 'caze I heerd de folks talkin' -bout hit an' wonder iffen Ole Marster gwine git kilt. Den I heerd 'em -say de niggers was free, but us didn't leave Ole Marster for 'bout a -year atter de s'render. Den us went to lib on de young mistis' place at -Barlow Bend, atter she ma'ed Mr. Bob Flynn. Right dar I stayed twell I -was grown and ma'ed. Den de fust move to town, us come up de Alabama -Ribber to James' Landin'. I members all de big boats on de ribber. Dey -sho' was fine 'uns. - -"Den, I 'members atter I growed up dey tell 'bout how de Yankees comin' -here an' how dey pester de white folks an' de niggers, too. Broke in dey -smoke-houses, burn 'em up an' t'row t'ings away an' lef' nobody nottin' -to eat. I don't 'member dat 'caze I was too li'l. - -"Lady, you ax me iffen us knowed anyt'ng 'bout hoodoo? Yes, ma'am dere -sho' was folkses what could put spells on you. I sho' was skeered o' dem -kin' too. Atter I was nearly growed, dere was a gal name Penny what been -down sick a long time an' dere was a cunjer doctor wukkin' on her tryin' -cyure her, but her wan't 'greeable, so he let her die. Den a boy, name -Ed, he had a mis'ry in he foot, an' hit went up he leg an' he cripple. -Dere was a hoodoo doctor in de forks o' 'Bigbee Ribber come tend on him, -an' he tol' ebber'body git outten de house 'cep'n' him an' Ed an' de -Debil. He cyured Ed smack well. - -"My mammy said I was borned wid a 'zernin' eye to see sperits, an' I -seed sump'n lak a cow wid no haid. So mammy made me stir de fresh lard -when dey was rendin' hit, 'caze dat cyures you of seein' de sperits. -Atter I stirred de lard, I didn't see 'em no mo'. - -"One time I was splittin' rails wid a nigger what could do anythin', but -he was a bad man an' I was 'feered of him. I tol' him, iffen I had a -pain or anything hurt me, I sho' would kill him wid my ax. I wudda split -dat nigger wide open, jes' lak I split dem rails, iffen he try dat -hoodoo on me. - -"Talkin' 'bout fishin', I 'members when us would be plowin' down by de -ribber, when hit come dinner-time an' whilst de mules eatin', us go down -to de ribber an' fish. Den eb'ry Sat'day ebenin's us'd fish. Us kotch -trout, gyar, jack an' carp. May was when de carp bite. Dey was so fat -den dat you could cook em by deyse'f widout no grease. Den us ketch -turkeys in pole pens baited wid corn. - -"Lor' what's de use me talkin' 'bout dem times. Dey all pas' an' gone. -Sometimes I gits to studyin' 'bout all de folks mos' is dead, an' I is -here yit, libin' an' blin'; but I 'spec's hit won't be long twell I is -ober de ribber wid de bles'." - - - - -Nathan Beauchamp - - - *Interview with Nathan Beauchamp* - --_Gertha Couric, Eufaula, Alabama_ - -_HALF BREED_ - -I walked up a little path bordered with small stones, an atmosphere of -solitude surrounding me. In the sky, large, white cumulous clouds like -great bolls of cotton, floated leisurely northward. Far down the road a -ramshackle buckboard disappeared over a slight hill; directly in front -the path ran at twenty yards into the dilapidated steps of a Negro -cabin, while an old colored man in a vegetable garden to the left to the -cabin broke the stillness with the intermittent metallic sounds of his -spade digging into thirsty soil. I knew at a glance that this was Nathan -Beauchamp. - -"Hello, Uncle Nathan," I called. - -[Illustration: _Nathan Beauchamp, Eufaula, Alabama_] - -"Mornin', white folks," he answered, as he discontinued his spading and -raised his hand in a friendly gesture. - -I walked over to where Uncle Nathan was standing and stopped in the -little furrows of brown earth. Already a thick coat of dust had formed -on my shoes. - -"Uncle Nathan," I said, "I'd like to have a brief chat with you about -slavery days, if you can spare a few minutes from your garden here?" - -"Yassuh, boss," he said, punctuating his reply with a spat of tobacco -that was soon nothing but a dark mark in the parched ground, "glad to be -of any 'sistance." - -We moved to the shade of a large oak where we sat down together on a -sturdy, home-made bench. - -"Well, white folks," he went on after taking a long turn at the dipper -hanging on the tree which shades a well. "I'll tell you a story of my -mammy an' pappy. Nathan Beauchamp, my pappy, belonged to Massa Green -Beauchamp at White Oak Springs, near Eufaula. - -Massa Green was a member of de legislature when de capital was at -Tuscaloosy. He had many a acre of land an' hund'eds of slaves. Pappy use -to dribe de wagon in to Eufaula to git supplies an' on de way he would -meet up wid an Injun gal a-carryin' big baskets dat she was a goin' to -sell dere. He would ask her iffen she wanted to ride, an' she always say -yes. So one day pappy came to de massa and tell him dat dere was an -Injun gal on de St. Francis Indian Village dat he wanted fo' a wife, an' -de boss say all right so pappy married de Indian gal. Her name was Mimi. -So I is half nigger an half Injun. My mammy died 'bout five year after -freedom, but I can remembers dat she had long black hair, and I -remembers de way de sun sparkle on her teeth when she smile. Atter she -married pappy, she still carried her pretty baskets to Eufaula to sell. -Sometime she walk all de way dere and back, twenty fo' miles. I been -libin' here in Eufaula fifty year or mo', white fo'ks, an' I owns my -little cabin an' de lan' around it. T'ain't much, but its enough to keep -me a-goin', dis wid de little sto' I owns." - - - - -Oliver Bell - - - *Interview with Oliver Bell* - --_Ruby Pickens Tartt, Livingston_ - -_DE BES' FRIEND A NIGGER EVER HAD_ - -Oliver Bell says the first thing he remembers was seeing his mother -whipped. He was born in slavery, but most of his knowledge of the evils, -as well as the joys of ante-bellum days, is by hearsay only. - -"I was borned on de De Graffenreid Place," he said, "nine miles west of -Livingston-Boyd Road. My mother was Luella De Graffenreid an' my pappy -was Edmund De Graffenreid. Den dey changed my name to Bell. I had one -brother, Nat, an' two sisters, Jestina an' Clara. I has 'bout sixteen -chilluns, all born on de same place an' most of dem is livin' dere yit. -My chillun by my firs' wife are Ed, Jack, Holly, Buck, Clarence, Sally, -Liza, Mag an' Luella. Dey ma was Mandy Powell, frum York. Den my second -wife, Bettie Brown, gived me de res' of my chilluns. Le's see, dey is -Jimmy, J.W. Alfonso Wallace, Henry, Edna an' ----" He hesitated, -explained, "Dat's as many as I kin' 'member jest now. - -[Illustration: _Oliver Bell, Livingston, Alabama_] - -"My gran'ma's name was Cely De Graffenreid an' my gran'pa's name was -Peter. He was a shoemaker fur de place an' made plows, too. He was a -worker an' he learnt me how to pull fodder an' chop corn an' cotton when -I was jest a little scamp jes' a little black nigger. - -"Us all b'longed to Mr. Tresvan De Graffenreid an' Mistus Rebecca; an' -dey was all good to us. Ol' Mistus read de Bible to us an' got us -baptized in de river at Horn's bridge, but dat was atter de surrender. -In slavery times dey didn't like for us to sing an play loud in de -quarters. Honey, I 'members when us had de big prayer meetin's. Dey -would shut de door so de voice won't git out, an' dey would turn de -washpot down de door. Dat was to keep de voice inside, dey tol' me." - -Oliver mused a moment, recalling the old times. - -"Us chilluns useta have a good time singin' an' a-playin'," he said. "I -'members one of our little verses run somethin' lak dis: - - Shoo, shoo, shoo gander - Th'ow yo' feathers 'way yander. - -"Us had ol' corn hollers, too, but I fergits um now. I does remember -though you could hear dem niggers holler a whole mile. - -"No'm, it warn't so bad wid us. De white folks was good to us niggers. -Us had 'nough to eat, lak greens, frum de big house. Us had our rations -weighted out; peck o' meal, three pounds of meat, half gallon of -'lasses, made at home in wodden mills; an' dat was for a week. An' -sometimes, on a Sunday us had a little sugar, coffee an' flour. No'm, us -didn't know what rice was. - -"What I seed of slavery was a bad idea, I reckon, but ev'ybody thought -dey marster was de bes' in de lan'. Us didn't know no better. A man was -growed plum' green 'fo he knew de whole worl' didn't belong to his ol' -marster. - -"Us didn't have no bought medicine in dem days; jes' whut us got outta -de woods lak slippery ellum fer fever an' poke salad root; dey he'p a -lot. An' May-apple root would he'p you same as castor oil. - -"Didn't nobody he'p us learn nothin' much, but mos' of my chilluns went -to Booker T's school. Dey say he's a mighty smart man, an' my chilluns -thinks so, too. It's all right; I wish I could read an' write; den I'd -tell you things you'd lak to know." - -His face clouded for the briefest moment. - -"I tell you de fust thing I 'members, an' I don't know whut started it. -One day my mammy done sumpin' an' ol' marster made her pull her dress -down 'roun' her waist an' made her lay down 'crost de door. Den he taken -a leather strop an' whooped her. I 'members dat I started cryin' an' -Mistus Beckie said, 'Go git dat boy a biskit.' - -"I reckerlecks my mammy was a plow han' an' she'd go to work soon an' -put me under de shade of a big ol' post-oak tree. Dere I sat all day, -an' dat tree was my nurse. It still standin' dere yit, an' I won't let -nobody cut it down. - -"Mammy say I never did learn to walk; jes' one day she sot me down under -de oak, an' fust thing she knowed she look up an' dere I was walkin' -down de middle of a cotton row. - -"'Nother thing I 'members when I was a little boy; dat dey was 'vidin' -de corn atter de s'render. Dr. DeGraffenreid measured de corn out to all -of 'em whut was share han's. He'd take a bushel an' give 'em a bushel. -When he mos' through he'd throw a ear of corn to dis one, an' give -himse'f a ear; den he break a ear in two, an' he take part an' give dem -part. Dat was close measurin', I tell you. - -"Us lived in de third house frum de big house in de quarter, an' when I -was a boy it was my job to set out shade trees. An' one day de Ku Klux -come ridin' by an' dey leader was Mister Steve Renfroe. (Alabama bandit -of Reconstruction days). He wore long hair an' he call my pappy out an' -ax him a heap of questions. While he sittin' dere his horse pull up nigh -'bout all de trees I done sot out. - -"Atter talkin' to my pappy, he rode on 'cross Horn's bridge, 'bout two -miles souf of here, an' dere he met Ol' Man Enoch Sledge an' Frank -Sledge. Dey was darkies whut b'longed to Marsa Simmy Sledge's father, -Ol' Doctor Sledge. Slaves on dat plantation was 'lowed pretty good -privilege atter de s'rrender an' was workin' on halvens. Uncle Enoch an' -Frank was in town tradin' some, an' Mr. Renfroe didn't want 'em to have -anything. When dey lef' town, dey pass de Ku Kluxes raght on de slough -bridge. Mister Renfroe ax Enoch to give him a piece of string to fix his -saddle wid; den shot him. Frank run to de river, but de Ku Kluxes -cotched him an' shot him, too. - -"De niggers went down to de river dat night an' got de bodies an' buried -'em in de ol' Travis graveyard. My mammy an' daddy is buried dere, too. - -"Didn' nobody do nothin' 'bout Mister Renfroe 'till he went on an' got -to messin' wid Marsa Simmy Sledge's things; stole a pair of mules an' de -white folks rambled atter him 'till dey foun' him in Linden. Dey got so -hot atter him dat he went to his camp in de flat woods down on Bear -Creek. Dem was skeery times, 'case dat man never had no mercy for -nobody. - -"Dey's a cave down by de burial grounds whut de slaves dug when dey run -away, an' Mister Renfroe stayed dere. It's on de river bank an' its dug -up. You digs an' starts low an' pushes de dirt out an' digs up an' makes -a big room up so de water won't git you. I knows whar dey's two of de -caves on de place; my cow fell in one yestidy. - -"When Ol' Marster Amos Travis come out here from Californy, he taken a -lakin' to me an' wanted me to leave t'other side of de place an' move -down dis side of de big house to take keer of dis swamp an' look atter -de han's. But I wanted a big house wid four rooms an' two brick -chimneys, an' I had to talk five years to git it. I's got some -rosebushes now dat was at de big house raght atter de s'rrender, an' -dey's growin' in my yard now. - -"Speakin' 'bout graveyard, I was passin' dere one night, ridin' on 'bout -midnight, an' sumpin' come draggin' a chain by me lak a dog. I got down -off'n my horse, but couldn't see nothin' wid no chain, so I got back on -de horse an' dere raght in front of me was a Jack-Me-Lantern wid de -brightes' light you ever seed. It was tryin' to lead me off, an' ev'y -time I'd git back in de road it would lead me off ag'in. You sho' will -git los' if you follow a Jack-Me-Lantern. - -"One of dem led a man down to de creek by dem double bridges; said he -foun' he was travelin' in de wrong direction, gittin' frum home stidder -clo'ster, so he jes' sit down under a tree an' waited 'til daylight. I -ain't skeered of nothin' but dem Jack-Me-Lanterns, but dey stirs you up -in yo' min' till you can't tell whar you's at; an' dey's so bright dey -nigh 'bout puts yo' eyes out. Dey is plenty of 'em over by de graveyard -raght over yonder whar all my white folks is buried, an' mammy an' -pappy, too. Dey's all dere 'cept Marsa Jess Travis; he was de nex' whut -come in line for de place, an' he was de bes' frein' dis here nigger -ever had. - -"Fac' was, dat's whut he call me; 't was 'nigger'. He an' Mistus Mag -lived raght dere in de big house; den dey move into town an' dat's whar -he died. Me an' Marsa Jess made a 'greement an' he said if he was de -longes' liver, he'd see me buried, an' if I be de longes' liver, I see -him buried. So dat day I went to his office in de co'thouse an' he say -he want to talk wid me. He say, 'You 'members us 'greement?' An' I say, -'Whut 'greement, Marsa Jess?' An' he say, 'Bout buryin'.' Den I say, -sho', 'I 'members dat.' - -"Den he got up an' give me some papers 'bout some lan', an' I say, 'Whut -do all dis here mean, Marse Jess?' He say, 'nothin', nigger, 'cept I's -jes' goin' outta business.' Den I say, 'Goodbye, Marse Jess,' an' he -say, 'Goodbye, nigger,' an' I walked on 'crost de street. Den Mr. -Killian say, 'Oliver, whut's happened over at de co'thouse?' An I say, -'Ain't nothin' as I knows of.' Den he say, 'Yes, dey is; jes' look at de -peoples gwine in a hurry.' Den I turn 'roun' an' run back an' dere lay -Marse Jess. Mr. Smith was gettin' him up an' Marse Jess say to me, -'Well, nigger, I didn't do whut I tended to; I missed it.' An' I say, -'Boss, fer God's sake go to de hospital; I'll go wid you an' stay wid -you.' Mistus Mag, she ast me to beg him, but he shuck his head an' say -'If I had a-wanted to live I wouldn't of shot myself.' He res' a minit, -den say, 'Nigger, write Miss Calline an' tell her I says to always be -good to you as long as you lives.' - -"Yassum, I was raght dere, done jes' whut I tol' him I'd do; kep' my -'greement an' followed him to de grave. Co'se dat last 'bout Marse Jess -ain't no slavery tale, but I thought you was atter hearin' all 'bout de -family whut owned dis ol' place; an' Marse Jess was de bes' white frein' -a nigger ever had; dis nigger, anyhow." - - - - -Nelson Birdsong - - - *Personal interview with Nelson and Virginia Birdsong* - *Summerville, on Front Street* - --_Ila B. Prine, Mobile, Alabama_ - -_NELSON BIRDSONG REMEMBERS HIS MASTER_ - -Nelson Birdsong, who lives on Front Street in the old suburb of -Summerville, about three miles from Mobile, Alabama, was born a slave. A -tall dark Negro man, with white hair and whiskers, he says he was born -at Montgomery Hill, Alabama in Baldwin County, and that his people and -he were owned by Mr. Tom Adkins. - -Nelson said he was very small at the time of the Surrender, and could -not tell very much about slavery days. In fact, he adds, "You know, -missie, old folks in dem days did'nt 'low chillun to stan' 'roun' when -dey was talking. We chillun was lack a shot out of a gun when anybody -come in. We was glad when folks come in 'cause we c'ud run out an' play. -Chillun now-a-days knows as much as we did when we was twenty-five years -old." - -Nelson does remember his "massa" saying he neber was going to 'let dat -little nigger work.' - -He did not remember much about coming to Mobile, but "seemed lack" his -"mammy worked for Mrs. Dunn on Monroe street, and later dey moved out in -old Napoleonville" (which is now Crichton, Alabama, a suburb of Mobile). -He said his "Pa and Mammy den worked fo' gris' mill out dere, and also -owned a big gris' mill in de fork whar de big fire station is now" -(which is located at the intersection of St. Francis street and -Washington Avenue, the latter formerly Wilkinson street). This grist -mill was burned in the 1870's. - -Nelson says the first work he remembered doing was "nussing a baby boy -of Mr. Bramwell Burden, a gran'son of old man Burden." - -Nelson has owned his little farm and three-room house until the past two -or three years. He said he scuffled and tried to pay de taxes, but had -got so old and his "knees had give out on him, and I seed I was agoin' -to lose mah place so I turned it over to a man to keep up mah taxes, so -I'd have a place to lib. De relief gibes me a little he'p now, an' me -an' my wife makes out de bes' we can." - -The house is the familiar type of two-room Negro house, with a porch -across the front, and a shed room on the back. The bedroom had been -papered with scraps of wallpaper of varied designs and so old that most -of it had fallen off. The mantel is covered with the colored comics -section, cut in a fancy pattern of scallops. At the entrance of the -house is a sack nailed to the floor and used for a foot mat, and at the -two upper corners of the door are horse shoes for good luck. Nelson said -he is a member of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, and has -been a Methodist all his life; that he and his wife Virginia "had only -two chillun' and dey were bofe dead." - -Nelson's wife, Virginia, came from a family of slaves, although she was -not one herself. She said her folks were owned by Mr. Joe Pickett of -Camden, Wilcox County, Alabama. She said she just can remember Mr. Joe -taking her in his buggy, and she called him "Toe-Toe," as she couldn't -say his name plainly. She also said as she grew older she always spoke -of Mr. Joe, as "my Papa," instead of "my master," for "he sho' was good -to me." She remembers her mother being chambermaid on the "Old -Eleanora," a boat on the Alabama river, and as a small child going back -and forth on the boat with her. When they finally settled in Mobile, her -mother worked for the family of Dr. Heustis who lived in the corner -house now occupied by the new Federal Court House and Custom House, at -St. Louis and St. Joseph streets. - - - - -Ank Bishop - - - *Interview with Ank Bishop* - --_Ruby Pickens Tartt, Livingston, Alabama_ - -_GABR'EL BLOW SOF'! GABR'EL BLOW LOUD!_ - -When "Gabr'el take his silver trump," he is going to blow soft for the -saved and loud for the lost souls, according to Ank Bishop who was born -into slavery eighty-nine years ago, and lives in Livingston, Alabama. -The days before the war were as good as the present, Ank believes. He -tells of them in the following story of his life: - -"My name is Ank Bishop, en I was born in 1849, August 16th, at Ward, -Alabama. My mother's name was Amy Larken, an' my father was Tom Bishop. -I had three brothers, Alf, Volen an' Jim, an' two sisters, Cely an' -Matildy. Us belonged to Lady Liza Larkin at Ward, right nigh Coke's -Chapel. - -"My mother was brought out from South Car'lina in a speculator drove, -an' Lady Liza bought her at de auction at Coke's Chapel. She lef' her -mammy an' daddy back dere in South Car'lina an' never did see 'em no -more in dis life. She was bidded off an' Lady Liza got her, jes' her one -from all her family. She was got fer Lady Liza's house gal. But -sometimes she cooked or was de washer, den ag'in de milker. 'Twas my job -for to min' de ca'ves. Sometimes I went to Mr. Ed Western's sto' at -Gaston, three miles from us house, to see iffen was any mail for Lady -Liza, but 'twa'n't none. - -"Dey was good to us 'caze Lady Liza's son, Mr. Willie Larkin, was de -overseer for his ma, but co'se sometime dey git among 'em an' thrashed -'em out. One time one de niggers runned away, old Caesar Townsy, an' dey -sarnt for Dick Peters to come an' bring his "nigger dogs." Dem dogs was -trained to ketch a nigger same as rabbit dogs is trained to ketch a -rabbit. So Mr. Willie Larkin told Stuart for to say to old man Dick -Peters when he come, 'I'm gone,' but for him to come on. 'I'm gwineter -keep de road,' he say, 'an' cross 'Bigbee at Moscow landin'.' So ol' -Dick Peters, he kept de road lack he tole him to, an' he cross 'Bigbee -at Moscow landin' over in de cane-brake. But dem nigger dogs didn't -never ketch ol' man Caesar. He stayed right wharever he was at 'twell -after S'render, an' de War done ceased. Den he come out, but iffen he -had a been caught, dey'd a used him up pretty rough, but he stayed hid -twell de time done passed. - -"All de women on Lady Liza's place had to go to de fiel' ev'y day an' -dem what had suckerlin' babies would come in 'bout nine o'clock in de -mawnin' an' when de bell ring at twelve an' suckerlin' 'em. One woman -tended to all of 'em in one house. Her name was Ellie Larkin, an' dey -call her 'Mammy Larkin.' She all time sarnt me down in de fiel' for to -git 'em come suckle de chillen, 'caze dat made hit hard on her when dey -gets hongry an' cry. - -"Us didn't get to go to church none, an' us wa'n't larnt nothin'. I'm -nigh 'bout ninety an' I can't read a line. I got some chillun kin read; -one can't whut is sixty-five, but Henry he fifteen an' he kin. De ma, -she go by de name of Pearlie Beasley, she can't read neither, but she's -a good fiel' han' an' she patched dese breeches I'm wearin' an' dis ole -shirt. Miss, I ain't got a coat to my name. Can't go to church, so I -doan' know dat dis any better'n slav'y time. Hit's hard, anyway you got -to travel, got yo' nose on de groun' rock all de time. When pay day -come, ain't nothin' pay wid. Come git de rent, den you out do's ag'in. -Bred an' bawn in Sumter County, wore out in Sumter County, 'specks to -die in Sumter County, an' whut is I got? Ain't got nothin', ain't got -nothin', ain't got nothin'. - -[Illustration: _Ank Bishop, Livingston, Alabama_] - -"But I'm a believer, an' dis here voodoo an' hoodoo an' sper'ts ain't -nothin' but a lot of folk's outten Christ. Ha'nts ain't nothin' but -somebody died outten Christ an' his sper't ain't at res', jes' in a -wand'rin' condition in de world. - -"Dis is de evil sper't what de Bible tells about when hit say a person -has got two sper'ts, a good one an' a evil one. De good sper't goes to a -place of happiness an' rest, an' you doan' see hit no mo', but de evil -sper't ain't got no place to go. Hit's dwellin' place done tore down -when de body died, an' hit's jes' a wand'rin' an a waitin' for Gabr'el -to blow his trump, den de worl' gwineter come to an en'. But when God -say, 'Take down de silver mouf trump an' blow, Gabr'el,' an' Gabr'el -say, 'Lord, how loud shell I blow?' Den de Lord say, 'Blow easy, -Gabr'el, en ca'm, not to 'larm my lilies.' De secon' time Gabr'el say, -'How loud mus' I blow, Lord?' Den de Lord say, 'Blow hit as loud as -seben claps of thunder all added into one echo, so as to wake up dem -damnable sper'ts sleepin' in de grave-ya'ds what ain't never made no -peace wid dey God, jes' alayin' dere in dey sins.' - -"But de Christ'en Army, hit gits up wid de fus' trump, an' dem what is -deef is de evil ones what anybody kin see anytime. I ain't skeered of -'em, though. I passes 'em an' goes right on plowin', but iffen you wants -'em to git outten your way, all you gotter do is jes' turn your head -least bit an' look back. Dey gone jes' lack dat! When my fus' wife died -'bout thirty years ago, I was goin' up to Gaston to see Sara Drayden, -ole Scot Drayden's wife, an' I tuck out through Kennedy bottom 'bout -sundown right after a rain. I seed sompin acomin' down de road 'bout dat -high, 'bout size a little black shaggy dog, an' I says, 'What's dat I -sees commin' down de road? Ain't nobody 'roun' here got no black shaggy -dog? Hit kep' a-comin' an' kep' a-gittin' bigger an' bigger an' closer -an' closer, an' time hit got right to me 'twas as big as a ha'f growed -yearlin', black as a crow. It had four feet an' drop years, jes' lack a -dog, but 'twa'n't no dog, I knows dat. Den he shy out in de bushes, an' -he come right back in de road, an' hit went on de way I was comin' from, -so I went on de way hit was comin' from. I ain't never seed dat thing no -mo'. But I'ze gotter pretty good notion 'bout who hit 'twas." - - - - -Siney Bonner - - - *Interview with Siney Bonner* - --_W.F. Jordan_ - -"Hear dat whistle?" The speaker was Siney Bonner, an ex-slave, now -living in the Norwood section of Birmingham. She had stopped for a -"confab" where a group of other elderly Negroes of the neighborhood had -gathered. "De whistles on dem Big Jacks what pull dese highsteppin' I.C. -trains mind me of dem steamboats what used to pull up at de landin' at -ole Pickensville on de Tombigbee River. - -"'Cose dar wa'n't no railroads dem days an' de onlies' way folks had -trabbelin' about was de steamboat which passed most every week, and de -stage coach which passed twice a week. - -"Lawsy, man, dem was de days, and many de time atter my daddy, whose -name was Green Bonner, heard dat steamboat blow below Pickensville, he -would hitch up de mules to de waggin and foller Massa John on hossback -down to de landin' to fetch back de supply of sugar and coffee and -plow-tools needed on de plantation. Dey would take me 'long to hold de -mules and watch de waggin and it was a reglar picnic to me to see de big -shiney boat and watch de goin's on. - -"Massa John Bonner sho' did 'pend on my daddy. De massa paid a thousand -green-back dollars for him down to Mobile. 'Nuf green-backs to wrap him -up in, he said, so he named him Green Bonner. - -"Yes suh, we was all Baptis'--de deep water kind, and every Sunday dey -used to pile us into de waggins and pull out bright and early for Big -Creek Church on the Carrollton road. Everybody fetched a big basket of -grub and, sakes alive! sech another dinner you never see, all spread out -on de grassy grove by de ole graveyard. Mos' all de quality white folks -belonged at Big Creek and when dere slaves got sho' nuff 'ligion, dey -have 'em jine at Big Creek and be baptized at de swimmin' hole. Some of -de niggers want to have dere own meetin's, but Lawd chile, dem niggers -get happy and get to shoutin' all over de meadow where dey built a brush -arbor. Massa John quick put a stop to dat. He say, 'if you gwine to -preach and sing you must turn de wash pot bottom up'; meanin', no -shoutin'. Dem Baptis' at Big Creek was sho' tight wid dere rules too. -Turn you out sho' if you drink too much cawn licker, or dance, or cuss. - -"Massa John had a big fine bird dog. She was a mammy dog and one day she -foun' six puppies out in de harness house. Dey was mos' all girl puppies -so massa gwine drown 'em. I axed him to give 'em to me and purty soon de -missus sent me to de pos'office, so I put de puppies in a basket and -took 'em wid me. Dr. Lyles come by whar I was settin' and he say, 'Want -to sell dem pups, Siney?' I tell him, uh-huh. Den he say, 'What -'nomination is dey?'. I tell him, dey's Methodis' dogs. He didn' say no -mo'. Bout a week atter dat ole missus sent me to 'de pos'office again, -so I took my basket of puppies. Sho' nuff, 'long come Dr. Lyles and he -say, 'Siney, see you still ain't sold dem pups'. I say, 'Naw-suh'. Den -he axed me ag'in what 'nomination dey b'long to. I tole him dey was -Baptis' dogs. He say, 'How come? You tole me las' week dem was Methodis' -pups'. Ha-ha! Bless God!, look like he had me. But I say, 'Yas-suh, but -you see, Doctah, dey got dere eyes open since den!' He laff and go on -down to his newspaper office. - -[Illustration: _Siney Bonner, Birmingham, Alabama_] - -"How old is I? Law chile, I don't know. My mammy say I was fifteen year -old time of de surrender. I 'members dat mighty well. Massa John call -all de niggers on de plantation 'round him at de big house and he say to -'em 'Now, you all jes' as free as I is. I ain't your marster no mo'. -I'se tried to be good to you and take keer of all of you. You is all -welcome to stay and we'll all wuk togedder and make a livin' somehow. Ef -you don' want to stay, dem dat go will jes' have to root, pig, or die.' -Some stayed and some lef'. My daddy stayed wid Marse John till he was -called home to glory. Now dey all gone but Siney, and I'se jes' here, -waitin' for 'em to call me. - -"Yas suh, I been 'round Carrollton a heap. Atter Marse John and my daddy -bofe died, I wuk'd 'round from place to place. Used to wuk for Mrs. -Roper at de old Phoenix Hotel. I recollect when de new brick court house -was built. De ole court house had been burned and dey 'rested a nigger -named Bill Burkhalter for settin' it on fire. Dey sent him to de pen' -an' some officers started wid him to Montgomery. When dey got to Sipsey -River a mob ketched up wid 'em an' took Bill and hung him dere in the -swamp. 'Bout dat time a bad cloud come up. Dey axed Bill did he have -anything to say. He say, 'I ain't burn no court house, an' ef you all -kill me, my face gwine always ha'nt you'. Whilst he still hangin' dere -in dat swamp de lightnin' flash and de thunder an' wind was somp'n -awful. Nex' mornin' when de sun come up, bless my soul, right dere on de -winder in de court house tower was a photygraf of de face of de nigger -dey done hung for burnin' de old court house. Yas suh, I done seen dat -wid my own eyes an' I speck dat picture still dere. - -"But lawsy me, I got to get goin', kase I'se cookin' me a mess of poke -sallet I picked down by de railroad tracks dis mornin'. Dat poke sallet -and young ernions gwine to be mighty good, and dey sho 'mind me of dem -good old days in Pickens county." - - - - -Jennie Bowen - - - *Interview with Jennie Bowen* - --_Mary A. Poole, Mobile_ - -_NO BELL BRUNG HIM_ - -Jennie Bowen was surrounded by numerous little colored children as I -came upon her sitting on her front porch. She answered my questions -through a mouth void of teeth and with a constant blinking of her brown -eyes with their muddy whites. Her little grand-child had to act to some -extent as an interpreter, as her speech was at times most indistinct. - -"Yassum, I remembers lots of things dat happened back in de days of de -Cibil War," she said. "I remembers de place whar I lived. It were de -prettiest house you ever seed. It were on a high hill overlooking a -small creek and de flowers 'roun' in de yard was somp'n to see, sho' -'nuff. - -"I was bawn in 1847 on Massa Fisher's and Mistis Fisher's plantation -near Camden, Alabama. Us slaves lived in a row of whitewashed cabins in -de rear of de big house. We useta have a mean oberseer, white folks, an' -all de time dere was slaves on our place a runnin' away. - -"I acted as nuss for massa's three chilluns, an' dey learnt me to read -an' write. My pappy was named Burl Fisher an' he come f'um Virginny when -Cap'n Fisher brung him. My mammy was named Grace Fisher, an' she was -'roun' de big house mos' of de time a weavin' an' a cardin' wool for de -slaves, who wo' calico spun in de summer an' wool in de winter. - -"An ole nigger man rung a bell for us to get up by, an' to call de fiel' -han's in de evenin's. Atter Surrender, dis ole nigger stayed right on de -plantation an' was a workin' in de fiel's one day when de Fisher boy -rung de bell for de niggers to come in. All of 'em came 'cep'n dis ole -man an' later on dey ax him why he don't come when dey ring de bell. He -answer: 'Tain't no mo' bell ringin' for dis nigger, 'caze I is free.' - -[Illustration: _Jennie Bowen, Mobile, Alabama_] - -"De Fishers was Pres'terians an' dey had dere own church on de place. -Eve'ybody had to go on Sunday; de white folks sittin' in de front, de -colored folks in de back. De onl'es' holidays us niggers had was -Chris'mas an' New Years. On dese days us all exchanged gif's. - -"My pappy an' mammy atter de war farmed on shares wid Cap'n Fisher. I -was ma'ied 'bout dis time, white folks, to Sam Bowen, who long been -daid. Us had a big weddin' an' de two Mistis Fishers (Massa's daughters) -baked us a cake an' I sont a piece to all my white frien's for dem to -dream on. Atter I come to Mobile, I changed my 'ligion to bein' a -Babtist. - -"I had ten chilluns, but seven of dem is daid. I is even got fo' great -gran' chilluns. - -"Yassum, us had po' white trash back in dem days of de war. Dey lived -near our place, an' some of 'em didn't have no niggers at all. Dey -worked deyse'f in de fiel's. Us didn't fool 'long wid dem kinds of -people dough, white folks. Us kep' mostly to ourselves. - -"Yassum, us house niggers et in de kitchens, dat was separated f'um de -main buildin' by a walkway, kivered at de top but not at de sides. All -de slave chilluns had a grown nigger woman and a young gal 'bout sixteen -to look atter dem. We-alls had a good time an' us was happy an' secure." - - - - -Nannie Bradfield - - - *Interview with Nannie Bradfield* - --_Susie R. O'Brien, Uniontown, Alabama_ - -_WHAT I KEER ABOUT BEIN' FREE?_ - -Nannie Bradfield is a fat little old woman almost as broad as she is -long, with a pleasant face and a broad smile which displays white teeth -still good at the age of eighty-five. She lives alone in a dilapidated -cabin which rests in a clump of trees by the side of the railroad. The -sagging roof is patched with pieces of rusty tin of many shapes and -sizes. - -"Nannie," I said, "aren't you afraid to live here alone?" - -"How come I be skeered? Ain't nobody gwine bother me lessen it be a -spirit, and dey don't come 'roun' 'cep'n on rainy nights, den all you -got to do is say 'Lawd have mercy! What you want here,' and dey go 'way -and leave you 'lone. - -"Any how I's gittin' pretty old and I won't be here so ve'y much longer -so I jes' as well start gittin' 'quainted wid de spirits." - -"Tell me something about yourself and your family, Nannie," I said. -"Dere ain't nothin' much to tell 'cep I was born in slav'y times and I -was 'bout twelve year old in May when 'mancipation come. My Pa and Ma -b'longed to Mars James and Miss Rebecca Chambers. Dey plantation was -jes' on de aidge of town and dat's what I was born. Mars James' son -William was in de war and old Miss would send me to town whar all de -sojers tents was, to tote sompen good to eat to dem. I don't 'member -much 'bout de war 'cep de tents and de bum shells shootin'. I was little -and couldn't do much but I waited on Miss Liz'beth, my young Miss, and -waited on table, toted battie cakes and sich like. No ma'am I don't know -nothin' 'tall 'bout de patterollers or de Klu Kluxers but I know all -'bout de conjer doctors. Dey sho' kin fix you. Dey kin take yo' garter -or yo stockin' top an drap it in runnin' water and make you run de res' -of yo' life, you'll be in a hurry all de time, and if dey gits holt of a -piece of de seat of yo' draw's dey sprinkles a little conjer powder on -it and burns it den you can't never set down in no peace. You jes' like -you settin' on a coal of fiah 'till you git somebody to take de spell -offen you." - -"Nannie, were you glad when the war was over and you were free?" - -"What I keer 'bout bein' free? Didn't old Marster give us plenty good -sompin to eat and clo's to wear? I stayed on de plantation 'til I -mah'ied. My old Miss give me a brown dress and hat. Well dat dress put -me in de country, if you mah'ie in brown you'll live in de country." - -"'Marry in brown you'll live out of town?'" I quoted. "Dat's it--my -remembrance ain't so good and I fergits. - -"No ma'am, I ain't got no chillun, but Bradfield had plenty un um, I was -his fouf wife. He died 'bout three years ago and he done well to live -dat long wid all dem wimmens to nag him. De Bible say it's better to -climb on top of the house and set, den to live inside wid a naggin' -'oman." - - - - -Martha Bradley - - - *Interview with Martha Bradley* - --_Mabel Farrior, Montgomery, Alabama_ - -_IN SLAVERY TIME_ - -Aunt Martha--as she is known to all her "white folks"--claims to be 100 -years old. She was a slave to Dr. Lucas of Mt. Meigs neighborhood long -before the War between the States. Dr. Lucas is one of the well known -Lucas family, with whom General LaFayette spent some time while touring -the United States in 1824. - -"Our Marster wuz sho good to all his 'niggers'," she said. "Us allus had -plenty to eat and plenty to wear, but de days now is hard, if white -folks gin you a nickel or dime to git you sumpin' t' eat you has to -write everything down in a book before you can git it. I allus worked in -the field, had to carry big logs, had strops on my arms and them logs -was put in de strop and hauled to a pile where they all was. One morning -hit was rainin' ad I didn' wanna go to the field, but de oversee' he -come and got me and started whooping me. I jumped on him and bit and -kicked him 'til he lemme go. I didn't know no better then. I didn't know -he was de one to do dat. - -"But Marster Lucas gin us big times on Christmas and July. Us 'ud have -big dinners and all the lemonade us could drink. The dinner'd be spread -out on de ground an' all the niggers would stand roun' and eat all dey -wanted. What was lef' us'd take it to our cabins. Nancy Lucas was de -cook fer eber' body. Well, she'd sho cook good cake and had plenty of -'em but she wouldn't lak to cut dem cakes often. She keep 'em in a safe. -One day I go to dat safe and I seed some and I wanted it so bad till I -jes' had to have some. Nancy say to me, 'Martha, did you cut dat cake?' -I say, 'No sir! dat knife just flew 'roun by itself and cut dat cake.' - -"One day I was workin' in de field and de overseer he come 'roun and say -sumpin' to me he had no bizness say. I took my hoe and knocked him plum -down. I knowed I'se done sumpin' bad so I run to de bushes. Marster -Lucas come and got me and started whoopin' me. I say to Marster Lucas -whut dat overseer sez to me and Marster Lucas didn' hit me no more. -Marse Lucas was allus good to us and he wouldn' let nobody run over his -niggers. - -"There was plenty white folks dat was sho bad to de niggers, and -specially dem overseers. A nigger whut lived on the plantation jinin' -ours shot and killed an overseer; den he run 'way. He come to de river -and seed a white man on udder side and say, 'Come and git me.' Well, -when dey got him dey found out whut he'd done, and was gwine to burn him -'live. Jedge Clements, the man dat keep law and order, say he wouldn't -burn a dog 'live, so he lef'. But dey sho burn dat nigger 'live for I -seed him atter he was burned up. - -[Illustration: _Martha Bradley, Montgomery, Alabama_] - -"Us'd go to meetin' to de Antioch Church some Sundays. Us'd go to de -house and git a pass. When us'd pass by the patterole, us jes' hold up -our pass and den us'd go on. Dar was a 'vidin' 'twixt de niggers and de -white folks. De white preacher'd preach; den de colored man. Us'd stay -at church most all day. When we didn' go to church, us'd git together in -the quarters and have preachin' and singin' amongst ourselves. - -"In cotton pickin' time us'd stay in de field till way atter dark and -us'd pick by candle light and den carry hit and put hit on de scaffold. -In de winter time us'd quilt; jes' go from one house to anudder in de -quarter. Us'd weave all our ever' day clothes but Marster Lucas'd go to -Mobile ever' July and Christmas and git our Sunday clothes, git us -dresses and shoes and we'd sho be proud of 'em. - -"In slavery time dey doctored de sick folks dif'funt frum what dey does -now. I seed a man so sick dey had to put medicine down his tho'at lak he -was a horse. Dat man got well and sho lived to turn a key in de jail. Ef -it was in dese days dat man would be cay'd to de hospital and cut open -lak a hawg. - -"Dere was a slave whut lived in Macon county. He run 'way and when he -was catched dey dug a hole in de ground and put him crost it and beat -him nigh to death." - - - - -Allen Brown - - - *Interview with Allen Brown* - --_Gertha Couric_ - -_IS NIGH A HUNDERD_ - -Uncle Allen is a thin little man with a short white beard that hides -nothing of his ready, toothless smile always evident when conversing -with "de white folks" and contributes to his dignified mien when -solemnly lecturing to "de niggers" about their "no 'count ways." He is -as deaf as the proverbial post, and, once launched into a discourse, -rambles on to its end without regard to interruptions. Asked to tell -something of his early life, he said: - -[Illustration: _Allen Brown, Eufala, Alabama_] - -"I is nigh on to a hundred yeahs old, Suh, and I was brung to dis -country from Virginny whar I was bawn. My mammy's mahster was movin' -from Virginny to Texas, and when he go dis fur he sole me and my mammy -to Mahster McRea. Den Mahster McRea he give me to Miss Julia; den Miss -Julia she mah'ied Mahs Henry Young and I was dere ca'iage driver. Mahs -Henry soon went off to de wawh and was kilt in de battle of Gettysbu'g -and dat nearly bout kilt Miss Julia. - -"A'ter de Surrender nothin' neber was de same. Jest hahd times mos'ly. -Neber been any times lak de days when I was drivin' my ca'iage amongst -de Eufaula high steppers, and I reckon dere neber will be ag'in. - -"De ole man too ole and bruck down to wuhk now, and I gits along wid -whut de Welfare gives me." - - - - -Gus Brown - - - *Interview with Gus Brown* - --_Alexander B. Johnson, Birmingham, Alabama_ - -_GUS SAW MASSA'S HAT SHOT OFF_ - -"They is all gone, scattered, and old massa and missus have died." That -was the sequence of the tragic tale of "Uncle" Gus Brown, the body -servant of William Brown; who fought beside him in the War between the -States and who knew Stonewall Jackson. - -"Uncle Gus" recalled happenings on the old plantation where he was -reared. His master was a "king" man, he said, on whose plantation in -Richmond, Virginia, Uncle Gus waited on the tables at large feasts and -functions of the spacious days before the War. He was entrusted to go -with the master's boys down to the old swimming hole and go in "washin." -They would take off their clothes, hide them in the bushes on the side -of the bank, put a big plank by the side of the old water hole and go in -diving, swimming and have all the fun that youngsters would want, he -said. - -Apparently his master's home was a plantation house with large columns -and with all the glitter and glamour that the homes around Richmond have -to offer. About it were large grain storage places for the master was a -grain dealer and men on the plantation produced and ground large -quantities into flour. - -Gus worked around the house, and he remembers well the corn shuckings as -he called them on which occasions the Negroes gave vent to emotion in -the form of dancing and music. "On those occasions we all got together -and had a regular good time," he said. - -"Uncle," he was asked, "do you remember any of the old superstitions on -the plantation? Did they have any black cat stories?" - -"No sir, boss, we was educated Negroes on our plantation. The old -bossman taught his Negroes not to believe in that sort of thing. - -"I well remember when de war came. Old massa had told his folks befo' de -war began dat it was comin', so we was ready for it. - -"Beforehand the master called all the servants he could trust and told -them to get together all of the silver and other things of value. They -did that, he explained and afterward they took the big box of treasures -and carried it out in the forest and hid it under the trunk of a tree -which was marked. None of the Negroes ever told the Yankees where it was -so when the war ended the master had his silver back. Of course the war -left him without some of the things which he used to have but he never -suffered. - -"Then de war came and we all went to fight the Yankees. I was a body -servant to the master, and once a bullet took off his hat. We all -thought he was shot but he wasn't, and I was standin' by his side all -the time. - -"I remember Stonewall Jackson. He was a big man with long whiskers, and -very brave. We all fought wid him until his death. - -"We wan't beaten, we was starved out! Sometimes we had parched corn to -eat and sometimes we didn't have a bite o' nothin', because the Union -mens come and tuck all the food for their selves. I can still remember -part of my ninety years. I remembers we fought all de way from Virginia -and winded up in Manassas Gap. - -"When time came for freedom most of us was glad. We liked the Yankees. -They was good to us. 'You is all now free. You can stay on the -plantation or you can go.' We all stayed there until old massa died. Den -I worked on de Seaboard Airline when it come to Birmingham. I have been -here ever since. - -[Illustration: _Gus Brown, Birmingham, Alabama_] - -"In all de years since de war I cannot forget old massa. He was good and -kind. He never believed in slavery but his money was tied up in slaves -and he didn't want to lose all he had. - -"I knows I will see him in heaven and even though I have to walk ten -miles for a bite of bread I can still be happy to think about the good -times we had then. I am a Confederate veteran but my house burned up wid -de medals and I don't get a pension. - -"Thank you, mister bossman, fer the quarter. It will buy me a little -grub. I'se too old to work but I has to." - -The reporter left him sitting with his little pack and a long fork in -his hands; in his eyes, dimmed with age, a far-off look and a tear of -longing for the Old Plantation. - - - - -Walter Calloway - - - *Interview with Walter Calloway* - --_W.F. Jordan_ - -_OLE JOE HAD REAL 'LIGION_ - -Walter Calloway lives alone half a block off Avenue F, the thoroughfare -on the southside of Birmingham on which live many of the leaders in the -Negro life of the city. For his eighty-nine years he was apparently -vigorous except for temporary illness. A glance at the interior of his -cabin disclosed the fact that it was scrupulously neat and quite orderly -in arrangement, a characteristic of a great many ex-slaves. As he sat in -the sunshine on his tiny front porch, his greeting was: "Come in, white -folks. You ain't no doctor is you?" - -To a negative reply, he explained as he continued, "Fo' de las' past -twenty-five years I been keepin' right on, wukkin' for de city in de -street department. 'Bout two mont's ago dis mis'ry attackted me an' -don't 'pear lak nothin' dem doctors gimme do no good. De preacher he -come to see me dis mornin' an' he say he know a white gemman doctor, -what he gwine to sen' him to see me. I sho' wants to git well ag'in -pow'ful bad, but mebby I done live long 'nuff an' my time 'bout come." - -Quizzed about his age and antecedents, he began his story: "Well, sir, -Cap'n, I was born in Richmond, Virginny, in 1848. Befo' I was ole 'nuff -to 'member much, my mammy wid me an' my older brudder was sold to Marse -John Calloway at Snowdoun in Montgomery county, ten miles south of de -town of Montgomery. - -"Marse John hab a big plantation an' lots of slaves. Dey treated us -purty good, but we hab to wuk hard. Time I was ten years ole I was -makin' a reg'lar han' 'hin' de plow. Oh, yassuh, Marse John good 'nough -to us an' we git plenty to eat, but he had a oberseer name Green Bush -what sho' whup us iffen we don't do to suit him. Yassuh, he' mighty -rough wid us but he didn't do de whuppin' hisse'f. He had a big black -boy name Mose, mean as de debil an' strong as a ox, and de oberseer let -him do all de whuppin'. An', man, he could sho' lay on dat rawhide lash. -He whupped a nigger gal 'bout thirteen years ole so hard she nearly die, -an' allus atterwa'ds she hab spells of fits or somp'n. Dat make Marse -John pow'ful mad, so he run dat oberseer off de place an' Mose didn' do -no mo' whuppin. - -"Same time Marse John buy mammy an' us boys, he buy a black man name -Joe. He a preacher an' de marster let de slaves buil' a brush arbor in -de pecan grove ober in de big pastur', an' when de wedder warn't too -cold all de slaves was 'lowed to meet dar on Sunday 'fo' preachin'. - -"Yassuh, ole Joe do purty good. I spec he had mo' 'ligion dan some of de -hifalutin' niggers 'tendin' to preach nowadays. De white folks chu'ch, -hit at Hope Hill ober on de stage road, an' sometimes dey fetch 'dere -preacher to de plantation to preach to de slaves. But dey 'druther heah -Joe. - -"Nawsuh, we didn' git no schoolin' 'cep'in' befo' we got big 'nough to -wuk in de fiel' we go 'long to school wid de white chillun to take care -of 'em. Dey show us pictures an' tell us all dey kin, but it didn't -'mount to much. - -[Illustration: _Walter Calloway, Birmingham, Alabama_] - -"When de war started 'mos' all I know 'bout it was all de white mens go -to Montgomery an' jine de army. My brudder, he 'bout fifteen year ole, -so he go 'long wid de ration wagon to Montgomery 'mos' ebry week. One -day he come back from Montgomery an' he say, 'Hell done broke loose in -Gawgy.' He couldn't tell us much 'bout what done happen, but de slaves -dey get all 'cited 'caze dey didn' know what to 'spect. Purty soon we -fin' out dat some of de big mens call a meetin' at de capitol on Goat -Hill in Montgomery. Dey 'lected Mista Jeff Davis president an' done -busted de Nunited States wide open. - -"Atter dat dar warn't much happen on de plantation 'cep'in' gangs of -so'jers passin' th'ough gwine off to de war. Den 'bout ebry so often a -squad of Confederate so'jers would come to de neighborhood gatherin' up -rations for Gin'ral Lee's army dey say. Dat make it purty hard on bofe -whites an' blacks, takin' off some of de bes' stock an' runnin' us low -on grub. - -"But we wuk right on 'twell one day somebody sen' a runner sayin' de -Yankees comin'. Ole mistis tell me to hurry ober to Mrs. Freeman's an' -tell 'em Wilson's Yankee raiders was on de way an' comin' lak a -harrikin. I hop on a mule an' go jes' as fas' as I can make him trabel, -but befo' I git back dey done retch de plantation, smashin' things -comin' an' gwine. - -"Dey broke in de smoke house an' tuk all de hams an' yuther rations, dey -fin' what dey want an' burn up de res'. Den dey ramshack de big house -lookin' fo' money an' jewelry an' raise Cain wid de wimmin folks 'caze -dey didn't fin' what dey wanted. Den dey leave dere ole hosses an' mules -an' take de bes' we got. Atter dey done dat, dey burn de smoke house, de -barns, de cribs an' some yuther prop'ty. Den dey skedaddle some place -else. - -"I warn't up dar but I heern tell dey burn up piles an' piles of cotton -an' lots of steamboats at Montgomery an' lef' de ole town jes' 'bout -ruint'. Twarn't long atter dat dey tell us we'se free. But lawdy, Cap'n, -we ain't neber been what I calls free. 'Cose ole marster didn' own us no -mo', an' all de folks soon scatter all ober, but iffen dey all lak me -dey still hafter wuk jes' as hard, an some times hab less dan we useter -hab when we stay on Marse John's plantation. - -"Well, Cap'n, dat's 'bout all I know. I feel dat misery comin' on me -now. Will you please, suh, gimme a lif' back in de house? I wisht dat -white gemman doctor come on iffen he comin'." - - - - -Esther King Casey - - - *Interview with Esther King Casey* - --_Edward F. Harper, Birmingham_ - -Living with her grandchildren at 801 Washington Avenue, Birmingham, -Alabama, Esther King Casey, former slave of Capt. Henry King of -Americus, Georgia, recalls from fading memory a few vivid scenes of the -days when men in gray moved hurridly about the town, suddenly -disappeared for a while and then returned, one by one, with weary, -halting tread and hollow faces, while gloom and despair hovered over the -town like a pall of desolation. - -Less vivid in her memory are the stories told her by her grandmother of -a long voyage across the ocean, of the arrival in a new land called -Mobile, and of slaves being sold at public auction. Less vivid, too, are -the memories of her own journey to Georgia, where she, with her parents -and brother, were brought to be the slaves of Captain King. - -"I was only four or five years old when we came to Captain King's big -house," said the old woman, brightening with pride in her ability to -recollect. Her manners bore the marks of culture and refinement, and her -speech was surprisingly void of the usual Negro dialect. She is an -example of the former slave who was educated along with the white -children in the family. - -"There were eight or ten slaves in all," Esther continued. "We lived in -a house in the backyard of Captain King's Big House. My mamma was the -cook. Papa was a mechanic. He built houses and made tools and machinery. -Captain King gave me to the 'white lady;' that was Miss Susan, the -Captain's wife. Captain King was a fine man. He treated all of us just -like his own family. The 'white lady' taught us to be respectable and -truthful." - -When asked if she had ever been punished for misbehavior the old woman -smiled and said: "Once the 'white lady' whipped me for playing with the -jailer's children. She had told me not to play with them because they -were not good company for me. She said that she wanted to raise me to be -good and truthful, and that the jailer's little white children told lies -and talked bad." - -Esther remembers well the mobilization of gray-uniformed troops at the -courthouse which stood only a block from the King residence. "The town -was filled with soldiers for several days," she said. "They assembled -about the courthouse and had speakings. One day I passed there with my -papa and saw Abraham Lincoln hanging from a noose in the courthouse -square. Of course, it was only an effigy of Abraham Lincoln which was -used to show what the soldiers thought of him. Papa told me that the -soldiers shot the effigy full of bullet holes before they left town. - -"Before Captain King left he brought a man with him from the courthouse -to value his property. The slaves were valued, too. I remember Captain -King lifting me high above his head and saying to the man: 'I wouldn't -take a thousand dollars for this little gem.'" - -She paused a moment. The light in her eyes showed that she was reliving -the thrill of that childhood incident. - -"Then Captain King left with the other soldiers. Papa stayed and took -care of the 'white lady' and the house. After a while my brother ran -away and joined the troops to fight for Captain King. He came back after -the war, but Captain King did not. Several years later I saw a man down -in south Georgia who told me that he belonged to Captain King's troops. -He said that he was standing near him when he was killed. - -[Illustration: _Esther King Casey, Birmingham, Alabama_] - -"After the proclamation the slaves were free. Most of them leased out to -plantation owners. I stayed with mamma and the 'white lady.'" - -Mrs. King had taught the little slave girl to read and write, and when -schools were opened for the freed slaves she told the child's mother to -send her to school. Fees of fifty cents a month were charged, which Mrs. -King paid as long as the child remained with her. At eighteen years of -age the girl had acquired sufficient education to qualify to teach in -the public schools for Negroes. After three years of teaching she -married Jim Casey, an ex-slave, who took her to his "three-plow" farm in -south Georgia. - -"No man ever lived who was finer than Jim," said the old woman. "My -daughter used to say that I loved him more than God, and that God was -jealous and took him away from me." - -After her only daughter's death in 1919, Esther was brought to -Birmingham by her grandson who has kept her comfortably ever since. Her -hair is just turning gray, though she was born in 1856. The little briar -pipe, which she endeavors to conceal from strangers, is the only outward -evidence that she has anything in common with others of her generation. - - - - -Amy Chapman - - - *Interview with Amy Chapman* - --_Ruby F. Tartt, Livingston, Alabama_ - -_DE MASTERS GOOD, BUT OVERSEERS MEAN_ - -Aunt Amy paused as she worked among the small plants in her garden, -removing a weed here and there. She pushed back the sunbonnet that -shaded her eyes and began: - -"I was bawn on Governor Reuben Chapman's place five miles north of -Livingston on May 14, 1843. My name is Amy Chapman. My mother was Clary -Chapman an' my pappy was Bob Chapman. Dey both come from Virginny; my -mammy from Petersburg an' my pappy f'um Richmond. Dey was driv' down to -Alabamy lak cattle an' Marse Reuben bought 'em. He had a lot of slaves -caze he had a heap of plantations, but him an' his wife stay most of de -time in Huntsville an' dey had a heap of white oberseers. I had a plenty -of chilluns but not as many as my mammy. - -"Who was my husban'? Law chile, I ain't never had no special husban'. I -even forgits who was de pappy of some of dese chilluns of mine. - -"Us had a mean oberseer, an' since Marse Reuben warn't never at home, -dem oberseers useter treat us somp'n awful. One day Marse Reuben come -home an' when he foun' out dat de oberseer was mean to de slaves he -commence to give him a lecture, but when Miss Ferlicia tuk a han' in de -business, she didn't stop at no lecture, she tol' dat oberseer dis: 'I -hear you take my women an' turn dere clothes ober dere haids an' whup -'em. Any man dat's got a family an' would do sich a thing oughter be -sham' of hisself, an' iffen Gov. Chapman can't make you leave, I kin, so -you see dat road dere? Well, make tracks den.' An' Mistis, he lef' raght -den. He didn't wait for no coaxin'. He was de meanes' oberseer us ever -had. He tuk my ol'est brother an' had him stretched out jus' lak you see -Christ on de cross; had him chained, an' I sot down on de groun' by him -an' cried all night lack Mary an' dem done. Dat oberseer was de fus' one -dat ever putt me in de fiel', an' he whupped me wid de cat er nine tails -when I was stark naked. - -"Den dere was anudder mean man named [...] who was always a-beatin' -nigger women caze dey wouldn't mind him. - -"Us warn't learned to read an' write, but Mr. Jerry Brown's slaves were. -He owned a big plantation. Us didn't go to no nigger church, caze dere -warn't none. I was babtized in Jones Creek, an' Dr. Edmon's a white -preacher, j'ined me to de Jones Creek Babtist Church long fo' de war, -an' de song I lacked bes' was a white folks song. Twarn't no nigger -song. It was lack dey sing it now, 'cep' mo' lovely, Miss, mo' lovely. - - Dark was de night - Col' was de groun' - On which my Savior lay - Blood in draps of sweat run down - In agony he pray. - - Lawd, move did bitter cup - If sich dy sacred will - If not content I'll drink it up - Whose pleasure I'll fullfil. - -"An' anudder one us niggers useter sing was might pretty: - - In evil long I tuk de light - An' led by shame an' fear - When a new object stopped my flight - An' stopped my wild career. - - I saw him hangin' on a tree - In agony an' blood - He fixed his languid eyes on me - As near his cross I stood. - - Sho' never till my latter breath - Kin I forgit dat look - He seemed to change me wid his death - Yit not a word he spoke. - - My conscience felt an' owned de quilt - An' plunged me in despair - I saw my sins his blood had spilt - An' helped to nail him dere. - -"Yassum, I kin tell you things about slavery times dat would make yo' -blood bile, but dey's too turrible. I jus' tries to forgit. - -[Illustration: _Amy Chapman, Livingston, Alabama_] - -"I could tell you 'bout bein' run myself wid dem nigger dogs, but I -ain't gwineter do it. I will tell you dough 'bout a mean man who whupped -a cullid woman near 'bout to death. She got so mad at him dat she tuk -his baby chile what was playin' roun' de yard and grab him up an' -th'owed it in a pot of lye dat she was usin' to wash wid. His wife come -a-hollin' an' run her arms down in de boilin' lye to git de chile out, -an' she near 'bout burnt her arms off, but it didn't do no good 'caze -when she jerked de chile out he was daid. - -"One day I seed ole Unker Tip Toe all bent over a-comin' down de road -an' I ax him whut ail him an' he say: 'I's been in de stocks an' been -beat till de blood come. Den ole Massa 'ninted my flesh wid red papper -an' turpentine an' I's been most dead but I is somewhat better now.' -Unker Tiptoe belonged to de meanes' ol' marster around here. - -"But, honey, I ain't never tol' nobody all dis an' ain't gwine tell you -no mo'. Ride me home now, caze I's cripple; a cow was de cause of it. -She drug me roun' dat new orchard whut I planted las' fall. She done run -away wid me. Mistis I wished you would do me a favor an' write my son in -Texas an' tell him dat I say, iffen he 'specks me to make him anymo' of -dem star quilts, he better come on here an' kiver my house. De roof sho' -does leak bad." - - - - -Emma Chapman - - - *Interview with Emma Chapman* - --_Mary A. Poole_ - -Living in a small room in the rear of a house at 361 Augusta Street, -Mobile, Alabama, the writer located an interesting ex-slave, Emma -Chapman, who when first approached was somewhat reticent. I soon learned -I had arrived just as she was ready to have her breakfast, which -consisted of bread and coffee, and insisted she eat first and talk -afterwards, as she had made just about enough fire in the open fireplace -to boil the coffee. - -While she followed my suggestion I glanced about the room and found it -very neat and tidy and an unusually comfortable looking double bed, a -mirrored door chifferobe and two trunks, one rocking chair and a couple -of straight chairs, a table containing all cooking utensils and food -containers. The walls were covered with sheets of manilla wrapping -paper, tacked on, and part of the ceiling patched with odds and ends of -corrugated paper. Emma is small in stature, of light complexion with -greying hair arranged in neat braids around her head, very clean in -appearance. - -Emma said she was about 13 years of age at the time of the surrender, -and that she was born on the plantation of Rev. Mr. Montgomery Curry of -Charleston, S.C. When she was about 3 years of age Mr. Curry moved to -Pickens County, Alabama, about 5 miles from Carrollton and 8 miles from -Pickenville. When I asked why they moved to Alabama, Emma laughed, and -said they expected to find money growing on trees in Alabama, and that -she as a child came near being "snake bit" many a time, digging around -the roots of old trees, trying to find money. - -Rev. Montgomery Curry, said Emma, was married to Ann Haynie, whose -parents were Aaron and Francis Hudson Haynie, and Emma's grandmother was -Lucy Linier, who was born in Virginia and was sold to Mr. Haynie to pay -a debt. Lucy Linier was nurse for his daughter Ann and when she married -Mr. Curry, she brought Lucy with her to her new home. The Currys had -three children, a boy and two girls, and it was Lucy Linier's daughter, -Patsy, who acted as their nurse. - -The home of Rev. and Mrs. Montgomery Curry was a two-story log house -with wide open hall running the entire length of the house and with -rooms opening off either side. The kitchen was out a short distance from -the main house, with the dairy between the two, under a large hickory -tree. - -The slave quarters were also built of logs, with space between for a -shed room and small garden plot and a few chickens. The slave women did -not go to the fields on Saturday as that was their day to clean up -around their homes. They usually washed their clothes at night and hung -them on the bushes where they were left to dry in the sunshine, maybe a -couple of days, as no one could or would disturb them. - -Rev. Montgomery Curry was a Baptist preacher and had no overseer, except -Lucy Linier and her husband, Emma's grandparents, who kept a supervision -over the slaves about 40 in number. There was no whipping allowed on the -Curry plantation, and after the death of Reverend Curry, Mrs. Ann Curry -(his widow) ran the plantation under the same system. The patrollers had -no jurisdiction over the Curry slaves, they were given permits by the -Currys to go and come, and Emma said if one of those patrollers whipped -one of "ole Miss's slaves, she would have sure sued them. - -Emma laughingly said the slaves on other plantations always said the -Curry slaves were "free niggers," as they could always get permits, and -had plenty to eat and milk to drink. The slaves cooked their breakfasts -in their own cabins, but dinner and supper was cooked in the kitchen and -each came with their pan to be filled and had their own gourds which -were grown on the place to drink their milk and of which they could have -full and plenty. - -During the war they cooked for the Confederate soldiers encamped nearby -and great quantities were prepared. Emma was one of those delegated to -carry the food to the camp. All she ever saw of the Yankees were two who -stopped at the house and asked for something to eat. Mrs. Montgomery -invited them in and served the best she had. One of the men wanted to -take the last mule she had and the other said "No, Mrs. Montgomery is a -widow and from the appearance of her slaves she has treated them well." - -Mrs. Montgomery told them that someone had stolen her saddle horse and -the soldier who had remonstrated with the other replied: "Madam, your -saddle horse will be returned in three weeks," and sure enoug, one night -about midnight they heard a horse whinny and Emma's grandfather said -"there is old Spunk," and there was old Spunk waiting outside. - -Emma said the first whipping she ever had, was after the Surrender, -given her by her own father when they left Alabama and went to live near -Columbus, Miss. - -She had always lived in the house with the "old Miss" and her young -Miss, and when she had to leave them, she cried and so did they. - -Her grandmother Lucy Linier nursed "Miss Ann"; Lucy's daughter Patsy -nursed "Miss Ann's" children, and was the special property of Fannie -Montgomery Curry, who married a Mr. Sidney Lipscomb and whose children -Emma helped to look after, so the three generations were interwoven. - -Emma only wishes she could go back to plantation days. All her trials -and suffering came after she left "Ole Miss," and went to live with her -father and mother, George and Patsy Curry, who had fourteen children and -of which Emma was the eldest. Her father who was a quadroon in cast was -cruel to his family, and especially so to her. He made her work like a -man, cutting timber, splitting rails, digging, planting and all work of -the farm. - -Now, Emma is the only member of her family left. She married three -times, having only two children, a girl and a boy, these by her last -husband, Frank Chapman, now dead, and Emma has no knowledge of her -children's whereabouts. She gave them an education so they could write -to her if they wanted to. The girl married and left Mobile, the boy went -to Chicago, was chauffeur for some rich folks. His last letter several -years ago, in which he enclosed $25.00, stated he was going on a trip to -Jerusalem with one of the young men of the family. - - - - -Henry Cheatam - - - *Interview with Henry Cheatam* - --_Ila B. Prine_ - -_I HEARD LINCOLN SET US FREE_ - -"White folks, I'se glad you drapped by to have a talk wid me. I was -gittin' powerfully lonely," said Henry Cheatam, who lives in Marysville, -a Mobile suburb. "Sho' I'll be glad to tell you some about de slave -days. I sho' 'members plenty. Well, to begin wid, I was born in 1850 -near West Point. Dat's in Clay County, Mississippi, you know. I b'longed -to Mr. Tom Hollingshead who was killed in de Cibil War. I 'members all -de slaves agoin' in to take a last look at him atter dey done brung his -body home. - -"My mammy's name was Emmeline Cheatam, an' my pappy's was Sam Cheatam. I -don't remember my grandpappy an' grandmammy atall. - -"Us slaves libed in log cabins what was daubed wid clay to keep de rain -an' win' out, an' de chimneys was made of clay an' sticks. De beds was -home-made an' nailed agin' de wall wid legs on de outer side. De Massa's -house was build of logs too, but it was much bigger'n de nigger cabins -an' sot way out in front of ourn. Atter de massa was kilt, old Miss had -a nigger oberseer an' dat was de meanest debil dat eber libbed on de -Lawd's green yearth. I promise myself when I growed up dat I was agoin' -to kill dat nigger iffen it was de las' thing I eber done. Lots of times -I'se seen him beat my mammy, an' one day I seen him beat my Auntie who -was big wid a chile, an' dat man dug a roun' hole in de groun' an' put -her stummick in it, an' beat an' beat her for a half hour straight till -the baby come out raght dere in de hole. - -"Why de Mistis 'low such treatment? A heap of times ole Miss didn't know -nuthin' 'bout it, an' de slaves better not tell her, 'caze dat oberseer -whup 'em iffen he finds out dat dey done gone an' tol'. Yassun, white -folks, I'se seed some turrible things in my time. When de slaves would -try to run away our oberseer would put chains on dere legs wid big long -spikes tween dere feets, so dey couldn't git away. Den I's seen great -bunches of slaves put up on de block an' sol' jus' lak dey was cows. -Sometimes de chilluns would be seprated from dere maws an' paws. - -"I come pretty near to bein' tuk away from my maw. When de slaves was -bein' 'vided, one of ole Miss' datters was agoin' to Texas, an' I was -goin' to have to go when somebody hollered 'Freedom', an' I sho' was -glad 'caze I could stay wid my mammy now. - -"In dose days us had plenty of good, plain food; such as pot likker, -greens, cornbread, 'taters, peas, pears, an' at hog killin' us had -chittlin's an' pig jowls an' back bone. Den us would cotch 'possums at -night when dey come up in de corn fiel'. Us neber seed no flour dough. - -"As for fishin', we neber did none, 'caze we hadda work too hard. We -worked from 'can to can't.' Git up at sunrise, go to de fiel' an' stay -till dark. In de middle of de day dey would sen' our somp'n t'eat to de -fiel' wid a barrel of water. But for breakfas' an' supper, us hadda cook -our own grub dey gib us. - -"Our clo's warn't many. Us chilluns wo' a one-piece suit made outen -osnaburg, an' us would hab to take dat off at night, wash it an' put it -back on de nex' day. As for shoes, chillun neber had none. You see, -white folks, I was jus' a chile, jus' big enough to tote water to de -fiel's. - -[Illustration: _Henry Cheatam, Marysville, Alabama_] - -"I 'members when de Yankees was acomin' th'ough I hoped to ca'y de -hosses to de woods an' hoped to hide de meat an' bury de valu'bles, -'caze dem Yankees tuk whatever dey wanted, an' you better not say -nothin' neither 'caze dey had dem long swyords ahangin' at dere sides. - -"In dem days, de slaves done all de work an' carried all de news. De -marsters sont notes from one plantation to anudder, an' when dey wanted -de niggers to come to de Big House dey would blow an ole cow horn. Dey -had certain number of blows for certain niggers. Dat is, de niggers dat -was somp'n. Dey would also use dis horn for 'possum an' coon huntin' at -night. De li'l niggers at night went to de big house to spin an' weave. -I'se spun a many roll an' carded a many bat of cotton. I'se also made a -many tallow candle by tyin' strings onto a long stick an' droppin dem -down into moulds filled wid tallow. I'se hid many a night in de fence -corners when I'd be agoin' som'ers to git my mammy some 'bacco. De -pattyrollers would be out lookin' for slaves dat didn't hab no pass from -dere oberseer, an' I'd hear dem acomin' an' I'd hide till dey pass on, -'caze iffen dey cotch me I sho' gwine have a sound beatin'. - -"De owners always tuk care of us, and when us got sick dey would git a -doctor, an' ole Miss was all right, but dat oberseer was a debil. He -wouldn't 'low no meetin' on de place. Sometimes us would slip down de -hill an' turn de wash pot bottom up'ards so de soun' of our voices would -go under de pot, an' us'd have a singin' an' prayin' raght dere. - -"Mos' of de slave could go sometimes to de white folks church when dey -gits a pass from dere Massa, but dat mean oberseer always tried to keep -us from goin' so's us couldn't learn nothin'. He didn't want us to learn -to read or write neither. - -"No'm us didn't have nothin' lak matches till I was growed. Us used -flint rocks an' cotton to start de fires. - -"Us didn't have nothin' but food an' clothes. We didn't have no garden -of our own an' der wan't no celebratin', 'ceptin' at hog killin'. Dat -was de bigges' day of de year. - -"On Sat'day afternoon we was 'lowed to play, but I can't 'member none of -de games. Us jus' played lak all li'l niggers did den. At night time us -jus' went to our cabins an' went to bed, 'caze we warn't 'lowed to do no -singing. Mos' of de singin' was done in de fiel's. - -"Cornshuckin' time come when dey wanted to git de seed corn for -plantin', an' us would commence de shuckin' when it commence rainin'. - -"You axed me 'bout funerals an' weddin's. Us niggers nebber ma'ied an' -don't 'member any big weddin's of de white folks. But dey buried folks -den de same as dey does now, in a box. Dey would bury de slaves same as -dey done de white folks, but us didn't eben have no babtizin' on 'count -of dat oberseer. He didn't lak for us to git no religion. Cose all -slaves didn't have hard treatment lak us did, 'caze dere oberseer an' -Marster warn't as mean as ourn. - -"No'm we didn't know nothin' 'bout no hoodoo stuff in dem days. Dey only -had homemade medicines, dat is unless dey got sho' nuff powerful sick -an' den dey would go to see a doctor. Us used bone-set tea made from a -weed. Lawd, it was bitterer dan quinine, an' it were good for de chills -an' fever, an' it would purge you too. Den us used life-everlastin' tea -for fever, an' Jerusalem brush-reed to get rid of worms. - -"But, Miss, I knows dere is gostes, 'caze when I was a little boy my -mammy come in from de fiel' an' laid across de bed an' I was sittin' in -front of de fireplace an' a big somp'n lak a cow widout no haid come in -de do' an' I commence to beat on it wid my fists. Den my mammy say: -'What matter wid you, nigger?' Den dat critter he walk raght out de do'. -I looked outen de window an' dere it was a-goin' in Aunt Marfa's cabin. -I neber did see it no mo'. Den anudder time a white man died an' my -mammy was a stayin' wid his sister an' dis spirit lak an angel come to -my mammy an' tol' her to tell de white lady to read de Bible back'ards -three times, 'caze dere was one talent 'tween her an' Jesus. Atter dat -she were comforted. Anudder time, my pappy, Sam Cheatam, who was a -wicked man, was a-sittin' in front of de fire an' a big brindle dog come -to de do' an' started barkin'. My pappy say: 'What in de Hell am dat?' -an' snapped his fingers at de dog. De dog he den dropped daid. Some -folks say dat dere ain't no sich things as gostes, but I know dere is, -'caze dere is good spirits an' bad spirits. - -"Dem was good ol' days, Mistis, even iffen us did have a hard time an' I -don't know iffen it warn't better'n it is now. I has to almos' go -hongry, an' I can't git no he'p from de government, 'caze I is over 65 -years old. Fact is, I believe I 'druther be alivin' back dere dan today -'caze us at least had plenty somp'n t'eat an' nothin' to worry about. -An' as for beatin'; dey beats folks now iffen dey don't do raght, so -what's de difference? Yassum, Mistis, I worked as long as I was able an' -didn't axe nobody for nothin', but now it's diff'rent, 'caze I ain't -able to do no work. I'se tried to do raght and ain't never been in but -one fight in my life. I now belongs to de Corinthian Babtist Church, an' -I's tryin' to live so when de good Lawd calls I'll be ready to answer -wid a clean soul. - -"I'se had two wives, but I was only a young nigger when I had de fust -un, an' had two chilluns by her, den I lef' her 'caze she warn't no -'count. Dat's been forty year ago, an' I ain't neber seen my chilluns in -all dem years. My second wife I got when I lived thirty miles below -Birmingham, Alabama, at de ol' Bank Mines. Dat's been thirty-five year -ago an' us is still together. Us ain't neber had no chilluns. No'm, I -don't know nothin' 'bout Abe Lincoln 'ceptin' dey say he sot us free, -an' I don't know nothin' 'bout dat neither." - - - - -Laura Clark - - - *Interview with Laura Clark* - --_Ruby Pickens Tartt, Livingston, Alabama_ - -_CHILLUN IN EV'Y GRABEYARD_ - -Laura Clark, black and wrinkled with her eighty-six years, moved -limpingly about the tiny porch of her cabin on the outskirts of -Livingston. Battered cans and rickety boxes were filled with a profusion -of flowers of the common variety. Laura offered me a split-bottomed -chair and lowered herself slowly into a rocker that creaked even under -her frail body. "Po'ly, Miss, po'ly," she responded to my query about -her health. "Tain't lack de old days. I's crippled and mos' blin' now -atter all de years what I got. - -"I was born on Mr. Pleasant Powell's place in North Ca'lina, and when I -was 'bout six or seven years ole I reckon hit 'twas, Mr. Garret from -right up yonder in de bend, 'bout eight miles from Livingston gwine -no'th on de Livingston and Epes road, bought ten of us chillun in North -Ca'lina and sont two white men, and one was Mr. Skinner, to fotch us -back in waggins. En he fotch ole Julie Powell and Henry to look atter -us. Wa'n't none of dem ten chillun no kin to me, and he never bought my -mammy, so I had to leave her behine. - -"I recollect Mammy said to old Julie, 'Take keer my baby chile (dat was -me) an iffen I never sees her no mo' raise her for God.' Den she fell -off de waggin where us was all settin' and roll over on de groun' jes' -acryin'. But us was eatin' candy what dey done give us for to keep us -quiet, and I didn't have sense 'nuff for to know what ailed Mammy, but I -knows now and I never seed her no mo' in dis life. When I heered from -her atter S'render she done dead and buried. Her name was Rachel Powell. -My pappy's name I don't know ca'se he done been sole to somewhars else -when I was too little to recollect. But my mammy was de mother of -twenty-two chillun and she had twins in her lap when us driv' off. My -gran'mammy said when I lef', 'Pray, Laura, and be er good gal, and min' -bofe white and black. Ev'body will lack you and iffen you never see me -no mo' pray to meet me in heaven.' Den she cried. Her name was Rose -Powell. - -"Us all started den for Mr. Garrett's plantation down yonder in de bend, -ten chillun and two ole uns, and two white men, and us was travellin' -solid a month. Fuss thing Ole Marsa say was 'Now be good ter dese -motherless chillun.' Den he went to war, and de overseers forgot all -'bout dey promise. When Ole Marsa come back he done got his arm shot -off, but he let bofe dem overseers go, ca'se dey done whupped dat ole -'oman what come wid us to deaf. She brought her two little boys, Colvin -and 'Lias, but Joe, dey pappy, didn't come--he was sole 'fo 'Lias was -bawn. Joe never seed 'Lias. - -[Illustration: _Laura Clark, Livingston, Alabama_] - -"I sets cross de road here from dat church over yonder and can't go -'ca'se I'm cripple' and blin', but I heers um singin': - - A motherless chile sees a hard time - Oh, Lord, he'p her on de road. - 'Er sister will do de bes' she kin - Dis is a hard world, Lord, fer a motherless chile. - -"And I jes' busts out cryin'. Dat was de song I had in view to sing for -you, hit's so mournful. I knowed 'twa'n't no reel, 'twa'n't nothin' lack -no reel, 'ca'se I been b'longin' to de church for fifty-five years, and -I don't fancy no reel. I'm glad I got hit to my min' 'fo' you lef'. But -my recollection is shaller. I ain't never read no verse in no Bible in -my life, ca'se I can't read. Some my chillun kin, though. My husban' -died and lef' me wid nine chillun, none of um couldn't pull de others -outer de fire iffen dey fell in. I had mo'n dat, but some come here dead -and some didn't. I got chillun dead in Birmingham and Bessemer. Dey -ain't a graveyard in dis here settlement 'roun' Prospect where I ain't -got chillun buried. Hettie Ann, right up dere ter Mr. Hawkins' -graveyard, and my boy whut got killed settin' on de side de road eatin' -his dinner, he' buried in Captain Jones' place in de bend yonder. - -"Yassum, I been drug about and put through de shackles so bad I done -forgot some of dey names, and I mos' blin' now and can't hear good -neither. But my eyes is good nuff for to see ghosts, but I don't b'lieve -in 'em, 'ca'se I'd see dem chillun sometime effen dey was ghosties. I -know I'd see my boy, ca'se dey showed me his head whar dat Miller boy -hit him in de head wid a spade and split his head wide open, slip up -behin' him and all he said was 'Squeek,' jes' lack a hog, and he was -dead. And de murderer live right here but dey move and now I'm here. -When hit rain us jes' gets under de bed 'ca'se de house ain't got no top -on hit. - -[Illustration: _Laura Clark's House, Livingston, Alabama_] - -"I can't say Marse Garrett wa'n't good to us motherless chillun but de -overseer, Mr. Woodson Tucker, was mean as anybody. He'd whup you nigh -'bout to deaf, and had a whuppin' log what he strip 'em buck naked and -lay 'em on de log. He whup 'em wid a wide strop, wider'n my han', den he -pop de blisters what he raise and 'nint 'em wid red pepper, salt, and -vinegar. Den he put 'em in de house dey call de pest house and have a -'oman stay dere to keep de flys offen 'em 'twell dey get able to move. -Den dey had reg'lar men in de fields wid spades, and iffen you didn't do -what you git tole, de overseer would wrop dat strap 'roun' his han' and -hit you in de haid wid de wooden handle 'til he kilt you. Den de mens -would dig a hole wid de spades and throw 'em in hit right dere in de -fiel' jes' lack dey was cows--didn't have no funeral nor nothin'. - -"Us had a heap of houses in de quarters right on bofe sides de Big -House. Us could step outer one house to 'tother. But, Miss, I didn't -work so hard or have no trouble either. I was in de house atter Marsa -come home and foun' me splittin' rails and plowin'. He 'lowed dey done -put me in too hard a ship, and I was too little, so he tuck me to de -house to draw water and wash dishes, 'ca'se I was a little motherless -gal. Ole Marsa done a good part by me, and I was married to my fuss -husban', Cary Crockett, right dere in de parlor. He tole de overseer dat -us was human and had feelin's same as him, so he rejected de -paterrollers and made 'em git off de place. I was treated good, 'ca'se I -'membered what my gran'ma say, and whatever dey tole me to put my han' -to, I did, and I was obedient and wasn't hardheaded lack some de res.' I -had no trouble, and wasn't 'buked none. But I's had mo' trouble las' ten -years wid my own chillun den I ever did in slav'y time. Dey gives me -sich bitter words till I can't swaller 'em and I jes' sets and cries. I -can't read no songs to comfort me, jes' ketch 'em from de preacher on de -stan' and hole 'em, dat's de way I ketch my larnin'. - -"Las' sermon I hyard, he tuck his tex' en said, 'Don't nobody rob God.' -Den he say, 'Effen you is goin' to 'tend to serve God, serve Him in de -full, 'ca'se God don't never bat a eye, nor turn His haid and he kin see -you. He frowns at ev'y sin, but He's a sinforgivin' man.' I use to know -a heap 'bout de Lord, but I'm so cripple' an blin' since de ca'f jumped -on my foot I can't go to church no mo', so I done forgot. - -"You ax 'bout dem flowers on de po'ch--I sho' wish dey was mine, you -could have 'em 'ca'se dey ain't room nuff wid dem for me ter sit whar I -desire. Us ain't got no meal and here 'tis jes' Tuesday--no mo' till -Saddy. Sho' is bad; us jes' 'pends on de neighbors and borrys." - - - - -Hattie Clayton - - - *Interview with Hattie Clayton* - --_Preston Klein_ - -_DE YANKS DRAPPED OUTEN DE SKY_ - -'Aunt' Hattie Clayton said, "I'se gittin' erroun' de ninety notch, -honey, an' I reckon de Kingdom ain't fur away." - -She lives in a tiny cabin not far from Opelika. Her shoulders are bent; -her hair gray, but she still does a large amount of housework. She likes -to sit on the tumbledown front porch on summer afternoons, plying her -knitting needles and stretching her aged legs in the warm sunlight. - -"'Twas a long time ago, honey," she observed when talk of slavery days -was brought up, "but I 'members as ef 'twas yestidy. My ol' mistus was -de Widder Day. She owned a plantation clos't to Lafayette an' she was -mighty good to us niggers. - -"Ol' Mistus boughten me when I was jus' a little tyke, so I don't -'member 'bout my pappy an' mammy. - -"Honey, I 'members dat us little chilluns didn't go to de fiel's twel us -was big 'nuff to keep up a row. De oberseer, Marse Joe Harris, made us -work, but he was good to us. Ol' Mistus, she wouldn't let us wuk whin it -was rainin' an' cold." - -Asked about pleasures of the old plantation life, she chuckled and -recalled: - -"I kin heah de banjers yit. Law me, us had a good time in dem days. Us -danced most eb'ry Sattidy night an' us made de rafters shake wid us -foots. Lots o' times Ole Missus would come to de dances an' look on. An' -whin er brash nigger boy cut a cute bunch uv steps, de menfolks would -give 'im a dime or so. - -"Honey, us went t' de church on a Sundays. I allus did lak singin' and I -loved de ol' songs lak, 'Ol' Ship of Zion,' an' 'Happy Land.' Ol' Mistus -useter take all de little scamps dat was too little for church an' read -de Book to dem under de big oak tree in de front yahd." - -"Aunt Hattie," she was asked, "do you remember anything about the War -between the States?" - -"You mean de Yankees, honey?" - -"Yes, the Yankees." - -Her coal black face clouded. - -"Dey skeered us nearly to death," she began. "Dey drap right outen de -sky. Ol' Mistus keep hearin' dey was comin', but dey didn't nebber show -up. Den, all ter once, dey was swarmin' all ober de place wid deir blue -coats a-shinin' an' deir horses a'rarin'. - -"Us chilluns run en hid in de fence corners en' behin' quilts dat was -hangin' on de line. An' honey, dem Yankees rid deir horses rat onto Ol' -Mistus flower beds. Dey hunted de silver, too, but us done hid dat. - -"I 'members dey was mad. Dey sot de house a-fire an' tuk all de vittals -dey could fin'. I run away an' got los', an' whin I come back all de -folks was gone." - -'Aunt' Hattie said she "wint down de big road an' come to a lady's house -where she remained until she married. - -"Us moved to Lafayette an' den to Opelika," she concluded, "an' I bin' -here eber since." - -She lives with one of her numerous granddaughters now. She finds her -great happiness in "de promise" and the moments when she can sit in the -shade and dip her mind back into memory. - - - - -Wadley "Shorty" Clemons - - - *Interview with Wadley "Shorty" Clemons* - --_G.L. Clark_ - -He was bent over the lawn, carefully trimming the border into a neat -line. A small black figure in overalls, clean but worn blue chambray -shirt, the misshapen remains of shoes and a nondescript hat, from under -which protruded thin white sideburns. - -"Good morning, Uncle," I said, "Mr. Lee was telling me about you. He -said you lived back in slavery times. Is that right?" - -"Yes suh, I sho' did. I'll be 92 years old de second of August, and I -was a slave for 20 year. I had a good ole massa and mistis, de bes' dere -was. Ole massa was a great big man, an' he wa'n't scared of nothin' dey -was. He wouldn't go nowhere without me. He always took me wid him. My -grandma was a cook and my ma was a house girl. - -"We lived in Pine Hill, a summer resort in Jefferson County, Georgia, -across the river from Louisville. From home we could look over and see -de people walkin' about in Louisville. - -[Illustration: _Wadley (Shorty) Clemons, [TR: Village Springs?], -Alabama_] - -"I remembers de day de Yankees come to Louisville. We could see them -goin' about from one house to anudder, settin' fire. Den dey come on to -de river and sot fire to de bridge. Dey wouldn't use our bridge. Dey -built dese here pontoon bridges and dey could build dem before you could -look away and look back. Den dey come across de river to Pine Hill. - -"Ole massa had his hosses an' mules hid down in de swamp but my uncle -Tom went and got 'em an' brung 'em to de Yankees at de big gate. He -didn't had to do it. He was jes' mean. He hadn't been much good to massa -since de war commenced; lay off in de swamp mos' of de time. Arter he -brung massa's hosses an' mules to de Yankees he went wid dem into -massa's bedroom and dey jes' throwed massa and mistis close all outa' de -closet and wardrobe and he give em' mistis gold yearings and bracelets -and dey took de yearings and put dem on de hosses' years and put de -bracelets on de hosses' ankles. - -"Ole massa was sittin' on de long porch smokin' one of dese Meerschaum -pipes wid a stem way so long and dat pipe was white as snow. He had a -big can of tobacco on de table in front of him. In dem days people made -dey own tobacco and I wisht I had some of it now. - -"Massa had 'bout thutty fattening hogs and de Yankees jes' went in de -pen and cut dem hogs in two. He had jes' lots of turkeys and guineas an' -de Yankees shot dem down. He had thutty hives of bees in one long row -an' one Yankee run up to de firs' hive an jump in it head first, and de -bees stung him till he died. De udders pull him out and took him to de -well and poured water over him but he stayed dead so dey just dug a hole -down by the side of the road and bury him in it. Yessir, dat's de trufe! - -"Dey stayed dere all night and camped out and cooked massa's good smoked -meat and burnt down de barns and done all de devilment dey could. I -couldn't see no use in dere doin' what dey did, but dat's what dey done. - -"Massa had 71 slaves when dey was made free. De next county wasn't fit -for much farming and atter we was freed my Uncle Andy went dere an' -bought a place. De land sold for 50 cents de acre atter de timber was -cut off. Uncle Andy had a brudder Sam and Sam had a steer. Dey plowed -wid de steer. - -"Uncle Andy worked at de sawmill in daytime an' at night he cut two -cords of wood before he go to bed. He make two bales of cotton de first -year and de next year he make four. Den he tuk up preachin'. He was a -Methodist preacher. - -"Den ole massa die and ole mistis lose all her land. Uncle Andy was -right good fixed so he took keer of her a year or more 'fore she died. -Den when she died, he went to pay all de expenses of de funeral but de -white folks won't let him kase dey say he done his share already. - -"My massa's name was William Clemons and dey name me Wadley for ole man -Wadley, de president of de Center Road. - -"Dem days is gone a long time an' I still heah, but dey was good times -den. I had plenty to eat, plenty close to wear and when I gets sick, ole -massa come to give me some medicine and I don't need no doctor. - -"People worship God in dem days and not bother wid church houses so -much. Ev'ry Sunday ole massa get out by de back do' and teach us Sunday -school. Den we cut tree limbs and make brush arbors for preaching. In de -summer atter crops been laid by, us all, black and white, go to camp -meetin' and stay a week. De white preacher preach on one side and de -nigger on de udder. We carry lots of vittles and feed everybody. Niggers -sho' was better off in slavery times." - - - - -William Colbert - - - *Interview with William Colbert* - --_John Morgan Smith_ - -_MY MASTER WAS A MEAN MAN_ - -"Sho. I remember de slavery days. How could I forgits?" - -Slowly Uncle Will spoke these words as he made his way up a few rickety -steps with the aid of an old broomstick to his cabin door. "We can jes' -set in de swing effen you wants to hear a little 'bout dem ole days, -kaze I can sho tell it." - -"Well, first, Uncle Will, what's your full name and where are you from?" - -"My name am William Colbert and I'se fum Georgia. I was bawn in 1844 on -my massa's plantation in Fort Valley. My massa's name was Jim Hodison. -At one time he had 165 of us niggers." - -Uncle Will, a gaunt, black figure with two weeks growth of gray hair -upon his face, spoke in a soft, quaking voice scarcely audible ten feet -away. His eyes had a far-off, sad expression of one who had known -suffering. They were set deep back in bony caverns. - -"Well, Uncle Will, tell me something about the slave days. Was your -master good to you?" - -[Illustration: _William Colbert, [TR: Birmingham], Alabama_] - -"Nawsuh, he warn't good to none of us niggers. All de niggers 'roun' -hated to be bought by him kaze he was so mean. When he was too tired to -whup us he had de oberseer do it; and de overseer was meaner dan de -massa. But, Mister, de peoples was de same as dey is now. Dere was good -uns and bad uns. I jus' happened to belong to a bad un. One day I -remembers my brother, January was cotched ober seein' a gal on de next -plantation. He had a pass but de time on it done gib out. Well suh, when -de massa found out dat he was a hour late, he got as mad as a hive of -bees. So when brother January he come home, de massa took down his long -mule skinner and tied him wid a rope to a pine tree. He strip' his shirt -off and said: - -"'Now, nigger, I'm goin' to teach you some sense.' - -"Wid dat he started layin' on de lashes. January was a big, fine lookin' -nigger; de finest I ever seed. He was jus' four years older dan me, an' -when de massa begin a beatin' him, January neber said a word. De massa -got madder and madder kaze he couldn't make January holla. - -"'What's de matter wid you, nigger' he say. 'Don't it hurt?' - -"January, he neber said nothin', and de massa keep a beatin' till little -streams of blood started flowin' down January's chest, but he neber -holler. His lips was a quiverin' and his body was a shakin', but his -mouf it neber open; and all de while I sat on my mammy's and pappy's -steps a cryin'. De niggers was all gathered about and some uv 'em -couldn't stand it; dey hadda go inside dere cabins. Atter while, -January, he couldn't stand it no longer hisself, and he say in a hoarse, -loud whisper: - -"'Massa! Massa! have mercy on dis poor nigger.' - -Will's eyes narrowed down to fine creases as his thick lips came -together in smacking noises, and the loose skin beneath his chin, and -jaws seemed to shake with the impact of dread memories. - -"Den," he continued, after a brief pause in which time there was no -sound except the constant drop of a bead of water in a lard bucket, "de -war came. De Yankees come in and dey pulled de fruit off de trees and et -it. Dey et de hams and cawn, but dey neber burned de houses. Seem to me -lak dey jes' stay aroun' long enough to git plenty somp'n t'eat, kaze -dey lef' in two or three days, an' we neber seed 'em since. De massa had -three boys to go to war, but dere wasn't one to come home. All the -chillun he had was killed. Massa, he los' all his money and de house -soon begin droppin' away to nothin'. Us niggers one by one lef' de ole -place and de las' time I seed de home plantation I was a standin' on a -hill. I looked back on it for de las' time through a patch of scrub -pines and it look' so lonely. Dere warn't but one person in sight, de -massa. He was a-settin' in a wicker chair in de yard lookin' out ober a -small field of cotton and cawn. Dere was fo' crosses in de graveyard in -de side lawn where he was a-settin'. De fo'th one was his wife. I lost -my ole woman too 37 years ago, and all dis time, I's been a carrin' on -like de massa--all alone." - - - - -Tildy Collins - - - *Interview with Tildy Collins* - --_Susie R. O'Brien, Uniontown, Alabama_ - -In the Negro section of Uniontown, locally known as "Rabbit Yard" (named -by the Negroes themselves), lives "Aunt Tildy" Collins, a typical "black -mammy" of orthodox type. She is a talkative old soul, running over with -slavery tales and greatly beloved by a wide range of acquaintances among -both races. Although eighty-four summers have passed over her snow-white -head, Aunt Tildy's spirit is unconquered by time and her physical -activity is truly remarkable for her age. She does her own housework and -cares for her home without assistance. In front of her one-room cabin is -a neat garden of vegetables and flowers combined, with morning glories -trained carefully over the fence nearly all the way around. There is a -saying in the South, that cotton will grow better for a Negro than for -any other race, and this might well be extended to include morning -glories in Aunt Tildy's case; since none in Uniontown are quite so fine -in growth or brilliance of coloring. - -Like nearly all old Negroes, Aunt Tildy goes to sleep very readily. She -was dozing in a rocker on her small porch, while the scent of wood smoke -and the odor of boiling vegetables issued from the cabin. An iron pot, -hanging from a crane in the fireplace, sending forth clouds of steam and -an appetizing aroma. She clings to old fashioned equipment and disdains -a stove for cooking. Her "biled" vegetables or meats in the hanging pot, -with baked potatoes and "pone" bread from the oven make up a meal that -leaves little to be desired, as many visitors who have shared her -repasts well know. - -As the gate squeaked, Aunt Tildy awoke with a start and a smile. - -"Come in, white folks, I was jes' a-settin' here waitin' for my greens -to bile, an' I musta drapped off to sleep. Set down in dat cheer right -dar, an' tek off your hat; you sho' is lookin' well, an' I'se proud to -see you. - -"Yas, ma'am, I sho' was borned in slavery times, an' I wish to Gawd I -could git now what I useter hab den, 'caze dem was good times for de -black folks. Dese free niggers don't know what 'tis to be tuk good keer -of. - -"Co'se I means dat! I was borned on a big plantation near 'bout to -Linden, an' my Ole Marster was name Harris, yassum, Dick Harris, an' my -Ole Mistis was Miss Mandy. Bofe dey boys fit in de wah, an' I 'members -when dey went off wid de sojers, ole Mistis she cry an' hug dem boys an' -kiss 'em goodbye, an' dey was gone a long time. I was a leetle gal -whenst dey went to de wah, an' I was mos' a grown 'oman when dey come -home, an' dey bofe had whiskers. Young Massa Richard he limpin' an' look -mighty pale, an' dey say he been wounded an' stay in prison on Mister -Johnson's island, summuz up de ribber; but Marse Willis, he look all -right, 'cep'in' whiskers. Ole Marster had a big house, an' dat same -house standin' dar right now. Us had plenty to eat an' plenty to wear, -an' dat's mo'n what some folks got now. - -"Ole Marster was good to all he niggers, an' my pappy and mammy bofe -belonged to him. Dey was a slave-yard in Uniontown, an' ev'y time a -spec'later cum wid a lot of new niggers, Ole Marster he buy four or five -niggers, an' dat's how he come to buy my pappy, atter de spec'later -brung him an' a whole passel of niggers from North C'lina. My mammy here -already 'long to Ole Marster. Her was borned his'n. - -"Sometime a no 'count nigger tek an' runned erway; but de oberseer, he -put de houn's on he track, an' dey run him up a tree, an' de oberseer -fetch him back nex' mawnin', all tuckerd out, an' he' glad to stay home -for a spell an' 'have hese'f. Ole Marster had a good oberseer, too. -'Cose he wan't no quality, lak Ole Marster an' Ole Mistis, but he was a -good, kin' man an' he didn't hab no trouble on de whole plantation. - -"Us alluz had a Chris'mus tree in de quarter, jes' lak de white folks -an' dey was presents for ev'ybody--nobody wan't lef' out, big or little. -Dere was a meetin' house on de plantation an' Ole Marster had a rule dat -all de chilluns had to go to Sunday school soon as dey was big 'nuff, -an' dey had to go in clean white clo'se, too. Us chilluns hate to see -Sunday come, 'caze Mammy an' Granmammy dey wash us an' near 'bout rub de -skin off gittin' us clean for Sunday school, an' dey comb our heads wid -a jimcrow. You ain't neber seed a jimcrow? Hit mos' lak a card what you -card wool wid. What a card look lak? Humph! Missy, whar you been -raise--ain't neber seed a card? Dat jimcrow sho' did hurt, but us hadder -stan' hit, an' sometimes atter all dat, Mammy she wrap our kinky hair -wid t'read an' twis' so tight us's eyes couldn't hardly shet. - -"My Granmammy, her de head cook 'oman at de big house, an' us had to -mine her lak us did Mammy. I ho'p Granmammy in de kitchen, atter I got -big 'nuff an' she sho' did keep me humpin'. Chilluns had to mine dey -olders in dem days. Dey wan't lak dey is now, don't mine nobody, not -eben dey Pa. - -"When de surrender come, Ole Marster he tole all de niggers dey was free -now, an' some was glad an' some was sorry an' welst dey might be sorry, -iffen dey knowed what a hard time dey goner had knockin' 'roun' de worl' -by deyself; no Ole Marster an' no Ole Mistis ter look atter 'em an' feed -'em when dey sick an' when dey well. Look lak ter me, when de surrender -parted de white folks an' de black folks, it hurt 'em bofe. Dey oughter -be tergedder, jes' lak de Good Lord 'tended dey be." - -Aunt Tildy sighed deeply and, gazing afar off, said: "Iffen Ole Marster -was livin' now, I'd be all right an' not hafter worry 'bout nuffin." - -In spite of her eighty-four years, Aunt Tildy makes her living as a -mid-wife and serves as a "doctor man" in cases of minor ailments; but -her practice is so closely interwoven with "conju'in'" that it is -difficult to say which is the more important to her. For example: she -prescribes wearing matches in the hair or a little salt on the mole of -the head for headache. Her sovereign remedy for rheumatism is "'nint de -j'ints wid a little kerosene oil an' put some mullen leaves on it." "A -good dost of turpentine is good for mos' anything de matter wid you." A -coin with a hole in it, usually a dime, tied around the ankle will keep -you from getting "pizen." Furthermore, this same treatment warns against -the ill effects of getting "conju'ed." "Iffen you gits conju'ed, de dime -turn black, an' you kin go to de conju' doctor an' git de conju' took -off." - -"Is you got to go, Missy? Come back agin. I's allus proud to see you," -Aunt Tildy called after me from the edge of the porch. - - - - -Sara Colquitt - - - *Interview with Sara Colquitt* - --_Preston Klein, Opelika, Alabama_ - -_SHE JUST CAN REMEMBER HER HUSBAND'S NAME_ - -Sara Colquitt, who used to till the fields in slavery days, now has a -handmaiden of her own. Sara does not know the date of her birth in -Richmond, Virginia, but she says it was more than a century ago. (1937). -The "girl," whom her daughter has employed to take care of the nearly -blind and helpless centenarian, is well past eighty herself, yet she -keeps her charge neat and clean and the cabin in which they live tidy. -Sara's daughter works in the fields nearby at Opelika, Ala. to keep the -family going. - -"Mr. Bill Slaughter and Miss Mary Slaughter was our marster and mistess -and dey had two chilluns, Marsa Robert and Marsa Brat," Sara said. "I -had four brothers and sisters, Tate, Sam, Jennie, and Tenner. Us lived -in log cabins wid dirt floors and dey was built in two long rows. Us -beds was nailed to de wall at one end and us used corn shucks and pine -straw for mattresses. - -"Miss Mary was good to us, but us had to work hard and late. I worked in -de fields every day from 'fore daylight to almost plumb dark. I usta -take my littlest baby wid me. I had two chilluns, and I'd tie hit up to -a tree limb to keep off de ants and bugs whilst I hoed and worked de -furrow. All us niggers was fed from de big kitchen and wasn't hongry, -but sometimes us would steal more food dan was give us anyhow. - -[Illustration: _Sara Colquitt, Opelika, Alabama_] - -"I was one of de spinners, too, and had to do six cuts to de reel at de -time and do hit at night plenty times. Us clothes was homespun osnaburg, -what us would dye, sometimes solid and sometimes checked. - -"'Sides working de fields and spinning, sometimes I'd ho'p wid de -cooking up at de Big House when de real cook was sick or us had a passel -of company. Us cooked on a great, big fireplace what had arms hanging -out over de coals to hang pots on to bile. Den us had three-legged -skillets what set right over de coals for frying and sech like. Us -cooked sho' 'nuff bread in dem days, ash cakes, de best thing you ever -et. Dey ain't nothing like dat dese days. - -"I was sold oncet before I left Virginia. Den I was brung down to -Alabama and sold from de block for $1,000 to Mr. Sam Rainey, at Camp -Hill, Ala. I still worked in de fields, but I would cook for de white -folks and hope around de Big House on special 'casions. Our overseer was -Mr. Green Ross, and he was a bad one, too. Mean, my goodness! He'd whup -you in a minute. He'd put you in de buck, tie your feet and den set out -to whup you right. - -"He would get us slaves up 'fore day, blowing on his big horn, and us -would work 'twell plumb dark. All de little niggers'd get up, too, and -go up to de Big House to be fed from wooden bowls. Den dey'd be called -ag'in 'fore us come from de fields and put to bed by dark. I useta stop -by de spring house to get de milk, it was good cold too, and tote it up -to de Big House for dinner. - -"I had two chilluns. Dey was named Lou and Eli, and dey was took care of -like de rest. Us useta have some good times. Us could have all de fun us -wanted on Sa'dday nights, and us sho' had it, cutting monkeyshines and -dancing all night long sometimes. Some would pat and sing, 'Keys not -arunning, Keys not arunning," and us sho' did more'n dance, I'm telling -you. Sometimes our Mistess would come down early to watch us dance. - -"Next to our dances, de most fun was corn-shucking. Marsa would have de -corn hauled up to de cribs and piled as a house. Den he would invite de -hands 'round to come and ho'p shuck it. Us had two leaders or generals -and choose up two sides. Den us see which side would win first and -holler and sing. I disremembers the hollers jest now. My mind is sorter -missing. Marsa would pass de jug 'round, too. Den dey sho' could work -and dat pile'd just vanish. - -"Us used de white folks' church in de morning. I j'ined de church den, -'cause I always tried to live right and wid de Lord. - -"When de Yankees come through Dadeville, Ala., us heard 'bout hit and -Marsa hid his money and lots of his fine things in de colored folks's -houses. Dey never found 'em neither. - -"Lemme see who I married? I mighty nigh forgot who it was I did marry. -Now, I knows. Hit was Prince Hodnett. - -"No'm, I don't want no more slavery. I hope dey don't have no more such, -'cause hit was terrible. - -"Yes'm, I'd be proud to have my picture took." - -So pridefully Sara's chair was dragged out on the porch by her maid, and -the "picture was took." - - - - -Mandy McCullough Cosby - - - *Interview with Mandy McCullough Cosby* - --_Margaret Fowler, Fruithurst, Alabama_ - -_THEY CALLED US MCCULLOUGH'S FREE NIGGERS_ - -Mandy McCullough Cosby puffed reflectively at her mellowed corncob pipe -and began her story: - -"My Massa, Bryant McCullough, was a Chambers county man. He had so many -slaves I can't tell you de numbah. He didn't know hisself how many he -had. I is now ninety-five years old an' what I remembers mos' is de way -de chillun roll aroun' in de big nurses room." Mandy lives at 1508-Pine -Street, Anniston, Alabama. She was cutting collards for dinner and left -her dishpan and butcher knife to receive her caller. - -"Mist' McCullough, he raised niggahs to sell--an' the little black -chillen play aroun' until 'bout sundown, dey is give dey supper. A long -trough out in a cool place in the bak yard is filled wif good, cold -buttermilk an' cornbread crumbed in, an' dey each is give a spoon, an' -dey eats dey fill. Den dey is ready fo' bed. Some of dem jes' fall ovah -on de groun', asleep, and is picked up, and put on dey pallet in de big -chillens room. Dey was old woman called de nurse, look after 'em. Dey -git good care fo' de master expects dey will bring good money. - -"Ol' Miss, she don't lak to see dem sold, an' she cry ever' time, she so -tender-hearted. But Mist' McCullough is jes' lak mens is today. He jes' -laugh an' go on. - -"But he was good to his black folks. Folks called us 'McCullough's free -niggers.' Wasn't much whippin' went on 'roun' our plantation, but on -some places close to us, they whipped until blood run down. Some places -they even mixed salt an' pepper in water an' bathed 'em with it. The -salt water'd heal, but when the pepper got in there, it burned lak fire, -an' they'd as well get on to work quick, cause they can't be still -nohow. - -"One woman, on a plantation not so far from us, was expectin', an' they -tied her up under a hack-a-berry tree, an' whipped her until she died. -Mos' any time at night ef you go 'roun' that tree, you could hear that -baby cry. I 'spect you could hear it yet. - -"Everybody said that was murder, an' that something ought to be done -about it, but nothin' ever was. - -"Mist' McCullough always give his folks plenty of sumpin' t'eat an' then -he say, 'I's lookin' for plenty uv work.' 'Niggahs fat an' greasy can't -do nothin' but work. - -"My mother was a loomer. She didn't do nothin' but weave. We all had -reg'lar stints of spinnin' to do, when we come from the fiel'. We set -down an' eat a good supper, an' ever'night until ten o'clock we spin -cuts of cotton, an' reel the tread, an' nex' day, the rolls is carded -an' packed in a basket to be wove. - -"Spinnin' wheels was in every cabin. Dere was so many of us to be tuk -care of, it took lots of spinnin'." - - - - -Emma Crockett - - - *Interview with Emma Crockett* - --_Ruby Pickens Tartt, Livingston, Alabama_ - -On the old east road from Livingston to Epes, about six miles north-east -of Livingston, is the "double house" built of widely assorted materials, -where Emma Crockett lives. The older part of the house is the "settin' -room" where the stick-and-clay chimney of its earlier days has been -replaced by a new brick chimney. A roof of corrugated sheet metal tops -the warped, roughly hewn logs which form the walls. The "new room" is -built in the later shanty style--pine boards, unplaned, and nailed -upright to a frame of 2X4's, the cracks of the flat joints "stripped" -with narrow siding. A roof of "bought" shingles covers this room. -Connecting the two rooms is an open hall roofed with heavy boards -"rived" from pine blocks. Despite its conglomerate architecture this is -a better "colored folks'" house than many in the Black Belt. These -"double houses" often have no roof for the hall and some also lack a -floor, the hall being made entirely of earth, sky and imagination. - -Emma settled herself on the top step at the front of the hall to talk to -me, after first ironing a tiny wrinkle out of her "string apron" with -her hand. - -[Illustration: _Emma Crockett, Livingston, Alabama_] - -"Miss, I'm 'bout sebenty-nine or eighty year old," she told me, "and I -belonged to Marse Bill Hawkins and Miss Betty. I lived on deir -plantation right over yander. My mammy was called Cassie Hawkins and my -pappy was Alfred Jolly. I was Emma Jolly 'fore I married Old Henry -Crockett. Us had five chillun and dey's two of 'em livin' in Bummin'ham, -Fannie and Mary. - -"Sometimes I kain't git my min' together so as I kin tell nothin'. I -fell out t'other day and had a misery in my head ever since. I wish I -could read, but I wa'n't never l'arnt nothin' 'ceptin' atter Surrender -Miss Sallie Cotes she showed us how to read printin'; but I kain't read -no writin. I kain't tell you so much 'bout de wah' ca'se my recollection -ain't no 'count dese days. All I knowed, 'twas bad times and folks got -whupped, but I kain't say who was to blame; some was good and some was -bad. I seed the patterollers, and atter Surrender de Ku Kluxes dey come -den, but didn't never bother me. See, I wan't so old and I minded -ev'ybody, and didn't vex 'em none. Us didn't go to church none, but I -goes now to de New Prophet Church and my favorite song is: - - Set down, set down, set down, - Set down, set down, - Set down, chile, set down. - Soul so happy till I kain't set down. - - Move de member, move Dan-u-el, - Move de member, move Dan-u-el. - Dan-u-el, member, don' move so slow. - Dan-u-el, member, don' move so slow. - Got on my rockin' shoes, Dan-u-el. - Got on my rockin' shoes, Dan-u-el. - - Shoes gwine to rock me home, - Shoes gwine to rock me home, Dan-u-el, - Shoes gwine to rock me home, Dan-u-el, - Shoes gwine to rock me home, Dan-u-el, - Dan-u-el. - - Shoes gwine to rock by faith, - Shoes gwine to rock by faith, Dan-u-el, - Shoes gwine to rock by faith, Dan-u-el. - - Love de member, move Dan-u-el. - Love de member, move Dan-u-el. - Got on my starry crown, Dan-u-el. - Got on my starry crown, Dan-u-el. - -"Dat's all I kin tell you today, honey. Come back when dis misery leave -my head and I gwine to think up some tales and old songs. - -[Illustration: _Emma Crockett's House, Livingston, Alabama_] - -"But I didn't never fool wid no hoodoo and no animal stories neither. I -didn't have no time for no sich foolishness. And I ain't scared of -nothin' neither. - -"I lives here wid my grandchile now on Mr. Bob Davis' place. Us gits -enough to eat, I reckon, but it's tight, I tell you dat!" - - - - -Cheney Cross - - - *Interview with Cheney Cross* - --_Annie D. Dean_ - -_GITTIN' MY PENSION_ - -From all accounts, Aunt Cheney Cross must be quite ninety years old. "In -jewin' de war," she says, "I had done long pass my thirteenth birthday." -Today Aunt Cheney is a true reflection of slavery days and the Southern -mammy. - -Away from highways and automobiles, she lives several miles from -Evergreen on a small farm in the piney woods with her "baby boy." - -Talk with Aunt Cheney reveals that Evergreen's city marshall, Harry L. -Riley, "put out to hope" this old family servant who had "tended" to his -father, George Riley; his mother, "Miss Narciss," and "Miss Lizzible," -his sister. She also helped bring his own "chillun" into the world. - -Aunt Cheney had promised Mr. Riley that she would come in town on a -certain Saturday morning in May, 1937, and would bring a letter from her -young "mistis" for me to read. - -It was past noon on that particular Saturday when she came up the back -steps, a little out of breath, but smiling. "Lawd, honey," she said, -"here 'tis pas' dinner time an' I'se jes' makin' my arrivement here. -No'm, I don't wants no dinner, thank you jes' de same. Whut makes me so -late here now, I stopped by Miss Ella Northcutt's. She's my folks too, -you know, an' she done made me eat all I kin hole! No'm, honey, I can't -eat no cabbage. Me an' cabbage never is set horses together much, but I -will thank you for the ice tea." - -Settling herself down in a low chair, she sighed and began taking off -her shoes. "Honey, you don't mind ef I resses my feets does you? My -white folks is sp'ilin' me here today. I'll be lookin' for it tomorrrow, -too, an' I won't be gittin' it." Her black eyes twinkled in her shiny, -old, wrinkled face as she talked on. - -"I tole Mr. Harry I'se comin'. An' here I is! How'd I come? I come on -Mack and Charlie, dat's how! Yes, ma'am! Dese two boys here, dey brung -me." Pushing her feet out for inspection, she leaned forward, smiling -and pleased. "Dese here foots, dey's Mack an' Charlie. Dey's my whole -pennunce for gittin' about. Don't you worry none. Mr. Harry he'll git be -back home 'gainst dark come on. - -"Lawd, honey, I don't want to know no better folks'n Mr. Harry an' Miss -Emma. I follow dem good folks clean up to Muscle Show! Yessum, I sho' -did. At fust, I tole'm I couldn't go nohow. But dey pull down on me so -hard, look lack I couldn't he'p myself. - -"I stayed on up dere at Muscle Show twell I got so homesick to see my -baby boy I couldn't stan' it no mo'. Now, cose, my baby boy he was den -de father of his own, a boy an' a girl, but to me dat boy is still jes' -my baby, an' I had to come on home." - -Aunt Cheney's little, old body shook with laughter as she leaned back -and said: "Yes, ma'am! I ain't been home no time atall neither, 'twell -here come Mr. Harry back to Evergreen wid his own self. Yes, Lawd! I kin -see'm now, comin' up de big hardwood road, his haid raired back, -asmokin' a sugarette lack he's a millinery! Lawd, Lawd! Me nor Mr. Harry -neither one ain't never gona be contentious nowheres but right here. An' -dat's de Gawd's trufe! - -"Iffen Mr. Harry hadn't come on back here, I never woulda seed no -pension. Dat's de Gawd's trufe, too. Nobody here didn't know my eggzack -age, cause dis wasn't my originally home. All dem whut did know close -onto my age done died out an' I knows it. So when Mr. Harry put out to -hope me, I says in my heart 'Thank Gawd!' - -"I tole Mr. Harry dat iffen anybody in de world knowed my age, it was my -young mistis, an' I didn't know eggzackly where she at, but her papa was -Captain Purifire (Purifoy). Back yonder he was de madistra of our town, -an' he had all of dem lawin' books. I figgered dat my birthright would -be down in one of dem books. I knowed in reason dat my mistis still got -dem books wid her, 'cause dey ain't been no burnin's dat I done heard -about. I knowed, too, dat Mr. Harry was gona fine out where she at. - -"I 'members Captain Purifire jes' lack a book. I does dat! Now, cose, -when he come on in home from de war he didn't 'zackly favor hisse'f den, -'cause when I seed him comin' roun' de house he look so ragged an' -ornery I tuck him for de ole Bad Man hisse'f. I tuck out behind de smoke -house, an' when I got a good look at him th'ew a crack it look lack I -could recognize his favor, but I couldn't call his name to save my life. -Lawd, honey! He's a sight! All growed over an' bushy! You couldn't tell -iffen he's man or beas'. I kep' on alookin' whilst he's comin' roun' de -corner, an' den I heard him say 'Cheney, dat you?' I'se so happy, I jes' -melt down." - -Aunt Cheney was really living over her past. "You see, it's lack dis," -she said: "My fore parents, dey was bought. My Mistis an' my daddy's -mistis, too, was Miss Mary Fields, an' my daddy was Henry Fields. Den de -Carters bought my daddy from Miss Mary Fields. Well, dey mix up an' down -lack dat, twell now my young mistis, what used to be little Frances -Purifire, she's married to Mr. Cunningham. - -"I was brung up right in de house wid my white folks. Yessum, I slep' on -de little trundler bed what pushed up under de big bed, in durinst de -day. I watched over dem chillun day an' night. I washed 'em an' fed 'em -an' played wid 'em. One of de babies had to take goat's milk. When she -cry, my mistis say, 'Cheney, go on an' git dat goat.' Yes Lawd! An' dat -goat sho' did talk sweet to dat baby! Jes' lack it was her own. She look -at it an' wag her tail so fas' an' say: "Ma-a-a-a-a!" Den she lay down -on de flo' whilst us holes her feets an' let de baby suck de milk. All -de time dat goat bees talkin', 'Ma-a-a-a-a,' twell dat baby got -satchified. - -"When us chillun got tuck wid any kind of sickness or zeezes, us tuck -azzifizzity an' garlit. You know, garlit what smell lack onions. Den we -wore some roun' us necks. Dat kep' off flu-anz. - -"Dese days it look lack somepin t'eat don't tas'e lack dat we cooked -back yonder. De coffee us used had to be fresh groun' ever' day. An' -when it commence to bile, I put dese here knees down on de flo' befo' de -fire an' stir dat coffee for de longes'. Den my gran'ma she hung dat pot -up on dem pot hooks over de fire an' washed de meat an' drap it in. Time -she done pick an' overlook de greens an' den wrinched 'em in spring -water, de meat was bilin'. Den she take a great big mess of dem fresh -turnip greens an' squash 'em down in dat pot. Dey jes' melt down an' go -to seasonin'. - -"Nex' thing I knowed, here come my mistis, an' she say: 'Now Cheney, I -wants some pone bread for dinner.' Dem hick'ry coals in dat fire place -was all time ready an' hot. They wouldn't be no finger prints lef' on -dat pone when Cheney got th'ew pattin' it out neither. Better not! Look -lack dem chillun jes' couldn't git 'nuff of dat hard corn bread. - -"Plenty of fancy cookin' went on 'roun' dat fire place, but somehow de -pot licker an' pone bread longside wid de fresh buttermilk stirs my -mem'ry worse'n anything. - -"All dis good eatin' I'se speakin' 'bout tuck place befo' de Yankees -raided us. It was den, too, dat my mistis tuck me down to de spring back -of de house. Down dere it was a holler tree stump, taller'n you is. She -tell me to clam' up to de top of dat holler tree, den she han' me a big -heavy bundle, all wropped up an' tied tight. Hit sho' was heavy! Den she -say: 'Drap it in, Cheney.' I didn't know den whut she's up to, but dat -was de silver an' jew'lry she was hidin'. - -"Yes honey, I 'members dat Yankee raid lack it was jes' yistiddy. I'se -settin' dere in de loom room, an' Mr. Thad Watts' lil' gal, Louise, -she's standin' at the winder. She say: 'O-o-oh! Nannie! Jes' look down -yonder!' 'Baby, what is dat?' I says. 'Dem's de Yankees comin'!' 'Gawd -hep us!' I says, an' befo' I kin ketch my bref, de place is kivvered. -You couldn't stir 'em up wid a stick. Feets sounded lack mutterin' -thunder. Dem bayonets stick up lack dey jes' setting on de mouf of dey -guns. Dey swords hangin' on dey sides singin' a chune whilst dey walk. A -chicken better not pass by. Iffen he do, off come his head! - -"When dey pass on by me, dey put' nigh shuck me outa my skin. 'Where's -de men's?' dey say an' shake me up. 'Where's de arms?' Dey shake me -twell my eye balls loosen up. 'Where's de silver?' Lawd! Was my teefs -drappin' out? Dey didn't give me time to ketch my bref. All de time, -Miss Mary jes' look 'em in de eye an' say nothin'! - -"Dey tuck dem enfield rifles, half as long as dat door, an' bus' in de -smoke house winder. Dey jack me up off'n my feet an' drag me up de -ladder an' say: 'Git dat meat out.' I kep' on th'owin' out Miss Mary's -hams an' sawsidges, twell dey holler 'stop'. I come backin' down dat -ladder lack a squirrel, an' I ain't stop backin' twell I retch Miss -Mary. - -"Yes, Lawd! Dem Yankees loaded up a waggin full of meat an' tuck de -whole barrel of 'lasses! Takin' dat 'lasses kilt us chillun! Our mainest -'musement was makin' 'lasses candy. Den us cake walk 'roun' it. Now dat -was all gone. Look lack dem sojers had to sharpen dey swords on -ever'thing in sight. De big crepe mullen bush by de parlor winder was -bloomin' so pink an' pretty, an' dey jes' stood dere an' whack off dem -blooms lack folkses heads drappin' on de groun'. - -"I seed de sargeant when he run his bayonet clean th'ew Miss Mary's -bestest feather bed an' rip it slam open! Wid dat, a win' blowed up an' -tuck dem feathers ever' which away for Sunday. You couldn't see where -you's at. De sargeant, he jes' th'owed his head back an' laugh fit to -kill hisse'f. Den fust thing next, he done suck a feather down his -win'pipe! Lawd, honey, dat white man sho' struggled. Dem sojers th'owed -water in his face. Dey shuck'm an' beat'm an' roll'm over, an' all de -time he's gettin' limberer an' bluerer. Den dey jack him up by his feets -an' stan'm on his haid. Den dey pump him up an' down. Den dey shuck'm -twell he spit. Den he come to. - -"Dey didn't cut no mo' mattrusses. An' dey didn't cut nothin' much up in -de parlor, 'cause dat's where de lieutenant an' de sargeant slep'. But -dey lef' de nex' day, de whole place was strewed wid mutilation. - -"I 'members well back dere in jewin' de war how ever' oncet a month that -come 'roun' a big box, longer'n I is an' wider too, was tuck to our -sojer boys on de battle fiel'. You never seed de lack of sawsidges dat -went in dat box! Wid cake an' chicken an' pies, an' Lawd! de butter all -rolled up in corn shucks to keep it fresh. Ever'body from ever'where -come to fix dat box an' he'p pile in de stuff. Den you hear 'em say: -'Poor sojers! Put it in here!' Den ever'thing look sorta misty, an' dey -haids droop over, lack. Den you see a mother's bres' heave wid her -silent prayer. - -"Directly atter de surrender, de Ku Kluxes sho' was bad atter de -Yankees. Dey do all sorts of things to aggivate 'em. Dey's continual' -tyin' grape vines crost de road, to git 'em tangled up an' make 'em trip -up an' break dey own necks. Dat was bad too, 'cause dem poor Yankees -never s'picioned no better'n dat dem vines jes' blowed down or somepin. - -"'Long about den, too, seem lack ha'nts an' spairits was ridin' -ever'thing! Dey raided mostly 'roun' de grabeyard. Lawd, honey, I ain't -hankerin' atter passin' by no grabeyards. 'Cose, I knows I got to go in -dere some day, but dey do make me feel lonesome an' kinder jubus. - -"I 'members one night, way back dere, when I'se walkin' down de big road -wid Bud, an' he say: 'Look! Didn't you see me give dat road? Dat ha'nt -done push me clean outa my place.' Now let me tell you somepin. Iffen -you ain't never been dat clost to a ha'nt, you don't know nothin'! I -'lowed he gwine follow me home. When I got dere I shuck mustard seeds -down on my flo'. When you sprinkles 'em lack dat he can't git outa dat -room twell he done count ever' las' one of dem seed. Well sir, de nex' -mawnin' all us could see was somepin lack a lump of jelly layin' dere on -de flo' 'mongst dem seeds. Look lack he done counted hisse'f to a pulp. - -"After dat night, I puts a big sifter down at my do'. You know ha'nts -has to count ever' hole in dat sifter befo' dey can come th'ough. Some -folks puts de Bible down dere, too. Den de poor spairit has to read -ever' word of dat book befo' he crosses over. - -"I reckon 'bout de terriblest thing ever happen to me was dat big -lookin' glass. De lookin' glass was all laid out in de top of my trunk, -waitin' for my weddin' day. One night I'se standin' by de trunk wid hit -wide open. I seed somepin black befo' my eyes an' den a screech owl lit -in my winder an' screech right in my face. I'se so scared I sot right -down in de middle of dat lookin' glass. Hit bus' in a million pieces! -Mamma th'owed up her han's an' holler, 'Git up from dere, gal. You gona -have seven years of bad luck. Shoo dat hootin' owl away befo' you dies -in your tracks!' Den I swoons off. I feels dem ha'nts gittin' ready to -ride me clean down in my grabe. 'Bout den somepin kep' sayin' to me, -over an' over: 'Th'ow dem pieces of lookin' glass in runnin' water.' Den -hit say: 'Burn your mammy's ole shoe an' de screech owl leave.' Atter I -does dat my min' was at res'. - -"Soon as my daddy hear 'em firin' off for de Surrender, he put out for -de plantation where he fust belong. He lef' me wid my mistis at Pine -Flat, but 'twan't long twell he come back to git me an' carry me home -wid him. I hates to leave my mistis, an' she didn't want to part from -me. She say: 'Stay here wid me, an' I'll give you a school learnin'.' -She say to Captain Purifire: 'You go buy my li'l nigger a book. Git one -of dem Blue Back Websters,' she say, 'so I kin eddicate her to spell.' -Den my daddy say: 'Her mamma tole me not to come home widout her an' she -has to go wid me.' - -"I never will fergit ridin' behin' my daddy on dat mule way in de night. -Us lef' in sich a hurry I didn't git none of my cloze hardly, an' I -ain't seed my mistis from dat day to dis!" - - - - -Matilda Pugh Daniel - - - *Interview with Matilda Pugh Daniel* - --_Gertha Couric_ - -_MATILDA WAS WED IN DE WHITE FOLKS' PARLOR_ - -Near Eufaula, Alabama, on a bluff stands a little three room cabin -neatly furnished with plain, well worn, but nicely kept furniture. -Surrounding the house are small beds of pretty flowers, and rows of -fresh vegetables. Here resides in peace and tranquility Aunt Matilda -Pugh Daniel, an old Negro slave, aged 96 years. Aunt Matilda was a full -grown buxom gal when the War between the States was raging. She belonged -to United States Senator, James L. Pugh, and was born on his plantation, -near Eufaula. Even though time has dimmed her sight, and slightly -diminished her hearing powers, she is still active of mind and accurate -in her memories. We will let her speak for herself: - -"Yassuh, white folks, I remembers lots of things dat happen in de -slabery times. I works aroun' de house for mistis, who was de daughter -of Gen'l John Linguard Hunter befo' she ma'ied de massa. When I was a -little pig-tailed nigger, I usta play 'roun' wid Massa's chilluns. We -play injuns in de woods, an' buil' dams down on de creek an' swing in de -yard an' sometime we sho do devilish things. We hid red pepper in ole -Black Bob's chewin' bacca, an' you ought to seed de faces he made. It -makes me laugh still yit. Den we tuken a skunk dat us little white an' -black debils kotched an' turn him loose in de slave quarters. You ought -ter seed dem niggers come a flyin' outer dere. Dey come out like a swarm -of wet antses. - -"Atter I grew up I ma'ied Joe Daniel, a house nigger, an' Gen'l Hunter, -de Mistis's pappy 'formed de ceremony. We was ma'ied in de parlor, an' I -wo' a party dress of Miss Sara's. It sho' was purty; made outen white -tarleton wid a pink bow in de front. I had a pink ribbon 'roun' my haid -too, an' Joe, he look proud of me. Atter de weddin' all de niggers on de -plantation gathered about an' we had a soiree in de back yard. Me an' -Joe moved to de quarter den, but I still worked in de house. Mistis -warn't goin' ter let nobody wash dem julep glasses but me, an' warn't -nobody a goin' ter polish dat silber but dis here nigger. Nawsuh. - -[Illustration: _Matilda Pugh Daniel, Eufaula, Alabama_] - -"Durin' de war us warn't bothered much, but atter de surrender, some po' -white trash tried to make us take some lan'. Some of 'em come to de -slave quarters, an' talk to us. Dey say 'Niggers, you is jus' as good as -de white fo'ks. You is 'titled to vote in de 'lections an' to have money -same as dey,' but most of us didn't pay no 'tention to 'em. - -"Den Massa James an' Mistis moved to Washington, an' Miss Sara wanted me -to go wid her to be her house maid. She said she'd pay me money fo' it, -but I couldn't leave my ole man, Joe, kaze he had a case of consumption. -Joe died a year later an' lef' me wid fo' little chilluns. Us stayed -'roun' on de plantation an' de new massa paid us good money fo' workin', -but soon de house kotched fire an' burn to de groun', an' I have to move -to Eufaula. I bought dis little house wid de money I saved. I has -kinfolks in Detroit dat sen's me a little money, an' some good peoples -in Eufaula helps me out some so I is in purty good financial shape. I -ain't neber 'sociated wid no trashy niggers an' I ain't neber 'ten' to. -I is goin' to be a proud an' good nigger to de las'." - - - - -Carrie Davis - - - *Interview with Carrie Davis* - --_Preston Klein, Lee County, Alabama_ - -_PLANTATION PUNISHMENT_ - -Carrie Davis said "Honey, dere was a lot of cruel things done in slavery -times." - -She was washing when I arrived at her shanty near Smith's Station, -Alabama. She asked, as so many of the old Negroes do, "Has you come to -help me?" I said: "No, Carrie; I want you to tell me about slavery." - -She shook her gray head, recalled: "Dem was good an' bad times, Mistus; -good an' bad. I had a purty good marster; but de marster on de -plantation dat j'ined our'n was mighty mean. He was a bad man, no matter -if de slaves behaved or not. - -"Honey, I 'members dat he had regular days to whup all de slaves wid -strops. De strops had holes in 'em so dat dey raised big blisters. Den -dey took a hand saw, cut de blisters and washed 'em in salt water. Our -Ol' Mistus has put salve on aheap of backs so dey could git deir shirts -off. De shirts'd stick, you see. De slaves would come to our house for -water an' Mistus would see 'em." - -Asked about her life as a slave, she said: "I was borned in Harris -County, Georgia, an' was 'bout ten or twelve when freedom come. My mammy -an' pappy was Martha an' Nathan Perry and had seben chillun. Besides me, -dere was Amy, Ida, Knoxie, Jim, Abraham, an' Franklin. - -"Us lived in de Perry quarters. De cabins was made of split logs, put up -edgeways and daubed wid mud inside an' out. Dey was 'bout a hundred -yards from de big house, whar Marster Billy an' Mistus Nancy Perry -lived. Deir chillun was Clara Maria, Malinda, Sara, Alec, Jim, an' Bill. -Dey was real good to us, too. Us et at de big house. 'Course de food was -cooked on de fireplace, but us had meat and greens but not much -biscuits. Us had collards an' cabbage, too. - -"Sometimes us would have wild game, 'ca'se de men hunted lots an' -kotched rabbits, 'possums and coons. Dey also kotched a lot of fish. - -"No'm, our beds warn't so good. Dey was homemade and de sides was -scantlings wid legs nailed on. Den slats was nailed on top of it to put -our shuck-and-straw mattresses on. - -"My grand-parents was from Virginny. When I was a slave I was used as a -house-girl and to help keep de yards clean and bring in water. Us wore -mostly slips, wove in homemade looms; an' dey was osnaburg an' homespun. -We wore 'em Sunday and Monday de same. Us shoes was made at a tanyard -and dey was brogans as hard as rocks. - -"I 'members dat some of our white neighbors was poor and didn't have no -slaves. Dey would help us work. De overseer couldn't whip dem, but he -would make dem work hard and late. I 'members, too, dat de overseer -waked us up wid a trumpet. - -"Dey useta tell us dat if us didn't work dey was going to sell us to -help feed de rest; and bless yo' soul, us niggers'd go to work, too. -Marster wasn't mean. He would jest lock de slaves in de crib fer -punishment. When slaves was sold, I seed many a nigger put on de block -for five and six hundred dollars. - -"Us couldn't leave de plantation widout a pass; and you better not let -'em kotch you wid a book. Us walked to de white church an' set in de -back. Mr. Davey Snell preach and baptize, and dey had foot-washin's. -Sometimes de niggers'd git so happy dey would shout. Den dey would keep -shoutin' in de fields next day and git a whipping. - -"If a nigger got out widout a pass, dey sot de hounds on you; and de -patrollers'd tear you up too, if you stayed out too late. - -[Illustration: _Carrie Davis, Smith's Station, Alabama_] - -"Us had sech good times on Sattidy nights; frolic, dance an' -cornshuckin's. Most of 'em would be drinkin' and sing and holler: - - Sheep's in de cotton patch; - Got 'im out Monday. - Had it been a white man; - Got 'im out Sunday. - -"Kid Kimbrough was our leader, and he could sing 'Dixie,' too. - -"Christmas mornin' us'd have a better breakfast and dey would give us -rations at de big house. When any of de slaves got married dey went up -to de white folks' house an' jumped over de broom. Dat was de ceremony -at de weddin'. And if marster wanted to mix his stock of slaves wid a -strong stock on 'nother plantation, dey would do de mens an' women jest -lak horses. I 'members dat when two niggers married, dey got a big -supper. - -"All us chilluns had a big time; played 'Pretty Pauline,' 'Turn, -Charlie,' an' sech-lak. - -"No'm I never did see nor b'lieve in ghosts. - -"When us got sick Mistus'd give horse-mint, life-everlasting, goldenrod, -an' holly teas, yessum. And us wore asafetida and pop-ball seed. - -"When de Yankees come, dey handcuffed our folks and took 'em off. -Marster had his meat, corn, fodder, and sech hauled in de swamp near de -plantation. Dem Yankees went as straight to it as if dey had seed us put -it dere. Dey burned it all up and took some niggers from de other farm. - -"When freedom come, I 'members dat marster told us dat us was free, but -dat we could stay on if we lacked. Most of us stayed on wid him for a -spell. Now and den de Ku Klux Klan'd come around and beat on a nigger. - -"I married Charlie Gibson and had two chillun, twelve grand-chilluns and -nine great-grandchilluns. - -"Honey, I's heard Abraham Lincoln's name, but don't know nothin' 'bout -him. I got tired livin' 'mong wicked peoples; and I wanted to be saved. -Dat's why I j'ined de church and still tries to de right." - - - - -Clara Davis - - - *Interview with Clara Davis* - --_Francois Ludgere Diard_ - -_AUNT CLARA DAVIS IS HOMESICK FOR OLD SCENES_ - -"I was bawn in de year 1845, white folks," said Aunt Clara, "on de -Mosley plantation in Bellvy jus' nawth of Monroeville. Us had a mighty -pretty place back dar. Massa Mosely had near 'bout five hundred acres -an' mos' near to one hundred slaves. - -"Was Marse Mosely good to us? Lor', honey, how you talk. Co'se he was! -He was de bes' white man in de lan'. Us had eve'y thing dat we could -hope to eat: turkey, chicken, beef, lamb, poke, vegetables, fruits, -aigs, butter, milk ... we jus' had eve'y thing, white folks, eve'ything. -Dem was de good ole days. How I longs to be back dar wid my ole folks -an' a playin' wid de chilluns down by de creek. 'Tain't nothin' lak it -today, nawsuh. When I tell you 'bout it you gwine to wish you was dar -too. - -"White folks, you can have your automobiles an' paved streets an' -electric lights. I don't want 'em. You can have de busses an' street -cars an' hot pavements an' high buildin' 'caze I ain't got no use for -'em no way. But I'll tell you what I does want. I wants my ole cotton -bed an' de moonlight nights a shinin' through de willow trees an' de -cool grass under my feets as I runned aroun' ketchin' lightnin' bugs. I -wants to hear de sound of de hounds in de woods atter de 'possum, an' de -smell of fresh mowed hay. I wants to feel de sway of de ol' wagon -a-goin' down de red, dusty road an' listen to de wheels groanin' as dey -rolls along. I wants to sink my teeth into some of dat good ol' ash -cake, an' smack de good ol' sorghum offen my mouth. White folks, I wants -to see de boats a passin' up an' down de Alabamy ribber an' hear de -slaves a singin' at dere work. I wants to see de dawn break over de -black ridge an' de twilight settle over de place spreadin' a sort of -orange hue over de place. I wants to walk de paths th'ew de woods an' -see de rabbits an' watch de birds an' listen to frogs at night. But dey -tuk me away f'om dat a long time ago. 'Twern't long befo' I ma'ied an' -had chilluns, but don't none of 'em 'tribute to my suppote now. One of -'em was killed in de big war wid Germany and de res' is all scattered -out ... eight of 'em. Now I jus' live f'om han' to mouth; here one day, -somewhere else de nex'. I guess we's all a-goin' to die iffen dis -'pression don't let us 'lone. Maybe someday I'll git to go home. Dey -tells me dat when a pusson crosses dat ribber, de Lawd gives him whut he -wants. I done tol' de Lawd I don't want nothin' much ... only my home, -white folks. I don't think dat's much to axe for. I supposed he'll sen' -me back dar. I been a-waitin' for him to call." - - - - -George Dillard - - - *Interview with George Dillard* - --_Alice L. Barton_ - -_I LOVED TO PICK DAT BOX_ - -George Dillard, born in Richmond, Va., in 1852, now idles about his -little home at Eutaw and recalls days when he was a slave. The memories -bring smiles to his wrinkled, black face. - -"Honey, dar was a dance every Sattidy night," he chuckled, "an' all de -niggers nigh 'bout broke dey legs adancin'." - -"And didn't you dance just as hard as the others, Uncle George?" - -"Well, Mistus, I was right spry; but I was at my best in de job of -pickin' de banjer. I shorely did love to pick dat box while de other -niggers danced away." - -George said his family came from Virginia to Mississippi, and that he -came to Greene County about 60 years ago. His two masters were a Mr. -Dillard and Bob Steele. - -George explained that he was a field hand and had to work hard most of -the time. - -"But us had plenty to eat," he said. "De food was cooked in Ol' Mistus' -kitchen an' sont to de fiel' on a big cart. I 'member dat a bell would -ring for us to git up, an' we would work as long as it was daylight." - -George said that Mr. Steele owned about 200 slaves and that he always -had plenty of everything. The plantation, he said, consisted of about -2,000 acres. - -"Ol' Massa had a church right on de plantation for us niggers," he -continued. "Many's de time I danced late in de night an' den had to git -up an' go to church wid de rest. All of us had to go. A white man would -preach, but I allus enjoyed de singin' most of all." - -George believes earnestly that ghosts exist, but admits they have never -bothered him. - -[Illustration: _George Dillard, Eutaw, Alabama_] - -"Dey is all aroun'," he maintains, "but dey don't follow me. No'm, I's -not 'fraid of 'em; but I knows plenty of niggers dat'll run if a ghost -so much as brushes by 'em." - -The old darkey said that "atter freedom come to de worl'" he continued -to live with his master and worked a share crop. He said that Mr. Steele -was always fair and good to him; always giving him the best of -everything. - -George married Celia Shelton, and to them were born twenty-four -children. - -"It was a bunch of dem," he said, "but I loved ebry one. I had a nice -weddin' an' de white folks helped me to git myself a 'oman an' then to -git married to her." - - - - -Ella Dilliard - - - *Personal interview with Ella Dilliard* - *756 Canal Street, Mobile, Alabama* - --_Ila B. Prine_ - -_ELLA'S WHITE HEN IS HEAPS OF COMPANY_ - -Ella Dilliard, an old Negro woman who lives at 756 Canal Street, Mobile, -says she was a small girl during slavery time, and does not know the -hardships of it, because she was owned by good people. Her mother's name -was Mary Norris, owned by Mrs. Calvin Norris, who lived in Selma, Ala., -but had a homestead in Mobile. Her father belonged to people by the name -of Childress, and his name was Green Childress. She doesn't remember -much about him because his white people took him to Texas. - -Ella said that her mother was her madame's hairdresser, and that Mrs. -Norris had her mother taught in Mobile. So Ella's life was very easy, as -she stayed around the big house with her mother, although her -grandmother, Penny Anne Norris, cared for her more than her mother did. -One of the things she remembers quite distinctly was her grandmother's -cooking on the fireplace, and how she would not allow any one to spit in -the fireplace. She said her grandmother made corn-pone and wrapped it in -shucks and baked it in ashes. - -Ella said she did not know many colored people, since the quarters were -quite a ways from the big house, and that the plantation was managed by -an overseer. She said the quarters were built in rows with streets -between them. - -She also remembers the first boat she ever saw that was when she was -brought to Mobile after the surrender, and when she saw the boat she -said to her mother: "Look at that house sitting on the water." - -Ella said that there were three cooks at the big house, their names -being Hannah, Judy, and Charlotte, and the gardener's name was Uncle -John. Ella also said that one thing that she remembers so well about the -kitchen in the big house was a large dishpan, that had a partition in -the middle of it, one side you washed the dishes in, and the other side -was used for scalding them. - -The slaves always had Saturdays to wash their clothes and do things for -themselves. Ella, not having lived among Negroes, does not know much -about their habits and customs, but she does remember seeing the big -white covered wagons that the slaves were carried in to be sold; and -remembers hearing talk of the "Pattyrollers." She said when the slaves -were sold, they were put on a block, and that the man who were buying -would look in their mouths just like they did horses. - -Ella said she was born in Greensboro, Alabama, but the plantation where -she later lived was on the Alabama river near Selma, Ala. She doesn't -know how many acres it comprised, or how many slaves that her master -owned. She remembers her madame made her stop calling her mother -"mammy," and her father "daddy." She said: "You know, Miss, that the -white children now-a-days calls their parents 'mammy and daddy' like the -colored people used to. The children now do not respect their parents as -they should, and in fact everything is so different the truth done 'be -under the table.' You know, miss, I am telling the truth, because the -Bible says, 'Woe be unto the one that lies; Judgment is on the land.' - -"In those days people had to work to live, and they raised most -everything they used, such as cattle, hogs, cotton, and foodstuff. Then -the women spun the thread out of the cotton, and wove the cloth." - -Ella helped her grandmother at the weaving by picking up the shuttles -for her. She said they generally used the cloth as it was woven. The -shoes were made on the place and were called red brogans. - -As for the churches, the white folks had the brush arbor camp meetings, -where the people would go and camp in little cabins for weeks, so they -could attend the church. They had newspapers then, Ella said, "but -'course they ain't like you have now, there warn't so many as there is -now. - -"You asked something, miss, about medicines. I don't remember much about -any medicine, because Mr. Calvin Norris was a doctor, and he always -treated us when we were sick. There was a Dr. Browder who 'tended the -plantation." - -Ella is a bright colored, small woman, whose eyes are very keen. She -says that a short time ago she had some trouble with her eyes, and she -got something from the drug store to bathe them with, but it did not -help them. So she caught some pure rain water and "anointed" her eyes -with that, and now she can see to thread a needle. Her life has been -very colorful in many respects. She recalled as a small child, that, -during the war, a minie-ball came through a brick wall of the servant -house where they were living, but it fell without harming any of the -servants. She said when Wilson's raid was made on Selma, that the Yankee -men went through the houses just like dogs, taking whatever they wanted. - -"I 'members Mr. Parkman putting two sacks of money down in his big well, -and him getting it out with hooks after the Yankees left." - -Later when she was brought to Mobile she worked for Judge Oliver Semmes -for twenty years. Judge Semmes was the son of Admiral Raphael Semmes, -and she said he was a blessed, good man. For the past fourteen years she -has been working for the Frank Lyons family of Mobile. - -Ella lives in a double tenement house, having one room and a small -kitchen. The room is full of old furniture and odd things. On the mantle -is a lovely old china pitcher that once was owned by Judge Semmes and -which Ella prizes very much. The thing that puzzles Ella most among the -modern inventions, she said, are the aeroplanes, and the way ice is -made. She said: - -"Miss, we never had any ice way back yonder. We had nice, old, open -brick wells, and the water was just like ice. We would draw the water -and put around the milk and butter in the dairy. It's a mystery to me -how they make that ice, but, my goodness! I guess I need not worry my -head about things, because I am not here for long. All my family is dead -and gone now, and the only companion I have is this here little white -hen. Her name is Mary. You see, I bought her last year to kill for -Christmas, but I couldn't do it. She is so human; and you ought to see -the eggs she lays. I even have a few to sell sometimes. I just keeps -Mary in the room at night with me, and she is heaps of company for me." - - - - -Rufus Dirt - - - *Interview with Rufus Dirt* - --_Woodrow Hand, Birmingham, Alabama_ - -_RUFUS WOULD TALK A LOT FOR A DIME_ - -Foreword: This Negro, Rufus Dirt, was found on one of Birmingham's -busiest streets begging for coins. Because of his inability to read, he -was unable to give the number or location of his home. All he knew was -"jes' som'ers on Southside, boss." - -"I'll drop a dime in your hat uncle if you'll stand here and talk to me -for a few minutes." - -"Sho' boss, iffen you wants, I'll talk all day fo' dat much money. I'se -been here fo' a long time an' I knows plenty to talk 'bout. What does -yo' want to know?" - -I explained my interest in slavery days and my search for ex-slaves, but -he began telling me before I had time to finish. His ability to talk had -somehow escaped what his age had done to his hair, which was sparse as -well as snowy white. His eyes were a glazy red. One hand and arm seemed -to be crippled, but the other waved around in the air as he talked and -finally settled on my shoulder. - -"Boss, I don' rightly know jes' how old I is. I was a driver (Negro boss -of other slaves) during slavery and I reckons I was about twenty -sompin'. I don' remember nothin' in particular that caused me to get dat -drivin' job, ceptin' hard work, but I knows dat I was proud of it 'cause -I didn' have to work so hard no mo'. An' den it sorta' made de other -niggers look up to me, an' you knows us niggers, boss. Nothin' makes us -happier dan' to strut in front of other niggers. Dere ain't nothin' much -to tell about. We jes' moved one crop atter de other till layin' by time -come and den we'd start in on de winter work. We done jes' 'bout de same -as all de other plantations. - -"My massa's name was Digby and we live at Tuscaloosa befo' de war. An' -'bout dat war, white folks. Dem was some scary times. De nigger women -was a-feared to breathe out loud come night an' in de day time, dey -didn't work much 'cause dey was allus lookin' fo' de Yankees. Dey didn' -come by so much 'cause atter de first few times. Dere wa'nt no reason to -come by. Dey had done et up ever'thing and toted off what dey didn' eat. -Dey tuk all Massa's stock, burned down de smokehouse atter dey tuk de -meat out, an' dey burned de barn, an' we'all think ever' time dat dey -goin' to burn de house down, but dey musta forgot to do dat. - -"When de war was finally over an' I was free, my family went to -Vicksburg, Mississippi where we made a livin' first one way an' den de -other. I don't know how long we stayed dere, but I was livin' in -Bummin'ham when dere wa'nt nothin' much here a'tall. I watched all de -big buildin's 'round here go up and I see'd dem build all de big plants -and I'se still watchin', but I still don' know how to tell folks where -places is, 'cause I don' know how to read numbers. I goes anywhere I -wants to go an' I don't ever get lost, but jes' de same, I can't tell -nobody where I am. I don' even know where we is standin' talking like -dis right now. An' boss, I ain't beggin' 'cause I'se too lazy to work. -I'se worked plenty in my time till I crippled dis arm in de mines and -befo' my eyes got so bad," and with a grace and gentleness that may be -called a characteristic of his generation, he added, "I hope I'se told -you what you wants to know." - -He had. I felt well repaid for the dime I had given him. As he walked -off down the street, I noticed for the first time the large crowd that -had gathered around us. Evidently slave tales carry more interest than -this writer realized. - - - - -Katherine Eppes - - - *Interview with Katherine Eppes* - --_Susie R. O'Brien, Uniontown, Alabama_ - -_CABINS AS FAR AS YOU COULD SEE_ - -"Ma" Eppes sat on the steps of her weatherbeaten, unpainted little -cabin, duplicate of the dozens that make up Rat Row, Negro quarter of -Uniontown, and looked down the vista of memory to her childhood when she -lived in "where de log cabins stretched as far as you could see in de -slave qua'ters." - -Despite her eighty-seven years, Katherine Eppes, known to everyone as -"Ma," came as spryly to her tiny porch as her rotund body would permit. -She smiled broadly at her interviewer and seated herself slowly. - -"Sho', honey, I can tell you mo'n anything you want to know 'bout the -big fight, 'ca'se I been here a long time," she began her story. "Dey -ain't many lef' to tell 'bout dem days. My mammy an' pappy was Peter an' -Emma Lines an' us all belonged to Marsa Frank and Miss Sarah Lines. I -was born on dey plantation five miles below Faunsdale 'bout 1850 so dey -tells me. - -"I is right ol' but thank Gawd I still got my teefies an' my ha'r lef'." -Proudly the old woman unwrapped her "head rag" to display a thick mop, -woolly white but neatly parted into squares. Dozens of little plaits, -wrapped with yards of twine, just as her hair had been dressed in the -slave quarters before the War, adorned her head. She sat with uncovered -head unblinking in the bright June sunshine, as she took up the tale of -her health. "I sees pretty good, too, but I's so hebby I ain't able to -toe myse'f 'roun' as pert as I useter. - -"It was diff'rent back in dem days when I belonged to rich white folks. -Dey had plenty of niggers an' dey was log cabins in de quarters jes' as -far as your eyes could see. Marsa Frank an' Miss Sarah was good to de -black folks, too. Dey son, young marsa Frank, fit in de big war. Atter -de war was over I stayed on de Lines' place 'twell atter I ma'ied, an' -Ol' Miss gin me my weddin' dress an' a long veil down to my foots. - -"When us was chillun in de quarters we did a mighty lot of playin'. Us -useta play 'Sail away Rauley' a whole lot. Us would hol' han's an' go -'roun' in a ring, gittin' faster an' faster an' dem what fell down was -outa de game. - -"My mammy wukked in de Big House, aspinnin' an' anussin' de white -chillun. All of dem called her 'mammy.' Ah 'members one thing jes' lack -it was yestiddy. Miss Sarah went to 'Mospolis (Demopolis) to visit wid -her sister, an' whilst she were gone de oberseer, what go by de name of -Allen, whupped my Mammy crost her back 'twell de blood runned out. - -"When Miss Sarah comed back an' foun' it out, she was de maddes white -lady I eber seed. She sont for de oberseer, an' she say: 'Allen, what -you mean by whupping Mammy? You know I don't allow you to tech my house -servants.' She jerk her dress down an' stan' dere lookin' like a sojer -wid her white shoulders shinin' lack a snow bank, an' she say: 'I -'druther see dem marks on my own shoulders dan to see 'em on Mammy's. -Dey wouldn't hurt me no wuss.' Den she say: 'Allen, teck your fambly an' -git offen my place. Don't you let sundown ketch you here. 'So he lef'. -He wasn't nothin' but white trash nohow." - -"Ma" Eppes sat silent for a time as she recalled the vision of Miss -Sarah standing straight and regal in her dismissal of the overseer. -Finally she turned with an abrupt change of subject. - -"Honey, is you a Christian?" she asked earnestly. "I hopes you is, ca'se -you is too fine lookin' for to go to Hell. I b'longs to de Baptis' -Church, an' dey calls me Ma Eppes 'ca'se I's de mother of de church. I -loves to sing de gospel Hymns." - -She began to sing in a high, cracked voice, her body swaying with the -rhythm. The song rose until her neighbors had gathered to form quite an -audience. With much moaning between every line, she sang: - - "I am a sojer of de Cross, - A follerer of de Lam'. - I'm not afeard to own His name, - Nor to 'fen' His cause." - - (Chorus) - - "I wan' you to come, - I wan' you to come, - I wan' you to come - An' be saved." - -She was still singing as I left her, the neighbors joining in the -choruses. Suppers would be late in the row of weatherbeaten cabins, -because the spirit of song was on the gathering. - - - - -Reuben Fitzpatrick - - - *Interview with Reuben Fitzpatrick* - --[HW: _Mabel Farrior, Montgomery, Alabama]_ - -_A HORN FOR A HEADACHE_ - -Reuben Fitzpatrick, of Eugene Street, Montgomery, was born Jan. 9, 1854, -(83 years old). He says: - -"My Marster was Mister Gholson frum Bullock county. He had lots uv -slaves 'cause he was a rich man. I was jes' a boy ten years ole an' he -was a squire dat tried cases, so he rode all over de country to dif'funt -places. I rode wid him to hole his horse. He wore a high top black hat -and had a buggy wid a top dat let back. When we went we was gone a long -time an' when night come he would fix it fer me to sleep wid some uv de -niggers in de quarters where we stopped. I sho' lacked to go 'bout wid -him. - -"My mother was de cook. She had rule over all the cookin'. She spinned -thread an' reeled it off too. - -"When de Yankees come through de country I seed 'em all runnin' so I -thought it was jedgment day an' I runned an' hid under de chimney an' -stayed dere 'tel night. Dey didn't tarry long, but dey drove de horses -right up on de piazza, and throwed ever' thing out de houses, eben -knocked down de smoke 'ouse doors. Dat's de trufe'. - -"One time I was taken to the slave market and I was screwed on the block -and Mr. Martin bought me and my Mamma. The man that was selling us would -holler, "Who'll bid? Who'll bid?" We was supposed to be spry and fidgety -so as to make the men want to buy us. My fust Marster was Wash Jones. He -wan't good to us. He would hit us wid his cane jes' as if it had been a -switch. Ben Jones didn't like the way Marse Wash treated us niggers. He -bought us for his son. - -"We didn't have no doctors much in dem days, but us had a horn us use -when we got sick. If us had the headache that horn would go right over -the spot and it wouldn't be no time 'fore the pain'd be gone. We'd use -that horn anytime we was ailing an' it'd sho' do the work. I used to -have the horn but I don't know jes' where it is now." - - - - -Heywood Ford - - - *Interview with Heywood Ford* - --_Susie R. O'Brien, Uniontown, Alabama_ - -_HEYWOOD FORD TELLS A STORY_ - -"White folks," said Heywood Ford, "I'se gonna tell you a story 'bout a -mean oberseer an' whut happened to him durin' de slabery days. It all -commenced when a nigger named Jake Williams got a whuppin' for stayin' -out atter de time on his pass done gib out. All de niggers on de place -hated de oberseer wuss dan pizen, 'caze he was so mean an' useta try to -think up things to whup us for. - -"One mornin' de slaves was lined up ready to eat dere breakfas' an' Jake -Williams was a pettin' his ole red-bone houn'. 'Bout dat time de -oberseer come up an' seed Jake a pettin' his houn' an' he say: 'Nigger -you ain't got time to be a-foolin' 'long dat dog. Now make him git.' -Jake tried to make de dog go home, but de dog didn't want to leave Jake. -Den de oberseer pick up a rock an' slam de dog in de back. De dog he den -went a-howlin' off. - -"Dat night Jake he come to my cabin an' he say to me: 'Heywood, I is -gonna run away to a free State. I ain't a-gonna put up wid dis treatment -no longer. I can't stand much mo'. I gibs him my han' an' I say: 'Jake, -I hopes you gits dere. Maybe I'll see you ag'in sometime.' - -"'Heywood,' he says, 'I wish you'd look atter my houn', Belle. Feed her -an' keep her de bes' you kin. She a mighty good possum an' coon dog. I -hates to part wid her, but I knows dat you is de bes' pusson I could -leave her wid.' An' wid dat Jake slip out de do' an' I seed him -a-walkin' toward de swamp down de long furrows of cawn. - -"It didn't take dat oberseer long to fin' out dat Jake done run away, -an', when he did, he got out de blood houn's an' started off atter him. -It warn't long afore Jake heered dem houn's a-howlin' in de distance. -Jake he was too tired to go any further. He circled 'roun' an' doubled -on his tracks so as to confuse de houn's an' den he clumb a tree. -T'warn't long afore he seed de light of de oberseer comin' th'ough de -woods and de dogs was a-gittin' closer an' closer. Finally dey smelled -de tree dat Jake was in an' dey started barkin' 'roun' it. De oberseer -lif' his lighted pine knot in de air so's he could see Jake. He say: -'Nigger, come on down fum dere. You done wasted 'nuff of our time.' But -Jake, he neber move nor make a sound an' all de time de dogs keppa -howlin' an' de oberseer keppa swearin'. 'Come on down,' he say ag'in; -'iffen you don't I'se comin' up an' knock you outen de tree wid a -stick.' Jake still he neber moved an' de oberseer den began to climb de -tree. When he got where he could almos' reach Jake he swung dat stick -an' it come down on Jake's leg an' hurt him tur'ble. Jake, he raised his -foot an' kicked de oberseer raght in de mouf, an' dat white man went a -tumblin' to de groun'. When he hit de earth dem houn's pounced on him. -Jake he den lowered hisself to de bottom limbs so's he could see what -had happened. He saw de dogs a-tearin' at de man an' he holla: 'Hol' -'im, Belle! Hol' 'im, gal!' De leader of dat pack of houn's, white -folks, warn't no blood houn'. She was a plain old red-bone possum an' -coon dog, an' de res' done jus' lak she done, tearin' at de oberseer's -th'oat. All de while, Jake he a-hollerin' f'um de tree fer dem dogs to -git 'im. 'Twarn't long afore dem dogs to' dat man all to pieces. He died -raght under dat maple tree dat he run Jake up. Jake he an' dat coon -houn' struck off through de woods. De res' of de pack come home. - -"I seed Jake atter us niggers was freed. Dat's how come I knowed all -'bout it. It musta been six years atter dey killed de oberseer. It was -in Kentucky dat I run across Jake. He was a-sittin' on some steps of a -nigger cabin. A houn' dog was a-sittin' at his side. I tells him how -glad I is to see him, an' den I look at de dog. 'Dat ain't Belle,' I -says. 'Naw,' Jake answers, 'Dis her puppy.' Den he tol' me de whole -story. I always did want to know what happen to 'em." - - - - -Bert Frederick - - - *Interview with Bert Frederick* - --_Preston Klein_ - -_WANTS MY FRIENDS TO GO WID ME_ - - "Wants my friends to go wid me, New Jerusalem; - Wonder ef I'll ever git to heaven, New Jerusalem!" - -Nappy-headed, humble little Bert Frederick sang the old song in a voice -that trembled and broke on the high notes. His black face beamed when he -had finished, and "de old times" came flooding back into his mind. - -"Honey, Ol' Master us'ta sing dat good song to us niggers; an' he allus -could sing it so purty." - -Uncle Frederick, like all the other gray-bearded Negroes of the Old -South, is occupied mostly these days with getting ready to meet "de -Sweet Jesus." As well as he can remember, he was around 12 years old -when "de hawn of freedom sounded." - -He shook his white head when the interviewer asked his age, a slow smile -spreading over his face. - -"Honey chile, you's axed me a riddle. I disremember 'bout dat. De bes' I -kin till you is dat I is eighty-odd--but as to 'zackness, I can't tell." - -Some years ago, Uncle Frederick suffered a broken back in an accident. -Since then he has been unable to stand erect, but can straighten his -back when seated. Therefore, he politely asked to sit down when he was -asked to pose for a picture. - -His first master, he says, was Dr. Rich Vernon, who lived in Chambers -County. Afterward, he was sold to William Frederick. - -He chuckled as he recalled the old days. - -"I was a shirt-tail nigger," he laughed. "Dat is, I wore jes' a long -shirt 'twel I was a big scamp more dan twelve year old. Honey, I was a -sight to look at! - -"Whut did I do about de plantation? Well, I driv de cows an' sheep to -pasture an' seed dat no eagles kotched de lambs. Us had big eagles -'roun' den, an' us had to be keerful wid de small stock. Ef us warn't, -ol' eagle ud swoop down an' tote off a whole lamb. - -"Us had a time in dem days. I 'members dat us had a pen to ketch wild -turkeys in. An' us kotched a few of dem, too." - -Uncle Frederick's mother was Harriett Lumpkin, who lived below Opelika. -He had three sisters, Mary Dowdell, Anne Carlisle and Emma Boyd; but all -are dead. - -[Illustration: _Bert Frederick, Opelika, Alabama_] - -"When de Yankees come to Alabama," he recalled, "Ol' Master tol' de -niggers to hitch up all de wagons an' load all de food an' sech on 'em. -Us had 'bout forty acres of swamp land, so us hid de stuff dere. - -"'Fore long I seed a long string of black an' white horses, wid mules -behin' dem. Dey had packs on dey back. In de packs was grub de Yankees -had tuk off'en de white peoples." - -"Did you enjoy the old slavery days, Uncle?" - -"Yes, chile, dey was good days. Some of de white peoples was bad to de -niggers, but my Ol' Master warn't dat kind. Dat de reason he would let -all de niggers sit aroun' whilst he was a singin'; an' he could sing." - -Uncle Frederick putters about his tiny home in Opelika, managing to grow -a profusion of flowers and vegetables despite his bent back. He was -hoeing in his garden when the interviewer came upon him, but he eagerly -laid down the hoe when told what he sought. - -"Uncle, I want to talk with you about the old times." - -"Lordy me, chile," he beamed, his eyes twinkling, "you done foun' de -raght nigger!" - - - - -Delia Garlic - - - *Interview with Delia Garlic* - --_Margaret Fowler, Fruithurst, Alabama_ - -_DEM DAYS WAS HELL_ - -Delia Garlic lives at 43 Stone Street, Montgomery, and insists she is -100 years old. Unlike many of the old Negroes of the South, she has no -good words for slavery days or the old masters, declaring: "Dem days was -hell." - -She sat on her front porch and assailed the taking of young children -from mothers and selling them in different parts of the country. - -"I was growed up when de war come," she said, "an' I was a mother befo' -it closed. Babies was snatched from dere mother's breas' an' sold to -speculators. Chilluns was separated from sisters an' brothers an' never -saw each other ag'in. - -"Course dey cry; you think dey not cry when dey was sold lak cattle? I -could tell you 'bout it all day, but even den you couldn't guess de -awfulness of it. - -"It's bad to belong to folks dat own you soul an' body; dat can tie you -up a tree, wid yo' face to de tree an' yo' arms fastened tight aroun' -it; who take a long curlin' whip an' cut de blood ever' lick. - -"Folks a mile away could hear dem awful whippings. Dey was a turrible -part of livin'." - -Delia said she was born at Powhatan, Virginia, and was the youngest of -thirteen children. - -"I never seed none of my brothers an' sisters 'cept brother William," -she said. "Him an' my mother an' me was brought in a speculator's drove -to Richmon' an' put in a warehouse wid a drove of other niggers. Den we -was all put on a block an' sol' to de highes' bidder. - -"I never seed brother William ag'in. Mammy an' me was sold to a man by -de name of Carter, who was de sheriff of de county. - -"No'm, dey warn't no good times at his house. He was a widower an' his -daughter kept house for him. I nursed for her, an' one day I was playin' -wid de baby. It hurt its li'l han' an' commenced to cry, an' she whirl -on me, pick up a hot iron an' run it all down my arm an' han'. It took -off de flesh when she done it. - -"Atter awhile, marster married ag'in; but things warn't no better. I -seed his wife blackin' her eyebrows wid smut one day, so I thought I'd -black mine jes' for fun. I rubbed some smut on my eyebrows an' forgot to -rub it off, an' she kotched me. She was powerful mad an' yelled: 'You -black devil, I'll show you how to mock your betters.' - -"Den she pick up a stick of stovewood an' flails it ag'in' my head. I -didn't know nothin' more 'till I come to, lyin' on de floor. I heard de -mistus say to one of de girls: 'I thought her thick skull and cap of -wool could take it better than that.' - -"I kept on stayin' dere, an' one night de marster come in drunk an' set -at de table wid his head lollin' aroun'. I was waitin' on de table, an' -he look up an' see me. I was skeered, an' dat made him awful mad. He -called an overseer an' tol' him: 'Take her out an' beat some sense in -her.' - -"I begin to cry an' run an' run in de night; but finally I run back by -de quarters an' heard mammy callin' me. I went in, an' raght away dey -come for me. A horse was standin' in front of de house, an' I was took -dat very night to Richmon' an' sold to a speculator ag'in. I never seed -my mammy any more. - -"I has thought many times through all dese years how mammy looked dat -night. She pressed my han' in bofe of hers an' said: 'Be good an' trus' -in de Lawd.' - -"Trustin' was de only hope of de pore black critters in dem days. Us -jest prayed fer strength to endure it to de end. We didn't 'spect -nothin' but to stay in bondage 'till we died. - -[Illustration: _Delia Garlic, Montgomery, Alabama_] - -"I was sol' by de speculator to a man in McDonough, Ga. I don't -ricollect his name, but he was openin' a big hotel at McDonough an' -bought me to wait on tables. But when de time come aroun' to pay for me, -his hotel done fail. Den de Atlanta man dat bought de hotel bought me, -too. 'Fo' long, dough, I was sol' to a man by de name of Garlic, down in -Louisiana, an' I stayed wid him 'till I was freed. I was a regular fiel' -han', plowin' an' hoein' an' choppin' cotton. - -"Us heard talk 'bout de war, but us didn't pay no 'tention. Us never -dreamed dat freedom would ever come." - -Delia was asked if the slaves ever had any parties or dances on her -plantation. - -"No'm," she replied, "us didn't have no parties; nothin' lak dat. Us -didn't have no clothes for goin' 'roun. I never had a undershirt until -jest befo' my first chil' was borned. I never had nothin' but a shimmy -an' a slip for a dress, an' it was made out'en de cheapes' cloth dat -could be bought; unbleached cloth, coarse, but made to las'. - -"Us didn't know nothin' 'cept to work. Us was up by three or four in de -mornin' an' everybody got dey somethin' to eat in de kitchen. Dey didn't -give us no way to cook, nor nothin' to cook in our cabins. Soon as us -dressed us went by de kitchen an' got our piece of cornbread. Dey wasn't -even no salt in dem las' years. Dat piece of cornbread was all us had -for breakfus', an' for supper, us had de same. - -"For dinner us had boiled vittles; greens, peas an' sometimes beans. -Coffee? No'm, us never knowed nothin' 'bout coffee. - -"One mornin' I 'members I had started to de fiel', an' on de way I los' -my piece of bread. I didn't know what to do. I started back to try to -fin' it, an' it was too dark to see. But I walk back raght slow, an' had -a dog dat walked wid me. He went on ahead, an' atter awhile I come on -him lyin' dere guardin' dat piece of bread. He never touched it, so I -gived him some of it. - -"Jus' befo' de war I married a man named Chatfield from another -plantation; but he was took off to war an' I never seed him ag'in. Atter -awhile I married a boy on de plantation named Miles Garlic. - -"Yas'm, Massa Garlic had two boys in de war. When dey went off de Massa -an' missis cried, but it made us glad to see dem cry. Dey made us cry so -much. - -"When we knowed we was free, everybody wanted to git out. De rule was -dat if you stayed in yo' cabin you could keep it, but if you lef', you -los' it. Miles was workin' at Wetumpka, an' he slipped in an' out so us -could keep on livin' in de cabin. - -"My secon' baby soon come, an' raght den I made up my min' to go to -Wetumpka where Miles was workin' for de railroad. I went on down dere -an' us settled down. - -"Atter Miles died, I lived dere long as I could an' den come to -Montgomery to live wid my son. I'se eatin' white bread now an' havin' de -best time of my life. But when de Lawd say, 'Delia, well done; come up -higher,' I'll be glad to go." - - - - -Angie Garrett - - - *Interview with Angie Garrett* - --_Ruby Pickens Tartt, Livingston, Alabama_ - -_MULES BE EATIN' AND NIGGERS BE EATIN'_ - -She sat in the door of her small cabin, a short distance from -Livingston, Alabama, in philosophical reflection. Time has not softened -her memories. As she told these facts an occasional expression of -bitterness passed over her face. - -"I's Angie Garrett," she said. I was about sixteen years at beginning uv -de Wa'. I was born in De Kalb, Mississippi. My mother was Betty Scott, -an' I didn't know my father's name. I had four brothers, Ember, Johnny, -Jimmie, and Henry; and three sisters, Delphie, Lizzie Sue, and Frankie, -and my grandmother was Sukie Scott. She lived five miles from -Gainesville across Noxubee Creek (in full, Oka Noxubee) an' I lived wid -her. Never axed 'bout my grand-daddy, 'caze wa'n't no tellin'. My mammy -lived right here in Gainesville an' belong to Mr. Sam Harwood. - -"I b'longed to de Moorings and Cap'n Mooring run on a boat to Mobile -from Aberdeen, Mississippi, 'twus on de 'Bigbee river, an' 'twus called -de _Cremonia_. I was de house gal an' nuss an' I slep' on a pallet in -old Miss's room. I had plenty to eat long as us was on dat boat, and dat -sho' was good. But when us was in De Kalb, vittles was giv' out at de -smoke house, a slice o' meat and piece of bread and peas, and 'twus -sarnt out ter de fiel'. Mules be eatin' and niggers be eatin'. - -"I nussed de Moorings little boy Johnny. De little gal had died. Mr. -Scott in De Kalb had 'bout fifty slaves and a big plantation and a -overseer name' Barnes. He was a haughty man, and niggers was skeered to -death 'caze he would come in a-cussin'. - -"Us would git up 'fo' daylight. 'Twus dark when go out, dark when come -in. Us make a little fire in de fiel' some mawnin's, hit beeze so cold; -dan us let it go out 'fo' de overseer come. Ef he seed you he'd make yer -lay down flat on yo' belly, foots tied out and han's tied out and whoop -yer wid slapper leather strap wid a handle. But I was laid 'cross a -cheer. I been whooped 'tel I tell lies on myself to make 'em quit. Say -dey whoop 'till I'd tell de troof, so I had ter lie 'bout myse'f keep -'em from killin' me. Dis here race is mo' lac de chillun uv Isreal, -'cept dey didn't have ter shoot no gun ter set um free. - -"I was sole ter Mr. Johnny Mooring, 'caze de property was in debt. And -den fuss I b'longed ter Mrs. Scott at De Kalb, and her sole me, an' I -sho' was glad. I walked here to Gainesville frum De Kalb, Mississippi. -Us wa'n't 'lowed to learn nothin'. Sometimes us sing and have a little -prayer meetin', but 'twus mighty easy and quiet like. Gran'ma Sukey use' -to sing, "Travel on, travel on, Soon be Over." - -"Ef any us died in dem days, buried us quick as dey could and got out of -dere and got to work. At night dey blow'd de horn for 'em to bring in de -cotton w'ut de women spinned. Dey made all de clof. Us worked nights -too, but us rested Sundays. Us didn't git no presents at Christmas. -Sometimes us had a corn shuckin', and no celebration for no marriage. -Dat was called "jumpin' de broom," jes' taken up wid 'em. Dey all want -you to have plenty of chillun, though. - -"Us wo' asafetida 'roun' us neck keep off de small pox and measles. Us -didn't have much medicine and some of um was always full of bad -complaints lac' Carrie, my neighbor, whut you axed about. I bees -a-hurtin', but I can't never git in edgeways for her. Always got a lot -excuses; doan' never 'spects to die 'thout folks knows whut ails her. -But she brought me some black-eyed peas today, and I lac's um 'caze dey -biles sof', and I say 'ef de devil brought hit, God sarnt hit.' -Sometimes I bees hongry, an' I say, 'Whut is I'm gwinter eat?', and -along come somebody wid sumpin'. - -[Illustration: _Angie Garrett, Livingston, Alabama_] - -"Wish you could of heered dat calliope on de _Cremonia_. Dey dance some -time 'mos' all night, but dey didn't act lac' dey do now. 'Twus nice -behavior. Look lac' ev'ything goin' back ter heathenism, and hits on de -way now. But de good Lord he'ps me. He hol's my han'. I ain't got -nothin' 'gin nobody. I doan' see no need of fussin' and fightin' an' -a-drinkin' whiskey. Us livin' in a new worl' and I go on makin' de bes' -I kin of hit. Some I lac, some I doan'. - -"I got one daughter, Fannie Watson, a good washer and ironer right here -in Gainesville, and I got a son, too, say he ain't gonna marry 'tel he -kin treat de 'oman good as she kin treat herse'f. I makes him wait on -me, and he gits mighty raw sometimes, but I tells him I'm jes' much -older den he is now as I was when he was bawn. Den he gives me a old -dirty dime, but now wid dese here tokens, you gotter pay some of hit fer -spendin'. Dey tells me hit's de Governor, and I say 'let him carry 'em; -he kin tote 'em, I ain't able.' Well, once ain't always, and twice ain't -forever. - -"No'm, I doan' never go ter church no mo'. De preachers here is goin' -bline about money. Dey ain't interested in dey soul. Some folks b'longs -ter de church an' ain't been changed. De church ain't all of hit. I -'members day uv 'manicpation. Yankees tole us we was free, and dey call -us up frum de fiel' to sign up an' see ef us wanted to stay on wid 'em. -I stayed dat year wid de Moorings, den I bargain for lan', but couldn't -never pay fer hit. Turned loose 'thout nothin'. - -"But dey was a coal black free born nigger name George Wright, had a -floatin' mill right here on de 'Bigbee River, stayed at de p'int of de -woods jes' 'bove de spring branch, and hit did a good service. But he -got in debt and he sole his five boys. Dey was his own chillun, and he -could sell 'em under de law. De names was Eber, Eli, Ezekiel, Enoch, and -Ezra, an' he sole 'em ter de highes' bidder right yonder 'front of de -Pos' Office for cash. And Jack Tom was another free nigger here and he -bought some of 'em, and dey others de white folks bought, and I never -heerd no complaint and I seed 'em long as dey lived. Dey was a heap of -things went on. Some I lac's to remember, some I doan'. But I'd rather -be free now. I never seed Mr. Lincoln, but when dey tole me 'bout him, I -thought he was partly God. - -"But Mr. John Rogers right here, (he's dead an' gone now), he was whut -he was and wasn't 'ceitful. Go to him ef you got into anything, and he -more'n apt to tell you whut to do. He was wile when he was young, but he -settle down and was de bes' white man to de niggers I ever know'd. He'd -he'p me right now ef he was livin' and seen me wearin' dis here rag -nasty, he sho' would." - - - - -Henry Garry - - - *Interview with Henry Garry* - --_W.F. Jordan, Birmingham, Alabama_ - -_MR. RENFROE HANGS ON A CHINYBERRY TREE_ - -"Howdy Cap'n! Kin you tell me how to fin' Jedge Ab's co't? I knowed -'zactly whar hit was in de ole co't house, but I gits all bumfuzzled -tryin' to fin' anybody in dis new buildin'." - -His name was Henry Garry. He wore a suit of faded and extensively -patched Confederate gray and a cap of the regulation porter's style. His -face bore the expression worn only by those of his race who had lived -and toiled in a much earlier and in many instances, happier day. In the -presence of "white folks" he was at ease, indicating an intimate -association and relationship among them and in their service. - -"What business have you in Judge Abernathy's court? You don't look like -a criminal," was the response. - -"Oh, nawsah, I ain't neber done nothin' to nobody no time. But I sho' -don't know what dis new generation of nigguhs comin' to. Hit war bad -'nough when dey couldn' git nothin' but bootleg cawn licker; now dey kin -buy all de gin dey wants right here in Bummin'ham, an' dem rapscallions -git out on Sat'd'y night, fill up on gin an' git all lit up lak a -meetin' house. Den de fust thing dey know dey gits tangled up wid -somebody wid a razor or a meat axe or somp'n an' 'long come de law, -locks 'em up an' de debil's to pay." - -"But why should all that disturb you? They haven't run you in have -they?" he was asked. - -"Nawsuh, hits dat triflin' nevvew of mine. Dat boy kin sho' git into mo' -kin's of trouble dan a pet monkey. He in jail now for some debilment or -yuther an' I 'spect I'se gwine to hab to git him out ag'in. Dat's what -I'se gwine to see Jedge Ab 'bout. Wisht I could git dat boy back down in -Sumter County on Marse John Rogers' plantation. Dat's whar he b'long at. -Betcha Marse John wouldn' take none of his foolishment." - -"Are you familiar with the people and history of Sumter County?" he was -quizzed further. - -"Lawd man, I was bawn in de back yahd whar Marse John Rogers live right -now. Dat was right atter de surrender an' my mammy b'long to de -Vandegraaf family who useter live dar an' owned all dat plantation. My -daddy's name was Daniel Grady. Dey come f'um Virginny long time 'fo' de -wah. All dem ole peoples is dead now. Onlies' kinfolks I hab lef' down -dah is a cousin. She mos' a hundert yeahs ole an' still libs on her -little farm a few miles from Gainesville. An' Cap'n when I says libs, I -means libs. Ain't nothin' dat grow outten de groun' nor in de groun' in -Alabama dat's good for folks to eat but what she got it an' plenty. I -goes down dar to visit her twicet a yeah, an', man alive, hit am a sin -de 'mount of grub I puts away endurin' dem two weeks I stays dar. -Yassah, I'se 'bout due to go down dah now, 'caze dat gyarden sass en' -spring chickens jes' 'bout ripe. - -"My mammy was a seamstress for de Vandegraaf plantation an' made all de -clothes for bofe black and white. She neber did leave de plantation -atter de slaves was freed but stayed right dar till she died, she an' my -daddy bofe. But dey was good hones', 'spectable, chu'ch-goin' people, my -daddy an' mammy was. De little log chu'ch house is still dar an' de -niggers still keeps up de services. De ole pastor nearly a hundert yeahs -ole now, but it would s'prise you how spry he gits 'bout an' conduc's de -meetin's. - -"I don't know 'bout yuther parts, but from what my mammy tell me de -slaves in Sumter County mus' hab had a mighty good time, had plenty of -ebery t'ing an' nothin' to worry 'bout. Seems lak dar warn't no trouble -'mongst de whites an' blacks 'twell atter de wah. Some white mens come -down from de Norf' an' mess up wid de niggers. I was a mighty little -shaver, but I 'members one night atter supper, my daddy and mammy an' us -chilluns was settin' under a big tree by our cabin in de quarters when -all at wunst, lickety split, heah come gallopin' down de road what look -lak a whole army of ghos'es. Mus' hab been 'bout a hundert an' dey was -men ridin' hosses wid de men and hosses bofe robed in white. - -"Cap'n, dem mens look lak dey ten feet high an' dey hosses big as -elephan's. Dey didn't bodder nobody at de qua'ters, but de leader of de -crowd ride right in de front gate an' up to de big dug well back of our -cabin an' holler to my daddy. 'Come heah nigguh! Ho-oh!, 'cose we -skeered. Yassuh, look lak our time done come. - -"My daddy went ober to whar he settin' on his hoss at de well. Den he -say, 'Nigguh git a bucket an' draw me some cool water.' Daddy got a -bucket, fill it up an' han' it to him. Cap'n, would you b'lieve it? Dat -man jes' lif' dat bucket to his mouf' an' neber stop twell it empty. Did -he hab 'nough? He jes' smack his mouf an' call for mo'. Jes' lak dat, he -didn' stop twell he drunk three buckets full. Den he jes' wipe his mouf -an' say, 'Lawdy, dat sho' was good. Hit was de fust drink of water I'se -had sence I was killed at de battle of Shiloh.' - -"Was we good? Cap'n, from den on dar wasn't a nigger dare stick his head -out de do' fo' a week. But nex' day we fin' out dey was Ku Kluxes an' -dey foun' de body of a white man hangin' to a pos' oak tree ober by -Gran' Prairie. His name was Billings an' he come from de Norf. He been -ober 'roun' Livingston messin' up de niggers tellin' 'em dey had been -promised forty acres and a mule, an' dey ought to go 'head an' take 'em -from de white folks. - -"But dat carpetbagger couldn' do nothin' wid ole Slick 'dough. Slick? -Yassah, dat what ebe'ybody call him. He hang 'roun' de co'te house at -Livingston an' listen to de lawyers argufy. He try to 'member all de big -words dem lawyers use. When dat carpetbagger come to town dat nigger -Slick was carryin' his bag to de hotel an' when dey pass de mineral well -in de street, de man axed Slick, 'What dat water good for? Hab it been -tested?' Slick say, 'Oh yassah, dat water been scanalyzed by de bes' -fenologists in de country, an' dey say hit's three quarters carbolic -acid gas, an' de yuther seben eights is hydrophobia.' - -"Yassah, dat ole cannon in de co'te house yahd at Livingston was drug -outten de Tombigbee ribber whar de Yankees done sunk it time of de wah. -De Men's useter load 'er up an' shoot 'er off on big days at Livingston. -Dey had to spike de ole gun, 'dough, to keep de deblish boys 'roun' town -from shootin' it off jes' fo' fun. - -"Git rid of de carpetbaggers? Oh yassah, dey vote 'em out. Well, sah, -tell you how dey done dat. De 'publicans done paid all de niggers' poll -tax, an' gib 'em a receipt so dey could vote same as de whites. Dey made -up to 'lect de officers at de co't house all niggers an' den sen' yuther -ones to Montgomery to make de laws. Same day de 'lection come off dar -was a circus in Livingston an' de Demmycrats 'suaded de boss man of de -circus to let all Sumter County niggers in de show by showin' dere poll -tax receipts. Yessah, when de show was ober de 'lection was ober too, -an' nobody was 'lected 'cepin' white Demmycrats. - -"'Cose dat made Sumter County a mighty onhealthy place for carpetbaggers -an' uppity niggers. - -[Illustration: _Henry Garry, Birmingham, Alabama_] - -"Yo' ax me 'bout de old songs de slaves useter sing. Well, I don't -'members many of dem. Atter de S'render all de ole slaves what stayed on -de plantations 'roun' Gainesville useter gather at de landin' dar -waitin' to see de steamboats pull in from down de Tombigbee on dere way -to Columbus, (Miss.), an' somebody'd start a song, an', Law' man, how -dem niggers sing. Here one I heerd my mammy sing so much I learnt it: - - "Read in de bible, understan' - Methuselah was de oldes' man. - He lived nine hundred an' sixty nine - Den died an' go to Heben in de Lawd's due time. - - Methuselah was a witness - For my Lawd, - For my Lawd. - - "Read in de Bible, Understan' - Samson was de stronges' man. - Went out to battle to fight one time - Killed a thousan' of de Philistines. - - Samson was a witness - For my Lawd, - For my Lawd. - - "Daniel was a Hebrew chile, - Went to de Lawd to pray a while. - De Lawd tole de angels de lions to keep, - So Daniel lay down an' went to sleep. - - An' dat's anoder witness - For my Lawd, - For my Lawd. - -"Now 'bout de ghos' tales. I neber heerd many ghos' yarns 'cep' 'bout de -chinyberry tree whar dey hung Mistah Steve Renfroe. He was 'lected High -Sheriff dat time dey got all de niggers to go to de circus 'stead of -goin' to de 'lection. He a fine lookin' man an' ride a big white hoss -an' ebe'ybody lak him a lot 'cep' de carpetbaggers an' boddersome -niggers. No matter whar, if he meet one of 'em, he look 'em squar' in de -eye for a minute, den 'bout all he say would be, 'Get to hell outten -heah!' An' man, iffen dey could fly dat would be too slow trabelin' for -'em, gettin' outten de county. But atter while he got in trouble 'bout -money matters. Dey say he got color blind, couldn' tell his money from -de county's. So dey 'rest him an' put him in jail, but he bust right out -an' run off. Atter while he sneak back an' 'caze his Ku Klux frien's -wouldn' help him outten de trouble when he got back in jail, he give 'em -away an' tell what dere name was. One night a gang took him outten de -Livingston jail an' go 'bout a mile outten town an' hang him to a -chinyberry tree. I'se hyeard iffen you go to dat tree today an' kinda -tap on hit an say, 'Renfroe, Renfroe; what did you do?' De tree say -right back at you, 'Nothin'.' - -"Nawsuh, folks down 'roun' Gainesville didn' pay much min' to signs an' -conju' an' all dat stuff. My mammy wouldn' let us tote a axe on our -shoulder th'ough de house, an' she wouldn' 'low a umbrella to be opened -in de house, say hit bring bad luck. She neber fail to hab cown-fiel' -peas an hawg-jowl for dinner on New Yeah's Day. She say hit a sign you -hab plenty to eat balance ob de yeah. She put a ball of asafetida on a -string an' make all us chillun wear it 'roun' our neck to keep off -sickness. If a owl begin to hoot ober in Tombigbee bottom too close to -de house, she put de shovel in de fire to make him stop. - -"Wall, sir, I come to Bummin'ham mos' forty yeahs ago when Marse Josiah -Morris finish de Morris Hotel. I fust run de elevators a while, den dey -wukked me in de saloon what useter be jes' back of de office. I been -heah eber sence. I 'speck 'bout de las' thing dat'll happen to dis ole -nigguh will be to haul him away from de Morris Hotel in a black box. - -"But Lawdy, Cap'n, I got to git up to Jedge Ab's co't. Lissen, Cap'n, -iffen I gits dat no'count nevvew outten jail I sho' would lak to git him -a job. You don't know nobody what don't want to hire nobody to do -nothin' does you?" - - - - -Georgia - - - *Interview with Georgia* - --_Gertha Couric_ - -_DEY PLANTED DE SILVER IN DE FIEL'_ - -"No, honey, I neber seed my mammy. She died when I was bawn, an' my -Mistis Mary Mitchell raised me in de Big House. I was named a'ter her -sister, Miss Georgia. I slep' in her room an I was a house nigger all my -days. I neber went to a nigger chu'ch 'tell I was grown an' ma'd, didn' -sociate wid niggers 'cause I was a nu'smaid. I raised Miss Molly, her -las' baby. - -"I was bawn at 'Elmoreland', Massa Americus Mitchell's place, mor'n -ninety yeahs ago, an' a'ter freedom I stayed dah 'tel ole Massa died an' -my Mistis moved to Eufaula to live wid her son, Mahs Merry. - -"'Bout all I know of de wawh is when dey said--'de Yankees is comin', de -Yankees is comin'.' - -"Us sho' was skeerd, an' dere'd be some fas' doin's about de place. All -de cattle an' hawgs an hosses we driv' to de swamp on de nawth creek, -an' de feather beds down dere too an' hid 'em in de brush an' leaves. My -Mistis tied her trinkets in sacks an' put 'em in outlandish places lak -de hen-house an de hay lof'. An' de silver, dey planted in de fiel." - - - - -Fannie Gibson - - - *Interview with Fannie Gibson* - --_J.R. Jones, Columbus, Georgia_ - -Fannie Gibson was born the slave property of Mr. Benajer Goff, a planter -of near Roanoke, Alabama. She says that during her girlhood she "piddled -in de fiels an hepped in de kitchen o' de big house." - -She has very pleasant memories of slave days, and "wishes to God dat she -was as comforbly (comfortably) fixed now as she was den." - -Her ante-bellum owner she pictures as a very humane, Christian -gentleman--a man that took great interest in the material and spiritual -welfare of his slaves. - -Two hymns, sung by 'Aunt' Fannie for her interviewer, are appended. - - _Going Home To Live With The Lord._ - - Goin' home soon in de mornin', - Goin' home soon in de mornin', - I's goin' home to live with de Lord. - - In de mornin' so soon, - In de mornin' so soon, - I's goin' home to live with de Lord. - - I's goin' home to live with de Lord, - I's goin' home to live with de Lord, - I's goin' home soon in de mornin'. - - O, de Lord is a-waitin' for me, - O, de Lord is a-waitin' for me, - I's goin' home soon in de mornin'. - - _Where Were You When You Found The Lord?_ - - My brother, where were you, - My brother, where were you, - My brother, where were you, - When you found the Lord? - - I was low down in the valley, - I was low down in the valley, - I was low down in the valley, - When I first found the Lord. - - My sister, where were you, - My sister, where were you, - My sister, where were you, - When you found the Lord? - - I was low down in the valley, - I was low down in the valley, - I was low down in the valley, - When I first found the Lord. - -This song can be extended indefinitely by addressing the question to -various members of one's family, and to friends. - - - - -Frank Gill - - - *Personal interview with Frank Gill* - *708 South Hamilton Street, Mobile, Alabama* - --_Ila B. Prine, Mobile, Alabama_ - -_A SLAVE BOY ESCAPES WHIPPING BY PULLING TAIL OF FROCK COAT_ - -A low, stout, sleek headed Negro man, sat in an old rocking chair in an -end room of a long row of rooms of a tenement house at 708 South -Hamilton Street, Mobile, Alabama. This old darkey said, when asked by -the writer if he lived during slavery times: "I not only lived durin' -slavery times, but I was here before a gun was fired, an' b'fore Lincoln -was elected. I tells you, Miss, de fust time I 'members anything--a tale -of any kind. I was livin' in Vicksburg, Lee County, Mississippi, an' mah -maw an' paw's names was Amelia Williams an' Hiram Gill. I couldn't tells -you whar dey war from, dough. But I does know dat Mista Arthur an' -George Foster owned us, up 'til I war a big boy. De way it was, dere -mother, Ol' Missy, was a widow, an' her had dese two boys, an' she had -money, I tells you she had barrels ob money; so when de two boys got old -enough she divide de slaves, an' property 'tween 'em. Me an' mah maw -fell to Arthur Foster, and sum ob our kindred fell to George Foster. -Mister George was a Captain in de army an' was killed near Vicksburg. - -"De Ol' Missy's place shore was big, I couldn't say how many acres dere -was, but hit run four or five miles, an' she owned hundreds ob slaves. -She had lots ob log cabin quarters, whut had de cracks daubed wid mud, -an' den ceiled wid boards. I'se tellin' you dey was twice as warm as de -houses we lib in now. Dey had chimbleys built ob mud an' sticks, an' had -big wide, fireplaces, dat we cooked on, an' de beds was homemade, but -Lor' dey was heaps stronger dan dey is now, in dese times. Dem beds was -morticed together. - -"As I said b'fore I was a boy between fourteen or fifteen years old -b'fore de slaves was divided, an' when I was on de Ol' Missy's place, I -stayed aroun' de house, an' wait on dem, an' 'tend de horses. Anudder -thing I had to do, dey would send me for the mail. I had to go twelve -miles atter hit an' I couldn't read or write, but I could bring -everybody's mail to dem jes' right. I knowed I had better git hit right. -You see I could kinder figure, so I could make out by de numbers. - -"Ol' Missy an' Mister Arthur both was good to me an' all de slaves, dey -'low de slaves to make dere own patch ob cotton, an' raise chickens, an' -he would sell hit for dem. Cotton was de main crop, in dem days, hit -would sell as high as twenty-five cents a pound. 'Course dey raises -corn, pears, an' other things on de plantation, too, but dey made de -cotton. Master Jesus! dey sumtimes made from fifty to one hundred an' -fifty bales. - -"I 'members how all de women had looms, both black and white, weavin' -cloth for de clothes; an' den dey raised sheep to git de wool to make -dem gray uniforms. Lord, at sheep shearing time! hit was big times. Let -me tell you, Miss, dem uniforms was made out ob all wool, too, but I -cain't 'member whut dey used to dye 'em gray, but I 'members dey dyed -wid red oak bark, walnut bark, an' also a brush whut growed down on the -branch, also dey used de laurel leaves to dye yellow, as well as clay. -Dey so't de dye wid salt, an' hit really stayed in. - -"Let me tell you, dey really fed us slaves good, up 'til such a length -o' time atter de war broke out, den food began to git scarce. - -"You see de Government taxed 'em, an' dey had to gib so much to feed de -soldiers. Even den us had a good time, I 'members how de li'l chillun -played ball, and marbles, 'specially marbles, hit was our big game. Even -atter night dey had a big light out in de backyard, an' us would play. -Sometimes us would hunt at night, and well I 'members one Sat'day night -I went huntin' wid mah uncle, an' didn't git in 'til daylight nex' -mawning, an' I was sleepy an' didn't git de shoes all cleaned before -church time. So ol' Marsar called me an' tuk me to de carriage house to -gib me a whippin'. Ol' Marser's boy was about de same age as me an' he -beg his paw not to whip me, an' I was beggin', too, but he carried me -on, an' when we got in de carriage house, Ol' Marser had to climb up on -de side wall to git de whip, an' he had on one ob dos long tailed coats, -an' hit left dem tails hangin' down, so I jes' grabbed hold ob dem, an' -made him fall, an' den I run to de Ol' Missy's room, 'ca'se I knowed -when I got in dere, dat Ol' Marser would neber hit me. - -"De Ol' Missy got up out ob de bed an' wouldn't let Ol' Marster whip me, -an' she got so mad dat she tol' him dat she warn't going to church wid -him dat morning, an' dat lack to kill de Ol' Marster, 'ca'se he shore -loved an' was proud ob Ol' Missy. She was a beautiful woman. Dat ended -de whippin', an' dat's de only time I 'members him tryin' to whip me. - -"Ol' Missy didn't 'low dem to whip de women either, an' dey wouldn't -'low de women to roll logs either. But dey did work dem in de fiel's. -'Course dey kept de young women wid babies 'roun' de house, an' dey eat -de same grub as de white folks eat. - -"Talking 'bout log rollin', dem was great times, 'ca'se if some ob de -neighborin' plantations wanted to get up a house, dey would invite all -de slaves, men and women, to come wid dere masters. De women would help -wid de cookin' an' you may be shore dey had something to cook. Dey would -kill a cow, or three or four hogs, and den hab peas, cabbage, an' -everything lack grows on de farm. An' if dere was any meat or food lef' -dey would gib dat to de slaves to take home, an' jes' b'fore dark de -o'seer or Ol' Marster would gib de slaves all de whiskey dey wanted to -drink. Sometimes atter de days work, dey would hab a frolic, such as -dancin', an' ol' time games. - -"Dey would hab dese same kind ob gatherin's at cornshucking time, an' -cotton pickin' time, but dere warn't so much foolishness at cotton -pickin' time, 'ca'se dey didn't call one anudder den, 'ceptin' when de -cotton got so far ahead ob dem, an' was 'bout to set in fer a wet spell, -or rainy season. - -"You axed me 'bout de patty-rollers? You see de City policemen walkin' -his beat? Well, dat's de way de patty-rollin' was, only each county had -dere patty-rollers, an' dey had to serve three months at a time, den dey -was turned loose. And if dey cotch you out widout a pass, dey would gib -you thirty-nine lashes, 'ca'se dat was de law. De patty-rollers knowed -nearly all de slaves, an' it wurn't very often dey ever beat 'em. - -"You know folks was jes' de same den as dey is now, both black, and -white. Some folks you could neighbor wid den, jes' lack you can now, an' -dere was good folks den, jes' de same as dey is now. - -"Christmas time was de bes' ob all, 'ca'se us allus had a big dinner, -an' de Ol' Marster gib de women calico dresses an' shoes, an' de men -shoes an' hats, an' would gib us flour, an' sugar, molasses, an' would -buy beer, whiskey an' wine. - -"De Ol' Marster tuk good keer ob us too, when any ob us got sick he send -for de doctor, den when dey order de medicine to be giben at night, he'd -see dat us got hit. But nowadays if you git sick, you hab to git de -Doctor, an' den pay him yo' se'f. Den de Ol' Marster had to find clothes -an' shoes for us, but now us has to scuffle an' git dem de bes' way us -can. - -"You know, Miss, I'se been here a long time, I eben 'members Jefferson -Davis. I'se seen him many a time. He had a home 'tween here (Mobile) an' -New Orleans, an' you knows he fust tuk his seat in Montgomery, an' den -moved to Richmond, Virginny. - -"I 'members, too, how I useta to think dat de Baptist was de only -religion. You see John de Baptist come here baptizing, an' ever'body had -to offer up sacrifices, a goat or a sheep or sumpin', jes' lack de man -who was going to offer up his son for a sacrifice. But you knows, Jesus -come an' changed all dat. De folks in dem times didn't hab nobody to -worship; an' den one come, who said, 'Father, hand me a body, and I'll -die for dem,' Dat's Christ, an' he was baptized, an' God gib Jesus dis -whole world. So I believed, dat was de only religion. - -"I 'members how us would hab big baptizings an' shout. Us allus went to -church in de white folks church, dey had church in de mornings, us had -ours in de afternoons. Us would hab to hab a pass, dough, 'ca'se de -church was eight miles away from de plantation. - -"Dere was plenty old songs us useta to sing, but I can't 'member 'em. -Dere is dis one dat goes-- - - Wonderful Peter, - Wonderful Paul, - Wonderful Silas, - Who for to make a - Mah heart rejoice. - - On Good Shepherds, feed a' mah sheep. - Don't you hear de young lambs a bleatin'? - Don't you hear de young lambs a bleatin'? - Don't you hear de young lambs a bleatin'? - Oh! Good shepherds feed a' mah sheep." - - - - -Jim Gillard - - - *Interview with Jim Gillard* - --_Preston Klein, Opelika, Alabama_ - -_SOLD AT THREE MONTHS FOR $350_ - -Jim Gillard was eleven years old when the War between the States began. -Thus, the memories of the conflict are fresh; with the retreat from -Rome, Ga., to Salem, Ala., as a refugee, transcending the others. - -Jim was born on a plantation at Pendleton, S.C., and was sold for $350 -when he was only three months old. He was one of eight children -belonging to James and Hannah Gillard. - -"Atter bein' sold, I fust lived 'bout three miles from Rome, Ga.," Jim -recalled. "Den, when de Yankees come into Georgy us refugeed fust to -Atlanta, den to Columbus an' later to Salem. Us was at Salem when de war -ended." - -Jim remembers catching partridges as a boy, taking them to the train and -selling them to Charlie Crowder for ten cents each. - -"Game was plentiful in dem days," he said, "an' I never had any trouble -catchin' dem birds. - -"No'm, our houses wasn't nothin' to brag about. Dey was built of hewn -logs an' had slab floors, havin' two rooms an' a shed cook room. Us beds -was lak tables, wid four legs nailed on to de sides an' den corded over -de top wid ropes dat was tightened wid a big key. Us had shuck -mattresses to sleep on. - -"Us cooked on a great big fireplace. I 'members dat dere was plenty of -meat in de winter, 'ca'se Ol' Marster used to kill as many as thirty -hogs at a time. Us had meat an' bread an' home-made light bread an' de -white folks was mighty kind. I 'members us was carried to Sunday School -every Sunday at 3 o'clock in de evenin'. Ol' Mistus'd teach us de -lesson. De white chilluns had dere Sunday School at 9 o'clock in de -mornin.' - -"I allus went to Sunday School, but on de week days us little niggers -would slip off an' go huntin' when we could." - -Jim recalls that "de little niggers" ate from tin plates on the -plantation; but declared he didn't mind that because the food was always -good. - -"Yes'm, us had purty good clothes. Dey was dyed brown wid walnut leaves -an' hazelnut bush, an' on Sunday us had striped gingham pants an' shoes. -My father was de shoemaker an' had a gov'mint tan yard whar he would -make ol' hard brogans fer $8 a pair. - -"My marster an' Mistus was Steven an' 'Lizbeth Wilson. Dey fust lived in -a big log house, but den moved into a planked house. Dey had nine -chillun; Ann, Steven, William, Liza, Humie, Eddie, Laura, Mary an' -Lizzie. - -"I 'members lots 'bout Mistus 'Lizabeth, 'ca'se she useter read de Bible -to us niggers. She would talk to us 'bout de Good Book an' have prayer -meetin' wid us. - -"My dad useter look atter de fiel' hands. No'm, he war'nt no overseer, -but Ol' Marster allus had confidence in him. - -"I 'members dat when dey would be a funeral, us'd sing; marchin' befo' -de body 'fore us'd get to de grave an' singin', 'Hark come de tune a -doleful sound, my years a tender cry; a livin' man come view de ground -whar you may shortly lie.' - -"Us frolics on Sattidy night was fine an' us'd dance 'twel mos' day. -Marster's brother would fiddle for us, an' at Christmas time us would -have six days to frolic. Us also had a big time at de cornshuckin's, an' -us'd whoop an' holler an' sing mos' all night. De big niggers had plenty -of liquor de boss give 'um. High tables was filled up wid corn an' de -niggers would shuck 'twel it was all done. - -"My aunt married up at de big house an' dey give her a big dance. Dey -had de fiddle and had a great big time. Dey jes' jumped over de broom to -marry, so atter slavery dey had to git married agin. - -"I acted as houseboy in slavery times. An' all de little niggers did -have lots of fun. - -"When de slaves got ailin', I 'members dat Marster had Dr. Word an' Dr. -Dunwoody to come to see us. - -"I 'members, too, how de Yankees come to Spring Villa, 'bout eight miles -from Opelika, an' said to some mens, 'Halt'. De mens wouldn't stop so de -Yankees throwed dey guns on dem. Two white ladies threw a white flag an' -dey wouldn't shoot, but dey carried Mr. John Edwards to Spring Villa an' -made a cross on his wrist; den turned him loose 'ca'se his wife was rale -sick. - -"When de Yankees come, us niggers buried a cigar box wid de jewelry in -it under a certain pine tree 'twel dey went on. - -"Atter de big war, I married Jane Davis fust time; den Carrie Cooper. Us -had two chillun an' one gran' chile, Emanuel Trotter, ten year' old. - -"Yassu'm, Mr. Abraham Lincoln died a warrior for dis country. I b'longs -to de church, 'ca'se if a man dies outter de Ark he is not saved, an' I -wants to be saved." - - - - -Mary Ella Grandberry - - - *Interview with Mary Ella Grandberry* - --_Levi D. Shelby, Jr., Tuscumbia, Alabama_ - -_TODAY'S FOLKS DON'T KNOW NOTHIN'_ - -Life as a child is not clear in the ninety-year old memory of Mary Ella -Grandberry, who lives in Sheffield, but she remembers that she did not -have time to play as do children of today. - -"I don't know jes' how old I is," Mary Ella said, "but I knows dat I'm -some'ers nigh ninety yars ol'. I was borned in Barton, Alabama. My -father an' mother come from Richmond, Virginny. My mammy was name -Margaret Keller an' my pappy was Adam Keller. My five sisters was -Martha, Sarah, Harriet, Emma an' Rosanna, an' my three brothers was -Peter, Adam, Jr., an' William. - -"Us all live in a li'l two-room log cabin jes' off the Big House. Life -wan't ver' much for us, 'caze we had to work an' slave all de time. -Massa Jim's house was a little ol' frame buildin' lack a ord'nary house -is now. He was a single man an' didn't hab so terr'ble much, it seem. He -had a whole lot, too, but jes' to look at him you'd thank he was a po' -white man. Dere was a lot o' cabins for de slaves, but dey wasn't fitten -for nobody to lib in. We jes' had to put up wid 'em. - -"I don' 'member much about when I was a chil'. I disremembers ever -playin' lack chilluns do today. Ever since I kin 'member I had a water -bucket on my arm totin' water to de han's. Iffen I wan't doin' dat, I -was choppin' cotton. Chilluns nowadays sees a good time to w'at we did -den. Ever' mornin' jes' 'bout hip of day de oberseer was 'roun' to see -dat we was ready to git to de fiel's. Plenty times us had to go widouten -breakfas', 'caze we didn' git up in time to git it 'fo' de man done come -to git us on de way to de fiel'. Us wukked 'twell dinner time jes' de -same before we got anythang to eat. - -"De food we et was fix jes' lack hit is now. My mammy fixed our grub at -home. De on'y diffe'nce 'tween den an' now was us didn' git nothin' but -common things den. Us didn' know what hit was to git biscuits for -breakfas' ever' mornin'. It was cornbread 'twell on Sundays den us'd git -fo' biscuits apiece. Us got fatback mos' ever' mornin'. Sometimes us -mought git a chicken for dinner on a Sunday or some day lack Chris'mas. -It was mighty seldom us gits anythin' lack dat, dough. We lacked possums -an' rabbits but dey didn' come twell Winter time when some of de men -folks'd run 'crost one in de fiel'. Dey never had no chanst to git out -an' hunt none. - -"Dere was no sech thang as havin' diffe'nt clo's for winter an' Summer. -Us wore de same thang in summertime as in de wintertime. De same was -true 'bout shoes. Us wore brogans from one yeah to de yuther. - -"My Ol' Massa was a putty good man but nothin' exter. One thang 'bout -him, he wouldn' 'low none of de oberseers to whup none of us, lessen he -was dar to see hit done. Good thang he was lack dat, too, 'caze he sabed -de blacks a many a lick what dey'd got iffen he hadn' been dar. Massa -Jim was a bach'lor, an' he ain't never had much truck wid women folks. -Iffen he had any chilluns, I never knowed nothin' 'bout 'em. - -"De oberseers was terrible hard on us. Dey'd ride up an' down de fiel' -an' haste you so twell you near 'bout fell out. Sometimes an' most -inginer'ly ever' time you 'hin' de crowd you got a good lickin' wid de -bull whup dat de driver had in de saddle wid him. I hearn mammy say dat -one day dey whupped po' Leah twell she fall out like she was daid. Den -dey rubbed salt an' pepper on de blisters to make 'em burn real good. -She was so so' 'twell she couldn' lay on her back nights, an' she jes' -couldn' stan' for no clo's to tech back whatsomever. - -"Massa Jim had 'bout one of de bigges' plantations in dat section. I -guess he had nigh onto a hun'erd blacks on de place. I never knowed -'zackly how many thar was nor how big de place was. - -"De folks now'days is allus complainin' 'bout how dey is havin' sech -hard times, but dey jes' don' know nothin'. Dey should hab come up when -I did an' dey'd see now dey is libin' jes' lack kings an' queens. Dey -don' have to git up 'fo' day when hit's so dark you kin jes' see your -han's 'fo' your eyes. Dey don' know what it's lack to have to keep up -wid de leader. You know dey was allus somebody what could wuk faster dan -de res' of de folks an' dis fellow was allus de leader, an' ever'body -else was s'pose to keep up wid him or her whatsomever hit was. Iffen you -didn' keep up wid de leader you got a good thrashin' when you gits home -at night. Hit was allus good dark when de han's got in from de fiel'. -Co'se iffen dar was a lady what had a baby at home, she could leave jes' -a little 'fo' de sun sot. - -"Younguns now'days don' know what it is to be punish'; dey thank iffen -dey gits a li'l whuppin' from dey mammy now dat dey is punish' terrible. -Dey should of had to follow de leader for one day an' see how dey'd be -punish' iffen dey gits too far behin'. De bigges' thang dat us was -punish' for was not keepin' up. Dey'd whup us iffen we was caught -talkin' 'bout de free states, too. Iffen you wan't whupped, you was put -in de 'nigger box' an' fed cornbread what was made widouten salt an' wid -plain water. De box was jes' big 'nough for you to stan' up in, but hit -had air holes in hit to keep you from suffocatin'. Dere was plenty -turnin' 'roun' room in hit to 'low you to change your position ever' -oncet in a while. Iffen you had done a bigger 'nough thang you was kep' -in de 'nigger box' for months at de time, an' when you got out you was -nothin' but skin an' bones an' scurcely able to walk. - -"Half de time a slave didn' know dat he was sol' 'twell de massa'd call -him to de Big House an' tell him he had a new massa from den on. Ever' -time dat one was sol' de res' of 'em'd say, 'I hopes nex' time'll be -me.' Dey thought you'd git a chanst to run away to de free states. I -hearn my mammy say dat when she come from Virginny dat she come on a -boat built outten logs. She say she never was so sick in all her life. I -seed a 'hole wagon load of slaves come through our farm one day what was -on dere way to Arkansas. Dey was de mos' I ever seed travel at de same -time. - -"De white folks didn't 'low us to even look at a book. Dey would scol' -an' sometimes whup us iffen dey caught us wid our head in a book. Dat is -one thang I sho'ly did want to do an' dat was to learn to read an' -write. Massa Jim promised to teach us to read an' write, but he neber -had de time. - -"Dere wan't but one chu'ch on de place what I lived on, an' de colored -and de white both went to hit. You know we was neber 'lowed to go to -chu'ch widoutten some of de white folks wid us. We wan't even 'lowed to -talk wid nobody from anudder farm. Iffen you did, you got one of de wus' -whuppin's of your life. Atter freedom Massa Jim tol' us dat dey was -'fraid we'd git together an' try to run away to de No'th, an' dat was -w'y dey didn' wan' us gittin' together talkin'. - -"A few years 'fo' de war my pappy learnt to read de Bible. (Mary Ella -apparently forgot her previous comment on penalties for learning to -read). Whenever we would go to chu'ch he would read to us an' we'd sing. -'Bout de mos' two pop'lar songs dey sung was 'Steal Away' an' 'I Wonder -Whar Good Ol' Dan'el Was.' 'Steal Away' is sech a pop'lar song what -ever'body knows hit. De yuther one is done mought' nigh played out, so -I'll sing hit for you. It goes lack dis: - - I wonder whar was good ol' Dan'el, - I wonder whar was good ol' Dan'el, - I wonder whar was thankin' (thinking) Peter, - I wonder whar was thankin' Peter. - - (Chorus) - - I'm goin' away, goin' away. - I'm goin' away, goin' away. - - I wonder whar was weepin' Mary, - I wonder whar was weepin' Mary, - I'm goin' away, I'm goin' away, - I'm goin' away to live forever, - I'll never turn back no mo'. - -"De slaves would git tired of de way dey was treated an' try to run away -to de No'th. I had a cousin to run away one time. Him an' anudder fellow -had got 'way up in Virginny 'fo' Massa Jim foun' out whar dey was. Soon -as Massa Jim foun' de whar'bouts of George he went atter him. When Massa -Jim gits to George an' 'em, George pertended lack he didn' know Massa -Jim. Massa Jim as' him, "George don't you know me?' George he say, 'I -neber seed you 'fo' in my life.' Den dey as' George an' 'em whar did dey -come from. George an' dis yuther fellow look up in de sky an' say, 'I -come from above, whar all is love.' Iffen dey had owned dey knowed Massa -Jim he could have brung 'em back home. My pappy tried to git away de -same time as George an' dem did, but he couldn' see how to take all us -chillun wid him, so he had to stay wid us. De blacks an' de whites would -have de terr'bles' battles sometimes. Dat would be when de blacks would -slip off to de No'th an' was caught an' brung back. De paterollers'd -ketch de colored folks an' lock 'em up twell de owner came atter 'em. - -"Iffen a slave was cotched out after nine o'clock he was whupped. Dey -didn' 'low nobody out atter it was dark 'lessen he had a pass from de -Massa. One night, 'fo' George an' dis fellow (I disremembers his name, -but I thinks it was Ezra) runned away, George tried to git over to de -bunk whar he lived an' one of de oberseers seen him an' dey put him in -de 'nigger box' for three weeks. Jes' as soon as he got out again, -George an' dis Ezra slipped off. Dey had a sign dat dey would give each -yuther eve'y night atter sundown. George would hang de lantern in de -window, an' den he would take it outen de window an' hang it raght back -in dar ag'in. I couldn't never make no sense outen it. I axed him one -day whut he was adoin' dat for. He say dat 'fo' long I'd know 'zackly -what is all about. Dis was de sign of how long dey have to wait 'fo' dey -try to git away. - -"Atter de day's work was over, de slaves didn't have nothin' to do but -go to bed. In fac', dey didn't feel lack doin' nothin' else. On Satiday -dey sot up an' washed so's dey could have some clean clothes to wear de -comin' week. We wukked all day, ever' day 'cep'n some Sat'days, we had a -half day off den. Us didn' git many an' on'y when us as' for 'em. On -Sundays us jes' laid 'roun' 'mos' all day. Us didn't git no pleasure -outten goin' to church, 'caze we warn't 'lowed to say nothin'. Sometimes -even on Chris'mas us didn't git no res'. I 'members on one Chris'mas us -had to build a lime kiln. When us git a holiday us rested. Iffen dere -was a weddin' or a funeral on our plantation us went. Odderways we don't -go nowhar. - -"De war come when I was a big gal. I 'member dat my uncle an' cousin -jined in wid de Yankees to hope fight for de freedom. De Yankees come to -our place an' runned Massa Jim away an' tuk de house for a horsepittil. -Dey tuk all of Massa Jim's clothes an' gived dem to some of dere -frien's. Dey burned up all de cotton, hay, peas an' ever'thing dat was -in de barns. Dey made de white folks cook for de colored an' den serve -'em while dey et. De Yankees made 'em do for us lak we done for dem. Dey -showed de white folks what it was to work for somebody else. Dey stayed -on our place for de longes'. When dey did leave, dere warn't a mouthful -to eat in de house. When de war was over, Massa Jim told us dat we had -to find som'ers else to live. Co'se some of my folks had already gone -when he come home. Us lef' Massa Jim's an' moved to anudder farm. We got -pay for de wuk what we did on dis yuther place. Raght atter de war de Ku -Klux got atter de colored folks. Dey would come to our houses an' scare -us mos' to death. Dey would take some of de niggers out an' whup 'em an' -dose dat dey didn't whup dey tied up by dere fingers an' toes. Dese Ku -Klux would come to our windows at night an' say: 'Your time ain't long -acomin'.' De Ku Klux got so bad dat dey would even git us in de daytime. -Dey tuk some of de niggers an' throwed 'em in de river to drown. Dey -kep' dis up 'twell some folks from de North come down an' put a stop to -it. - -"I ma'ied Nelson Granberry. De weddin' was private. I don't have no -chilluns, but my husban' got fo'. I haven't heered from any of 'em in a -long time now. I guess dey all daid. - -"Abe Lincoln was de bes' president dat dis country eber had. Iffen it -hadn't been for him we'd still be slaves raght now. I don't think so -much of Jeff Davis 'caze he tried to keep us slaves. Booker T. -Washington was one of de greates' niggers dat ever lived, he always -tried to raise de standard of de race. - -"I joined the church 'caze de Bible says dat all people should join de -church an' be Christians. Jesus Christ set up de church an' said dat -ever'body what wanted to be saved to come unto him. Sin is de cause of -de world bein' in de fix dat it's in today. De only way to fight sin is -to git together. Iffen we can do away wid sin raght now, de world would -be a paradise. In de church we learn de will of God an' what he would -have us do. - -"Dere was no po' white trash in our 'munity; dey was kep' back in de -mountains." - - - - -Esther Green - - - *Interview with Esther Green* - --_Ila B. Prine_ - -_US CHILLUN WORE SHOES LIKE GROWNUPS_ - -'Aunt' Esther Green, of 554 Texas Street, Mobile, Alabama, was all too -ready to talk about her slavery days in spite of her assertion that she -didn't remember much about the war. - -"I was jus' a chile," she says. "You can figure for yourself. Somebody -tole me I was born in 1855, so I couldn't of been very old. I was born -in State Line, Mississippi, and was owned by Edward Davis. He owned my -mother, Rachel Davis and her mother, Melinda Davis. I never did know who -my pappy was 'cause I never did see him. - -"To de bes' of my recollections, my whitefolks was allus good to us -niggers. He neber allowed no overseers and he never whipped none of dem, -'ceptin' maybe a switching once in a while for us littl'luns when we -didn't behave. I never saw a growed up nigger whipped in all my life. -Ole Massa jus' didn't b'lieve in dat. Massa was shorely a good man. Lots -of times he would get us little niggers up on de porch at de big house -and have us dance for him. We sho used to have a big time out on dem big -white porches. - -"I never had no work to do myself, 'cause I always stayed in de big -house wid Miss Mary Davis, ole Massa's wife. I was in de house one day -and ole Massa asked me if I wanted to eat at de table wid dem, so I -pulled up a chair and spite of de fact dere was all kinds of good stuff -to eat in front of me, I called for lye hominy. I sho did love dat stuff -better'n anything else I ever et. Ole Massa and de res' of dem jus' -laugh fit to kill. I reckon dey thought I was crazy sho' nuff', but I et -hominy jes' de same. - -"As to de number of slaves ole Massa had, I never knew. Us had log -cabins to stay in. De cracks was chinked up wid yellow mud to keep de -cold out and de chim'ney was made of straw and de same kind of mud, but -dem cabins was warmer dan de house is nowadays. We didn't have no -furniture 'ceptin' a home-made bed which was nailed to de wall on one -side and two legs out in de middle of de floor. De mattresses was made -of straw and hay. All de cookin' was done on de big open fireplaces what -had big potracks to hang de pots on. - -"Massa rationed out de food every week and we usually got a peck of -meal. We had plenty of 'taters and peas and other vegetables dat we -growed on de place. At Chris'mas time, we was give meat and molasses to -make cakes. Us always had plenty of plain food. And too, de men would go -huntin' at night and come back wid lots of big fat 'possums and rabbits -by de dozen, and mos' of de time, dey would even catch a coon. And old -Ben, a nigger who had turkey traps, was always bringin' in lots of dem -big fat birds. - -"De men and women worked in de field all day, but I never picked a bit -of cotton all my life. At night de women would spin and weave cloth, but -I never did learn to do dat. Den dey would dye de cloth different -colors, mostly red and blue though, and make dem into clothes. Us -chilluns had a one-piece dress or slip. Our shoes was all homemade too. -Massa had one man who tanned de leather. He would take it an put it into -a long trough for a long time and den whatever was done dat was supposed -to be done to it, he would take it out and cut it and make shoes. Us -chilluns' had shoes same as de grown folks. - -"On Sundays, we would got to de white folks' church. Dere was a shed -built onto de church and we would sit on benches out under de shed and -listen to de preacher. De white folks would have lots of big baptizings, -but I never did see no niggers baptized den. - -"Ole Massa had a big fambly, three boys and six girls. My own ma had -eight chilluns. Us was always healthy and never had to have much -medicine. 'Bout de only thing I remembers ever takin' was tea made from -de root of de china berry tree. It made good tea for worms, but was to -be used only at certain times of de moon. My man also used Jerusalem Oak -seed for worms. I never fools wid tryin' to doctor nobody's chilluns -now-a-days, things is all so different. - -"My Grandma, Melinda, and ole Ben and his wife was three ole people -Massa freed long time before de war. When all de niggers was freed, -Massa called em up to de house and tole dem dat dey was loose to go -wherever suited dem, but mos' of dem stayed on de place two or three -weeks, and den one mornin' I woke up and all of dem had left durin' de -night. I was de only nigger left on de place and I jus' cried and cried, -mostly because I was jus' lonesome for some of my own kind to laugh and -talk wid. - -"I don't remember exactly what I did after de Surrender, but it was -about four years afterwards dat I come to Mobile and I been here every -since. - -I's a member of de Mobile Delaware Baptist Church, but I can't attend -very regular 'count of bein' all crippled up wid de rheumatisms. I -reckon dat ailing is natural though, cause I been here a long time and -I's got forty grandchilluns and more dan dat many great-grandchilluns." - - - - -Jake Green - - - *Interview with Jake Green* - --_Ruby Pickens Tartt, Livingston, Alabama_ - -_A CONJU' WHAT DIDN' WUK_ - -"Yessum, dem niggers sho' was scared when ole Buck showed up in de -fiel'," Jake Green, former slave, laughed with a vigor that denied his -eighty-five years as he described "a conju' what didn' wuk." Jake has a -vivid memory of those days before the Civil War, though he was only a -small boy when it started. - -"Me an' my mother an' father b'longed to old man Lam Whitehead jes' a -few miles from Coatopa, 'bout ten miles east of Livingston, Alabama," he -began. "My mother was Molly Whitehead, my father was Dan Whitehead. I -don't know nothin' 'bout my gran'mammy an' gran'pappy, but I had a heap -of unkies. - -"Mr. Whitehead owned Dirtin Ferry down to Belmont, an' dey had a darkey -dere named Dick what claim sick all de time. So de Massa man said, -'Dick, dam it, go to de house. I can't get no work outten you.' So Dick -went on. He was a fiddler so dey jes' tuck his vittuls to him for seven -years. Den one day, Old Massa say to de overseer man, 'Let's slip up -dere an' see what Dick doin'. So dey did, an' dere sot Dick, fat as he -could be a-playin' de fiddle an' a-singin', - - 'Fool my Massa seben years. - Gwiner fool him seben mo'. - Hey diddle, de diddle, de diddle, de do'.' - -"'Bout dat time Ole Massa poked his head in de do' said 'Dam iffen you -will. Come outten dere, you black rascal, an' go to work, 'An' I ain't -never hyard of Dick complainin' no mo'. - -"But dey wan't so mean. Sometimes us got whupped but Massa had fo' men -he didn't 'low nobody to hit, white er black. Dey was Unker Arch, he was -de main carriage driver; my father, he was de house servant; Unker -Julius, de fo'man of de plow han's an' Unker Ed'erds, de fo'man of de -hoe han's. Whenever anybody wanted to hire anybody to work for 'em, de -Massa send dem fo' out an' hire 'em by de day to chop cotton or pick. -An' dem fo' niggers could chop much cotton in a day as de mule could -plow. Whenever dey'd stop de plow at twelve o'clock, dem niggers was -right dere to lay de hoe handles on de plow, an' dat's choppin'. All -four could pick a bale of cotton a day. Whenever anybody say, 'Mr. -Whitehead, I want a bale of cotton picked today,' he'd send dem fo' men -an' dey could pick five hundred pounds apiece an' leave de sun still -runnin'. Dey was pickers in dem days! - -"Cose dey had to begin, an' all us got up 'fo' day. Twan't nothin' -strange to be standin' in de fiel' by your plow waitin' for de sun to -come up. Ev'body was early risers in dem days. Dey was pretty good to -us, but ole Mr. Buck Brasefiel', what had a plantation 'jinin' us'n, was -so mean to his'n dat twan't nothin' for 'em to run away. One nigger, -Rich Parker, runned off one time an' whilst he gone he seed a hoodoo -man, so when he got back Mr. Brasefiel' tuck sick an' stayed sick two or -three weeks. Some of de darkies tole him, 'Rich been to de hoodoo -doctor.' So Mr. Brasefiel' got up outten dat bed an' come a-yellin' in -de fiel', 'You thought you had ole Buck, but by God he rose agin'. Dem -niggers was so skeered, dey squatted in de fiel' jes' lack partridges, -an' some of 'em whispered, 'I wish to God he had a-died.' - -[Illustration: _Jake Green, Livingston, Alabama_] - -"'Twan't long atter dat come S'render, but dat nigger done lef' dere, -an' didn't nobody know whar Parker was at. Some of de niggers done -bought an' paid for dey mule an' me an' Pappy was rentin' an' wukkin' on -sneers, when here come Parker, jes' hyared 'bout S'render. He say 'Why -didn't somebody come tell me 'twas S'render?' Den he start a-singin' - - Slav'y chain, slav'y chain, - Thank God a'mighty I'm free at las', - Free at las', free at las', - Thank God a'mighty I'm free at las'. - -"But dat wan't none of Old Massa's niggers. He had one, do' call him -John, an' hit come a traveler an' stayed all night. Ole Massa p'inted -out John, an' said, 'He ain't never tole me a lie in his life.' De -traveler bet Massa a hund'ed dollars 'ginst fo' bits he'd ketch John in -a lie 'fo' he lef'. Next mawnin' at de table de mice was pretty bad, so -de traveler caught one by de tail an' put him inside a kiver-lid dish -what was settin' dere on de table, an' he tole Ole Massa tell John he -could eat sumpin' out of ev'y dish atter dey got th'oo but dat kiver-lid -one, an' not to take kiver offen hit. An' John said, 'Nossuh, I won't.' -But John jes' nachully had to see what was in dat dish, so he raise de -lid, an' out hopped de mouse. Den hyar come Old Massa an' axed John -iffen he done what he tole him not to do, an' John 'nied hit. Den de -traveler look in de dish an' de mouse wan't dere, an' he said, 'See -dere, John been lyin' to you all de time, you jes' ain't knowed hit,' -an' I reckon he right 'caze us had to lie." - - - - -Charity Grigsby - - - *Interview with Charity Grigsby* - --_R.P. Tartt, [HW: Livingston?]_ - -_I KNOWS I'S EIGHTY FIVE BUT 'SPECTS I'S MORE DEN DAT_ - -Charity Grigsby lives in a tumbledown shanty about nine miles from -Livingston on the old Epes road. She was sewing on a quilt when I -arrived; humming an old plantation song that ran: - - Angels in de water, walkin' by de light; - Po' sinners stand in darkness an' cannot see de light! - -A broad smile flowed across her black face as I entered the cabin. She -placed her needle aside, exclaimed: "Law me, honey, I's always proud -when de white folks drap aroun'; an' dat's directly so." - -"Charity," I said, "I want you to tell me about slavery times." - -She lowered her head in thought a moment, said: - -"Honey, what would I tell?" - -"Just all you remember, Charity." - -And this is what she told: - -"Honey, I was borned Charity Grigsby, but I married Nelson Grigory; -ain't much 'stinguish in de names; but 'twas a little. My pappy was -Dan'l Grigsby an' my mammy was Mary Moore. See, us belonged to Ol' -Mister Jim Moore right up yonder 'bove Sumterville near Ramsey Station. - -[Illustration: _Charity Grigsby, Livingston, Alabama_] - -"You goes up de Gainesville an' Livingston Road an' turns off at de -cross road 'bout nine miles from Livingston. Den you goes due west. It -ain't far from dere; bout six miles, I reckons. 'Twan't no big -plantation; 'bout a dozen of us dere; an' Marse Jim didn't have no -overseer lak de rest. He had dem boys of his'n what seed to us. Dey was -John an' William an' Jim. Dey was all tol'able good to us; but dey would -whoop us if we wasn't 'bedient; jes' like a mother raisin' a chile. - -"I can't say how old I is; it's done got away from me; but I was a -stroppin' gal durin' de war. I knows I's eighty-five an' I 'spects I's -more dan dat. I's de mammy of 'leven chilluns; I knows dat; but ain't -but five of dem a-livin'. As you knows, I lives wid two of dem; Mattie -an' Evie. Dey treats me good. Hattie an' Ellen an' my boy lives in -Bessemer. Dat is all my individual chilluns, but I's got a few others. I -can't recollect much to tell; been a good while since de war; but when -you calls it to my 'memberance I can think it up. - -"Honey, dem nigger dogs; dey sho' did run. Sometimes dey kotched a -nigger, but dey didn't never run me. I was in de house weavin' an' -spinnin' lak mistus showed me; an' I didn't never get in no trouble wid -nobody. - -"An' den again, Marse Jim was purty tol'able good to us, but Mr. Ervin -Lavendar was sho' mean to his niggers, an' his plantation warn't far -from our'n. He had a pack of dogs what run de niggers; an' dem was -skeery times, I tell you. Us didn't l'arn no schoolin' nor go nowhere -nor have no corn shuckin' nor nothin'; jes' 'quired to stay in de -cabins. I hyared 'bout Bre'r Rabbit an' hoodoo; but I never takes up no -time wid dat foolishness; never seed no sense in it. Us got on all right -'thout dat. - -"Some of de other niggers 'sides me was all de time in trouble, dough. -Mr. Fulton, who lived clost to Mr. Lavendar, had a nigger-driver an' -overseer name Sanders, an' I bet he was de meanest one of dem all. You -know, honey, dey planted wheat fields in de fall in dem days an' cut it -in de spring. It would come off in time 'nuff to make corn. - -"Dere was a flock of birds lak blackbirds; only dey was wheat birds; an' -dey went in droves an' fly way up yonder. Us had planks to slap together -to keep de birds out er de wheat, because dey et it up. - -"Well'm, one day Mr. Sanders tol' one of de women what was one of de -sucklers on de place, dat if she wouldn't do what he axed her to dey was -a black coffin over her haid. She 'fused him; so when he was loadin' his -gun dere in de wheat fiel', he was holdin' de gun barrel propped under -his chin, jes' so, an de other end settin' on de ground. Well sir, it -went off an' he killed hisse'f stid of dat sucklin' woman; an' dat was a -awful time, 'ca'se de niggers got skeered an' run, an' dey sot Mr. -Lavendar's pack of nigger dogs on 'em. De dogs kotched some an' chewed -'em nigh 'bout to death. It warn' none of us, but it were close. - -"Us laid low, didn't go out nowhere. Us wasn't 'lowed to; couldn't go to -prayer meetin' or nothin'. - -[Illustration: _Charity Grigsby's House, Livingston, Alabama_] - -"You ax what dat song I singin' when you come? Dat was all of it, an' -dat's 'nuff fer me, 'ca'se it's true. What dey gwine to be no mo' fer? -Jes': - - Angels in de water, walkin' by de light; - Po' sinners stan' in darkness an' cannot se de light. - -"I don' want no mo' myse'f; jes' dat; dat's all. How come you wants some -mo'? Don't dat much satisfy you? But honey, de sun gettin' low an' my -chilluns will soon be comin' from de swamps. Ain't no bread cooked fer -'em. I'll tell you some mo' when I gets my mind on it, 'ca'se it's been -a good while since de war. - -"Yas'm, us has 'nuff to eat; but if us could get anymore, us would lak -it. You know how 'tis; can make out wid mighty little. Us eats greens; -lookin' forward to roas' in years comin' in." - - - - -Charles Hayes - - - *Interview with Charles Hayes* - --_Mary A. Poole, Mobile_ - -_SHO' I BELIEVES IN SPIRITS, SAYS CHARLES_ - -"Mistis," said Charles Hayes from his porch in Maysville, near Mobile, -Alabama, "I was a little bitty nigger when de war broke out, an' I -belonged to Massa Ben Duncan who lived at Day's Landin' on de Alabamy -Ribber. - -"Marse Ben's house was de regulation plantation wid slave quarters. Most -of de things us used was made raght dere on de plantation, sich as: -beds, buckets, tools, soap, brogans, breeches, an' chairs. Our -mattresses was either made outen cornshucks or cotton bolls. Us cooked -on an open fireplace, an' eve'y Sadday night us would go to de big house -for supplies. Marse Ben was good to his slaves an' he 'lowed dem to have -a little plot of groun' nex' to de cabins whar dey could raise dere own -little crop. - -"My mammy was a fiel' han' an' my pappy was a mechanic an' he use to be -de handy man aroun' de big house, makin' eve'thing f'um churns an' -buckets to wagon wheels. My pappy also useta play de fiddle for de white -folks dances in de big house, an' he played it for de colored frolics -too. He sho could make dat thing sing. - -"Us useta have all sorts of cures for de sick people, f'rinstance, us -used de Jerusalem weed cooked wid molasses into a candy for to give to -de chilluns to git rid of worms. Den us'd bile de root an' make a kinda -tea for de stomach worms. You know de kinds dat little puppies an' -little chilluns has dat eats all de food dat goes in to de stomach, an' -makes de chile or dog eat plenty but don't git no benefits f'um all -dey're eatin'. Horehound, dat growed wild in Clarke County, was used for -colds. Mullen tea was used for colds an' swollen j'ints. Den dere was de -life everlastin' tea dat was also good for colds and horse mint tea dat -was good for de chills an' fevers. Co'se, Mistis, us niggers had a -regular fambly doctah dat 'tended to us when we was sho 'nough down -raght sick, but dese remedies I's tellin' you 'bout us used when warn't -nothin' much ailin' us. It was always to de owner's interest, Mistis, to -have de niggers in a good, healthy condition. - -"Does I believe in spirits, you says? Sho I does. When Christ walked on -de water, de Apostles was skeered he was a spirit, but Jesus told dem -dat he warn't no spirit, dat he was as 'live as dey was. He tol' 'em dat -spirits couldn't be teched, dat dey jus' melted when you tried to. So, -Mistis, Jesus musta meant dat dere was sich a thing as spirits. - -"Atter de war my pappy an' mammy stayed on de Duncan plantation en' -worked on share crops. Dere was a school on de groun's for us slave -chilluns, an' my gran'mammy, Salina Duncan, taught de bible, 'ca'se she -was f'um Virginny an' had been learnt to read an' write by her Mistis up -dere. - -"My fus' wife was named Alice Bush, an' us had ten chilluns; my second -one was named Caroline Turner an' us didn't have but eight. Both my ole -womens is daid now, white folks, an' I stays here wid one of my -daughters. You see, my eyesight is almos' gone due to one day when I was -a workin' in de forge, a hot piece of iron flew up an' landed in my eye. -'Twarn't long befo' it started to hurtin' in my udder eye. Now both is -'bout to give out." - - - - -Lizzie Hill - - - *Interview with Lizzie Hill* - --_Gertha Couric_ - -_THE STORY OF AUNT LIZZIE HILL_ - -Aunt Lizzie Hill, 94 years of age, moved from the Spurlock plantation, -four miles out, to the city of Eufaula about 20 years ago. She was of -such vigorous constitution, that until recently, she carried on her -regular occupation of laundress or "wash-'oman," as she calls herself. -Too feeble to work regularly, she now is cared for by a niece with whom -she lives. - -Sitting before the fire in a rocking-chair, smoking a clay pipe--her -neat clothing, snow-white hair and wrinkled, kindly face make a pleasing -picture of contentment. Her mind is, apparently, unimpaired, and she -readily responds to her recollections of slavery: - -[Illustration: _Lizzie Hill, Eufaula, Alabama_] - -"Sho, Missey, I 'members 'bout it! I was most grown when freedom come. -My Marster (Richard Dozier) and my Mistis was good to all dey niggers -and dey raised me right. I had two little mistises 'bout as old as me, -and I played wid dem all de time and slep' on a pallet in dey room ev'y -night. Dey slep' on de big bed. My clothes was jes' as good and clean as -deyrn, an I et what dey et." - -The little girls, she explained, were about six and eight years old when -this association began, and it continued until close of the war, when -all were nearly grown. - -"Atter freedom come," continued Aunt Lizzie, "Mammy moved to Cuthbert -and tuk me erway fum Old Mistis; but I runned away and went back to -Mistis, and walked all de fourteen miles down de big road at night--I -runned most ob de way. Three times I done dat, but Mammy come and tuk me -back to work in de field ev'y time. I wanted to stay wid Old Mistis. Dey -called her 'Miss Everline' and ev'ybody liked her. Bofe my little -mistises got mai'ed and den Old Marster and Old Mistis moved off to -Texas, and I ain't eber seed none ob 'em no more. I's had a hard time -workin' in de field since de war. Fo' freedom come, I nebber worked -cep'n in de house--I was a 'house-girl' and didn't do no field work." - - - - -Gabe Hines - - - *Interview with Gabe Hines* - --_Gertha Couric_ - -_GABE WAS KIDNAPPED BY CARPETBAGGERS_ - -Old Gabe had been long in this world--close to one hundred years. He had -experienced much but one incident had out-lasted all the others--even -the stroke that made him older and more feeble. That experience had -caused Gabe and his "ole woman" to stray far from the fold and to walk -all the way back to its shelter. - -That was back in Reconstruction days, when he was not "bandy in his -knees" and long before Anna left him alone in his cabin with just -memories of earlier and happier days. - -Gabe was "birthed in Cusseta, Georgia," the son of two faithful old -slaves, Hetty and Gabe Hines, and they "all 'longed to Marsa William -Shipp an' Miss Ma'y. He told his story thus: - -"Endurin' of de Wah, I was big enough to be water toter on de -plantation. No, Li'l Missy, I doan' 'zactly know how old I is 'ceptin' -by de squeakin' an' achin' of my bones. I 'members lots 'bout doze days. -Dem was happy times, Li'l Missy. Arter we all was freed, I went to -Silver Run to live and dar I mahied Anna. She lef' me nine yeahs ago an' -that broke the happiness. I miss her ev'whar, jes' keep a-missin' her -though nine yeahs hev gone since dey tuk her from de cabin an' lef' her -up thar on de hill. Dere's nights when de mis'ry in dese ol' bones jist -gits past standin' an' on sich nights she come ter me and holp me wid de -linnymint jes' as she useter do. But she caint stay long when she come. - -"I was a-tellin' 'bout Silver Run. Arter we was mahied and was gittin' -use to bein' free niggahs, an' happy in our cabin, one night a gen'ulman -from de no'th was to see us an' he tol' us if we'd go wid him he'd pay -us big wages an' gin us a fine house to boot. - -"Fer two nights we sot dere by dat chimbly a-thinkin' a sight to do or -to don't and ponderin' this way and t'other one. Den we 'cided to go. We -lef ev'y thing dar 'ceptin' whut we tied up in a bandana han'chief, and -we tied that onto a stick for de gen'ulman from de no'th wouldn't let us -take no baggage. We was goin' to Columbus, Georgia, but we didn't know -dat. - -"Li'l Missy, when we got dar, whar he was a-takin' us, we foun' the big -wages to be fifty cents a month, and dat fine house tu'ned out to be mo' -like a stable. Instid of our cabin and gyarden and chickens and our -trees, we had a turrible place, right out under the hot sun wid watah -miles away down a hill. And he wan't no gent'man from de no'th! - -"Missy, I nebber will be able to tell myself whut made us do hit no mo' -den I'll ebber be able to tell how skeered I was one night when de wind -howled an' de lightnin' was sprayin' ober de place an' de rain was so -turrible hit was a-sobbin' in de fire. We knowed de debbil was ridin' de -win' dat night. - -"We was a-sittin' dar befo' de fire, me an' my ol' woman, when we heard -a stompin' like a million horses had stopped outside de do'. We tipped -to de do' an' peeked out an', li'l Missy, whut we seed was so turrible -our eyes jes' mos' popped out our haid. Dere was a million hosses all -kivered in white, wid dey eyes pokin' out and a-settin' on de hosses was -men kivered in white too, tall as giants, an' dey eyes was a-pokin' out -too. Dere was a leader an' he heldt a bu'nin' cross in his hand. - -"When we seed dat, we fell on our po' knees, skeered mos' to def an' we -axed de Great Marster to holp two po' ol' niggers an' holp 'em quick. - -"De fust thing we knowed dem Ku Kluxes had de gen'man from de no'th out -of his hidin' place 'hind our house an' a-settin' on one of dem hosses. -Dey nebber spoke wid him. Dey jes' tuk him off somewhar, we nebber -knowed whar, but he di'n't come back no mo'. - -"Li'l Missy, we heard arterwards dat dis gen'lman from de no'th was no -qual'ty a-tall. Dat he was de wu'st leadah of all de debilment bein' -done; one of dem carpet-baggin' men. - -"Nex' day arter de Ku Kluxes cotched dis man, his wife lef' Columbus in -a hurry, sayin' she couldn't sociate wid de Columbus ladies 'caze dey -was so po'. Dey wa po'! Dey is no denyin' that. We was all po' caze the -Yankees done ruint Columbus. But, li'l Missy, dey's a big dif'ence in -bein' po' an' qual'ty and' bein' jes po' white trash. - -[Illustration: _Gabe Hines, Eufaula, Alabama_] - -"What did I do then? Well, li'l Missy, we lef' Columbus arter whut -happen'd an' we walked to Eufaula, whar twas safe to be. For forty yeahs -I w'uked for de city and Anna, she tuk in washin'. Endurin' dat time we -was gettin' along pretty likely, when one day Gabriel blew his horn for -Anna, and Gabe was lef' alone. - -"My ol' woman's gone. Li'l Missy, mos' ev'y one I knowed is daid. Dis -heah cabin ain' home to me no mo'. Hits lonely ev'y whar. Maybe I'd -orter be thinkin' 'bout Canaan, but hits ol' times crowds dis ol' -darkey's heart. Li'l Missy, may be whin I gits to whar Anna is hit will -be ol' times all ovah ag'in." - - - - -Adeline Hodges - - - *Personal interview with 'Aunt' Adeline Hodges* - *3 Frye Street, Mobile, Alabama* - --_Ila B. Prine, [HW: Mobile?]_ - -_HONGRY FOR PUN'KIN PIE_ - -'Aunt' Adeline, a tall, gaunt, bright-skinned Negro woman, lives on Frye -St., Mobile, Ala. The day I called she was nodding in a cane bottom -rocking chair on a wide porch that extended across the front of a -cottage almost hidden in a grove of giant oaks. She opened her eyes, -which were covered by a pair of steel-rimmed glasses with one lens badly -cracked. The news that a search was being made for old people who had -lived during slavery days acted like an electric shock on the old woman, -who immediately sat up straight and said: - -"Lor, yes'm, I libed in dose days, and I tells you I 'members all 'bout -dem. Do come in and set down. De fust white people I b'longed to was a -man named Jones, who was a colonel in de war, but I can't tell you much -'bout dem, 'caze I was jes' a li'l gal den. I was jes' big 'nuff to tote -water to de fiel' to de folks wukking and to min' de gaps in de fence to -keep de cattle out when dey was gatherin' de crops. I don't 'spec' you -knows anything 'bout dose kind of fences. Dey was built of rails and -when dey was gatherin' de crops dey jes' tuk down one section of de -fence, so de wagons could git through. - -"A'ter de war broke out ole Mister Jones went off to hit, and I 'members -de day he lef'. He come to de fiel' to tell all de han's goodbye, wid a -big white plume on his hat. Dat was in Bolivar County, Mississippi. -A'ter ol' Mister Jones lef' for de war, den de nigger drivers an' -oberseer begun to drive us 'round lack droves of cattle. Every time dey -would hyar de Yankees was coming dey would take us out in de woods and -hide us. Finally dey sold us a'ter carrying us away from Bolivar County. -Some of us was sold to people in Demopolis, Alabama, an' Atlanta, -Georgia, an' some to folks in Meridian and Shubuta, Mississippi. I don't -any more know whar my own folks went to dan you does. - -"I 'members afore leaving ole Mister Jones' place how dey grabbed up all -de chillun dat was too li'l to walk and puttin' us in wagons. Den de -older folks had to walk, and dey marched all day long. Den at night dey -would strike camp. I has seen de young niggers what was liable to run -away wid dere legs chained to a tree or de wagon wheels. Dey would rake -up straw and throw a quilt ober hit and lie dat way all night, while us -chillun slep' in de wagons. - -"When us come to de big river at Demopolis, Alabama, I 'members seein' -de big steamboats dere, and dey said dat de sojers was goin' away on -dem. Hit was in Demopolis us was sold, and a man name Ned Collins of -Shubuta, Mississippi, bought me." - -'Aunt' Adeline said that the houses the slaves lived in on the Jones -plantation were board houses, and that Mr. Jones owned a big plantation -and lots of slaves. She said that they had home-made beds, nailed to the -walls, with mattresses made out of shucks. - -After having been sold to Mr. Collins, of Shubuta, Mississippi, 'Aunt' -Adeline said that life was very hard, not so much for herself, but she -saw how hard the other slaves worked. She was the house girl and helped -clean house, wash dishes, and take care of the children. After finishing -that work, she had to spin thread. Each day she would have to spin so -many cuts, and if she did not finish the required number, she was -punished. - -She said that her mistress kept the finished work on top of a large -wardrobe, and 'Aunt' Adeline said that many times she would steal a cut -of thread off that wardrobe to complete the day's task to keep from -being punished. - -As she grew older she did have to go to the field and pick cotton. -'Aunt' Adeline does not remember it pleasantly. She said: - -"I jes' hates to hab to weigh anything today, 'caze I 'members so well -dat each day dat de slaves was given a certain number of pounds of -cotton to pick. When weighing up time come and you didn't hab de number -of pounds set aside, you may be sho' dat you was goin' to be whupped. -But hit wasn't all bad times 'caze us did hab plenty to eat, 'specially -at hog killin' time. Dey would hab days ob hog killin' and de slaves -would bake dere bread and come wid pots, pepper, and salt. A'ter -cleanin' de hogs, dey would gib us de livers and lights, and us would -cook dem ober a fire out in de open and hit sho' was good eatin'. De -usual 'lowance a week of pickled pork was six or seven pounds, and iffen -you had a big family of chillun dey gib you more. Den dey gib you a peck -of meal, sweet 'taters, sorghum syrup, and plenty of buttermilk. At -Christmas times, dey gib you extra syrup to make cakes wid and sweet -'taters to make 'tater pone. And, Lor', dey would hab big cribs of -pun'kins. Hit makes me hongry to think 'bout dem good ol' pun'kin pies. - -"And did dey raise chickens? You knows in Mississippi dat de minks was -bad 'bout killin' dem. I 'members one time de minks got in de chicken -house and killed nearly every chicken on de place. Ole Mister Jones had -de cook to clean and cook dem, and he come out in de fiel' an' eat wid -dem to let de slaves know dat hit was all right. Den us had dem good ol' -cushaws and lye hominy, too. - -"De clothes was made out ob homespun in one piece. I 'members I allus -had mine split up de side so I could git 'bout in a hurry. De women had -pantalettes made and tied to dere knees to wear in de fields to keep de -dew off dere legs. De shoes was made of cow hide and was called red -russets. De way dey got dem darker was to take a hog 'gristle' and hang -up in de chimbley. When hit git full of soot, we rub de shoes wid dat. -Den dey used de darker shoes for dere Sunday best. - -"You asked me about huntin'? Lor', yes dey hunted in dem times. Up in -dem swamps in Mississippi dere was bears as big as cows, and deers -aplenty. Dey bofe was bad about comin' in de corn fiel's and tearin' -down de corn. You could hyar dem at nights out in de fiel's. Dey also -caught plenty of possums and coons. - -"Of course, us got sick, but dey had de doctor. In dose days de doctor -would cup you and bleed you. I seen a many a person cupped. De doctor -had a li'l square lookin' block of wood wid tiny li'l knifes attached to -hit. On top was a trigger lack is on a gun, and de doctor would put de -block of wood at de nape of dere neck an' pull dat trigger. Den he hab a -piece of cotton wid somepin' on hit to stop de blood when he had cupped -you long 'nough. Dey would allus gib us calamus (calomel) to clean us -out, and den de nex' mawnin' dey gib us a big bowl of gruel made out ob -meal and milk. Den us'd be all right. - -"De slaves warn't 'lowed to go to church, but dey would whisper 'roun' -and all meet in de woods and pray. De only time I 'members my pa was one -time when I was a li'l chile, he set me on a log by him an' prayed, an' -I knows dat was whar de seeds ob religion was planted in my min'. Today -I's happy to tell folks 'bout Jesus and thank Him for His goodness to -me. Hit won't be long twell I meet Him face to face and thank Him." - - - - -Caroline Holland - - - *Interview with Caroline Holland* - --_Mabel Farrior_ - -_CAROLINE HOLLAND HAD MANY MASTERS_ - -"Yassuh, I was a slave," spoke Aunt Carry from her vine-shaded porch at -No. 3 Sharpe Street, Montgomery, Alabama. "I was borned in 1849 on Mr. -Will Wright's plantation on the Mt. Meigs road. Massa Will had a big -slave house an' us niggers sho' use to have a good time playin' 'roun' -down at de slave quarters. We had a row of houses two stories high, an' -dey was filled wid all sorts of niggers. When I was twelve year old, I -was made nu'ss fer my mistis's little girl an' at de fus' I couldn't do -nothin' but rock de cradle. I didn't know how to hol' de baby. Us -niggers had gardeens (guardians) dat look 'atter us lak dey did atter de -hosses and cows and pigs. - -"One night atter we had all gone to bed I heered a noise at de window, -an' when I look up dere was a man a climbin' in. He was a nigger. I -could tell eben do I could scarce see him, I knowed he was a nigger. I -could hear my mistis a breathin', an' de baby was soun' asleep too. I -started to yell out but I thought dat de nigger would kill us so I jes' -kep' quiet. He come in de window, an' he see us a sleepin' dere, an' all -of a sudden I knowed who it was. 'Jade,' I whispers, 'What you a doin' -here?' He come to my bed and put his rough han' ober my mouf. - -"Listen you black pickaninny, you tell em dat you saw me here an' I'll -kill you,' he say, 'I th'ow yo' hide to de snakes in de swamp. Now shet -up.' - -"Wid dat he went to de dresser an' taken mistis' money bag. Atter dat he -went to de window an' climb down de ladder an' I didn't do nothin' but -shake myself nearly to death fum fright. De nex' day de oberseer an' de -pattyrollers went a searchin' th'ough de slave quarters an' dey foun' de -money bag under Jade's cot. Dey tuk him an' whupped him for near fifteen -minutes. We could hear him holla way up at de big house. Jade, he neber -got ober dat whuppin'. He died three days later. He was a good nigger, -'peer to me lak, an' de bes' blacksmith in de whole county. I -ke'pa-wonderin' whut made him want ter steal dat purse. Den I foun' out -later dat he was a goin' to pay a white man ter carry him ober de line -to de No'thern States. Jade jus' had too big ideas fo' a nigger. I us'ta -see Jade's ghos' a walkin' out in de garden in de moonlight; sometime he -sit on de fence an' look at his ole cabin, den sometimes he stroll off -down de cotton fiel'. When de Lawd git th'ough a punishin' him fo' a -stealin' dat money, I guess he won't make us no mo' visits. He jus' go -right on in heaben. Dat's what ghos'tes is, you know; peoples dat can't -quite git in heaben, an' dey hadda stroll 'roun' little longer on de -outside repentin'. - -"Soon atter dat my gardeen tuk me to Tallasse when de massa died. My -gardeen was a good man. He was always a-makin' speeches fo' de slaves to -stay under bondage till dey was twenty-one. One dey he was in front of a -sto' talkin' 'bout de slaves an' a man come up to him an' said he don't -like de way Capt. Clanton talk (dat was my gardeen's name). Capt. -Clanton ask him whut he goin' ter do 'bout it an' de man tuk out a -pistol an' kil't de Cap'n raght dere on de spot. - -"Den I was sold to another man, a Mr. Williamson, 'bout de time de war -broke loose, an' Massa Williamson tuk me ober ter lib wid some mo' -peoples. He said he had mo' slaves dan he could take keer of. Dis was de -Abernathy plantation. While de massa was a standin' in de slave quarters -a takin' to Mr Abernathy, I noticed a boy wid a bad eye. I didn't lak -him at all an' I tol' de massa I don't wanna stay, kaze I didn't lak de -way dat boy Lum wid de bad eye looked at me. Den Mr. Abernathy brung a -boy 'bout sebenteen year old; a big strong lookin' boy named Jeff. He -say 'Jeff, look out after Carry here. Don't let her git into no -trouble.' Fum dat time on till 'bout five year ago, Jeff he always look -after me, kaze atter de war I ma'ied him. Now I ain't got nobody but -myself." - - - - -Jane Holloway - - - *Interview with Jane Holloway* - --_Preston Klein, Opelika, Alabama_ - -_DEY BRUNG WHUPPIN'S ON DEYSELVES_ - -Jane Holloway was ill. For weeks she had been in bed, and the untidy -condition of her cabin brought profuse apologies when I entered. - -"Jane, do you remember me?" I asked. - -"I don't know, honey. I been sick so long wid de fluse I can't 'member -much of anything," she answered peering up at me from her pillow. -Suddenly she smiled, "Shucks. Co'se I 'members you, honey. Your daddy -sho' was good to my boys. Watt worked for him so long. Res' yourself in -dat cheer and I'll tell you all about myself and slavery times what I -can recollect. - -"I'se all alone now 'ceppen for my grandson. He ain't but twelve and he -can't ho'p much. But I guess I got no right to complain I guess I done -got me plenty outa life. - -"I was borned up in North Alabama. My mammy was Carrie Holloway and my -pappy was Traylor Holloway. I had a brother Maryland. Dere nebber was -but de two of us. Us lived in a mud and log house, jes' one room but it -sho' had a big fireplace. Us had a good old time den, effen us jes' had -knowed it, 'caze us was always fed good. Dey had long wooden troughs -what dey poured our bread and milk in and us eat it wid a wooden spoon. -When dey yell, 'Chillun, chillun! Bread!' you bet we jes' burnt de wind -getting dere, 'caze us was always hongry. - -"We had high tester beds in all de houses, what was 'bout a mile from de -Big House. It had four rooms and was all planked up. Mr. Billy Taylor -was mighty good to his niggers. He didn't have so many slaves, he jes' -had a little plantation. Our oberseer was good, too. He had to whip some -of dem sometimes, but dey wouldn't work. Dey brung it all on deyselves. - -[Illustration: _Jane Holloway, Opelika, Alabama_] - -"When de Yankees come enduring de war, de men come arunning and a -screaming dat de Yankees coming. And dey did come on horseback and took -all our provisions what was in de smokehouse. Dey took everything we had -in de way of victuals and stock, too. - -"I j'ined de church when I was ten years old, 'caze I was trying to live -right and do what de Bible said. De white folks had deir services in de -morning, and in de evening would let us niggers have ourn." - -Jane forgot her misery long enough to come out to the porch of her -comparatively comfortable cabin and she was "plumb proud" to have her -"picture took." - - - - -Joseph Holmes - - - *I* - *Personal interview with Joseph Holmes* - *Grand Avenue, Prichard, Alabama* - --_Ila B. Prine, Mobile, Alabama_ - -_DEY KEP' NIGGERS IN GOOD CONDITION TO SELL_ - -Standing in the middle of the road at Prichard, suburb of Mobile, and -gesticulating while talking to a small group of interested listeners an -old Negro man ended his talk to the small gathering and punctuated his -last sentence with a spat of tobacco. - -"No'm," he continued after I had put in my appearance and asked him a -question, "I doesn't know whether I was a slave, but jus' de same I seed -Gen'l Grant's army when it went th'ough Virginny. Jus' as sho' as you is -standin' dar, lady, I seed dem mens all dressed in blue suits, -a-marching' side by side, gwine down de road pas' our place. It tuk 'em -three days to go by our house. - -"An' I remembers when dem Yankees came to our ole Mistis' house an' take -a ladder an' clumb up to de roof an' tear de boards outter de ceilin' to -git dem big hams an' shoulders my white folks done had hid up dar. When -de Yankees find dat stuff dey give it all to de niggers. Den atter de -solgers lef' ole Miss called us to her an' tol' us we was free, but for -us to give back some of de meat an' things dat de Yankees done give us, -'ca'se she didn't have nothin' to eat 'roun' de place. 'Course we was -glad to do it, 'ca'se Mistis sho' was good to us. - -"I remembers ebery Sunday mawnin' dat she'd make de older slaves bring -all de little niggers up to de big house, so she could read de Bible to -'em, and den she give us plenty of dem good biscuits and taters dat -Susanne cook for us. She'd say: 'Git 'roun' dere, Susanne, and he'p dem -little niggers' plates.' I really thought Mistis was a angel. - -"Talkin' 'bout niggers bein' free. Ole Miss tol' us was free, but it was -ten or twelve years atter de surrender befo' I knowed whut she meant. I -was a big boy goin' to school befo' I had an understandin' as to what -she meant. - -"Ole Miss taught de niggers how to read an' write an' some of 'em got to -be too good at it, 'ca'se dey learned how to write too many passes so's -de pattyrollers wouldn't cotch 'em, an' on dem occasions was de onlyes' -times dat I ever seed one of our niggers punished. - -"Mistis never 'lowed no mistreatin' of de slaves, 'case dey was raisin' -slaves for de market, an' it wouldn't be good bizness to mistreat 'em. -Lor' Miss, my white folks was rich; dey had as many as five or six -hundred niggers; men, women an' chilluns. De plantation was big, but I -doesn't remember how many acres it was, but I does remember dat de -cabins was all built in rows, an' dere was streets laid out among de -cabins. De chimneys was built outten dirt an' sticks, an' you know up in -Virginny it got powerful cold, so when dey built de cabins dey th'owed -dirt up under 'em to keep de wind an' snow out. - -"I was bawn in Henry County, Virginny, near Danville, an' I's been to -Vicksburg an' Petersburg a many a time wid my pappy to de wheat an' -'bacca market. Lor', honey, Virginny is de bes' place on earth for good -eaten' an' good white folks. If anybody tells you dat de white folks was -mean to dere niggers, dey neber come from Virginny, 'case us was too -near de free states, an' I done already tol' you dat dey raised niggers -to sell an' dey kep' 'em in good condition. In dose days white folks an' -black folks was black folks. Jus' lak Booker T. Washington was a riber -between de niggers of dis generation an' learnin'. He had all dat was -fine an' good, an' he give de bes' to his people iffen dey would take -it. Dat was de way wid de white folks den; dey didn't do no whuppin'. - -"I's de onlyes' rat lef' in de pond, an' 'case I ain't hung in de smoke -house, folks thinks I's not as old as I say I is, but chile, I's been -here a long time. I 'members how black Sam useta preach to us, an' when -I growed up I useta think warnt nobody Christians cep'n us Babtists, but -I know better now, an' de longer I lives de mo' I realizes dat de -churches go 'way 'case dey leaves off de ordinances of God, although us -has a Bible an' mo' Christian readin' dan ever befo'. - -"My mammy's name was Eliza Rowlets an' my pappy's was Joseph Holmes. My -pappy had de same name as de peoples dat owned him an' my gran'mammy -name was Lucy Holmes. Gran'mammy Holmes lived to be over a hundred years -old, an' she was de fust pusson I ever seed daid. In dem days it tuk -three days to bury a pusson, 'case dey dug de graves as deep as de -corpse was tall. - -"Land sakes a-livin', us had great times, an' I forgot to tell you dat -us had home-made beds wid two sides nailed to de wall an' de mattresses -was made outen wheat straw. - -"As for huntin' I done plenty of it an' one thing I got to git -forgiveness for was when I lef' Virginny, I lef' 'bout fifty or sixty -snares set to cotch rabbits an' birds. - -"My mammy had eight chilluns an' we was raised in pairs. I had a sister -who come along wid me, an' iffen I jumped in de river she done it too. -An' iffen I go th'ough a briar patch, here she come along too. - -"'Bout de fruit; it makes my mouth water to think about dem cheese -apples, dat was yaller lak gold, an' dose Abraham apples, an' de cherry -tree as big as dese oaks here. I's eaten many a big sugar and sweetheart -cherry. But dere was another kind called de Gorilla dat growed as big as -de yaller plums down dis way. Now let me tell you somp'n 'bout Virginny; -'dey had dere laws 'bout drink. Dey had de bes' peach an' cherry brandy -an' mos' any kin' you eber heared of, but dey didn't 'low you to make -drink outten anything you could make bread wid; sich as corn or rye. Us -had our brandy same as you would coffee, 'case it was cold, an' some -mawnin's my pappy would git de brandy out an' my mammy would putt a -little water an' sugar wid it an' gib it to us chilluns. Us neber -thought nothin' 'bout drinkin'. I kinda believes lak dat ole infidel -Ingersoll who said dat anything dat was a custom was dere religion. - -"Now you axed about hog-killin' time? Dat was de time of times. For -weeks de mens would haul wood an' big rocks, an' pile 'em together as -high as dis house, an' den have several piles lak dat 'roun' a big hole -in de groun' what had been filled wid water. Den jus' a little atter -midnight, de boss would blow de ole hawn, an' all de mens would git up -an' git in dem pig pens. Den dey would sot dat pile of wood on fire an' -den start knockin' dem hogs in de haid. Us neber shot a hog lak us does -now; us always used an axe to kill 'em wid. Atter knockin' de hog in de -haid, dey would tie a rope on his leg an' atter de water got to de right -heat, fum dose red-hot rocks de hog would be throwed in an' drug aroun' -a while, den taken out an' cleaned. Atter he was cleaned he was cut up -into sections an' hung up in de smoke house. Lawsie, lady, dey don't -cure meat dese days; dey jus' uses some kind of liquid to brush over it. -We useta have sho' 'nuff meat. - -"Den come cawnshuckin' time. My goodness, I would jus' love to be dar -now. De cawn would be piled up high an' one man would git on dat pile. -It was usually a kinda nigger foreman who could sing an' git de work -outten de niggers. Dis fo'man would sing a verse somp'n lak dis: - - Polk and Clay went to war, - Polk come back wid a broken jaw. - -Den all de niggers would sing back at him wid a kinda shoutin' sound. -Near 'bout all de times de fo'man made up his own songs, by pickin' dem -outen dat shuckin'! It war de jug dat dey brung aroun' eve'y hour. Dat's -de onlyes' time de slaves really got drunk. - -"In dem ole days I went to plenty of dances an' candy pullin's durin' de -Yule season, but I doesn't do dat no mo'. I's a preacher an' when I fus' -lef' Virginny, I come to Georgy an' stayed dar twenty years whar I -kicked up plenty of dus'. I even taught school dar. Den I come to -Alabamy an' lived in Evergreen for 'bout twenty mo' years. Since I been -in Mobile I's worked for sich men as ole Simon, Damrich, an' Van -Antwerp, an' all dere chilluns has been in dese here arms of mine. I's -been a square citizen an' dere hasn't been a time dat I is had to call -on nobody but Uncle Sam when ole man 'pression cotched me. But thank de -Lawd I is still able to git about an' have all my senses 'cep' my -eye-sight, an' it's jus' a little po'ly. I is got all my teeths 'cep' -one, an' my mammy was always proud of my hair. See how silky an' fine it -is? Not quite white, dough. I hope I lives long enough for it to turn -white as snow. I think St. Peter will lak it better dat way." - - *II* - *Personal interview with Joseph Holmes* - *Grand Avenue, Prichard, Alabama* - --_Ila B. Prine, Mobile, Alabama_ - -_TWELVE YEARS 'TWELL I UNDERSTOOD SURRENDER_ - -In the middle of the road near Prichard, an incorporated suburb of -Mobile, stood an aged Negro man, gesticulating as he told a tale of -other days to a small audience. Tall, straight, with gray hair and -mustache, he was a picturesque figure. He does not know whether he was -born in slavery, he said, but he knows his age to be about eighty-one. - -"I doesn't know whether I was a slave, but jes' de same I seed Gineral -Grant's army when hit went th'ough Virginny," he said "Jes' as sho' as -yo' is standin' dar, lady, I seed him, and I seed dem men all dressed in -dem blue suits a-marchin' side by side, gwine down de road pas' our -place. Hit tuk dem three days tuh git pas' our house. - -"An' does I 'member when dem Yankees come tuh Ol' Mistiss house an' tuk -a ladder an' clim' up tuh de roof an' tear de boards outta de ceilin' -tuh git dem big hams an' shoulders dey had hid up dar? I sho' does. De -women folks makes de slaves hide wid de meat; an' when dem Yankees fin' -dat stuff dey jes' gib hit all tuh de niggers, an' I 'members too, how -Ol' Miss calls us all to her atter dey lef' an' tole us dat us was free, -but she tole us dat us hab tuh gib back ob de meat an' 'serves 'case she -didn't hab a bit tuh eat. 'Cose we was glad tuh do hit 'case Ol' Miss -sho' was good tuh her slaves. - -"I 'members ebery Sunday mawnin' dat she made de older slaves bring all -de little niggers up to her big white, two-story house, so she could -read de Bible to us, an' den she gib us plenty dem good biscuits an' -'taters dat she had de cook, Susanne, cook for us. She'd say 'Git 'roun' -dere, Susanne, an' he'p dem li'l niggers plates,' I, railly thought Ol' -Miss was an angel. - -"Talkin 'bout niggers bein' freed, Ol' Miss tole us us was free, but hit -was ten or twelve years atter de Surrender, befo' I knowed whut she was -talkin' 'bout. I was a big boy goin' to school befo' I had any -understanin' as tuh whut she meant. - -"Ol' Miss taught de niggers how to read an' write, an' some ob dem got -to be too 'ficient wid de writin', 'case dey larn how tuh write too many -passes so de pattyrollers wudn't git dem. Dat was de onliest time I -ebber knowed Ol' Miss tuh hab de slaves punished. - -"Ol' Miss nebber 'lowed no mistreatin' de slaves, case dey was raisin' -slaves for de market, an' hit wouldn't be good business to mistreat 'em. -Lor' mah white folks was rich; dey had as many as five or six hundred -niggers, men, women and chillun. De plantation was big but I don't -'member how many acres I does 'member de cabins was all built in rows, -an' streets was laid out 'tween de cabins. De chimbeys was built outta -dirt an' sticks, an' sticks, an' yo' know up in Virginny hit got -turrible cold an' de snow would pile up, so when de cabins was built, de -men th'owed dirt up under de house to keep de snow an' cold out. Yo' -might think dat dirt would wash out from under de house, but hit didn't. -Hit jes' made dem so warm an' com'fo'ble we did'nt suffer. - -"Dat was de way wid de white folks den; dey didn't do no whippin' an' -mistreatin' ob de slaves. Oh, once in a while Ol' Miss might slap de -cook's face an' tell her tuh bear down 'roun' dere, an' if she wanted de -servin' boys to hurry, she would say 'Cutch hit,' meanin' fer dem to cut -some steps an' git 'bout in a hurry. - -"I's de ol'est rat in de pon', an' 'case I ain't hung in de smokehouse, -folks think I's not as ol' as I says I is, but chile, I's been heah. I -'members how Sam useta to preach to us, when we was at Ol' Miss's place, -an' when I growed up, I 'members how I useta think nobody was a -Christian 'ceptin' us Baptists, but I knows better now. An' de longer I -lib de mo' I realize dat de chu'ches go away 'case dey leabes off de -ordinances ob God, 'tho us has got de Bible an' mo' Christian -litterchoor dan eber befo'. - -"My ma's name was 'Liza Rowlets, an' mah daddy's name was Joseph Holmes. -My daddy had de same name as de people whut owned him, an' my gran'ma's -name was Lucy Holmes. Gran'ma Lucy libed to be a hundred yeahs old, an' -she was de fust pusson I ebber seed daid. Hit tuk three days tuh bu'y a -pusson den, 'case dey dug de graves as deep as yo' is tall, which means -mo' than five feet deep. Lor' sakes a-livin' us had great times. I -forgot tuh tell yo' dat us had home-made beds wid two sides nailed tuh -de wall, an' de mattresses was made outta wheat straw. Dat's 'minds me -dat dere wa'n't no pore cattle in dem times, 'case yo' could go whar dey -thresh de wheat an' git all de straw yo' wanted an' feed de dry cattle -on hit. An' you wouldn't believe de fruit us did hab! Yo don't nebber -see de like down dis way. Sich as apples, cherries, quinces, peaches an' -pears. - -"As fer huntin', I done plenty of it, an' one thing I got to git -forgiveness fer was when I lef' Virginny, I lef' 'bout sixty or seventy -snares set to ketch rabbits an' birds. - -"My ma had eight chillun an' we was raised in pairs. I had a sister who -come along wid me, an' if I jumped in de ribber tuh swim, she did hit -too; if I clum' a tree, or went th'ough a briar patch, she done hit -right behin' me. Ma wanted to know why her clo's was so tore up, an' -when dey was pretty, we'd make hit right wid Ma by havin' a rabbit or -coon wid us, an' sometimes a mud turtle. An' as fer 'possums an' coons, -us ketch dem in plenty. - -"'Bout de fruit, hit makes mah mouf watah tuh think 'bout dem cheese -apples dat was yaller lac' gold, an' dose Abraham apples de lack of -which ain't now to be had. An' dose cherry trees as big as dese oaks, -wid long limbs an' big sugar an' sweetheart, an' black heart cherries. -Den dere was annudder kin' of cherry called de gorilla, dat was roun' -an' growed as big as de yaller plums down dis way. - -"Now, let me tell yo' sumpin' 'bout Virginny. Hit had hits own law 'bout -drink. Dey made de bes' peach an' cherry brandy an' mos' any kin' yo' -ebber heerd ob, 'ceptin' dey didn't 'low yo' to make drink out ob -anythin' you could make into bread. Now yo' understan's, sich as corn -and rye. - -"Us had our brandy same as yo' would coffee, 'case hit was cold an' some -mawnin's us would git up an' de snow would be halfway up de do', an' de -men would hab to ditch hit out, so us could git out of de house. On dem -rail cold mawnin's my daddy would git de brandy out an' my ma wud put a -li'l water an' sugar wid hit an gib to us chillun. An' den she'd take -some in her mouf' an' put hit in de baby's mouf an' hit wud open hits -eyes an' stamp hits foot rail peart lack. - -"Us nebber thought nothin' of drinkin'. I kinda believes lack dat ol' -infidel, Ingersoll, who said dat anythin' dat was de custom, was de -religion. - -"Folks was a heap kinder-hearted den dey is now, 'case dey kep' big dogs -to hunt up people los' in de snow. Dey all seemed mo' happy 'case dey -was all busy. At night instid of wastin' dey time, dey wud go tuh de big -house an' spin an' weave an' make clo's. - -"I kin hyar dat ol' loom hummin' now, an' see great cards ob cloth -comin' out, an' dem was clo's den dat was made from hit. Hit tuck fire -tuh git dem offen' yo' dey was so strong. I doesn't 'member whut dey -used fer dye, but I knows dey used copperas as sizin' to hol' de colors. -Some of de cloth was dyed red, blue an' black. I jes' can't 'member -'bout de dye, but dey used copperas. 'Dat was the qualification of de -intelligence ob de primitive age', in usin' dat copperas. Dey not only -made our clo's, but also made out hats. Of co'se dey wa'n't very hatty, -but was mo' cappy. Dey made 'em wid tabs ober de ears, an' to tie under -de chin, an' was dey warm, I'll say! - -"Now, when yo' axes 'bout hawg killin' time, dat was de time! Fer weeks -de men would haul wood and big rocks, an' pile hit all together as high -as dat house; den hab sev'ral piles like dese 'roun' a big hole in de -groun' whut had been filled wid watah. Den jes' a li'l atter mid-night -de boss would blow de ol' horn, an' all de men would git up an' git in -dem hog pens. Den dey would set dat pile of wood on fire, an' den start -knockin' dem hawgs in de haid. Us nebber shot a hawg like dey does now. -Us allus used an ax to kill 'em wid. - -"Atter knockin' de hawg in de haid, dey would tie a rope on hits leg, an -atter de water got to de right heat from dose red hot rocks whut had -been pushed out ob dat pile ob nu'in wood into de watah, dey wud th'ow -de hog in an' drag hit aroun' awhile, an' take him out an' hab him clean -in 'bout three pair o' minutes. Atter he was clean dey hung him up, an' -den later cut him up an' hung him in de smoke house, an' smoke him wid -great oak logs. Huh, dey don't cu'ah meat now, dey jes' use sum kinda -brush an' liquid, but dey don't hab meat lack us did. - -"Den come co'shuckin' time. Mah goodness, I jes' would love to be dere -now. De co'n would be piled up high an' one man would git on dat pile. -Hit usually was one who was kinda niggah fo'man dat could sing an' get -de wuck out of de odder niggers. Dis fo'man would sing a verse somethin' -lack dis: - - Polk an' Clay went to War, - An' Polk come back wid a broken jar. - -"Den all de niggers would sing back to him, an' hallo, a kinder shoutin' -soun'. Ginerally dis fo'man made up his songs by pickin' dem up from -whut he had heard white folks tell of wars. But Miss yo' know whut was -de motor powah of dat co'n shuckin'? Hit was de ol' jug dat was brung -'roun' ebery hour. Dat's de onliest time any ob de slaves railly got -drunk. - -"I wish I could 'member dose ol' songs, but all dat hallo done lef' me, -'case de onliest singin' I hears now is de good ol' sisters singin' an' -sayin' 'Amen.' - -"In days gone by I went to plenty of dances an' candy pullin's but I -doesn't do dat any mo'. I's a preacher, an' when I fu'st lef' Virginny I -come to Georgia an' stayed dere twenty yeahs, an' I kicked up a plenty -of dust in Georgia. I eben taught school an' built a plenty of chu'ches -dere. Den I come on to Alabammy, an' libed in Evergreen fo' about twenty -mo' yeahs, an' I built a two-story brick chu'ch dere. Since I's been in -Mobile I's wu'ked by dat Bienville Squah for twenty-eight years, for -sich men as ol' man Simon, Damrich, an' Van Antwerp, an' all dere -chillun has been in dese arms. I's been a squah citizen an' dere hasn't -been but one time in mah life I's had to call on anybody, an' dat was -when I had tuh call on Uncle Sam when ol' man Depression got me. But -thank God I's still able to be 'bout an' have all my faculties, 'ceptin' -my eyesight is a li'l porely. I still has all mah teeth, 'ceptin' one, -an' my ma allus tuck pride in mah haih, yo' see how fine an' silky hit -is, an' hit ain't snow white yit. Dere is one thing to be thankful fer. -Dat is 'case I's so near home." - - - - -Josh Horn - - - *Interview with Josh Horn* - --_Ruby Pickens Tartt, Livingston, Alabama_ - -_CHASING GUINEA JIM, THE RUNAWAY SLAVE_ - -Seven miles East from Livingston on State Road No. 80, thence Left two -miles via a dim road through the woods to a cultivated section, the -beginning of a large plantation area, stands the old-timey cabin of Josh -Horn, a well known and influential figure in the colored community. -Vigorous and active despite his more than 80 years, Josh exemplifies the -gentleness with which time deals with those dwelling in a healthful spot -and living the simple lives of a rural people. I found him nodding on -his front steps. - -"Josh," I said, "I've come to get you to tell me some old war-time -stories, and I want to ask you some questions about you and Alice and -how you-all are getting along. I just want to know all about you and -your family as far back as you can remember." - -"All right, Miss Ruby, I's glad to tell you what I knows," said Josh, -"and it ain't gonna be a lot of fibbin', but jes' lak everything was. -I's telling you lak you axed me. - -"Now, 'bout how us is getting along. I's telling you de troof, ef I was -took 'fore God, I'd say jes' lak I's saying now, ef my chillun ever et a -moufful dat wasn't honest, dey et it somewhar else, 'ca'se I ain't ever -stole a moufful somepin' t'eat for 'em in all my life. It's honest -vittles dey et, and varmints I's killed in de woods, 'ca'se us raised -chillun fast, and us had a heap of 'em, sixteen, if I 'members right, -and soon's I found out dat I could help feed 'em dat way, I done a heap -of hunting. And everybody knows I's a good hunter. Alice used to make me -go every Friday night; den us always had a 'possum or two for Sunday." - -"Why," I asked, "didn't you go Saturday night?" - -"Well, I'll tell you," Josh said, "Alice is a good Christian woman, and -she knowed I'd hunt mighty nigh all night, and she didn't want nobody -see me coming in Sunday morning wid no gun and no dogs; so I went every -Friday night and went in de week too, and dat holp a lot to feed de -chillun. I don't owe nobody, not a nickel. - -"I lak to got in debt, when de Government come in and tried to help us -wid dat cotton doings. Dey cut it down so on me, tell I couldn't make -nothing; but I's getting on all right now, and so is my chillun. Us is -got fourteen living, and dey's all been to school, but ain't but one -been to Booker Washington's school, but dey kin all read and write, and -some of 'em teaching school out here in de country. De doctor, he come -clear out here to see us, 'ca'se I always pays him. He jes' here wid -Alice last night. It's nine mile and two of dem's back here in de woods -through Marse Johnnie's place, but he come when us went atter him 'bout -midnight, and dat's a comfort to know he come." - -I asked, what was the matter with Alice. - -"Well, I'll tell you, Miss Ruby. She was back dere wid me in de kitchen, -and I got through eating and I come out and set down in de swinger to -git some air. De moon was shining, and Alice come out, saying loud as -she could: 'Who is you? Who is you?' De chillun run to her wid a lamp -and I run, and 'twan't nobody dere. Well, Alice said 'twas a big man -standing right 'side her dressed in black, and she called it Death. Us -couldn't do nothing wid her, and she didn't know nobody, me nor de -chillun, so I went to Livingston atter Dr. McCain, and he come and set -wid her 'bout a hour. He said 'twas de 'cute 'digestion or somepin' lak -dat. I knowed 'twan't no sperrit; I don't b'lieve in nothing lak dat." - -"Well," I said, "I don't know, Josh, I've been hearing some ghost tales -that freeze the blood in my veins." - -"Yassum," said Josh, "if you wants to hear ghost tales, I kin sho tell -'em, ca'se I seed dis here wid my own eyes. 'Tain't no made-up nothing, -needer; jes' somepin' I seed jes' lak I tells you. - -"Green Hale and Isham Mathews b'longed to New Hope church, and de -Reverend Bird Hall pastored dere. Dey axed me down to hear him preach -one night, and us three, me and Green and Isham, was riding along side -and side. I's riding a mule, but it was a fast mule, and Green couldn't -keep up, en Isham said: 'Somebody been hunting.' I looked up and 'twas a -sapling right 'cross de road. He said, 'Fellow oughten leave nothing lak -dat. When de moon git low, it hit him in de face.' De moon was straight -up and down den, and I said: 'Dat's right', and I's telling you de -troof, dat sapling jes' riz up, turned aroun' in de air, en de brush -part tickled my mule and Isham's hoss in de face. If you ever seed 'em -buck and rare and jump up, dey sho did. Den dey took off down de road, -and we didn't hold 'em back, and here come Green. We lef' him behind, -'cause his mule couldn't keep up. If you ever heard a man pray more -earnester dan old Green, I ain't! He come down de road a-yelling: 'Lord, -us live togedder, let us die togedder.' He meant for us to wait on him, -but I couldn't hold dat mule, and I wan't trying to hold him! I was -gitting away from dar! - -"When us come togedder, us was a mile from whar us done been, den us had -to decide what to do. Isham said for us to go wid him, and Green said -no, us nearer to his house; but us wan't near to nobody and I was so -scared, hadn't been for Alice, I'd a jes' stayed right whar us was 'tell -sun-up. I said, 'No, every man better take keer his own self,' en us -did. When I got home, I didn't take nothing off dat mule but myself. I -jes' left him standing at de do' wid de saddle on. What skeered Green -so, was a man, he said, what was ridin' right 'side him en didn't have -no head! 'Twas a good thing he didn't tell me dat den, I'd jes' nacherly -drap dead! - -"No'm, I don't 'zackly believes in ghosties, but I heared Mr. Marshall -Lee say he was riding on home one night and a woman stepped out in de -road and say: 'Marshall, let me ride.' He say: 'My hoss won't tote -double.' She say: 'Yes it will,' and she jump up behind him, and dat -hoss bucked and jumped nigh 'bout from under him, but when he got home, -she wan't dere. He say, his sister had jes' died and it mout been her. - -"'Nother time, one Friday night, Alice say us better git a 'possum for -Sunday. She say she didn't want none caught atter midnight on Sadday. I -went down whar I knowed dey was 'simmons, and dem dogs never treed -nothing; dey jes' run 'round dat 'simmon tree lak dey gone crazy. I'm -telling you de troof, somepin' jump outer dat tree, had a head back'erds -and for'erds and look lak a flame shooting out it eyes! 'Twan't lak no -possum I ever seed, 'twan't lak nothing. Dem dogs, Liz and Roger en -Cuba, made a bluge at me. Cotton was waist high, and I run down de -cotton row and cross de road and dey trail me. I say: 'What ail you, -dogs?' And dey jes' come on a-barkin', and dey run me to de bridge over -Konkabyer. So I clumb on de banisters. I seed dey had my trail an dey -gonna ketch me, so I turn 'round and tore out for de slough. Dey lost my -trail dere and when I got home, 'bout daylight, de thorns and de briars -and all done tore my clothes plum off me. 'Twas t'ree days 'fore I ever -seed dem dogs ag'in. - -"And I kin tell you somepin' else. It's jes' lak I say, I's always been -a hunter, en one night I went down in de post oak woods hunting by -myself. Dis is a fact; 'tain't no lie. It's what I done. I had a mighty -good dog, and I jes' kept walking and walking, and I got mighty nigh to -Mr. Redhead Jim Lee's place, and I walked on and atter while I seed I'd -lost my dog. I couldn't see him nowhar and I couldn't hear him nowhar, -and den somepin' say to me, jes' lak dis: 'Josh, blow your horn!' Jes' -lak dat, lak somebody talking to me. Well I give three loud, long blows -and set dere awhile longer but dat dog didn't come. Co'se I knowed he'd -come sometime, and so I jes' set dere on dat log and I jes' turned a -fool, I reckon, but 'twas jes' lak somebody talking to me, lak it -'peared to me was whispering: 'Josh, you out here in dese woods by -yo'self. You blowed dat horn and your enemy heard you. You's a fool, you -is.' And I whispered back: 'Dat's a fact.' I couldn't hear what it was -a-whispering to me, but us jes' talk back to one 'nuther, and 'bout dat -time I look up and here come three men ridin' on new saddles wid shiny -buckles gwine, 'squeechy, squeechy', jes' lak dat. I hears de hosses -feed jes' as nachel as could be. I thought sho I seed 'em, and it 'pears -to look clean outer reason, but dem men come riding right on up to me, -and I jump over dat log and lay down flat on de other side, and it look -lak I could see right through dat log and heard 'em say: 'Dar he is, dar -he is', and I seed 'em p'inting dey finger right whar I was. I knowed -dem hosses gwineter step over de log on top me, and I's telling you de -troof, I jump up from 'hind dat log and run 'bout two miles, and if it -hadn't been for dat slough, I don't know whar I'd a went. I come to -myself in de middle of dat water, up to hyar, waist high, and dar was my -dog, old Cuba, done treed a 'possum. - -"De fust thing I 'members 'bout slave'y time, I wan't nothing but a boy, -'bout fifteen I reckon, dat's what Marse Johnnie Horn say. Us belong to -Marse Ike Horn, Marse Johnnie's pa, right here on dis place whar us is -now, but dis here didn't belong to me den, dis here was all Marse Ike's -place. Marse Ike's gin got outer fix and we couldn't get it fixed. -Colonel Lee had two gins and one of 'em was jes' below old Turner house. -Recolleck a big old hickory tree? Well dar's whar it was. - -"I was plenty big 'nough to drive de mules to de gin. Set on de lever -and drive 'em, jes lak a 'lasses mill, so dat night Marse Ike told us he -want everybody go wid him to Colonel Lee's gin nex' morning, and didn't -want nobody to git out and go ahead of him. Dat held up de ginning; made -us not go to de ginhouse tell sunup. - -"Us got de mules and jes' waited. 'Twixt daylight and sunup, us all -standing dar at de gate and we heared a little fine horn up de road. Us -didn't know what it meant coming to de house. And bimeby Mr. Beesley, -what live not fur from Marse Ike, he rode up and had five dogs, five -nigger dogs, what dey call 'em, and soon as he come, Marse Ike's hoss -was saddled up and Marse Ike and him rode off down de road and de dogs -wid em, 'head of us. Us followed 'long behind 'em, stay close as dey -'low us, to see what dey was up to. When dey got close to de ginhouse, -ginhouse right 'side de road, dey stop us and Mr. Beesley told old Brown -to go ahead. Old Brown was de lead dog and had a bell on him and dey was -fasten togedder wid a rod, jes' lak steers. He turn 'em loose, and den -he popped de whip and hollered at old Brown and told him 'nigger'. Old -Brown hollered lak he hit. He want to go. And dey was a fence on bofe -sides made it a lane, so he put old Brown over de fence on de ginhouse -side, and told Brown to 'go ahead'. He went ahead and run all aroun' de -ginhouse and dey let him in de gin-room and he grabbled in de cottonseed -in a hole. - -"Den somebody holler 'Guinea Jim', I looks and I didn't see him. Didn't -nobody see him, but dey know dat's whar he been hiding. Mr. Beesley told -old Brown he jes' fooling him, and Old Brown holler ag'in, lak he -killing him, and Mr. Beesley say: 'Go git dat nigger' and old Brown -started 'way from dar lak he hadn't been hunting nothing, but he went -aroun' and aroun' dat gin and Mr. Beesley told him he hatter do better -dan dat or he'd kill him, 'cause he hadn't come dar for nothing. - -"Brown made a circle aroun' dat gin 'way down to de fence dat time, and -he was so fat he couldn't git through de fence. You know what sort of -fence, a rail fence it was. Den he stop and bark for help. Now I seed -dis wid my own eyes. Dey put Brown on top de fence and he jump way out -in de road, didn't stay on de fence. He jump and run up and down in de -road, and couldn't find no scent of Jim. You knows how dey used to make -dem rail fences? - -"Well, Brown come back dar, and dis is de trufe, so help me Gawd. He -bark, look lak, for dem to lift him back up on de fence, and bless God, -if dat dog didn't walk dat rail fence lak he walking a log, as fur as -from here to dat gate yonder, and track Jim jes' lak he was on de -groun'. He fell off once, and dey had to put him back, and he run his -track right on to whar Jim jumped off de fence way out in de road. Old -Brown run right cross de road to de other fence and treed ag'in on -t'other side de road toward Konkabia. Old Brown walk de fence on dat -side de road a good piece, jes' lak he done on de other side, and dem -other dogs, he hadn't never turned dem loose. - -"When Brown he jump off dat fence, he jump jes' as fur as he kin on de -fiel' side, lak he gwine ketch Jim lak a gnat or somepin' and he never -stop barking no more, jes' lak he jumping a rabbit. Den, Mr. Beesley -turn dem other dogs loose dat he hadn't never turned loose, 'ca'se he -say old Brown done got de thing straight. And he had it straight. Dem -dogs run dat track right on down to Konkabia and crossed it to de -Blacksher side. Dey was a big old straw field dar den and dey cross it -and come on through dat field, all dem dogs barkin' jes' lak dey looking -at Jim. 'Reckley, dey come up on Jim running wid a pine brush tied -behind him to drag his scent away, but it didn't bother old Brown. - -"When dem dogs 'gin to push him, Jim drap de brush and runned back -toward Konkabia. Now on Konkabia dere used to be beavers worse den on -Sucarnatchee now. Dey was a big beaver dam 'twixt de bridge and de Hale -place, and Jim run to dat beaver dam. You know when beavers build dey -dam, dey cut down trees and let 'em fall in de creek, and pull in trash -en brush same as folks, to dam de water up dar tell its knee-deep. De -dogs seen him, old Brown looking at him, jes' 'fore he jump in 'bove de -dam right 'mongst de trash and things dey'd drug in dar. Brown seed him -and he jump in right behind him. Jim jes' dive down under de raff, en -let he nose stick outer de water. Every once in a while Jim he put he -head down under, he holding to a pole down dar, and once Mr. Beesley -seed him, he jes' let him stay dar. - -"Brown would swim 'bout 'mongst de brush, backerds and for'erds, and -terreckly Mr. Beesley tole old Brown, 'Go git him.' Den all de men got -poles and dug 'bout in de raff hunting him. Dey knowed he was dar, en -Marse Ike had a pole giggen aroun' trying to find him too. Den he told -Mr. Beesley to give him de hatchet and let him fix he pole. He sharpen -de pole right sharp, den Marse Ike start to jug aroun' wid de pole, and -he kinder laugh to hisse'f, 'ca'se he knowed he done found Jim. 'Bout -dat time Jim poke he head up and say: 'Dis here me', and everybody -holler. Den he ax 'em please, for God's sake, don't let dem dogs git -him. Dey told him come on out. - -"You see, Jim belonged to Miss Mary Lee, Mr. John Lee's Ma, and his Pa -was kilt in de war, so Mr. Beesley was looking out for her. Well, dey -took Jim outer dar, and Mr. Beesley whipped him a little and told him: -'Jim, you put up a pretty good fight and I's gwine to give you a start -for a run wid de dogs.' - -"Jim took out towards Miss Mary's, and Mr. Beesley helt old Brown as -long as he could. Dey caught Jim and bit him right smart. You see dey -had to let em bite him a little to satisfy de dogs. Jim could have made -it, 'cept he was all hot and wore out. - -"Dat's 'bout all I knows, 'cept us belonged to Marse Ike Horn, and fust -us belonged to Mr. Price Williams, what run de hotel in Livingston. He -took my gran'ma to Mobile, den he died. Us Ma belonged to dey two -chillun, Miss Nancy Gulley, Mr. Jake's wife, en Miss Burt Blakeney. -Marse Ike Horn was dey uncle, and us all come 'round to him, and us been -here ever since. My mammy was Ann Campbell, and my pappy was John Horn, -and us ain't never had no trouble wid nobody 'bout nothing. - -"We's having a barbecue on de fo'th of July and us wants you to come -down to it, if Alice gits along well, and I's gwine tell you 'bout Rod -and Big John, and John Graverson when dey runned away and about how old -man Jim Devers, Alice's step-pa, hid em in de cave under he house whar -dey had as nice hams as I ever et, co'se a little tainted, but sho was -good. Dem niggers was fat as beavers, jes' settin' dar eatin' dat meat. - -"And 'bout de time Marse Ike slip up on a heap of niggers at a frolic -'twixt Sumterville and Livingston and put a end to de frolic. De niggers -having a big dance, and Marse Ike and de patterrollers having a big run, -said dey wanted to have some fun, and dey did. Said he eased up on 'em -wid a white sheet 'round him and a big brush in he hand, and somehow or -'nother, dey didn't see him tell he spoke. Den he holler 'By God, I'm -bird-blinding,' and he say dem niggers tore down dem dirt chimleys and -run t'rough dat house. He say he ain't never heerd sich a fuss in a corn -field in his born days. What he mean 'bout bird-blindin'? When you goes -in de canebrake it so thick, you takes a light to shine de bird's eyes -and blind 'em, den you kin ketch 'em. Dat what he call bird-blindin'. -Yassum, Marse Ike in dat too. He couldn't stand for 'em to have no fun -'thout he in it. - -"Come back on de fo'th of July, and I's gwine tell you some sho-nuff -tales. You sort of caught me when my min' wa'n't zackly on it. I ain't -had no sleep, jes' settin' 'side de bed by Alice, ketching a nod now and -den. I's too sleepy to sing you no song, but one I laks is dis: It suits -me now in my age: - - My lates' sun is sinking fas' - My race in nearly run, - My strongs' trial now is pas', - My triump' jes' begun. - -"You come back and I'll sing de res', I's got to see 'bout things now." - - - - -Emma L. Howard - - - *Interview with Emma L. Howard* - --_Margaret Fowler, Fruithurst, Alabama_ - -_IS MASSA GWIN'ER SELL US?_ - - "Mammy, is Ol' Massa gwin'er sell us tomorrow? - Yes, my chile. - Whar he gwin'er sell us? - 'Way down South in Georgia." - -'Aunt' Emma L. Howard sat in a huge, old-fashioned rocking chair at her -home, 170 Elmwood St., Montgomery, and sang the old slave song. When she -had finished, her memory recalled the time, years ago, when she was a -slave on the plantation of William and Georgiana Shepherd in Lowndes -County, between Mac's Switch and Morgansville. - -"Dat was one of de saddest songs we sung endurin' slavery days," she -mused. "It always did make me cry." - -She thought a moment, smiled. - -"I 'members I was de only light nigger in de fambly," she said proudly. -"I was brung up in de house wid de white chillun. Twice a week I went to -my mammy's cabin an' took a bath. I had my own sof' shoes an' my own -nightgown an' jacket an' played games wid my massa's chilluns." - -She explained her duties about the Big House as sweeping the rambling -porches and yards. Sometimes she churned. Afterward she would join the -white children and played most of the day. - -"We played hot-scotch, ring-'roun'-the-rosy an' lots of yuther things I -can't 'member," she explained. "I musta been 'bout seven years old den." - -Emma says she is 84 or 85, but she looks older. She remembers very -little about her brothers and sisters. She can only recall "Sist' -Cellie, Sist' Harriett an' Sist' Liza." Liza helped Aunt Evalina in the -kitchen. - -Emma lifted her eyes toward the ceiling, endeavoring to recall the exact -number of servants her master owned. - -"Edie was de laundress," she recalled, "an' Arrie, she was de weaver. -Den dere was Becky, Melia, Aunt Mary, Ed, John, and Uncle George the -house man, who married Aunt Evalina. Jake was de over-looker (overseer). -He was a great, big cullud man. Dar was more, but I can't 'member. I was -jes' a little shaver den." - -She remembers that the Big House was huge and white with a beautiful -parlor and guest room, where the visitors were entertained. Gigantic -white columns rose in front of the house, and clusters of magnolias -surrounded it. The slave houses were located about two hundred yards -back of the house. - -"Massa Shepherd an' Mistis Georgiana was both good an' treated de -servants kin'," Emma said. "I 'members dat I used to keep de flies offen -Mistis Georgiana wid a big fan, an' once I went to sleep. She jest laugh -when she foun' me sleepin' dar beside her. - -"Massa would only whup a slave fer two things," she recalled. "One thing -was if things warn't done up jes' right at hog killin' time, and de -other was iffen a nigger warn't clean when he 'ported for work on Monday -mornin's. Ol' Massa didn't do de whuppin's hisse'f. Jake did it, but -Massa sat dar on his horse to see dat only a certain number of licks was -give. - -"How did we feel 'bout a white man who would be over-looker? We called -him 'po white trash.' He wasn't thought much of by anybody." - -Emma said that everyone went to church on Sundays and that she liked to -sing the old religious hymns. When freedom came all the Shepherd -servants had been taught to read and write, she said, and each family -had enough money to buy a little home. "De Marster" would make each -family keep pigs, hens and such; then he would market the products and -place the money aside for them, Emma explained. - -Talking further about work about the plantation, she said: - -"Louisa cleaned de parlor an' kept Mistis' room nice." She took up a -recital of work on the plantation. "Atter dat she didn't do anything but -sew, an' Sist' Liza hoped her wid dat. After de weavin', we done sewin', -and it took a lot of sewin' for dat family. Eve'body had two Sunday -dresses, summer and winter, as well as clothes for eve'day. - -"For de men's suits de wool had to be took off an' carded an' got ready -to make. But we had plenty of wool from our own sheep. - -"When dey kilt de hogs for winter meat, dey took some of de hands out of -de field an' let dem ho'p. We had a smokehouse full of hams and -middlin's, an' when rainy spells came, us chillun would rake up chips -an' leaves an' make a smudge of smoke to keep de meat sweet. - -"Massa Shepherd and Miss Georgiana was both mighty kin' hearted an' -treated their servants good. Once when Marse Shepherd sent us chilluns -down to de station wid a note, he say, 'Now, go fas'.' But we played -'long the way an' picked flowers. When we come steppin' back, he say, 'I -told you to hurry.' I held out de flowers an' say, 'See, us brung you -some flowers;' but he take up a little switch an' nettle my legs good. - -"Massa always give us plenty of eve'thing. On Friday us worked an' -washed, an' on Sattidy us cleaned for Sunday. Den on Sunday Massa would -go 'roun' an' have a mouthful at every house to see dat eve'thing was -done up jes' right, an' if they wasn't, somebody got a whuppin' next -day. - -"When us went to church on Sunday, Massa Shepherd, Miss Georgiana an' us -three chilluns rode in de rock-a-way. Dat was a carriage shaped mos' -like a bowl. De carriage was pulled by two big horses, an' de coachman -what sat up on de high seat had on a long double-breasted coat, shiny -black boots an' a tall silk hat. Massa had on a silk hat, too, but he -wore a tight-waisted coat. An' Miss Georgiana, she look lak a bokay. - -[Illustration: _Emma L. Howard, Montgomery, Alabama_] - -"She didn't lak to wear hoops, because she had sprained her ankle once -an' walked wid a limp. She liked to wear thin, cool, flowery dresses wid -lots of ruffles an' lace. She also wore a scoop of white straw, mighty -sof' over de years' an' flarin' high an' spreadin' over de face. It was -filled wid flowers an' tied wid long streamers of ribbon." - -Emma said that Mr. Shepherd died during the second year of the war, and -that it was whispered he was poisoned because he was so good to his -niggers. "Just before the war closed," she said, "Mrs. Shepherd married -again and later moved to Texas. - -"I was took on as a cook by a rich family named Marchiel, in -Montgomery," she said. "Dey treated me lak I was deir own daughter. I -was 'lowed to go out three nights a week, but no more, an' I had to be -home by 'leven o'clock. - -"I got engaged to be married an' de boy had to ax for me. I 'member dat -Massa Marchiel say: 'If you don't take good care of her I'll take her -back.' When de younges' daughter married she lef' me her veil an' -wreath, an' dey give me a weddin' dress an' shoes. - -"My husban' was a carpenter, an' we lived in dis house. When he died, I -went to work for a family dat once was de richest family in de State. -Dey comes to see me every few days, an' nex' week dey are comin' for me -to spen' de day wid dem. De reason I has stayed so well is dat folks has -always been so good to me." - - - - -Everett Ingram - - - *Interview with Everett Ingram* - --_Preston Klein, Opelika, Alabama_ - -_MY GRANDMA RAISED PLENTY CHILLUNS_ - -Uncle Everett Ingram mused: "Honey chile, my gran'mammy was de beatenest -woman to have chilluns dat you ever seen. I has hyared dat she raised so -many of dem dat she brung a mighty heap on de block; somewhere near a -thousan' dollars." - -Uncle Everett is a familiar figure in East Opelika, where he has lived -for years. He was "a right good-sized scamp at freedom time" and -remembers much of what he has seen and heard. He was born in Russell -County, the son of Prince and Fanny Ingram. They had seven other -children; Jerry, Clara, Rubin, Jep, Lula, Eugene and Lucy. - -Everett says of his life: - -"Our house in de slave settlement was made of logs an' had one room. It -had a mud an' stick chimney, a plank floor an' a boxed-up bed wid one -leg at de foot. De mattress was stuffed wid shucks an' straw. - -"My gran'pappy, Prince Walden, an' Lucy, his wife, come from Russell -County, too, an' belonged to de Covingtons. Later dey was sold to Dr. -Walden, at Uchie. When dey come to Uchie de county was full of Indians. -My gran'pappy useta drink likker wid 'em; but gran'ma, she was skeered -an' runned away to Columbus, Georgy. On her way dere, my mammy was -borned in de woods. - -"I 'members dat when I was a strip of a boy, dey cooked ash-cake on -leaves an' de chilluns et pot-licker an' bread an' greens outen wooden -trays wid wooden spoons. Dey would sit under de trees an' eat. Each -family had dey own bowl, an' us et a-plenty, too. In cold weather mammy -kept all de chilluns in de house by de fire. - -"Master had us a two-room house, 'ca'se my mammy was de cook an' weaver. -Dey made dey own silk den, too, an' raised de silk worms. Us useta get -mulberry leaves to feed de silk worms wid. Us used indigo, which us -cooked an' used for dye. Us would wear any kind of clothes on everyday -an' Sunday; an' didn't have no shoes 'til us was big chilluns. - -"Ol' Marster an' Ol' Mistus, Mr. Bill an' Miss Lucy Ingram, lived in a -big weather-boarded house wid a wide hall an' a chimney at each end. De -kitchen was off from de rest of de house. - -"I 'members dat de overseer useta whip mammy an' pappy, 'ca'se dey fight -so much. He useta take my mammy to de carriage to whip her. Marster was -in de war den. When he come home, de overseer tuk mammy by de han' to de -house an' tell Marster 'bout havin' to whip her. He'd jest shake his -head, sad-lak. He was mighty good to all of us. - -"My gran'pappy was put in de speculator drove, put on de block an' sold. - -"I 'members dat Mistus read de Bible to us an' my mammy was converted by -de white preacher. He baptized her. De colored folks used de white -church an' set in de back. - -"An' honey, dey shorely did have good times dancin' on Sattidy nights; -an' sometimes dey would dance 'till Sunday mornin'. When de corn needed -shuckln', it was hauled up near de crib, an' on a purty moonlighted -night Marster would pass 'roun' de likker. It wouldn't be long 'til dey -was all happy an' had what dey called a general. De general led all de -hollers an' songs. Dey shorely did get dat corn shucked fast, too. - -"Gran'mammy was a great doctor; useta give us turpentine an' castor oil -an' Jerusalem oak fer worms. She'd give us all kinds of teas, too. I -'members dat gran'mammy was also a midwife. - -[Illustration: _Everett Ingram, Opelika, Alabama_] - -"De Yankees comed through de yard in May an' tol' us: 'You's free.' De -Yankees wasn't so good. Dey hung my mammy up in de smokehouse by her -thumbs; tips of her toes jest touchin' de floor, 'ca'se she wouldn't -'gree to give up her older chilluns. She never did, neither. - -"Daddy stole both de older chilluns, dough, an' went off. De Yankees -stole provisions an' stock an' hauled 'em off. De news got to Uchie an' -everybody hid out; Marster wid 'em. Dey hunted de money whut was hid in -de colored folks beds; nearly $2,000. De jewelry was dere, too. Dey -foun' some money at de big house an' said: 'Dis money ain't worth a -damn;' but dey tuk it jest de same. - -"I married Hattie Graves. Den I j'ined de church an' was saved." - - - - -Hannah Irwin - - - *Interview with Hannah Irwin* - --_Gertha Couric, [HW: Eufaula?]_ - -_KU KLUX RIDES WHEN DE NIGGERS STARTS TROUBLE_ - -On a high knoll overlooking the winding Chewalla Creek is a little one -room shack. Its rusty hinges and weather-beaten boards have seen many a -glowing sunset; have stood against many high winds and rains; they have -for many years sheltered Aunt Hannah Irwin, ex-slave. Now the old Negro -woman is too old and feeble to venture very often from her small home. -She lives almost in solitude with her memories of the past, and an -occasional visit from one of her old friends who perhaps brings her some -fruit or a little money. - -"Yas'm, I'll be pleased to tell you 'bout whut I remembers aroun' de -time of de War." Aunt Hannah sat stolidly in a chair that virtually -groaned under her weight; and gave utterance to this sentiment through a -large thick mouth, while her gold ear rings shook with every turn of her -head, and her dim eyes glowed with memory's fires. "Dere ain't much I -can tell you, dough," she went on, "kaze I was only twelve years old -when de war ended. - -"I was bawn on Marse Bennett's plantation near Louisville, Alabama. Ma -Mammy's name was Hester an' my pappy was named Sam. - -"I remembers one night raght atter de war when de re'struction was -a-goin' on. Dere was some niggers not far fum our place dat said dey was -agoin' to take some lan' dat warn't deres. Dere massa had been kilt in -de war an' warn't nobody 'ceptin' de mistis an' some chilluns. Well, -Honey, dem niggers, mo' dan one hundred of 'em, commenced a riot an' was -a-takin' things dat don't belong to 'em. Dat night de white lady she -come ober to our place wid a wild look on her face. She tell Massa -Bennett, whut dem niggers is up to, an' widout sayin' a word, Massa -Bennett putt his hat on an lef' out de do'. Twarn't long atter dat when -some hosses was heered down de road, an' I look out my cabin window -which was raght by de road, an' I saw acomin' up through de trees a -whole pack of ghosties; I thought dey was, anyways. Dey was all dressed -in white, an' dere hosses was white an' dey galloped faster dan de win' -raght past my cabin. Den I heered a nigger say: 'De Ku Klux is atter -somebody.' - -"Dem Ku Klux went ober to dat lady's plantation an' told dem niggers dat -iffen dey ever heered of 'em startin' anything mo' dat dey was a-goin' -to tie 'em all to trees in de fores' till dey all died f'um being -hongry. Atter dat dese niggers all 'roun' Louisville, dey kept mighty -quiet. - -"No m'am, I don't believe in no conjurin'. Dese conjure women say dat -dey will make my hip well iffen I gives 'em half my rations I gits fum -de gover'ment, but I knows dey ain't nothin' but low-down, no-count -niggers." - -"Speaking of the Ku Klux, Aunt Hannah. Were you afraid of them?" - -"Naw'm, I warn't afeered of no Ku Klux. At fu'st I though dat dey was -ghosties and den I was afeered of 'em, but atter I found out dat Massa -Bennett was one of dem things, I was always proud of 'em." - -[Illustration: _Hannah Irwin, [TR: Eufaula?], Alabama_] - -"Well, what about the Yankees?" she was asked. "Did you ever see any -Yankees; and what did you think of the ones that came through your -place? Were you glad that they set you free?" - -"I suppose dem Yankees was all right in dere place," she continued, "but -dey neber belong in de South. Why, Miss, one of 'em axe me what was dem -white flowers in de fiel'? You'd think dat a gent'men wid all dem -decorations on hisself woulda knowed a fiel' of cotton. An' as for dey -a-settin' me free! Miss, us niggers on de Bennett place was free as soon -as we was bawn. I always been free." - - - - -Martha Jackson - - - *Interview with Martha Jackson* - _Ruby Pickens Tartt, Livingston, Alabama_ - -_HEAPS OF DEM YALLER GALS GOT SONT NORF_ - -"When de War fus' started," said Martha Jackson, who was born in 1850, -"dey wouldn't let none of de cullud people go to chu'ch 'thout dey had a -pass, and mighty few white folkses would give 'em a pass. Dere was a -heap of men (hit mou't have been six or twelve, my recollection is -short, but anyhow 'twas jus' a big crowd) whut went back'erds en -ferwerds jes' lack sher'fs and de calls de'se'fs de 'Patterrollers.' Ef -de white folks give de niggers a pass, den dey could go, and ef dey was -to go'thout one, dem Patterrollers would have 'em a-runnin' thoo de -woods jes' lack dey was a lot of deer, an ef dey ever cotch 'em, dey'd -take 'em to dey Marster and he'd jes' natchelly wear 'em out! - -"Den dey didn't 'low 'em for to go nowhurs much, eben when de plantation -j'ined one ernudder did, dey'd ketch 'em over dere and fetch 'em back -and dey'd git whooped ag'in, and dat's 'zackly how come a heap uv 'em -run'd away. I knowed a nigger onc't whut was gone nigh 'bout a year, and -he wa'n't gone nowhur but right up de big road a piece, livin' in a cave -whut he dug outer de side uv a clay bank. And Miss Betty say, 'Marthy, -whur you reckon Dan at?' And I never said nothin'. De Patterrollers -couldn't fine him or nobody, and he ain't never showed hisse'f in -daylight 'tel he peered up atter de S'render. - -"And I knowed a woman name Tishie, Miss Mollie's house sarvant. She run -away 'case dey so mean to her, I reckon, and de cullud folks harbored -her and hid her up in de grain house wid de peas and sech lac', stedder -down in de corn crib. And who ever 'twas 'trayed her I ain't sayin' but -a crowd uv dem Patterrollers come and got 'er one night, and tuck her -away, and I ain't nebber seed Tishie no mo'. - -"And one uv Ole Marsa's niggers--'little boy' he go by--he tuck on -might'ly, 'case dey say he wanted to marry Tishie. I know he fotch her -up in de quarter fer ter git her sumpin' to eat atter de white folks -done sleep. But couldn't nobody marry, 'twa'n't 'lowed, 'outer one or -t'other uv de Ole Marsa 'greed to buy bofe uv 'em and ef dey didn't -'gree you sho' better keep 'way fum dey place. And Ole Marsa and Miss -Mollie didn't nebber 'gree. - -"I hear some uv 'em say one dem Patterrollers had 'bout three sets er -cullud chillun over dere, and some uv 'em favor'd Tishie, and ev'y time -hit come time fer 'em yaller gals ter work in de fiel', dey got sarnt -Norf. I reckon 'case he never wanted see his own blood git beat up, and -dat Jim Barton was er cru'l overseer, sho's yer bawn. - -"'Twas a heap of dem yaller gals got sarnt Norf frum 'roun' here sho' -was." - -Martha says most of the meaness of pre-war days on the plantations may -be charged up to cruel overseers. - -"Ole Marsa's wife's sister had a husband whut kep' de meanest overseer -durin' de war dat I ever is seed," she declares. "Dat man would make 'em -niggers on de plantation plow up a gre't big fiel' big as all over -yonder and den check hit fer corn. And checkin' corn in runnin' a -straight row clean 'cross de fiel' bofe ways, and hit make a check 'bout -two feet square. Den he'd make de niggers drap a grain uv corn right in -de middle uv ev'y check, and ef hit didn't come up straight as deese -here fingers on my han', he'd snatch hit up and make 'em eat hit right -den and dere, stalk and all 'thout ever bilin' hit a anything. And -that'll mighty ne'r th'ow you in de middle uv a spell uv sickness sho's -yo' bawn. - -"But dat didn't make no diffe'ns to dat man. And stidder dat, he'd nigh -'bout beat 'em ter deaf ef dey 'sputed his word 'bout hit, but den dey -didn't 'spute, 'case dey was so skeered when dey drappin' hit dat hit -ain't gwinter come up straight lack he say, dat dey couldn't drap hit -good as dey could uv drapped hit. 'Case dey so skeered dey couldn't. - -"Dem niggers jes' natchelly shuck lack dey havin' de black ague chill -soon as dey heered him a-comin'. And when de Patterroles tole him de -niggers was a-risin', 'case dey foun' papers 'bout in de cabins, he nigh -'bout kilt 'em. Some of dem niggers run 'way down in de woods lack deers -and clam' up in de trees, 'case he sot dogs on 'em and some uv 'em -stayed in a cave in de clay bank and tuck to comin' up to us house -nights after vittles. And dat overseer man would send 'em Patterrollers -jes' lack dey was de sher'f down to fotch 'em back, and he'd say, 'Dead -or alive, doan' make no diffe'nce.' And sometimes dem dogs be done nigh -'bout chewed dem niggers up. Den he'd whoop 'em sho' 'nuff. - -"'Twas a long and a wide stiff leather strop w'at he had whut hung back -uv his do', and hit had big roun' holes in hit, and he'd git him a pot -of warm salty water and set hit down by his side. Den he had 'em cotch -de nigger and put his feet in de long block, and somebody helt dey -han's, and he strip 'em stark naked, and he stretch 'em 'cross a log, -and he dip de long stiff leather strop wid de roun' holes in hit in de -briny salt water, and den look out 'case he comin' down on dat po' -nigger's nekkid bottom. De holes in de strop dey sucks flesh up in th'oo -'em, and de nigger's a hollerin' and ev'ybody so skeered dey right ashy, -and dey can't nobody say a mumblin' word 'case dey so skeered. - -[Illustration: _Martha Jackson, [TR: Livingston?], Alabama_] - -"Lawdy, Lawdy, dem was tribbolashuns! Wunner dese here 'omans was my -Antie and she say dat she skacely call to min' he e'r whoopin' her, -'case she was a breeder woman, and brought in chillun ev'y twelve mont's -jes' lack a cow bringin' in a calf. And she say, dat whut make her mo' -val'ble to her Ole Marster. He orders she can't be put to no strain -'casen uv dat. And she say she give him praise on his gretty grave fer -dat. But dem others he worked 'em day en night, Sad'dy en Sunday too -you'se sho' ter hear dem women uv er night battin' de clo'es on er log -in creek wid de stick. - -"But fo' long dat man tuck rale sick, en he b'lieved in conjurashun but -spite everything he done he got worser en worser and fo' long he died. - -"So dey sarnt down in de woods and all over de plantation er lookin' fer -de niggers to come to de Big House 'case dey overseer was dead. And here -dey comes a-shoutin' and a-clappin' dey han's and a-holl'rin' sumpin' -awful. - - Ole John Bell is de'd en gone - I hopes he's gone to hell! - -"En dat was de onles' time I's ever seen dem niggers happy on dat -plantation 'tel atter s'render." - - - - -Jane - - - *Interview with Jane* - --_Mildred Scott Taylor, Georgiana, Alabama_ - -_DID THEY OWN US OR WE OWN THEM?_ - -"Yas, chillun, I 'members de wah; 'caze I was here when de Yankees come -t'rough an' I was about fourteen year ole. Ole Marster he went off to de -wah wid a whole passel of sojers, en' he been gone a long time, en' -nobody to home to look atter de plantation, 'cep Ole Mistis en' Unker -Jude, what was Ole Marster's fust slave he ebber owned. Ole Marster en' -Unker Jude was borned de same day, en' Ole Marster's pappy gin Unker -Jude to him, whenst dey was leetle bitsy babies. When Ole Marster mai'ed -Ole Mistis, dey was young folks, en' dey move to his own plantation. He -tuk Unker Jude wid him, en' Unker Jude was de ca'i'ge driver. When Ole -Marster went off ter de wah, he tole Unker Jude ter look atter Ole -Mistis en' evy'ting on de place 'twell he come back. Whilst Ole Marster -gone to de wah, Unker Jude was oberseer for Ole Mistis, en' he made de -niggers wuk harder dan Ole Marster did, to make co'n, en' oats, en' -fodder, en' meat fer de sojers. - -"Ole Mistis made de womens card bats, en' spin en' weabe on de loom. -What er loom look lak? It look lak er loom, dat what it look lak; what -you spec' it look lak? All de womens, white en' black, wuk hard makin' -jeans fer de sojers clo's en' makin' linsey fer de women's clo's. Us -didn't hab no udder clo's 'cep dem linsey, but dey sho was good uns en' -las' er long time, iffen yer didn't stan' too close ter de fire en' -scorch 'em. - -"Us kep' hearin' of de Yankees comin', en' one mawnin' Ole Mistis she -say: 'Jane, you go down ter de front gate en' stay dar en' watch en' see -iffen de Yankees comin' down de big road, en' when you sees 'em, you run -tell me quick.' - -"Bimeby, I seed de Yankees comin' about a mile down de road, en' I run -tell Ole Mistis, en' she call de womens en' dey run down t'rough de -orchard to de big woods, en' I run tell Unker Jude en' he onhitch de -mules en' lead 'em down ter de big gully behin' de fiel'. - -"Ole Mistis tole me to run back to de house, quick, fo' de Yankees get -dar, en' git her gole watch en' chain outen de bureau drawer; but de -Yankees come in whilst I was gitten de watch en' chain, en' one ob 'em -grabbed it outen by han' en' put it in his pocket en' tole anudder -Yankee: 'I'se gwine tek dis home ter my gal.' - -"De house en' de yard was plum full of Yankees en' dey rid dey hosses -en' tore up ev'yting, lookin' for money en' jewelry. Dey ax me whar it -was hid, en' I tole em' I didn't know en' dey said I was lyin', en' -iffen I didn't tell 'em, dey would kill me 'lak er dam Rebel', en' I sho -was skairt. - -"Dey et up all de sump'n' to eat in de kitchen en' tuk all de meat en' -meal outen de smokehouse en' didn't lef' us nuddin', en' dey went to de -crib en' tuk ev'y year co'n en' all de fodder en' put it in wagins en' -tuk 'em off. - -"De Yankees ax me don't I wanner be free en' I say: 'No, suh', en' dey -say ev'body gwine be free an' I won't hab ter wuk fer Ole Marster no -mo'. Den dey ax me whar Ole Marster at, en' I say: 'He gone to wah', en' -dey ax me whar Ole Mistis, en' I say: 'I dunno whar she at; she done -gone off summuz.' Dey ax me whar de guns, en' I tole 'em us didn't hab -no guns. - -"Dem Yankees mighter been dar till yit, iffen one ob 'em hadn't rid his -hoss ober a bee gum en' Man! dem bees en' dem Yankees sho did mess up! -In about a minute dere wan't no Yankees nowhar 'cep down de big road -whar de dus' jes' foggin' up! 'Bout a week some mo' Yankees come, but -dey muster heared 'bout de bees, 'caze dey lef' dey hosses outside de -big gate en' walked up to de house, but dey didn't stay long 'caze dey -wan't nuffin' lef' atter de fu'st Yankees done to' up ev'ything. En' -when dey ready to go dey tuk dey guns en' stood way off en' shoot de bee -gums all to pieces, en' dey flewed aroun' en' us had to stay 'way 'twel -night. Unker Jude, he wuk all night long, makin' bee gums outen a hollow -log, en' nex' day he hive ebery one ob dem bees en' put 'em in de new -gums, en' de bees dey tote all dey honey en' put it in de new gums fas' -as dey could make comb fer it. Dem bees sho' was smart. - -"When de wah done gone, Ole Marster he come, wid one he arms shot plum -off, en' Ole Mistis she cry, she so glad to see him en' Unker Jude he -cry en' hug Ole Marster, en' us all cry en' tek on, we so glad Ole -Marster come back en' so sorry he arm shot off. Ole Marster tell all de -niggers dey free now en' don't hatter wuk fer him no mo', en' some er de -young niggers went off atter de Yankees, en' neber did come back, but de -res' ob us jes' stayed right whar we is. Us had a mighty hard time for a -long time, but de white folks had de same hard time en' us didn't mek no -diffunce. I mai'ed Rufus en' us raise a big fambly right dar on Ole -Marster's plantation, en' outen us's twelve chilluns, ain't nary one -eber seen de inside ob de jailhouse. I raise my chilluns jes' lak Ole -Mistis raise her'n en' dat's de way to raise 'em, to wuk en' keep outen -debilment. Ole Marster dead en' gone en' Ole Mistis too, but I 'members -'em jes' lak dey was, when dey looked atter us whenst we belonged to 'em -or dey belonged ter us, I dunno which it was. De times was better fo' de -wah. Us had good things to eat en' plenty of it, en' we had good clo's -en' clean clo's fer Sunday. Dat's mo'n some triflin' niggers got now. - -"I goes to church en' sings en' prays, en' when de good Lord teks me, -I'se ready to go, en' I specs to see Jesus en' Ole Mistis en' Ole -Marster when I gits to de He'benly Lan'." - - - - -Hilliard Johnson - - - *Interview with Hilliard Johnson* - --_Ruby Pickens Tartt, Livingston, Alabama_ - -_HOODOOIN' DE DOGS_ - -Uncle Hilliard Johnson and his wife Callie live on the Johnson place -about three and a half miles from Livingston, Ala., the same place -Hilliard was brought as an infant of two in slavery days. He and Callie -tend their own little patch of ground and they own a mule. White friends -patch up the gaps in their financial structure and everybody knows them. -Uncle Hilliard pulled up his mule in front of my house and climbed down -from the high seat, leaving Callie sitting placidly in the sun. - -He came around to the kitchen door and announced that he was here, -"'ca'se he got de word I wanted to ax him somepin." - -"Uncle Hilliard," I said, "I want to hear all about you and your family -and whom you belonged to in slavery time." - -"Well, Miss Ruby, iffen you is knowed me all dese years and still don' -know who I'm is, and my family is, and who us belonged to, dey ain't no -use of me stoppin' now to tell you. 'Sides, I's sick, I's been to de -horspital in York, Dr. Hills', and he wants to operate. I's skeered of -de knife and ain't got no money neither. - -"I can't eat nothin' but tomato soup. Dem sho' is nice ones you got dere -on de she'f, and oyster soup and rice soup and all lac dat. Can't eat no -rough vittles lac collards. I ain't gittin' on well atall, but I'll -'blige you a while. I was thinkin' other day 'bout you and dem ole -sperichel hymns I leads out to Mount Pilgrim. You's got 'Oh Lord, I'm a -Waitin' on You', ain't you? I knowed you had dat 'bout 'And I Can't Do -Nothin' Until You Comes. Sho Can't.' Well, here's one you ain't got, -'ca'se hit's a really old sperichel my gran'maw use to sing. I's sorter -hoarse today, but hit go: - - Jes' carry me and bury me - I'll rise at de comin' day. - Jes' carry me and bury me, - I'll rise at de comin' day. - -"Now dat's jes' de chorus and de verse say: - - When I was in my worldly ways - Nobody had nothin' to say. - Now I'm ridin' de pale white hoss - Ev'ybody got something to say." - -"Den de chorus ag'in, and hit's a pretty one sho's you bawn." - -I mentioned the figure of speech "pale white hoss", but he "didn't know -nothin' 'bout no figures!" - -"And another one, dey is so many, let me see. Here one but I jes' can't -call to mine a heap of verses: - - Trouble here and dey's trouble dere, - I really do believe dere's trouble ev'ywhere. - Swing low, chariot, I'm gwine home. - Swing low, chariot, I'm gwine home." - -"Den hit goes on and tell 'bout de moaner, says: - - Oh, dey's a moaner here, dey's a moaner dere, - I really do b'lieve dey's a moaner ev'ywhere. - Swing low, chariot, I'm gwine home. - Swing low, chariot, I'm gwine home. - - Oh dey's a sinner here, dey's a sinner dere, - I really do b'lieve dey's a sinner ev'ywhere. - Swing low, chariot, I'm gwine home. - Swing low, chariot, I'm gwine home. - - Oh, dey's a Christun here, dey's a Christun dere - I really do b'lieve dey's a Christun ev'ywhere - Swing low, chariot, I'm gwine home. - Swing low, chariot, I'm gwine home. - -"Den dey's a heap of 'em to dat song lac a "deacon" and a "member" and a -"prayer" and a "singer", jes' a whole passel dem verses, but I reckon -dem will do today. - -"Now what else you want, 'ca'se dem mules is tired and I is too. 'Sides -I got to see a man and Callie in de waggin and she's hot too. You knows -Callie, she my wife, my second wife, and us got twelve chillun in all, -growed and married. Us still live on de Johnson place three and a half -miles from Livingston right han' side de ole Boyd road west from town. -Us belonged to Miss Ella Johnson, she was us young Mistis, and Mr. Nep -Johnson, dat's de onliest ones I ever knowed. My mammy, Frances Johnson, -and my pappy, Alf Johnson, come from down 'bout Cubie Station. Young -Mist'iss bought 'em I reckon and my gran'maw, Rachel Johnson. Fus' thing -I knowed, us was livin' on Johnson place. Dey was good to us, 'bout -seventy-five of us all together, I reckon. All I 'members, dey looped de -bridle rein over my feet an' let de mule drag me all over de orchard. It -hurt my head. And dey beat some of 'em up scan'lous, but dey was pretty -good to me, I reckon. See, I wa'n't so ole, jes' a young boy in slavery -time, but I recall young Massa told Tom, a young nigger dere, one time -not to go to de frolic. - -"'Clean up dem dishes and go ter bed,' he say. And Tom said 'Yassuh' but -Marse Nep watch Tom th'oo de do' and atter while Tom slip out and away -he went, wid young Massa right 'hin' him. He got dere and foun' Tom -cuttin' groun' shuffle big as anybody. Young Massa called him, 'Tom,' he -say, 'Tom, didn't I tell you you couldn't come to dis frolic?' 'Yassuh,' -says Tom, 'You sho' did, and I jes' come to tell 'em I couldn't come!' - -"Young Massa didn't hurt Tom none, but I is seed 'em strip 'em plum -nekked and nigh 'bout kill 'em. I did see 'em kill old Collin, but dey -done dat wid a shot gun jes' 'ca'se dey couldn't control him. Did they -have nigger dogs, you say? Yassum, dey sho' did, but I'm tellin' you de -troof now some of de black folks knowed how to git away from dem nigger -dogs jes' lac dey wa'n't dere. Mr. Joe Patton, you know Mr. Joe Patton -don' you? Young Mr. Joe, I'm talkin' 'bout what's over here in town and -use to be de sher'ff. Well, in his day, he done seed a nigger hoodoo dem -dogs 'ca'se dey had nigger dogs after S'render too. I kin tell you what -I seed, but what dey done now, I doan' know, I couldn't tell you dat. -But hit was a fair day, fair as 'tis now, and dey sot de dogs on dat -nigger and 'fo' yer knowed hit dat nigger done lef' dere and had dem -dogs treein' a nekked tree. 'Twa'n't nobody dere. Dey calls hit -hoodooin' de dogs. And I'se seen hit more times than one. Time I tell -you 'bout, Mr. Patton was ag'in. 'Twas a feller right here in town. I -forgits his name but he was a tall nigger, married Dennis Coleman's -daughter. You 'members Dennis Coleman, had dat gal call Hettie? Well, he -married Hettie, and he whooped her up mightily. She 'ported on him to de -sheriff, and he went to git him. I can't think what dat nigger go by -now, but anyhow Mr. Patton couldn't ketch him and he sot de dogs on him -and dey couldn't ketch him. Dey knowed whichaway he went, down 'bout -Bear Creek on Miss Mamie Smith's place in de flatwoods. 'Twa'n't no -trouble to ketch nobody down dere, but dem dogs couldn't do hit, and -fus' thing you know he run back to Hattie's. - -"Now jes' give me a few tomatoes, Miss Ruby, and I mus' cut dis short. -Dey's a cloud comin' up over yonder by Peter's washpot and dat's when us -gits a rain. I got a fur piece to go for a old man. Yassum, I'se nigh -'bout seventy-nine years old and porely." - - - - -Randolph Johnson - - - *Interview with Randolph Johnson* - --_Morgan Smith, [HW: Birmingham?]_ - -_RANDOLPH AND THE LITTLE CRIPPLE_ - -Randolph Johnson, age 84, although he admits he was "jes' a little -picaninny" when the War between the States began, still recalls with -vivid clarity the days of his childhood on the old plantation. Unlike -most of the former slaves, he never worked hard. His hours were too -filled with the joy of playing, for he belonged to a little crippled boy -about his own age and guarded over him all the time. At night the little -white master and his small black playmate slept in the same room; the -latter having a pallet that he spread on the floor. During the day both -little white and black played in the shade of the cedars on the grassy -lawn. The kindly white owner of the plantation was always good to -Randolph. Never a cross word was spoken to him, he says. - -"But one day," Randolph said, "de little massa took very sick. Dey -wouldn't even let me see him. I had a feelin' trouble was a comin', kaze -little massa neber did have no real life like other boys. He was always -a lookin' lak a sick puppy. I gues de Lawd jus' wanted him fo' hisself, -and he took him. - -"Adder dat I was put to work on a mule dat turned de wheel of de cotton -gin. He jus' walk aroun' in circles lak de mule dat's pullin' a syrup -press. Den de War came, and all de good clothes dat we had made on de -loom turned to tatters. De food got low; some of de slaves run away and -some of our houses was burned by de Yankees. Atter de war, de massa came -back and told us niggers dat we waunt slaves no mo'. Said we could go, -but if we wanted to stay we could do dat too. He gib' each fambly dat -stayed a mule, a cow, some tools and money enough to run 'em till dey -could git de crop harvested. He was de best massa dat any nigger ever -had. - -"Den I come to Bummin'ham. I worked on de railroad dey was puttin' -through. I was a big nigger and I could make de others step. I was about -six feet three inches and weighed near 200 pounds. I knowed my ole massa -would have been proud of me if he coulda seed me a-workin' on de -railroad and a liftn' dem ties and a sweatin' wid dem rails; I wished I -coulda been in his cotton field and a-heard him talkin' fair like instid -ob listenin' to dat foreman gibin' us de debil 'bout bein' lazy when we -was a workin' our selfs nearly to death. Den one day I saw de foreman -slap a nigger fo' drinkin' at de dipper too long. De nigger picked up a -shovel and slam him in de haid, and run. Back in de slabery days dey -didn't do somethin' and run. Dey run befo' dey did it, kaze dey knew dat -if dey struck a white man dere want goin' to be no nigger. In dem days -dey run to keep from doin' somethin'! Nowadays dey do it and den dey -runs." - - - - -Abraham Jones - - - *Interview with Abraham Jones* - --_G.L. Clark_ - -_THE PATRIARCH ABRAHAM SAW THE STARS FALL_ - -A lot of water passes under the bridge in 112 years. I thought of that -as I talked to Abraham Jones, 112-year-old ex-slave of Village Springs, -Alabama. "Uncle Abe" says he was born August 1, 1825, in Russell County, -Alabama. Perhaps the day, the month and the year may not be exactly -accurate. But they are near enough. He recalls the falling of the stars, -the removal of the Indians from Russell County and the settlement of -Auburn and other towns in that section. His great age is not apparent in -his looks, actions or natural faculties. His hair is thin and white, but -no more so than that of many men half his age, and his hearing is good. -The mellow voice so characteristic of his race, is strong. He stands as -straight as a soldier. And he works regularly to earn a living for his -family. When we found him he was laying a flagstone walk in hard clay -soil, and there was power in the swing of his pick and his tamping ax. -His regular daily chores include milking a cow and chopping wood. - -[Illustration: _Abraham Jones, Village Springs, Alabama_] - -He describes the phenomenon of falling stars as an event that occurred -when he was "a little shaver 'bout eight year' old." November 13, 1833 -was the date. - -"Yes, sir, I saw de stars fall. Some folks say dey didn't never fall but -I seen 'em. Dey fell jest like pitch from a torch, 'Z-z-z-z-zip, -z-z-z-z-zip!' and big cracks come in de ground. I was settin' on de end -of de porch, and I watched 'em. Dere was so many grown people crowdin' -into de house, 'twa'n't no use fer me to try to git in so I jest sot -still. We had a big sill under our house, more dan a foot thick, and so -many people crowded in de house till dere weight broke de sill. Dey was -cryin' and hollerin' but de stars didn't hurt nobody; dey jest fell and -went out, and I don't know where dey went den; maybe into dem cracks in -de ground. De cracks stayed a long time and it was dangerous for de -people to go about at night; dey might fall into de cracks. One of dem I -remember was two feet across and so deep dey couldn't find no bottom wid -a long pole. I reckon dem stars kept fallin' for about a hour. Folks -thought de end of time was comin' and ever'body got right after dat. - -"Back at dat time de country was not settled much and dere was lots of -Indians. My grandpappy was a full-blooded Indian but I don't know what -kind. De Indians was good people but if dey thought you had done 'em -wrong dey'd kill you right now. I saw some of dem when dey left dat -country. Dey women carried de babies in some sort of sacks, hung down in -front of 'em, and de men carried some of de bigger chillun on dey -shoulders. Dey didn't have no property--jest lived wild in de woods. - -[Illustration: _Abraham Jones' Back Yard, Village Springs, Alabama_] - -"A few years after de stars fell, a passel of people from de other side -of Columbus, Georgia, moved over and started de town of Auburn so dey -could have a place for a school. - -"Before de war my people took me up to Blount County, and when de war -come dey left me to run de grist-mill. I was de fust man in Alabama to -try to grind a bushel of oats. I ground 'em too. A lady brung de oats -and ast me could I grind 'em, and I told her I would try. She say dey -didn't had nothin' for de chillun to eat. I ground de oats, and told -her, 'Ole Mistis, I knows jest how 'tis and I'll be glad to give you a -peck of meal if you will use it.' She say, 'of course I will; jest put -it in with the oat meal, and I sure will appreciate it.' Her husband was -off to de war and she didn't had no way to feed de chillun. - -"I was workin' on de road a long time after de war and was tellin' de -men about dat when her son hear me. She had told him about it and so he -went home and told her he had found me. She sent word back for me to go -to her house and let her see if I shore 'nuff was de same man. So I went -and when she seen me she say, 'Yes, he is the same man,' and she called -her husband and de other chillun and told 'em about it. Her husband say, -'Well, dey is jest one thing we kin do. If he ever need a place to stay -or vittles to eat, we must see dat he gits dem.' - -"In slavery time I belong to Massa Frank Jones, and Timothy Jones was de -overseer on de place. Frank Jones had two plantations, de one whar I was -born and another one close to Columbus. People ax me sometimes what kind -of house I was born in and I tell 'em I wa'n't born in no house; and I -warn't, I was born in de middle of de big road. - -[Illustration: _Abraham Jones' House, Village Springs, Alabama_] - -"It's gittin' to where it's mighty hard for me to go now and do de work -to make sompen for us to eat. I can't git about so fast and my head -bother me a lot. I been workin' a long time now, and you does git tired -after a hundred years of workin'!" - -On his wrists were circlets of heavy cord. I asked him why they were -there and he explained: - -"To keep de pain out. Dey keeps it out purty good but if you can git a -little leather band wid a buckle on it, dat is better yet. I wears dese -all de time." - - - - -Emma Jones - - - *Interview with Emma Jones* - --_Mrs.Preston Klein, Opelika_ - -_EMMA TELLS HOW TO MAKE THEM "TEETHE EASY"_ - -Emma Jones, eighty-three years old, was born in the Chattahoochee Valley -between West Point and Columbus Georgia. She is very alert though quite -deaf. - -"White folks," she began, "I belonged to Marse Wiley Jones and his wife, -Mistis Melba. - -"I lived in a little two-room log cabin with high tester beds and -mattreses filled with cawn shucks. Our food den was away better dan de -stuff we eats today. It was cooked on a fireplace made outen rocks wid -big hooks fastened into de side to swing de pots aroun' on. Us cooked -hoe-cakes on a three-legged skillet dat sot ober hot coals an' us had a -big oven for to bake meat an' cawn bread in. Dere ain't nothin' lak it -nowdays, no'm. - -"Ole Massa had a big garden an' we useta git de vega'bles we et f'um his -garden. De folks was plenty good to us. Sometimes de mens would hunt -'possums an' rabbits an' wild turkeys. We sho' loved dem 'possums -smothered in 'taters. - -"An' talkin' 'bout medicines. Let me tell you a sho' 'nough cure for a -baby dat's havin' a hard time teethin'. Jus' putt a string of coppers -roun' he neck an' he won't have no trouble at all. Us useta do dat to de -little white chilluns an' de black uns too; 'specially in hot weather -when dey jus' seem to have de misery. - -"Atter us got to be big gals, us wo' cotton dresses an' drawses in hot -weather, an' when it git col' we had to wear long drawses an' homespun -wool dresses an' home-knitted socks and shoes dat de cobbler made in his -shop. You know, white folks, we useta make near 'bout eve'ything dat wes -needed to run a body raght on our plantation. Us had eve'ything. On -Sunday us wo' gingham an' calico dresses an' I ma'ied in a Swiss dress. - -"I worked as a house gal an' when Miss Sarah ma'ied I went with her to -nuss her chilluns. Besides Miss Sarah dere was Mista Billy, Mista Crick, -Miss Lucy and Miss Emma. Dey had two uncles an' a Aunt of deres lived -dere too. - -"We had a happy fambly. At night some of de house niggers would gather -'roun' de fire, an' mistis would read us de scriptures, an' de white -chilluns git tired an' slip out de do' but us little niggers couldn't -'ford to do dat; us hadda stay dere whether us liked it or not. -Sometimes de massa let de niggers dance an' frolic on Saturday nights, -but we warn't 'lowed to go offen de plantation, none ceptin' de ones dat -had a wife or husban' on anudder plantation; den dey could only stay for -a short time. Sometimes us could go off to church, an' I remembers a -babtizin' in de creek. Some of dem niggers 'most got demselves drowned. -Dey warn't used to so much water an' dey would come up outen de creek a -spittin' an' a-coughin' lak de debil had a holt of 'em. Dere was so much -shoutin' I 'spose ever'body fo' ten miles aroun' could hear dem niggers -a-carrin' on in de creek. - -"Durin' de war, my mammy helped spin cotton for de soldiers' clothes, -an' when de Yankees come through, us hid all de valuables in de woods. -Us had to feed dem an' dere hosses too. Dey et up near 'bout everything -we had on de place. - -"Dere warn't no schools in dem days for us colored folks. Us learned -f'um de scriptures, an' by listenin' to de white folks talk." - - - - -Hannah Jones - - - *Interview with Hannah Jones* - --_Pigie T. Hix, Greensboro_ - -_AUNT HANNAH HAS A HUNDRED DESCENDANTS_ - -Aunt Hannah Jones lives with her daughter in a small four room house on -Tuscaloosa Street, Greensboro. "Lawdy," she said, "It's been so long dat -I's 'mos' forgot 'bout dem slavery days, but I was bawn, in Bunker Hill, -Amelia County, Virginny. My pappy was named Simon Johnson an' my mammy -was Rhoda Johnson. My Marster was Alfred Wood an' my mistis was Miss -Tabby Wood. When Massa died, de 'state was 'vided an' I fell to de son -dat was too sick to take care of de place an' de slaves. Soon I was tuk -to Richmond an' sold to Jedge Moore of Alabammy for twelve hundred -dollars. Dat was de fust time I ever seed a slave sold. I was sixteen -years old. When Jedge Moore's plantation was sold de niggers went wid de -place an' it was bought by Marse Isaiah an' Marse Bill Smarr. It was -called de Gillum Place and dat is east of Prairieville. I was a house -girl an' ho'p wid de sewin' an' de spinnin'. - -"Us had good houses built outten cedar logs an' de quarters looked jus' -lak dis street dat I lives on now. We had good beds an' plenty vittels -to eat: greens, cawn bread, meat an' all kinds of sweets. Some time de -men folks would ketch a 'possum or rabbit. Marster had a big vegetable -garden an' we was 'lowed to help ourselves f'um dis here garden. Us had -two eve'y day dresses, an' we done our washin' at night. When I was -ma'ied, de ceremony tuk place at my Mammy's house an' I wo' a pretty -white dress. - -"Our oberseer was Harvey Williamson an' he went 'roun' at nine o'clock -to see iffen us niggers was in baid. Sometimes atter he done been -'roun', us'd git up an' have some fun. At de break of day all de slaves -would git up an' go to work. Dose goin' way down in de fiel's would have -to git up even befo' it was light so's to be dar when de dawn broke to -commence de day's work. Den dey would come back at twelve o'clock for -dinner an' res' awhile, den go back an' work till sun down. - -"We useta have a man on de place dat played a banjo, an' we would dance -an' play while he sang. - -"Dis was one of his songs: - - White folks says a nigger won't steal - But I cotched six in my cawnfiel' - If you want to see a nigger run - Shoot at dat nigger wid a gattlin' gun. - -"My last Marsters was two brothers an' dey had one sister, Miss Sarah -Smarr. - -"We didn't have no jail on de place, an' most of us never went offen de -plantation, jus' stayed 'roun' an' had a good time playin' amongst -ourselves. Us niggers had a church dar on de place an' a white man -preached to us, but in Virginny we went to de same church as de Marster -did. I didn't jine no church dough till I come to Alabamy. - -"None of us slaves ever tried to run away to de nawth 'ca'se dey was -good to us. - -"We useta have a doctor dat'd come roun' eve'y two weeks to see how de -slaves was doin' an' iffen we was sick he would give us some medicine. -Some of de women would tie asafetida 'roun' de chilluns necks to keep de -sickness away. - -"Some Saddays we had to work after dinner, but most of the time Marster -would let us have a good time. On Christmas day us had a big celebration -an' didn't do no work at all. - -"Didn't nobody have no time to learn us how to read an' write. - -"I don't know nothin' 'bout Mr. Lincoln 'cep'n he freed all us slaves, -an' when we heard dat us was free all de niggers marched to Prairieville -an' had a celebration. - -"Honey, I's had nine chilluns, twenty five gran' chilluns, twenty seven -great gran' chilluns an' thirteen great great gran'chilluns, an' I is -expectin' mo' to come along pretty soon. I guess maybee I'll have 100 -descendents fo' I shuffle off." - - - - -Josephine - - - *Interview with Josephine* - --_Gertha Couric, Eufaula, Alabama_ - -_WHEN SHERMAN PASSED THROUGH_ - -Aunt Josephine claims to be the oldest Negro in Eufaula. She says she -was born ninety-four years ago in North Georgia on a plantation above -Atlanta. She lives now in Eufaula, Alabama with a great-granddaughter. - -"I used to belong to Marse Rogers," she said. "After surrender, Marse -Rogers moved to dis country, and bought a plantation 'twixt Marse Josiah -Flourney's and General Toney's. He said his plantation j'ined theirs." -She was a nurse-maid all of her life, even in Slave days, and never was -a "field nigger." Asked if she saw any soldiers during the war she said -she saw "thousands." - -"I and my Mistis and her baby hid in de swamps three days while Sherman -and his army was passin' through," she explained. "Marse Rogers was in -Virginny and when he got back home, there wasn't nothin' left but a -well. Everything had been burned up. His house was gone and so was de -smoke house; everything." She added that the well was a "dry well" where -melons and butter and milk and meats were placed, in Summer, to keep -them cool. - -"Those three days my little brother hid in this well, while the soldiers -were passin'," she said. - -"'Fore God, Missy," she exclaimed, "when we got dat little nigger out ob -dat well, he had almost turned white!" - -Aunt Josephine is still a "nurse maid." She rocks her -great-great-great-grandchildren. - - - - -Lucindy Lawrence Jurdon - - - *Interview with Lucindy Lawrence Jurdon* - --_Preston Klein, Lee County, Alabama_ - -_IT AIN'T DE SAME_ - -Lucindy Lawrence Jurdon bustled feverishly about her tiny Lee County -cabin when she learned her picture was "goin' to be tuk." She got out -her old spinning wheel; sat down before it and beamed. Her daughter -coming in from the field, exclaimed: "Ma, I done tol' you dis lady was -comin' to see you; an' you wouldn't believe me." - -After she had posed, she seated herself to tell about slavery days. Her -oldest grandson was sick in the next room with pneumonia; the cabin was -stuffy and bare. - -Lucindy said: - -"Honey, I was borned in Macon, Georgy, on de twenty-eighth day of some -month or other; I can't 'member which. But de year was 1858. - -"My pappy an' mammy, Emanuel and Patsy Lawrence, come from Jasper -County, Georgy. I had a sister named Jennie an' a brother named Phillip, -but I was de oldest. - -"Ol' Marster had 'bout three or four hundred acres on his plantation. -His name was Marster LeRoy Lawrence, and he shorely was good to all us -niggers. His daddy was Mr. Billy Lawrence; an' de marster had four -chilluns. - -"Us lived in a two-room log house wid a lean-to next it. Us was well off -in dem times, but us didn't have sense enough to know it. I 'members dat -us always had plenty of good victuals. - -"Honey, us had meat broiled on hot rocks, roasted 'taters, ash-cake and -sech. On Sunday us had ash-cake cooked in collard leaves; an' beef was -served us when de killin' time come. Marster always gived de niggers -plenty to eat. - -"I can sit here an' picture dat house of marster's; a big, six-room -house wid wide plank weather-boarding. Beside de house was a big garden, -and it had palings 'round it. - -"My mammy was a fine weaver and did de work for both white an' colored. -Dis is her spinning wheel, an' it can still be used. I use it sometimes -now. Us made our own cloth an' our stockings, too. - -[Illustration: _Lucindy Lawrence Jurdon, Lee County, Alabama_] - -"No'm, us never did learn nothing. If us tried to read or write dey -would whack our forefingers off. Us lived forty miles from de town an' -it would take more dan two days to git to town. De women folks had to -fix lunches every time dey went. - -"My grandmammy had sixteen chilluns. I 'members dat when us courted us -went to walk an' hunted chestnuts. Us would string dem an' put 'em -'round our necks an' smile at our fellers. - -"On Sattidy nights dey would have dances an' dance all night long. -Somebody would clap hands, beat pans, blow quills or pick de banjer -strings. When us had cornshuckin's, dey would pile de corn up, ring -'round it an' shuck, drink likker an' holler: 'Boss man, boss man, -please gimme my time; Boss man, boss man, fer I'm most broke down.' - -"I 'members dat one ol' sick man was freed 'fore freedom come. Dey let -him go whar he wanted to, so he dug a hole in de ground an' used it fer -a room. He put rafters inside to help hold it up an' it slanted down at -de back." - -Lucindy mused a moment, concluded: "Dem was good days, honey; mighty -good. But us shorely is in a bad fix now an' needs help mighty bad. It -jest ain't de same no more." - - - - -Lucy Kimball - - - *Interview with Lucy Kimball* - --_Francois Ludgere Diard, Mobile, Alabama_ - -_THE FULFILLED WISH OF MAMMY LUCY KIMBALL_ - -I made two visits to the home of Mammy Lucy Kimball. The first was -during the month of April, 1937; the next was nearly a month later. On -the first trip I had a very successful talk with the old Negro woman, -but on the last, she wasn't at home, and so the information I sought had -to wait. I was very disappointed that I couldn't see her on my second -venture, but it was impossible. - -Mammy Lucy had not grown very feeble when I last saw her, and her -methodical mode of living can be attributed to her consciousness of the -venerable age of eighty-five years which she had reached. She was born -into slavery in 1851 at Swift's Landing near the town of Blakeley, in -Baldwin County. She was a slave in the Charles Hall family of that -county before and during the War between the States. In 1907, she came -to work for the T.S. Fry and Santos Rubira families of Mobile. - -Following the War between the States, Mammy Lucy Kimball worked in -various families at the summer resorts of Baldwin County. - -When a young girl, Mammy Lucy performed the duties of a children's -nurse, and worked as a dining room servant. She had some education, and -as she had worked in families of refinement and culture all her life, -her manner was that of a well educated person. However, like the average -educated Negro, she still displayed the characteristics of the Negro of -the ante-bellum days. She said that she strictly adhered to old -fashioned methods, such as: going to church twice a week, not believing -in doctors, and always taking home-concocted remedies. - -I asked her if she believed in carrying a rabbit's foot for luck, to -which she responded: - -"Honey, you don' think I'm like these other Negroes, who still believe -in that old nonsense? I might tell the children that a rabbit foot -brings good luck because it is an old custom for superstitions persons -to carry one, but, honey, you'd have just as good luck if you carried -brick-bats in your coat. My white people in Baldwin County never brought -me up to believe in such things." - -"Well, Mammy Lucy," I asked, "do you remember any strange or weird -things that happened during the Civil War?" - -"Yes," she answered slowly, "I remember during the Civil War some of the -mischievous Sibley boys who were kin to the Hall family over in Baldwin -County, tied a strange long black thread to the ankle of a black boy -named Slow Poke. - -"Some Negroes were going to town that night to fetch supplies and among -them was Slow Poke. The boys jokingly asked him if he had his rabbit -foot with him as he might need it to keep the rattling noises away at -night. Slow Poke showed them his rabbit foot and, displaying his -glistening teeth in a broad grin he said that there 'warn't goin' to be -no ghosties atter him.' The boys deftly tied a string to Slow Poke's -ankle while some of their friends held his attention. On this string -were attached three cow bladders. Slow Poke hadn't gone far when he -heard the bladders rattling at his heels. He immediately decided that -there was a whole troop of ghosts after him, and so began to hit his -fastest gait down the middle of the dark road. He ran till he reached -Montgomery Hill some miles distant, where the string finally wore out. -His people didn't find him till three days later. Then they took him -home and gave him a sound whipping for running away." - -Mammy Lucy talked of the Hall and Sibley families and of the wealth that -they once had, and what happiness she found in being slave to such good -people. She remembered all the summer resorts on the eastern shore of -Mobile Bay when they were in their glory before the Civil War, and how -the Mobile ferries landed bringing over all the fashionable Mobile -families to their summer homes on the bay. She remembered hearing father -Ryan, the poet-priest of the south, preaching at the dedication of the -Catholic Church at Montrose and the storm in the '70's which almost -demolished Alabama City (now Fairhope). She recalls the landing of the -Confederate troops at Hollywood for wood when they left Mobile at the -outbreak of the war on their way to Fort Pickens, Florida, to enter -active service. - -I found Mammy Lucy to be neat and prim as she must have been thirty -years ago, when she first went to work for the Fry and Rubira families. -She still walks with the agility of a young person, and her mind is -fertile with fresh thoughts and with the deeds of the past. "I have -found happiness," she said. "People have been good to me and I, in -return, have tried to be kind to those around me. I have lived a plain -life and have been rewarded with a ripe age that still finds me feeling -young. I shall never grow old in my thoughts and actions, but always -keep a place in my mind to welcome something new. I will have had a -complete life if I can live only two weeks longer. There is something -I'd like to see." - -After a few more minutes I left her and returned home. There was -something I wanted to ask Mammy Lucy; something that preyed on my mind -for days. I wanted to ask her what the thing was that she wanted to see. -She was so gentle and courteous; my interest seemed officious prying -into her affairs. Someday I shall go to see her again, I decided, and -bring up the subject casually. Then she'll never know of my unworthy -curiosity. - -Three weeks later I walked to the door of Mammy Lucy's cabin and on the -porch stood a Negro girl watering a few pots of flowers. - -"Is Mammy Lucy at home?" I asked. - -The girl was silent for a moment, then she spoke in a high-pitched -whining voice: "Mammy Lucy, she died." - -"Oh, I'm sorry," I said. "When did she die?" - -"Fo' days ago," was the reply. - -I walked down the path of pebbles toward the bay. The question would -never be answered, but I knew that Mammy Lucy died content. - - - - -Ellen King - - - *Personal conversation with Aunt Ellen King* - *Mauvilla, Alabama* - --_Mary A. Poole, Mobile, Alabama_ - -_SATAN DONE GOT DIS JUKING GENERATION_ - -Ellen King lives in a two room cabin nestling back in the woods near -Mauvilla, Ala., about twelve miles above Mobile. A little Negro boy led -me along a circuitous path to the ex-slave, showing the weight of her 86 -years. After talking awhile she became interested and told that she was -born at Enterprise, Miss. on the plantation of Mr. and Mrs. Harvey, but -could not recall their given names, or the names of their children, of -which there were three, two girls and one boy. - -They lived in a big white house and the cabins in the slave quarters -were built of planks, with streets between and little gardens in front -of them. Some planted vegetables and others flowers. - -The Harveys were good masters, they had plenty to eat, and good homespun -clothes to wear and home-tanned leather shoes. The women gathered -leaves, bark, and indigo to dye the cloth to make their dresses of -different colors. - -The plantation was large and had several slaves. Aunt Ellen, however, -could not recall the number of acres or the number of slaves, but knew -there was a crowd of them. The Harvey's raised wheat, cotton and corn, -and lots of live stock. - -Aunt Ellen sat quiet for a few moments and said: - -"Lady, when I sits and thinks of all the good things us had to eat and -all the fun we had 'course we had to work, but you knows lady, when a -crowd all works together and sings and laughs, first thing you knows -work's done." - -Aunt Ellen recalled the Yankees coming through and telling all the -slaves they were free, and that a lot of the slaves went with them, but -Aunt Ellen laughed and said: - -"My Pa and some of the others got scared and hid in a big cave and just -stayed there until the soldiers left, and, lady, he still stayed on -atter the war with the Harveys, and I was married there in the white -folks church. They gave me a big wedding, lots to eat, plenty of music, -singing and dancing. Jest like they used to say, we 'danced all night to -broad daylight.'" - -Aunt Ellen was asked how many times she was married and she replied: - -"Twice, first one dead and don't know where t'other is, and had no -children by either." - -When asked about religion Aunt Ellen said: - -"Lady, I prayed and prayed and religion came to me, and I jined the Big -Zion Methodist Church, in Mobile, Ala., but moved here to Mauvilla where -there was no Methodist Church, so I jined the Baptist Church." - -Aunt Ellen says the people of today are going back not forward. "All -they study is idleness and to do devilment these days. Young generation -done gone, Satan got 'am, too much 'juking' these days, have no time to -study 'bout the Lord and their dying day. All they do, is juke, juke, -juke! When they closed the schools up here in Mauvilla, they had -children all juking. - -The writer was somewhat at a loss to know just what Aunt Ellen meant by -"juking," but thought best to let her talk on and not make a direct -inquiry, and after a little Aunt Ellen continued: - -"No, lady, we used to call figgers for our dancing, had a big fiddle and -two small fiddles, and a set in one room and one in t'other. None of -this twisting and turning. I just can't stand all that juking, just -won't look at it." - -By "juking" Aunt Ellen meant rough dancing of the generation of today. - -Aunt Ellen firmly believes the old-time religion was best for all, and -tried to sing in a wavering voice the following: - - "Down by the river side, - Jesus will talk and walk, - Ain't going to study the world no more, - Ain't going to study the world no more, - For down by the river side, - Jesus will talk and walk." - - - - -Mandy Leslie - - - *Interview with Mandy Leslie* - --_Daphne L.E. Curtis, Fairhope, Alabama_ - -_THE ORPHAN SLAVE-GIRL_ - -In the suburbs of Fairhope, in a rough but neatly-kept cottage of two -rooms, lives Mandy Leslie, a hard-working Negro woman whose energy -belies the seventy-seven years to which she credibly lays claim. Twice -widowed and her children scattered to the winds, Mandy is a pillar of -strength and comfort to several white households, where she makes weekly -calls to care for the laundry work, "wash and iron," as she calls it. -The washing is done in the back yards, where a hot fire under an iron -pot boils the garments to a state that permits Mandy's rubbing over a -fluted wash-board to make them spotless. Strung on lines in the sun, the -clothes are ready for ironing next day. - -Using old-fashioned sadirons, heated at an open fire, Mandy turns out a -"done-up" product that any modern laundry might envy. During the ironing -process, which takes place in the hall or a spare room, the mistress of -the house is entertained with a steady stream of biography, comment, and -information from the lonely old woman who relishes this opportunity to -talk to somebody, especially if there happens to be a visitor who is not -familiar with her story. A typical episode runs like this: - -"Yassum, I 'members de war, but I don't lak no wars. Dey give folks -trouble and dey's full of evil doings. When de Yankees come t'rough -here, dey took my mammy off in a wagon, and lef' me right side de road, -and when she try to git out de wagon to fetch me, dey hit her on de head -and she fell back in de wagon and didn't holler no more. Dey jes' driv' -off up de big road wid Mammy lying down in de wagon--she mount a been -dead, 'cause I ain't never seed her no mo'. - -"Unker John Leslie and Aunt Josie and all dey chillun come along in a -wagon, gwine up North, dey said, and dey said dey found me standing dar -side de road crying for my mammy. Aunt Josie, she say: 'Pore little -lamb, you gwine wid us. Us ain't got much, but us can't let you die.' -And Unker John, he say: 'Poor chile, us mustn't leave her disaway.' He -lift me up in de wagon and drive twell de mule gin plum' out, and den us -stop and took up on a place not fur from Mon'gomery, on Mr. Willis -Biles' place. Us live dar twell I was grown woman, and Mr. Biles sho' -was a good man to live wid and he treat us right every year. - -"Den I married Taylor and us kep' on living wid Mr. Biles and all t'ree -of us's chillun was borned dere. Den Taylor died wid de fever, and he -had insho'ance whet us pay a dollar a mont' for de longest and he say it -take care me and de chillun when he gone. Bless God, dat money didn't -take care nobody 'cept de doctor and de burying-man. Dey bofe got dey -part and lef' me jes' two dollar and seventy cents, dat's all. Mr. Biles -say dey ought to be whupped for chargin' me lak dey did. Den he went to -see 'em, and cussed 'em out, and dey sont back twenty dollar. I ain't -waste no more money on insho'ance, no ma'am! - -"I had a hard time keeping my chillun and working de crop too; but Mr. -Biles, he 'low me a mule, jes' lak he do Taylor 'fore he died, and us -made four bags of cotton de fust year and five bags de nex' year. I pick -every lock of it myself--jes' me and dem little chilluns. - -"Den Rufus he come along and he thought us had all de insho'ance money, -and he court me so hard and so reg'lar dat I act a fool and married him, -and he turn out to be de no-countest nigger dat ever lived. 'Stead of -him supporting me, us had to support him for nigh 'bout ten year, me and -de chillun. He had misery in he back, and couldn't do no hard work lak -plowing and hoeing. It hurt he back to pick cotton and pull fodder, and -he jes' set 'roun' and make a few baskets and eat lak a hoss. - -"Mr. Willis Biles he died, and he boy, Mr. Joe, he took de place and run -it for he ma. Mr. Joe told Rufus 'twan't nothing de matter wid him but -damn lazy, and if he don't git out and he'p me work, he gonna set de Ku -Klux on him. Den us got scared and moved nigh 'bout to Uniontown, and us -live wid Mr. Bob Simmons for seben years hand-running, and he treat us -right every fall 'bout de settlement. Mr. Bob he say 'tain't nothing de -matter wid Rufus jes' lak Mr. Joe say, and Rufus say he gwine move to -town whar he kin git work to suit him. - -"Us move to town, and Rufus he gone all day looking for a job and don't -find nothing to suit him. I has to take in washing from de white folks -to feed us and dey charge two dollars rent for de little shack us live -in. 'Twan't right to do dat; 'cause I ain't never paid no house-rent in -all my bo'n days, twell den. And de fust t'ing I know, dat trifling -Rufus he done sell de mule and wagon and got drunk and lost de res' of -de money. Us was sho' in a bad fix. Why didn't I quit Rufus? Yassum, I -'spects I ought to done dat; but he' so humble when he sober up and pray -so strong. He say de Lord done call him outen he meanness and he gwine -preach Jesus. He make lak he need dem preacher clothes, and us skimped -along and saved 'nough to buy Rufus de suit of clothes wid a long-tail -coat. He got a high-up hat and a Bible, and he sho did look gran'. Us -was proud to see him all fix up and going out to labor in de vineyard of -de Lord. - -"Us give Rufus de las' t'ree dollars us could scrape up and he got on de -train and went to Mon'gomery, but us ain't seen hair nor hide of dat -nigger sence. In 'bout a year us got a letter from him in Juliet, wayup -in Illinois, wharever dat is, and he say he in de pen'tenshry for ten -year, 'cause dey 'scuse him stealing a woman's jew'lry, and would I get -Mr. Biles and Mr. Simmons to do what dey can to get him out. He repent -and been washed in de blood of de Lamb sence he been in jail. And he say -if anybody write me dat he runned off from Mon'gomery wid 'nother woman -and dat he got a wife in Chicago, it's a lie. - -"Dat fix me wid dat triflin' nigger, and Mr. Sam Broady, what's a -lawyer, he got me a 'vorcement and gin me back my fust name, Leslie. Now -I's t'rough wid marrying. My chillun done all gone and got married, and -I come back here whar I come from. 'Twix' here and Brantley, is de -place. - -"How old I is? I was five year old, come de Surrender--how old dat make -me? Sebenty-seben? Dat's right and I be sebenty-eight dis time nex' -year. How I know I be living dis time nex' year? 'Cose, I will be -living! I always notice dat when I lives t'rough March, I lives de res' -of de year, and ain't March jes' now gone, huh? - -"How de way wais' ironed suit you, Missy?" - - - - -Dellie Lewis - - - *Interview with Dellie Lewis* - --_Mary A. Poole, Mobile, Alabama_ - -_DELLIE LEWIS KNOWS CURES AND 'CUNJER'_ - -"To begin at de beginnin', white folks," said Dellie Lewis, "I was bawn -on de plantation of Winston Hunter at Sunflower in Washington County, -Alabama. It's on de Southern Railroad. De fus' thing dat I remembers was -when de Gran' Trunk Railroad cut dere right of way through near -Sunflower. Dey had a chain gang of prisoners dat warn't slaves aworkin' -on de road, an' me an' anudder little nigger gal was sont wid big cans -of buttermilk to sell 'em. One day a handsome white gent'man rode to our -house an' axe me fo' a drink of cool water. He was de fo'man on de road. -Jus' as soon as I handed it to him he done fell offen his hoss on de -groun'. I run to de Mistis an' she got some of de niggers 'roun' de -place to ca'ay de gent'man to de big house, an' do you know it, white -folks, dat man, he neber open his eyes again! He keppa callin' de Mistis -his mammy, but he neber open his eyes to see dat she warn't his mammy. -He died a little later wid a conjested chill. - -"Den I remembers one of de Alabama River floods, dat swep' ober de lan' -an' washed away lots of de food. De gover'ment sont some supplies of -meat, meal an' 'lasses. De barrels was marked U.S. an' one nigger, bein' -tired of waitin' an' bein' powerful hongry tol' us dat de U.S. on de -barrel meant Us, so us commence' to eat. When de oberseer come to gib us -de meat an' 'lasses, us be done et it all up. - -"Us slaves useta git up at dawn; de oberseer blowed a cow hawn to call -us to work. De Hunter slaves was 'lowed to go avisitin' udder slaves -atter work hours an' on Sundays, an' iffen we was to meet a pattyroller, -an' he axe us whar we f'um an' who we b'long to all us had to say was -we's Hunter niggers; an' dat pattyroller didn't do nothin', caze de -Hunter niggers warn't neber whupped by no pattyroller. Some niggers when -dey was kotched eben dough dey warn't Hunter niggers, dey'd say it jus' -de same, caze dem pattyrollers was always 'fraid to fool 'long wid a -Hunter nigger. Massa Hunter, he was somp'n'. - -"Durin' de Christmas celebration, us all had gif's. Us had quilting -bee's wid de white folks, an' iffen a white gent'man th'owed a quilt -ober a white lady he was 'titled to a kiss an' a hug f'um her. Atter de -celebratin' we all had a big supper. - -"An' speakin' of cures, white folks, us niggers had 'em. My grandmammy -was a midwife an' she useta gib women cloves an' whiskey to ease de -pain. She also gib 'em dried watermelon seeds to git rid of de grabel in -de kidneys. For night sweats Grandmammy would put an axe under de bed of -de sick pusson wid de blade asittin' straight up. An' iffen yo' is sick -an' wants to keep de visitors away, jus' putt a fresh laid aig in front -of de do' an' dey won't come in. If you is anxious fo' yo' sweetheart to -come back f'um a trip put a pin in de groun' wid de point up an' den put -a aig on de point. When all de insides runs outen de aig yo' sweetheart -will return. - -"Yassuh, white folks, us useta hab games. Us useta play, 'Puss in de -cawner,' 'Next do' neighbor' an' 'Fox an' geese.' I kin gib you some of -de songs we useta sing: - - Old sweet beans and barley grows, - Old sweet beans an' barley grows, - You nor I nor nobody knows, - Where old sweet beans an' barley grows. - - Go choose yo' east, - Go choose yo' wes', - Go choose de one dat you love best, - If she's not here to take her part, - Choose de nex' one to yo' heart. - -"I is always been a 'piscopalian in belief, white folks. I ma'ied Bill -Lewis when I was fifteen year old in Montgomery an' us had three -chilluns. I is strong in my faith. - - In mercy, not in wrath, - Rebuke me, gracious Lawd - Les' when Dy whole displeasure rise, - I sink beneath Dy rod. - -"Yassuh, I remembers de war. I seed de Yankees a-marchin' through our -place an' down de road dat led to Portland in Dallas County. Dey was -mighty fine looking wid all dere brass buttons and nice lookin' -uniforms. Dey didn't gib us much trouble. Dey had a Cap'n dat was good -an' kin'. I heered him say dat dere warn't agoin' to be no stealin' an' -atrampin' through folks' houses. Dey slep' outen de yard for one night; -den dey went on in to Portland. - -"Mr. Munger was our oberseer, but he had money of his own. He was better -dan mos' oberseers, an' dere warn't no po' white trash, dem onery -buckers libed further back in de woods. - -"When us was sick Dr Lewis Williams, who was de doctor of de massa, -'tended to us slaves. I remembers sittin' in de doctor's lap while he -tried to soothe my ailments. - -"Us house servants was taught to read by de white folks, but my -gran'-mammy, Alvain Hunter, dat didn't have no learnin' but dat knowed -de Bible back'ards an' farwards, made us study. When me an' my brother -was learnin' outen de Blue Back Speller she say: - -"'How's dat? Go ober it.' - -"Den we would laugh an' answer, 'How you know? You can't read.' - -"'Jus' don't soun' raght. De Lawd tell me when its raght. You-all can't -fool me so don't try.' - -"When de marriages was performed, de massa read de ceremony an' de -couples would step off over a broomstick for luck. Den we all had a big -supper, an' dere was music an' dancin' by de plenty." - - - - -Lightnin' - - - *Interview with Lightnin'* - --_John Proctor Mills_ - -Ignorant of the date of his birth, which occurred at Cahaba, the old -State capital, Lightnin' was an overgrown, gangling youth of fourteen or -thereabouts when the Civil War began. Born into slavery, he was the -property of one Joel Matthews, cotton planter, whose fields lay near the -then new capital city. - -Lightnin' is happiest when spinning some yarn of the old days in Alabama -for an interested audience, and when one such inquired as to how he came -to be called "Lightnin'," the old man broke into a toothless grin and -launched at once into another of the stories dear to his heart. - -"Dat's Massa Joel's doin's, boss. I jist natcherly wa'nt neber any too -peart an fas' on my foots, an de fus' thing Massa Joel eber sot me to -fetch him was a cool drink o' water. De water done got wa'm 'fo' I brung -it to him, an stid'er scoldin, he jist bus' out laffin' an' say: "Boy, -you is so slow I gwineter call you after the fas'est thing on earth. -Frum now on yo' name is Lightnin'." An I been Lightnin' eber since. -Co'se I knowed Massa Joel was throwin' off on me, lil' as I was, but it -looks lak I wa'nt bawn in no big hurry an I jist been movin' long -slow-like eber since. - -"Massa Joel musta been bawn on a sunshiny day 'cause he sho' was bright -an' good natured. Eber' nigger on de place love him lak he was sont from -Heaben. Mos' eber' day he come to de quarters wid de fambly doctor to -look atter de niggers, fer he say a well-fed, healthy nigger, next to a -mule, is de bes' propersition a man kin 'ves' his money in." An' us -slaves fared as good as anybody. - -"Naw suh! Massa Joel ain't neber hit me a lick in his life. He say a -well nigger whut doan' wuhk, sho' ain't got no eats an care comin' his -way, an ought'er be sont down de Ribber. - -"Is I been mah'id? Yas suh. I done had fo' wives, an raise 'leben -chillun. But 'taint lak in de ole days. Chillun all gone, an de ole -nigger got no white folks, makes it mighty hahd to git along. 'Bout all -de ole man kin do is fish an I does dat an gits a li'l somp'in to eat. -'Fo young Massa Tom passed on--he was Massa Joel's boy--I ain't neber -wanted fer nothin'. I was Massa Tom's body guard. Us hunted an fished -together, played wid de white chillun an sometimes I rid behin' him on -de hoss, or on de fore seat wid de ca'iage driver when de fambly went to -chu'ch. - -"But dat's all in de pas', an de good Lawd say no man kin bring back de -pas'. So I reckon, ef you all 'll 'scuse me, I better go fish my -trotline an git somp'in to make the de skillit smell." - - - - -Billy Abraham Longslaughter - - - *Interview with Billy Abraham Longslaughter* - --_F.L. Diard, [HW: Mobile?]_ - -_HE CANED A CHAIR FOR PRESIDENT BUCHANNAN_ - -On a bright April afternoon, while strolling along the Louisville and -Nashville banana wharf and watching the crisp breezes from the gulf make -small waves lick at the pilings, I met an old Negro man who was fishing -for croakers off the pier. He had, sitting beside him, a basket -containing wicker canes for making and repairing chairs. In the course -of our conversation, I asked him his age. - -"I'se eighty year old, white folks," he replied. - -"Well," I said, "you must have been a slave back in the days before the -war." - -"Yassuh, boss. I were eight year old when Gen'l Grant freed de niggers." -He spoke the words in a clear, strong voice and with a slight rolling -motion of his gray bristly head. - -"But General Grant didn't free the slaves, Uncle," I protested. - -"Oh, yassuh he did too, white folks," he said respectfully; fo' I was -right dere when de gen'l come into Richmond and sot us free." - -"What about Abraham Lincoln?" I asked. - -"Well, I guess he done a part of it, but he didn't do no fightin', kaze -he hadda 'tend to de business in de White House. He lef' de freein' part -to Gen'l Grant. I don' guess Mr. Abe lived long enough ter help us -niggers much. He went to de Ford's Circus and got hisse'f shot." - -"What's your name?" I asked. - -"Billy Abraham Longslaughter. De niggers all calls me Billy, but ole -Massa Longslaughter afore he died called me William." - -"Where were you born, Uncle Billy?" - -"On ole Massa Longslaughter's plantation near Richmond Virginny." - -"Can you read and write?" - -"Dey neber teach me no readin' and writin' kaze I had to work in de -fields." His rusty hand rubbed across his woolly head, as my questions -continued with the regularity of a metronome; nevertheless, Uncle Billy -seemed always glad to answer them. I couldn't help but notice with what -ease he moved about. He had the agility of a man twenty years his -Junior, though his face, being caverned with wrinkles, gave him the -appearance of great age. - -"Where is your home now, Uncle Billy?" I continued. - -"Most any place I goes, white folks. Ma wife, she died 'bout forty year -ago in Virginny, and I been a trabelin' eber since." - -"What do you do for a living besides fish?" I asked. - -"Oh," he said, "I canes a few chairs," pointing to his basket of -chair-canes beside him on the stringer of the wharf. "You see, white -folks, when all dis repression came on an' dere war'n't no work fo' de -people tuh do, jes lak all de young scallawags I hops me a train and -goes on a trip." - -"Where do you go next, Uncle Billy?" - -"Well, I guess I mought run ober to New Orleens if I can catch me a -freight train a goin' dat away." - -"About your fixing chairs," I said. "Have you ever repaired any for well -known people?" - -"Lor', white folks, I caned a chair oncet fo' President Buchanan and he -used it ter sit on in de White House. I'se made many a chair fo' famous -people as I trabeled about. I guess I jus' keep on a goin' as long as -I'se able, and when I goes on dat last trip across de quiet riber, I'se -goin' ter make one for ole Gabriel, so's he can res' hisself in between -times he blows on dat hawn." - - - - -Louis - - - *Interview with "Uncle" Louis* - --_David Holt, Mobile_ - -_PSYCHOLOGY OF A RUNAWAY SLAVE_ - -Of course you know that we always called the older colored men "Uncle" -and the older colored women "Aunt." It was proper manners. - -Old "Uncle" Louis was the oldest slave on the plantation, "Uncle" Toby -having died. Louis was a "Guinea nigger." His ancestors had been brought -from the Guinea coast of Africa. He had the characteristic marks of his -tribe, being short, strong and very black, with heavy neck, thick lips, -flat nose and eyes like those of a hog. He had great knowledge of wild -plants, claimed to understand the language of birds and beasts. He -prided himself on his powers as a hunter and also claimed intimate -friendship with ghosts and spooks. Being what was known as a "yard -servant," he had picked up much of the talk of his white masters and -spoke his own version of their language. - -Old Louis was what was called a "runaway nigger." He would run away in -the latter part of the summer once in every two or three years and come -back in time to help dig sweet potatoes. I was out in the sweet potato -patch one morning when he returned. The doctor was there, also. When -Louis walked up he simply said, "Hello, Louis; are you well?" - -"Yes sir, Marster." - -"Well, take that basket and go to picking up potatoes." Not a word was -said about his running away. After the hands had knocked off work and -Louis was sitting in front of his cabin, I went to him for an interview. - -"Uncle Louis, what makes you run away? You don't get whipped or abused -in any way." - -The old slave scratched his grizzled head, puffed at his clay pipe and -pondered the subject for some time before he replied: - -"Marse Davie, I does cause de woods seems to call me. When de fall -insec's is singin' in de grass an' the 'simmons is gettin' soft an' de -leaves is beginnin' to turn, I jes natcherly has ter go. De wild sloes, -de red haws an' de crab apples is ripe. De walnuts an de hickory nuts an -de beach mast drappin' an de blue smoke comes over de woods, an de woods -birds an de yard birds goes souf wid de cranes an ducks an wil' geese an -de blackbirds an de crows goes in droves--it seem lack all dat is jes -callin' me." - -"Where do you go?" I asked. - -"Lorsy, Marse Davie, I never goes off de plantation. I always go to de -woods back o' de past'er. Ole Master knows whar I is an so does Henry. -Don't you know dat holler dat come down on de lef' han' side of de -branch--de fus holler you comes to, not more dan two hundred yards in de -woods?" I knew it well. - -"Don't you 'member a big green oak tree growin' on de right han' side of -de holler bout a hunder yard up de path?" - -"Well, sir, dat tree is my home. I done toted some poles an some sedge -gress up dar an made me a bed--but you can't see it from de groun'. When -I gets up dar I can see all 'roun'. I seen you an Marse Joe de las' time -you go fishin'. I lays dar all day and listen to de birds and critters -talkin'. A chicadee tole me you was comin' long befo' I seen you. Den a -jay bird caught a sight of you an he tole me. Can't nobody come along -widout de birds tellin' me. Dey pays no min' to a horse or a dog but -when dey spies a man dey speaks. I done tame' a squi'l so he comes see -me ever'day. - -"De birds and critters sho is good comp'ny. I done made frens wid up all -but de owl and de hawk. Dey is jes natchally bad an de other critters -hates 'em. A ole red-breast' hawk come an lit in a daid pine tree. I -seen him so plain til I knowed what he was thinkin' about. He was jes -mad clean down in his craw and was cussin' ever'thin'. A little pewee -bird seen him an begin to fuss. A crow fly over and hear de pewee, den -fly down close an take a good look at mister hawk den he fly up and -start callin' de other crows. In a little while a whole drove of crows -is flyin' 'roun dat pine tree. Den de jay birds come an dey is callin' -for a fight, but de ole hawk never move. Den de mocking birds come an -dey sair right in and starts pecking at de hawk until he dove into de -woods and gets away, an all de birds begin to talkin' 'bout bugs an -things." - -The old man was wound up for an interminable talk on his favorite theme, -the talk of critters, and to change the subject I asked: "Uncle Louis, -ain't you afraid of ghosts?" - -"Lor', chile, I ain't feared of no ghos' or spook, as I's seed lots of -both. All a ghos' do is jes show hise'f. You never hear of one doin' -nothin' to nobody. Dey is sociable an wants to be near livin' people. -When folks gets scared it hurts de ha'nt's feelin's an dey goes -somewhere else. Dey has all de feelin's dey had when dey was livin'. You -wouldn't stay by wid folks dat's fear'd of you an want to run away from -where you is. - -"Las' night, when I was up in my nes', an my fire had died out, all -'sept one little chunk, an de moon was shinin' like day, I lay down, I -did, an I take a li'l nap o' sleep. Den I wakes up sudden an looks 'roun -ag'in. Well, sir, de norf side of de hill was covered wid ghoses an -spooks; dey was layin' down, standin' up and leanin' agin trees, but -mos'ly dey was jes sittin' on de groun', all lookin' at me hard as dey -could, widout battin' an eye. - -"De neares' one to me was a little white ooman. She war sittin' flat on -de groun', holdin' a baby in her lap. She look mighty pitiful an I say -'please Missis, can I ho'p you an yo' baby? I'd be 'bleeged if you tell -me.' Her lips move but I couldn't hear no sound. Den I lay me down an -drap off to sleep agin. When I wakes up de ghosses is all dere an de -little white ooman look lak she want to say somethin', but can't, an I -say, 'I ain' nothin' but a poor runaway nigger, but my Marster is a -mighty kin' man, he'll sholy he'p you; but she didn't say nothin' an I -goes back to sleep. De next time I wakes up de sun was risin' an I jes -lays dere an watches de ghosses an spooks get thin, an fade away like a -fog." - -The old Negro was sitting in the twilight, talking in a low, impressive -monotone, in a language we both understood but which I find difficulty -in transcribing after all these years that intervene. A screech owl was -"miseryflying" in the family grave yard back of the quarters, a fitting -abligato to the narrative. Though creepy sensations crawled up my spine, -I still had my doubts. - -"Uncle Louis, do you really believe you saw all that, and didn't dream -it while you were curled up in your nest?" I asked. - -The old man seemed aggrieved at my doubts as he replied: - -"It ain't no beleevin' about it. I knows what I knows an I sees what I -sees. De ghos' is what lives when de body is done wore out, but it don't -die." - -"It's all imagination," I said, in defense of reason and nature, as I -understood these things. - -"I wants to ax you what does de imaginin'. It's your ghos' that does the -imagin' so you can see other ghosses an spooks." - -In recognition of Louis' knowledge and powers of reasoning my brother -William wrote a diploma in Latin and presented it to him. After that he -was called "Doctor" Louis. - -I recall that it was about that time that I read a book on psychology -but later discovered that there were those on the plantation who had a -better working knowledge of the subject than was taught in the book. - -Bibliography: Old Plantation Days, an unpublished work by the Venerable -David Elred Holt, late Archdeacon of the Sacramento Diocese (Protestant -Episcopal) of California, and a native of Buffalo Plantation, near -Natchez, Mississippi. - - - - -Tom McAlpin - - - *Interview with Tom McAlpin* - --_John Morgan Smith_ - -_A WHUPPIN' WID DE TRIMMIN'S_ - -"Mornin' Boss," said uncle Tom McAlpin, "how is you dis mornin'?" The -old former slave spoke cordially with a definite twinkle in his muddy -eyes though his age had passed the four score and ten mark. His mind was -alert; his memory vivid, and his faculties of speech quite unusual. Tom -McAlpin was indeed a remarkable man. There was really a sincere note of -welcome in his voice as he came forward, placed a large piece of -cast-iron pipe against the steps of his house, 1928 Ave. D. So., -Birmingham, and looked up at me showing a mouth of straggly teeth in a -warm smile. - -"Yassuh," he continued in his high-pitched voice after our salutations, -"I'll be glad to serve you as bes' I kin wid my knowledge of de pas' -years. Jus' you set down in dat chair," he pointed to what was left of -an ante-bellum wicker seat; "I'll set on dese steps an' us'll go over de -whole thing from de beginnin's. - -"Fus' thing I guess you wants to know is whar an' when I was born. -Yassuh, an' who I b'long to. Well, Boss, I was born in Martersville, -Alabamy. Dat's five miles southwest of Talladega. I come into dis ole -worl' on a sunny day in June, eighteen fawty fo'. I belonged to Dr. -Augustus McAlpin, an' from dat day to dis, I is seed many things come -an' go, an' I is aimin' to see a lot mo' befo' I cross to de udder side. - -"De docta jus' had a small plantation, 'bout 100 acres, I s'pose, an' he -didn't have but 12 slaves, 'caze dere warn't no need fo no mo'. He was -busy in town adoctorin' folks. He didn't have no time to do any real -farmin'. - -"My job aroun' de place was to nuss de chilluns, white an' nigger. We -all played 'roun' together. Sometimes we play coon an' rabbit, fox an' -houn' and snatch, but what was de mostes' fun was a-ridin' ole Sut. Sut -was a donkey an' us useta hitch him to a wagon, an' six of de chilluns -would ride in de wagon an' I'd ride on his back. Sometimes us'd ride all -de way into Talladega wid Sut. - -"Nawsuh, I ain't neber got no whuppin' but one, an' it was a sho' 'nough -complete one, boss, wid all de trimmin's. It all happened when de Massa -told me he better not cotch dem hogs in de corn, an' iffen he did, I was -agoin' to git a whuppin'. Well, boss, dere was one ole hog dat I jus' -couldn't keep outten dere so I tuk a needle an' sewed up his eyes. -'Course I was jus' a little black 'un an' didn't know whut I was adoin', -but I sho' sewed up dat hog's eyelids so's he couldn't see nothin'. Dat -kep' him outten de corn all raght, but when de Massa found it out he -gave me a lickin' dat I ain't forgot yit. Boss, dat was de onlies' -lesson I ever needed in my life. It done de wuk. - -"Yassuh, dere was pattyrollers 'roun' our place, but dey never cotched -me, 'caze I was too swif' for 'em. Boss, I could take holt of a hosses -tail an' run 'roun' de pasture an' keep up wid him. I was sho' fas' on -my feets. - -"Nawsuh, us wan't never given no money for nothin', but I learnt how to -make baskets an' I would take 'em in to Talladega on Sat'day evenings -an' sell 'em to de white folks for fifteen cents. Den when I needed -somp'n lak 'bacca or a little piece of chocolate, I could go to de sto' -an' buy it. Lots of slaves on yuther plantations warn't 'lowed to make -any money dough. - -"Nawsuh, I ain't never had no schoolin', 'ceptin' what I could git outen -de little white folks' books myself. Us niggers useta tote dere books to -school for 'em an' on de way I would look in de book an' git a little -learnin'. - -"When us niggers on de McAlpin place et, us et raght at de same table -dat de white folks et at. Atter dey finished dere meal, us slaves would -sit down raght atter dem an' eat de same kinda food. Yassuh. - -[Illustration: _Tom McAlpin, Birmingham, Alabama_] - -"Sho' I 'members de war. I 'members when de war commence', Jeff Davis -called for volunteers; den a little later when de south needed mo' mens -to fight, Jeff Davis' officers would go th'ough de streets, an' grab up -de white mens an' put ropes 'roun' dere wrists lak dey was takin' 'em -off to jail. An' all de while dey was jus' takin' 'em off to de war. Dey -made all de white mens go. It was called de 'scription. Some niggers -went too. Dem niggers fought raght side of dere masters. Some went as -body guards an' some went as soldiers. - -"Yassuh, Boss, I recalls de time dat de 'federate soldiers, bless dere -souls, hid dere few hosses in de basement of de old Masonic Institute in -Talladega an' hid dere amunition in de hollow stone pillars. Gen'l -Wilson an' his raiders come th'ough dar, but dey never did fin' dem -'federate supplies. Dem Yankees jus' lak to scare eve'ybody roun' de -place to death. Dey shot up de town an' dem blue coats tuk eve'ything we -had: cotton, sugar, flour, hams, preserves, clothes, corn; eve'ything, -Boss, eve'ything. Dey even burned up some houses. - -"But Boss, dere ain't never been nobody afightin' lak our 'federates -done, but dey ain't never had a chance. Dere was jes' too many of dem -blue coats for us to lick. I seen our 'federates go off laughin' an' -gay; full of life an' health. Dey was big an' strong, asingin' Dixie an' -dey jus knowed dey was agoin' to win. An' boss, I seen 'em come back -skin an' bone, dere eyes all sad an' hollow, an dere clothes all ragged. -Boss, dey was all lookin' sick. De sperrit dey lef' wid jus' been done -whupped outten dem, but it tuk dem Yankees a long time to do it. Our -'federates was de bes' fightin' men dat ever were. Dere warn't nobody -lak our 'federates. - -"I was in Richmond dat cold day dat Gen'l Lee handed his sword over to -de yuther side, an' I seen Jeff Davis when he made a speech 'bout -startin' over. I seen de niggers leavin' dere homes an' awandering' off -into de worl' to God knows whar, asayin' good-bye to dere white folks, -an' atryin' to make dere way de bes' dey kin. But, white boss, it jes' -seem lak you let a nigger go widout a boss an' he jes' no good. Dere -ain't much he kin do, 'caze dere ain't nobody to tell him. Yassuh, I was -sont to Richmond to bring home some of our wounded 'federates. Dey sont -me 'caze dey knowed I was agoin' to do my bes', an' caze dey knowed I -warn't afeered of nothin'. Dat's de way I've always tried to be, white -boss, lak my white people what raised me. God bless 'em." - - - - -Anne Maddox - - - *Interview with Anne Maddox* - --_Preston Klein, Opelika_ - -_I SHOUTED THREE DAYS_ - -Bible records place Anne Maddox's age at 113. She lives in a tiny cabin -with her youngest child, Zora, about eight miles from Opelika. She is -very feeble now and had to be wheeled out on the front porch to have her -picture made. - -Anne lives exclusively in the past. To her, the present world is "full -of de devil an' gettin' worser every day." She likes to talk about the -old days, but her voice is feeble and barely above a whisper. - -"I'se heerd a heap o' talk 'bout Mr. Abraham Lincoln," she said, "an' I -had a picture of him onc't; but I don't know nothin' 'bout him." - -Anne takes her religion seriously and is devoutly confident that she -will "inherit de promise." - -"I jined de church in Gold Hill, Alabama," she recalled, "an' honey, I -felt so good I don't know jest how I did feel. I shouted three days an' -wouldn't eat a bite. I couldn't even drink water." - -The old former slave was born in Virginia in 1824 and belonged to John -Umford. She was later sold to Bill Maddox, of Alabama. - -"When I come from Virginny," she said, "us travelled in wagons and slept -in tents. Eve'y mornin' us was made to clean ourselves an' dress up; den -us was put on de block an' bid on. White peoples was dere from -everywhere; de face of de earth was covered by dem. I was thirteen den, -an' I kin remember four wars. - -"My mother and father was Charlie an' Rhody Heath, an' I had two -brothers an' two sisters. Our houses was lak horse stables; made of logs -wid mud an' sticks dobbed in de cracks. Dey had no floors. Dere warn't -no furniture 'cept a box fer de dresser wid a piece of looking glass to -look in. Us had to sleep on shuck mattresses an' us cooked on big -fireplaces wid long hooks out over de fire to hang pots on to bile. - -[Illustration: _Anne Maddox, Opelika, Alabama_] - -"Us fried on three-legged skillets over de fire an' cooked ash-cakes on -de hearth wid hickory leaves on de bottom nex' to de hearth. 'Tain't no -sech good cookin' now as den. - -"'Bout four o'clock in de evenin' all de little niggers was called up in -de big yard where de cook had put milk in a long wooden trough an' -crumbled ash-cake in it. Us had pot licker in de trough, too. Us et de -bread an' milk wid shells an' would use our hands, but it was good. - -"Ol' Marster hunted a heap, but us never did git none of what he brought -in. Us had plenty of clothes, sich as was, but dey was spun an' wove at -home. Us had home-made shoes, hard brogans, called 'Jackson ties.' Dey -had brass caps on de toe an' would rub blisters on de feet. - -"De plantation had several hundred acres. I was up wid de fust light to -draw water and help as house girl. When dat task was done I had to go to -de fiel'. Dey blew a big hawn to 'rouse de slaves in de morning's, -sometimes 'fore day. - -"Marster was good to us niggers, dough. He never 'lowed us to be -whupped; jist scolded us. If us went anywheres, us had to be back by -sundown. I once seed some slaves workin' roads in chains wid a iron ball -hangin' on behin'. It was punishment fur meanness." - -Anne said the slaves on the Maddox plantation were never allowed to -learn to read and write, declaring: "It was too bad if dey kotched a -nigger wid a pencil an' paper in his han!" - -"I was made to carry Marster's chilluns to school, den go back fur 'em," -she said. "Ol' Mistus read us de Bible, an' us went to de white folks -church an' sat in de back, wid de white peoples sittin' up front. - -"Oh, dem patterollers was bad. I sho' would run from dem things, too." - -Anne's mind leaps in fast succession from one subject to another, and at -times it is difficult to keep up with her intermingled thoughts. - -"Ol' Marster give us plenty of licker," she said, "an' us laked dat. One -of de funniest things us had aroun' de plantation was a little goat dat -could walk a fence jist lak us little niggers. - -"When de Yankees come, gran'daddy was at prayer meetin' an' Ol' Marster -come runnin' an' told de niggers to hitch up de mules an' waggins. Dey -was tol' to hide all de food an' jewelry, but 'bout dat time us seed de -Yankees comin'. Dey didn't do us no harm; sho' did some places, dough. - -"T'want long 'fore Marster call all us niggers up to de house an' tol' -us dat us was free. He said us could go away or stay wid him. I stayed -'twel I was grown an' married Doc Maddox. Us had five chillun, Walter, -Failer, Siney, Zora an' Johnny. I don't know how many gran'chilluns I'se -got." - - - - -Mandy - - - *Interview with Mandy* - --_Daphne L.E. Curtis, Fairhope, Alabama_ - -"Howdy Miss. We is sure got a purty day fer de scrubbin' job. Hit will -dry as fas' as we turns hit loose. - -"Now jes' look a yonder, ef she ain't got gold-fishes an' ever'thing -heart could wish!--Is they got ary increases?--Yassum,--dat's good; -mebby so you can sell some. - -"Me got chillun?--well I is borned three head uv em, but dey all died -right now; didn't live a minute. - -"Then I 'dopted me a baby boy. A little bitty girl borned him, an' she -didn't want him,--he was in her way. She said she'd kill him, an' I -didn't want her to git in no trouble, so I tooken him. - -"But sho's you bawn I is sorry I done dat t'ing,--dat nigger so -triflin', he is goin' on fourteen now, an' he ain't no help to me at -all. He only come home when he hongry, an' that's plenty often. - -"An' dis yere husbin' whut I is got now, he 'spicions me 'bout other -men's all de time, and de boy an' him togedder, keeps ever't'ing riled -up mos'ly, twell I'll be glad effen you was to say, you need me to sleep -on your place. - -"Go to school? Yassum I sho did. I had three months a year for three -years, and a extra month onc't, that my mammy paid for. Dat made ten -months for me. I was de forwardest chile my mammy had. When dey was any -readin' to do my mammy sont fer me. - -"Sis Kate kin turn off more work then I kin, but I can mek more cotton. -Oncet I won a contest wid a man an' made 480 pounds. Dey gimme a hundred -pounds for doin' it. - -"Me and Taylor, he's my other husband, the one that died, we used to fo' -mek bales near 'bout every year, but dis yer husband whut I got now, he -don't do nothin' but jalous me, look lak he'd know I didn' want no man, -but jes' fer company; an' dat boy I brung up, he jus' runs nights 'twell -I am jes' plumb skeered. So one night I sont for my sister's boy, she is -my dead brother's wife, an' Miss, dat rascal, he would steal my las' -dime look like. Miss he would steal de har offen your haid could he jus' -git a holt, so I jes' sont him back. I talk to him nice befo' I sont -him, but hit didn' do no good so I up an' sont him. - -"Then Miss Nellie (she that keeps the fillin' station) tooken him an' he -stole a whole ginger ale an' a coky coly, an' she cotch him wid em. -No'am he didn't git 'em open, effen he had uv, he would uv drunk 'em -both, he would fo' sure. - -"An' him tellin' folks he married a rich widow. Huh, Mr. Corte he say, -'Mandy you is getting yo'se'f messed for sho'.' He did so Miss, an' he -done tole de truf' fo' God, he sho did. I is sho messed up wid 'em bofe. - -"But Miss, hit was de bigges' cullud weddin', you ever see, an' me as -black as I is. Dey was three tables for de white folks, an' I don' know -how many cakes, an' Miss Bessie give me my marryin' dress, an' Mister -Harry he give me a dollar, an' him? O yessum, he been married befo', he -is got eight head uv chillun. His fust wife's bringin' em up, up in -Dallas County, an' him carryin' on like he is down here. - -"I allus wanted chillun, a house plum full of 'em, en I done los' all I -could mek, so now effen I could of had me some widout 'em I never would -of had ary husban' a tall. No'am. - -"Me dance? No'am I is j'ined to de Church. Miss Emily she showed me some -white folks dancin' oncet, but I thought they was gettin' too closet -togedder. In my day they used to swing corners. - -"House parties, yassum I is served a many of em. That's what breaks you -down, though; day an' night an' day an' night. - -"Well, good bye Miss, I sure do thank you for my dollar, an' my cup, an' -ever'thing. I is shore enjoyed my day wid you. Me an' you is real good -frien's now, ain't we? Hits been jes' like a partyin'. - -"Now I'll be gettin' to Sis Katie's, she will mo'n likely want me to -carry her Lodge dues up. An Miss, please you ast the bus man, wid yo' -telephone, please sir wait for me jes' a minute." - - - - -Frank Menefee - - - *Interview with Frank Menefee* - --_Preston Klein, Opelika, Alabama_ - -_BROOM-STICK WEDDIN'S_ - -Frank Menefee of Opelika is eighty-four years old and still healthy. He -says, "Kids was brought up right in dem days but don't have no sich now, -'caze de switch was one of de best medicines ever made." - -He was born in Loachapoka, Alabama. His mother and father were Susan and -Monroe Menefee. They had six other children, Patsy, Sally, Lula, Mary, -Melvina, and Philmore. Susan Menefee came from Jefferson County and -Monroe from Gold Hill, Alabama, and belonged to Willis Menefee, near -Roberson's Mill. - -"My mother's father an' mother was Milton and Patsy Footman whut come -frum Meridian, Miss., and dey paid $3500 for dem," Frank boasts. - -"I'se never seed inside a jail, never paid a nickel in council, ain't -never gwine to steal nothin' whut don't belong to me an' ain't never -used a cuss word in my life. I always tried to do whut was right an' I -plowed ever' day us could. Us cooked on dem great big fireplaces, 'bout -six feet wide an' two an' three feet deep, with pots an' kittles hangin' -out over hickory an' oak fires. Nobody better not spit in dat fireplace -neither. Sho' never was better eatin' collards dan dem. All the chillun -had a tin plate an' a tin cup with buttermilk in hit. - -"I was whut dey called a shirt-tail fellow, had long shirt dresses of -osnaburg dyed with red mud an' cinnamon bark. In winter dey doubled de -osnaburg to be warmer. My daddy was a shoemaker. He made dem outer -cowhides an' even lef' de hair on dem sometimes. Yuther times he clean -'em in de wash-pot to git de hair offen 'em. - -"Us had good Marsa and Mistiss, iffen you wukked an' 'haved yourse'f. -Dey was marsa Willis an' Miss Hanna Menefee. Dey jes' had two chillun -Willis an' Willie. Willie weighed two hundred pounds when he was very -young too. De 'Big House' stood in a oak grove wid one big oak tree -raght by it. - -"Mr. Sadler, de overseer, was good, too, but you sho' had to wuk. He's -got a great-great-grandson, Sam Sadler, living now in Waverly, Alabama. -De poor white peoples 'roun' dere used to ho'p us wuk. I disremembers -our carriage driver's name but us had one dat drove Mistiss about, an' -de carriage house was close to de Big House. - -"Marsa had seven or eight hundred acres in de plantation an' I jes' -don't know de number of slaves he did have. Dey got us up by daylight -an' 'fo'. Blowed a cockle shell to get us niggers up. Iffen you didn't -wuk, dey 'tended to you. Dey slashed one nigger an' he died nex' week. -Us plowed 'twell dark an' lots an' lots of times all night long wid a -lantern tied to front an' back of de plows. We was picking cotton all -night long too, be ready to take dat wagon to de gin by three or four -o'clock in de morning. Sometimes dey would put de slaves in chains. When -dey wuk clearing up new groun' dey had chains put 'roun' dey ankles. - -[Illustration: _Frank Menefee, Opelika, Alabama_] - -"On Sunday mornin' Mistiss would try to teach us niggers de Bible. Den -us would go to church at white church an' sit in de back wid white folks -in front. De preacher was Rev'ren Frank Hugely. Dat Sunday mornin' -breakfast sho' was good to us niggers. Us had meat, sugar, lard an' -butter. I used to love to hear dem sing. When My Soul Be Resting in de -Presence of My Lord, I'll Be Satisfied. I was baptized at eleven o'clock -by Dave Hill an' I sho' got happy. I shouted an' sung: 'I'se never drunk -no whiskey in my life.' When any of de niggers would pass on, old -Mistiss would stand over de casket and weep. Us would pull off our hats -an' marsa was nice as he could be, too. Hit was a home-made box dyed -black. Mistiss she would see to de fixin' of de shroud. - -"De patrollers sho' would get you an' dat's one thing made you stick to -your wuk. - -"On Sadday nights us would frolic an' dance all night long iffen you -wanted to, buck-dance, sixteen-hand reel and cake walk. Dey would blow -reed quills an' have all the licker dey wanted. Mistiss, dey ain't jes' -now drinkin' licker. Oh, dem cornshuckings! Shuk corn, drink an' holler -all night long. Sometimes dey'd sing: - - Dark cloud arising like gwine to rain, - Nothing but a black gal coming down the lane, - Nigger stole a pumkin an' started outer town; - Nigger heered it thunder, Lord, an' throwed dat pumkin down. - -"Mistiss, I don't wanter tell you no mo' of dat. - -"When us niggers ma'ied, dey didn't have no preacher. We jes' jumped -over de broom, an' went on an' lived together. Iffen a gal went wrong, -dey beat her nearly to death. Iffen you moved de place when you ma'ied, -de other marsa had to buy you. - -"De li'l niggers had big times. Us used to play, 'Green grow the willow -tree, you swing my gal an' I swing yourn. Green grow de willow tree.' -Dey used to sceer up us niggers 'bout "Raw Head an' Bloody Bones," gwine -to ketch us dat was so sceer bad iffen us didn't mind 'em, but I ain't -never seed nor believed in ghostes. Us didn't get sick much 'caze us -didn't have no trash to eat an' Mistiss giv' us ebony of yarbs an' us -wore sacks of yarbs 'roun' our necks too. - -"The Yankees did plenty of harm. Marsa shot at some of dem; an' dey took -off our cabin wagons. When us was freed dey singed, 'I'se gwine back to -Dixie, no more my heart to wander, never see my master no mo'.' - -"Marsa called us all up an' told us we was jes' free as him. He give us -all a suit of clo'es, some money, a mule, a cow, wagon, hog and a li'l -corn to start off on. Us moved to Dr. Lawrence Smiths near La-Fayette, -Alabama. - -"Later years I ma'ied Jane Drake at the cafe in Opelika, Alabama, and by -de jedge at twelve o'clock. She died, den I ma'ied Phoebe Ethen Drake. -Some says de church can't save you, but I sho' feels safer in hit, an' I -jined 'caze I wants to be better dan I was an' try to be saved." - - - - -Isaam Morgan - - - *Interview with Isaam Morgan* - --_Mary A. Poole, Mobile, Alabama_ - -"Mistis, I was bawn in 1853, 'cordin' to ole Miss's Bible, near Lotts -Landing on the Alabama River." It was Isaam Morgan who spoke from his -porch at 1657 Sligo Street, Mobile, Alabama. "I made a special trip back -dar a few months back to de ole place, an' Mistis' daughter looked it up -for me 'caze I done had forgot. - -"Mr. James Morgan was my Massa, an' his wife, Miss Delia, was my Mistis. -My mammy's name was Ann Morgan, an' as for my pappy, I done forgot -his'n. I was raised raght dar in de white folks house, an' I had my own -special place to sleep. I was de house boy, an' when I growed older I -driv' Mistis aroun' in de Ca'iage. - -"Us niggers lived in sho-'nuff style. Us had our regular quarters whar -us lived in white log cabins chinked wid mud, an' de slaves had built-in -beds an' a big open fireplace whar dey cooked. Us had plenty somp'n -t'eat. All us had to do was to ask for it an' de Massa done de res'. Our -rations was gib out to us eve'y Sadday. Some of de bes' food us ever had -was 'possum an' taters. Us'd go out at night wid a big sack, an' a pack -of houn's an' twarn't long befo' we done treed a 'possum. Atter we done -treed him, de dogs would stan' aroun' de tree an' bark. Iffen de tree -was small, us could shake him out. Iffen it was big, one of de niggers -hadda climb up it an' git ole Mr. 'Possum hisself. - -"Funny things about 'possums, Miss; de bigger dey is seem lak de littler -de tree dey picks to go up. It is sho-'nuff fun, dough, to go a trailin' -th'ough de woods atter a 'possum or coon. De coon'll give you de bes' -chase, but he ain't no good eatin' lak de 'possum. I seen a coon one -time when he was cornered bite de tip of a houn's nose off. - -"Massa Morgan sol' wood to de steam boats, an' us slaves hadda cut de -wood, an' split it up into smaller pieces. Any time a slave worked over -time or cut mo' wood dan he s'pose' to, Massa pay him money for it, caze -whenever one of us slaves seen somp'n we lak, we did jus' lak de white -folks does now. Us bought it. - -"Massa never whupped none of his slaves; he jus' tole us whut to do an' -iffen we didn't do it, he'd call us to him an' he would say in his sorta -way: 'Nigger! How many mo' times is I gotta tell you to do lak you -tole?' Dat's all he would say, an' believe me Mistis, he hada a way of -lookin' at you dat made you jump. When he bought a new slave dat wasn't -use to doin' what he was tol', 'twarn't long befo' massa had him in -line. - -"No'm none of our slaves ever tried to run away. Dey all knowed dey was -well off. We didn't have no oberseer but once. He was a mean un too. He -tried to fight an' whup us slaves, an' one night six big nigger men -jumped on him an' scairt him mos' to death. Atter dat de massa wouldn't -never have no mo' oberseers. He tended to dat business hisself. - -"Whut we do atter we finished work? Go to bed! Dat was de onl'es' place -we was fittin' for. Us was so tired us wouldn't lie down two minutes 'fo -us was 'sleep. On some moonlight nights us was 'lowed to pick de cotton. -Den us'd git a little res' de nex' day. - -"Massa an' his fambly used brass lamps an' candles for light, an' a few -of us slaves had brass lamps too, but most of de niggers used torch -lights. - -"Some of de plantations had a calaboose whar dey putt de slaves dat -wouldn't behave. Dis calaboose was built of logs fastened together wid -stout ropes an' sunk into de groun', but Massa didn't need no calaboose -to make his niggers behave. - -[Illustration: _Isaam Morgan, Mobile, Alabama_] - -"Yassum, us had remedies for ailments. We used wild hoarhound tea for de -chills an' fever, an' sweet gum turpentine, an' mutton suet. Dey wan all -good uns too. But shucks! Warn't nothin' much ever de matter wid us -niggers. - -"Yassum, we used rock an' cotton to start de fires on de plantation, an' -Massa had a flint lock rifle, too. - -"De slaves had dere own special graveyard an' us'd make de coffins raght -on de place dar. When someone die, he was taken in a ox cart to de -grave, wid all de slaves a-walkin' 'long behine de cart singin' de -spirituals. - -"Our clothes was made mostly outen osnaburg wove on de plantation. We -had wool clothes for de winter time dat was carded on de place. We had -shoes made by our own cobbler an' tanned on de plantation. We called -dese brogans. - -"Atter de surrender, de Yankees camped near our place, an' bought aigs -f'um us. Dey offered me a hoss iffen I would go nawth wid dem, but I -jus' couldn't leave de Massa even dough I did wanted dat hoss mighty -bad. I was twenty-one years old when Massa came to me one day an' say: -'Isaam, you is a grown man now. You is got to boss your own business. -It's up to you to fin' work. I can't keep you no longer. Good luck -Isaam. You has been a good nigger, an' you is gonna make somebody a good -worker.' - -"Atter I lef' Massa I worked at diff'ent jobs, sich as: loader, -roustabout on different steamboats an' cotton picker. I worked on de -_May Boyd_, _Lula D._ an' de _Gardner_. One of de ole songs sang on de -boats went somp'n lak dis: - - De John T. Moore - De Lula D. - An' all dem boats is mine - If you can't ship on de Lula D. - You ain't no man o' mine. - -"I been ma'ied three times, Mistis, an' Lawd chile I done forgot de name -of my fust wife. I guess she still livin' somewhere caze she was too -mean to die. My secon' wife was named Dora, an' she is daid. I got a -wife now name Lily. She purty good. - -"Yes maam you can take my picture, but lemme git my hat, caze I ain't -got no hair on my haid, an' I looks better wid a hat. I'se got to be -fixed up stylish." - - - - -Tony Morgan - - - *From record of a conversation in 1884* - --_Francois L. Diard, Mobile, Alabama_ - -_A SLAVE INTERVIEWS A SLAVE_ - -George Washington extolling the virtues of a plain, homespun -suit--granite-jawed Andrew Jackson defying the British at -Pensacola--horror and massacre at Alabama's old Fort Mims--savages -skulking near the fort, their bronzed bodies glistening in the hot -August sunlight. - -These were among memories of parchment-skinned Uncle Tony Morgan, who -was interviewed on Oct. 1, 1884 by Jim Thomas, another slave, and a -record of the conversation held in the files of a family in Old Mobile, -Alabama. Uncle Tony was 105 years old then. - -The story is told by Thomas, former slave of the Diard family. Uncle -Tony was the slave of Mobile Judge H. Toulmin, grandfather of the later -Judge H.T. Toulmin, who was appointed a judge by President Jefferson. - -According to Jim Thomas, Uncle Tony told him: - -"Did I knowed Gen'l Andrew Jackson? Lord bless you honey, why, I knowed -him and remember Gen'l George Washington afore him." - -Uncle Tony explained that he accompanied General Jackson when the -war-loving Tennessean marched from Mobile against Pensacola in 1814. He -said he was serving as a wagoner, and remembered distinctly that the -British surrendered on November 6. He recalled that, during the battle, -Jackson was standing talking with a group of officers when an enemy -shell exploded near him. - -"Move away, general," the old Negro quoted one of the officers as -saying, "they'll kill you!" - -And Jackson replied in a characteristic manner: - -"Damn 'em--I'll have 'em all in hell tomorrow!" - -Concerning George Washington, Uncle Tony told Jim Thomas that the great -American leader visited the town of Frankfort, Ky., and while there made -an address. He wore a home-spun suit, which he pointed out as an example -of what people might do in utilizing their products. - -Frankfort was highly excited when Washington arrived in the city, and -Uncle Tony told of a tiny urchin exclaiming with bitter disappointment -in his voice: - -"Why, Pa, he ain't nothing but a man!" - -Uncle Tony's memory of what occurred at Fort Mims was vivid, according -to Jim Thomas. The older slave related that he was one of many Negroes -in the fort at the time. He said the defenders had been sleeping off a -night of dissipation the morning William Weatherford's warriors -attacked. - -Men, women and children were butchered in the ensuing slaughter and the -buildings were fired. The massacre continued until noon, Uncle Tony -said, when the Indians retreated with scalps and several Negro prisoners -to their camping site, called the Holy Ground. Here, the half-starved -Negroes lived in constant dread that they would be butchered by -war-inflamed Creeks. - -Uncle Tony also recalled carrying the mail from Fort Stoddert, in -Alabama, through the State and Mississippi. On several occasions he -barely escaped being scalped by Indians, he said. - -The old Negro related further that his father was a wagoner under -Cornwallis when that general surrendered to Washington at Yorktown. - -Concerning his age and birthplace, Uncle Tony told Thomas he was born in -Danville, Ky., about 1779. He went to Mobile in 1805 with Judge Toulmin. - -At the time of the interview the old slave was extremely feeble and -lame, and walked with the aid of a cane. His skin was dried and -wrinkled, and cataracts on his eyes had totally deprived him of his -sight. Despite these handicaps, however, Thomas said the old man's mind -was exceptionally clear, and his recollection of events occurring almost -a century before were remarkable. - - - - -Mose - - - *Told by Edith Tatum, Greenville, Alabama* - --_Mildred Scott Taylor, Georgiana, Alabama_ - -_UNCLE MOSE--A TRUE STORY_ - -The early spring sunshine sifted through the honey-suckle vines -clustering around the cabin door, and made a network of dancing light -upon the floor. A little Negro boy sat on the steps gazing silently up -the dusty road and idly listening to the insistent buzzing of insects -hovering about the honey-suckle blooms. - -"Don't yer see nothin' of her yet, Jerry?" came in a querulous voice -from a bed in a corner of the cabin. - -"Naw, Unc' Mose. She ain't in sight yit, but it's mos' time fer 'er." - -"Hit 'pear lak dis mis'ry is er gittin' wus all de time," the voice went -on. - -"Miss Sally say dat limerumunt gwine he'p it," essayed Jerry -consolingly. - -"It don' do no good 'cep'in jess whilst Aun' Judy is er rubbin'. De -rubbin' does mo' good dan de limerumunt." - -"Dar she is, rat now!" exclaimed Jerry presently. - -"Praise de Lawd! fer de ole man sho is hongry en' got de mis'ry from his -haid to his heels." - -"Dar's ernudder lady wid Miss Sally. Sarter looks lak er gal." - -"Mus' be some er ole master's gran'dahters come on er visit. Whyn't yer -come an' sit some cheers out an' dus' em' an' straighten dis quilt -'stead er settin' dar lak er black patch on de sunshine? Don' yer know -how ter ack when de quality is comin'?" By the time the chairs had been -arranged to his notion the visitors were at the door. - -"Good morning, Uncle Mose," said the older woman brightly, as she put a -covered basket down on a table by the bed. - -She had a strong, sweet face and smooth white hair, and the gracious -dignity of a queen. "I hope you rested well last night and are feeling -very much better. I have brought some one to see you. Now guess who she -is," and she placed the girl where the sunshine fell across her face. - -Uncle Mose turned his head on the pillow, and gazed eagerly at his -visitor. Then his old black face wrinkled into a smile. "Lawd, honey, -you sho' mus' be one er Mars' Eddard's dahters, frum de favor!" - -"You are right, Uncle Mose. It's Miss Caroline." - -"I'm so sorry to find you in bed, Uncle Mose," said the girl, coming -closer, while Miss Sally began taking an appetizing breakfast from the -basket and putting it on the table. - -"Father told me not to come home without seeing Uncle Mose. He talks of -you so often." - -The old man beamed with pleasure. "Den Mr. Eddard's done fergive me for -not choosing him dat time," he said with a chuckle. "Did you ebber h'yar -'bout dat time I choosed mah master?" - -"Now, Uncle Mose, none of your reminiscence until Jerry has given you -your breakfast. Then I know that Caroline will be delighted to hear all -about it," and Miss Sally smiled indulgently. "Here, Caroline, put these -flowers in water where Uncle Mose can see them, while I measure some -medicine for him." - -"Dat sho was er good breakfus', Miss Sally," said the old negro with a -sigh of content, as Jerry gave him the last bit of waffle. "Ole Aun' -Jincy allers was er good cook, en her ma befo' 'er. Couldn't nobody beat -Aun' Lucy cookin' in dem days. Ginger cakes? She made de bes' ginger -cakes! Miss Sally, you 'member dat time Ole Marster give me an Mars' Wat -er whole silver dollar en we walked two miles to Mars' Walter's sto' en -spent ev'ry bit er it fer ginger cakes? Er whole dollar's wuth er ginger -cakes, an' Aunt Lucy rat dar at home er cookin' de bes' ones in de -country! Mars' Wat sho was er sight!" and Mose lay looking with dim eyes -into a happy, long-vanished past. - -"Now tell me about when you chose your master," said Caroline, drawing a -chair closer to the bed. - -"O, dat time; I 'members dat mornin' jess lak it was yistiddy. Hit was -in the spring-time lak dis, en ole Mose was er lil' black rascal lak -Jerry dar. I was playin' roun' de cabin do' en h'yer come Jim de ke'ge -driver, en say ole Marster wanted me rat erway. I sho was skeered! But I -couldn't think o' no meanness I had done so I jess helt up mah haid en -marched up de road ter de Big House. En dar I foun' Ole Marster standin' -on de steps, en in er row on de po'ch was Mars' Eddard, en Mars' Ted, an -Mars' Wat, en Mars' Tom. 'Come h'yer Mose,' say Ole Marster in dat big -way er his'n. 'Come h'yer en choose yer marster. I'm gwine to give yer -ter de one you picks out.' I 'gan at Mars' Eddard. He was older 'en me -an' sorter se'rus lak so I passed him by. I looked at Mars' Ted er long -time sorter hes'tatin', but den I jess chanced ter look at Mars' Wat, en -dem blue eyes er his'n was fa'rly dancin' wid sump'n sorter lak ole -Nick, en I say ter mahself, 'dat's de marster fer Mose,' so I say out -loud, 'I chooses Mars' Wat,' en bress yer heart, honey, I ain' nebber -been sorry er minute sence. But de res' er Ole Marsters' boys nebber did -fergive Mose fer dat," and he chuckled at the remembrance. - -Caroline laughed. "Thank you, Uncle Mose, I've enjoyed hearing about it. -I must go and see Mammy now. Next time I come I hope you will be -better." - -"De ole man ain' had his foots ter de flo' in five weeks dis comin' -Sadd'y Miss Ca'line. Good bye, Miss Ca'line honey, come ergin." - -"And now, Jerry, you run tell Aunt Judy to come up at once and rub Uncle -Mose's ankles," said 'Miss' Sally as Caroline left the cabin. "I'll warm -this liniment and have it all ready." She stopped before the open -fireplace and raked up the embers into a little blazing fire, and -putting the saucer of turpentine on the floor at some distance, she -stood up and turned toward the bed. Just then a spark from the fire fell -into the saucer, and the turpentine blazed up. 'Miss' Sally, startled, -sprang back, but in so doing, her light cotton morning gown came in -contact with the blazing turpentine and was quickly ignited. She caught -up her skirts and tried to put it out with her hands, but could not. For -several seconds 'Miss' Sally stood face to face with an awful death. - -"My God-er-Mighty!" cried Uncle Mose, and with the agility of youth and -health he sprang from the bed dragging a blanket with him, and throwing -it around her, wrapped it close, extinguishing the flames just as Aunt -Judy and Jerry appeared in the door. - -"De Lawd in Hebben!" cried fat Judy, her swift glance taking in Miss -Sally's white face, burned garments and helpless hands, and 'Uncle' Mose -tottering back to his bed. - -"Po' lamb! now jess look at dem han's! Lemme tie 'em up in wet sody this -minute! You sho 'mos' got burned up, honey." - -"I would have, but for Uncle Mose," said 'Miss' Sally faintly, as she -sank into a chair. - -Aunt Judy turned stormy eyes upon the poor groaning old man. "I'd lak -ter know how cum Unc' Mose jess foun' out he kin walk?" she inquired -belligerently. "I 'lowed some time ergo dat Mose was possumin'. I sho -ain' gwine to waste mo' elbo' grease on dat old hyp'crite." - -"Hush, Judy," said her mistress sternly, "Uncle Mose is no hypocrite. He -has inflammatory rheumatism. It was a miracle," she added reverently. - -"Dat's hit!" exclaimed Mose, eagerly. "Er miracle! Hit was de -Lawd-er-Mighty let Mose git up den. Fer how you reckon I'd eber face -Mars' Wat ergin' ef I had to tell him I jess lay in de baid en let my -lil' mistress burn up? Mose done promus Mars' Wat ter tek keer er Miss -Sally, an' ole man done de bes' he could." - - - - -Sally Murphy - - - *Interview with Sally Murphy* - --_Preston Klein, Lee County, Alabama_ - -_SLAVERY WAS ALL RIGHT IN ITS PLACE_ - -When I was looking for Sally Murphy, I went into a clean, four room -cabin and found a small, neat Negro woman. - -"Are you Sally Murphy?" I asked. - -"I'm sho' is, honey, and who is you? Lawdy chile, you knows I know Mr. -Pompy (my father). She laughed. "I'll tell you anything I knows. - -"I was jes' 'bout ten years come slavery done. I was borned down on de -Clayton place at Smith's Corners. My pappy he come from South Car'lina, -where his pappy was sold. He name was Calop and my mammy was Hannah -Clayton. There was eight of us chillun. Fred, Silas, Calop, Mary, -Dolphus, Dora, Lula and me. Us all lived down in de quarters, which was -five log houses, daubed wid mud. Dem logs was big ones, hand-hewed, and -de fireplaces was big, too. Us went to de fiel's early in de morning and -picked us a mess of young hick'ry and oak leaves to scald and cook in de -pot wid meat. Dey made good greens and us had poke salad, too. (Made -from the leaves of the pokeberry). - -"When dey dried de fruit us would cook our kind of fruit cake. I don't -recollect what went in it. Dere was plenty though. Mistis had de fruit -dried on tins in de yard, and at twelve o'clock every day all hands went -to de house and turned de fruit. - -"Our beds was homemade, scaffold bedsteads wid ropes wove acrost de top -what could tighten up. Sometimes us had homewove bedspreads on de beds -most every day, but in gen'ally dat was for Sunday only. - -"Our menfolks used to hunt possums and wild turkeys, but dey didn't mess -'roun' none wid rabbits. They didn't waste time on fishing either. - -"Ev'y morning in May Mistis would call us little niggers to de house and -ev'y other morning give us oil and turpentine. We made our own cloth for -clothes. Our mammies wove us long drawers outen cotton. Dey bought wool -and flannelet to make us pantalets. Us wore homemade homespun dresses. -Some of hit was dyed and some checked. Us had shoes reg'lar in winter. - -"Ole Marster Joe and Miss Rosa Clayton was good as gold. Dey had Sara, -Jane, Henry, and Joe. De live in a big, two story house wid six rooms to -hit and had a brick kitchen off from de house out in de yard. Ole -Marster had a big plantation and his two aunties live dere, too. Dey was -Miss Easter and Miss Charlotte. - -"De slave women folks what had chilluns was 'lowed to go home half hour -by de sun to wash ev'y day, and ev'y Sunday morning all de little -chillun had to be washed and carried to de Big House for de Mistis to -inspect 'em. - -"Us mostly stayed at home and didn't go 'bout none, and effen us went to -Mt. Jefferson Church us had to have a pass or de paterollers would sho' -git you. I did think dat 'Hark from the tomb in doleful sound, how -careful, how careful den ought I to live, wid what religious fear' was -de prettiest thing, and I sho' did love to hear dem sing hit. I never -seed de baptising, 'ca'se I used to go to de 'Piscopal Church wid Mistis -and open gates and hold de hosses. I sot in de foot of her carriage. - -"Christmas dey'd give us provisions and de chillun some trash (meaning -toys). Dey sho' had good times on moonlight nights at de cornshuckings. -Dey would haul de corn from de fields and put it in a big ring, and as -dey shucked dey would throw it in ring and den into de crib. Sometimes -dey was so much corn it would stay on de ground 'twell it rotted. - -"Mr. Dickey Williams' mother, Miss Emily, ma'ied while us was dere and -my grandma cooked de cake. My daddy made de cake stand. Hit had three -tiers, each one full of little cakes wid de big cake on top. Hit sho' -was pretty. - -"Dey let de little niggers have all de fun dey wanted. Us played jump -rope and swung in de grapevine swings mostly. Den us had rag dolls. When -any of us got sick, we was give hoarhound tea and rock candy. Sometimes -effen dey wasn't looking and us got a chance us spit it out. Dey got de -doctor effen us needed it. - -"One of our Marsters was killed in de war and brought home and buried. -He was Mr. Joe. All de silver was hid out enduring de war but de sojers -never did come to our house. - -"One day my daddy says, 'Hannah, Marster said us is free now to do what -we want to do.' But us stayed on two years mo'. In a few years I ma'ied -Milton Heard and had a calico wedding dress and Judge Reed ma'ied us in -Opelika in de ole plank court house. I didn't have no chillun and I -lives now wid my niece, Sally Thomas. - -"I don't know what I think 'bout Abraham Lincoln. I don't know nothing -'bout him. Slavery was all right in its place, I guess, 'ca'se some -needed it to make 'em work. - -"Folks get so sinful I thought I was safest in de church. I believe God -intended for us all to be religious." - - - - -Hattie Anne Nettles - - - *Interview with Hattie Anne Nettles* - --_Preston Klein, Opelika, Alabama_ - -_DRUMS BEATING AND FIFES BLOWING_ - -"Dey was sad times, honey; all de people was goin' to war wid de drums -beatin' all aroun' and de fifes blowin.'" - -Hattie Anne Nettles looks younger than her eighty years, but she -remembers climbing a fence to watch gray-clad soldiers of the -Confederacy marching toward the front. She also remembers a few details -about slavery, although she was only a child at the time. - -Hattie was born in Tallapoosa, Ga. Her father and mother were Archie and -Matilda Benson. She had eight brothers and sisters; Charlie, George, -Abraham, Mose, Lucinda, Mandy, Margaret and Queenie. - -"Us had corded beds in dem times," she said, "an' dey was screwed in de -corners to tighten 'em. Our cookin' was simple, too. Us used a griddle -hoe to cook on de big fireplaces. - -"Our dresses was homespun cloth dyed wid indigo, an' us didn't have very -many clothes. But us kept plenty warm in de winter; an' in de hot -summers us didn't need mor'n a thin li'l ol' dress." - -Hattie called her master "a good Christian-hearted man who did de bes' -he could for de niggers." - -"I 'members," she said, "dat all de chilluns was good, too, 'ceptin' two -of de boys. Dey was bad uns for sho' an' was arguin' an' fightin' all de -time. - -"Honey, Ol' Marster sho'ly did lak to sing, an' he was pretty good at -dat. I 'members dat he useter git out in de back an' sing to de top of -his voice: 'I'se Gwine Home to Die No More.' - -"What I 'members most, dough, was de quiltin's an' spinnin' frolics dat -de women-folks had. Den, on Sattidy nights, dere was Sattidy night -suppers an' dances. All de peoples sho'ly did cut de high step at de -dances." - -Hattie beamed as the trend of conversation turned to Christmas on -Southern plantations. - -[Illustration: _Hattie Anne Nettles, Opelika, Alabama_] - -"Dat was a time!" she exclaimed. "Us had to go to mornin' prayer, but -atter dat us went back to de cabins, dressed in our Sunday bes', an' -went up to de 'Big House' fer some foolishness. An' it was sho'ly real -foolishness, too. - -"When I was growed up I married Bill Lockhart an' us had fifteen -chilluns an' eight gran'chilluns. In de ol' days niggers axed de white -marster for de bride an' no license was needed. Iffen dey lef' de -plantation, de other white marster bought 'em so de girl could go wid -her man. - -"Our ol' marster was as good as he could be like I done tol' you. He -looked atter de slaves when dey got sick an' sont for de doctor. In dem -days dey would draw blood. Dey would draw almos' a quart from de body, -an' you usually got well, too." - -Hattie recalled one night of terror on the plantation when the Ku Klux -Klan raided a prayer meeting where a large number of Negroes had -congregated. - -"De Klansmen beat up lots of dem," she said. "If a nigger didn't behave, -dey'd nigh 'bout kill him." - -Hattie lives in Opelika with a daughter. Flowers dot her clean yard and -her old days are full of happiness. - - - - -W.E. Northcross - - - *Autobiography of Reverend W.E. Northcross, 1897* - --_Levi D. Shelby, Jr. (Colored), Tuscumbia, Alabama_ - -(Chapter 1--How Reared) - -I was born a slave in 1840, in Colbert County, Alabama. Education was -denied me, hence I grew up in ignorance. My mother and father were -carried from me when I was only nine years old, but as soon as chance -presented itself I ran away and went to them. My white people brought me -back, and as they were not cruel to their slaves they did not "buck" me. -I stayed with them until I was fifteen summers old. During this time my -mistress made all the children, both girls and boys, come to her every -Sunday, and she taught Sunday School. The book used was the old -fashioned Catechism. - - Jesus keep me near the cross, - There's a precious fountain, - Free to all, a healing stream, - Flows from Calvary's mountain. - -It was against the law for them to learn to read and write, so she -taught them the Lord's prayer and a few other things in the book. She -said that she wanted them to know how to pray, how to tell the truth and -not to steal, and always try to do right in the sight of everybody and -in the sight of God. With these influences, I confessed a hope in Christ -at the age of thirteen years. - - Am I a soldier of the cross, - A follower of the lamb, - And shall I fear to own his cause, - Or blush to speak his name? - -When she did not teach herself, she had an adopted girl to do the same. -Finally the adopted girl married and moved to the farm where I was born, -the farm from which I ran away. About this time, I was twenty years old. -I felt that there was something for me to do. I began to lead prayer -meetings. Still I felt that there was more for me to do. - -(Chapter 2--Entering The Ministry) - -I felt sure that I was called to preach, though "unlearned and -ignorant." I trembled at the thought of preaching the gospel, but -something seemed to push me forward in that direction. So I asked the -people to let me preach. This request was granted. The people at that -time had no place or house of worship. I began to fast and pray night -and day. Being "unlearned and ignorant" (Acts 4:13) my heart silently -murmured-- - - Bread of heaven, bread of heaven, - Feed me till I want no more. - -This was the only school I attended, both day and night. At this time I -did not know "A" from "B," but I met a man who could read a little. This -man liked me and promised to teach me how to read, provided I would keep -it a secret. This I gladly promised to do. - - I am weak, Thou art mighty, - Hold me with Thy powerful hand. - -I secured a blue-back speller and went out on the mountain every Sunday -to meet this gentleman, to be taught. I would stay on the mountain all -day Sunday without food. I continued this way for a year and succeeded -well. I hired my own time and with my blue-back speller went to the -mountain to have this man teach me. The mountain was the great school -which I attended. I went from there to the blacksmith shop to work. From -that place I was captured by the Yankees and carried to war. As I was -crippled I was allowed to remain in the commissary department for about -six months. While we were at camp at Athens, Alabama General Forest came -upon us and defeated, captured, and killed until they were almost -literally wiped out of existence. I had been kind to some little white -children, by which I had won their love, and of course, the love of -their parents, and stayed with them three days during the battle. I came -to a river and turned aside to a farm from which all the people had gone -to save themselves from the war, I got a man to help reach an island -where I worked three days without anything to eat except grapes and -muscadines. I preferred to die on the island than to be killed by the -soldiers. Therefore, in time of danger, I rushed to this house and the -good people hid me and changed my clothes. Hence, when I was found I was -taken for one of the gentleman's slaves. When I was permitted by the man -to try to return to LaGrange, and had gone some distance, I was caught -by deserters from the Southern army, who voted to shoot me. They bound -me and kept me overnight, intending to do away with me the next day. It -was a lonely desert on the Tennessee river. I could not sleep, so all -night I prayed to God, and the wives of the men prayed to God for the -poor "nigger," and also prayed to their cruel husbands. Their prayers -prevailed, and I was robbed and let go. I had vowed not to reveal their -whereabouts. I left loving God and believing in his providence as I had -never believed before. - - Earth has no sorrow that - Heaven cannot heal. - -I went home and got another spelling-book, although it was not allowed. -Some of my own people told my master that I had a book trying to read. -He sent for me to come to the house. I obeyed, though I dreaded to meet -him, not knowing what the consequence would be. But his heart had been -touched by Divine power and he simply told me that he heard that I had a -book, and if I was caught with it I would be hung. So I thanked him and -departed. Notwithstanding my master's counsel I thirsted for knowledge -and got some old boards and carried them to my house to make a light by -which I could see how to read. I would shut the doors, put one end of a -board into the fire, and proceed to study; but whenever I heard the dogs -barking I would throw my book under the bed and peep and listen to see -what was up. If no one was near I would crawl under the bed, get my -book, come out, lie flat on my stomach, and proceed to study until the -dogs would again disturb me. I did this for many nights. I continued in -this way to try to learn to spell and read as best I could. - - Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness, - for they shall be filled. - -I, like the Ethiopian, wanted a guide. I moved to Mrs. McReynold's. God -bless her! She gave me a lesson every night for a period of four years. -Then I went to my old master's brother, whose wife helped me every night -as long as I would go to her for help. Rev. Shackleford (white) greatly -aided me for a period of three years. - -Boys and girls, grasp these golden opportunities which are now extended -you from the school room. "Unlearned and ignorant" as I was I came along -that way until the present time. My readers have better chances than I -had. So I hope that they will make good use of their time and make my -heart feel glad to see them setting their marks high and preparing -themselves for the Great Beyond where all must go. Thither all nations -will be called before the mighty judgment seat of the Ruler of the -universe to give an account for the deeds done in this world. My prayer -for the reader is, that they may make strong, useful, wise and Christian -men and women, and at the end of time meet their God in peace. - -(Chapter 3--My Work) - -I will endeaver, in this chapter, to tell something about my works and -whereabouts. I was ordained to the gospel ministry in 1867 by Rev. Mr. -Slater (white), and Rev. Henry Bynum. Rev. Stephens Coleman and Rev. -Henry Bynum, aided by Dr. Joseph Shackleford (white) laid down the -foundation stones for the colored Baptist churches in Morgan, Franklin, -Colbert, Lauderdale, and Lawrence counties, Alabama. I am now pastor of -the First Baptist Church, at Tuscumbia, Alabama, which is the best Negro -edifice in North Alabama. This church was organized thirty-five years -ago, by me, with seventy-five members, but it now had a membership of -nine hundred. I have pastored it for lo! these many years. This church -is an excellent brick edifice. A few other brethren and myself organized -the Muscle Shoals Baptist Association--one of the oldest and largest -associations in Alabama. I have been Moderator for four years and its -Treasurer for six years. I built the church at Russellville, Alabama, -and pastored it for four years, and then ordained Bro. P. Jones and -recommended him as pastor. I built the Barten church and pastored it for -a period of fifteen years, after which I recommended Rev. James Hampton -there as pastor. I pastored the Cherokee church five years, ordained -Bro. Dennis Jackson and recommended him there as pastor. I pastored -Liberty Baptist church for three years, ordained Bro. Alex Brown and -recommended him there as pastor. I served Iuka, Mississippi for five -years and then recommended a Brother from the West, who belonged to the -Mt. Olive Association, to it. I built up the Sheffield church, pastored -it three years and then recommended Bro. G.B. Johnson there as shepherd. -I also built up Mt. Moriah church at Prides, Alabama. I frequently -uttered these words: - - Where Jesus leads me I will follow - and his footsteps I'll pursue. - -I organized St. Paul church (Colbert County) and pastored it for two -years. Rev. E.C. White, who is now Assistant Moderator of the Muscle -Shoals Association, was ordained by me. I have ordained more than twenty -preachers to the gospel ministry, baptized six thousand persons, united -in marriage five thousand couples, and buried about seven thousand -persons. I have been faithful to every charge. - - Hark the voice of Jesus calling, - Who will and work today? - Fields are white and harvest waiting, - Who will bear the sheaves away? - -I have never left the old land mark. Not an one of the churches which I -have pastored has brought a charge against me. - - The deepest secrets of our hearts - shall shortly be made known. - -I have been married three times and have known no woman but my wife, -"though unlearned and ignorant." I have never had but one "fuss" with my -wife. I told her at one time to hush and she failed to do so, then I -slapped her, after which I went to the Lord in prayer and asked to be -forgiven. I regret very much indeed to inform the world in print that I -have been drunk from intoxicating liquors twice, which was before I -professed religion. Notwithstanding I have ever held up temperance and -aimed to keep it high until Shiloh comes to gather up his jewels. The -following recommendation will show what the best people of Tuscumbia -think of me: - - - Tuscumbia, Ala., March 13, 1897 - - - To whom it may concern:-- - - We take pleasure in stating that we have known the bearer of - this letter, Rev. Wilson Northcross for a number of years, and - that he is a conscientious, intelligent colored man of good - character. He has been pastor of the Missionary Baptist Church - of this place since the war, having been instrumental in - building the church, and always has made a good citizen. We - believe him in every way worthy of the respect and confidence of - his people. - - - Fox Delony, Judge of Probate - Jas. H. Simpson, Circuit Clerk - Chas. A. Simpson, Deputy Clerk - W.H. Sawtelle - Max Lueddemann - - - -The following resolution was adopted by the church which I pastored -thirty years: - - Resolved, That Rev. W.E. Northcross, our pastor, is a good, - moral, Christian man. He has been our pastor for thirty years, - and we can truthfully say that he teaches in all things by - example as well as by precept. - ---TUSCUMBIA MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH - -The history of this church has undergone many changes, but they all -worked for its betterment. At the close of the Civil war the few members -went from brush arbor to brush arbor for three years. Then they held -services in gin houses and under shelters for two years and six months. -Then as the church was growing rapidly, they thought best to draw out, -buy a lot, and build to themselves. So they bought a lot for what they -paid fifty dollars ($50.) and erected a five hundred dollars ($500.) -building thereon in which to worship the Lord. So the church continued -to grow until it now has a membership of nine-hundred, a splendid brick -edifice worth about six thousand dollars ($6,000.) and a thriving -congregation. The church has never had but one pastor, and I have been -as faithful as a clock. Through me (Rev. W.E. Northcross) the church was -built, and I have ever since held high the Baptist doctrine throughout -North Alabama. - - - - -Wade Owens - - - *Interview with Wade Owens* - --_Preston Klein, Opelika, Alabama_ - -_WADE OWENS HEARD ABE LINCOLN SPEAK_ - -The Reverend Wade Owens of Opelika was born in Loachapoka, Alabama, in -1863 and just missed slavery, but he has heard his homefolks talk so -much about freeing the Negroes, he feels as if he was grown then. His -mother and father, Wade and Hannah Owens, came from Virginia and moved -into "Jenks Quarters" on the Berry Owens place. They had several -children, Wade, Nettie, Chance, Anderson and Iowa. Wade used to help -drive up the cows. This cabin was of logs, mud and sticks with leaf and -mud chimneys and slab floors. The beds fitted into the wall with plank -sides, two posts with planks nailed on top, resembling tables. A box -served as a dresser. - -"All ash-cakes were cooked on poplar an' chestnut leaves, when dey -roasted taters," Wade says. "Us chillun used to go early in de mornin' -an' lick de honey offen de leaves for sweets den. Us didn't wear nothin' -but our long shirts, an' us had homemade hats and brogans, hard as -bricks with brass caps on de toes. I thought dey was de prettiest things -I ever seed. - -"Marsa Berry an' Miss Fanny Owens was good to us niggers. My daddy was -de carriage driver for Miss Fanny, but take keer of dat man Ben Boddy, -the overseer. He was de meanes' man God ever put life in. He wouldn't -let us have no fire, matter not how cold, us had to work jes' de same or -de nigger hounds 'ud sho' get you. Iffen not dog caught, dey would beat -you to death nearly. He was so mean marsa run him off. Dey blew de -risin' horn an' us worked from daylight 'twell dark or frum can to -can't. - -"Marsa had a pretty two-story log house, big columns an' big porch. He -had 'bout two or three hundred acres an' worked 'bout three hundred -slaves. Us had a jail an' locked runaways in hit. Brother Lockhart used -to preach to us niggers in de white church at Lebanon an' us walked to -hit. - -"My daddy was sold fer $160. When dey put chains on de niggers dey was -put 'roun' de legs and arms an' to a post. Dey took pains to ho'p my -mammy an' pappy to learn. Dey would teach de Bible to 'em too. Marsa -used to sing dem good ole songs, 'My heart frum de tomb, a doleful -sound. My ears attend to cry,' and 'Amazing grace how sweet it sounds.' - -"At baptising dey'd give de water invitation an' den go in water. An' -didn't dey come out happy, shouting and praying? Ol' man Buck could hear -dem two miles off, but hit was a glorious baptising. - -"All de hands stopped when dey was a funeral an' didn't work no mo' -'till de body was buried. All de whites would go too. Dey would make de -boxes, pour hot water over de plank to shape it up into a casket, den -take turpentine an' smut to paint it. Den another big time, settin' up -wid de dead, sing, shout an' holler an' try to preach. - -"De patrollers would come to de colored frolic, an' one time a han' -slipped off an', gentlemen, didn't he give 'em trouble to ketch him, an' -dey didn't. When dey had dem Saddy night frolics an' dance all night -long an' nearly day when hit was goin, dey would turn de pot upside down -in de floor to hold de soun' in. My daddy pick de banjo. At de -cornshuckings dey'd sing 'All 'Roun' de Corn Pile Sally,' an' dey had -whiskey an' gin. Us had good time on Chris'mas, give us toys, syrup -candy, light bread an' grape wine. - -"My brother married up at de Big House an' dey giv' him a big dance an' -marsa made me drunk. 'Twas fust one den t'other giv' it to me an' -knocked me out. Dey had de preacher an' didn't jump de broom. Dey had de -preacher so would be tied good. Dey would tell us chillun all kinds of -ghos' stories 'bout witches gittin' outter dey skins. Us had free -jumping grapevine ropes an' mumble peg. One night I was at Notasulga an' -I heerd some singing. I stopped an' hit was right at my feet an' would -go futher off. I took out wid hit an' hit kept stoppin' an' startin' off -ag'in 'twell hit giv' out entirely. I looked to see where I was an' I -was at de cemetery an' nothin' didn't bother me neither. I eased out an' -shut de gate an' never foun' whut carried me dere. - -"When us 'ud git sick, dey would bleed you, stick somp'n in your arm and -draw de blood. Den dey would giv' us scurry grass and fever weed. -Bone-set was use' as teas for colds an' fever to sweat you. An' hit sho' -would sweat you, too. Marsa said war was comin' an' thought hit was to -free us. Pappy went to war with young marsa an' stayed 'twell he got -killed. - -[Illustration: _Rev. Wade Owens, Opelika, Alabama_] - -"Dey hid de carriage horses, meat, silver an' plates. Yankees asked -iffen marsa was good, an' us said yes. Dey searched de smokehouse an' -some scraps no good an' nothin' but scrappy horses so dey didn't bother -a thing. Us stayed one year an' worked on one-eighth farm. The Ku Klux -Klan was turrible. One John Lyons would cut off a woman's breast an' a -man's ear or thumb. - -"Atter I got growed I married Leila Benford at Mr. Lockhart's house, an' -us had a nice little frolic, wid cake, syrup pudding an' wine. It was a -fine night wid me, 'caze all kissed de bride. Us had fourteen children, -jes' eight living, Minnie, Wade, Robert, Walter, Viola, Joe, Jim and -Johnnie, an' ten grand-chilun. - -"I heered Abraham Lincoln speak once at Chicaumaugee Mountain an' he -said 'For people, by people, and through people.' I always 'membered -dat. I jined de church 'caze I got converted." - - - - -Molly Parker - - - *Interview with Molly Parker* - --_Preston Klein, Opelika, Alabama_ - -_HE WAS A GOOD OVERSEER AND TREATED SLAVES RIGHT_ - -Down in lower Lee County I found Molly Parker, an old acquaintance, -ailing, and with the wandering mind of the aged. She could find answers -to some of my questions, but some she couldn't get straight. She was -just as clean and neat as she had always been, clad in an apron dress -that she would call a "Mother Huggard." - -Molly is eighty-five years old and lives with her sister Edna in a -simple cabin, with a little patch of flowers between it and the field -where Edna is still young enough to work. Molly was a housewife's -treasure in the days gone by, but now she is too feeble to do more than -work her little patch of flowers. - -[Illustration: _Molly Parker, Lee County, Alabama_] - -She was born in Virginia but was brought to Alabama when a child and -sold to a Mr. Dunn, near Salem. Her mother and father were John and -Fanny, the parents of four children, Molly, Edna, Sam and Albert. - -"I was a big size housegirl, but I sho' could work," Molly recalled. -"Mr. Digby blowed a big bugle early every morning to get us all up and -going by bright light. Mr. Digby was a good overseer and treated all de -slaves de best he knew how. - -"I married Dick Parker on a Sunday and dey fixed us a big dinner wid -more good things to eat, but I was too happy to eat much myself. I ain't -had no chillun of my own, but I ho'ped mammy with hern. - -"De Yankees done camped nigh our house, and I had to help cook and tote -de grub down to 'em. Us read in de free paper 'bout us being free. Massa -didn't tell us nothing, but us stayed on for a long time atter dat. -Massa had a passel of slaves. - -"Yes'm, I'se a member of de church. Why I jined? Jest for protection, I -reckon. - -"I'd hate to see slavery time ag'in, 'cause hit sho' was bad for some of -de niggers, but us fared good though." - - - - -Lindy Patton - - - *Interview with Lindy Patton* - --_Alice S. Barton, Eutaw, Alabama_ - -_FIFTY YEARS IN DE PO' HOUSE_ - -"White folks," said Lindy Patton, from a chair in the Greene County Poor -House. "I was born in 1841 an' it taken me fifty years to git to de po' -house. Now I is got jus' fo' mo' years to make it an' even fifty dat I -been dere. I hopes I makes de grade, caze dat would be some sorta rec'd -wouldn't it? Fifty years in de po' house. - -[Illustration: _Lindy Patton, [TR: Eutaw], Alabama_] - -"I wukked in de fiel's an' I worked hard all day long. De white folks -useta gimme de clothes of de lil' white chilluns. I was born in -Knoxville, Alabama, in Greene County, an' I belonged to Massa Bill -Patton. I remembers a slave on our plantation dat was always arunnin' -away. De Massa try beatin' him but dat didn't do no good. Dat nigger -would run away in spite of nothin' they could do. One day de massa -decided he was goin' to take de nigger to Mobile an' swap him for -anudder one. De Misstis tol' him to leave de ole fool alone, said it -warn't worth the trouble. Well, de massa started out to Mobile wid de -nigger, an' when de got dere an' de train stop, de nigger, he lit out -an' de massa runned right behine him. Dey musta runned a mile or mo' -till finally de Massa he gib out an' let de nigger go. Two days later de -massa he died f'm a-chasin' dat low down burr head. - -"Nawsuh, de white folks didn't teach us to read or write. White folks, I -can't hardly count none at all. We didn't have no church on dat place -neither. We jus' went along wid de massa an' sot in de back. I ain't -never ma'ied, an' I ain't never goin' to." - - - - -Simon Phillips - - - *Interview with Simon Phillips* - --_J. Morgan Smith_ - -_EX-SLAVE LEADER RECALLS OLD DAYS_ - -Simon Phillips, ex-slave, at 90 years is still as clear-thinking as a -young man, and a leader among the oldsters of his race in Birmingham and -Alabama. He has been for the past twenty-three years president of the -union of ex-slaves which is composed of 1,500 Negroes scattered -throughout Alabama. He is the only one of the Birmingham organizers of -the society living today and though one of the oldest of his group, he -shows but few signs of decrepitude. He walks with the aid of a hickory -cane which has been in his possession for almost a half century, and his -memory is not only accurate but vivid. His physical activity is shown by -the fact that he had already spaded his garden and tiny stalks had -pushed themselves above the ground on a plot of earth, covering -approximately seventy-five yards square, on the Spring morning when he -took "a little time off" to talk of the past. - -Well does he recall the days when, under Alabama skies in the 1860's, he -curried his master's fine carriage horses; the times old Aunt Hannah -cured him of "achin's" with vegetable and root herbs; the nights he -spent in the slave quarters singing spirituals with his family. - -Simon Phillips was one of 300 Negroes belonging to Bryant Watkins, a -planter of Greensboro, Alabama. He was a house man, which means that he -mixed the drinks, opened the carriage doors, brought refreshments on the -porch to guests, saw that the carriage was always in the best of -condition and tended the front lawn. When asked about slave days, he -gets a far-away expression in his eyes; an expression of tranquil joy. - -"People," he says, "has the wrong idea of slave days. We was treated -good. My massa never laid a hand on me durin' the whole time I was wid -him. He scolded me once for not bringin' him a drink when I was supposed -to, but he never whup me." - -The old slave added that every plantation had a still and there was much -brandy, but he rarely ever saw a drunk man. He says that when the men -felt themselves becoming intoxicated, they would go home and lie down; -now, he says, they go home and fall down. - -The plantation on which Simon lived was seven miles long and three miles -wide. When luncheon was served, the Negroes far off in the bottom lands -had their food brought to them by the trash gang (boys and women) while -those in the nearer cotton fields ate in a large mess hall. The food -consisted of turnip greens, meat, peas, crackling bread and syrup, and -plenty of it. "Not since those days," he states, "have I had such good -food." - -"What about the marriage situation, Simon?" he was asked. "How did you -go about getting a wife?" - -"Well, nigger jus' go to the massa and tell him that there's a gal over -in Cap'n Smith's place that he want for a wife, if she happen to be -there. Then the massa go to Cap'n Smith and offer to buy her. Maybe he -do and maybe he don't. It depend on whether the Cap'n will sell her, and -iffen she a good strong, healthy nigger. Niggers was bought mostly like -hosses. I was too young to have me a wife when I was wid de massa, but I -got me one later on after the war." - -[Illustration: _Simon Phillips, Birmingham, Alabama_] - -During the War between the States, Simon served as body guard for John -Edward Watkins, son of the plantation owner. Body guards went with their -owners and cleaned the guns, kept the camp in order and did some -cooking. Simon entered the war at the age of fourteen in Joe Wheeler's -51st cavalry. He distinctly recalls the time he stood within ten feet of -the great general while he was making a speech. - -Sometimes slaves were parted from their families, because when one -planter bought a Negro from another planter, he did not necessarily buy -his wife or children, or husband, as the case might be. The slaves were -advertised around and put on a block to stand while they were auctioned. -Women invariably brought more than men. He was asked, "about overseers, -Simon. What sort of men were they?" - -"Well," he answered, "some was mighty mean. When the massa be away, they -tried to think up things to whup us for. But when the massa around, had -he catch 'em gettin' ready for to beat a slave, he say, 'don't cut no -blood from that Nigger!'" - -Born in Hale County in 1847, Simon Phillips stayed with his master until -1886 at which time he went to live in Tuscaloosa to earn 17 a day, but -he says he fared better on it than on three dollars now. - -After the war many Negroes stayed with their masters and he remembers -that some of the carpetbaggers came through his plantation and tried to -make the ex-slaves stake off the land, saying that half of it belonged -to them. - -"One day," says Simon, "a few niggers was stickin' sticks in the ground -when the massa come up. - -"'What you Niggers doin'?' he asked. - -"'We is stakin' off de land, massa. The Yankees say half of it is ourn.' - -"The massa never got mad. He jus' look calm like. - -"'Listen, niggers' he says, 'what's mine is mine, and what's yours is -yours. You are just as free as I and the missus, but don't go foolin' -around my land. I've tried to be a good master to you. I have never been -unfair. Now if you wants to stay, you are welcome to work for me. I'll -pay you one third the crops you raise. But if you wants to go, you sees -the gate.' - -"The massa never have no more trouble. Them niggers jus' stays right -there and works. Sometime they loaned the massa money when he was hard -pushed. Most of 'em died on the old grounds. I was the youngest of a -family of sixteen and I has one sister still livin' on the old -plantation. I'm going down to see her next week, 'cause I can never tell -when the Great Master is goin' to call. We's gotta be ready when he -does, and both us is gettin' mighty old. I wanta be sure and see her and -the old place once more." - - - - -Roxy Pitts - - - *Interview with Roxy Pitts* - --_Preston Klein, Opelika, Alabama_ - -_ROXY PITTS RECALLS CHILDHOOD_ - -"I don't know 'zackly whar I was born," said Aunt Roxy Pitts, "but it -was summuz 'roun Youngsboro, Alabama, en it was in 1855, fo' de wah -started, dat Ole Marster said I was born. How ole dat make me? -Eighty-two, gwine on eighty-t'ree? Dat's right, en I be eighty-t'ree -year ole dis time nex' year, iffen I lives. - -"Yassum, I goes to church putty reg'lar, iffen it don't rain; coz de -rain makes de mizry in my hip en lays me up. I belongs to de Baptis' -church en was baptize wid Jesus when I was twelve year ole. I'se a -foot-washin' Baptis', I is, but dey ain't none of dem kind er Baptis' -'roun' here, en I jes goes wid de udder Baptis' en sets in de amen -corner, en iffen I wants to shout, I shouts, en nobody ain't gonner stop -me, bless the Lord! - -"My fu'st marster was name Sam Jones, but I don't 'member him. My udder -marster, de one what I 'members, was name Sam Peg, en us lived clost to -a little town name Limekiln. My mammy was part Injun, en Ole marster -cudden' keep her home ner workin' needer; she alluz runnin' off an stay -out in de woods all night long. When I was a little gal, she runned off -ag'in en lef' a teeny little baby, en nebber did come back no mo'. Dey -said she gone whar de Injuns is. Dat was atter de wah, en pappy had to -raise dat little bitsy baby hisse'f. He tuk it en me to de fiel' whar he -workin', en kep' a bottle of sweeten water in he shirt to keep warm to -gib de baby when it cry. Den Pappy he mai'ed Aunt Josie en dey had er -whole passel er chilluns, en dey was my brudders en sisters. - -"'Member 'bout de wah? Sho', I 'members 'bout de wah; but us don't hab -no wah whar us was. Ole Marster got kilt in Virginny, dey said, en he -didn't nebber come back home, en dem what did come back was all crippled -up an hurt. Us didn't see no Yankees 'twel dey come along atter de wah -was gone, en dey tuk Ole Mistis' good hosses en lef' some po' ole mules, -en dey tuk all us's co'n en didn't lef' us nuddin' to eat in de -smokehouse. Dey runned off all de chickens dey cudden ketch, en jes' fo' -dey lef', de ole rooster flewed up on de fence 'hine de orchard en crow: -'IS-DE-YANKEES-G-O-N-E-E'? En de guinea settin' on de lot fence, say: -'Not Yit, Not Yit,' en de ole drake what was hid under de house, he say: -'Hush-h-h, Hush-h-h.' - -"Us chilluns sho was misch'us. One time, atter a big rain, us foun' two -hens swimmin' aroun' in de tater house, en us tuk en helt em under de -water twel' dey's done drownded dead, en we tuk 'em to Mammy en she -cooked 'em in a pot en shot de kitchen do'. When dem chickens got done, -us went under de flo' en riz up a plank en got in de kitchen en stole -one ob dem chickens outen de pot en et it smack up. When Mammy foun' dat -chicken gone, she tuk er brush broom an wo' us plum out. But us didn't -keer; de brush broom didn't hurt nigh lak de chickens taste good." Aunt -Roxy nodded her head and rocked back and forth, as if she enjoyed -recalling those youthful escapades. - -"Yassum, I kin see plenty good enough to sew, cep'n' I can't tread de -needle, en I has to keep atter dese triflin' chilluns to he'p me. You -see dis quilt I'se piecin! Miss Lucy gwine gib me tree dollars fer it, -coz she say it be made right, en dat's de way I makes em. Miss Lucy know -she got er good quilt, when I gits t'ru wid it." - -"Is yer got enny snuff, Missy? You don't dip snuff! No'me, I didn't tink -you did." - - - - -Carrie Pollard - - - *Interview with Carrie Pollard* - --_Ruby Pickens Tartt, Livingston, Alabama_ - -_A HUSBAND COULDN'T BE BOUGHT_ - -Carrie Pollard was born in slavery time but she was never a slave. Her -grandmother was a free woman who came to Tuscaloosa as a servant in the -1820's and was rescued from a man who claimed ownership, but whose claim -was disallowed. The grandmother went to Gainesville, with her slave -husband for whom she bought freedom. - -One of her daughters, who was Carrie Pollard's Aunt Cynthia, was not so -lucky. She couldn't buy her husband free. The story, told so often to -Carrie when she was a child, is still a bright memory to the mulatto -woman who was born in 1859 and still lives in Gainesville in the house -of her birth. - -[Illustration: _Carrie Pollard, Gainesville, Alabama_] - -"My Aunt Cynthy," said Carrie, "was free born in North Carolina. She -come down here to Gainesville, an' though the deed sez you can't take a -blue veined chile an' make a slave outa her, de man whut brought her -made like he owned her or sump'in'. She lived on one plantation wid her -guardian. Tom Dobbs, a slave nigger whut belonged to Mr. Dobbs here in -Gainesville, he lived on another farm cross de road. An' dey couldn't -marry, 'caze Mr. Dobbs wouldn't sell Tom an' Aunt Cynthy's white folks -wouldn't let her marry, so dey jes' taken up an' went ahead. Her an' Tom -had nine chillun, as fine looking mulattoes ez you'd wanta see. An' old -Mr. Dobbs wanted 'em an' he couldn't get 'em. - -"Aunt Cynthy was a good midwife, so a white lady sent fer her to come to -Sumterville, Alabama, to nuss her an' she went. An' while she was dere, -she dream't sump'in' done happened to her chillun an' dat dey was in -trouble. So she tole de white lady she was nussin' 'bout whut she -dream't an' she said, 'Mammy, iffen you is worried 'bout your chillun -I'ze gwineter send you to a fortune teller an' see whut's de matter.' - -"De fortune teller cut de cards, an' den she looked up en tole Aunt -Cynthia 'All yo' chillun an' your husband done gone an' I can't tell you -where dey's at.' So Aunt Cynthia run back an' tole de white lady. She -called her husband an' he had one of his niggers saddle up two hosses -an' ride wid Aunt Cynthy back to Gainesville. When she foun' her -guardian, Mr. Steele, he met her wid de news dat dey was tuck to DeKalb, -Mississippi. - -"He got on his hoss an' tuck some other white men wid him, an' dey -captured old man Dobbs right dere wid Tom an' de nine chillun. Dey done -stopped an' camped an' was cookin' supper. So Mr. Steele tole him he -could keep Tom, 'caze he was hissen, an' a slave, but Cynthy was free -born an' he couldn't have her chillun. But Mr. Dobbs sez he didn't want -Tom nohow, caze he was part Indian an' no 'count an' wouldn't work. So -Mr. Steele bought Tom for Aunt Cynthy an' brought 'em all back to live -wid him. An' he give Aunt Cynthy an' Tom an' de chillun a nice house -right 'cross de branch here after surrender." - -Carrie tells of how her grandmother used to send them to the mill in -Gainesville with wheat, "jes' lack you do corn nowadays, to git flour. -An' us git de grudgins an' de seconds an' have de bes' buckwheat cakes -you ever et." - -She says there are more black Negroes now in Gainesville than she has -ever seen. She says, "Hit use to be a sight to see 'bout fifty bes' -lookin' mulatto girls up in de public square here listenin' to de ban' -an' nussen' de chillun, not five black ones in de bunch. An' dey had -good sense, too. Us didn't have no clocks, so us white mistis would say, -'Yawl come home a hour by sun to do de night work,' an' us didn't hardly -ever miss it." She says her grandmother sent her two daughters to school -in Mobile, and they went down the river from Gainesville in a river boat -called _Cremonia_. - - - - -Irene Poole - - - *Interview with Irene Poole* - --_Susie R. O'Brien, Uniontown, Alabama_ - -_HUSH WATER FOR TALKATIVE WOMEN_ - -Under the spreading branches of an enormous fig tree laden with ripe -fruit "Aunt Irene" sat dreaming of old times. At her feet several -chickens scratched and waited for the soft plop of an over ripe fig as -it fell to the ground. - -Aunt Irene's back is bent with age and rheumatism, but her two-room -cabin is as clean and neat as a pin. Her small yard is a mass of color -where marigolds, zinnias, verbena and cockscomb run riot, and over the -roughly-made arch at the gate trailed cypress vine in full bloom. "Good -morning Aunt Irene," I said. "A penny for your thoughts." - -"Well honey, I don't know as dey is wo'th a penny; not to you anyhow. I -was jes' stud'in' 'bout ole times an' 'bout mah ole marster. You know if -he was livin' today he would be a hundred an' sixteen years ole." - -"Who was your master Aunt Irene? Tell me about him." - -"His name was Jeff Anderson Poole an' he was de bes' man in de world. -Mah ole miss was name Mollie. I was born on his plantation three miles -from Uniontown eighty five years ago. - -"Mah pappy, Alfred Poole, b'longed to Marse Jeff an' he bought mah -mammy, Palestine Kent, from another plantation 'cause mah pappy jes' -couldn' do no work fer thinkin' 'bout her. - -"Marse Jeff paid fifteen hunderd dollars for my mammy an' her three -little chillun. Marse Jeff was rich, he owned three big plantations an' -Lawd knows how many niggers. Dey was a hunderd head on our plantation. -He lacked to race horses an' had a stable full o' fine racers. I spec' -he made lots o' his money on dem horses. Miss Mollie say when he win he -swell out his ches' an' stick his thum's in de armhole of his ves' an' -talk 'bout it, but when he lose he don't say nothin'. - -"Yas ma'am dere was always plenty to eat. A thousan' poun's o' meat -wasn't nothin' to kill on our plantation. My mammy was de cook in de big -house an' my pappy driv de carriage an' went 'roun' wid Marse Jeff when -he tuck trips. I was a house servant too. When I wasn' nothin' mo' in a -baby, de oberseer's wife tuck me to train, so I would know how to ac' in -de big house. - -"One day she started to give me a whuppin'. Us was out in de yard an' -when she bent over to git a switch I runned under her hoopskirt. When -she look 'roun' she didn't see me nowhar. After while she started on up -to de house an' I runned along wid her under de hoopskirt, takin' little -steps so I wouldn't trip her up, till I seed a chance to slip out." -Irene threw back her head and laughed loud and long at this amusing -memory. - -Asked then about her mistress she said: "Yas ma'am she was good. She -never punished me, she used to go 'roun' de quarters eve'y mornin' to -see 'bout her sick niggers. She always had a little basket wid oil, -teppentine an' number six in it. Number six was strong medicine. You had -to take it by de drap. I always toted de basket. She gived me mah -weddin' dress. It was white tarletan wid ban's o' blue ribbin. I sole de -dress las' year but I can show you de pantalets she made me. I used to -wear 'em to meetin' on Sunday when us had singin' an' de preacher said -words." Aunt Irene brought out the deep ruffled pantalets carefully -folded and yellow with age, she had treasured them for seventy-five -years. - -"No ma'am, Marse Jeff didn't go to de war, I don't know why. I guess it -was 'cause he was so rich. Now don't you be thinkin' he was gun shy, -'cause he wasn't an' he done his part too 'cause he took keer o' five -widders an' dey chillun when dey men got kilt in de war. - -"My pappy lef de night de Yankees tuck Selma. It was on Sunday, an' I -ain't seed him since. - -"After de surrender us staid on with Marse Jeff. Us didn't keer nothin' -'bout bein' free 'cause us had good times on de plantation. On Sadday -dey had corn shuckin's an' de niggers had a week at Chris'mas wid -presents for eve'ybody. Camping at de big house an' mo' to eat in one -day den I sees now in a year. - -"Aunt Irene, do you remember anything about the conjurers in the old -days?" - -"I don't put much sto' by dem folks. Dey used to give you de han' so you -could please yo' mistess an' dey would sell you hush water in a jug. -Hush water was jes' plain water what dey fixed so if you drink it you -would be quiet an' patient. De mens would git it to give to dey wives to -make 'em hush up. I reckon some of de mens would be glad to git some now -'cause gals dese days is got too much mouf." - - - - -Nicey Pugh - - - *Interview with Nicey Pugh* - --_Ila B. Prine, [HW: Mobile]_ - -"I was bawn a slave, but I ain't neber been a slave", was Aunt Nicey's -first remark to me as I came upon her pulling up potato draws in her -garden in Prichard, Alabama. "Dere was 'leben chilluns in my family an' -all 'em is daid ceptin' me an' one brother who is seventy-five year old -at de present time. My pappy's name was Hamp West an' my mammy was Sarah -West. All my folks belonged to Massa Jim Bettis, an' was born an' raised -on his place. - -"When I was a little pickaninny I worked in Massa Jim's house, sweepin' -an' a-cleanin'. Us slaves had to be up at de house by sunup, build de -fires an' git de cookin' started. Dey had big open fireplaces wid -potracks to hang de pot on. Dat's whar us boiled de vegetables. An' -honey, us sho had plenty somp'n' t'eat: greens, taters, peas, rosenyurs -an' plenty of home killed meat. Sometimes my oldest brother, Joe West, -an' Friday Davis, anudder nigger, went huntin' at night an' kotched mo' -possums dan we could eat. Dey'd ketch lots of fish; 'nuf to las' us -three days. - -"I remembers one day when me an' anudder little nigger gal was agoin' -atter de cows down in de fiel' an' us seed whut I reckon' was de Ku Klux -Klan. Us was so skeered us didn't know whut to do. One of 'em walked up -to us an' say: 'Niggers, whar you agoin'?' - -"'Us is jus' atter de cows, Mr. Ku Klux,' us say. 'Us ain't up to no -debilment.' - -"'All right den,' dey say, 'jus' you be sho dat you don't git up to -none.' - -"Atter we got home us told de massa 'bout de 'sperience, an' he jus' -laugh. He tol' us dat we warn't goin' to be hurt iffen we was good; he -say dat it was only de bad niggers dat was goin' to be got atter by dem -Ku Klux. - -"When we was little we didn't hab no games to play, kaze Massa Jim an' -Miss Marfa didn't hab no chilluns, an' I ain't neber had no speriences -wid ha'nts or hoodoos. Dey neber teach us to read or write kaze when de -niggers learn anything, dey would git upitty an' want to run away. We -would hab Sad'day afternoons off, den us would sweep de yards, an' set -aroun' on benches an' talk. It was on de benches dat mos' of us slaves -set in warm weather. We et outen tin cups an' us used iron spoons to -shovel de food in. - -"At Christmas time, Massa would have a bunch of niggers to kill a hog -an' barbecue him, an' de womens would make 'lasses cake, an' ole massa -Jim had some kinda seed dat he made beer outen, an' we-alls drank beer -'roun' Christmas. - -"But dere warn't no udder time such as New Years. Us all celebrated in a -big way den. Most of dem no 'count niggers stayed drunk fo' three days. - -"An' as fo' de funerals, I don't eber remember but three white folks -dyin'. Dey jus' didn't seem to die in dem days, an' de ones dat did die -was mostly kilt by somp'n'. One white gentman got hisself kilt in a gin -'chinery an' anudder was kilt a workin' on de big road. Den dere was a -white 'oman who was kilt by a nigger boy kaze she beat him for sicking a -dog on a fine milk cow. He was de meanest nigger boy I eber seed. I'll -neber forgits de way dem white mens treated him atter he done had his -trial. Dey drug him through de town behin' a hoss, an' made him walk -ober sharp stones wid his bare feets, dat bled lak somebody done cut 'em -wid a knife. Dey neber gib him no water all dat day an' kep' him out in -de boilin' sun till dey got ready to hang him. When dey got ready to -hang him dey put him up on a stand and chunked rocks at his naked body; -dey thro gravel in his eyes and broke his ribs wid big rocks. Den dey -put a rope around his neck an' strung him up till his eyes pop outen his -head. I knowed it was a blessin' to him to die. - -"But all and all, white folks, den was de really happy days for us -niggers. Course we didn't hab de 'vantages dat we has now, but dere wus -somp'n' back dere dat we ain't got now, an' dat's secu'aty. Yassuh, we -had somebody to go to when we was in trouble. We had a Massa dat would -fight fo' us an' help us an' laugh wid us an' cry wid us. We had a -Mistis dat would nuss us when we was sick, an' comfort us when we hadda -be punished. I sometimes wish I could be back on de ole place. I kin see -de cool-house now packed wid fresh butter an' milk an' cream. I can see -de spring down amongst de willows an' de water a trickling down between -little rocks. I can hear de turkeys a gobblin' in de yard and de -chickens a runnin' aroun' in de sun, an' shufflin' in de dus'. I can see -de bend in de creek jus' below our house, an' de cows as dey come to -drink in de shallow water an' gits dere feets cool. - -[Illustration: _Nicey Pugh, Prichard, Alabama_] - -"Yassuh, white folks, you ain't neber seed nothin' lak it so you can't -tell de joy you gits f'um lookin' for dewberries an' a-huntin' guinea -pigs, an' settin' in de shade of a peach tree, reachin' up an' pullin' -off a ripe peach and eatin' it slow. You ain't neber seed your people -gathered 'bout an' singin' in de moonlight or heered de lark at de break -of day. You ain't neber walked acrost a frosty fiel' in de early -mornin', an' gone to de big house to build a fire for your Mistis, an' -when she wake up slow have her say to you: 'Well, how's my little nigger -today?' - -"Nawsuh, jus' lak I told you at fus'. I was bawn a slave, but I ain't -neber been one. I'se been a worker for good peoples. You wouldn't calls -dat bein' a slave would you, white folks?" - - - - -Sally Reynolds - - - *Personal conversation with Sallie Reynolds* - *552 South Conception Street, Mobile, Alabama* - --_Compiled by Mary A. Poole_ - -_SATAN'S GOIN' 'ROUND WID HIS TAIL CURLED UP_ - -Sally Reynolds, living at 552 South Conception street, was busy at the -wash tub when the writer called to interview her on July 20, 1937, so it -being a hot day we decided to continue our conversation out doors under -the washshed amid a conglomeration of tubs, buckets, empty boxes, etc. - -Sallie said she was born in Hiltown, Georgia, where her mother Margaret -Owens was a slave and the cook on the plantation of Mr. Lit Albritton. -When Sallie was about three years of age her mother gave her to Mrs. -Becke Albritton, who lived at New Providence, near Rutledge in Crenshaw -County, Alabama, to whom she was bound until 21 years of age. There was -also a brother given by her mother to some folks in Florida and of whom -Sallie never had any knowledge whatever. - -Sallie said Mrs. Albritton was kind to her, taught her to spin and sew, -and she tried to learn herself to weave, but, somehow, could never -master it. - -Mrs. Albritton had only a few slaves who were named, Mose, Dan, Charles, -Sandy (the latter so called because he ate sand as a child), and two -women, Hannah and Tene. - -They had no regular quarters but just cabins out in a rear lot. - -Sallie said all the whippings were given by either of the young Messrs. -Albritton, they were high tempered, as their father was before them. She -laughed and said she had Indian blood in her veins and sometimes she was -sassy as she felt independent knowing Mrs. Albritton would always take -her part. - -She recalled the Yankee's coming through after the war, one remained at -the Albritton home after the others had gone on, and she remembered -hearing Mrs. Albritton telling friends who visited her, that after this -soldier had left he wrote Mrs. Albritton a letter, telling her to look -on the back of the bench on the gallery where he had sat and she would -find his message. Sallie said she was a little girl sitting on the floor -at her mistress feet, ready to fetch and carry for her and she often -wondered but didn't dare ask what the message was; she did, however, -hear some one say that the Yankees said, if they ever came again, they -would take them from the cradle and that puzzled her, to know just what -they meant. - -Mrs. Albritton had a regular herb garden and Sallie helped her to gather -the herbs, Pennyroil, Dock Sage, Tansy (single and double), Thyme, and -Yarrow. They used Samson Snake Root in whiskey for cramps, and Butterfly -weed for risings. - -The writer asked Sallie about church and she said they had no church but -Mr. Albritton talked to her and impressed on her as a child to never -touch anything that did not belong to her. "Ask for it and if not given -to her, to let it alone and to never lie, or to carry tales, and she -could always keep out of trouble." Sallie said she hated to see Sunday -morning come, as the men folks were around the house and they would pick -on her and somehow she would get a beating. - -Sallie remained with Mrs. Albritton until she was 22 years, when she -married John Russell, by whom she had three children. They all died as -babies, later she married Gus Reynolds, (now dead) so Sallie just rents -a room and lives alone. - -Sallie says present generation knows too much and too little, that the -"Old-time religion" was best for all, she thinks "Satan's goin' 'round -wid his tail curled up, catching all he can devour"; and "folks should -do like Christ did when Satan tried to tempt Him, and tell Satan to go -get behind them, and they get behind Jesus they could not have sorrow -run across their hearts and minds." - - - - -Mary Rice - - - *Interview with Mary Rice* - --_Gertha Couric, [HW: Eufaula]_ - -_DESE UPPITY NIGGERS_ - -Few of the ex-slaves will readily admit that they were mere field hands -in the old days. Generally they prefer to leave the impression that they -were house servants, or at least stable boys or dairy hands. - -But "aunt" Mary Rice, age 92, who lives in Eufaula, holds no such view -about the superior social position of house servants. She was a "big -missy gal" ('teen age) during the War, and about her duties on the -plantation of Dr. Cullen Battle near Tuskegee, where she was born, she -said: - -"Honey, I lived in de quahter. I was a fiel' nigger, but when I was a -lil' gal, I helped around de milk-house, churnin', washing de pails and -de lak, and den give all de little niggers milk. - -[Illustration: _Mary Rice, Eufaula, Alabama_] - -"Massa Cullen and Mistis' Ma'y Jane was de bes' Marster and Mistis' in -de worl'. Once when I was awful sick, Mistis' Ma'y Jane had me brung in -de Big House and put me in a room dat sot on de 'tother side of the -kitchen so she could take kere of me herself 'cause it was a right fur -piece to de quahter and I had to be nussed day and night. - -"Yassum, I was jes' as happy bein' a fiel' han' as I would'er been at de -Big House; mebbe mo' so. De fiel' han's had a long spell when de crops -was laid by in de summer and dat's when Massa Cullen 'lowed us to -'jubilate' (several days of idle celebration). I was happy all de time -in slavery days, but dere ain't much to git happy over now, 'cep'n I's -livin'--thank de Lawd. Massa Cullen was a rich man, and owned all de -worl' from Chestnut Hill to de ribers, and us always had eberything us -needed. - -"Niggers dese days ain't neber knowed whut good times is. Mebbe dat's -why dey ain't no 'count. And dey is so uppity, too, callin' dereselves -'cullud folks and havin' gold teeth. Dey sez de mo' gold teeth dey has, -de higher up in chu'ch dey sets. Huh!" - - - - -Cornelia Robinson - - - *Interview with Cornelia Robinson* - --_Preston Klein, Opelika, Alabama_ - -_DE YANKEES WUZ A HARRICANE_ - -"One time I 'members a storm us had. I calls it a harricane; but it was -really de Yankees comin' through." - -Quaint, little Cornelia Robinson was anxious to give all the facts she -could remember about slavery days; but she was only about four years old -during the latter days of that period, and must depend a great deal on -what has been told her. - -"Chile, dem Yankees come through an' cleaned out de smokehouse; even -lef' de lard bucket as clean as yo' hand. Ol' Marster tuk his bes' -horses an' mules to de big swamp, an' de Yankees couldn't fin' 'em. But -dey tore up everything dey couldn't take wid dem. Dey poured all de -syrup out an' it run down de road lak water. - -"One pore little nigger boy was so skeered dat when he went out to git -up de cows an' when he couldn't fin' some of 'em, he laid down in a -hollow stump an' nearly froze to death. Dey had to thaw him out in de -branch, but he was powerful sick. He war'nt no 'count for nothin' atter -dat. - -"I 'members dat Ol' Mistus saved all her jewels an' sech frum de -Yankees. She brung 'em out to de nigger cabins an' hid 'em amongst us." - -Cornelia, forever smiling, wears her gray hair in two short braids down -the back. She says her father and mother were George and Harriett -Yancey, who belonged first to a Mrs. Baugh and who were later sold to a -Dr. Trammell, of near Lafayette. Her brothers and sisters were Charlie, -Willie, Albert and Ann. - -[Illustration: _Cornelia Robinson, Opelika, Alabama_] - -"I 'members de high, four-poster beds us useter sometimes sleep on," she -said. "I was so little dat I had to crawl into 'em wid de help of a -stool. I 'members dat de mud fireplaces of early times was far back, -deep an' wide. All de little niggers was fed milk an' bread, wid de -bread crumbled in. Us also had pot licker an' greens. - -"Our clothes was muslin an' calico for de hot weather; an' den in winter -us had linty cloth, part wool an' part cotton, homespun. Us raised de -sheep, too, but us didn't wear no clothes hardly in hot weather. - -"Us sho' did have a good marster an' mistis. Dey give us all de clothes -an' food us needed an' gived us medicine. Us wore asafetida an' pennies -aroun' our necks to help us not to git sick. - -"Dey taught my mother to read an' write, too. Not many done dat. She'd -read de Bible to us little niggers an' give prayers. Atter slavery, us -had schools. I 'members dat George Hawkins an' his wife taught it." - -Cornelia recalls some of the happenings of slavery times. - -"If de slaves went off de plantation widout a pass, de patterollers -would ketch 'em an' beat 'em powerful bad. If de niggers could outrun de -patterollers an' git home fust dey couldn't be whupped. Dey had dogs -called 'nigger hounds', same like dey had bird dogs, an' dey would track -de slaves an' bring dem back home. - -"I 'members my mother goin' to corn shuckin's. 'Course dey put us little -niggers to bed 'fore dey went but dey sho' sounded lak dey was havin' a -big time, hollerin' an' singin'. Us went to de white folks church in de -afternoon, an' de Reverend Gardner was a mighty good preacher. When any -of us niggers died, Marster was good to us an' let all de niggers quit -an' attend de burial. Dey made de coffins at home an' would black dem -wid soot. - -"Us had a ol' quack herb doctor on de place. Some bad boys went up to -his house one night an' poured a whole lot of de medicine down him. An -honey, dat ol' man died de next day. - -"Atter I got grown I married Robert Benson an' us had four chillun and -several grandchillun." - -Cornelia, beaming and apparently happy every minute of the day, lives -with one of her grandchildren in Opelika. - - - - -Gus Rogers - - - *Interview with Gus Rogers* - --_Mary A. Poole, Mobile, Alabama_ - -_JABBO EXPLAINS HIS BLACK SKIN_ - -Living on the Moffat road at Orchard, in western Mobile County, Alabama, -on Mr. McIntyre's place is Gus Rogers, who is known better by the name -of Jabbo. He claims to be over ninety years of age, but could give no -proof. He claims the 26th of June as his birthday. - -When asked how old he was, he replied with a smile: - -"Miss, I don't know but I found everything here when I came along." - -He was born at Salisbury, N.C. on the Rogers' plantation, and Mr. John -and Mrs. Mary Rogers were his master and mistress. His parents were -William and Lucy Rogers, who had five children, three girls and two -boys. - -Jabbo said the Rogers's home was built of boards of virgin timber and -the slave quarters were some distance from the big house. Some of the -cabins were built of logs and some of boards, all having clay chimneys -and big open fireplaces equipped for cooking, as the slaves usually -cooked their own meals, except during busy seasons, when meals were -prepared in the house kitchen by the slave women too old to work in the -fields. - -Jabbo said one old man went around and rapped on the doors to wake up -slaves to go to work. When asked how long they worked he laughed, and -said: - -"Just from sun to sun and then you went to bed, 'cause you knew that old -man would sure be rapping before you were ready next morning." - -When asked about earning any money, Jabbo said: - -"Law, Miss we didn't even know what money was, and we didn't have no use -for it. We had all we needed, plenty to eat and all the clothes -necessary those days." - -The Rogers raised lots of tobacco and wheat, and all the necessary farm -products needed on the plantation. They had a large orchard and made all -the cider they could drink. - -Jabbo recalled driving many a refugee wagon during the War, and when -they heard of the Yankees' coming, the Rogers family took all the horses -and mules and hid them in the swamps and buried all the silver and other -valuables. - -After the devastation wrought by War, Mr. Rogers moved his family to -Massey Station, Montgomery County, Alabama, intending to raise cotton. -He brought Jabbo's father and mother and family with him, but meeting -with little success he returned to Salisbury, N.C. Jabbo remained in -Alabama. - -Jabbo married and raised a family of five children. There were two girls -and three boys but he has no knowledge of their present whereabouts. - -When asked if he was married more than once, Jabbo laughed and said: - -"No, Miss I always had the price of a marriage license in my pocket, but -somehow I never married." - -In answer to inquiry as to religion, Jabbo replied: - -"Miss, I am a Methodist, but there's only one religion. You have to be -pure in heart to see Him, because He said so, and to do unto others as -you desire others to do unto you." - -Continuing about religion Jabbo said: - -"God gave it to Adam and took it away from Adam and gave it to Noah, and -you know, Miss, Noah had three sons, and when Noah got drunk on wine, -one of his sons laughed at him, and the other two took a sheet and -walked backwards and threw it over Noah. Noah told the one who laughed, -'you children will be hewers of wood and drawers of water for the -other's two children, and they will be known by their hair and their -skin being dark,' so, Miss, there we are, and that is the way God meant -us to be. We have always had to follow the white folks and do what we -saw them do, and that's all there is to it. You just can't get away from -what the Lord said." - -Jabbo said he would like "to go back to the good old days, 'though there -was good folks and there was mean folks, then too, just like there is -today." - -Bibliography: Personal interview by the writer with Gus Rogers, -ex-slave, better known as "Jabbo." - - - - -Janie Scott - - - *Personal interview with Janie Scott* - *255 South Lawrence Street, Mobile, Alabama* - --_Mary A. Poole, Mobile, Alabama_ - -_SLAVE CA'LINE SOLD FER A SACK O' SALT_ - -Janie Scott, living in a cottage at 255 South Lawrence Street, was -interviewed by the writer on July 14th, 1937. She claimed she was born -April 10, 1867, but she appeared older than seventy years of age. She, -of course, was unable to give any experiences of her own as a slave but -recalled what had been told her by her mother, who was a slave on the -Myers plantation at Tensaw, Alabama. - -When asked how large was the plantation, Janie answered: - -"Lordy, chile, many an acre an 'bout sixty slaves." - -Her mother worked in the house, and when the field hands were working -helped carry water out to them in buckets, each one getting a swallow or -two a piece. Her father was Andy White, and was raised on the plantation -of John Jewett at Stockton, Alabama. - -Janie had heard her father say he was a coachman and drove the folks -around, also came over in a boat with his master to Mobile to get -supplies and groceries, and that they killed many a deer in -neighborhoods just north of Bienville Square. - -Jane said her mother's Master and Mistress didn't want her mother to -marry Andy, because he was too light in color and light niggers Janie -said folks didn't think as strong as a good black one, so her mother, -Sarah Porter, and Andy White her father just borrowed a mule without the -Master's consent and rode off and were married, anyhow. - -Janie laughed and said she guessed it was all right after all because -they had eleven children, two are now living, Janie and a sister Daisy. - -When the writer asked if slaves ever earned any money, she replied: - -"They didn't even know what money was." Then she continued: "Once when -my mother was a little girl she asked her mistress to give her fifteen -cents, and her Mistress wanted to know why she wanted fifteen cents. Her -Mother replied: "I wants to see what money looks like." - -Her Mistress thought she was trying to act smart and in place of fifteen -cents she received a whipping. - -The slaves wore homespun clothes, but her mother remembered having as -her best dress one made of marino. - -The slaves quarters were log cabins with clay chimneys, and they cooked -in the open fireplaces in the winter and in the summer on what they -called scaffolds, built out in the yard. These were made of clay -foundations with iron rods across on which the pots hung. - -Janie said her mother "was strong and could roll and cut logs like a -man, and was much of a woman." Then they had a log rolling on a -plantation the Negroes from the neighboring plantations came and worked -together until all the jobs were completed. - -After each log rolling they gave them molasses to make candy and have a -big frolic. - -During the Civil War when supplies were scarce, especially salt, Marster -John rode off taking her mother's sister Ca'line with him, and when he -returned alone his wife, Mrs. Meyers, wanted to know where was Ca'line, -and Marster John replied: "I sold her for a sack of salt." At first they -did not believe him, but Ca'line never returned and Sarah never saw her -sister anymore. - -After the Surrender the Yankees came through and the slaves hid under -the house, but the soldiers made them come out and told them they were -free, and gave the slaves everything on the place to eat. They all went -down to the creek and praised God for what he had done for them. - -Janie does not believe in charms, hoodoo or fortune-tellers, saying: - -"Those folks can't tell you nothing. When Christ was risen He carried -all prophets with Him and didn't leave any wise folks able to tell -things going to happen here on earth--everything Christ wanted folks to -know had already happened." - -Janie did say the best charm she knew of was a bag of asafetida worn -around the neck to ward off sickness or to take nine or ten drops in a -little water would sure keep the worms down. - -The slaves got plenty of coons, rabbits and bear meat, and could go -fishing on Sundays, as well as turtle hunting. - -The overseer on the Myers plantation was not a mean man, they had a -calaboose or sweat box to punish unruly slaves in place of whipping -them. - -After the Surrender her father and mother moved to Mobile, Alabama, and -her father continued to work for Mr. Jewett at his mill located at the -foot of Palmetto Street on the Mobile river front. - - - - -Maugan Shepherd - - - *Interview with Maugan Shepherd* - --_Gertha Couric, [HW: Eufaula]_ - -_SLAVERY COMING BACK? MAUGAN HOPES SO_ - -"Mistus, I hears slavery times is comin' back." - -Uncle Maugan Shepherd is past 80. He idled about the front of his -tumble-down house in Eufaula, happily recalling the old plantation days. -He has never learned to read, and therefore pins a great deal of -dependence upon hearsay. - -"Where did you hear about slavery coming back?" the interviewer asked -him. - -"Well, mam, 'pear lak I heard it somewhar. I don't rikolect jest now." - -"Would you like to have the old times back again, Uncle Maugan?" - -He studied a moment, beamed: - -"Yassum, I would. I'se proud I was borned a slave. I'se too young to -'member much, but I knows I always had enough to eat and wear den, and I -sho don't now. - -Uncle Maugan said that he was "birthed" at Chestnut Hill; that he -belonged to Marse and Mistus Rich Wiley, and that his father and mother -were Bunk and Betsy Wiley, both "field niggers." Maugan had two -brothers, Oliver and Monroe; but no sisters. - -"I never seed ma and pa much 'cept on Sundays," he explained. "Dey was -allus workin' in de fields an' I was out chasin' rabbits an' sech mos' -of de time. At night I jest et my cornpone an' drink my buttermilk an' -fell on de bed asleep." - -Maugan remembers one overseer, scornfully referring to him as "po' white -trash." - -"Us slaves called him by his las' name behin' his back," the old darky -explained, "'caze us hated to 'mister' dat white man." - -Maugan remembers Reconstruction and a great deal about "atter de -surrender," but says "rickolection ain't so good" on things that -happened before. - -"I 'members dat I was powerful scared of de Yankee soldiers," he said, -"but dey never hurt nobody. Dey come through Eufaula an' all us niggers -tried to hide; but dey jest come on by an' laughed at us fer bein' -scared." - -[Illustration: _Maugan Shepherd, Eufaula, Alabama_] - -More than fifty years ago, Maugan married Kitty. She is about 70 and -makes her living washing clothes for "de white peoples." They never had -any children. - -Maugan says he never goes anywhere except to church on Sundays. His legs -are not so strong anymore, he explains. - -"My ol' 'oman, she sho' lak to go to funerals," he chuckled. "But in -dese days day takes de body to have it vulcanized, so we can't have no -settin' ups. Dis went hard on Kitty, 'caze she was a mourner; but it -didn't do her no good, shoutin' an' amournin' all night. She would -always come home wid her head tied up an' her eyes set back in her -head." - -Maugan still works. He is a good yardman, but says some day he is just -"gwine ter drap out, lak his pa did." - - - - -Allen Sims - - - *Interview with Allen Sims* - --_Preston Klein, Opelika_ - -_PLENTY OF FOOD AND NO TRASH NEITHER_ - -While interviewing former slaves in the rural sections of Lee County, I -ran across Allen Sims, a sturdy old Negro, who proved to have an -unusually clear recollection of slavery as the institution appeared to -the small boy of that era. He was not old enough to make a work-hand at -its close. He spoke slowly, but with evident positiveness as to the -facts: - -"I 'members lots 'bout slavery times; 'cause I was right dar. I don't -'member much 'bout de war, 'cause I was too little to know what war was, -and de most I seed was when de Yankees come through and burnt up de Big -House, de barns, de ginhouse and took all Old Marster's hosses and -mules, and kilt de milk-cows for beef. They didn't leave us nothing to -eat, and us lak to starve to death. - -"Our folks, de Simses, dey come fum Virginny. My pappy and mammy was -borned dere. Dey names was Allen Sims and Kitty Sims. My Old Marster was -Marse Jimmie Sims, and my Old Mistis was Miss Creasie. Some of Pappy and -Mammy's chillun was borned in Virginny, and some of 'em in Alabama. I -was de baby chile, and I was borned right on dis very place whar us is -now. Dey had a whole passel of chillun. Dere was Chaney, Becky, Judy, -Sam, Phoebe, King, Alex, Jordan and Allen--dat's me. - -"Us lived in a log house in de quarter, wid a board roof and a ol' rock -fireplace wid a stick and dirt chimley. We had plenty wood, and could -build jes' as big fire as we need, if de weather was cold. Mammy, she -cook ash-cake in de fireplace, and it was de bes' bread I ever eat, -better'n any dis store-bought bread. You ain't never eat no ash-cake? -Umph, Missy, you don't know what good bread is lak! - -"Old Marster was good to his niggers and all of 'em, big and little had -plenty to eat, and it wa'n't trash neither. Us had ash-cake, hoe-cake, -pone-bread, meat and gravy, peas, greens, roast-neers, pot-liquor, and -sweet 'taters, I'ish taters, and goobers--I spec Old Marster's niggers -live better dan lots of white folks lives now. - -"Aunt Mandy, what was too old to work, looked atter all de little nigger -chilluns, whilst dey mammys was working, and she whip us wid a brush, if -we didn't mind her; but she fuss more dan she whip, and it didn't hurt -much, but us cry lak she killing us. - -"When us got sick, Old Mistis looked atter us herself, and she gin us -oil and turpentine and lobelia and if dat didn't cure us, she sont for -de doctor--de same doctor dat come to see her own fambly. Sometime a old -nigger die, and Old Marster and Old Mistis dey cry jes' lak us did. Dey -put 'em in a coffin and bury 'em in de graveyard, wid de white preacher -dar and nobody didn't work none dat day, atter us come back fum de -graveyard. - -"Our beds was bunks in de corner of de room, nailed to de wall and jes' -one post out in de flo'. De little chilluns slep' crosswise de big bed -and it was plum' full in cold weather. - -[Illustration: _Allen Sims, Lee County, Alabama_] - -"Our clothes was osnaburg, spun and weave' right at home, and it sho' -did last a long time. De little niggers jes' wore a long shirt, 'twell -dey got big 'nough to work in de field, and us had red shoes made at de -tan-yard to wear in winter time; but us foots was tough and us went -barefooted most all de winter too. Us played games too, ginerly, jumping -de rope and base. - -"De grown niggers had good times Sadday nights, wid dances, suppers and -wras'lin. De corn-shuckings was de biggest time dey had, 'cause de -neighbors come and dey laughed and hollered nearly all night. - -"Old Marster and Old Mistis lived in a big two-story white house. Dey -had ten chillun, five boys and five gals, and dey all growed up and -married off. De old carriage-driver was name Clark, and he sho' was -proud. De overseer was Tetter Roberson, and he was mean. He beat niggers -a lot, and bimeby Old Marster turned him off. He used to blow de horn -way befo' day to git de niggers up, and he work 'em 'tell smack dark. - -"Atter de Yankees burned up everyt'ing 'cept de cabins, us jes' stayed -right dar wid Old Marster when us freed. Old Marster built a new house -for him and Old Mistis, but it wa'n't much better dan our cabin and dey -lived dere 'tell dey died. - -"When I growed up, I married Laura Frazier, and us had a big wedding and -a preacher, and didn't jump over no broom lack some niggers did. Us had -jes' two chillun dat lived to be grown. Dey is Filmore and Mary Lou, and -us ain't got no gran'chillun. - -"When I got grown, I j'ined de Baptist Church at Rough Neck, 'cause I -felt I had done enough wrong, and I been a deacon forty year." - - - - -Frank Smith - - - *Interview with Frank Smith* - --_D.A. Oden_ - -"Yassuh, its jes' lak I tell yer. I was borned in Ole Virginny and my -Ole Marster was Doctor Constable and he and us all lived out a piece fum -Norfolk whar you kin see de whole ocean. I was writ down in de Bible, -jes' lak Ole Marster's udder niggers, and Ole Mistis said hit was de six -day of Jinnerwary in forty-eight when I was borned. How ole dat mek me -now? Eighty-nine, gwine on ninety--dat's right. - -"Ole Marster he died eight years fo' de Big War, and Ole Mistis -'refergeed' down to Alexandria, where her mammy and pappy lived and tuk -me and Unker Dan and Aunt Melissy wid her; but she sole my mammy and my -pappy and all de rest of de niggers ter de man what bought de plantation -and us never did see 'em no mo'. - -"I was de house-boy at Ole Mistis' pappy's house, I disremember his -name; but, anyhow, I didn't wuck in de field lak de udder niggers. Wen -de Big War started, Ole Mistis she tuck me and her chilluns and us -'refergeed', down somewhars dey was a co'thouse, whut dey called -'Culpepper', or sump'n lak dat, and us lived in town wid some mo' of Ole -Mistis' kinfolks, but dey wan't her mammy and pappy. De so'jers marched -right in front of our house, right by de front gate, and dey was gwine -ter Ho'per's Ferry to kill Ole John Brown, whut was killin' white folks -and freein' niggers fo' dey time. Dat was Mister Lincum's job, atter de -war. And no niggers wan't ter be free tell den. - -"We lived clos't ter de big hotel whar Gineral Lee and a whole passel of -soldiers stayed, and dey had de shineyest clo's I ebber seed. Dey was -fine gem'men and Ole Mistis she let me wait on 'em whilst she didn' need -me ter wuck eround de house, and dey gimme a dime lots of times. I -shined Gineral Lee's shoes sometimes--and he alluz gin me a dime and -said: 'Dat looks nice.' Some of de ginerals jes' gimme de dime and -didn't say nuthin' but dey wasn't big mens lak Gineral Lee and Ole -Marster. He was straight and dignerfied and didn't talk much, but he'd -walk up and down on de front gallery and de ord'lies brung him telegrafs -from Bull Run, whar us and de Yankees was fightin'. Lawzy missy, I heard -em talkin 'bout 'Bull Run' dat day and I 'lowed somebody's bull had got -out and us and de Yankees was tryin' ter ketch him and git him back in -de paster! - -[Illustration: _Frank Smith, Birmingham, Alabama_] - -"Wen de war got too close to us, Ole Mistis tuck me and her little gal -what was older'n me, and lef' Unker Dan and Aunt Melissa, and us went to -Lynchburg, whar her mammy and pappy done move to, and us stayed wid dem -ag'in, but Ole Mistis was gittin' worried over de war, and when I broke -her iv'y-handled dinin' room knife and fergot ter tell her, she slap my -head nearly off and got mad and sole me ter a man whut lived in -Cleveland, Tennessee. - -"Her pappy tried ter keep Mistis fum sellin' me. He said all I needed -was a good brushin', but nobody couldn't do nothin' wid Ole Mistis wen -she got good and mad! - -"My new marster wan't lak my own whitefolks; so I up and runned way and -jine de Yankee army and got a job workin' fer a cap'n name Esserton, or -sump'n lak dat; him and a Lieutenant somebody. We followed General -Sherman clear to Atlanta and ten mile fudder on, den dey turned back, -and marched clear back to Chattanooga and den kep' on tell we got ter -Nashville. I sho' was glad to git away fum Atlanta, cause dey was dead -men eve'y way you looked atter dey quit fightin'. Dey gimme a uniform, -but I didn't get no gun--I fought wid a fryin-pan. - -"We stayed in Nashville a while and when de war was over, Cap'n Esserton -wanted ter tek me to Illinois wid him and give me a job; but I didn't -lak de Yankees. Dey wanted you to wuk all de time, and dat's sump'n I -hadn't been brung up to do. Dey turned me free and I went wid a passel -of Gineral Lee's so'jers, what come along goin' home and us went down -and crossed de bigges' ribber I eber seed. I tuk up on fus' one farm and -den anudder, tell I found one I lak and den dat was two years atter we -lef' Nashville (1867) and I stayed dar close to Baton Rouge sixteen -years. Lawd, de cotton and sugar cane us did mek on dat rich lan'. Its' -richer'n de gwana dey sells out here in Alabama! - -"I went to Memphis on a 'scursion and stayed dar, doin fus' one thing -and den another, 'cep git in jail, and I worked at a house painter's -trade. I heered dey paid good wages fer paintin' in Bummin'ham and I -come here de same year all dem niggers was killed in dat church -stompede. I got a job wid Mr. Douglass, janitorin' at de Jefferson -Theater and him and me stayed together three years. I bought a waggin -and sold kerosene oil fer about a year, 'tell my money was all gone and -den I got a job wid de Base Ball Association in de year 1913. I been wid -'em ever sence. I used ter meck fum $8 ter $15 a week, 'cordin' ter how -times was, tell de 'pression come and I'se too ole ter wuk now, so I -jes' totes de mail and does odd jobs and dey pays me $3 a week fer dat. -I 'plied fer ole-age pension two years back, but it hain't come yit. I -got one boy livin' in Bummin'ham. He's 40 year old, but he don't help me -nary cent. My fus' wife died in Louisiana and I married a gal in -Memphis, but she lef' me when I los' my job one time and went to Detroit -wid a passel of niggers. She ain't nebber writ back to me and I done -quit payin' her any mind. - -"Cep'n de rheumatiz, I'se in good health and gits around pretty good. -Ole Mistis showed me how to read print and I ain't never fergot how. De -Yankees didn't know dat I could read, and I never did let on. I kin see -pretty well but hafter put on my glasses to read de print. Sho! I'se -gwine to live to be a hunded years old! How many mo' years I got to go? -Ten. Dat's right. I know I'se good fer dis year, 'cause I alluz notice -dat ef I live trough March, I lives all de rest ob de year!" - - - - -John Smith - - - *Interview with John Smith* - --_Susie R. O'Brien, Uniontown, Alabama_ - -_"MAD 'BOUT SOMEPIN'"--SO THEY HAD A WAR_ - -John Smith is 103 but he doesn't want to be tied down. "Effen I's free, -I wants to 'joy it," John says, and he lives up to his desire. Though he -is a "war veter'n" with bullets in his side and leg and his century of -life has enfeebled him, he roams the countryside about Uniontown -continually, "settin' a spell" with his acquaintances. - -It was only after several trips I finally caught him "settin'," and he -showed no inclination to move from his advantageous position near a -watermelon patch. He was industriously working on a huge slice of melon, -his face buried in the sweet fruit, as I drove up to the little cabin -where he was visiting. - -As the car came to a stop he raised his head and wiped his dripping chin -on his sleeve. He called to a little Negro girl in the yard, "Gal, go -bring de white lady a rockin' cheer", and turning to me he said, "You'll -'scuse me for not gittin' up lak I ain't got no manners, won't you -Mistess? I got a misery in my laig; you know de one whar I got shot in -de war." - -The rocking chair was brought out and taking a seat nearby I said, -"Uncle John, I want you to tell me all about yourself, were you in the -war and are you really a hundred and three years old?" - -"Glad to, glad to mistess, but fust don't you want a watermillon?" He -pointed to a patch nearby where the melons glistened in the sun. "Dis -July sun make de juice so sweet you'll smack yo' mouf for mo'," and -searching the rind to see that he had left none of the juicy red meat, -Uncle John began his story. - -"Well, I been livin' 'roun' dese parts 'bout ninety year. I was born -somewar in North Ca'lina, I don't 'member much 'bout my Mammy an' Pappy -'cause I was took 'way from dem by de speckerlaters when I was 'bout -thirteen year ole. De speckerlaters raised Niggers to sell. Dey would -feed 'em up an' git 'em fat and slick and make money on 'em. I was sold -off de block in 'Speckerlater's Grove' in North Ca'lina. De fus' day I -was put up I didn't sold, but de nex' day I brung a thousand dollars. -Mr. Saddler Smith from Selma bought me. Dey called him Saddler Smith -cause he was in de saddle business and made saddles for de army. Dey -fotch us down on boats. I 'member de song de men on de boat singed. Hit -go like dis: - - Up an' down de Mobile Ribber, - Two speckerlaters for one po' lil nigger. - -"My marster was de best in dis country. He didn't had many niggers, but -he sho' tuck good keer o' dem what he did had. He didn't 'low nobody to -hit 'em a lick. Sometime when I would git cotch up wid in some diverment -de white folks would say, 'Whose nigger is you?" and I say, 'Marse -Saddler Smith.' Den dey look at each oder an' say kinder low, 'Better -not do nothin' to ole Smith's nigger. He'll raise de debil.' - -"I didn't had no mistiss. My marster was a widder. He raised me up -workin' 'roun' de saddle shop. I ain't never liked to work nowhow, but -don't tell nobody dat. I was bout twenty seven year ole when de war -broke out. De ole uns was called out fust and de young uns stayed home -and practiced so dey could shoot straight an' kill a Yankee. Us -practiced every Friday evenin'. Course I didn't know what dey fightin' -'bout. I jes' knowed dey was mad 'bout somepin'. Atter while Marster's -son Jim j'ined de 'Federate sogers an' I went wid him for to tote his -knapsack, canteen and sichlike and to look atter him. Dat's when I got -dese here balls in my side and got a bullet in my laig, too. I was -movin' de hawses to de back of de lines out de thick of de fight when, -zipp, a minit ball cotch me right in de shoulder." - -Proudly John displayed the balls in his side and the scar on his leg. -The old woman, at whose cabin John was visiting, interrupted the story -several times. Finally he got tired of it and said: "Shet yo' mouf -'oman, I don't need no ho'p, dis is grown folks talk, you don't know -nothin' 'bout it, you wasn't even birthed tell two year 'fo' de -Surrender. Now whar was I at? I slep' right by Marsa Jim's side. -Sometime atter us done laid down and bofe of us be thinkin' 'bout home, -Marse Jim say, 'John, I lak to have some chicken.' I don't say nothin' I -jes' ease up an' pull my hat down over my eyes an' slip out. Atter while -I come back wid a bunch o'chickens crost my shoulder. Nex' mornin' Marse -Jim have nice brown chicken floatin' in graby what I done cook for him. -Us was fightin' on Blue Mountain when Marse Jim got kilt. I looked and -looked for him but I never did find him. Atter I lost my marster I -didn't 'long to nobody and de Yankee's was takin' eve'y thing anyhow, so -dey tuck me wid dem. - -"I tuck keer of Gen'l Wilson's hawse, Gen'l Wilson was de head man in de -Yankee army. But I didn't lak dey ways much. He wanted his hawse kep' -spick and span. He would take his white pocket hankercher an' rub over -de hawse and if it was dirty he had me whupped. I was wid Gen'l Wilson -when he tuck Selma 'gins't Gen'l Forrest and sot fire to all dem things. -I drive de artillery wagon sometime. Atter Surrender I was kinda puny -wid de balls in my side." - -"John," I asked, "why didn't they remove the balls at the time you were -shot?" - -"How could dey 'move de balls when I was runnin' fast as I could pick up -my foots? I driv de stagecoach twixt Selma and Montgomery. I 'member my -stops. Dey was Selma, Benton, Lown'esboro and Mon'gomery. I driv four -hawses to it. Dere was a libbery stable at Benton and I changed hawses -dere." - -"Now John tell me about your wife and children," I said. "How many -children did you have?" - -"Gawd, I don't know mistess. Dey runnin' 'roun' de country like hawgs. -Dey don't know me an' I don't know dem. I ain't never been mai'ed. -Niggers didn't marry in dem days. I jes' tuk up wid one likely gal atter -anoder. I ain't even mai'ed to de one I got now. I jes' ain't gwine tie -myse'f down. Effen I's free, I's gwine to be free." - -Uncle John sat for a time in deep thought, then said, "I wish I mought -be back in dem days, 'cause I been seed de debil since I been free. -Atter I was free I didn't had no marster to 'pend on and I was hongry a -heap of times. I 'long to de 'Federate nation and always will 'long to -y'all, but I reckon it's jes' as well we is free 'cause I don't b'lieve -de white folks now days would make good marsters." - -Uncle John had about talked out and as I rose to leave I said, "Thank -you John, this will make a good story," to which he replied indignantly, -"Hit ain't no story. Hit's de Gawd's trufe mistess." - - - - -Annie Stanton - - - *Personal interview with "Aunt Annie" Stanton* - *Rylands Lane, Mobile, Alabama* - --_Ila B. Prine, Mobile, Alabama_ - -Out on Ryland's Lane is an old negro woman 84 years of age who is -totally blind, but whose mind is clear in regards to things pertaining -to the long ago. - -"Aunt Annie" says that things that happened when she was a child are -much more vivid in her mind than are things of today. She said "Sumtimes -I now starts tuh do dumpin' an' fogits what I wants tuh do, den I ahs -tuh go bac' tuh de place whar I started from so I kin 'member whats I -started tuh do". - -"Aunt Annie" was born on Knight's Place on the Alabama River, June 2nd., -1853. This place is now known as Finchburg, in Monroe County, Alabama. -Her mother's name was Mary Knight and her father's name was Atlas -Williams, who had the same name as his owner, Mr. Offord Williams. "Aunt -Annie's" mother's people were owned first by Mr. Cullen Knight and after -his death, were owned by Mr. John Marshall. - -"Aunt Annie" was seven years old then the Civil War started, and that -she had "nursed two cullered chillun afore de war." - -When asked by the writer about nursing these children, so as to be sure -she said colored children, she replied, "dat de slaves lived on de -plantation, and dey had an overseer who libed on dis place, an' she -neber seed de Marshall's place 'til after dey was freed. As I growed -bigger into a big yearlin' gal I was tuk intuh de oversee'rs home to -'tend tuh de dinin' room table sich as settin' hit an' washin' de dishes -an' cleanin' up, an' later on I was showed how to iron, spin thread, -weave cloth, and make candles. Honey, folks talkin' 'bout depression now -don't kno' nothin' 'bout hard times. In dem days folks didn't hab -nothin' 'ceptin' what dey made. Eben if yo' had a mint ob money, dere -was nothin' to buy. We made de candles to burn by tying strings on the -stick and puttin' dem down in melted tallow in moulds. In dem times we -had no matches, folks made fire by strikin' flint rocks together an' de -fire droppin' on cotton. I don't know whether dese rocks were ones dat -de Indians lef' or no, but day was dif'rent from other rocks. People -usta carry dem an' de cotton roun' in boxes sumtin lak snuff boxes tuh -keep de cotton dry. Sumtimes when dey could'nt get de fire no odder way, -dey would put de cotton in de fireplace and shoot up in dere an' set hit -on fire." - -"Aunt Annie" said she never could start a fire with the flint rock and -cotton, and she said, "de fust matches and lantern I'se eber seed was -when de Yankees cum tuh dere place, I th'ot dey was two officers, 'couse -dey had de matches and lantern. Two years a'ter I was freed, an' twar -den I seed mah first lamp. - -"De men did mos' ob de farm wurk, dey planted cotton, corn, potatoes, -cane, peas and pumpkins, an' dey ginned de cotton by hitching four -horses tuh de gin, and dey run hit dat way." - -When asked if they had plenty to eat when they were slaves, "Aunt Annie" -said: - -"Lor', yes I guess we had 'nough, but, 'tearn't much, c'ase I 'members -when we was li'l chillun we had a big wooden tray dat dey put de food in -and we all set 'round dat an' et like li'l pigs. De rations for a week -was 3 lbs of meat a week, 1 peck ob meal, potatoes an' syrup. At -Christmas times de overseer called all de men an' women in an' gib each -woman a dress, a head handkerchief, an' tuh de men he gave a hat, knife, -an' a bottle of whiskey. De overseer also gib tuh us flour and sugar fo' -Christmas, an' I 'members one Christmas when I was a li'l gal, a'ter de -overseer gib all de women a dress dere was a short piece ob cloth lef' -an' he gib dat tuh me." "Aunt Annie" said "dat de slaves went tuh de -white folks church, an' sot on de seats on de outside ob de church, an' -dat church was a hewed log building. Atter de white folks got thro' -preachin', den de cullered preacher would preach. Sumtimes de cullered -folks would hab church when de white folks didn't an' den de slaves -would hab tuh get a pass from his owner, 'ca'se dere would be some mean -folks what would beat de niggers ef dey didn't hab a pass from dere -owners or bosses." - -"Aunt Annie" also said, "I'se neber hyeard of no hoodoo stuff 'til in -late years, dey's mo' ob dat foolishness now dan I'se ebber hyeard of in -mah life. Nowadays de hoodoos doctors, what is allus agoin' 'round -foolin' folks out ob dey money, looks lack de dogs might ob and' dem, -dey is so turrible lookin'. I don't believes in dem. Us folks a long -time ago neber hab no money fo' dem to git. Us had tuh make own -medicine. When de babies had de colic us wud tie soot up in a rag an' -boil it, and den gib dem de water, an' tuh ease de prickly heat us used -cotton wood powdered up fine, and fo' de yellow thrash us would boil de -sheep thrash an' gib em de tea." - -"Aunt Annie" has been married twice, her first husband left her years -ago, when she married Louis Stanton and had five children by him. Louis -was killed in a hailstorm, April 13, 1903, and all of her children are -dead. She is now being cared for by friends, and she said, "that ef I's -didn't git a li'l he'p from de Government tuh gib dis frien'" she didn't -know what she would do as she has been totally blind for two years. - - - - -Theodore Fontaine Stewart - - - *Interview with Theodore Fontaine Stewart* - --_Gertha Couric, [HW: Eufaula]_ - -_US GWINE 'ER WALK DEM GOLD STREETS_ - -"De years are mighty long widout Lottie, Massa. She done gone on to de -promise; but I knows she wid Jesus. And us gwine 'er walk dem golden -streets together holdin' hands." - -Uncle Theodore Fontaine Stewart lives alone in a weather-beaten, -one-room Eufaula shanty. It is clean and surrounded by flowers. In the -rear is a small garden; and there you will find Uncle Stewart when the -dawn is fresh or the dusk is coolly approaching. - -"Lottie been gone away nigh onto twenty-two year now, Massa. Her was a -good woman; one of de best de Lord ever sont to de earth." - -He paused to think when the interviewer asked his age. - -"It hard fer me to tell 'bout dat," he said, "but I knows I'se well past -de ninety mark. I guess I'se gwine on a hundred, caze I was borned 'fore -de war an' was a right peart boy at de surrender." - -"What about slavery times, Uncle Stewart?" - -He mused a moment, his black fingers gently caressing the buttons on his -rust-colored old vest. - -"I 'members all 'bout dem times," he said, "an' de Lord know dey was -better times den we got now, for white or black. Nobody was hongry den, -Massa, and peoples didn't git in de devilment dey gits in now. Folks -went to de church an' 'haved demselves in dose days. - -"Who was my Ol' Marster?" He looked at the interviewer a moment, -answered proudly, "Why, he was de riches' man in Georgy. I knows you has -heard of Marse Theodore Fontaine. He had three big plantations and mo' -niggers dan he could count. He moved clost to Florence, an' his three -places was so big you couldn't see 'crost de littlest field. - -"Ol' Marster he lib in a big house, bigger dan any meetin'-house in -Eufaula. He had a gang of fine horses, an' when company was dar he had -horse races on his own track. His horses could beat all de horses -brought dar, an' dat's de direc' trufe." - -Uncle Stewart filled a blackened old corncob pipe with tobacco, -continued: - -"Ol' Marster, he didn't go to de war. He too ol' to go, so he stay home -an' make corn an' fodder an' oats an' sen' dem to de soldiers what -killin' Yankees. One day de Yankees come along an' burnt up everything -on de place, 'cept de nigger cabins. Dey took all de horses and -everything us had to eat. - -"Ol' Marster went off somewhar when dey come; I don't 'member where; an' -when he come back he had to live in one of de nigger cabins 'twel he -could build a house. But de new one wasn't big lak de old one. - -"My pappy was a fiel' han' 'twel one time Ol' Marster put him on a horse -to ride in a race, an' pappy beat de other horse so far Ol' Marster was -tickled pink. He said a nigger what could ride lak dat had no bizness in -de fiel', so he made a stable boy outen pappy. - -[Illustration: _Theodore Fontaine Stewart, Eufaula, Alabama_] - -"Ol' Marster didn't have no Ol' Mistus. He say he so big all de little -ladies look funny 'side of him. When company was dar his sisters, Mistus -Mary an' Mistus Lucy, come an' kep' house; but dey lef' when de company -did. - -"My pappy was name Ed Stewart, caze Ol' Marster buy him from a Stewart. -Atter de war dey call pappy's chilluns Stewart; but us is Fontaines by -right, bet yo' life on dat. - -"Ol' Marster was good to de niggers, but his overseers was mean. Ol' -Marster fired dem atter awhile an' got some good overseers. He didn't -'low dem to whip a nigger 'cept when he say, an' he didn't say so much. - -"My mammy was name' Sarah, an' her an' pappy stayed right wid Ol' -Marster when de surrender come. Dey was right in de room when Ol' -Marster died, an' dey cried something awful. Us all stayed dar 'twel -pappy an' mammy die; den us chilluns split up an' went everywhere. - -"Mammy an' pappy had ten head o' chilluns sides me, but I don' know whar -dey at now. Mammy raise all her chilluns right, an', long as I knowed -dem, none of dem ever got in a jailhouse. - -"Mammy didn't 'low her chilluns to steal. Her was Ol' Marster's house -cook, an' when she kotch any of us takin' things from de kitchen, she -sho' did tan us hides wid a brush. - -"Me an' Carlotta; us calls her Lottie; was married in de ol' Mount Maria -church, whar all de niggers went to meetin' every Sunday. Us had fo' -chillun, two gals an' two boys; but dey all dead now 'cept de las' boy, -an I ain't heard frum him since 'fore his mammy died. - -"Yes, Massa, her was a good woman. It won't be long now 'fore us will -walk dem golden streets han' in han'." - - - - -George Strickland - - - *Interview with George Strickland* - --_Preston Klein, Opelika, Alabama_ - -_CORNSHUCKIN' WAS DE GREATES' THING_ - -George Strickland, alert for all his ninety-one years but blinking in -the bright sunlight as he laid his battered felt hat beside the rocking -chair in front of his cabin in Opelika, Alabama, as he looked back down -the decades and remembered the times when "cornshuckin' was de greates' -thing." Though only a boy when the War between the States ended, he -recalled days of slavery easily as he told the following story. - -"I was nine years old when us niggers was sot free an' 'fo' dat time us -refugeed from Mississippi to Mobile, den to Selma, den to Montgomery an' -from dar to Uchie, near Columbus, Georgia, whar we stayed 'til us was -freed. - -"My mammy an' daddy come from Mississippi fust. Dey was Cleveland an' -Eve Strickland an' dar was fo' of us chilluns, Will, Sam, Missouri an' -me. Us quarters had dirt flo's an' was in two long rows wid a street -between. On de east side of de settlement was de barns, shops an' sich -like. De beds was boxed up an' nailed to de wall, den dey was filled wid -pinestraw. Dey fed us li'l niggers in wood troughs made of poplar. De -cook in de big house cooked pots of greens an' po'd potlikker an' all in -de troughs. Us et hit wid mussel shells or wid usses han's or gourds. -Our wimmin folks would bile de gourds to keep dem from being bitter. -Usses had two acre paster dat usses would turn under in de fall an' -plant hit in turnips. I 'clare fo' goodness dey growed nearly as big as -a gallon bucket. - -"Dey gived us clo'es ev'y Saddy night an' de winter clo'es had some cow -hair in dem to make 'em warm. - -"Ol' Marsa John Strickland was circuit preacher an' him an' Miss Polly -lived up in a big log house. De logs was hewed an' split an' lined on -each side. De logs stood on dey sides an' didn' lay flat. Dey chilluns -was Mary, Laura, Sallie, Wiley, George an' Lougene. - -"When Ol' marsa went off to preach, de overseer was mean an' whupped de -niggers so bad Mistis runned him off. Dey had 'bout a hundred slaves an' -would wake dem up by beating on a big piece of sheet ine (iron) wid a -long piece of steel. - -"De well didn' hab no windless but had a lever wid a bucket fastened on -one end of hit, an' we would hold to de yuther end to dip de bucket in -de water. - -"When dey whupped de niggers dey would tie dem to a tree an' whup dem -good. When dey was sold dey would put 'em on a stand or block, as dey -called hit den, an' dey w'ud roll up dey sleeves to see de muscles. Den -dey bid on dem an' bought 'em for 'bout $1,000 to $1,500 apiece. Us -traveled in ox carts, an' I fust rid on a stage when I went to Uchie. -When slaves would be ver' bad dey would chain dem out all night. You -sho' had to stay at home an' wuk. - -"Our chu'ch was nearby an' us sot nex' to de do'. Mistis called up all -de li'l niggers, talked to dem an' had pra'r. De yuthers had pra'r -meetin' oncet a week. - -"De wimmin folks had a big time quiltin's wid somebody aplayin' on ol' -gourds wid horse hair strings, called old gourd, horse hair dance. - -"Cornshuckin' was de greates' thing of all. Ol' Marsa tuck a jug of -likker 'roun' an' got dem tight an' when dey got full dey would h'ist -him up an' down, tote him 'roun' an' holler. Den de fun started an' dey -would play de old gourd an' horse hair dance, de han'saw an' case knife. -Dey could run dey han' up an' down de saw to change de tune an' de -leader was on top of de pile of corn singin' whilst all de yuthers would -follow. - -"Us chilluns was 'sleep den, but us had our good times hidin' de switch -an' playin' han'-over ball. Dey sho' skeer us nearly into fits wid tales -of Rawhead and Bloody-bones. - -"I'se never tuk a oath ner teched nothin' didn' b'long to me in all my -life. - -"Our med'cin' was Jerus'lem oak seed what was beat up to give de -chilluns for worms. - -"On Sund' mornin' dey giv' us biskits for breakfast, which was so rar' -dat we would try to beat de yuthers outten dey'n. - -"Oncet dey piled ev'ythin' on waggins an' put all us li'l niggers on -top. Us rations, lak coffee, meal, meat an' mos' ev'ythin' was kivvered -over wid sheets. Den dey tuk us off an' us stayed t'ree days an' nights. - -"Ol' marsa tuk one of de fellers wid him to be on de front line to help -keep off de Injuns, so us chilluns b'lieves. - -[Illustration: _George Strickland, Opelika, Alabama_] - -"Dat battle of Atlanta was de wust thing dat's ever been. All de houses -for a fur piece jes' shuck from de big guns. De Yankees camped in a big -hundred acre fiel' close by. Den dey rushed up to de house, kicked de -gate down, tuk Mistiss trunk out an' bus' hit open huntin' money. But -dey foun' none, so dey sot fire to de house an' ast, whar de horses? De -niggers couldn' tell an' den dey burnt de house down. - -"Atter dat, Ol' Marsa tell us, us is free from him but needn't leave -iffen us didn' want to go, but could stay on wid him an' he'd treat us -right an' give us half of what us made. - -"In after years I ma'ed Josephine Bedell an' us had George, Phillip, -Renza, Eldridge (de baby), May Willie an' Leila. I's got some -gran-chillun, too, but kain't think of dey names. - -"Hit was de plans of God to free us niggers an' not Abraham Lincoln's. - -"I's allus tried to live under de correction of de Lord. Hit's my duty -to try to do so." - - - - -Cull Taylor - - - *Personal interview with Cull Taylor* - *364 N. Scott Street, Mobile, Alabama* - --_Ila B. Prine, Mobile, Alabama_ - -_A SLAVE IS GIVEN HIS YOUNG MISSY'S NAME_ - -A tall, stoop-shouldered, black Negro man came trudging down the road -with a hoe in his hand. Asked where Cull Taylor lived, the old man said, -"Lady I'se Cull Taylor. Dis is mah house here. Does you want to see me?" - -When told that his visitor was looking for old people who lived during -slavery days Cull said: - -"I were born a slave, but warn't very old when de niggers was freed. I -were born March 5, 1859, in Augusta County, Alabama. Mah maw come from -Richmond, Virginia and her name were Jane Hare. Mah paw's name were -Willingham Hare, and he were brought to Alabama from North Carolina. I -guess you'se wonderin' why mah name is Taylor when mah maws and paws -name was Hare? - -"You see when dey was fust brought here, a man name Tom Taylor bought -'em, an' when I were born, dey gib me to Miss Bennie Taylor. Ol' Marse -Tom's girl. Miss Bennie gib me de name Taylor an' I'se allus kept hit. -She shorely was good to me. I neber had nothing much to do, I stayed wid -her, 'til I was grown, atter she married Mr. Bob Alexander. - -"'Bout de war, I does 'member how mah maw was a-weavin' cloth when de -Yankees come through. An' atter de niggers was freed ol' Marse Tom gib -mah maw de loom. - -"Ol' Marse was a good man. He neber 'lowed no o'seer or anybody to -mistreat his niggers. He had plenty of 'em, too, and a big plantation -wid plenty to eat. Course de slaves had to work on de plantation an' -raise de stuff to eat. His house was a big fine, white place, an' de -cabins whar de slaves libed was built in rows, wid streets between dem, -so you could drive 'tween 'em wid big double team wagons. De cabins was -built out ob logs wid a notch out in de shoulders, an' laid on top ob -one another an' when dey built de wall up as high as dey wanted hit, dey -would bore a augor hole an' put a pin in hit to hold 'em together. Den -dey put de roof on. Dey filled de cracks between de logs wid mortar, so -as to keep de wind out, an' it sho' made de houses warm. Us had jes' -wooden home-made beds, wid mattresses made of cotton, or moss, an' -sometimes hay. Us neber hab no springs on de beds. - -"As I said, Ol' Marse Tom was a good man, an' he was too old to go to de -war, but he had two boys. De oldest one went to de war an' was killed. -But de youngest warn't old enough to go. Ol' Marse Tom had de women sew, -makin' clothes, an' had nurse women to look atter de little niggers -while dere maws was in de fields. I 'members as a li'l boy how dey had -one house whar de nurse kept de chillun an' it was as clean as a pin. -Dere was wooden troughs different heights for de different age chillun, -an' dose troughs was scrubbed as white as cotton mos'. When meal time -come, dey would crumble up cornbread wid pot licker, or milk an' gib to -de youngest ones. An' dey had plenty ob milk, I 'members de big milk -dairy, an' smoke house on de place, an' when de Yankees come through dey -went into de dairy an' drank all de milk dey wanted. - -"I 'members mah paw was out in de woods hidin' de mules when dey come -through an' dere was only one old horse on de place. Dem Yankees turn -hit loose, but otherwise dey behaved very nice." - -Cull said that they didn't know anything about dishes and spoons such as -are used now, for they had wooden spoons for the slaves. He said that -the usual rations for a week included a peck of meal, and six or seven -pounds of meat to each man, and if he had a big family he was given -more. They raised rice, sugar cane, pumpkins, watermelons, cushaws, -peaches, pears, plums and grapes. - -"Mah white folks not only tuk keer ob us durin' slavery times, but dey -gib us things atter us was freed. You ax me 'bout de slaves clothes? -Yas'm, lady, us had good, stout, clothes, made out ob de cloth dat de -women wove. I can see mah maw throwing dat ol' shickle from one side to -de other, weaving cloth on dat loom. Dey dyed de cloth wid red oaks an' -dogwood bark, and Chinaberry bark, and had all kinds ob colors, sich as -blue, red, brown, and black. - -"Den dere was de big times, sich as de hog killin' time, an' corn -shucking, an' 'specially cotton pickin' time. Sometimes de neighboring -plantation would hab a regular cotton pickin' festival, an' all ob us -would go and he'p pick de cotton, and de nigger what would pick de mos' -would git a dress or de men would git a suit ob clothes. De suits was -made out ob osnaburg, and sometimes bed tickin'. When a big crowd would -come to dese cotton pickin's, dey would pick out three or four bales ob -cotton. - -"De li'l niggers had a good time playin' in de sand makin' frog houses, -an' spinnin' tops. But, Lordy! when us got sick, dey gib us Jerusalem -oak and sassafras tea. But neber was dere anything said 'bout hoo-doo -stuf. I never heard ob hit, 'til dese later years. - -"But us did hab church, an' prayer meetin', an' funerals! Lor', yes, dey -don't bury folks now. In dose days dey started singin' at de house an' -sung all de way to de graveyard; an' den dey put dem in de groun' good -full six feet deep, dey jes' lays folks on top ob de groun' now-a-days. -But times is different now, lady. - -"I 'members how de men would go out nights an' hunt de possums an' de -coons, and wild cats. Dey den would sometimes go deer an' rabbit huntin' -in de daytime; an', too, dey would set traps to ketch other varmints. -Dere was plenty ob squirrels too. - -"But let me tell you, de bes' thing ob all, was de good locust beer, dey -made from locust seeds. Dey also made 'simmon beer, an' wine out ob -plums. Dem war good days den." - - - - -Daniel Taylor - - - *Interview with Daniel Taylor* - *Montgomery, Alabama* - --_John Proctor Mills, Montgomery, Alabama_ - -Foreword:--In Uncle Daniel Taylor we find the unusual, fast disappearing -type of negro ex-slave (it makes the sentimental white man feel a deep -sadness in the passing of these gentle old souls, whose lives have been -well spent in serving to the best of their ability.) Uncle Dan is a -light complected mulatto (octoroon) with a high and broad forehead (a -noble brow) devoid of all negroid features, a heavy suit of silk-like -hair almost free of any kinks, a heavy suit of gray beard (it is in the -short kinky hair next to his throat that the negro stands out most -prominently) a fine moustache which matches the snowy silkiness of his -hair up on his head. Deep set, dark blue-grey eyes which beam with -kindliness, wide apart and far-searching. A voice well modulated and -refined in timbre, of tenor quality. Uncle Dan has been so closely -associated with the educated white man of the South until he uses no -negro dialect, but his speech is that of one who has tried at all times -to speak correctly and deliberately. He has served as janitor at nearly -all of the Public Schools of the Montgomery City Schools system, and for -fifteen years or more has been at the Baldwin High School; is janitor at -this school at present (May 1937) where he is highly respected, and -greatly beloved by the student body and members of the large faculty. - -"Strange to say, I do not remember the name of my first master, nor of -the second master to whom my Mother and myself were sold to in Alabama. -I was born at Charleston, South Carolina, and at the age of two and a -half years we landed at Luverne, Ala., where with my Mother I was sold -for four-hundred dollars. - -"I was fourteen years old at the time of the 'Surrender,' and was living -at old 'Rocky Mount' in Crenshaw County, at the time of the 'Civil War.' -Professor Mack Barnes of Highland Home, Alabama, was the first man I -ever worked for, and he, as you know, was at the head of the large -school located in Highland Home. - -"The hottest moments of my life were the ones in which my Mother got -tight in behind me with a hickory (switch) and I always took to the -woods. I'll just bet that I knew and could tell more about the woods and -the cane-brake than anyone in that section. Yes sir! I knew every -varmint that crawled on its belly, and all the rest which went on four -feet, that lived there. Believe me, I knew every one of them by name and -right where they stayed. - -"The hot moments just mentioned usually found me 'cooling off' in the -creek in the old swimmin' hole. - -[Illustration: _Daniel Taylor, Montgomery, Alabama_] - -"Among the thrilling moments of my life well do I remember the visits of -President Jefferson Davis, (the first and only President of the -Confederate States of America) to the home of my Master. Mr. Davis -always gave me a quarter of a dollar for holding his horse, and up 'til -lately I had one of those quarters as a highly valued keep-sake, but it -suddenly disappeared, I know not where. - -"The most exciting moments of my whole life was when the Herron Street -School (at present the Cottage Hill School) caught fire and burned to -the ground. We had marched all of the children out of the building to -safety (you see we had all had disciplined fire drills) but Professor -Charles L. Floyd (Superintendent of the Montgomery Public Schools) was -mindful lest there should still be one person left in the building, so -hastened back into the rapidly burning building. He just wouldn't listen -to the pleadings of Miss Jinny (Miss Virginia Hereford, who was the -Principal of this school) nor to Miss Sophy (Miss Sophia Holmes) a -teacher at the primary department, nor would he listen to my humble -plea. The roof was already tumbling in, and the blazing rafters were -falling in every direction. I could stand it no longer, so rushed right -through the smoke and flames, finally I found Mr. Floyd and dragged him -out to safety. My God! I loved that white man, he was one of the finest -men I ever knew! - -"No! Mister John, I have never sought a 'heroe's medal for bravery and -for risking my life', my one great reward was in the saving of the life -of my true friend Professor Charles L. Floyd." - - - - -George Taylor - - - *Personal interview with George Taylor* - *409 South Hamilton Street, Mobile, Alabama* - --_Ila B. Prine, Mobile, Alabama_ - -_CHILLUN WAS TAUGHT TO BE MANNERABLE_ - -George Taylor, an old and very black man, who lives at 409 South -Hamilton street in Mobile, says he is an ex-slave. He knows that he was -born in Mobile on the corner of Cedar and Texas streets, but left -Mobile, and was carried to Gosport, Alabama, when he was twelve years -old. His father's name was Gus Taylor and his mother's Sarah Taylor, and -they were owned by Mr. W.G. Herrin. There were twenty-one children in -George's family, and he said he was the oldest one, and helped "nuss de -odders." - -"Mah grandfather's name was Mac Wilson an' mah grandmother's name was -Ellen Wilson, an' de ol' Miss's name was Miss Mamie Herrin. All de -colored folks' chillun called Mr. Herrin 'Cl' Marster, an' he sho' was a -good marster, too. I 'members dat atter I got to be a big boy dey put me -in de fiel's choppin' cotton, but I neber could pick cotton. I knows dat -mah paw said I was too crazy 'bout de girls, so he tuk me an' made me -plow. - -"Ol' marster had a big place, I don't jes' exactly knows how many acres -dey was, but I knows us had plenty ob cotton, 'ca'se sometimes dey would -pick four or five bales a day. An' den I knows durin' cotton time mah -paw hauled cotton all day long to de gin whut was run by five or six -mules. - -"Durin' de busy season on de plantation ol' Marster had de older women -cookin' an' sendin' de dinner to de fiel'. Dere was two big baskets, one -to put de bread in, an' de odder basket to put de meat in. Every mornin' -at three o'clock de women begun cookin' an' each han' brought his own -meat an' bread to this cabin to be cooked. Every person's plate had -their names on 'em. Ever'body had to be up by daylight an' ready to -begin work. De men had to get up before daylight an' begin to harness de -mules, an' soon as light dey was in de fiel's. Dere was two hundred and -fifty head ob colored people, 'scusing chillun. Dey would raise four, -five, and six hundred bales ob cotton, a year. Us worked den, dere -warn't no walkin' 'bout den, not eben on Sat'day atternoons, but I -believes I'd lack it betta dan I does now, 'cause de chillun was taught -to be mannerable den, but now dey cuss if you say anything to dem. - -"Us had a good place to stay, de ol' Marster's house was a big two-story -house, an' our cabins was built ob boards an' was in a row. Us didn't -hab no stoves, jes' cooked out in de yard ober a fire wid stakes on each -side of hit, wid an' iron bar across 'em to hang de pots on. Ol' Marster -rationed out de food, an' each man was 'lowed seven pounds ob meat, de -women was 'lowed six pounds an' five pounds for each child. Den dey gib -us a peck ob meal, five pounds of flour and some molasses. - -"I neber did eat at home wid mah folks, 'ca'se I nussed in de big house, -an' ebery time dat de white chillun eat, I had to eat, too. Dere was -plenty ob pecan, walnut, an' ches'nut trees on de place, an' us could -eat all de nuts we wanted; and den de slaves had dere own gardens if dey -wanted to. - -"Den I 'members how dere was four men who put de hogs in de pens to -fatten, sometimes, dey would put as many as a hundred or a hundred an' -fifty at a time. Den hit was dere duty to tote feed from de fiel's to -feed 'em. - -"My! when I think ob dat big smoke house, mah mouth jes' waters. At hog -killin' time, dere was certain men to kill, an' certain ones to cut 'em -up. Dere warn't neber no special time to hog killin', jes' when de ol' -Marster said do hit, we did hit. - -"You see us was allus under his direction, 'ca'se if us wanted to go -anywhere, us had to git a pass, eben to church. De white folks had -Methodist church, an' de collored had de Baptist church. - -"I also 'members de time I was put up on de block to be sold, an' when -de man only offered five hundred dollars, fer me, an' Ol' Marster tole -me to git down, dat I was de mos' valuable nigger he had, 'ca'se I was -so strong, an' could do so muck work. - -"Mah maw was de weaver, an' dere was a woman named Assella who did de -dyeing. Mah paw gathered de bark, sich as red oak, elm, maple and -juniper bark, an' dry hit an' den grin' hit up. Dey also used borax, -alum and blue stone, to set de dye. De women made de clothes out ob dis -cloth dat was woven on de place. - -"You axed 'bout weddin's. Us didn't hab weddin's lack us do now. De way -us married would be to go to de big house, an' ol' Marster had us to -jump over a broom stick, an' den us was considered married. But dere was -one thing dat us warn't 'lowed to do, an' dat was to abuse or cuss our -wives, an' you betta not strike 'em, ca'se hit would be jes' too bad. - -"You know, Miss, I'se been here a long time. I 'members when dere was -only one house 'tween St. Louis Street an' Frascati, an' dat was de -Guard House. I also 'members de ole time remedies dat dey used in de ole -days. Dey used red oak bark for fever an' colds, an' den dere was -hoarhound, an' black snake root dat de ol' Marster put whiskey on. Ol' -Marster made his own whiskey. An' oh! yes, de calomus root growed in de -woods whar dey lived. I neber seed dem send to no store for medicine. I -neber hyeard ob no hoodoo stuff, 'till I was grown, an' anudder thing -folks didn't die of lack dey do now. When any one did die, dey allus had -a big funeral, an' de men would sometimes hitch up a ox team or mule -teams, an' as many as could git in would go. De coffins was home made -an' stained. Dere was plenty ob han's to dig de graves, too. - -"I'se tell you, Miss, folks is pretty much de same, if de white folks -treat de niggers right, you couldn't get dem to leave dem. I 'members -when de Yankees come through, I was standin' on de Ol' Marster's porch, -an' I seed dem comming, an' Marster got up on his crutch an' go to de -steps an' invite dem in, an' believe me dey come in, too. Dey jes' -natcherly tore up ol' Marster's place; then de furniture all 'roun' an' -broke heaps ob hit. I knows b'fore dey got dere ol' Marster had mah paw, -an' Jerry Lee, an' Mace Pouncey, an' anudder man take four barrels ob -money an' carry down to de spring an' put hit in de spring, an' I'se -tellin' you, Miss, you couldn't any more git near dat spring, dan -nothin', ca'se de quicksan' made dem barrels boil up, one at a time, an' -de way dey had to git dem barrels, was to buil' a scaffold from de -river, an' let a line down an' ketch aroun' dem barrels. - -"Atter we was freed, Ol' Marster come out in de yard an' got in de -middle ob all ob us, an' tole us dat de ones dat wants to stay wid him, -to stan' on one side, an' de odders to stan' on de odder side. So mah -paw got on de side wid dose who wanted to leave, an' us lef' Ol' Marster -an' paddled down de river, in a paddlin' boat to Belle's Landing. - -"As I'se said before, I'se been here a long time, I eben 'members seeing -Jeff Davis. I knows I ain't here for long, but I'se ready, 'ca'se I'se -been fightin' for Jesus twenty-nine years, an' I ain't tired ob fightin' -yet. I'se a Deacon in de Baptist Church." - - - - -Amanda Tellis - - - *Personal interview with Amanda Tellis* - *and her daughter Sarah Chastan* - *in Allenville, Mobile County, Alabama* - --_Written by Ila B. Prine_ - -Amanda Tellis, a tall, thin, light lulatto woman, who was born a slave -November 30, 1854, lives in Allenville, a negro settlement about four -miles north of Mobile, Alabama. - -Amanda's father was a spaniard, whose name was John Quick, and her -mother's name was Sallie Pugh, her mother having the same name as the -people who owned her. Sallie, Amanda's mother, was born a slave in -Charleston South Carolina, and she and her mother were brought to -Alabama and sold when Sallie was twelve years old. The mother was sold -to someone in Demopolis, Alabama, while Sallie was sold to the Pugh -family in Grove Hill, Alabama. - -Amanda was born in Grove Hill, Alabama and Mr. Meredith Pugh was her -master, and Mrs. Fannie Pugh was her mistress. Her young "Missus" was -Miss Maria Pugh, a daughter, one of seven children in the Pugh family. -Amanda said she willed to "Miss Maria" and she nursed and took care of -her until the surrender. Many times when Amanda would be promised a -whipping for not doing things as she should have, Miss Maria would save -her from the whipping, by throwing herself back from the table and -screaming for them not to touch Amanda, her nurse. - -Aside from caring for "Miss Maria", Amanda said she spun three cuts of -thread a day, and when the writer asked what a cut was, she said: "A cut -was a broach full." During the war, (meaning the Civil War,) Amanda said -she and her sister Nancy spun 160 yards of cloth, and they finished the -last on the day of the Surrender, when the Cannons were fired at Fort -Morgan, and they were mustering the men out. - -Amanda's life was a very easy one in comparison to some of the other -slaves. She said she had seen many of the slaves cruelly mistreated, but -her people were fortunate in having a good master and mistress. - -However, at the close of the war, Amanda was told to pretend she had a -chill, and go to her mother's cabin, so she did as she was told. When -she reached the cabin, her mother, brothers and sisters each had a -pillow slip, filled with clothes and she was given hers and they ran -away, and came to Mt. Vernon, Alabama. Amanda was only eleven years old -then. - -Her life has been varied since, having married three times. Her first -husband was Scott Johnson, and was the father of all of her children, -seven boys and one girl. Amanda lives with this girl now. Her second -husband was Vance Stokes, and her third was S.T. Tellis, a negro -Methodist preacher. Amanda said he was "no count and I did not stay with -him long." - -Amanda is now confined to her bed and has been for the past seven weeks, -her body has wasted away, until she is skin and bones. Her eyes however -are still bright and keen, her hair snow white and she still has a few -teeth. Her mind seems to be clear, and her memory good, in fact the past -is now a part of her, and she told the writer she was so happy because -she had come to ask her about it, before it was too late. - - - - -Ellen Thomas - - - *Interview with Ellen Thomas* - --_Mary A. Poole, Mobile_ - -_TABLE SERVICE AS TAUGHT TO AUNT ELLEN_ - -In a little cottage at 310 Wienacker Avenue, in the western part of -Mobile, lives Ellen Thomas, who claims to be 89 years old. She is small -of stature, dark brown in color, with high cheek bones and small regular -features. Although she wears the old-fashioned bandana handkerchief -bound about her head, the story of 'Aunt' Ellen is unusual, in that -having been raised as a house servant in a cultured Southern family, she -absorbed or was trained in the use of correct speech, and does not -employ the dialect common to Negroes of the slavery days. - -'Aunt' Ellen was born in Mobile. Her mother, Emeline, was a dwarf who -was brought from St. Louis to Mobile by a slave-trader. When put up for -sale, her deformity enlisted the sympathy of Judge F.G. Kimball, who -bought her and brought her to his home on Dauphin Street, between -Hallett Street and Georgia Avenue. Later, Sam Brown, a free Negro from -the West Indies, came to Mobile and, wanting Emeline for his wife, -agreed to pay Judge Kimball for her, giving himself as security. Sam and -Emeline had only two children, Pedro and Ellen, both born on Judge -Kimball's place and raised in his home as house servants, having little -contact with the field slaves. - -In her childhood, Ellen had as her special mistress Miss Cornelia, one -of the Kimball girls, who trained her in the arts of good housekeeping, -including fine sewing, which was itself an art among the women of that -period. Ellen relates with much pride, her ability to put in tucks and -back-stitch them in the front of men's shirts, to equal the best machine -work of the present day. Although hampered by failing eyesight in recent -years, her work with the needle today is proof that her claims are not -exaggerated. - -In all her experience as a slave, she recalls but one whipping. This was -with a small switch in the hands of Judge Kimball. The cause? She -answered: "I ain't coming," when he called her; and at his second call, -she said: "I shan't do it." She was seven years old at the time. - -Judge Kimball insisted that the house servants use good English, she -said. Thus brought up as a child among the Kimball children, and because -of her duties as a house servant, she mingled little with the field -hands and acquired none of their dialect. Even her long association with -free Negroes since the war, has failed to eradicate early impressions -and practices in the use of words, and she stresses this in conversation -with educated white persons. - -Because she was a house servant, Ellen was accorded many privileges not -enjoyed by ordinary slaves. Good food, neat clothing and cleanliness of -person were requirements rigidly enforced. As personal maid to young -girls little older than herself, her lot was quiet and the association -developed a devotion and friendship that was lifelong. Among the -privileges that fell to her as a child, she recalls that of accompanying -the family on carriage rides--usually seated beside the driver to the -envy of her little mistress on the more dignified inside seat. - -[Illustration: _Ellen Thomas, Mobile, Alabama_] - -Her training as a house servant was very broad and involved every -feature of a well kept household of that period. She has especial pride -in her ability to serve at table, particularly when there were guests -present. A feature of the training given her and which Ellen says she -never knew of anyone else receiving was, after being taught to set the -dining table complete for guests, she would be blindfolded and then told -to go through the motions of serving and so learn to do so without -disturbing anything on the table. So proficient did she become in -serving, that a few times when they had guests, Judge Kimball would for -their amusement have Ellen blindfolded and direct her to serve the -dinner. In passing dishes a small silver tray was used. - -Ellen said that they tried to teach her brother Pedro to serve the table -likewise; but his natural clumsiness prevented. He could never learn. - -During the war, she said, her master had an immense pit dug near the -house, put his cotton in the pit and built the woodpile over it. The -Federal invaders never found it. - -Judge Kimball owned extensive tracts of land above Mobile and used a -large number of his slaves to cut timber for wood and lumber; hewn -timber being largely used for house-building. He built a house for every -one of his children, from his own timber, and even had his own coffin -made from home-grown cedar. Ellen failed to follow this act of her -master with approval, judging from her tone in speaking of it. - -She remembers the Surrender and the incidents accompanying that event. -She was seventeen years old. Thus she describes the first visit -afterward of the enemy. "I was helping to cook breakfast one morning, -frying codfish and potatoes, when I heard a drum and ran to tell Master. -He jumped up and said: 'It's the Yankees! Tell Pedro to get a sheet and -hang it out in front.' Pedro was excited and, instead of getting a -sheet, got one of Mistress' best table cloths and hung it from a big oak -tree near the front gate. When the Yankees rode up, they dismounted and -Master invited them in for breakfast." - -One of the Yankee Lieutenants asked her name, and she told him: "Ellen -Brown." He looked puzzled at her answer, knowing her master's name to be -Kimball. (Since her father was a free man, 'Aunt' Ellen said that she -and her brother, Pedro, always retained their own name, instead of -"Kimball.") The lieutenant then said: "All right, Ellen, bring me a -glass of milk at thirteen o'clock." - -She went to her little mistress, and asked her "what that old lieutenant -meant by 'thirteen o'clock.'" Miss Cornelia laughed and said he meant -"one o'clock." - -'Aunt' Ellen related how Judge Kimball was always teaching them and gave -them regular lectures. She particularly remembers one of his sayings: -"You can never swing on yellow pine tree, as it is tender and pliable." - -She remained with the Kimballs three years after the war, worked for -other families a short time and then married Amos Thomas when she was -about twenty years old. They had a very large family, eleven girls and -nine boys. She now has great-grandchildren who are married. - -Although there is little doubt that her age is approximately what she -claims, 'Aunt' Ellen is remarkably well preserved, physically and -mentally. Her activity and industry would not be inappropriate to a -woman a score of years younger. Unlike many persons of her years she -does not constantly look forward to her time of departure, but takes -life as it comes--caring more for today than for tomorrow. - - - - -Elizabeth Thomas - - - *Interview with Elizabeth Thomas* - --_Montgomery_ - -_HID THINGS THEY AIN'T NEVER FOUND_ - -Elizabeth Thomas who lives at 2 Eugene Street, Montgomery, Alabama stuck -up one finger when asked her age. That meant 100 she said. She is -typical the oldtime Negro with head rag tightly covering her hair, -carrying a slick old walking-stick whose bark is worn in places because -of constant use, and little old straightcut full apron. Her memory is -not clear but her hearing is perfect. - -She stated-- - -"I lived mighty fine in dem days, I tel' you. Mister Ben Martin Jones -was my Marster, and I was born on de Red Bridge Road. I was a house -servant. All our clo'es was made at de quarters. My Mammy made mine an' -all I wanted, too. I useter hear my mammy say, de patteroles (patrols) -would git us ef we done wrong but I didn't know nothin' 'bout -patteroles, 'cause dey wasn't none on our place. Dey whipped you, too, -but my Marster could control all his niggers so he didn't 'low none uv -'em on our place. - -"I was 21 years ole when de Yankees come but I didn't run and dey didn't -do nuthin' to me but folks was in such a hurry they hid things dat ain't -never been foun' yet. I liked meetin' on Sundays an' sometime we never -got outer church tell daylight. I wants to live jes' as long as Jesus -say an' when he say go, I'se ready. At Christmas times we always had -good dinners and heap o' company; plenty uv it. My Missus died and atter -dat my mother raised ole Marster's chile, Tommy John, right 'long wid -me. O, dem was happy days, I tell you." - - - - -Mollie Tillman - - - *Interview with Mollie Tillman* - --_Susie R. O'Brien, Uniontown, Alabama_ - -_I WARN'T NO COMMON SLAVE_ - -Aunt Mollie Tillman was fifteen years old when the Southern slaves were -freed; but despite her advanced age, she is able to work every day in -the cotton fields and admits that she is "purty peart." - -She said, "Honey, I kin ricolleck all 'bout slavery time, 'caze I was a -big ol' gal den. Why, I 'members when de 'mancipation come as if 't'was -yestidy." - -Aunt Mollie recalls that she was born on a plantation near Rome, -Georgia, and that her owners were Dan and Lucy Phillips. - -"Marse Dan was a Baptis' preacher," she explained, "an' he shorely was a -good man. He was a chaplain in de big war and he didn't get hurt. - -"Marster owned lots an' lots of slaves an' de plantation was jes' full -o' niggers. He was a powerful important man. - -"Honey, I warn't no common eve'yday slave, I ho'ped de white folks in de -big house. Mistus Lucy wouldn't let 'em take me to de fiel'. Dem was -good days, chile; might good days. I was happy den, but since -'mancipation I has jes' had to scuffle an' work an' do de bes' I kin." - -Aunt Mollie's hair is snow white in sharp contrast to her ginger-cake -skin. - -"I 'members all 'bout when de Yankees come," she said. "Dey was jes' -ruineration to de plantation. Dey tuck all de mules an' cows, den sont -out an' got all de chickens an' eggs dey could fin'. Eatin' was kind o' -slack wid us atter dey lef'." - -Aunt Mollie's life has known romance. Let her tell it: - -"I was ol' 'nough to be castin' my eyes 'roun' at de young bucks, an' -dere was a nigger what lived on de plantation jinin' our'n whut tuck a -shine to me. I lacked dat boy fine, too. - -"He would come over to see me ever' time he git a chanct. One night he -'low he gwine'r ax his marster to buy me so's me an' him could git -married. Well, atter dat he didn' come no mo'. - -"I waited an' I watched, but I didn' hear nuffin of dat nigger. Atter -'while I got worried. I was 'fraid de patterollers done kotch him, or -maybe he done foun' some gal he lak better dan he do me. So I begin to -'quire 'bout him an' foun' dat his marster done sol' him to a white man -whut tuck him 'way down yonder to Alabama. - -"Well ma'am, I grieved fo' dat nigger so dat my heart was heavy in my -breas'. I knowed I never would see him no mo'. Soon atter dat, peace was -'clared an' de niggers was free to go whar dey pleased. - -"My folks stayed on wid Marse Dan fer a year; den dey 'cided to go to -Alabama an' farm. We hit it off to Alabama an' I begin to go 'bout some -wid de young bucks. But somehow I couldn't git my min' off dat other -nigger. - -"Well ma'am, one day at a big meetin' I runned up on him. I was so happy -I shouted all over dat meetin' house. We jes' tuck up whar we lef' off -an' 'fo' long us got married." - -And, Aunt Mollie continued, they lived happily until his death about 20 -years ago. - -She now lives in Uniontown, happy and contented. She has her garden and -flowers; but emphasizes that "de ol' days was de bes' of all." - - - - -Alonza Fantroy Toombs - - - *Interview with Alonza Fantroy Toombs* - --_Gertha Couric, [HW: Eufaula?]_ - -_HE BELONGED TO BOB TOOMBS OF GEORGIA_ - -"Missy," said Alonza Fantroy Toombs, "I'se de proudest nigger in de -worl', 'caze I was a slave belonging to Marse Robert Toombs of Georgia; -de grandest man dat ever lived, next to Jesus Christ. He was de bes' -stump speaker in de State, an' he had mo' frien's dan a graveyard has -ghosts. He was sho a kin' man, an' dere warn't no one livin' who loved -his wife an' home mo' dan Marse Bob. - -"Missy," Uncle Lon continued, "he was near 'bout de greates' man dat -eber come outen de South. He were a good business man; he were straight -as dey make 'em, an' he sho enjoy playin' a good joke on someone. I -useta see him a-walkin' down de road in de early mornin' an' I knowed it -were him f'um a long distance, 'caze he was so tall. I guess you knowed -all 'bout his a-servin' in de State legislature an' in de United States -Congress an' a-bein' a gen'l in de war an' him bein' de secretary of -State in de 'federacy. - -[Illustration: _Alonza Fantroy Toombs, [TR: Eufaula?], Alabama_] - -"I was bawn on Marse Bob's plantation in de Double Grade Quarters. My -pappy's name was Sam Fantroy Toombs an' my mammy was Ida-Belle Toombs. -In de slabery times I was too young to work in de fiel's, so my job was -to hunt an' fish an' feed de stock in de evenin'. My pappy was a -preacher an' Marse Bob learnt him to read and write, an' would let him -go f'um plantation to plantation on de Sabbath Day a-preachin' de -gospel. He was Marse Bob's carriage driver. - -"Yas'm, white folks, Marse Bob was a good provider, too. Us niggers et -at home on Sundays, an' us had fried chicken, pot pies, bacon, beef, -pork, an' hot coffee. On de udder days, our meals was fixed for us so -dat de time us got for res' could be spent dat way. On Sadday us stopped -work at noon an' would come wid our vessels to git flour, sugar, lard -an' udder supplies. My mammy's pots an' pans was so bright dat dey -looked like silver, an' she was one of de bes' cooks in de lan'. She -useta cook fine milk yeast bread an' cracklin' bread. All us slaves on -Marse Bob's place was cared for lak de white folks. We had de white -folks doctor to treat us when we was sick. We had good clothes, good -food an' we was treated fair. Dere warn't no mean peoples on our -plantation. - -"White lady, I 'members Marse Bob's smokehouse bes' of all. It had -ever'thing in it f'um 'possum to deer; an' de wine cellar! Don't say -nothin'! Dat was de place I longed to roam. But Marse Bob, he drink too -much. Dat was his only fault. He hit de bottle too hard. I couldn't -understand it neither, caze he lef' off smokin' in later years when he -thought it warn't good for him; but he keppa drinkin'! - -"I been ma'ied twice, Mistis. De fus' time to Ida Walker. She died at -childbirth; de little fella died too. Den I ma'ied Alice James, an' -she's been gone nigh on to twenty year now. My pappy, Rev. Sam Fantroy -mai'ed me both times. - -"Atter de S'render, nary a slave lef' Marse Bob. He gib eve'y nigger -over twenty-one a mule, some lan' an' a house to start off wid. Yassum, -Mistis, I kin read an' write; my pappy learnt me how. I'm eighty-six -year' old now an' still goin' strong, ceptin' 'bout six years ago I had -a stroke. But I come out all right. I lives here wid my sister an' she's -good to me. De only thing lef' for me to do is to wish dat when I cross -dat ribber I can slip back to de ole place to see some of my frien's." - - - - -William Henry Towns - - - *Interview with William Henry Towns* - --_Levi D. Shelby, Jr., Tuscumbia, Alabama_ - -_DIS WAS DAT LONG AGO_ - -"It's been so long sence, I don' 'member much," William Henry (Bill) -Towns said talking of slavery days. Towns was only seven when the Civil -War began and his memories are those of childhood, which he mixes with -reminiscences and opinions of the older slaves with whom he came in -contact immediately after the war. Towns knows the exact date of his -birth. He says: - -"I was born in Tuscumbia, Alabama, December 7, 1854. My mother was name -Jane Smoots. She come from Baltimore, Maryland. My father's name was Joe -Towns, and he come from Huntsville, Alabama. - -"I had a passel of brudders an' sisters; Charlie and Bob was my -brudders; Betty, Kate, Lula an' Nelie was my sisters. Dere wasn't but -two of us endurin' slavery. Dat was me an' Nelie; de rest was born atter -slavery. Me an' Nelie was Townses, the rest, Charlie, Kate, Lula, Bob -and Betty was Joneses. How dat come 'bout was dis away. Endurin' slavery -my father was sold to anudder slave owner. Atter de war my mother -married Frank Jones; den dese yuther chillun was born. - -"It done been so long sence all of dis was I disremembers most 'bout it. -Anyway, the Big House was a two-story house; white like mos' houses -endurin' dat time. On the north side of the Big House set a great, big -barn, where all de stock an' stuff dat was raised was kep'. Off to de -southwes' of de barn an' wes' of de Big House set 'bout five or six log -houses. These house was built facin' a space of ground in de center of a -squa'e what de houses made. Anybody could stan' in his front do' an' see -in at the front of de yuther houses. - -"Sometimes enduring' de week an' on Sunday, too, de people would git -together out in dis squa'e an' talk 'fore goin' to bed. The chillun what -was too young to work was always out in de front playin'. Jes' acrost -from our place was anudder wid de quarters built 'mos' de same as ourn -'ceptin' dat dey had a picket fence 'roun' de quarters to pervent 'em -from runnin' away. 'Course Mr. Young didn't have to worry 'bout his -han's runnin' away, cause he wan't a mean man like some of de slave -holders was. He never spoke harsh or whupped 'em, an' he didn't 'low -nobody else to do it neither. - -"I remember one day a fellow come from acrost on anudder farm an' spoke -sumpin' 'bout Mr. Young bein' too easy wid his servants. He said, 'Them -darn niggers will think they is good as you iffen you keep up de rate -you goin' now, Young.' Mr. Young just up an' told him if he ever spoke -like dat again he'd call his bluff. Mr. Young told him de he didn't work -his people like dey was oxes. - -"All of Mr. Young's hands liked him 'cause he didn't make 'em sleep on -corn shuck mattresses an' he didn't have dey meals cooked in a wash pot. -A lot of de yuther slaves didn't know what it was to eat meat, lessen it -was a holiday. Mr. Young 'lowed his people to eat just what he eat. I -hear my mother tell a tale 'bout a man what took a meat skin an' whipped -his chillun's mouth wid it to fool folks like dey had some meat for -dinner. Ole Caleb told one a lil' bit bigger'n dat, though. He said one -night him an' a feller was comin' from prayer meeting an' they runned -'crost a possum settin' in de root of a tree by de side of de road. He -say he stopped to git him an' dis yuther feller told him he wouldn't -bother wid him 'cause he wouldn't git none of him no how. Caleb ast him -why he said that. He said, ''Cause your ole master is gwine take him -jes' soon as you git home wid him.' Caleb told him dat Mr. Young wasn't -dat kin'er man. De yuther feller ho'ped Caleb to ketch dat possum, an' -he got a piece of him de nex' night when ever'body come in from de -fiel'. Caleb said de ol' feller enj'yed de meat so much dat he wished he -took him an' his family de 'hole possum. - -"We didn't live so far from Big Spring Creek. 'Co'se, we didn't do no -fishin', 'cause we younguns had to 'tend gaps to keep de cattle off'n de -crops. De grownups had to go to de fiel'. Life was kin'er happy durin' -slavery 'cause we never knowed nothing 'bout any yuther sort of life or -freedom. All we knowed was work from one en' of de year to de yuther, -'ceptin' on holidays. Den we'd have to go to church or set around de -fire an' lis'en to de old folks tell stories. The grownups would go to a -dance or do sumpin' else for indertainment. Co'se us younguns got a heap -of pleasure outten dem fairy tales dat was tol' us by de older ones. I -know ma an' dem use to tell some of de awf'lest tales sometimes. I'd be -'fraid to go from one part of de house to de yuther widoutten somebody -wid me. Us younguns would had to play some sort of a game for -indertainment. Dere was a whole lot of games an' riddles to be played -dem days. It have been so long sence I played any of 'em I'se mos' near -disremembers de biggest part of 'em. I 'members a song or two an' a few -riddles what ol' Caleb use to tell us. De song goes sumpin' like dis: - - Saturday night an' Sunday, too. - Had a yaller gal on my mind. - Monday mornin', break of day, - White folks had me gwine. - -"De riddles was like dis; - - Slick as a mole, black as a coal, - Got a great long tail like a thunder hole. - (Skillet) - - Crooked as a rainbow, teeth lak a cat, - Guess all of your life but you can't guess dat. - (black berry bush) - - Grows in de winter, dies in de spring, - Lives wid de root stickin' straight up. - (icicle) - -"Dere was anudder song what Caleb use to sing. It goes like dis: - - Whar you gwine buzzard? Whar you gwine crow? - Gwine down to de river to do jes' so. - -"Dere was a whole lot more to dat song what I disremembers. - -"Anudder song what comes to my min' is: - - Hawk an' de buzzard went down to de law; - When de hawk got back he had a broken jaw. - Lady's pocketbook on de judge's bench - Haden' had no use for a pocketbook sence. - -"Sometimes I visits wid ol' Mingo White an' me an' him talks over dem -days dat me an' him was boys. We gits to talkin' an' 'fore you knows it -ol' Mingo is cryin' lak a baby. 'Cordin' to what he says he is lucky ter -be a-livin'. Dis is one thing I never likes ter talk 'bout. When slavery -was goin' on it was all right for me 'cause I never had it hard, but it -jes' wan't right to treat human bein's dat way. If we hadn't a-had to -work an' slave for nothin' we might have somepin' to show for what we -did do, an' wouldn't have to live from pillar to pos' now. - -[Illustration: _William Henry Towns, [TR: Tuscumbia?], Alabama_] - -"Speakin' of clothin', everything that we wore back den was made by -han'. Many a night my ma use' to set an' spin wid a spindle. I have set -an' done the cardin' for her so she could git her tas' done. In de -summer we would wear un'erwear what was made outten cotton. In de winter -it was made outten flannel. De shoes was made of cowhide what was tanned -right dere on de place. Dem was de hardes' shoes I ever seen. Sometimes -dey'd wear out 'fore dey was any ways soft, an' den sometimes atter dey -was wore out you couldn't hardly ben' 'em. Some of de han's would go -bar'footed until de fall an' den wear shoes. Slippers wan't wore den. De -fust pair of slippers I ever 'members havin' was de ones what I bought -for my weddin'. Dey didn't cos' but a dollar an' six bits. My weddin' -suit didn't cos' but eight dollars, an' a straw hat to match it cos' six -bits. - -"As I said afore, Massa Young an' ol' Mistis was mighty good folks on -'count of dey never whupped any of they han's. Iffen dere was one dat -would give trouble dey would git rid of him. De overseers had to be kin' -to de hands or else he was outten a job. De chillun was mighty nice, -too. Ever' time dey went to town or to de sto' dey would bring us -younguns some candy or somepin'. Joinin' our farm was a farm whar de -slaves fared lak dogs. Dey was always beatin' on some of dem. - -"Ever'body worked hard enduring' dat time. Dat was all we thought we was -'spose' to do, but Abe Lincoln taught us better'n dat. Some say dat Abe -wan't intrusted so much in freein' de slaves as he was in savin' de -union. Don' make no diff'ence iffen he wan't intrusted in de black -folks, he sho' done a big thing by tryin' to save de union. Some of de -slaveholders would double de proportion of work so as to git to whip 'em -when night come. I heard my ma say after slavery that dey jes' whipped -de slaves so much to keep dem cowed down an' 'cause dey might have -fought for freedom much sooner'n it did come. - -"Caleb come from N'Orleans, Louiseanner. He say dat many a day ship -loads of slaves was unloaded dere an' sold to de one offerin' de mos' -money for dem. Dey had big chains an' shackles on dem to keep 'em from -gittin' away. Sometime dey would have to go a long ways to git to de -farm. Dey would go in a wagon or on hoss back. - -"Talk 'bout learnin' to read an' 'rite--why, iffen we so much as spoke -of learnin' to read an' 'rite we was scolded like de debil. Iffen we was -caught lookin' in a book we was treated same as iffen we had killed -somebody. A servant bett'nt be caught lookin' in a book; didn't make no -diff'ence if you wan't doin' nothin' but lookin' at de pictures. - -"Speakin' of church; we went to de same church as de white folks did; -only thing was we had to go in de evenin' atter de white folks. De white -folks would go along an' read de Bible for de preacher, an' to keep dem -from talkin of things dat might help dem to git free. Dey would sing -songs like 'Steal Away,' 'Been Toilin' at the Hill So Long,' an' -'Old-Time Religion.' - -"Ever' once in a while slaves would run away to de North. Mos' times dey -was caught an' brought back. Sometimes dey would git desp'rit an' would -kill demse'ves 'fore dey would stand to be brought back. One time dat I -heard of a slave that had 'scaped and when dey tried to ketch him he -jumped in de creek an' drown hisse'f. He was brought from over in -Geo'gia. He hadn't been in Alabama long 'fore him an' two more tried to -'scape; two of 'em was caught an' brought back but dis yuther one went -to de lan' of sweet dreams. - -"After de day's work was done an' all had eat, de slaves had to go to -bed. Mos' slaves worked on Sat'day jes' lak dey did on Monday; that was -from kin' to caught, or from sun to sun. Mr. Young never worked his -slaves 'twell dark on Sat'day. He always let 'em quit 'roun' fo' 'clock. -We would spen' dis time washin' an' bathin' to git ready for church on -Sunday. Speakin' of holidays; de han's celebrated ever' holiday dat deir -white folks celebrated. Dere wan't much to do for indertainment, -'ceptin' what I'se already said. Ever' Christmas we'd go to de Big House -an' git our present, 'cause ol' Mistis always give us one. - -"Slaves never got sick much, but when dey did dey got de bes'. Dere was -always a nurse on de farm, and when a slave got sick dey was righ' dere -to give dem treatments. Back in dose days dey used all sorts of roots -and yarbs for medicine. Peach tree leaves was one of de mos' of'en. -Sassafras was anudder what was used of'en; hit was used mostly in de -spring made in tea. Asafetida was anudder what was use to keep you from -havin' azma. Hit was wore 'round de neck in a lil bag. Prickler ash was -anudder what was tooken in de spring. Hit was 'spose ter clean de blood. -Some of de folks would use brass, copper an' dimes wid holes in 'em to -keep from havin' their rumertiz. - -"I was seben years old when de war commence. I 'members Mrs. Young said -when de Yankees come dey was goin' to ast us iffen dey had been good to -us. She said dat dey was goin' to ast us all 'bout how much money dey -had; an' how many slaves what dey owned. She told us to say dey was po' -folks an' dat dey didn't have no money. I 'member my mother said dat she -hoped Mr. Young and dem to hide deir money som'ers in a well dat wan't -bein' used 'cause it gone dry. Dem Yankees sho' did clean up whar they -went along. Dey would ketch chickens by de bunches and kill 'em an' den -turn 'roun' an' make de ol' Mistis clean 'em an' cook 'em for dem. Dem -Yankees set fire to bales an' bales of cotton. Dey took de white folks -clo'se an' did away wid 'em. Sometimes dey would tear 'em up or give dem -to de slaves to wear. De war ended in sixty-five an' I was eleben years -ol' den. - -"Jes' atter de war we was turned loose to go for ourse'f. What I mean by -dat, we was free. I didn't mean that we lef' Mr. Young's 'cause we -stayed wid him for de longest atter slavery was over. - -"My fust work was in a blacksmith shop down on West Six Street. I worked -for fifty cents a day den until I learned de trade. Atter I worked at de -blacksmith shop for about two years I took up carpenter work. I served -apprentice for three years. I followed carpent'ing the res' of my life. - -"I married Lizzie Anderson when I was twenty-one years ol'. She wan't -but seventeen years ol'. We didn't have no big weddin', we jes' had de -fambly dere. I raised ten chillun up until April de twenty fourth. -That's when William Henry died. My chilluns doin' pretty well in life. -Dere's two of my sons what's doctors; one is a carpenter. The other one -is Grand Orator of the Shriners. My gals is doin' fine, too. Three of -'em is been school teachers, one a beauty cult'ist an' de other one a -nurse. I feels sati'fied 'bout my chillun now. Dey seems to be able to -make a livin' for they se'ves pretty well. - -"I thinks that Abe Lincoln was a mighty fine man even if he was tryin' -to save their union. I don't like to talk 'bout this that have done -happened. It done passed so I don't say much 'bout it, specially de -Presidents, 'cause it might cause a 'sturbance right now. All men means -well, but some of 'em ain't broadminded 'nough to do anythin' for nobody -but themse'fs. Any man that tries to help humanity is a good man." - - - - -Stepney Underwood - - - *Interview with Stepney Underwood* - --_John Morgan Smith_ - -_THE COURT JESTER_ - -"Yassuh, I was a slave. I was tin year' old whin de war begin." Uncle -Stepney spoke the words between intermittent jerks of an uncontrollable -voice. The nervousness which resulted from hard work and a long struggle -for existence had not only given him palsy, but had left him with an -upheaving diaphragm. Thus he shook and shivered while stuttering so -constantly as to be almost unintelligible. - -"My mammy belonged to the Johnstons and my pappy was owned by the -Underwoods," he continued; "dey lived next to each other on two big -plantations in Lowndes County. Dey was good peoples--dem Underwoods. I -remembers dat dey use to think I was as funny as a little monkey. De -massa usta laugh his head off at me, and when dere was parties, de -guestes would always say: 'Whar Stepney? We wants to see Stepney dance.' -I usta cut many a [...] pigeon wing fur 'em. - -"One day atter I finish' my chores, I slip off an go across de line to -see my mammy. When I was a-comin' back th'ough de woods, I met up wid -two pattyrollers. Dey stop me and say: 'Nigger, who you belong to?' - -"'Massa Jim Johns'on,' I answers. - -"'Whut you a doin' out here, den?' dey say, all de time a slippin' a -little closer so's to grab me. - -"I don't take time to gib 'em no mo' answers kaze I knowd dat dis meant -a beatin'. I starts my legs a-flyin' an' I runs through de fores' lak a -scar't rabbit wid dem pattyrollers right behin' me. My bare feets flew -over dem stones an' I jus' hit de high spots in de groun'. I knowed dem -two mens didn't have no chance to kotch me, but dis sho meant a whuppin' -when I got home. - -[Illustration: _Stepney Underwood, [TR: Birmingham], Alabama_] - -"But I didn't go home dat night. I stay out in de woods and buil' me a -little fiah. I laid down under a sycamo' tree a-tryin' ter make up my -min' ter go an' take dat beatin'. I heered de panthers a screamin' a way -off in de fores' an' de wildcats a howlin', an' how I wished I coulda -been wid my mammy. Eve'y now and den, I could see eyes a shinin' in de -darkness an' rustlin's in de bushes. Warn't no use of me a-cryin' kaze I -was a long way fum home an' dere warn't no one to could hear me. Eve'y -thing seem to be agin' me. Far off across de ridge I heered a screech -owl a-callin', an' I knowd dat meant death. I was glad I had my overalls -on so's I could turn my pockets inside out'ards to stop him. Atter I -done dis, he sho-nuf stopped. Den my lef' ear it commence to ichin', and -I knowd dat someone was a-sayin' somethin' mean about me. Probably dat -oberseer dat was a-goin' to whup me when I got home. Soon I fell slap to -sleep on a bed of moss. De nex' day I was awful hongry, an' long 'bout -de time de sun was a-comin' ober de ridge, I heerd some mens a-comin' -through de brush. It was de massa, de oberseer an' some mo' mens. I runs -toward de massa and I calls as loud as I could: 'Massa Jim, here I is.' - -"He come up wid an awful frown on his face and de oberseer, he had a big -whup in his han'. - -"'You little bur-head Nigger debil', de massa say, 'I teach you ter run -away fum yo' place. Come on home; I'se gwine give you a good breakfast -an' fix you up in some decent clothes. I'se got visitors a-comin' an' -heah you is out in de woods when I needs you to dance.' Den de massa, he -smile lak I ain't done nothin' wrong. 'I guess you wants yo mammy, you -little lonesome pickaninny. Well, I s'pose I hadda go ober and buy her. -You little debil you--now git on home.'" - - - - -Charlie Van Dyke - - - *Personal conversation with Charlie Van Dyke* - *713 S. Lawrence street, Mobile, Ala.* - --_Written by Mary A. Poole_ - -_IT TOOK $50.00 TO PUT UNCLE CHARLIE ON DE FLOOR!_ - -An old colored man, named Charlie Van Dyke, living at 713 S. Lawrence -street, Mobile, Ala. claims to be 107 years old, but he has no authentic -record of his birth. He told the writer he was born in North Carolina, -and when he was ten years old, Mr. William Martee King, who owned his -mother, "Nellie Drish", moved to Tuscaloosa, Ala., where the King family -remained about a year, moving then from Tuscaloosa down into Dallas -County, near Selma, Ala. - -While Mr. and Mrs. King and their family remained in Tuscaloosa, -Charlies mother Nellie Drish met and married William Van Dyke, who -belonged to the Van Dykes, who owned the neighboring plantation. - -Charlie assumed his step-father's name, but knew little of him, or of -the Van Dykes to whom his step-father belonged, because, as Charlie -explained to the writer, after the Kings moved down in Dallas County, -(as Charlie always referred to his home in Alabama) and brought his -mother Nellie and her family with them, his stepfather could only visit -them once a year, and that privilege was given him on Christmas Day. He -had to start back the next day, as he had to make the trip to and fro on -horse back. - -Uncle Charlie said the Kings owned about a thousand acres in Dallas -County and had about a hundred head of slaves, but with all their riches -they lived in a plain plank house. - -He smiled and said, "Now-a-days folks passing such a house, would say -'Colored folks live there.'" - -The slave quarters were the regular log wood cabins, said Uncle Charlie, -with space between each row and a little plot of ground to separate each -cabin to itself. - -Uncle Charlie said his mother cooked for the white folks, and sometimes -she didn't get down to their cabin but on Sunday afternoon, that he -being the oldest had to look after the younger children, and that he was -never required to do heavy work as he broke his leg when a boy, so the -folks let him just work around the yard and look after his sisters and -brothers and also the other slave children. - -Uncle Charlie said Mr. King traveled a lot, went to France once, that -took almost a year and the overseer had full charge and he was mean and -made everybody stand around. He even made the slaves shuck corn on -Sundays, each had their allotted amount to shuck before they could stop. - -When the writer asked about church on the plantation, Uncle Charlie -replied: "Church was what they called it but all that preacher talked -about was for us slaves to obey our masters and not to lie and steal. -Nothing about Jesus was ever said, and the overseer stood there to see -the preacher talked as he wanted him to talk." - -The only day that Uncle Charlie said they were given any real holiday -was Christmas, everybody got his drink of whiskey on Christmas, and not -another drink until next Christmas, "it sure seemed a long time between -drinks", added Charlie with a smile. - -Uncle Charlie said they did let you have a funeral when some one died, -they made the coffin on the plantation and carried it by hand to the -graveyard, singing as they went along. He tried to recall the hymns, but -all he could chant in a sing-song way was, - - Last word he said was about Jerusalem - And he traveled along to the grave! - -When asked about war days, Uncle Charlie was first on the Confederate -side, then on the Northern side, and he seemed somewhat bewildered about -it all, he said he saw a stockade, as he called it, in Selma, Ala., and -he remembered food stuff being sent to the soldiers, and also recalled -the Yankees coming, and a Captain coming up the road and telling them -the soldiers were coming. Uncle Charlie said the colored folks thought -the Captain had to go back North before they came back, but in a flash -like lightening there they were, hundreds of them, and they scared folks -so bad some of them jumped in the river and tried to swim across and -those that couldn't, they just drowned. - -When the writer tried to check up on Uncle Charlie's age, asking him how -old he was when the war started, he replied: - -"I dont know but I was a man long afore it all started, lady, and I was -thirty-three years old when I married 'bout a year after the surrender." - -When asked why he waited so long to get married, Uncle Charlie said: - -"Didn't you know in slavery days they wouldn't alow a man to marry -unless he could split a hundred rails a day?" - -The writer smiled and said: - -"Now, Uncle Charlie," and then he chuckled, and said: - -"Well, I guess the right one didn't come 'long till I met her." - -When asked if he had a regular wedding feast, he replied. - -"Yes, lady, it took $50.00 to put me on the floor." - -Charlie and Theresa had "five head of children", as Uncle Charlie -expressed it, of which three are dead and two living, but he claims his -children do not look after him, but his church folks and friends give -him the helping hand. He is a member of the St. Luke Missionary Baptist -Church, of Mobile. - -Uncle Charlie says he has his religion from the foregone prophets, that -he "don't understand this day religion", that he came along when people -were serving Daniel's God, and when people had to be born again, now -they serve a sanctified God and jump from one religion to another. - -Uncle Charlie finished the interview by saying, "Lord teach me how to -pray, And teach me to love it woo." - - - - -Lilah Walker - - - *Interview with Lilah Walker* - --_William B. Strickland, Carbon Hill_ - -_I HEAR DE WHIRRIN' OF QUARE WINGS_ - -I walked through a small glade overshadowed by large oak trees, near -Carbon Hill in Walker County, Alabama. A weird little cabin confronted -me; its porch and steps loosely held to the main part of the structure -by a few weak boards. Lilah Walker, an old Negro woman, squatted on the -steps with her chin resting in her black hands, in an attitude of deep -reverie. As the old woman heard me approaching she raised her head in -cordial greeting. - -"Come in, young marster," she said. "How is you today?" - -"Fine, Aunt Lilah," I answered. 'How's the world treating you?" - -"Oh, I can't complain," she replied. - -The old woman continued. - -"It mought be safer to set inside, 'case dey says when de sun swing low -lak dis dat de miassahs whut make you sick 'gin to rise outten yon' -swamp." Then she chuckled: "I bin here since 'fo' de wah, an' I ain't -neber seen no miassahs rise outten dat swamp yit. Yassuh, dat sho is so, -but from whut I seed rise outten it my 'pinion is dat dey done lef' long -'fo' dis. But I seed quare wings whirrin' outten dat swamp jus' 'fo' -days atter de surrender, an' I seed 'em near 'bout eve'y day since. I -seed 'em an' I heered 'em jus' a whirrin'! - -"Nawsuh, I sho can't 'splain de wings, but I is got my 'pinion how come -dey is. When I tells you whut took place here durin' dem dark ole days, -den maybe you'll hab yourn. Ole Mistis died 'fo de war, an' ole Massa, -he too ole to go. He didn't do nothin' but set aroun' an' read de books -an' papers. 'Peer lak to me he jus' plum forgit 'bout young Mistis after -her mammy died, an' de little gal jus' growed up lak a wild flower in de -woods, cep'n for a handsome young boy on de nex' plantation. Dey was -nearly always together. - -"By an' by de boy got ole enough to go to de wah. It was jus' a little -fo' de close. Den young Mistis, she droop an' she droop. 'Reckley she -'gin to swoon, long jus' anywheres she would. One day she swoon an' -nothin' I could do would bring her back to her senses. I jus' couldn't -fetch her to. I call ole Massa an' he git a doctor. Dey putt me outten -de room an' I ain't neber heared whut dat doctor said till yit, but ole -Massa, he go stark wild. He holla an' carry on in his sleep all de -night; an' de nex' day he druv' de young Mistis away. Dere was a cabin -den in de swamp, an' she went dar to live. I snuk out dar an' tote her -vittles to her fo' days an' days. She always grab me an' say: 'Don't you -love me an' don't you believe in me, mammy?' - -"'Co'se I does, honey chile, 'ca'se I useta sing to you 'bout de good -ole lan' of promise.' Den I says to her: 'Dese times is powerful -triflin', an' maybe 'fo' long I's gwine home an' de white folks will -miss me 'ca'se dey can't raise chilluns.' Den she cry an' I cry. - -"'Bout dat time de word come of de surrender. Ole Massa seem to come to -his wits den an' he kep' a close watch on me so's I can't leave de house -to carry de food. On de fo'th day, I cotch a chance an' I snuck off. -When I come close to de cabin I call, but young Mistis neber answer. Den -I went to de do', but I neber go in de do', 'ca'se millions of black -wings come a-whirrin' outten de house. I run an' run an' I pray too, but -de big black wings still follow me. Sometimes in de early mornin' I -still hears an' sees two pairs of wings, sometimes white, sometimes -black. - -"Yassuh, I is aimin' to tell you 'bout ole Massa; whut 'come of him. One -evenin' I ventured to de aidge of dat swamp, an' somep'n cracked under -my feets. I is jus' about to run when I sees it's jus' a piece of paper. -I sees it has writin' on it so I taken it to ole Massa. Den when he read -dat he sho 'nough go plum crazy. 'Bout dat time dey open what dey called -a 'sane 'slylum in Tusaloosy an' dey taken ole Massa dar an' a little -later he died. - -"De young boy who went to wah, whut about him? Dey say he was killed in -de las' battle of Appomatox. Dat piece o' paper? Yassuh. It was a paper -sayin' dat young Mistis and de young boy on de nex' plantation was -'nited in ma'iage. Listen, young Massa. I hears dem quare wings -a-whirrin'." - - - - -Simon Walker - - - *Interview with Simon Walker* - --_Ira S. Jordan_ - -Softly mumbling to himself and gravely shaking a bare, shiny head that -had only a fringe of white, closely-kinked wooly hair about the ears, -the old Negro shuffled out of the crowded courtroom into the corridor. - -Turning clear, quizzical eyes toward a group of white men loitering near -the doorway and addressing no one in particular, with a final emphatic -shake of his head he said: - -"Hit do beat all, de way dese young niggers is allus in trouble wid de -law. Now, whin Ah was a young buck de only law mongst us niggers was de -word uv ole Massa. Mebbe you all's heerd tell o' him--Cun'l Hugh Walker? - -"Ef de Cun'l wasn't de richest man anywhar 'round Forsyth, Georgy, den -mah name ain't Simon Walker. Yassuh! Dat's mah name too. Ah belonged to -de Cun'l 'long wid more'n er hundderd mo' slaves, an' my mammy an' pappy -befo' me belonged to de Walkers. - -"All uv 'em gone now--gone to Glory, an dis ole nigger heah all by -hisself--de las' one er de fambly. De Cun'l, he had eight boys, an all -'cept de least un jined de Confederits. - -"'Twas a turrible sad day when young Maas Chap was brung home wid one of -his laigs shot plumb off by de Yankees; an me settin' dar by him -a-fannin' erway de flies endurin' all de long hot days whilst he was -layin' dar on de aige o' Kingdom Come. An' all de time Ah was thankin' -de Lawd dat mah lil' Maas Jim was too young to go to de wawh--(all de -Cun'l's sons dey had body servants, an Ah was Maas Jim's boy). Ah useter -look atter him, go to school wid him an play in de woods 'tell school -was out, an ef he had 'er gone to de wawh, dis nigger would er been -right dar wid him. - -"Nawsuh, Maas Jim an me never did go to de wawh, but us seed de Yankees -whin' Gen'l Sherman come marchin through our plantation. An ef Ah live -fur thousand yeahs Ah'd never fergit dat day! Ah ain't nivver seed so -many men in one crowd befo' er since, an de las' one uv 'em wearin' de -same kind of clo'es. Dey come right up in de yahd, an a passel of 'em -tromped right into de Big House, jist lak it was dare'n. Dey turned -ebrything wrong side out'ards a-lookin' fer de silver an de jewl'ry, but -Ole Missis, she done had news dey was comin' an all de stuff was hid in -de woods. Whin dey couldn't fin' de plate an' jewl'ry, dey was hoppin -mad, an atter takin' all de hams an rations dey could tote off dey sot -fire to de smoke-house, an' de bahn an' all de cotton dat was piled -around de ginhouse, to keep de Confederits frum gittin it, dey said. Dey -took all de good houses an' mules an' lef' dere ole hongry, broke-down -nags dat won't fittin' fer nothin' 'cept fert'lize. But dey didn't hu't -nobody, not eben Cookie whin she tuck er broom atter em in de kitchin." - -[Illustration: _Simon Walker, Birmingham, Alabama_] - -"Ah reckon dem soldiers thought de Cun'l was plumb ruint whin dey lef, -but Ah says, Cun'l Walker was er rich man, an' 'fo' long us done bought -fresh rations, en drive up de hargs frum de swamp an kilt mo' meat. Den -de Cun'l he sont off fer mo' mules, an whin dey come de wu'k went on -ergin. - -"Come de day whin all de niggers was sot free. Cun'l Walker call all de -slaves up to de Big House, an standin dere on de verandah he told 'em -dey was now all free niggers--free to go whar dey pleased. But, ef -anybody wanted to stay on de plantation to hole up dare hans. Mos' all -de hans stayed on de plantation 'tell de Cun'l died, an de fambly sorter -broke up. Dat was fo' yeahs atter de Surrender. - -"Well, atter dat, Ah jist drifted eroun', an fin'ly landed heah in -Bummin'ham in 1888. Wont nothin' much heah den but muddy roads an -swamps, but Ah got er job totein' mortar whar dey was buildin' de fust -brick sto', an' den er long time atterwards Ah wo'ked fer de 'T.C. and -I.' fer twenty-five yeahs. - -"But de ole nigger ain't no mo' good fer hahd labor. All dah white folks -done gone on, an heah I is on de Welfare, jist waitin' fer de good Lawd -to call me up dare fer de Great Reunion--Amen." - - - - -Lucindia Washington - - - *Interview with Lucindia Washington* - --_Alice S. Barton_ - -Little black Cindy skipped along the narrow path that led to the Spring -House. In her hand she swung an empty cedar pail that she was soon to -fill with cool, fresh milk. She entered the small glade overhung with -willow trees and spread with soft grass, and gazed at the sparkling -water of the spring as it caught the beams of sunlight coming through -the trees and reflected them in myriads of little points. Shadows of the -waving leaves danced over the ground and up the side of the stone Spring -House. How cool and nice it was here, she thought. Gentle breezes -rustled the limbs of small saplings and quietly stirred the long grass -along the upper part of the branch. - -A young rabbit hopped from a little clump of bushes and Cindy watched -him as the small creature drank thirstily from the crystal water. -Occasionally, the bunny would lift his head as if warned by a slight -sound, but in a moment she saw him fold back his delicate ears and once -more dip his small mouth into the babbling water. - -After quenching his thirst, the rabbit hopped a few feet away and -nibbled on a wisp of tender grass. Cindy was as still as a statue as she -watched the procedure. "Dat's de cutest little bunny I ever seed," she -said to herself. "I wish I could ketch him." But Cindy knew that she -could not catch a rabbit, so she was content to stand in the shadow of a -sycamore and gaze eagerly at the animal, nibbling the grass. - -Suddenly, without warning, Cindy's eyes protruded from their sockets -with an expression of fear. Slipping noiselessly through the green -undergrowth she saw a giant rattler gliding slowly toward the young -rabbit. She wanted to cry out, but she was afraid; afraid of attracting -the rattler's attention toward her. She was deathly afraid of snakes. -Since babyhood, she had harbored a growing fear of them. If Cindy had -been still before this time, she now became a frozen image. It would not -have been apparent that she was even breathing. So frightened was she of -the snake that her whole body broke out in a profuse perspiration. Her -eyes were glued to the tremendous brown monster which, without the -slightest sound, oozed deftly toward its victim. Cindy was hypnotized! -The snake seemed to hold her in a strange spell. Slowly, inexorably he -moved entirely out of the undergrowth and was now weaving on the clear -ground. He approached the rabbit within a distance of three feet and -began to carefully form himself in a deadly coil. Cindy saw every -movement. She saw each diamond on its brown back; each scale of its -crawling skin; each lash and point of its tongue; the whiteness of its -breast, the large track that it had made in the sand. She watched its -eyes gleam, expressionless and ominous. She gazed at the deadly mouth as -it slowly began to open. She was aware of the first appearance of the -two death-like fangs pointing downward. She saw the ten-buttoned rattle -stand erect. She saw it quiver; shake; sound. She saw the rabbit turn -with fear. She saw the strike; the sinking of the fangs into the soft, -brown fur. She watched the rabbit give an ephemeral struggle; witnessed -the brief pitiful look in the bunny's eyes and at last saw the mouth -sink into the small belly and draw the last breath of life away. - -The experience was more than the little girl could stand. Cindy was now -in a state of frenzy. She could not move, nor speak, nor turn her eyes. -She could only stare! At what? - -The monstrous snake then girded himself for further onslaught. After -being sure his victim was dead, he loosed his grip and stretched at full -length upon the ground; drew the rabbit out until it too was stretched -carefully out with its hind feet together and its head pointing in the -opposite direction. Then followed an experience that to Cindy seemed -entirely impossible. The snake took the hind feet of the rabbit in his -mouth, until gradually they had disappeared. Then came what seemed to -'Cindy an agonized struggle. The snake's mouth stretched almost to the -breaking point as it began slowly to close over the rest of the rabbit's -rear quarter. With fits and starts and jerks and stretches, the rattler -reeled and squirmed; contorted and wreathed and sucked until the rabbit -had half gone. With the last great effort the serpent threw himself into -another series of bodily contortions that seemed to 'Cindy positively -agonizing to him, until at last the rabbit had entirely disappeared from -the earth. For several minutes 'Cindy apparently watched the tremendous -hump in the snake move slowly backward. With gradually diminishing -intermittent jerks, the snake finally got the small animal to his -digestive tract. The monster then crawled to a hot sandy section and -went to sleep. - - ---- - -Two hours later it was twilight. An overseer was walking along the path -to the Spring House. He paused for a moment beneath a sycamore tree to -rest and cool himself. As his eyes roamed the shadowy little glade they -came to rest on the body of a little Negro girl, lying inert upon the -soft grass with the handle of a cedar bucket clutched in a death grip. -He lifted the small black form into his arms and carried her to the -house. He saw in her face an expression of mingled agony and fear. - - ---- - -"Yassuh, white folks, dat was me," Aunt 'Cindy smiled as she told me of -the experience, 80 years later. "Dat was de biggest snake I ever seed. -He musta been seven feet long. - -[Illustration: _Cindy Washington, [TR: Eutaw], Alabama_] - -"All dis happen in Sumter County whar I was bawn. Us had a pretty place -dere. I'll never forgits how de niggers worked dere gardens in de -moonlight. Dere warn't no time in de day. De white folks work tuk dat -time. De oberseer rung a big bell for us to git up by in de mawnin' at -fo' o'clock, an' de fus' thing we done was to feed de stock." - -"You axe was we punished?" Yassuh, we was punished for something: most -of all for stealin'. - -"Yassuh, we was taught to read an' write, but mos' of de slaves didn't -want to learn. Us little niggers would hide our books under de steps to -keep f'um havin' to study. Us'd go to church wid de white folks on -Sunday and sit in de back, an' den we go home an' eat a big Sunday meal. -When we got sick f'um eatin' too much or somp'n, Massa Jim Godfrey was a -doctor an' he'd ten' to us. Den when new nigger babies came, nine little -black bugs was tied up in rags 'roun' dere necks for to make de babies -teethe easy. When I was ma'ied, white folks, at de age of thirteen, Alex -Washington, my husband an me had a forty-dollar weddin'. My mistis baked -me a cake, an' a white schoolmaster named Henry Hindron spoke de -ceremony. Me an' dat ole husband had twenty-two chilluns. - -"Yas ma'm. I sho does believe in ghosties. We's got one good spirit an' -one bad un. One goes to heaben an' de udder stays on earth. Ghosties sho -does lak whiskey, caze dey'll follow you iffen you got any. Iffen you -po' it on de groun' beside you, dough, dey'll lose track of you. Always -give a gos' de raght han' side of de road, white folks, an' he won't -bother you. - -"Yes my chile, I is got religion. I seed Jesus a hanging f'um de cross. -He give his blood so dat us could live. I knows I is goin' to heaben." - - - - -Eliza White - - - *Interview with Eliza White, age around 80* - *Opelika, Alabama* - --_Preston Klein, Opelika, Alabama_ - -_SHE SEED A HA'NT_ - -Eliza White lives by the Central of Georgia Railroad tracks in Opelika. -The passing of many years has not dulled her mind, and so she was able -to tell of many things which happened "befo' de wah." - -"Yas, suh, I was a slave. Ole Massa was name' Billy Jones, and Ole -Mistis was name' Angeline. Dey lived in Harris County, Georgia, close to -Columbus. My pappy and mammy was Peter and Frances Jones, and I had a -brother, Dennis, and a sister, Georgianne. - -"Massa was a good man, and I did love Ole Mistis. Dey was mighty good to -us niggers; fed us out dey own garden. We had checked homespun clothes -foh eve'yday, and purty calico and dyed osnaburg ones foh Sunday. I went -to church wid de white folks, settin' in de foot of de carriage. I -'members well de Sunday I fust seen a shoutin'. It was two white ladies. - -"Massa and Mistis had four chillun. Two of dem, Dave and Quit, was bad -fighting kids. I seen Massa make dem strip to dey waist, and whip 'em, -den make dem go in and bathe. - -"Massa lived in a big, fine white house. He had two or three hundred -slaves, and de quarters was in two long rows, runnin' up near 'bout to -de big house on de hill. Dey even raised deer on de place. De houses in -de quarters was two-room log houses wid a shed room to cook in. My mammy -was de cook at de big house, and granny was de weaver. Pappy was de -bedmaker; he made most of de beds outen poplar. I had a little chair in -de corner where I sot and kept de flies offen Mistis wid a green twig -brush. - -"Whenever Massa sont any de slaves offen de place he had to gib 'em -passes so de patterollers wouldn't ketch 'em and whip 'em foh runnin' -away. De patterollers was a good thing foh de lazy ones. When daylight -come we had to get up, else we'd be whipped. Massa didn't have his -slaves whipped much; just when dey was lazy and wouldn't work. - -"Ev'ey now and den we would have some good frolics, mostly on Sattiday -nights. Somebody would play de fiddle and we all danced to de music. De -folks sure had some big times at de cornshuckin's, too. De men would -work two or three days, haulin' de corn and pilin' it near de crib. Den -dey would invite folks from other quarters to come and help wid de -shuckin'. While dey shucked dey would holler and sing: - - You jumped and I jumped; - Swear, by God you out jumped me. - Huh! Huh! Round de corn, Sally. - -"Granny used to give us tea made outen sage roots, mullen, pine, -hoarhound--dat sho' was bitter stuff. We had purty beads made wid corn. -And I still 'members de Christmas I got my fust shoes. I just hugged dem -tight and went to sleep holdin' 'em. Dey was button shoes. - -"When we heard de Yankees was comin' we hid all de meat and rations and -de silver in de big swamp, and turned de horses loose, and all us kids -hid in de bedticks (mattresses). De Yankees stayed around two or three -days and would pull de hands out of dere beds by dey toes. - -"But I really seed a ha'nt one time. I knowed it was. De was one old man -been havin' de toothache all de time; he used to keep he jaw tied up. I -was gwine over to see him day time. Well, 'fore I got dere I seen what -look like him comin'. When I got nearer he turned to a man riding a mule -and wearing a big hat. Den, 'fore he got to de house he was plum gone. -Dat's how I knowed it was a ha'nt." - - - - -Mingo White - - - *Interview with Mingo White* - --_Levi D. Shelby, Jr., Tuscumbia, Alabama_ - -_JEFF DAVIS USED TO CAMOUFLAGE HIS HORSE_ - -Mingo White lives at Burleson in Franklin County, Alabama, and though he -doesn't know his age he remembers that he was a big boy when the War -between the States began. His reminiscences of slavery days, when he was -a field hand, are an incongruous combination of stories of severe -cruelty and free Saturday afternoons, Sunday holidays and happy -festivals of cornshucking and community cotton picking. He talks of -punishments visited on recalcitrant slaves beyond human endurance and of -tasks saddled on one person that would take half a dozen to accomplish. -Mingled with these perhaps fogged memories of the nonagenarian are -interesting sidelights of "drivers," paterollers," Ku Kluxers and -share-cropping in reconstruction days. - -"I was born in Chester, South Carolina, but I was mos'ly raised in -Alabama," Mingo said. "When I was 'bout fo' or five years old, I was -loaded in a wagon wid a lot mo' people in 'hit. Whar I was boun' I don't -know. Whatever become of my mammy an' pappy I don' know for a long time. - -"I was tol' there was a lot of slave speculators in Chester to buy some -slaves for some folks in Alabama. I 'members dat I was took up on a -stan' an' a lot of people come 'roun' an' felt my arms an' legs an' -chist, an' ast me a lot of questions. Befo' we slaves was took to de -tradin' post Ol' Marsa Crawford tol' us to tell eve'ybody what ast us if -we'd ever been sick to tell 'em dat us'd never been sick in our life. Us -had to tell 'em all sorts of lies for our Marsa or else take a beatin'. - -"I was jes' a li'l thang; tooked away from my mammy an' pappy, jes' when -I needed 'em mos'. The only caren' that I had or ever knowed anything -'bout was give to me by a frein' of my pappy. His name was John White. -My pappy tol' him to take care of me for him. John was a fiddler an' -many a night I woke up to find myse'f 'sleep 'twix' his legs whilst he -was playin' for a dance for de white folks. My pappy an' mammy was sold -from each yuther too, de same time as I was sold. I use' to wonder if I -had any brothers or sisters, as I had always wanted some. A few years -later I foun' out I didn't have none. - -"I'll never forgit de trip from Chester to Burleson. I wouldn't 'member -so well I don't guess, 'cepin' I had a big ol' sheep dog name Trailer. -He followed right in back of de wagon dat I was in. Us had to cross a -wide stream what I tuk to be a ribber. When we started 'crost, ol' -Trailer never stop followin'. I was watchin' him clost so if he gived -out I was goin' to try to git him. He didn't giv' out, he didn't even -hab to swim. He jes' walked 'long an' lapped de water lack a dog will. - -"John took me an' kep' me in de cabin wid him. De cabin didn' hab no -furniture in hit lack we has now 'days. De bed was a one-legged, hit was -made in de corner of de room, wid de leg settin' out in de middle of de -flo'. A plank was runned 'twix' de logs of de cabin an' nailed to de -post on de front of de bed. Across de foot an' udder plank was runned -into de logs an' nail' to de leg. Den some straw or cornshucks was piled -on for a mattress. Us used anythang what we could git for kivver. De -table had two legs, de legs set out to de front whilst de back part was -nail' to de wall. Us didn't hab no stove. Thar was a great big fireplace -whar de cookin' was done. Us didn't hab to cook, though, lessen us got -hungry after supper been served at de house. - -"I warn't nothin' but a chile endurin' slavery, but I had to wuk de same -as any man. I went to de fiel' and hosed cotton, pulled fodder and -picked cotton wid de res' of de han's. I kep' up too, to keep from -gittin' any lashes dat night when us got home. In de winter I went to de -woods wid de men folks to ho'p git wood or to git sap from de trees to -make turpentine an' tar. Iffen us didn't do dat we made charcoal to run -de blacksmif shop wid. - -"De white folks was hard on us. Dey would whup us 'bout de leas' li'l -thang. Hit wouldn't a been so bad iffen us had a had comforts, but to -live lack us did was 'nouf to make anybody soon as be dead. De white -folks tol' us dat us born to work for 'em an' dat us was doin' fine at -dat. - -"De nex' time dat I saw my mammy I was a great big boy. Dere was a 'oman -on de place what ever'body called mammy, Selina White. One day mammy -called me an' said, Mingo, your mammy is comin'.' I said, 'I thought dat -you was my mammy.' She said 'No I ain't your mammy, yer mammy is 'way -way from here. I couldn't believe dat I had anudder mammy and I never -thought 'bout hit any mo'. One day I was settin' down at de barn when a -wagon come up de lane. I stood 'roun' lack a chile will. When de wagon -got to de house, my mammy got out an' broke and run to me an' th'owed -her arms 'roun' my neck an' hug an' kiss me. I never even put my arms -'roun' her or nothin' of de sort. I jes' stood dar lookin' at her. She -said, 'Son ain't you glad to see your mammy?' I looked at her an' walked -off. Mammy Selina call me an' tol' me dat I had hurt my mammy's -feelin's, and dat dis 'oman was my mammy. I went off an' studied and I -begins to 'member thangs. I went to Selina an' ast her how long it been -sence I seen my mammy. She tol' me dat I had been 'way from her sence I -was jes' a li'l chile. I went to my mammy an' tol' her dat I was sorry I -done what I did an' dat I would lack fer her to fergit an' forgive me -for de way I act when I fust saw her. After I had talked wid my real -mammy, she told me of how de family had been broke up an' dat she hadn't -seed my pappy sence he was sold. My mammy never would of seen me no mo' -if de Lawd hadn' a been in de plan. Tom White's daughter married one of -Mr. Crawford's sons. Dey lived in Virginia. Back den it was de custom -for women to come home whenever dey husbands died or quit 'em. Mr. -Crawford's son died an' dat th'owed her to hab to come home. My mammy -had been her maid, so when she got ready to come home she brung my mammy -wid her. - -"Hit was hard back in dem days. Ever' mornin' fo' day break you had to -be up an' ready to git to de fiel'. Hit was de same ever' day in de year -'cep' on Sunday, an' den we was gittin' up earlier dan the folks do now -on Monday. De drivers was hard too. Dey could say what ever dey wanted -to an' you couldn't say nothin' for yourse'f. Somehow or yuther us had a -instinct dat we was goin' to be free. In de even't when de day's wuk was -done de slaves would be foun' lock' in dere cabins prayin' for de Lawd -to free dem lack he did de chillun of Is'ael. Iffen dey didn' lock up, -de Marsa or de driver would of heard 'em an' whupped 'em. De slaves had -a way of puttin' a wash pot in de do' of de cabin to keep de soun' in de -house. I 'members once ol' Ned White was caught prayin'. De drivers took -him de nex' day an' carried him to de pegs, what was fo' stakes drove in -de groun'. Ned was made to pull off ever'thang but his pants an' lay on -his stomach 'tween de pegs whilst somebody stropped his legs an' arms to -de pegs. Den dey whupped him 'twell de blood run from him lack he was a -hog. Dey made all of de han's come an' see it, an' dey said us'd git de -same thang if us was cotched. Dey don't 'low a man to whup a horse lack -dey whupped us in dem days. - -"After my mammy come whar I was I ho'ped her wid her work. Her tas' was -too hard for any one person. She had to serve as maid to Mr. White's -daughter, cook for all of de han's, spin an' card four cuts of thread a -day an' den wash. Dere was one hundred an' forty-four threads to de cut. -If she didn't git all of dis done she got fifty lashes dat night. Many a -night me an' her would spin an' card so she could git her task de nex' -day. No matter whut she had to do de nex' day she would have to git dem -fo' cuts of thread, even on wash day. Wash day was on Wednesday. My -mammy would have to take de clo's 'bout three quarters of a mile to de -branch whar de washin' was to be done. She didn't have no wash board -lack dey have now 'days. She had a paddle what she beat de clo's wid. -Ever'body knowed when wash day was 'case dey could hear de paddle for -'bout three or four miles. "Pow-pow-pow," dat's how it sound. She had to -iron de clo's de same day dat she washed an' den git dem four cuts of -thread. Lots of times she failed to git 'em an' got de fifty lashes. One -day when Tom White was whuppin' her she said, 'Lay it on Marsa White -'case I'm goin' to tell de Yankees when dey come.' When mammy got -through spinnin' de cloth she had to dye it. She used shumake berries, -indigo, bark from some trees, and dar was some kind of rock (probably -iron ore) what she got red dye from. De clo's wouldn't fade neither. - -"De white folks didn't learn us to do nothin' but wuk. Dey said dat us -warn't 'spose' to know how to read an' write. Dar was one feller name -E.C. White what learned to read an' write endurin' slavery. He had to -carry de chillun's books to school fer 'em an' go back atter dem. His -young marsa taught him to read an' write unbeknowance' to his father an' -de res' of de slaves. Us didn' have nowhar to go 'cep' church an' we -didn' git no pleasure outten it 'case we warn't 'lowed to talk from de -time we lef' home 'twell us got back. If us went to church de drivers -went wid us. Us didn't have no church 'cep' de white folks church. - -"After ol' Ned got sech a terrible beatin' fer prayin' for freedom he -slipped off an' went to de North to jine de Union Army. After he got in -de army he wrote to Marsa Tom. In his letter he had dose words: - -"'I am layin' down, marsa, and gittin' up, marsa;' meaning dat he went -to bed when he felt like it an' got up when he pleased to. He told Tom -White dat iffen he wanted him he was in the army an' dat he could come -after him. After ol' Ned had got to de North, de yuther han's begin to -watch for a chance to slip off. Many a one was cotched an' brung back. -Dey knowed de penalty what dey would have to pay, an' dis cause some of -'em to git desp'rite. Druther dan to take a beatin' dey would choose to -fight hit out 'twell dey was able to git away or die befo' dey would -take de beatin'. - -"Lots of times when de patterollers would git after de slaves dey would -have de worse' fight an' sometimes de patterollers would git killed. -After de war I saw Ned, an' he tol' me de night he lef' the patterollers -runned him for fo' days. He say de way he did to keep dem frum ketchin' -him was he went by de woods. De patterollers come in de woods lookin' -for him, so he jes' got a tree on 'em an' den followed. Dey figured dat -he was headin' fer de free states, so dey headed dat way too, and Ned -jes' followed dem for as dey could go. Den he clumb a tree and hid -whilst dey turned 'roun' an' come back. Ned went on widout any trouble -much. De patterollers use ter be bad. Dey would run de folks iffen dey -was caught out after eight o'clock in de night, iffen dey didn' have no -pass from de marsa. - -"After de day's wuk was done there warn't anything for de slaves to do -but go to bed. Wednesday night they went to prayer meetin'. We had to be -in de bed by nine o'clock. Ever' night de drivers come 'roun' ter make -sho' dat we was in de bed. I heerd tell of folks goin' to bed an' den -gittin' up an' goin' to yuther plantation. On Sat'day de han's wukked -'twell noon. Dey had de res' of de time to wuk dey gardens. Ever' fambly -had a garden of dere own. On Sat'day nights the slaves could frolic for -a while. Dey would have parties sometimes an' whiskey and home-brew for -de servants. On Sundays we didn't do anything but lay 'roun' an' sleep, -'case we didn' lack to go to church. On Christmas we didn't have to do -no wuk: no more'n feed de stock an' do de li'l wuk 'roun' de house. When -we got through wid dat we had de res' of de day to run 'roun' wharever -we wanted to go. 'Co'se we had to git permission from de marsa. - -"De owners of slaves use to giv' cornshuckin' parties, an' invite slaves -from yuther plantations. Dey would have plenty of whiskey an' other -stuff to eat. De slaves would shuck corn an' eat an' drink. Dey use'to -giv' cotton pickin's de same way. All of dis went on at night. Dey had -jack-lights in de cotton patch for us to see by. De lights was made on a -forked stick an' moved from place to place whilst we picked. De corn -shuckin' was done at de barn, an' dey didn' have to have de lights so -dey could move dem frum place to place. - -"De only games dat I played when I was young was marbles an' ball. I use -to sing a few songs dat I heard de older folks sing lak: - - Cecess ladies thank they mighty grand, - Settin' at de table, coffee pot of rye, - O' ye Rebel union band, have these ladies understan' - We leave our country to meet you, Uncle Sam. - -"Dese songs was 'bout de soldiers an' de war. There was one 'bout ol' -General Wise what went: - - Ol' General Wise was a mighty man, - And not a wise man either, - It took forty yards of cloth to make a uniform, - To march in de happy land of Canaan. - - Chorus: - - Ha-ha, ha-ha, de south light is comin', - Charge boys, charge, dis battle we mus' have, - To march us in the happy land of Canaan. - -"There was a song 'bout General Roddy too: - - Run ol' Roddy through Tuscumbia, through Tuscumbia, - We go marchin' on. - - Chorus: - - Glory, glory hallelujah, glory, glory hallelujah, - Glory, glory hallelujah as we go marchin' on. - - Ol' Roddy's coat was flyin', ol' Roddy's coat flyin' high, - Twell it almost touch de sky, we go marchin' on. - -"I was a pretty big boy when de war broke out. I 'member seein' the -Yankees cross Big Bear creek bridge one day. All of de sojars crossed de -bridge but one. He stayed on de yuther side 'twell all de res' had got -'crost, den he got down offen his horse an' took a bottle of somp'in' -an' strowed it all over de bridge. Den he lighted a match to it an' -followed de res'. In a few minutes the Rebel sojars come to de bridge to -cross but it was on fire an' dey had to swim 'crost to de yuther side. I -went home an' tol' my mammy dat de Rebels was chasin' de Union sojars, -an' dat one of de Unions had poured some water on de bridge an' sot it -afire. She laugh' an' say: 'Son, don't you know dat water don't make a -fire? Dat musta been turpentine or oil?' I 'member one day Mr. Tom was -havin' a big barbecue for de Rebel soldiers in our yard. Come a big -roarin' down de military road, an' three men in blue coats rode up to de -gate an' come on in. Jes' as soon as de Rebels saw 'em de all run to de -woods. In 'bout five minutes de yard was full of blue coats. Dey et up -all de grub what de Rebels had been eatin'. Tom White had to run 'way to -keep de Yankees from gittin' him. 'Fo de Yankees come, de white folks -took all dey clo's an' hung 'em in de cabins. Dey tol' de colored folks -to tell de Yankees dat de clo's was dere'n. Dey tol' us to tell 'em how -good dey been to us an' dat we lacked to live wid 'em. - -"All day dat we got news dat we was free, Mr. White called us niggers to -the house. He said: 'You are all free, jes' as free as I am. Now go an' -git yerse'f somewhar to stick your heads.' Jes' as soon as he say dat, -my mammy hollered out: 'Dat's 'nough for a yearlin'. She struck out -'crost de fiel' to Mr. Lee Osborn's to git a place for me an' her to -stay. He paid us seventy-five cents a day, fifty cents to her an' two -bits for me. He gave us our dinner along wid de wages. After the crop -was gathered fer that year, me an' my mammy cut an' hauled wood for Mr. -Osborn. Us lef' Mr. Osborn dat fall an' went to Mr. John Rawlins. Us -made a share crop wid him. Us'd pick two rows of cotton an' he'd pick -two rows. Us'd pull two rows of corn an' he'd pull two rows. He -furnished us wid rations an' a place to stay. Us'd sell our cotton an' -open corn an' pay Mr. John Rawlins for feedin' us. Den we moved wid Mr. -Hugh Nelson an' made a share crop wid him. We kep' movin' an' makin' -share crops 'twell us saved up 'nough money to rent us a place an' make -a crop fer ourse'ves. Us did right well at dis until de Ku Klux got so -bad, us had to move back wid Mr. Nelson for protection. De mens that -took us in was union men. Dey lived here in the south but dey tooken us -part in de slave business. De Ku Klux threat to whup Mr. Nelson 'case he -took up fer de niggers. Heap uv nights we would hear of the Ku Klux -comin' an' leave home. Sometimes us was scared not to go an' scared to -go 'way from home. - -"One day I borrowed a gun frum Ed Davis to go squ'el huntin'. When I -taken de gun back I didn't unload hit lack I allus been doin'. Dat night -de Ku Klux called on Ed to whup him. When dey tol' him to open de do', -he heard one of 'em say, 'Shoot him time he gits de do' open. 'Well, he -says to 'em,' wait 'twell I kin light de lamp.' Den he got de gun what I -had lef' loaded, got down on his knees an' stuck hit th'ough a log an' -pull de trigger. He hit Newt Dobbs in de stomach an' kilt him. He -couldn't stay 'roun' Burleson any mo', so he come to Mr. Nelson an' got -'nough money to git to Pine Bluff, Arkansas. The Ku Klux got bad sho' -'nough den and went to killin' niggers an' white folks, too. - -"I ma'ied Kizi Drumgoole. Reverend W.C. Northcross perform' de ceremony. -Dere warn't nobody dere but de witness an' me an' Kizi. I had three -sons, but all of 'em is dead 'cepin' one an' dat's Hugh. He get seven -chilluns. He wuks on de relief. - -"Abe Lincoln was as nobler man as ever walked. Jeff Davis was as smart -man as you ever wan' to see. Endurin' de war he sheared his horse in -sich a way dat he looked lack he was goin' one way when he'd gwine de de -yuther. Booker T. Washington did one of de greates' things when he fix -it for nigger boys an' girls to learn how to git on in de worl'. - -"Slavery wouldn't a been so bad, but folks made it so by selling us for -high prices, an' of co'se folks had to try to git dey money's worth out -of 'em. The chillun of Is'ael was in bondage one time an' God sent Moses -to 'liver 'em. Well I 'spose dat God sent Abe Lincoln to 'liver us." - - - - -Abe Whitess - - - *Interview with Abe Whitess* - --_David Holt_ - -_"MAYOR OF DOUGLASVILLE"_ - -When the sunshine is warm, Abe Whitess, "Mayor of Douglasville," sits -outside his cabin door near Bay Minette, Alabama, and watches the stream -of traffic on US 31 just beyond his bare feet, "a' restin'" in the -soothing sand. More than 90 years ago he was born not many miles from -this same cabin over in Mississippi as a slave of Col. Rupert, who owned -plantations in Alabama and Mississippi. - -"I come over to Alabama after the surrender," Abe Whitess told his -interviewer after he had retired with dignity to put on shoes before he -permitted his photograph to be taken. "I went to a plantation in Butler -County fust and then came on down here to Bay Minette. - -"Slavery wasn't so bad. Col. Rupert was a good marster, but he lived way -over in Mobile and us was at his Scooby (Scooba) plantation. That was in -Kemper County and his overseer there sho was handy with a whup. I was a -cotton hand and spent most of my time totin' water for the other hands. -When Mr. Lincoln 'mancipated us we was free and I didn't carry any more -water. It wasn't 'twell after the surrender I went to Butler County, -where Colonel Rupert had him another plantation. - -"I come down here to Bay Minette a long time ago. I us'ta be chairman of -the Republican party in Baldwin County here, but when the Republicans -got in they made the white gem'mun what took my job postmaster. Then the -bank I had my money in went busted in another Republican time and I -loses $658.05. I votes for Mr. Roosevelt now." - -Abe Whitess stopped to take a chew of his favorite tobacco and admitted -that he lived alone in his one-room cabin by preference. He doesn't want -women "botherin' 'round his place and ain't had no truckin' with 'em for -years." He cooks on the hearth just as his mammy did before him decades -ago in the slave quarters of Colonel Rupert's plantation. - -[Illustration: _Abe Whitess, Bay Minette, Alabama_] - -Despite his years, he is well able to take care of himself. He carries -his nine decades lightly, and his kindly face is topped by a wealth of -snow white hair. Though he lost money in the bank failure that made him -a Democrat in politics, Abe owns 14 acres of land, part of which he -farms. He has cleared a portion of it for a baseball diamond which is -rented to Negro teams, who play there frequently. The fee is always -collected before a ball is thrown. - -Several years ago he donated a part of the acreage to be used for a -public road which opened up a portion of Douglasville, the suburb in -which he lives, where a number of Negroes had developed a residential -section. His people named him then and since "Mayor of Douglasville," -without office or emolument, but Abe wears the title with a dignified -content for his remaining years. - - - - -Callie Williams - - - *Interview with Callie Williams* - --_Mary A. Poole, Mobile_ - -_PATTEROLLERS USED SHACKLES, SAYS CALLIE_ - -Callie Williams was only four years old at the time of the surrender, -but stories told to her by her mother are vividly remembered, and the -fact that she has had the same environment continously throughout the -years imprinted these happenings permanently on her mind. She lives at -504 Eslava Street, Mobile. - -"My mammy and pappy was brought to Alabama by specalators who sold 'em -to Mr. Hiram McLemore at Newport Landing, on de Alabama ribber," Callie -said. "Mammy's name was Vicey and she was born in Virginia, but my pappy -was born in Kentucky. His name was Harry. Mr. McLemore had about three -hundred head of slaves, some of 'em on one plantation of about two -thousand acres an' de res' on another place of about five hundred acres. -He sho' did have a pretty house. It was all white and ramblin-like and -had big trees aroun' it. Dere was a cool well and a big dairy right -close by it and den de cabins was all in a row in de back, some of 'em -made out of planks, but mos' of 'em was made wid logs. Dey was all named -after whoever lived in 'em." - -Aunt Callie needed little urging to tell of the old days, and she claims -to vividly remember her master's family. - -"His wife was named Axie Bethea and he had seven children," she said. - -"One of 'em I never will forget, Miss Julia, 'case she gimme de first -calico dress I ever had and I was proud as a peacock wid it. Miss Julia -was de oldest little girl and dey give me to her. - -"My mammy say dat dey waked up in de mornin' when dey heard de sweep. -Dat was a piece of iron hangin' by a string and it made a loud noise -when it was banged wid another piece of iron. Dey had to get up at four -o'clock and be at work by sunup. To do dis, dey mos' all de time cook -breakfast de night befo'. - -"Pappy was a driver under de overseer, but mammy say dat she stay at de -little nursery cabin and look after all de little babies. Dey had a -cabin fixed up with homemade cradles and things where dey put all de -babies. Der mammies would come in from de field about ten o'clock to -nurse 'em and den later in de day, my mammy would feed de youngest on -pot-licker and de older ones on greens and pot-licker. Dey had skimmed -milk and mush, too, and all of 'em stayed as fat as a butter balls, me -among 'em. Mammy saw dat I always got my share. - -"De slaves got rations every Monday night. Dere would be three pounds of -meat and a peck of meal. Dere was a big garden dat all of 'em worked and -dey had all de vegetables dey needed and dere was always plenty of -skimmed milk. Dey cooked de meals on open fireplaces in de big iron -'spiders.' Dem was big pots hangin' over the fire from a hook. Dey do de -cookin' at night and den warm it over the nex' day if dey wanted it dat -way. - -"While mammy was tendin' de babies she had to spin cotton and she was -supposed to spin two 'cuts' a day. Four 'cuts' was a hard day's work. -What was a cut? You oughta' know dat! Dey had a reel and when it had -spun three hundred yards it popped. Dat was a "cut." When it had been -spun, den another woman took it to de loom to make cloth for de slaves. -Dey always took Saturday afternoon to clean up de clothes and cabins, -'case dey always had to start work on Monday mornin' clean as a pin. If -dey didn't, dey got whupped for bein' dirty. - -"Some of de niggers, after dey'd been beat, would try to run away and -some of 'em got loose, but de patterollers caught a lot of 'em and den -dey'd get it harder dan ever befo' and have shackles out on dere feet -wid jes' enough slack for 'em to walk so dey could work. - -"If dey wanted to go 'possum huntin' or fishin', dey could get passes -from de overseer. Two things dey really loved to eat was 'possum and -fish. Dey'd eat and eat 'till dey'd get sick and den dey'd have to boil -up a dose of Boneset tea to work 'em out. If dat didn't make 'em feel -better, dey'd go to Marster. He always kept calomel, bluemas and quinine -on hand. If dey got too bad off sick, den marster would call de doctor. -De children wasn't bothered with nothin' much but worms and dey'd take -Jerusalem oak. It was de seed of a weed dat cook' and mix' 'lasses to -make it taste like candy. Boneset was a bush and dey'd boil de leaves to -get boneset tea. - -"Mos' of de time de slaves would be too tired to do anything but go to -bed at night, but sometimes dey would set around and sing after supper -and dey would sing and pray on Sunday. One of de songs dat was used mos' -was 'Yon Comes Old Marster Jesus.' If I remembers rightly, it went -somp'n' like dis: - - I really believe Christ is comin' again - He's comin' in de mornin' - He's comin' in de mornin' - He's comin' wid a rainbow on his shoulder - He's comin' again bye and bye. - -"Dey tried to make 'em stop singin' and prayin' durin' de war, 'case all -dey'd ask for was to be sot free, but de slaves would get in de cabins -and turn a big wash pot upside down and sing into dat, and de noise -couldn't get out. I don't remember nothin' about dis ceptin' what mammy -say. - -"When de Surrender come, she say dat a whole regiment of soldiers rode -up to de house yellin' to de niggers dat dey was free. Den de soldiers -took de meat out of de smokehouse and got all de 'lasses and meal and -give it all to de niggers. Dey robbed de bees and den dey eat dinner and -go on to de nex' place, takin' de menfolks wid 'em, all 'ceptin' de ones -too old, my pappy among 'em. - -"After it was all over my pappy rented land on Mr. McLemore's place and -he and mammy stayed dere till dey died. Dey was buried in de same -graveyard dat Mr. McLemore had set aside for his slaves. I married Frank -Williams in Montgomery, Alabama, but our marriage was nothin' like mammy -say her and pappy's was. She say dey 'jumped de broom stick.' When any -of de slaves wanted to get married dey would go to de big house and tell -marster and he'd get his broomstick and say, 'Harry, does you want -Vicey?' And Harry would say 'yes.' Den Marster would say, 'Vicey, does -you want Harry?', and she say 'yes.' Den marster say, 'Jine hands and -jump de broomstick and you is married. De ceremony wasn't much but dey -stuck lots closer den, and you didn't hear about so many divorces and -such as dat. - -"All my children is dead but two. I had five. One is livin' in Atlantic -City, N.J., and I live here wid de other one. I 'spects I'll jes' go on -livin' here 'till I die, serving Ole Marster as bes' I can. If all de -peoples on dis here earth would do dat, we wouldn't be pestered wid all -dese here troubles like we is nowadays. - - - - -Silvia Witherspoon - - - *Interview with Silvia Witherspoon* - --_Susie R. O'Brien, Uniontown, Alabama_ - -_FOOTS GETS TIRED FROM CHOPPIN' COTTON_ - -Aunt Silvia Witherspoon sat dozing on the steps of her small cabin, her -bare feet stretched out in the dry dust of the yard. A large horsefly -settled upon her broad nose and after a moment Aunt Silvia's composure -was disturbed to such an extent that she waved it off with her hand. On -doing so her eyes opened and she saw me approaching the steps. She -straightened. "Mawnin', Mistis. Jus' settin' heah coolin' off my foots. -I'se plum wo' out f'um choppin' cotton. - -"Yassmam," she continued, after I had asked a few questions, "I -remembers some things 'bout de slavery days. 'Co'se I can't remember -jus' 'zactly how old I is, but I mus' be mought nigh on to ninety, -'ca'se I was a raght sizable gal when de war ended. I was bawn on a -plantation in Jackson, Mississippi, dat belonged to my Massa, Dr. Minto -Witherspoon. My Pappy an' Mammy was name Lum an' Phyllis Witherspoon. De -white folks lived in a big, white house made outten logs. Honey, Massa -an' Mistis Witherspoon was quality! Yassmam, dey was quality. Us slaves -was treated lak we was somp'n round dat place. Massa didn't 'low no -oberseer to tote no strop 'hine his niggers. Besides dat we was fed good -an' had good clothes. He useta done had brogans sont out in boxfuls f'um -Mobile. My job was to do little things aroun' de white folks' house, but -befo' dat I stayed in de quarters an' nussed my mammy's chilluns, while -she worked in de fiel's. She would tie de smalles' baby on my back so's -I could play widout no inconvenience. I laked to stay at de big house, -dough, an' fan de flies offen de white folks while dey et. Dat was de -bes' job I eber had. Mistis gived me a dress dat de white chilluns done -out-growed an' on Sunday I was de dressed-upest nigger in de quarter. - -"Massa 'longed to de Presbyterian chu'ch, so all us niggers was -Presbyterians too. We all went to our own chu'ch dat was on de place -dar. - -"Massa kep' a pack of blood hounds but it warn't often dat he had to use -'em 'ca'se none of our niggers eber runned away. One day, dough, a -nigger named Joe did run away. Believe me Mistis, dem blood hounds cotch -dat nigger 'fo' he got to de creek good. It makes me laugh till yit de -way dat nigger jumped in de creek when he couldn't swim a lick jus' -'ca'se dem houn's was atter him. He sho made a splash, but dey managed -to git him out 'fo he drowned. - -"I ma'ied about a year atter de war, an' Mistis, I didn't have no pretty -dress to git ma'ied in. I ma'ied dat ole nigger in a dirty work dress -an' my feets was bare jus' lak dey is now. I figured dat iffen he loved -me, he loved me jus' as well in my bare feets as he would wid my shoes -on. - -"Does I believe in ghosties? Sho I does. I don't suppose you was bawn -wid a veil on yo' face lak I was, 'ca'se I can see dem ghosties as plain -as dey was here raght now. I'll tell you 'bout one dat comes out de -white folks chu'ch yard. On dark rainy nights, I sees him, tall wid long -white robes drappin f'um him. He carries a big light so bright dat you -can't see his face, but he looks jus' lak a man. It don't bother me -none, 'ca'se I don't bother it. - -"I keeps a flour sifter an' a fork by my bed to keep de witches f'um -ridin' me. How come I knows dey rides me? Honey, I bees so tired in de -mawnin' I kin scarcely git outten my bed, an' its all on account of dem -witches ridin' me, so I putt de sifter dere to cotch 'em. Sometimes I -wears dis dime wid de hole in it aroun' my ankle to keep off de conjure, -but since Monroe King tuk an' died us ain't had much conjerin' 'roun' -here. You know dat ole nigger would putt a conjure on somebody for jus' -a little sum of money. He sold conjure bags to keep de sickness away. He -could conjure de grass an' de birds, an' anything he wanted to. De -niggers 'roun' useta give him chickens an' things so's he wouldn't -conjure 'em, but its a funny thing Mistis, I ain't never understood it, -he got tuk off to jail for stealin' a mule, an' us niggers waited 'roun' -many a day for him to conjure hisself out, but he never did. I guess he -jus' didn't have quite enough conjurin' material to git hisself th'ough -dat stone wall. I ain't never understood it, dough." - - - - -George Young - - - *Interview with George Young* - --_Ruby Pickens Tartt, Livingston, Alabama_ - -_PETER HAD NO KEYS 'CEPIN' HIS'N_ - -"De Lawd wouldn' trusted Peter wid no keys to Heaven," in the opinion of -George Young, of Livingston, Alabama, born into slavery ninety-one years -ago. George knew the rigors of slavery under an absentee landlord and -brutal overseers, according to the story he tells. - -"I was born on what was knowed as de Chapman Place, five miles nor'wes' -of Livingston, on August 10th, 1846," George began his tale. My name was -George Chapman an' I had five brothers, Anderson, Harrison, William, -Henry an' Sam, an' three Sisters, Phoebe, Frances and Amelia. My -mother's name was Mary Ann Chapman an' my father's name was Sam Young, -but he b'longed to Mr. Chapman. Us all belonged to Governor Reuben -Chapman of Alabama. - -"The overseer's name was Mr. John Smith, an' anudder's name was Mr. -Lawler. He was dere de year I was born, an' dey called hit "Lawler -year." Bofe of 'em was mean, but Lawler, I hear tell, was de meanes'. -Dey had over three hund'ed slaves, caze dey had three plantations, one -at Bodke, one in Huntsville and dis yere one. I can't say Marsa Chapman -wasn't good to us, caze he was all de time in Huntsville an' jes' come -now an' den an' bring his family to see 'bouten' things. But de -overseers was sho' mean. - -"I seed slaves plenty times wid iron ban's 'roun' dey ankles an' a hole -in de ban' an' a iron rod fasten to hit what went up de outside of dey -leg to de wais' an' fasten to another iron ban' 'roun' de waist. Dis -yere was to keep 'em from bendin' dey legs an' runnin' away. Dey call -hit puttin' de stiff knee on you, an' hit sho' made 'em stiff! Sometimes -hit made 'em sick, too, caze dey had dem iron ban's so tight roun' de -ankles, dat when dey tuck 'em off live things was under 'em, an' dat's -whut give 'em fever, dey say. Us had to go out in de woods an' git -May-apple root an' mullen weed an' all sich to bile for to cyore de -fever. Miss, whar was de Lord in dem days? Whut was He doin'? - -"But some of 'em runned away, anyhow. My brother Harrison was one, an' -dey sot de "nigger dogs" on him lack fox houn's run a fox today. Dey -didn't run him down till 'bout night but finely dey cotched him, an' de -hunters feched him to de do' an' say: "Mary Ann, here' Harrison." Den -dey turned de dogs loose on him ag'in, an' sich a screamin' you never -hyared. He was all bloody an' Mammy was a-hollerin', 'Save him, Lord, -save my chile, an' don' let dem dogs eat him up.' Mr. Lawler said, 'De -Lord ain't got nothin' do wid dis here, an' hit sho' look lack He -didn't, 'caze dem dogs nigh 'bout chewed Harrison up. Dem was hard -times, sho'. - -"Dey didn't l'arn us nothin' an' didn't 'low us to l'arn nothin'. Iffen -dey ketch us l'arnin' to read an' write, dey cut us han' off. Dey didn't -'low us to go to church, neither. Sometimes us slip off an' have a -little prayer meetin' by usse'ves in a ole house wid a dirt flo'. Dey'd -git happy an' shout an' couldn't nobody hyar 'em, 'caze dey didn't make -no fuss on de dirt flo', an' one stan' in de do' an' watch. Some folks -put dey head in de wash pot to pray, an' pray easy, an' somebody be -watchin' for de overseer. Us git whupped fer ev'ything iffen hit was -public knowed. - -"Us wasn't 'lowed visit nobody from place to place, an' I seed Jim -Dawson, dis here same Iverson Dawson' daddy; I seed him stobbed out wid -fo' stobs. Dey laid him down on his belly an' stretch his han's out on -bofe sides an' tie one to one stob, an' one to de yuther. Bofe his feet -was stretch out an' tied to dem stobs. Den dey whupped him wid a whole -board whut you kiver a house wid. De darkies had to go dere in de night -an' take him up in a sheet an' carry him home, but he didn't die. He was -'cused of gwine over to de neighbor's plantation at night. Nine o'clock -was de las' hour us had to be closed in. Head man come out an' holler, -"Oh, yes! Oh, yes! Ev'ybody in an' do's locked." An' iffen you wan't, -you got whupped. - -"Wan't nobody 'lowed to co't. Us jes' taken up together an' go ahead, -an' dat thing wan't fixed 'twel atter S'render. - -"De Patterolles come frum diffe'nt places, an' de Tank'sleys, de Potts, -de Cock'ells an' de Greg'rys was neighbors. I may of went to dey house -an' dey claim to pertec' me playin' wid dey little nigger chillun, but -iffen de Patterollers ketch me, dey claim dey wan't 'sponsible. One day, -dey tuck out atter me an' I come right here in Livingston, but I was -gwiner run away anyhow, 'caze I had seed ole Uncle Thornton dat mornin'. -See, I was de ca'f nusser an' soon as I lef' de house I met him, an' -here come de overseer, Mr. Smith. He sent atter me an' he said, 'I seed -six niggers in de woods whut run away,' an' asked did I see ole man -Thornton. I said, 'No, I ain't seed nobody.' He said, 'Nev' mine, I make -you tell a better tale'n dat in de mawnin'.' So when I went wid de slop -to dem ca'ves I got to thinkin' 'bout dat whupping so I come right here. - -"Mr. Norville had a wood-shop right 'crost de road dere by de white -folks Baptis' church an' I hid in de back of hit dat night. But dey -foun' me an' tuck me back. Den dey stop me from ca'f nussin' an' put me -in de fiel' under de head man. I was glad of dat, 'caze I wanted to be -wid de other han's, but when I foun' out how 'twas, I wanted to be back. -Hit was a harder tas' den when I was nussin' ca'ves an' keepin' 'em from -breakin' in de fiel' an' eatin' up de crop. - -"I was a good han' an' obeyed de owners an' de head man an' never had no -'fuse 'bout work. I went one time to Bennet's Station, ten miles b'low -here, wid jes' seven mo' niggers from de Chapman place, an' us driv' -over a thousan' head of cattle to Atlanta, Ga., an' never had no -trouble. I was easy pleased. Give me a piece of candy an' I'd lick hit -'twel my mouf was so'. I reckon hit was all right, but I dunno. All de -nations couldn't rule. Jes' lack hit is now, de stronges' people mus' -rule. - -[Illustration: _George Young, Livingston, Alabama_] - -"Atter S'render, dey tuck a darky for de probit jedge, but dat nigger -didn't know nothin' an' he couldn't rule. So den dey tuck a white man -name Sanders, an' he done all right. We was under hard task-masters an' -I'm glad dey sot me free, 'caze I was under burden an' boun'. But -ignerrancy can't rule, hit sho' can't. We is darkies, an' white folks -ought to be favorable. Some speaks better words'n others, but ev'ybody -ain't got de same heart, an' dat's all I knows. - -"No'm, I dunno nuthin' 'bout no spirits, either, but Christ 'peered to -de 'postles, didn't He, atter he been dead? An' I'se seed folks done -been dead jes' as na'chel in de day as you is now. One day me an' my -wife was pickin' cotton right out yonder on Mr. White's place, an' I -looked up an' seed a man all dressed in black, wid a white shirt bosom, -his hat a-sittin' on one side, ridin' a black hoss. - -"I stoop down to pick some cotton, den look up an' he was gone. I said -to my wife--I call her Glover but she go by two names--I said, Glover, -wonder whar dat man went what was ridin' long yonder on dat pacin' -hoss?' She say, 'What pacin' hoss an' what man?' I said, 'He was comin' -down dat bank by dat ditch. Dey ain't no bridge dere, an' no hoss could -jump hit.' Glover said, 'Well, I'm gwine in de house 'caze I don' feel -lack pickin' cotton today.' - -"But I ain't skeered of 'em. I gets out de path plenty times to let 'em -by, an' iffen you kin see'em, walk 'roun' 'em. Iffen you can't see 'em, -den dey'll walk 'roun' you. Iffen dey gets too plentiful, I jes' hangs a -hoss shoe upside down over de do', an' don' have no mo' trouble. But -ev'ybody oughter have dat kinder min', to honor God. He 'peered to de -'ciples atter He died, an' he said also, 'Peter, I'll give you de keys -to de kingdom'. But Peter didn't have nobody's keys 'cep'in' his'n. -Don't you know iffen he'd of give Peter all dem keys, dey's a heap of -folks Peter gwineter keep out of dere jes' for spite? God ain't gwineter -do nothin' dat foolish. Peter didn't have nobody's key 'cepin' Peter's!" - - - - -Transcriber's Note - - -Original spelling has been maintained; e.g. "_stob_--a short straight -piece of wood, such as a stake" (American Heritage Dictionary).--The -Works Progress Administration was renamed during 1939 as the Work -Projects Administration (WPA). - - - - - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SLAVE NARRATIVES: A FOLK HISTORY -OF SLAVERY IN THE UNITED STATES FROM INTERVIEWS WITH FORMER SLAVES: -VOLUME I, ALABAMA NARRATIVES *** - - - - -A Word from Project Gutenberg - - -We will update this book if we find any errors. - -This book can be found under: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/36020 - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no one -owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation (and -you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without permission -and without paying copyright royalties. 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The replaced older file is renamed. -_Versions_ based on separate sources are treated as new eBooks receiving -new filenames and etext numbers. - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: - - http://www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg(tm), -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. diff --git a/36020-8.zip b/36020-8.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index dfa4de5..0000000 --- a/36020-8.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/36020-h.zip b/36020-h.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index cfd6458..0000000 --- a/36020-h.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/36020-h/36020-h.html b/36020-h/36020-h.htm index 719cd80..5189279 100644 --- a/36020-h/36020-h.html +++ b/36020-h/36020-h.htm @@ -433,29 +433,9 @@ pre { font-family: monospace; font-size: 0.9em; white-space: pre-wrap </style> </head> <body> +<div>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 36020 ***</div> <div class="document" id="slave-narratives"> <h1 class="document-title level-1 pfirst title with-subtitle">Slave Narratives</h1> -<p class="document-subtitle level-1 pfirst subtitle" id="volume-i-alabama-narratives"> -Volume I: Alabama Narratives</p> - -<!-- -*- encoding: utf-8 -*- --> -<div class="class container pgheader" id="pg-header"> -<p class="noindent pfirst">This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the <a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#project-gutenberg-license">Project Gutenberg License</a> -included with this eBook or online at -<a class="reference external" href="http://www.gutenberg.org/license">http://www.gutenberg.org/license</a>.</p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 1em"> -</div> -<div class="container" id="pg-machine-header"> -<p class="noindent pfirst">Title: Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves: Volume I, Alabama Narratives</p> -<p class="noindent pnext">Author: Work Projects Administration</p> -<p class="noindent pnext">Release Date: May 02, 2011 [EBook #36020]</p> -<p class="noindent pnext">Language: English</p> -<p class="noindent pnext">Character set encoding: UTF-8</p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 1em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pnext" id="pg-start-line">*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SLAVE NARRATIVES: A FOLK HISTORY OF SLAVERY IN THE UNITED STATES FROM INTERVIEWS WITH FORMER SLAVES: VOLUME I, ALABAMA NARRATIVES ***</p> </div> <div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> </div> @@ -12856,340 +12836,6 @@ during 1939 as the Work Projects Administration (WPA).</p> </div> <div class="vspace" style="height: 5em"> </div> -<p class="pfirst" id="pg-end-line">*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SLAVE NARRATIVES: A FOLK HISTORY OF SLAVERY IN THE UNITED STATES FROM INTERVIEWS WITH FORMER SLAVES: VOLUME I, ALABAMA NARRATIVES ***</p> -<div class="backmatter"> -</div> -</div> -<div class="level-2 section" id="a-word-from-project-gutenberg"> -<span id="pg-footer"/><h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title">A Word from Project Gutenberg</h2> -<p class="pfirst">We will update this book if we find any errors.</p> -<p class="pnext">This book can be found under: <a class="reference external" href="http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/36020">http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/36020</a></p> -<p class="pnext">Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no one -owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation (and -you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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-
-.. meta::
- :PG.Id: 36020
- :PG.Title: Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves: Volume I, Alabama Narratives
- :PG.Released: 2011-05-02
- :PG.Rights: Public Domain
- :PG.Producer: the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
- :DC.Creator: Work Projects Administration
- :DC.Title: Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves: Volume I, Alabama Narratives
- :DC.Language: en
- :DC.Created: 1941
-
-=================================
-Slave Narratives
-=================================
-
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-Volume I: Alabama Narratives
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-
-.. _pg-header:
-
-.. container::
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- This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
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- re-use it under the terms of the `Project Gutenberg License`_
- included with this eBook or online at
- http://www.gutenberg.org/license.
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- .. _pg-machine-header:
-
- .. container::
-
- Title: Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves: Volume I, Alabama Narratives
-
- Author: Work Projects Administration
-
- Release Date: May 02, 2011 [EBook #36020]
-
- Language: English
-
- Character set encoding: UTF-8
-
- |
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- .. _pg-start-line:
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- \*\*\* START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SLAVE NARRATIVES: A FOLK HISTORY OF SLAVERY IN THE UNITED STATES FROM INTERVIEWS WITH FORMER SLAVES: VOLUME I, ALABAMA NARRATIVES \*\*\*
-
- |
- |
- |
- |
-
- .. _pg-produced-by:
-
- .. container::
-
- Produced by the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net.
-
- |
-
-
-
-
-.. class:: center larger
-
- SLAVE NARRATIVES
-
- |
- |
-
-.. class:: center
-
- *A Folk History of Slavery in the United States*
-
- *From Interviews with Former Slaves*
-
- |
- |
-
-.. class:: center smaller
-
- 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
-
- |
- |
-
-.. class:: center
-
- *Illustrated with Photographs*
-
- WASHINGTON 1941
-
- |
- |
-
-.. class:: center larger
-
- VOLUME I
-
- ALABAMA NARRATIVES
-
- |
- |
-
-.. class:: center smaller
-
- Prepared by the Federal Writers' Project of
-
- the Works Progress Administration
-
- for the State of Alabama
-
- [HW:] Handwritten note
-
- [TR:] Transcriber's note
-
-.. _`A Slave Cabin in Barbour County near Eufaula`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image000frontis.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: A Slave Cabin in Barbour County near Eufaula
-
- A Slave Cabin in Barbour County near Eufaula
-
-.. Contents:: INFORMANTS
- :backlinks: entry
- :depth: 1
-
-.. class:: larger
-
- **ILLUSTRATIONS**
-
-.. class:: smaller
-
- | `A Slave Cabin in Barbour County near Eufaula`_
- | `Molly Ammond (Ammonds)`_
- | `Charity Anderson`_
- | `Gus Askew`_
- | `Nathan Beauchamp`_
- | `Oliver Bell`_
- | `Ank Bishop`_
- | `Siney Bonner`_
- | `Jennie Bowen`_
- | `Martha Bradley`_
- | `Allen Brown`_
- | `Gus Brown`_
- | `Walter Calloway`_
- | `Esther King Casey`_
- | `Amy Chapman`_
- | `Henry Cheatam`_
- | `Laura Clark`_
- | `Laura Clark's House`_
- | `Wadley (Shorty) Clemons`_
- | `William Colbert`_
- | `Sara Colquitt`_
- | `Emma Crockett`_
- | `Emma Crockett's House`_
- | `Matilda Pugh Daniel`_
- | `Carrie Davis`_
- | `George Dillard`_
- | `Bert Frederick`_
- | `Delia Garlic`_
- | `Angie Garrett`_
- | `Henry Garry`_
- | `Jake Green`_
- | `Charity Grigsby`_
- | `Charity Grigsby's House`_
- | `Lizzie Hill`_
- | `Gabe Hines`_
- | `Jane Holloway`_
- | `Emma L. Howard`_
- | `Everett Ingram`_
- | `Hannah Irwin`_
- | `Martha Jackson`_
- | `Abraham Jones`_
- | `Abraham Jones' Back Yard`_
- | `Abraham Jones' House`_
- | `Lucindy Lawrence Jurdon`_
- | `Tom McAlpin`_
- | `Anne Maddox`_
- | `Frank Menefee`_
- | `Isaam Morgan`_
- | `Hattie Anne Nettles`_
- | `Rev. Wade Owens`_
- | `Molly Parker`_
- | `Lindy Patton`_
- | `Simon Phillips`_
- | `Carrie Pollard`_
- | `Nicey Pugh`_
- | `Mary Rice`_
- | `Cornelia Robinson`_
- | `Maugan Shepherd`_
- | `Allen Sims`_
- | `Frank Smith`_
- | `Theodore Fontaine Stewart`_
- | `George Strickland`_
- | `Daniel Taylor`_
- | `Ellen Thomas`_
- | `Alonza Fantroy Toombs`_
- | `William Henry Towns`_
- | `Stepney Underwood`_
- | `Simon Walker`_
- | `Cindy Washington`_
- | `Abe Whitess`_
- | `George Young`_
-
-
-Charlie Aarons
-==============
-
- | **Personal contact with Uncle Charlie Aarons**
- | **Oak Grove, Alabama**
- | —*Written by Mary A. Poole*
-
-*HE LOVED YOUNG MARSTER JOHN*
-
-Some friends driving to Oak Grove, Ala., gave the writer the opportunity
-on August 4th to interview an old ex-slave, Charlie Aarons, who is quite
-venerable in appearance, and who, when asked his age, replied:
-
-"Madam I don't know but I sure been 'round here long time", and when
-asked how old he was at the time of the Surrender he answered:
-
-"I was a man able to do a man's work so I 'spects I was eighteen or
-twenty years old."
-
-Uncle Charlie, as he is known among his own color and the white people
-who know him, told the writer he was born at Petersburg Va., and his
-parents, Aaron and Louisa, were owned by a Mr. J.H. White, who had a
-store in the city, but no plantation. His parents had three children,
-two boys and one girl, and when Uncle Charlie was about ten years of
-age, he was sold by Mr. White to a speculator named Jones who brought
-him to Mobile. He recalled being placed on the block, at the slave mart
-on Royal and State streets, and the anxiety of hearing the different
-people bidding for him, and being finally sold to a Mr. Jason Harris,
-who lived near Newton Station in Jasper County, Miss.
-
-Uncle Charlie never saw or heard of his parents or brother and sister
-again and never knew what became of them.
-
-Uncle Charlie said Mr. Harris was a pretty rough master, and somewhat
-close. All rations were weighed out and limited. He had a white
-overseer and a negro driver, who was the meanest of all.
-
-Mr. Jason Harris had about sixty slaves, and a large plantation of a
-hundred acres, the men and women worked in the fields from six to six,
-except on Saturday, when they had half day holiday to clean up
-generally.
-
-The home of the Harris family was a large two story house and the
-quarters were the regular log cabins with clay chimneys. They cooked in
-their cabins, but during the busy season in the fields their dinners
-were sent out to them each slave having his own tin pail marked with his
-name. Water would be sent out in a barrel mounted on an ox cart.
-
-The old men and women looked after the children of the slaves while
-their parents worked in the fields.
-
-When the writer asked Uncle Charlie, if his master or mistress ever
-taught him to read or write, he smiled and said:
-
-"No, Madam, only to work".
-
-When asked if they had any special festivities at Christmas or any other
-holiday, he replied:
-
-"No, we had no special jolifications".
-
-Saturday nights they would sing and dance in the quarters
-and have prayer meetings, then on some Sundays, they would hitch
-up the mules to a big wagon and all go to the white folks church:
-and again there would be camp meetings held and the slaves from
-all the surrounding plantations would attend, going to same in
-these large wagons, sometimes having four mules to a wagon. They then
-would have a jolly time along the way, singing and calling to one
-another, and making friends.
-
-Uncle Charlie, said, he drove many a load of cotton in the large mule
-wagons from Newton Station to Enterprise, Mississippi.
-
-When asked if that wasn't a chance to run away, he replied:
-
-"Git away, why Madam, those nigger dogs would track you and all you got
-was a beating."
-
-Uncle Charlie seemed to look off in the distance and said: "You know,
-Madam, I never saw a slave rebuked until I came to Mississippi," and I
-just couldn't understand at first, but he grinned and said: "Lordy,
-Madam, some of those niggers were onery, too, and a nigger driver was a
-driver sure enough."
-
-When the Master's son John Harris went to war, Charlie went with him as
-his body guard, and when asked what his duties were, he replied:
-
-"I looked after Marster John, tended the horses and the tents. I recalls
-well, Madam, the siege of Vicksburg."
-
-The writer then asked him if he wasn't afraid of the shot and shell all
-around him.
-
-"No, Madam," he replied, "I kept way in the back where the camp was, for
-I didn't like to feel the earth trembling 'neath my feet, but you see,
-Madam, I loved young Marster John, and he loved me, and I just had to
-watch over that boy, and he came through all right."
-
-Uncle Charlie said when they were told the Yankees were coming through
-from their headquarters in Meridian, Mississippi, and warned of their
-raids, they all made to the swamps and staid until they had passed on,
-but that the Yankees did not disturb the Jason Harris plantation.
-
-After the Surrender Charlie came to Mobile and worked at the Yankee
-Camp, living in the quarters located in Holly's Garden. He drove their
-wagons and was paid $14.00 a month and his keep. After his discharge he
-worked on steamboats and followed different lines of work, being
-employed for several years at Mr. M.L. Davis' saw mill, and is at
-present living on the Davis place at Oak Grove, Ala., an old Southern
-home, with quarters originally built for the employees of the mill and
-still known as the "quarters", and like other ante-bellum homes they
-have their private burying ground on the place.
-
-Uncle Charlie was married four times, but now a widower. He had four
-children, two boys who are dead, and two girls, one Carrie Johnson, a
-widow, living in Kushla, Ala., and the other, Ella Aarons, a grass
-widow, living in Mobile, Ala.
-
-Uncle Charlie says he saw Jeff. Davis as an old man, after the war at
-Mississippi City, Miss., and then his face lit up, and he said; "Wait a
-minute, Madam, I saw another president, let me think,—Yes, Madam I saw
-President Grant. He came through Mobile from New Orleans, and my!
-there was a big parade that day."
-
-When asked about Abraham Lincoln, Uncle Charlie thought awhile, and
-answered:
-
-"According to what was issued out in the Bible, there was a time for
-slavery, people had to be punished for their sin, and then there was a
-time for it not to be, and the Lord had opened a good view to Mr.
-Lincoln, and he promoted a good idea."
-
-When he was asked about Booker T. Washington he replied:
-
-"It was traversed out to him until the white folks took part with him
-and helped him carry on."
-
-Uncle Charlie thinks the present day folks are bad and wicked, and dont
-realize anything like the old folks.
-
-Charlie is a Baptist, became one when he sought the Lord and thinks all
-people should be religious.
-
-Anthony Abercrombie
-===================
-
- | **Interview with Anthony Abercrombie**
- | —*Susie R. O'Brien, Uniontown, Alabama*
-
-*OLD JOE CAN KEEP HIS TWO BITS*
-
-Uncle Ant'ny sat dozing in the early morning sunshine on his rickety
-front porch. He is a thin little old man with patches of white wool here
-and there on his bald head, and an expression of kindness and gentleness
-on his wrinkled old face.
-
-As I went cautiously up the steps, which appeared none too safe, his
-cane which had been leaning against his chair, fell to the floor with a
-clatter. He awoke with a start and began fumbling around for it with his
-trembling and bony hands.
-
-"Uncle Ant'ny, you don't see so well, do you?" I asked as I recovered
-the stick for him. "No ma'am, I sho' don't," he replied. "I ain't seed
-none outen one of my eyes in near 'bout sixty years, and de doctor say I
-got a catalac on de yuther one; but I knows you is white folks. I always
-is been puny, but I reckon I does purty well considerin' I is a hundred
-years old."
-
-"How do you know you are that old?" I inquired of him. Without
-hesitation he answered, "I knows I's dat old 'cause my mistis put it
-down in de Bible. I was born on de fourth day and I was a full growed
-man when de war come on in '61.
-
-"Yassum, my mind kinder comes and goes, but I can always 'member 'bout
-slave'y time. Hits de things what happen in dese days dat's so easy for
-me to disremember. I b'longed to Marster Jim Abercrombie. His plantation
-was 'bout sixteen miles north of Marion in Bibb county. When his son,
-young Jim, ma'ied, old Marse Jim give me to him and he fetched me to
-Perry county.
-
-"No'm, old marster didn't go to war 'ca'se he was corrupted; he was
-deaf in bofe ears and couldn't see good nuther. But he didn't care much
-'bout me 'caze I was puny like and warn't much 'count in de field.
-
-"My mistis, Miss Lou, was raisin' me up to be a carriage driver, an' she
-was jes' as good to me as she could be. She useta dose me up wid castor
-oil, jimson root, and dogwood tea when I'd be feelin' po'ly, and she'd
-always take up for me when Marse Jim get in behind me 'bout somep'n. I
-reckon though I was a purty worrisome nigger in dem days; always gettin'
-in some kind of mischief.
-
-"O yassum, I useta go to meetin'. Us niggers didn't have no meetin'
-house on de plantation, but Marse Jim 'lowed us to build a brush arbor.
-Den two years atter de surrender I took consideration and j'ined up wid
-de Lawd. Dat's how come I live so long. De Lawd done told me, 'Antn'y,
-you got a hundred and twenty miles to trabel. Dat mean you gwine to live
-a hundred and twenty years, if you stay on de straight an' narrow road.
-But if you don't, you gotter go jes' de same as all de yuthers.'"
-
-"Tell me something about your master's slaves and his overseers," I
-asked of him.
-
-"Well," he said, "Marse Jim had 'bout three hundred slaves, and he hed
-one mighty bad overseer. But he got killed down on de bank of de creek
-one night. Dey never did find out who killed him, but Marse Jim always
-b'lieved de field han's done it. 'Fore dat us niggers useta go down to
-de creek to wash ourselves, but atter de overseer got killed down
-dar, us jes' leave off dat washin', 'cause some of 'em seed de
-overseer's ha'nt down dar floatin' over de creek.
-
-"Dar was another ha'nt on de plantation, too. Marse Jim had some trouble
-wid a big double-j'inted nigger named Joe. One day he turn on Marse Jim
-wid a fence rail, and Marse Jim had to pull his gun an' kill him. Well,
-dat happen in a skirt of woods what I get my lightwood what I use to
-start a fire. One day I went to dem same woods to get some 'simmons.
-Another nigger went wid me, and he clumb de tree to shake de 'simmons
-down whilst I be pickin' 'em up. 'Fore long I heared another tree
-shakin' every time us shake our tree, dat other tree shake too, and down
-came de 'simmons from it. I say to myself, 'Dat's Joe, 'cause he likes
-'simmons too.' Den I grab up my basket and holler to de boy in de tree,
-'nigger turn loose and drap down from dar, and ketch up wid me if you
-can. I's leavin' here right now, 'cause Old Joe is over dar gettin'
-'simmons too.'
-
-"Den another time I was in de woods choppin' lightwood. It was 'bout
-sundown, and every time my ax go 'whack' on de lightwood knot, I hear
-another whack 'sides mine. I stops and lis'ens and don't hear nothin'.
-Den I starts choppin' ag'in I hears de yuther whacks. By dat time my
-houn' dog was crouchin' at my feets, wid de hair standin' up on his back
-and I couldn't make him git up nor budge.
-
-"Dis time I didn' stop for nothin'. I jes' drap my ax right dar, an' me
-and dat houn' dog tore out for home lickety split. When us got dar Marse
-Jim was settin' on de porch, an' he say: 'Nigger, you been up to somep'n
-you got no business. You is all outen breath. Who you runnin' from?' Den
-I say: 'Marse Jim, somebody 'sides me is choppin' in yo' woods, an' I
-can't see him. And Marse Jim, he say: 'Ah, dat ain't nobody but Ole Joe.
-Did he owe you anythin'?' An' I say: 'Yassah, he owe me two-bits for
-helpin' him shuck corn.' 'Well,' Marse Jim say, 'don't pay him no mind:
-it jes' Old Joe come back to pay you.'
-
-"Anyhow, I didn' go back to dem woods no mo'. Old Joe can jes' have de
-two-bits what he owe me, 'cause I don't want him follerin' 'roun' atter
-me. When he do I can't keep my mind on my business."
-
-Molly Ammond (Ammonds)
-======================
-
- | **Interview with Molly Ammond (Ammonds)**
- | —*Gertha Couric*
-
-*JESUS HAS MY CHILLUN COUNTED*
-
-I walked along a dusty road under the blazing sun. In the shade of a
-willow tree a Negro man was seated with his legs drawn up and his arms
-crossed upon his knees. His head rested face downward upon his arms, as
-he had the aspect of one in deep slumber. Beside him munching on a few
-straggly weeds, a cantankerous mule took little notice of his
-surroundings.
-
-"Can you tell me where Aunt Molly Ammonds lives?" I asked in a loud
-voice. The Negro stirred slowly, finally raising his head, and
-displaying three rabbit teeth, he accompanied his answer with a slight
-gesture of his hand.
-
-"Yassuh, dar her house raght across de road; de house wid de climbin'
-roses on hit."
-
-"Thank you," I said.
-
-"Yassuh," was the drawled response, and the Negro quickly resumed his
-former posture.
-
-Aunt Molly Ammonds is as gentle as a little child. Her voice is soft and
-each phrase measured to the slow functionings of her aged mind.
-
-.. _`Molly Ammond (Ammonds)`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image015ammond.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Molly Ammond (Ammonds)
-
- Molly Ammond (Ammonds), Eufaula, Alabama
-
-"Honey," she said, "you ain't gwineter believe dis, but I is de mammy of
-thirty chilluns. Jesus got 'em counted an' so is me. I was born in a log
-cabin dat had a loft, an' it was on Marse Lee Cato's plantation five
-miles wes' of Eufaula. My pappy's name was Tobe Cato an' my mammy's was
-Sophia. I had one sister, Marthy, an' two brothers, Bong and Toge. My
-pappy made all de furniture dat went in our house an' it were might'
-good furniture too. Us useta cook on de fiahplace. Us would cook ash
-cakes. Dey was made outen meal, water and a little pinch of lard; on
-Sundays dey was made outen flour, buttermilk an' lard. Mammy would rake
-all de ashes out de fiahplace, den kivver de cake wid de hot ashes an'
-let it cool till it was done.
-
-"Yas Missy," she continued, "I recollects dat I was 'bout twelve or
-fo'teen when de s'render come, kaze a little atter dat I ma'ied Pastor
-Ammonds. We walked ober to Georgetown an' it was de fus' time I eber had
-shoes, and I got dem fum ole Massa. I remembers dat I ma'ied in a
-striped calico dress."
-
-"Aunt Molly," I said, "you're getting a little ahead of your story, tell
-me something about your plantation life before the war."
-
-"Well, honey, Massa Lee's place was 'bout three miles long an' two miles
-wide, and we raised cotton, cawn, 'taters and all sorts of vegetables.
-We had a mean oberseer dat always wanted to whup us, but massa wouldn't
-'llow no whuppin'. Sometimes de massa whould ride over de place on a
-hoss, an' when he come up on de oberseer a-fussin' at a nigger, Massa
-say, 'Don't talk rough to dat nigger when he doin' de bes' he can.'
-
-"My pappy had a little garden of his own back of his cabin, an' he
-raised some chickens for us to eat, an' we had aigs nearly ev'y mornin'.
-
-"De only work I done on de plantation was to nuss some little niggers
-when dere mammy an' pappy was in de fiel's. Twarn't hard.
-
-"Nawsuh! I ain't never seed no slave in chains. Massa Lee was a good
-man. He had a church built called de brush house, dat had a flo' and
-some seats, an' a top made outen pine boughs, an' massa's pa, Mr. Cato,
-would preach eve'y Sunday. We sung songs lak 'I Heered De Voice of Jesus
-Say,' an' 'I'se Gwine to Die no Mo.' We was all babtized in de creek,
-but none of us was taught to read or write.
-
-"No-suh, I ain't never seed no slave run away. Us was treated fine. Our
-folks was quality. We had plenty som'n t'eat, but dem slaves hadda work
-powerful hard though. Atter dey come home fum de fiel's dey was so
-tired dat dey go raght to sleep, except when de massa had barbecues.
-Christmas was de big time; dere was several days to res' an' make
-merryin' an' lots of dem no count niggers got drunk.
-
-"When us slaves was sick, Massa Lee would send to Eufaula to fetch Dr.
-Thornton to give us some medicine. We had de bes' treatment ever.
-
-"Yassuh, white folks, dem days is long ago. All my chilluns done died or
-wandered away an' my ole man been dead goin' on twenty years. I been
-here a long time by myself."
-
-"Aunt Molly," I interrupted. "There's one thing I've always been wanting
-to ask one of you ex-slaves, and that is: what you thought of people
-like Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis and Booker T. Washington."
-
-A puzzled expression came of the face of the old Negro. "White folks,"
-she said after a moments deliberation, "I don't believes I is had de
-pleasure of meetin' dem gent'mens."
-
-Charity Anderson
-================
-
- | **Interview with Charity Anderson**
- | —*Ila B. Prine*
-
-Charity Anderson, who believes she is 101 years old, was born at Bell's
-Landing on the Alabama River, where her owner, Leslie Johnson, operated
-a wood-yard, which supplied fuel to the river steamers, and a tavern
-where travelers whiled away the delays of a dubious riverboat schedule.
-
-Rheumatic and weak, she no longer ventures from her house in
-Toulminville, on the outskirts of Mobile, but sits, with her turbaned
-head and bespectacled eyes, rocking the long hours away in a creaky old
-chair and knitting or sewing, or just gazing into a past painted by the
-crackling flames in the fireplace.
-
-.. _`Charity Anderson`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image018anderson.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Charity Anderson
-
- Charity Anderson, Toulminville, Alabama
-
-"I has so much trouble gittin' up and down de steps and ober de groun',
-I jist makes myself happy heah, cause—thank de Lawd—I'se on Zion's
-March," is her resigned comment.
-
-"Missy, peoples don't live now; and niggers ain't got no manners, and
-doan' know nothin' 'bout waitin' on folks. I kin remember de days w'en I
-was one of de house servants. Dere was six of us in de ole Massa's
-house—me, Sarai, Lou, Hester, Jerry and Joe. Us did'n' know nothin' but
-good times den. My job was lookin' atter de corner table whar nothin'
-but de desserts set. Joe and Jerry, dey was de table boys. Dey neber
-tetched nothin' wid dere han's, but used de waiter to pass things wid.
-
-"My ole Massa was a good man. He treated all his slaves kind, and took
-good kere of 'em. But, honey, all de white folks wan't good to dere
-slaves. I's seen po' niggers 'mos' tore up by dogs and whupped 'tell dey
-bled w'en dey did'n' do lak de white folks say. But, thank de Lawd, I
-had good white folks and dey sho' did trus' me, too. I had charge of all
-de keys to de house, and I waited on de Missis' and de chillun. I laid
-out all de clo'se on Sat'dy night, and den Sunday mawnin's I'd pick up
-all de dirty things. Dey did'n' have a thing to do. Us house servants
-had a hahd job keepin' de pickaninnies out'er de dinin' room whar ole
-Massa et, cause w'en dey would slip in and stan' by his cheer, w'en he
-finished eatin' he would fix a plate for 'em and let 'em set on the
-hearth.
-
-"No mam, Missy, I ain't neber worked in de fields. Ole Massa he neber
-planted no cotton, and I ain't seen none planted 'tell after I was free.
-But, honey, I could sho 'nuff wash, iron and knit and weave. Sometimes I
-weaved six or seven yahds of cloth, and do my house work too. I lernt
-the chillun how to weave, and wash, and iron, and knit too, and I's
-waited on de fo'th generation of our fambly. I jes' wish I could tell
-dese young chillun how to do. Iffen dey would only suffer me to talk to
-dem, I'd tell dem to be more 'spectful to dere mammies and to dere white
-folks and say 'yes mam' and 'no mam', instid of 'yes' and 'no' lek dey
-do now.
-
-"All dis generation thinks of is 'musement. I neber had seen a show in
-my whole life 'tell jes' dis pas' yeah when one of dem carnival things
-wid de swings, and lights, and all de doin's dey have stop right in
-front of our house heah.
-
-"And I ain't neber been in no trouble in all my life—ain't been in no
-lawsuits, and ain't been no witness eben. I allus treat ebrybody as good
-as I kin, and I uses my manners as good as I knows how, and de Lawd sho'
-has took good keer of me. Why, w'en my house burnt up, de white folks
-helped me so dat in no time you couldn't tell I ebber los' a thing.
-
-"But, honey, de good ole days is now gone foreber. De ole days was
-railly de good times. How I wish I could go back to de days w'en we
-lived at Johnson's landing on de riber, when de folks would come to
-ketch de steamboats and we neber knowed how many to put on breakfas',
-dinner or supper fo', cause de boats mought be behin' times. I ain't
-neber had to pay a fare to ride a steamboat needer. I was a good lookin'
-yaller gal in dem days and rid free wherever I wanted to go.
-
-"But whut's de use dreamin' 'bout de ole times? Dey's gone, and de world
-is gettin' wicked'er and wicked'er, sin grows bolder and bolder, and
-'ligion colder and colder."
-
-Gus Askew
-=========
-
- | **Interview with Gus Askew**
- | —*Gertha Couric*
-
-"Dat was one time when de ban' was playin' and flags was flyin' dat us
-lil' niggers didn't get no joy outen it." Gus Askew smiled at the
-thought of the occasion as he sat on the sunny steps of his comfortable
-house in Eufaula. Gus was telling about the investment of Eufaula during
-the War between the States.
-
-"Gen'l Grierson and his men marched right through town," Gus went on
-with his story of his boyhood. "Mr. Lincoln done said we was free, but
-us lil' niggers was too skeered to lissen to any ban' music, even iffen
-the so'jers had come to set us free. 'Pears like us was allus gittin' in
-somebody's way in dem days and gittin' skeered of somepin'. But we went
-on away from the so'jers and had a good time 'mongst ourselves like we
-always done when there wasn't any cotton pickin'. Cotton pickin' time
-was when we didn't have any chance to do any playin'.
-
-"After the surrender I didn't have to do any more cotton pickin' and I
-went blacksmithin' for Joe Sturgis. He was the first blacksmith in dis
-here town. I was the second. Now my son done took on de work. They ain't
-so much sence all dese here automobiles done got so plentiful and might
-'nigh ruint de business. But for seventy years I riz wid de sun and went
-to dat blacksmith shop. I's enjoying a little misery now; so I's takin'
-my rest."
-
-.. _`Gus Askew`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image021askew.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Gus Askew
-
- Gus Askew, Eufaula, Alabama
-
-Gus Askew was born a slave of the Edwards family in Henry County in
-1853. He was brought to Eufaula just before the close of the war and
-stayed on as a blacksmith after he was freed. In his seventy years of
-hard work he saved enough to buy his home and some property which
-maintains him and his wife since age and infirmity forced him to turn
-over the work to his son. He has been married 54 years, numbers his
-white friends by the hundreds and is held in great respect by his own
-race.
-
-Tom Baker
-=========
-
- | **Interview with Tom Baker**
- | —*Susie R. O'Brien*
-
-"Sho, I recollects about de slabery days," said uncle Tom as he whittled
-shavings from a soft piece of white pine. "I lived on a plantation down
-in Perry County an' I remembers a story bout somp'n dat happen to me a
-way back dar.
-
-"I was a water boy for fifty fiel' han's dat worked in de sun all day
-long, an' I hadda carry many a bucket from de spring dat was one fiel'
-ober from where most of dem was workin'. De spring run down between some
-willow trees an' it was powerful cool down dere in de shade. I use' to
-lie on de moss an' let my bare belly git cool an' put my face in de
-outlet of de spring an' let de water trickle over my haid. Jus' about de
-time I gits a little rest one of dem niggers would call: 'Water boy!
-Bring dat bucket!' Den I grab up de bucket an' run back out in de hot
-sun.
-
-"One day, on my las' trip, I was mighty tired an' I flop down on dat
-moss wid de sweat a-drippin' from my body, an' 'fo' I knowed it I done
-fell slap to sleep. When I woke up, it was almos' dark, an' I couldn't
-hear de slaves a-singing' in de fiel's, so I knowed dat dey had gone
-home. I shake my haid, an' look about me, an' my eyes came to res' on a
-little black bear cub a-drinkin' outen de spring. He so was a cute
-little boogar an' I made up my mind right den to try an' kotch him. I
-was jus' a little nigger 'bout ten year old an' didn't have no sense,
-but I sho' wanted dat little bear. He ain't seed me a-settin' dere, so
-I snuck up real cautious like, an' afore he knowed it I had dat little
-debil a-squealin' in my han's. I was jus' about to start home wid him,
-when I hears a rustlin' in de bushes an' afore I went ten feets, here
-come a big, black bear a-lopin' along right outen dem willow trees. I
-drop dat little critter 'caze I knowed dat was his mammy an' she was
-ravin' mad. When I let de little feller fall it must have hurt him
-somp'n awful caze he howl mo' dan eber, an' went a limpin' up to his
-mammy. Well, suh, dat ole woman she got so mad she made fo' me lak two
-bolts of lightnin', but dese here feets of mine begin a-doin' dere
-stuff. I knowed she was a-gainin' on me so I lets out a whoop for help.
-She chased me 'cross dat empty field an' 'bout dat time I seen big Jim
-a-comin' through a row of cawn. 'Hurry Big Jim,' I calls, 'a bear is
-atter me!' Big Jim was de biggest nigger on our place. He must have
-weighed as much as half a bale of cotton. I was jus' 'bout gittin' to de
-aidge of de cawn when dat bear ketched me. He give me a slap wid his paw
-an' I goes down wid my mouf a-scoopin' up de dus'. My back felt like
-somebody done put a hot iron on it. Dat bear was a mean one. I was
-expectin' her to chaw me up an' I drawed my body up in a knot and
-kivered my haid wid my hands an' waited. But dat bear neber touch me
-agin'. I kinda snuck my eye aroun' an' I saw big Jim havin' it out wid
-her. Jim, he had a long knife an' dey was a-tumblin' an' a-rollin' in de
-dust, while I sot dere wid my eyes a-poppin' outen my haid an' my back
-feelin' like it was broke. Jim he wrap his legs roun' dat bear an' 'fore
-you knowed it he had done stuck dat ole critter a dozen times wid dat
-knife.
-
-"About fifteen minutes later me an' Jim was a-walkin' back through de
-cawn fiel' an' I guess we looked a sight, 'caze I was all tore up an'
-Jim he looked like he done mess up wid a fambly of wildcats. He was
-bleedin' from haid to foot. When we walked into de big house to git some
-treatments an' medicine for our hurts, Mistis was a-standin' dere, and
-when she seed me an' Jim, she almost faint. She say: 'Whut done happen
-to my niggers?'
-
-"Atter me an' Jim got fixed up I was jus' as happy, kaze I done seed de
-bes' fight dere eber was, an' I had me a little orphan bear cub."
-
-Henry Barnes
-============
-
- | **Interview with Henry Barnes**
- | —*Ila B. Prine, Mobile*
-
-*HE MISSES DEM 'SET-DOWN HAWGS'*
-
-In Prichard, a suburb of Mobile, lives an old, blind Negro, "Uncle
-Henry" Barnes, who says he was born in 1858, near Suggsville, Clarke
-County, Alabama.
-
-"Cose I was borned a slave, but I don't 'member much 'bout hit, 'caze I
-was li'l. Dere is one t'ing I does 'member, an' dat was when dey cut
-watermelons at de oberseer's house an' dey want us li'l niggers run
-races to git our piece. I jes wouldn't run an' my mammy she whup me
-'caze I so stubborn an' when I git my piece o' melon, I fly down de lane
-whar our log cabins was. Dem cabins was daubed wid clay, an' de
-chimbleys was built outten clay an' stick. Our beds was homemade an' had
-t'ree legs wid de yuther side nail to de wall. I 'member atter I got a
-big boy, my mammy had a bed made outten lumber an' I slep' in dat bed
-'twel I was growed an' ma'ed.
-
-"I 'members us's Ole Mistis, Miss Dell. Miss Dell was a good Mistis an'
-she useter hab Sunday School ebber' Sund'y mornin' at de Big House an'
-all us li'l niggers went up dar for her to teach us 'bout de Bible an'
-Jesus.
-
-"Marse John was good to all he slaves an' he wouldn't stan' no rush er
-meanness to his niggers. Iffen de o'seer got mean, Ole Marster would
-turn him off. Ole Marster allus tuk good keer of he slaves, 'caze when
-dey got sick, he hab de doctor, jes lak when de white folks got sick.
-One o' Marse John's boys, Marse Bennie, was a doctor, an' he was a good
-doctor, cep'n' he gin us bad med'cin', but he cyured you.
-
-"Cose us hab our med'cin' sich lak elderbush tea. Hit was red 'mos' lak
-whiskey an' us used hit for feber. Den dere was red sassafrac tea fer
-spring feber, an' dey made Jerusalem oak candy full o' seeds an' gib to
-de chilluns to eat so dey could git rid of worms. Den us had mullen an'
-pine-top tea for colds an' feber. An' when us had a swellin' dey made a
-poultice of mullen leabes to take de swellin' out.
-
-"Sometimes I wishes dat I could be back to de ol' place, 'caze us did
-hab plenty to eat, an' at hog-killin' time us had a mor'n a plenty. Ole
-Marster kill eight or ten set-down hawgs at one time, an' de meat, an'
-de lard an' de hawgjowl an' de chitt'lin's—m'm' I kin see 'em now.
-
-"What a set-down hawg? Hit's a hawg what done et so much corn he got so
-fat dat he feets can't hol' him up an' he jes set on he hin' quarters
-an' grunts an' eats an' eats an' grunts, 'twell day knock him in de
-head.
-
-"Dem was sho' good times, 'caze us had all us could eat den, an' plenty
-sugar cane to make 'lasses outten. An' dey made up biscuits in de big
-wood trays. Dem trays was made outten tupelo gum an' dey was light as a
-fedder. Us had plenty den, all de time, an' at Chris'mus an' when de
-white folks get ma'ed, dey kill hawgs, turkeys, an' chickens an'
-sometimes a yearlin'. En dey cook de hawgs whole, barbecue 'em an' fix
-'em up wid a big apple in he mouf. When de big weddin' come off, de cook
-in big pots, so's to hab 'nough for eber'body. Cose us didn't hab eaten'
-lak dat all de time, 'caze de reg'lar rations was t'ree pound of meat
-an' a peck of meal fer eber' han' from Sat'day twell Sat'day.
-
-"De niggers was 'lowed to hab a li'l patch of dey own, dat dey could wuk
-at night an' Sat'day ebenin'! What dey make on dis patch was dey'n, an'
-Ole Marster pay 'em money for hit. Nobody didn't make de niggers wuk dey
-patches—iffen dey want de grass to took 'em, dat's all right wid Ole
-Marster. Ole Martser hab a big gyarden, 'mos' big as a fiel', whar dey
-raise greens an' collards an' turnups fer de whole place.
-
-"My granpappy was a carpenter an' Ole Marster contrac' him out to de
-yuther plantations to build dey houses. De grown niggers had to be up
-'fo' day. De oberseer blow he horn fust to git up by an' de nex' time he
-blow dey hatter be ready to go to de fiel'.
-
-"Dere was a ol' 'oman what kep' all de li'l niggers, whilst dey mammies
-was in de fiel'. Dis ol' 'oman cooked fer de li'l uns an' fed 'em all
-day, an' dey mammies tuk 'em at night.
-
-"Us's clo's was made outten osnaburg cloth an' dyed wid cop'rus an'
-sometime dey mix terbaccy an' peach tree leabes wid de dye. Us had a big
-orchard wid apples an' peaches an' pears, more'n us an' de hawgs
-togedder could eat up.
-
-"When a nigger died, dey was buried in de graveyard lak dey do now, an'
-dey shouted an' hollered an' sometime a 'oman she faint an' hab to be
-tote home. De song dey sing mos' at de fun'ral was: Hark from de Toom'.
-
-"Us sho' did hab plenty singin' o' hymns an' shoutin' at night in de
-cabins. Iffen de men want to break a night res' he go possum huntin' or
-rabbit huntin' jes' so he git pass from Ole Marster an' was at de fiel'
-nex' mornin' on time wid de yuther han's.
-
-"I knowed Ole Marster went to de war, 'caze I heerd de folks talkin'
-bout hit an' wonder iffen Ole Marster gwine git kilt. Den I heerd 'em
-say de niggers was free, but us didn't leave Ole Marster for 'bout a
-year atter de s'render. Den us went to lib on de young mistis' place at
-Barlow Bend, atter she ma'ed Mr. Bob Flynn. Right dar I stayed twell I
-was grown and ma'ed. Den de fust move to town, us come up de Alabama
-Ribber to James' Landin'. I members all de big boats on de ribber. Dey
-sho' was fine 'uns.
-
-"Den, I 'members atter I growed up dey tell 'bout how de Yankees comin'
-here an' how dey pester de white folks an' de niggers, too. Broke in dey
-smoke-houses, burn 'em up an' t'row t'ings away an' lef' nobody nottin'
-to eat. I don't 'member dat 'caze I was too li'l.
-
-"Lady, you ax me iffen us knowed anyt'ng 'bout hoodoo? Yes, ma'am dere
-sho' was folkses what could put spells on you. I sho' was skeered o' dem
-kin' too. Atter I was nearly growed, dere was a gal name Penny what been
-down sick a long time an' dere was a cunjer doctor wukkin' on her tryin'
-cyure her, but her wan't 'greeable, so he let her die. Den a boy, name
-Ed, he had a mis'ry in he foot, an' hit went up he leg an' he cripple.
-Dere was a hoodoo doctor in de forks o' 'Bigbee Ribber come tend on him,
-an' he tol' ebber'body git outten de house 'cep'n' him an' Ed an' de
-Debil. He cyured Ed smack well.
-
-"My mammy said I was borned wid a 'zernin' eye to see sperits, an' I
-seed sump'n lak a cow wid no haid. So mammy made me stir de fresh lard
-when dey was rendin' hit, 'caze dat cyures you of seein' de sperits.
-Atter I stirred de lard, I didn't see 'em no mo'.
-
-"One time I was splittin' rails wid a nigger what could do anythin', but
-he was a bad man an' I was 'feered of him. I tol' him, iffen I had a
-pain or anything hurt me, I sho' would kill him wid my ax. I wudda split
-dat nigger wide open, jes' lak I split dem rails, iffen he try dat
-hoodoo on me.
-
-"Talkin' 'bout fishin', I 'members when us would be plowin' down by de
-ribber, when hit come dinner-time an' whilst de mules eatin', us go down
-to de ribber an' fish. Den eb'ry Sat'day ebenin's us'd fish. Us kotch
-trout, gyar, jack an' carp. May was when de carp bite. Dey was so fat
-den dat you could cook em by deyse'f widout no grease. Den us ketch
-turkeys in pole pens baited wid corn.
-
-"Lor' what's de use me talkin' 'bout dem times. Dey all pas' an' gone.
-Sometimes I gits to studyin' 'bout all de folks mos' is dead, an' I is
-here yit, libin' an' blin'; but I 'spec's hit won't be long twell I is
-ober de ribber wid de bles'."
-
-Nathan Beauchamp
-================
-
- | **Interview with Nathan Beauchamp**
- | —*Gertha Couric, Eufaula, Alabama*
-
-*HALF BREED*
-
-I walked up a little path bordered with small stones, an atmosphere of
-solitude surrounding me. In the sky, large, white cumulous clouds like
-great bolls of cotton, floated leisurely northward. Far down the road a
-ramshackle buckboard disappeared over a slight hill; directly in front
-the path ran at twenty yards into the dilapidated steps of a Negro
-cabin, while an old colored man in a vegetable garden to the left to the
-cabin broke the stillness with the intermittent metallic sounds of his
-spade digging into thirsty soil. I knew at a glance that this was Nathan
-Beauchamp.
-
-"Hello, Uncle Nathan," I called.
-
-.. _`Nathan Beauchamp`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image031beauchamp.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Nathan Beauchamp
-
- Nathan Beauchamp, Eufaula, Alabama
-
-"Mornin', white folks," he answered, as he discontinued his spading and
-raised his hand in a friendly gesture.
-
-I walked over to where Uncle Nathan was standing and stopped in the
-little furrows of brown earth. Already a thick coat of dust had formed
-on my shoes.
-
-"Uncle Nathan," I said, "I'd like to have a brief chat with you about
-slavery days, if you can spare a few minutes from your garden here?"
-
-"Yassuh, boss," he said, punctuating his reply with a spat of tobacco
-that was soon nothing but a dark mark in the parched ground, "glad to be
-of any 'sistance."
-
-We moved to the shade of a large oak where we sat down together on a
-sturdy, home-made bench.
-
-"Well, white folks," he went on after taking a long turn at the dipper
-hanging on the tree which shades a well. "I'll tell you a story of my
-mammy an' pappy. Nathan Beauchamp, my pappy, belonged to Massa Green
-Beauchamp at White Oak Springs, near Eufaula.
-
-Massa Green was a member of de legislature when de capital was at
-Tuscaloosy. He had many a acre of land an' hund'eds of slaves. Pappy use
-to dribe de wagon in to Eufaula to git supplies an' on de way he would
-meet up wid an Injun gal a-carryin' big baskets dat she was a goin' to
-sell dere. He would ask her iffen she wanted to ride, an' she always say
-yes. So one day pappy came to de massa and tell him dat dere was an
-Injun gal on de St. Francis Indian Village dat he wanted fo' a wife, an'
-de boss say all right so pappy married de Indian gal. Her name was Mimi.
-So I is half nigger an half Injun. My mammy died 'bout five year after
-freedom, but I can remembers dat she had long black hair, and I
-remembers de way de sun sparkle on her teeth when she smile. Atter she
-married pappy, she still carried her pretty baskets to Eufaula to sell.
-Sometime she walk all de way dere and back, twenty fo' miles. I been
-libin' here in Eufaula fifty year or mo', white fo'ks, an' I owns my
-little cabin an' de lan' around it. T'ain't much, but its enough to keep
-me a-goin', dis wid de little sto' I owns."
-
-Oliver Bell
-===========
-
- | **Interview with Oliver Bell**
- | —*Ruby Pickens Tartt, Livingston*
-
-*DE BES' FRIEND A NIGGER EVER HAD*
-
-Oliver Bell says the first thing he remembers was seeing his mother
-whipped. He was born in slavery, but most of his knowledge of the evils,
-as well as the joys of ante-bellum days, is by hearsay only.
-
-"I was borned on de De Graffenreid Place," he said, "nine miles west of
-Livingston-Boyd Road. My mother was Luella De Graffenreid an' my pappy
-was Edmund De Graffenreid. Den dey changed my name to Bell. I had one
-brother, Nat, an' two sisters, Jestina an' Clara. I has 'bout sixteen
-chilluns, all born on de same place an' most of dem is livin' dere yit.
-My chillun by my firs' wife are Ed, Jack, Holly, Buck, Clarence, Sally,
-Liza, Mag an' Luella. Dey ma was Mandy Powell, frum York. Den my second
-wife, Bettie Brown, gived me de res' of my chilluns. Le's see, dey is
-Jimmy, J.W. Alfonso Wallace, Henry, Edna an' ——" He hesitated,
-explained, "Dat's as many as I kin' 'member jest now.
-
-.. _`Oliver Bell`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image033bell.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Oliver Bell
-
- Oliver Bell, Livingston, Alabama
-
-"My gran'ma's name was Cely De Graffenreid an' my gran'pa's name
-was Peter. He was a shoemaker fur de place an' made plows, too. He was
-a worker an' he learnt me how to pull fodder an' chop corn an' cotton
-when I was jest a little scamp jes' a little black nigger.
-
-"Us all b'longed to Mr. Tresvan De Graffenreid an' Mistus Rebecca;
-an' dey was all good to us. Ol' Mistus read de Bible to us an' got us
-baptized in de river at Horn's bridge, but dat was atter de surrender. In
-slavery times dey didn't like for us to sing an play loud in de quarters.
-Honey, I 'members when us had de big prayer meetin's. Dey would shut de
-door so de voice won't git out, an' dey would turn de washpot down de door.
-Dat was to keep de voice inside, dey tol' me."
-
-Oliver mused a moment, recalling the old times.
-
-"Us chilluns useta have a good time singin' an' a-playin'," he
-said. "I 'members one of our little verses run somethin' lak dis:
-
- | Shoo, shoo, shoo gander
- | Th'ow yo' feathers 'way yander.
-
-"Us had ol' corn hollers, too, but I fergits um now. I does remember
-though you could hear dem niggers holler a whole mile.
-
-"No'm, it warn't so bad wid us. De white folks was good to us niggers.
-Us had 'nough to eat, lak greens, frum de big house. Us had our rations
-weighted out; peck o' meal, three pounds of meat, half gallon of
-'lasses, made at home in wodden mills; an' dat was for a week. An'
-sometimes, on a Sunday us had a little sugar, coffee an' flour. No'm, us
-didn't know what rice was.
-
-"What I seed of slavery was a bad idea, I reckon, but ev'ybody thought
-dey marster was de bes' in de lan'. Us didn't know no better. A man was
-growed plum' green 'fo he knew de whole worl' didn't belong to his ol'
-marster.
-
-"Us didn't have no bought medicine in dem days; jes' whut us got outta
-de woods lak slippery ellum fer fever an' poke salad root; dey he'p a
-lot. An' May-apple root would he'p you same as castor oil.
-
-"Didn't nobody he'p us learn nothin' much, but mos' of my chilluns went
-to Booker T's school. Dey say he's a mighty smart man, an' my chilluns
-thinks so, too. It's all right; I wish I could read an' write; den I'd
-tell you things you'd lak to know."
-
-His face clouded for the briefest moment.
-
-"I tell you de fust thing I 'members, an' I don't know whut started it.
-One day my mammy done sumpin' an' ol' marster made her pull her dress
-down 'roun' her waist an' made her lay down 'crost de door. Den he taken
-a leather strop an' whooped her. I 'members dat I started cryin' an'
-Mistus Beckie said, 'Go git dat boy a biskit.'
-
-"I reckerlecks my mammy was a plow han' an' she'd go to work soon an'
-put me under de shade of a big ol' post-oak tree. Dere I sat all day,
-an' dat tree was my nurse. It still standin' dere yit, an' I won't let
-nobody cut it down.
-
-"Mammy say I never did learn to walk; jes' one day she sot me down under
-de oak, an' fust thing she knowed she look up an' dere I was walkin'
-down de middle of a cotton row.
-
-"'Nother thing I 'members when I was a little boy; dat dey was 'vidin'
-de corn atter de s'render. Dr. DeGraffenreid measured de corn out to all
-of 'em whut was share han's. He'd take a bushel an' give 'em a bushel.
-When he mos' through he'd throw a ear of corn to dis one, an' give
-himse'f a ear; den he break a ear in two, an' he take part an' give dem
-part. Dat was close measurin', I tell you.
-
-"Us lived in de third house frum de big house in de quarter, an' when I
-was a boy it was my job to set out shade trees. An' one day de Ku Klux
-come ridin' by an' dey leader was Mister Steve Renfroe. (Alabama bandit
-of Reconstruction days). He wore long hair an' he call my pappy out an'
-ax him a heap of questions. While he sittin' dere his horse pull up nigh
-'bout all de trees I done sot out.
-
-"Atter talkin' to my pappy, he rode on 'cross Horn's bridge, 'bout two
-miles souf of here, an' dere he met Ol' Man Enoch Sledge an' Frank
-Sledge. Dey was darkies whut b'longed to Marsa Simmy Sledge's father,
-Ol' Doctor Sledge. Slaves on dat plantation was 'lowed pretty good
-privilege atter de s'rrender an' was workin' on halvens. Uncle Enoch an'
-Frank was in town tradin' some, an' Mr. Renfroe didn't want 'em to have
-anything. When dey lef' town, dey pass de Ku Kluxes raght on de slough
-bridge. Mister Renfroe ax Enoch to give him a piece of string to fix his
-saddle wid; den shot him. Frank run to de river, but de Ku Kluxes
-cotched him an' shot him, too.
-
-"De niggers went down to de river dat night an' got de bodies an' buried
-'em in de ol' Travis graveyard. My mammy an' daddy is buried dere, too.
-
-"Didn' nobody do nothin' 'bout Mister Renfroe 'till he went on an' got
-to messin' wid Marsa Simmy Sledge's things; stole a pair of mules an' de
-white folks rambled atter him 'till dey foun' him in Linden. Dey got so
-hot atter him dat he went to his camp in de flat woods down on Bear
-Creek. Dem was skeery times, 'case dat man never had no mercy for
-nobody.
-
-"Dey's a cave down by de burial grounds whut de slaves dug when dey run
-away, an' Mister Renfroe stayed dere. It's on de river bank an' its dug
-up. You digs an' starts low an' pushes de dirt out an' digs up an' makes
-a big room up so de water won't git you. I knows whar dey's two of de
-caves on de place; my cow fell in one yestidy.
-
-"When Ol' Marster Amos Travis come out here from Californy, he taken a
-lakin' to me an' wanted me to leave t'other side of de place an' move
-down dis side of de big house to take keer of dis swamp an' look atter
-de han's. But I wanted a big house wid four rooms an' two brick
-chimneys, an' I had to talk five years to git it. I's got some
-rosebushes now dat was at de big house raght atter de s'rrender, an'
-dey's growin' in my yard now.
-
-"Speakin' 'bout graveyard, I was passin' dere one night, ridin' on 'bout
-midnight, an' sumpin' come draggin' a chain by me lak a dog. I got down
-off'n my horse, but couldn't see nothin' wid no chain, so I got back on
-de horse an' dere raght in front of me was a Jack-Me-Lantern wid de
-brightes' light you ever seed. It was tryin' to lead me off, an' ev'y
-time I'd git back in de road it would lead me off ag'in. You sho' will
-git los' if you follow a Jack-Me-Lantern.
-
-"One of dem led a man down to de creek by dem double bridges; said he
-foun' he was travelin' in de wrong direction, gittin' frum home stidder
-clo'ster, so he jes' sit down under a tree an' waited 'til daylight. I
-ain't skeered of nothin' but dem Jack-Me-Lanterns, but dey stirs you up
-in yo' min' till you can't tell whar you's at; an' dey's so bright dey
-nigh 'bout puts yo' eyes out. Dey is plenty of 'em over by de graveyard
-raght over yonder whar all my white folks is buried, an' mammy an'
-pappy, too. Dey's all dere 'cept Marsa Jess Travis; he was de nex' whut
-come in line for de place, an' he was de bes' frein' dis here nigger
-ever had.
-
-"Fac' was, dat's whut he call me; 't was 'nigger'. He an' Mistus Mag
-lived raght dere in de big house; den dey move into town an' dat's whar
-he died. Me an' Marsa Jess made a 'greement an' he said if he was de
-longes' liver, he'd see me buried, an' if I be de longes' liver, I see
-him buried. So dat day I went to his office in de co'thouse an' he say
-he want to talk wid me. He say, 'You 'members us 'greement?' An' I say,
-'Whut 'greement, Marsa Jess?' An' he say, 'Bout buryin'.' Den I say,
-sho', 'I 'members dat.'
-
-"Den he got up an' give me some papers 'bout some lan', an' I say, 'Whut
-do all dis here mean, Marse Jess?' He say, 'nothin', nigger, 'cept I's
-jes' goin' outta business.' Den I say, 'Goodbye, Marse Jess,' an' he
-say, 'Goodbye, nigger,' an' I walked on 'crost de street. Den Mr.
-Killian say, 'Oliver, whut's happened over at de co'thouse?' An I say,
-'Ain't nothin' as I knows of.' Den he say, 'Yes, dey is; jes' look at de
-peoples gwine in a hurry.' Den I turn 'roun' an' run back an' dere lay
-Marse Jess. Mr. Smith was gettin' him up an' Marse Jess say to me,
-'Well, nigger, I didn't do whut I tended to; I missed it.' An' I say,
-'Boss, fer God's sake go to de hospital; I'll go wid you an' stay wid
-you.' Mistus Mag, she ast me to beg him, but he shuck his head an' say
-'If I had a-wanted to live I wouldn't of shot myself.' He res' a minit,
-den say, 'Nigger, write Miss Calline an' tell her I says to always be
-good to you as long as you lives.'
-
-"Yassum, I was raght dere, done jes' whut I tol' him I'd do; kep' my
-'greement an' followed him to de grave. Co'se dat last 'bout Marse Jess
-ain't no slavery tale, but I thought you was atter hearin' all 'bout de
-family whut owned dis ol' place; an' Marse Jess was de bes' white frein'
-a nigger ever had; dis nigger, anyhow."
-
-Nelson Birdsong
-===============
-
- | **Personal interview with Nelson and Virginia Birdsong**
- | **Summerville, on Front Street**
- | —*Ila B. Prine, Mobile, Alabama*
-
-*NELSON BIRDSONG REMEMBERS HIS MASTER*
-
-Nelson Birdsong, who lives on Front Street in the old suburb of
-Summerville, about three miles from Mobile, Alabama, was born
-a slave. A tall dark Negro man, with white hair and whiskers,
-he says he was born at Montgomery Hill, Alabama in Baldwin
-County, and that his people and he were owned by Mr. Tom Adkins.
-
-Nelson said he was very small at the time of the Surrender, and could
-not tell very much about slavery days. In fact, he adds, "You know,
-missie, old folks in dem days did'nt 'low chillun to stan' 'roun' when
-dey was talking. We chillun was lack a shot out of a gun when anybody
-come in. We was glad when folks come in 'cause we c'ud run out an' play.
-Chillun now-a-days knows as much as we did when we was twenty-five years
-old."
-
-Nelson does remember his "massa" saying he neber was going to 'let dat
-little nigger work.'
-
-He did not remember much about coming to Mobile, but "seemed lack" his
-"mammy worked for Mrs. Dunn on Monroe street, and later dey moved out in
-old Napoleonville" (which is now Crichton, Alabama, a suburb of
-Mobile). He said his "Pa and Mammy den worked fo' gris' mill out dere,
-and also owned a big gris' mill in de fork whar de big fire station is
-now" (which is located at the intersection of St. Francis street and
-Washington Avenue, the latter formerly Wilkinson street). This grist
-mill was burned in the 1870's.
-
-Nelson says the first work he remembered doing was "nussing a baby boy
-of Mr. Bramwell Burden, a gran'son of old man Burden."
-
-Nelson has owned his little farm and three-room house until the past two
-or three years. He said he scuffled and tried to pay de taxes, but had
-got so old and his "knees had give out on him, and I seed I was agoin'
-to lose mah place so I turned it over to a man to keep up mah taxes, so
-I'd have a place to lib. De relief gibes me a little he'p now, an' me
-an' my wife makes out de bes' we can."
-
-The house is the familiar type of two-room Negro house, with a porch
-across the front, and a shed room on the back. The bedroom had been
-papered with scraps of wallpaper of varied designs and so old that most
-of it had fallen off. The mantel is covered with the colored comics
-section, cut in a fancy pattern of scallops. At the entrance of the
-house is a sack nailed to the floor and used for a foot mat, and at the
-two upper corners of the door are horse shoes for good luck. Nelson said
-he is a member of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, and has
-been a Methodist all his life; that he and his wife Virginia "had only
-two chillun' and dey were bofe dead."
-
-Nelson's wife, Virginia, came from a family of slaves, although she was
-not one herself. She said her folks were owned by Mr. Joe Pickett of
-Camden, Wilcox County, Alabama. She said she just can remember Mr. Joe
-taking her in his buggy, and she called him "Toe-Toe," as she couldn't
-say his name plainly. She also said as she grew older she always spoke
-of Mr. Joe, as "my Papa," instead of "my master," for "he sho' was good
-to me." She remembers her mother being chambermaid on the "Old
-Eleanora," a boat on the Alabama river, and as a small child going back
-and forth on the boat with her. When they finally settled in Mobile, her
-mother worked for the family of Dr. Heustis who lived in the corner
-house now occupied by the new Federal Court House and Custom House, at
-St. Louis and St. Joseph streets.
-
-Ank Bishop
-==========
-
- | **Interview with Ank Bishop**
- | —*Ruby Pickens Tartt, Livingston, Alabama*
-
-*GABR'EL BLOW SOF'! GABR'EL BLOW LOUD!*
-
-When "Gabr'el take his silver trump," he is going to blow soft for the
-saved and loud for the lost souls, according to Ank Bishop who was born
-into slavery eighty-nine years ago, and lives in Livingston, Alabama.
-The days before the war were as good as the present, Ank believes. He
-tells of them in the following story of his life:
-
-"My name is Ank Bishop, en I was born in 1849, August 16th, at Ward,
-Alabama. My mother's name was Amy Larken, an' my father was Tom Bishop.
-I had three brothers, Alf, Volen an' Jim, an' two sisters, Cely an'
-Matildy. Us belonged to Lady Liza Larkin at Ward, right nigh Coke's
-Chapel.
-
-"My mother was brought out from South Car'lina in a speculator drove,
-an' Lady Liza bought her at de auction at Coke's Chapel. She lef' her
-mammy an' daddy back dere in South Car'lina an' never did see 'em no
-more in dis life. She was bidded off an' Lady Liza got her, jes' her one
-from all her family. She was got fer Lady Liza's house gal. But
-sometimes she cooked or was de washer, den ag'in de milker. 'Twas my job
-for to min' de ca'ves. Sometimes I went to Mr. Ed Western's sto' at
-Gaston, three miles from us house, to see iffen was any mail for Lady
-Liza, but 'twa'n't none.
-
-"Dey was good to us 'caze Lady Liza's son, Mr. Willie Larkin, was de
-overseer for his ma, but co'se sometime dey git among 'em an' thrashed
-'em out. One time one de niggers runned away, old Caesar Townsy, an' dey
-sarnt for Dick Peters to come an' bring his "nigger dogs." Dem dogs was
-trained to ketch a nigger same as rabbit dogs is trained to ketch a
-rabbit. So Mr. Willie Larkin told Stuart for to say to old man Dick
-Peters when he come, 'I'm gone,' but for him to come on. 'I'm gwineter
-keep de road,' he say, 'an' cross 'Bigbee at Moscow landin'.' So ol'
-Dick Peters, he kept de road lack he tole him to, an' he cross 'Bigbee
-at Moscow landin' over in de cane-brake. But dem nigger dogs didn't
-never ketch ol' man Caesar. He stayed right wharever he was at 'twell
-after S'render, an' de War done ceased. Den he come out, but iffen he
-had a been caught, dey'd a used him up pretty rough, but he stayed hid
-twell de time done passed.
-
-"All de women on Lady Liza's place had to go to de fiel' ev'y day an'
-dem what had suckerlin' babies would come in 'bout nine o'clock in de
-mawnin' an' when de bell ring at twelve an' suckerlin' 'em. One woman
-tended to all of 'em in one house. Her name was Ellie Larkin, an' dey
-call her 'Mammy Larkin.' She all time sarnt me down in de fiel' for to
-git 'em come suckle de chillen, 'caze dat made hit hard on her when dey
-gets hongry an' cry.
-
-"Us didn't get to go to church none, an' us wa'n't larnt nothin'. I'm
-nigh 'bout ninety an' I can't read a line. I got some chillun kin read;
-one can't whut is sixty-five, but Henry he fifteen an' he kin. De ma,
-she go by de name of Pearlie Beasley, she can't read neither, but she's
-a good fiel' han' an' she patched dese breeches I'm wearin' an' dis ole
-shirt. Miss, I ain't got a coat to my name. Can't go to church, so I
-doan' know dat dis any better'n slav'y time. Hit's hard, anyway you got
-to travel, got yo' nose on de groun' rock all de time. When pay day
-come, ain't nothin' pay wid. Come git de rent, den you out do's ag'in.
-Bred an' bawn in Sumter County, wore out in Sumter County, 'specks to
-die in Sumter County, an' whut is I got? Ain't got nothin', ain't got
-nothin', ain't got nothin'.
-
-.. _`Ank Bishop`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image041bishop.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Ank Bishop
-
- Ank Bishop, Livingston, Alabama
-
-"But I'm a believer, an' dis here voodoo an' hoodoo an' sper'ts ain't
-nothin' but a lot of folk's outten Christ. Ha'nts ain't nothin' but
-somebody died outten Christ an' his sper't ain't at res', jes' in a
-wand'rin' condition in de world.
-
-"Dis is de evil sper't what de Bible tells about when hit say a person
-has got two sper'ts, a good one an' a evil one. De good sper't goes to a
-place of happiness an' rest, an' you doan' see hit no mo', but de evil
-sper't ain't got no place to go. Hit's dwellin' place done tore down
-when de body died, an' hit's jes' a wand'rin' an a waitin' for Gabr'el
-to blow his trump, den de worl' gwineter come to an en'. But when God
-say, 'Take down de silver mouf trump an' blow, Gabr'el,' an' Gabr'el
-say, 'Lord, how loud shell I blow?' Den de Lord say, 'Blow easy,
-Gabr'el, en ca'm, not to 'larm my lilies.' De secon' time Gabr'el say,
-'How loud mus' I blow, Lord?' Den de Lord say, 'Blow hit as loud as
-seben claps of thunder all added into one echo, so as to wake up dem
-damnable sper'ts sleepin' in de grave-ya'ds what ain't never made no
-peace wid dey God, jes' alayin' dere in dey sins.'
-
-"But de Christ'en Army, hit gits up wid de fus' trump, an' dem
-what is deef is de evil ones what anybody kin see anytime. I ain't
-skeered of 'em, though. I passes 'em an' goes right on plowin',
-but iffen you wants 'em to git outten your way, all you gotter do
-is jes' turn your head least bit an' look back. Dey gone jes' lack
-dat! When my fus' wife died 'bout thirty years ago, I was goin' up
-to Gaston to see Sara Drayden, ole Scot Drayden's wife, an' I tuck
-out through Kennedy bottom 'bout sundown right after a rain. I
-seed sompin acomin' down de road 'bout dat high, 'bout size a little
-black shaggy dog, an' I says, 'What's dat I sees commin' down de
-road? Ain't nobody 'roun' here got no black shaggy dog? Hit kep'
-a-comin' an' kep' a-gittin' bigger an' bigger an' closer an' closer,
-an' time hit got right to me 'twas as big as a ha'f growed yearlin',
-black as a crow. It had four feet an' drop years, jes' lack a dog,
-but 'twa'n't no dog, I knows dat. Den he shy out in de bushes, an'
-he come right back in de road, an' hit went on de way I was comin'
-from, so I went on de way hit was comin' from. I ain't never seed
-dat thing no mo'. But I'ze gotter pretty good notion 'bout who
-hit 'twas."
-
-Siney Bonner
-============
-
- | **Interview with Siney Bonner**
- | —*W.F. Jordan*
-
-"Hear dat whistle?" The speaker was Siney Bonner, an ex-slave, now
-living in the Norwood section of Birmingham. She had stopped for a
-"confab" where a group of other elderly Negroes of the neighborhood had
-gathered. "De whistles on dem Big Jacks what pull dese highsteppin' I.C.
-trains mind me of dem steamboats what used to pull up at de landin' at
-ole Pickensville on de Tombigbee River.
-
-"'Cose dar wa'n't no railroads dem days an' de onlies' way folks had
-trabbelin' about was de steamboat which passed most every week, and de
-stage coach which passed twice a week.
-
-"Lawsy, man, dem was de days, and many de time atter my daddy, whose
-name was Green Bonner, heard dat steamboat blow below Pickensville, he
-would hitch up de mules to de waggin and foller Massa John on hossback
-down to de landin' to fetch back de supply of sugar and coffee and
-plow-tools needed on de plantation. Dey would take me 'long to hold de
-mules and watch de waggin and it was a reglar picnic to me to see de big
-shiney boat and watch de goin's on.
-
-"Massa John Bonner sho' did 'pend on my daddy. De massa paid a thousand
-green-back dollars for him down to Mobile. 'Nuf green-backs to wrap him
-up in, he said, so he named him Green Bonner.
-
-"Yes suh, we was all Baptis'—de deep water kind, and every Sunday dey
-used to pile us into de waggins and pull out bright and early for Big
-Creek Church on the Carrollton road. Everybody fetched a big basket of
-grub and, sakes alive! sech another dinner you never see, all spread out
-on de grassy grove by de ole graveyard. Mos' all de quality white folks
-belonged at Big Creek and when dere slaves got sho' nuff 'ligion, dey
-have 'em jine at Big Creek and be baptized at de swimmin' hole. Some of
-de niggers want to have dere own meetin's, but Lawd chile, dem niggers
-get happy and get to shoutin' all over de meadow where dey built a brush
-arbor. Massa John quick put a stop to dat. He say, 'if you gwine to
-preach and sing you must turn de wash pot bottom up'; meanin', no
-shoutin'. Dem Baptis' at Big Creek was sho' tight wid dere rules too.
-Turn you out sho' if you drink too much cawn licker, or dance, or cuss.
-
-"Massa John had a big fine bird dog. She was a mammy dog and one day she
-foun' six puppies out in de harness house. Dey was mos' all girl puppies
-so massa gwine drown 'em. I axed him to give 'em to me and purty soon de
-missus sent me to de pos'office, so I put de puppies in a basket and
-took 'em wid me. Dr. Lyles come by whar I was settin' and he say, 'Want
-to sell dem pups, Siney?' I tell him, uh-huh. Den he say, 'What
-'nomination is dey?'. I tell him, dey's Methodis' dogs. He didn' say no
-mo'. Bout a week atter dat ole missus sent me to 'de pos'office again,
-so I took my basket of puppies. Sho' nuff, 'long come Dr. Lyles and he
-say, 'Siney, see you still ain't sold dem pups'. I say, 'Naw-suh'. Den
-he axed me ag'in what 'nomination dey b'long to. I tole him dey was
-Baptis' dogs. He say, 'How come? You tole me las' week dem was Methodis'
-pups'. Ha-ha! Bless God!, look like he had me. But I say, 'Yas-suh, but
-you see, Doctah, dey got dere eyes open since den!' He laff and go on
-down to his newspaper office.
-
-.. _`Siney Bonner`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image045bonner.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Siney Bonner
-
- Siney Bonner, Birmingham, Alabama
-
-"How old is I? Law chile, I don't know. My mammy say I was fifteen year
-old time of de surrender. I 'members dat mighty well. Massa John call
-all de niggers on de plantation 'round him at de big house and he say
-to 'em 'Now, you all jes' as free as I is. I ain't your marster no mo'.
-I'se tried to be good to you and take keer of all of you. You is all
-welcome to stay and we'll all wuk togedder and make a livin' somehow. Ef
-you don' want to stay, dem dat go will jes' have to root, pig, or die.'
-Some stayed and some lef'. My daddy stayed wid Marse John till he was
-called home to glory. Now dey all gone but Siney, and I'se jes' here,
-waitin' for 'em to call me.
-
-"Yas suh, I been 'round Carrollton a heap. Atter Marse John and my daddy
-bofe died, I wuk'd 'round from place to place. Used to wuk for Mrs.
-Roper at de old Phoenix Hotel. I recollect when de new brick court house
-was built. De ole court house had been burned and dey 'rested a nigger
-named Bill Burkhalter for settin' it on fire. Dey sent him to de pen'
-an' some officers started wid him to Montgomery. When dey got to Sipsey
-River a mob ketched up wid 'em an' took Bill and hung him dere in the
-swamp. 'Bout dat time a bad cloud come up. Dey axed Bill did he have
-anything to say. He say, 'I ain't burn no court house, an' ef you all
-kill me, my face gwine always ha'nt you'. Whilst he still hangin' dere
-in dat swamp de lightnin' flash and de thunder an' wind was somp'n
-awful. Nex' mornin' when de sun come up, bless my soul, right dere on de
-winder in de court house tower was a photygraf of de face of de nigger
-dey done hung for burnin' de old court house. Yas suh, I done seen dat
-wid my own eyes an' I speck dat picture still dere.
-
-"But lawsy me, I got to get goin', kase I'se cookin' me a mess of poke
-sallet I picked down by de railroad tracks dis mornin'. Dat poke sallet
-and young ernions gwine to be mighty good, and dey sho 'mind me of dem
-good old days in Pickens county."
-
-Jennie Bowen
-============
-
- | **Interview with Jennie Bowen**
- | —*Mary A. Poole, Mobile*
-
-*NO BELL BRUNG HIM*
-
-Jennie Bowen was surrounded by numerous little colored children as I
-came upon her sitting on her front porch. She answered my questions
-through a mouth void of teeth and with a constant blinking of her brown
-eyes with their muddy whites. Her little grand-child had to act to some
-extent as an interpreter, as her speech was at times most indistinct.
-
-"Yassum, I remembers lots of things dat happened back in de days of de
-Cibil War," she said. "I remembers de place whar I lived. It were de
-prettiest house you ever seed. It were on a high hill overlooking a
-small creek and de flowers 'roun' in de yard was somp'n to see, sho'
-'nuff.
-
-"I was bawn in 1847 on Massa Fisher's and Mistis Fisher's plantation
-near Camden, Alabama. Us slaves lived in a row of whitewashed cabins in
-de rear of de big house. We useta have a mean oberseer, white folks, an'
-all de time dere was slaves on our place a runnin' away.
-
-"I acted as nuss for massa's three chilluns, an' dey learnt me to read
-an' write. My pappy was named Burl Fisher an' he come f'um Virginny when
-Cap'n Fisher brung him. My mammy was named Grace Fisher, an' she was
-'roun' de big house mos' of de time a weavin' an' a cardin' wool for de
-slaves, who wo' calico spun in de summer an' wool in de winter.
-
-"An ole nigger man rung a bell for us to get up by, an' to call de fiel'
-han's in de evenin's. Atter Surrender, dis ole nigger stayed right on de
-plantation an' was a workin' in de fiel's one day when de Fisher boy
-rung de bell for de niggers to come in. All of 'em came 'cep'n dis ole
-man an' later on dey ax him why he don't come when dey ring de bell. He
-answer: 'Tain't no mo' bell ringin' for dis nigger, 'caze I is free.'
-
-.. _`Jennie Bowen`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image048bowen.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Jennie Bowen
-
- Jennie Bowen, Mobile, Alabama
-
-"De Fishers was Pres'terians an' dey had dere own church on de place.
-Eve'ybody had to go on Sunday; de white folks sittin' in de front, de
-colored folks in de back. De onl'es' holidays us niggers had was
-Chris'mas an' New Years. On dese days us all exchanged gif's.
-
-"My pappy an' mammy atter de war farmed on shares wid Cap'n Fisher. I
-was ma'ied 'bout dis time, white folks, to Sam Bowen, who long been
-daid. Us had a big weddin' an' de two Mistis Fishers (Massa's daughters)
-baked us a cake an' I sont a piece to all my white frien's for dem to
-dream on. Atter I come to Mobile, I changed my 'ligion to bein' a
-Babtist.
-
-"I had ten chilluns, but seven of dem is daid. I is even got fo' great
-gran' chilluns.
-
-"Yassum, us had po' white trash back in dem days of de war. Dey lived
-near our place, an' some of 'em didn't have no niggers at all. Dey
-worked deyse'f in de fiel's. Us didn't fool 'long wid dem kinds of
-people dough, white folks. Us kep' mostly to ourselves.
-
-"Yassum, us house niggers et in de kitchens, dat was separated f'um de
-main buildin' by a walkway, kivered at de top but not at de sides. All
-de slave chilluns had a grown nigger woman and a young gal 'bout sixteen
-to look atter dem. We-alls had a good time an' us was happy an'
-secure."
-
-Nannie Bradfield
-================
-
- | **Interview with Nannie Bradfield**
- | —*Susie R. O'Brien, Uniontown, Alabama*
-
-*WHAT I KEER ABOUT BEIN' FREE?*
-
-Nannie Bradfield is a fat little old woman almost as broad as she is
-long, with a pleasant face and a broad smile which displays white teeth
-still good at the age of eighty-five. She lives alone in a dilapidated
-cabin which rests in a clump of trees by the side of the railroad. The
-sagging roof is patched with pieces of rusty tin of many shapes and
-sizes.
-
-"Nannie," I said, "aren't you afraid to live here alone?"
-
-"How come I be skeered? Ain't nobody gwine bother me lessen it be a
-spirit, and dey don't come 'roun' 'cep'n on rainy nights, den all you
-got to do is say 'Lawd have mercy! What you want here,' and dey go 'way
-and leave you 'lone.
-
-"Any how I's gittin' pretty old and I won't be here so ve'y much longer
-so I jes' as well start gittin' 'quainted wid de spirits."
-
-"Tell me something about yourself and your family, Nannie," I said.
-"Dere ain't nothin' much to tell 'cep I was born in slav'y times and I
-was 'bout twelve year old in May when 'mancipation come. My Pa and Ma
-b'longed to Mars James and Miss Rebecca Chambers. Dey plantation was
-jes' on de aidge of town and dat's what I was born. Mars James' son
-William was in de war and old Miss would send me to town whar all de
-sojers tents was, to tote sompen good to eat to dem. I don't 'member
-much 'bout de war 'cep de tents and de bum shells shootin'. I was little
-and couldn't do much but I waited on Miss Liz'beth, my young Miss, and
-waited on table, toted battie cakes and sich like. No ma'am I don't
-know nothin' 'tall 'bout de patterollers or de Klu Kluxers but I know
-all 'bout de conjer doctors. Dey sho' kin fix you. Dey kin take yo'
-garter or yo stockin' top an drap it in runnin' water and make you run
-de res' of yo' life, you'll be in a hurry all de time, and if dey gits
-holt of a piece of de seat of yo' draw's dey sprinkles a little conjer
-powder on it and burns it den you can't never set down in no peace. You
-jes' like you settin' on a coal of fiah 'till you git somebody to take
-de spell offen you."
-
-"Nannie, were you glad when the war was over and you were free?"
-
-"What I keer 'bout bein' free? Didn't old Marster give us plenty good
-sompin to eat and clo's to wear? I stayed on de plantation 'til I
-mah'ied. My old Miss give me a brown dress and hat. Well dat dress put
-me in de country, if you mah'ie in brown you'll live in de country."
-
-"'Marry in brown you'll live out of town?'" I quoted. "Dat's it—my
-remembrance ain't so good and I fergits.
-
-"No ma'am, I ain't got no chillun, but Bradfield had plenty un um, I was
-his fouf wife. He died 'bout three years ago and he done well to live
-dat long wid all dem wimmens to nag him. De Bible say it's better to
-climb on top of the house and set, den to live inside wid a naggin'
-'oman."
-
-Martha Bradley
-==============
-
- | **Interview with Martha Bradley**
- | —*Mabel Farrior, Montgomery, Alabama*
-
-*IN SLAVERY TIME*
-
-Aunt Martha—as she is known to all her "white folks"—claims to be 100
-years old. She was a slave to Dr. Lucas of Mt. Meigs neighborhood long
-before the War between the States. Dr. Lucas is one of the well known
-Lucas family, with whom General LaFayette spent some time while touring
-the United States in 1824.
-
-"Our Marster wuz sho good to all his 'niggers'," she said. "Us allus had
-plenty to eat and plenty to wear, but de days now is hard, if white
-folks gin you a nickel or dime to git you sumpin' t' eat you has to
-write everything down in a book before you can git it. I allus worked in
-the field, had to carry big logs, had strops on my arms and them logs
-was put in de strop and hauled to a pile where they all was. One morning
-hit was rainin' ad I didn' wanna go to the field, but de oversee' he
-come and got me and started whooping me. I jumped on him and bit and
-kicked him 'til he lemme go. I didn't know no better then. I didn't know
-he was de one to do dat.
-
-"But Marster Lucas gin us big times on Christmas and July. Us 'ud have
-big dinners and all the lemonade us could drink. The dinner'd be spread
-out on de ground an' all the niggers would stand roun' and eat all dey
-wanted. What was lef' us'd take it to our cabins. Nancy Lucas was de
-cook fer eber' body. Well, she'd sho cook good cake and had plenty of
-'em but she wouldn't lak to cut dem cakes often. She keep 'em in a safe.
-One day I go to dat safe and I seed some and I wanted it so bad till I
-jes' had to have some. Nancy say to me, 'Martha, did you cut dat cake?'
-I say, 'No sir! dat knife just flew 'roun by itself and cut dat cake.'
-
-"One day I was workin' in de field and de overseer he come 'roun and say
-sumpin' to me he had no bizness say. I took my hoe and knocked him plum
-down. I knowed I'se done sumpin' bad so I run to de bushes. Marster
-Lucas come and got me and started whoopin' me. I say to Marster Lucas
-whut dat overseer sez to me and Marster Lucas didn' hit me no more.
-Marse Lucas was allus good to us and he wouldn' let nobody run over his
-niggers.
-
-"There was plenty white folks dat was sho bad to de niggers, and
-specially dem overseers. A nigger whut lived on the plantation jinin'
-ours shot and killed an overseer; den he run 'way. He come to de river
-and seed a white man on udder side and say, 'Come and git me.' Well,
-when dey got him dey found out whut he'd done, and was gwine to burn him
-'live. Jedge Clements, the man dat keep law and order, say he wouldn't
-burn a dog 'live, so he lef'. But dey sho burn dat nigger 'live for I
-seed him atter he was burned up.
-
-.. _`Martha Bradley`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image052bradley.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Martha Bradley
-
- Martha Bradley, Montgomery, Alabama
-
-"Us'd go to meetin' to de Antioch Church some Sundays. Us'd go to de
-house and git a pass. When us'd pass by the patterole, us jes' hold up
-our pass and den us'd go on. Dar was a 'vidin' 'twixt de niggers and de
-white folks. De white preacher'd preach; den de colored man. Us'd stay
-at church most all day. When we didn' go to church, us'd git together in
-the quarters and have preachin' and singin' amongst ourselves.
-
-"In cotton pickin' time us'd stay in de field till way atter dark and
-us'd pick by candle light and den carry hit and put hit on de scaffold.
-In de winter time us'd quilt; jes' go from one house to anudder in de
-quarter. Us'd weave all our ever' day clothes but Marster Lucas'd go to
-Mobile ever' July and Christmas and git our Sunday clothes, git us
-dresses and shoes and we'd sho be proud of 'em.
-
-"In slavery time dey doctored de sick folks dif'funt frum what dey does
-now. I seed a man so sick dey had to put medicine down his tho'at lak he
-was a horse. Dat man got well and sho lived to turn a key in de jail. Ef
-it was in dese days dat man would be cay'd to de hospital and cut open
-lak a hawg.
-
-"Dere was a slave whut lived in Macon county. He run 'way and when he
-was catched dey dug a hole in de ground and put him crost it and beat
-him nigh to death."
-
-Allen Brown
-===========
-
- | **Interview with Allen Brown**
- | —*Gertha Couric*
-
-*IS NIGH A HUNDERD*
-
-Uncle Allen is a thin little man with a short white beard that hides
-nothing of his ready, toothless smile always evident when conversing
-with "de white folks" and contributes to his dignified mien when
-solemnly lecturing to "de niggers" about their "no 'count ways." He is
-as deaf as the proverbial post, and, once launched into a discourse,
-rambles on to its end without regard to interruptions. Asked to tell
-something of his early life, he said:
-
-.. _`Allen Brown`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image054brownallen.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Allen Brown
-
- Allen Brown, Eufala, Alabama
-
-"I is nigh on to a hundred yeahs old, Suh, and I was brung to dis
-country from Virginny whar I was bawn. My mammy's mahster was movin'
-from Virginny to Texas, and when he go dis fur he sole me and my mammy
-to Mahster McRea. Den Mahster McRea he give me to Miss Julia; den Miss
-Julia she mah'ied Mahs Henry Young and I was dere ca'iage driver. Mahs
-Henry soon went off to de wawh and was kilt in de battle of Gettysbu'g
-and dat nearly bout kilt Miss Julia.
-
-"A'ter de Surrender nothin' neber was de same. Jest hahd times mos'ly.
-Neber been any times lak de days when I was drivin' my ca'iage amongst
-de Eufaula high steppers, and I reckon dere neber will be ag'in.
-
-"De ole man too ole and bruck down to wuhk now, and I gits along wid
-whut de Welfare gives me."
-
-Gus Brown
-=========
-
- | **Interview with Gus Brown**
- | —*Alexander B. Johnson, Birmingham, Alabama*
-
-*GUS SAW MASSA'S HAT SHOT OFF*
-
-"They is all gone, scattered, and old massa and missus have died." That
-was the sequence of the tragic tale of "Uncle" Gus Brown, the body
-servant of William Brown; who fought beside him in the War between the
-States and who knew Stonewall Jackson.
-
-"Uncle Gus" recalled happenings on the old plantation where he was
-reared. His master was a "king" man, he said, on whose plantation in
-Richmond, Virginia, Uncle Gus waited on the tables at large feasts and
-functions of the spacious days before the War. He was entrusted to go
-with the master's boys down to the old swimming hole and go in "washin."
-They would take off their clothes, hide them in the bushes on the side
-of the bank, put a big plank by the side of the old water hole and go in
-diving, swimming and have all the fun that youngsters would want, he
-said.
-
-Apparently his master's home was a plantation house with large columns
-and with all the glitter and glamour that the homes around Richmond have
-to offer. About it were large grain storage places for the master was a
-grain dealer and men on the plantation produced and ground large
-quantities into flour.
-
-Gus worked around the house, and he remembers well the corn shuckings as
-he called them on which occasions the Negroes gave vent to emotion in
-the form of dancing and music. "On those occasions we all got together
-and had a regular good time," he said.
-
-"Uncle," he was asked, "do you remember any of the old superstitions on
-the plantation? Did they have any black cat stories?"
-
-"No sir, boss, we was educated Negroes on our plantation. The old
-bossman taught his Negroes not to believe in that sort of thing.
-
-"I well remember when de war came. Old massa had told his folks befo' de
-war began dat it was comin', so we was ready for it.
-
-"Beforehand the master called all the servants he could trust and told
-them to get together all of the silver and other things of value. They
-did that, he explained and afterward they took the big box of treasures
-and carried it out in the forest and hid it under the trunk of a tree
-which was marked. None of the Negroes ever told the Yankees where it was
-so when the war ended the master had his silver back. Of course the war
-left him without some of the things which he used to have but he never
-suffered.
-
-"Then de war came and we all went to fight the Yankees. I was a body
-servant to the master, and once a bullet took off his hat. We all
-thought he was shot but he wasn't, and I was standin' by his side all
-the time.
-
-"I remember Stonewall Jackson. He was a big man with long whiskers, and
-very brave. We all fought wid him until his death.
-
-"We wan't beaten, we was starved out! Sometimes we had parched corn to
-eat and sometimes we didn't have a bite o' nothin', because the Union
-mens come and tuck all the food for their selves. I can still remember
-part of my ninety years. I remembers we fought all de way from Virginia
-and winded up in Manassas Gap.
-
-"When time came for freedom most of us was glad. We liked the Yankees.
-They was good to us. 'You is all now free. You can stay on the
-plantation or you can go.' We all stayed there until old massa died. Den
-I worked on de Seaboard Airline when it come to Birmingham. I have been
-here ever since.
-
-.. _`Gus Brown`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image055browngus.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Gus Brown
-
- Gus Brown, Birmingham, Alabama
-
-"In all de years since de war I cannot forget old massa. He was good and
-kind. He never believed in slavery but his money was tied up in slaves
-and he didn't want to lose all he had.
-
-"I knows I will see him in heaven and even though I have to walk ten
-miles for a bite of bread I can still be happy to think about the good
-times we had then. I am a Confederate veteran but my house burned up wid
-de medals and I don't get a pension.
-
-"Thank you, mister bossman, fer the quarter. It will buy me a little
-grub. I'se too old to work but I has to."
-
-The reporter left him sitting with his little pack and a long fork in
-his hands; in his eyes, dimmed with age, a far-off look and a tear of
-longing for the Old Plantation.
-
-Walter Calloway
-===============
-
- | **Interview with Walter Calloway**
- | —*W.F. Jordan*
-
-*OLE JOE HAD REAL 'LIGION*
-
-Walter Calloway lives alone half a block off Avenue F, the thoroughfare
-on the southside of Birmingham on which live many of the leaders in the
-Negro life of the city. For his eighty-nine years he was apparently
-vigorous except for temporary illness. A glance at the interior of his
-cabin disclosed the fact that it was scrupulously neat and quite orderly
-in arrangement, a characteristic of a great many ex-slaves. As he sat in
-the sunshine on his tiny front porch, his greeting was: "Come in, white
-folks. You ain't no doctor is you?"
-
-To a negative reply, he explained as he continued, "Fo' de las' past
-twenty-five years I been keepin' right on, wukkin' for de city in de
-street department. 'Bout two mont's ago dis mis'ry attackted me an'
-don't 'pear lak nothin' dem doctors gimme do no good. De preacher he
-come to see me dis mornin' an' he say he know a white gemman doctor,
-what he gwine to sen' him to see me. I sho' wants to git well ag'in
-pow'ful bad, but mebby I done live long 'nuff an' my time 'bout come."
-
-Quizzed about his age and antecedents, he began his story: "Well, sir,
-Cap'n, I was born in Richmond, Virginny, in 1848. Befo' I was ole 'nuff
-to 'member much, my mammy wid me an' my older brudder was sold to Marse
-John Calloway at Snowdoun in Montgomery county, ten miles south of de
-town of Montgomery.
-
-"Marse John hab a big plantation an' lots of slaves. Dey treated us
-purty good, but we hab to wuk hard. Time I was ten years ole I was
-makin' a reg'lar han' 'hin' de plow. Oh, yassuh, Marse John good 'nough
-to us an' we git plenty to eat, but he had a oberseer name Green Bush
-what sho' whup us iffen we don't do to suit him. Yassuh, he' mighty rough
-wid us but he didn't do de whuppin' hisse'f. He had a big black boy
-name Mose, mean as de debil an' strong as a ox, and de oberseer let him
-do all de whuppin'. An', man, he could sho' lay on dat rawhide lash. He
-whupped a nigger gal 'bout thirteen years ole so hard she nearly die,
-an' allus atterwa'ds she hab spells of fits or somp'n. Dat make Marse
-John pow'ful mad, so he run dat oberseer off de place an' Mose didn' do
-no mo' whuppin.
-
-"Same time Marse John buy mammy an' us boys, he buy a black man name
-Joe. He a preacher an' de marster let de slaves buil' a brush arbor in
-de pecan grove ober in de big pastur', an' when de wedder warn't too
-cold all de slaves was 'lowed to meet dar on Sunday 'fo' preachin'.
-
-"Yassuh, ole Joe do purty good. I spec he had mo' 'ligion dan some of de
-hifalutin' niggers 'tendin' to preach nowadays. De white folks chu'ch,
-hit at Hope Hill ober on de stage road, an' sometimes dey fetch 'dere
-preacher to de plantation to preach to de slaves. But dey 'druther heah
-Joe.
-
-"Nawsuh, we didn' git no schoolin' 'cep'in' befo' we got big 'nough to
-wuk in de fiel' we go 'long to school wid de white chillun to take care
-of 'em. Dey show us pictures an' tell us all dey kin, but it didn't
-'mount to much.
-
-.. _`Walter Calloway`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image057calloway.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Walter Calloway
-
- Walter Calloway, Birmingham, Alabama
-
-"When de war started 'mos' all I know 'bout it was all de white mens go
-to Montgomery an' jine de army. My brudder, he 'bout fifteen year ole,
-so he go 'long wid de ration wagon to Montgomery 'mos' ebry week. One
-day he come back from Montgomery an' he say, 'Hell done broke loose in
-Gawgy.' He couldn't tell us much 'bout what done happen, but de slaves
-dey get all 'cited 'caze dey didn' know what to 'spect. Purty soon we
-fin' out dat some of de big mens call a meetin' at de capitol on Goat
-Hill in Montgomery. Dey 'lected Mista Jeff Davis president an' done
-busted de Nunited States wide open.
-
-"Atter dat dar warn't much happen on de plantation 'cep'in' gangs of
-so'jers passin' th'ough gwine off to de war. Den 'bout ebry so often a
-squad of Confederate so'jers would come to de neighborhood gatherin' up
-rations for Gin'ral Lee's army dey say. Dat make it purty hard on bofe
-whites an' blacks, takin' off some of de bes' stock an' runnin' us low
-on grub.
-
-"But we wuk right on 'twell one day somebody sen' a runner sayin' de
-Yankees comin'. Ole mistis tell me to hurry ober to Mrs. Freeman's an'
-tell 'em Wilson's Yankee raiders was on de way an' comin' lak a
-harrikin. I hop on a mule an' go jes' as fas' as I can make him trabel,
-but befo' I git back dey done retch de plantation, smashin' things
-comin' an' gwine.
-
-"Dey broke in de smoke house an' tuk all de hams an' yuther rations, dey
-fin' what dey want an' burn up de res'. Den dey ramshack de big house
-lookin' fo' money an' jewelry an' raise Cain wid de wimmin folks 'caze
-dey didn't fin' what dey wanted. Den dey leave dere ole hosses an' mules
-an' take de bes' we got. Atter dey done dat, dey burn de smoke house, de
-barns, de cribs an' some yuther prop'ty. Den dey skedaddle some place
-else.
-
-"I warn't up dar but I heern tell dey burn up piles an' piles of cotton
-an' lots of steamboats at Montgomery an' lef' de ole town jes' 'bout
-ruint'. Twarn't long atter dat dey tell us we'se free. But lawdy, Cap'n,
-we ain't neber been what I calls free. 'Cose ole marster didn' own us no
-mo', an' all de folks soon scatter all ober, but iffen dey all lak me
-dey still hafter wuk jes' as hard, an some times hab less dan we useter
-hab when we stay on Marse John's plantation.
-
-"Well, Cap'n, dat's 'bout all I know. I feel dat misery comin' on me
-now. Will you please, suh, gimme a lif' back in de house? I wisht dat
-white gemman doctor come on iffen he comin'."
-
-Esther King Casey
-=================
-
- | **Interview with Esther King Casey**
- | —*Edward F. Harper, Birmingham*
-
-Living with her grandchildren at 801 Washington Avenue, Birmingham,
-Alabama, Esther King Casey, former slave of Capt. Henry King of
-Americus, Georgia, recalls from fading memory a few vivid scenes of the
-days when men in gray moved hurridly about the town, suddenly
-disappeared for a while and then returned, one by one, with weary,
-halting tread and hollow faces, while gloom and despair hovered over the
-town like a pall of desolation.
-
-Less vivid in her memory are the stories told her by her grandmother
-of a long voyage across the ocean, of the arrival in a new land
-called Mobile, and of slaves being sold at public auction. Less vivid,
-too, are the memories of her own journey to Georgia, where she, with
-her parents and brother, were brought to be the slaves of Captain King.
-
-"I was only four or five years old when we came to Captain King's big
-house," said the old woman, brightening with pride in her ability to
-recollect. Her manners bore the marks of culture and refinement, and her
-speech was surprisingly void of the usual Negro dialect. She is an
-example of the former slave who was educated along with the white
-children in the family.
-
-"There were eight or ten slaves in all," Esther continued. "We lived in
-a house in the backyard of Captain King's Big House. My mamma was the
-cook. Papa was a mechanic. He built houses and made tools and machinery.
-Captain King gave me to the 'white lady;' that was Miss Susan, the
-Captain's wife. Captain King was a fine man. He treated all of us just
-like his own family. The 'white lady' taught us to be respectable and
-truthful."
-
-When asked if she had ever been punished for misbehavior the old woman
-smiled and said: "Once the 'white lady' whipped me for playing with the
-jailer's children. She had told me not to play with them because they
-were not good company for me. She said that she wanted to raise me to be
-good and truthful, and that the jailer's little white children told lies
-and talked bad."
-
-Esther remembers well the mobilization of gray-uniformed troops at the
-courthouse which stood only a block from the King residence. "The town
-was filled with soldiers for several days," she said. "They assembled
-about the courthouse and had speakings. One day I passed there with my
-papa and saw Abraham Lincoln hanging from a noose in the courthouse
-square. Of course, it was only an effigy of Abraham Lincoln which was
-used to show what the soldiers thought of him. Papa told me that the
-soldiers shot the effigy full of bullet holes before they left town.
-
-"Before Captain King left he brought a man with him from the courthouse
-to value his property. The slaves were valued, too. I remember Captain
-King lifting me high above his head and saying to the man: 'I wouldn't
-take a thousand dollars for this little gem.'"
-
-She paused a moment. The light in her eyes showed that she was reliving
-the thrill of that childhood incident.
-
-"Then Captain King left with the other soldiers. Papa stayed and took
-care of the 'white lady' and the house. After a while my brother ran
-away and joined the troops to fight for Captain King. He came back after
-the war, but Captain King did not. Several years later I saw a man down
-in south Georgia who told me that he belonged to Captain King's troops.
-He said that he was standing near him when he was killed.
-
-.. _`Esther King Casey`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image061casey.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Esther King Casey
-
- Esther King Casey, Birmingham, Alabama
-
-"After the proclamation the slaves were free. Most of them leased out to
-plantation owners. I stayed with mamma and the 'white lady.'"
-
-Mrs. King had taught the little slave girl to read and write, and when
-schools were opened for the freed slaves she told the child's mother to
-send her to school. Fees of fifty cents a month were charged, which
-Mrs. King paid as long as the child remained with her. At eighteen years
-of age the girl had acquired sufficient education to qualify to teach in
-the public schools for Negroes. After three years of teaching she
-married Jim Casey, an ex-slave, who took her to his "three-plow" farm in
-south Georgia.
-
-"No man ever lived who was finer than Jim," said the old woman. "My
-daughter used to say that I loved him more than God, and that God was
-jealous and took him away from me."
-
-After her only daughter's death in 1919, Esther was brought to
-Birmingham by her grandson who has kept her comfortably ever since. Her
-hair is just turning gray, though she was born in 1856. The little briar
-pipe, which she endeavors to conceal from strangers, is the only outward
-evidence that she has anything in common with others of her
-generation.
-
-Amy Chapman
-===========
-
- | **Interview with Amy Chapman**
- | —*Ruby F. Tartt, Livingston, Alabama*
-
-*DE MASTERS GOOD, BUT OVERSEERS MEAN*
-
-Aunt Amy paused as she worked among the small plants in her garden,
-removing a weed here and there. She pushed back the sunbonnet that
-shaded her eyes and began:
-
-"I was bawn on Governor Reuben Chapman's place five miles north of
-Livingston on May 14, 1843. My name is Amy Chapman. My mother was Clary
-Chapman an' my pappy was Bob Chapman. Dey both come from Virginny; my
-mammy from Petersburg an' my pappy f'um Richmond. Dey was driv' down to
-Alabamy lak cattle an' Marse Reuben bought 'em. He had a lot of slaves
-caze he had a heap of plantations, but him an' his wife stay most of de
-time in Huntsville an' dey had a heap of white oberseers. I had a plenty
-of chilluns but not as many as my mammy.
-
-"Who was my husban'? Law chile, I ain't never had no special husban'. I
-even forgits who was de pappy of some of dese chilluns of mine.
-
-"Us had a mean oberseer, an' since Marse Reuben warn't never at home,
-dem oberseers useter treat us somp'n awful. One day Marse Reuben come
-home an' when he foun' out dat de oberseer was mean to de slaves he
-commence to give him a lecture, but when Miss Ferlicia tuk a han' in de
-business, she didn't stop at no lecture, she tol' dat oberseer dis: 'I
-hear you take my women an' turn dere clothes ober dere haids an' whup
-'em. Any man dat's got a family an' would do sich a thing oughter be
-sham' of hisself, an' iffen Gov. Chapman can't make you leave, I kin, so
-you see dat road dere? Well, make tracks den.' An' Mistis, he lef'
-raght den. He didn't wait for no coaxin'. He was de meanes' oberseer us
-ever had. He tuk my ol'est brother an' had him stretched out jus' lak
-you see Christ on de cross; had him chained, an' I sot down on de groun'
-by him an' cried all night lack Mary an' dem done. Dat oberseer was de
-fus' one dat ever putt me in de fiel', an' he whupped me wid de cat er
-nine tails when I was stark naked.
-
-"Den dere was anudder mean man named [...] who was always a-beatin'
-nigger women caze dey wouldn't mind him.
-
-"Us warn't learned to read an' write, but Mr. Jerry Brown's slaves were.
-He owned a big plantation. Us didn't go to no nigger church, caze dere
-warn't none. I was babtized in Jones Creek, an' Dr. Edmon's a white
-preacher, j'ined me to de Jones Creek Babtist Church long fo' de war,
-an' de song I lacked bes' was a white folks song. Twarn't no nigger
-song. It was lack dey sing it now, 'cep' mo' lovely, Miss, mo' lovely.
-
- | Dark was de night
- | Col' was de groun'
- | On which my Savior lay
- | Blood in draps of sweat run down
- | In agony he pray.
- |
- | Lawd, move did bitter cup
- | If sich dy sacred will
- | If not content I'll drink it up
- | Whose pleasure I'll fullfil.
-
-"An' anudder one us niggers useter sing was might pretty:
-
- | In evil long I tuk de light
- | An' led by shame an' fear
- | When a new object stopped my flight
- | An' stopped my wild career.
- |
- | I saw him hangin' on a tree
- | In agony an' blood
- | He fixed his languid eyes on me
- | As near his cross I stood.
- |
- | Sho' never till my latter breath
- | Kin I forgit dat look
- | He seemed to change me wid his death
- | Yit not a word he spoke.
- |
- | My conscience felt an' owned de quilt
- | An' plunged me in despair
- | I saw my sins his blood had spilt
- | An' helped to nail him dere.
-
-"Yassum, I kin tell you things about slavery times dat would make yo'
-blood bile, but dey's too turrible. I jus' tries to forgit.
-
-.. _`Amy Chapman`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image064chapman.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Amy Chapman
-
- Amy Chapman, Livingston, Alabama
-
-"I could tell you 'bout bein' run myself wid dem nigger dogs, but I
-ain't gwineter do it. I will tell you dough 'bout a mean man who whupped
-a cullid woman near 'bout to death. She got so mad at him dat she tuk
-his baby chile what was playin' roun' de yard and grab him up an'
-th'owed it in a pot of lye dat she was usin' to wash wid. His wife come
-a-hollin' an' run her arms down in de boilin' lye to git de chile out,
-an' she near 'bout burnt her arms off, but it didn't do no good 'caze
-when she jerked de chile out he was daid.
-
-"One day I seed ole Unker Tip Toe all bent over a-comin' down de road
-an' I ax him whut ail him an' he say: 'I's been in de stocks an' been
-beat till de blood come. Den ole Massa 'ninted my flesh wid red papper
-an' turpentine an' I's been most dead but I is somewhat better now.'
-Unker Tiptoe belonged to de meanes' ol' marster around here.
-
-"But, honey, I ain't never tol' nobody all dis an' ain't gwine tell you
-no mo'. Ride me home now, caze I's cripple; a cow was de cause of it.
-She drug me roun' dat new orchard whut I planted las' fall. She done run
-away wid me. Mistis I wished you would do me a favor an' write my son in
-Texas an' tell him dat I say, iffen he 'specks me to make him anymo' of
-dem star quilts, he better come on here an' kiver my house. De roof sho'
-does leak bad."
-
-Emma Chapman
-============
-
- | **Interview with Emma Chapman**
- | —*Mary A. Poole*
-
-Living in a small room in the rear of a house at 361 Augusta Street,
-Mobile, Alabama, the writer located an interesting ex-slave, Emma
-Chapman, who when first approached was somewhat reticent. I soon learned
-I had arrived just as she was ready to have her breakfast, which
-consisted of bread and coffee, and insisted she eat first and talk
-afterwards, as she had made just about enough fire in the open fireplace
-to boil the coffee.
-
-While she followed my suggestion I glanced about the room and found it
-very neat and tidy and an unusually comfortable looking double bed, a
-mirrored door chifferobe and two trunks, one rocking chair and a couple
-of straight chairs, a table containing all cooking utensils and food
-containers. The walls were covered with sheets of manilla wrapping
-paper, tacked on, and part of the ceiling patched with odds and ends of
-corrugated paper. Emma is small in stature, of light complexion with
-greying hair arranged in neat braids around her head, very clean in
-appearance.
-
-Emma said she was about 13 years of age at the time of the surrender,
-and that she was born on the plantation of Rev. Mr. Montgomery Curry of
-Charleston, S.C. When she was about 3 years of age Mr. Curry moved to
-Pickens County, Alabama, about 5 miles from Carrollton and 8 miles from
-Pickenville. When I asked why they moved to Alabama, Emma laughed, and
-said they expected to find money growing on trees in Alabama, and that
-she as a child came near being "snake bit" many a time, digging around
-the roots of old trees, trying to find money.
-
-Rev. Montgomery Curry, said Emma, was married to Ann Haynie, whose
-parents were Aaron and Francis Hudson Haynie, and Emma's grandmother
-was Lucy Linier, who was born in Virginia and was sold to Mr. Haynie to
-pay a debt. Lucy Linier was nurse for his daughter Ann and when she
-married Mr. Curry, she brought Lucy with her to her new home. The Currys
-had three children, a boy and two girls, and it was Lucy Linier's
-daughter, Patsy, who acted as their nurse.
-
-The home of Rev. and Mrs. Montgomery Curry was a two-story log house
-with wide open hall running the entire length of the house and with
-rooms opening off either side. The kitchen was out a short distance from
-the main house, with the dairy between the two, under a large hickory
-tree.
-
-The slave quarters were also built of logs, with space between for a
-shed room and small garden plot and a few chickens. The slave women did
-not go to the fields on Saturday as that was their day to clean up
-around their homes. They usually washed their clothes at night and hung
-them on the bushes where they were left to dry in the sunshine, maybe a
-couple of days, as no one could or would disturb them.
-
-Rev. Montgomery Curry was a Baptist preacher and had no overseer, except
-Lucy Linier and her husband, Emma's grandparents, who kept a supervision
-over the slaves about 40 in number. There was no whipping allowed on the
-Curry plantation, and after the death of Reverend Curry, Mrs. Ann Curry
-(his widow) ran the plantation under the same system. The patrollers had
-no jurisdiction over the Curry slaves, they were given permits by the
-Currys to go and come, and Emma said if one of those patrollers whipped
-one of "ole Miss's slaves, she would have sure sued them.
-
-Emma laughingly said the slaves on other plantations always said the
-Curry slaves were "free niggers," as they could always get permits, and
-had plenty to eat and milk to drink. The slaves cooked their breakfasts
-in their own cabins, but dinner and supper was cooked in the kitchen and
-each came with their pan to be filled and had their own gourds which
-were grown on the place to drink their milk and of which they could have
-full and plenty.
-
-During the war they cooked for the Confederate soldiers encamped nearby
-and great quantities were prepared. Emma was one of those delegated to
-carry the food to the camp. All she ever saw of the Yankees were two who
-stopped at the house and asked for something to eat. Mrs. Montgomery
-invited them in and served the best she had. One of the men wanted to
-take the last mule she had and the other said "No, Mrs. Montgomery is a
-widow and from the appearance of her slaves she has treated them well."
-
-Mrs. Montgomery told them that someone had stolen her saddle horse and
-the soldier who had remonstrated with the other replied: "Madam, your
-saddle horse will be returned in three weeks," and sure enoug, one night
-about midnight they heard a horse whinny and Emma's grandfather said
-"there is old Spunk," and there was old Spunk waiting outside.
-
-Emma said the first whipping she ever had, was after the Surrender,
-given her by her own father when they left Alabama and went to live near
-Columbus, Miss.
-
-She had always lived in the house with the "old Miss" and her young
-Miss, and when she had to leave them, she cried and so did they.
-
-Her grandmother Lucy Linier nursed "Miss Ann"; Lucy's daughter Patsy
-nursed "Miss Ann's" children, and was the special property of Fannie
-Montgomery Curry, who married a Mr. Sidney Lipscomb and whose children
-Emma helped to look after, so the three generations were interwoven.
-
-Emma only wishes she could go back to plantation days. All her trials
-and suffering came after she left "Ole Miss," and went to live with her
-father and mother, George and Patsy Curry, who had fourteen children and
-of which Emma was the eldest. Her father who was a quadroon in cast was
-cruel to his family, and especially so to her. He made her work like a
-man, cutting timber, splitting rails, digging, planting and all work of
-the farm.
-
-Now, Emma is the only member of her family left. She married three
-times, having only two children, a girl and a boy, these by her last
-husband, Frank Chapman, now dead, and Emma has no knowledge of her
-children's whereabouts. She gave them an education so they could write
-to her if they wanted to. The girl married and left Mobile, the boy went
-to Chicago, was chauffeur for some rich folks. His last letter several
-years ago, in which he enclosed $25.00, stated he was going on a trip to
-Jerusalem with one of the young men of the family.
-
-Henry Cheatam
-=============
-
- | **Interview with Henry Cheatam**
- | —*Ila B. Prine*
-
-*I HEARD LINCOLN SET US FREE*
-
-"White folks, I'se glad you drapped by to have a talk wid me. I was
-gittin' powerfully lonely," said Henry Cheatam, who lives in Marysville,
-a Mobile suburb. "Sho' I'll be glad to tell you some about de slave
-days. I sho' 'members plenty. Well, to begin wid, I was born in 1850
-near West Point. Dat's in Clay County, Mississippi, you know. I b'longed
-to Mr. Tom Hollingshead who was killed in de Cibil War. I 'members all
-de slaves agoin' in to take a last look at him atter dey done brung his
-body home.
-
-"My mammy's name was Emmeline Cheatam, an' my pappy's was Sam Cheatam. I
-don't remember my grandpappy an' grandmammy atall.
-
-"Us slaves libed in log cabins what was daubed wid clay to keep de rain
-an' win' out, an' de chimneys was made of clay an' sticks. De beds was
-home-made an' nailed agin' de wall wid legs on de outer side. De Massa's
-house was build of logs too, but it was much bigger'n de nigger cabins
-an' sot way out in front of ourn. Atter de massa was kilt, old Miss had
-a nigger oberseer an' dat was de meanest debil dat eber libbed on de
-Lawd's green yearth. I promise myself when I growed up dat I was agoin'
-to kill dat nigger iffen it was de las' thing I eber done. Lots of times
-I'se seen him beat my mammy, an' one day I seen him beat my Auntie who
-was big wid a chile, an' dat man dug a roun' hole in de groun' an' put
-her stummick in it, an' beat an' beat her for a half hour straight till
-the baby come out raght dere in de hole.
-
-"Why de Mistis 'low such treatment? A heap of times ole Miss didn't know
-nuthin' 'bout it, an' de slaves better not tell her, 'caze dat oberseer
-whup 'em iffen he finds out dat dey done gone an' tol'. Yassun, white
-folks, I'se seed some turrible things in my time. When de slaves would
-try to run away our oberseer would put chains on dere legs wid big long
-spikes tween dere feets, so dey couldn't git away. Den I's seen great
-bunches of slaves put up on de block an' sol' jus' lak dey was cows.
-Sometimes de chilluns would be seprated from dere maws an' paws.
-
-"I come pretty near to bein' tuk away from my maw. When de slaves was
-bein' 'vided, one of ole Miss' datters was agoin' to Texas, an' I was
-goin' to have to go when somebody hollered 'Freedom', an' I sho' was
-glad 'caze I could stay wid my mammy now.
-
-"In dose days us had plenty of good, plain food; such as pot likker,
-greens, cornbread, 'taters, peas, pears, an' at hog killin' us had
-chittlin's an' pig jowls an' back bone. Den us would cotch 'possums at
-night when dey come up in de corn fiel'. Us neber seed no flour dough.
-
-"As for fishin', we neber did none, 'caze we hadda work too hard. We
-worked from 'can to can't.' Git up at sunrise, go to de fiel' an' stay
-till dark. In de middle of de day dey would sen' our somp'n t'eat to de
-fiel' wid a barrel of water. But for breakfas' an' supper, us hadda cook
-our own grub dey gib us.
-
-"Our clo's warn't many. Us chilluns wo' a one-piece suit made outen
-osnaburg, an' us would hab to take dat off at night, wash it an' put it
-back on de nex' day. As for shoes, chillun neber had none. You see,
-white folks, I was jus' a chile, jus' big enough to tote water to de
-fiel's.
-
-.. _`Henry Cheatam`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image072cheatam.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Henry Cheatam
-
- Henry Cheatam, Marysville, Alabama
-
-"I 'members when de Yankees was acomin' th'ough I hoped to ca'y de
-hosses to de woods an' hoped to hide de meat an' bury de valu'bles,
-'caze dem Yankees tuk whatever dey wanted, an' you better not say
-nothin' neither 'caze dey had dem long swyords ahangin' at dere sides.
-
-"In dem days, de slaves done all de work an' carried all de news. De
-marsters sont notes from one plantation to anudder, an' when dey wanted
-de niggers to come to de Big House dey would blow an ole cow horn. Dey
-had certain number of blows for certain niggers. Dat is, de niggers dat
-was somp'n. Dey would also use dis horn for 'possum an' coon huntin' at
-night. De li'l niggers at night went to de big house to spin an' weave.
-I'se spun a many roll an' carded a many bat of cotton. I'se also made a
-many tallow candle by tyin' strings onto a long stick an' droppin dem
-down into moulds filled wid tallow. I'se hid many a night in de fence
-corners when I'd be agoin' som'ers to git my mammy some 'bacco. De
-pattyrollers would be out lookin' for slaves dat didn't hab no pass from
-dere oberseer, an' I'd hear dem acomin' an' I'd hide till dey pass on,
-'caze iffen dey cotch me I sho' gwine have a sound beatin'.
-
-"De owners always tuk care of us, and when us got sick dey would git a
-doctor, an' ole Miss was all right, but dat oberseer was a debil. He
-wouldn't 'low no meetin' on de place. Sometimes us would slip down de
-hill an' turn de wash pot bottom up'ards so de soun' of our voices would
-go under de pot, an' us'd have a singin' an' prayin' raght dere.
-
-"Mos' of de slave could go sometimes to de white folks church when dey
-gits a pass from dere Massa, but dat mean oberseer always tried to keep
-us from goin' so's us couldn't learn nothin'. He didn't want us to learn
-to read or write neither.
-
-"No'm us didn't have nothin' lak matches till I was growed. Us used
-flint rocks an' cotton to start de fires.
-
-"Us didn't have nothin' but food an' clothes. We didn't have no garden
-of our own an' der wan't no celebratin', 'ceptin' at hog killin'. Dat
-was de bigges' day of de year.
-
-"On Sat'day afternoon we was 'lowed to play, but I can't 'member none of
-de games. Us jus' played lak all li'l niggers did den. At night time us
-jus' went to our cabins an' went to bed, 'caze we warn't 'lowed to do no
-singing. Mos' of de singin' was done in de fiel's.
-
-"Cornshuckin' time come when dey wanted to git de seed corn for
-plantin', an' us would commence de shuckin' when it commence rainin'.
-
-"You axed me 'bout funerals an' weddin's. Us niggers nebber ma'ied an'
-don't 'member any big weddin's of de white folks. But dey buried folks
-den de same as dey does now, in a box. Dey would bury de slaves same as
-dey done de white folks, but us didn't eben have no babtizin' on 'count
-of dat oberseer. He didn't lak for us to git no religion. Cose all
-slaves didn't have hard treatment lak us did, 'caze dere oberseer an'
-Marster warn't as mean as ourn.
-
-"No'm we didn't know nothin' 'bout no hoodoo stuff in dem days. Dey only
-had homemade medicines, dat is unless dey got sho' nuff powerful sick
-an' den dey would go to see a doctor. Us used bone-set tea made from a
-weed. Lawd, it was bitterer dan quinine, an' it were good for de chills
-an' fever, an' it would purge you too. Den us used life-everlastin' tea
-for fever, an' Jerusalem brush-reed to get rid of worms.
-
-"But, Miss, I knows dere is gostes, 'caze when I was a little boy my
-mammy come in from de fiel' an' laid across de bed an' I was sittin' in
-front of de fireplace an' a big somp'n lak a cow widout no haid come in
-de do' an' I commence to beat on it wid my fists. Den my mammy say:
-'What matter wid you, nigger?' Den dat critter he walk raght out de
-do'. I looked outen de window an' dere it was a-goin' in Aunt Marfa's
-cabin. I neber did see it no mo'. Den anudder time a white man died an'
-my mammy was a stayin' wid his sister an' dis spirit lak an angel come
-to my mammy an' tol' her to tell de white lady to read de Bible
-back'ards three times, 'caze dere was one talent 'tween her an' Jesus.
-Atter dat she were comforted. Anudder time, my pappy, Sam Cheatam, who
-was a wicked man, was a-sittin' in front of de fire an' a big brindle
-dog come to de do' an' started barkin'. My pappy say: 'What in de Hell
-am dat?' an' snapped his fingers at de dog. De dog he den dropped daid.
-Some folks say dat dere ain't no sich things as gostes, but I know dere
-is, 'caze dere is good spirits an' bad spirits.
-
-"Dem was good ol' days, Mistis, even iffen us did have a hard time an' I
-don't know iffen it warn't better'n it is now. I has to almos' go
-hongry, an' I can't git no he'p from de government, 'caze I is over 65
-years old. Fact is, I believe I 'druther be alivin' back dere dan today
-'caze us at least had plenty somp'n t'eat an' nothin' to worry about.
-An' as for beatin'; dey beats folks now iffen dey don't do raght, so
-what's de difference? Yassum, Mistis, I worked as long as I was able an'
-didn't axe nobody for nothin', but now it's diff'rent, 'caze I ain't
-able to do no work. I'se tried to do raght and ain't never been in but
-one fight in my life. I now belongs to de Corinthian Babtist Church, an'
-I's tryin' to live so when de good Lawd calls I'll be ready to answer
-wid a clean soul.
-
-"I'se had two wives, but I was only a young nigger when I had de fust
-un, an' had two chilluns by her, den I lef' her 'caze she warn't no
-'count. Dat's been forty year ago, an' I ain't neber seen my chilluns in
-all dem years. My second wife I got when I lived thirty miles below
-Birmingham, Alabama, at de ol' Bank Mines. Dat's been thirty-five year
-ago an' us is still together. Us ain't neber had no chilluns. No'm, I
-don't know nothin' 'bout Abe Lincoln 'ceptin' dey say he sot us free,
-an' I don't know nothin' 'bout dat neither."
-
-Laura Clark
-===========
-
- | **Interview with Laura Clark**
- | —*Ruby Pickens Tartt, Livingston, Alabama*
-
-*CHILLUN IN EV'Y GRABEYARD*
-
-Laura Clark, black and wrinkled with her eighty-six years, moved
-limpingly about the tiny porch of her cabin on the outskirts of
-Livingston. Battered cans and rickety boxes were filled with a profusion
-of flowers of the common variety. Laura offered me a split-bottomed
-chair and lowered herself slowly into a rocker that creaked even under
-her frail body. "Po'ly, Miss, po'ly," she responded to my query about
-her health. "Tain't lack de old days. I's crippled and mos' blin' now
-atter all de years what I got.
-
-"I was born on Mr. Pleasant Powell's place in North Ca'lina, and when I
-was 'bout six or seven years ole I reckon hit 'twas, Mr. Garret from
-right up yonder in de bend, 'bout eight miles from Livingston gwine
-no'th on de Livingston and Epes road, bought ten of us chillun in North
-Ca'lina and sont two white men, and one was Mr. Skinner, to fotch us
-back in waggins. En he fotch ole Julie Powell and Henry to look atter
-us. Wa'n't none of dem ten chillun no kin to me, and he never bought my
-mammy, so I had to leave her behine.
-
-"I recollect Mammy said to old Julie, 'Take keer my baby chile (dat was
-me) an iffen I never sees her no mo' raise her for God.' Den she fell
-off de waggin where us was all settin' and roll over on de groun' jes'
-acryin'. But us was eatin' candy what dey done give us for to keep us
-quiet, and I didn't have sense 'nuff for to know what ailed Mammy, but I
-knows now and I never seed her no mo' in dis life. When I heered from
-her atter S'render she done dead and buried. Her name was Rachel Powell.
-My pappy's name I don't know ca'se he done been sole to somewhars else
-when I was too little to recollect. But my mammy was de mother of
-twenty-two chillun and she had twins in her lap when us driv' off. My
-gran'mammy said when I lef', 'Pray, Laura, and be er good gal, and min'
-bofe white and black. Ev'body will lack you and iffen you never see me
-no mo' pray to meet me in heaven.' Den she cried. Her name was Rose
-Powell.
-
-"Us all started den for Mr. Garrett's plantation down yonder in de bend,
-ten chillun and two ole uns, and two white men, and us was travellin'
-solid a month. Fuss thing Ole Marsa say was 'Now be good ter dese
-motherless chillun.' Den he went to war, and de overseers forgot all
-'bout dey promise. When Ole Marsa come back he done got his arm shot
-off, but he let bofe dem overseers go, ca'se dey done whupped dat ole
-'oman what come wid us to deaf. She brought her two little boys, Colvin
-and 'Lias, but Joe, dey pappy, didn't come—he was sole 'fo 'Lias was
-bawn. Joe never seed 'Lias.
-
-.. _`Laura Clark`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image078clark.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Laura Clark
-
- Laura Clark, Livingston, Alabama
-
-"I sets cross de road here from dat church over yonder and can't go
-'ca'se I'm cripple' and blin', but I heers um singin':
-
- | A motherless chile sees a hard time
- | Oh, Lord, he'p her on de road.
- | 'Er sister will do de bes' she kin
- | Dis is a hard world, Lord, fer a motherless chile.
-
-"And I jes' busts out cryin'. Dat was de song I had in view to sing for
-you, hit's so mournful. I knowed 'twa'n't no reel, 'twa'n't nothin' lack
-no reel, 'ca'se I been b'longin' to de church for fifty-five years, and
-I don't fancy no reel. I'm glad I got hit to my min' 'fo' you lef'. But
-my recollection is shaller. I ain't never read no verse in no Bible in
-my life, ca'se I can't read. Some my chillun kin, though. My husban'
-died and lef' me wid nine chillun, none of um couldn't pull de others
-outer de fire iffen dey fell in. I had mo'n dat, but some come here dead
-and some didn't. I got chillun dead in Birmingham and Bessemer. Dey
-ain't a graveyard in dis here settlement 'roun' Prospect where I ain't
-got chillun buried. Hettie Ann, right up dere ter Mr. Hawkins'
-graveyard, and my boy whut got killed settin' on de side de road eatin'
-his dinner, he' buried in Captain Jones' place in de bend yonder.
-
-"Yassum, I been drug about and put through de shackles so bad I done
-forgot some of dey names, and I mos' blin' now and can't hear good
-neither. But my eyes is good nuff for to see ghosts, but I don't b'lieve
-in 'em, 'ca'se I'd see dem chillun sometime effen dey was ghosties. I
-know I'd see my boy, ca'se dey showed me his head whar dat Miller boy
-hit him in de head wid a spade and split his head wide open, slip up
-behin' him and all he said was 'Squeek,' jes' lack a hog, and he was
-dead. And de murderer live right here but dey move and now I'm here.
-When hit rain us jes' gets under de bed 'ca'se de house ain't got no top
-on hit.
-
-.. _`Laura Clark's House`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image078clarkhouse.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Laura Clark's House
-
- Laura Clark's House, Livingston, Alabama
-
-"I can't say Marse Garrett wa'n't good to us motherless chillun but de
-overseer, Mr. Woodson Tucker, was mean as anybody. He'd whup you nigh
-'bout to deaf, and had a whuppin' log what he strip 'em buck naked and
-lay 'em on de log. He whup 'em wid a wide strop, wider'n my han', den he
-pop de blisters what he raise and 'nint 'em wid red pepper, salt, and
-vinegar. Den he put 'em in de house dey call de pest house and have a
-'oman stay dere to keep de flys offen 'em 'twell dey get able to move.
-Den dey had reg'lar men in de fields wid spades, and iffen you didn't do
-what you git tole, de overseer would wrop dat strap 'roun' his han' and
-hit you in de haid wid de wooden handle 'til he kilt you. Den de mens
-would dig a hole wid de spades and throw 'em in hit right dere in de
-fiel' jes' lack dey was cows—didn't have no funeral nor nothin'.
-
-"Us had a heap of houses in de quarters right on bofe sides de Big
-House. Us could step outer one house to 'tother. But, Miss, I didn't
-work so hard or have no trouble either. I was in de house atter Marsa
-come home and foun' me splittin' rails and plowin'. He 'lowed dey done
-put me in too hard a ship, and I was too little, so he tuck me to de
-house to draw water and wash dishes, 'ca'se I was a little motherless
-gal. Ole Marsa done a good part by me, and I was married to my fuss
-husban', Cary Crockett, right dere in de parlor. He tole de overseer dat
-us was human and had feelin's same as him, so he rejected de
-paterrollers and made 'em git off de place. I was treated good, 'ca'se I
-'membered what my gran'ma say, and whatever dey tole me to put my han'
-to, I did, and I was obedient and wasn't hardheaded lack some de res.' I
-had no trouble, and wasn't 'buked none. But I's had mo' trouble las' ten
-years wid my own chillun den I ever did in slav'y time. Dey gives me
-sich bitter words till I can't swaller 'em and I jes' sets and cries. I
-can't read no songs to comfort me, jes' ketch 'em from de preacher on de
-stan' and hole 'em, dat's de way I ketch my larnin'.
-
-"Las' sermon I hyard, he tuck his tex' en said, 'Don't nobody
-rob God.' Den he say, 'Effen you is goin' to 'tend to serve God, serve
-Him in de full, 'ca'se God don't never bat a eye, nor turn His haid
-and he kin see you. He frowns at ev'y sin, but He's a sinforgivin'
-man.' I use to know a heap 'bout de Lord, but I'm so cripple' an
-blin' since de ca'f jumped on my foot I can't go to church no mo', so
-I done forgot.
-
-"You ax 'bout dem flowers on de po'ch—I sho' wish dey was mine, you
-could have 'em 'ca'se dey ain't room nuff wid dem for me ter sit whar I
-desire. Us ain't got no meal and here 'tis jes' Tuesday—no mo' till
-Saddy. Sho' is bad; us jes' 'pends on de neighbors and borrys."
-
-Hattie Clayton
-==============
-
- | **Interview with Hattie Clayton**
- | —*Preston Klein*
-
-*DE YANKS DRAPPED OUTEN DE SKY*
-
-'Aunt' Hattie Clayton said, "I'se gittin' erroun' de ninety notch,
-honey, an' I reckon de Kingdom ain't fur away."
-
-She lives in a tiny cabin not far from Opelika. Her shoulders are bent;
-her hair gray, but she still does a large amount of housework. She likes
-to sit on the tumbledown front porch on summer afternoons, plying her
-knitting needles and stretching her aged legs in the warm sunlight.
-
-"'Twas a long time ago, honey," she observed when talk of slavery days
-was brought up, "but I 'members as ef 'twas yestidy. My ol' mistus was
-de Widder Day. She owned a plantation clos't to Lafayette an' she was
-mighty good to us niggers.
-
-"Ol' Mistus boughten me when I was jus' a little tyke, so I don't
-'member 'bout my pappy an' mammy.
-
-"Honey, I 'members dat us little chilluns didn't go to de fiel's twel us
-was big 'nuff to keep up a row. De oberseer, Marse Joe Harris, made us
-work, but he was good to us. Ol' Mistus, she wouldn't let us wuk whin it
-was rainin' an' cold."
-
-Asked about pleasures of the old plantation life, she chuckled and
-recalled:
-
-"I kin heah de banjers yit. Law me, us had a good time in dem
-days. Us danced most eb'ry Sattidy night an' us made de rafters shake
-wid us foots. Lots o' times Ole Missus would come to de dances an'
-look on. An' whin er brash nigger boy cut a cute bunch uv steps, de
-menfolks would give 'im a dime or so.
-
-"Honey, us went t' de church on a Sundays. I allus did lak
-singin' and I loved de ol' songs lak, 'Ol' Ship of Zion,' an' 'Happy
-Land.' Ol' Mistus useter take all de little scamps dat was too little
-for church an' read de Book to dem under de big oak tree in de front
-yahd."
-
-"Aunt Hattie," she was asked, "do you remember anything about the War
-between the States?"
-
-"You mean de Yankees, honey?"
-
-"Yes, the Yankees."
-
-Her coal black face clouded.
-
-"Dey skeered us nearly to death," she began. "Dey drap right outen de
-sky. Ol' Mistus keep hearin' dey was comin', but dey didn't nebber show
-up. Den, all ter once, dey was swarmin' all ober de place wid deir blue
-coats a-shinin' an' deir horses a'rarin'.
-
-"Us chilluns run en hid in de fence corners en' behin' quilts
-dat was hangin' on de line. An' honey, dem Yankees rid deir horses rat
-onto Ol' Mistus flower beds. Dey hunted de silver, too, but us done
-hid dat.
-
-"I 'members dey was mad. Dey sot de house a-fire an' tuk all de
-vittals dey could fin'. I run away an' got los', an' whin I come back
-all de folks was gone."
-
-'Aunt' Hattie said she "wint down de big road an' come to a lady's house
-where she remained until she married.
-
-"Us moved to Lafayette an' den to Opelika," she concluded, "an' I bin'
-here eber since."
-
-She lives with one of her numerous granddaughters now. She finds her
-great happiness in "de promise" and the moments when she can sit in the
-shade and dip her mind back into memory.
-
-Wadley "Shorty" Clemons
-=======================
-
- | **Interview with Wadley "Shorty" Clemons**
- | —*G.L. Clark*
-
-He was bent over the lawn, carefully trimming the border into a neat
-line. A small black figure in overalls, clean but worn blue chambray
-shirt, the misshapen remains of shoes and a nondescript hat, from under
-which protruded thin white sideburns.
-
-"Good morning, Uncle," I said, "Mr. Lee was telling me about you. He
-said you lived back in slavery times. Is that right?"
-
-"Yes suh, I sho' did. I'll be 92 years old de second of August, and I
-was a slave for 20 year. I had a good ole massa and mistis, de bes' dere
-was. Ole massa was a great big man, an' he wa'n't scared of nothin' dey
-was. He wouldn't go nowhere without me. He always took me wid him. My
-grandma was a cook and my ma was a house girl.
-
-"We lived in Pine Hill, a summer resort in Jefferson County, Georgia,
-across the river from Louisville. From home we could look over and see
-de people walkin' about in Louisville.
-
-.. _`Wadley (Shorty) Clemons`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image084clemons.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Wadley (Shorty) Clemons
-
- Wadley (Shorty) Clemons, [TR: Village Springs?], Alabama
-
-"I remembers de day de Yankees come to Louisville. We could see them
-goin' about from one house to anudder, settin' fire. Den dey come on to
-de river and sot fire to de bridge. Dey wouldn't use our bridge. Dey
-built dese here pontoon bridges and dey could build dem before you could
-look away and look back. Den dey come across de river to Pine Hill.
-
-"Ole massa had his hosses an' mules hid down in de swamp but my uncle
-Tom went and got 'em an' brung 'em to de Yankees at de big gate. He
-didn't had to do it. He was jes' mean. He hadn't been much good to massa
-since de war commenced; lay off in de swamp mos' of de time. Arter he
-brung massa's hosses an' mules to de Yankees he went wid dem into
-massa's bedroom and dey jes' throwed massa and mistis close all outa' de
-closet and wardrobe and he give em' mistis gold yearings and bracelets
-and dey took de yearings and put dem on de hosses' years and put de
-bracelets on de hosses' ankles.
-
-"Ole massa was sittin' on de long porch smokin' one of dese Meerschaum
-pipes wid a stem way so long and dat pipe was white as snow. He had a
-big can of tobacco on de table in front of him. In dem days people made
-dey own tobacco and I wisht I had some of it now.
-
-"Massa had 'bout thutty fattening hogs and de Yankees jes' went in de
-pen and cut dem hogs in two. He had jes' lots of turkeys and guineas an'
-de Yankees shot dem down. He had thutty hives of bees in one long row
-an' one Yankee run up to de firs' hive an jump in it head first, and de
-bees stung him till he died. De udders pull him out and took him to de
-well and poured water over him but he stayed dead so dey just dug a hole
-down by the side of the road and bury him in it. Yessir, dat's de trufe!
-
-"Dey stayed dere all night and camped out and cooked massa's good smoked
-meat and burnt down de barns and done all de devilment dey could. I
-couldn't see no use in dere doin' what dey did, but dat's what dey done.
-
-"Massa had 71 slaves when dey was made free. De next county wasn't fit
-for much farming and atter we was freed my Uncle Andy went dere an'
-bought a place. De land sold for 50 cents de acre atter de timber was
-cut off. Uncle Andy had a brudder Sam and Sam had a steer. Dey plowed
-wid de steer.
-
-"Uncle Andy worked at de sawmill in daytime an' at night he cut two
-cords of wood before he go to bed. He make two bales of cotton de first
-year and de next year he make four. Den he tuk up preachin'. He was a
-Methodist preacher.
-
-"Den ole massa die and ole mistis lose all her land. Uncle Andy was
-right good fixed so he took keer of her a year or more 'fore she died.
-Den when she died, he went to pay all de expenses of de funeral but de
-white folks won't let him kase dey say he done his share already.
-
-"My massa's name was William Clemons and dey name me Wadley for ole man
-Wadley, de president of de Center Road.
-
-"Dem days is gone a long time an' I still heah, but dey was good times
-den. I had plenty to eat, plenty close to wear and when I gets sick, ole
-massa come to give me some medicine and I don't need no doctor.
-
-"People worship God in dem days and not bother wid church houses so
-much. Ev'ry Sunday ole massa get out by de back do' and teach us Sunday
-school. Den we cut tree limbs and make brush arbors for preaching. In de
-summer atter crops been laid by, us all, black and white, go to camp
-meetin' and stay a week. De white preacher preach on one side and de
-nigger on de udder. We carry lots of vittles and feed everybody. Niggers
-sho' was better off in slavery times."
-
-William Colbert
-===============
-
- | **Interview with William Colbert**
- | —*John Morgan Smith*
-
-*MY MASTER WAS A MEAN MAN*
-
-"Sho. I remember de slavery days. How could I forgits?"
-
-Slowly Uncle Will spoke these words as he made his way up a few rickety
-steps with the aid of an old broomstick to his cabin door. "We can jes'
-set in de swing effen you wants to hear a little 'bout dem ole days,
-kaze I can sho tell it."
-
-"Well, first, Uncle Will, what's your full name and where are you from?"
-
-"My name am William Colbert and I'se fum Georgia. I was bawn in 1844 on
-my massa's plantation in Fort Valley. My massa's name was Jim Hodison.
-At one time he had 165 of us niggers."
-
-Uncle Will, a gaunt, black figure with two weeks growth of gray hair
-upon his face, spoke in a soft, quaking voice scarcely audible ten feet
-away. His eyes had a far-off, sad expression of one who had known
-suffering. They were set deep back in bony caverns.
-
-"Well, Uncle Will, tell me something about the slave days. Was your
-master good to you?"
-
-.. _`William Colbert`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image087colbert.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: William Colbert
-
- William Colbert, [TR: Birmingham], Alabama
-
-"Nawsuh, he warn't good to none of us niggers. All de niggers 'roun'
-hated to be bought by him kaze he was so mean. When he was too tired to
-whup us he had de oberseer do it; and de overseer was meaner dan de
-massa. But, Mister, de peoples was de same as dey is now. Dere was good
-uns and bad uns. I jus' happened to belong to a bad un. One day I
-remembers my brother, January was cotched ober seein' a gal on de next
-plantation. He had a pass but de time on it done gib out. Well suh, when
-de massa found out dat he was a hour late, he got as mad as a hive of
-bees. So when brother January he come home, de massa took down his long
-mule skinner and tied him wid a rope to a pine tree. He strip' his shirt
-off and said:
-
-"'Now, nigger, I'm goin' to teach you some sense.'
-
-"Wid dat he started layin' on de lashes. January was a big, fine lookin'
-nigger; de finest I ever seed. He was jus' four years older dan me, an'
-when de massa begin a beatin' him, January neber said a word. De massa
-got madder and madder kaze he couldn't make January holla.
-
-"'What's de matter wid you, nigger' he say. 'Don't it hurt?'
-
-"January, he neber said nothin', and de massa keep a beatin' till little
-streams of blood started flowin' down January's chest, but he neber
-holler. His lips was a quiverin' and his body was a shakin', but his
-mouf it neber open; and all de while I sat on my mammy's and pappy's
-steps a cryin'. De niggers was all gathered about and some uv 'em
-couldn't stand it; dey hadda go inside dere cabins. Atter while,
-January, he couldn't stand it no longer hisself, and he say in a hoarse,
-loud whisper:
-
-"'Massa! Massa! have mercy on dis poor nigger.'
-
-Will's eyes narrowed down to fine creases as his thick lips came
-together in smacking noises, and the loose skin beneath his chin, and
-jaws seemed to shake with the impact of dread memories.
-
-"Den," he continued, after a brief pause in which time there was no
-sound except the constant drop of a bead of water in a lard bucket, "de
-war came. De Yankees come in and dey pulled de fruit off de trees and
-et it. Dey et de hams and cawn, but dey neber burned de houses. Seem to
-me lak dey jes' stay aroun' long enough to git plenty somp'n t'eat, kaze
-dey lef' in two or three days, an' we neber seed 'em since. De massa had
-three boys to go to war, but dere wasn't one to come home. All the
-chillun he had was killed. Massa, he los' all his money and de house
-soon begin droppin' away to nothin'. Us niggers one by one lef' de ole
-place and de las' time I seed de home plantation I was a standin' on a
-hill. I looked back on it for de las' time through a patch of scrub
-pines and it look' so lonely. Dere warn't but one person in sight, de
-massa. He was a-settin' in a wicker chair in de yard lookin' out ober a
-small field of cotton and cawn. Dere was fo' crosses in de graveyard in
-de side lawn where he was a-settin'. De fo'th one was his wife. I lost
-my ole woman too 37 years ago, and all dis time, I's been a carrin' on
-like de massa—all alone."
-
-Tildy Collins
-=============
-
- | **Interview with Tildy Collins**
- | —*Susie R. O'Brien, Uniontown, Alabama*
-
-In the Negro section of Uniontown, locally known as "Rabbit Yard" (named
-by the Negroes themselves), lives "Aunt Tildy" Collins, a typical "black
-mammy" of orthodox type. She is a talkative old soul, running over with
-slavery tales and greatly beloved by a wide range of acquaintances among
-both races. Although eighty-four summers have passed over her snow-white
-head, Aunt Tildy's spirit is unconquered by time and her physical
-activity is truly remarkable for her age. She does her own housework and
-cares for her home without assistance. In front of her one-room cabin is
-a neat garden of vegetables and flowers combined, with morning glories
-trained carefully over the fence nearly all the way around. There is a
-saying in the South, that cotton will grow better for a Negro than for
-any other race, and this might well be extended to include morning
-glories in Aunt Tildy's case; since none in Uniontown are quite so fine
-in growth or brilliance of coloring.
-
-Like nearly all old Negroes, Aunt Tildy goes to sleep very readily. She
-was dozing in a rocker on her small porch, while the scent of wood smoke
-and the odor of boiling vegetables issued from the cabin. An iron pot,
-hanging from a crane in the fireplace, sending forth clouds of steam and
-an appetizing aroma. She clings to old fashioned equipment and disdains
-a stove for cooking. Her "biled" vegetables or meats in the hanging pot,
-with baked potatoes and "pone" bread from the oven make up a meal that
-leaves little to be desired, as many visitors who have shared her
-repasts well know.
-
-As the gate squeaked, Aunt Tildy awoke with a start and a smile.
-
-"Come in, white folks, I was jes' a-settin' here waitin' for my greens
-to bile, an' I musta drapped off to sleep. Set down in dat cheer right
-dar, an' tek off your hat; you sho' is lookin' well, an' I'se proud to
-see you.
-
-"Yas, ma'am, I sho' was borned in slavery times, an' I wish to Gawd I
-could git now what I useter hab den, 'caze dem was good times for de
-black folks. Dese free niggers don't know what 'tis to be tuk good keer
-of.
-
-"Co'se I means dat! I was borned on a big plantation near 'bout to
-Linden, an' my Ole Marster was name Harris, yassum, Dick Harris, an' my
-Ole Mistis was Miss Mandy. Bofe dey boys fit in de wah, an' I 'members
-when dey went off wid de sojers, ole Mistis she cry an' hug dem boys an'
-kiss 'em goodbye, an' dey was gone a long time. I was a leetle gal
-whenst dey went to de wah, an' I was mos' a grown 'oman when dey come
-home, an' dey bofe had whiskers. Young Massa Richard he limpin' an' look
-mighty pale, an' dey say he been wounded an' stay in prison on Mister
-Johnson's island, summuz up de ribber; but Marse Willis, he look all
-right, 'cep'in' whiskers. Ole Marster had a big house, an' dat same
-house standin' dar right now. Us had plenty to eat an' plenty to wear,
-an' dat's mo'n what some folks got now.
-
-"Ole Marster was good to all he niggers, an' my pappy and mammy bofe
-belonged to him. Dey was a slave-yard in Uniontown, an' ev'y time a
-spec'later cum wid a lot of new niggers, Ole Marster he buy four or five
-niggers, an' dat's how he come to buy my pappy, atter de spec'later
-brung him an' a whole passel of niggers from North C'lina. My mammy here
-already 'long to Ole Marster. Her was borned his'n.
-
-"Sometime a no 'count nigger tek an' runned erway; but de oberseer, he
-put de houn's on he track, an' dey run him up a tree, an' de oberseer
-fetch him back nex' mawnin', all tuckerd out, an' he' glad to stay home
-for a spell an' 'have hese'f. Ole Marster had a good oberseer, too.
-'Cose he wan't no quality, lak Ole Marster an' Ole Mistis, but he was a
-good, kin' man an' he didn't hab no trouble on de whole plantation.
-
-"Us alluz had a Chris'mus tree in de quarter, jes' lak de white folks
-an' dey was presents for ev'ybody—nobody wan't lef' out, big or little.
-Dere was a meetin' house on de plantation an' Ole Marster had a rule dat
-all de chilluns had to go to Sunday school soon as dey was big 'nuff,
-an' dey had to go in clean white clo'se, too. Us chilluns hate to see
-Sunday come, 'caze Mammy an' Granmammy dey wash us an' near 'bout rub de
-skin off gittin' us clean for Sunday school, an' dey comb our heads wid
-a jimcrow. You ain't neber seed a jimcrow? Hit mos' lak a card what you
-card wool wid. What a card look lak? Humph! Missy, whar you been
-raise—ain't neber seed a card? Dat jimcrow sho' did hurt, but us
-hadder stan' hit, an' sometimes atter all dat, Mammy she wrap our kinky
-hair wid t'read an' twis' so tight us's eyes couldn't hardly shet.
-
-"My Granmammy, her de head cook 'oman at de big house, an' us had to
-mine her lak us did Mammy. I ho'p Granmammy in de kitchen, atter I got
-big 'nuff an' she sho' did keep me humpin'. Chilluns had to mine dey
-olders in dem days. Dey wan't lak dey is now, don't mine nobody, not
-eben dey Pa.
-
-"When de surrender come, Ole Marster he tole all de niggers dey was free
-now, an' some was glad an' some was sorry an' welst dey might be sorry,
-iffen dey knowed what a hard time dey goner had knockin' 'roun' de worl'
-by deyself; no Ole Marster an' no Ole Mistis ter look atter 'em an' feed
-'em when dey sick an' when dey well. Look lak ter me, when de surrender
-parted de white folks an' de black folks, it hurt 'em bofe. Dey oughter
-be tergedder, jes' lak de Good Lord 'tended dey be."
-
-Aunt Tildy sighed deeply and, gazing afar off, said: "Iffen Ole Marster
-was livin' now, I'd be all right an' not hafter worry 'bout nuffin."
-
-In spite of her eighty-four years, Aunt Tildy makes her living as a
-mid-wife and serves as a "doctor man" in cases of minor ailments; but
-her practice is so closely interwoven with "conju'in'" that it is
-difficult to say which is the more important to her. For example: she
-prescribes wearing matches in the hair or a little salt on the mole of
-the head for headache. Her sovereign remedy for rheumatism is "'nint de
-j'ints wid a little kerosene oil an' put some mullen leaves on it." "A
-good dost of turpentine is good for mos' anything de matter wid you." A
-coin with a hole in it, usually a dime, tied around the ankle will keep
-you from getting "pizen." Furthermore, this same treatment warns against
-the ill effects of getting "conju'ed." "Iffen you gits conju'ed, de dime
-turn black, an' you kin go to de conju' doctor an' git de conju' took
-off."
-
-"Is you got to go, Missy? Come back agin. I's allus proud to see you,"
-Aunt Tildy called after me from the edge of the porch.
-
-Sara Colquitt
-=============
-
- | **Interview with Sara Colquitt**
- | —*Preston Klein, Opelika, Alabama*
-
-*SHE JUST CAN REMEMBER HER HUSBAND'S NAME*
-
-Sara Colquitt, who used to till the fields in slavery days, now has a
-handmaiden of her own. Sara does not know the date of her birth in
-Richmond, Virginia, but she says it was more than a century ago. (1937).
-The "girl," whom her daughter has employed to take care of the nearly
-blind and helpless centenarian, is well past eighty herself, yet she
-keeps her charge neat and clean and the cabin in which they live tidy.
-Sara's daughter works in the fields nearby at Opelika, Ala. to keep the
-family going.
-
-"Mr. Bill Slaughter and Miss Mary Slaughter was our marster and mistess
-and dey had two chilluns, Marsa Robert and Marsa Brat," Sara said. "I
-had four brothers and sisters, Tate, Sam, Jennie, and Tenner. Us lived
-in log cabins wid dirt floors and dey was built in two long rows. Us
-beds was nailed to de wall at one end and us used corn shucks and pine
-straw for mattresses.
-
-"Miss Mary was good to us, but us had to work hard and late. I worked in
-de fields every day from 'fore daylight to almost plumb dark. I usta
-take my littlest baby wid me. I had two chilluns, and I'd tie hit up to
-a tree limb to keep off de ants and bugs whilst I hoed and worked de
-furrow. All us niggers was fed from de big kitchen and wasn't hongry,
-but sometimes us would steal more food dan was give us anyhow.
-
-.. _`Sara Colquitt`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image093colquitt.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Sara Colquitt
-
- Sara Colquitt, Opelika, Alabama
-
-"I was one of de spinners, too, and had to do six cuts to de reel at de
-time and do hit at night plenty times. Us clothes was homespun osnaburg,
-what us would dye, sometimes solid and sometimes checked.
-
-"'Sides working de fields and spinning, sometimes I'd ho'p wid de
-cooking up at de Big House when de real cook was sick or us had a passel
-of company. Us cooked on a great, big fireplace what had arms hanging
-out over de coals to hang pots on to bile. Den us had three-legged
-skillets what set right over de coals for frying and sech like. Us
-cooked sho' 'nuff bread in dem days, ash cakes, de best thing you ever
-et. Dey ain't nothing like dat dese days.
-
-"I was sold oncet before I left Virginia. Den I was brung down to
-Alabama and sold from de block for $1,000 to Mr. Sam Rainey, at Camp
-Hill, Ala. I still worked in de fields, but I would cook for de white
-folks and hope around de Big House on special 'casions. Our overseer was
-Mr. Green Ross, and he was a bad one, too. Mean, my goodness! He'd whup
-you in a minute. He'd put you in de buck, tie your feet and den set out
-to whup you right.
-
-"He would get us slaves up 'fore day, blowing on his big horn, and us
-would work 'twell plumb dark. All de little niggers'd get up, too, and
-go up to de Big House to be fed from wooden bowls. Den dey'd be called
-ag'in 'fore us come from de fields and put to bed by dark. I useta stop
-by de spring house to get de milk, it was good cold too, and tote it up
-to de Big House for dinner.
-
-"I had two chilluns. Dey was named Lou and Eli, and dey was took care of
-like de rest. Us useta have some good times. Us could have all de fun us
-wanted on Sa'dday nights, and us sho' had it, cutting monkeyshines and
-dancing all night long sometimes. Some would pat and sing, 'Keys not
-arunning, Keys not arunning," and us sho' did more'n dance, I'm telling
-you. Sometimes our Mistess would come down early to watch us dance.
-
-"Next to our dances, de most fun was corn-shucking. Marsa would have de
-corn hauled up to de cribs and piled as a house. Den he would invite de
-hands 'round to come and ho'p shuck it. Us had two leaders or generals
-and choose up two sides. Den us see which side would win first and
-holler and sing. I disremembers the hollers jest now. My mind is sorter
-missing. Marsa would pass de jug 'round, too. Den dey sho' could work
-and dat pile'd just vanish.
-
-"Us used de white folks' church in de morning. I j'ined de church den,
-'cause I always tried to live right and wid de Lord.
-
-"When de Yankees come through Dadeville, Ala., us heard 'bout hit and
-Marsa hid his money and lots of his fine things in de colored folks's
-houses. Dey never found 'em neither.
-
-"Lemme see who I married? I mighty nigh forgot who it was I did marry.
-Now, I knows. Hit was Prince Hodnett.
-
-"No'm, I don't want no more slavery. I hope dey don't have no more such,
-'cause hit was terrible.
-
-"Yes'm, I'd be proud to have my picture took."
-
-So pridefully Sara's chair was dragged out on the porch by her maid, and
-the "picture was took."
-
-Mandy McCullough Cosby
-======================
-
- | **Interview with Mandy McCullough Cosby**
- | —*Margaret Fowler, Fruithurst, Alabama*
-
-*THEY CALLED US MCCULLOUGH'S FREE NIGGERS*
-
-Mandy McCullough Cosby puffed reflectively at her mellowed corncob pipe
-and began her story:
-
-"My Massa, Bryant McCullough, was a Chambers county man. He had so many
-slaves I can't tell you de numbah. He didn't know hisself how many he
-had. I is now ninety-five years old an' what I remembers mos' is de way
-de chillun roll aroun' in de big nurses room." Mandy lives at 1508-Pine
-Street, Anniston, Alabama. She was cutting collards for dinner and left
-her dishpan and butcher knife to receive her caller.
-
-"Mist' McCullough, he raised niggahs to sell—an' the little black
-chillen play aroun' until 'bout sundown, dey is give dey supper. A long
-trough out in a cool place in the bak yard is filled wif good, cold
-buttermilk an' cornbread crumbed in, an' dey each is give a spoon, an'
-dey eats dey fill. Den dey is ready fo' bed. Some of dem jes' fall ovah
-on de groun', asleep, and is picked up, and put on dey pallet in de big
-chillens room. Dey was old woman called de nurse, look after 'em. Dey
-git good care fo' de master expects dey will bring good money.
-
-"Ol' Miss, she don't lak to see dem sold, an' she cry ever' time, she so
-tender-hearted. But Mist' McCullough is jes' lak mens is today. He jes'
-laugh an' go on.
-
-"But he was good to his black folks. Folks called us 'McCullough's free
-niggers.' Wasn't much whippin' went on 'roun' our plantation, but on
-some places close to us, they whipped until blood run down. Some places
-they even mixed salt an' pepper in water an' bathed 'em with it. The
-salt water'd heal, but when the pepper got in there, it burned lak fire,
-an' they'd as well get on to work quick, cause they can't be still
-nohow.
-
-"One woman, on a plantation not so far from us, was expectin', an' they
-tied her up under a hack-a-berry tree, an' whipped her until she died.
-Mos' any time at night ef you go 'roun' that tree, you could hear that
-baby cry. I 'spect you could hear it yet.
-
-"Everybody said that was murder, an' that something ought to be done
-about it, but nothin' ever was.
-
-"Mist' McCullough always give his folks plenty of sumpin' t'eat an' then
-he say, 'I's lookin' for plenty uv work.' 'Niggahs fat an' greasy can't
-do nothin' but work.
-
-"My mother was a loomer. She didn't do nothin' but weave. We all had
-reg'lar stints of spinnin' to do, when we come from the fiel'. We set
-down an' eat a good supper, an' ever'night until ten o'clock we spin
-cuts of cotton, an' reel the tread, an' nex' day, the rolls is carded
-an' packed in a basket to be wove.
-
-"Spinnin' wheels was in every cabin. Dere was so many of us to be tuk
-care of, it took lots of spinnin'."
-
-Emma Crockett
-=============
-
- | **Interview with Emma Crockett**
- | —*Ruby Pickens Tartt, Livingston, Alabama*
-
-On the old east road from Livingston to Epes, about six miles north-east
-of Livingston, is the "double house" built of widely assorted materials,
-where Emma Crockett lives. The older part of the house is the "settin'
-room" where the stick-and-clay chimney of its earlier days has been
-replaced by a new brick chimney. A roof of corrugated sheet metal tops
-the warped, roughly hewn logs which form the walls. The "new room" is
-built in the later shanty style—pine boards, unplaned, and nailed
-upright to a frame of 2X4's, the cracks of the flat joints "stripped"
-with narrow siding. A roof of "bought" shingles covers this room.
-Connecting the two rooms is an open hall roofed with heavy boards
-"rived" from pine blocks. Despite its conglomerate architecture this is
-a better "colored folks'" house than many in the Black Belt. These
-"double houses" often have no roof for the hall and some also lack a
-floor, the hall being made entirely of earth, sky and imagination.
-
-Emma settled herself on the top step at the front of the hall to talk to
-me, after first ironing a tiny wrinkle out of her "string apron" with
-her hand.
-
-.. _`Emma Crockett`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image098crockett.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Emma Crockett
-
- Emma Crockett, Livingston, Alabama
-
-"Miss, I'm 'bout sebenty-nine or eighty year old," she told me, "and I
-belonged to Marse Bill Hawkins and Miss Betty. I lived on deir
-plantation right over yander. My mammy was called Cassie Hawkins and my
-pappy was Alfred Jolly. I was Emma Jolly 'fore I married Old Henry
-Crockett. Us had five chillun and dey's two of 'em livin' in Bummin'ham,
-Fannie and Mary.
-
-"Sometimes I kain't git my min' together so as I kin tell nothin'. I
-fell out t'other day and had a misery in my head ever since. I wish I
-could read, but I wa'n't never l'arnt nothin' 'ceptin' atter Surrender
-Miss Sallie Cotes she showed us how to read printin'; but I kain't read
-no writin. I kain't tell you so much 'bout de wah' ca'se my recollection
-ain't no 'count dese days. All I knowed, 'twas bad times and folks got
-whupped, but I kain't say who was to blame; some was good and some was
-bad. I seed the patterollers, and atter Surrender de Ku Kluxes dey come
-den, but didn't never bother me. See, I wan't so old and I minded
-ev'ybody, and didn't vex 'em none. Us didn't go to church none, but I
-goes now to de New Prophet Church and my favorite song is:
-
- | Set down, set down, set down,
- | Set down, set down,
- | Set down, chile, set down.
- | Soul so happy till I kain't set down.
- |
- | Move de member, move Dan-u-el,
- | Move de member, move Dan-u-el.
- | Dan-u-el, member, don' move so slow.
- | Dan-u-el, member, don' move so slow.
- | Got on my rockin' shoes, Dan-u-el.
- | Got on my rockin' shoes, Dan-u-el.
- |
- | Shoes gwine to rock me home,
- | Shoes gwine to rock me home, Dan-u-el,
- | Shoes gwine to rock me home, Dan-u-el,
- | Shoes gwine to rock me home, Dan-u-el,
- | Dan-u-el.
- |
- | Shoes gwine to rock by faith,
- | Shoes gwine to rock by faith, Dan-u-el,
- | Shoes gwine to rock by faith, Dan-u-el.
- |
- | Love de member, move Dan-u-el.
- | Love de member, move Dan-u-el.
- | Got on my starry crown, Dan-u-el.
- | Got on my starry crown, Dan-u-el.
-
-"Dat's all I kin tell you today, honey. Come back when dis misery leave
-my head and I gwine to think up some tales and old songs.
-
-.. _`Emma Crockett's House`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image098crocketthouse.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Emma Crockett's House
-
- Emma Crockett's House, Livingston, Alabama
-
-"But I didn't never fool wid no hoodoo and no animal stories neither. I
-didn't have no time for no sich foolishness. And I ain't scared of
-nothin' neither.
-
-"I lives here wid my grandchile now on Mr. Bob Davis' place. Us gits
-enough to eat, I reckon, but it's tight, I tell you dat!"
-
-Cheney Cross
-============
-
- | **Interview with Cheney Cross**
- | —*Annie D. Dean*
-
-*GITTIN' MY PENSION*
-
-From all accounts, Aunt Cheney Cross must be quite ninety years old. "In
-jewin' de war," she says, "I had done long pass my thirteenth birthday."
-Today Aunt Cheney is a true reflection of slavery days and the Southern
-mammy.
-
-Away from highways and automobiles, she lives several miles from
-Evergreen on a small farm in the piney woods with her "baby boy."
-
-Talk with Aunt Cheney reveals that Evergreen's city marshall, Harry L.
-Riley, "put out to hope" this old family servant who had "tended" to his
-father, George Riley; his mother, "Miss Narciss," and "Miss Lizzible,"
-his sister. She also helped bring his own "chillun" into the world.
-
-Aunt Cheney had promised Mr. Riley that she would come in town on a
-certain Saturday morning in May, 1937, and would bring a letter from her
-young "mistis" for me to read.
-
-It was past noon on that particular Saturday when she came up the back
-steps, a little out of breath, but smiling. "Lawd, honey," she said,
-"here 'tis pas' dinner time an' I'se jes' makin' my arrivement here.
-No'm, I don't wants no dinner, thank you jes' de same. Whut makes me so
-late here now, I stopped by Miss Ella Northcutt's. She's my folks too,
-you know, an' she done made me eat all I kin hole! No'm, honey, I can't
-eat no cabbage. Me an' cabbage never is set horses together much, but I
-will thank you for the ice tea."
-
-Settling herself down in a low chair, she sighed and began taking off
-her shoes. "Honey, you don't mind ef I resses my feets does you? My
-white folks is sp'ilin' me here today. I'll be lookin' for it
-tomorrrow, too, an' I won't be gittin' it." Her black eyes twinkled in
-her shiny, old, wrinkled face as she talked on.
-
-"I tole Mr. Harry I'se comin'. An' here I is! How'd I come? I come on
-Mack and Charlie, dat's how! Yes, ma'am! Dese two boys here, dey brung
-me." Pushing her feet out for inspection, she leaned forward, smiling
-and pleased. "Dese here foots, dey's Mack an' Charlie. Dey's my whole
-pennunce for gittin' about. Don't you worry none. Mr. Harry he'll git be
-back home 'gainst dark come on.
-
-"Lawd, honey, I don't want to know no better folks'n Mr. Harry an' Miss
-Emma. I follow dem good folks clean up to Muscle Show! Yessum, I sho'
-did. At fust, I tole'm I couldn't go nohow. But dey pull down on me so
-hard, look lack I couldn't he'p myself.
-
-"I stayed on up dere at Muscle Show twell I got so homesick to see my
-baby boy I couldn't stan' it no mo'. Now, cose, my baby boy he was den
-de father of his own, a boy an' a girl, but to me dat boy is still jes'
-my baby, an' I had to come on home."
-
-Aunt Cheney's little, old body shook with laughter as she leaned back
-and said: "Yes, ma'am! I ain't been home no time atall neither, 'twell
-here come Mr. Harry back to Evergreen wid his own self. Yes, Lawd! I kin
-see'm now, comin' up de big hardwood road, his haid raired back,
-asmokin' a sugarette lack he's a millinery! Lawd, Lawd! Me nor Mr. Harry
-neither one ain't never gona be contentious nowheres but right here. An'
-dat's de Gawd's trufe!
-
-"Iffen Mr. Harry hadn't come on back here, I never woulda seed no
-pension. Dat's de Gawd's trufe, too. Nobody here didn't know my eggzack
-age, cause dis wasn't my originally home. All dem whut did know close
-onto my age done died out an' I knows it. So when Mr. Harry put out to
-hope me, I says in my heart 'Thank Gawd!'
-
-"I tole Mr. Harry dat iffen anybody in de world knowed my age, it was my
-young mistis, an' I didn't know eggzackly where she at, but her papa was
-Captain Purifire (Purifoy). Back yonder he was de madistra of our town,
-an' he had all of dem lawin' books. I figgered dat my birthright would
-be down in one of dem books. I knowed in reason dat my mistis still got
-dem books wid her, 'cause dey ain't been no burnin's dat I done heard
-about. I knowed, too, dat Mr. Harry was gona fine out where she at.
-
-"I 'members Captain Purifire jes' lack a book. I does dat! Now, cose,
-when he come on in home from de war he didn't 'zackly favor hisse'f den,
-'cause when I seed him comin' roun' de house he look so ragged an'
-ornery I tuck him for de ole Bad Man hisse'f. I tuck out behind de smoke
-house, an' when I got a good look at him th'ew a crack it look lack I
-could recognize his favor, but I couldn't call his name to save my life.
-Lawd, honey! He's a sight! All growed over an' bushy! You couldn't tell
-iffen he's man or beas'. I kep' on alookin' whilst he's comin' roun' de
-corner, an' den I heard him say 'Cheney, dat you?' I'se so happy, I jes'
-melt down."
-
-Aunt Cheney was really living over her past. "You see, it's
-lack dis," she said: "My fore parents, dey was bought. My Mistis
-an' my daddy's mistis, too, was Miss Mary Fields, an' my daddy was
-Henry Fields. Den de Carters bought my daddy from Miss Mary Fields.
-Well, dey mix up an' down lack dat, twell now my young mistis, what
-used to be little Frances Purifire, she's married to Mr. Cunningham.
-
-"I was brung up right in de house wid my white folks. Yessum, I slep' on
-de little trundler bed what pushed up under de big bed, in durinst de
-day. I watched over dem chillun day an' night. I washed 'em an' fed
-'em an' played wid 'em. One of de babies had to take goat's milk. When
-she cry, my mistis say, 'Cheney, go on an' git dat goat.' Yes Lawd! An'
-dat goat sho' did talk sweet to dat baby! Jes' lack it was her own. She
-look at it an' wag her tail so fas' an' say: "Ma-a-a-a-a!" Den she lay
-down on de flo' whilst us holes her feets an' let de baby suck de milk.
-All de time dat goat bees talkin', 'Ma-a-a-a-a,' twell dat baby got
-satchified.
-
-"When us chillun got tuck wid any kind of sickness or zeezes, us tuck
-azzifizzity an' garlit. You know, garlit what smell lack onions. Den we
-wore some roun' us necks. Dat kep' off flu-anz.
-
-"Dese days it look lack somepin t'eat don't tas'e lack dat we cooked
-back yonder. De coffee us used had to be fresh groun' ever' day. An'
-when it commence to bile, I put dese here knees down on de flo' befo' de
-fire an' stir dat coffee for de longes'. Den my gran'ma she hung dat pot
-up on dem pot hooks over de fire an' washed de meat an' drap it in. Time
-she done pick an' overlook de greens an' den wrinched 'em in spring
-water, de meat was bilin'. Den she take a great big mess of dem fresh
-turnip greens an' squash 'em down in dat pot. Dey jes' melt down an' go
-to seasonin'.
-
-"Nex' thing I knowed, here come my mistis, an' she say: 'Now Cheney, I
-wants some pone bread for dinner.' Dem hick'ry coals in dat fire place
-was all time ready an' hot. They wouldn't be no finger prints lef' on
-dat pone when Cheney got th'ew pattin' it out neither. Better not! Look
-lack dem chillun jes' couldn't git 'nuff of dat hard corn bread.
-
-"Plenty of fancy cookin' went on 'roun' dat fire place, but somehow de
-pot licker an' pone bread longside wid de fresh buttermilk stirs my
-mem'ry worse'n anything.
-
-"All dis good eatin' I'se speakin' 'bout tuck place befo' de Yankees
-raided us. It was den, too, dat my mistis tuck me down to de spring back
-of de house. Down dere it was a holler tree stump, taller'n you is. She
-tell me to clam' up to de top of dat holler tree, den she han' me a big
-heavy bundle, all wropped up an' tied tight. Hit sho' was heavy! Den she
-say: 'Drap it in, Cheney.' I didn't know den whut she's up to, but dat
-was de silver an' jew'lry she was hidin'.
-
-"Yes honey, I 'members dat Yankee raid lack it was jes' yistiddy. I'se
-settin' dere in de loom room, an' Mr. Thad Watts' lil' gal, Louise,
-she's standin' at the winder. She say: 'O-o-oh! Nannie! Jes' look down
-yonder!' 'Baby, what is dat?' I says. 'Dem's de Yankees comin'!' 'Gawd
-hep us!' I says, an' befo' I kin ketch my bref, de place is kivvered.
-You couldn't stir 'em up wid a stick. Feets sounded lack mutterin'
-thunder. Dem bayonets stick up lack dey jes' setting on de mouf of dey
-guns. Dey swords hangin' on dey sides singin' a chune whilst dey walk. A
-chicken better not pass by. Iffen he do, off come his head!
-
-"When dey pass on by me, dey put' nigh shuck me outa my skin. 'Where's
-de men's?' dey say an' shake me up. 'Where's de arms?' Dey shake me
-twell my eye balls loosen up. 'Where's de silver?' Lawd! Was my teefs
-drappin' out? Dey didn't give me time to ketch my bref. All de time,
-Miss Mary jes' look 'em in de eye an' say nothin'!
-
-"Dey tuck dem enfield rifles, half as long as dat door, an' bus' in de
-smoke house winder. Dey jack me up off'n my feet an' drag me up de
-ladder an' say: 'Git dat meat out.' I kep' on th'owin' out Miss Mary's
-hams an' sawsidges, twell dey holler 'stop'. I come backin' down dat
-ladder lack a squirrel, an' I ain't stop backin' twell I retch Miss
-Mary.
-
-"Yes, Lawd! Dem Yankees loaded up a waggin full of meat an' tuck de
-whole barrel of 'lasses! Takin' dat 'lasses kilt us chillun! Our mainest
-'musement was makin' 'lasses candy. Den us cake walk 'roun' it. Now dat
-was all gone. Look lack dem sojers had to sharpen dey swords on
-ever'thing in sight. De big crepe mullen bush by de parlor winder was
-bloomin' so pink an' pretty, an' dey jes' stood dere an' whack off dem
-blooms lack folkses heads drappin' on de groun'.
-
-"I seed de sargeant when he run his bayonet clean th'ew Miss Mary's
-bestest feather bed an' rip it slam open! Wid dat, a win' blowed up an'
-tuck dem feathers ever' which away for Sunday. You couldn't see where
-you's at. De sargeant, he jes' th'owed his head back an' laugh fit to
-kill hisse'f. Den fust thing next, he done suck a feather down his
-win'pipe! Lawd, honey, dat white man sho' struggled. Dem sojers th'owed
-water in his face. Dey shuck'm an' beat'm an' roll'm over, an' all de
-time he's gettin' limberer an' bluerer. Den dey jack him up by his feets
-an' stan'm on his haid. Den dey pump him up an' down. Den dey shuck'm
-twell he spit. Den he come to.
-
-"Dey didn't cut no mo' mattrusses. An' dey didn't cut nothin' much up in
-de parlor, 'cause dat's where de lieutenant an' de sargeant slep'. But
-dey lef' de nex' day, de whole place was strewed wid mutilation.
-
-"I 'members well back dere in jewin' de war how ever' oncet a month that
-come 'roun' a big box, longer'n I is an' wider too, was tuck to our
-sojer boys on de battle fiel'. You never seed de lack of sawsidges dat
-went in dat box! Wid cake an' chicken an' pies, an' Lawd! de butter all
-rolled up in corn shucks to keep it fresh. Ever'body from ever'where
-come to fix dat box an' he'p pile in de stuff. Den you hear 'em say:
-'Poor sojers! Put it in here!' Den ever'thing look sorta misty, an' dey
-haids droop over, lack. Den you see a mother's bres' heave wid her
-silent prayer.
-
-"Directly atter de surrender, de Ku Kluxes sho' was bad atter de
-Yankees. Dey do all sorts of things to aggivate 'em. Dey's continual'
-tyin' grape vines crost de road, to git 'em tangled up an' make 'em trip
-up an' break dey own necks. Dat was bad too, 'cause dem poor Yankees
-never s'picioned no better'n dat dem vines jes' blowed down or somepin.
-
-"'Long about den, too, seem lack ha'nts an' spairits was ridin'
-ever'thing! Dey raided mostly 'roun' de grabeyard. Lawd, honey, I ain't
-hankerin' atter passin' by no grabeyards. 'Cose, I knows I got to go in
-dere some day, but dey do make me feel lonesome an' kinder jubus.
-
-"I 'members one night, way back dere, when I'se walkin' down de big road
-wid Bud, an' he say: 'Look! Didn't you see me give dat road? Dat ha'nt
-done push me clean outa my place.' Now let me tell you somepin. Iffen
-you ain't never been dat clost to a ha'nt, you don't know nothin'! I
-'lowed he gwine follow me home. When I got dere I shuck mustard seeds
-down on my flo'. When you sprinkles 'em lack dat he can't git outa dat
-room twell he done count ever' las' one of dem seed. Well sir, de nex'
-mawnin' all us could see was somepin lack a lump of jelly layin' dere on
-de flo' 'mongst dem seeds. Look lack he done counted hisse'f to a pulp.
-
-"After dat night, I puts a big sifter down at my do'. You know ha'nts
-has to count ever' hole in dat sifter befo' dey can come th'ough. Some
-folks puts de Bible down dere, too. Den de poor spairit has to read
-ever' word of dat book befo' he crosses over.
-
-"I reckon 'bout de terriblest thing ever happen to me was dat big
-lookin' glass. De lookin' glass was all laid out in de top of my trunk,
-waitin' for my weddin' day. One night I'se standin' by de trunk wid hit
-wide open. I seed somepin black befo' my eyes an' den a screech owl lit
-in my winder an' screech right in my face. I'se so scared I sot right
-down in de middle of dat lookin' glass. Hit bus' in a million pieces!
-Mamma th'owed up her han's an' holler, 'Git up from dere, gal. You gona
-have seven years of bad luck. Shoo dat hootin' owl away befo' you dies
-in your tracks!' Den I swoons off. I feels dem ha'nts gittin' ready to
-ride me clean down in my grabe. 'Bout den somepin kep' sayin' to me,
-over an' over: 'Th'ow dem pieces of lookin' glass in runnin' water.' Den
-hit say: 'Burn your mammy's ole shoe an' de screech owl leave.' Atter I
-does dat my min' was at res'.
-
-"Soon as my daddy hear 'em firin' off for de Surrender, he put out for
-de plantation where he fust belong. He lef' me wid my mistis at Pine
-Flat, but 'twan't long twell he come back to git me an' carry me home
-wid him. I hates to leave my mistis, an' she didn't want to part from
-me. She say: 'Stay here wid me, an' I'll give you a school learnin'.'
-She say to Captain Purifire: 'You go buy my li'l nigger a book. Git one
-of dem Blue Back Websters,' she say, 'so I kin eddicate her to spell.'
-Den my daddy say: 'Her mamma tole me not to come home widout her an' she
-has to go wid me.'
-
-"I never will fergit ridin' behin' my daddy on dat mule way in de night.
-Us lef' in sich a hurry I didn't git none of my cloze hardly, an' I
-ain't seed my mistis from dat day to dis!"
-
-Matilda Pugh Daniel
-===================
-
- | **Interview with Matilda Pugh Daniel**
- | —*Gertha Couric*
-
-*MATILDA WAS WED IN DE WHITE FOLKS' PARLOR*
-
-Near Eufaula, Alabama, on a bluff stands a little three room cabin
-neatly furnished with plain, well worn, but nicely kept furniture.
-Surrounding the house are small beds of pretty flowers, and rows of
-fresh vegetables. Here resides in peace and tranquility Aunt Matilda
-Pugh Daniel, an old Negro slave, aged 96 years. Aunt Matilda was a full
-grown buxom gal when the War between the States was raging. She belonged
-to United States Senator, James L. Pugh, and was born on his plantation,
-near Eufaula. Even though time has dimmed her sight, and slightly
-diminished her hearing powers, she is still active of mind and accurate
-in her memories. We will let her speak for herself:
-
-"Yassuh, white folks, I remembers lots of things dat happen in de
-slabery times. I works aroun' de house for mistis, who was de daughter
-of Gen'l John Linguard Hunter befo' she ma'ied de massa. When I was a
-little pig-tailed nigger, I usta play 'roun' wid Massa's chilluns. We
-play injuns in de woods, an' buil' dams down on de creek an' swing in de
-yard an' sometime we sho do devilish things. We hid red pepper in ole
-Black Bob's chewin' bacca, an' you ought to seed de faces he made. It
-makes me laugh still yit. Den we tuken a skunk dat us little white an'
-black debils kotched an' turn him loose in de slave quarters. You ought
-ter seed dem niggers come a flyin' outer dere. Dey come out like a swarm
-of wet antses.
-
-"Atter I grew up I ma'ied Joe Daniel, a house nigger, an' Gen'l Hunter,
-de Mistis's pappy 'formed de ceremony. We was ma'ied in de parlor, an' I
-wo' a party dress of Miss Sara's. It sho' was purty; made outen white
-tarleton wid a pink bow in de front. I had a pink ribbon 'roun' my haid
-too, an' Joe, he look proud of me. Atter de weddin' all de niggers on de
-plantation gathered about an' we had a soiree in de back yard. Me an'
-Joe moved to de quarter den, but I still worked in de house. Mistis
-warn't goin' ter let nobody wash dem julep glasses but me, an' warn't
-nobody a goin' ter polish dat silber but dis here nigger. Nawsuh.
-
-.. _`Matilda Pugh Daniel`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image109daniel.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Matilda Pugh Daniel
-
- Matilda Pugh Daniel, Eufaula, Alabama
-
-"Durin' de war us warn't bothered much, but atter de surrender, some po'
-white trash tried to make us take some lan'. Some of 'em come to de
-slave quarters, an' talk to us. Dey say 'Niggers, you is jus' as good as
-de white fo'ks. You is 'titled to vote in de 'lections an' to have money
-same as dey,' but most of us didn't pay no 'tention to 'em.
-
-"Den Massa James an' Mistis moved to Washington, an' Miss Sara wanted me
-to go wid her to be her house maid. She said she'd pay me money fo' it,
-but I couldn't leave my ole man, Joe, kaze he had a case of consumption.
-Joe died a year later an' lef' me wid fo' little chilluns. Us stayed
-'roun' on de plantation an' de new massa paid us good money fo' workin',
-but soon de house kotched fire an' burn to de groun', an' I have to move
-to Eufaula. I bought dis little house wid de money I saved. I has
-kinfolks in Detroit dat sen's me a little money, an' some good peoples
-in Eufaula helps me out some so I is in purty good financial shape. I
-ain't neber 'sociated wid no trashy niggers an' I ain't neber 'ten' to.
-I is goin' to be a proud an' good nigger to de las'."
-
-Carrie Davis
-============
-
- | **Interview with Carrie Davis**
- | —*Preston Klein, Lee County, Alabama*
-
-*PLANTATION PUNISHMENT*
-
-Carrie Davis said "Honey, dere was a lot of cruel things done in slavery
-times."
-
-She was washing when I arrived at her shanty near Smith's Station,
-Alabama. She asked, as so many of the old Negroes do, "Has you come to
-help me?" I said: "No, Carrie; I want you to tell me about slavery."
-
-She shook her gray head, recalled: "Dem was good an' bad times, Mistus;
-good an' bad. I had a purty good marster; but de marster on de
-plantation dat j'ined our'n was mighty mean. He was a bad man, no matter
-if de slaves behaved or not.
-
-"Honey, I 'members dat he had regular days to whup all de slaves wid
-strops. De strops had holes in 'em so dat dey raised big blisters. Den
-dey took a hand saw, cut de blisters and washed 'em in salt water. Our
-Ol' Mistus has put salve on aheap of backs so dey could git deir shirts
-off. De shirts'd stick, you see. De slaves would come to our house for
-water an' Mistus would see 'em."
-
-Asked about her life as a slave, she said: "I was borned in Harris
-County, Georgia, an' was 'bout ten or twelve when freedom come. My mammy
-an' pappy was Martha an' Nathan Perry and had seben chillun. Besides me,
-dere was Amy, Ida, Knoxie, Jim, Abraham, an' Franklin.
-
-"Us lived in de Perry quarters. De cabins was made of split logs, put up
-edgeways and daubed wid mud inside an' out. Dey was 'bout a hundred
-yards from de big house, whar Marster Billy an' Mistus Nancy Perry
-lived. Deir chillun was Clara Maria, Malinda, Sara, Alec, Jim, an' Bill.
-Dey was real good to us, too. Us et at de big house. 'Course de food was
-cooked on de fireplace, but us had meat and greens but not much
-biscuits. Us had collards an' cabbage, too.
-
-"Sometimes us would have wild game, 'ca'se de men hunted lots an'
-kotched rabbits, 'possums and coons. Dey also kotched a lot of fish.
-
-"No'm, our beds warn't so good. Dey was homemade and de sides was
-scantlings wid legs nailed on. Den slats was nailed on top of it to put
-our shuck-and-straw mattresses on.
-
-"My grand-parents was from Virginny. When I was a slave I was used as a
-house-girl and to help keep de yards clean and bring in water. Us wore
-mostly slips, wove in homemade looms; an' dey was osnaburg an' homespun.
-We wore 'em Sunday and Monday de same. Us shoes was made at a tanyard
-and dey was brogans as hard as rocks.
-
-"I 'members dat some of our white neighbors was poor and didn't have no
-slaves. Dey would help us work. De overseer couldn't whip dem, but he
-would make dem work hard and late. I 'members, too, dat de overseer
-waked us up wid a trumpet.
-
-"Dey useta tell us dat if us didn't work dey was going to sell us to
-help feed de rest; and bless yo' soul, us niggers'd go to work, too.
-Marster wasn't mean. He would jest lock de slaves in de crib fer
-punishment. When slaves was sold, I seed many a nigger put on de block
-for five and six hundred dollars.
-
-"Us couldn't leave de plantation widout a pass; and you better not let
-'em kotch you wid a book. Us walked to de white church an' set in de
-back. Mr. Davey Snell preach and baptize, and dey had foot-washin's.
-Sometimes de niggers'd git so happy dey would shout. Den dey would keep
-shoutin' in de fields next day and git a whipping.
-
-"If a nigger got out widout a pass, dey sot de hounds on you; and de
-patrollers'd tear you up too, if you stayed out too late.
-
-.. _`Carrie Davis`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image111davis.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Carrie Davis
-
- Carrie Davis, Smith's Station, Alabama
-
-"Us had sech good times on Sattidy nights; frolic, dance an'
-cornshuckin's. Most of 'em would be drinkin' and sing and holler:
-
- | Sheep's in de cotton patch;
- | Got 'im out Monday.
- | Had it been a white man;
- | Got 'im out Sunday.
-
-"Kid Kimbrough was our leader, and he could sing 'Dixie,' too.
-
-"Christmas mornin' us'd have a better breakfast and dey would give us
-rations at de big house. When any of de slaves got married dey went up
-to de white folks' house an' jumped over de broom. Dat was de ceremony
-at de weddin'. And if marster wanted to mix his stock of slaves wid a
-strong stock on 'nother plantation, dey would do de mens an' women jest
-lak horses. I 'members dat when two niggers married, dey got a big
-supper.
-
-"All us chilluns had a big time; played 'Pretty Pauline,' 'Turn,
-Charlie,' an' sech-lak.
-
-"No'm I never did see nor b'lieve in ghosts.
-
-"When us got sick Mistus'd give horse-mint, life-everlasting, goldenrod,
-an' holly teas, yessum. And us wore asafetida and pop-ball seed.
-
-"When de Yankees come, dey handcuffed our folks and took 'em off.
-Marster had his meat, corn, fodder, and sech hauled in de swamp near de
-plantation. Dem Yankees went as straight to it as if dey had seed us put
-it dere. Dey burned it all up and took some niggers from de other farm.
-
-"When freedom come, I 'members dat marster told us dat us was free, but
-dat we could stay on if we lacked. Most of us stayed on wid him for a
-spell. Now and den de Ku Klux Klan'd come around and beat on a nigger.
-
-"I married Charlie Gibson and had two chillun, twelve grand-chilluns
-and nine great-grandchilluns.
-
-"Honey, I's heard Abraham Lincoln's name, but don't know nothin' 'bout
-him. I got tired livin' 'mong wicked peoples; and I wanted to be saved.
-Dat's why I j'ined de church and still tries to de right."
-
-Clara Davis
-===========
-
- | **Interview with Clara Davis**
- | —*Francois Ludgere Diard*
-
-*AUNT CLARA DAVIS IS HOMESICK FOR OLD SCENES*
-
-"I was bawn in de year 1845, white folks," said Aunt Clara, "on de
-Mosley plantation in Bellvy jus' nawth of Monroeville. Us had a mighty
-pretty place back dar. Massa Mosely had near 'bout five hundred acres
-an' mos' near to one hundred slaves.
-
-"Was Marse Mosely good to us? Lor', honey, how you talk. Co'se he was!
-He was de bes' white man in de lan'. Us had eve'y thing dat we could
-hope to eat: turkey, chicken, beef, lamb, poke, vegetables, fruits,
-aigs, butter, milk ... we jus' had eve'y thing, white folks, eve'ything.
-Dem was de good ole days. How I longs to be back dar wid my ole folks
-an' a playin' wid de chilluns down by de creek. 'Tain't nothin' lak it
-today, nawsuh. When I tell you 'bout it you gwine to wish you was dar
-too.
-
-"White folks, you can have your automobiles an' paved streets an'
-electric lights. I don't want 'em. You can have de busses an' street
-cars an' hot pavements an' high buildin' 'caze I ain't got no use for
-'em no way. But I'll tell you what I does want. I wants my ole cotton
-bed an' de moonlight nights a shinin' through de willow trees an' de
-cool grass under my feets as I runned aroun' ketchin' lightnin' bugs. I
-wants to hear de sound of de hounds in de woods atter de 'possum, an' de
-smell of fresh mowed hay. I wants to feel de sway of de ol' wagon
-a-goin' down de red, dusty road an' listen to de wheels groanin' as dey
-rolls along. I wants to sink my teeth into some of dat good ol' ash
-cake, an' smack de good ol' sorghum offen my mouth. White folks, I wants
-to see de boats a passin' up an' down de Alabamy ribber an' hear de
-slaves a singin' at dere work. I wants to see de dawn break over de
-black ridge an' de twilight settle over de place spreadin' a sort of
-orange hue over de place. I wants to walk de paths th'ew de woods an'
-see de rabbits an' watch de birds an' listen to frogs at night. But dey
-tuk me away f'om dat a long time ago. 'Twern't long befo' I ma'ied an'
-had chilluns, but don't none of 'em 'tribute to my suppote now. One of
-'em was killed in de big war wid Germany and de res' is all scattered
-out ... eight of 'em. Now I jus' live f'om han' to mouth; here one day,
-somewhere else de nex'. I guess we's all a-goin' to die iffen dis
-'pression don't let us 'lone. Maybe someday I'll git to go home. Dey
-tells me dat when a pusson crosses dat ribber, de Lawd gives him whut he
-wants. I done tol' de Lawd I don't want nothin' much ... only my home,
-white folks. I don't think dat's much to axe for. I supposed he'll sen'
-me back dar. I been a-waitin' for him to call."
-
-George Dillard
-==============
-
- | **Interview with George Dillard**
- | —*Alice L. Barton*
-
-*I LOVED TO PICK DAT BOX*
-
-George Dillard, born in Richmond, Va., in 1852, now idles about his
-little home at Eutaw and recalls days when he was a slave. The memories
-bring smiles to his wrinkled, black face.
-
-"Honey, dar was a dance every Sattidy night," he chuckled, "an' all de
-niggers nigh 'bout broke dey legs adancin'."
-
-"And didn't you dance just as hard as the others, Uncle George?"
-
-"Well, Mistus, I was right spry; but I was at my best in de job of
-pickin' de banjer. I shorely did love to pick dat box while de other
-niggers danced away."
-
-George said his family came from Virginia to Mississippi, and that he
-came to Greene County about 60 years ago. His two masters were a Mr.
-Dillard and Bob Steele.
-
-George explained that he was a field hand and had to work hard most of
-the time.
-
-"But us had plenty to eat," he said. "De food was cooked in Ol' Mistus'
-kitchen an' sont to de fiel' on a big cart. I 'member dat a bell would
-ring for us to git up, an' we would work as long as it was daylight."
-
-George said that Mr. Steele owned about 200 slaves and that he always
-had plenty of everything. The plantation, he said, consisted of about
-2,000 acres.
-
-"Ol' Massa had a church right on de plantation for us niggers," he
-continued. "Many's de time I danced late in de night an' den had to git
-up an' go to church wid de rest. All of us had to go. A white man would
-preach, but I allus enjoyed de singin' most of all."
-
-George believes earnestly that ghosts exist, but admits they have never
-bothered him.
-
-.. _`George Dillard`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image117dillard.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: George Dillard
-
- George Dillard, Eutaw, Alabama
-
-"Dey is all aroun'," he maintains, "but dey don't follow me. No'm, I's
-not 'fraid of 'em; but I knows plenty of niggers dat'll run if a ghost
-so much as brushes by 'em."
-
-The old darkey said that "atter freedom come to de worl'" he continued
-to live with his master and worked a share crop. He said that Mr. Steele
-was always fair and good to him; always giving him the best of
-everything.
-
-George married Celia Shelton, and to them were born twenty-four
-children.
-
-"It was a bunch of dem," he said, "but I loved ebry one. I had a nice
-weddin' an' de white folks helped me to git myself a 'oman an' then to
-git married to her."
-
-Ella Dilliard
-=============
-
- | **Personal interview with Ella Dilliard**
- | **756 Canal Street, Mobile, Alabama**
- | —*Ila B. Prine*
-
-*ELLA'S WHITE HEN IS HEAPS OF COMPANY*
-
-Ella Dilliard, an old Negro woman who lives at 756 Canal Street, Mobile,
-says she was a small girl during slavery time, and does not know the
-hardships of it, because she was owned by good people. Her mother's name
-was Mary Norris, owned by Mrs. Calvin Norris, who lived in Selma, Ala.,
-but had a homestead in Mobile. Her father belonged to people by the name
-of Childress, and his name was Green Childress. She doesn't remember
-much about him because his white people took him to Texas.
-
-Ella said that her mother was her madame's hairdresser, and that Mrs.
-Norris had her mother taught in Mobile. So Ella's life was very easy, as
-she stayed around the big house with her mother, although her
-grandmother, Penny Anne Norris, cared for her more than her mother did.
-One of the things she remembers quite distinctly was her grandmother's
-cooking on the fireplace, and how she would not allow any one to spit in
-the fireplace. She said her grandmother made corn-pone and wrapped it in
-shucks and baked it in ashes.
-
-Ella said she did not know many colored people, since the quarters were
-quite a ways from the big house, and that the plantation was managed by
-an overseer. She said the quarters were built in rows with streets
-between them.
-
-She also remembers the first boat she ever saw that was when she was
-brought to Mobile after the surrender, and when she saw the boat she
-said to her mother: "Look at that house sitting on the water."
-
-Ella said that there were three cooks at the big house, their names
-being Hannah, Judy, and Charlotte, and the gardener's name was Uncle
-John. Ella also said that one thing that she remembers so well about the
-kitchen in the big house was a large dishpan, that had a partition in
-the middle of it, one side you washed the dishes in, and the other side
-was used for scalding them.
-
-The slaves always had Saturdays to wash their clothes and do things for
-themselves. Ella, not having lived among Negroes, does not know much
-about their habits and customs, but she does remember seeing the big
-white covered wagons that the slaves were carried in to be sold; and
-remembers hearing talk of the "Pattyrollers." She said when the slaves
-were sold, they were put on a block, and that the man who were buying
-would look in their mouths just like they did horses.
-
-Ella said she was born in Greensboro, Alabama, but the plantation where
-she later lived was on the Alabama river near Selma, Ala. She doesn't
-know how many acres it comprised, or how many slaves that her master
-owned. She remembers her madame made her stop calling her mother
-"mammy," and her father "daddy." She said: "You know, Miss, that the
-white children now-a-days calls their parents 'mammy and daddy' like the
-colored people used to. The children now do not respect their parents as
-they should, and in fact everything is so different the truth done 'be
-under the table.' You know, miss, I am telling the truth, because the
-Bible says, 'Woe be unto the one that lies; Judgment is on the land.'
-
-"In those days people had to work to live, and they raised most
-everything they used, such as cattle, hogs, cotton, and foodstuff. Then
-the women spun the thread out of the cotton, and wove the cloth."
-
-Ella helped her grandmother at the weaving by picking up the shuttles
-for her. She said they generally used the cloth as it was woven. The
-shoes were made on the place and were called red brogans.
-
-As for the churches, the white folks had the brush arbor camp meetings,
-where the people would go and camp in little cabins for weeks, so they
-could attend the church. They had newspapers then, Ella said, "but
-'course they ain't like you have now, there warn't so many as there is
-now.
-
-"You asked something, miss, about medicines. I don't remember much about
-any medicine, because Mr. Calvin Norris was a doctor, and he always
-treated us when we were sick. There was a Dr. Browder who 'tended the
-plantation."
-
-Ella is a bright colored, small woman, whose eyes are very keen. She
-says that a short time ago she had some trouble with her eyes, and she
-got something from the drug store to bathe them with, but it did not
-help them. So she caught some pure rain water and "anointed" her eyes
-with that, and now she can see to thread a needle. Her life has been
-very colorful in many respects. She recalled as a small child, that,
-during the war, a minie-ball came through a brick wall of the servant
-house where they were living, but it fell without harming any of the
-servants. She said when Wilson's raid was made on Selma, that the Yankee
-men went through the houses just like dogs, taking whatever they wanted.
-
-"I 'members Mr. Parkman putting two sacks of money down in his big well,
-and him getting it out with hooks after the Yankees left."
-
-Later when she was brought to Mobile she worked for Judge Oliver Semmes
-for twenty years. Judge Semmes was the son of Admiral Raphael Semmes,
-and she said he was a blessed, good man. For the past fourteen years she
-has been working for the Frank Lyons family of Mobile.
-
-Ella lives in a double tenement house, having one room and a small
-kitchen. The room is full of old furniture and odd things. On the mantle
-is a lovely old china pitcher that once was owned by Judge Semmes and
-which Ella prizes very much. The thing that puzzles Ella most among the
-modern inventions, she said, are the aeroplanes, and the way ice is
-made. She said:
-
-"Miss, we never had any ice way back yonder. We had nice, old, open
-brick wells, and the water was just like ice. We would draw the water
-and put around the milk and butter in the dairy. It's a mystery to me
-how they make that ice, but, my goodness! I guess I need not worry my
-head about things, because I am not here for long. All my family is dead
-and gone now, and the only companion I have is this here little white
-hen. Her name is Mary. You see, I bought her last year to kill for
-Christmas, but I couldn't do it. She is so human; and you ought to see
-the eggs she lays. I even have a few to sell sometimes. I just keeps
-Mary in the room at night with me, and she is heaps of company for me."
-
-Rufus Dirt
-==========
-
- | **Interview with Rufus Dirt**
- | —*Woodrow Hand, Birmingham, Alabama*
-
-*RUFUS WOULD TALK A LOT FOR A DIME*
-
-Foreword: This Negro, Rufus Dirt, was found on one of Birmingham's
-busiest streets begging for coins. Because of his inability to read, he
-was unable to give the number or location of his home. All he knew was
-"jes' som'ers on Southside, boss."
-
-"I'll drop a dime in your hat uncle if you'll stand here and talk to me
-for a few minutes."
-
-"Sho' boss, iffen you wants, I'll talk all day fo' dat much money. I'se
-been here fo' a long time an' I knows plenty to talk 'bout. What does
-yo' want to know?"
-
-I explained my interest in slavery days and my search for ex-slaves, but
-he began telling me before I had time to finish. His ability to talk had
-somehow escaped what his age had done to his hair, which was sparse as
-well as snowy white. His eyes were a glazy red. One hand and arm seemed
-to be crippled, but the other waved around in the air as he talked and
-finally settled on my shoulder.
-
-"Boss, I don' rightly know jes' how old I is. I was a driver (Negro boss
-of other slaves) during slavery and I reckons I was about twenty
-sompin'. I don' remember nothin' in particular that caused me to get dat
-drivin' job, ceptin' hard work, but I knows dat I was proud of it 'cause
-I didn' have to work so hard no mo'. An' den it sorta' made de other
-niggers look up to me, an' you knows us niggers, boss. Nothin' makes us
-happier dan' to strut in front of other niggers. Dere ain't nothin' much
-to tell about. We jes' moved one crop atter de other till layin' by time
-come and den we'd start in on de winter work. We done jes' 'bout de same
-as all de other plantations.
-
-"My massa's name was Digby and we live at Tuscaloosa befo' de war. An'
-'bout dat war, white folks. Dem was some scary times. De nigger women
-was a-feared to breathe out loud come night an' in de day time, dey
-didn't work much 'cause dey was allus lookin' fo' de Yankees. Dey didn'
-come by so much 'cause atter de first few times. Dere wa'nt no reason to
-come by. Dey had done et up ever'thing and toted off what dey didn' eat.
-Dey tuk all Massa's stock, burned down de smokehouse atter dey tuk de
-meat out, an' dey burned de barn, an' we'all think ever' time dat dey
-goin' to burn de house down, but dey musta forgot to do dat.
-
-"When de war was finally over an' I was free, my family went to
-Vicksburg, Mississippi where we made a livin' first one way an' den de
-other. I don't know how long we stayed dere, but I was livin' in
-Bummin'ham when dere wa'nt nothin' much here a'tall. I watched all de
-big buildin's 'round here go up and I see'd dem build all de big plants
-and I'se still watchin', but I still don' know how to tell folks where
-places is, 'cause I don' know how to read numbers. I goes anywhere I
-wants to go an' I don't ever get lost, but jes' de same, I can't tell
-nobody where I am. I don' even know where we is standin' talking like
-dis right now. An' boss, I ain't beggin' 'cause I'se too lazy to work.
-I'se worked plenty in my time till I crippled dis arm in de mines and
-befo' my eyes got so bad," and with a grace and gentleness that may be
-called a characteristic of his generation, he added, "I hope I'se told
-you what you wants to know."
-
-He had. I felt well repaid for the dime I had given him. As he walked
-off down the street, I noticed for the first time the large crowd that
-had gathered around us. Evidently slave tales carry more interest than
-this writer realized.
-
-Katherine Eppes
-===============
-
- | **Interview with Katherine Eppes**
- | —*Susie R. O'Brien, Uniontown, Alabama*
-
-*CABINS AS FAR AS YOU COULD SEE*
-
-"Ma" Eppes sat on the steps of her weatherbeaten, unpainted little
-cabin, duplicate of the dozens that make up Rat Row, Negro quarter of
-Uniontown, and looked down the vista of memory to her childhood when she
-lived in "where de log cabins stretched as far as you could see in de
-slave qua'ters."
-
-Despite her eighty-seven years, Katherine Eppes, known to everyone as
-"Ma," came as spryly to her tiny porch as her rotund body would permit.
-She smiled broadly at her interviewer and seated herself slowly.
-
-"Sho', honey, I can tell you mo'n anything you want to know 'bout the
-big fight, 'ca'se I been here a long time," she began her story. "Dey
-ain't many lef' to tell 'bout dem days. My mammy an' pappy was Peter an'
-Emma Lines an' us all belonged to Marsa Frank and Miss Sarah Lines. I
-was born on dey plantation five miles below Faunsdale 'bout 1850 so dey
-tells me.
-
-"I is right ol' but thank Gawd I still got my teefies an' my ha'r lef'."
-Proudly the old woman unwrapped her "head rag" to display a thick mop,
-woolly white but neatly parted into squares. Dozens of little plaits,
-wrapped with yards of twine, just as her hair had been dressed in the
-slave quarters before the War, adorned her head. She sat with uncovered
-head unblinking in the bright June sunshine, as she took up the tale of
-her health. "I sees pretty good, too, but I's so hebby I ain't able to
-toe myse'f 'roun' as pert as I useter.
-
-"It was diff'rent back in dem days when I belonged to rich white folks.
-Dey had plenty of niggers an' dey was log cabins in de quarters jes' as
-far as your eyes could see. Marsa Frank an' Miss Sarah was good to de
-black folks, too. Dey son, young marsa Frank, fit in de big war. Atter
-de war was over I stayed on de Lines' place 'twell atter I ma'ied, an'
-Ol' Miss gin me my weddin' dress an' a long veil down to my foots.
-
-"When us was chillun in de quarters we did a mighty lot of playin'. Us
-useta play 'Sail away Rauley' a whole lot. Us would hol' han's an' go
-'roun' in a ring, gittin' faster an' faster an' dem what fell down was
-outa de game.
-
-"My mammy wukked in de Big House, aspinnin' an' anussin' de white
-chillun. All of dem called her 'mammy.' Ah 'members one thing jes' lack
-it was yestiddy. Miss Sarah went to 'Mospolis (Demopolis) to visit wid
-her sister, an' whilst she were gone de oberseer, what go by de name of
-Allen, whupped my Mammy crost her back 'twell de blood runned out.
-
-"When Miss Sarah comed back an' foun' it out, she was de maddes white
-lady I eber seed. She sont for de oberseer, an' she say: 'Allen, what
-you mean by whupping Mammy? You know I don't allow you to tech my house
-servants.' She jerk her dress down an' stan' dere lookin' like a sojer
-wid her white shoulders shinin' lack a snow bank, an' she say: 'I
-'druther see dem marks on my own shoulders dan to see 'em on Mammy's.
-Dey wouldn't hurt me no wuss.' Den she say: 'Allen, teck your fambly an'
-git offen my place. Don't you let sundown ketch you here. 'So he lef'.
-He wasn't nothin' but white trash nohow."
-
-"Ma" Eppes sat silent for a time as she recalled the vision of Miss
-Sarah standing straight and regal in her dismissal of the overseer.
-Finally she turned with an abrupt change of subject.
-
-"Honey, is you a Christian?" she asked earnestly. "I hopes you is, ca'se
-you is too fine lookin' for to go to Hell. I b'longs to de Baptis'
-Church, an' dey calls me Ma Eppes 'ca'se I's de mother of de church. I
-loves to sing de gospel Hymns."
-
-She began to sing in a high, cracked voice, her body swaying with the
-rhythm. The song rose until her neighbors had gathered to form quite an
-audience. With much moaning between every line, she sang:
-
- | "I am a sojer of de Cross,
- | A follerer of de Lam'.
- | I'm not afeard to own His name,
- | Nor to 'fen' His cause."
- |
- | (Chorus)
- |
- | "I wan' you to come,
- | I wan' you to come,
- | I wan' you to come
- | An' be saved."
-
-She was still singing as I left her, the neighbors joining in the
-choruses. Suppers would be late in the row of weatherbeaten cabins,
-because the spirit of song was on the gathering.
-
-Reuben Fitzpatrick
-==================
-
- | **Interview with Reuben Fitzpatrick**
- | —[HW: *Mabel Farrior, Montgomery, Alabama]*
-
-*A HORN FOR A HEADACHE*
-
-Reuben Fitzpatrick, of Eugene Street, Montgomery, was born Jan. 9, 1854,
-(83 years old). He says:
-
-"My Marster was Mister Gholson frum Bullock county. He had lots uv
-slaves 'cause he was a rich man. I was jes' a boy ten years ole an' he
-was a squire dat tried cases, so he rode all over de country to dif'funt
-places. I rode wid him to hole his horse. He wore a high top black hat
-and had a buggy wid a top dat let back. When we went we was gone a long
-time an' when night come he would fix it fer me to sleep wid some uv de
-niggers in de quarters where we stopped. I sho' lacked to go 'bout wid
-him.
-
-"My mother was de cook. She had rule over all the cookin'. She spinned
-thread an' reeled it off too.
-
-"When de Yankees come through de country I seed 'em all runnin' so I
-thought it was jedgment day an' I runned an' hid under de chimney an'
-stayed dere 'tel night. Dey didn't tarry long, but dey drove de horses
-right up on de piazza, and throwed ever' thing out de houses, eben
-knocked down de smoke 'ouse doors. Dat's de trufe'.
-
-"One time I was taken to the slave market and I was screwed on the block
-and Mr. Martin bought me and my Mamma. The man that was selling us would
-holler, "Who'll bid? Who'll bid?" We was supposed to be spry and fidgety
-so as to make the men want to buy us. My fust Marster was Wash Jones. He
-wan't good to us. He would hit us wid his cane jes' as if it had been a
-switch. Ben Jones didn't like the way Marse Wash treated us niggers. He
-bought us for his son.
-
-"We didn't have no doctors much in dem days, but us had a horn us use
-when we got sick. If us had the headache that horn would go right over
-the spot and it wouldn't be no time 'fore the pain'd be gone. We'd use
-that horn anytime we was ailing an' it'd sho' do the work. I used to
-have the horn but I don't know jes' where it is now."
-
-Heywood Ford
-============
-
- | **Interview with Heywood Ford**
- | —*Susie R. O'Brien, Uniontown, Alabama*
-
-*HEYWOOD FORD TELLS A STORY*
-
-"White folks," said Heywood Ford, "I'se gonna tell you a story 'bout a
-mean oberseer an' whut happened to him durin' de slabery days. It all
-commenced when a nigger named Jake Williams got a whuppin' for stayin'
-out atter de time on his pass done gib out. All de niggers on de place
-hated de oberseer wuss dan pizen, 'caze he was so mean an' useta try to
-think up things to whup us for.
-
-"One mornin' de slaves was lined up ready to eat dere breakfas' an' Jake
-Williams was a pettin' his ole red-bone houn'. 'Bout dat time de
-oberseer come up an' seed Jake a pettin' his houn' an' he say: 'Nigger
-you ain't got time to be a-foolin' 'long dat dog. Now make him git.'
-Jake tried to make de dog go home, but de dog didn't want to leave Jake.
-Den de oberseer pick up a rock an' slam de dog in de back. De dog he den
-went a-howlin' off.
-
-"Dat night Jake he come to my cabin an' he say to me: 'Heywood, I is
-gonna run away to a free State. I ain't a-gonna put up wid dis treatment
-no longer. I can't stand much mo'. I gibs him my han' an' I say: 'Jake,
-I hopes you gits dere. Maybe I'll see you ag'in sometime.'
-
-"'Heywood,' he says, 'I wish you'd look atter my houn', Belle. Feed her
-an' keep her de bes' you kin. She a mighty good possum an' coon dog. I
-hates to part wid her, but I knows dat you is de bes' pusson I could
-leave her wid.' An' wid dat Jake slip out de do' an' I seed him
-a-walkin' toward de swamp down de long furrows of cawn.
-
-"It didn't take dat oberseer long to fin' out dat Jake done run away,
-an', when he did, he got out de blood houn's an' started off atter him.
-It warn't long afore Jake heered dem houn's a-howlin' in de distance.
-Jake he was too tired to go any further. He circled 'roun' an' doubled
-on his tracks so as to confuse de houn's an' den he clumb a tree.
-T'warn't long afore he seed de light of de oberseer comin' th'ough de
-woods and de dogs was a-gittin' closer an' closer. Finally dey smelled
-de tree dat Jake was in an' dey started barkin' 'roun' it. De oberseer
-lif' his lighted pine knot in de air so's he could see Jake. He say:
-'Nigger, come on down fum dere. You done wasted 'nuff of our time.' But
-Jake, he neber move nor make a sound an' all de time de dogs keppa
-howlin' an' de oberseer keppa swearin'. 'Come on down,' he say ag'in;
-'iffen you don't I'se comin' up an' knock you outen de tree wid a
-stick.' Jake still he neber moved an' de oberseer den began to climb de
-tree. When he got where he could almos' reach Jake he swung dat stick
-an' it come down on Jake's leg an' hurt him tur'ble. Jake, he raised his
-foot an' kicked de oberseer raght in de mouf, an' dat white man went a
-tumblin' to de groun'. When he hit de earth dem houn's pounced on him.
-Jake he den lowered hisself to de bottom limbs so's he could see what
-had happened. He saw de dogs a-tearin' at de man an' he holla: 'Hol'
-'im, Belle! Hol' 'im, gal!' De leader of dat pack of houn's, white
-folks, warn't no blood houn'. She was a plain old red-bone possum an'
-coon dog, an' de res' done jus' lak she done, tearin' at de oberseer's
-th'oat. All de while, Jake he a-hollerin' f'um de tree fer dem dogs to
-git 'im. 'Twarn't long afore dem dogs to' dat man all to pieces. He died
-raght under dat maple tree dat he run Jake up. Jake he an' dat coon
-houn' struck off through de woods. De res' of de pack come home.
-
-"I seed Jake atter us niggers was freed. Dat's how come I knowed all
-'bout it. It musta been six years atter dey killed de oberseer. It was
-in Kentucky dat I run across Jake. He was a-sittin' on some steps of a
-nigger cabin. A houn' dog was a-sittin' at his side. I tells him how
-glad I is to see him, an' den I look at de dog. 'Dat ain't Belle,' I
-says. 'Naw,' Jake answers, 'Dis her puppy.' Den he tol' me de whole
-story. I always did want to know what happen to 'em."
-
-Bert Frederick
-==============
-
- | **Interview with Bert Frederick**
- | —*Preston Klein*
-
-*WANTS MY FRIENDS TO GO WID ME*
-
- | "Wants my friends to go wid me, New Jerusalem;
- | Wonder ef I'll ever git to heaven, New Jerusalem!"
-
-Nappy-headed, humble little Bert Frederick sang the old song in a voice
-that trembled and broke on the high notes. His black face beamed when he
-had finished, and "de old times" came flooding back into his mind.
-
-"Honey, Ol' Master us'ta sing dat good song to us niggers; an' he allus
-could sing it so purty."
-
-Uncle Frederick, like all the other gray-bearded Negroes of the Old
-South, is occupied mostly these days with getting ready to meet "de
-Sweet Jesus." As well as he can remember, he was around 12 years old
-when "de hawn of freedom sounded."
-
-He shook his white head when the interviewer asked his age, a slow smile
-spreading over his face.
-
-"Honey chile, you's axed me a riddle. I disremember 'bout dat. De bes' I
-kin till you is dat I is eighty-odd—but as to 'zackness, I can't tell."
-
-Some years ago, Uncle Frederick suffered a broken back in an accident.
-Since then he has been unable to stand erect, but can straighten his
-back when seated. Therefore, he politely asked to sit down when he was
-asked to pose for a picture.
-
-His first master, he says, was Dr. Rich Vernon, who lived in Chambers
-County. Afterward, he was sold to William Frederick.
-
-He chuckled as he recalled the old days.
-
-"I was a shirt-tail nigger," he laughed. "Dat is, I wore jes' a long
-shirt 'twel I was a big scamp more dan twelve year old. Honey, I was a
-sight to look at!
-
-"Whut did I do about de plantation? Well, I driv de cows an' sheep to
-pasture an' seed dat no eagles kotched de lambs. Us had big eagles
-'roun' den, an' us had to be keerful wid de small stock. Ef us warn't,
-ol' eagle ud swoop down an' tote off a whole lamb.
-
-"Us had a time in dem days. I 'members dat us had a pen to ketch wild
-turkeys in. An' us kotched a few of dem, too."
-
-Uncle Frederick's mother was Harriett Lumpkin, who lived below Opelika.
-He had three sisters, Mary Dowdell, Anne Carlisle and Emma Boyd; but all
-are dead.
-
-.. _`Bert Frederick`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image132frederick.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Bert Frederick
-
- Bert Frederick, Opelika, Alabama
-
-"When de Yankees come to Alabama," he recalled, "Ol' Master tol' de
-niggers to hitch up all de wagons an' load all de food an' sech on 'em.
-Us had 'bout forty acres of swamp land, so us hid de stuff dere.
-
-"'Fore long I seed a long string of black an' white horses, wid mules
-behin' dem. Dey had packs on dey back. In de packs was grub de Yankees
-had tuk off'en de white peoples."
-
-"Did you enjoy the old slavery days, Uncle?"
-
-"Yes, chile, dey was good days. Some of de white peoples was bad to de
-niggers, but my Ol' Master warn't dat kind. Dat de reason he would let
-all de niggers sit aroun' whilst he was a singin'; an' he could sing."
-
-Uncle Frederick putters about his tiny home in Opelika, managing to grow
-a profusion of flowers and vegetables despite his bent back. He was
-hoeing in his garden when the interviewer came upon him, but he eagerly
-laid down the hoe when told what he sought.
-
-"Uncle, I want to talk with you about the old times."
-
-"Lordy me, chile," he beamed, his eyes twinkling, "you done foun' de
-raght nigger!"
-
-Delia Garlic
-============
-
- | **Interview with Delia Garlic**
- | —*Margaret Fowler, Fruithurst, Alabama*
-
-*DEM DAYS WAS HELL*
-
-Delia Garlic lives at 43 Stone Street, Montgomery, and insists she is
-100 years old. Unlike many of the old Negroes of the South, she has no
-good words for slavery days or the old masters, declaring: "Dem days was
-hell."
-
-She sat on her front porch and assailed the taking of young children
-from mothers and selling them in different parts of the country.
-
-"I was growed up when de war come," she said, "an' I was a mother befo'
-it closed. Babies was snatched from dere mother's breas' an' sold to
-speculators. Chilluns was separated from sisters an' brothers an' never
-saw each other ag'in.
-
-"Course dey cry; you think dey not cry when dey was sold lak cattle? I
-could tell you 'bout it all day, but even den you couldn't guess de
-awfulness of it.
-
-"It's bad to belong to folks dat own you soul an' body; dat can tie you
-up a tree, wid yo' face to de tree an' yo' arms fastened tight aroun'
-it; who take a long curlin' whip an' cut de blood ever' lick.
-
-"Folks a mile away could hear dem awful whippings. Dey was a turrible
-part of livin'."
-
-Delia said she was born at Powhatan, Virginia, and was the youngest of
-thirteen children.
-
-"I never seed none of my brothers an' sisters 'cept brother William,"
-she said. "Him an' my mother an' me was brought in a speculator's drove
-to Richmon' an' put in a warehouse wid a drove of other niggers. Den we
-was all put on a block an' sol' to de highes' bidder.
-
-"I never seed brother William ag'in. Mammy an' me was sold to a man by
-de name of Carter, who was de sheriff of de county.
-
-"No'm, dey warn't no good times at his house. He was a widower an' his
-daughter kept house for him. I nursed for her, an' one day I was playin'
-wid de baby. It hurt its li'l han' an' commenced to cry, an' she whirl
-on me, pick up a hot iron an' run it all down my arm an' han'. It took
-off de flesh when she done it.
-
-"Atter awhile, marster married ag'in; but things warn't no better. I
-seed his wife blackin' her eyebrows wid smut one day, so I thought I'd
-black mine jes' for fun. I rubbed some smut on my eyebrows an' forgot to
-rub it off, an' she kotched me. She was powerful mad an' yelled: 'You
-black devil, I'll show you how to mock your betters.'
-
-"Den she pick up a stick of stovewood an' flails it ag'in' my head. I
-didn't know nothin' more 'till I come to, lyin' on de floor. I heard de
-mistus say to one of de girls: 'I thought her thick skull and cap of
-wool could take it better than that.'
-
-"I kept on stayin' dere, an' one night de marster come in drunk an' set
-at de table wid his head lollin' aroun'. I was waitin' on de table, an'
-he look up an' see me. I was skeered, an' dat made him awful mad. He
-called an overseer an' tol' him: 'Take her out an' beat some sense in
-her.'
-
-"I begin to cry an' run an' run in de night; but finally I run back by
-de quarters an' heard mammy callin' me. I went in, an' raght away dey
-come for me. A horse was standin' in front of de house, an' I was took
-dat very night to Richmon' an' sold to a speculator ag'in. I never seed
-my mammy any more.
-
-"I has thought many times through all dese years how mammy looked dat
-night. She pressed my han' in bofe of hers an' said: 'Be good an' trus'
-in de Lawd.'
-
-"Trustin' was de only hope of de pore black critters in dem days. Us
-jest prayed fer strength to endure it to de end. We didn't 'spect
-nothin' but to stay in bondage 'till we died.
-
-.. _`Delia Garlic`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image135garlic.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Delia Garlic
-
- Delia Garlic, Montgomery, Alabama
-
-"I was sol' by de speculator to a man in McDonough, Ga. I don't
-ricollect his name, but he was openin' a big hotel at McDonough an'
-bought me to wait on tables. But when de time come aroun' to pay for me,
-his hotel done fail. Den de Atlanta man dat bought de hotel bought me,
-too. 'Fo' long, dough, I was sol' to a man by de name of Garlic, down in
-Louisiana, an' I stayed wid him 'till I was freed. I was a regular fiel'
-han', plowin' an' hoein' an' choppin' cotton.
-
-"Us heard talk 'bout de war, but us didn't pay no 'tention. Us never
-dreamed dat freedom would ever come."
-
-Delia was asked if the slaves ever had any parties or dances on her
-plantation.
-
-"No'm," she replied, "us didn't have no parties; nothin' lak dat. Us
-didn't have no clothes for goin' 'roun. I never had a undershirt until
-jest befo' my first chil' was borned. I never had nothin' but a shimmy
-an' a slip for a dress, an' it was made out'en de cheapes' cloth dat
-could be bought; unbleached cloth, coarse, but made to las'.
-
-"Us didn't know nothin' 'cept to work. Us was up by three or four in de
-mornin' an' everybody got dey somethin' to eat in de kitchen. Dey didn't
-give us no way to cook, nor nothin' to cook in our cabins. Soon as us
-dressed us went by de kitchen an' got our piece of cornbread. Dey wasn't
-even no salt in dem las' years. Dat piece of cornbread was all us had
-for breakfus', an' for supper, us had de same.
-
-"For dinner us had boiled vittles; greens, peas an' sometimes beans.
-Coffee? No'm, us never knowed nothin' 'bout coffee.
-
-"One mornin' I 'members I had started to de fiel', an' on de way I los'
-my piece of bread. I didn't know what to do. I started back to try to
-fin' it, an' it was too dark to see. But I walk back raght slow, an' had
-a dog dat walked wid me. He went on ahead, an' atter awhile I come on
-him lyin' dere guardin' dat piece of bread. He never touched it, so I
-gived him some of it.
-
-"Jus' befo' de war I married a man named Chatfield from another
-plantation; but he was took off to war an' I never seed him ag'in. Atter
-awhile I married a boy on de plantation named Miles Garlic.
-
-"Yas'm, Massa Garlic had two boys in de war. When dey went off de Massa
-an' missis cried, but it made us glad to see dem cry. Dey made us cry so
-much.
-
-"When we knowed we was free, everybody wanted to git out. De rule was
-dat if you stayed in yo' cabin you could keep it, but if you lef', you
-los' it. Miles was workin' at Wetumpka, an' he slipped in an' out so us
-could keep on livin' in de cabin.
-
-"My secon' baby soon come, an' raght den I made up my min' to go to
-Wetumpka where Miles was workin' for de railroad. I went on down dere
-an' us settled down.
-
-"Atter Miles died, I lived dere long as I could an' den come to
-Montgomery to live wid my son. I'se eatin' white bread now an' havin' de
-best time of my life. But when de Lawd say, 'Delia, well done; come up
-higher,' I'll be glad to go."
-
-Angie Garrett
-=============
-
- | **Interview with Angie Garrett**
- | —*Ruby Pickens Tartt, Livingston, Alabama*
-
-*MULES BE EATIN' AND NIGGERS BE EATIN'*
-
-She sat in the door of her small cabin, a short distance from
-Livingston, Alabama, in philosophical reflection. Time has not softened
-her memories. As she told these facts an occasional expression of
-bitterness passed over her face.
-
-"I's Angie Garrett," she said. I was about sixteen years at beginning uv
-de Wa'. I was born in De Kalb, Mississippi. My mother was Betty Scott,
-an' I didn't know my father's name. I had four brothers, Ember, Johnny,
-Jimmie, and Henry; and three sisters, Delphie, Lizzie Sue, and Frankie,
-and my grandmother was Sukie Scott. She lived five miles from
-Gainesville across Noxubee Creek (in full, Oka Noxubee) an' I lived wid
-her. Never axed 'bout my grand-daddy, 'caze wa'n't no tellin'. My mammy
-lived right here in Gainesville an' belong to Mr. Sam Harwood.
-
-"I b'longed to de Moorings and Cap'n Mooring run on a boat to Mobile
-from Aberdeen, Mississippi, 'twus on de 'Bigbee river, an' 'twus called
-de *Cremonia*. I was de house gal an' nuss an' I slep' on a pallet in
-old Miss's room. I had plenty to eat long as us was on dat boat, and dat
-sho' was good. But when us was in De Kalb, vittles was giv' out at de
-smoke house, a slice o' meat and piece of bread and peas, and 'twus
-sarnt out ter de fiel'. Mules be eatin' and niggers be eatin'.
-
-"I nussed de Moorings little boy Johnny. De little gal had died. Mr.
-Scott in De Kalb had 'bout fifty slaves and a big plantation and a
-overseer name' Barnes. He was a haughty man, and niggers was skeered to
-death 'caze he would come in a-cussin'.
-
-"Us would git up 'fo' daylight. 'Twus dark when go out, dark when come
-in. Us make a little fire in de fiel' some mawnin's, hit beeze so cold;
-dan us let it go out 'fo' de overseer come. Ef he seed you he'd make
-yer lay down flat on yo' belly, foots tied out and han's tied out and
-whoop yer wid slapper leather strap wid a handle. But I was laid 'cross
-a cheer. I been whooped 'tel I tell lies on myself to make 'em quit. Say
-dey whoop 'till I'd tell de troof, so I had ter lie 'bout myse'f keep
-'em from killin' me. Dis here race is mo' lac de chillun uv Isreal,
-'cept dey didn't have ter shoot no gun ter set um free.
-
-"I was sole ter Mr. Johnny Mooring, 'caze de property was in debt. And
-den fuss I b'longed ter Mrs. Scott at De Kalb, and her sole me, an' I
-sho' was glad. I walked here to Gainesville frum De Kalb, Mississippi.
-Us wa'n't 'lowed to learn nothin'. Sometimes us sing and have a little
-prayer meetin', but 'twus mighty easy and quiet like. Gran'ma Sukey use'
-to sing, "Travel on, travel on, Soon be Over."
-
-"Ef any us died in dem days, buried us quick as dey could and got out of
-dere and got to work. At night dey blow'd de horn for 'em to bring in de
-cotton w'ut de women spinned. Dey made all de clof. Us worked nights
-too, but us rested Sundays. Us didn't git no presents at Christmas.
-Sometimes us had a corn shuckin', and no celebration for no marriage.
-Dat was called "jumpin' de broom," jes' taken up wid 'em. Dey all want
-you to have plenty of chillun, though.
-
-"Us wo' asafetida 'roun' us neck keep off de small pox and measles. Us
-didn't have much medicine and some of um was always full of bad
-complaints lac' Carrie, my neighbor, whut you axed about. I bees
-a-hurtin', but I can't never git in edgeways for her. Always got a lot
-excuses; doan' never 'spects to die 'thout folks knows whut ails her.
-But she brought me some black-eyed peas today, and I lac's um 'caze dey
-biles sof', and I say 'ef de devil brought hit, God sarnt hit.'
-Sometimes I bees hongry, an' I say, 'Whut is I'm gwinter eat?', and
-along come somebody wid sumpin'.
-
-.. _`Angie Garrett`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image139garrett.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Angie Garrett
-
- Angie Garrett, Livingston, Alabama
-
-"Wish you could of heered dat calliope on de *Cremonia*. Dey dance some
-time 'mos' all night, but dey didn't act lac' dey do now. 'Twus nice
-behavior. Look lac' ev'ything goin' back ter heathenism, and hits on de
-way now. But de good Lord he'ps me. He hol's my han'. I ain't got
-nothin' 'gin nobody. I doan' see no need of fussin' and fightin' an'
-a-drinkin' whiskey. Us livin' in a new worl' and I go on makin' de bes'
-I kin of hit. Some I lac, some I doan'.
-
-"I got one daughter, Fannie Watson, a good washer and ironer right here
-in Gainesville, and I got a son, too, say he ain't gonna marry 'tel he
-kin treat de 'oman good as she kin treat herse'f. I makes him wait on
-me, and he gits mighty raw sometimes, but I tells him I'm jes' much
-older den he is now as I was when he was bawn. Den he gives me a old
-dirty dime, but now wid dese here tokens, you gotter pay some of hit fer
-spendin'. Dey tells me hit's de Governor, and I say 'let him carry 'em;
-he kin tote 'em, I ain't able.' Well, once ain't always, and twice ain't
-forever.
-
-"No'm, I doan' never go ter church no mo'. De preachers here is goin'
-bline about money. Dey ain't interested in dey soul. Some folks b'longs
-ter de church an' ain't been changed. De church ain't all of hit. I
-'members day uv 'manicpation. Yankees tole us we was free, and dey call
-us up frum de fiel' to sign up an' see ef us wanted to stay on wid 'em.
-I stayed dat year wid de Moorings, den I bargain for lan', but couldn't
-never pay fer hit. Turned loose 'thout nothin'.
-
-"But dey was a coal black free born nigger name George Wright, had a
-floatin' mill right here on de 'Bigbee River, stayed at de p'int of de
-woods jes' 'bove de spring branch, and hit did a good service. But he
-got in debt and he sole his five boys. Dey was his own chillun, and he
-could sell 'em under de law. De names was Eber, Eli, Ezekiel, Enoch, and
-Ezra, an' he sole 'em ter de highes' bidder right yonder 'front of de
-Pos' Office for cash. And Jack Tom was another free nigger here and he
-bought some of 'em, and dey others de white folks bought, and I never
-heerd no complaint and I seed 'em long as dey lived. Dey was a heap of
-things went on. Some I lac's to remember, some I doan'. But I'd rather
-be free now. I never seed Mr. Lincoln, but when dey tole me 'bout him, I
-thought he was partly God.
-
-"But Mr. John Rogers right here, (he's dead an' gone now), he was whut
-he was and wasn't 'ceitful. Go to him ef you got into anything, and he
-more'n apt to tell you whut to do. He was wile when he was young, but he
-settle down and was de bes' white man to de niggers I ever know'd. He'd
-he'p me right now ef he was livin' and seen me wearin' dis here rag
-nasty, he sho' would."
-
-Henry Garry
-===========
-
- | **Interview with Henry Garry**
- | —*W.F. Jordan, Birmingham, Alabama*
-
-*MR. RENFROE HANGS ON A CHINYBERRY TREE*
-
-"Howdy Cap'n! Kin you tell me how to fin' Jedge Ab's co't? I knowed
-'zactly whar hit was in de ole co't house, but I gits all bumfuzzled
-tryin' to fin' anybody in dis new buildin'."
-
-His name was Henry Garry. He wore a suit of faded and extensively
-patched Confederate gray and a cap of the regulation porter's style. His
-face bore the expression worn only by those of his race who had lived
-and toiled in a much earlier and in many instances, happier day. In the
-presence of "white folks" he was at ease, indicating an intimate
-association and relationship among them and in their service.
-
-"What business have you in Judge Abernathy's court? You don't look like
-a criminal," was the response.
-
-"Oh, nawsah, I ain't neber done nothin' to nobody no time. But I sho'
-don't know what dis new generation of nigguhs comin' to. Hit war bad
-'nough when dey couldn' git nothin' but bootleg cawn licker; now dey kin
-buy all de gin dey wants right here in Bummin'ham, an' dem rapscallions
-git out on Sat'd'y night, fill up on gin an' git all lit up lak a
-meetin' house. Den de fust thing dey know dey gits tangled up wid
-somebody wid a razor or a meat axe or somp'n an' 'long come de law,
-locks 'em up an' de debil's to pay."
-
-"But why should all that disturb you? They haven't run you in have
-they?" he was asked.
-
-"Nawsuh, hits dat triflin' nevvew of mine. Dat boy kin sho' git into mo'
-kin's of trouble dan a pet monkey. He in jail now for some debilment or
-yuther an' I 'spect I'se gwine to hab to git him out ag'in. Dat's what
-I'se gwine to see Jedge Ab 'bout. Wisht I could git dat boy back down in
-Sumter County on Marse John Rogers' plantation. Dat's whar he b'long at.
-Betcha Marse John wouldn' take none of his foolishment."
-
-"Are you familiar with the people and history of Sumter County?" he was
-quizzed further.
-
-"Lawd man, I was bawn in de back yahd whar Marse John Rogers live right
-now. Dat was right atter de surrender an' my mammy b'long to de
-Vandegraaf family who useter live dar an' owned all dat plantation. My
-daddy's name was Daniel Grady. Dey come f'um Virginny long time 'fo' de
-wah. All dem ole peoples is dead now. Onlies' kinfolks I hab lef' down
-dah is a cousin. She mos' a hundert yeahs ole an' still libs on her
-little farm a few miles from Gainesville. An' Cap'n when I says libs, I
-means libs. Ain't nothin' dat grow outten de groun' nor in de groun' in
-Alabama dat's good for folks to eat but what she got it an' plenty. I
-goes down dar to visit her twicet a yeah, an', man alive, hit am a sin
-de 'mount of grub I puts away endurin' dem two weeks I stays dar.
-Yassah, I'se 'bout due to go down dah now, 'caze dat gyarden sass en'
-spring chickens jes' 'bout ripe.
-
-"My mammy was a seamstress for de Vandegraaf plantation an' made all de
-clothes for bofe black and white. She neber did leave de plantation
-atter de slaves was freed but stayed right dar till she died, she an' my
-daddy bofe. But dey was good hones', 'spectable, chu'ch-goin' people, my
-daddy an' mammy was. De little log chu'ch house is still dar an' de
-niggers still keeps up de services. De ole pastor nearly a hundert
-yeahs ole now, but it would s'prise you how spry he gits 'bout an'
-conduc's de meetin's.
-
-"I don't know 'bout yuther parts, but from what my mammy tell me de
-slaves in Sumter County mus' hab had a mighty good time, had plenty of
-ebery t'ing an' nothin' to worry 'bout. Seems lak dar warn't no trouble
-'mongst de whites an' blacks 'twell atter de wah. Some white mens come
-down from de Norf' an' mess up wid de niggers. I was a mighty little
-shaver, but I 'members one night atter supper, my daddy and mammy an' us
-chilluns was settin' under a big tree by our cabin in de quarters when
-all at wunst, lickety split, heah come gallopin' down de road what look
-lak a whole army of ghos'es. Mus' hab been 'bout a hundert an' dey was
-men ridin' hosses wid de men and hosses bofe robed in white.
-
-"Cap'n, dem mens look lak dey ten feet high an' dey hosses big as
-elephan's. Dey didn't bodder nobody at de qua'ters, but de leader of de
-crowd ride right in de front gate an' up to de big dug well back of our
-cabin an' holler to my daddy. 'Come heah nigguh! Ho-oh!, 'cose we
-skeered. Yassuh, look lak our time done come.
-
-"My daddy went ober to whar he settin' on his hoss at de well. Den he
-say, 'Nigguh git a bucket an' draw me some cool water.' Daddy got a
-bucket, fill it up an' han' it to him. Cap'n, would you b'lieve it? Dat
-man jes' lif' dat bucket to his mouf' an' neber stop twell it empty. Did
-he hab 'nough? He jes' smack his mouf an' call for mo'. Jes' lak dat, he
-didn' stop twell he drunk three buckets full. Den he jes' wipe his mouf
-an' say, 'Lawdy, dat sho' was good. Hit was de fust drink of water I'se
-had sence I was killed at de battle of Shiloh.'
-
-"Was we good? Cap'n, from den on dar wasn't a nigger dare stick his head
-out de do' fo' a week. But nex' day we fin' out dey was Ku Kluxes an'
-dey foun' de body of a white man hangin' to a pos' oak tree ober by
-Gran' Prairie. His name was Billings an' he come from de Norf. He been
-ober 'roun' Livingston messin' up de niggers tellin' 'em dey had been
-promised forty acres and a mule, an' dey ought to go 'head an' take 'em
-from de white folks.
-
-"But dat carpetbagger couldn' do nothin' wid ole Slick 'dough. Slick?
-Yassah, dat what ebe'ybody call him. He hang 'roun' de co'te house at
-Livingston an' listen to de lawyers argufy. He try to 'member all de big
-words dem lawyers use. When dat carpetbagger come to town dat nigger
-Slick was carryin' his bag to de hotel an' when dey pass de mineral well
-in de street, de man axed Slick, 'What dat water good for? Hab it been
-tested?' Slick say, 'Oh yassah, dat water been scanalyzed by de bes'
-fenologists in de country, an' dey say hit's three quarters carbolic
-acid gas, an' de yuther seben eights is hydrophobia.'
-
-"Yassah, dat ole cannon in de co'te house yahd at Livingston was drug
-outten de Tombigbee ribber whar de Yankees done sunk it time of de wah.
-De Men's useter load 'er up an' shoot 'er off on big days at Livingston.
-Dey had to spike de ole gun, 'dough, to keep de deblish boys 'roun' town
-from shootin' it off jes' fo' fun.
-
-"Git rid of de carpetbaggers? Oh yassah, dey vote 'em out. Well, sah,
-tell you how dey done dat. De 'publicans done paid all de niggers' poll
-tax, an' gib 'em a receipt so dey could vote same as de whites. Dey made
-up to 'lect de officers at de co't house all niggers an' den sen'
-yuther ones to Montgomery to make de laws. Same day de 'lection come off
-dar was a circus in Livingston an' de Demmycrats 'suaded de boss man of
-de circus to let all Sumter County niggers in de show by showin' dere
-poll tax receipts. Yessah, when de show was ober de 'lection was ober
-too, an' nobody was 'lected 'cepin' white Demmycrats.
-
-"'Cose dat made Sumter County a mighty onhealthy place for carpetbaggers
-an' uppity niggers.
-
-.. _`Henry Garry`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image143garry.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Henry Garry
-
- Henry Garry, Birmingham, Alabama
-
-"Yo' ax me 'bout de old songs de slaves useter sing. Well, I don't
-'members many of dem. Atter de S'render all de ole slaves what stayed on
-de plantations 'roun' Gainesville useter gather at de landin' dar
-waitin' to see de steamboats pull in from down de Tombigbee on dere way
-to Columbus, (Miss.), an' somebody'd start a song, an', Law' man, how
-dem niggers sing. Here one I heerd my mammy sing so much I learnt it:
-
- | "Read in de bible, understan'
- | Methuselah was de oldes' man.
- | He lived nine hundred an' sixty nine
- | Den died an' go to Heben in de Lawd's due time.
- |
- | Methuselah was a witness
- | For my Lawd,
- | For my Lawd.
- |
- | "Read in de Bible, Understan'
- | Samson was de stronges' man.
- | Went out to battle to fight one time
- | Killed a thousan' of de Philistines.
- |
- | Samson was a witness
- | For my Lawd,
- | For my Lawd.
- |
- | "Daniel was a Hebrew chile,
- | Went to de Lawd to pray a while.
- | De Lawd tole de angels de lions to keep,
- | So Daniel lay down an' went to sleep.
- |
- | An' dat's anoder witness
- | For my Lawd,
- | For my Lawd.
-
-"Now 'bout de ghos' tales. I neber heerd many ghos' yarns 'cep' 'bout de
-chinyberry tree whar dey hung Mistah Steve Renfroe. He was 'lected High
-Sheriff dat time dey got all de niggers to go to de circus 'stead of
-goin' to de 'lection. He a fine lookin' man an' ride a big white hoss
-an' ebe'ybody lak him a lot 'cep' de carpetbaggers an' boddersome
-niggers. No matter whar, if he meet one of 'em, he look 'em squar' in de
-eye for a minute, den 'bout all he say would be, 'Get to hell outten
-heah!' An' man, iffen dey could fly dat would be too slow trabelin' for
-'em, gettin' outten de county. But atter while he got in trouble 'bout
-money matters. Dey say he got color blind, couldn' tell his money from
-de county's. So dey 'rest him an' put him in jail, but he bust right out
-an' run off. Atter while he sneak back an' 'caze his Ku Klux frien's
-wouldn' help him outten de trouble when he got back in jail, he give 'em
-away an' tell what dere name was. One night a gang took him outten de
-Livingston jail an' go 'bout a mile outten town an' hang him to a
-chinyberry tree. I'se hyeard iffen you go to dat tree today an' kinda
-tap on hit an say, 'Renfroe, Renfroe; what did you do?' De tree say
-right back at you, 'Nothin'.'
-
-"Nawsuh, folks down 'roun' Gainesville didn' pay much min' to signs an'
-conju' an' all dat stuff. My mammy wouldn' let us tote a axe on our
-shoulder th'ough de house, an' she wouldn' 'low a umbrella to be opened
-in de house, say hit bring bad luck. She neber fail to hab cown-fiel'
-peas an hawg-jowl for dinner on New Yeah's Day. She say hit a sign you
-hab plenty to eat balance ob de yeah. She put a ball of asafetida on a
-string an' make all us chillun wear it 'roun' our neck to keep off
-sickness. If a owl begin to hoot ober in Tombigbee bottom too close to
-de house, she put de shovel in de fire to make him stop.
-
-"Wall, sir, I come to Bummin'ham mos' forty yeahs ago when Marse Josiah
-Morris finish de Morris Hotel. I fust run de elevators a while, den dey
-wukked me in de saloon what useter be jes' back of de office. I been
-heah eber sence. I 'speck 'bout de las' thing dat'll happen to dis ole
-nigguh will be to haul him away from de Morris Hotel in a black box.
-
-"But Lawdy, Cap'n, I got to git up to Jedge Ab's co't. Lissen, Cap'n,
-iffen I gits dat no'count nevvew outten jail I sho' would lak to git him
-a job. You don't know nobody what don't want to hire nobody to do
-nothin' does you?"
-
-Georgia
-=======
-
- | **Interview with Georgia**
- | —*Gertha Couric*
-
-*DEY PLANTED DE SILVER IN DE FIEL'*
-
-"No, honey, I neber seed my mammy. She died when I was bawn, an' my
-Mistis Mary Mitchell raised me in de Big House. I was named a'ter her
-sister, Miss Georgia. I slep' in her room an I was a house nigger all my
-days. I neber went to a nigger chu'ch 'tell I was grown an' ma'd, didn'
-sociate wid niggers 'cause I was a nu'smaid. I raised Miss Molly, her
-las' baby.
-
-"I was bawn at 'Elmoreland', Massa Americus Mitchell's place, mor'n
-ninety yeahs ago, an' a'ter freedom I stayed dah 'tel ole Massa died an'
-my Mistis moved to Eufaula to live wid her son, Mahs Merry.
-
-"'Bout all I know of de wawh is when dey said—'de Yankees is comin', de
-Yankees is comin'.'
-
-"Us sho' was skeerd, an' dere'd be some fas' doin's about de place. All
-de cattle an' hawgs an hosses we driv' to de swamp on de nawth creek,
-an' de feather beds down dere too an' hid 'em in de brush an' leaves. My
-Mistis tied her trinkets in sacks an' put 'em in outlandish places lak
-de hen-house an de hay lof'. An' de silver, dey planted in de
-fiel."
-
-Fannie Gibson
-=============
-
- | **Interview with Fannie Gibson**
- | —*J.R. Jones, Columbus, Georgia*
-
-Fannie Gibson was born the slave property of Mr. Benajer Goff, a planter
-of near Roanoke, Alabama. She says that during her girlhood she "piddled
-in de fiels an hepped in de kitchen o' de big house."
-
-She has very pleasant memories of slave days, and "wishes to God dat she
-was as comforbly (comfortably) fixed now as she was den."
-
-Her ante-bellum owner she pictures as a very humane, Christian
-gentleman—a man that took great interest in the material and spiritual
-welfare of his slaves.
-
-Two hymns, sung by 'Aunt' Fannie for her interviewer, are appended.
-
- | *Going Home To Live With The Lord.*
- |
- | Goin' home soon in de mornin',
- | Goin' home soon in de mornin',
- | I's goin' home to live with de Lord.
- |
- | In de mornin' so soon,
- | In de mornin' so soon,
- | I's goin' home to live with de Lord.
- |
- | I's goin' home to live with de Lord,
- | I's goin' home to live with de Lord,
- | I's goin' home soon in de mornin'.
- |
- | O, de Lord is a-waitin' for me,
- | O, de Lord is a-waitin' for me,
- | I's goin' home soon in de mornin'.
- |
- | *Where Were You When You Found The Lord?*
- |
- | My brother, where were you,
- | My brother, where were you,
- | My brother, where were you,
- | When you found the Lord?
- |
- | I was low down in the valley,
- | I was low down in the valley,
- | I was low down in the valley,
- | When I first found the Lord.
- |
- | My sister, where were you,
- | My sister, where were you,
- | My sister, where were you,
- | When you found the Lord?
- |
- | I was low down in the valley,
- | I was low down in the valley,
- | I was low down in the valley,
- | When I first found the Lord.
-
-This song can be extended indefinitely by addressing the question to
-various members of one's family, and to friends.
-
-Frank Gill
-==========
-
- | **Personal interview with Frank Gill**
- | **708 South Hamilton Street, Mobile, Alabama**
- | —*Ila B. Prine, Mobile, Alabama*
-
-*A SLAVE BOY ESCAPES WHIPPING BY PULLING TAIL OF FROCK COAT*
-
-A low, stout, sleek headed Negro man, sat in an old rocking chair in an
-end room of a long row of rooms of a tenement house at 708 South
-Hamilton Street, Mobile, Alabama. This old darkey said, when asked by
-the writer if he lived during slavery times: "I not only lived durin'
-slavery times, but I was here before a gun was fired, an' b'fore Lincoln
-was elected. I tells you, Miss, de fust time I 'members anything—a tale
-of any kind. I was livin' in Vicksburg, Lee County, Mississippi, an' mah
-maw an' paw's names was Amelia Williams an' Hiram Gill. I couldn't tells
-you whar dey war from, dough. But I does know dat Mista Arthur an'
-George Foster owned us, up 'til I war a big boy. De way it was, dere
-mother, Ol' Missy, was a widow, an' her had dese two boys, an' she had
-money, I tells you she had barrels ob money; so when de two boys got old
-enough she divide de slaves, an' property 'tween 'em. Me an' mah maw
-fell to Arthur Foster, and sum ob our kindred fell to George Foster.
-Mister George was a Captain in de army an' was killed near Vicksburg.
-
-"De Ol' Missy's place shore was big, I couldn't say how many acres dere
-was, but hit run four or five miles, an' she owned hundreds ob slaves.
-She had lots ob log cabin quarters, whut had de cracks daubed wid mud,
-an' den ceiled wid boards. I'se tellin' you dey was twice as warm as de
-houses we lib in now. Dey had chimbleys built ob mud an' sticks, an' had
-big wide, fireplaces, dat we cooked on, an' de beds was homemade, but
-Lor' dey was heaps stronger dan dey is now, in dese times. Dem beds was
-morticed together.
-
-"As I said b'fore I was a boy between fourteen or fifteen years old
-b'fore de slaves was divided, an' when I was on de Ol' Missy's place, I
-stayed aroun' de house, an' wait on dem, an' 'tend de horses. Anudder
-thing I had to do, dey would send me for the mail. I had to go twelve
-miles atter hit an' I couldn't read or write, but I could bring
-everybody's mail to dem jes' right. I knowed I had better git hit right.
-You see I could kinder figure, so I could make out by de numbers.
-
-"Ol' Missy an' Mister Arthur both was good to me an' all de slaves, dey
-'low de slaves to make dere own patch ob cotton, an' raise chickens, an'
-he would sell hit for dem. Cotton was de main crop, in dem days, hit
-would sell as high as twenty-five cents a pound. 'Course dey raises
-corn, pears, an' other things on de plantation, too, but dey made de
-cotton. Master Jesus! dey sumtimes made from fifty to one hundred an'
-fifty bales.
-
-"I 'members how all de women had looms, both black and white, weavin'
-cloth for de clothes; an' den dey raised sheep to git de wool to make
-dem gray uniforms. Lord, at sheep shearing time! hit was big times. Let
-me tell you, Miss, dem uniforms was made out ob all wool, too, but I
-cain't 'member whut dey used to dye 'em gray, but I 'members dey dyed
-wid red oak bark, walnut bark, an' also a brush whut growed down on the
-branch, also dey used de laurel leaves to dye yellow, as well as clay.
-Dey so't de dye wid salt, an' hit really stayed in.
-
-"Let me tell you, dey really fed us slaves good, up 'til such a length
-o' time atter de war broke out, den food began to git scarce.
-
-"You see de Government taxed 'em, an' dey had to gib so much to feed de
-soldiers. Even den us had a good time, I 'members how de li'l chillun
-played ball, and marbles, 'specially marbles, hit was our big game. Even
-atter night dey had a big light out in de backyard, an' us would play.
-Sometimes us would hunt at night, and well I 'members one Sat'day night
-I went huntin' wid mah uncle, an' didn't git in 'til daylight nex'
-mawning, an' I was sleepy an' didn't git de shoes all cleaned before
-church time. So ol' Marsar called me an' tuk me to de carriage house to
-gib me a whippin'. Ol' Marser's boy was about de same age as me an' he
-beg his paw not to whip me, an' I was beggin', too, but he carried me
-on, an' when we got in de carriage house, Ol' Marser had to climb up on
-de side wall to git de whip, an' he had on one ob dos long tailed coats,
-an' hit left dem tails hangin' down, so I jes' grabbed hold ob dem, an'
-made him fall, an' den I run to de Ol' Missy's room, 'ca'se I knowed
-when I got in dere, dat Ol' Marser would neber hit me.
-
-"De Ol' Missy got up out ob de bed an' wouldn't let Ol' Marster whip me,
-an' she got so mad dat she tol' him dat she warn't going to church wid
-him dat morning, an' dat lack to kill de Ol' Marster, 'ca'se he shore
-loved an' was proud ob Ol' Missy. She was a beautiful woman. Dat ended
-de whippin', an' dat's de only time I 'members him tryin' to whip me.
-
-"Ol' Missy didn't 'low dem to whip de women either, an' dey wouldn't
-'low de women to roll logs either. But dey did work dem in de fiel's.
-'Course dey kept de young women wid babies 'roun' de house, an' dey eat
-de same grub as de white folks eat.
-
-"Talking 'bout log rollin', dem was great times, 'ca'se if some ob de
-neighborin' plantations wanted to get up a house, dey would invite all
-de slaves, men and women, to come wid dere masters. De women would help
-wid de cookin' an' you may be shore dey had something to cook. Dey
-would kill a cow, or three or four hogs, and den hab peas, cabbage, an'
-everything lack grows on de farm. An' if dere was any meat or food lef'
-dey would gib dat to de slaves to take home, an' jes' b'fore dark de
-o'seer or Ol' Marster would gib de slaves all de whiskey dey wanted to
-drink. Sometimes atter de days work, dey would hab a frolic, such as
-dancin', an' ol' time games.
-
-"Dey would hab dese same kind ob gatherin's at cornshucking time, an'
-cotton pickin' time, but dere warn't so much foolishness at cotton
-pickin' time, 'ca'se dey didn't call one anudder den, 'ceptin' when de
-cotton got so far ahead ob dem, an' was 'bout to set in fer a wet spell,
-or rainy season.
-
-"You axed me 'bout de patty-rollers? You see de City policemen walkin'
-his beat? Well, dat's de way de patty-rollin' was, only each county had
-dere patty-rollers, an' dey had to serve three months at a time, den dey
-was turned loose. And if dey cotch you out widout a pass, dey would gib
-you thirty-nine lashes, 'ca'se dat was de law. De patty-rollers knowed
-nearly all de slaves, an' it wurn't very often dey ever beat 'em.
-
-"You know folks was jes' de same den as dey is now, both black, and
-white. Some folks you could neighbor wid den, jes' lack you can now, an'
-dere was good folks den, jes' de same as dey is now.
-
-"Christmas time was de bes' ob all, 'ca'se us allus had a big dinner,
-an' de Ol' Marster gib de women calico dresses an' shoes, an' de men
-shoes an' hats, an' would gib us flour, an' sugar, molasses, an' would
-buy beer, whiskey an' wine.
-
-"De Ol' Marster tuk good keer ob us too, when any ob us got sick he send
-for de doctor, den when dey order de medicine to be giben at night,
-he'd see dat us got hit. But nowadays if you git sick, you hab to git de
-Doctor, an' den pay him yo' se'f. Den de Ol' Marster had to find clothes
-an' shoes for us, but now us has to scuffle an' git dem de bes' way us
-can.
-
-"You know, Miss, I'se been here a long time, I eben 'members Jefferson
-Davis. I'se seen him many a time. He had a home 'tween here (Mobile) an'
-New Orleans, an' you knows he fust tuk his seat in Montgomery, an' den
-moved to Richmond, Virginny.
-
-"I 'members, too, how I useta to think dat de Baptist was de only
-religion. You see John de Baptist come here baptizing, an' ever'body had
-to offer up sacrifices, a goat or a sheep or sumpin', jes' lack de man
-who was going to offer up his son for a sacrifice. But you knows, Jesus
-come an' changed all dat. De folks in dem times didn't hab nobody to
-worship; an' den one come, who said, 'Father, hand me a body, and I'll
-die for dem,' Dat's Christ, an' he was baptized, an' God gib Jesus dis
-whole world. So I believed, dat was de only religion.
-
-"I 'members how us would hab big baptizings an' shout. Us allus went to
-church in de white folks church, dey had church in de mornings, us had
-ours in de afternoons. Us would hab to hab a pass, dough, 'ca'se de
-church was eight miles away from de plantation.
-
-"Dere was plenty old songs us useta to sing, but I can't 'member 'em.
-Dere is dis one dat goes—
-
- | Wonderful Peter,
- | Wonderful Paul,
- | Wonderful Silas,
- | Who for to make a
- | Mah heart rejoice.
- |
- | On Good Shepherds, feed a' mah sheep.
- | Don't you hear de young lambs a bleatin'?
- | Don't you hear de young lambs a bleatin'?
- | Don't you hear de young lambs a bleatin'?
- | Oh! Good shepherds feed a' mah sheep."
-
-Jim Gillard
-===========
-
- | **Interview with Jim Gillard**
- | —*Preston Klein, Opelika, Alabama*
-
-*SOLD AT THREE MONTHS FOR $350*
-
-Jim Gillard was eleven years old when the War between the States began.
-Thus, the memories of the conflict are fresh; with the retreat from
-Rome, Ga., to Salem, Ala., as a refugee, transcending the others.
-
-Jim was born on a plantation at Pendleton, S.C., and was sold for $350
-when he was only three months old. He was one of eight children
-belonging to James and Hannah Gillard.
-
-"Atter bein' sold, I fust lived 'bout three miles from Rome, Ga.," Jim
-recalled. "Den, when de Yankees come into Georgy us refugeed fust to
-Atlanta, den to Columbus an' later to Salem. Us was at Salem when de war
-ended."
-
-Jim remembers catching partridges as a boy, taking them to the train and
-selling them to Charlie Crowder for ten cents each.
-
-"Game was plentiful in dem days," he said, "an' I never had any trouble
-catchin' dem birds.
-
-"No'm, our houses wasn't nothin' to brag about. Dey was built of hewn
-logs an' had slab floors, havin' two rooms an' a shed cook room. Us beds
-was lak tables, wid four legs nailed on to de sides an' den corded over
-de top wid ropes dat was tightened wid a big key. Us had shuck
-mattresses to sleep on.
-
-"Us cooked on a great big fireplace. I 'members dat dere was plenty of
-meat in de winter, 'ca'se Ol' Marster used to kill as many as thirty
-hogs at a time. Us had meat an' bread an' home-made light bread an' de
-white folks was mighty kind. I 'members us was carried to Sunday School
-every Sunday at 3 o'clock in de evenin'. Ol' Mistus'd teach us de
-lesson. De white chilluns had dere Sunday School at 9 o'clock in de
-mornin.'
-
-"I allus went to Sunday School, but on de week days us little niggers
-would slip off an' go huntin' when we could."
-
-Jim recalls that "de little niggers" ate from tin plates on the
-plantation; but declared he didn't mind that because the food was always
-good.
-
-"Yes'm, us had purty good clothes. Dey was dyed brown wid walnut leaves
-an' hazelnut bush, an' on Sunday us had striped gingham pants an' shoes.
-My father was de shoemaker an' had a gov'mint tan yard whar he would
-make ol' hard brogans fer $8 a pair.
-
-"My marster an' Mistus was Steven an' 'Lizbeth Wilson. Dey fust lived in
-a big log house, but den moved into a planked house. Dey had nine
-chillun; Ann, Steven, William, Liza, Humie, Eddie, Laura, Mary an'
-Lizzie.
-
-"I 'members lots 'bout Mistus 'Lizabeth, 'ca'se she useter read de Bible
-to us niggers. She would talk to us 'bout de Good Book an' have prayer
-meetin' wid us.
-
-"My dad useter look atter de fiel' hands. No'm, he war'nt no overseer,
-but Ol' Marster allus had confidence in him.
-
-"I 'members dat when dey would be a funeral, us'd sing; marchin' befo'
-de body 'fore us'd get to de grave an' singin', 'Hark come de tune a
-doleful sound, my years a tender cry; a livin' man come view de ground
-whar you may shortly lie.'
-
-"Us frolics on Sattidy night was fine an' us'd dance 'twel mos' day.
-Marster's brother would fiddle for us, an' at Christmas time us would
-have six days to frolic. Us also had a big time at de cornshuckin's, an'
-us'd whoop an' holler an' sing mos' all night. De big niggers had plenty
-of liquor de boss give 'um. High tables was filled up wid corn an' de
-niggers would shuck 'twel it was all done.
-
-"My aunt married up at de big house an' dey give her a big dance. Dey
-had de fiddle and had a great big time. Dey jes' jumped over de broom
-to marry, so atter slavery dey had to git married agin.
-
-"I acted as houseboy in slavery times. An' all de little niggers did
-have lots of fun.
-
-"When de slaves got ailin', I 'members dat Marster had Dr. Word an' Dr.
-Dunwoody to come to see us.
-
-"I 'members, too, how de Yankees come to Spring Villa, 'bout eight miles
-from Opelika, an' said to some mens, 'Halt'. De mens wouldn't stop so de
-Yankees throwed dey guns on dem. Two white ladies threw a white flag an'
-dey wouldn't shoot, but dey carried Mr. John Edwards to Spring Villa an'
-made a cross on his wrist; den turned him loose 'ca'se his wife was rale
-sick.
-
-"When de Yankees come, us niggers buried a cigar box wid de jewelry in
-it under a certain pine tree 'twel dey went on.
-
-"Atter de big war, I married Jane Davis fust time; den Carrie Cooper. Us
-had two chillun an' one gran' chile, Emanuel Trotter, ten year' old.
-
-"Yassu'm, Mr. Abraham Lincoln died a warrior for dis country. I b'longs
-to de church, 'ca'se if a man dies outter de Ark he is not saved, an' I
-wants to be saved."
-
-Mary Ella Grandberry
-====================
-
- | **Interview with Mary Ella Grandberry**
- | —*Levi D. Shelby, Jr., Tuscumbia, Alabama*
-
-*TODAY'S FOLKS DON'T KNOW NOTHIN'*
-
-Life as a child is not clear in the ninety-year old memory of Mary Ella
-Grandberry, who lives in Sheffield, but she remembers that she did not
-have time to play as do children of today.
-
-"I don't know jes' how old I is," Mary Ella said, "but I knows dat I'm
-some'ers nigh ninety yars ol'. I was borned in Barton, Alabama. My
-father an' mother come from Richmond, Virginny. My mammy was name
-Margaret Keller an' my pappy was Adam Keller. My five sisters was
-Martha, Sarah, Harriet, Emma an' Rosanna, an' my three brothers was
-Peter, Adam, Jr., an' William.
-
-"Us all live in a li'l two-room log cabin jes' off the Big House. Life
-wan't ver' much for us, 'caze we had to work an' slave all de time.
-Massa Jim's house was a little ol' frame buildin' lack a ord'nary house
-is now. He was a single man an' didn't hab so terr'ble much, it seem. He
-had a whole lot, too, but jes' to look at him you'd thank he was a po'
-white man. Dere was a lot o' cabins for de slaves, but dey wasn't fitten
-for nobody to lib in. We jes' had to put up wid 'em.
-
-"I don' 'member much about when I was a chil'. I disremembers ever
-playin' lack chilluns do today. Ever since I kin 'member I had a water
-bucket on my arm totin' water to de han's. Iffen I wan't doin' dat, I
-was choppin' cotton. Chilluns nowadays sees a good time to w'at we did
-den. Ever' mornin' jes' 'bout hip of day de oberseer was 'roun' to see
-dat we was ready to git to de fiel's. Plenty times us had to go widouten
-breakfas', 'caze we didn' git up in time to git it 'fo' de man done come
-to git us on de way to de fiel'. Us wukked 'twell dinner time jes' de
-same before we got anythang to eat.
-
-"De food we et was fix jes' lack hit is now. My mammy fixed our grub at
-home. De on'y diffe'nce 'tween den an' now was us didn' git nothin' but
-common things den. Us didn' know what hit was to git biscuits for
-breakfas' ever' mornin'. It was cornbread 'twell on Sundays den us'd git
-fo' biscuits apiece. Us got fatback mos' ever' mornin'. Sometimes us
-mought git a chicken for dinner on a Sunday or some day lack Chris'mas.
-It was mighty seldom us gits anythin' lack dat, dough. We lacked possums
-an' rabbits but dey didn' come twell Winter time when some of de men
-folks'd run 'crost one in de fiel'. Dey never had no chanst to git out
-an' hunt none.
-
-"Dere was no sech thang as havin' diffe'nt clo's for winter an' Summer.
-Us wore de same thang in summertime as in de wintertime. De same was
-true 'bout shoes. Us wore brogans from one yeah to de yuther.
-
-"My Ol' Massa was a putty good man but nothin' exter. One thang 'bout
-him, he wouldn' 'low none of de oberseers to whup none of us, lessen he
-was dar to see hit done. Good thang he was lack dat, too, 'caze he sabed
-de blacks a many a lick what dey'd got iffen he hadn' been dar. Massa
-Jim was a bach'lor, an' he ain't never had much truck wid women folks.
-Iffen he had any chilluns, I never knowed nothin' 'bout 'em.
-
-"De oberseers was terrible hard on us. Dey'd ride up an' down
-de fiel' an' haste you so twell you near 'bout fell out. Sometimes
-an' most inginer'ly ever' time you 'hin' de crowd you got a good
-lickin' wid de bull whup dat de driver had in de saddle wid him.
-I hearn mammy say dat one day dey whupped po' Leah twell she fall
-out like she was daid. Den dey rubbed salt an' pepper on de blisters
-to make 'em burn real good. She was so so' 'twell she couldn' lay
-on her back nights, an' she jes' couldn' stan' for no clo's to tech
-back whatsomever.
-
-"Massa Jim had 'bout one of de bigges' plantations in dat section. I
-guess he had nigh onto a hun'erd blacks on de place. I never knowed
-'zackly how many thar was nor how big de place was.
-
-"De folks now'days is allus complainin' 'bout how dey is havin' sech
-hard times, but dey jes' don' know nothin'. Dey should hab come up when
-I did an' dey'd see now dey is libin' jes' lack kings an' queens. Dey
-don' have to git up 'fo' day when hit's so dark you kin jes' see your
-han's 'fo' your eyes. Dey don' know what it's lack to have to keep up
-wid de leader. You know dey was allus somebody what could wuk faster dan
-de res' of de folks an' dis fellow was allus de leader, an' ever'body
-else was s'pose to keep up wid him or her whatsomever hit was. Iffen you
-didn' keep up wid de leader you got a good thrashin' when you gits home
-at night. Hit was allus good dark when de han's got in from de fiel'.
-Co'se iffen dar was a lady what had a baby at home, she could leave jes'
-a little 'fo' de sun sot.
-
-"Younguns now'days don' know what it is to be punish'; dey thank iffen
-dey gits a li'l whuppin' from dey mammy now dat dey is punish' terrible.
-Dey should of had to follow de leader for one day an' see how dey'd be
-punish' iffen dey gits too far behin'. De bigges' thang dat us was
-punish' for was not keepin' up. Dey'd whup us iffen we was caught
-talkin' 'bout de free states, too. Iffen you wan't whupped, you was put
-in de 'nigger box' an' fed cornbread what was made widouten salt an' wid
-plain water. De box was jes' big 'nough for you to stan' up in, but hit
-had air holes in hit to keep you from suffocatin'. Dere was plenty
-turnin' 'roun' room in hit to 'low you to change your position ever'
-oncet in a while. Iffen you had done a bigger 'nough thang you was kep'
-in de 'nigger box' for months at de time, an' when you got out you was
-nothin' but skin an' bones an' scurcely able to walk.
-
-"Half de time a slave didn' know dat he was sol' 'twell de massa'd call
-him to de Big House an' tell him he had a new massa from den on. Ever'
-time dat one was sol' de res' of 'em'd say, 'I hopes nex' time'll be
-me.' Dey thought you'd git a chanst to run away to de free states. I
-hearn my mammy say dat when she come from Virginny dat she come on a
-boat built outten logs. She say she never was so sick in all her life. I
-seed a 'hole wagon load of slaves come through our farm one day what was
-on dere way to Arkansas. Dey was de mos' I ever seed travel at de same
-time.
-
-"De white folks didn't 'low us to even look at a book. Dey would scol'
-an' sometimes whup us iffen dey caught us wid our head in a book. Dat is
-one thang I sho'ly did want to do an' dat was to learn to read an'
-write. Massa Jim promised to teach us to read an' write, but he neber
-had de time.
-
-"Dere wan't but one chu'ch on de place what I lived on, an' de colored
-and de white both went to hit. You know we was neber 'lowed to go to
-chu'ch widoutten some of de white folks wid us. We wan't even 'lowed to
-talk wid nobody from anudder farm. Iffen you did, you got one of de wus'
-whuppin's of your life. Atter freedom Massa Jim tol' us dat dey was
-'fraid we'd git together an' try to run away to de No'th, an' dat was
-w'y dey didn' wan' us gittin' together talkin'.
-
-"A few years 'fo' de war my pappy learnt to read de Bible. (Mary Ella
-apparently forgot her previous comment on penalties for learning to
-read). Whenever we would go to chu'ch he would read to us an' we'd sing.
-'Bout de mos' two pop'lar songs dey sung was 'Steal Away' an' 'I Wonder
-Whar Good Ol' Dan'el Was.' 'Steal Away' is sech a pop'lar song what
-ever'body knows hit. De yuther one is done mought' nigh played out, so
-I'll sing hit for you. It goes lack dis:
-
- | I wonder whar was good ol' Dan'el,
- | I wonder whar was good ol' Dan'el,
- | I wonder whar was thankin' (thinking) Peter,
- | I wonder whar was thankin' Peter.
- |
- | (Chorus)
- |
- | I'm goin' away, goin' away.
- | I'm goin' away, goin' away.
- |
- | I wonder whar was weepin' Mary,
- | I wonder whar was weepin' Mary,
- | I'm goin' away, I'm goin' away,
- | I'm goin' away to live forever,
- | I'll never turn back no mo'.
-
-"De slaves would git tired of de way dey was treated an' try to run away
-to de No'th. I had a cousin to run away one time. Him an' anudder fellow
-had got 'way up in Virginny 'fo' Massa Jim foun' out whar dey was. Soon
-as Massa Jim foun' de whar'bouts of George he went atter him. When Massa
-Jim gits to George an' 'em, George pertended lack he didn' know Massa
-Jim. Massa Jim as' him, "George don't you know me?' George he say, 'I
-neber seed you 'fo' in my life.' Den dey as' George an' 'em whar did dey
-come from. George an' dis yuther fellow look up in de sky an' say, 'I
-come from above, whar all is love.' Iffen dey had owned dey knowed Massa
-Jim he could have brung 'em back home. My pappy tried to git away de
-same time as George an' dem did, but he couldn' see how to take all us
-chillun wid him, so he had to stay wid us. De blacks an' de whites would
-have de terr'bles' battles sometimes. Dat would be when de blacks would
-slip off to de No'th an' was caught an' brung back. De paterollers'd
-ketch de colored folks an' lock 'em up twell de owner came atter 'em.
-
-"Iffen a slave was cotched out after nine o'clock he was whupped. Dey
-didn' 'low nobody out atter it was dark 'lessen he had a pass from de
-Massa. One night, 'fo' George an' dis fellow (I disremembers his name,
-but I thinks it was Ezra) runned away, George tried to git over to de
-bunk whar he lived an' one of de oberseers seen him an' dey put him in
-de 'nigger box' for three weeks. Jes' as soon as he got out again,
-George an' dis Ezra slipped off. Dey had a sign dat dey would give each
-yuther eve'y night atter sundown. George would hang de lantern in de
-window, an' den he would take it outen de window an' hang it raght back
-in dar ag'in. I couldn't never make no sense outen it. I axed him one
-day whut he was adoin' dat for. He say dat 'fo' long I'd know 'zackly
-what is all about. Dis was de sign of how long dey have to wait 'fo' dey
-try to git away.
-
-"Atter de day's work was over, de slaves didn't have nothin' to do but
-go to bed. In fac', dey didn't feel lack doin' nothin' else. On Satiday
-dey sot up an' washed so's dey could have some clean clothes to wear de
-comin' week. We wukked all day, ever' day 'cep'n some Sat'days, we had a
-half day off den. Us didn' git many an' on'y when us as' for 'em. On
-Sundays us jes' laid 'roun' 'mos' all day. Us didn't git no pleasure
-outten goin' to church, 'caze we warn't 'lowed to say nothin'. Sometimes
-even on Chris'mas us didn't git no res'. I 'members on one Chris'mas us
-had to build a lime kiln. When us git a holiday us rested. Iffen dere
-was a weddin' or a funeral on our plantation us went. Odderways we don't
-go nowhar.
-
-"De war come when I was a big gal. I 'member dat my uncle an' cousin
-jined in wid de Yankees to hope fight for de freedom. De Yankees come to
-our place an' runned Massa Jim away an' tuk de house for a horsepittil.
-Dey tuk all of Massa Jim's clothes an' gived dem to some of dere
-frien's. Dey burned up all de cotton, hay, peas an' ever'thing dat was
-in de barns. Dey made de white folks cook for de colored an' den serve
-'em while dey et. De Yankees made 'em do for us lak we done for dem. Dey
-showed de white folks what it was to work for somebody else. Dey stayed
-on our place for de longes'. When dey did leave, dere warn't a mouthful
-to eat in de house. When de war was over, Massa Jim told us dat we had
-to find som'ers else to live. Co'se some of my folks had already gone
-when he come home. Us lef' Massa Jim's an' moved to anudder farm. We got
-pay for de wuk what we did on dis yuther place. Raght atter de war de Ku
-Klux got atter de colored folks. Dey would come to our houses an' scare
-us mos' to death. Dey would take some of de niggers out an' whup 'em an'
-dose dat dey didn't whup dey tied up by dere fingers an' toes. Dese Ku
-Klux would come to our windows at night an' say: 'Your time ain't long
-acomin'.' De Ku Klux got so bad dat dey would even git us in de daytime.
-Dey tuk some of de niggers an' throwed 'em in de river to drown. Dey
-kep' dis up 'twell some folks from de North come down an' put a stop to
-it.
-
-"I ma'ied Nelson Granberry. De weddin' was private. I don't have no
-chilluns, but my husban' got fo'. I haven't heered from any of 'em in a
-long time now. I guess dey all daid.
-
-"Abe Lincoln was de bes' president dat dis country eber had. Iffen it
-hadn't been for him we'd still be slaves raght now. I don't think so
-much of Jeff Davis 'caze he tried to keep us slaves. Booker T.
-Washington was one of de greates' niggers dat ever lived, he always
-tried to raise de standard of de race.
-
-"I joined the church 'caze de Bible says dat all people should join de
-church an' be Christians. Jesus Christ set up de church an' said dat
-ever'body what wanted to be saved to come unto him. Sin is de cause of
-de world bein' in de fix dat it's in today. De only way to fight sin is
-to git together. Iffen we can do away wid sin raght now, de world would
-be a paradise. In de church we learn de will of God an' what he would
-have us do.
-
-"Dere was no po' white trash in our 'munity; dey was kep' back in de
-mountains."
-
-Esther Green
-============
-
- | **Interview with Esther Green**
- | —*Ila B. Prine*
-
-*US CHILLUN WORE SHOES LIKE GROWNUPS*
-
-'Aunt' Esther Green, of 554 Texas Street, Mobile, Alabama, was all too
-ready to talk about her slavery days in spite of her assertion that she
-didn't remember much about the war.
-
-"I was jus' a chile," she says. "You can figure for yourself. Somebody
-tole me I was born in 1855, so I couldn't of been very old. I was born
-in State Line, Mississippi, and was owned by Edward Davis. He owned my
-mother, Rachel Davis and her mother, Melinda Davis. I never did know who
-my pappy was 'cause I never did see him.
-
-"To de bes' of my recollections, my whitefolks was allus good to us
-niggers. He neber allowed no overseers and he never whipped none of dem,
-'ceptin' maybe a switching once in a while for us littl'luns when we
-didn't behave. I never saw a growed up nigger whipped in all my life.
-Ole Massa jus' didn't b'lieve in dat. Massa was shorely a good man. Lots
-of times he would get us little niggers up on de porch at de big house
-and have us dance for him. We sho used to have a big time out on dem big
-white porches.
-
-"I never had no work to do myself, 'cause I always stayed in de big
-house wid Miss Mary Davis, ole Massa's wife. I was in de house one day
-and ole Massa asked me if I wanted to eat at de table wid dem, so I
-pulled up a chair and spite of de fact dere was all kinds of good stuff
-to eat in front of me, I called for lye hominy. I sho did love dat stuff
-better'n anything else I ever et. Ole Massa and de res' of dem jus'
-laugh fit to kill. I reckon dey thought I was crazy sho' nuff', but I et
-hominy jes' de same.
-
-"As to de number of slaves ole Massa had, I never knew. Us had log
-cabins to stay in. De cracks was chinked up wid yellow mud to keep de
-cold out and de chim'ney was made of straw and de same kind of mud, but
-dem cabins was warmer dan de house is nowadays. We didn't have no
-furniture 'ceptin' a home-made bed which was nailed to de wall on one
-side and two legs out in de middle of de floor. De mattresses was made
-of straw and hay. All de cookin' was done on de big open fireplaces what
-had big potracks to hang de pots on.
-
-"Massa rationed out de food every week and we usually got a peck of
-meal. We had plenty of 'taters and peas and other vegetables dat we
-growed on de place. At Chris'mas time, we was give meat and molasses to
-make cakes. Us always had plenty of plain food. And too, de men would go
-huntin' at night and come back wid lots of big fat 'possums and rabbits
-by de dozen, and mos' of de time, dey would even catch a coon. And old
-Ben, a nigger who had turkey traps, was always bringin' in lots of dem
-big fat birds.
-
-"De men and women worked in de field all day, but I never picked a bit
-of cotton all my life. At night de women would spin and weave cloth, but
-I never did learn to do dat. Den dey would dye de cloth different
-colors, mostly red and blue though, and make dem into clothes. Us
-chilluns had a one-piece dress or slip. Our shoes was all homemade too.
-Massa had one man who tanned de leather. He would take it an put it into
-a long trough for a long time and den whatever was done dat was supposed
-to be done to it, he would take it out and cut it and make shoes. Us
-chilluns' had shoes same as de grown folks.
-
-"On Sundays, we would got to de white folks' church. Dere was a shed
-built onto de church and we would sit on benches out under de shed and
-listen to de preacher. De white folks would have lots of big baptizings,
-but I never did see no niggers baptized den.
-
-"Ole Massa had a big fambly, three boys and six girls. My own ma had
-eight chilluns. Us was always healthy and never had to have much
-medicine. 'Bout de only thing I remembers ever takin' was tea made from
-de root of de china berry tree. It made good tea for worms, but was to
-be used only at certain times of de moon. My man also used Jerusalem Oak
-seed for worms. I never fools wid tryin' to doctor nobody's chilluns
-now-a-days, things is all so different.
-
-"My Grandma, Melinda, and ole Ben and his wife was three ole people
-Massa freed long time before de war. When all de niggers was freed,
-Massa called em up to de house and tole dem dat dey was loose to go
-wherever suited dem, but mos' of dem stayed on de place two or three
-weeks, and den one mornin' I woke up and all of dem had left durin' de
-night. I was de only nigger left on de place and I jus' cried and cried,
-mostly because I was jus' lonesome for some of my own kind to laugh and
-talk wid.
-
-"I don't remember exactly what I did after de Surrender, but it was
-about four years afterwards dat I come to Mobile and I been here every
-since.
-
-I's a member of de Mobile Delaware Baptist Church, but I can't attend
-very regular 'count of bein' all crippled up wid de rheumatisms. I
-reckon dat ailing is natural though, cause I been here a long time and
-I's got forty grandchilluns and more dan dat many
-great-grandchilluns."
-
-Jake Green
-==========
-
- | **Interview with Jake Green**
- | —*Ruby Pickens Tartt, Livingston, Alabama*
-
-*A CONJU' WHAT DIDN' WUK*
-
-"Yessum, dem niggers sho' was scared when ole Buck showed up in de
-fiel'," Jake Green, former slave, laughed with a vigor that denied his
-eighty-five years as he described "a conju' what didn' wuk." Jake has a
-vivid memory of those days before the Civil War, though he was only a
-small boy when it started.
-
-"Me an' my mother an' father b'longed to old man Lam Whitehead jes' a
-few miles from Coatopa, 'bout ten miles east of Livingston, Alabama," he
-began. "My mother was Molly Whitehead, my father was Dan Whitehead. I
-don't know nothin' 'bout my gran'mammy an' gran'pappy, but I had a heap
-of unkies.
-
-"Mr. Whitehead owned Dirtin Ferry down to Belmont, an' dey had a darkey
-dere named Dick what claim sick all de time. So de Massa man said,
-'Dick, dam it, go to de house. I can't get no work outten you.' So Dick
-went on. He was a fiddler so dey jes' tuck his vittuls to him for seven
-years. Den one day, Old Massa say to de overseer man, 'Let's slip up
-dere an' see what Dick doin'. So dey did, an' dere sot Dick, fat as he
-could be a-playin' de fiddle an' a-singin',
-
- | 'Fool my Massa seben years.
- | Gwiner fool him seben mo'.
- | Hey diddle, de diddle, de diddle, de do'.'
-
-"'Bout dat time Ole Massa poked his head in de do' said 'Dam iffen you
-will. Come outten dere, you black rascal, an' go to work, 'An' I ain't
-never hyard of Dick complainin' no mo'.
-
-"But dey wan't so mean. Sometimes us got whupped but Massa had fo' men
-he didn't 'low nobody to hit, white er black. Dey was Unker Arch, he was
-de main carriage driver; my father, he was de house servant; Unker
-Julius, de fo'man of de plow han's an' Unker Ed'erds, de fo'man of de
-hoe han's. Whenever anybody wanted to hire anybody to work for 'em, de
-Massa send dem fo' out an' hire 'em by de day to chop cotton or pick.
-An' dem fo' niggers could chop much cotton in a day as de mule could
-plow. Whenever dey'd stop de plow at twelve o'clock, dem niggers was
-right dere to lay de hoe handles on de plow, an' dat's choppin'. All
-four could pick a bale of cotton a day. Whenever anybody say, 'Mr.
-Whitehead, I want a bale of cotton picked today,' he'd send dem fo' men
-an' dey could pick five hundred pounds apiece an' leave de sun still
-runnin'. Dey was pickers in dem days!
-
-"Cose dey had to begin, an' all us got up 'fo' day. Twan't nothin'
-strange to be standin' in de fiel' by your plow waitin' for de sun to
-come up. Ev'body was early risers in dem days. Dey was pretty good to
-us, but ole Mr. Buck Brasefiel', what had a plantation 'jinin' us'n, was
-so mean to his'n dat twan't nothin' for 'em to run away. One nigger,
-Rich Parker, runned off one time an' whilst he gone he seed a hoodoo
-man, so when he got back Mr. Brasefiel' tuck sick an' stayed sick two or
-three weeks. Some of de darkies tole him, 'Rich been to de hoodoo
-doctor.' So Mr. Brasefiel' got up outten dat bed an' come a-yellin' in
-de fiel', 'You thought you had ole Buck, but by God he rose agin'. Dem
-niggers was so skeered, dey squatted in de fiel' jes' lack partridges,
-an' some of 'em whispered, 'I wish to God he had a-died.'
-
-.. _`Jake Green`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image174green.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Jake Green
-
- Jake Green, Livingston, Alabama
-
-"'Twan't long atter dat come S'render, but dat nigger done lef' dere,
-an' didn't nobody know whar Parker was at. Some of de niggers done
-bought an' paid for dey mule an' me an' Pappy was rentin' an' wukkin' on
-sneers, when here come Parker, jes' hyared 'bout S'render. He say 'Why
-didn't somebody come tell me 'twas S'render?' Den he start a-singin'
-
- | Slav'y chain, slav'y chain,
- | Thank God a'mighty I'm free at las',
- | Free at las', free at las',
- | Thank God a'mighty I'm free at las'.
-
-"But dat wan't none of Old Massa's niggers. He had one, do' call him
-John, an' hit come a traveler an' stayed all night. Ole Massa p'inted
-out John, an' said, 'He ain't never tole me a lie in his life.' De
-traveler bet Massa a hund'ed dollars 'ginst fo' bits he'd ketch John in
-a lie 'fo' he lef'. Next mawnin' at de table de mice was pretty bad, so
-de traveler caught one by de tail an' put him inside a kiver-lid dish
-what was settin' dere on de table, an' he tole Ole Massa tell John he
-could eat sumpin' out of ev'y dish atter dey got th'oo but dat kiver-lid
-one, an' not to take kiver offen hit. An' John said, 'Nossuh, I won't.'
-But John jes' nachully had to see what was in dat dish, so he raise de
-lid, an' out hopped de mouse. Den hyar come Old Massa an' axed John
-iffen he done what he tole him not to do, an' John 'nied hit. Den de
-traveler look in de dish an' de mouse wan't dere, an' he said, 'See
-dere, John been lyin' to you all de time, you jes' ain't knowed hit,'
-an' I reckon he right 'caze us had to lie."
-
-Charity Grigsby
-===============
-
- | **Interview with Charity Grigsby**
- | —*R.P. Tartt, [HW: Livingston?]*
-
-*I KNOWS I'S EIGHTY FIVE BUT 'SPECTS I'S MORE DEN DAT*
-
-Charity Grigsby lives in a tumbledown shanty about nine miles from
-Livingston on the old Epes road. She was sewing on a quilt when I
-arrived; humming an old plantation song that ran:
-
- | Angels in de water, walkin' by de light;
- | Po' sinners stand in darkness an' cannot see de light!
-
-A broad smile flowed across her black face as I entered the cabin. She
-placed her needle aside, exclaimed: "Law me, honey, I's always proud
-when de white folks drap aroun'; an' dat's directly so."
-
-"Charity," I said, "I want you to tell me about slavery times."
-
-She lowered her head in thought a moment, said:
-
-"Honey, what would I tell?"
-
-"Just all you remember, Charity."
-
-And this is what she told:
-
-"Honey, I was borned Charity Grigsby, but I married Nelson Grigory;
-ain't much 'stinguish in de names; but 'twas a little. My pappy was
-Dan'l Grigsby an' my mammy was Mary Moore. See, us belonged to Ol'
-Mister Jim Moore right up yonder 'bove Sumterville near Ramsey Station.
-
-.. _`Charity Grigsby`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image177grigsby.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Charity Grigsby
-
- Charity Grigsby, Livingston, Alabama
-
-"You goes up de Gainesville an' Livingston Road an' turns off at de
-cross road 'bout nine miles from Livingston. Den you goes due west. It
-ain't far from dere; bout six miles, I reckons. 'Twan't no big
-plantation; 'bout a dozen of us dere; an' Marse Jim didn't have no
-overseer lak de rest. He had dem boys of his'n what seed to us. Dey was
-John an' William an' Jim. Dey was all tol'able good to us; but dey would
-whoop us if we wasn't 'bedient; jes' like a mother raisin' a chile.
-
-"I can't say how old I is; it's done got away from me; but I was a
-stroppin' gal durin' de war. I knows I's eighty-five an' I 'spects I's
-more dan dat. I's de mammy of 'leven chilluns; I knows dat; but ain't
-but five of dem a-livin'. As you knows, I lives wid two of dem; Mattie
-an' Evie. Dey treats me good. Hattie an' Ellen an' my boy lives in
-Bessemer. Dat is all my individual chilluns, but I's got a few others. I
-can't recollect much to tell; been a good while since de war; but when
-you calls it to my 'memberance I can think it up.
-
-"Honey, dem nigger dogs; dey sho' did run. Sometimes dey kotched a
-nigger, but dey didn't never run me. I was in de house weavin' an'
-spinnin' lak mistus showed me; an' I didn't never get in no trouble wid
-nobody.
-
-"An' den again, Marse Jim was purty tol'able good to us, but Mr. Ervin
-Lavendar was sho' mean to his niggers, an' his plantation warn't far
-from our'n. He had a pack of dogs what run de niggers; an' dem was
-skeery times, I tell you. Us didn't l'arn no schoolin' nor go nowhere
-nor have no corn shuckin' nor nothin'; jes' 'quired to stay in de
-cabins. I hyared 'bout Bre'r Rabbit an' hoodoo; but I never takes up no
-time wid dat foolishness; never seed no sense in it. Us got on all right
-'thout dat.
-
-"Some of de other niggers 'sides me was all de time in trouble, dough.
-Mr. Fulton, who lived clost to Mr. Lavendar, had a nigger-driver an'
-overseer name Sanders, an' I bet he was de meanest one of dem all. You
-know, honey, dey planted wheat fields in de fall in dem days an' cut it
-in de spring. It would come off in time 'nuff to make corn.
-
-"Dere was a flock of birds lak blackbirds; only dey was wheat birds;
-an' dey went in droves an' fly way up yonder. Us had planks to slap
-together to keep de birds out er de wheat, because dey et it up.
-
-"Well'm, one day Mr. Sanders tol' one of de women what was one of de
-sucklers on de place, dat if she wouldn't do what he axed her to dey was
-a black coffin over her haid. She 'fused him; so when he was loadin' his
-gun dere in de wheat fiel', he was holdin' de gun barrel propped under
-his chin, jes' so, an de other end settin' on de ground. Well sir, it
-went off an' he killed hisse'f stid of dat sucklin' woman; an' dat was a
-awful time, 'ca'se de niggers got skeered an' run, an' dey sot Mr.
-Lavendar's pack of nigger dogs on 'em. De dogs kotched some an' chewed
-'em nigh 'bout to death. It warn' none of us, but it were close.
-
-"Us laid low, didn't go out nowhere. Us wasn't 'lowed to; couldn't go to
-prayer meetin' or nothin'.
-
-.. _`Charity Grigsby's House`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image177grigsbyhouse.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Charity Grigsby's House
-
- Charity Grigsby's House, Livingston, Alabama
-
-"You ax what dat song I singin' when you come? Dat was all of it, an'
-dat's 'nuff fer me, 'ca'se it's true. What dey gwine to be no mo' fer?
-Jes':
-
- | Angels in de water, walkin' by de light;
- | Po' sinners stan' in darkness an' cannot se de light.
-
-"I don' want no mo' myse'f; jes' dat; dat's all. How come you wants some
-mo'? Don't dat much satisfy you? But honey, de sun gettin' low an' my
-chilluns will soon be comin' from de swamps. Ain't no bread cooked fer
-'em. I'll tell you some mo' when I gets my mind on it, 'ca'se it's been
-a good while since de war.
-
-"Yas'm, us has 'nuff to eat; but if us could get anymore, us would lak
-it. You know how 'tis; can make out wid mighty little. Us eats greens;
-lookin' forward to roas' in years comin' in."
-
-Charles Hayes
-=============
-
- | **Interview with Charles Hayes**
- | —*Mary A. Poole, Mobile*
-
-*SHO' I BELIEVES IN SPIRITS, SAYS CHARLES*
-
-"Mistis," said Charles Hayes from his porch in Maysville, near Mobile,
-Alabama, "I was a little bitty nigger when de war broke out, an' I
-belonged to Massa Ben Duncan who lived at Day's Landin' on de Alabamy
-Ribber.
-
-"Marse Ben's house was de regulation plantation wid slave quarters. Most
-of de things us used was made raght dere on de plantation, sich as:
-beds, buckets, tools, soap, brogans, breeches, an' chairs. Our
-mattresses was either made outen cornshucks or cotton bolls. Us cooked
-on an open fireplace, an' eve'y Sadday night us would go to de big house
-for supplies. Marse Ben was good to his slaves an' he 'lowed dem to have
-a little plot of groun' nex' to de cabins whar dey could raise dere own
-little crop.
-
-"My mammy was a fiel' han' an' my pappy was a mechanic an' he use to be
-de handy man aroun' de big house, makin' eve'thing f'um churns an'
-buckets to wagon wheels. My pappy also useta play de fiddle for de white
-folks dances in de big house, an' he played it for de colored frolics
-too. He sho could make dat thing sing.
-
-"Us useta have all sorts of cures for de sick people, f'rinstance, us
-used de Jerusalem weed cooked wid molasses into a candy for to give to
-de chilluns to git rid of worms. Den us'd bile de root an' make a kinda
-tea for de stomach worms. You know de kinds dat little puppies an'
-little chilluns has dat eats all de food dat goes in to de stomach, an'
-makes de chile or dog eat plenty but don't git no benefits f'um all
-dey're eatin'. Horehound, dat growed wild in Clarke County, was used for
-colds. Mullen tea was used for colds an' swollen j'ints. Den dere was de
-life everlastin' tea dat was also good for colds and horse mint tea dat
-was good for de chills an' fevers. Co'se, Mistis, us niggers had a
-regular fambly doctah dat 'tended to us when we was sho 'nough down
-raght sick, but dese remedies I's tellin' you 'bout us used when warn't
-nothin' much ailin' us. It was always to de owner's interest, Mistis, to
-have de niggers in a good, healthy condition.
-
-"Does I believe in spirits, you says? Sho I does. When Christ walked on
-de water, de Apostles was skeered he was a spirit, but Jesus told dem
-dat he warn't no spirit, dat he was as 'live as dey was. He tol' 'em dat
-spirits couldn't be teched, dat dey jus' melted when you tried to. So,
-Mistis, Jesus musta meant dat dere was sich a thing as spirits.
-
-"Atter de war my pappy an' mammy stayed on de Duncan plantation en'
-worked on share crops. Dere was a school on de groun's for us slave
-chilluns, an' my gran'mammy, Salina Duncan, taught de bible, 'ca'se she
-was f'um Virginny an' had been learnt to read an' write by her Mistis up
-dere.
-
-"My fus' wife was named Alice Bush, an' us had ten chilluns; my second
-one was named Caroline Turner an' us didn't have but eight. Both my ole
-womens is daid now, white folks, an' I stays here wid one of my
-daughters. You see, my eyesight is almos' gone due to one day when I was
-a workin' in de forge, a hot piece of iron flew up an' landed in my eye.
-'Twarn't long befo' it started to hurtin' in my udder eye. Now both is
-'bout to give out."
-
-Lizzie Hill
-===========
-
- | **Interview with Lizzie Hill**
- | —*Gertha Couric*
-
-*THE STORY OF AUNT LIZZIE HILL*
-
-Aunt Lizzie Hill, 94 years of age, moved from the Spurlock plantation,
-four miles out, to the city of Eufaula about 20 years ago. She was of
-such vigorous constitution, that until recently, she carried on her
-regular occupation of laundress or "wash-'oman," as she calls herself.
-Too feeble to work regularly, she now is cared for by a niece with whom
-she lives.
-
-Sitting before the fire in a rocking-chair, smoking a clay pipe—her
-neat clothing, snow-white hair and wrinkled, kindly face make a pleasing
-picture of contentment. Her mind is, apparently, unimpaired, and she
-readily responds to her recollections of slavery:
-
-.. _`Lizzie Hill`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image182hill.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Lizzie Hill
-
- Lizzie Hill, Eufaula, Alabama
-
-"Sho, Missey, I 'members 'bout it! I was most grown when freedom come.
-My Marster (Richard Dozier) and my Mistis was good to all dey niggers
-and dey raised me right. I had two little mistises 'bout as old as me,
-and I played wid dem all de time and slep' on a pallet in dey room ev'y
-night. Dey slep' on de big bed. My clothes was jes' as good and clean as
-deyrn, an I et what dey et."
-
-The little girls, she explained, were about six and eight years old when
-this association began, and it continued until close of the war, when
-all were nearly grown.
-
-"Atter freedom come," continued Aunt Lizzie, "Mammy moved to Cuthbert
-and tuk me erway fum Old Mistis; but I runned away and went back to
-Mistis, and walked all de fourteen miles down de big road at night—I
-runned most ob de way. Three times I done dat, but Mammy come and tuk me
-back to work in de field ev'y time. I wanted to stay wid Old Mistis. Dey
-called her 'Miss Everline' and ev'ybody liked her. Bofe my little
-mistises got mai'ed and den Old Marster and Old Mistis moved off to
-Texas, and I ain't eber seed none ob 'em no more. I's had a hard time
-workin' in de field since de war. Fo' freedom come, I nebber worked
-cep'n in de house—I was a 'house-girl' and didn't do no field
-work."
-
-Gabe Hines
-==========
-
- | **Interview with Gabe Hines**
- | —*Gertha Couric*
-
-*GABE WAS KIDNAPPED BY CARPETBAGGERS*
-
-Old Gabe had been long in this world—close to one hundred years. He had
-experienced much but one incident had out-lasted all the others—even
-the stroke that made him older and more feeble. That experience had
-caused Gabe and his "ole woman" to stray far from the fold and to walk
-all the way back to its shelter.
-
-That was back in Reconstruction days, when he was not "bandy in his
-knees" and long before Anna left him alone in his cabin with just
-memories of earlier and happier days.
-
-Gabe was "birthed in Cusseta, Georgia," the son of two faithful old
-slaves, Hetty and Gabe Hines, and they "all 'longed to Marsa William
-Shipp an' Miss Ma'y. He told his story thus:
-
-"Endurin' of de Wah, I was big enough to be water toter on de
-plantation. No, Li'l Missy, I doan' 'zactly know how old I is 'ceptin'
-by de squeakin' an' achin' of my bones. I 'members lots 'bout doze days.
-Dem was happy times, Li'l Missy. Arter we all was freed, I went to
-Silver Run to live and dar I mahied Anna. She lef' me nine yeahs ago an'
-that broke the happiness. I miss her ev'whar, jes' keep a-missin' her
-though nine yeahs hev gone since dey tuk her from de cabin an' lef' her
-up thar on de hill. Dere's nights when de mis'ry in dese ol' bones jist
-gits past standin' an' on sich nights she come ter me and holp me wid de
-linnymint jes' as she useter do. But she caint stay long when she come.
-
-"I was a-tellin' 'bout Silver Run. Arter we was mahied and was gittin'
-use to bein' free niggahs, an' happy in our cabin, one night a gen'ulman
-from de no'th was to see us an' he tol' us if we'd go wid him he'd pay
-us big wages an' gin us a fine house to boot.
-
-"Fer two nights we sot dere by dat chimbly a-thinkin' a sight to do or
-to don't and ponderin' this way and t'other one. Den we 'cided to go. We
-lef ev'y thing dar 'ceptin' whut we tied up in a bandana han'chief, and
-we tied that onto a stick for de gen'ulman from de no'th wouldn't let us
-take no baggage. We was goin' to Columbus, Georgia, but we didn't know
-dat.
-
-"Li'l Missy, when we got dar, whar he was a-takin' us, we foun' the big
-wages to be fifty cents a month, and dat fine house tu'ned out to be mo'
-like a stable. Instid of our cabin and gyarden and chickens and our
-trees, we had a turrible place, right out under the hot sun wid watah
-miles away down a hill. And he wan't no gent'man from de no'th!
-
-"Missy, I nebber will be able to tell myself whut made us do hit no mo'
-den I'll ebber be able to tell how skeered I was one night when de wind
-howled an' de lightnin' was sprayin' ober de place an' de rain was so
-turrible hit was a-sobbin' in de fire. We knowed de debbil was ridin' de
-win' dat night.
-
-"We was a-sittin' dar befo' de fire, me an' my ol' woman, when we heard
-a stompin' like a million horses had stopped outside de do'. We tipped
-to de do' an' peeked out an', li'l Missy, whut we seed was so turrible
-our eyes jes' mos' popped out our haid. Dere was a million hosses all
-kivered in white, wid dey eyes pokin' out and a-settin' on de hosses was
-men kivered in white too, tall as giants, an' dey eyes was a-pokin' out
-too. Dere was a leader an' he heldt a bu'nin' cross in his hand.
-
-"When we seed dat, we fell on our po' knees, skeered mos' to def an' we
-axed de Great Marster to holp two po' ol' niggers an' holp 'em quick.
-
-"De fust thing we knowed dem Ku Kluxes had de gen'man from de no'th out
-of his hidin' place 'hind our house an' a-settin' on one of dem hosses.
-Dey nebber spoke wid him. Dey jes' tuk him off somewhar, we nebber
-knowed whar, but he di'n't come back no mo'.
-
-"Li'l Missy, we heard arterwards dat dis gen'lman from de no'th was no
-qual'ty a-tall. Dat he was de wu'st leadah of all de debilment bein'
-done; one of dem carpet-baggin' men.
-
-"Nex' day arter de Ku Kluxes cotched dis man, his wife lef' Columbus in
-a hurry, sayin' she couldn't sociate wid de Columbus ladies 'caze dey
-was so po'. Dey wa po'! Dey is no denyin' that. We was all po' caze the
-Yankees done ruint Columbus. But, li'l Missy, dey's a big dif'ence in
-bein' po' an' qual'ty and' bein' jes po' white trash.
-
-.. _`Gabe Hines`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image184hines.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Gabe Hines
-
- Gabe Hines, Eufaula, Alabama
-
-"What did I do then? Well, li'l Missy, we lef' Columbus arter whut
-happen'd an' we walked to Eufaula, whar twas safe to be. For forty yeahs
-I w'uked for de city and Anna, she tuk in washin'. Endurin' dat time we
-was gettin' along pretty likely, when one day Gabriel blew his horn for
-Anna, and Gabe was lef' alone.
-
-"My ol' woman's gone. Li'l Missy, mos' ev'y one I knowed is daid. Dis
-heah cabin ain' home to me no mo'. Hits lonely ev'y whar. Maybe I'd
-orter be thinkin' 'bout Canaan, but hits ol' times crowds dis ol'
-darkey's heart. Li'l Missy, may be whin I gits to whar Anna is hit will
-be ol' times all ovah ag'in."
-
-Adeline Hodges
-==============
-
- | **Personal interview with 'Aunt' Adeline Hodges**
- | **3 Frye Street, Mobile, Alabama**
- | —*Ila B. Prine, [HW: Mobile?]*
-
-*HONGRY FOR PUN'KIN PIE*
-
-'Aunt' Adeline, a tall, gaunt, bright-skinned Negro woman, lives on Frye
-St., Mobile, Ala. The day I called she was nodding in a cane bottom
-rocking chair on a wide porch that extended across the front of a
-cottage almost hidden in a grove of giant oaks. She opened her eyes,
-which were covered by a pair of steel-rimmed glasses with one lens badly
-cracked. The news that a search was being made for old people who had
-lived during slavery days acted like an electric shock on the old woman,
-who immediately sat up straight and said:
-
-"Lor, yes'm, I libed in dose days, and I tells you I 'members all 'bout
-dem. Do come in and set down. De fust white people I b'longed to was a
-man named Jones, who was a colonel in de war, but I can't tell you much
-'bout dem, 'caze I was jes' a li'l gal den. I was jes' big 'nuff to tote
-water to de fiel' to de folks wukking and to min' de gaps in de fence to
-keep de cattle out when dey was gatherin' de crops. I don't 'spec' you
-knows anything 'bout dose kind of fences. Dey was built of rails and
-when dey was gatherin' de crops dey jes' tuk down one section of de
-fence, so de wagons could git through.
-
-"A'ter de war broke out ole Mister Jones went off to hit, and I 'members
-de day he lef'. He come to de fiel' to tell all de han's goodbye, wid a
-big white plume on his hat. Dat was in Bolivar County, Mississippi.
-A'ter ol' Mister Jones lef' for de war, den de nigger drivers an'
-oberseer begun to drive us 'round lack droves of cattle. Every time dey
-would hyar de Yankees was coming dey would take us out in de woods and
-hide us. Finally dey sold us a'ter carrying us away from Bolivar County.
-Some of us was sold to people in Demopolis, Alabama, an' Atlanta,
-Georgia, an' some to folks in Meridian and Shubuta, Mississippi. I
-don't any more know whar my own folks went to dan you does.
-
-"I 'members afore leaving ole Mister Jones' place how dey grabbed up all
-de chillun dat was too li'l to walk and puttin' us in wagons. Den de
-older folks had to walk, and dey marched all day long. Den at night dey
-would strike camp. I has seen de young niggers what was liable to run
-away wid dere legs chained to a tree or de wagon wheels. Dey would rake
-up straw and throw a quilt ober hit and lie dat way all night, while us
-chillun slep' in de wagons.
-
-"When us come to de big river at Demopolis, Alabama, I 'members seein'
-de big steamboats dere, and dey said dat de sojers was goin' away on
-dem. Hit was in Demopolis us was sold, and a man name Ned Collins of
-Shubuta, Mississippi, bought me."
-
-'Aunt' Adeline said that the houses the slaves lived in on the Jones
-plantation were board houses, and that Mr. Jones owned a big plantation
-and lots of slaves. She said that they had home-made beds, nailed to the
-walls, with mattresses made out of shucks.
-
-After having been sold to Mr. Collins, of Shubuta, Mississippi, 'Aunt'
-Adeline said that life was very hard, not so much for herself, but she
-saw how hard the other slaves worked. She was the house girl and helped
-clean house, wash dishes, and take care of the children. After finishing
-that work, she had to spin thread. Each day she would have to spin so
-many cuts, and if she did not finish the required number, she was
-punished.
-
-She said that her mistress kept the finished work on top of a large
-wardrobe, and 'Aunt' Adeline said that many times she would steal a cut
-of thread off that wardrobe to complete the day's task to keep from
-being punished.
-
-As she grew older she did have to go to the field and pick cotton.
-'Aunt' Adeline does not remember it pleasantly. She said:
-
-"I jes' hates to hab to weigh anything today, 'caze I 'members so well
-dat each day dat de slaves was given a certain number of pounds of
-cotton to pick. When weighing up time come and you didn't hab de number
-of pounds set aside, you may be sho' dat you was goin' to be whupped.
-But hit wasn't all bad times 'caze us did hab plenty to eat, 'specially
-at hog killin' time. Dey would hab days ob hog killin' and de slaves
-would bake dere bread and come wid pots, pepper, and salt. A'ter
-cleanin' de hogs, dey would gib us de livers and lights, and us would
-cook dem ober a fire out in de open and hit sho' was good eatin'. De
-usual 'lowance a week of pickled pork was six or seven pounds, and iffen
-you had a big family of chillun dey gib you more. Den dey gib you a peck
-of meal, sweet 'taters, sorghum syrup, and plenty of buttermilk. At
-Christmas times, dey gib you extra syrup to make cakes wid and sweet
-'taters to make 'tater pone. And, Lor', dey would hab big cribs of
-pun'kins. Hit makes me hongry to think 'bout dem good ol' pun'kin pies.
-
-"And did dey raise chickens? You knows in Mississippi dat de minks was
-bad 'bout killin' dem. I 'members one time de minks got in de chicken
-house and killed nearly every chicken on de place. Ole Mister Jones had
-de cook to clean and cook dem, and he come out in de fiel' an' eat wid
-dem to let de slaves know dat hit was all right. Den us had dem good ol'
-cushaws and lye hominy, too.
-
-"De clothes was made out ob homespun in one piece. I 'members I allus
-had mine split up de side so I could git 'bout in a hurry. De women had
-pantalettes made and tied to dere knees to wear in de fields to keep de
-dew off dere legs. De shoes was made of cow hide and was called red
-russets. De way dey got dem darker was to take a hog 'gristle' and hang
-up in de chimbley. When hit git full of soot, we rub de shoes wid dat.
-Den dey used de darker shoes for dere Sunday best.
-
-"You asked me about huntin'? Lor', yes dey hunted in dem times. Up in
-dem swamps in Mississippi dere was bears as big as cows, and deers
-aplenty. Dey bofe was bad about comin' in de corn fiel's and tearin'
-down de corn. You could hyar dem at nights out in de fiel's. Dey also
-caught plenty of possums and coons.
-
-"Of course, us got sick, but dey had de doctor. In dose days de doctor
-would cup you and bleed you. I seen a many a person cupped. De doctor
-had a li'l square lookin' block of wood wid tiny li'l knifes attached to
-hit. On top was a trigger lack is on a gun, and de doctor would put de
-block of wood at de nape of dere neck an' pull dat trigger. Den he hab a
-piece of cotton wid somepin' on hit to stop de blood when he had cupped
-you long 'nough. Dey would allus gib us calamus (calomel) to clean us
-out, and den de nex' mawnin' dey gib us a big bowl of gruel made out ob
-meal and milk. Den us'd be all right.
-
-"De slaves warn't 'lowed to go to church, but dey would whisper 'roun'
-and all meet in de woods and pray. De only time I 'members my pa was one
-time when I was a li'l chile, he set me on a log by him an' prayed, an'
-I knows dat was whar de seeds ob religion was planted in my min'. Today
-I's happy to tell folks 'bout Jesus and thank Him for His goodness to
-me. Hit won't be long twell I meet Him face to face and thank Him."
-
-Caroline Holland
-================
-
- | **Interview with Caroline Holland**
- | —*Mabel Farrior*
-
-*CAROLINE HOLLAND HAD MANY MASTERS*
-
-"Yassuh, I was a slave," spoke Aunt Carry from her vine-shaded porch at
-No. 3 Sharpe Street, Montgomery, Alabama. "I was borned in 1849 on Mr.
-Will Wright's plantation on the Mt. Meigs road. Massa Will had a big
-slave house an' us niggers sho' use to have a good time playin' 'roun'
-down at de slave quarters. We had a row of houses two stories high, an'
-dey was filled wid all sorts of niggers. When I was twelve year old, I
-was made nu'ss fer my mistis's little girl an' at de fus' I couldn't do
-nothin' but rock de cradle. I didn't know how to hol' de baby. Us
-niggers had gardeens (guardians) dat look 'atter us lak dey did atter de
-hosses and cows and pigs.
-
-"One night atter we had all gone to bed I heered a noise at de window,
-an' when I look up dere was a man a climbin' in. He was a nigger. I
-could tell eben do I could scarce see him, I knowed he was a nigger. I
-could hear my mistis a breathin', an' de baby was soun' asleep too. I
-started to yell out but I thought dat de nigger would kill us so I jes'
-kep' quiet. He come in de window, an' he see us a sleepin' dere, an' all
-of a sudden I knowed who it was. 'Jade,' I whispers, 'What you a doin'
-here?' He come to my bed and put his rough han' ober my mouf.
-
-"Listen you black pickaninny, you tell em dat you saw me here an' I'll
-kill you,' he say, 'I th'ow yo' hide to de snakes in de swamp. Now shet
-up.'
-
-"Wid dat he went to de dresser an' taken mistis' money bag. Atter dat he
-went to de window an' climb down de ladder an' I didn't do nothin' but
-shake myself nearly to death fum fright. De nex' day de oberseer an' de
-pattyrollers went a searchin' th'ough de slave quarters an' dey foun' de
-money bag under Jade's cot. Dey tuk him an' whupped him for near fifteen
-minutes. We could hear him holla way up at de big house. Jade, he neber
-got ober dat whuppin'. He died three days later. He was a good nigger,
-'peer to me lak, an' de bes' blacksmith in de whole county. I
-ke'pa-wonderin' whut made him want ter steal dat purse. Den I foun' out
-later dat he was a goin' to pay a white man ter carry him ober de line
-to de No'thern States. Jade jus' had too big ideas fo' a nigger. I us'ta
-see Jade's ghos' a walkin' out in de garden in de moonlight; sometime he
-sit on de fence an' look at his ole cabin, den sometimes he stroll off
-down de cotton fiel'. When de Lawd git th'ough a punishin' him fo' a
-stealin' dat money, I guess he won't make us no mo' visits. He jus' go
-right on in heaben. Dat's what ghos'tes is, you know; peoples dat can't
-quite git in heaben, an' dey hadda stroll 'roun' little longer on de
-outside repentin'.
-
-"Soon atter dat my gardeen tuk me to Tallasse when de massa died. My
-gardeen was a good man. He was always a-makin' speeches fo' de slaves to
-stay under bondage till dey was twenty-one. One dey he was in front of a
-sto' talkin' 'bout de slaves an' a man come up to him an' said he don't
-like de way Capt. Clanton talk (dat was my gardeen's name). Capt.
-Clanton ask him whut he goin' ter do 'bout it an' de man tuk out a
-pistol an' kil't de Cap'n raght dere on de spot.
-
-"Den I was sold to another man, a Mr. Williamson, 'bout de time de war
-broke loose, an' Massa Williamson tuk me ober ter lib wid some mo'
-peoples. He said he had mo' slaves dan he could take keer of. Dis was de
-Abernathy plantation. While de massa was a standin' in de slave quarters
-a takin' to Mr Abernathy, I noticed a boy wid a bad eye. I didn't lak
-him at all an' I tol' de massa I don't wanna stay, kaze I didn't lak de
-way dat boy Lum wid de bad eye looked at me. Den Mr. Abernathy brung a
-boy 'bout sebenteen year old; a big strong lookin' boy named Jeff. He
-say 'Jeff, look out after Carry here. Don't let her git into no
-trouble.' Fum dat time on till 'bout five year ago, Jeff he always look
-after me, kaze atter de war I ma'ied him. Now I ain't got nobody but
-myself."
-
-Jane Holloway
-=============
-
- | **Interview with Jane Holloway**
- | —*Preston Klein, Opelika, Alabama*
-
-*DEY BRUNG WHUPPIN'S ON DEYSELVES*
-
-Jane Holloway was ill. For weeks she had been in bed, and the untidy
-condition of her cabin brought profuse apologies when I entered.
-
-"Jane, do you remember me?" I asked.
-
-"I don't know, honey. I been sick so long wid de fluse I can't 'member
-much of anything," she answered peering up at me from her pillow.
-Suddenly she smiled, "Shucks. Co'se I 'members you, honey. Your daddy
-sho' was good to my boys. Watt worked for him so long. Res' yourself in
-dat cheer and I'll tell you all about myself and slavery times what I
-can recollect.
-
-"I'se all alone now 'ceppen for my grandson. He ain't but
-twelve and he can't ho'p much. But I guess I got no right to complain
-I guess I done got me plenty outa life.
-
-"I was borned up in North Alabama. My mammy was Carrie Holloway and my
-pappy was Traylor Holloway. I had a brother Maryland. Dere nebber was
-but de two of us. Us lived in a mud and log house, jes' one room but it
-sho' had a big fireplace. Us had a good old time den, effen us jes' had
-knowed it, 'caze us was always fed good. Dey had long wooden troughs
-what dey poured our bread and milk in and us eat it wid a wooden spoon.
-When dey yell, 'Chillun, chillun! Bread!' you bet we jes' burnt de wind
-getting dere, 'caze us was always hongry.
-
-"We had high tester beds in all de houses, what was 'bout a mile from de
-Big House. It had four rooms and was all planked up. Mr. Billy Taylor
-was mighty good to his niggers. He didn't have so many slaves, he jes'
-had a little plantation. Our oberseer was good, too. He had to whip
-some of dem sometimes, but dey wouldn't work. Dey brung it all on
-deyselves.
-
-.. _`Jane Holloway`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image194holloway.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Jane Holloway
-
- Jane Holloway, Opelika, Alabama
-
-"When de Yankees come enduring de war, de men come arunning and a
-screaming dat de Yankees coming. And dey did come on horseback and took
-all our provisions what was in de smokehouse. Dey took everything we had
-in de way of victuals and stock, too.
-
-"I j'ined de church when I was ten years old, 'caze I was trying to live
-right and do what de Bible said. De white folks had deir services in de
-morning, and in de evening would let us niggers have ourn."
-
-Jane forgot her misery long enough to come out to the porch of her
-comparatively comfortable cabin and she was "plumb proud" to have her
-"picture took."
-
-Joseph Holmes
-=============
-
- | **I**
- | **Personal interview with Joseph Holmes**
- | **Grand Avenue, Prichard, Alabama**
- | —*Ila B. Prine, Mobile, Alabama*
-
-*DEY KEP' NIGGERS IN GOOD CONDITION TO SELL*
-
-Standing in the middle of the road at Prichard, suburb of Mobile, and
-gesticulating while talking to a small group of interested listeners an
-old Negro man ended his talk to the small gathering and punctuated his
-last sentence with a spat of tobacco.
-
-"No'm," he continued after I had put in my appearance and asked him a
-question, "I doesn't know whether I was a slave, but jus' de same I seed
-Gen'l Grant's army when it went th'ough Virginny. Jus' as sho' as you is
-standin' dar, lady, I seed dem mens all dressed in blue suits,
-a-marching' side by side, gwine down de road pas' our place. It tuk 'em
-three days to go by our house.
-
-"An' I remembers when dem Yankees came to our ole Mistis' house an' take
-a ladder an' clumb up to de roof an' tear de boards outter de ceilin' to
-git dem big hams an' shoulders my white folks done had hid up dar. When
-de Yankees find dat stuff dey give it all to de niggers. Den atter de
-solgers lef' ole Miss called us to her an' tol' us we was free, but for
-us to give back some of de meat an' things dat de Yankees done give us,
-'ca'se she didn't have nothin' to eat 'roun' de place. 'Course we was
-glad to do it, 'ca'se Mistis sho' was good to us.
-
-"I remembers ebery Sunday mawnin' dat she'd make de older slaves bring
-all de little niggers up to de big house, so she could read de Bible to
-'em, and den she give us plenty of dem good biscuits and taters dat
-Susanne cook for us. She'd say: 'Git 'roun' dere, Susanne, and he'p dem
-little niggers' plates.' I really thought Mistis was a angel.
-
-"Talkin' 'bout niggers bein' free. Ole Miss tol' us was free, but it was
-ten or twelve years atter de surrender befo' I knowed whut she meant. I
-was a big boy goin' to school befo' I had an understandin' as to what
-she meant.
-
-"Ole Miss taught de niggers how to read an' write an' some of 'em got to
-be too good at it, 'ca'se dey learned how to write too many passes so's
-de pattyrollers wouldn't cotch 'em, an' on dem occasions was de onlyes'
-times dat I ever seed one of our niggers punished.
-
-"Mistis never 'lowed no mistreatin' of de slaves, 'case dey was raisin'
-slaves for de market, an' it wouldn't be good bizness to mistreat 'em.
-Lor' Miss, my white folks was rich; dey had as many as five or six
-hundred niggers; men, women an' chilluns. De plantation was big, but I
-doesn't remember how many acres it was, but I does remember dat de
-cabins was all built in rows, an' dere was streets laid out among de
-cabins. De chimneys was built outten dirt an' sticks, an' you know up in
-Virginny it got powerful cold, so when dey built de cabins dey th'owed
-dirt up under 'em to keep de wind an' snow out.
-
-"I was bawn in Henry County, Virginny, near Danville, an' I's been to
-Vicksburg an' Petersburg a many a time wid my pappy to de wheat an'
-'bacca market. Lor', honey, Virginny is de bes' place on earth for good
-eaten' an' good white folks. If anybody tells you dat de white folks was
-mean to dere niggers, dey neber come from Virginny, 'case us was too
-near de free states, an' I done already tol' you dat dey raised niggers
-to sell an' dey kep' 'em in good condition. In dose days white folks an'
-black folks was black folks. Jus' lak Booker T. Washington was a riber
-between de niggers of dis generation an' learnin'. He had all dat was
-fine an' good, an' he give de bes' to his people iffen dey would take
-it. Dat was de way wid de white folks den; dey didn't do no whuppin'.
-
-"I's de onlyes' rat lef' in de pond, an' 'case I ain't hung in de smoke
-house, folks thinks I's not as old as I say I is, but chile, I's been
-here a long time. I 'members how black Sam useta preach to us, an' when
-I growed up I useta think warnt nobody Christians cep'n us Babtists, but
-I know better now, an' de longer I lives de mo' I realizes dat de
-churches go 'way 'case dey leaves off de ordinances of God, although us
-has a Bible an' mo' Christian readin' dan ever befo'.
-
-"My mammy's name was Eliza Rowlets an' my pappy's was Joseph Holmes. My
-pappy had de same name as de peoples dat owned him an' my gran'mammy
-name was Lucy Holmes. Gran'mammy Holmes lived to be over a hundred years
-old, an' she was de fust pusson I ever seed daid. In dem days it tuk
-three days to bury a pusson, 'case dey dug de graves as deep as de
-corpse was tall.
-
-"Land sakes a-livin', us had great times, an' I forgot to tell you dat
-us had home-made beds wid two sides nailed to de wall an' de mattresses
-was made outen wheat straw.
-
-"As for huntin' I done plenty of it an' one thing I got to git
-forgiveness for was when I lef' Virginny, I lef' 'bout fifty or sixty
-snares set to cotch rabbits an' birds.
-
-"My mammy had eight chilluns an' we was raised in pairs. I had a sister
-who come along wid me, an' iffen I jumped in de river she done it too.
-An' iffen I go th'ough a briar patch, here she come along too.
-
-"'Bout de fruit; it makes my mouth water to think about dem cheese
-apples, dat was yaller lak gold, an' dose Abraham apples, an' de cherry
-tree as big as dese oaks here. I's eaten many a big sugar and sweetheart
-cherry. But dere was another kind called de Gorilla dat growed as big as
-de yaller plums down dis way. Now let me tell you somp'n 'bout Virginny;
-'dey had dere laws 'bout drink. Dey had de bes' peach an' cherry brandy
-an' mos' any kin' you eber heared of, but dey didn't 'low you to make
-drink outten anything you could make bread wid; sich as corn or rye. Us
-had our brandy same as you would coffee, 'case it was cold, an' some
-mawnin's my pappy would git de brandy out an' my mammy would putt a
-little water an' sugar wid it an' gib it to us chilluns. Us neber
-thought nothin' 'bout drinkin'. I kinda believes lak dat ole infidel
-Ingersoll who said dat anything dat was a custom was dere religion.
-
-"Now you axed about hog-killin' time? Dat was de time of times. For
-weeks de mens would haul wood an' big rocks, an' pile 'em together as
-high as dis house, an' den have several piles lak dat 'roun' a big hole
-in de groun' what had been filled wid water. Den jus' a little atter
-midnight, de boss would blow de ole hawn, an' all de mens would git up
-an' git in dem pig pens. Den dey would sot dat pile of wood on fire an'
-den start knockin' dem hogs in de haid. Us neber shot a hog lak us does
-now; us always used an axe to kill 'em wid. Atter knockin' de hog in de
-haid, dey would tie a rope on his leg an' atter de water got to de right
-heat, fum dose red-hot rocks de hog would be throwed in an' drug aroun'
-a while, den taken out an' cleaned. Atter he was cleaned he was cut up
-into sections an' hung up in de smoke house. Lawsie, lady, dey don't
-cure meat dese days; dey jus' uses some kind of liquid to brush over it.
-We useta have sho' 'nuff meat.
-
-"Den come cawnshuckin' time. My goodness, I would jus' love to be dar
-now. De cawn would be piled up high an' one man would git on dat pile.
-It was usually a kinda nigger foreman who could sing an' git de work
-outten de niggers. Dis fo'man would sing a verse somp'n lak dis:
-
- | Polk and Clay went to war,
- | Polk come back wid a broken jaw.
-
-Den all de niggers would sing back at him wid a kinda shoutin' sound.
-Near 'bout all de times de fo'man made up his own songs, by pickin' dem
-outen dat shuckin'! It war de jug dat dey brung aroun' eve'y hour. Dat's
-de onlyes' time de slaves really got drunk.
-
-"In dem ole days I went to plenty of dances an' candy pullin's durin' de
-Yule season, but I doesn't do dat no mo'. I's a preacher an' when I fus'
-lef' Virginny, I come to Georgy an' stayed dar twenty years whar I
-kicked up plenty of dus'. I even taught school dar. Den I come to
-Alabamy an' lived in Evergreen for 'bout twenty mo' years. Since I been
-in Mobile I's worked for sich men as ole Simon, Damrich, an' Van
-Antwerp, an' all dere chilluns has been in dese here arms of mine. I's
-been a square citizen an' dere hasn't been a time dat I is had to call
-on nobody but Uncle Sam when ole man 'pression cotched me. But thank de
-Lawd I is still able to git about an' have all my senses 'cep' my
-eye-sight, an' it's jus' a little po'ly. I is got all my teeths 'cep'
-one, an' my mammy was always proud of my hair. See how silky an' fine it
-is? Not quite white, dough. I hope I lives long enough for it to turn
-white as snow. I think St. Peter will lak it better dat way."
-
- | **II**
- | **Personal interview with Joseph Holmes**
- | **Grand Avenue, Prichard, Alabama**
- | —*Ila B. Prine, Mobile, Alabama*
-
-*TWELVE YEARS 'TWELL I UNDERSTOOD SURRENDER*
-
-In the middle of the road near Prichard, an incorporated suburb of
-Mobile, stood an aged Negro man, gesticulating as he told a tale of
-other days to a small audience. Tall, straight, with gray hair and
-mustache, he was a picturesque figure. He does not know whether he was
-born in slavery, he said, but he knows his age to be about eighty-one.
-
-"I doesn't know whether I was a slave, but jes' de same I seed Gineral
-Grant's army when hit went th'ough Virginny," he said "Jes' as sho' as
-yo' is standin' dar, lady, I seed him, and I seed dem men all dressed in
-dem blue suits a-marchin' side by side, gwine down de road pas' our
-place. Hit tuk dem three days tuh git pas' our house.
-
-"An' does I 'member when dem Yankees come tuh Ol' Mistiss house an' tuk
-a ladder an' clim' up tuh de roof an' tear de boards outta de ceilin'
-tuh git dem big hams an' shoulders dey had hid up dar? I sho' does. De
-women folks makes de slaves hide wid de meat; an' when dem Yankees fin'
-dat stuff dey jes' gib hit all tuh de niggers, an' I 'members too, how
-Ol' Miss calls us all to her atter dey lef' an' tole us dat us was free,
-but she tole us dat us hab tuh gib back ob de meat an' 'serves 'case she
-didn't hab a bit tuh eat. 'Cose we was glad tuh do hit 'case Ol' Miss
-sho' was good tuh her slaves.
-
-"I 'members ebery Sunday mawnin' dat she made de older slaves bring all
-de little niggers up to her big white, two-story house, so she could
-read de Bible to us, an' den she gib us plenty dem good biscuits an'
-'taters dat she had de cook, Susanne, cook for us. She'd say 'Git 'roun'
-dere, Susanne, an' he'p dem li'l niggers plates,' I, railly thought Ol'
-Miss was an angel.
-
-"Talkin 'bout niggers bein' freed, Ol' Miss tole us us was free, but hit
-was ten or twelve years atter de Surrender, befo' I knowed whut she was
-talkin' 'bout. I was a big boy goin' to school befo' I had any
-understanin' as tuh whut she meant.
-
-"Ol' Miss taught de niggers how to read an' write, an' some ob dem got
-to be too 'ficient wid de writin', 'case dey larn how tuh write too many
-passes so de pattyrollers wudn't git dem. Dat was de onliest time I
-ebber knowed Ol' Miss tuh hab de slaves punished.
-
-"Ol' Miss nebber 'lowed no mistreatin' de slaves, case dey was raisin'
-slaves for de market, an' hit wouldn't be good business to mistreat 'em.
-Lor' mah white folks was rich; dey had as many as five or six hundred
-niggers, men, women and chillun. De plantation was big but I don't
-'member how many acres I does 'member de cabins was all built in rows,
-an' streets was laid out 'tween de cabins. De chimbeys was built outta
-dirt an' sticks, an' sticks, an' yo' know up in Virginny hit got
-turrible cold an' de snow would pile up, so when de cabins was built, de
-men th'owed dirt up under de house to keep de snow an' cold out. Yo'
-might think dat dirt would wash out from under de house, but hit didn't.
-Hit jes' made dem so warm an' com'fo'ble we did'nt suffer.
-
-"Dat was de way wid de white folks den; dey didn't do no whippin' an'
-mistreatin' ob de slaves. Oh, once in a while Ol' Miss might slap de
-cook's face an' tell her tuh bear down 'roun' dere, an' if she wanted de
-servin' boys to hurry, she would say 'Cutch hit,' meanin' fer dem to cut
-some steps an' git 'bout in a hurry.
-
-"I's de ol'est rat in de pon', an' 'case I ain't hung in de smokehouse,
-folks think I's not as ol' as I says I is, but chile, I's been heah. I
-'members how Sam useta to preach to us, when we was at Ol' Miss's place,
-an' when I growed up, I 'members how I useta think nobody was a
-Christian 'ceptin' us Baptists, but I knows better now. An' de longer I
-lib de mo' I realize dat de chu'ches go away 'case dey leabes off de
-ordinances ob God, 'tho us has got de Bible an' mo' Christian
-litterchoor dan eber befo'.
-
-"My ma's name was 'Liza Rowlets, an' mah daddy's name was Joseph Holmes.
-My daddy had de same name as de people whut owned him, an' my gran'ma's
-name was Lucy Holmes. Gran'ma Lucy libed to be a hundred yeahs old, an'
-she was de fust pusson I ebber seed daid. Hit tuk three days tuh bu'y a
-pusson den, 'case dey dug de graves as deep as yo' is tall, which means
-mo' than five feet deep. Lor' sakes a-livin' us had great times. I
-forgot tuh tell yo' dat us had home-made beds wid two sides nailed tuh
-de wall, an' de mattresses was made outta wheat straw. Dat's 'minds me
-dat dere wa'n't no pore cattle in dem times, 'case yo' could go whar dey
-thresh de wheat an' git all de straw yo' wanted an' feed de dry cattle
-on hit. An' you wouldn't believe de fruit us did hab! Yo don't nebber
-see de like down dis way. Sich as apples, cherries, quinces, peaches an'
-pears.
-
-"As fer huntin', I done plenty of it, an' one thing I got to git
-forgiveness fer was when I lef' Virginny, I lef' 'bout sixty or seventy
-snares set to ketch rabbits an' birds.
-
-"My ma had eight chillun an' we was raised in pairs. I had a sister who
-come along wid me, an' if I jumped in de ribber tuh swim, she did hit
-too; if I clum' a tree, or went th'ough a briar patch, she done hit
-right behin' me. Ma wanted to know why her clo's was so tore up, an'
-when dey was pretty, we'd make hit right wid Ma by havin' a rabbit or
-coon wid us, an' sometimes a mud turtle. An' as fer 'possums an' coons,
-us ketch dem in plenty.
-
-"'Bout de fruit, hit makes mah mouf watah tuh think 'bout dem cheese
-apples dat was yaller lac' gold, an' dose Abraham apples de lack of
-which ain't now to be had. An' dose cherry trees as big as dese oaks,
-wid long limbs an' big sugar an' sweetheart, an' black heart cherries.
-Den dere was annudder kin' of cherry called de gorilla, dat was roun'
-an' growed as big as de yaller plums down dis way.
-
-"Now, let me tell yo' sumpin' 'bout Virginny. Hit had hits own law 'bout
-drink. Dey made de bes' peach an' cherry brandy an' mos' any kin' yo'
-ebber heerd ob, 'ceptin' dey didn't 'low yo' to make drink out ob
-anythin' you could make into bread. Now yo' understan's, sich as corn
-and rye.
-
-"Us had our brandy same as yo' would coffee, 'case hit was cold an' some
-mawnin's us would git up an' de snow would be halfway up de do', an' de
-men would hab to ditch hit out, so us could git out of de house. On dem
-rail cold mawnin's my daddy would git de brandy out an' my ma wud put a
-li'l water an' sugar wid hit an gib to us chillun. An' den she'd take
-some in her mouf' an' put hit in de baby's mouf an' hit wud open hits
-eyes an' stamp hits foot rail peart lack.
-
-"Us nebber thought nothin' of drinkin'. I kinda believes lack dat ol'
-infidel, Ingersoll, who said dat anythin' dat was de custom, was de
-religion.
-
-"Folks was a heap kinder-hearted den dey is now, 'case dey kep' big dogs
-to hunt up people los' in de snow. Dey all seemed mo' happy 'case dey
-was all busy. At night instid of wastin' dey time, dey wud go tuh de big
-house an' spin an' weave an' make clo's.
-
-"I kin hyar dat ol' loom hummin' now, an' see great cards ob cloth
-comin' out, an' dem was clo's den dat was made from hit. Hit tuck fire
-tuh git dem offen' yo' dey was so strong. I doesn't 'member whut dey
-used fer dye, but I knows dey used copperas as sizin' to hol' de colors.
-Some of de cloth was dyed red, blue an' black. I jes' can't 'member
-'bout de dye, but dey used copperas. 'Dat was the qualification of de
-intelligence ob de primitive age', in usin' dat copperas. Dey not only
-made our clo's, but also made out hats. Of co'se dey wa'n't very hatty,
-but was mo' cappy. Dey made 'em wid tabs ober de ears, an' to tie under
-de chin, an' was dey warm, I'll say!
-
-"Now, when yo' axes 'bout hawg killin' time, dat was de time! Fer weeks
-de men would haul wood and big rocks, an' pile hit all together as high
-as dat house; den hab sev'ral piles like dese 'roun' a big hole in de
-groun' whut had been filled wid watah. Den jes' a li'l atter mid-night
-de boss would blow de ol' horn, an' all de men would git up an' git in
-dem hog pens. Den dey would set dat pile of wood on fire, an' den start
-knockin' dem hawgs in de haid. Us nebber shot a hawg like dey does now.
-Us allus used an ax to kill 'em wid.
-
-"Atter knockin' de hawg in de haid, dey would tie a rope on hits leg, an
-atter de water got to de right heat from dose red hot rocks whut had
-been pushed out ob dat pile ob nu'in wood into de watah, dey wud th'ow
-de hog in an' drag hit aroun' awhile, an' take him out an' hab him clean
-in 'bout three pair o' minutes. Atter he was clean dey hung him up, an'
-den later cut him up an' hung him in de smoke house, an' smoke him wid
-great oak logs. Huh, dey don't cu'ah meat now, dey jes' use sum kinda
-brush an' liquid, but dey don't hab meat lack us did.
-
-"Den come co'shuckin' time. Mah goodness, I jes' would love to be dere
-now. De co'n would be piled up high an' one man would git on dat pile.
-Hit usually was one who was kinda niggah fo'man dat could sing an' get
-de wuck out of de odder niggers. Dis fo'man would sing a verse somethin'
-lack dis:
-
- | Polk an' Clay went to War,
- | An' Polk come back wid a broken jar.
-
-"Den all de niggers would sing back to him, an' hallo, a kinder shoutin'
-soun'. Ginerally dis fo'man made up his songs by pickin' dem up from
-whut he had heard white folks tell of wars. But Miss yo' know whut was
-de motor powah of dat co'n shuckin'? Hit was de ol' jug dat was brung
-'roun' ebery hour. Dat's de onliest time any ob de slaves railly got
-drunk.
-
-"I wish I could 'member dose ol' songs, but all dat hallo done lef' me,
-'case de onliest singin' I hears now is de good ol' sisters singin' an'
-sayin' 'Amen.'
-
-"In days gone by I went to plenty of dances an' candy pullin's but I
-doesn't do dat any mo'. I's a preacher, an' when I fu'st lef' Virginny I
-come to Georgia an' stayed dere twenty yeahs, an' I kicked up a plenty
-of dust in Georgia. I eben taught school an' built a plenty of chu'ches
-dere. Den I come on to Alabammy, an' libed in Evergreen fo' about twenty
-mo' yeahs, an' I built a two-story brick chu'ch dere. Since I's been in
-Mobile I's wu'ked by dat Bienville Squah for twenty-eight years, for
-sich men as ol' man Simon, Damrich, an' Van Antwerp, an' all dere
-chillun has been in dese arms. I's been a squah citizen an' dere hasn't
-been but one time in mah life I's had to call on anybody, an' dat was
-when I had tuh call on Uncle Sam when ol' man Depression got me. But
-thank God I's still able to be 'bout an' have all my faculties, 'ceptin'
-my eyesight is a li'l porely. I still has all mah teeth, 'ceptin' one,
-an' my ma allus tuck pride in mah haih, yo' see how fine an' silky hit
-is, an' hit ain't snow white yit. Dere is one thing to be thankful fer.
-Dat is 'case I's so near home."
-
-Josh Horn
-=========
-
- | **Interview with Josh Horn**
- | —*Ruby Pickens Tartt, Livingston, Alabama*
-
-*CHASING GUINEA JIM, THE RUNAWAY SLAVE*
-
-Seven miles East from Livingston on State Road No. 80, thence Left two
-miles via a dim road through the woods to a cultivated section, the
-beginning of a large plantation area, stands the old-timey cabin of Josh
-Horn, a well known and influential figure in the colored community.
-Vigorous and active despite his more than 80 years, Josh exemplifies the
-gentleness with which time deals with those dwelling in a healthful spot
-and living the simple lives of a rural people. I found him nodding on
-his front steps.
-
-"Josh," I said, "I've come to get you to tell me some old war-time
-stories, and I want to ask you some questions about you and Alice and
-how you-all are getting along. I just want to know all about you and
-your family as far back as you can remember."
-
-"All right, Miss Ruby, I's glad to tell you what I knows," said Josh,
-"and it ain't gonna be a lot of fibbin', but jes' lak everything was.
-I's telling you lak you axed me.
-
-"Now, 'bout how us is getting along. I's telling you de troof, ef I was
-took 'fore God, I'd say jes' lak I's saying now, ef my chillun ever et a
-moufful dat wasn't honest, dey et it somewhar else, 'ca'se I ain't ever
-stole a moufful somepin' t'eat for 'em in all my life. It's honest
-vittles dey et, and varmints I's killed in de woods, 'ca'se us raised
-chillun fast, and us had a heap of 'em, sixteen, if I 'members right,
-and soon's I found out dat I could help feed 'em dat way, I done a heap
-of hunting. And everybody knows I's a good hunter. Alice used to make me
-go every Friday night; den us always had a 'possum or two for Sunday."
-
-"Why," I asked, "didn't you go Saturday night?"
-
-"Well, I'll tell you," Josh said, "Alice is a good Christian woman, and
-she knowed I'd hunt mighty nigh all night, and she didn't want nobody
-see me coming in Sunday morning wid no gun and no dogs; so I went every
-Friday night and went in de week too, and dat holp a lot to feed de
-chillun. I don't owe nobody, not a nickel.
-
-"I lak to got in debt, when de Government come in and tried to help us
-wid dat cotton doings. Dey cut it down so on me, tell I couldn't make
-nothing; but I's getting on all right now, and so is my chillun. Us is
-got fourteen living, and dey's all been to school, but ain't but one
-been to Booker Washington's school, but dey kin all read and write, and
-some of 'em teaching school out here in de country. De doctor, he come
-clear out here to see us, 'ca'se I always pays him. He jes' here wid
-Alice last night. It's nine mile and two of dem's back here in de woods
-through Marse Johnnie's place, but he come when us went atter him 'bout
-midnight, and dat's a comfort to know he come."
-
-I asked, what was the matter with Alice.
-
-"Well, I'll tell you, Miss Ruby. She was back dere wid me in de
-kitchen, and I got through eating and I come out and set down in de
-swinger to git some air. De moon was shining, and Alice come out,
-saying loud as she could: 'Who is you? Who is you?' De chillun run
-to her wid a lamp and I run, and 'twan't nobody dere. Well, Alice said
-'twas a big man standing right 'side her dressed in black, and she
-called it Death. Us couldn't do nothing wid her, and she didn't know
-nobody, me nor de chillun, so I went to Livingston atter Dr. McCain,
-and he come and set wid her 'bout a hour. He said 'twas de 'cute
-'digestion or somepin' lak dat. I knowed 'twan't no sperrit; I don't
-b'lieve in nothing lak dat."
-
-"Well," I said, "I don't know, Josh, I've been hearing some ghost tales
-that freeze the blood in my veins."
-
-"Yassum," said Josh, "if you wants to hear ghost tales, I kin sho tell
-'em, ca'se I seed dis here wid my own eyes. 'Tain't no made-up nothing,
-needer; jes' somepin' I seed jes' lak I tells you.
-
-"Green Hale and Isham Mathews b'longed to New Hope church, and de
-Reverend Bird Hall pastored dere. Dey axed me down to hear him preach
-one night, and us three, me and Green and Isham, was riding along side
-and side. I's riding a mule, but it was a fast mule, and Green couldn't
-keep up, en Isham said: 'Somebody been hunting.' I looked up and 'twas a
-sapling right 'cross de road. He said, 'Fellow oughten leave nothing lak
-dat. When de moon git low, it hit him in de face.' De moon was straight
-up and down den, and I said: 'Dat's right', and I's telling you de
-troof, dat sapling jes' riz up, turned aroun' in de air, en de brush
-part tickled my mule and Isham's hoss in de face. If you ever seed 'em
-buck and rare and jump up, dey sho did. Den dey took off down de road,
-and we didn't hold 'em back, and here come Green. We lef' him behind,
-'cause his mule couldn't keep up. If you ever heard a man pray more
-earnester dan old Green, I ain't! He come down de road a-yelling: 'Lord,
-us live togedder, let us die togedder.' He meant for us to wait on him,
-but I couldn't hold dat mule, and I wan't trying to hold him! I was
-gitting away from dar!
-
-"When us come togedder, us was a mile from whar us done been, den us had
-to decide what to do. Isham said for us to go wid him, and Green said
-no, us nearer to his house; but us wan't near to nobody and I was so
-scared, hadn't been for Alice, I'd a jes' stayed right whar us was 'tell
-sun-up. I said, 'No, every man better take keer his own self,' en us
-did. When I got home, I didn't take nothing off dat mule but myself. I
-jes' left him standing at de do' wid de saddle on. What skeered Green
-so, was a man, he said, what was ridin' right 'side him en didn't have
-no head! 'Twas a good thing he didn't tell me dat den, I'd jes' nacherly
-drap dead!
-
-"No'm, I don't 'zackly believes in ghosties, but I heared Mr. Marshall
-Lee say he was riding on home one night and a woman stepped out in de
-road and say: 'Marshall, let me ride.' He say: 'My hoss won't tote
-double.' She say: 'Yes it will,' and she jump up behind him, and dat
-hoss bucked and jumped nigh 'bout from under him, but when he got home,
-she wan't dere. He say, his sister had jes' died and it mout been her.
-
-"'Nother time, one Friday night, Alice say us better git a 'possum for
-Sunday. She say she didn't want none caught atter midnight on Sadday. I
-went down whar I knowed dey was 'simmons, and dem dogs never treed
-nothing; dey jes' run 'round dat 'simmon tree lak dey gone crazy. I'm
-telling you de troof, somepin' jump outer dat tree, had a head back'erds
-and for'erds and look lak a flame shooting out it eyes! 'Twan't lak no
-possum I ever seed, 'twan't lak nothing. Dem dogs, Liz and Roger en
-Cuba, made a bluge at me. Cotton was waist high, and I run down de
-cotton row and cross de road and dey trail me. I say: 'What ail you,
-dogs?' And dey jes' come on a-barkin', and dey run me to de bridge over
-Konkabyer. So I clumb on de banisters. I seed dey had my trail an dey
-gonna ketch me, so I turn 'round and tore out for de slough. Dey lost my
-trail dere and when I got home, 'bout daylight, de thorns and de briars
-and all done tore my clothes plum off me. 'Twas t'ree days 'fore I ever
-seed dem dogs ag'in.
-
-"And I kin tell you somepin' else. It's jes' lak I say, I's always been
-a hunter, en one night I went down in de post oak woods hunting by
-myself. Dis is a fact; 'tain't no lie. It's what I done. I had a mighty
-good dog, and I jes' kept walking and walking, and I got mighty nigh to
-Mr. Redhead Jim Lee's place, and I walked on and atter while I seed I'd
-lost my dog. I couldn't see him nowhar and I couldn't hear him nowhar,
-and den somepin' say to me, jes' lak dis: 'Josh, blow your horn!' Jes'
-lak dat, lak somebody talking to me. Well I give three loud, long blows
-and set dere awhile longer but dat dog didn't come. Co'se I knowed he'd
-come sometime, and so I jes' set dere on dat log and I jes' turned a
-fool, I reckon, but 'twas jes' lak somebody talking to me, lak it
-'peared to me was whispering: 'Josh, you out here in dese woods by
-yo'self. You blowed dat horn and your enemy heard you. You's a fool, you
-is.' And I whispered back: 'Dat's a fact.' I couldn't hear what it was
-a-whispering to me, but us jes' talk back to one 'nuther, and 'bout dat
-time I look up and here come three men ridin' on new saddles wid shiny
-buckles gwine, 'squeechy, squeechy', jes' lak dat. I hears de hosses
-feed jes' as nachel as could be. I thought sho I seed 'em, and it 'pears
-to look clean outer reason, but dem men come riding right on up to me,
-and I jump over dat log and lay down flat on de other side, and it look
-lak I could see right through dat log and heard 'em say: 'Dar he is, dar
-he is', and I seed 'em p'inting dey finger right whar I was. I knowed
-dem hosses gwineter step over de log on top me, and I's telling you de
-troof, I jump up from 'hind dat log and run 'bout two miles, and if it
-hadn't been for dat slough, I don't know whar I'd a went. I come to
-myself in de middle of dat water, up to hyar, waist high, and dar was my
-dog, old Cuba, done treed a 'possum.
-
-"De fust thing I 'members 'bout slave'y time, I wan't nothing but a boy,
-'bout fifteen I reckon, dat's what Marse Johnnie Horn say. Us belong to
-Marse Ike Horn, Marse Johnnie's pa, right here on dis place whar us is
-now, but dis here didn't belong to me den, dis here was all Marse Ike's
-place. Marse Ike's gin got outer fix and we couldn't get it fixed.
-Colonel Lee had two gins and one of 'em was jes' below old Turner house.
-Recolleck a big old hickory tree? Well dar's whar it was.
-
-"I was plenty big 'nough to drive de mules to de gin. Set on de lever
-and drive 'em, jes lak a 'lasses mill, so dat night Marse Ike told us he
-want everybody go wid him to Colonel Lee's gin nex' morning, and didn't
-want nobody to git out and go ahead of him. Dat held up de ginning; made
-us not go to de ginhouse tell sunup.
-
-"Us got de mules and jes' waited. 'Twixt daylight and sunup, us all
-standing dar at de gate and we heared a little fine horn up de road. Us
-didn't know what it meant coming to de house. And bimeby Mr. Beesley,
-what live not fur from Marse Ike, he rode up and had five dogs, five
-nigger dogs, what dey call 'em, and soon as he come, Marse Ike's hoss
-was saddled up and Marse Ike and him rode off down de road and de dogs
-wid em, 'head of us. Us followed 'long behind 'em, stay close as dey
-'low us, to see what dey was up to. When dey got close to de ginhouse,
-ginhouse right 'side de road, dey stop us and Mr. Beesley told old Brown
-to go ahead. Old Brown was de lead dog and had a bell on him and dey was
-fasten togedder wid a rod, jes' lak steers. He turn 'em loose, and den
-he popped de whip and hollered at old Brown and told him 'nigger'. Old
-Brown hollered lak he hit. He want to go. And dey was a fence on bofe
-sides made it a lane, so he put old Brown over de fence on de ginhouse
-side, and told Brown to 'go ahead'. He went ahead and run all aroun' de
-ginhouse and dey let him in de gin-room and he grabbled in de cottonseed
-in a hole.
-
-"Den somebody holler 'Guinea Jim', I looks and I didn't see him. Didn't
-nobody see him, but dey know dat's whar he been hiding. Mr. Beesley
-told old Brown he jes' fooling him, and Old Brown holler ag'in, lak he
-killing him, and Mr. Beesley say: 'Go git dat nigger' and old Brown
-started 'way from dar lak he hadn't been hunting nothing, but he went
-aroun' and aroun' dat gin and Mr. Beesley told him he hatter do better
-dan dat or he'd kill him, 'cause he hadn't come dar for nothing.
-
-"Brown made a circle aroun' dat gin 'way down to de fence dat time, and
-he was so fat he couldn't git through de fence. You know what sort of
-fence, a rail fence it was. Den he stop and bark for help. Now I seed
-dis wid my own eyes. Dey put Brown on top de fence and he jump way out
-in de road, didn't stay on de fence. He jump and run up and down in de
-road, and couldn't find no scent of Jim. You knows how dey used to make
-dem rail fences?
-
-"Well, Brown come back dar, and dis is de trufe, so help me Gawd. He
-bark, look lak, for dem to lift him back up on de fence, and bless God,
-if dat dog didn't walk dat rail fence lak he walking a log, as fur as
-from here to dat gate yonder, and track Jim jes' lak he was on de
-groun'. He fell off once, and dey had to put him back, and he run his
-track right on to whar Jim jumped off de fence way out in de road. Old
-Brown run right cross de road to de other fence and treed ag'in on
-t'other side de road toward Konkabia. Old Brown walk de fence on dat
-side de road a good piece, jes' lak he done on de other side, and dem
-other dogs, he hadn't never turned dem loose.
-
-"When Brown he jump off dat fence, he jump jes' as fur as he kin on de
-fiel' side, lak he gwine ketch Jim lak a gnat or somepin' and he never
-stop barking no more, jes' lak he jumping a rabbit. Den, Mr. Beesley
-turn dem other dogs loose dat he hadn't never turned loose, 'ca'se he
-say old Brown done got de thing straight. And he had it straight. Dem
-dogs run dat track right on down to Konkabia and crossed it to de
-Blacksher side. Dey was a big old straw field dar den and dey cross it
-and come on through dat field, all dem dogs barkin' jes' lak dey looking
-at Jim. 'Reckley, dey come up on Jim running wid a pine brush tied
-behind him to drag his scent away, but it didn't bother old Brown.
-
-"When dem dogs 'gin to push him, Jim drap de brush and runned back
-toward Konkabia. Now on Konkabia dere used to be beavers worse den on
-Sucarnatchee now. Dey was a big beaver dam 'twixt de bridge and de Hale
-place, and Jim run to dat beaver dam. You know when beavers build dey
-dam, dey cut down trees and let 'em fall in de creek, and pull in trash
-en brush same as folks, to dam de water up dar tell its knee-deep. De
-dogs seen him, old Brown looking at him, jes' 'fore he jump in 'bove de
-dam right 'mongst de trash and things dey'd drug in dar. Brown seed him
-and he jump in right behind him. Jim jes' dive down under de raff, en
-let he nose stick outer de water. Every once in a while Jim he put he
-head down under, he holding to a pole down dar, and once Mr. Beesley
-seed him, he jes' let him stay dar.
-
-"Brown would swim 'bout 'mongst de brush, backerds and for'erds, and
-terreckly Mr. Beesley tole old Brown, 'Go git him.' Den all de men got
-poles and dug 'bout in de raff hunting him. Dey knowed he was dar, en
-Marse Ike had a pole giggen aroun' trying to find him too. Den he told
-Mr. Beesley to give him de hatchet and let him fix he pole. He sharpen
-de pole right sharp, den Marse Ike start to jug aroun' wid de pole, and
-he kinder laugh to hisse'f, 'ca'se he knowed he done found Jim. 'Bout
-dat time Jim poke he head up and say: 'Dis here me', and everybody
-holler. Den he ax 'em please, for God's sake, don't let dem dogs git
-him. Dey told him come on out.
-
-"You see, Jim belonged to Miss Mary Lee, Mr. John Lee's Ma, and his Pa
-was kilt in de war, so Mr. Beesley was looking out for her. Well, dey
-took Jim outer dar, and Mr. Beesley whipped him a little and told him:
-'Jim, you put up a pretty good fight and I's gwine to give you a start
-for a run wid de dogs.'
-
-"Jim took out towards Miss Mary's, and Mr. Beesley helt old Brown as
-long as he could. Dey caught Jim and bit him right smart. You see dey
-had to let em bite him a little to satisfy de dogs. Jim could have made
-it, 'cept he was all hot and wore out.
-
-"Dat's 'bout all I knows, 'cept us belonged to Marse Ike Horn, and fust
-us belonged to Mr. Price Williams, what run de hotel in Livingston. He
-took my gran'ma to Mobile, den he died. Us Ma belonged to dey two
-chillun, Miss Nancy Gulley, Mr. Jake's wife, en Miss Burt Blakeney.
-Marse Ike Horn was dey uncle, and us all come 'round to him, and us been
-here ever since. My mammy was Ann Campbell, and my pappy was John Horn,
-and us ain't never had no trouble wid nobody 'bout nothing.
-
-"We's having a barbecue on de fo'th of July and us wants you to come
-down to it, if Alice gits along well, and I's gwine tell you 'bout Rod
-and Big John, and John Graverson when dey runned away and about how old
-man Jim Devers, Alice's step-pa, hid em in de cave under he house whar
-dey had as nice hams as I ever et, co'se a little tainted, but sho was
-good. Dem niggers was fat as beavers, jes' settin' dar eatin' dat meat.
-
-"And 'bout de time Marse Ike slip up on a heap of niggers at a frolic
-'twixt Sumterville and Livingston and put a end to de frolic. De niggers
-having a big dance, and Marse Ike and de patterrollers having a big run,
-said dey wanted to have some fun, and dey did. Said he eased up on 'em
-wid a white sheet 'round him and a big brush in he hand, and somehow or
-'nother, dey didn't see him tell he spoke. Den he holler 'By God, I'm
-bird-blinding,' and he say dem niggers tore down dem dirt chimleys and
-run t'rough dat house. He say he ain't never heerd sich a fuss in a corn
-field in his born days. What he mean 'bout bird-blindin'? When you goes
-in de canebrake it so thick, you takes a light to shine de bird's eyes
-and blind 'em, den you kin ketch 'em. Dat what he call bird-blindin'.
-Yassum, Marse Ike in dat too. He couldn't stand for 'em to have no fun
-'thout he in it.
-
-"Come back on de fo'th of July, and I's gwine tell you some sho-nuff
-tales. You sort of caught me when my min' wa'n't zackly on it. I ain't
-had no sleep, jes' settin' 'side de bed by Alice, ketching a nod now and
-den. I's too sleepy to sing you no song, but one I laks is dis: It suits
-me now in my age:
-
- | My lates' sun is sinking fas'
- | My race in nearly run,
- | My strongs' trial now is pas',
- | My triump' jes' begun.
-
-"You come back and I'll sing de res', I's got to see 'bout things
-now."
-
-Emma L. Howard
-==============
-
- | **Interview with Emma L. Howard**
- | —*Margaret Fowler, Fruithurst, Alabama*
-
-*IS MASSA GWIN'ER SELL US?*
-
- | "Mammy, is Ol' Massa gwin'er sell us tomorrow?
- | Yes, my chile.
- | Whar he gwin'er sell us?
- | 'Way down South in Georgia."
-
-'Aunt' Emma L. Howard sat in a huge, old-fashioned rocking chair at her
-home, 170 Elmwood St., Montgomery, and sang the old slave song. When she
-had finished, her memory recalled the time, years ago, when she was a
-slave on the plantation of William and Georgiana Shepherd in Lowndes
-County, between Mac's Switch and Morgansville.
-
-"Dat was one of de saddest songs we sung endurin' slavery days," she
-mused. "It always did make me cry."
-
-She thought a moment, smiled.
-
-"I 'members I was de only light nigger in de fambly," she said proudly.
-"I was brung up in de house wid de white chillun. Twice a week I went to
-my mammy's cabin an' took a bath. I had my own sof' shoes an' my own
-nightgown an' jacket an' played games wid my massa's chilluns."
-
-She explained her duties about the Big House as sweeping the rambling
-porches and yards. Sometimes she churned. Afterward she would join the
-white children and played most of the day.
-
-"We played hot-scotch, ring-'roun'-the-rosy an' lots of yuther things I
-can't 'member," she explained. "I musta been 'bout seven years old den."
-
-Emma says she is 84 or 85, but she looks older. She remembers very
-little about her brothers and sisters. She can only recall "Sist'
-Cellie, Sist' Harriett an' Sist' Liza." Liza helped Aunt Evalina in the
-kitchen.
-
-Emma lifted her eyes toward the ceiling, endeavoring to recall the
-exact number of servants her master owned.
-
-"Edie was de laundress," she recalled, "an' Arrie, she was de weaver.
-Den dere was Becky, Melia, Aunt Mary, Ed, John, and Uncle George the
-house man, who married Aunt Evalina. Jake was de over-looker (overseer).
-He was a great, big cullud man. Dar was more, but I can't 'member. I was
-jes' a little shaver den."
-
-She remembers that the Big House was huge and white with a beautiful
-parlor and guest room, where the visitors were entertained. Gigantic
-white columns rose in front of the house, and clusters of magnolias
-surrounded it. The slave houses were located about two hundred yards
-back of the house.
-
-"Massa Shepherd an' Mistis Georgiana was both good an' treated de
-servants kin'," Emma said. "I 'members dat I used to keep de flies offen
-Mistis Georgiana wid a big fan, an' once I went to sleep. She jest laugh
-when she foun' me sleepin' dar beside her.
-
-"Massa would only whup a slave fer two things," she recalled. "One thing
-was if things warn't done up jes' right at hog killin' time, and de
-other was iffen a nigger warn't clean when he 'ported for work on Monday
-mornin's. Ol' Massa didn't do de whuppin's hisse'f. Jake did it, but
-Massa sat dar on his horse to see dat only a certain number of licks was
-give.
-
-"How did we feel 'bout a white man who would be over-looker? We called
-him 'po white trash.' He wasn't thought much of by anybody."
-
-Emma said that everyone went to church on Sundays and that she liked to
-sing the old religious hymns. When freedom came all the Shepherd
-servants had been taught to read and write, she said, and each family
-had enough money to buy a little home. "De Marster" would make each
-family keep pigs, hens and such; then he would market the products and
-place the money aside for them, Emma explained.
-
-Talking further about work about the plantation, she said:
-
-"Louisa cleaned de parlor an' kept Mistis' room nice." She took up a
-recital of work on the plantation. "Atter dat she didn't do anything but
-sew, an' Sist' Liza hoped her wid dat. After de weavin', we done sewin',
-and it took a lot of sewin' for dat family. Eve'body had two Sunday
-dresses, summer and winter, as well as clothes for eve'day.
-
-"For de men's suits de wool had to be took off an' carded an' got ready
-to make. But we had plenty of wool from our own sheep.
-
-"When dey kilt de hogs for winter meat, dey took some of de hands out of
-de field an' let dem ho'p. We had a smokehouse full of hams and
-middlin's, an' when rainy spells came, us chillun would rake up chips
-an' leaves an' make a smudge of smoke to keep de meat sweet.
-
-"Massa Shepherd and Miss Georgiana was both mighty kin' hearted an'
-treated their servants good. Once when Marse Shepherd sent us chilluns
-down to de station wid a note, he say, 'Now, go fas'.' But we played
-'long the way an' picked flowers. When we come steppin' back, he say, 'I
-told you to hurry.' I held out de flowers an' say, 'See, us brung you
-some flowers;' but he take up a little switch an' nettle my legs good.
-
-"Massa always give us plenty of eve'thing. On Friday us worked an'
-washed, an' on Sattidy us cleaned for Sunday. Den on Sunday Massa would
-go 'roun' an' have a mouthful at every house to see dat eve'thing was
-done up jes' right, an' if they wasn't, somebody got a whuppin' next
-day.
-
-"When us went to church on Sunday, Massa Shepherd, Miss Georgiana an' us
-three chilluns rode in de rock-a-way. Dat was a carriage shaped mos'
-like a bowl. De carriage was pulled by two big horses, an' de coachman
-what sat up on de high seat had on a long double-breasted coat, shiny
-black boots an' a tall silk hat. Massa had on a silk hat, too, but he
-wore a tight-waisted coat. An' Miss Georgiana, she look lak a bokay.
-
-.. _`Emma L. Howard`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image217howard.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Emma L. Howard
-
- Emma L. Howard, Montgomery, Alabama
-
-"She didn't lak to wear hoops, because she had sprained her ankle once
-an' walked wid a limp. She liked to wear thin, cool, flowery dresses wid
-lots of ruffles an' lace. She also wore a scoop of white straw, mighty
-sof' over de years' an' flarin' high an' spreadin' over de face. It was
-filled wid flowers an' tied wid long streamers of ribbon."
-
-Emma said that Mr. Shepherd died during the second year of the war, and
-that it was whispered he was poisoned because he was so good to his
-niggers. "Just before the war closed," she said, "Mrs. Shepherd married
-again and later moved to Texas.
-
-"I was took on as a cook by a rich family named Marchiel, in
-Montgomery," she said. "Dey treated me lak I was deir own daughter. I
-was 'lowed to go out three nights a week, but no more, an' I had to be
-home by 'leven o'clock.
-
-"I got engaged to be married an' de boy had to ax for me. I 'member dat
-Massa Marchiel say: 'If you don't take good care of her I'll take her
-back.' When de younges' daughter married she lef' me her veil an'
-wreath, an' dey give me a weddin' dress an' shoes.
-
-"My husban' was a carpenter, an' we lived in dis house. When he died, I
-went to work for a family dat once was de richest family in de State.
-Dey comes to see me every few days, an' nex' week dey are comin' for me
-to spen' de day wid dem. De reason I has stayed so well is dat folks has
-always been so good to me."
-
-Everett Ingram
-==============
-
- | **Interview with Everett Ingram**
- | —*Preston Klein, Opelika, Alabama*
-
-*MY GRANDMA RAISED PLENTY CHILLUNS*
-
-Uncle Everett Ingram mused: "Honey chile, my gran'mammy was de beatenest
-woman to have chilluns dat you ever seen. I has hyared dat she raised so
-many of dem dat she brung a mighty heap on de block; somewhere near a
-thousan' dollars."
-
-Uncle Everett is a familiar figure in East Opelika, where he has lived
-for years. He was "a right good-sized scamp at freedom time" and
-remembers much of what he has seen and heard. He was born in Russell
-County, the son of Prince and Fanny Ingram. They had seven other
-children; Jerry, Clara, Rubin, Jep, Lula, Eugene and Lucy.
-
-Everett says of his life:
-
-"Our house in de slave settlement was made of logs an' had one room. It
-had a mud an' stick chimney, a plank floor an' a boxed-up bed wid one
-leg at de foot. De mattress was stuffed wid shucks an' straw.
-
-"My gran'pappy, Prince Walden, an' Lucy, his wife, come from Russell
-County, too, an' belonged to de Covingtons. Later dey was sold to Dr.
-Walden, at Uchie. When dey come to Uchie de county was full of Indians.
-My gran'pappy useta drink likker wid 'em; but gran'ma, she was skeered
-an' runned away to Columbus, Georgy. On her way dere, my mammy was
-borned in de woods.
-
-"I 'members dat when I was a strip of a boy, dey cooked ash-cake on
-leaves an' de chilluns et pot-licker an' bread an' greens outen wooden
-trays wid wooden spoons. Dey would sit under de trees an' eat. Each
-family had dey own bowl, an' us et a-plenty, too. In cold weather mammy
-kept all de chilluns in de house by de fire.
-
-"Master had us a two-room house, 'ca'se my mammy was de cook an' weaver.
-Dey made dey own silk den, too, an' raised de silk worms. Us useta get
-mulberry leaves to feed de silk worms wid. Us used indigo, which us
-cooked an' used for dye. Us would wear any kind of clothes on everyday
-an' Sunday; an' didn't have no shoes 'til us was big chilluns.
-
-"Ol' Marster an' Ol' Mistus, Mr. Bill an' Miss Lucy Ingram, lived in a
-big weather-boarded house wid a wide hall an' a chimney at each end. De
-kitchen was off from de rest of de house.
-
-"I 'members dat de overseer useta whip mammy an' pappy, 'ca'se dey fight
-so much. He useta take my mammy to de carriage to whip her. Marster was
-in de war den. When he come home, de overseer tuk mammy by de han' to de
-house an' tell Marster 'bout havin' to whip her. He'd jest shake his
-head, sad-lak. He was mighty good to all of us.
-
-"My gran'pappy was put in de speculator drove, put on de block an' sold.
-
-"I 'members dat Mistus read de Bible to us an' my mammy was converted by
-de white preacher. He baptized her. De colored folks used de white
-church an' set in de back.
-
-"An' honey, dey shorely did have good times dancin' on Sattidy nights;
-an' sometimes dey would dance 'till Sunday mornin'. When de corn needed
-shuckln', it was hauled up near de crib, an' on a purty moonlighted
-night Marster would pass 'roun' de likker. It wouldn't be long 'til dey
-was all happy an' had what dey called a general. De general led all de
-hollers an' songs. Dey shorely did get dat corn shucked fast, too.
-
-"Gran'mammy was a great doctor; useta give us turpentine an' castor oil
-an' Jerusalem oak fer worms. She'd give us all kinds of teas, too. I
-'members dat gran'mammy was also a midwife.
-
-.. _`Everett Ingram`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image221ingram.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Everett Ingram
-
- Everett Ingram, Opelika, Alabama
-
-"De Yankees comed through de yard in May an' tol' us: 'You's free.' De
-Yankees wasn't so good. Dey hung my mammy up in de smokehouse by her
-thumbs; tips of her toes jest touchin' de floor, 'ca'se she wouldn't
-'gree to give up her older chilluns. She never did, neither.
-
-"Daddy stole both de older chilluns, dough, an' went off. De Yankees
-stole provisions an' stock an' hauled 'em off. De news got to Uchie an'
-everybody hid out; Marster wid 'em. Dey hunted de money whut was hid in
-de colored folks beds; nearly $2,000. De jewelry was dere, too. Dey
-foun' some money at de big house an' said: 'Dis money ain't worth a
-damn;' but dey tuk it jest de same.
-
-"I married Hattie Graves. Den I j'ined de church an' was
-saved."
-
-Hannah Irwin
-============
-
- | **Interview with Hannah Irwin**
- | —*Gertha Couric, [HW: Eufaula?]*
-
-*KU KLUX RIDES WHEN DE NIGGERS STARTS TROUBLE*
-
-On a high knoll overlooking the winding Chewalla Creek is a little one
-room shack. Its rusty hinges and weather-beaten boards have seen many a
-glowing sunset; have stood against many high winds and rains; they have
-for many years sheltered Aunt Hannah Irwin, ex-slave. Now the old Negro
-woman is too old and feeble to venture very often from her small home.
-She lives almost in solitude with her memories of the past, and an
-occasional visit from one of her old friends who perhaps brings her some
-fruit or a little money.
-
-"Yas'm, I'll be pleased to tell you 'bout whut I remembers aroun' de
-time of de War." Aunt Hannah sat stolidly in a chair that virtually
-groaned under her weight; and gave utterance to this sentiment through a
-large thick mouth, while her gold ear rings shook with every turn of her
-head, and her dim eyes glowed with memory's fires. "Dere ain't much I
-can tell you, dough," she went on, "kaze I was only twelve years old
-when de war ended.
-
-"I was bawn on Marse Bennett's plantation near Louisville, Alabama. Ma
-Mammy's name was Hester an' my pappy was named Sam.
-
-"I remembers one night raght atter de war when de re'struction was
-a-goin' on. Dere was some niggers not far fum our place dat said dey was
-agoin' to take some lan' dat warn't deres. Dere massa had been kilt in
-de war an' warn't nobody 'ceptin' de mistis an' some chilluns. Well,
-Honey, dem niggers, mo' dan one hundred of 'em, commenced a riot an' was
-a-takin' things dat don't belong to 'em. Dat night de white lady she
-come ober to our place wid a wild look on her face. She tell Massa
-Bennett, whut dem niggers is up to, an' widout sayin' a word, Massa
-Bennett putt his hat on an lef' out de do'. Twarn't long atter dat when
-some hosses was heered down de road, an' I look out my cabin window
-which was raght by de road, an' I saw acomin' up through de trees a
-whole pack of ghosties; I thought dey was, anyways. Dey was all dressed
-in white, an' dere hosses was white an' dey galloped faster dan de win'
-raght past my cabin. Den I heered a nigger say: 'De Ku Klux is atter
-somebody.'
-
-"Dem Ku Klux went ober to dat lady's plantation an' told dem niggers dat
-iffen dey ever heered of 'em startin' anything mo' dat dey was a-goin'
-to tie 'em all to trees in de fores' till dey all died f'um being
-hongry. Atter dat dese niggers all 'roun' Louisville, dey kept mighty
-quiet.
-
-"No m'am, I don't believe in no conjurin'. Dese conjure women say dat
-dey will make my hip well iffen I gives 'em half my rations I gits fum
-de gover'ment, but I knows dey ain't nothin' but low-down, no-count
-niggers."
-
-"Speaking of the Ku Klux, Aunt Hannah. Were you afraid of them?"
-
-"Naw'm, I warn't afeered of no Ku Klux. At fu'st I though dat dey was
-ghosties and den I was afeered of 'em, but atter I found out dat Massa
-Bennett was one of dem things, I was always proud of 'em."
-
-.. _`Hannah Irwin`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image224irwin.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Hannah Irwin
-
- Hannah Irwin, [TR: Eufaula?], Alabama
-
-"Well, what about the Yankees?" she was asked. "Did you ever see any
-Yankees; and what did you think of the ones that came through your
-place? Were you glad that they set you free?"
-
-"I suppose dem Yankees was all right in dere place," she continued, "but
-dey neber belong in de South. Why, Miss, one of 'em axe me what was dem
-white flowers in de fiel'? You'd think dat a gent'men wid all dem
-decorations on hisself woulda knowed a fiel' of cotton. An' as for dey
-a-settin' me free! Miss, us niggers on de Bennett place was free as soon
-as we was bawn. I always been free."
-
-Martha Jackson
-==============
-
- | **Interview with Martha Jackson**
- | *Ruby Pickens Tartt, Livingston, Alabama*
-
-*HEAPS OF DEM YALLER GALS GOT SONT NORF*
-
-"When de War fus' started," said Martha Jackson, who was born in 1850,
-"dey wouldn't let none of de cullud people go to chu'ch 'thout dey had a
-pass, and mighty few white folkses would give 'em a pass. Dere was a
-heap of men (hit mou't have been six or twelve, my recollection is
-short, but anyhow 'twas jus' a big crowd) whut went back'erds en
-ferwerds jes' lack sher'fs and de calls de'se'fs de 'Patterrollers.' Ef
-de white folks give de niggers a pass, den dey could go, and ef dey was
-to go'thout one, dem Patterrollers would have 'em a-runnin' thoo de
-woods jes' lack dey was a lot of deer, an ef dey ever cotch 'em, dey'd
-take 'em to dey Marster and he'd jes' natchelly wear 'em out!
-
-"Den dey didn't 'low 'em for to go nowhurs much, eben when de plantation
-j'ined one ernudder did, dey'd ketch 'em over dere and fetch 'em back
-and dey'd git whooped ag'in, and dat's 'zackly how come a heap uv 'em
-run'd away. I knowed a nigger onc't whut was gone nigh 'bout a year, and
-he wa'n't gone nowhur but right up de big road a piece, livin' in a cave
-whut he dug outer de side uv a clay bank. And Miss Betty say, 'Marthy,
-whur you reckon Dan at?' And I never said nothin'. De Patterrollers
-couldn't fine him or nobody, and he ain't never showed hisse'f in
-daylight 'tel he peered up atter de S'render.
-
-"And I knowed a woman name Tishie, Miss Mollie's house sarvant. She run
-away 'case dey so mean to her, I reckon, and de cullud folks harbored
-her and hid her up in de grain house wid de peas and sech lac', stedder
-down in de corn crib. And who ever 'twas 'trayed her I ain't sayin' but
-a crowd uv dem Patterrollers come and got 'er one night, and tuck her
-away, and I ain't nebber seed Tishie no mo'.
-
-"And one uv Ole Marsa's niggers—'little boy' he go by—he tuck on
-might'ly, 'case dey say he wanted to marry Tishie. I know he fotch her
-up in de quarter fer ter git her sumpin' to eat atter de white folks
-done sleep. But couldn't nobody marry, 'twa'n't 'lowed, 'outer one or
-t'other uv de Ole Marsa 'greed to buy bofe uv 'em and ef dey didn't
-'gree you sho' better keep 'way fum dey place. And Ole Marsa and Miss
-Mollie didn't nebber 'gree.
-
-"I hear some uv 'em say one dem Patterrollers had 'bout three sets er
-cullud chillun over dere, and some uv 'em favor'd Tishie, and ev'y time
-hit come time fer 'em yaller gals ter work in de fiel', dey got sarnt
-Norf. I reckon 'case he never wanted see his own blood git beat up, and
-dat Jim Barton was er cru'l overseer, sho's yer bawn.
-
-"'Twas a heap of dem yaller gals got sarnt Norf frum 'roun' here sho'
-was."
-
-Martha says most of the meaness of pre-war days on the plantations may
-be charged up to cruel overseers.
-
-"Ole Marsa's wife's sister had a husband whut kep' de meanest overseer
-durin' de war dat I ever is seed," she declares. "Dat man would make 'em
-niggers on de plantation plow up a gre't big fiel' big as all over
-yonder and den check hit fer corn. And checkin' corn in runnin' a
-straight row clean 'cross de fiel' bofe ways, and hit make a check 'bout
-two feet square. Den he'd make de niggers drap a grain uv corn right in
-de middle uv ev'y check, and ef hit didn't come up straight as deese
-here fingers on my han', he'd snatch hit up and make 'em eat hit right
-den and dere, stalk and all 'thout ever bilin' hit a anything. And
-that'll mighty ne'r th'ow you in de middle uv a spell uv sickness sho's
-yo' bawn.
-
-"But dat didn't make no diffe'ns to dat man. And stidder dat, he'd nigh
-'bout beat 'em ter deaf ef dey 'sputed his word 'bout hit, but den dey
-didn't 'spute, 'case dey was so skeered when dey drappin' hit dat hit
-ain't gwinter come up straight lack he say, dat dey couldn't drap hit
-good as dey could uv drapped hit. 'Case dey so skeered dey couldn't.
-
-"Dem niggers jes' natchelly shuck lack dey havin' de black ague chill
-soon as dey heered him a-comin'. And when de Patterroles tole him de
-niggers was a-risin', 'case dey foun' papers 'bout in de cabins, he nigh
-'bout kilt 'em. Some of dem niggers run 'way down in de woods lack deers
-and clam' up in de trees, 'case he sot dogs on 'em and some uv 'em
-stayed in a cave in de clay bank and tuck to comin' up to us house
-nights after vittles. And dat overseer man would send 'em Patterrollers
-jes' lack dey was de sher'f down to fotch 'em back, and he'd say, 'Dead
-or alive, doan' make no diffe'nce.' And sometimes dem dogs be done nigh
-'bout chewed dem niggers up. Den he'd whoop 'em sho' 'nuff.
-
-"'Twas a long and a wide stiff leather strop w'at he had whut hung back
-uv his do', and hit had big roun' holes in hit, and he'd git him a pot
-of warm salty water and set hit down by his side. Den he had 'em cotch
-de nigger and put his feet in de long block, and somebody helt dey
-han's, and he strip 'em stark naked, and he stretch 'em 'cross a log,
-and he dip de long stiff leather strop wid de roun' holes in hit in de
-briny salt water, and den look out 'case he comin' down on dat po'
-nigger's nekkid bottom. De holes in de strop dey sucks flesh up in th'oo
-'em, and de nigger's a hollerin' and ev'ybody so skeered dey right ashy,
-and dey can't nobody say a mumblin' word 'case dey so skeered.
-
-.. _`Martha Jackson`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image226jackson.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Martha Jackson
-
- Martha Jackson, [TR: Livingston?], Alabama
-
-"Lawdy, Lawdy, dem was tribbolashuns! Wunner dese here 'omans was my
-Antie and she say dat she skacely call to min' he e'r whoopin' her,
-'case she was a breeder woman, and brought in chillun ev'y twelve mont's
-jes' lack a cow bringin' in a calf. And she say, dat whut make her mo'
-val'ble to her Ole Marster. He orders she can't be put to no strain
-'casen uv dat. And she say she give him praise on his gretty grave fer
-dat. But dem others he worked 'em day en night, Sad'dy en Sunday too
-you'se sho' ter hear dem women uv er night battin' de clo'es on er log
-in creek wid de stick.
-
-"But fo' long dat man tuck rale sick, en he b'lieved in conjurashun but
-spite everything he done he got worser en worser and fo' long he died.
-
-"So dey sarnt down in de woods and all over de plantation er lookin' fer
-de niggers to come to de Big House 'case dey overseer was dead. And here
-dey comes a-shoutin' and a-clappin' dey han's and a-holl'rin' sumpin'
-awful.
-
- | Ole John Bell is de'd en gone
- | I hopes he's gone to hell!
-
-"En dat was de onles' time I's ever seen dem niggers happy on dat
-plantation 'tel atter s'render."
-
-Jane
-====
-
- | **Interview with Jane**
- | —*Mildred Scott Taylor, Georgiana, Alabama*
-
-*DID THEY OWN US OR WE OWN THEM?*
-
-"Yas, chillun, I 'members de wah; 'caze I was here when de Yankees come
-t'rough an' I was about fourteen year ole. Ole Marster he went off to de
-wah wid a whole passel of sojers, en' he been gone a long time, en'
-nobody to home to look atter de plantation, 'cep Ole Mistis en' Unker
-Jude, what was Ole Marster's fust slave he ebber owned. Ole Marster en'
-Unker Jude was borned de same day, en' Ole Marster's pappy gin Unker
-Jude to him, whenst dey was leetle bitsy babies. When Ole Marster mai'ed
-Ole Mistis, dey was young folks, en' dey move to his own plantation. He
-tuk Unker Jude wid him, en' Unker Jude was de ca'i'ge driver. When Ole
-Marster went off ter de wah, he tole Unker Jude ter look atter Ole
-Mistis en' evy'ting on de place 'twell he come back. Whilst Ole Marster
-gone to de wah, Unker Jude was oberseer for Ole Mistis, en' he made de
-niggers wuk harder dan Ole Marster did, to make co'n, en' oats, en'
-fodder, en' meat fer de sojers.
-
-"Ole Mistis made de womens card bats, en' spin en' weabe on de loom.
-What er loom look lak? It look lak er loom, dat what it look lak; what
-you spec' it look lak? All de womens, white en' black, wuk hard makin'
-jeans fer de sojers clo's en' makin' linsey fer de women's clo's. Us
-didn't hab no udder clo's 'cep dem linsey, but dey sho was good uns en'
-las' er long time, iffen yer didn't stan' too close ter de fire en'
-scorch 'em.
-
-"Us kep' hearin' of de Yankees comin', en' one mawnin' Ole Mistis she
-say: 'Jane, you go down ter de front gate en' stay dar en' watch en' see
-iffen de Yankees comin' down de big road, en' when you sees 'em, you run
-tell me quick.'
-
-"Bimeby, I seed de Yankees comin' about a mile down de road, en' I run
-tell Ole Mistis, en' she call de womens en' dey run down t'rough de
-orchard to de big woods, en' I run tell Unker Jude en' he onhitch de
-mules en' lead 'em down ter de big gully behin' de fiel'.
-
-"Ole Mistis tole me to run back to de house, quick, fo' de Yankees get
-dar, en' git her gole watch en' chain outen de bureau drawer; but de
-Yankees come in whilst I was gitten de watch en' chain, en' one ob 'em
-grabbed it outen by han' en' put it in his pocket en' tole anudder
-Yankee: 'I'se gwine tek dis home ter my gal.'
-
-"De house en' de yard was plum full of Yankees en' dey rid dey hosses
-en' tore up ev'yting, lookin' for money en' jewelry. Dey ax me whar it
-was hid, en' I tole em' I didn't know en' dey said I was lyin', en'
-iffen I didn't tell 'em, dey would kill me 'lak er dam Rebel', en' I sho
-was skairt.
-
-"Dey et up all de sump'n' to eat in de kitchen en' tuk all de meat en'
-meal outen de smokehouse en' didn't lef' us nuddin', en' dey went to de
-crib en' tuk ev'y year co'n en' all de fodder en' put it in wagins en'
-tuk 'em off.
-
-"De Yankees ax me don't I wanner be free en' I say: 'No, suh', en' dey
-say ev'body gwine be free an' I won't hab ter wuk fer Ole Marster no
-mo'. Den dey ax me whar Ole Marster at, en' I say: 'He gone to wah', en'
-dey ax me whar Ole Mistis, en' I say: 'I dunno whar she at; she done
-gone off summuz.' Dey ax me whar de guns, en' I tole 'em us didn't hab
-no guns.
-
-"Dem Yankees mighter been dar till yit, iffen one ob 'em hadn't rid his
-hoss ober a bee gum en' Man! dem bees en' dem Yankees sho did mess up!
-In about a minute dere wan't no Yankees nowhar 'cep down de big road
-whar de dus' jes' foggin' up! 'Bout a week some mo' Yankees come, but
-dey muster heared 'bout de bees, 'caze dey lef' dey hosses outside de
-big gate en' walked up to de house, but dey didn't stay long 'caze dey
-wan't nuffin' lef' atter de fu'st Yankees done to' up ev'ything. En'
-when dey ready to go dey tuk dey guns en' stood way off en' shoot de bee
-gums all to pieces, en' dey flewed aroun' en' us had to stay 'way 'twel
-night. Unker Jude, he wuk all night long, makin' bee gums outen a hollow
-log, en' nex' day he hive ebery one ob dem bees en' put 'em in de new
-gums, en' de bees dey tote all dey honey en' put it in de new gums fas'
-as dey could make comb fer it. Dem bees sho' was smart.
-
-"When de wah done gone, Ole Marster he come, wid one he arms shot plum
-off, en' Ole Mistis she cry, she so glad to see him en' Unker Jude he
-cry en' hug Ole Marster, en' us all cry en' tek on, we so glad Ole
-Marster come back en' so sorry he arm shot off. Ole Marster tell all de
-niggers dey free now en' don't hatter wuk fer him no mo', en' some er de
-young niggers went off atter de Yankees, en' neber did come back, but de
-res' ob us jes' stayed right whar we is. Us had a mighty hard time for a
-long time, but de white folks had de same hard time en' us didn't mek no
-diffunce. I mai'ed Rufus en' us raise a big fambly right dar on Ole
-Marster's plantation, en' outen us's twelve chilluns, ain't nary one
-eber seen de inside ob de jailhouse. I raise my chilluns jes' lak Ole
-Mistis raise her'n en' dat's de way to raise 'em, to wuk en' keep outen
-debilment. Ole Marster dead en' gone en' Ole Mistis too, but I 'members
-'em jes' lak dey was, when dey looked atter us whenst we belonged to 'em
-or dey belonged ter us, I dunno which it was. De times was better fo' de
-wah. Us had good things to eat en' plenty of it, en' we had good clo's
-en' clean clo's fer Sunday. Dat's mo'n some triflin' niggers got now.
-
-"I goes to church en' sings en' prays, en' when de good Lord teks me,
-I'se ready to go, en' I specs to see Jesus en' Ole Mistis en' Ole
-Marster when I gits to de He'benly Lan'."
-
-Hilliard Johnson
-================
-
- | **Interview with Hilliard Johnson**
- | —*Ruby Pickens Tartt, Livingston, Alabama*
-
-*HOODOOIN' DE DOGS*
-
-Uncle Hilliard Johnson and his wife Callie live on the Johnson place
-about three and a half miles from Livingston, Ala., the same place
-Hilliard was brought as an infant of two in slavery days. He and Callie
-tend their own little patch of ground and they own a mule. White friends
-patch up the gaps in their financial structure and everybody knows them.
-Uncle Hilliard pulled up his mule in front of my house and climbed down
-from the high seat, leaving Callie sitting placidly in the sun.
-
-He came around to the kitchen door and announced that he was here,
-"'ca'se he got de word I wanted to ax him somepin."
-
-"Uncle Hilliard," I said, "I want to hear all about you and your family
-and whom you belonged to in slavery time."
-
-"Well, Miss Ruby, iffen you is knowed me all dese years and still don'
-know who I'm is, and my family is, and who us belonged to, dey ain't no
-use of me stoppin' now to tell you. 'Sides, I's sick, I's been to de
-horspital in York, Dr. Hills', and he wants to operate. I's skeered of
-de knife and ain't got no money neither.
-
-"I can't eat nothin' but tomato soup. Dem sho' is nice ones
-you got dere on de she'f, and oyster soup and rice soup and all lac
-dat. Can't eat no rough vittles lac collards. I ain't gittin' on
-well atall, but I'll 'blige you a while. I was thinkin' other day
-'bout you and dem ole sperichel hymns I leads out to Mount Pilgrim.
-You's got 'Oh Lord, I'm a Waitin' on You', ain't you? I knowed you
-had dat 'bout 'And I Can't Do Nothin' Until You Comes. Sho Can't.'
-Well, here's one you ain't got, 'ca'se hit's a really old sperichel
-my gran'maw use to sing. I's sorter hoarse today, but hit go:
-
- | Jes' carry me and bury me
- | I'll rise at de comin' day.
- | Jes' carry me and bury me,
- | I'll rise at de comin' day.
-
-"Now dat's jes' de chorus and de verse say:
-
- | When I was in my worldly ways
- | Nobody had nothin' to say.
- | Now I'm ridin' de pale white hoss
- | Ev'ybody got something to say."
-
-"Den de chorus ag'in, and hit's a pretty one sho's you bawn."
-
-I mentioned the figure of speech "pale white hoss", but he "didn't know
-nothin' 'bout no figures!"
-
-"And another one, dey is so many, let me see. Here one but I jes' can't
-call to mine a heap of verses:
-
- | Trouble here and dey's trouble dere,
- | I really do believe dere's trouble ev'ywhere.
- | Swing low, chariot, I'm gwine home.
- | Swing low, chariot, I'm gwine home."
-
-"Den hit goes on and tell 'bout de moaner, says:
-
- | Oh, dey's a moaner here, dey's a moaner dere,
- | I really do b'lieve dey's a moaner ev'ywhere.
- | Swing low, chariot, I'm gwine home.
- | Swing low, chariot, I'm gwine home.
- |
- | Oh dey's a sinner here, dey's a sinner dere,
- | I really do b'lieve dey's a sinner ev'ywhere.
- | Swing low, chariot, I'm gwine home.
- | Swing low, chariot, I'm gwine home.
- |
- | Oh, dey's a Christun here, dey's a Christun dere
- | I really do b'lieve dey's a Christun ev'ywhere
- | Swing low, chariot, I'm gwine home.
- | Swing low, chariot, I'm gwine home.
-
-"Den dey's a heap of 'em to dat song lac a "deacon" and a "member" and a
-"prayer" and a "singer", jes' a whole passel dem verses, but I reckon
-dem will do today.
-
-"Now what else you want, 'ca'se dem mules is tired and I is too. 'Sides
-I got to see a man and Callie in de waggin and she's hot too. You knows
-Callie, she my wife, my second wife, and us got twelve chillun in all,
-growed and married. Us still live on de Johnson place three and a half
-miles from Livingston right han' side de ole Boyd road west from town.
-Us belonged to Miss Ella Johnson, she was us young Mistis, and Mr. Nep
-Johnson, dat's de onliest ones I ever knowed. My mammy, Frances
-Johnson, and my pappy, Alf Johnson, come from down 'bout Cubie Station.
-Young Mist'iss bought 'em I reckon and my gran'maw, Rachel Johnson. Fus'
-thing I knowed, us was livin' on Johnson place. Dey was good to us,
-'bout seventy-five of us all together, I reckon. All I 'members, dey
-looped de bridle rein over my feet an' let de mule drag me all over de
-orchard. It hurt my head. And dey beat some of 'em up scan'lous, but dey
-was pretty good to me, I reckon. See, I wa'n't so ole, jes' a young boy
-in slavery time, but I recall young Massa told Tom, a young nigger dere,
-one time not to go to de frolic.
-
-"'Clean up dem dishes and go ter bed,' he say. And Tom said 'Yassuh' but
-Marse Nep watch Tom th'oo de do' and atter while Tom slip out and away
-he went, wid young Massa right 'hin' him. He got dere and foun' Tom
-cuttin' groun' shuffle big as anybody. Young Massa called him, 'Tom,' he
-say, 'Tom, didn't I tell you you couldn't come to dis frolic?' 'Yassuh,'
-says Tom, 'You sho' did, and I jes' come to tell 'em I couldn't come!'
-
-"Young Massa didn't hurt Tom none, but I is seed 'em strip 'em plum
-nekked and nigh 'bout kill 'em. I did see 'em kill old Collin, but dey
-done dat wid a shot gun jes' 'ca'se dey couldn't control him. Did they
-have nigger dogs, you say? Yassum, dey sho' did, but I'm tellin' you de
-troof now some of de black folks knowed how to git away from dem nigger
-dogs jes' lac dey wa'n't dere. Mr. Joe Patton, you know Mr. Joe Patton
-don' you? Young Mr. Joe, I'm talkin' 'bout what's over here in town and
-use to be de sher'ff. Well, in his day, he done seed a nigger hoodoo dem
-dogs 'ca'se dey had nigger dogs after S'render too. I kin tell you what
-I seed, but what dey done now, I doan' know, I couldn't tell you dat.
-But hit was a fair day, fair as 'tis now, and dey sot de dogs on dat
-nigger and 'fo' yer knowed hit dat nigger done lef' dere and had dem
-dogs treein' a nekked tree. 'Twa'n't nobody dere. Dey calls hit
-hoodooin' de dogs. And I'se seen hit more times than one. Time I tell
-you 'bout, Mr. Patton was ag'in. 'Twas a feller right here in town. I
-forgits his name but he was a tall nigger, married Dennis Coleman's
-daughter. You 'members Dennis Coleman, had dat gal call Hettie? Well, he
-married Hettie, and he whooped her up mightily. She 'ported on him to de
-sheriff, and he went to git him. I can't think what dat nigger go by
-now, but anyhow Mr. Patton couldn't ketch him and he sot de dogs on him
-and dey couldn't ketch him. Dey knowed whichaway he went, down 'bout
-Bear Creek on Miss Mamie Smith's place in de flatwoods. 'Twa'n't no
-trouble to ketch nobody down dere, but dem dogs couldn't do hit, and
-fus' thing you know he run back to Hattie's.
-
-"Now jes' give me a few tomatoes, Miss Ruby, and I mus' cut dis short.
-Dey's a cloud comin' up over yonder by Peter's washpot and dat's when us
-gits a rain. I got a fur piece to go for a old man. Yassum, I'se nigh
-'bout seventy-nine years old and porely."
-
-Randolph Johnson
-================
-
- | **Interview with Randolph Johnson**
- | —*Morgan Smith, [HW: Birmingham?]*
-
-*RANDOLPH AND THE LITTLE CRIPPLE*
-
-Randolph Johnson, age 84, although he admits he was "jes' a little
-picaninny" when the War between the States began, still recalls with
-vivid clarity the days of his childhood on the old plantation. Unlike
-most of the former slaves, he never worked hard. His hours were too
-filled with the joy of playing, for he belonged to a little crippled boy
-about his own age and guarded over him all the time. At night the little
-white master and his small black playmate slept in the same room; the
-latter having a pallet that he spread on the floor. During the day both
-little white and black played in the shade of the cedars on the grassy
-lawn. The kindly white owner of the plantation was always good to
-Randolph. Never a cross word was spoken to him, he says.
-
-"But one day," Randolph said, "de little massa took very sick. Dey
-wouldn't even let me see him. I had a feelin' trouble was a comin', kaze
-little massa neber did have no real life like other boys. He was always
-a lookin' lak a sick puppy. I gues de Lawd jus' wanted him fo' hisself,
-and he took him.
-
-"Adder dat I was put to work on a mule dat turned de wheel of de cotton
-gin. He jus' walk aroun' in circles lak de mule dat's pullin' a syrup
-press. Den de War came, and all de good clothes dat we had made on de
-loom turned to tatters. De food got low; some of de slaves run away and
-some of our houses was burned by de Yankees. Atter de war, de massa came
-back and told us niggers dat we waunt slaves no mo'. Said we could go,
-but if we wanted to stay we could do dat too. He gib' each fambly dat
-stayed a mule, a cow, some tools and money enough to run 'em till dey
-could git de crop harvested. He was de best massa dat any nigger ever
-had.
-
-"Den I come to Bummin'ham. I worked on de railroad dey was puttin'
-through. I was a big nigger and I could make de others step. I was about
-six feet three inches and weighed near 200 pounds. I knowed my ole massa
-would have been proud of me if he coulda seed me a-workin' on de
-railroad and a liftn' dem ties and a sweatin' wid dem rails; I wished I
-coulda been in his cotton field and a-heard him talkin' fair like instid
-ob listenin' to dat foreman gibin' us de debil 'bout bein' lazy when we
-was a workin' our selfs nearly to death. Den one day I saw de foreman
-slap a nigger fo' drinkin' at de dipper too long. De nigger picked up a
-shovel and slam him in de haid, and run. Back in de slabery days dey
-didn't do somethin' and run. Dey run befo' dey did it, kaze dey knew dat
-if dey struck a white man dere want goin' to be no nigger. In dem days
-dey run to keep from doin' somethin'! Nowadays dey do it and den dey
-runs."
-
-Abraham Jones
-=============
-
- | **Interview with Abraham Jones**
- | —*G.L. Clark*
-
-*THE PATRIARCH ABRAHAM SAW THE STARS FALL*
-
-A lot of water passes under the bridge in 112 years. I thought of that
-as I talked to Abraham Jones, 112-year-old ex-slave of Village Springs,
-Alabama. "Uncle Abe" says he was born August 1, 1825, in Russell County,
-Alabama. Perhaps the day, the month and the year may not be exactly
-accurate. But they are near enough. He recalls the falling of the stars,
-the removal of the Indians from Russell County and the settlement of
-Auburn and other towns in that section. His great age is not apparent in
-his looks, actions or natural faculties. His hair is thin and white, but
-no more so than that of many men half his age, and his hearing is good.
-The mellow voice so characteristic of his race, is strong. He stands as
-straight as a soldier. And he works regularly to earn a living for his
-family. When we found him he was laying a flagstone walk in hard clay
-soil, and there was power in the swing of his pick and his tamping ax.
-His regular daily chores include milking a cow and chopping wood.
-
-.. _`Abraham Jones`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image239jones.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Abraham Jones
-
- Abraham Jones, Village Springs, Alabama
-
-He describes the phenomenon of falling stars as an event that occurred
-when he was "a little shaver 'bout eight year' old." November 13, 1833
-was the date.
-
-"Yes, sir, I saw de stars fall. Some folks say dey didn't never fall but
-I seen 'em. Dey fell jest like pitch from a torch, 'Z-z-z-z-zip,
-z-z-z-z-zip!' and big cracks come in de ground. I was settin' on de end
-of de porch, and I watched 'em. Dere was so many grown people crowdin'
-into de house, 'twa'n't no use fer me to try to git in so I jest sot
-still. We had a big sill under our house, more dan a foot thick, and so
-many people crowded in de house till dere weight broke de sill. Dey was
-cryin' and hollerin' but de stars didn't hurt nobody; dey jest fell and
-went out, and I don't know where dey went den; maybe into dem cracks in
-de ground. De cracks stayed a long time and it was dangerous for de
-people to go about at night; dey might fall into de cracks. One of dem I
-remember was two feet across and so deep dey couldn't find no bottom wid
-a long pole. I reckon dem stars kept fallin' for about a hour. Folks
-thought de end of time was comin' and ever'body got right after dat.
-
-"Back at dat time de country was not settled much and dere was lots of
-Indians. My grandpappy was a full-blooded Indian but I don't know what
-kind. De Indians was good people but if dey thought you had done 'em
-wrong dey'd kill you right now. I saw some of dem when dey left dat
-country. Dey women carried de babies in some sort of sacks, hung down in
-front of 'em, and de men carried some of de bigger chillun on dey
-shoulders. Dey didn't have no property—jest lived wild in de woods.
-
-.. _`Abraham Jones' Back Yard`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image239jonesyard.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Abraham Jones' Back Yard
-
- Abraham Jones' Back Yard, Village Springs, Alabama
-
-"A few years after de stars fell, a passel of people from de other side
-of Columbus, Georgia, moved over and started de town of Auburn so dey
-could have a place for a school.
-
-"Before de war my people took me up to Blount County, and when de war
-come dey left me to run de grist-mill. I was de fust man in Alabama to
-try to grind a bushel of oats. I ground 'em too. A lady brung de oats
-and ast me could I grind 'em, and I told her I would try. She say dey
-didn't had nothin' for de chillun to eat. I ground de oats, and told
-her, 'Ole Mistis, I knows jest how 'tis and I'll be glad to give you a
-peck of meal if you will use it.' She say, 'of course I will; jest put
-it in with the oat meal, and I sure will appreciate it.' Her husband
-was off to de war and she didn't had no way to feed de chillun.
-
-"I was workin' on de road a long time after de war and was tellin' de
-men about dat when her son hear me. She had told him about it and so he
-went home and told her he had found me. She sent word back for me to go
-to her house and let her see if I shore 'nuff was de same man. So I went
-and when she seen me she say, 'Yes, he is the same man,' and she called
-her husband and de other chillun and told 'em about it. Her husband say,
-'Well, dey is jest one thing we kin do. If he ever need a place to stay
-or vittles to eat, we must see dat he gits dem.'
-
-"In slavery time I belong to Massa Frank Jones, and Timothy Jones was de
-overseer on de place. Frank Jones had two plantations, de one whar I was
-born and another one close to Columbus. People ax me sometimes what kind
-of house I was born in and I tell 'em I wa'n't born in no house; and I
-warn't, I was born in de middle of de big road.
-
-.. _`Abraham Jones' House`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image239joneshouse.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Abraham Jones' House
-
- Abraham Jones' House, Village Springs, Alabama
-
-"It's gittin' to where it's mighty hard for me to go now and do de work
-to make sompen for us to eat. I can't git about so fast and my head
-bother me a lot. I been workin' a long time now, and you does git tired
-after a hundred years of workin'!"
-
-On his wrists were circlets of heavy cord. I asked him why
-they were there and he explained:
-
-"To keep de pain out. Dey keeps it out purty good but if you can git a
-little leather band wid a buckle on it, dat is better yet. I wears dese
-all de time."
-
-Emma Jones
-==========
-
- | **Interview with Emma Jones**
- | —*Mrs.Preston Klein, Opelika*
-
-*EMMA TELLS HOW TO MAKE THEM "TEETHE EASY"*
-
-Emma Jones, eighty-three years old, was born in the Chattahoochee Valley
-between West Point and Columbus Georgia. She is very alert though quite
-deaf.
-
-"White folks," she began, "I belonged to Marse Wiley Jones and his wife,
-Mistis Melba.
-
-"I lived in a little two-room log cabin with high tester beds and
-mattreses filled with cawn shucks. Our food den was away better dan de
-stuff we eats today. It was cooked on a fireplace made outen rocks wid
-big hooks fastened into de side to swing de pots aroun' on. Us cooked
-hoe-cakes on a three-legged skillet dat sot ober hot coals an' us had a
-big oven for to bake meat an' cawn bread in. Dere ain't nothin' lak it
-nowdays, no'm.
-
-"Ole Massa had a big garden an' we useta git de vega'bles we et f'um his
-garden. De folks was plenty good to us. Sometimes de mens would hunt
-'possums an' rabbits an' wild turkeys. We sho' loved dem 'possums
-smothered in 'taters.
-
-"An' talkin' 'bout medicines. Let me tell you a sho' 'nough cure for a
-baby dat's havin' a hard time teethin'. Jus' putt a string of coppers
-roun' he neck an' he won't have no trouble at all. Us useta do dat to de
-little white chilluns an' de black uns too; 'specially in hot weather
-when dey jus' seem to have de misery.
-
-"Atter us got to be big gals, us wo' cotton dresses an' drawses in hot
-weather, an' when it git col' we had to wear long drawses an' homespun
-wool dresses an' home-knitted socks and shoes dat de cobbler made in his
-shop. You know, white folks, we useta make near 'bout eve'ything dat wes
-needed to run a body raght on our plantation. Us had eve'ything. On
-Sunday us wo' gingham an' calico dresses an' I ma'ied in a Swiss dress.
-
-"I worked as a house gal an' when Miss Sarah ma'ied I went with her to
-nuss her chilluns. Besides Miss Sarah dere was Mista Billy, Mista Crick,
-Miss Lucy and Miss Emma. Dey had two uncles an' a Aunt of deres lived
-dere too.
-
-"We had a happy fambly. At night some of de house niggers would gather
-'roun' de fire, an' mistis would read us de scriptures, an' de white
-chilluns git tired an' slip out de do' but us little niggers couldn't
-'ford to do dat; us hadda stay dere whether us liked it or not.
-Sometimes de massa let de niggers dance an' frolic on Saturday nights,
-but we warn't 'lowed to go offen de plantation, none ceptin' de ones dat
-had a wife or husban' on anudder plantation; den dey could only stay for
-a short time. Sometimes us could go off to church, an' I remembers a
-babtizin' in de creek. Some of dem niggers 'most got demselves drowned.
-Dey warn't used to so much water an' dey would come up outen de creek a
-spittin' an' a-coughin' lak de debil had a holt of 'em. Dere was so much
-shoutin' I 'spose ever'body fo' ten miles aroun' could hear dem niggers
-a-carrin' on in de creek.
-
-"Durin' de war, my mammy helped spin cotton for de soldiers' clothes,
-an' when de Yankees come through, us hid all de valuables in de woods.
-Us had to feed dem an' dere hosses too. Dey et up near 'bout everything
-we had on de place.
-
-"Dere warn't no schools in dem days for us colored folks. Us learned
-f'um de scriptures, an' by listenin' to de white folks talk."
-
-Hannah Jones
-============
-
- | **Interview with Hannah Jones**
- | —*Pigie T. Hix, Greensboro*
-
-*AUNT HANNAH HAS A HUNDRED DESCENDANTS*
-
-Aunt Hannah Jones lives with her daughter in a small four room house on
-Tuscaloosa Street, Greensboro. "Lawdy," she said, "It's been so long dat
-I's 'mos' forgot 'bout dem slavery days, but I was bawn, in Bunker Hill,
-Amelia County, Virginny. My pappy was named Simon Johnson an' my mammy
-was Rhoda Johnson. My Marster was Alfred Wood an' my mistis was Miss
-Tabby Wood. When Massa died, de 'state was 'vided an' I fell to de son
-dat was too sick to take care of de place an' de slaves. Soon I was tuk
-to Richmond an' sold to Jedge Moore of Alabammy for twelve hundred
-dollars. Dat was de fust time I ever seed a slave sold. I was sixteen
-years old. When Jedge Moore's plantation was sold de niggers went wid de
-place an' it was bought by Marse Isaiah an' Marse Bill Smarr. It was
-called de Gillum Place and dat is east of Prairieville. I was a house
-girl an' ho'p wid de sewin' an' de spinnin'.
-
-"Us had good houses built outten cedar logs an' de quarters looked jus'
-lak dis street dat I lives on now. We had good beds an' plenty vittels
-to eat: greens, cawn bread, meat an' all kinds of sweets. Some time de
-men folks would ketch a 'possum or rabbit. Marster had a big vegetable
-garden an' we was 'lowed to help ourselves f'um dis here garden. Us had
-two eve'y day dresses, an' we done our washin' at night. When I was
-ma'ied, de ceremony tuk place at my Mammy's house an' I wo' a pretty
-white dress.
-
-"Our oberseer was Harvey Williamson an' he went 'roun' at nine o'clock
-to see iffen us niggers was in baid. Sometimes atter he done been
-'roun', us'd git up an' have some fun. At de break of day all de slaves
-would git up an' go to work. Dose goin' way down in de fiel's would
-have to git up even befo' it was light so's to be dar when de dawn broke
-to commence de day's work. Den dey would come back at twelve o'clock for
-dinner an' res' awhile, den go back an' work till sun down.
-
-"We useta have a man on de place dat played a banjo, an' we would dance
-an' play while he sang.
-
-"Dis was one of his songs:
-
- | White folks says a nigger won't steal
- | But I cotched six in my cawnfiel'
- | If you want to see a nigger run
- | Shoot at dat nigger wid a gattlin' gun.
-
-"My last Marsters was two brothers an' dey had one sister, Miss Sarah
-Smarr.
-
-"We didn't have no jail on de place, an' most of us never went offen de
-plantation, jus' stayed 'roun' an' had a good time playin' amongst
-ourselves. Us niggers had a church dar on de place an' a white man
-preached to us, but in Virginny we went to de same church as de Marster
-did. I didn't jine no church dough till I come to Alabamy.
-
-"None of us slaves ever tried to run away to de nawth 'ca'se dey was
-good to us.
-
-"We useta have a doctor dat'd come roun' eve'y two weeks to see how de
-slaves was doin' an' iffen we was sick he would give us some medicine.
-Some of de women would tie asafetida 'roun' de chilluns necks to keep de
-sickness away.
-
-"Some Saddays we had to work after dinner, but most of the time Marster
-would let us have a good time. On Christmas day us had a big celebration
-an' didn't do no work at all.
-
-"Didn't nobody have no time to learn us how to read an' write.
-
-"I don't know nothin' 'bout Mr. Lincoln 'cep'n he freed all us slaves,
-an' when we heard dat us was free all de niggers marched to
-Prairieville an' had a celebration.
-
-"Honey, I's had nine chilluns, twenty five gran' chilluns, twenty seven
-great gran' chilluns an' thirteen great great gran'chilluns, an' I is
-expectin' mo' to come along pretty soon. I guess maybee I'll have 100
-descendents fo' I shuffle off."
-
-Josephine
-=========
-
- | **Interview with Josephine**
- | —*Gertha Couric, Eufaula, Alabama*
-
-*WHEN SHERMAN PASSED THROUGH*
-
-Aunt Josephine claims to be the oldest Negro in Eufaula. She says she
-was born ninety-four years ago in North Georgia on a plantation above
-Atlanta. She lives now in Eufaula, Alabama with a great-granddaughter.
-
-"I used to belong to Marse Rogers," she said. "After surrender, Marse
-Rogers moved to dis country, and bought a plantation 'twixt Marse Josiah
-Flourney's and General Toney's. He said his plantation j'ined theirs."
-She was a nurse-maid all of her life, even in Slave days, and never was
-a "field nigger." Asked if she saw any soldiers during the war she said
-she saw "thousands."
-
-"I and my Mistis and her baby hid in de swamps three days while Sherman
-and his army was passin' through," she explained. "Marse Rogers was in
-Virginny and when he got back home, there wasn't nothin' left but a
-well. Everything had been burned up. His house was gone and so was de
-smoke house; everything." She added that the well was a "dry well" where
-melons and butter and milk and meats were placed, in Summer, to keep
-them cool.
-
-"Those three days my little brother hid in this well, while the soldiers
-were passin'," she said.
-
-"'Fore God, Missy," she exclaimed, "when we got dat little nigger out ob
-dat well, he had almost turned white!"
-
-Aunt Josephine is still a "nurse maid." She rocks her
-great-great-great-grandchildren.
-
-Lucindy Lawrence Jurdon
-=======================
-
- | **Interview with Lucindy Lawrence Jurdon**
- | —*Preston Klein, Lee County, Alabama*
-
-*IT AIN'T DE SAME*
-
-Lucindy Lawrence Jurdon bustled feverishly about her tiny Lee County
-cabin when she learned her picture was "goin' to be tuk." She got out
-her old spinning wheel; sat down before it and beamed. Her daughter
-coming in from the field, exclaimed: "Ma, I done tol' you dis lady was
-comin' to see you; an' you wouldn't believe me."
-
-After she had posed, she seated herself to tell about slavery days. Her
-oldest grandson was sick in the next room with pneumonia; the cabin was
-stuffy and bare.
-
-Lucindy said:
-
-"Honey, I was borned in Macon, Georgy, on de twenty-eighth day of some
-month or other; I can't 'member which. But de year was 1858.
-
-"My pappy an' mammy, Emanuel and Patsy Lawrence, come from Jasper
-County, Georgy. I had a sister named Jennie an' a brother named Phillip,
-but I was de oldest.
-
-"Ol' Marster had 'bout three or four hundred acres on his plantation.
-His name was Marster LeRoy Lawrence, and he shorely was good to all us
-niggers. His daddy was Mr. Billy Lawrence; an' de marster had four
-chilluns.
-
-"Us lived in a two-room log house wid a lean-to next it. Us was well off
-in dem times, but us didn't have sense enough to know it. I 'members dat
-us always had plenty of good victuals.
-
-"Honey, us had meat broiled on hot rocks, roasted 'taters, ash-cake and
-sech. On Sunday us had ash-cake cooked in collard leaves; an' beef was
-served us when de killin' time come. Marster always gived de niggers
-plenty to eat.
-
-"I can sit here an' picture dat house of marster's; a big, six-room
-house wid wide plank weather-boarding. Beside de house was a big garden,
-and it had palings 'round it.
-
-"My mammy was a fine weaver and did de work for both white an' colored.
-Dis is her spinning wheel, an' it can still be used. I use it sometimes
-now. Us made our own cloth an' our stockings, too.
-
-.. _`Lucindy Lawrence Jurdon`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image248jurdon.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Lucindy Lawrence Jurdon
-
- Lucindy Lawrence Jurdon, Lee County, Alabama
-
-"No'm, us never did learn nothing. If us tried to read or write dey
-would whack our forefingers off. Us lived forty miles from de town an'
-it would take more dan two days to git to town. De women folks had to
-fix lunches every time dey went.
-
-"My grandmammy had sixteen chilluns. I 'members dat when us courted us
-went to walk an' hunted chestnuts. Us would string dem an' put 'em
-'round our necks an' smile at our fellers.
-
-"On Sattidy nights dey would have dances an' dance all night long.
-Somebody would clap hands, beat pans, blow quills or pick de banjer
-strings. When us had cornshuckin's, dey would pile de corn up, ring
-'round it an' shuck, drink likker an' holler: 'Boss man, boss man,
-please gimme my time; Boss man, boss man, fer I'm most broke down.'
-
-"I 'members dat one ol' sick man was freed 'fore freedom come. Dey let
-him go whar he wanted to, so he dug a hole in de ground an' used it fer
-a room. He put rafters inside to help hold it up an' it slanted down at
-de back."
-
-Lucindy mused a moment, concluded: "Dem was good days, honey; mighty
-good. But us shorely is in a bad fix now an' needs help mighty bad. It
-jest ain't de same no more."
-
-Lucy Kimball
-============
-
- | **Interview with Lucy Kimball**
- | —*Francois Ludgere Diard, Mobile, Alabama*
-
-*THE FULFILLED WISH OF MAMMY LUCY KIMBALL*
-
-I made two visits to the home of Mammy Lucy Kimball. The first was
-during the month of April, 1937; the next was nearly a month later. On
-the first trip I had a very successful talk with the old Negro woman,
-but on the last, she wasn't at home, and so the information I sought had
-to wait. I was very disappointed that I couldn't see her on my second
-venture, but it was impossible.
-
-Mammy Lucy had not grown very feeble when I last saw her, and her
-methodical mode of living can be attributed to her consciousness of the
-venerable age of eighty-five years which she had reached. She was born
-into slavery in 1851 at Swift's Landing near the town of Blakeley, in
-Baldwin County. She was a slave in the Charles Hall family of that
-county before and during the War between the States. In 1907, she came
-to work for the T.S. Fry and Santos Rubira families of Mobile.
-
-Following the War between the States, Mammy Lucy Kimball worked in
-various families at the summer resorts of Baldwin County.
-
-When a young girl, Mammy Lucy performed the duties of a children's
-nurse, and worked as a dining room servant. She had some education, and
-as she had worked in families of refinement and culture all her life,
-her manner was that of a well educated person. However, like the average
-educated Negro, she still displayed the characteristics of the Negro of
-the ante-bellum days. She said that she strictly adhered to old
-fashioned methods, such as: going to church twice a week, not believing
-in doctors, and always taking home-concocted remedies.
-
-I asked her if she believed in carrying a rabbit's foot for luck, to
-which she responded:
-
-"Honey, you don' think I'm like these other Negroes, who still believe
-in that old nonsense? I might tell the children that a rabbit foot
-brings good luck because it is an old custom for superstitions persons
-to carry one, but, honey, you'd have just as good luck if you carried
-brick-bats in your coat. My white people in Baldwin County never brought
-me up to believe in such things."
-
-"Well, Mammy Lucy," I asked, "do you remember any strange or weird
-things that happened during the Civil War?"
-
-"Yes," she answered slowly, "I remember during the Civil War some of the
-mischievous Sibley boys who were kin to the Hall family over in Baldwin
-County, tied a strange long black thread to the ankle of a black boy
-named Slow Poke.
-
-"Some Negroes were going to town that night to fetch supplies and among
-them was Slow Poke. The boys jokingly asked him if he had his rabbit
-foot with him as he might need it to keep the rattling noises away at
-night. Slow Poke showed them his rabbit foot and, displaying his
-glistening teeth in a broad grin he said that there 'warn't goin' to be
-no ghosties atter him.' The boys deftly tied a string to Slow Poke's
-ankle while some of their friends held his attention. On this string
-were attached three cow bladders. Slow Poke hadn't gone far when he
-heard the bladders rattling at his heels. He immediately decided that
-there was a whole troop of ghosts after him, and so began to hit his
-fastest gait down the middle of the dark road. He ran till he reached
-Montgomery Hill some miles distant, where the string finally wore out.
-His people didn't find him till three days later. Then they took him
-home and gave him a sound whipping for running away."
-
-Mammy Lucy talked of the Hall and Sibley families and of the wealth that
-they once had, and what happiness she found in being slave to such good
-people. She remembered all the summer resorts on the eastern shore of
-Mobile Bay when they were in their glory before the Civil War, and how
-the Mobile ferries landed bringing over all the fashionable Mobile
-families to their summer homes on the bay. She remembered hearing father
-Ryan, the poet-priest of the south, preaching at the dedication of the
-Catholic Church at Montrose and the storm in the '70's which almost
-demolished Alabama City (now Fairhope). She recalls the landing of the
-Confederate troops at Hollywood for wood when they left Mobile at the
-outbreak of the war on their way to Fort Pickens, Florida, to enter
-active service.
-
-I found Mammy Lucy to be neat and prim as she must have been thirty
-years ago, when she first went to work for the Fry and Rubira families.
-She still walks with the agility of a young person, and her mind is
-fertile with fresh thoughts and with the deeds of the past. "I have
-found happiness," she said. "People have been good to me and I, in
-return, have tried to be kind to those around me. I have lived a plain
-life and have been rewarded with a ripe age that still finds me feeling
-young. I shall never grow old in my thoughts and actions, but always
-keep a place in my mind to welcome something new. I will have had a
-complete life if I can live only two weeks longer. There is something
-I'd like to see."
-
-After a few more minutes I left her and returned home. There was
-something I wanted to ask Mammy Lucy; something that preyed on my mind
-for days. I wanted to ask her what the thing was that she wanted to see.
-She was so gentle and courteous; my interest seemed officious prying
-into her affairs. Someday I shall go to see her again, I decided, and
-bring up the subject casually. Then she'll never know of my unworthy
-curiosity.
-
-Three weeks later I walked to the door of Mammy Lucy's cabin and on the
-porch stood a Negro girl watering a few pots of flowers.
-
-"Is Mammy Lucy at home?" I asked.
-
-The girl was silent for a moment, then she spoke in a high-pitched
-whining voice: "Mammy Lucy, she died."
-
-"Oh, I'm sorry," I said. "When did she die?"
-
-"Fo' days ago," was the reply.
-
-I walked down the path of pebbles toward the bay. The question would
-never be answered, but I knew that Mammy Lucy died content.
-
-Ellen King
-==========
-
- | **Personal conversation with Aunt Ellen King**
- | **Mauvilla, Alabama**
- | —*Mary A. Poole, Mobile, Alabama*
-
-*SATAN DONE GOT DIS JUKING GENERATION*
-
-Ellen King lives in a two room cabin nestling back in the woods near
-Mauvilla, Ala., about twelve miles above Mobile. A little Negro boy led
-me along a circuitous path to the ex-slave, showing the weight of her 86
-years. After talking awhile she became interested and told that she was
-born at Enterprise, Miss. on the plantation of Mr. and Mrs. Harvey, but
-could not recall their given names, or the names of their children, of
-which there were three, two girls and one boy.
-
-They lived in a big white house and the cabins in the slave quarters
-were built of planks, with streets between and little gardens in front
-of them. Some planted vegetables and others flowers.
-
-The Harveys were good masters, they had plenty to eat, and good homespun
-clothes to wear and home-tanned leather shoes. The women gathered
-leaves, bark, and indigo to dye the cloth to make their dresses of
-different colors.
-
-The plantation was large and had several slaves. Aunt Ellen, however,
-could not recall the number of acres or the number of slaves, but knew
-there was a crowd of them. The Harvey's raised wheat, cotton and corn,
-and lots of live stock.
-
-Aunt Ellen sat quiet for a few moments and said:
-
-"Lady, when I sits and thinks of all the good things us had to eat and
-all the fun we had 'course we had to work, but you knows lady, when a
-crowd all works together and sings and laughs, first thing you knows
-work's done."
-
-Aunt Ellen recalled the Yankees coming through and telling all the
-slaves they were free, and that a lot of the slaves went with them, but
-Aunt Ellen laughed and said:
-
-"My Pa and some of the others got scared and hid in a big cave and just
-stayed there until the soldiers left, and, lady, he still stayed on
-atter the war with the Harveys, and I was married there in the white
-folks church. They gave me a big wedding, lots to eat, plenty of music,
-singing and dancing. Jest like they used to say, we 'danced all night to
-broad daylight.'"
-
-Aunt Ellen was asked how many times she was married and she
-replied:
-
-"Twice, first one dead and don't know where t'other is, and had no
-children by either."
-
-When asked about religion Aunt Ellen said:
-
-"Lady, I prayed and prayed and religion came to me, and I jined the Big
-Zion Methodist Church, in Mobile, Ala., but moved here to Mauvilla where
-there was no Methodist Church, so I jined the Baptist Church."
-
-Aunt Ellen says the people of today are going back not forward. "All
-they study is idleness and to do devilment these days. Young generation
-done gone, Satan got 'am, too much 'juking' these days, have no time to
-study 'bout the Lord and their dying day. All they do, is juke, juke,
-juke! When they closed the schools up here in Mauvilla, they had
-children all juking.
-
-The writer was somewhat at a loss to know just what Aunt Ellen meant by
-"juking," but thought best to let her talk on and not make a direct
-inquiry, and after a little Aunt Ellen continued:
-
-"No, lady, we used to call figgers for our dancing, had a big fiddle and
-two small fiddles, and a set in one room and one in t'other. None of
-this twisting and turning. I just can't stand all that juking, just
-won't look at it."
-
-By "juking" Aunt Ellen meant rough dancing of the generation of today.
-
-Aunt Ellen firmly believes the old-time religion was best for all, and
-tried to sing in a wavering voice the following:
-
- | "Down by the river side,
- | Jesus will talk and walk,
- | Ain't going to study the world no more,
- | Ain't going to study the world no more,
- | For down by the river side,
- | Jesus will talk and walk."
-
-Mandy Leslie
-============
-
- | **Interview with Mandy Leslie**
- | —*Daphne L.E. Curtis, Fairhope, Alabama*
-
-*THE ORPHAN SLAVE-GIRL*
-
-In the suburbs of Fairhope, in a rough but neatly-kept cottage of two
-rooms, lives Mandy Leslie, a hard-working Negro woman whose energy
-belies the seventy-seven years to which she credibly lays claim. Twice
-widowed and her children scattered to the winds, Mandy is a pillar of
-strength and comfort to several white households, where she makes weekly
-calls to care for the laundry work, "wash and iron," as she calls it.
-The washing is done in the back yards, where a hot fire under an iron
-pot boils the garments to a state that permits Mandy's rubbing over a
-fluted wash-board to make them spotless. Strung on lines in the sun, the
-clothes are ready for ironing next day.
-
-Using old-fashioned sadirons, heated at an open fire, Mandy turns out a
-"done-up" product that any modern laundry might envy. During the ironing
-process, which takes place in the hall or a spare room, the mistress of
-the house is entertained with a steady stream of biography, comment, and
-information from the lonely old woman who relishes this opportunity to
-talk to somebody, especially if there happens to be a visitor who is not
-familiar with her story. A typical episode runs like this:
-
-"Yassum, I 'members de war, but I don't lak no wars. Dey give folks
-trouble and dey's full of evil doings. When de Yankees come t'rough
-here, dey took my mammy off in a wagon, and lef' me right side de road,
-and when she try to git out de wagon to fetch me, dey hit her on de head
-and she fell back in de wagon and didn't holler no more. Dey jes' driv'
-off up de big road wid Mammy lying down in de wagon—she mount a been
-dead, 'cause I ain't never seed her no mo'.
-
-"Unker John Leslie and Aunt Josie and all dey chillun come along in a
-wagon, gwine up North, dey said, and dey said dey found me standing dar
-side de road crying for my mammy. Aunt Josie, she say: 'Pore little
-lamb, you gwine wid us. Us ain't got much, but us can't let you die.'
-And Unker John, he say: 'Poor chile, us mustn't leave her disaway.' He
-lift me up in de wagon and drive twell de mule gin plum' out, and den us
-stop and took up on a place not fur from Mon'gomery, on Mr. Willis
-Biles' place. Us live dar twell I was grown woman, and Mr. Biles sho'
-was a good man to live wid and he treat us right every year.
-
-"Den I married Taylor and us kep' on living wid Mr. Biles and all t'ree
-of us's chillun was borned dere. Den Taylor died wid de fever, and he
-had insho'ance whet us pay a dollar a mont' for de longest and he say it
-take care me and de chillun when he gone. Bless God, dat money didn't
-take care nobody 'cept de doctor and de burying-man. Dey bofe got dey
-part and lef' me jes' two dollar and seventy cents, dat's all. Mr. Biles
-say dey ought to be whupped for chargin' me lak dey did. Den he went to
-see 'em, and cussed 'em out, and dey sont back twenty dollar. I ain't
-waste no more money on insho'ance, no ma'am!
-
-"I had a hard time keeping my chillun and working de crop too; but Mr.
-Biles, he 'low me a mule, jes' lak he do Taylor 'fore he died, and us
-made four bags of cotton de fust year and five bags de nex' year. I pick
-every lock of it myself—jes' me and dem little chilluns.
-
-"Den Rufus he come along and he thought us had all de insho'ance money,
-and he court me so hard and so reg'lar dat I act a fool and married him,
-and he turn out to be de no-countest nigger dat ever lived. 'Stead of
-him supporting me, us had to support him for nigh 'bout ten year, me and
-de chillun. He had misery in he back, and couldn't do no hard work lak
-plowing and hoeing. It hurt he back to pick cotton and pull fodder, and
-he jes' set 'roun' and make a few baskets and eat lak a hoss.
-
-"Mr. Willis Biles he died, and he boy, Mr. Joe, he took de place and
-run it for he ma. Mr. Joe told Rufus 'twan't nothing de matter wid him
-but damn lazy, and if he don't git out and he'p me work, he gonna set de
-Ku Klux on him. Den us got scared and moved nigh 'bout to Uniontown, and
-us live wid Mr. Bob Simmons for seben years hand-running, and he treat
-us right every fall 'bout de settlement. Mr. Bob he say 'tain't nothing
-de matter wid Rufus jes' lak Mr. Joe say, and Rufus say he gwine move to
-town whar he kin git work to suit him.
-
-"Us move to town, and Rufus he gone all day looking for a job and don't
-find nothing to suit him. I has to take in washing from de white folks
-to feed us and dey charge two dollars rent for de little shack us live
-in. 'Twan't right to do dat; 'cause I ain't never paid no house-rent in
-all my bo'n days, twell den. And de fust t'ing I know, dat trifling
-Rufus he done sell de mule and wagon and got drunk and lost de res' of
-de money. Us was sho' in a bad fix. Why didn't I quit Rufus? Yassum, I
-'spects I ought to done dat; but he' so humble when he sober up and pray
-so strong. He say de Lord done call him outen he meanness and he gwine
-preach Jesus. He make lak he need dem preacher clothes, and us skimped
-along and saved 'nough to buy Rufus de suit of clothes wid a long-tail
-coat. He got a high-up hat and a Bible, and he sho did look gran'. Us
-was proud to see him all fix up and going out to labor in de vineyard of
-de Lord.
-
-"Us give Rufus de las' t'ree dollars us could scrape up and he got on de
-train and went to Mon'gomery, but us ain't seen hair nor hide of dat
-nigger sence. In 'bout a year us got a letter from him in Juliet, wayup
-in Illinois, wharever dat is, and he say he in de pen'tenshry for ten
-year, 'cause dey 'scuse him stealing a woman's jew'lry, and would I get
-Mr. Biles and Mr. Simmons to do what dey can to get him out. He repent
-and been washed in de blood of de Lamb sence he been in jail. And he say
-if anybody write me dat he runned off from Mon'gomery wid 'nother woman
-and dat he got a wife in Chicago, it's a lie.
-
-"Dat fix me wid dat triflin' nigger, and Mr. Sam Broady, what's a
-lawyer, he got me a 'vorcement and gin me back my fust name, Leslie. Now
-I's t'rough wid marrying. My chillun done all gone and got married, and
-I come back here whar I come from. 'Twix' here and Brantley, is de
-place.
-
-"How old I is? I was five year old, come de Surrender—how old dat make
-me? Sebenty-seben? Dat's right and I be sebenty-eight dis time nex'
-year. How I know I be living dis time nex' year? 'Cose, I will be
-living! I always notice dat when I lives t'rough March, I lives de res'
-of de year, and ain't March jes' now gone, huh?
-
-"How de way wais' ironed suit you, Missy?"
-
-Dellie Lewis
-============
-
- | **Interview with Dellie Lewis**
- | —*Mary A. Poole, Mobile, Alabama*
-
-*DELLIE LEWIS KNOWS CURES AND 'CUNJER'*
-
-"To begin at de beginnin', white folks," said Dellie Lewis, "I was bawn
-on de plantation of Winston Hunter at Sunflower in Washington County,
-Alabama. It's on de Southern Railroad. De fus' thing dat I remembers was
-when de Gran' Trunk Railroad cut dere right of way through near
-Sunflower. Dey had a chain gang of prisoners dat warn't slaves aworkin'
-on de road, an' me an' anudder little nigger gal was sont wid big cans
-of buttermilk to sell 'em. One day a handsome white gent'man rode to our
-house an' axe me fo' a drink of cool water. He was de fo'man on de road.
-Jus' as soon as I handed it to him he done fell offen his hoss on de
-groun'. I run to de Mistis an' she got some of de niggers 'roun' de
-place to ca'ay de gent'man to de big house, an' do you know it, white
-folks, dat man, he neber open his eyes again! He keppa callin' de Mistis
-his mammy, but he neber open his eyes to see dat she warn't his mammy.
-He died a little later wid a conjested chill.
-
-"Den I remembers one of de Alabama River floods, dat swep' ober de lan'
-an' washed away lots of de food. De gover'ment sont some supplies of
-meat, meal an' 'lasses. De barrels was marked U.S. an' one nigger, bein'
-tired of waitin' an' bein' powerful hongry tol' us dat de U.S. on de
-barrel meant Us, so us commence' to eat. When de oberseer come to gib us
-de meat an' 'lasses, us be done et it all up.
-
-"Us slaves useta git up at dawn; de oberseer blowed a cow hawn to call
-us to work. De Hunter slaves was 'lowed to go avisitin' udder slaves
-atter work hours an' on Sundays, an' iffen we was to meet a pattyroller,
-an' he axe us whar we f'um an' who we b'long to all us had to say was
-we's Hunter niggers; an' dat pattyroller didn't do nothin', caze de
-Hunter niggers warn't neber whupped by no pattyroller. Some niggers
-when dey was kotched eben dough dey warn't Hunter niggers, dey'd say it
-jus' de same, caze dem pattyrollers was always 'fraid to fool 'long wid
-a Hunter nigger. Massa Hunter, he was somp'n'.
-
-"Durin' de Christmas celebration, us all had gif's. Us had quilting
-bee's wid de white folks, an' iffen a white gent'man th'owed a quilt
-ober a white lady he was 'titled to a kiss an' a hug f'um her. Atter de
-celebratin' we all had a big supper.
-
-"An' speakin' of cures, white folks, us niggers had 'em. My grandmammy
-was a midwife an' she useta gib women cloves an' whiskey to ease de
-pain. She also gib 'em dried watermelon seeds to git rid of de grabel in
-de kidneys. For night sweats Grandmammy would put an axe under de bed of
-de sick pusson wid de blade asittin' straight up. An' iffen yo' is sick
-an' wants to keep de visitors away, jus' putt a fresh laid aig in front
-of de do' an' dey won't come in. If you is anxious fo' yo' sweetheart to
-come back f'um a trip put a pin in de groun' wid de point up an' den put
-a aig on de point. When all de insides runs outen de aig yo' sweetheart
-will return.
-
-"Yassuh, white folks, us useta hab games. Us useta play, 'Puss in de
-cawner,' 'Next do' neighbor' an' 'Fox an' geese.' I kin gib you some of
-de songs we useta sing:
-
- | Old sweet beans and barley grows,
- | Old sweet beans an' barley grows,
- | You nor I nor nobody knows,
- | Where old sweet beans an' barley grows.
- |
- | Go choose yo' east,
- | Go choose yo' wes',
- | Go choose de one dat you love best,
- | If she's not here to take her part,
- | Choose de nex' one to yo' heart.
-
-"I is always been a 'piscopalian in belief, white folks. I
-ma'ied Bill Lewis when I was fifteen year old in Montgomery an' us had
-three chilluns. I is strong in my faith.
-
- | In mercy, not in wrath,
- | Rebuke me, gracious Lawd
- | Les' when Dy whole displeasure rise,
- | I sink beneath Dy rod.
-
-"Yassuh, I remembers de war. I seed de Yankees a-marchin' through our
-place an' down de road dat led to Portland in Dallas County. Dey was
-mighty fine looking wid all dere brass buttons and nice lookin'
-uniforms. Dey didn't gib us much trouble. Dey had a Cap'n dat was good
-an' kin'. I heered him say dat dere warn't agoin' to be no stealin' an'
-atrampin' through folks' houses. Dey slep' outen de yard for one night;
-den dey went on in to Portland.
-
-"Mr. Munger was our oberseer, but he had money of his own. He was better
-dan mos' oberseers, an' dere warn't no po' white trash, dem onery
-buckers libed further back in de woods.
-
-"When us was sick Dr Lewis Williams, who was de doctor of de massa,
-'tended to us slaves. I remembers sittin' in de doctor's lap while he
-tried to soothe my ailments.
-
-"Us house servants was taught to read by de white folks, but my
-gran'-mammy, Alvain Hunter, dat didn't have no learnin' but dat knowed
-de Bible back'ards an' farwards, made us study. When me an' my brother
-was learnin' outen de Blue Back Speller she say:
-
-"'How's dat? Go ober it.'
-
-"Den we would laugh an' answer, 'How you know? You can't read.'
-
-"'Jus' don't soun' raght. De Lawd tell me when its raght. You-all can't
-fool me so don't try.'
-
-"When de marriages was performed, de massa read de ceremony an' de
-couples would step off over a broomstick for luck. Den we all had a big
-supper, an' dere was music an' dancin' by de plenty."
-
-Lightnin'
-=========
-
- | **Interview with Lightnin'**
- | —*John Proctor Mills*
-
-Ignorant of the date of his birth, which occurred at Cahaba, the old
-State capital, Lightnin' was an overgrown, gangling youth of fourteen or
-thereabouts when the Civil War began. Born into slavery, he was the
-property of one Joel Matthews, cotton planter, whose fields lay near the
-then new capital city.
-
-Lightnin' is happiest when spinning some yarn of the old days in Alabama
-for an interested audience, and when one such inquired as to how he came
-to be called "Lightnin'," the old man broke into a toothless grin and
-launched at once into another of the stories dear to his heart.
-
-"Dat's Massa Joel's doin's, boss. I jist natcherly wa'nt neber any too
-peart an fas' on my foots, an de fus' thing Massa Joel eber sot me to
-fetch him was a cool drink o' water. De water done got wa'm 'fo' I brung
-it to him, an stid'er scoldin, he jist bus' out laffin' an' say: "Boy,
-you is so slow I gwineter call you after the fas'est thing on earth.
-Frum now on yo' name is Lightnin'." An I been Lightnin' eber since.
-Co'se I knowed Massa Joel was throwin' off on me, lil' as I was, but it
-looks lak I wa'nt bawn in no big hurry an I jist been movin' long
-slow-like eber since.
-
-"Massa Joel musta been bawn on a sunshiny day 'cause he sho' was bright
-an' good natured. Eber' nigger on de place love him lak he was sont from
-Heaben. Mos' eber' day he come to de quarters wid de fambly doctor to
-look atter de niggers, fer he say a well-fed, healthy nigger, next to a
-mule, is de bes' propersition a man kin 'ves' his money in." An' us
-slaves fared as good as anybody.
-
-"Naw suh! Massa Joel ain't neber hit me a lick in his life. He say a
-well nigger whut doan' wuhk, sho' ain't got no eats an care comin' his
-way, an ought'er be sont down de Ribber.
-
-"Is I been mah'id? Yas suh. I done had fo' wives, an raise 'leben
-chillun. But 'taint lak in de ole days. Chillun all gone, an de ole
-nigger got no white folks, makes it mighty hahd to git along. 'Bout all
-de ole man kin do is fish an I does dat an gits a li'l somp'in to eat.
-'Fo young Massa Tom passed on—he was Massa Joel's boy—I ain't neber
-wanted fer nothin'. I was Massa Tom's body guard. Us hunted an fished
-together, played wid de white chillun an sometimes I rid behin' him on
-de hoss, or on de fore seat wid de ca'iage driver when de fambly went to
-chu'ch.
-
-"But dat's all in de pas', an de good Lawd say no man kin bring back de
-pas'. So I reckon, ef you all 'll 'scuse me, I better go fish my
-trotline an git somp'in to make the de skillit smell."
-
-Billy Abraham Longslaughter
-===========================
-
- | **Interview with Billy Abraham Longslaughter**
- | —*F.L. Diard, [HW: Mobile?]*
-
-*HE CANED A CHAIR FOR PRESIDENT BUCHANNAN*
-
-On a bright April afternoon, while strolling along the Louisville and
-Nashville banana wharf and watching the crisp breezes from the gulf make
-small waves lick at the pilings, I met an old Negro man who was fishing
-for croakers off the pier. He had, sitting beside him, a basket
-containing wicker canes for making and repairing chairs. In the course
-of our conversation, I asked him his age.
-
-"I'se eighty year old, white folks," he replied.
-
-"Well," I said, "you must have been a slave back in the days
-before the war."
-
-"Yassuh, boss. I were eight year old when Gen'l Grant freed de niggers."
-He spoke the words in a clear, strong voice and with a slight rolling
-motion of his gray bristly head.
-
-"But General Grant didn't free the slaves, Uncle," I protested.
-
-"Oh, yassuh he did too, white folks," he said respectfully; fo' I was
-right dere when de gen'l come into Richmond and sot us free."
-
-"What about Abraham Lincoln?" I asked.
-
-"Well, I guess he done a part of it, but he didn't do no fightin', kaze
-he hadda 'tend to de business in de White House. He lef' de freein' part
-to Gen'l Grant. I don' guess Mr. Abe lived long enough ter help us
-niggers much. He went to de Ford's Circus and got hisse'f shot."
-
-"What's your name?" I asked.
-
-"Billy Abraham Longslaughter. De niggers all calls me Billy, but ole
-Massa Longslaughter afore he died called me William."
-
-"Where were you born, Uncle Billy?"
-
-"On ole Massa Longslaughter's plantation near Richmond Virginny."
-
-"Can you read and write?"
-
-"Dey neber teach me no readin' and writin' kaze I had to work in de
-fields." His rusty hand rubbed across his woolly head, as my questions
-continued with the regularity of a metronome; nevertheless, Uncle Billy
-seemed always glad to answer them. I couldn't help but notice with what
-ease he moved about. He had the agility of a man twenty years his
-Junior, though his face, being caverned with wrinkles, gave him the
-appearance of great age.
-
-"Where is your home now, Uncle Billy?" I continued.
-
-"Most any place I goes, white folks. Ma wife, she died 'bout forty year
-ago in Virginny, and I been a trabelin' eber since."
-
-"What do you do for a living besides fish?" I asked.
-
-"Oh," he said, "I canes a few chairs," pointing to his basket of
-chair-canes beside him on the stringer of the wharf. "You see, white
-folks, when all dis repression came on an' dere war'n't no work fo' de
-people tuh do, jes lak all de young scallawags I hops me a train and
-goes on a trip."
-
-"Where do you go next, Uncle Billy?"
-
-"Well, I guess I mought run ober to New Orleens if I can catch me a
-freight train a goin' dat away."
-
-"About your fixing chairs," I said. "Have you ever repaired any for well
-known people?"
-
-"Lor', white folks, I caned a chair oncet fo' President Buchanan and he
-used it ter sit on in de White House. I'se made many a chair fo' famous
-people as I trabeled about. I guess I jus' keep on a goin' as long as
-I'se able, and when I goes on dat last trip across de quiet riber, I'se
-goin' ter make one for ole Gabriel, so's he can res' hisself in between
-times he blows on dat hawn."
-
-Louis
-=====
-
- | **Interview with "Uncle" Louis**
- | —*David Holt, Mobile*
-
-*PSYCHOLOGY OF A RUNAWAY SLAVE*
-
-Of course you know that we always called the older colored men "Uncle"
-and the older colored women "Aunt." It was proper manners.
-
-Old "Uncle" Louis was the oldest slave on the plantation, "Uncle" Toby
-having died. Louis was a "Guinea nigger." His ancestors had been brought
-from the Guinea coast of Africa. He had the characteristic marks of his
-tribe, being short, strong and very black, with heavy neck, thick lips,
-flat nose and eyes like those of a hog. He had great knowledge of wild
-plants, claimed to understand the language of birds and beasts. He
-prided himself on his powers as a hunter and also claimed intimate
-friendship with ghosts and spooks. Being what was known as a "yard
-servant," he had picked up much of the talk of his white masters and
-spoke his own version of their language.
-
-Old Louis was what was called a "runaway nigger." He would run away in
-the latter part of the summer once in every two or three years and come
-back in time to help dig sweet potatoes. I was out in the sweet potato
-patch one morning when he returned. The doctor was there, also. When
-Louis walked up he simply said, "Hello, Louis; are you well?"
-
-"Yes sir, Marster."
-
-"Well, take that basket and go to picking up potatoes." Not a word was
-said about his running away. After the hands had knocked off work and
-Louis was sitting in front of his cabin, I went to him for an
-interview.
-
-"Uncle Louis, what makes you run away? You don't get whipped or abused
-in any way."
-
-The old slave scratched his grizzled head, puffed at his clay pipe and
-pondered the subject for some time before he replied:
-
-"Marse Davie, I does cause de woods seems to call me. When
-de fall insec's is singin' in de grass an' the 'simmons is gettin'
-soft an' de leaves is beginnin' to turn, I jes natcherly has ter go.
-De wild sloes, de red haws an' de crab apples is ripe. De walnuts
-an de hickory nuts an de beach mast drappin' an de blue smoke comes
-over de woods, an de woods birds an de yard birds goes souf wid de
-cranes an ducks an wil' geese an de blackbirds an de crows goes in
-droves—it seem lack all dat is jes callin' me."
-
-"Where do you go?" I asked.
-
-"Lorsy, Marse Davie, I never goes off de plantation. I always go to de
-woods back o' de past'er. Ole Master knows whar I is an so does Henry.
-Don't you know dat holler dat come down on de lef' han' side of de
-branch—de fus holler you comes to, not more dan two hundred yards in de
-woods?" I knew it well.
-
-"Don't you 'member a big green oak tree growin' on de right han' side of
-de holler bout a hunder yard up de path?"
-
-"Well, sir, dat tree is my home. I done toted some poles an some sedge
-gress up dar an made me a bed—but you can't see it from de groun'. When
-I gets up dar I can see all 'roun'. I seen you an Marse Joe de las' time
-you go fishin'. I lays dar all day and listen to de birds and critters
-talkin'. A chicadee tole me you was comin' long befo' I seen you. Den a
-jay bird caught a sight of you an he tole me. Can't nobody come along
-widout de birds tellin' me. Dey pays no min' to a horse or a dog but
-when dey spies a man dey speaks. I done tame' a squi'l so he comes see
-me ever'day.
-
-"De birds and critters sho is good comp'ny. I done made frens wid up all
-but de owl and de hawk. Dey is jes natchally bad an de other critters
-hates 'em. A ole red-breast' hawk come an lit in a daid pine tree. I
-seen him so plain til I knowed what he was thinkin' about. He was jes
-mad clean down in his craw and was cussin' ever'thin'. A little pewee
-bird seen him an begin to fuss. A crow fly over and hear de pewee, den
-fly down close an take a good look at mister hawk den he fly up and
-start callin' de other crows. In a little while a whole drove of crows
-is flyin' 'roun dat pine tree. Den de jay birds come an dey is callin'
-for a fight, but de ole hawk never move. Den de mocking birds come an
-dey sair right in and starts pecking at de hawk until he dove into de
-woods and gets away, an all de birds begin to talkin' 'bout bugs an
-things."
-
-The old man was wound up for an interminable talk on his favorite theme,
-the talk of critters, and to change the subject I asked: "Uncle Louis,
-ain't you afraid of ghosts?"
-
-"Lor', chile, I ain't feared of no ghos' or spook, as I's seed lots of
-both. All a ghos' do is jes show hise'f. You never hear of one doin'
-nothin' to nobody. Dey is sociable an wants to be near livin' people.
-When folks gets scared it hurts de ha'nt's feelin's an dey goes
-somewhere else. Dey has all de feelin's dey had when dey was livin'. You
-wouldn't stay by wid folks dat's fear'd of you an want to run away from
-where you is.
-
-"Las' night, when I was up in my nes', an my fire had died out, all
-'sept one little chunk, an de moon was shinin' like day, I lay down, I
-did, an I take a li'l nap o' sleep. Den I wakes up sudden an looks 'roun
-ag'in. Well, sir, de norf side of de hill was covered wid ghoses an
-spooks; dey was layin' down, standin' up and leanin' agin trees, but
-mos'ly dey was jes sittin' on de groun', all lookin' at me hard as dey
-could, widout battin' an eye.
-
-"De neares' one to me was a little white ooman. She war sittin' flat on
-de groun', holdin' a baby in her lap. She look mighty pitiful an I say
-'please Missis, can I ho'p you an yo' baby? I'd be 'bleeged if you tell
-me.' Her lips move but I couldn't hear no sound. Den I lay me down an
-drap off to sleep agin. When I wakes up de ghosses is all dere an de
-little white ooman look lak she want to say somethin', but can't, an I
-say, 'I ain' nothin' but a poor runaway nigger, but my Marster is a
-mighty kin' man, he'll sholy he'p you; but she didn't say nothin' an I
-goes back to sleep. De next time I wakes up de sun was risin' an I jes
-lays dere an watches de ghosses an spooks get thin, an fade away like a
-fog."
-
-The old Negro was sitting in the twilight, talking in a low, impressive
-monotone, in a language we both understood but which I find difficulty
-in transcribing after all these years that intervene. A screech owl was
-"miseryflying" in the family grave yard back of the quarters, a fitting
-abligato to the narrative. Though creepy sensations crawled up my spine,
-I still had my doubts.
-
-"Uncle Louis, do you really believe you saw all that, and didn't dream
-it while you were curled up in your nest?" I asked.
-
-The old man seemed aggrieved at my doubts as he replied:
-
-"It ain't no beleevin' about it. I knows what I knows an I sees what I
-sees. De ghos' is what lives when de body is done wore out, but it don't
-die."
-
-"It's all imagination," I said, in defense of reason and nature, as I
-understood these things.
-
-"I wants to ax you what does de imaginin'. It's your ghos' that does the
-imagin' so you can see other ghosses an spooks."
-
-In recognition of Louis' knowledge and powers of reasoning my brother
-William wrote a diploma in Latin and presented it to him. After that he
-was called "Doctor" Louis.
-
-I recall that it was about that time that I read a book on psychology
-but later discovered that there were those on the plantation who had a
-better working knowledge of the subject than was taught in the book.
-
-Bibliography: Old Plantation Days, an unpublished work by the Venerable
-David Elred Holt, late Archdeacon of the Sacramento Diocese (Protestant
-Episcopal) of California, and a native of Buffalo Plantation, near
-Natchez, Mississippi.
-
-Tom McAlpin
-===========
-
- | **Interview with Tom McAlpin**
- | —*John Morgan Smith*
-
-*A WHUPPIN' WID DE TRIMMIN'S*
-
-"Mornin' Boss," said uncle Tom McAlpin, "how is you dis mornin'?" The
-old former slave spoke cordially with a definite twinkle in his muddy
-eyes though his age had passed the four score and ten mark. His mind was
-alert; his memory vivid, and his faculties of speech quite unusual. Tom
-McAlpin was indeed a remarkable man. There was really a sincere note of
-welcome in his voice as he came forward, placed a large piece of
-cast-iron pipe against the steps of his house, 1928 Ave. D. So.,
-Birmingham, and looked up at me showing a mouth of straggly teeth in a
-warm smile.
-
-"Yassuh," he continued in his high-pitched voice after our salutations,
-"I'll be glad to serve you as bes' I kin wid my knowledge of de pas'
-years. Jus' you set down in dat chair," he pointed to what was left of
-an ante-bellum wicker seat; "I'll set on dese steps an' us'll go over de
-whole thing from de beginnin's.
-
-"Fus' thing I guess you wants to know is whar an' when I was born.
-Yassuh, an' who I b'long to. Well, Boss, I was born in Martersville,
-Alabamy. Dat's five miles southwest of Talladega. I come into dis ole
-worl' on a sunny day in June, eighteen fawty fo'. I belonged to Dr.
-Augustus McAlpin, an' from dat day to dis, I is seed many things come
-an' go, an' I is aimin' to see a lot mo' befo' I cross to de udder side.
-
-"De docta jus' had a small plantation, 'bout 100 acres, I s'pose, an' he
-didn't have but 12 slaves, 'caze dere warn't no need fo no mo'. He was
-busy in town adoctorin' folks. He didn't have no time to do any real
-farmin'.
-
-"My job aroun' de place was to nuss de chilluns, white an' nigger. We
-all played 'roun' together. Sometimes we play coon an' rabbit, fox an'
-houn' and snatch, but what was de mostes' fun was a-ridin' ole Sut. Sut
-was a donkey an' us useta hitch him to a wagon, an' six of de chilluns
-would ride in de wagon an' I'd ride on his back. Sometimes us'd ride all
-de way into Talladega wid Sut.
-
-"Nawsuh, I ain't neber got no whuppin' but one, an' it was a sho' 'nough
-complete one, boss, wid all de trimmin's. It all happened when de Massa
-told me he better not cotch dem hogs in de corn, an' iffen he did, I was
-agoin' to git a whuppin'. Well, boss, dere was one ole hog dat I jus'
-couldn't keep outten dere so I tuk a needle an' sewed up his eyes.
-'Course I was jus' a little black 'un an' didn't know whut I was adoin',
-but I sho' sewed up dat hog's eyelids so's he couldn't see nothin'. Dat
-kep' him outten de corn all raght, but when de Massa found it out he
-gave me a lickin' dat I ain't forgot yit. Boss, dat was de onlies'
-lesson I ever needed in my life. It done de wuk.
-
-"Yassuh, dere was pattyrollers 'roun' our place, but dey never cotched
-me, 'caze I was too swif' for 'em. Boss, I could take holt of a hosses
-tail an' run 'roun' de pasture an' keep up wid him. I was sho' fas' on
-my feets.
-
-"Nawsuh, us wan't never given no money for nothin', but I learnt how to
-make baskets an' I would take 'em in to Talladega on Sat'day evenings
-an' sell 'em to de white folks for fifteen cents. Den when I needed
-somp'n lak 'bacca or a little piece of chocolate, I could go to de sto'
-an' buy it. Lots of slaves on yuther plantations warn't 'lowed to make
-any money dough.
-
-"Nawsuh, I ain't never had no schoolin', 'ceptin' what I could git outen
-de little white folks' books myself. Us niggers useta tote dere books to
-school for 'em an' on de way I would look in de book an' git a little
-learnin'.
-
-"When us niggers on de McAlpin place et, us et raght at de same table
-dat de white folks et at. Atter dey finished dere meal, us slaves would
-sit down raght atter dem an' eat de same kinda food. Yassuh.
-
-.. _`Tom McAlpin`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image274mcalpin.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Tom McAlpin
-
- Tom McAlpin, Birmingham, Alabama
-
-"Sho' I 'members de war. I 'members when de war commence', Jeff Davis
-called for volunteers; den a little later when de south needed mo' mens
-to fight, Jeff Davis' officers would go th'ough de streets, an' grab up
-de white mens an' put ropes 'roun' dere wrists lak dey was takin' 'em
-off to jail. An' all de while dey was jus' takin' 'em off to de war. Dey
-made all de white mens go. It was called de 'scription. Some niggers
-went too. Dem niggers fought raght side of dere masters. Some went as
-body guards an' some went as soldiers.
-
-"Yassuh, Boss, I recalls de time dat de 'federate soldiers, bless dere
-souls, hid dere few hosses in de basement of de old Masonic Institute in
-Talladega an' hid dere amunition in de hollow stone pillars. Gen'l
-Wilson an' his raiders come th'ough dar, but dey never did fin' dem
-'federate supplies. Dem Yankees jus' lak to scare eve'ybody roun' de
-place to death. Dey shot up de town an' dem blue coats tuk eve'ything we
-had: cotton, sugar, flour, hams, preserves, clothes, corn; eve'ything,
-Boss, eve'ything. Dey even burned up some houses.
-
-"But Boss, dere ain't never been nobody afightin' lak our 'federates
-done, but dey ain't never had a chance. Dere was jes' too many of dem
-blue coats for us to lick. I seen our 'federates go off laughin' an'
-gay; full of life an' health. Dey was big an' strong, asingin' Dixie an'
-dey jus knowed dey was agoin' to win. An' boss, I seen 'em come back
-skin an' bone, dere eyes all sad an' hollow, an dere clothes all ragged.
-Boss, dey was all lookin' sick. De sperrit dey lef' wid jus' been done
-whupped outten dem, but it tuk dem Yankees a long time to do it. Our
-'federates was de bes' fightin' men dat ever were. Dere warn't nobody
-lak our 'federates.
-
-"I was in Richmond dat cold day dat Gen'l Lee handed his sword over to
-de yuther side, an' I seen Jeff Davis when he made a speech 'bout
-startin' over. I seen de niggers leavin' dere homes an' awandering' off
-into de worl' to God knows whar, asayin' good-bye to dere white folks,
-an' atryin' to make dere way de bes' dey kin. But, white boss, it jes'
-seem lak you let a nigger go widout a boss an' he jes' no good. Dere
-ain't much he kin do, 'caze dere ain't nobody to tell him. Yassuh, I was
-sont to Richmond to bring home some of our wounded 'federates. Dey sont
-me 'caze dey knowed I was agoin' to do my bes', an' caze dey knowed I
-warn't afeered of nothin'. Dat's de way I've always tried to be, white
-boss, lak my white people what raised me. God bless 'em."
-
-Anne Maddox
-===========
-
- | **Interview with Anne Maddox**
- | —*Preston Klein, Opelika*
-
-*I SHOUTED THREE DAYS*
-
-Bible records place Anne Maddox's age at 113. She lives in a tiny cabin
-with her youngest child, Zora, about eight miles from Opelika. She is
-very feeble now and had to be wheeled out on the front porch to have her
-picture made.
-
-Anne lives exclusively in the past. To her, the present world is "full
-of de devil an' gettin' worser every day." She likes to talk about the
-old days, but her voice is feeble and barely above a whisper.
-
-"I'se heerd a heap o' talk 'bout Mr. Abraham Lincoln," she said, "an' I
-had a picture of him onc't; but I don't know nothin' 'bout him."
-
-Anne takes her religion seriously and is devoutly confident that she
-will "inherit de promise."
-
-"I jined de church in Gold Hill, Alabama," she recalled, "an' honey, I
-felt so good I don't know jest how I did feel. I shouted three days an'
-wouldn't eat a bite. I couldn't even drink water."
-
-The old former slave was born in Virginia in 1824 and belonged to John
-Umford. She was later sold to Bill Maddox, of Alabama.
-
-"When I come from Virginny," she said, "us travelled in wagons and slept
-in tents. Eve'y mornin' us was made to clean ourselves an' dress up; den
-us was put on de block an' bid on. White peoples was dere from
-everywhere; de face of de earth was covered by dem. I was thirteen den,
-an' I kin remember four wars.
-
-"My mother and father was Charlie an' Rhody Heath, an' I had two
-brothers an' two sisters. Our houses was lak horse stables; made of logs
-wid mud an' sticks dobbed in de cracks. Dey had no floors. Dere warn't
-no furniture 'cept a box fer de dresser wid a piece of looking glass to
-look in. Us had to sleep on shuck mattresses an' us cooked on big
-fireplaces wid long hooks out over de fire to hang pots on to bile.
-
-.. _`Anne Maddox`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image278maddox.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Anne Maddox
-
- Anne Maddox, Opelika, Alabama
-
-"Us fried on three-legged skillets over de fire an' cooked ash-cakes on
-de hearth wid hickory leaves on de bottom nex' to de hearth. 'Tain't no
-sech good cookin' now as den.
-
-"'Bout four o'clock in de evenin' all de little niggers was called up in
-de big yard where de cook had put milk in a long wooden trough an'
-crumbled ash-cake in it. Us had pot licker in de trough, too. Us et de
-bread an' milk wid shells an' would use our hands, but it was good.
-
-"Ol' Marster hunted a heap, but us never did git none of what he brought
-in. Us had plenty of clothes, sich as was, but dey was spun an' wove at
-home. Us had home-made shoes, hard brogans, called 'Jackson ties.' Dey
-had brass caps on de toe an' would rub blisters on de feet.
-
-"De plantation had several hundred acres. I was up wid de fust light to
-draw water and help as house girl. When dat task was done I had to go to
-de fiel'. Dey blew a big hawn to 'rouse de slaves in de morning's,
-sometimes 'fore day.
-
-"Marster was good to us niggers, dough. He never 'lowed us to
-be whupped; jist scolded us. If us went anywheres, us had to be back
-by sundown. I once seed some slaves workin' roads in chains wid a
-iron ball hangin' on behin'. It was punishment fur meanness."
-
-Anne said the slaves on the Maddox plantation were never allowed to
-learn to read and write, declaring: "It was too bad if dey kotched a
-nigger wid a pencil an' paper in his han!"
-
-"I was made to carry Marster's chilluns to school, den go back fur 'em,"
-she said. "Ol' Mistus read us de Bible, an' us went to de white folks
-church an' sat in de back, wid de white peoples sittin' up front.
-
-"Oh, dem patterollers was bad. I sho' would run from dem things, too."
-
-Anne's mind leaps in fast succession from one subject to another, and at
-times it is difficult to keep up with her intermingled thoughts.
-
-"Ol' Marster give us plenty of licker," she said, "an' us laked dat. One
-of de funniest things us had aroun' de plantation was a little goat dat
-could walk a fence jist lak us little niggers.
-
-"When de Yankees come, gran'daddy was at prayer meetin' an' Ol' Marster
-come runnin' an' told de niggers to hitch up de mules an' waggins. Dey
-was tol' to hide all de food an' jewelry, but 'bout dat time us seed de
-Yankees comin'. Dey didn't do us no harm; sho' did some places, dough.
-
-"T'want long 'fore Marster call all us niggers up to de house an' tol'
-us dat us was free. He said us could go away or stay wid him. I stayed
-'twel I was grown an' married Doc Maddox. Us had five chillun, Walter,
-Failer, Siney, Zora an' Johnny. I don't know how many gran'chilluns I'se
-got."
-
-Mandy
-=====
-
- | **Interview with Mandy**
- | —*Daphne L.E. Curtis, Fairhope, Alabama*
-
-"Howdy Miss. We is sure got a purty day fer de scrubbin' job. Hit will
-dry as fas' as we turns hit loose.
-
-"Now jes' look a yonder, ef she ain't got gold-fishes an' ever'thing
-heart could wish!—Is they got ary increases?—Yassum,—dat's good;
-mebby so you can sell some.
-
-"Me got chillun?—well I is borned three head uv em, but dey all died
-right now; didn't live a minute.
-
-"Then I 'dopted me a baby boy. A little bitty girl borned him, an' she
-didn't want him,—he was in her way. She said she'd kill him, an' I
-didn't want her to git in no trouble, so I tooken him.
-
-"But sho's you bawn I is sorry I done dat t'ing,—dat nigger so
-triflin', he is goin' on fourteen now, an' he ain't no help to me at
-all. He only come home when he hongry, an' that's plenty often.
-
-"An' dis yere husbin' whut I is got now, he 'spicions me 'bout other
-men's all de time, and de boy an' him togedder, keeps ever't'ing riled
-up mos'ly, twell I'll be glad effen you was to say, you need me to sleep
-on your place.
-
-"Go to school? Yassum I sho did. I had three months a year for three
-years, and a extra month onc't, that my mammy paid for. Dat made ten
-months for me. I was de forwardest chile my mammy had. When dey was any
-readin' to do my mammy sont fer me.
-
-"Sis Kate kin turn off more work then I kin, but I can mek more cotton.
-Oncet I won a contest wid a man an' made 480 pounds. Dey gimme a hundred
-pounds for doin' it.
-
-"Me and Taylor, he's my other husband, the one that died, we used to fo'
-mek bales near 'bout every year, but dis yer husband whut I got now, he
-don't do nothin' but jalous me, look lak he'd know I didn' want no man,
-but jes' fer company; an' dat boy I brung up, he jus' runs nights 'twell
-I am jes' plumb skeered. So one night I sont for my sister's boy, she is
-my dead brother's wife, an' Miss, dat rascal, he would steal my las'
-dime look like. Miss he would steal de har offen your haid could he jus'
-git a holt, so I jes' sont him back. I talk to him nice befo' I sont
-him, but hit didn' do no good so I up an' sont him.
-
-"Then Miss Nellie (she that keeps the fillin' station) tooken him an' he
-stole a whole ginger ale an' a coky coly, an' she cotch him wid em.
-No'am he didn't git 'em open, effen he had uv, he would uv drunk 'em
-both, he would fo' sure.
-
-"An' him tellin' folks he married a rich widow. Huh, Mr. Corte he say,
-'Mandy you is getting yo'se'f messed for sho'.' He did so Miss, an' he
-done tole de truf' fo' God, he sho did. I is sho messed up wid 'em bofe.
-
-"But Miss, hit was de bigges' cullud weddin', you ever see, an' me as
-black as I is. Dey was three tables for de white folks, an' I don' know
-how many cakes, an' Miss Bessie give me my marryin' dress, an' Mister
-Harry he give me a dollar, an' him? O yessum, he been married befo', he
-is got eight head uv chillun. His fust wife's bringin' em up, up in
-Dallas County, an' him carryin' on like he is down here.
-
-"I allus wanted chillun, a house plum full of 'em, en I done los' all I
-could mek, so now effen I could of had me some widout 'em I never would
-of had ary husban' a tall. No'am.
-
-"Me dance? No'am I is j'ined to de Church. Miss Emily she showed me some
-white folks dancin' oncet, but I thought they was gettin' too closet
-togedder. In my day they used to swing corners.
-
-"House parties, yassum I is served a many of em. That's what breaks you
-down, though; day an' night an' day an' night.
-
-"Well, good bye Miss, I sure do thank you for my dollar, an' my cup, an'
-ever'thing. I is shore enjoyed my day wid you. Me an' you is real good
-frien's now, ain't we? Hits been jes' like a partyin'.
-
-"Now I'll be gettin' to Sis Katie's, she will mo'n likely want me to
-carry her Lodge dues up. An Miss, please you ast the bus man, wid yo'
-telephone, please sir wait for me jes' a minute."
-
-Frank Menefee
-=============
-
- | **Interview with Frank Menefee**
- | —*Preston Klein, Opelika, Alabama*
-
-*BROOM-STICK WEDDIN'S*
-
-Frank Menefee of Opelika is eighty-four years old and still healthy. He
-says, "Kids was brought up right in dem days but don't have no sich now,
-'caze de switch was one of de best medicines ever made."
-
-He was born in Loachapoka, Alabama. His mother and father were Susan and
-Monroe Menefee. They had six other children, Patsy, Sally, Lula, Mary,
-Melvina, and Philmore. Susan Menefee came from Jefferson County and
-Monroe from Gold Hill, Alabama, and belonged to Willis Menefee, near
-Roberson's Mill.
-
-"My mother's father an' mother was Milton and Patsy Footman whut come
-frum Meridian, Miss., and dey paid $3500 for dem," Frank boasts.
-
-"I'se never seed inside a jail, never paid a nickel in council, ain't
-never gwine to steal nothin' whut don't belong to me an' ain't never
-used a cuss word in my life. I always tried to do whut was right an' I
-plowed ever' day us could. Us cooked on dem great big fireplaces, 'bout
-six feet wide an' two an' three feet deep, with pots an' kittles hangin'
-out over hickory an' oak fires. Nobody better not spit in dat fireplace
-neither. Sho' never was better eatin' collards dan dem. All the chillun
-had a tin plate an' a tin cup with buttermilk in hit.
-
-"I was whut dey called a shirt-tail fellow, had long shirt dresses of
-osnaburg dyed with red mud an' cinnamon bark. In winter dey doubled de
-osnaburg to be warmer. My daddy was a shoemaker. He made dem outer
-cowhides an' even lef' de hair on dem sometimes. Yuther times he clean
-'em in de wash-pot to git de hair offen 'em.
-
-"Us had good Marsa and Mistiss, iffen you wukked an' 'haved yourse'f.
-Dey was marsa Willis an' Miss Hanna Menefee. Dey jes' had two chillun
-Willis an' Willie. Willie weighed two hundred pounds when he was very
-young too. De 'Big House' stood in a oak grove wid one big oak tree
-raght by it.
-
-"Mr. Sadler, de overseer, was good, too, but you sho' had to wuk. He's
-got a great-great-grandson, Sam Sadler, living now in Waverly, Alabama.
-De poor white peoples 'roun' dere used to ho'p us wuk. I disremembers
-our carriage driver's name but us had one dat drove Mistiss about, an'
-de carriage house was close to de Big House.
-
-"Marsa had seven or eight hundred acres in de plantation an' I jes'
-don't know de number of slaves he did have. Dey got us up by daylight
-an' 'fo'. Blowed a cockle shell to get us niggers up. Iffen you didn't
-wuk, dey 'tended to you. Dey slashed one nigger an' he died nex' week.
-Us plowed 'twell dark an' lots an' lots of times all night long wid a
-lantern tied to front an' back of de plows. We was picking cotton all
-night long too, be ready to take dat wagon to de gin by three or four
-o'clock in de morning. Sometimes dey would put de slaves in chains. When
-dey wuk clearing up new groun' dey had chains put 'roun' dey ankles.
-
-.. _`Frank Menefee`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image284menefee.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Frank Menefee
-
- Frank Menefee, Opelika, Alabama
-
-"On Sunday mornin' Mistiss would try to teach us niggers de Bible. Den
-us would go to church at white church an' sit in de back wid white folks
-in front. De preacher was Rev'ren Frank Hugely. Dat Sunday mornin'
-breakfast sho' was good to us niggers. Us had meat, sugar, lard an'
-butter. I used to love to hear dem sing. When My Soul Be Resting in de
-Presence of My Lord, I'll Be Satisfied. I was baptized at eleven o'clock
-by Dave Hill an' I sho' got happy. I shouted an' sung: 'I'se never drunk
-no whiskey in my life.' When any of de niggers would pass on, old
-Mistiss would stand over de casket and weep. Us would pull off our hats
-an' marsa was nice as he could be, too. Hit was a home-made box dyed
-black. Mistiss she would see to de fixin' of de shroud.
-
-"De patrollers sho' would get you an' dat's one thing made you stick to
-your wuk.
-
-"On Sadday nights us would frolic an' dance all night long iffen you
-wanted to, buck-dance, sixteen-hand reel and cake walk. Dey would blow
-reed quills an' have all the licker dey wanted. Mistiss, dey ain't jes'
-now drinkin' licker. Oh, dem cornshuckings! Shuk corn, drink an' holler
-all night long. Sometimes dey'd sing:
-
- | Dark cloud arising like gwine to rain,
- | Nothing but a black gal coming down the lane,
- | Nigger stole a pumkin an' started outer town;
- | Nigger heered it thunder, Lord, an' throwed dat pumkin down.
-
-"Mistiss, I don't wanter tell you no mo' of dat.
-
-"When us niggers ma'ied, dey didn't have no preacher. We jes' jumped
-over de broom, an' went on an' lived together. Iffen a gal went wrong,
-dey beat her nearly to death. Iffen you moved de place when you ma'ied,
-de other marsa had to buy you.
-
-"De li'l niggers had big times. Us used to play, 'Green grow the willow
-tree, you swing my gal an' I swing yourn. Green grow de willow tree.'
-Dey used to sceer up us niggers 'bout "Raw Head an' Bloody Bones," gwine
-to ketch us dat was so sceer bad iffen us didn't mind 'em, but I ain't
-never seed nor believed in ghostes. Us didn't get sick much 'caze us
-didn't have no trash to eat an' Mistiss giv' us ebony of yarbs an' us
-wore sacks of yarbs 'roun' our necks too.
-
-"The Yankees did plenty of harm. Marsa shot at some of dem; an' dey took
-off our cabin wagons. When us was freed dey singed, 'I'se gwine back to
-Dixie, no more my heart to wander, never see my master no mo'.'
-
-"Marsa called us all up an' told us we was jes' free as him. He give us
-all a suit of clo'es, some money, a mule, a cow, wagon, hog and a li'l
-corn to start off on. Us moved to Dr. Lawrence Smiths near La-Fayette,
-Alabama.
-
-"Later years I ma'ied Jane Drake at the cafe in Opelika, Alabama, and by
-de jedge at twelve o'clock. She died, den I ma'ied Phoebe Ethen Drake.
-Some says de church can't save you, but I sho' feels safer in hit, an' I
-jined 'caze I wants to be better dan I was an' try to be
-saved."
-
-Isaam Morgan
-============
-
- | **Interview with Isaam Morgan**
- | —*Mary A. Poole, Mobile, Alabama*
-
-"Mistis, I was bawn in 1853, 'cordin' to ole Miss's Bible, near Lotts
-Landing on the Alabama River." It was Isaam Morgan who spoke from his
-porch at 1657 Sligo Street, Mobile, Alabama. "I made a special trip back
-dar a few months back to de ole place, an' Mistis' daughter looked it up
-for me 'caze I done had forgot.
-
-"Mr. James Morgan was my Massa, an' his wife, Miss Delia, was my Mistis.
-My mammy's name was Ann Morgan, an' as for my pappy, I done forgot
-his'n. I was raised raght dar in de white folks house, an' I had my own
-special place to sleep. I was de house boy, an' when I growed older I
-driv' Mistis aroun' in de Ca'iage.
-
-"Us niggers lived in sho-'nuff style. Us had our regular quarters whar
-us lived in white log cabins chinked wid mud, an' de slaves had built-in
-beds an' a big open fireplace whar dey cooked. Us had plenty somp'n
-t'eat. All us had to do was to ask for it an' de Massa done de res'. Our
-rations was gib out to us eve'y Sadday. Some of de bes' food us ever had
-was 'possum an' taters. Us'd go out at night wid a big sack, an' a pack
-of houn's an' twarn't long befo' we done treed a 'possum. Atter we done
-treed him, de dogs would stan' aroun' de tree an' bark. Iffen de tree
-was small, us could shake him out. Iffen it was big, one of de niggers
-hadda climb up it an' git ole Mr. 'Possum hisself.
-
-"Funny things about 'possums, Miss; de bigger dey is seem lak de littler
-de tree dey picks to go up. It is sho-'nuff fun, dough, to go a trailin'
-th'ough de woods atter a 'possum or coon. De coon'll give you de bes'
-chase, but he ain't no good eatin' lak de 'possum. I seen a coon one
-time when he was cornered bite de tip of a houn's nose off.
-
-"Massa Morgan sol' wood to de steam boats, an' us slaves hadda cut de
-wood, an' split it up into smaller pieces. Any time a slave worked over
-time or cut mo' wood dan he s'pose' to, Massa pay him money for it, caze
-whenever one of us slaves seen somp'n we lak, we did jus' lak de white
-folks does now. Us bought it.
-
-"Massa never whupped none of his slaves; he jus' tole us whut to do an'
-iffen we didn't do it, he'd call us to him an' he would say in his sorta
-way: 'Nigger! How many mo' times is I gotta tell you to do lak you
-tole?' Dat's all he would say, an' believe me Mistis, he hada a way of
-lookin' at you dat made you jump. When he bought a new slave dat wasn't
-use to doin' what he was tol', 'twarn't long befo' massa had him in
-line.
-
-"No'm none of our slaves ever tried to run away. Dey all knowed dey was
-well off. We didn't have no oberseer but once. He was a mean un too. He
-tried to fight an' whup us slaves, an' one night six big nigger men
-jumped on him an' scairt him mos' to death. Atter dat de massa wouldn't
-never have no mo' oberseers. He tended to dat business hisself.
-
-"Whut we do atter we finished work? Go to bed! Dat was de onl'es' place
-we was fittin' for. Us was so tired us wouldn't lie down two minutes 'fo
-us was 'sleep. On some moonlight nights us was 'lowed to pick de cotton.
-Den us'd git a little res' de nex' day.
-
-"Massa an' his fambly used brass lamps an' candles for light, an' a few
-of us slaves had brass lamps too, but most of de niggers used torch
-lights.
-
-"Some of de plantations had a calaboose whar dey putt de slaves dat
-wouldn't behave. Dis calaboose was built of logs fastened together wid
-stout ropes an' sunk into de groun', but Massa didn't need no calaboose
-to make his niggers behave.
-
-.. _`Isaam Morgan`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image288morgan.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Isaam Morgan
-
- Isaam Morgan, Mobile, Alabama
-
-"Yassum, us had remedies for ailments. We used wild hoarhound tea for de
-chills an' fever, an' sweet gum turpentine, an' mutton suet. Dey wan all
-good uns too. But shucks! Warn't nothin' much ever de matter wid us
-niggers.
-
-"Yassum, we used rock an' cotton to start de fires on de plantation, an'
-Massa had a flint lock rifle, too.
-
-"De slaves had dere own special graveyard an' us'd make de coffins raght
-on de place dar. When someone die, he was taken in a ox cart to de
-grave, wid all de slaves a-walkin' 'long behine de cart singin' de
-spirituals.
-
-"Our clothes was made mostly outen osnaburg wove on de plantation. We
-had wool clothes for de winter time dat was carded on de place. We had
-shoes made by our own cobbler an' tanned on de plantation. We called
-dese brogans.
-
-"Atter de surrender, de Yankees camped near our place, an' bought aigs
-f'um us. Dey offered me a hoss iffen I would go nawth wid dem, but I
-jus' couldn't leave de Massa even dough I did wanted dat hoss mighty
-bad. I was twenty-one years old when Massa came to me one day an' say:
-'Isaam, you is a grown man now. You is got to boss your own business.
-It's up to you to fin' work. I can't keep you no longer. Good luck
-Isaam. You has been a good nigger, an' you is gonna make somebody a good
-worker.'
-
-"Atter I lef' Massa I worked at diff'ent jobs, sich as: loader,
-roustabout on different steamboats an' cotton picker. I worked on de
-*May Boyd*, *Lula D.* an' de *Gardner*. One of de ole songs sang on de
-boats went somp'n lak dis:
-
- | De John T. Moore
- | De Lula D.
- | An' all dem boats is mine
- | If you can't ship on de Lula D.
- | You ain't no man o' mine.
-
-"I been ma'ied three times, Mistis, an' Lawd chile I done forgot de name
-of my fust wife. I guess she still livin' somewhere caze she was too
-mean to die. My secon' wife was named Dora, an' she is daid. I got a
-wife now name Lily. She purty good.
-
-"Yes maam you can take my picture, but lemme git my hat, caze I ain't
-got no hair on my haid, an' I looks better wid a hat. I'se got to be
-fixed up stylish."
-
-Tony Morgan
-===========
-
- | **From record of a conversation in 1884**
- | —*Francois L. Diard, Mobile, Alabama*
-
-*A SLAVE INTERVIEWS A SLAVE*
-
-George Washington extolling the virtues of a plain, homespun
-suit—granite-jawed Andrew Jackson defying the British at
-Pensacola—horror and massacre at Alabama's old Fort Mims—savages
-skulking near the fort, their bronzed bodies glistening in the hot
-August sunlight.
-
-These were among memories of parchment-skinned Uncle Tony Morgan, who
-was interviewed on Oct. 1, 1884 by Jim Thomas, another slave, and a
-record of the conversation held in the files of a family in Old Mobile,
-Alabama. Uncle Tony was 105 years old then.
-
-The story is told by Thomas, former slave of the Diard family. Uncle
-Tony was the slave of Mobile Judge H. Toulmin, grandfather of the later
-Judge H.T. Toulmin, who was appointed a judge by President Jefferson.
-
-According to Jim Thomas, Uncle Tony told him:
-
-"Did I knowed Gen'l Andrew Jackson? Lord bless you honey, why, I knowed
-him and remember Gen'l George Washington afore him."
-
-Uncle Tony explained that he accompanied General Jackson when the
-war-loving Tennessean marched from Mobile against Pensacola in 1814. He
-said he was serving as a wagoner, and remembered distinctly that the
-British surrendered on November 6. He recalled that, during the battle,
-Jackson was standing talking with a group of officers when an enemy
-shell exploded near him.
-
-"Move away, general," the old Negro quoted one of the officers as
-saying, "they'll kill you!"
-
-And Jackson replied in a characteristic manner:
-
-"Damn 'em—I'll have 'em all in hell tomorrow!"
-
-Concerning George Washington, Uncle Tony told Jim Thomas that the great
-American leader visited the town of Frankfort, Ky., and while there made
-an address. He wore a home-spun suit, which he pointed out as an example
-of what people might do in utilizing their products.
-
-Frankfort was highly excited when Washington arrived in the city, and
-Uncle Tony told of a tiny urchin exclaiming with bitter disappointment
-in his voice:
-
-"Why, Pa, he ain't nothing but a man!"
-
-Uncle Tony's memory of what occurred at Fort Mims was vivid, according
-to Jim Thomas. The older slave related that he was one of many Negroes
-in the fort at the time. He said the defenders had been sleeping off a
-night of dissipation the morning William Weatherford's warriors
-attacked.
-
-Men, women and children were butchered in the ensuing slaughter and the
-buildings were fired. The massacre continued until noon, Uncle Tony
-said, when the Indians retreated with scalps and several Negro prisoners
-to their camping site, called the Holy Ground. Here, the half-starved
-Negroes lived in constant dread that they would be butchered by
-war-inflamed Creeks.
-
-Uncle Tony also recalled carrying the mail from Fort Stoddert, in
-Alabama, through the State and Mississippi. On several occasions he
-barely escaped being scalped by Indians, he said.
-
-The old Negro related further that his father was a wagoner under
-Cornwallis when that general surrendered to Washington at Yorktown.
-
-Concerning his age and birthplace, Uncle Tony told Thomas he was born
-in Danville, Ky., about 1779. He went to Mobile in 1805 with Judge
-Toulmin.
-
-At the time of the interview the old slave was extremely feeble and
-lame, and walked with the aid of a cane. His skin was dried and
-wrinkled, and cataracts on his eyes had totally deprived him of his
-sight. Despite these handicaps, however, Thomas said the old man's mind
-was exceptionally clear, and his recollection of events occurring almost
-a century before were remarkable.
-
-Mose
-====
-
- | **Told by Edith Tatum, Greenville, Alabama**
- | —*Mildred Scott Taylor, Georgiana, Alabama*
-
-*UNCLE MOSE—A TRUE STORY*
-
-The early spring sunshine sifted through the honey-suckle vines
-clustering around the cabin door, and made a network of dancing light
-upon the floor. A little Negro boy sat on the steps gazing silently up
-the dusty road and idly listening to the insistent buzzing of insects
-hovering about the honey-suckle blooms.
-
-"Don't yer see nothin' of her yet, Jerry?" came in a querulous voice
-from a bed in a corner of the cabin.
-
-"Naw, Unc' Mose. She ain't in sight yit, but it's mos' time fer 'er."
-
-"Hit 'pear lak dis mis'ry is er gittin' wus all de time," the voice went
-on.
-
-"Miss Sally say dat limerumunt gwine he'p it," essayed Jerry
-consolingly.
-
-"It don' do no good 'cep'in jess whilst Aun' Judy is er rubbin'. De
-rubbin' does mo' good dan de limerumunt."
-
-"Dar she is, rat now!" exclaimed Jerry presently.
-
-"Praise de Lawd! fer de ole man sho is hongry en' got de mis'ry from his
-haid to his heels."
-
-"Dar's ernudder lady wid Miss Sally. Sarter looks lak er gal."
-
-"Mus' be some er ole master's gran'dahters come on er visit. Whyn't yer
-come an' sit some cheers out an' dus' em' an' straighten dis quilt
-'stead er settin' dar lak er black patch on de sunshine? Don' yer know
-how ter ack when de quality is comin'?" By the time the chairs had been
-arranged to his notion the visitors were at the door.
-
-"Good morning, Uncle Mose," said the older woman brightly, as she put a
-covered basket down on a table by the bed.
-
-She had a strong, sweet face and smooth white hair, and the gracious
-dignity of a queen. "I hope you rested well last night and are feeling
-very much better. I have brought some one to see you. Now guess who she
-is," and she placed the girl where the sunshine fell across her face.
-
-Uncle Mose turned his head on the pillow, and gazed eagerly at his
-visitor. Then his old black face wrinkled into a smile. "Lawd, honey,
-you sho' mus' be one er Mars' Eddard's dahters, frum de favor!"
-
-"You are right, Uncle Mose. It's Miss Caroline."
-
-"I'm so sorry to find you in bed, Uncle Mose," said the girl, coming
-closer, while Miss Sally began taking an appetizing breakfast from the
-basket and putting it on the table.
-
-"Father told me not to come home without seeing Uncle Mose. He talks of
-you so often."
-
-The old man beamed with pleasure. "Den Mr. Eddard's done fergive me for
-not choosing him dat time," he said with a chuckle. "Did you ebber h'yar
-'bout dat time I choosed mah master?"
-
-"Now, Uncle Mose, none of your reminiscence until Jerry has given you
-your breakfast. Then I know that Caroline will be delighted to hear all
-about it," and Miss Sally smiled indulgently. "Here, Caroline, put these
-flowers in water where Uncle Mose can see them, while I measure some
-medicine for him."
-
-"Dat sho was er good breakfus', Miss Sally," said the old negro with a
-sigh of content, as Jerry gave him the last bit of waffle. "Ole Aun'
-Jincy allers was er good cook, en her ma befo' 'er. Couldn't nobody beat
-Aun' Lucy cookin' in dem days. Ginger cakes? She made de bes' ginger
-cakes! Miss Sally, you 'member dat time Ole Marster give me an Mars' Wat
-er whole silver dollar en we walked two miles to Mars' Walter's sto' en
-spent ev'ry bit er it fer ginger cakes? Er whole dollar's wuth er ginger
-cakes, an' Aunt Lucy rat dar at home er cookin' de bes' ones in de
-country! Mars' Wat sho was er sight!" and Mose lay looking with dim eyes
-into a happy, long-vanished past.
-
-"Now tell me about when you chose your master," said Caroline, drawing a
-chair closer to the bed.
-
-"O, dat time; I 'members dat mornin' jess lak it was yistiddy. Hit was
-in the spring-time lak dis, en ole Mose was er lil' black rascal lak
-Jerry dar. I was playin' roun' de cabin do' en h'yer come Jim de ke'ge
-driver, en say ole Marster wanted me rat erway. I sho was skeered! But I
-couldn't think o' no meanness I had done so I jess helt up mah haid en
-marched up de road ter de Big House. En dar I foun' Ole Marster standin'
-on de steps, en in er row on de po'ch was Mars' Eddard, en Mars' Ted, an
-Mars' Wat, en Mars' Tom. 'Come h'yer Mose,' say Ole Marster in dat big
-way er his'n. 'Come h'yer en choose yer marster. I'm gwine to give yer
-ter de one you picks out.' I 'gan at Mars' Eddard. He was older 'en me
-an' sorter se'rus lak so I passed him by. I looked at Mars' Ted er long
-time sorter hes'tatin', but den I jess chanced ter look at Mars' Wat, en
-dem blue eyes er his'n was fa'rly dancin' wid sump'n sorter lak ole
-Nick, en I say ter mahself, 'dat's de marster fer Mose,' so I say out
-loud, 'I chooses Mars' Wat,' en bress yer heart, honey, I ain' nebber
-been sorry er minute sence. But de res' er Ole Marsters' boys nebber did
-fergive Mose fer dat," and he chuckled at the remembrance.
-
-Caroline laughed. "Thank you, Uncle Mose, I've enjoyed hearing about it.
-I must go and see Mammy now. Next time I come I hope you will be
-better."
-
-"De ole man ain' had his foots ter de flo' in five weeks dis comin'
-Sadd'y Miss Ca'line. Good bye, Miss Ca'line honey, come ergin."
-
-"And now, Jerry, you run tell Aunt Judy to come up at once and rub Uncle
-Mose's ankles," said 'Miss' Sally as Caroline left the cabin. "I'll warm
-this liniment and have it all ready." She stopped before the open
-fireplace and raked up the embers into a little blazing fire, and
-putting the saucer of turpentine on the floor at some distance, she
-stood up and turned toward the bed. Just then a spark from the fire fell
-into the saucer, and the turpentine blazed up. 'Miss' Sally, startled,
-sprang back, but in so doing, her light cotton morning gown came in
-contact with the blazing turpentine and was quickly ignited. She caught
-up her skirts and tried to put it out with her hands, but could not. For
-several seconds 'Miss' Sally stood face to face with an awful death.
-
-"My God-er-Mighty!" cried Uncle Mose, and with the agility of youth and
-health he sprang from the bed dragging a blanket with him, and throwing
-it around her, wrapped it close, extinguishing the flames just as Aunt
-Judy and Jerry appeared in the door.
-
-"De Lawd in Hebben!" cried fat Judy, her swift glance taking in Miss
-Sally's white face, burned garments and helpless hands, and 'Uncle' Mose
-tottering back to his bed.
-
-"Po' lamb! now jess look at dem han's! Lemme tie 'em up in wet sody this
-minute! You sho 'mos' got burned up, honey."
-
-"I would have, but for Uncle Mose," said 'Miss' Sally faintly, as she
-sank into a chair.
-
-Aunt Judy turned stormy eyes upon the poor groaning old man. "I'd lak
-ter know how cum Unc' Mose jess foun' out he kin walk?" she inquired
-belligerently. "I 'lowed some time ergo dat Mose was possumin'. I sho
-ain' gwine to waste mo' elbo' grease on dat old hyp'crite."
-
-"Hush, Judy," said her mistress sternly, "Uncle Mose is no hypocrite. He
-has inflammatory rheumatism. It was a miracle," she added reverently.
-
-"Dat's hit!" exclaimed Mose, eagerly. "Er miracle! Hit was de
-Lawd-er-Mighty let Mose git up den. Fer how you reckon I'd eber face
-Mars' Wat ergin' ef I had to tell him I jess lay in de baid en let my
-lil' mistress burn up? Mose done promus Mars' Wat ter tek keer er Miss
-Sally, an' ole man done de bes' he could."
-
-Sally Murphy
-============
-
- | **Interview with Sally Murphy**
- | —*Preston Klein, Lee County, Alabama*
-
-*SLAVERY WAS ALL RIGHT IN ITS PLACE*
-
-When I was looking for Sally Murphy, I went into a clean, four room
-cabin and found a small, neat Negro woman.
-
-"Are you Sally Murphy?" I asked.
-
-"I'm sho' is, honey, and who is you? Lawdy chile, you knows I know Mr.
-Pompy (my father). She laughed. "I'll tell you anything I knows.
-
-"I was jes' 'bout ten years come slavery done. I was borned down on de
-Clayton place at Smith's Corners. My pappy he come from South Car'lina,
-where his pappy was sold. He name was Calop and my mammy was Hannah
-Clayton. There was eight of us chillun. Fred, Silas, Calop, Mary,
-Dolphus, Dora, Lula and me. Us all lived down in de quarters, which was
-five log houses, daubed wid mud. Dem logs was big ones, hand-hewed, and
-de fireplaces was big, too. Us went to de fiel's early in de morning and
-picked us a mess of young hick'ry and oak leaves to scald and cook in de
-pot wid meat. Dey made good greens and us had poke salad, too. (Made
-from the leaves of the pokeberry).
-
-"When dey dried de fruit us would cook our kind of fruit cake. I don't
-recollect what went in it. Dere was plenty though. Mistis had de fruit
-dried on tins in de yard, and at twelve o'clock every day all hands went
-to de house and turned de fruit.
-
-"Our beds was homemade, scaffold bedsteads wid ropes wove acrost de top
-what could tighten up. Sometimes us had homewove bedspreads on de beds
-most every day, but in gen'ally dat was for Sunday only.
-
-"Our menfolks used to hunt possums and wild turkeys, but dey didn't mess
-'roun' none wid rabbits. They didn't waste time on fishing either.
-
-"Ev'y morning in May Mistis would call us little niggers to de house
-and ev'y other morning give us oil and turpentine. We made our own cloth
-for clothes. Our mammies wove us long drawers outen cotton. Dey bought
-wool and flannelet to make us pantalets. Us wore homemade homespun
-dresses. Some of hit was dyed and some checked. Us had shoes reg'lar in
-winter.
-
-"Ole Marster Joe and Miss Rosa Clayton was good as gold. Dey had Sara,
-Jane, Henry, and Joe. De live in a big, two story house wid six rooms to
-hit and had a brick kitchen off from de house out in de yard. Ole
-Marster had a big plantation and his two aunties live dere, too. Dey was
-Miss Easter and Miss Charlotte.
-
-"De slave women folks what had chilluns was 'lowed to go home half hour
-by de sun to wash ev'y day, and ev'y Sunday morning all de little
-chillun had to be washed and carried to de Big House for de Mistis to
-inspect 'em.
-
-"Us mostly stayed at home and didn't go 'bout none, and effen us went to
-Mt. Jefferson Church us had to have a pass or de paterollers would sho'
-git you. I did think dat 'Hark from the tomb in doleful sound, how
-careful, how careful den ought I to live, wid what religious fear' was
-de prettiest thing, and I sho' did love to hear dem sing hit. I never
-seed de baptising, 'ca'se I used to go to de 'Piscopal Church wid Mistis
-and open gates and hold de hosses. I sot in de foot of her carriage.
-
-"Christmas dey'd give us provisions and de chillun some trash (meaning
-toys). Dey sho' had good times on moonlight nights at de cornshuckings.
-Dey would haul de corn from de fields and put it in a big ring, and as
-dey shucked dey would throw it in ring and den into de crib. Sometimes
-dey was so much corn it would stay on de ground 'twell it rotted.
-
-"Mr. Dickey Williams' mother, Miss Emily, ma'ied while us was dere and
-my grandma cooked de cake. My daddy made de cake stand. Hit had three
-tiers, each one full of little cakes wid de big cake on top. Hit sho'
-was pretty.
-
-"Dey let de little niggers have all de fun dey wanted. Us played jump
-rope and swung in de grapevine swings mostly. Den us had rag dolls. When
-any of us got sick, we was give hoarhound tea and rock candy. Sometimes
-effen dey wasn't looking and us got a chance us spit it out. Dey got de
-doctor effen us needed it.
-
-"One of our Marsters was killed in de war and brought home and buried.
-He was Mr. Joe. All de silver was hid out enduring de war but de sojers
-never did come to our house.
-
-"One day my daddy says, 'Hannah, Marster said us is free now to do what
-we want to do.' But us stayed on two years mo'. In a few years I ma'ied
-Milton Heard and had a calico wedding dress and Judge Reed ma'ied us in
-Opelika in de ole plank court house. I didn't have no chillun and I
-lives now wid my niece, Sally Thomas.
-
-"I don't know what I think 'bout Abraham Lincoln. I don't know nothing
-'bout him. Slavery was all right in its place, I guess, 'ca'se some
-needed it to make 'em work.
-
-"Folks get so sinful I thought I was safest in de church. I believe God
-intended for us all to be religious."
-
-Hattie Anne Nettles
-===================
-
- | **Interview with Hattie Anne Nettles**
- | —*Preston Klein, Opelika, Alabama*
-
-*DRUMS BEATING AND FIFES BLOWING*
-
-"Dey was sad times, honey; all de people was goin' to war wid de drums
-beatin' all aroun' and de fifes blowin.'"
-
-Hattie Anne Nettles looks younger than her eighty years, but she
-remembers climbing a fence to watch gray-clad soldiers of the
-Confederacy marching toward the front. She also remembers a few details
-about slavery, although she was only a child at the time.
-
-Hattie was born in Tallapoosa, Ga. Her father and mother were Archie and
-Matilda Benson. She had eight brothers and sisters; Charlie, George,
-Abraham, Mose, Lucinda, Mandy, Margaret and Queenie.
-
-"Us had corded beds in dem times," she said, "an' dey was screwed in de
-corners to tighten 'em. Our cookin' was simple, too. Us used a griddle
-hoe to cook on de big fireplaces.
-
-"Our dresses was homespun cloth dyed wid indigo, an' us didn't have very
-many clothes. But us kept plenty warm in de winter; an' in de hot
-summers us didn't need mor'n a thin li'l ol' dress."
-
-Hattie called her master "a good Christian-hearted man who did de bes'
-he could for de niggers."
-
-"I 'members," she said, "dat all de chilluns was good, too, 'ceptin' two
-of de boys. Dey was bad uns for sho' an' was arguin' an' fightin' all de
-time.
-
-"Honey, Ol' Marster sho'ly did lak to sing, an' he was pretty good at
-dat. I 'members dat he useter git out in de back an' sing to de top of
-his voice: 'I'se Gwine Home to Die No More.'
-
-"What I 'members most, dough, was de quiltin's an' spinnin' frolics dat
-de women-folks had. Den, on Sattidy nights, dere was Sattidy night
-suppers an' dances. All de peoples sho'ly did cut de high step at de
-dances."
-
-Hattie beamed as the trend of conversation turned to Christmas on
-Southern plantations.
-
-.. _`Hattie Anne Nettles`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image303nettles.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Hattie Anne Nettles
-
- Hattie Anne Nettles, Opelika, Alabama
-
-"Dat was a time!" she exclaimed. "Us had to go to mornin' prayer, but
-atter dat us went back to de cabins, dressed in our Sunday bes', an'
-went up to de 'Big House' fer some foolishness. An' it was sho'ly real
-foolishness, too.
-
-"When I was growed up I married Bill Lockhart an' us had fifteen
-chilluns an' eight gran'chilluns. In de ol' days niggers axed de white
-marster for de bride an' no license was needed. Iffen dey lef' de
-plantation, de other white marster bought 'em so de girl could go wid
-her man.
-
-"Our ol' marster was as good as he could be like I done tol' you. He
-looked atter de slaves when dey got sick an' sont for de doctor. In dem
-days dey would draw blood. Dey would draw almos' a quart from de body,
-an' you usually got well, too."
-
-Hattie recalled one night of terror on the plantation when the Ku Klux
-Klan raided a prayer meeting where a large number of Negroes had
-congregated.
-
-"De Klansmen beat up lots of dem," she said. "If a nigger didn't behave,
-dey'd nigh 'bout kill him."
-
-Hattie lives in Opelika with a daughter. Flowers dot her clean yard and
-her old days are full of happiness.
-
-W.E. Northcross
-===============
-
- | **Autobiography of Reverend W.E. Northcross, 1897**
- | —*Levi D. Shelby, Jr. (Colored), Tuscumbia, Alabama*
-
-(Chapter 1—How Reared)
-
-I was born a slave in 1840, in Colbert County, Alabama. Education was
-denied me, hence I grew up in ignorance. My mother and father were
-carried from me when I was only nine years old, but as soon as chance
-presented itself I ran away and went to them. My white people brought me
-back, and as they were not cruel to their slaves they did not "buck" me.
-I stayed with them until I was fifteen summers old. During this time my
-mistress made all the children, both girls and boys, come to her every
-Sunday, and she taught Sunday School. The book used was the old
-fashioned Catechism.
-
- | Jesus keep me near the cross,
- | There's a precious fountain,
- | Free to all, a healing stream,
- | Flows from Calvary's mountain.
-
-It was against the law for them to learn to read and write, so she
-taught them the Lord's prayer and a few other things in the book. She
-said that she wanted them to know how to pray, how to tell the truth and
-not to steal, and always try to do right in the sight of everybody and
-in the sight of God. With these influences, I confessed a hope in Christ
-at the age of thirteen years.
-
- | Am I a soldier of the cross,
- | A follower of the lamb,
- | And shall I fear to own his cause,
- | Or blush to speak his name?
-
-When she did not teach herself, she had an adopted girl to do the same.
-Finally the adopted girl married and moved to the farm where I was born,
-the farm from which I ran away. About this time, I was twenty years old.
-I felt that there was something for me to do. I began to lead prayer
-meetings. Still I felt that there was more for me to do.
-
-(Chapter 2—Entering The Ministry)
-
-I felt sure that I was called to preach, though "unlearned and
-ignorant." I trembled at the thought of preaching the gospel, but
-something seemed to push me forward in that direction. So I asked the
-people to let me preach. This request was granted. The people at that
-time had no place or house of worship. I began to fast and pray night
-and day. Being "unlearned and ignorant" (Acts 4:13) my heart silently
-murmured—
-
- | Bread of heaven, bread of heaven,
- | Feed me till I want no more.
-
-This was the only school I attended, both day and night. At this time I
-did not know "A" from "B," but I met a man who could read a little. This
-man liked me and promised to teach me how to read, provided I would keep
-it a secret. This I gladly promised to do.
-
- | I am weak, Thou art mighty,
- | Hold me with Thy powerful hand.
-
-I secured a blue-back speller and went out on the mountain every Sunday
-to meet this gentleman, to be taught. I would stay on the mountain all
-day Sunday without food. I continued this way for a year and succeeded
-well. I hired my own time and with my blue-back speller went to the
-mountain to have this man teach me. The mountain was the great school
-which I attended. I went from there to the blacksmith shop to work. From
-that place I was captured by the Yankees and carried to war. As I was
-crippled I was allowed to remain in the commissary department for about
-six months. While we were at camp at Athens, Alabama General Forest came
-upon us and defeated, captured, and killed until they were almost
-literally wiped out of existence. I had been kind to some little white
-children, by which I had won their love, and of course, the love of
-their parents, and stayed with them three days during the battle. I came
-to a river and turned aside to a farm from which all the people had gone
-to save themselves from the war, I got a man to help reach an island
-where I worked three days without anything to eat except grapes and
-muscadines. I preferred to die on the island than to be killed by the
-soldiers. Therefore, in time of danger, I rushed to this house and the
-good people hid me and changed my clothes. Hence, when I was found I was
-taken for one of the gentleman's slaves. When I was permitted by the man
-to try to return to LaGrange, and had gone some distance, I was caught
-by deserters from the Southern army, who voted to shoot me. They bound
-me and kept me overnight, intending to do away with me the next day. It
-was a lonely desert on the Tennessee river. I could not sleep, so all
-night I prayed to God, and the wives of the men prayed to God for the
-poor "nigger," and also prayed to their cruel husbands. Their prayers
-prevailed, and I was robbed and let go. I had vowed not to reveal their
-whereabouts. I left loving God and believing in his providence as I had
-never believed before.
-
- | Earth has no sorrow that
- | Heaven cannot heal.
-
-I went home and got another spelling-book, although it was not allowed.
-Some of my own people told my master that I had a book trying to read.
-He sent for me to come to the house. I obeyed, though I dreaded to meet
-him, not knowing what the consequence would be. But his heart had been
-touched by Divine power and he simply told me that he heard that I had a
-book, and if I was caught with it I would be hung. So I thanked him and
-departed. Notwithstanding my master's counsel I thirsted for knowledge
-and got some old boards and carried them to my house to make a light by
-which I could see how to read. I would shut the doors, put one end of a
-board into the fire, and proceed to study; but whenever I heard the dogs
-barking I would throw my book under the bed and peep and listen to see
-what was up. If no one was near I would crawl under the bed, get my
-book, come out, lie flat on my stomach, and proceed to study until the
-dogs would again disturb me. I did this for many nights. I continued in
-this way to try to learn to spell and read as best I could.
-
- | Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness,
- | for they shall be filled.
-
-I, like the Ethiopian, wanted a guide. I moved to Mrs. McReynold's. God
-bless her! She gave me a lesson every night for a period of four years.
-Then I went to my old master's brother, whose wife helped me every night
-as long as I would go to her for help. Rev. Shackleford (white) greatly
-aided me for a period of three years.
-
-Boys and girls, grasp these golden opportunities which are now extended
-you from the school room. "Unlearned and ignorant" as I was I came along
-that way until the present time. My readers have better chances than I
-had. So I hope that they will make good use of their time and make my
-heart feel glad to see them setting their marks high and preparing
-themselves for the Great Beyond where all must go. Thither all nations
-will be called before the mighty judgment seat of the Ruler of the
-universe to give an account for the deeds done in this world. My prayer
-for the reader is, that they may make strong, useful, wise and Christian
-men and women, and at the end of time meet their God in peace.
-
-(Chapter 3—My Work)
-
-I will endeaver, in this chapter, to tell something about my works and
-whereabouts. I was ordained to the gospel ministry in 1867 by Rev. Mr.
-Slater (white), and Rev. Henry Bynum. Rev. Stephens Coleman and Rev.
-Henry Bynum, aided by Dr. Joseph Shackleford (white) laid down the
-foundation stones for the colored Baptist churches in Morgan, Franklin,
-Colbert, Lauderdale, and Lawrence counties, Alabama. I am now pastor of
-the First Baptist Church, at Tuscumbia, Alabama, which is the best Negro
-edifice in North Alabama. This church was organized thirty-five years
-ago, by me, with seventy-five members, but it now had a membership of
-nine hundred. I have pastored it for lo! these many years. This church
-is an excellent brick edifice. A few other brethren and myself organized
-the Muscle Shoals Baptist Association—one of the oldest and largest
-associations in Alabama. I have been Moderator for four years and its
-Treasurer for six years. I built the church at Russellville, Alabama,
-and pastored it for four years, and then ordained Bro. P. Jones and
-recommended him as pastor. I built the Barten church and pastored it for
-a period of fifteen years, after which I recommended Rev. James Hampton
-there as pastor. I pastored the Cherokee church five years, ordained
-Bro. Dennis Jackson and recommended him there as pastor. I pastored
-Liberty Baptist church for three years, ordained Bro. Alex Brown and
-recommended him there as pastor. I served Iuka, Mississippi for five
-years and then recommended a Brother from the West, who belonged to the
-Mt. Olive Association, to it. I built up the Sheffield church, pastored
-it three years and then recommended Bro. G.B. Johnson there as shepherd.
-I also built up Mt. Moriah church at Prides, Alabama. I frequently
-uttered these words:
-
- | Where Jesus leads me I will follow
- | and his footsteps I'll pursue.
-
-I organized St. Paul church (Colbert County) and pastored it for two
-years. Rev. E.C. White, who is now Assistant Moderator of the Muscle
-Shoals Association, was ordained by me. I have ordained more than twenty
-preachers to the gospel ministry, baptized six thousand persons, united
-in marriage five thousand couples, and buried about seven thousand
-persons. I have been faithful to every charge.
-
- | Hark the voice of Jesus calling,
- | Who will and work today?
- | Fields are white and harvest waiting,
- | Who will bear the sheaves away?
-
-I have never left the old land mark. Not an one of the churches which
-I have pastored has brought a charge against me.
-
- | The deepest secrets of our hearts
- | shall shortly be made known.
-
-I have been married three times and have known no woman but my wife,
-"though unlearned and ignorant." I have never had but one "fuss" with my
-wife. I told her at one time to hush and she failed to do so, then I
-slapped her, after which I went to the Lord in prayer and asked to be
-forgiven. I regret very much indeed to inform the world in print that I
-have been drunk from intoxicating liquors twice, which was before I
-professed religion. Notwithstanding I have ever held up temperance and
-aimed to keep it high until Shiloh comes to gather up his jewels. The
-following recommendation will show what the best people of Tuscumbia
-think of me:
-
-.. class:: right smaller
-
- Tuscumbia, Ala., March 13, 1897
-..
-
- To whom it may concern:—
-
- We take pleasure in stating that we have known the bearer
- of this letter, Rev. Wilson Northcross for a number of years,
- and that he is a conscientious, intelligent colored man of
- good character. He has been pastor of the Missionary Baptist
- Church of this place since the war, having been instrumental
- in building the church, and always has made a good citizen.
- We believe him in every way worthy of the respect and confidence
- of his people.
-
-.. class:: right smaller
-
- | Fox Delony, Judge of Probate
- | Jas. H. Simpson, Circuit Clerk
- | Chas. A. Simpson, Deputy Clerk
- | W.H. Sawtelle
- | Max Lueddemann
-
-The following resolution was adopted by the church which I pastored
-thirty years:
-
- Resolved, That Rev. W.E. Northcross, our pastor, is a good,
- moral, Christian man. He has been our pastor for thirty
- years, and we can truthfully say that he teaches in all
- things by example as well as by precept.
-
-.. class:: smaller
-
- --TUSCUMBIA MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH
-
-The history of this church has undergone many changes, but they all
-worked for its betterment. At the close of the Civil war the few members
-went from brush arbor to brush arbor for three years. Then they held
-services in gin houses and under shelters for two years and six months.
-Then as the church was growing rapidly, they thought best to draw out,
-buy a lot, and build to themselves. So they bought a lot for what they
-paid fifty dollars ($50.) and erected a five hundred dollars ($500.)
-building thereon in which to worship the Lord. So the church continued
-to grow until it now has a membership of nine-hundred, a splendid brick
-edifice worth about six thousand dollars ($6,000.) and a thriving
-congregation. The church has never had but one pastor, and I have been
-as faithful as a clock. Through me (Rev. W.E. Northcross) the church was
-built, and I have ever since held high the Baptist doctrine throughout
-North Alabama.
-
-Wade Owens
-==========
-
- | **Interview with Wade Owens**
- | —*Preston Klein, Opelika, Alabama*
-
-*WADE OWENS HEARD ABE LINCOLN SPEAK*
-
-The Reverend Wade Owens of Opelika was born in Loachapoka, Alabama, in
-1863 and just missed slavery, but he has heard his homefolks talk so
-much about freeing the Negroes, he feels as if he was grown then. His
-mother and father, Wade and Hannah Owens, came from Virginia and moved
-into "Jenks Quarters" on the Berry Owens place. They had several
-children, Wade, Nettie, Chance, Anderson and Iowa. Wade used to help
-drive up the cows. This cabin was of logs, mud and sticks with leaf and
-mud chimneys and slab floors. The beds fitted into the wall with plank
-sides, two posts with planks nailed on top, resembling tables. A box
-served as a dresser.
-
-"All ash-cakes were cooked on poplar an' chestnut leaves, when dey
-roasted taters," Wade says. "Us chillun used to go early in de mornin'
-an' lick de honey offen de leaves for sweets den. Us didn't wear nothin'
-but our long shirts, an' us had homemade hats and brogans, hard as
-bricks with brass caps on de toes. I thought dey was de prettiest things
-I ever seed.
-
-"Marsa Berry an' Miss Fanny Owens was good to us niggers. My daddy was
-de carriage driver for Miss Fanny, but take keer of dat man Ben Boddy,
-the overseer. He was de meanes' man God ever put life in. He wouldn't
-let us have no fire, matter not how cold, us had to work jes' de same or
-de nigger hounds 'ud sho' get you. Iffen not dog caught, dey would beat
-you to death nearly. He was so mean marsa run him off. Dey blew de
-risin' horn an' us worked from daylight 'twell dark or frum can to
-can't.
-
-"Marsa had a pretty two-story log house, big columns an' big porch. He
-had 'bout two or three hundred acres an' worked 'bout three hundred
-slaves. Us had a jail an' locked runaways in hit. Brother Lockhart used
-to preach to us niggers in de white church at Lebanon an' us walked to
-hit.
-
-"My daddy was sold fer $160. When dey put chains on de niggers dey was
-put 'roun' de legs and arms an' to a post. Dey took pains to ho'p my
-mammy an' pappy to learn. Dey would teach de Bible to 'em too. Marsa
-used to sing dem good ole songs, 'My heart frum de tomb, a doleful
-sound. My ears attend to cry,' and 'Amazing grace how sweet it sounds.'
-
-"At baptising dey'd give de water invitation an' den go in water. An'
-didn't dey come out happy, shouting and praying? Ol' man Buck could hear
-dem two miles off, but hit was a glorious baptising.
-
-"All de hands stopped when dey was a funeral an' didn't work no mo'
-'till de body was buried. All de whites would go too. Dey would make de
-boxes, pour hot water over de plank to shape it up into a casket, den
-take turpentine an' smut to paint it. Den another big time, settin' up
-wid de dead, sing, shout an' holler an' try to preach.
-
-"De patrollers would come to de colored frolic, an' one time a han'
-slipped off an', gentlemen, didn't he give 'em trouble to ketch him, an'
-dey didn't. When dey had dem Saddy night frolics an' dance all night
-long an' nearly day when hit was goin, dey would turn de pot upside down
-in de floor to hold de soun' in. My daddy pick de banjo. At de
-cornshuckings dey'd sing 'All 'Roun' de Corn Pile Sally,' an' dey had
-whiskey an' gin. Us had good time on Chris'mas, give us toys, syrup
-candy, light bread an' grape wine.
-
-"My brother married up at de Big House an' dey giv' him a big dance an'
-marsa made me drunk. 'Twas fust one den t'other giv' it to me an'
-knocked me out. Dey had de preacher an' didn't jump de broom. Dey had de
-preacher so would be tied good. Dey would tell us chillun all kinds of
-ghos' stories 'bout witches gittin' outter dey skins. Us had free
-jumping grapevine ropes an' mumble peg. One night I was at Notasulga an'
-I heerd some singing. I stopped an' hit was right at my feet an' would
-go futher off. I took out wid hit an' hit kept stoppin' an' startin' off
-ag'in 'twell hit giv' out entirely. I looked to see where I was an' I
-was at de cemetery an' nothin' didn't bother me neither. I eased out an'
-shut de gate an' never foun' whut carried me dere.
-
-"When us 'ud git sick, dey would bleed you, stick somp'n in your arm and
-draw de blood. Den dey would giv' us scurry grass and fever weed.
-Bone-set was use' as teas for colds an' fever to sweat you. An' hit sho'
-would sweat you, too. Marsa said war was comin' an' thought hit was to
-free us. Pappy went to war with young marsa an' stayed 'twell he got
-killed.
-
-.. _`Rev. Wade Owens`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image312owens.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Rev. Wade Owens
-
- Rev. Wade Owens, Opelika, Alabama
-
-"Dey hid de carriage horses, meat, silver an' plates. Yankees asked
-iffen marsa was good, an' us said yes. Dey searched de smokehouse an'
-some scraps no good an' nothin' but scrappy horses so dey didn't bother
-a thing. Us stayed one year an' worked on one-eighth farm. The Ku Klux
-Klan was turrible. One John Lyons would cut off a woman's breast an' a
-man's ear or thumb.
-
-"Atter I got growed I married Leila Benford at Mr. Lockhart's house, an'
-us had a nice little frolic, wid cake, syrup pudding an' wine. It was a
-fine night wid me, 'caze all kissed de bride. Us had fourteen children,
-jes' eight living, Minnie, Wade, Robert, Walter, Viola, Joe, Jim and
-Johnnie, an' ten grand-chilun.
-
-"I heered Abraham Lincoln speak once at Chicaumaugee Mountain an' he
-said 'For people, by people, and through people.' I always 'membered
-dat. I jined de church 'caze I got converted."
-
-Molly Parker
-============
-
- | **Interview with Molly Parker**
- | —*Preston Klein, Opelika, Alabama*
-
-*HE WAS A GOOD OVERSEER AND TREATED SLAVES RIGHT*
-
-Down in lower Lee County I found Molly Parker, an old acquaintance,
-ailing, and with the wandering mind of the aged. She could find answers
-to some of my questions, but some she couldn't get straight. She was
-just as clean and neat as she had always been, clad in an apron dress
-that she would call a "Mother Huggard."
-
-Molly is eighty-five years old and lives with her sister Edna in a
-simple cabin, with a little patch of flowers between it and the field
-where Edna is still young enough to work. Molly was a housewife's
-treasure in the days gone by, but now she is too feeble to do more than
-work her little patch of flowers.
-
-.. _`Molly Parker`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image315parker.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Molly Parker
-
- Molly Parker, Lee County, Alabama
-
-She was born in Virginia but was brought to Alabama when a child and
-sold to a Mr. Dunn, near Salem. Her mother and father were John and
-Fanny, the parents of four children, Molly, Edna, Sam and Albert.
-
-"I was a big size housegirl, but I sho' could work," Molly recalled.
-"Mr. Digby blowed a big bugle early every morning to get us all up and
-going by bright light. Mr. Digby was a good overseer and treated all de
-slaves de best he knew how.
-
-"I married Dick Parker on a Sunday and dey fixed us a big dinner wid
-more good things to eat, but I was too happy to eat much myself. I ain't
-had no chillun of my own, but I ho'ped mammy with hern.
-
-"De Yankees done camped nigh our house, and I had to help cook and tote
-de grub down to 'em. Us read in de free paper 'bout us being free. Massa
-didn't tell us nothing, but us stayed on for a long time atter dat.
-Massa had a passel of slaves.
-
-"Yes'm, I'se a member of de church. Why I jined? Jest for protection, I
-reckon.
-
-"I'd hate to see slavery time ag'in, 'cause hit sho' was bad for some of
-de niggers, but us fared good though."
-
-Lindy Patton
-============
-
- | **Interview with Lindy Patton**
- | —*Alice S. Barton, Eutaw, Alabama*
-
-*FIFTY YEARS IN DE PO' HOUSE*
-
-"White folks," said Lindy Patton, from a chair in the Greene County Poor
-House. "I was born in 1841 an' it taken me fifty years to git to de po'
-house. Now I is got jus' fo' mo' years to make it an' even fifty dat I
-been dere. I hopes I makes de grade, caze dat would be some sorta rec'd
-wouldn't it? Fifty years in de po' house.
-
-.. _`Lindy Patton`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image317patton.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Lindy Patton
-
- Lindy Patton, [TR: Eutaw], Alabama
-
-"I wukked in de fiel's an' I worked hard all day long. De white folks
-useta gimme de clothes of de lil' white chilluns. I was born in
-Knoxville, Alabama, in Greene County, an' I belonged to Massa Bill
-Patton. I remembers a slave on our plantation dat was always arunnin'
-away. De Massa try beatin' him but dat didn't do no good. Dat nigger
-would run away in spite of nothin' they could do. One day de massa
-decided he was goin' to take de nigger to Mobile an' swap him for
-anudder one. De Misstis tol' him to leave de ole fool alone, said it
-warn't worth the trouble. Well, de massa started out to Mobile wid de
-nigger, an' when de got dere an' de train stop, de nigger, he lit out
-an' de massa runned right behine him. Dey musta runned a mile or mo'
-till finally de Massa he gib out an' let de nigger go. Two days later de
-massa he died f'm a-chasin' dat low down burr head.
-
-"Nawsuh, de white folks didn't teach us to read or write. White folks, I
-can't hardly count none at all. We didn't have no church on dat place
-neither. We jus' went along wid de massa an' sot in de back. I ain't
-never ma'ied, an' I ain't never goin' to."
-
-Simon Phillips
-==============
-
- | **Interview with Simon Phillips**
- | —*J. Morgan Smith*
-
-*EX-SLAVE LEADER RECALLS OLD DAYS*
-
-Simon Phillips, ex-slave, at 90 years is still as clear-thinking as a
-young man, and a leader among the oldsters of his race in Birmingham and
-Alabama. He has been for the past twenty-three years president of the
-union of ex-slaves which is composed of 1,500 Negroes scattered
-throughout Alabama. He is the only one of the Birmingham organizers of
-the society living today and though one of the oldest of his group, he
-shows but few signs of decrepitude. He walks with the aid of a hickory
-cane which has been in his possession for almost a half century, and his
-memory is not only accurate but vivid. His physical activity is shown by
-the fact that he had already spaded his garden and tiny stalks had
-pushed themselves above the ground on a plot of earth, covering
-approximately seventy-five yards square, on the Spring morning when he
-took "a little time off" to talk of the past.
-
-Well does he recall the days when, under Alabama skies in the 1860's, he
-curried his master's fine carriage horses; the times old Aunt Hannah
-cured him of "achin's" with vegetable and root herbs; the nights he
-spent in the slave quarters singing spirituals with his family.
-
-Simon Phillips was one of 300 Negroes belonging to Bryant Watkins, a
-planter of Greensboro, Alabama. He was a house man, which means that he
-mixed the drinks, opened the carriage doors, brought refreshments on the
-porch to guests, saw that the carriage was always in the best of
-condition and tended the front lawn. When asked about slave days, he
-gets a far-away expression in his eyes; an expression of tranquil joy.
-
-"People," he says, "has the wrong idea of slave days. We was treated
-good. My massa never laid a hand on me durin' the whole time I was wid
-him. He scolded me once for not bringin' him a drink when I was supposed
-to, but he never whup me."
-
-The old slave added that every plantation had a still and there was much
-brandy, but he rarely ever saw a drunk man. He says that when the men
-felt themselves becoming intoxicated, they would go home and lie down;
-now, he says, they go home and fall down.
-
-The plantation on which Simon lived was seven miles long and three miles
-wide. When luncheon was served, the Negroes far off in the bottom lands
-had their food brought to them by the trash gang (boys and women) while
-those in the nearer cotton fields ate in a large mess hall. The food
-consisted of turnip greens, meat, peas, crackling bread and syrup, and
-plenty of it. "Not since those days," he states, "have I had such good
-food."
-
-"What about the marriage situation, Simon?" he was asked. "How did you
-go about getting a wife?"
-
-"Well, nigger jus' go to the massa and tell him that there's a gal over
-in Cap'n Smith's place that he want for a wife, if she happen to be
-there. Then the massa go to Cap'n Smith and offer to buy her. Maybe he
-do and maybe he don't. It depend on whether the Cap'n will sell her, and
-iffen she a good strong, healthy nigger. Niggers was bought mostly like
-hosses. I was too young to have me a wife when I was wid de massa, but I
-got me one later on after the war."
-
-.. _`Simon Phillips`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image318phillips.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Simon Phillips
-
- Simon Phillips, Birmingham, Alabama
-
-During the War between the States, Simon served as body guard for John
-Edward Watkins, son of the plantation owner. Body guards went with
-their owners and cleaned the guns, kept the camp in order and did some
-cooking. Simon entered the war at the age of fourteen in Joe Wheeler's
-51st cavalry. He distinctly recalls the time he stood within ten feet of
-the great general while he was making a speech.
-
-Sometimes slaves were parted from their families, because when one
-planter bought a Negro from another planter, he did not necessarily buy
-his wife or children, or husband, as the case might be. The slaves were
-advertised around and put on a block to stand while they were auctioned.
-Women invariably brought more than men. He was asked, "about overseers,
-Simon. What sort of men were they?"
-
-"Well," he answered, "some was mighty mean. When the massa be away, they
-tried to think up things to whup us for. But when the massa around, had
-he catch 'em gettin' ready for to beat a slave, he say, 'don't cut no
-blood from that Nigger!'"
-
-Born in Hale County in 1847, Simon Phillips stayed with his master until
-1886 at which time he went to live in Tuscaloosa to earn 17¢ a day, but
-he says he fared better on it than on three dollars now.
-
-After the war many Negroes stayed with their masters and he remembers
-that some of the carpetbaggers came through his plantation and tried to
-make the ex-slaves stake off the land, saying that half of it belonged
-to them.
-
-"One day," says Simon, "a few niggers was stickin' sticks in the ground
-when the massa come up.
-
-"'What you Niggers doin'?' he asked.
-
-"'We is stakin' off de land, massa. The Yankees say half of it is
-ourn.'
-
-"The massa never got mad. He jus' look calm like.
-
-"'Listen, niggers' he says, 'what's mine is mine, and what's yours is
-yours. You are just as free as I and the missus, but don't go foolin'
-around my land. I've tried to be a good master to you. I have never been
-unfair. Now if you wants to stay, you are welcome to work for me. I'll
-pay you one third the crops you raise. But if you wants to go, you sees
-the gate.'
-
-"The massa never have no more trouble. Them niggers jus' stays right
-there and works. Sometime they loaned the massa money when he was hard
-pushed. Most of 'em died on the old grounds. I was the youngest of a
-family of sixteen and I has one sister still livin' on the old
-plantation. I'm going down to see her next week, 'cause I can never tell
-when the Great Master is goin' to call. We's gotta be ready when he
-does, and both us is gettin' mighty old. I wanta be sure and see her and
-the old place once more."
-
-Roxy Pitts
-==========
-
- | **Interview with Roxy Pitts**
- | —*Preston Klein, Opelika, Alabama*
-
-*ROXY PITTS RECALLS CHILDHOOD*
-
-"I don't know 'zackly whar I was born," said Aunt Roxy Pitts, "but it
-was summuz 'roun Youngsboro, Alabama, en it was in 1855, fo' de wah
-started, dat Ole Marster said I was born. How ole dat make me?
-Eighty-two, gwine on eighty-t'ree? Dat's right, en I be eighty-t'ree
-year ole dis time nex' year, iffen I lives.
-
-"Yassum, I goes to church putty reg'lar, iffen it don't rain; coz de
-rain makes de mizry in my hip en lays me up. I belongs to de Baptis'
-church en was baptize wid Jesus when I was twelve year ole. I'se a
-foot-washin' Baptis', I is, but dey ain't none of dem kind er Baptis'
-'roun' here, en I jes goes wid de udder Baptis' en sets in de amen
-corner, en iffen I wants to shout, I shouts, en nobody ain't gonner stop
-me, bless the Lord!
-
-"My fu'st marster was name Sam Jones, but I don't 'member him. My udder
-marster, de one what I 'members, was name Sam Peg, en us lived clost to
-a little town name Limekiln. My mammy was part Injun, en Ole marster
-cudden' keep her home ner workin' needer; she alluz runnin' off an stay
-out in de woods all night long. When I was a little gal, she runned off
-ag'in en lef' a teeny little baby, en nebber did come back no mo'. Dey
-said she gone whar de Injuns is. Dat was atter de wah, en pappy had to
-raise dat little bitsy baby hisse'f. He tuk it en me to de fiel' whar he
-workin', en kep' a bottle of sweeten water in he shirt to keep warm to
-gib de baby when it cry. Den Pappy he mai'ed Aunt Josie en dey had er
-whole passel er chilluns, en dey was my brudders en sisters.
-
-"'Member 'bout de wah? Sho', I 'members 'bout de wah; but us don't hab
-no wah whar us was. Ole Marster got kilt in Virginny, dey said, en he
-didn't nebber come back home, en dem what did come back was all crippled
-up an hurt. Us didn't see no Yankees 'twel dey come along atter de wah
-was gone, en dey tuk Ole Mistis' good hosses en lef' some po' ole mules,
-en dey tuk all us's co'n en didn't lef' us nuddin' to eat in de
-smokehouse. Dey runned off all de chickens dey cudden ketch, en jes' fo'
-dey lef', de ole rooster flewed up on de fence 'hine de orchard en crow:
-'IS-DE-YANKEES-G-O-N-E-E'? En de guinea settin' on de lot fence, say:
-'Not Yit, Not Yit,' en de ole drake what was hid under de house, he say:
-'Hush-h-h, Hush-h-h.'
-
-"Us chilluns sho was misch'us. One time, atter a big rain, us foun' two
-hens swimmin' aroun' in de tater house, en us tuk en helt em under de
-water twel' dey's done drownded dead, en we tuk 'em to Mammy en she
-cooked 'em in a pot en shot de kitchen do'. When dem chickens got done,
-us went under de flo' en riz up a plank en got in de kitchen en stole
-one ob dem chickens outen de pot en et it smack up. When Mammy foun' dat
-chicken gone, she tuk er brush broom an wo' us plum out. But us didn't
-keer; de brush broom didn't hurt nigh lak de chickens taste good." Aunt
-Roxy nodded her head and rocked back and forth, as if she enjoyed
-recalling those youthful escapades.
-
-"Yassum, I kin see plenty good enough to sew, cep'n' I can't tread de
-needle, en I has to keep atter dese triflin' chilluns to he'p me. You
-see dis quilt I'se piecin! Miss Lucy gwine gib me tree dollars fer it,
-coz she say it be made right, en dat's de way I makes em. Miss Lucy know
-she got er good quilt, when I gits t'ru wid it."
-
-"Is yer got enny snuff, Missy? You don't dip snuff! No'me, I didn't tink
-you did."
-
-Carrie Pollard
-==============
-
- | **Interview with Carrie Pollard**
- | —*Ruby Pickens Tartt, Livingston, Alabama*
-
-*A HUSBAND COULDN'T BE BOUGHT*
-
-Carrie Pollard was born in slavery time but she was never a slave. Her
-grandmother was a free woman who came to Tuscaloosa as a servant in the
-1820's and was rescued from a man who claimed ownership, but whose claim
-was disallowed. The grandmother went to Gainesville, with her slave
-husband for whom she bought freedom.
-
-One of her daughters, who was Carrie Pollard's Aunt Cynthia, was not so
-lucky. She couldn't buy her husband free. The story, told so often to
-Carrie when she was a child, is still a bright memory to the mulatto
-woman who was born in 1859 and still lives in Gainesville in the house
-of her birth.
-
-.. _`Carrie Pollard`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image324pollard.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Carrie Pollard
-
- Carrie Pollard, Gainesville, Alabama
-
-"My Aunt Cynthy," said Carrie, "was free born in North Carolina. She
-come down here to Gainesville, an' though the deed sez you can't take a
-blue veined chile an' make a slave outa her, de man whut brought her
-made like he owned her or sump'in'. She lived on one plantation wid her
-guardian. Tom Dobbs, a slave nigger whut belonged to Mr. Dobbs here in
-Gainesville, he lived on another farm cross de road. An' dey couldn't
-marry, 'caze Mr. Dobbs wouldn't sell Tom an' Aunt Cynthy's white folks
-wouldn't let her marry, so dey jes' taken up an' went ahead. Her an' Tom
-had nine chillun, as fine looking mulattoes ez you'd wanta see. An' old
-Mr. Dobbs wanted 'em an' he couldn't get 'em.
-
-"Aunt Cynthy was a good midwife, so a white lady sent fer her to come to
-Sumterville, Alabama, to nuss her an' she went. An' while she was dere,
-she dream't sump'in' done happened to her chillun an' dat dey was in
-trouble. So she tole de white lady she was nussin' 'bout whut she
-dream't an' she said, 'Mammy, iffen you is worried 'bout your chillun
-I'ze gwineter send you to a fortune teller an' see whut's de matter.'
-
-"De fortune teller cut de cards, an' den she looked up en tole Aunt
-Cynthia 'All yo' chillun an' your husband done gone an' I can't tell you
-where dey's at.' So Aunt Cynthia run back an' tole de white lady. She
-called her husband an' he had one of his niggers saddle up two hosses
-an' ride wid Aunt Cynthy back to Gainesville. When she foun' her
-guardian, Mr. Steele, he met her wid de news dat dey was tuck to DeKalb,
-Mississippi.
-
-"He got on his hoss an' tuck some other white men wid him, an' dey
-captured old man Dobbs right dere wid Tom an' de nine chillun. Dey done
-stopped an' camped an' was cookin' supper. So Mr. Steele tole him he
-could keep Tom, 'caze he was hissen, an' a slave, but Cynthy was free
-born an' he couldn't have her chillun. But Mr. Dobbs sez he didn't want
-Tom nohow, caze he was part Indian an' no 'count an' wouldn't work. So
-Mr. Steele bought Tom for Aunt Cynthy an' brought 'em all back to live
-wid him. An' he give Aunt Cynthy an' Tom an' de chillun a nice house
-right 'cross de branch here after surrender."
-
-Carrie tells of how her grandmother used to send them to the mill in
-Gainesville with wheat, "jes' lack you do corn nowadays, to git flour.
-An' us git de grudgins an' de seconds an' have de bes' buckwheat cakes
-you ever et."
-
-She says there are more black Negroes now in Gainesville than she has
-ever seen. She says, "Hit use to be a sight to see 'bout fifty bes'
-lookin' mulatto girls up in de public square here listenin' to de ban'
-an' nussen' de chillun, not five black ones in de bunch. An' dey had
-good sense, too. Us didn't have no clocks, so us white mistis would say,
-'Yawl come home a hour by sun to do de night work,' an' us didn't hardly
-ever miss it." She says her grandmother sent her two daughters to school
-in Mobile, and they went down the river from Gainesville in a river boat
-called *Cremonia*.
-
-Irene Poole
-===========
-
- | **Interview with Irene Poole**
- | —*Susie R. O'Brien, Uniontown, Alabama*
-
-*HUSH WATER FOR TALKATIVE WOMEN*
-
-Under the spreading branches of an enormous fig tree laden with ripe
-fruit "Aunt Irene" sat dreaming of old times. At her feet several
-chickens scratched and waited for the soft plop of an over ripe fig as
-it fell to the ground.
-
-Aunt Irene's back is bent with age and rheumatism, but her two-room
-cabin is as clean and neat as a pin. Her small yard is a mass of color
-where marigolds, zinnias, verbena and cockscomb run riot, and over the
-roughly-made arch at the gate trailed cypress vine in full bloom. "Good
-morning Aunt Irene," I said. "A penny for your thoughts."
-
-"Well honey, I don't know as dey is wo'th a penny; not to you anyhow. I
-was jes' stud'in' 'bout ole times an' 'bout mah ole marster. You know if
-he was livin' today he would be a hundred an' sixteen years ole."
-
-"Who was your master Aunt Irene? Tell me about him."
-
-"His name was Jeff Anderson Poole an' he was de bes' man in de world.
-Mah ole miss was name Mollie. I was born on his plantation three miles
-from Uniontown eighty five years ago.
-
-"Mah pappy, Alfred Poole, b'longed to Marse Jeff an' he bought mah
-mammy, Palestine Kent, from another plantation 'cause mah pappy jes'
-couldn' do no work fer thinkin' 'bout her.
-
-"Marse Jeff paid fifteen hunderd dollars for my mammy an' her three
-little chillun. Marse Jeff was rich, he owned three big plantations an'
-Lawd knows how many niggers. Dey was a hunderd head on our plantation.
-He lacked to race horses an' had a stable full o' fine racers. I spec'
-he made lots o' his money on dem horses. Miss Mollie say when he win he
-swell out his ches' an' stick his thum's in de armhole of his ves' an'
-talk 'bout it, but when he lose he don't say nothin'.
-
-"Yas ma'am dere was always plenty to eat. A thousan' poun's o' meat
-wasn't nothin' to kill on our plantation. My mammy was de cook in de big
-house an' my pappy driv de carriage an' went 'roun' wid Marse Jeff when
-he tuck trips. I was a house servant too. When I wasn' nothin' mo' in a
-baby, de oberseer's wife tuck me to train, so I would know how to ac' in
-de big house.
-
-"One day she started to give me a whuppin'. Us was out in de yard an'
-when she bent over to git a switch I runned under her hoopskirt. When
-she look 'roun' she didn't see me nowhar. After while she started on up
-to de house an' I runned along wid her under de hoopskirt, takin' little
-steps so I wouldn't trip her up, till I seed a chance to slip out."
-Irene threw back her head and laughed loud and long at this amusing
-memory.
-
-Asked then about her mistress she said: "Yas ma'am she was good. She
-never punished me, she used to go 'roun' de quarters eve'y mornin' to
-see 'bout her sick niggers. She always had a little basket wid oil,
-teppentine an' number six in it. Number six was strong medicine. You had
-to take it by de drap. I always toted de basket. She gived me mah
-weddin' dress. It was white tarletan wid ban's o' blue ribbin. I sole de
-dress las' year but I can show you de pantalets she made me. I used to
-wear 'em to meetin' on Sunday when us had singin' an' de preacher said
-words." Aunt Irene brought out the deep ruffled pantalets carefully
-folded and yellow with age, she had treasured them for seventy-five
-years.
-
-"No ma'am, Marse Jeff didn't go to de war, I don't know why. I guess it
-was 'cause he was so rich. Now don't you be thinkin' he was gun shy,
-'cause he wasn't an' he done his part too 'cause he took keer o' five
-widders an' dey chillun when dey men got kilt in de war.
-
-"My pappy lef de night de Yankees tuck Selma. It was on Sunday, an' I
-ain't seed him since.
-
-"After de surrender us staid on with Marse Jeff. Us didn't keer nothin'
-'bout bein' free 'cause us had good times on de plantation. On Sadday
-dey had corn shuckin's an' de niggers had a week at Chris'mas wid
-presents for eve'ybody. Camping at de big house an' mo' to eat in one
-day den I sees now in a year.
-
-"Aunt Irene, do you remember anything about the conjurers in the old
-days?"
-
-"I don't put much sto' by dem folks. Dey used to give you de han' so you
-could please yo' mistess an' dey would sell you hush water in a jug.
-Hush water was jes' plain water what dey fixed so if you drink it you
-would be quiet an' patient. De mens would git it to give to dey wives to
-make 'em hush up. I reckon some of de mens would be glad to git some now
-'cause gals dese days is got too much mouf."
-
-Nicey Pugh
-==========
-
- | **Interview with Nicey Pugh**
- | —*Ila B. Prine, [HW: Mobile]*
-
-"I was bawn a slave, but I ain't neber been a slave", was Aunt Nicey's
-first remark to me as I came upon her pulling up potato draws in her
-garden in Prichard, Alabama. "Dere was 'leben chilluns in my family an'
-all 'em is daid ceptin' me an' one brother who is seventy-five year old
-at de present time. My pappy's name was Hamp West an' my mammy was Sarah
-West. All my folks belonged to Massa Jim Bettis, an' was born an' raised
-on his place.
-
-"When I was a little pickaninny I worked in Massa Jim's house,
-sweepin' an' a-cleanin'. Us slaves had to be up at de house by sunup,
-build de fires an' git de cookin' started. Dey had big open fireplaces
-wid potracks to hang de pot on. Dat's whar us boiled de vegetables. An'
-honey, us sho had plenty somp'n' t'eat: greens, taters, peas, rosenyurs
-an' plenty of home killed meat. Sometimes my oldest brother, Joe West,
-an' Friday Davis, anudder nigger, went huntin' at night an' kotched mo'
-possums dan we could eat. Dey'd ketch lots of fish; 'nuf to las' us
-three days.
-
-"I remembers one day when me an' anudder little nigger gal was agoin'
-atter de cows down in de fiel' an' us seed whut I reckon' was de Ku Klux
-Klan. Us was so skeered us didn't know whut to do. One of 'em walked up
-to us an' say: 'Niggers, whar you agoin'?'
-
-"'Us is jus' atter de cows, Mr. Ku Klux,' us say. 'Us ain't up to no
-debilment.'
-
-"'All right den,' dey say, 'jus' you be sho dat you don't git up to
-none.'
-
-"Atter we got home us told de massa 'bout de 'sperience, an' he jus'
-laugh. He tol' us dat we warn't goin' to be hurt iffen we was good; he
-say dat it was only de bad niggers dat was goin' to be got atter by dem
-Ku Klux.
-
-"When we was little we didn't hab no games to play, kaze Massa Jim an'
-Miss Marfa didn't hab no chilluns, an' I ain't neber had no speriences
-wid ha'nts or hoodoos. Dey neber teach us to read or write kaze when de
-niggers learn anything, dey would git upitty an' want to run away. We
-would hab Sad'day afternoons off, den us would sweep de yards, an' set
-aroun' on benches an' talk. It was on de benches dat mos' of us slaves
-set in warm weather. We et outen tin cups an' us used iron spoons to
-shovel de food in.
-
-"At Christmas time, Massa would have a bunch of niggers to kill a hog
-an' barbecue him, an' de womens would make 'lasses cake, an' ole massa
-Jim had some kinda seed dat he made beer outen, an' we-alls drank beer
-'roun' Christmas.
-
-"But dere warn't no udder time such as New Years. Us all celebrated in a
-big way den. Most of dem no 'count niggers stayed drunk fo' three days.
-
-"An' as fo' de funerals, I don't eber remember but three white folks
-dyin'. Dey jus' didn't seem to die in dem days, an' de ones dat did die
-was mostly kilt by somp'n'. One white gentman got hisself kilt in a gin
-'chinery an' anudder was kilt a workin' on de big road. Den dere was a
-white 'oman who was kilt by a nigger boy kaze she beat him for sicking a
-dog on a fine milk cow. He was de meanest nigger boy I eber seed. I'll
-neber forgits de way dem white mens treated him atter he done had his
-trial. Dey drug him through de town behin' a hoss, an' made him walk
-ober sharp stones wid his bare feets, dat bled lak somebody done cut 'em
-wid a knife. Dey neber gib him no water all dat day an' kep' him out in
-de boilin' sun till dey got ready to hang him. When dey got ready to
-hang him dey put him up on a stand and chunked rocks at his naked body;
-dey thro gravel in his eyes and broke his ribs wid big rocks. Den dey
-put a rope around his neck an' strung him up till his eyes pop outen his
-head. I knowed it was a blessin' to him to die.
-
-"But all and all, white folks, den was de really happy days for us
-niggers. Course we didn't hab de 'vantages dat we has now, but dere wus
-somp'n' back dere dat we ain't got now, an' dat's secu'aty. Yassuh, we
-had somebody to go to when we was in trouble. We had a Massa dat would
-fight fo' us an' help us an' laugh wid us an' cry wid us. We had a
-Mistis dat would nuss us when we was sick, an' comfort us when we hadda
-be punished. I sometimes wish I could be back on de ole place. I kin see
-de cool-house now packed wid fresh butter an' milk an' cream. I can see
-de spring down amongst de willows an' de water a trickling down between
-little rocks. I can hear de turkeys a gobblin' in de yard and de
-chickens a runnin' aroun' in de sun, an' shufflin' in de dus'. I can see
-de bend in de creek jus' below our house, an' de cows as dey come to
-drink in de shallow water an' gits dere feets cool.
-
-.. _`Nicey Pugh`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image329pugh.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Nicey Pugh
-
- Nicey Pugh, Prichard, Alabama
-
-"Yassuh, white folks, you ain't neber seed nothin' lak it so you can't
-tell de joy you gits f'um lookin' for dewberries an' a-huntin' guinea
-pigs, an' settin' in de shade of a peach tree, reachin' up an' pullin'
-off a ripe peach and eatin' it slow. You ain't neber seed your people
-gathered 'bout an' singin' in de moonlight or heered de lark at de break
-of day. You ain't neber walked acrost a frosty fiel' in de early
-mornin', an' gone to de big house to build a fire for your Mistis, an'
-when she wake up slow have her say to you: 'Well, how's my little nigger
-today?'
-
-"Nawsuh, jus' lak I told you at fus'. I was bawn a slave, but I ain't
-neber been one. I'se been a worker for good peoples. You wouldn't calls
-dat bein' a slave would you, white folks?"
-
-Sally Reynolds
-==============
-
- | **Personal conversation with Sallie Reynolds**
- | **552 South Conception Street, Mobile, Alabama**
- | —*Compiled by Mary A. Poole*
-
-*SATAN'S GOIN' 'ROUND WID HIS TAIL CURLED UP*
-
-Sally Reynolds, living at 552 South Conception street, was busy at the
-wash tub when the writer called to interview her on July 20, 1937, so it
-being a hot day we decided to continue our conversation out doors under
-the washshed amid a conglomeration of tubs, buckets, empty boxes, etc.
-
-Sallie said she was born in Hiltown, Georgia, where her mother Margaret
-Owens was a slave and the cook on the plantation of Mr. Lit Albritton.
-When Sallie was about three years of age her mother gave her to Mrs.
-Becke Albritton, who lived at New Providence, near Rutledge in Crenshaw
-County, Alabama, to whom she was bound until 21 years of age. There was
-also a brother given by her mother to some folks in Florida and of whom
-Sallie never had any knowledge whatever.
-
-Sallie said Mrs. Albritton was kind to her, taught her to spin and
-sew, and she tried to learn herself to weave, but, somehow, could never
-master it.
-
-Mrs. Albritton had only a few slaves who were named, Mose, Dan, Charles,
-Sandy (the latter so called because he ate sand as a child), and two
-women, Hannah and Tene.
-
-They had no regular quarters but just cabins out in a rear lot.
-
-Sallie said all the whippings were given by either of the young Messrs.
-Albritton, they were high tempered, as their father was before them. She
-laughed and said she had Indian blood in her veins and sometimes she was
-sassy as she felt independent knowing Mrs. Albritton would always take
-her part.
-
-She recalled the Yankee's coming through after the war, one remained at
-the Albritton home after the others had gone on, and she remembered
-hearing Mrs. Albritton telling friends who visited her, that after this
-soldier had left he wrote Mrs. Albritton a letter, telling her to look
-on the back of the bench on the gallery where he had sat and she would
-find his message. Sallie said she was a little girl sitting on the floor
-at her mistress feet, ready to fetch and carry for her and she often
-wondered but didn't dare ask what the message was; she did, however,
-hear some one say that the Yankees said, if they ever came again, they
-would take them from the cradle and that puzzled her, to know just what
-they meant.
-
-Mrs. Albritton had a regular herb garden and Sallie helped her to gather
-the herbs, Pennyroil, Dock Sage, Tansy (single and double), Thyme, and
-Yarrow. They used Samson Snake Root in whiskey for cramps, and Butterfly
-weed for risings.
-
-The writer asked Sallie about church and she said they had no church but
-Mr. Albritton talked to her and impressed on her as a child to never
-touch anything that did not belong to her. "Ask for it and if not given
-to her, to let it alone and to never lie, or to carry tales, and she
-could always keep out of trouble." Sallie said she hated to see Sunday
-morning come, as the men folks were around the house and they would pick
-on her and somehow she would get a beating.
-
-Sallie remained with Mrs. Albritton until she was 22 years, when she
-married John Russell, by whom she had three children. They all died as
-babies, later she married Gus Reynolds, (now dead) so Sallie just rents
-a room and lives alone.
-
-Sallie says present generation knows too much and too little, that the
-"Old-time religion" was best for all, she thinks "Satan's goin' 'round
-wid his tail curled up, catching all he can devour"; and "folks should
-do like Christ did when Satan tried to tempt Him, and tell Satan to go
-get behind them, and they get behind Jesus they could not have sorrow
-run across their hearts and minds."
-
-Mary Rice
-=========
-
- | **Interview with Mary Rice**
- | —*Gertha Couric, [HW: Eufaula]*
-
-*DESE UPPITY NIGGERS*
-
-Few of the ex-slaves will readily admit that they were mere field hands
-in the old days. Generally they prefer to leave the impression that they
-were house servants, or at least stable boys or dairy hands.
-
-But "aunt" Mary Rice, age 92, who lives in Eufaula, holds no such view
-about the superior social position of house servants. She was a "big
-missy gal" ('teen age) during the War, and about her duties on the
-plantation of Dr. Cullen Battle near Tuskegee, where she was born, she
-said:
-
-"Honey, I lived in de quahter. I was a fiel' nigger, but when I was a
-lil' gal, I helped around de milk-house, churnin', washing de pails and
-de lak, and den give all de little niggers milk.
-
-.. _`Mary Rice`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image335rice.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Mary Rice
-
- Mary Rice, Eufaula, Alabama
-
-"Massa Cullen and Mistis' Ma'y Jane was de bes' Marster and Mistis' in
-de worl'. Once when I was awful sick, Mistis' Ma'y Jane had me brung in
-de Big House and put me in a room dat sot on de 'tother side of the
-kitchen so she could take kere of me herself 'cause it was a right fur
-piece to de quahter and I had to be nussed day and night.
-
-"Yassum, I was jes' as happy bein' a fiel' han' as I would'er been at de
-Big House; mebbe mo' so. De fiel' han's had a long spell when de crops
-was laid by in de summer and dat's when Massa Cullen 'lowed us to
-'jubilate' (several days of idle celebration). I was happy all de time
-in slavery days, but dere ain't much to git happy over now, 'cep'n I's
-livin'—thank de Lawd. Massa Cullen was a rich man, and owned all de
-worl' from Chestnut Hill to de ribers, and us always had eberything us
-needed.
-
-"Niggers dese days ain't neber knowed whut good times is. Mebbe dat's
-why dey ain't no 'count. And dey is so uppity, too, callin' dereselves
-'cullud folks and havin' gold teeth. Dey sez de mo' gold teeth dey has,
-de higher up in chu'ch dey sets. Huh!"
-
-Cornelia Robinson
-=================
-
- | **Interview with Cornelia Robinson**
- | —*Preston Klein, Opelika, Alabama*
-
-*DE YANKEES WUZ A HARRICANE*
-
-"One time I 'members a storm us had. I calls it a harricane; but it was
-really de Yankees comin' through."
-
-Quaint, little Cornelia Robinson was anxious to give all the facts she
-could remember about slavery days; but she was only about four years old
-during the latter days of that period, and must depend a great deal on
-what has been told her.
-
-"Chile, dem Yankees come through an' cleaned out de smokehouse; even
-lef' de lard bucket as clean as yo' hand. Ol' Marster tuk his bes'
-horses an' mules to de big swamp, an' de Yankees couldn't fin' 'em. But
-dey tore up everything dey couldn't take wid dem. Dey poured all de
-syrup out an' it run down de road lak water.
-
-"One pore little nigger boy was so skeered dat when he went out to git
-up de cows an' when he couldn't fin' some of 'em, he laid down in a
-hollow stump an' nearly froze to death. Dey had to thaw him out in de
-branch, but he was powerful sick. He war'nt no 'count for nothin' atter
-dat.
-
-"I 'members dat Ol' Mistus saved all her jewels an' sech frum de
-Yankees. She brung 'em out to de nigger cabins an' hid 'em amongst us."
-
-Cornelia, forever smiling, wears her gray hair in two short braids down
-the back. She says her father and mother were George and Harriett
-Yancey, who belonged first to a Mrs. Baugh and who were later sold to a
-Dr. Trammell, of near Lafayette. Her brothers and sisters were Charlie,
-Willie, Albert and Ann.
-
-.. _`Cornelia Robinson`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image337robinson.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Cornelia Robinson
-
- Cornelia Robinson, Opelika, Alabama
-
-"I 'members de high, four-poster beds us useter sometimes sleep on," she
-said. "I was so little dat I had to crawl into 'em wid de help of a
-stool. I 'members dat de mud fireplaces of early times was far back,
-deep an' wide. All de little niggers was fed milk an' bread, wid de
-bread crumbled in. Us also had pot licker an' greens.
-
-"Our clothes was muslin an' calico for de hot weather; an' den in winter
-us had linty cloth, part wool an' part cotton, homespun. Us raised de
-sheep, too, but us didn't wear no clothes hardly in hot weather.
-
-"Us sho' did have a good marster an' mistis. Dey give us all de clothes
-an' food us needed an' gived us medicine. Us wore asafetida an' pennies
-aroun' our necks to help us not to git sick.
-
-"Dey taught my mother to read an' write, too. Not many done dat. She'd
-read de Bible to us little niggers an' give prayers. Atter slavery, us
-had schools. I 'members dat George Hawkins an' his wife taught it."
-
-Cornelia recalls some of the happenings of slavery times.
-
-"If de slaves went off de plantation widout a pass, de patterollers
-would ketch 'em an' beat 'em powerful bad. If de niggers could outrun de
-patterollers an' git home fust dey couldn't be whupped. Dey had dogs
-called 'nigger hounds', same like dey had bird dogs, an' dey would track
-de slaves an' bring dem back home.
-
-"I 'members my mother goin' to corn shuckin's. 'Course dey put us little
-niggers to bed 'fore dey went but dey sho' sounded lak dey was havin' a
-big time, hollerin' an' singin'. Us went to de white folks church in de
-afternoon, an' de Reverend Gardner was a mighty good preacher. When any
-of us niggers died, Marster was good to us an' let all de niggers quit
-an' attend de burial. Dey made de coffins at home an' would black dem
-wid soot.
-
-"Us had a ol' quack herb doctor on de place. Some bad boys went up to
-his house one night an' poured a whole lot of de medicine down him. An
-honey, dat ol' man died de next day.
-
-"Atter I got grown I married Robert Benson an' us had four chillun and
-several grandchillun."
-
-Cornelia, beaming and apparently happy every minute of the day, lives
-with one of her grandchildren in Opelika.
-
-Gus Rogers
-==========
-
- | **Interview with Gus Rogers**
- | —*Mary A. Poole, Mobile, Alabama*
-
-*JABBO EXPLAINS HIS BLACK SKIN*
-
-Living on the Moffat road at Orchard, in western Mobile County, Alabama,
-on Mr. McIntyre's place is Gus Rogers, who is known better by the name
-of Jabbo. He claims to be over ninety years of age, but could give no
-proof. He claims the 26th of June as his birthday.
-
-When asked how old he was, he replied with a smile:
-
-"Miss, I don't know but I found everything here when I came along."
-
-He was born at Salisbury, N.C. on the Rogers' plantation, and Mr. John
-and Mrs. Mary Rogers were his master and mistress. His parents were
-William and Lucy Rogers, who had five children, three girls and two
-boys.
-
-Jabbo said the Rogers's home was built of boards of virgin timber and
-the slave quarters were some distance from the big house. Some of the
-cabins were built of logs and some of boards, all having clay chimneys
-and big open fireplaces equipped for cooking, as the slaves usually
-cooked their own meals, except during busy seasons, when meals were
-prepared in the house kitchen by the slave women too old to work in the
-fields.
-
-Jabbo said one old man went around and rapped on the doors to wake up
-slaves to go to work. When asked how long they worked he laughed, and
-said:
-
-"Just from sun to sun and then you went to bed, 'cause you knew that old
-man would sure be rapping before you were ready next morning."
-
-When asked about earning any money, Jabbo said:
-
-"Law, Miss we didn't even know what money was, and we didn't have no
-use for it. We had all we needed, plenty to eat and all the clothes
-necessary those days."
-
-The Rogers raised lots of tobacco and wheat, and all the necessary farm
-products needed on the plantation. They had a large orchard and made all
-the cider they could drink.
-
-Jabbo recalled driving many a refugee wagon during the War, and when
-they heard of the Yankees' coming, the Rogers family took all the horses
-and mules and hid them in the swamps and buried all the silver and other
-valuables.
-
-After the devastation wrought by War, Mr. Rogers moved his family to
-Massey Station, Montgomery County, Alabama, intending to raise cotton.
-He brought Jabbo's father and mother and family with him, but meeting
-with little success he returned to Salisbury, N.C. Jabbo remained in
-Alabama.
-
-Jabbo married and raised a family of five children. There were two girls
-and three boys but he has no knowledge of their present whereabouts.
-
-When asked if he was married more than once, Jabbo laughed and said:
-
-"No, Miss I always had the price of a marriage license in my pocket, but
-somehow I never married."
-
-In answer to inquiry as to religion, Jabbo replied:
-
-"Miss, I am a Methodist, but there's only one religion. You have to be
-pure in heart to see Him, because He said so, and to do unto others as
-you desire others to do unto you."
-
-Continuing about religion Jabbo said:
-
-"God gave it to Adam and took it away from Adam and gave it to Noah, and
-you know, Miss, Noah had three sons, and when Noah got drunk on wine,
-one of his sons laughed at him, and the other two took a sheet and
-walked backwards and threw it over Noah. Noah told the one who laughed,
-'you children will be hewers of wood and drawers of water for the
-other's two children, and they will be known by their hair and their
-skin being dark,' so, Miss, there we are, and that is the way God meant
-us to be. We have always had to follow the white folks and do what we
-saw them do, and that's all there is to it. You just can't get away from
-what the Lord said."
-
-Jabbo said he would like "to go back to the good old days, 'though there
-was good folks and there was mean folks, then too, just like there is
-today."
-
-Bibliography: Personal interview by the writer with Gus Rogers,
-ex-slave, better known as "Jabbo."
-
-Janie Scott
-===========
-
- | **Personal interview with Janie Scott**
- | **255 South Lawrence Street, Mobile, Alabama**
- | —*Mary A. Poole, Mobile, Alabama*
-
-*SLAVE CA'LINE SOLD FER A SACK O' SALT*
-
-Janie Scott, living in a cottage at 255 South Lawrence Street, was
-interviewed by the writer on July 14th, 1937. She claimed she was born
-April 10, 1867, but she appeared older than seventy years of age. She,
-of course, was unable to give any experiences of her own as a slave but
-recalled what had been told her by her mother, who was a slave on the
-Myers plantation at Tensaw, Alabama.
-
-When asked how large was the plantation, Janie answered:
-
-"Lordy, chile, many an acre an 'bout sixty slaves."
-
-Her mother worked in the house, and when the field hands were working
-helped carry water out to them in buckets, each one getting a swallow or
-two a piece. Her father was Andy White, and was raised on the plantation
-of John Jewett at Stockton, Alabama.
-
-Janie had heard her father say he was a coachman and drove the folks
-around, also came over in a boat with his master to Mobile to get
-supplies and groceries, and that they killed many a deer in
-neighborhoods just north of Bienville Square.
-
-Jane said her mother's Master and Mistress didn't want her mother to
-marry Andy, because he was too light in color and light niggers Janie
-said folks didn't think as strong as a good black one, so her mother,
-Sarah Porter, and Andy White her father just borrowed a mule without the
-Master's consent and rode off and were married, anyhow.
-
-Janie laughed and said she guessed it was all right after all because
-they had eleven children, two are now living, Janie and a sister Daisy.
-
-When the writer asked if slaves ever earned any money, she replied:
-
-"They didn't even know what money was." Then she continued: "Once when
-my mother was a little girl she asked her mistress to give her fifteen
-cents, and her Mistress wanted to know why she wanted fifteen cents.
-Her Mother replied: "I wants to see what money looks like."
-
-Her Mistress thought she was trying to act smart and in place of fifteen
-cents she received a whipping.
-
-The slaves wore homespun clothes, but her mother remembered having as
-her best dress one made of marino.
-
-The slaves quarters were log cabins with clay chimneys, and they cooked
-in the open fireplaces in the winter and in the summer on what they
-called scaffolds, built out in the yard. These were made of clay
-foundations with iron rods across on which the pots hung.
-
-Janie said her mother "was strong and could roll and cut logs like a
-man, and was much of a woman." Then they had a log rolling on a
-plantation the Negroes from the neighboring plantations came and worked
-together until all the jobs were completed.
-
-After each log rolling they gave them molasses to make candy and have a
-big frolic.
-
-During the Civil War when supplies were scarce, especially salt, Marster
-John rode off taking her mother's sister Ca'line with him, and when he
-returned alone his wife, Mrs. Meyers, wanted to know where was Ca'line,
-and Marster John replied: "I sold her for a sack of salt." At first they
-did not believe him, but Ca'line never returned and Sarah never saw her
-sister anymore.
-
-After the Surrender the Yankees came through and the slaves hid under
-the house, but the soldiers made them come out and told them they were
-free, and gave the slaves everything on the place to eat. They all went
-down to the creek and praised God for what he had done for them.
-
-Janie does not believe in charms, hoodoo or fortune-tellers, saying:
-
-"Those folks can't tell you nothing. When Christ was risen He carried
-all prophets with Him and didn't leave any wise folks able to tell
-things going to happen here on earth—everything Christ wanted folks to
-know had already happened."
-
-Janie did say the best charm she knew of was a bag of asafetida worn
-around the neck to ward off sickness or to take nine or ten drops in a
-little water would sure keep the worms down.
-
-The slaves got plenty of coons, rabbits and bear meat, and could go
-fishing on Sundays, as well as turtle hunting.
-
-The overseer on the Myers plantation was not a mean man, they had a
-calaboose or sweat box to punish unruly slaves in place of whipping
-them.
-
-After the Surrender her father and mother moved to Mobile, Alabama, and
-her father continued to work for Mr. Jewett at his mill located at the
-foot of Palmetto Street on the Mobile river front.
-
-Maugan Shepherd
-===============
-
- | **Interview with Maugan Shepherd**
- | —*Gertha Couric, [HW: Eufaula]*
-
-*SLAVERY COMING BACK? MAUGAN HOPES SO*
-
-"Mistus, I hears slavery times is comin' back."
-
-Uncle Maugan Shepherd is past 80. He idled about the front of his
-tumble-down house in Eufaula, happily recalling the old plantation days.
-He has never learned to read, and therefore pins a great deal of
-dependence upon hearsay.
-
-"Where did you hear about slavery coming back?" the interviewer asked
-him.
-
-"Well, mam, 'pear lak I heard it somewhar. I don't rikolect jest now."
-
-"Would you like to have the old times back again, Uncle Maugan?"
-
-He studied a moment, beamed:
-
-"Yassum, I would. I'se proud I was borned a slave. I'se too young to
-'member much, but I knows I always had enough to eat and wear den, and I
-sho don't now.
-
-Uncle Maugan said that he was "birthed" at Chestnut Hill; that he
-belonged to Marse and Mistus Rich Wiley, and that his father and mother
-were Bunk and Betsy Wiley, both "field niggers." Maugan had two
-brothers, Oliver and Monroe; but no sisters.
-
-"I never seed ma and pa much 'cept on Sundays," he explained. "Dey was
-allus workin' in de fields an' I was out chasin' rabbits an' sech mos'
-of de time. At night I jest et my cornpone an' drink my buttermilk an'
-fell on de bed asleep."
-
-Maugan remembers one overseer, scornfully referring to him as "po' white
-trash."
-
-"Us slaves called him by his las' name behin' his back," the
-old darky explained, "'caze us hated to 'mister' dat white man."
-
-Maugan remembers Reconstruction and a great deal about "atter de
-surrender," but says "rickolection ain't so good" on things that
-happened before.
-
-"I 'members dat I was powerful scared of de Yankee soldiers," he said,
-"but dey never hurt nobody. Dey come through Eufaula an' all us niggers
-tried to hide; but dey jest come on by an' laughed at us fer bein'
-scared."
-
-.. _`Maugan Shepherd`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image346shepherd.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Maugan Shepherd
-
- Maugan Shepherd, Eufaula, Alabama
-
-More than fifty years ago, Maugan married Kitty. She is about 70 and
-makes her living washing clothes for "de white peoples." They never had
-any children.
-
-Maugan says he never goes anywhere except to church on Sundays. His legs
-are not so strong anymore, he explains.
-
-"My ol' 'oman, she sho' lak to go to funerals," he chuckled. "But in
-dese days day takes de body to have it vulcanized, so we can't have no
-settin' ups. Dis went hard on Kitty, 'caze she was a mourner; but it
-didn't do her no good, shoutin' an' amournin' all night. She would
-always come home wid her head tied up an' her eyes set back in her
-head."
-
-Maugan still works. He is a good yardman, but says some day he is just
-"gwine ter drap out, lak his pa did."
-
-Allen Sims
-==========
-
- | **Interview with Allen Sims**
- | —*Preston Klein, Opelika*
-
-*PLENTY OF FOOD AND NO TRASH NEITHER*
-
-While interviewing former slaves in the rural sections of Lee County, I
-ran across Allen Sims, a sturdy old Negro, who proved to have an
-unusually clear recollection of slavery as the institution appeared to
-the small boy of that era. He was not old enough to make a work-hand at
-its close. He spoke slowly, but with evident positiveness as to the
-facts:
-
-"I 'members lots 'bout slavery times; 'cause I was right dar. I don't
-'member much 'bout de war, 'cause I was too little to know what war was,
-and de most I seed was when de Yankees come through and burnt up de Big
-House, de barns, de ginhouse and took all Old Marster's hosses and
-mules, and kilt de milk-cows for beef. They didn't leave us nothing to
-eat, and us lak to starve to death.
-
-"Our folks, de Simses, dey come fum Virginny. My pappy and mammy was
-borned dere. Dey names was Allen Sims and Kitty Sims. My Old Marster was
-Marse Jimmie Sims, and my Old Mistis was Miss Creasie. Some of Pappy and
-Mammy's chillun was borned in Virginny, and some of 'em in Alabama. I
-was de baby chile, and I was borned right on dis very place whar us is
-now. Dey had a whole passel of chillun. Dere was Chaney, Becky, Judy,
-Sam, Phoebe, King, Alex, Jordan and Allen—dat's me.
-
-"Us lived in a log house in de quarter, wid a board roof and a ol' rock
-fireplace wid a stick and dirt chimley. We had plenty wood, and could
-build jes' as big fire as we need, if de weather was cold. Mammy, she
-cook ash-cake in de fireplace, and it was de bes' bread I ever eat,
-better'n any dis store-bought bread. You ain't never eat no ash-cake?
-Umph, Missy, you don't know what good bread is lak!
-
-"Old Marster was good to his niggers and all of 'em, big and little had
-plenty to eat, and it wa'n't trash neither. Us had ash-cake, hoe-cake,
-pone-bread, meat and gravy, peas, greens, roast-neers, pot-liquor, and
-sweet 'taters, I'ish taters, and goobers—I spec Old Marster's niggers
-live better dan lots of white folks lives now.
-
-"Aunt Mandy, what was too old to work, looked atter all de little nigger
-chilluns, whilst dey mammys was working, and she whip us wid a brush, if
-we didn't mind her; but she fuss more dan she whip, and it didn't hurt
-much, but us cry lak she killing us.
-
-"When us got sick, Old Mistis looked atter us herself, and she gin us
-oil and turpentine and lobelia and if dat didn't cure us, she sont for
-de doctor—de same doctor dat come to see her own fambly. Sometime a old
-nigger die, and Old Marster and Old Mistis dey cry jes' lak us did. Dey
-put 'em in a coffin and bury 'em in de graveyard, wid de white preacher
-dar and nobody didn't work none dat day, atter us come back fum de
-graveyard.
-
-"Our beds was bunks in de corner of de room, nailed to de wall and jes'
-one post out in de flo'. De little chilluns slep' crosswise de big bed
-and it was plum' full in cold weather.
-
-.. _`Allen Sims`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image348sims.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Allen Sims
-
- Allen Sims, Lee County, Alabama
-
-"Our clothes was osnaburg, spun and weave' right at home, and it sho'
-did last a long time. De little niggers jes' wore a long shirt, 'twell
-dey got big 'nough to work in de field, and us had red shoes made at de
-tan-yard to wear in winter time; but us foots was tough and us went
-barefooted most all de winter too. Us played games too, ginerly, jumping
-de rope and base.
-
-"De grown niggers had good times Sadday nights, wid dances, suppers and
-wras'lin. De corn-shuckings was de biggest time dey had, 'cause de
-neighbors come and dey laughed and hollered nearly all night.
-
-"Old Marster and Old Mistis lived in a big two-story white house. Dey
-had ten chillun, five boys and five gals, and dey all growed up and
-married off. De old carriage-driver was name Clark, and he sho' was
-proud. De overseer was Tetter Roberson, and he was mean. He beat niggers
-a lot, and bimeby Old Marster turned him off. He used to blow de horn
-way befo' day to git de niggers up, and he work 'em 'tell smack dark.
-
-"Atter de Yankees burned up everyt'ing 'cept de cabins, us jes' stayed
-right dar wid Old Marster when us freed. Old Marster built a new house
-for him and Old Mistis, but it wa'n't much better dan our cabin and dey
-lived dere 'tell dey died.
-
-"When I growed up, I married Laura Frazier, and us had a big wedding and
-a preacher, and didn't jump over no broom lack some niggers did. Us had
-jes' two chillun dat lived to be grown. Dey is Filmore and Mary Lou, and
-us ain't got no gran'chillun.
-
-"When I got grown, I j'ined de Baptist Church at Rough Neck, 'cause I
-felt I had done enough wrong, and I been a deacon forty year."
-
-Frank Smith
-===========
-
- | **Interview with Frank Smith**
- | —*D.A. Oden*
-
-"Yassuh, its jes' lak I tell yer. I was borned in Ole Virginny and my
-Ole Marster was Doctor Constable and he and us all lived out a piece fum
-Norfolk whar you kin see de whole ocean. I was writ down in de Bible,
-jes' lak Ole Marster's udder niggers, and Ole Mistis said hit was de six
-day of Jinnerwary in forty-eight when I was borned. How ole dat mek me
-now? Eighty-nine, gwine on ninety—dat's right.
-
-"Ole Marster he died eight years fo' de Big War, and Ole Mistis
-'refergeed' down to Alexandria, where her mammy and pappy lived and tuk
-me and Unker Dan and Aunt Melissy wid her; but she sole my mammy and my
-pappy and all de rest of de niggers ter de man what bought de plantation
-and us never did see 'em no mo'.
-
-"I was de house-boy at Ole Mistis' pappy's house, I disremember his
-name; but, anyhow, I didn't wuck in de field lak de udder niggers. Wen
-de Big War started, Ole Mistis she tuck me and her chilluns and us
-'refergeed', down somewhars dey was a co'thouse, whut dey called
-'Culpepper', or sump'n lak dat, and us lived in town wid some mo' of Ole
-Mistis' kinfolks, but dey wan't her mammy and pappy. De so'jers marched
-right in front of our house, right by de front gate, and dey was gwine
-ter Ho'per's Ferry to kill Ole John Brown, whut was killin' white folks
-and freein' niggers fo' dey time. Dat was Mister Lincum's job, atter de
-war. And no niggers wan't ter be free tell den.
-
-"We lived clos't ter de big hotel whar Gineral Lee and a whole passel of
-soldiers stayed, and dey had de shineyest clo's I ebber seed. Dey was
-fine gem'men and Ole Mistis she let me wait on 'em whilst she didn' need
-me ter wuck eround de house, and dey gimme a dime lots of times. I
-shined Gineral Lee's shoes sometimes—and he alluz gin me a dime and
-said: 'Dat looks nice.' Some of de ginerals jes' gimme de dime and
-didn't say nuthin' but dey wasn't big mens lak Gineral Lee and Ole
-Marster. He was straight and dignerfied and didn't talk much, but he'd
-walk up and down on de front gallery and de ord'lies brung him telegrafs
-from Bull Run, whar us and de Yankees was fightin'. Lawzy missy, I heard
-em talkin 'bout 'Bull Run' dat day and I 'lowed somebody's bull had got
-out and us and de Yankees was tryin' ter ketch him and git him back in
-de paster!
-
-.. _`Frank Smith`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image351smith.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Frank Smith
-
- Frank Smith, Birmingham, Alabama
-
-"Wen de war got too close to us, Ole Mistis tuck me and her little gal
-what was older'n me, and lef' Unker Dan and Aunt Melissa, and us went to
-Lynchburg, whar her mammy and pappy done move to, and us stayed wid dem
-ag'in, but Ole Mistis was gittin' worried over de war, and when I broke
-her iv'y-handled dinin' room knife and fergot ter tell her, she slap my
-head nearly off and got mad and sole me ter a man whut lived in
-Cleveland, Tennessee.
-
-"Her pappy tried ter keep Mistis fum sellin' me. He said all I needed
-was a good brushin', but nobody couldn't do nothin' wid Ole Mistis wen
-she got good and mad!
-
-"My new marster wan't lak my own whitefolks; so I up and runned way and
-jine de Yankee army and got a job workin' fer a cap'n name Esserton, or
-sump'n lak dat; him and a Lieutenant somebody. We followed General
-Sherman clear to Atlanta and ten mile fudder on, den dey turned back,
-and marched clear back to Chattanooga and den kep' on tell we got ter
-Nashville. I sho' was glad to git away fum Atlanta, cause dey was dead
-men eve'y way you looked atter dey quit fightin'. Dey gimme a uniform,
-but I didn't get no gun—I fought wid a fryin-pan.
-
-"We stayed in Nashville a while and when de war was over, Cap'n Esserton
-wanted ter tek me to Illinois wid him and give me a job; but I didn't
-lak de Yankees. Dey wanted you to wuk all de time, and dat's sump'n I
-hadn't been brung up to do. Dey turned me free and I went wid a passel
-of Gineral Lee's so'jers, what come along goin' home and us went down
-and crossed de bigges' ribber I eber seed. I tuk up on fus' one farm and
-den anudder, tell I found one I lak and den dat was two years atter we
-lef' Nashville (1867) and I stayed dar close to Baton Rouge sixteen
-years. Lawd, de cotton and sugar cane us did mek on dat rich lan'. Its'
-richer'n de gwana dey sells out here in Alabama!
-
-"I went to Memphis on a 'scursion and stayed dar, doin fus' one thing
-and den another, 'cep git in jail, and I worked at a house painter's
-trade. I heered dey paid good wages fer paintin' in Bummin'ham and I
-come here de same year all dem niggers was killed in dat church
-stompede. I got a job wid Mr. Douglass, janitorin' at de Jefferson
-Theater and him and me stayed together three years. I bought a waggin
-and sold kerosene oil fer about a year, 'tell my money was all gone and
-den I got a job wid de Base Ball Association in de year 1913. I been wid
-'em ever sence. I used ter meck fum $8 ter $15 a week, 'cordin' ter how
-times was, tell de 'pression come and I'se too ole ter wuk now, so I
-jes' totes de mail and does odd jobs and dey pays me $3 a week fer dat.
-I 'plied fer ole-age pension two years back, but it hain't come yit. I
-got one boy livin' in Bummin'ham. He's 40 year old, but he don't help me
-nary cent. My fus' wife died in Louisiana and I married a gal in
-Memphis, but she lef' me when I los' my job one time and went to Detroit
-wid a passel of niggers. She ain't nebber writ back to me and I done
-quit payin' her any mind.
-
-"Cep'n de rheumatiz, I'se in good health and gits around pretty good.
-Ole Mistis showed me how to read print and I ain't never fergot how. De
-Yankees didn't know dat I could read, and I never did let on. I kin see
-pretty well but hafter put on my glasses to read de print. Sho! I'se
-gwine to live to be a hunded years old! How many mo' years I got to go?
-Ten. Dat's right. I know I'se good fer dis year, 'cause I alluz notice
-dat ef I live trough March, I lives all de rest ob de year!"
-
-John Smith
-==========
-
- | **Interview with John Smith**
- | —*Susie R. O'Brien, Uniontown, Alabama*
-
-*"MAD 'BOUT SOMEPIN'"—SO THEY HAD A WAR*
-
-John Smith is 103 but he doesn't want to be tied down. "Effen I's free,
-I wants to 'joy it," John says, and he lives up to his desire. Though he
-is a "war veter'n" with bullets in his side and leg and his century of
-life has enfeebled him, he roams the countryside about Uniontown
-continually, "settin' a spell" with his acquaintances.
-
-It was only after several trips I finally caught him "settin'," and he
-showed no inclination to move from his advantageous position near a
-watermelon patch. He was industriously working on a huge slice of melon,
-his face buried in the sweet fruit, as I drove up to the little cabin
-where he was visiting.
-
-As the car came to a stop he raised his head and wiped his dripping chin
-on his sleeve. He called to a little Negro girl in the yard, "Gal, go
-bring de white lady a rockin' cheer", and turning to me he said, "You'll
-'scuse me for not gittin' up lak I ain't got no manners, won't you
-Mistess? I got a misery in my laig; you know de one whar I got shot in
-de war."
-
-The rocking chair was brought out and taking a seat nearby I said,
-"Uncle John, I want you to tell me all about yourself, were you in the
-war and are you really a hundred and three years old?"
-
-"Glad to, glad to mistess, but fust don't you want a watermillon?" He
-pointed to a patch nearby where the melons glistened in the sun. "Dis
-July sun make de juice so sweet you'll smack yo' mouf for mo'," and
-searching the rind to see that he had left none of the juicy red meat,
-Uncle John began his story.
-
-"Well, I been livin' 'roun' dese parts 'bout ninety year. I
-was born somewar in North Ca'lina, I don't 'member much 'bout my
-Mammy an' Pappy 'cause I was took 'way from dem by de speckerlaters
-when I was 'bout thirteen year ole. De speckerlaters raised Niggers
-to sell. Dey would feed 'em up an' git 'em fat and slick and make
-money on 'em. I was sold off de block in 'Speckerlater's Grove' in
-North Ca'lina. De fus' day I was put up I didn't sold, but de nex'
-day I brung a thousand dollars. Mr. Saddler Smith from Selma bought
-me. Dey called him Saddler Smith cause he was in de saddle business
-and made saddles for de army. Dey fotch us down on boats. I 'member
-de song de men on de boat singed. Hit go like dis:
-
- | Up an' down de Mobile Ribber,
- | Two speckerlaters for one po' lil nigger.
-
-"My marster was de best in dis country. He didn't had many niggers, but
-he sho' tuck good keer o' dem what he did had. He didn't 'low nobody to
-hit 'em a lick. Sometime when I would git cotch up wid in some diverment
-de white folks would say, 'Whose nigger is you?" and I say, 'Marse
-Saddler Smith.' Den dey look at each oder an' say kinder low, 'Better
-not do nothin' to ole Smith's nigger. He'll raise de debil.'
-
-"I didn't had no mistiss. My marster was a widder. He raised me up
-workin' 'roun' de saddle shop. I ain't never liked to work nowhow, but
-don't tell nobody dat. I was bout twenty seven year ole when de war
-broke out. De ole uns was called out fust and de young uns stayed home
-and practiced so dey could shoot straight an' kill a Yankee. Us
-practiced every Friday evenin'. Course I didn't know what dey fightin'
-'bout. I jes' knowed dey was mad 'bout somepin'. Atter while Marster's
-son Jim j'ined de 'Federate sogers an' I went wid him for to tote his
-knapsack, canteen and sichlike and to look atter him. Dat's when I got
-dese here balls in my side and got a bullet in my laig, too. I was
-movin' de hawses to de back of de lines out de thick of de fight when,
-zipp, a minit ball cotch me right in de shoulder."
-
-Proudly John displayed the balls in his side and the scar on his leg.
-The old woman, at whose cabin John was visiting, interrupted the story
-several times. Finally he got tired of it and said: "Shet yo' mouf
-'oman, I don't need no ho'p, dis is grown folks talk, you don't know
-nothin' 'bout it, you wasn't even birthed tell two year 'fo' de
-Surrender. Now whar was I at? I slep' right by Marsa Jim's side.
-Sometime atter us done laid down and bofe of us be thinkin' 'bout home,
-Marse Jim say, 'John, I lak to have some chicken.' I don't say nothin' I
-jes' ease up an' pull my hat down over my eyes an' slip out. Atter while
-I come back wid a bunch o'chickens crost my shoulder. Nex' mornin' Marse
-Jim have nice brown chicken floatin' in graby what I done cook for him.
-Us was fightin' on Blue Mountain when Marse Jim got kilt. I looked and
-looked for him but I never did find him. Atter I lost my marster I
-didn't 'long to nobody and de Yankee's was takin' eve'y thing anyhow, so
-dey tuck me wid dem.
-
-"I tuck keer of Gen'l Wilson's hawse, Gen'l Wilson was de head man in de
-Yankee army. But I didn't lak dey ways much. He wanted his hawse kep'
-spick and span. He would take his white pocket hankercher an' rub over
-de hawse and if it was dirty he had me whupped. I was wid Gen'l Wilson
-when he tuck Selma 'gins't Gen'l Forrest and sot fire to all dem things.
-I drive de artillery wagon sometime. Atter Surrender I was kinda puny
-wid de balls in my side."
-
-"John," I asked, "why didn't they remove the balls at the time
-you were shot?"
-
-"How could dey 'move de balls when I was runnin' fast as I could pick up
-my foots? I driv de stagecoach twixt Selma and Montgomery. I 'member my
-stops. Dey was Selma, Benton, Lown'esboro and Mon'gomery. I driv four
-hawses to it. Dere was a libbery stable at Benton and I changed hawses
-dere."
-
-"Now John tell me about your wife and children," I said. "How many
-children did you have?"
-
-"Gawd, I don't know mistess. Dey runnin' 'roun' de country like hawgs.
-Dey don't know me an' I don't know dem. I ain't never been mai'ed.
-Niggers didn't marry in dem days. I jes' tuk up wid one likely gal atter
-anoder. I ain't even mai'ed to de one I got now. I jes' ain't gwine tie
-myse'f down. Effen I's free, I's gwine to be free."
-
-Uncle John sat for a time in deep thought, then said, "I wish I mought
-be back in dem days, 'cause I been seed de debil since I been free.
-Atter I was free I didn't had no marster to 'pend on and I was hongry a
-heap of times. I 'long to de 'Federate nation and always will 'long to
-y'all, but I reckon it's jes' as well we is free 'cause I don't b'lieve
-de white folks now days would make good marsters."
-
-Uncle John had about talked out and as I rose to leave I said, "Thank
-you John, this will make a good story," to which he replied indignantly,
-"Hit ain't no story. Hit's de Gawd's trufe mistess."
-
-Annie Stanton
-=============
-
- | **Personal interview with "Aunt Annie" Stanton**
- | **Rylands Lane, Mobile, Alabama**
- | —*Ila B. Prine, Mobile, Alabama*
-
-Out on Ryland's Lane is an old negro woman 84 years of age who is
-totally blind, but whose mind is clear in regards to things pertaining
-to the long ago.
-
-"Aunt Annie" says that things that happened when she was a child are
-much more vivid in her mind than are things of today. She said "Sumtimes
-I now starts tuh do dumpin' an' fogits what I wants tuh do, den I ahs
-tuh go bac' tuh de place whar I started from so I kin 'member whats I
-started tuh do".
-
-"Aunt Annie" was born on Knight's Place on the Alabama River, June 2nd.,
-1853. This place is now known as Finchburg, in Monroe County, Alabama.
-Her mother's name was Mary Knight and her father's name was Atlas
-Williams, who had the same name as his owner, Mr. Offord Williams. "Aunt
-Annie's" mother's people were owned first by Mr. Cullen Knight and after
-his death, were owned by Mr. John Marshall.
-
-"Aunt Annie" was seven years old then the Civil War started, and that
-she had "nursed two cullered chillun afore de war."
-
-When asked by the writer about nursing these children, so as to be sure
-she said colored children, she replied, "dat de slaves lived on de
-plantation, and dey had an overseer who libed on dis place, an' she
-neber seed de Marshall's place 'til after dey was freed. As I growed
-bigger into a big yearlin' gal I was tuk intuh de oversee'rs home to
-'tend tuh de dinin' room table sich as settin' hit an' washin' de dishes
-an' cleanin' up, an' later on I was showed how to iron, spin thread,
-weave cloth, and make candles. Honey, folks talkin' 'bout depression now
-don't kno' nothin' 'bout hard times. In dem days folks didn't hab
-nothin' 'ceptin' what dey made. Eben if yo' had a mint ob money, dere
-was nothin' to buy. We made de candles to burn by tying strings on the
-stick and puttin' dem down in melted tallow in moulds. In dem times we
-had no matches, folks made fire by strikin' flint rocks together an' de
-fire droppin' on cotton. I don't know whether dese rocks were ones dat
-de Indians lef' or no, but day was dif'rent from other rocks. People
-usta carry dem an' de cotton roun' in boxes sumtin lak snuff boxes tuh
-keep de cotton dry. Sumtimes when dey could'nt get de fire no odder way,
-dey would put de cotton in de fireplace and shoot up in dere an' set hit
-on fire."
-
-"Aunt Annie" said she never could start a fire with the flint rock and
-cotton, and she said, "de fust matches and lantern I'se eber seed was
-when de Yankees cum tuh dere place, I th'ot dey was two officers, 'couse
-dey had de matches and lantern. Two years a'ter I was freed, an' twar
-den I seed mah first lamp.
-
-"De men did mos' ob de farm wurk, dey planted cotton, corn, potatoes,
-cane, peas and pumpkins, an' dey ginned de cotton by hitching four
-horses tuh de gin, and dey run hit dat way."
-
-When asked if they had plenty to eat when they were slaves, "Aunt Annie"
-said:
-
-"Lor', yes I guess we had 'nough, but, 'tearn't much, c'ase I 'members
-when we was li'l chillun we had a big wooden tray dat dey put de food in
-and we all set 'round dat an' et like li'l pigs. De rations for a week
-was 3 lbs of meat a week, 1 peck ob meal, potatoes an' syrup. At
-Christmas times de overseer called all de men an' women in an' gib each
-woman a dress, a head handkerchief, an' tuh de men he gave a hat, knife,
-an' a bottle of whiskey. De overseer also gib tuh us flour and sugar fo'
-Christmas, an' I 'members one Christmas when I was a li'l gal, a'ter de
-overseer gib all de women a dress dere was a short piece ob cloth lef'
-an' he gib dat tuh me." "Aunt Annie" said "dat de slaves went tuh de
-white folks church, an' sot on de seats on de outside ob de church, an'
-dat church was a hewed log building. Atter de white folks got thro'
-preachin', den de cullered preacher would preach. Sumtimes de cullered
-folks would hab church when de white folks didn't an' den de slaves
-would hab tuh get a pass from his owner, 'ca'se dere would be some mean
-folks what would beat de niggers ef dey didn't hab a pass from dere
-owners or bosses."
-
-"Aunt Annie" also said, "I'se neber hyeard of no hoodoo stuff 'til in
-late years, dey's mo' ob dat foolishness now dan I'se ebber hyeard of in
-mah life. Nowadays de hoodoos doctors, what is allus agoin' 'round
-foolin' folks out ob dey money, looks lack de dogs might ob and' dem,
-dey is so turrible lookin'. I don't believes in dem. Us folks a long
-time ago neber hab no money fo' dem to git. Us had tuh make own
-medicine. When de babies had de colic us wud tie soot up in a rag an'
-boil it, and den gib dem de water, an' tuh ease de prickly heat us used
-cotton wood powdered up fine, and fo' de yellow thrash us would boil de
-sheep thrash an' gib em de tea."
-
-"Aunt Annie" has been married twice, her first husband left her years
-ago, when she married Louis Stanton and had five children by him. Louis
-was killed in a hailstorm, April 13, 1903, and all of her children are
-dead. She is now being cared for by friends, and she said, "that ef I's
-didn't git a li'l he'p from de Government tuh gib dis frien'" she didn't
-know what she would do as she has been totally blind for two years.
-
-Theodore Fontaine Stewart
-=========================
-
- | **Interview with Theodore Fontaine Stewart**
- | —*Gertha Couric, [HW: Eufaula]*
-
-*US GWINE 'ER WALK DEM GOLD STREETS*
-
-"De years are mighty long widout Lottie, Massa. She done gone on to de
-promise; but I knows she wid Jesus. And us gwine 'er walk dem golden
-streets together holdin' hands."
-
-Uncle Theodore Fontaine Stewart lives alone in a weather-beaten,
-one-room Eufaula shanty. It is clean and surrounded by flowers. In the
-rear is a small garden; and there you will find Uncle Stewart when the
-dawn is fresh or the dusk is coolly approaching.
-
-"Lottie been gone away nigh onto twenty-two year now, Massa. Her was a
-good woman; one of de best de Lord ever sont to de earth."
-
-He paused to think when the interviewer asked his age.
-
-"It hard fer me to tell 'bout dat," he said, "but I knows I'se well past
-de ninety mark. I guess I'se gwine on a hundred, caze I was borned 'fore
-de war an' was a right peart boy at de surrender."
-
-"What about slavery times, Uncle Stewart?"
-
-He mused a moment, his black fingers gently caressing the buttons on his
-rust-colored old vest.
-
-"I 'members all 'bout dem times," he said, "an' de Lord know dey was
-better times den we got now, for white or black. Nobody was hongry den,
-Massa, and peoples didn't git in de devilment dey gits in now. Folks
-went to de church an' 'haved demselves in dose days.
-
-"Who was my Ol' Marster?" He looked at the interviewer a moment,
-answered proudly, "Why, he was de riches' man in Georgy. I knows you has
-heard of Marse Theodore Fontaine. He had three big plantations and mo'
-niggers dan he could count. He moved clost to Florence, an' his three
-places was so big you couldn't see 'crost de littlest field.
-
-"Ol' Marster he lib in a big house, bigger dan any meetin'-house in
-Eufaula. He had a gang of fine horses, an' when company was dar he had
-horse races on his own track. His horses could beat all de horses
-brought dar, an' dat's de direc' trufe."
-
-Uncle Stewart filled a blackened old corncob pipe with tobacco,
-continued:
-
-"Ol' Marster, he didn't go to de war. He too ol' to go, so he stay home
-an' make corn an' fodder an' oats an' sen' dem to de soldiers what
-killin' Yankees. One day de Yankees come along an' burnt up everything
-on de place, 'cept de nigger cabins. Dey took all de horses and
-everything us had to eat.
-
-"Ol' Marster went off somewhar when dey come; I don't 'member where; an'
-when he come back he had to live in one of de nigger cabins 'twel he
-could build a house. But de new one wasn't big lak de old one.
-
-"My pappy was a fiel' han' 'twel one time Ol' Marster put him on a horse
-to ride in a race, an' pappy beat de other horse so far Ol' Marster was
-tickled pink. He said a nigger what could ride lak dat had no bizness in
-de fiel', so he made a stable boy outen pappy.
-
-.. _`Theodore Fontaine Stewart`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image362stewart.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Theodore Fontaine Stewart
-
- Theodore Fontaine Stewart, Eufaula, Alabama
-
-"Ol' Marster didn't have no Ol' Mistus. He say he so big all de little
-ladies look funny 'side of him. When company was dar his sisters, Mistus
-Mary an' Mistus Lucy, come an' kep' house; but dey lef' when de company
-did.
-
-"My pappy was name Ed Stewart, caze Ol' Marster buy him from a Stewart.
-Atter de war dey call pappy's chilluns Stewart; but us is Fontaines by
-right, bet yo' life on dat.
-
-"Ol' Marster was good to de niggers, but his overseers was mean.
-Ol' Marster fired dem atter awhile an' got some good overseers. He
-didn't 'low dem to whip a nigger 'cept when he say, an' he didn't say
-so much.
-
-"My mammy was name' Sarah, an' her an' pappy stayed right wid Ol'
-Marster when de surrender come. Dey was right in de room when Ol'
-Marster died, an' dey cried something awful. Us all stayed dar 'twel
-pappy an' mammy die; den us chilluns split up an' went everywhere.
-
-"Mammy an' pappy had ten head o' chilluns sides me, but I don' know whar
-dey at now. Mammy raise all her chilluns right, an', long as I knowed
-dem, none of dem ever got in a jailhouse.
-
-"Mammy didn't 'low her chilluns to steal. Her was Ol' Marster's house
-cook, an' when she kotch any of us takin' things from de kitchen, she
-sho' did tan us hides wid a brush.
-
-"Me an' Carlotta; us calls her Lottie; was married in de ol' Mount Maria
-church, whar all de niggers went to meetin' every Sunday. Us had fo'
-chillun, two gals an' two boys; but dey all dead now 'cept de las' boy,
-an I ain't heard frum him since 'fore his mammy died.
-
-"Yes, Massa, her was a good woman. It won't be long now 'fore us will
-walk dem golden streets han' in han'."
-
-George Strickland
-=================
-
- | **Interview with George Strickland**
- | —*Preston Klein, Opelika, Alabama*
-
-*CORNSHUCKIN' WAS DE GREATES' THING*
-
-George Strickland, alert for all his ninety-one years but blinking in
-the bright sunlight as he laid his battered felt hat beside the rocking
-chair in front of his cabin in Opelika, Alabama, as he looked back down
-the decades and remembered the times when "cornshuckin' was de greates'
-thing." Though only a boy when the War between the States ended, he
-recalled days of slavery easily as he told the following story.
-
-"I was nine years old when us niggers was sot free an' 'fo' dat time us
-refugeed from Mississippi to Mobile, den to Selma, den to Montgomery an'
-from dar to Uchie, near Columbus, Georgia, whar we stayed 'til us was
-freed.
-
-"My mammy an' daddy come from Mississippi fust. Dey was Cleveland an'
-Eve Strickland an' dar was fo' of us chilluns, Will, Sam, Missouri an'
-me. Us quarters had dirt flo's an' was in two long rows wid a street
-between. On de east side of de settlement was de barns, shops an' sich
-like. De beds was boxed up an' nailed to de wall, den dey was filled wid
-pinestraw. Dey fed us li'l niggers in wood troughs made of poplar. De
-cook in de big house cooked pots of greens an' po'd potlikker an' all in
-de troughs. Us et hit wid mussel shells or wid usses han's or gourds.
-Our wimmin folks would bile de gourds to keep dem from being bitter.
-Usses had two acre paster dat usses would turn under in de fall an'
-plant hit in turnips. I 'clare fo' goodness dey growed nearly as big as
-a gallon bucket.
-
-"Dey gived us clo'es ev'y Saddy night an' de winter clo'es had some cow
-hair in dem to make 'em warm.
-
-"Ol' Marsa John Strickland was circuit preacher an' him an' Miss Polly
-lived up in a big log house. De logs was hewed an' split an' lined on
-each side. De logs stood on dey sides an' didn' lay flat. Dey chilluns
-was Mary, Laura, Sallie, Wiley, George an' Lougene.
-
-"When Ol' marsa went off to preach, de overseer was mean an' whupped de
-niggers so bad Mistis runned him off. Dey had 'bout a hundred slaves an'
-would wake dem up by beating on a big piece of sheet ine (iron) wid a
-long piece of steel.
-
-"De well didn' hab no windless but had a lever wid a bucket fastened on
-one end of hit, an' we would hold to de yuther end to dip de bucket in
-de water.
-
-"When dey whupped de niggers dey would tie dem to a tree an' whup dem
-good. When dey was sold dey would put 'em on a stand or block, as dey
-called hit den, an' dey w'ud roll up dey sleeves to see de muscles. Den
-dey bid on dem an' bought 'em for 'bout $1,000 to $1,500 apiece. Us
-traveled in ox carts, an' I fust rid on a stage when I went to Uchie.
-When slaves would be ver' bad dey would chain dem out all night. You
-sho' had to stay at home an' wuk.
-
-"Our chu'ch was nearby an' us sot nex' to de do'. Mistis called up all
-de li'l niggers, talked to dem an' had pra'r. De yuthers had pra'r
-meetin' oncet a week.
-
-"De wimmin folks had a big time quiltin's wid somebody aplayin' on ol'
-gourds wid horse hair strings, called old gourd, horse hair dance.
-
-"Cornshuckin' was de greates' thing of all. Ol' Marsa tuck a jug of
-likker 'roun' an' got dem tight an' when dey got full dey would h'ist
-him up an' down, tote him 'roun' an' holler. Den de fun started an' dey
-would play de old gourd an' horse hair dance, de han'saw an' case knife.
-Dey could run dey han' up an' down de saw to change de tune an' de
-leader was on top of de pile of corn singin' whilst all de yuthers
-would follow.
-
-"Us chilluns was 'sleep den, but us had our good times hidin' de switch
-an' playin' han'-over ball. Dey sho' skeer us nearly into fits wid tales
-of Rawhead and Bloody-bones.
-
-"I'se never tuk a oath ner teched nothin' didn' b'long to me in all my
-life.
-
-"Our med'cin' was Jerus'lem oak seed what was beat up to give de
-chilluns for worms.
-
-"On Sund' mornin' dey giv' us biskits for breakfast, which was so rar'
-dat we would try to beat de yuthers outten dey'n.
-
-"Oncet dey piled ev'ythin' on waggins an' put all us li'l niggers on
-top. Us rations, lak coffee, meal, meat an' mos' ev'ythin' was kivvered
-over wid sheets. Den dey tuk us off an' us stayed t'ree days an' nights.
-
-"Ol' marsa tuk one of de fellers wid him to be on de front line to help
-keep off de Injuns, so us chilluns b'lieves.
-
-.. _`George Strickland`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image365strickland.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: George Strickland
-
- George Strickland, Opelika, Alabama
-
-"Dat battle of Atlanta was de wust thing dat's ever been. All de houses
-for a fur piece jes' shuck from de big guns. De Yankees camped in a big
-hundred acre fiel' close by. Den dey rushed up to de house, kicked de
-gate down, tuk Mistiss trunk out an' bus' hit open huntin' money. But
-dey foun' none, so dey sot fire to de house an' ast, whar de horses? De
-niggers couldn' tell an' den dey burnt de house down.
-
-"Atter dat, Ol' Marsa tell us, us is free from him but needn't leave
-iffen us didn' want to go, but could stay on wid him an' he'd treat us
-right an' give us half of what us made.
-
-"In after years I ma'ed Josephine Bedell an' us had George, Phillip,
-Renza, Eldridge (de baby), May Willie an' Leila. I's got some
-gran-chillun, too, but kain't think of dey names.
-
-"Hit was de plans of God to free us niggers an' not Abraham Lincoln's.
-
-"I's allus tried to live under de correction of de Lord. Hit's my duty
-to try to do so."
-
-Cull Taylor
-===========
-
- | **Personal interview with Cull Taylor**
- | **364 N. Scott Street, Mobile, Alabama**
- | —*Ila B. Prine, Mobile, Alabama*
-
-*A SLAVE IS GIVEN HIS YOUNG MISSY'S NAME*
-
-A tall, stoop-shouldered, black Negro man came trudging down the road
-with a hoe in his hand. Asked where Cull Taylor lived, the old man said,
-"Lady I'se Cull Taylor. Dis is mah house here. Does you want to see me?"
-
-When told that his visitor was looking for old people who lived during
-slavery days Cull said:
-
-"I were born a slave, but warn't very old when de niggers was freed. I
-were born March 5, 1859, in Augusta County, Alabama. Mah maw come from
-Richmond, Virginia and her name were Jane Hare. Mah paw's name were
-Willingham Hare, and he were brought to Alabama from North Carolina. I
-guess you'se wonderin' why mah name is Taylor when mah maws and paws
-name was Hare?
-
-"You see when dey was fust brought here, a man name Tom Taylor bought
-'em, an' when I were born, dey gib me to Miss Bennie Taylor. Ol' Marse
-Tom's girl. Miss Bennie gib me de name Taylor an' I'se allus kept hit.
-She shorely was good to me. I neber had nothing much to do, I stayed wid
-her, 'til I was grown, atter she married Mr. Bob Alexander.
-
-"'Bout de war, I does 'member how mah maw was a-weavin' cloth when de
-Yankees come through. An' atter de niggers was freed ol' Marse Tom gib
-mah maw de loom.
-
-"Ol' Marse was a good man. He neber 'lowed no o'seer or anybody to
-mistreat his niggers. He had plenty of 'em, too, and a big plantation
-wid plenty to eat. Course de slaves had to work on de plantation an'
-raise de stuff to eat. His house was a big fine, white place, an' de
-cabins whar de slaves libed was built in rows, wid streets between dem,
-so you could drive 'tween 'em wid big double team wagons. De cabins was
-built out ob logs wid a notch out in de shoulders, an' laid on top ob
-one another an' when dey built de wall up as high as dey wanted hit, dey
-would bore a augor hole an' put a pin in hit to hold 'em together. Den
-dey put de roof on. Dey filled de cracks between de logs wid mortar, so
-as to keep de wind out, an' it sho' made de houses warm. Us had jes'
-wooden home-made beds, wid mattresses made of cotton, or moss, an'
-sometimes hay. Us neber hab no springs on de beds.
-
-"As I said, Ol' Marse Tom was a good man, an' he was too old to go to de
-war, but he had two boys. De oldest one went to de war an' was killed.
-But de youngest warn't old enough to go. Ol' Marse Tom had de women sew,
-makin' clothes, an' had nurse women to look atter de little niggers
-while dere maws was in de fields. I 'members as a li'l boy how dey had
-one house whar de nurse kept de chillun an' it was as clean as a pin.
-Dere was wooden troughs different heights for de different age chillun,
-an' dose troughs was scrubbed as white as cotton mos'. When meal time
-come, dey would crumble up cornbread wid pot licker, or milk an' gib to
-de youngest ones. An' dey had plenty ob milk, I 'members de big milk
-dairy, an' smoke house on de place, an' when de Yankees come through dey
-went into de dairy an' drank all de milk dey wanted.
-
-"I 'members mah paw was out in de woods hidin' de mules when dey come
-through an' dere was only one old horse on de place. Dem Yankees turn
-hit loose, but otherwise dey behaved very nice."
-
-Cull said that they didn't know anything about dishes and spoons such as
-are used now, for they had wooden spoons for the slaves. He said that
-the usual rations for a week included a peck of meal, and six or seven
-pounds of meat to each man, and if he had a big family he was given
-more. They raised rice, sugar cane, pumpkins, watermelons, cushaws,
-peaches, pears, plums and grapes.
-
-"Mah white folks not only tuk keer ob us durin' slavery times, but dey
-gib us things atter us was freed. You ax me 'bout de slaves clothes?
-Yas'm, lady, us had good, stout, clothes, made out ob de cloth dat de
-women wove. I can see mah maw throwing dat ol' shickle from one side to
-de other, weaving cloth on dat loom. Dey dyed de cloth wid red oaks an'
-dogwood bark, and Chinaberry bark, and had all kinds ob colors, sich as
-blue, red, brown, and black.
-
-"Den dere was de big times, sich as de hog killin' time, an' corn
-shucking, an' 'specially cotton pickin' time. Sometimes de neighboring
-plantation would hab a regular cotton pickin' festival, an' all ob us
-would go and he'p pick de cotton, and de nigger what would pick de mos'
-would git a dress or de men would git a suit ob clothes. De suits was
-made out ob osnaburg, and sometimes bed tickin'. When a big crowd would
-come to dese cotton pickin's, dey would pick out three or four bales ob
-cotton.
-
-"De li'l niggers had a good time playin' in de sand makin' frog houses,
-an' spinnin' tops. But, Lordy! when us got sick, dey gib us Jerusalem
-oak and sassafras tea. But neber was dere anything said 'bout hoo-doo
-stuf. I never heard ob hit, 'til dese later years.
-
-"But us did hab church, an' prayer meetin', an' funerals! Lor', yes, dey
-don't bury folks now. In dose days dey started singin' at de house an'
-sung all de way to de graveyard; an' den dey put dem in de groun' good
-full six feet deep, dey jes' lays folks on top ob de groun' now-a-days.
-But times is different now, lady.
-
-"I 'members how de men would go out nights an' hunt de possums an' de
-coons, and wild cats. Dey den would sometimes go deer an' rabbit huntin'
-in de daytime; an', too, dey would set traps to ketch other varmints.
-Dere was plenty ob squirrels too.
-
-"But let me tell you, de bes' thing ob all, was de good locust beer, dey
-made from locust seeds. Dey also made 'simmon beer, an' wine out ob
-plums. Dem war good days den."
-
-Daniel Taylor
-=============
-
- | **Interview with Daniel Taylor**
- | **Montgomery, Alabama**
- | —*John Proctor Mills, Montgomery, Alabama*
-
-Foreword:—In Uncle Daniel Taylor we find the unusual, fast disappearing
-type of negro ex-slave (it makes the sentimental white man feel a deep
-sadness in the passing of these gentle old souls, whose lives have been
-well spent in serving to the best of their ability.) Uncle Dan is a
-light complected mulatto (octoroon) with a high and broad forehead (a
-noble brow) devoid of all negroid features, a heavy suit of silk-like
-hair almost free of any kinks, a heavy suit of gray beard (it is in the
-short kinky hair next to his throat that the negro stands out most
-prominently) a fine moustache which matches the snowy silkiness of his
-hair up on his head. Deep set, dark blue-grey eyes which beam with
-kindliness, wide apart and far-searching. A voice well modulated and
-refined in timbre, of tenor quality. Uncle Dan has been so closely
-associated with the educated white man of the South until he uses no
-negro dialect, but his speech is that of one who has tried at all times
-to speak correctly and deliberately. He has served as janitor at nearly
-all of the Public Schools of the Montgomery City Schools system, and for
-fifteen years or more has been at the Baldwin High School; is janitor at
-this school at present (May 1937) where he is highly respected, and
-greatly beloved by the student body and members of the large faculty.
-
-"Strange to say, I do not remember the name of my first master, nor of
-the second master to whom my Mother and myself were sold to in Alabama.
-I was born at Charleston, South Carolina, and at the age of two and a
-half years we landed at Luverne, Ala., where with my Mother I was sold
-for four-hundred dollars.
-
-"I was fourteen years old at the time of the 'Surrender,' and was living
-at old 'Rocky Mount' in Crenshaw County, at the time of the 'Civil War.'
-Professor Mack Barnes of Highland Home, Alabama, was the first man I
-ever worked for, and he, as you know, was at the head of the large
-school located in Highland Home.
-
-"The hottest moments of my life were the ones in which my Mother got
-tight in behind me with a hickory (switch) and I always took to the
-woods. I'll just bet that I knew and could tell more about the woods and
-the cane-brake than anyone in that section. Yes sir! I knew every
-varmint that crawled on its belly, and all the rest which went on four
-feet, that lived there. Believe me, I knew every one of them by name and
-right where they stayed.
-
-"The hot moments just mentioned usually found me 'cooling off' in the
-creek in the old swimmin' hole.
-
-.. _`Daniel Taylor`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image373taylor.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Daniel Taylor
-
- Daniel Taylor, Montgomery, Alabama
-
-"Among the thrilling moments of my life well do I remember the visits of
-President Jefferson Davis, (the first and only President of the
-Confederate States of America) to the home of my Master. Mr. Davis
-always gave me a quarter of a dollar for holding his horse, and up 'til
-lately I had one of those quarters as a highly valued keep-sake, but it
-suddenly disappeared, I know not where.
-
-"The most exciting moments of my whole life was when the Herron Street
-School (at present the Cottage Hill School) caught fire and burned to
-the ground. We had marched all of the children out of the building to
-safety (you see we had all had disciplined fire drills) but Professor
-Charles L. Floyd (Superintendent of the Montgomery Public Schools) was
-mindful lest there should still be one person left in the building, so
-hastened back into the rapidly burning building. He just wouldn't listen
-to the pleadings of Miss Jinny (Miss Virginia Hereford, who was the
-Principal of this school) nor to Miss Sophy (Miss Sophia Holmes) a
-teacher at the primary department, nor would he listen to my humble
-plea. The roof was already tumbling in, and the blazing rafters were
-falling in every direction. I could stand it no longer, so rushed right
-through the smoke and flames, finally I found Mr. Floyd and dragged him
-out to safety. My God! I loved that white man, he was one of the finest
-men I ever knew!
-
-"No! Mister John, I have never sought a 'heroe's medal for bravery and
-for risking my life', my one great reward was in the saving of the life
-of my true friend Professor Charles L. Floyd."
-
-George Taylor
-=============
-
- | **Personal interview with George Taylor**
- | **409 South Hamilton Street, Mobile, Alabama**
- | —*Ila B. Prine, Mobile, Alabama*
-
-*CHILLUN WAS TAUGHT TO BE MANNERABLE*
-
-George Taylor, an old and very black man, who lives at 409 South
-Hamilton street in Mobile, says he is an ex-slave. He knows that he was
-born in Mobile on the corner of Cedar and Texas streets, but left
-Mobile, and was carried to Gosport, Alabama, when he was twelve years
-old. His father's name was Gus Taylor and his mother's Sarah Taylor, and
-they were owned by Mr. W.G. Herrin. There were twenty-one children in
-George's family, and he said he was the oldest one, and helped "nuss de
-odders."
-
-"Mah grandfather's name was Mac Wilson an' mah grandmother's name was
-Ellen Wilson, an' de ol' Miss's name was Miss Mamie Herrin. All de
-colored folks' chillun called Mr. Herrin 'Cl' Marster, an' he sho' was a
-good marster, too. I 'members dat atter I got to be a big boy dey put me
-in de fiel's choppin' cotton, but I neber could pick cotton. I knows dat
-mah paw said I was too crazy 'bout de girls, so he tuk me an' made me
-plow.
-
-"Ol' marster had a big place, I don't jes' exactly knows how many acres
-dey was, but I knows us had plenty ob cotton, 'ca'se sometimes dey would
-pick four or five bales a day. An' den I knows durin' cotton time mah
-paw hauled cotton all day long to de gin whut was run by five or six
-mules.
-
-"Durin' de busy season on de plantation ol' Marster had de older women
-cookin' an' sendin' de dinner to de fiel'. Dere was two big baskets, one
-to put de bread in, an' de odder basket to put de meat in. Every mornin'
-at three o'clock de women begun cookin' an' each han' brought his own
-meat an' bread to this cabin to be cooked. Every person's plate had
-their names on 'em. Ever'body had to be up by daylight an' ready to
-begin work. De men had to get up before daylight an' begin to harness
-de mules, an' soon as light dey was in de fiel's. Dere was two hundred
-and fifty head ob colored people, 'scusing chillun. Dey would raise
-four, five, and six hundred bales ob cotton, a year. Us worked den, dere
-warn't no walkin' 'bout den, not eben on Sat'day atternoons, but I
-believes I'd lack it betta dan I does now, 'cause de chillun was taught
-to be mannerable den, but now dey cuss if you say anything to dem.
-
-"Us had a good place to stay, de ol' Marster's house was a big two-story
-house, an' our cabins was built ob boards an' was in a row. Us didn't
-hab no stoves, jes' cooked out in de yard ober a fire wid stakes on each
-side of hit, wid an' iron bar across 'em to hang de pots on. Ol' Marster
-rationed out de food, an' each man was 'lowed seven pounds ob meat, de
-women was 'lowed six pounds an' five pounds for each child. Den dey gib
-us a peck ob meal, five pounds of flour and some molasses.
-
-"I neber did eat at home wid mah folks, 'ca'se I nussed in de big house,
-an' ebery time dat de white chillun eat, I had to eat, too. Dere was
-plenty ob pecan, walnut, an' ches'nut trees on de place, an' us could
-eat all de nuts we wanted; and den de slaves had dere own gardens if dey
-wanted to.
-
-"Den I 'members how dere was four men who put de hogs in de pens to
-fatten, sometimes, dey would put as many as a hundred or a hundred an'
-fifty at a time. Den hit was dere duty to tote feed from de fiel's to
-feed 'em.
-
-"My! when I think ob dat big smoke house, mah mouth jes' waters. At hog
-killin' time, dere was certain men to kill, an' certain ones to cut 'em
-up. Dere warn't neber no special time to hog killin', jes' when de ol'
-Marster said do hit, we did hit.
-
-"You see us was allus under his direction, 'ca'se if us wanted to go
-anywhere, us had to git a pass, eben to church. De white folks had
-Methodist church, an' de collored had de Baptist church.
-
-"I also 'members de time I was put up on de block to be sold, an' when
-de man only offered five hundred dollars, fer me, an' Ol' Marster tole
-me to git down, dat I was de mos' valuable nigger he had, 'ca'se I was
-so strong, an' could do so muck work.
-
-"Mah maw was de weaver, an' dere was a woman named Assella who did de
-dyeing. Mah paw gathered de bark, sich as red oak, elm, maple and
-juniper bark, an' dry hit an' den grin' hit up. Dey also used borax,
-alum and blue stone, to set de dye. De women made de clothes out ob dis
-cloth dat was woven on de place.
-
-"You axed 'bout weddin's. Us didn't hab weddin's lack us do now. De way
-us married would be to go to de big house, an' ol' Marster had us to
-jump over a broom stick, an' den us was considered married. But dere was
-one thing dat us warn't 'lowed to do, an' dat was to abuse or cuss our
-wives, an' you betta not strike 'em, ca'se hit would be jes' too bad.
-
-"You know, Miss, I'se been here a long time. I 'members when dere was
-only one house 'tween St. Louis Street an' Frascati, an' dat was de
-Guard House. I also 'members de ole time remedies dat dey used in de ole
-days. Dey used red oak bark for fever an' colds, an' den dere was
-hoarhound, an' black snake root dat de ol' Marster put whiskey on. Ol'
-Marster made his own whiskey. An' oh! yes, de calomus root growed in de
-woods whar dey lived. I neber seed dem send to no store for medicine. I
-neber hyeard ob no hoodoo stuff, 'till I was grown, an' anudder thing
-folks didn't die of lack dey do now. When any one did die, dey allus had
-a big funeral, an' de men would sometimes hitch up a ox team or mule
-teams, an' as many as could git in would go. De coffins was home made
-an' stained. Dere was plenty ob han's to dig de graves, too.
-
-"I'se tell you, Miss, folks is pretty much de same, if de white folks
-treat de niggers right, you couldn't get dem to leave dem. I 'members
-when de Yankees come through, I was standin' on de Ol' Marster's porch,
-an' I seed dem comming, an' Marster got up on his crutch an' go to de
-steps an' invite dem in, an' believe me dey come in, too. Dey jes'
-natcherly tore up ol' Marster's place; then de furniture all 'roun' an'
-broke heaps ob hit. I knows b'fore dey got dere ol' Marster had mah paw,
-an' Jerry Lee, an' Mace Pouncey, an' anudder man take four barrels ob
-money an' carry down to de spring an' put hit in de spring, an' I'se
-tellin' you, Miss, you couldn't any more git near dat spring, dan
-nothin', ca'se de quicksan' made dem barrels boil up, one at a time, an'
-de way dey had to git dem barrels, was to buil' a scaffold from de
-river, an' let a line down an' ketch aroun' dem barrels.
-
-"Atter we was freed, Ol' Marster come out in de yard an' got in de
-middle ob all ob us, an' tole us dat de ones dat wants to stay wid him,
-to stan' on one side, an' de odders to stan' on de odder side. So mah
-paw got on de side wid dose who wanted to leave, an' us lef' Ol' Marster
-an' paddled down de river, in a paddlin' boat to Belle's Landing.
-
-"As I'se said before, I'se been here a long time, I eben 'members seeing
-Jeff Davis. I knows I ain't here for long, but I'se ready, 'ca'se I'se
-been fightin' for Jesus twenty-nine years, an' I ain't tired ob fightin'
-yet. I'se a Deacon in de Baptist Church."
-
-Amanda Tellis
-=============
-
- | **Personal interview with Amanda Tellis**
- | **and her daughter Sarah Chastan**
- | **in Allenville, Mobile County, Alabama**
- | —*Written by Ila B. Prine*
-
-Amanda Tellis, a tall, thin, light lulatto woman, who was born a slave
-November 30, 1854, lives in Allenville, a negro settlement about four
-miles north of Mobile, Alabama.
-
-Amanda's father was a spaniard, whose name was John Quick, and her
-mother's name was Sallie Pugh, her mother having the same name as the
-people who owned her. Sallie, Amanda's mother, was born a slave in
-Charleston South Carolina, and she and her mother were brought to
-Alabama and sold when Sallie was twelve years old. The mother was sold
-to someone in Demopolis, Alabama, while Sallie was sold to the Pugh
-family in Grove Hill, Alabama.
-
-Amanda was born in Grove Hill, Alabama and Mr. Meredith Pugh was her
-master, and Mrs. Fannie Pugh was her mistress. Her young "Missus" was
-Miss Maria Pugh, a daughter, one of seven children in the Pugh family.
-Amanda said she willed to "Miss Maria" and she nursed and took care of
-her until the surrender. Many times when Amanda would be promised a
-whipping for not doing things as she should have, Miss Maria would save
-her from the whipping, by throwing herself back from the table and
-screaming for them not to touch Amanda, her nurse.
-
-Aside from caring for "Miss Maria", Amanda said she spun three cuts of
-thread a day, and when the writer asked what a cut was, she said: "A cut
-was a broach full." During the war, (meaning the Civil War,) Amanda said
-she and her sister Nancy spun 160 yards of cloth, and they finished the
-last on the day of the Surrender, when the Cannons were fired at Fort
-Morgan, and they were mustering the men out.
-
-Amanda's life was a very easy one in comparison to some of the other
-slaves. She said she had seen many of the slaves cruelly mistreated, but
-her people were fortunate in having a good master and mistress.
-
-However, at the close of the war, Amanda was told to pretend she had a
-chill, and go to her mother's cabin, so she did as she was told. When
-she reached the cabin, her mother, brothers and sisters each had a
-pillow slip, filled with clothes and she was given hers and they ran
-away, and came to Mt. Vernon, Alabama. Amanda was only eleven years old
-then.
-
-Her life has been varied since, having married three times. Her first
-husband was Scott Johnson, and was the father of all of her children,
-seven boys and one girl. Amanda lives with this girl now. Her second
-husband was Vance Stokes, and her third was S.T. Tellis, a negro
-Methodist preacher. Amanda said he was "no count and I did not stay with
-him long."
-
-Amanda is now confined to her bed and has been for the past seven weeks,
-her body has wasted away, until she is skin and bones. Her eyes however
-are still bright and keen, her hair snow white and she still has a few
-teeth. Her mind seems to be clear, and her memory good, in fact the past
-is now a part of her, and she told the writer she was so happy because
-she had come to ask her about it, before it was too late.
-
-Ellen Thomas
-============
-
- | **Interview with Ellen Thomas**
- | —*Mary A. Poole, Mobile*
-
-*TABLE SERVICE AS TAUGHT TO AUNT ELLEN*
-
-In a little cottage at 310 Wienacker Avenue, in the western part of
-Mobile, lives Ellen Thomas, who claims to be 89 years old. She is small
-of stature, dark brown in color, with high cheek bones and small regular
-features. Although she wears the old-fashioned bandana handkerchief
-bound about her head, the story of 'Aunt' Ellen is unusual, in that
-having been raised as a house servant in a cultured Southern family, she
-absorbed or was trained in the use of correct speech, and does not
-employ the dialect common to Negroes of the slavery days.
-
-'Aunt' Ellen was born in Mobile. Her mother, Emeline, was a dwarf who
-was brought from St. Louis to Mobile by a slave-trader. When put up for
-sale, her deformity enlisted the sympathy of Judge F.G. Kimball, who
-bought her and brought her to his home on Dauphin Street, between
-Hallett Street and Georgia Avenue. Later, Sam Brown, a free Negro from
-the West Indies, came to Mobile and, wanting Emeline for his wife,
-agreed to pay Judge Kimball for her, giving himself as security. Sam and
-Emeline had only two children, Pedro and Ellen, both born on Judge
-Kimball's place and raised in his home as house servants, having little
-contact with the field slaves.
-
-In her childhood, Ellen had as her special mistress Miss Cornelia, one
-of the Kimball girls, who trained her in the arts of good housekeeping,
-including fine sewing, which was itself an art among the women of that
-period. Ellen relates with much pride, her ability to put in tucks and
-back-stitch them in the front of men's shirts, to equal the best machine
-work of the present day. Although hampered by failing eyesight in recent
-years, her work with the needle today is proof that her claims are not
-exaggerated.
-
-In all her experience as a slave, she recalls but one whipping. This was
-with a small switch in the hands of Judge Kimball. The cause? She
-answered: "I ain't coming," when he called her; and at his second call,
-she said: "I shan't do it." She was seven years old at the time.
-
-Judge Kimball insisted that the house servants use good English, she
-said. Thus brought up as a child among the Kimball children, and because
-of her duties as a house servant, she mingled little with the field
-hands and acquired none of their dialect. Even her long association with
-free Negroes since the war, has failed to eradicate early impressions
-and practices in the use of words, and she stresses this in conversation
-with educated white persons.
-
-Because she was a house servant, Ellen was accorded many privileges not
-enjoyed by ordinary slaves. Good food, neat clothing and cleanliness of
-person were requirements rigidly enforced. As personal maid to young
-girls little older than herself, her lot was quiet and the association
-developed a devotion and friendship that was lifelong. Among the
-privileges that fell to her as a child, she recalls that of accompanying
-the family on carriage rides—usually seated beside the driver to the
-envy of her little mistress on the more dignified inside seat.
-
-.. _`Ellen Thomas`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image382thomas.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Ellen Thomas
-
- Ellen Thomas, Mobile, Alabama
-
-Her training as a house servant was very broad and involved every
-feature of a well kept household of that period. She has especial pride
-in her ability to serve at table, particularly when there were guests
-present. A feature of the training given her and which Ellen says she
-never knew of anyone else receiving was, after being taught to set the
-dining table complete for guests, she would be blindfolded and then told
-to go through the motions of serving and so learn to do so without
-disturbing anything on the table. So proficient did she become in
-serving, that a few times when they had guests, Judge Kimball would for
-their amusement have Ellen blindfolded and direct her to serve the
-dinner. In passing dishes a small silver tray was used.
-
-Ellen said that they tried to teach her brother Pedro to serve the table
-likewise; but his natural clumsiness prevented. He could never learn.
-
-During the war, she said, her master had an immense pit dug near the
-house, put his cotton in the pit and built the woodpile over it. The
-Federal invaders never found it.
-
-Judge Kimball owned extensive tracts of land above Mobile and used a
-large number of his slaves to cut timber for wood and lumber; hewn
-timber being largely used for house-building. He built a house for every
-one of his children, from his own timber, and even had his own coffin
-made from home-grown cedar. Ellen failed to follow this act of her
-master with approval, judging from her tone in speaking of it.
-
-She remembers the Surrender and the incidents accompanying that event.
-She was seventeen years old. Thus she describes the first visit
-afterward of the enemy. "I was helping to cook breakfast one morning,
-frying codfish and potatoes, when I heard a drum and ran to tell Master.
-He jumped up and said: 'It's the Yankees! Tell Pedro to get a sheet and
-hang it out in front.' Pedro was excited and, instead of getting a
-sheet, got one of Mistress' best table cloths and hung it from a big oak
-tree near the front gate. When the Yankees rode up, they dismounted and
-Master invited them in for breakfast."
-
-One of the Yankee Lieutenants asked her name, and she told him: "Ellen
-Brown." He looked puzzled at her answer, knowing her master's name to be
-Kimball. (Since her father was a free man, 'Aunt' Ellen said that she
-and her brother, Pedro, always retained their own name, instead of
-"Kimball.") The lieutenant then said: "All right, Ellen, bring me a
-glass of milk at thirteen o'clock."
-
-She went to her little mistress, and asked her "what that old lieutenant
-meant by 'thirteen o'clock.'" Miss Cornelia laughed and said he meant
-"one o'clock."
-
-'Aunt' Ellen related how Judge Kimball was always teaching them and gave
-them regular lectures. She particularly remembers one of his sayings:
-"You can never swing on yellow pine tree, as it is tender and pliable."
-
-She remained with the Kimballs three years after the war, worked for
-other families a short time and then married Amos Thomas when she was
-about twenty years old. They had a very large family, eleven girls and
-nine boys. She now has great-grandchildren who are married.
-
-Although there is little doubt that her age is approximately what she
-claims, 'Aunt' Ellen is remarkably well preserved, physically and
-mentally. Her activity and industry would not be inappropriate to a
-woman a score of years younger. Unlike many persons of her years she
-does not constantly look forward to her time of departure, but takes
-life as it comes—caring more for today than for tomorrow.
-
-Elizabeth Thomas
-================
-
- | **Interview with Elizabeth Thomas**
- | —*Montgomery*
-
-*HID THINGS THEY AIN'T NEVER FOUND*
-
-Elizabeth Thomas who lives at 2 Eugene Street, Montgomery, Alabama stuck
-up one finger when asked her age. That meant 100 she said. She is
-typical the oldtime Negro with head rag tightly covering her hair,
-carrying a slick old walking-stick whose bark is worn in places because
-of constant use, and little old straightcut full apron. Her memory is
-not clear but her hearing is perfect.
-
-She stated—
-
-"I lived mighty fine in dem days, I tel' you. Mister Ben Martin Jones
-was my Marster, and I was born on de Red Bridge Road. I was a house
-servant. All our clo'es was made at de quarters. My Mammy made mine an'
-all I wanted, too. I useter hear my mammy say, de patteroles (patrols)
-would git us ef we done wrong but I didn't know nothin' 'bout
-patteroles, 'cause dey wasn't none on our place. Dey whipped you, too,
-but my Marster could control all his niggers so he didn't 'low none uv
-'em on our place.
-
-"I was 21 years ole when de Yankees come but I didn't run and dey didn't
-do nuthin' to me but folks was in such a hurry they hid things dat ain't
-never been foun' yet. I liked meetin' on Sundays an' sometime we never
-got outer church tell daylight. I wants to live jes' as long as Jesus
-say an' when he say go, I'se ready. At Christmas times we always had
-good dinners and heap o' company; plenty uv it. My Missus died and atter
-dat my mother raised ole Marster's chile, Tommy John, right 'long wid
-me. O, dem was happy days, I tell you."
-
-Mollie Tillman
-==============
-
- | **Interview with Mollie Tillman**
- | —*Susie R. O'Brien, Uniontown, Alabama*
-
-*I WARN'T NO COMMON SLAVE*
-
-Aunt Mollie Tillman was fifteen years old when the Southern slaves were
-freed; but despite her advanced age, she is able to work every day in
-the cotton fields and admits that she is "purty peart."
-
-She said, "Honey, I kin ricolleck all 'bout slavery time, 'caze I was a
-big ol' gal den. Why, I 'members when de 'mancipation come as if 't'was
-yestidy."
-
-Aunt Mollie recalls that she was born on a plantation near Rome,
-Georgia, and that her owners were Dan and Lucy Phillips.
-
-"Marse Dan was a Baptis' preacher," she explained, "an' he shorely was a
-good man. He was a chaplain in de big war and he didn't get hurt.
-
-"Marster owned lots an' lots of slaves an' de plantation was jes' full
-o' niggers. He was a powerful important man.
-
-"Honey, I warn't no common eve'yday slave, I ho'ped de white folks in de
-big house. Mistus Lucy wouldn't let 'em take me to de fiel'. Dem was
-good days, chile; might good days. I was happy den, but since
-'mancipation I has jes' had to scuffle an' work an' do de bes' I kin."
-
-Aunt Mollie's hair is snow white in sharp contrast to her ginger-cake
-skin.
-
-"I 'members all 'bout when de Yankees come," she said. "Dey was jes'
-ruineration to de plantation. Dey tuck all de mules an' cows, den sont
-out an' got all de chickens an' eggs dey could fin'. Eatin' was kind o'
-slack wid us atter dey lef'."
-
-Aunt Mollie's life has known romance. Let her tell it:
-
-"I was ol' 'nough to be castin' my eyes 'roun' at de young bucks, an'
-dere was a nigger what lived on de plantation jinin' our'n whut tuck a
-shine to me. I lacked dat boy fine, too.
-
-"He would come over to see me ever' time he git a chanct. One night he
-'low he gwine'r ax his marster to buy me so's me an' him could git
-married. Well, atter dat he didn' come no mo'.
-
-"I waited an' I watched, but I didn' hear nuffin of dat nigger. Atter
-'while I got worried. I was 'fraid de patterollers done kotch him, or
-maybe he done foun' some gal he lak better dan he do me. So I begin to
-'quire 'bout him an' foun' dat his marster done sol' him to a white man
-whut tuck him 'way down yonder to Alabama.
-
-"Well ma'am, I grieved fo' dat nigger so dat my heart was heavy in my
-breas'. I knowed I never would see him no mo'. Soon atter dat, peace was
-'clared an' de niggers was free to go whar dey pleased.
-
-"My folks stayed on wid Marse Dan fer a year; den dey 'cided to go to
-Alabama an' farm. We hit it off to Alabama an' I begin to go 'bout some
-wid de young bucks. But somehow I couldn't git my min' off dat other
-nigger.
-
-"Well ma'am, one day at a big meetin' I runned up on him. I was so happy
-I shouted all over dat meetin' house. We jes' tuck up whar we lef' off
-an' 'fo' long us got married."
-
-And, Aunt Mollie continued, they lived happily until his death about 20
-years ago.
-
-She now lives in Uniontown, happy and contented. She has her garden and
-flowers; but emphasizes that "de ol' days was de bes' of all."
-
-Alonza Fantroy Toombs
-=====================
-
- | **Interview with Alonza Fantroy Toombs**
- | —*Gertha Couric, [HW: Eufaula?]*
-
-*HE BELONGED TO BOB TOOMBS OF GEORGIA*
-
-"Missy," said Alonza Fantroy Toombs, "I'se de proudest nigger in de
-worl', 'caze I was a slave belonging to Marse Robert Toombs of Georgia;
-de grandest man dat ever lived, next to Jesus Christ. He was de bes'
-stump speaker in de State, an' he had mo' frien's dan a graveyard has
-ghosts. He was sho a kin' man, an' dere warn't no one livin' who loved
-his wife an' home mo' dan Marse Bob.
-
-"Missy," Uncle Lon continued, "he was near 'bout de greates' man dat
-eber come outen de South. He were a good business man; he were straight
-as dey make 'em, an' he sho enjoy playin' a good joke on someone. I
-useta see him a-walkin' down de road in de early mornin' an' I knowed it
-were him f'um a long distance, 'caze he was so tall. I guess you knowed
-all 'bout his a-servin' in de State legislature an' in de United States
-Congress an' a-bein' a gen'l in de war an' him bein' de secretary of
-State in de 'federacy.
-
-.. _`Alonza Fantroy Toombs`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image389toombs.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Alonza Fantroy Toombs
-
- Alonza Fantroy Toombs, [TR: Eufaula?], Alabama
-
-"I was bawn on Marse Bob's plantation in de Double Grade Quarters. My
-pappy's name was Sam Fantroy Toombs an' my mammy was Ida-Belle Toombs.
-In de slabery times I was too young to work in de fiel's, so my job was
-to hunt an' fish an' feed de stock in de evenin'. My pappy was a
-preacher an' Marse Bob learnt him to read and write, an' would let him
-go f'um plantation to plantation on de Sabbath Day a-preachin' de
-gospel. He was Marse Bob's carriage driver.
-
-"Yas'm, white folks, Marse Bob was a good provider, too. Us niggers et
-at home on Sundays, an' us had fried chicken, pot pies, bacon, beef,
-pork, an' hot coffee. On de udder days, our meals was fixed for us so
-dat de time us got for res' could be spent dat way. On Sadday us stopped
-work at noon an' would come wid our vessels to git flour, sugar, lard
-an' udder supplies. My mammy's pots an' pans was so bright dat dey
-looked like silver, an' she was one of de bes' cooks in de lan'. She
-useta cook fine milk yeast bread an' cracklin' bread. All us slaves on
-Marse Bob's place was cared for lak de white folks. We had de white
-folks doctor to treat us when we was sick. We had good clothes, good
-food an' we was treated fair. Dere warn't no mean peoples on our
-plantation.
-
-"White lady, I 'members Marse Bob's smokehouse bes' of all. It had
-ever'thing in it f'um 'possum to deer; an' de wine cellar! Don't say
-nothin'! Dat was de place I longed to roam. But Marse Bob, he drink too
-much. Dat was his only fault. He hit de bottle too hard. I couldn't
-understand it neither, caze he lef' off smokin' in later years when he
-thought it warn't good for him; but he keppa drinkin'!
-
-"I been ma'ied twice, Mistis. De fus' time to Ida Walker. She died at
-childbirth; de little fella died too. Den I ma'ied Alice James, an'
-she's been gone nigh on to twenty year now. My pappy, Rev. Sam Fantroy
-mai'ed me both times.
-
-"Atter de S'render, nary a slave lef' Marse Bob. He gib eve'y nigger
-over twenty-one a mule, some lan' an' a house to start off wid. Yassum,
-Mistis, I kin read an' write; my pappy learnt me how. I'm eighty-six
-year' old now an' still goin' strong, ceptin' 'bout six years ago I had
-a stroke. But I come out all right. I lives here wid my sister an' she's
-good to me. De only thing lef' for me to do is to wish dat when I cross
-dat ribber I can slip back to de ole place to see some of my
-frien's."
-
-William Henry Towns
-===================
-
- | **Interview with William Henry Towns**
- | —*Levi D. Shelby, Jr., Tuscumbia, Alabama*
-
-*DIS WAS DAT LONG AGO*
-
-"It's been so long sence, I don' 'member much," William Henry (Bill)
-Towns said talking of slavery days. Towns was only seven when the Civil
-War began and his memories are those of childhood, which he mixes with
-reminiscences and opinions of the older slaves with whom he came in
-contact immediately after the war. Towns knows the exact date of his
-birth. He says:
-
-"I was born in Tuscumbia, Alabama, December 7, 1854. My mother was name
-Jane Smoots. She come from Baltimore, Maryland. My father's name was Joe
-Towns, and he come from Huntsville, Alabama.
-
-"I had a passel of brudders an' sisters; Charlie and Bob was my
-brudders; Betty, Kate, Lula an' Nelie was my sisters. Dere wasn't but
-two of us endurin' slavery. Dat was me an' Nelie; de rest was born atter
-slavery. Me an' Nelie was Townses, the rest, Charlie, Kate, Lula, Bob
-and Betty was Joneses. How dat come 'bout was dis away. Endurin' slavery
-my father was sold to anudder slave owner. Atter de war my mother
-married Frank Jones; den dese yuther chillun was born.
-
-"It done been so long sence all of dis was I disremembers most 'bout it.
-Anyway, the Big House was a two-story house; white like mos' houses
-endurin' dat time. On the north side of the Big House set a great, big
-barn, where all de stock an' stuff dat was raised was kep'. Off to de
-southwes' of de barn an' wes' of de Big House set 'bout five or six log
-houses. These house was built facin' a space of ground in de center of a
-squa'e what de houses made. Anybody could stan' in his front do' an' see
-in at the front of de yuther houses.
-
-"Sometimes enduring' de week an' on Sunday, too, de people would git
-together out in dis squa'e an' talk 'fore goin' to bed. The chillun what
-was too young to work was always out in de front playin'. Jes' acrost
-from our place was anudder wid de quarters built 'mos' de same as ourn
-'ceptin' dat dey had a picket fence 'roun' de quarters to pervent 'em
-from runnin' away. 'Course Mr. Young didn't have to worry 'bout his
-han's runnin' away, cause he wan't a mean man like some of de slave
-holders was. He never spoke harsh or whupped 'em, an' he didn't 'low
-nobody else to do it neither.
-
-"I remember one day a fellow come from acrost on anudder farm an' spoke
-sumpin' 'bout Mr. Young bein' too easy wid his servants. He said, 'Them
-darn niggers will think they is good as you iffen you keep up de rate
-you goin' now, Young.' Mr. Young just up an' told him if he ever spoke
-like dat again he'd call his bluff. Mr. Young told him de he didn't work
-his people like dey was oxes.
-
-"All of Mr. Young's hands liked him 'cause he didn't make 'em sleep on
-corn shuck mattresses an' he didn't have dey meals cooked in a wash pot.
-A lot of de yuther slaves didn't know what it was to eat meat, lessen it
-was a holiday. Mr. Young 'lowed his people to eat just what he eat. I
-hear my mother tell a tale 'bout a man what took a meat skin an' whipped
-his chillun's mouth wid it to fool folks like dey had some meat for
-dinner. Ole Caleb told one a lil' bit bigger'n dat, though. He said one
-night him an' a feller was comin' from prayer meeting an' they runned
-'crost a possum settin' in de root of a tree by de side of de road. He
-say he stopped to git him an' dis yuther feller told him he wouldn't
-bother wid him 'cause he wouldn't git none of him no how. Caleb ast him
-why he said that. He said, ''Cause your ole master is gwine take him
-jes' soon as you git home wid him.' Caleb told him dat Mr. Young wasn't
-dat kin'er man. De yuther feller ho'ped Caleb to ketch dat possum, an'
-he got a piece of him de nex' night when ever'body come in from de
-fiel'. Caleb said de ol' feller enj'yed de meat so much dat he wished he
-took him an' his family de 'hole possum.
-
-"We didn't live so far from Big Spring Creek. 'Co'se, we didn't do no
-fishin', 'cause we younguns had to 'tend gaps to keep de cattle off'n de
-crops. De grownups had to go to de fiel'. Life was kin'er happy durin'
-slavery 'cause we never knowed nothing 'bout any yuther sort of life or
-freedom. All we knowed was work from one en' of de year to de yuther,
-'ceptin' on holidays. Den we'd have to go to church or set around de
-fire an' lis'en to de old folks tell stories. The grownups would go to a
-dance or do sumpin' else for indertainment. Co'se us younguns got a heap
-of pleasure outten dem fairy tales dat was tol' us by de older ones. I
-know ma an' dem use to tell some of de awf'lest tales sometimes. I'd be
-'fraid to go from one part of de house to de yuther widoutten somebody
-wid me. Us younguns would had to play some sort of a game for
-indertainment. Dere was a whole lot of games an' riddles to be played
-dem days. It have been so long sence I played any of 'em I'se mos' near
-disremembers de biggest part of 'em. I 'members a song or two an' a few
-riddles what ol' Caleb use to tell us. De song goes sumpin' like dis:
-
- | Saturday night an' Sunday, too.
- | Had a yaller gal on my mind.
- | Monday mornin', break of day,
- | White folks had me gwine.
-
-"De riddles was like dis;
-
- | Slick as a mole, black as a coal,
- | Got a great long tail like a thunder hole.
- | (Skillet)
- |
- | Crooked as a rainbow, teeth lak a cat,
- | Guess all of your life but you can't guess dat.
- | (black berry bush)
- |
- | Grows in de winter, dies in de spring,
- | Lives wid de root stickin' straight up.
- | (icicle)
-
-"Dere was anudder song what Caleb use to sing. It goes like dis:
-
- | Whar you gwine buzzard? Whar you gwine crow?
- | Gwine down to de river to do jes' so.
-
-"Dere was a whole lot more to dat song what I disremembers.
-
-"Anudder song what comes to my min' is:
-
- | Hawk an' de buzzard went down to de law;
- | When de hawk got back he had a broken jaw.
- | Lady's pocketbook on de judge's bench
- | Haden' had no use for a pocketbook sence.
-
-"Sometimes I visits wid ol' Mingo White an' me an' him talks over dem
-days dat me an' him was boys. We gits to talkin' an' 'fore you knows it
-ol' Mingo is cryin' lak a baby. 'Cordin' to what he says he is lucky ter
-be a-livin'. Dis is one thing I never likes ter talk 'bout. When slavery
-was goin' on it was all right for me 'cause I never had it hard, but it
-jes' wan't right to treat human bein's dat way. If we hadn't a-had to
-work an' slave for nothin' we might have somepin' to show for what we
-did do, an' wouldn't have to live from pillar to pos' now.
-
-.. _`William Henry Towns`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image391towns.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: William Henry Towns
-
- William Henry Towns, [TR: Tuscumbia?], Alabama
-
-"Speakin' of clothin', everything that we wore back den was made by
-han'. Many a night my ma use' to set an' spin wid a spindle. I have set
-an' done the cardin' for her so she could git her tas' done. In de
-summer we would wear un'erwear what was made outten cotton. In de
-winter it was made outten flannel. De shoes was made of cowhide what was
-tanned right dere on de place. Dem was de hardes' shoes I ever seen.
-Sometimes dey'd wear out 'fore dey was any ways soft, an' den sometimes
-atter dey was wore out you couldn't hardly ben' 'em. Some of de han's
-would go bar'footed until de fall an' den wear shoes. Slippers wan't
-wore den. De fust pair of slippers I ever 'members havin' was de ones
-what I bought for my weddin'. Dey didn't cos' but a dollar an' six bits.
-My weddin' suit didn't cos' but eight dollars, an' a straw hat to match
-it cos' six bits.
-
-"As I said afore, Massa Young an' ol' Mistis was mighty good folks on
-'count of dey never whupped any of they han's. Iffen dere was one dat
-would give trouble dey would git rid of him. De overseers had to be kin'
-to de hands or else he was outten a job. De chillun was mighty nice,
-too. Ever' time dey went to town or to de sto' dey would bring us
-younguns some candy or somepin'. Joinin' our farm was a farm whar de
-slaves fared lak dogs. Dey was always beatin' on some of dem.
-
-"Ever'body worked hard enduring' dat time. Dat was all we thought we was
-'spose' to do, but Abe Lincoln taught us better'n dat. Some say dat Abe
-wan't intrusted so much in freein' de slaves as he was in savin' de
-union. Don' make no diff'ence iffen he wan't intrusted in de black
-folks, he sho' done a big thing by tryin' to save de union. Some of de
-slaveholders would double de proportion of work so as to git to whip 'em
-when night come. I heard my ma say after slavery that dey jes' whipped
-de slaves so much to keep dem cowed down an' 'cause dey might have
-fought for freedom much sooner'n it did come.
-
-"Caleb come from N'Orleans, Louiseanner. He say dat many a day ship
-loads of slaves was unloaded dere an' sold to de one offerin' de mos'
-money for dem. Dey had big chains an' shackles on dem to keep 'em from
-gittin' away. Sometime dey would have to go a long ways to git to de
-farm. Dey would go in a wagon or on hoss back.
-
-"Talk 'bout learnin' to read an' 'rite—why, iffen we so much as spoke
-of learnin' to read an' 'rite we was scolded like de debil. Iffen we was
-caught lookin' in a book we was treated same as iffen we had killed
-somebody. A servant bett'nt be caught lookin' in a book; didn't make no
-diff'ence if you wan't doin' nothin' but lookin' at de pictures.
-
-"Speakin' of church; we went to de same church as de white folks did;
-only thing was we had to go in de evenin' atter de white folks. De white
-folks would go along an' read de Bible for de preacher, an' to keep dem
-from talkin of things dat might help dem to git free. Dey would sing
-songs like 'Steal Away,' 'Been Toilin' at the Hill So Long,' an'
-'Old-Time Religion.'
-
-"Ever' once in a while slaves would run away to de North. Mos' times dey
-was caught an' brought back. Sometimes dey would git desp'rit an' would
-kill demse'ves 'fore dey would stand to be brought back. One time dat I
-heard of a slave that had 'scaped and when dey tried to ketch him he
-jumped in de creek an' drown hisse'f. He was brought from over in
-Geo'gia. He hadn't been in Alabama long 'fore him an' two more tried to
-'scape; two of 'em was caught an' brought back but dis yuther one went
-to de lan' of sweet dreams.
-
-"After de day's work was done an' all had eat, de slaves had to go to
-bed. Mos' slaves worked on Sat'day jes' lak dey did on Monday; that was
-from kin' to caught, or from sun to sun. Mr. Young never worked his
-slaves 'twell dark on Sat'day. He always let 'em quit 'roun' fo' 'clock.
-We would spen' dis time washin' an' bathin' to git ready for church on
-Sunday. Speakin' of holidays; de han's celebrated ever' holiday dat deir
-white folks celebrated. Dere wan't much to do for indertainment,
-'ceptin' what I'se already said. Ever' Christmas we'd go to de Big House
-an' git our present, 'cause ol' Mistis always give us one.
-
-"Slaves never got sick much, but when dey did dey got de bes'. Dere was
-always a nurse on de farm, and when a slave got sick dey was righ' dere
-to give dem treatments. Back in dose days dey used all sorts of roots
-and yarbs for medicine. Peach tree leaves was one of de mos' of'en.
-Sassafras was anudder what was used of'en; hit was used mostly in de
-spring made in tea. Asafetida was anudder what was use to keep you from
-havin' azma. Hit was wore 'round de neck in a lil bag. Prickler ash was
-anudder what was tooken in de spring. Hit was 'spose ter clean de blood.
-Some of de folks would use brass, copper an' dimes wid holes in 'em to
-keep from havin' their rumertiz.
-
-"I was seben years old when de war commence. I 'members Mrs. Young said
-when de Yankees come dey was goin' to ast us iffen dey had been good to
-us. She said dat dey was goin' to ast us all 'bout how much money dey
-had; an' how many slaves what dey owned. She told us to say dey was po'
-folks an' dat dey didn't have no money. I 'member my mother said dat she
-hoped Mr. Young and dem to hide deir money som'ers in a well dat wan't
-bein' used 'cause it gone dry. Dem Yankees sho' did clean up whar they
-went along. Dey would ketch chickens by de bunches and kill 'em an' den
-turn 'roun' an' make de ol' Mistis clean 'em an' cook 'em for dem. Dem
-Yankees set fire to bales an' bales of cotton. Dey took de white folks
-clo'se an' did away wid 'em. Sometimes dey would tear 'em up or give dem
-to de slaves to wear. De war ended in sixty-five an' I was eleben years
-ol' den.
-
-"Jes' atter de war we was turned loose to go for ourse'f. What I mean by
-dat, we was free. I didn't mean that we lef' Mr. Young's 'cause we
-stayed wid him for de longest atter slavery was over.
-
-"My fust work was in a blacksmith shop down on West Six Street. I worked
-for fifty cents a day den until I learned de trade. Atter I worked at de
-blacksmith shop for about two years I took up carpenter work. I served
-apprentice for three years. I followed carpent'ing the res' of my life.
-
-"I married Lizzie Anderson when I was twenty-one years ol'. She wan't
-but seventeen years ol'. We didn't have no big weddin', we jes' had de
-fambly dere. I raised ten chillun up until April de twenty fourth.
-That's when William Henry died. My chilluns doin' pretty well in life.
-Dere's two of my sons what's doctors; one is a carpenter. The other one
-is Grand Orator of the Shriners. My gals is doin' fine, too. Three of
-'em is been school teachers, one a beauty cult'ist an' de other one a
-nurse. I feels sati'fied 'bout my chillun now. Dey seems to be able to
-make a livin' for they se'ves pretty well.
-
-"I thinks that Abe Lincoln was a mighty fine man even if he was tryin'
-to save their union. I don't like to talk 'bout this that have done
-happened. It done passed so I don't say much 'bout it, specially de
-Presidents, 'cause it might cause a 'sturbance right now. All men means
-well, but some of 'em ain't broadminded 'nough to do anythin' for nobody
-but themse'fs. Any man that tries to help humanity is a good man."
-
-Stepney Underwood
-=================
-
- | **Interview with Stepney Underwood**
- | —*John Morgan Smith*
-
-*THE COURT JESTER*
-
-"Yassuh, I was a slave. I was tin year' old whin de war begin." Uncle
-Stepney spoke the words between intermittent jerks of an uncontrollable
-voice. The nervousness which resulted from hard work and a long struggle
-for existence had not only given him palsy, but had left him with an
-upheaving diaphragm. Thus he shook and shivered while stuttering so
-constantly as to be almost unintelligible.
-
-"My mammy belonged to the Johnstons and my pappy was owned by the
-Underwoods," he continued; "dey lived next to each other on two big
-plantations in Lowndes County. Dey was good peoples—dem Underwoods. I
-remembers dat dey use to think I was as funny as a little monkey. De
-massa usta laugh his head off at me, and when dere was parties, de
-guestes would always say: 'Whar Stepney? We wants to see Stepney dance.'
-I usta cut many a [...] pigeon wing fur 'em.
-
-"One day atter I finish' my chores, I slip off an go across de line to
-see my mammy. When I was a-comin' back th'ough de woods, I met up wid
-two pattyrollers. Dey stop me and say: 'Nigger, who you belong to?'
-
-"'Massa Jim Johns'on,' I answers.
-
-"'Whut you a doin' out here, den?' dey say, all de time a slippin' a
-little closer so's to grab me.
-
-"I don't take time to gib 'em no mo' answers kaze I knowd dat dis meant
-a beatin'. I starts my legs a-flyin' an' I runs through de fores' lak a
-scar't rabbit wid dem pattyrollers right behin' me. My bare feets flew
-over dem stones an' I jus' hit de high spots in de groun'. I knowed dem
-two mens didn't have no chance to kotch me, but dis sho meant a whuppin'
-when I got home.
-
-.. _`Stepney Underwood`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image400underwood.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Stepney Underwood
-
- Stepney Underwood, [TR: Birmingham], Alabama
-
-"But I didn't go home dat night. I stay out in de woods and buil' me a
-little fiah. I laid down under a sycamo' tree a-tryin' ter make up my
-min' ter go an' take dat beatin'. I heered de panthers a screamin' a way
-off in de fores' an' de wildcats a howlin', an' how I wished I coulda
-been wid my mammy. Eve'y now and den, I could see eyes a shinin' in de
-darkness an' rustlin's in de bushes. Warn't no use of me a-cryin' kaze I
-was a long way fum home an' dere warn't no one to could hear me. Eve'y
-thing seem to be agin' me. Far off across de ridge I heered a screech
-owl a-callin', an' I knowd dat meant death. I was glad I had my overalls
-on so's I could turn my pockets inside out'ards to stop him. Atter I
-done dis, he sho-nuf stopped. Den my lef' ear it commence to ichin', and
-I knowd dat someone was a-sayin' somethin' mean about me. Probably dat
-oberseer dat was a-goin' to whup me when I got home. Soon I fell slap to
-sleep on a bed of moss. De nex' day I was awful hongry, an' long 'bout
-de time de sun was a-comin' ober de ridge, I heerd some mens a-comin'
-through de brush. It was de massa, de oberseer an' some mo' mens. I runs
-toward de massa and I calls as loud as I could: 'Massa Jim, here I is.'
-
-"He come up wid an awful frown on his face and de oberseer, he had a big
-whup in his han'.
-
-"'You little bur-head Nigger debil', de massa say, 'I teach you ter run
-away fum yo' place. Come on home; I'se gwine give you a good breakfast
-an' fix you up in some decent clothes. I'se got visitors a-comin' an'
-heah you is out in de woods when I needs you to dance.' Den de massa, he
-smile lak I ain't done nothin' wrong. 'I guess you wants yo mammy, you
-little lonesome pickaninny. Well, I s'pose I hadda go ober and buy her.
-You little debil you—now git on home.'"
-
-Charlie Van Dyke
-================
-
- | **Personal conversation with Charlie Van Dyke**
- | **713 S. Lawrence street, Mobile, Ala.**
- | —*Written by Mary A. Poole*
-
-*IT TOOK $50.00 TO PUT UNCLE CHARLIE ON DE FLOOR!*
-
-An old colored man, named Charlie Van Dyke, living at 713 S. Lawrence
-street, Mobile, Ala. claims to be 107 years old, but he has no authentic
-record of his birth. He told the writer he was born in North Carolina,
-and when he was ten years old, Mr. William Martee King, who owned his
-mother, "Nellie Drish", moved to Tuscaloosa, Ala., where the King family
-remained about a year, moving then from Tuscaloosa down into Dallas
-County, near Selma, Ala.
-
-While Mr. and Mrs. King and their family remained in Tuscaloosa,
-Charlies mother Nellie Drish met and married William Van Dyke, who
-belonged to the Van Dykes, who owned the neighboring plantation.
-
-Charlie assumed his step-father's name, but knew little of him, or of
-the Van Dykes to whom his step-father belonged, because, as Charlie
-explained to the writer, after the Kings moved down in Dallas County,
-(as Charlie always referred to his home in Alabama) and brought his
-mother Nellie and her family with them, his stepfather could only visit
-them once a year, and that privilege was given him on Christmas Day. He
-had to start back the next day, as he had to make the trip to and fro on
-horse back.
-
-Uncle Charlie said the Kings owned about a thousand acres in Dallas
-County and had about a hundred head of slaves, but with all their riches
-they lived in a plain plank house.
-
-He smiled and said, "Now-a-days folks passing such a house, would say
-'Colored folks live there.'"
-
-The slave quarters were the regular log wood cabins, said Uncle Charlie,
-with space between each row and a little plot of ground to separate each
-cabin to itself.
-
-Uncle Charlie said his mother cooked for the white folks, and sometimes
-she didn't get down to their cabin but on Sunday afternoon, that he
-being the oldest had to look after the younger children, and that he was
-never required to do heavy work as he broke his leg when a boy, so the
-folks let him just work around the yard and look after his sisters and
-brothers and also the other slave children.
-
-Uncle Charlie said Mr. King traveled a lot, went to France once, that
-took almost a year and the overseer had full charge and he was mean and
-made everybody stand around. He even made the slaves shuck corn on
-Sundays, each had their allotted amount to shuck before they could stop.
-
-When the writer asked about church on the plantation, Uncle Charlie
-replied: "Church was what they called it but all that preacher talked
-about was for us slaves to obey our masters and not to lie and steal.
-Nothing about Jesus was ever said, and the overseer stood there to see
-the preacher talked as he wanted him to talk."
-
-The only day that Uncle Charlie said they were given any real holiday
-was Christmas, everybody got his drink of whiskey on Christmas, and not
-another drink until next Christmas, "it sure seemed a long time between
-drinks", added Charlie with a smile.
-
-Uncle Charlie said they did let you have a funeral when some one died,
-they made the coffin on the plantation and carried it by hand to the
-graveyard, singing as they went along. He tried to recall the hymns, but
-all he could chant in a sing-song way was,
-
- | Last word he said was about Jerusalem
- | And he traveled along to the grave!
-
-When asked about war days, Uncle Charlie was first on the Confederate
-side, then on the Northern side, and he seemed somewhat bewildered about
-it all, he said he saw a stockade, as he called it, in Selma, Ala., and
-he remembered food stuff being sent to the soldiers, and also recalled
-the Yankees coming, and a Captain coming up the road and telling them
-the soldiers were coming. Uncle Charlie said the colored folks thought
-the Captain had to go back North before they came back, but in a flash
-like lightening there they were, hundreds of them, and they scared folks
-so bad some of them jumped in the river and tried to swim across and
-those that couldn't, they just drowned.
-
-When the writer tried to check up on Uncle Charlie's age, asking him how
-old he was when the war started, he replied:
-
-"I dont know but I was a man long afore it all started, lady, and I was
-thirty-three years old when I married 'bout a year after the surrender."
-
-When asked why he waited so long to get married, Uncle Charlie said:
-
-"Didn't you know in slavery days they wouldn't alow a man to marry
-unless he could split a hundred rails a day?"
-
-The writer smiled and said:
-
-"Now, Uncle Charlie," and then he chuckled, and said:
-
-"Well, I guess the right one didn't come 'long till I met her."
-
-When asked if he had a regular wedding feast, he replied.
-
-"Yes, lady, it took $50.00 to put me on the floor."
-
-Charlie and Theresa had "five head of children", as Uncle Charlie
-expressed it, of which three are dead and two living, but he claims his
-children do not look after him, but his church folks and friends give
-him the helping hand. He is a member of the St. Luke Missionary Baptist
-Church, of Mobile.
-
-Uncle Charlie says he has his religion from the foregone prophets, that
-he "don't understand this day religion", that he came along when people
-were serving Daniel's God, and when people had to be born again, now
-they serve a sanctified God and jump from one religion to another.
-
-Uncle Charlie finished the interview by saying, "Lord teach me how to
-pray, And teach me to love it woo."
-
-Lilah Walker
-============
-
- | **Interview with Lilah Walker**
- | —*William B. Strickland, Carbon Hill*
-
-*I HEAR DE WHIRRIN' OF QUARE WINGS*
-
-I walked through a small glade overshadowed by large oak trees, near
-Carbon Hill in Walker County, Alabama. A weird little cabin confronted
-me; its porch and steps loosely held to the main part of the structure
-by a few weak boards. Lilah Walker, an old Negro woman, squatted on the
-steps with her chin resting in her black hands, in an attitude of deep
-reverie. As the old woman heard me approaching she raised her head in
-cordial greeting.
-
-"Come in, young marster," she said. "How is you today?"
-
-"Fine, Aunt Lilah," I answered. 'How's the world treating you?"
-
-"Oh, I can't complain," she replied.
-
-The old woman continued.
-
-"It mought be safer to set inside, 'case dey says when de sun swing low
-lak dis dat de miassahs whut make you sick 'gin to rise outten yon'
-swamp." Then she chuckled: "I bin here since 'fo' de wah, an' I ain't
-neber seen no miassahs rise outten dat swamp yit. Yassuh, dat sho is so,
-but from whut I seed rise outten it my 'pinion is dat dey done lef' long
-'fo' dis. But I seed quare wings whirrin' outten dat swamp jus' 'fo'
-days atter de surrender, an' I seed 'em near 'bout eve'y day since. I
-seed 'em an' I heered 'em jus' a whirrin'!
-
-"Nawsuh, I sho can't 'splain de wings, but I is got my 'pinion how come
-dey is. When I tells you whut took place here durin' dem dark ole days,
-den maybe you'll hab yourn. Ole Mistis died 'fo de war, an' ole Massa,
-he too ole to go. He didn't do nothin' but set aroun' an' read de books
-an' papers. 'Peer lak to me he jus' plum forgit 'bout young Mistis after
-her mammy died, an' de little gal jus' growed up lak a wild flower in de
-woods, cep'n for a handsome young boy on de nex' plantation. Dey was
-nearly always together.
-
-"By an' by de boy got ole enough to go to de wah. It was jus' a little
-fo' de close. Den young Mistis, she droop an' she droop. 'Reckley she
-'gin to swoon, long jus' anywheres she would. One day she swoon an'
-nothin' I could do would bring her back to her senses. I jus' couldn't
-fetch her to. I call ole Massa an' he git a doctor. Dey putt me outten
-de room an' I ain't neber heared whut dat doctor said till yit, but ole
-Massa, he go stark wild. He holla an' carry on in his sleep all de
-night; an' de nex' day he druv' de young Mistis away. Dere was a cabin
-den in de swamp, an' she went dar to live. I snuk out dar an' tote her
-vittles to her fo' days an' days. She always grab me an' say: 'Don't you
-love me an' don't you believe in me, mammy?'
-
-"'Co'se I does, honey chile, 'ca'se I useta sing to you 'bout de good
-ole lan' of promise.' Den I says to her: 'Dese times is powerful
-triflin', an' maybe 'fo' long I's gwine home an' de white folks will
-miss me 'ca'se dey can't raise chilluns.' Den she cry an' I cry.
-
-"'Bout dat time de word come of de surrender. Ole Massa seem to come to
-his wits den an' he kep' a close watch on me so's I can't leave de house
-to carry de food. On de fo'th day, I cotch a chance an' I snuck off.
-When I come close to de cabin I call, but young Mistis neber answer. Den
-I went to de do', but I neber go in de do', 'ca'se millions of black
-wings come a-whirrin' outten de house. I run an' run an' I pray too, but
-de big black wings still follow me. Sometimes in de early mornin' I
-still hears an' sees two pairs of wings, sometimes white, sometimes
-black.
-
-"Yassuh, I is aimin' to tell you 'bout ole Massa; whut 'come of him. One
-evenin' I ventured to de aidge of dat swamp, an' somep'n cracked under
-my feets. I is jus' about to run when I sees it's jus' a piece of paper.
-I sees it has writin' on it so I taken it to ole Massa. Den when he read
-dat he sho 'nough go plum crazy. 'Bout dat time dey open what dey called
-a 'sane 'slylum in Tusaloosy an' dey taken ole Massa dar an' a little
-later he died.
-
-"De young boy who went to wah, whut about him? Dey say he was killed in
-de las' battle of Appomatox. Dat piece o' paper? Yassuh. It was a paper
-sayin' dat young Mistis and de young boy on de nex' plantation was
-'nited in ma'iage. Listen, young Massa. I hears dem quare wings
-a-whirrin'."
-
-Simon Walker
-============
-
- | **Interview with Simon Walker**
- | —*Ira S. Jordan*
-
-Softly mumbling to himself and gravely shaking a bare, shiny head that
-had only a fringe of white, closely-kinked wooly hair about the ears,
-the old Negro shuffled out of the crowded courtroom into the corridor.
-
-Turning clear, quizzical eyes toward a group of white men loitering near
-the doorway and addressing no one in particular, with a final emphatic
-shake of his head he said:
-
-"Hit do beat all, de way dese young niggers is allus in trouble wid de
-law. Now, whin Ah was a young buck de only law mongst us niggers was de
-word uv ole Massa. Mebbe you all's heerd tell o' him—Cun'l Hugh Walker?
-
-"Ef de Cun'l wasn't de richest man anywhar 'round Forsyth, Georgy, den
-mah name ain't Simon Walker. Yassuh! Dat's mah name too. Ah belonged to
-de Cun'l 'long wid more'n er hundderd mo' slaves, an' my mammy an' pappy
-befo' me belonged to de Walkers.
-
-"All uv 'em gone now—gone to Glory, an dis ole nigger heah all by
-hisself—de las' one er de fambly. De Cun'l, he had eight boys, an all
-'cept de least un jined de Confederits.
-
-"'Twas a turrible sad day when young Maas Chap was brung home wid one of
-his laigs shot plumb off by de Yankees; an me settin' dar by him
-a-fannin' erway de flies endurin' all de long hot days whilst he was
-layin' dar on de aige o' Kingdom Come. An' all de time Ah was thankin'
-de Lawd dat mah lil' Maas Jim was too young to go to de wawh—(all de
-Cun'l's sons dey had body servants, an Ah was Maas Jim's boy). Ah useter
-look atter him, go to school wid him an play in de woods 'tell school
-was out, an ef he had 'er gone to de wawh, dis nigger would er been
-right dar wid him.
-
-"Nawsuh, Maas Jim an me never did go to de wawh, but us seed de Yankees
-whin' Gen'l Sherman come marchin through our plantation. An ef Ah live
-fur thousand yeahs Ah'd never fergit dat day! Ah ain't nivver seed so
-many men in one crowd befo' er since, an de las' one uv 'em wearin' de
-same kind of clo'es. Dey come right up in de yahd, an a passel of 'em
-tromped right into de Big House, jist lak it was dare'n. Dey turned
-ebrything wrong side out'ards a-lookin' fer de silver an de jewl'ry, but
-Ole Missis, she done had news dey was comin' an all de stuff was hid in
-de woods. Whin dey couldn't fin' de plate an' jewl'ry, dey was hoppin
-mad, an atter takin' all de hams an rations dey could tote off dey sot
-fire to de smoke-house, an' de bahn an' all de cotton dat was piled
-around de ginhouse, to keep de Confederits frum gittin it, dey said. Dey
-took all de good houses an' mules an' lef' dere ole hongry, broke-down
-nags dat won't fittin' fer nothin' 'cept fert'lize. But dey didn't hu't
-nobody, not eben Cookie whin she tuck er broom atter em in de kitchin."
-
-.. _`Simon Walker`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image410walker.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Simon Walker
-
- Simon Walker, Birmingham, Alabama
-
-"Ah reckon dem soldiers thought de Cun'l was plumb ruint whin dey lef,
-but Ah says, Cun'l Walker was er rich man, an' 'fo' long us done bought
-fresh rations, en drive up de hargs frum de swamp an kilt mo' meat. Den
-de Cun'l he sont off fer mo' mules, an whin dey come de wu'k went on
-ergin.
-
-"Come de day whin all de niggers was sot free. Cun'l Walker call all de
-slaves up to de Big House, an standin dere on de verandah he told 'em
-dey was now all free niggers—free to go whar dey pleased. But, ef
-anybody wanted to stay on de plantation to hole up dare hans. Mos' all
-de hans stayed on de plantation 'tell de Cun'l died, an de fambly
-sorter broke up. Dat was fo' yeahs atter de Surrender.
-
-"Well, atter dat, Ah jist drifted eroun', an fin'ly landed heah in
-Bummin'ham in 1888. Wont nothin' much heah den but muddy roads an
-swamps, but Ah got er job totein' mortar whar dey was buildin' de fust
-brick sto', an' den er long time atterwards Ah wo'ked fer de 'T.C. and
-I.' fer twenty-five yeahs.
-
-"But de ole nigger ain't no mo' good fer hahd labor. All dah white folks
-done gone on, an heah I is on de Welfare, jist waitin' fer de good Lawd
-to call me up dare fer de Great Reunion—Amen."
-
-Lucindia Washington
-===================
-
- | **Interview with Lucindia Washington**
- | —*Alice S. Barton*
-
-Little black Cindy skipped along the narrow path that led to the Spring
-House. In her hand she swung an empty cedar pail that she was soon to
-fill with cool, fresh milk. She entered the small glade overhung with
-willow trees and spread with soft grass, and gazed at the sparkling
-water of the spring as it caught the beams of sunlight coming through
-the trees and reflected them in myriads of little points. Shadows of the
-waving leaves danced over the ground and up the side of the stone Spring
-House. How cool and nice it was here, she thought. Gentle breezes
-rustled the limbs of small saplings and quietly stirred the long grass
-along the upper part of the branch.
-
-A young rabbit hopped from a little clump of bushes and Cindy watched
-him as the small creature drank thirstily from the crystal water.
-Occasionally, the bunny would lift his head as if warned by a slight
-sound, but in a moment she saw him fold back his delicate ears and once
-more dip his small mouth into the babbling water.
-
-After quenching his thirst, the rabbit hopped a few feet away and
-nibbled on a wisp of tender grass. Cindy was as still as a statue as she
-watched the procedure. "Dat's de cutest little bunny I ever seed," she
-said to herself. "I wish I could ketch him." But Cindy knew that she
-could not catch a rabbit, so she was content to stand in the shadow of a
-sycamore and gaze eagerly at the animal, nibbling the grass.
-
-Suddenly, without warning, Cindy's eyes protruded from their sockets
-with an expression of fear. Slipping noiselessly through the green
-undergrowth she saw a giant rattler gliding slowly toward the young
-rabbit. She wanted to cry out, but she was afraid; afraid of attracting
-the rattler's attention toward her. She was deathly afraid of snakes.
-Since babyhood, she had harbored a growing fear of them. If Cindy had
-been still before this time, she now became a frozen image. It would not
-have been apparent that she was even breathing. So frightened was she of
-the snake that her whole body broke out in a profuse perspiration. Her
-eyes were glued to the tremendous brown monster which, without the
-slightest sound, oozed deftly toward its victim. Cindy was hypnotized!
-The snake seemed to hold her in a strange spell. Slowly, inexorably he
-moved entirely out of the undergrowth and was now weaving on the clear
-ground. He approached the rabbit within a distance of three feet and
-began to carefully form himself in a deadly coil. Cindy saw every
-movement. She saw each diamond on its brown back; each scale of its
-crawling skin; each lash and point of its tongue; the whiteness of its
-breast, the large track that it had made in the sand. She watched its
-eyes gleam, expressionless and ominous. She gazed at the deadly mouth as
-it slowly began to open. She was aware of the first appearance of the
-two death-like fangs pointing downward. She saw the ten-buttoned rattle
-stand erect. She saw it quiver; shake; sound. She saw the rabbit turn
-with fear. She saw the strike; the sinking of the fangs into the soft,
-brown fur. She watched the rabbit give an ephemeral struggle; witnessed
-the brief pitiful look in the bunny's eyes and at last saw the mouth
-sink into the small belly and draw the last breath of life away.
-
-The experience was more than the little girl could stand. Cindy
-was now in a state of frenzy. She could not move, nor speak, nor turn
-her eyes. She could only stare! At what?
-
-The monstrous snake then girded himself for further onslaught. After
-being sure his victim was dead, he loosed his grip and stretched at full
-length upon the ground; drew the rabbit out until it too was stretched
-carefully out with its hind feet together and its head pointing in the
-opposite direction. Then followed an experience that to Cindy seemed
-entirely impossible. The snake took the hind feet of the rabbit in his
-mouth, until gradually they had disappeared. Then came what seemed to
-'Cindy an agonized struggle. The snake's mouth stretched almost to the
-breaking point as it began slowly to close over the rest of the rabbit's
-rear quarter. With fits and starts and jerks and stretches, the rattler
-reeled and squirmed; contorted and wreathed and sucked until the rabbit
-had half gone. With the last great effort the serpent threw himself into
-another series of bodily contortions that seemed to 'Cindy positively
-agonizing to him, until at last the rabbit had entirely disappeared from
-the earth. For several minutes 'Cindy apparently watched the tremendous
-hump in the snake move slowly backward. With gradually diminishing
-intermittent jerks, the snake finally got the small animal to his
-digestive tract. The monster then crawled to a hot sandy section and
-went to sleep.
-
------
-
-Two hours later it was twilight. An overseer was walking along the path
-to the Spring House. He paused for a moment beneath a sycamore tree to
-rest and cool himself. As his eyes roamed the shadowy little glade they
-came to rest on the body of a little Negro girl, lying inert upon the
-soft grass with the handle of a cedar bucket clutched in a death grip.
-He lifted the small black form into his arms and carried her to the
-house. He saw in her face an expression of mingled agony and fear.
-
------
-
-"Yassuh, white folks, dat was me," Aunt 'Cindy smiled as she told me of
-the experience, 80 years later. "Dat was de biggest snake I ever seed.
-He musta been seven feet long.
-
-.. _`Cindy Washington`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image413washington.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Cindy Washington
-
- Cindy Washington, [TR: Eutaw], Alabama
-
-"All dis happen in Sumter County whar I was bawn. Us had a pretty place
-dere. I'll never forgits how de niggers worked dere gardens in de
-moonlight. Dere warn't no time in de day. De white folks work tuk dat
-time. De oberseer rung a big bell for us to git up by in de mawnin' at
-fo' o'clock, an' de fus' thing we done was to feed de stock."
-
-"You axe was we punished?" Yassuh, we was punished for something: most
-of all for stealin'.
-
-"Yassuh, we was taught to read an' write, but mos' of de slaves didn't
-want to learn. Us little niggers would hide our books under de steps to
-keep f'um havin' to study. Us'd go to church wid de white folks on
-Sunday and sit in de back, an' den we go home an' eat a big Sunday meal.
-When we got sick f'um eatin' too much or somp'n, Massa Jim Godfrey was a
-doctor an' he'd ten' to us. Den when new nigger babies came, nine little
-black bugs was tied up in rags 'roun' dere necks for to make de babies
-teethe easy. When I was ma'ied, white folks, at de age of thirteen, Alex
-Washington, my husband an me had a forty-dollar weddin'. My mistis baked
-me a cake, an' a white schoolmaster named Henry Hindron spoke de
-ceremony. Me an' dat ole husband had twenty-two chilluns.
-
-"Yas ma'm. I sho does believe in ghosties. We's got one good spirit an'
-one bad un. One goes to heaben an' de udder stays on earth. Ghosties sho
-does lak whiskey, caze dey'll follow you iffen you got any. Iffen you
-po' it on de groun' beside you, dough, dey'll lose track of you. Always
-give a gos' de raght han' side of de road, white folks, an' he won't
-bother you.
-
-"Yes my chile, I is got religion. I seed Jesus a hanging f'um de cross.
-He give his blood so dat us could live. I knows I is goin' to
-heaben."
-
-Eliza White
-===========
-
- | **Interview with Eliza White, age around 80**
- | **Opelika, Alabama**
- | —*Preston Klein, Opelika, Alabama*
-
-*SHE SEED A HA'NT*
-
-Eliza White lives by the Central of Georgia Railroad tracks in Opelika.
-The passing of many years has not dulled her mind, and so she was able
-to tell of many things which happened "befo' de wah."
-
-"Yas, suh, I was a slave. Ole Massa was name' Billy Jones, and Ole
-Mistis was name' Angeline. Dey lived in Harris County, Georgia, close to
-Columbus. My pappy and mammy was Peter and Frances Jones, and I had a
-brother, Dennis, and a sister, Georgianne.
-
-"Massa was a good man, and I did love Ole Mistis. Dey was mighty good to
-us niggers; fed us out dey own garden. We had checked homespun clothes
-foh eve'yday, and purty calico and dyed osnaburg ones foh Sunday. I went
-to church wid de white folks, settin' in de foot of de carriage. I
-'members well de Sunday I fust seen a shoutin'. It was two white ladies.
-
-"Massa and Mistis had four chillun. Two of dem, Dave and Quit, was bad
-fighting kids. I seen Massa make dem strip to dey waist, and whip 'em,
-den make dem go in and bathe.
-
-"Massa lived in a big, fine white house. He had two or three hundred
-slaves, and de quarters was in two long rows, runnin' up near 'bout to
-de big house on de hill. Dey even raised deer on de place. De houses in
-de quarters was two-room log houses wid a shed room to cook in. My mammy
-was de cook at de big house, and granny was de weaver. Pappy was de
-bedmaker; he made most of de beds outen poplar. I had a little chair in
-de corner where I sot and kept de flies offen Mistis wid a green twig
-brush.
-
-"Whenever Massa sont any de slaves offen de place he had to gib 'em
-passes so de patterollers wouldn't ketch 'em and whip 'em foh runnin'
-away. De patterollers was a good thing foh de lazy ones. When daylight
-come we had to get up, else we'd be whipped. Massa didn't have his
-slaves whipped much; just when dey was lazy and wouldn't work.
-
-"Ev'ey now and den we would have some good frolics, mostly on Sattiday
-nights. Somebody would play de fiddle and we all danced to de music. De
-folks sure had some big times at de cornshuckin's, too. De men would
-work two or three days, haulin' de corn and pilin' it near de crib. Den
-dey would invite folks from other quarters to come and help wid de
-shuckin'. While dey shucked dey would holler and sing:
-
- | You jumped and I jumped;
- | Swear, by God you out jumped me.
- | Huh! Huh! Round de corn, Sally.
-
-"Granny used to give us tea made outen sage roots, mullen, pine,
-hoarhound—dat sho' was bitter stuff. We had purty beads made wid corn.
-And I still 'members de Christmas I got my fust shoes. I just hugged dem
-tight and went to sleep holdin' 'em. Dey was button shoes.
-
-"When we heard de Yankees was comin' we hid all de meat and rations and
-de silver in de big swamp, and turned de horses loose, and all us kids
-hid in de bedticks (mattresses). De Yankees stayed around two or three
-days and would pull de hands out of dere beds by dey toes.
-
-"But I really seed a ha'nt one time. I knowed it was. De was one old man
-been havin' de toothache all de time; he used to keep he jaw tied up. I
-was gwine over to see him day time. Well, 'fore I got dere I seen what
-look like him comin'. When I got nearer he turned to a man riding a mule
-and wearing a big hat. Den, 'fore he got to de house he was plum gone.
-Dat's how I knowed it was a ha'nt."
-
-Mingo White
-===========
-
- | **Interview with Mingo White**
- | —*Levi D. Shelby, Jr., Tuscumbia, Alabama*
-
-*JEFF DAVIS USED TO CAMOUFLAGE HIS HORSE*
-
-Mingo White lives at Burleson in Franklin County, Alabama, and though he
-doesn't know his age he remembers that he was a big boy when the War
-between the States began. His reminiscences of slavery days, when he was
-a field hand, are an incongruous combination of stories of severe
-cruelty and free Saturday afternoons, Sunday holidays and happy
-festivals of cornshucking and community cotton picking. He talks of
-punishments visited on recalcitrant slaves beyond human endurance and of
-tasks saddled on one person that would take half a dozen to accomplish.
-Mingled with these perhaps fogged memories of the nonagenarian are
-interesting sidelights of "drivers," paterollers," Ku Kluxers and
-share-cropping in reconstruction days.
-
-"I was born in Chester, South Carolina, but I was mos'ly raised in
-Alabama," Mingo said. "When I was 'bout fo' or five years old, I was
-loaded in a wagon wid a lot mo' people in 'hit. Whar I was boun' I don't
-know. Whatever become of my mammy an' pappy I don' know for a long time.
-
-"I was tol' there was a lot of slave speculators in Chester to buy some
-slaves for some folks in Alabama. I 'members dat I was took up on a
-stan' an' a lot of people come 'roun' an' felt my arms an' legs an'
-chist, an' ast me a lot of questions. Befo' we slaves was took to de
-tradin' post Ol' Marsa Crawford tol' us to tell eve'ybody what ast us if
-we'd ever been sick to tell 'em dat us'd never been sick in our life. Us
-had to tell 'em all sorts of lies for our Marsa or else take a beatin'.
-
-"I was jes' a li'l thang; tooked away from my mammy an' pappy, jes' when
-I needed 'em mos'. The only caren' that I had or ever knowed anything
-'bout was give to me by a frein' of my pappy. His name was John White.
-My pappy tol' him to take care of me for him. John was a fiddler an'
-many a night I woke up to find myse'f 'sleep 'twix' his legs whilst he
-was playin' for a dance for de white folks. My pappy an' mammy was sold
-from each yuther too, de same time as I was sold. I use' to wonder if I
-had any brothers or sisters, as I had always wanted some. A few years
-later I foun' out I didn't have none.
-
-"I'll never forgit de trip from Chester to Burleson. I wouldn't 'member
-so well I don't guess, 'cepin' I had a big ol' sheep dog name Trailer.
-He followed right in back of de wagon dat I was in. Us had to cross a
-wide stream what I tuk to be a ribber. When we started 'crost, ol'
-Trailer never stop followin'. I was watchin' him clost so if he gived
-out I was goin' to try to git him. He didn't giv' out, he didn't even
-hab to swim. He jes' walked 'long an' lapped de water lack a dog will.
-
-"John took me an' kep' me in de cabin wid him. De cabin didn' hab no
-furniture in hit lack we has now 'days. De bed was a one-legged, hit was
-made in de corner of de room, wid de leg settin' out in de middle of de
-flo'. A plank was runned 'twix' de logs of de cabin an' nailed to de
-post on de front of de bed. Across de foot an' udder plank was runned
-into de logs an' nail' to de leg. Den some straw or cornshucks was piled
-on for a mattress. Us used anythang what we could git for kivver. De
-table had two legs, de legs set out to de front whilst de back part was
-nail' to de wall. Us didn't hab no stove. Thar was a great big fireplace
-whar de cookin' was done. Us didn't hab to cook, though, lessen us got
-hungry after supper been served at de house.
-
-"I warn't nothin' but a chile endurin' slavery, but I had to wuk de same
-as any man. I went to de fiel' and hosed cotton, pulled fodder and
-picked cotton wid de res' of de han's. I kep' up too, to keep from
-gittin' any lashes dat night when us got home. In de winter I went to de
-woods wid de men folks to ho'p git wood or to git sap from de trees to
-make turpentine an' tar. Iffen us didn't do dat we made charcoal to run
-de blacksmif shop wid.
-
-"De white folks was hard on us. Dey would whup us 'bout de leas' li'l
-thang. Hit wouldn't a been so bad iffen us had a had comforts, but to
-live lack us did was 'nouf to make anybody soon as be dead. De white
-folks tol' us dat us born to work for 'em an' dat us was doin' fine at
-dat.
-
-"De nex' time dat I saw my mammy I was a great big boy. Dere was a 'oman
-on de place what ever'body called mammy, Selina White. One day mammy
-called me an' said, Mingo, your mammy is comin'.' I said, 'I thought dat
-you was my mammy.' She said 'No I ain't your mammy, yer mammy is 'way
-way from here. I couldn't believe dat I had anudder mammy and I never
-thought 'bout hit any mo'. One day I was settin' down at de barn when a
-wagon come up de lane. I stood 'roun' lack a chile will. When de wagon
-got to de house, my mammy got out an' broke and run to me an' th'owed
-her arms 'roun' my neck an' hug an' kiss me. I never even put my arms
-'roun' her or nothin' of de sort. I jes' stood dar lookin' at her. She
-said, 'Son ain't you glad to see your mammy?' I looked at her an' walked
-off. Mammy Selina call me an' tol' me dat I had hurt my mammy's
-feelin's, and dat dis 'oman was my mammy. I went off an' studied and I
-begins to 'member thangs. I went to Selina an' ast her how long it been
-sence I seen my mammy. She tol' me dat I had been 'way from her sence I
-was jes' a li'l chile. I went to my mammy an' tol' her dat I was sorry I
-done what I did an' dat I would lack fer her to fergit an' forgive me
-for de way I act when I fust saw her. After I had talked wid my real
-mammy, she told me of how de family had been broke up an' dat she hadn't
-seed my pappy sence he was sold. My mammy never would of seen me no mo'
-if de Lawd hadn' a been in de plan. Tom White's daughter married one of
-Mr. Crawford's sons. Dey lived in Virginia. Back den it was de custom
-for women to come home whenever dey husbands died or quit 'em. Mr.
-Crawford's son died an' dat th'owed her to hab to come home. My mammy
-had been her maid, so when she got ready to come home she brung my mammy
-wid her.
-
-"Hit was hard back in dem days. Ever' mornin' fo' day break you had to
-be up an' ready to git to de fiel'. Hit was de same ever' day in de year
-'cep' on Sunday, an' den we was gittin' up earlier dan the folks do now
-on Monday. De drivers was hard too. Dey could say what ever dey wanted
-to an' you couldn't say nothin' for yourse'f. Somehow or yuther us had a
-instinct dat we was goin' to be free. In de even't when de day's wuk was
-done de slaves would be foun' lock' in dere cabins prayin' for de Lawd
-to free dem lack he did de chillun of Is'ael. Iffen dey didn' lock up,
-de Marsa or de driver would of heard 'em an' whupped 'em. De slaves had
-a way of puttin' a wash pot in de do' of de cabin to keep de soun' in de
-house. I 'members once ol' Ned White was caught prayin'. De drivers took
-him de nex' day an' carried him to de pegs, what was fo' stakes drove in
-de groun'. Ned was made to pull off ever'thang but his pants an' lay on
-his stomach 'tween de pegs whilst somebody stropped his legs an' arms to
-de pegs. Den dey whupped him 'twell de blood run from him lack he was a
-hog. Dey made all of de han's come an' see it, an' dey said us'd git de
-same thang if us was cotched. Dey don't 'low a man to whup a horse lack
-dey whupped us in dem days.
-
-"After my mammy come whar I was I ho'ped her wid her work. Her tas' was
-too hard for any one person. She had to serve as maid to Mr. White's
-daughter, cook for all of de han's, spin an' card four cuts of thread a
-day an' den wash. Dere was one hundred an' forty-four threads to de cut.
-If she didn't git all of dis done she got fifty lashes dat night. Many a
-night me an' her would spin an' card so she could git her task de nex'
-day. No matter whut she had to do de nex' day she would have to git dem
-fo' cuts of thread, even on wash day. Wash day was on Wednesday. My
-mammy would have to take de clo's 'bout three quarters of a mile to de
-branch whar de washin' was to be done. She didn't have no wash board
-lack dey have now 'days. She had a paddle what she beat de clo's wid.
-Ever'body knowed when wash day was 'case dey could hear de paddle for
-'bout three or four miles. "Pow-pow-pow," dat's how it sound. She had to
-iron de clo's de same day dat she washed an' den git dem four cuts of
-thread. Lots of times she failed to git 'em an' got de fifty lashes. One
-day when Tom White was whuppin' her she said, 'Lay it on Marsa White
-'case I'm goin' to tell de Yankees when dey come.' When mammy got
-through spinnin' de cloth she had to dye it. She used shumake berries,
-indigo, bark from some trees, and dar was some kind of rock (probably
-iron ore) what she got red dye from. De clo's wouldn't fade neither.
-
-"De white folks didn't learn us to do nothin' but wuk. Dey said dat us
-warn't 'spose' to know how to read an' write. Dar was one feller name
-E.C. White what learned to read an' write endurin' slavery. He had to
-carry de chillun's books to school fer 'em an' go back atter dem. His
-young marsa taught him to read an' write unbeknowance' to his father an'
-de res' of de slaves. Us didn' have nowhar to go 'cep' church an' we
-didn' git no pleasure outten it 'case we warn't 'lowed to talk from de
-time we lef' home 'twell us got back. If us went to church de drivers
-went wid us. Us didn't have no church 'cep' de white folks church.
-
-"After ol' Ned got sech a terrible beatin' fer prayin' for freedom he
-slipped off an' went to de North to jine de Union Army. After he got in
-de army he wrote to Marsa Tom. In his letter he had dose words:
-
-"'I am layin' down, marsa, and gittin' up, marsa;' meaning dat he went
-to bed when he felt like it an' got up when he pleased to. He told Tom
-White dat iffen he wanted him he was in the army an' dat he could come
-after him. After ol' Ned had got to de North, de yuther han's begin to
-watch for a chance to slip off. Many a one was cotched an' brung back.
-Dey knowed de penalty what dey would have to pay, an' dis cause some of
-'em to git desp'rite. Druther dan to take a beatin' dey would choose to
-fight hit out 'twell dey was able to git away or die befo' dey would
-take de beatin'.
-
-"Lots of times when de patterollers would git after de slaves dey would
-have de worse' fight an' sometimes de patterollers would git killed.
-After de war I saw Ned, an' he tol' me de night he lef' the patterollers
-runned him for fo' days. He say de way he did to keep dem frum ketchin'
-him was he went by de woods. De patterollers come in de woods lookin'
-for him, so he jes' got a tree on 'em an' den followed. Dey figured dat
-he was headin' fer de free states, so dey headed dat way too, and Ned
-jes' followed dem for as dey could go. Den he clumb a tree and hid
-whilst dey turned 'roun' an' come back. Ned went on widout any trouble
-much. De patterollers use ter be bad. Dey would run de folks iffen dey
-was caught out after eight o'clock in de night, iffen dey didn' have no
-pass from de marsa.
-
-"After de day's wuk was done there warn't anything for de slaves to do
-but go to bed. Wednesday night they went to prayer meetin'. We had to be
-in de bed by nine o'clock. Ever' night de drivers come 'roun' ter make
-sho' dat we was in de bed. I heerd tell of folks goin' to bed an' den
-gittin' up an' goin' to yuther plantation. On Sat'day de han's wukked
-'twell noon. Dey had de res' of de time to wuk dey gardens. Ever' fambly
-had a garden of dere own. On Sat'day nights the slaves could frolic for
-a while. Dey would have parties sometimes an' whiskey and home-brew for
-de servants. On Sundays we didn't do anything but lay 'roun' an' sleep,
-'case we didn' lack to go to church. On Christmas we didn't have to do
-no wuk: no more'n feed de stock an' do de li'l wuk 'roun' de house. When
-we got through wid dat we had de res' of de day to run 'roun' wharever
-we wanted to go. 'Co'se we had to git permission from de marsa.
-
-"De owners of slaves use to giv' cornshuckin' parties, an' invite slaves
-from yuther plantations. Dey would have plenty of whiskey an' other
-stuff to eat. De slaves would shuck corn an' eat an' drink. Dey use'to
-giv' cotton pickin's de same way. All of dis went on at night. Dey had
-jack-lights in de cotton patch for us to see by. De lights was made on a
-forked stick an' moved from place to place whilst we picked. De corn
-shuckin' was done at de barn, an' dey didn' have to have de lights so
-dey could move dem frum place to place.
-
-"De only games dat I played when I was young was marbles an' ball. I use
-to sing a few songs dat I heard de older folks sing lak:
-
- | Cecess ladies thank they mighty grand,
- | Settin' at de table, coffee pot of rye,
- | O' ye Rebel union band, have these ladies understan'
- | We leave our country to meet you, Uncle Sam.
-
-"Dese songs was 'bout de soldiers an' de war. There was one 'bout ol'
-General Wise what went:
-
- | Ol' General Wise was a mighty man,
- | And not a wise man either,
- | It took forty yards of cloth to make a uniform,
- | To march in de happy land of Canaan.
- |
- | Chorus:
- |
- | Ha-ha, ha-ha, de south light is comin',
- | Charge boys, charge, dis battle we mus' have,
- | To march us in the happy land of Canaan.
-
-"There was a song 'bout General Roddy too:
-
- | Run ol' Roddy through Tuscumbia, through Tuscumbia,
- | We go marchin' on.
- |
- | Chorus:
- |
- | Glory, glory hallelujah, glory, glory hallelujah,
- | Glory, glory hallelujah as we go marchin' on.
- |
- | Ol' Roddy's coat was flyin', ol' Roddy's coat flyin' high,
- | Twell it almost touch de sky, we go marchin' on.
-
-"I was a pretty big boy when de war broke out. I 'member seein' the
-Yankees cross Big Bear creek bridge one day. All of de sojars crossed de
-bridge but one. He stayed on de yuther side 'twell all de res' had got
-'crost, den he got down offen his horse an' took a bottle of somp'in'
-an' strowed it all over de bridge. Den he lighted a match to it an'
-followed de res'. In a few minutes the Rebel sojars come to de bridge to
-cross but it was on fire an' dey had to swim 'crost to de yuther side. I
-went home an' tol' my mammy dat de Rebels was chasin' de Union sojars,
-an' dat one of de Unions had poured some water on de bridge an' sot it
-afire. She laugh' an' say: 'Son, don't you know dat water don't make a
-fire? Dat musta been turpentine or oil?' I 'member one day Mr. Tom was
-havin' a big barbecue for de Rebel soldiers in our yard. Come a big
-roarin' down de military road, an' three men in blue coats rode up to de
-gate an' come on in. Jes' as soon as de Rebels saw 'em de all run to de
-woods. In 'bout five minutes de yard was full of blue coats. Dey et up
-all de grub what de Rebels had been eatin'. Tom White had to run 'way to
-keep de Yankees from gittin' him. 'Fo de Yankees come, de white folks
-took all dey clo's an' hung 'em in de cabins. Dey tol' de colored folks
-to tell de Yankees dat de clo's was dere'n. Dey tol' us to tell 'em how
-good dey been to us an' dat we lacked to live wid 'em.
-
-"All day dat we got news dat we was free, Mr. White called us niggers to
-the house. He said: 'You are all free, jes' as free as I am. Now go an'
-git yerse'f somewhar to stick your heads.' Jes' as soon as he say dat,
-my mammy hollered out: 'Dat's 'nough for a yearlin'. She struck out
-'crost de fiel' to Mr. Lee Osborn's to git a place for me an' her to
-stay. He paid us seventy-five cents a day, fifty cents to her an' two
-bits for me. He gave us our dinner along wid de wages. After the crop
-was gathered fer that year, me an' my mammy cut an' hauled wood for Mr.
-Osborn. Us lef' Mr. Osborn dat fall an' went to Mr. John Rawlins. Us
-made a share crop wid him. Us'd pick two rows of cotton an' he'd pick
-two rows. Us'd pull two rows of corn an' he'd pull two rows. He
-furnished us wid rations an' a place to stay. Us'd sell our cotton an'
-open corn an' pay Mr. John Rawlins for feedin' us. Den we moved wid Mr.
-Hugh Nelson an' made a share crop wid him. We kep' movin' an' makin'
-share crops 'twell us saved up 'nough money to rent us a place an' make
-a crop fer ourse'ves. Us did right well at dis until de Ku Klux got so
-bad, us had to move back wid Mr. Nelson for protection. De mens that
-took us in was union men. Dey lived here in the south but dey tooken us
-part in de slave business. De Ku Klux threat to whup Mr. Nelson 'case he
-took up fer de niggers. Heap uv nights we would hear of the Ku Klux
-comin' an' leave home. Sometimes us was scared not to go an' scared to
-go 'way from home.
-
-"One day I borrowed a gun frum Ed Davis to go squ'el huntin'. When I
-taken de gun back I didn't unload hit lack I allus been doin'. Dat night
-de Ku Klux called on Ed to whup him. When dey tol' him to open de do',
-he heard one of 'em say, 'Shoot him time he gits de do' open. 'Well, he
-says to 'em,' wait 'twell I kin light de lamp.' Den he got de gun what I
-had lef' loaded, got down on his knees an' stuck hit th'ough a log an'
-pull de trigger. He hit Newt Dobbs in de stomach an' kilt him. He
-couldn't stay 'roun' Burleson any mo', so he come to Mr. Nelson an' got
-'nough money to git to Pine Bluff, Arkansas. The Ku Klux got bad sho'
-'nough den and went to killin' niggers an' white folks, too.
-
-"I ma'ied Kizi Drumgoole. Reverend W.C. Northcross perform' de ceremony.
-Dere warn't nobody dere but de witness an' me an' Kizi. I had three
-sons, but all of 'em is dead 'cepin' one an' dat's Hugh. He get seven
-chilluns. He wuks on de relief.
-
-"Abe Lincoln was as nobler man as ever walked. Jeff Davis was as
-smart man as you ever wan' to see. Endurin' de war he sheared his horse
-in sich a way dat he looked lack he was goin' one way when he'd gwine de
-de yuther. Booker T. Washington did one of de greates' things when he
-fix it for nigger boys an' girls to learn how to git on in de worl'.
-
-"Slavery wouldn't a been so bad, but folks made it so by selling us for
-high prices, an' of co'se folks had to try to git dey money's worth out
-of 'em. The chillun of Is'ael was in bondage one time an' God sent Moses
-to 'liver 'em. Well I 'spose dat God sent Abe Lincoln to 'liver
-us."
-
-Abe Whitess
-===========
-
- | **Interview with Abe Whitess**
- | —*David Holt*
-
-*"MAYOR OF DOUGLASVILLE"*
-
-When the sunshine is warm, Abe Whitess, "Mayor of Douglasville," sits
-outside his cabin door near Bay Minette, Alabama, and watches the stream
-of traffic on US 31 just beyond his bare feet, "a' restin'" in the
-soothing sand. More than 90 years ago he was born not many miles from
-this same cabin over in Mississippi as a slave of Col. Rupert, who owned
-plantations in Alabama and Mississippi.
-
-"I come over to Alabama after the surrender," Abe Whitess told his
-interviewer after he had retired with dignity to put on shoes before he
-permitted his photograph to be taken. "I went to a plantation in Butler
-County fust and then came on down here to Bay Minette.
-
-"Slavery wasn't so bad. Col. Rupert was a good marster, but he lived way
-over in Mobile and us was at his Scooby (Scooba) plantation. That was in
-Kemper County and his overseer there sho was handy with a whup. I was a
-cotton hand and spent most of my time totin' water for the other hands.
-When Mr. Lincoln 'mancipated us we was free and I didn't carry any more
-water. It wasn't 'twell after the surrender I went to Butler County,
-where Colonel Rupert had him another plantation.
-
-"I come down here to Bay Minette a long time ago. I us'ta be chairman of
-the Republican party in Baldwin County here, but when the Republicans
-got in they made the white gem'mun what took my job postmaster. Then the
-bank I had my money in went busted in another Republican time and I
-loses $658.05. I votes for Mr. Roosevelt now."
-
-Abe Whitess stopped to take a chew of his favorite tobacco and admitted
-that he lived alone in his one-room cabin by preference. He doesn't want
-women "botherin' 'round his place and ain't had no truckin' with 'em for
-years." He cooks on the hearth just as his mammy did before him decades
-ago in the slave quarters of Colonel Rupert's plantation.
-
-.. _Abe Whitess:
-
-.. figure:: images/image429whitess.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: Abe Whitess
-
- Abe Whitess, Bay Minette, Alabama
-
-Despite his years, he is well able to take care of himself. He carries
-his nine decades lightly, and his kindly face is topped by a wealth of
-snow white hair. Though he lost money in the bank failure that made him
-a Democrat in politics, Abe owns 14 acres of land, part of which he
-farms. He has cleared a portion of it for a baseball diamond which is
-rented to Negro teams, who play there frequently. The fee is always
-collected before a ball is thrown.
-
-Several years ago he donated a part of the acreage to be used for a
-public road which opened up a portion of Douglasville, the suburb in
-which he lives, where a number of Negroes had developed a residential
-section. His people named him then and since "Mayor of Douglasville,"
-without office or emolument, but Abe wears the title with a dignified
-content for his remaining years.
-
-Callie Williams
-===============
-
- | **Interview with Callie Williams**
- | —*Mary A. Poole, Mobile*
-
-*PATTEROLLERS USED SHACKLES, SAYS CALLIE*
-
-Callie Williams was only four years old at the time of the surrender,
-but stories told to her by her mother are vividly remembered, and the
-fact that she has had the same environment continously throughout the
-years imprinted these happenings permanently on her mind. She lives at
-504 Eslava Street, Mobile.
-
-"My mammy and pappy was brought to Alabama by specalators who sold 'em
-to Mr. Hiram McLemore at Newport Landing, on de Alabama ribber," Callie
-said. "Mammy's name was Vicey and she was born in Virginia, but my pappy
-was born in Kentucky. His name was Harry. Mr. McLemore had about three
-hundred head of slaves, some of 'em on one plantation of about two
-thousand acres an' de res' on another place of about five hundred acres.
-He sho' did have a pretty house. It was all white and ramblin-like and
-had big trees aroun' it. Dere was a cool well and a big dairy right
-close by it and den de cabins was all in a row in de back, some of 'em
-made out of planks, but mos' of 'em was made wid logs. Dey was all named
-after whoever lived in 'em."
-
-Aunt Callie needed little urging to tell of the old days, and she claims
-to vividly remember her master's family.
-
-"His wife was named Axie Bethea and he had seven children," she said.
-
-"One of 'em I never will forget, Miss Julia, 'case she gimme de first
-calico dress I ever had and I was proud as a peacock wid it. Miss Julia
-was de oldest little girl and dey give me to her.
-
-"My mammy say dat dey waked up in de mornin' when dey heard de sweep.
-Dat was a piece of iron hangin' by a string and it made a loud noise
-when it was banged wid another piece of iron. Dey had to get up at four
-o'clock and be at work by sunup. To do dis, dey mos' all de time cook
-breakfast de night befo'.
-
-"Pappy was a driver under de overseer, but mammy say dat she stay at de
-little nursery cabin and look after all de little babies. Dey had a
-cabin fixed up with homemade cradles and things where dey put all de
-babies. Der mammies would come in from de field about ten o'clock to
-nurse 'em and den later in de day, my mammy would feed de youngest on
-pot-licker and de older ones on greens and pot-licker. Dey had skimmed
-milk and mush, too, and all of 'em stayed as fat as a butter balls, me
-among 'em. Mammy saw dat I always got my share.
-
-"De slaves got rations every Monday night. Dere would be three pounds of
-meat and a peck of meal. Dere was a big garden dat all of 'em worked and
-dey had all de vegetables dey needed and dere was always plenty of
-skimmed milk. Dey cooked de meals on open fireplaces in de big iron
-'spiders.' Dem was big pots hangin' over the fire from a hook. Dey do de
-cookin' at night and den warm it over the nex' day if dey wanted it dat
-way.
-
-"While mammy was tendin' de babies she had to spin cotton and she was
-supposed to spin two 'cuts' a day. Four 'cuts' was a hard day's work.
-What was a cut? You oughta' know dat! Dey had a reel and when it had
-spun three hundred yards it popped. Dat was a "cut." When it had been
-spun, den another woman took it to de loom to make cloth for de slaves.
-Dey always took Saturday afternoon to clean up de clothes and cabins,
-'case dey always had to start work on Monday mornin' clean as a pin. If
-dey didn't, dey got whupped for bein' dirty.
-
-"Some of de niggers, after dey'd been beat, would try to run away and
-some of 'em got loose, but de patterollers caught a lot of 'em and den
-dey'd get it harder dan ever befo' and have shackles out on dere feet
-wid jes' enough slack for 'em to walk so dey could work.
-
-"If dey wanted to go 'possum huntin' or fishin', dey could get passes
-from de overseer. Two things dey really loved to eat was 'possum and
-fish. Dey'd eat and eat 'till dey'd get sick and den dey'd have to boil
-up a dose of Boneset tea to work 'em out. If dat didn't make 'em feel
-better, dey'd go to Marster. He always kept calomel, bluemas and quinine
-on hand. If dey got too bad off sick, den marster would call de doctor.
-De children wasn't bothered with nothin' much but worms and dey'd take
-Jerusalem oak. It was de seed of a weed dat cook' and mix' 'lasses to
-make it taste like candy. Boneset was a bush and dey'd boil de leaves to
-get boneset tea.
-
-"Mos' of de time de slaves would be too tired to do anything but go to
-bed at night, but sometimes dey would set around and sing after supper
-and dey would sing and pray on Sunday. One of de songs dat was used mos'
-was 'Yon Comes Old Marster Jesus.' If I remembers rightly, it went
-somp'n' like dis:
-
- | I really believe Christ is comin' again
- | He's comin' in de mornin'
- | He's comin' in de mornin'
- | He's comin' wid a rainbow on his shoulder
- | He's comin' again bye and bye.
-
-"Dey tried to make 'em stop singin' and prayin' durin' de war, 'case all
-dey'd ask for was to be sot free, but de slaves would get in de cabins
-and turn a big wash pot upside down and sing into dat, and de noise
-couldn't get out. I don't remember nothin' about dis ceptin' what mammy
-say.
-
-"When de Surrender come, she say dat a whole regiment of soldiers rode
-up to de house yellin' to de niggers dat dey was free. Den de soldiers
-took de meat out of de smokehouse and got all de 'lasses and meal and
-give it all to de niggers. Dey robbed de bees and den dey eat dinner
-and go on to de nex' place, takin' de menfolks wid 'em, all 'ceptin' de
-ones too old, my pappy among 'em.
-
-"After it was all over my pappy rented land on Mr. McLemore's place and
-he and mammy stayed dere till dey died. Dey was buried in de same
-graveyard dat Mr. McLemore had set aside for his slaves. I married Frank
-Williams in Montgomery, Alabama, but our marriage was nothin' like mammy
-say her and pappy's was. She say dey 'jumped de broom stick.' When any
-of de slaves wanted to get married dey would go to de big house and tell
-marster and he'd get his broomstick and say, 'Harry, does you want
-Vicey?' And Harry would say 'yes.' Den Marster would say, 'Vicey, does
-you want Harry?', and she say 'yes.' Den marster say, 'Jine hands and
-jump de broomstick and you is married. De ceremony wasn't much but dey
-stuck lots closer den, and you didn't hear about so many divorces and
-such as dat.
-
-"All my children is dead but two. I had five. One is livin' in Atlantic
-City, N.J., and I live here wid de other one. I 'spects I'll jes' go on
-livin' here 'till I die, serving Ole Marster as bes' I can. If all de
-peoples on dis here earth would do dat, we wouldn't be pestered wid all
-dese here troubles like we is nowadays.
-
-Silvia Witherspoon
-==================
-
- | **Interview with Silvia Witherspoon**
- | —*Susie R. O'Brien, Uniontown, Alabama*
-
-*FOOTS GETS TIRED FROM CHOPPIN' COTTON*
-
-Aunt Silvia Witherspoon sat dozing on the steps of her small cabin, her
-bare feet stretched out in the dry dust of the yard. A large horsefly
-settled upon her broad nose and after a moment Aunt Silvia's composure
-was disturbed to such an extent that she waved it off with her hand. On
-doing so her eyes opened and she saw me approaching the steps. She
-straightened. "Mawnin', Mistis. Jus' settin' heah coolin' off my foots.
-I'se plum wo' out f'um choppin' cotton.
-
-"Yassmam," she continued, after I had asked a few questions, "I
-remembers some things 'bout de slavery days. 'Co'se I can't remember
-jus' 'zactly how old I is, but I mus' be mought nigh on to ninety,
-'ca'se I was a raght sizable gal when de war ended. I was bawn on a
-plantation in Jackson, Mississippi, dat belonged to my Massa, Dr. Minto
-Witherspoon. My Pappy an' Mammy was name Lum an' Phyllis Witherspoon. De
-white folks lived in a big, white house made outten logs. Honey, Massa
-an' Mistis Witherspoon was quality! Yassmam, dey was quality. Us slaves
-was treated lak we was somp'n round dat place. Massa didn't 'low no
-oberseer to tote no strop 'hine his niggers. Besides dat we was fed good
-an' had good clothes. He useta done had brogans sont out in boxfuls f'um
-Mobile. My job was to do little things aroun' de white folks' house, but
-befo' dat I stayed in de quarters an' nussed my mammy's chilluns, while
-she worked in de fiel's. She would tie de smalles' baby on my back so's
-I could play widout no inconvenience. I laked to stay at de big house,
-dough, an' fan de flies offen de white folks while dey et. Dat was de
-bes' job I eber had. Mistis gived me a dress dat de white chilluns done
-out-growed an' on Sunday I was de dressed-upest nigger in de quarter.
-
-"Massa 'longed to de Presbyterian chu'ch, so all us niggers was
-Presbyterians too. We all went to our own chu'ch dat was on de place
-dar.
-
-"Massa kep' a pack of blood hounds but it warn't often dat he had to use
-'em 'ca'se none of our niggers eber runned away. One day, dough, a
-nigger named Joe did run away. Believe me Mistis, dem blood hounds cotch
-dat nigger 'fo' he got to de creek good. It makes me laugh till yit de
-way dat nigger jumped in de creek when he couldn't swim a lick jus'
-'ca'se dem houn's was atter him. He sho made a splash, but dey managed
-to git him out 'fo he drowned.
-
-"I ma'ied about a year atter de war, an' Mistis, I didn't have no pretty
-dress to git ma'ied in. I ma'ied dat ole nigger in a dirty work dress
-an' my feets was bare jus' lak dey is now. I figured dat iffen he loved
-me, he loved me jus' as well in my bare feets as he would wid my shoes
-on.
-
-"Does I believe in ghosties? Sho I does. I don't suppose you was bawn
-wid a veil on yo' face lak I was, 'ca'se I can see dem ghosties as plain
-as dey was here raght now. I'll tell you 'bout one dat comes out de
-white folks chu'ch yard. On dark rainy nights, I sees him, tall wid long
-white robes drappin f'um him. He carries a big light so bright dat you
-can't see his face, but he looks jus' lak a man. It don't bother me
-none, 'ca'se I don't bother it.
-
-"I keeps a flour sifter an' a fork by my bed to keep de witches f'um
-ridin' me. How come I knows dey rides me? Honey, I bees so tired in de
-mawnin' I kin scarcely git outten my bed, an' its all on account of dem
-witches ridin' me, so I putt de sifter dere to cotch 'em. Sometimes I
-wears dis dime wid de hole in it aroun' my ankle to keep off de conjure,
-but since Monroe King tuk an' died us ain't had much conjerin' 'roun'
-here. You know dat ole nigger would putt a conjure on somebody for jus'
-a little sum of money. He sold conjure bags to keep de sickness away. He
-could conjure de grass an' de birds, an' anything he wanted to. De
-niggers 'roun' useta give him chickens an' things so's he wouldn't
-conjure 'em, but its a funny thing Mistis, I ain't never understood it,
-he got tuk off to jail for stealin' a mule, an' us niggers waited 'roun'
-many a day for him to conjure hisself out, but he never did. I guess he
-jus' didn't have quite enough conjurin' material to git hisself th'ough
-dat stone wall. I ain't never understood it, dough."
-
-George Young
-============
-
- | **Interview with George Young**
- | —*Ruby Pickens Tartt, Livingston, Alabama*
-
-*PETER HAD NO KEYS 'CEPIN' HIS'N*
-
-"De Lawd wouldn' trusted Peter wid no keys to Heaven," in the opinion of
-George Young, of Livingston, Alabama, born into slavery ninety-one years
-ago. George knew the rigors of slavery under an absentee landlord and
-brutal overseers, according to the story he tells.
-
-"I was born on what was knowed as de Chapman Place, five miles nor'wes'
-of Livingston, on August 10th, 1846," George began his tale. My name was
-George Chapman an' I had five brothers, Anderson, Harrison, William,
-Henry an' Sam, an' three Sisters, Phoebe, Frances and Amelia. My
-mother's name was Mary Ann Chapman an' my father's name was Sam Young,
-but he b'longed to Mr. Chapman. Us all belonged to Governor Reuben
-Chapman of Alabama.
-
-"The overseer's name was Mr. John Smith, an' anudder's name was Mr.
-Lawler. He was dere de year I was born, an' dey called hit "Lawler
-year." Bofe of 'em was mean, but Lawler, I hear tell, was de meanes'.
-Dey had over three hund'ed slaves, caze dey had three plantations, one
-at Bodke, one in Huntsville and dis yere one. I can't say Marsa Chapman
-wasn't good to us, caze he was all de time in Huntsville an' jes' come
-now an' den an' bring his family to see 'bouten' things. But de
-overseers was sho' mean.
-
-"I seed slaves plenty times wid iron ban's 'roun' dey ankles an' a hole
-in de ban' an' a iron rod fasten to hit what went up de outside of dey
-leg to de wais' an' fasten to another iron ban' 'roun' de waist. Dis
-yere was to keep 'em from bendin' dey legs an' runnin' away. Dey call
-hit puttin' de stiff knee on you, an' hit sho' made 'em stiff! Sometimes
-hit made 'em sick, too, caze dey had dem iron ban's so tight roun' de
-ankles, dat when dey tuck 'em off live things was under 'em, an' dat's
-whut give 'em fever, dey say. Us had to go out in de woods an' git
-May-apple root an' mullen weed an' all sich to bile for to cyore de
-fever. Miss, whar was de Lord in dem days? Whut was He doin'?
-
-"But some of 'em runned away, anyhow. My brother Harrison was one, an'
-dey sot de "nigger dogs" on him lack fox houn's run a fox today. Dey
-didn't run him down till 'bout night but finely dey cotched him, an' de
-hunters feched him to de do' an' say: "Mary Ann, here' Harrison." Den
-dey turned de dogs loose on him ag'in, an' sich a screamin' you never
-hyared. He was all bloody an' Mammy was a-hollerin', 'Save him, Lord,
-save my chile, an' don' let dem dogs eat him up.' Mr. Lawler said, 'De
-Lord ain't got nothin' do wid dis here, an' hit sho' look lack He
-didn't, 'caze dem dogs nigh 'bout chewed Harrison up. Dem was hard
-times, sho'.
-
-"Dey didn't l'arn us nothin' an' didn't 'low us to l'arn nothin'. Iffen
-dey ketch us l'arnin' to read an' write, dey cut us han' off. Dey didn't
-'low us to go to church, neither. Sometimes us slip off an' have a
-little prayer meetin' by usse'ves in a ole house wid a dirt flo'. Dey'd
-git happy an' shout an' couldn't nobody hyar 'em, 'caze dey didn't make
-no fuss on de dirt flo', an' one stan' in de do' an' watch. Some folks
-put dey head in de wash pot to pray, an' pray easy, an' somebody be
-watchin' for de overseer. Us git whupped fer ev'ything iffen hit was
-public knowed.
-
-"Us wasn't 'lowed visit nobody from place to place, an' I seed Jim
-Dawson, dis here same Iverson Dawson' daddy; I seed him stobbed out wid
-fo' stobs. Dey laid him down on his belly an' stretch his han's out on
-bofe sides an' tie one to one stob, an' one to de yuther. Bofe his feet
-was stretch out an' tied to dem stobs. Den dey whupped him wid a whole
-board whut you kiver a house wid. De darkies had to go dere in de night
-an' take him up in a sheet an' carry him home, but he didn't die. He
-was 'cused of gwine over to de neighbor's plantation at night. Nine
-o'clock was de las' hour us had to be closed in. Head man come out an'
-holler, "Oh, yes! Oh, yes! Ev'ybody in an' do's locked." An' iffen you
-wan't, you got whupped.
-
-"Wan't nobody 'lowed to co't. Us jes' taken up together an' go ahead,
-an' dat thing wan't fixed 'twel atter S'render.
-
-"De Patterolles come frum diffe'nt places, an' de Tank'sleys, de Potts,
-de Cock'ells an' de Greg'rys was neighbors. I may of went to dey house
-an' dey claim to pertec' me playin' wid dey little nigger chillun, but
-iffen de Patterollers ketch me, dey claim dey wan't 'sponsible. One day,
-dey tuck out atter me an' I come right here in Livingston, but I was
-gwiner run away anyhow, 'caze I had seed ole Uncle Thornton dat mornin'.
-See, I was de ca'f nusser an' soon as I lef' de house I met him, an'
-here come de overseer, Mr. Smith. He sent atter me an' he said, 'I seed
-six niggers in de woods whut run away,' an' asked did I see ole man
-Thornton. I said, 'No, I ain't seed nobody.' He said, 'Nev' mine, I make
-you tell a better tale'n dat in de mawnin'.' So when I went wid de slop
-to dem ca'ves I got to thinkin' 'bout dat whupping so I come right here.
-
-"Mr. Norville had a wood-shop right 'crost de road dere by de white
-folks Baptis' church an' I hid in de back of hit dat night. But dey
-foun' me an' tuck me back. Den dey stop me from ca'f nussin' an' put me
-in de fiel' under de head man. I was glad of dat, 'caze I wanted to be
-wid de other han's, but when I foun' out how 'twas, I wanted to be back.
-Hit was a harder tas' den when I was nussin' ca'ves an' keepin' 'em from
-breakin' in de fiel' an' eatin' up de crop.
-
-"I was a good han' an' obeyed de owners an' de head man an' never had no
-'fuse 'bout work. I went one time to Bennet's Station, ten miles b'low
-here, wid jes' seven mo' niggers from de Chapman place, an' us driv'
-over a thousan' head of cattle to Atlanta, Ga., an' never had no
-trouble. I was easy pleased. Give me a piece of candy an' I'd lick hit
-'twel my mouf was so'. I reckon hit was all right, but I dunno. All de
-nations couldn't rule. Jes' lack hit is now, de stronges' people mus'
-rule.
-
-.. _`George Young`:
-
-.. figure:: images/image438young.jpg
- :align: center
- :width: 75%
- :figwidth: 75%
- :alt: George Young
-
- George Young, Livingston, Alabama
-
-"Atter S'render, dey tuck a darky for de probit jedge, but dat nigger
-didn't know nothin' an' he couldn't rule. So den dey tuck a white man
-name Sanders, an' he done all right. We was under hard task-masters an'
-I'm glad dey sot me free, 'caze I was under burden an' boun'. But
-ignerrancy can't rule, hit sho' can't. We is darkies, an' white folks
-ought to be favorable. Some speaks better words'n others, but ev'ybody
-ain't got de same heart, an' dat's all I knows.
-
-"No'm, I dunno nuthin' 'bout no spirits, either, but Christ 'peered to
-de 'postles, didn't He, atter he been dead? An' I'se seed folks done
-been dead jes' as na'chel in de day as you is now. One day me an' my
-wife was pickin' cotton right out yonder on Mr. White's place, an' I
-looked up an' seed a man all dressed in black, wid a white shirt bosom,
-his hat a-sittin' on one side, ridin' a black hoss.
-
-"I stoop down to pick some cotton, den look up an' he was gone. I said
-to my wife—I call her Glover but she go by two names—I said, Glover,
-wonder whar dat man went what was ridin' long yonder on dat pacin'
-hoss?' She say, 'What pacin' hoss an' what man?' I said, 'He was comin'
-down dat bank by dat ditch. Dey ain't no bridge dere, an' no hoss could
-jump hit.' Glover said, 'Well, I'm gwine in de house 'caze I don' feel
-lack pickin' cotton today.'
-
-"But I ain't skeered of 'em. I gets out de path plenty times to let 'em
-by, an' iffen you kin see'em, walk 'roun' 'em. Iffen you can't see 'em,
-den dey'll walk 'roun' you. Iffen dey gets too plentiful, I jes' hangs a
-hoss shoe upside down over de do', an' don' have no mo' trouble. But
-ev'ybody oughter have dat kinder min', to honor God. He 'peered to de
-'ciples atter He died, an' he said also, 'Peter, I'll give you de keys
-to de kingdom'. But Peter didn't have nobody's keys 'cep'in' his'n.
-Don't you know iffen he'd of give Peter all dem keys, dey's a heap of
-folks Peter gwineter keep out of dere jes' for spite? God ain't gwineter
-do nothin' dat foolish. Peter didn't have nobody's key 'cepin'
-Peter's!"
-
-.. topic:: Transcriber's Note
-
- Original spelling has been maintained; e.g. "*stob*—a short
- straight piece of wood, such as a stake" (American Heritage
- Dictionary).—The Works Progress Administration was renamed
- during 1939 as the Work Projects Administration (WPA).
-
-|
-|
-|
-|
-|
-
-.. _pg_end_line:
-
-\*\*\* END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SLAVE NARRATIVES: A FOLK HISTORY OF SLAVERY IN THE UNITED STATES FROM INTERVIEWS WITH FORMER SLAVES: VOLUME I, ALABAMA NARRATIVES \*\*\*
-
-.. backmatter::
-
-.. toc-entry::
- :depth: 0
-
-.. _pg-footer:
-
-A Word from Project Gutenberg
-=============================
-
-We will update this book if we find any errors.
-
-This book can be found under: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/36020
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You may copy it, give it away or re-use it -under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this -eBook or online at http://www.gutenberg.org/license. - -Title: Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States -From Interviews with Former Slaves: Volume I, Alabama Narratives - -Author: Work Projects Administration - -Release Date: May 02, 2011 [EBook #36020] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: US-ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SLAVE NARRATIVES: A FOLK -HISTORY OF SLAVERY IN THE UNITED STATES FROM INTERVIEWS WITH FORMER -SLAVES: VOLUME I, ALABAMA NARRATIVES *** - - - - -Produced by the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at -http://www.pgdp.net. - - - 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 I - - - - ALABAMA NARRATIVES - - - - - - - - - Prepared by the Federal Writers' Project of - - - - the Works Progress Administration - - - - for the State of Alabama - - - - [HW:] Handwritten note - - - - [TR:] Transcriber's note - - -[Illustration: _A Slave Cabin in Barbour County near Eufaula_] - - - - -INFORMANTS - - - - Charlie Aarons - - - Anthony Abercrombie - - - Molly Ammond (Ammonds) - - - Charity Anderson - - - Gus Askew - - - Tom Baker - - - Henry Barnes - - - Nathan Beauchamp - - - Oliver Bell - - - Nelson Birdsong - - - Ank Bishop - - - Siney Bonner - - - Jennie Bowen - - - Nannie Bradfield - - - Martha Bradley - - - Allen Brown - - - Gus Brown - - - Walter Calloway - - - Esther King Casey - - - Amy Chapman - - - Emma Chapman - - - Henry Cheatam - - - Laura Clark - - - Hattie Clayton - - - Wadley "Shorty" Clemons - - - William Colbert - - - Tildy Collins - - - Sara Colquitt - - - Mandy McCullough Cosby - - - Emma Crockett - - - Cheney Cross - - - Matilda Pugh Daniel - - - Carrie Davis - - - Clara Davis - - - George Dillard - - - Ella Dilliard - - - Rufus Dirt - - - Katherine Eppes - - - Reuben Fitzpatrick - - - Heywood Ford - - - Bert Frederick - - - Delia Garlic - - - Angie Garrett - - - Henry Garry - - - Georgia - - - Fannie Gibson - - - Frank Gill - - - Jim Gillard - - - Mary Ella Grandberry - - - Esther Green - - - Jake Green - - - Charity Grigsby - - - Charles Hayes - - - Lizzie Hill - - - Gabe Hines - - - Adeline Hodges - - - Caroline Holland - - - Jane Holloway - - - Joseph Holmes - - - Josh Horn - - - Emma L. Howard - - - Everett Ingram - - - Hannah Irwin - - - Martha Jackson - - - Jane - - - Hilliard Johnson - - - Randolph Johnson - - - Abraham Jones - - - Emma Jones - - - Hannah Jones - - - Josephine - - - Lucindy Lawrence Jurdon - - - Lucy Kimball - - - Ellen King - - - Mandy Leslie - - - Dellie Lewis - - - Lightnin' - - - Billy Abraham Longslaughter - - - Louis - - - Tom McAlpin - - - Anne Maddox - - - Mandy - - - Frank Menefee - - - Isaam Morgan - - - Tony Morgan - - - Mose - - - Sally Murphy - - - Hattie Anne Nettles - - - W.E. Northcross - - - Wade Owens - - - Molly Parker - - - Lindy Patton - - - Simon Phillips - - - Roxy Pitts - - - Carrie Pollard - - - Irene Poole - - - Nicey Pugh - - - Sally Reynolds - - - Mary Rice - - - Cornelia Robinson - - - Gus Rogers - - - Janie Scott - - - Maugan Shepherd - - - Allen Sims - - - Frank Smith - - - John Smith - - - Annie Stanton - - - Theodore Fontaine Stewart - - - George Strickland - - - Cull Taylor - - - Daniel Taylor - - - George Taylor - - - Amanda Tellis - - - Ellen Thomas - - - Elizabeth Thomas - - - Mollie Tillman - - - Alonza Fantroy Toombs - - - William Henry Towns - - - Stepney Underwood - - - Charlie Van Dyke - - - Lilah Walker - - - Simon Walker - - - Lucindia Washington - - - Eliza White - - - Mingo White - - - Abe Whitess - - - Callie Williams - - - Silvia Witherspoon - - - George Young - - -*ILLUSTRATIONS* - -A Slave Cabin in Barbour County near Eufaula -Molly Ammond (Ammonds) -Charity Anderson -Gus Askew -Nathan Beauchamp -Oliver Bell -Ank Bishop -Siney Bonner -Jennie Bowen -Martha Bradley -Allen Brown -Gus Brown -Walter Calloway -Esther King Casey -Amy Chapman -Henry Cheatam -Laura Clark -Laura Clark's House -Wadley (Shorty) Clemons -William Colbert -Sara Colquitt -Emma Crockett -Emma Crockett's House -Matilda Pugh Daniel -Carrie Davis -George Dillard -Bert Frederick -Delia Garlic -Angie Garrett -Henry Garry -Jake Green -Charity Grigsby -Charity Grigsby's House -Lizzie Hill -Gabe Hines -Jane Holloway -Emma L. Howard -Everett Ingram -Hannah Irwin -Martha Jackson -Abraham Jones -Abraham Jones' Back Yard -Abraham Jones' House -Lucindy Lawrence Jurdon -Tom McAlpin -Anne Maddox -Frank Menefee -Isaam Morgan -Hattie Anne Nettles -Rev. Wade Owens -Molly Parker -Lindy Patton -Simon Phillips -Carrie Pollard -Nicey Pugh -Mary Rice -Cornelia Robinson -Maugan Shepherd -Allen Sims -Frank Smith -Theodore Fontaine Stewart -George Strickland -Daniel Taylor -Ellen Thomas -Alonza Fantroy Toombs -William Henry Towns -Stepney Underwood -Simon Walker -Cindy Washington -Abe Whitess -George Young - - - - -Charlie Aarons - - - *Personal contact with Uncle Charlie Aarons* - *Oak Grove, Alabama* - --_Written by Mary A. Poole_ - -_HE LOVED YOUNG MARSTER JOHN_ - -Some friends driving to Oak Grove, Ala., gave the writer the opportunity -on August 4th to interview an old ex-slave, Charlie Aarons, who is quite -venerable in appearance, and who, when asked his age, replied: - -"Madam I don't know but I sure been 'round here long time", and when -asked how old he was at the time of the Surrender he answered: - -"I was a man able to do a man's work so I 'spects I was eighteen or -twenty years old." - -Uncle Charlie, as he is known among his own color and the white people -who know him, told the writer he was born at Petersburg Va., and his -parents, Aaron and Louisa, were owned by a Mr. J.H. White, who had a -store in the city, but no plantation. His parents had three children, -two boys and one girl, and when Uncle Charlie was about ten years of -age, he was sold by Mr. White to a speculator named Jones who brought -him to Mobile. He recalled being placed on the block, at the slave mart -on Royal and State streets, and the anxiety of hearing the different -people bidding for him, and being finally sold to a Mr. Jason Harris, -who lived near Newton Station in Jasper County, Miss. - -Uncle Charlie never saw or heard of his parents or brother and sister -again and never knew what became of them. - -Uncle Charlie said Mr. Harris was a pretty rough master, and somewhat -close. All rations were weighed out and limited. He had a white overseer -and a negro driver, who was the meanest of all. - -Mr. Jason Harris had about sixty slaves, and a large plantation of a -hundred acres, the men and women worked in the fields from six to six, -except on Saturday, when they had half day holiday to clean up -generally. - -The home of the Harris family was a large two story house and the -quarters were the regular log cabins with clay chimneys. They cooked in -their cabins, but during the busy season in the fields their dinners -were sent out to them each slave having his own tin pail marked with his -name. Water would be sent out in a barrel mounted on an ox cart. - -The old men and women looked after the children of the slaves while -their parents worked in the fields. - -When the writer asked Uncle Charlie, if his master or mistress ever -taught him to read or write, he smiled and said: - -"No, Madam, only to work". - -When asked if they had any special festivities at Christmas or any other -holiday, he replied: - -"No, we had no special jolifications". - -Saturday nights they would sing and dance in the quarters and have -prayer meetings, then on some Sundays, they would hitch up the mules to -a big wagon and all go to the white folks church: and again there would -be camp meetings held and the slaves from all the surrounding -plantations would attend, going to same in these large wagons, sometimes -having four mules to a wagon. They then would have a jolly time along -the way, singing and calling to one another, and making friends. - -Uncle Charlie, said, he drove many a load of cotton in the large mule -wagons from Newton Station to Enterprise, Mississippi. - -When asked if that wasn't a chance to run away, he replied: - -"Git away, why Madam, those nigger dogs would track you and all you got -was a beating." - -Uncle Charlie seemed to look off in the distance and said: "You know, -Madam, I never saw a slave rebuked until I came to Mississippi," and I -just couldn't understand at first, but he grinned and said: "Lordy, -Madam, some of those niggers were onery, too, and a nigger driver was a -driver sure enough." - -When the Master's son John Harris went to war, Charlie went with him as -his body guard, and when asked what his duties were, he replied: - -"I looked after Marster John, tended the horses and the tents. I recalls -well, Madam, the siege of Vicksburg." - -The writer then asked him if he wasn't afraid of the shot and shell all -around him. - -"No, Madam," he replied, "I kept way in the back where the camp was, for -I didn't like to feel the earth trembling 'neath my feet, but you see, -Madam, I loved young Marster John, and he loved me, and I just had to -watch over that boy, and he came through all right." - -Uncle Charlie said when they were told the Yankees were coming through -from their headquarters in Meridian, Mississippi, and warned of their -raids, they all made to the swamps and staid until they had passed on, -but that the Yankees did not disturb the Jason Harris plantation. - -After the Surrender Charlie came to Mobile and worked at the Yankee -Camp, living in the quarters located in Holly's Garden. He drove their -wagons and was paid $14.00 a month and his keep. After his discharge he -worked on steamboats and followed different lines of work, being -employed for several years at Mr. M.L. Davis' saw mill, and is at -present living on the Davis place at Oak Grove, Ala., an old Southern -home, with quarters originally built for the employees of the mill and -still known as the "quarters", and like other ante-bellum homes they -have their private burying ground on the place. - -Uncle Charlie was married four times, but now a widower. He had four -children, two boys who are dead, and two girls, one Carrie Johnson, a -widow, living in Kushla, Ala., and the other, Ella Aarons, a grass -widow, living in Mobile, Ala. - -Uncle Charlie says he saw Jeff. Davis as an old man, after the war at -Mississippi City, Miss., and then his face lit up, and he said; "Wait a -minute, Madam, I saw another president, let me think,--Yes, Madam I saw -President Grant. He came through Mobile from New Orleans, and my! there -was a big parade that day." - -When asked about Abraham Lincoln, Uncle Charlie thought awhile, and -answered: - -"According to what was issued out in the Bible, there was a time for -slavery, people had to be punished for their sin, and then there was a -time for it not to be, and the Lord had opened a good view to Mr. -Lincoln, and he promoted a good idea." - -When he was asked about Booker T. Washington he replied: - -"It was traversed out to him until the white folks took part with him -and helped him carry on." - -Uncle Charlie thinks the present day folks are bad and wicked, and dont -realize anything like the old folks. - -Charlie is a Baptist, became one when he sought the Lord and thinks all -people should be religious. - - - - -Anthony Abercrombie - - - *Interview with Anthony Abercrombie* - --_Susie R. O'Brien, Uniontown, Alabama_ - -_OLD JOE CAN KEEP HIS TWO BITS_ - -Uncle Ant'ny sat dozing in the early morning sunshine on his rickety -front porch. He is a thin little old man with patches of white wool here -and there on his bald head, and an expression of kindness and gentleness -on his wrinkled old face. - -As I went cautiously up the steps, which appeared none too safe, his -cane which had been leaning against his chair, fell to the floor with a -clatter. He awoke with a start and began fumbling around for it with his -trembling and bony hands. - -"Uncle Ant'ny, you don't see so well, do you?" I asked as I recovered -the stick for him. "No ma'am, I sho' don't," he replied. "I ain't seed -none outen one of my eyes in near 'bout sixty years, and de doctor say I -got a catalac on de yuther one; but I knows you is white folks. I always -is been puny, but I reckon I does purty well considerin' I is a hundred -years old." - -"How do you know you are that old?" I inquired of him. Without -hesitation he answered, "I knows I's dat old 'cause my mistis put it -down in de Bible. I was born on de fourth day and I was a full growed -man when de war come on in '61. - -"Yassum, my mind kinder comes and goes, but I can always 'member 'bout -slave'y time. Hits de things what happen in dese days dat's so easy for -me to disremember. I b'longed to Marster Jim Abercrombie. His plantation -was 'bout sixteen miles north of Marion in Bibb county. When his son, -young Jim, ma'ied, old Marse Jim give me to him and he fetched me to -Perry county. - -"No'm, old marster didn't go to war 'ca'se he was corrupted; he was deaf -in bofe ears and couldn't see good nuther. But he didn't care much 'bout -me 'caze I was puny like and warn't much 'count in de field. - -"My mistis, Miss Lou, was raisin' me up to be a carriage driver, an' she -was jes' as good to me as she could be. She useta dose me up wid castor -oil, jimson root, and dogwood tea when I'd be feelin' po'ly, and she'd -always take up for me when Marse Jim get in behind me 'bout somep'n. I -reckon though I was a purty worrisome nigger in dem days; always gettin' -in some kind of mischief. - -"O yassum, I useta go to meetin'. Us niggers didn't have no meetin' -house on de plantation, but Marse Jim 'lowed us to build a brush arbor. -Den two years atter de surrender I took consideration and j'ined up wid -de Lawd. Dat's how come I live so long. De Lawd done told me, 'Antn'y, -you got a hundred and twenty miles to trabel. Dat mean you gwine to live -a hundred and twenty years, if you stay on de straight an' narrow road. -But if you don't, you gotter go jes' de same as all de yuthers.'" - -"Tell me something about your master's slaves and his overseers," I -asked of him. - -"Well," he said, "Marse Jim had 'bout three hundred slaves, and he hed -one mighty bad overseer. But he got killed down on de bank of de creek -one night. Dey never did find out who killed him, but Marse Jim always -b'lieved de field han's done it. 'Fore dat us niggers useta go down to -de creek to wash ourselves, but atter de overseer got killed down dar, -us jes' leave off dat washin', 'cause some of 'em seed de overseer's -ha'nt down dar floatin' over de creek. - -"Dar was another ha'nt on de plantation, too. Marse Jim had some trouble -wid a big double-j'inted nigger named Joe. One day he turn on Marse Jim -wid a fence rail, and Marse Jim had to pull his gun an' kill him. Well, -dat happen in a skirt of woods what I get my lightwood what I use to -start a fire. One day I went to dem same woods to get some 'simmons. -Another nigger went wid me, and he clumb de tree to shake de 'simmons -down whilst I be pickin' 'em up. 'Fore long I heared another tree -shakin' every time us shake our tree, dat other tree shake too, and down -came de 'simmons from it. I say to myself, 'Dat's Joe, 'cause he likes -'simmons too.' Den I grab up my basket and holler to de boy in de tree, -'nigger turn loose and drap down from dar, and ketch up wid me if you -can. I's leavin' here right now, 'cause Old Joe is over dar gettin' -'simmons too.' - -"Den another time I was in de woods choppin' lightwood. It was 'bout -sundown, and every time my ax go 'whack' on de lightwood knot, I hear -another whack 'sides mine. I stops and lis'ens and don't hear nothin'. -Den I starts choppin' ag'in I hears de yuther whacks. By dat time my -houn' dog was crouchin' at my feets, wid de hair standin' up on his back -and I couldn't make him git up nor budge. - -"Dis time I didn' stop for nothin'. I jes' drap my ax right dar, an' me -and dat houn' dog tore out for home lickety split. When us got dar Marse -Jim was settin' on de porch, an' he say: 'Nigger, you been up to somep'n -you got no business. You is all outen breath. Who you runnin' from?' Den -I say: 'Marse Jim, somebody 'sides me is choppin' in yo' woods, an' I -can't see him. And Marse Jim, he say: 'Ah, dat ain't nobody but Ole Joe. -Did he owe you anythin'?' An' I say: 'Yassah, he owe me two-bits for -helpin' him shuck corn.' 'Well,' Marse Jim say, 'don't pay him no mind: -it jes' Old Joe come back to pay you.' - -"Anyhow, I didn' go back to dem woods no mo'. Old Joe can jes' have de -two-bits what he owe me, 'cause I don't want him follerin' 'roun' atter -me. When he do I can't keep my mind on my business." - - - - -Molly Ammond (Ammonds) - - - *Interview with Molly Ammond (Ammonds)* - --_Gertha Couric_ - -_JESUS HAS MY CHILLUN COUNTED_ - -I walked along a dusty road under the blazing sun. In the shade of a -willow tree a Negro man was seated with his legs drawn up and his arms -crossed upon his knees. His head rested face downward upon his arms, as -he had the aspect of one in deep slumber. Beside him munching on a few -straggly weeds, a cantankerous mule took little notice of his -surroundings. - -"Can you tell me where Aunt Molly Ammonds lives?" I asked in a loud -voice. The Negro stirred slowly, finally raising his head, and -displaying three rabbit teeth, he accompanied his answer with a slight -gesture of his hand. - -"Yassuh, dar her house raght across de road; de house wid de climbin' -roses on hit." - -"Thank you," I said. - -"Yassuh," was the drawled response, and the Negro quickly resumed his -former posture. - -Aunt Molly Ammonds is as gentle as a little child. Her voice is soft and -each phrase measured to the slow functionings of her aged mind. - -[Illustration: _Molly Ammond (Ammonds), Eufaula, Alabama_] - -"Honey," she said, "you ain't gwineter believe dis, but I is de mammy of -thirty chilluns. Jesus got 'em counted an' so is me. I was born in a log -cabin dat had a loft, an' it was on Marse Lee Cato's plantation five -miles wes' of Eufaula. My pappy's name was Tobe Cato an' my mammy's was -Sophia. I had one sister, Marthy, an' two brothers, Bong and Toge. My -pappy made all de furniture dat went in our house an' it were might' -good furniture too. Us useta cook on de fiahplace. Us would cook ash -cakes. Dey was made outen meal, water and a little pinch of lard; on -Sundays dey was made outen flour, buttermilk an' lard. Mammy would rake -all de ashes out de fiahplace, den kivver de cake wid de hot ashes an' -let it cool till it was done. - -"Yas Missy," she continued, "I recollects dat I was 'bout twelve or -fo'teen when de s'render come, kaze a little atter dat I ma'ied Pastor -Ammonds. We walked ober to Georgetown an' it was de fus' time I eber had -shoes, and I got dem fum ole Massa. I remembers dat I ma'ied in a -striped calico dress." - -"Aunt Molly," I said, "you're getting a little ahead of your story, tell -me something about your plantation life before the war." - -"Well, honey, Massa Lee's place was 'bout three miles long an' two miles -wide, and we raised cotton, cawn, 'taters and all sorts of vegetables. -We had a mean oberseer dat always wanted to whup us, but massa wouldn't -'llow no whuppin'. Sometimes de massa whould ride over de place on a -hoss, an' when he come up on de oberseer a-fussin' at a nigger, Massa -say, 'Don't talk rough to dat nigger when he doin' de bes' he can.' - -"My pappy had a little garden of his own back of his cabin, an' he -raised some chickens for us to eat, an' we had aigs nearly ev'y mornin'. - -"De only work I done on de plantation was to nuss some little niggers -when dere mammy an' pappy was in de fiel's. Twarn't hard. - -"Nawsuh! I ain't never seed no slave in chains. Massa Lee was a good -man. He had a church built called de brush house, dat had a flo' and -some seats, an' a top made outen pine boughs, an' massa's pa, Mr. Cato, -would preach eve'y Sunday. We sung songs lak 'I Heered De Voice of Jesus -Say,' an' 'I'se Gwine to Die no Mo.' We was all babtized in de creek, -but none of us was taught to read or write. - -"No-suh, I ain't never seed no slave run away. Us was treated fine. Our -folks was quality. We had plenty som'n t'eat, but dem slaves hadda work -powerful hard though. Atter dey come home fum de fiel's dey was so tired -dat dey go raght to sleep, except when de massa had barbecues. Christmas -was de big time; dere was several days to res' an' make merryin' an' -lots of dem no count niggers got drunk. - -"When us slaves was sick, Massa Lee would send to Eufaula to fetch Dr. -Thornton to give us some medicine. We had de bes' treatment ever. - -"Yassuh, white folks, dem days is long ago. All my chilluns done died or -wandered away an' my ole man been dead goin' on twenty years. I been -here a long time by myself." - -"Aunt Molly," I interrupted. "There's one thing I've always been wanting -to ask one of you ex-slaves, and that is: what you thought of people -like Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis and Booker T. Washington." - -A puzzled expression came of the face of the old Negro. "White folks," -she said after a moments deliberation, "I don't believes I is had de -pleasure of meetin' dem gent'mens." - - - - -Charity Anderson - - - *Interview with Charity Anderson* - --_Ila B. Prine_ - -Charity Anderson, who believes she is 101 years old, was born at Bell's -Landing on the Alabama River, where her owner, Leslie Johnson, operated -a wood-yard, which supplied fuel to the river steamers, and a tavern -where travelers whiled away the delays of a dubious riverboat schedule. - -Rheumatic and weak, she no longer ventures from her house in -Toulminville, on the outskirts of Mobile, but sits, with her turbaned -head and bespectacled eyes, rocking the long hours away in a creaky old -chair and knitting or sewing, or just gazing into a past painted by the -crackling flames in the fireplace. - -[Illustration: _Charity Anderson, Toulminville, Alabama_] - -"I has so much trouble gittin' up and down de steps and ober de groun', -I jist makes myself happy heah, cause--thank de Lawd--I'se on Zion's -March," is her resigned comment. - -"Missy, peoples don't live now; and niggers ain't got no manners, and -doan' know nothin' 'bout waitin' on folks. I kin remember de days w'en I -was one of de house servants. Dere was six of us in de ole Massa's -house--me, Sarai, Lou, Hester, Jerry and Joe. Us did'n' know nothin' but -good times den. My job was lookin' atter de corner table whar nothin' -but de desserts set. Joe and Jerry, dey was de table boys. Dey neber -tetched nothin' wid dere han's, but used de waiter to pass things wid. - -"My ole Massa was a good man. He treated all his slaves kind, and took -good kere of 'em. But, honey, all de white folks wan't good to dere -slaves. I's seen po' niggers 'mos' tore up by dogs and whupped 'tell dey -bled w'en dey did'n' do lak de white folks say. But, thank de Lawd, I -had good white folks and dey sho' did trus' me, too. I had charge of all -de keys to de house, and I waited on de Missis' and de chillun. I laid -out all de clo'se on Sat'dy night, and den Sunday mawnin's I'd pick up -all de dirty things. Dey did'n' have a thing to do. Us house servants -had a hahd job keepin' de pickaninnies out'er de dinin' room whar ole -Massa et, cause w'en dey would slip in and stan' by his cheer, w'en he -finished eatin' he would fix a plate for 'em and let 'em set on the -hearth. - -"No mam, Missy, I ain't neber worked in de fields. Ole Massa he neber -planted no cotton, and I ain't seen none planted 'tell after I was free. -But, honey, I could sho 'nuff wash, iron and knit and weave. Sometimes I -weaved six or seven yahds of cloth, and do my house work too. I lernt -the chillun how to weave, and wash, and iron, and knit too, and I's -waited on de fo'th generation of our fambly. I jes' wish I could tell -dese young chillun how to do. Iffen dey would only suffer me to talk to -dem, I'd tell dem to be more 'spectful to dere mammies and to dere white -folks and say 'yes mam' and 'no mam', instid of 'yes' and 'no' lek dey -do now. - -"All dis generation thinks of is 'musement. I neber had seen a show in -my whole life 'tell jes' dis pas' yeah when one of dem carnival things -wid de swings, and lights, and all de doin's dey have stop right in -front of our house heah. - -"And I ain't neber been in no trouble in all my life--ain't been in no -lawsuits, and ain't been no witness eben. I allus treat ebrybody as good -as I kin, and I uses my manners as good as I knows how, and de Lawd sho' -has took good keer of me. Why, w'en my house burnt up, de white folks -helped me so dat in no time you couldn't tell I ebber los' a thing. - -"But, honey, de good ole days is now gone foreber. De ole days was -railly de good times. How I wish I could go back to de days w'en we -lived at Johnson's landing on de riber, when de folks would come to -ketch de steamboats and we neber knowed how many to put on breakfas', -dinner or supper fo', cause de boats mought be behin' times. I ain't -neber had to pay a fare to ride a steamboat needer. I was a good lookin' -yaller gal in dem days and rid free wherever I wanted to go. - -"But whut's de use dreamin' 'bout de ole times? Dey's gone, and de world -is gettin' wicked'er and wicked'er, sin grows bolder and bolder, and -'ligion colder and colder." - - - - -Gus Askew - - - *Interview with Gus Askew* - --_Gertha Couric_ - -"Dat was one time when de ban' was playin' and flags was flyin' dat us -lil' niggers didn't get no joy outen it." Gus Askew smiled at the -thought of the occasion as he sat on the sunny steps of his comfortable -house in Eufaula. Gus was telling about the investment of Eufaula during -the War between the States. - -"Gen'l Grierson and his men marched right through town," Gus went on -with his story of his boyhood. "Mr. Lincoln done said we was free, but -us lil' niggers was too skeered to lissen to any ban' music, even iffen -the so'jers had come to set us free. 'Pears like us was allus gittin' in -somebody's way in dem days and gittin' skeered of somepin'. But we went -on away from the so'jers and had a good time 'mongst ourselves like we -always done when there wasn't any cotton pickin'. Cotton pickin' time -was when we didn't have any chance to do any playin'. - -"After the surrender I didn't have to do any more cotton pickin' and I -went blacksmithin' for Joe Sturgis. He was the first blacksmith in dis -here town. I was the second. Now my son done took on de work. They ain't -so much sence all dese here automobiles done got so plentiful and might -'nigh ruint de business. But for seventy years I riz wid de sun and went -to dat blacksmith shop. I's enjoying a little misery now; so I's takin' -my rest." - -[Illustration: _Gus Askew, Eufaula, Alabama_] - -Gus Askew was born a slave of the Edwards family in Henry County in -1853. He was brought to Eufaula just before the close of the war and -stayed on as a blacksmith after he was freed. In his seventy years of -hard work he saved enough to buy his home and some property which -maintains him and his wife since age and infirmity forced him to turn -over the work to his son. He has been married 54 years, numbers his -white friends by the hundreds and is held in great respect by his own -race. - - - - -Tom Baker - - - *Interview with Tom Baker* - --_Susie R. O'Brien_ - -"Sho, I recollects about de slabery days," said uncle Tom as he whittled -shavings from a soft piece of white pine. "I lived on a plantation down -in Perry County an' I remembers a story bout somp'n dat happen to me a -way back dar. - -"I was a water boy for fifty fiel' han's dat worked in de sun all day -long, an' I hadda carry many a bucket from de spring dat was one fiel' -ober from where most of dem was workin'. De spring run down between some -willow trees an' it was powerful cool down dere in de shade. I use' to -lie on de moss an' let my bare belly git cool an' put my face in de -outlet of de spring an' let de water trickle over my haid. Jus' about de -time I gits a little rest one of dem niggers would call: 'Water boy! -Bring dat bucket!' Den I grab up de bucket an' run back out in de hot -sun. - -"One day, on my las' trip, I was mighty tired an' I flop down on dat -moss wid de sweat a-drippin' from my body, an' 'fo' I knowed it I done -fell slap to sleep. When I woke up, it was almos' dark, an' I couldn't -hear de slaves a-singing' in de fiel's, so I knowed dat dey had gone -home. I shake my haid, an' look about me, an' my eyes came to res' on a -little black bear cub a-drinkin' outen de spring. He so was a cute -little boogar an' I made up my mind right den to try an' kotch him. I -was jus' a little nigger 'bout ten year old an' didn't have no sense, -but I sho' wanted dat little bear. He ain't seed me a-settin' dere, so I -snuck up real cautious like, an' afore he knowed it I had dat little -debil a-squealin' in my han's. I was jus' about to start home wid him, -when I hears a rustlin' in de bushes an' afore I went ten feets, here -come a big, black bear a-lopin' along right outen dem willow trees. I -drop dat little critter 'caze I knowed dat was his mammy an' she was -ravin' mad. When I let de little feller fall it must have hurt him -somp'n awful caze he howl mo' dan eber, an' went a limpin' up to his -mammy. Well, suh, dat ole woman she got so mad she made fo' me lak two -bolts of lightnin', but dese here feets of mine begin a-doin' dere -stuff. I knowed she was a-gainin' on me so I lets out a whoop for help. -She chased me 'cross dat empty field an' 'bout dat time I seen big Jim -a-comin' through a row of cawn. 'Hurry Big Jim,' I calls, 'a bear is -atter me!' Big Jim was de biggest nigger on our place. He must have -weighed as much as half a bale of cotton. I was jus' 'bout gittin' to de -aidge of de cawn when dat bear ketched me. He give me a slap wid his paw -an' I goes down wid my mouf a-scoopin' up de dus'. My back felt like -somebody done put a hot iron on it. Dat bear was a mean one. I was -expectin' her to chaw me up an' I drawed my body up in a knot and -kivered my haid wid my hands an' waited. But dat bear neber touch me -agin'. I kinda snuck my eye aroun' an' I saw big Jim havin' it out wid -her. Jim, he had a long knife an' dey was a-tumblin' an' a-rollin' in de -dust, while I sot dere wid my eyes a-poppin' outen my haid an' my back -feelin' like it was broke. Jim he wrap his legs roun' dat bear an' 'fore -you knowed it he had done stuck dat ole critter a dozen times wid dat -knife. - -"About fifteen minutes later me an' Jim was a-walkin' back through de -cawn fiel' an' I guess we looked a sight, 'caze I was all tore up an' -Jim he looked like he done mess up wid a fambly of wildcats. He was -bleedin' from haid to foot. When we walked into de big house to git some -treatments an' medicine for our hurts, Mistis was a-standin' dere, and -when she seed me an' Jim, she almost faint. She say: 'Whut done happen -to my niggers?' - -"Atter me an' Jim got fixed up I was jus' as happy, kaze I done seed de -bes' fight dere eber was, an' I had me a little orphan bear cub." - - - - -Henry Barnes - - - *Interview with Henry Barnes* - --_Ila B. Prine, Mobile_ - -_HE MISSES DEM 'SET-DOWN HAWGS'_ - -In Prichard, a suburb of Mobile, lives an old, blind Negro, "Uncle -Henry" Barnes, who says he was born in 1858, near Suggsville, Clarke -County, Alabama. - -"Cose I was borned a slave, but I don't 'member much 'bout hit, 'caze I -was li'l. Dere is one t'ing I does 'member, an' dat was when dey cut -watermelons at de oberseer's house an' dey want us li'l niggers run -races to git our piece. I jes wouldn't run an' my mammy she whup me -'caze I so stubborn an' when I git my piece o' melon, I fly down de lane -whar our log cabins was. Dem cabins was daubed wid clay, an' de -chimbleys was built outten clay an' stick. Our beds was homemade an' had -t'ree legs wid de yuther side nail to de wall. I 'member atter I got a -big boy, my mammy had a bed made outten lumber an' I slep' in dat bed -'twel I was growed an' ma'ed. - -"I 'members us's Ole Mistis, Miss Dell. Miss Dell was a good Mistis an' -she useter hab Sunday School ebber' Sund'y mornin' at de Big House an' -all us li'l niggers went up dar for her to teach us 'bout de Bible an' -Jesus. - -"Marse John was good to all he slaves an' he wouldn't stan' no rush er -meanness to his niggers. Iffen de o'seer got mean, Ole Marster would -turn him off. Ole Marster allus tuk good keer of he slaves, 'caze when -dey got sick, he hab de doctor, jes lak when de white folks got sick. -One o' Marse John's boys, Marse Bennie, was a doctor, an' he was a good -doctor, cep'n' he gin us bad med'cin', but he cyured you. - -"Cose us hab our med'cin' sich lak elderbush tea. Hit was red 'mos' lak -whiskey an' us used hit for feber. Den dere was red sassafrac tea fer -spring feber, an' dey made Jerusalem oak candy full o' seeds an' gib to -de chilluns to eat so dey could git rid of worms. Den us had mullen an' -pine-top tea for colds an' feber. An' when us had a swellin' dey made a -poultice of mullen leabes to take de swellin' out. - -"Sometimes I wishes dat I could be back to de ol' place, 'caze us did -hab plenty to eat, an' at hog-killin' time us had a mor'n a plenty. Ole -Marster kill eight or ten set-down hawgs at one time, an' de meat, an' -de lard an' de hawgjowl an' de chitt'lin's--m'm' I kin see 'em now. - -"What a set-down hawg? Hit's a hawg what done et so much corn he got so -fat dat he feets can't hol' him up an' he jes set on he hin' quarters -an' grunts an' eats an' eats an' grunts, 'twell day knock him in de -head. - -"Dem was sho' good times, 'caze us had all us could eat den, an' plenty -sugar cane to make 'lasses outten. An' dey made up biscuits in de big -wood trays. Dem trays was made outten tupelo gum an' dey was light as a -fedder. Us had plenty den, all de time, an' at Chris'mus an' when de -white folks get ma'ed, dey kill hawgs, turkeys, an' chickens an' -sometimes a yearlin'. En dey cook de hawgs whole, barbecue 'em an' fix -'em up wid a big apple in he mouf. When de big weddin' come off, de cook -in big pots, so's to hab 'nough for eber'body. Cose us didn't hab eaten' -lak dat all de time, 'caze de reg'lar rations was t'ree pound of meat -an' a peck of meal fer eber' han' from Sat'day twell Sat'day. - -"De niggers was 'lowed to hab a li'l patch of dey own, dat dey could wuk -at night an' Sat'day ebenin'! What dey make on dis patch was dey'n, an' -Ole Marster pay 'em money for hit. Nobody didn't make de niggers wuk dey -patches--iffen dey want de grass to took 'em, dat's all right wid Ole -Marster. Ole Martser hab a big gyarden, 'mos' big as a fiel', whar dey -raise greens an' collards an' turnups fer de whole place. - -"My granpappy was a carpenter an' Ole Marster contrac' him out to de -yuther plantations to build dey houses. De grown niggers had to be up -'fo' day. De oberseer blow he horn fust to git up by an' de nex' time he -blow dey hatter be ready to go to de fiel'. - -"Dere was a ol' 'oman what kep' all de li'l niggers, whilst dey mammies -was in de fiel'. Dis ol' 'oman cooked fer de li'l uns an' fed 'em all -day, an' dey mammies tuk 'em at night. - -"Us's clo's was made outten osnaburg cloth an' dyed wid cop'rus an' -sometime dey mix terbaccy an' peach tree leabes wid de dye. Us had a big -orchard wid apples an' peaches an' pears, more'n us an' de hawgs -togedder could eat up. - -"When a nigger died, dey was buried in de graveyard lak dey do now, an' -dey shouted an' hollered an' sometime a 'oman she faint an' hab to be -tote home. De song dey sing mos' at de fun'ral was: Hark from de Toom'. - -"Us sho' did hab plenty singin' o' hymns an' shoutin' at night in de -cabins. Iffen de men want to break a night res' he go possum huntin' or -rabbit huntin' jes' so he git pass from Ole Marster an' was at de fiel' -nex' mornin' on time wid de yuther han's. - -"I knowed Ole Marster went to de war, 'caze I heerd de folks talkin' -bout hit an' wonder iffen Ole Marster gwine git kilt. Den I heerd 'em -say de niggers was free, but us didn't leave Ole Marster for 'bout a -year atter de s'render. Den us went to lib on de young mistis' place at -Barlow Bend, atter she ma'ed Mr. Bob Flynn. Right dar I stayed twell I -was grown and ma'ed. Den de fust move to town, us come up de Alabama -Ribber to James' Landin'. I members all de big boats on de ribber. Dey -sho' was fine 'uns. - -"Den, I 'members atter I growed up dey tell 'bout how de Yankees comin' -here an' how dey pester de white folks an' de niggers, too. Broke in dey -smoke-houses, burn 'em up an' t'row t'ings away an' lef' nobody nottin' -to eat. I don't 'member dat 'caze I was too li'l. - -"Lady, you ax me iffen us knowed anyt'ng 'bout hoodoo? Yes, ma'am dere -sho' was folkses what could put spells on you. I sho' was skeered o' dem -kin' too. Atter I was nearly growed, dere was a gal name Penny what been -down sick a long time an' dere was a cunjer doctor wukkin' on her tryin' -cyure her, but her wan't 'greeable, so he let her die. Den a boy, name -Ed, he had a mis'ry in he foot, an' hit went up he leg an' he cripple. -Dere was a hoodoo doctor in de forks o' 'Bigbee Ribber come tend on him, -an' he tol' ebber'body git outten de house 'cep'n' him an' Ed an' de -Debil. He cyured Ed smack well. - -"My mammy said I was borned wid a 'zernin' eye to see sperits, an' I -seed sump'n lak a cow wid no haid. So mammy made me stir de fresh lard -when dey was rendin' hit, 'caze dat cyures you of seein' de sperits. -Atter I stirred de lard, I didn't see 'em no mo'. - -"One time I was splittin' rails wid a nigger what could do anythin', but -he was a bad man an' I was 'feered of him. I tol' him, iffen I had a -pain or anything hurt me, I sho' would kill him wid my ax. I wudda split -dat nigger wide open, jes' lak I split dem rails, iffen he try dat -hoodoo on me. - -"Talkin' 'bout fishin', I 'members when us would be plowin' down by de -ribber, when hit come dinner-time an' whilst de mules eatin', us go down -to de ribber an' fish. Den eb'ry Sat'day ebenin's us'd fish. Us kotch -trout, gyar, jack an' carp. May was when de carp bite. Dey was so fat -den dat you could cook em by deyse'f widout no grease. Den us ketch -turkeys in pole pens baited wid corn. - -"Lor' what's de use me talkin' 'bout dem times. Dey all pas' an' gone. -Sometimes I gits to studyin' 'bout all de folks mos' is dead, an' I is -here yit, libin' an' blin'; but I 'spec's hit won't be long twell I is -ober de ribber wid de bles'." - - - - -Nathan Beauchamp - - - *Interview with Nathan Beauchamp* - --_Gertha Couric, Eufaula, Alabama_ - -_HALF BREED_ - -I walked up a little path bordered with small stones, an atmosphere of -solitude surrounding me. In the sky, large, white cumulous clouds like -great bolls of cotton, floated leisurely northward. Far down the road a -ramshackle buckboard disappeared over a slight hill; directly in front -the path ran at twenty yards into the dilapidated steps of a Negro -cabin, while an old colored man in a vegetable garden to the left to the -cabin broke the stillness with the intermittent metallic sounds of his -spade digging into thirsty soil. I knew at a glance that this was Nathan -Beauchamp. - -"Hello, Uncle Nathan," I called. - -[Illustration: _Nathan Beauchamp, Eufaula, Alabama_] - -"Mornin', white folks," he answered, as he discontinued his spading and -raised his hand in a friendly gesture. - -I walked over to where Uncle Nathan was standing and stopped in the -little furrows of brown earth. Already a thick coat of dust had formed -on my shoes. - -"Uncle Nathan," I said, "I'd like to have a brief chat with you about -slavery days, if you can spare a few minutes from your garden here?" - -"Yassuh, boss," he said, punctuating his reply with a spat of tobacco -that was soon nothing but a dark mark in the parched ground, "glad to be -of any 'sistance." - -We moved to the shade of a large oak where we sat down together on a -sturdy, home-made bench. - -"Well, white folks," he went on after taking a long turn at the dipper -hanging on the tree which shades a well. "I'll tell you a story of my -mammy an' pappy. Nathan Beauchamp, my pappy, belonged to Massa Green -Beauchamp at White Oak Springs, near Eufaula. - -Massa Green was a member of de legislature when de capital was at -Tuscaloosy. He had many a acre of land an' hund'eds of slaves. Pappy use -to dribe de wagon in to Eufaula to git supplies an' on de way he would -meet up wid an Injun gal a-carryin' big baskets dat she was a goin' to -sell dere. He would ask her iffen she wanted to ride, an' she always say -yes. So one day pappy came to de massa and tell him dat dere was an -Injun gal on de St. Francis Indian Village dat he wanted fo' a wife, an' -de boss say all right so pappy married de Indian gal. Her name was Mimi. -So I is half nigger an half Injun. My mammy died 'bout five year after -freedom, but I can remembers dat she had long black hair, and I -remembers de way de sun sparkle on her teeth when she smile. Atter she -married pappy, she still carried her pretty baskets to Eufaula to sell. -Sometime she walk all de way dere and back, twenty fo' miles. I been -libin' here in Eufaula fifty year or mo', white fo'ks, an' I owns my -little cabin an' de lan' around it. T'ain't much, but its enough to keep -me a-goin', dis wid de little sto' I owns." - - - - -Oliver Bell - - - *Interview with Oliver Bell* - --_Ruby Pickens Tartt, Livingston_ - -_DE BES' FRIEND A NIGGER EVER HAD_ - -Oliver Bell says the first thing he remembers was seeing his mother -whipped. He was born in slavery, but most of his knowledge of the evils, -as well as the joys of ante-bellum days, is by hearsay only. - -"I was borned on de De Graffenreid Place," he said, "nine miles west of -Livingston-Boyd Road. My mother was Luella De Graffenreid an' my pappy -was Edmund De Graffenreid. Den dey changed my name to Bell. I had one -brother, Nat, an' two sisters, Jestina an' Clara. I has 'bout sixteen -chilluns, all born on de same place an' most of dem is livin' dere yit. -My chillun by my firs' wife are Ed, Jack, Holly, Buck, Clarence, Sally, -Liza, Mag an' Luella. Dey ma was Mandy Powell, frum York. Den my second -wife, Bettie Brown, gived me de res' of my chilluns. Le's see, dey is -Jimmy, J.W. Alfonso Wallace, Henry, Edna an' ----" He hesitated, -explained, "Dat's as many as I kin' 'member jest now. - -[Illustration: _Oliver Bell, Livingston, Alabama_] - -"My gran'ma's name was Cely De Graffenreid an' my gran'pa's name was -Peter. He was a shoemaker fur de place an' made plows, too. He was a -worker an' he learnt me how to pull fodder an' chop corn an' cotton when -I was jest a little scamp jes' a little black nigger. - -"Us all b'longed to Mr. Tresvan De Graffenreid an' Mistus Rebecca; an' -dey was all good to us. Ol' Mistus read de Bible to us an' got us -baptized in de river at Horn's bridge, but dat was atter de surrender. -In slavery times dey didn't like for us to sing an play loud in de -quarters. Honey, I 'members when us had de big prayer meetin's. Dey -would shut de door so de voice won't git out, an' dey would turn de -washpot down de door. Dat was to keep de voice inside, dey tol' me." - -Oliver mused a moment, recalling the old times. - -"Us chilluns useta have a good time singin' an' a-playin'," he said. "I -'members one of our little verses run somethin' lak dis: - - Shoo, shoo, shoo gander - Th'ow yo' feathers 'way yander. - -"Us had ol' corn hollers, too, but I fergits um now. I does remember -though you could hear dem niggers holler a whole mile. - -"No'm, it warn't so bad wid us. De white folks was good to us niggers. -Us had 'nough to eat, lak greens, frum de big house. Us had our rations -weighted out; peck o' meal, three pounds of meat, half gallon of -'lasses, made at home in wodden mills; an' dat was for a week. An' -sometimes, on a Sunday us had a little sugar, coffee an' flour. No'm, us -didn't know what rice was. - -"What I seed of slavery was a bad idea, I reckon, but ev'ybody thought -dey marster was de bes' in de lan'. Us didn't know no better. A man was -growed plum' green 'fo he knew de whole worl' didn't belong to his ol' -marster. - -"Us didn't have no bought medicine in dem days; jes' whut us got outta -de woods lak slippery ellum fer fever an' poke salad root; dey he'p a -lot. An' May-apple root would he'p you same as castor oil. - -"Didn't nobody he'p us learn nothin' much, but mos' of my chilluns went -to Booker T's school. Dey say he's a mighty smart man, an' my chilluns -thinks so, too. It's all right; I wish I could read an' write; den I'd -tell you things you'd lak to know." - -His face clouded for the briefest moment. - -"I tell you de fust thing I 'members, an' I don't know whut started it. -One day my mammy done sumpin' an' ol' marster made her pull her dress -down 'roun' her waist an' made her lay down 'crost de door. Den he taken -a leather strop an' whooped her. I 'members dat I started cryin' an' -Mistus Beckie said, 'Go git dat boy a biskit.' - -"I reckerlecks my mammy was a plow han' an' she'd go to work soon an' -put me under de shade of a big ol' post-oak tree. Dere I sat all day, -an' dat tree was my nurse. It still standin' dere yit, an' I won't let -nobody cut it down. - -"Mammy say I never did learn to walk; jes' one day she sot me down under -de oak, an' fust thing she knowed she look up an' dere I was walkin' -down de middle of a cotton row. - -"'Nother thing I 'members when I was a little boy; dat dey was 'vidin' -de corn atter de s'render. Dr. DeGraffenreid measured de corn out to all -of 'em whut was share han's. He'd take a bushel an' give 'em a bushel. -When he mos' through he'd throw a ear of corn to dis one, an' give -himse'f a ear; den he break a ear in two, an' he take part an' give dem -part. Dat was close measurin', I tell you. - -"Us lived in de third house frum de big house in de quarter, an' when I -was a boy it was my job to set out shade trees. An' one day de Ku Klux -come ridin' by an' dey leader was Mister Steve Renfroe. (Alabama bandit -of Reconstruction days). He wore long hair an' he call my pappy out an' -ax him a heap of questions. While he sittin' dere his horse pull up nigh -'bout all de trees I done sot out. - -"Atter talkin' to my pappy, he rode on 'cross Horn's bridge, 'bout two -miles souf of here, an' dere he met Ol' Man Enoch Sledge an' Frank -Sledge. Dey was darkies whut b'longed to Marsa Simmy Sledge's father, -Ol' Doctor Sledge. Slaves on dat plantation was 'lowed pretty good -privilege atter de s'rrender an' was workin' on halvens. Uncle Enoch an' -Frank was in town tradin' some, an' Mr. Renfroe didn't want 'em to have -anything. When dey lef' town, dey pass de Ku Kluxes raght on de slough -bridge. Mister Renfroe ax Enoch to give him a piece of string to fix his -saddle wid; den shot him. Frank run to de river, but de Ku Kluxes -cotched him an' shot him, too. - -"De niggers went down to de river dat night an' got de bodies an' buried -'em in de ol' Travis graveyard. My mammy an' daddy is buried dere, too. - -"Didn' nobody do nothin' 'bout Mister Renfroe 'till he went on an' got -to messin' wid Marsa Simmy Sledge's things; stole a pair of mules an' de -white folks rambled atter him 'till dey foun' him in Linden. Dey got so -hot atter him dat he went to his camp in de flat woods down on Bear -Creek. Dem was skeery times, 'case dat man never had no mercy for -nobody. - -"Dey's a cave down by de burial grounds whut de slaves dug when dey run -away, an' Mister Renfroe stayed dere. It's on de river bank an' its dug -up. You digs an' starts low an' pushes de dirt out an' digs up an' makes -a big room up so de water won't git you. I knows whar dey's two of de -caves on de place; my cow fell in one yestidy. - -"When Ol' Marster Amos Travis come out here from Californy, he taken a -lakin' to me an' wanted me to leave t'other side of de place an' move -down dis side of de big house to take keer of dis swamp an' look atter -de han's. But I wanted a big house wid four rooms an' two brick -chimneys, an' I had to talk five years to git it. I's got some -rosebushes now dat was at de big house raght atter de s'rrender, an' -dey's growin' in my yard now. - -"Speakin' 'bout graveyard, I was passin' dere one night, ridin' on 'bout -midnight, an' sumpin' come draggin' a chain by me lak a dog. I got down -off'n my horse, but couldn't see nothin' wid no chain, so I got back on -de horse an' dere raght in front of me was a Jack-Me-Lantern wid de -brightes' light you ever seed. It was tryin' to lead me off, an' ev'y -time I'd git back in de road it would lead me off ag'in. You sho' will -git los' if you follow a Jack-Me-Lantern. - -"One of dem led a man down to de creek by dem double bridges; said he -foun' he was travelin' in de wrong direction, gittin' frum home stidder -clo'ster, so he jes' sit down under a tree an' waited 'til daylight. I -ain't skeered of nothin' but dem Jack-Me-Lanterns, but dey stirs you up -in yo' min' till you can't tell whar you's at; an' dey's so bright dey -nigh 'bout puts yo' eyes out. Dey is plenty of 'em over by de graveyard -raght over yonder whar all my white folks is buried, an' mammy an' -pappy, too. Dey's all dere 'cept Marsa Jess Travis; he was de nex' whut -come in line for de place, an' he was de bes' frein' dis here nigger -ever had. - -"Fac' was, dat's whut he call me; 't was 'nigger'. He an' Mistus Mag -lived raght dere in de big house; den dey move into town an' dat's whar -he died. Me an' Marsa Jess made a 'greement an' he said if he was de -longes' liver, he'd see me buried, an' if I be de longes' liver, I see -him buried. So dat day I went to his office in de co'thouse an' he say -he want to talk wid me. He say, 'You 'members us 'greement?' An' I say, -'Whut 'greement, Marsa Jess?' An' he say, 'Bout buryin'.' Den I say, -sho', 'I 'members dat.' - -"Den he got up an' give me some papers 'bout some lan', an' I say, 'Whut -do all dis here mean, Marse Jess?' He say, 'nothin', nigger, 'cept I's -jes' goin' outta business.' Den I say, 'Goodbye, Marse Jess,' an' he -say, 'Goodbye, nigger,' an' I walked on 'crost de street. Den Mr. -Killian say, 'Oliver, whut's happened over at de co'thouse?' An I say, -'Ain't nothin' as I knows of.' Den he say, 'Yes, dey is; jes' look at de -peoples gwine in a hurry.' Den I turn 'roun' an' run back an' dere lay -Marse Jess. Mr. Smith was gettin' him up an' Marse Jess say to me, -'Well, nigger, I didn't do whut I tended to; I missed it.' An' I say, -'Boss, fer God's sake go to de hospital; I'll go wid you an' stay wid -you.' Mistus Mag, she ast me to beg him, but he shuck his head an' say -'If I had a-wanted to live I wouldn't of shot myself.' He res' a minit, -den say, 'Nigger, write Miss Calline an' tell her I says to always be -good to you as long as you lives.' - -"Yassum, I was raght dere, done jes' whut I tol' him I'd do; kep' my -'greement an' followed him to de grave. Co'se dat last 'bout Marse Jess -ain't no slavery tale, but I thought you was atter hearin' all 'bout de -family whut owned dis ol' place; an' Marse Jess was de bes' white frein' -a nigger ever had; dis nigger, anyhow." - - - - -Nelson Birdsong - - - *Personal interview with Nelson and Virginia Birdsong* - *Summerville, on Front Street* - --_Ila B. Prine, Mobile, Alabama_ - -_NELSON BIRDSONG REMEMBERS HIS MASTER_ - -Nelson Birdsong, who lives on Front Street in the old suburb of -Summerville, about three miles from Mobile, Alabama, was born a slave. A -tall dark Negro man, with white hair and whiskers, he says he was born -at Montgomery Hill, Alabama in Baldwin County, and that his people and -he were owned by Mr. Tom Adkins. - -Nelson said he was very small at the time of the Surrender, and could -not tell very much about slavery days. In fact, he adds, "You know, -missie, old folks in dem days did'nt 'low chillun to stan' 'roun' when -dey was talking. We chillun was lack a shot out of a gun when anybody -come in. We was glad when folks come in 'cause we c'ud run out an' play. -Chillun now-a-days knows as much as we did when we was twenty-five years -old." - -Nelson does remember his "massa" saying he neber was going to 'let dat -little nigger work.' - -He did not remember much about coming to Mobile, but "seemed lack" his -"mammy worked for Mrs. Dunn on Monroe street, and later dey moved out in -old Napoleonville" (which is now Crichton, Alabama, a suburb of Mobile). -He said his "Pa and Mammy den worked fo' gris' mill out dere, and also -owned a big gris' mill in de fork whar de big fire station is now" -(which is located at the intersection of St. Francis street and -Washington Avenue, the latter formerly Wilkinson street). This grist -mill was burned in the 1870's. - -Nelson says the first work he remembered doing was "nussing a baby boy -of Mr. Bramwell Burden, a gran'son of old man Burden." - -Nelson has owned his little farm and three-room house until the past two -or three years. He said he scuffled and tried to pay de taxes, but had -got so old and his "knees had give out on him, and I seed I was agoin' -to lose mah place so I turned it over to a man to keep up mah taxes, so -I'd have a place to lib. De relief gibes me a little he'p now, an' me -an' my wife makes out de bes' we can." - -The house is the familiar type of two-room Negro house, with a porch -across the front, and a shed room on the back. The bedroom had been -papered with scraps of wallpaper of varied designs and so old that most -of it had fallen off. The mantel is covered with the colored comics -section, cut in a fancy pattern of scallops. At the entrance of the -house is a sack nailed to the floor and used for a foot mat, and at the -two upper corners of the door are horse shoes for good luck. Nelson said -he is a member of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, and has -been a Methodist all his life; that he and his wife Virginia "had only -two chillun' and dey were bofe dead." - -Nelson's wife, Virginia, came from a family of slaves, although she was -not one herself. She said her folks were owned by Mr. Joe Pickett of -Camden, Wilcox County, Alabama. She said she just can remember Mr. Joe -taking her in his buggy, and she called him "Toe-Toe," as she couldn't -say his name plainly. She also said as she grew older she always spoke -of Mr. Joe, as "my Papa," instead of "my master," for "he sho' was good -to me." She remembers her mother being chambermaid on the "Old -Eleanora," a boat on the Alabama river, and as a small child going back -and forth on the boat with her. When they finally settled in Mobile, her -mother worked for the family of Dr. Heustis who lived in the corner -house now occupied by the new Federal Court House and Custom House, at -St. Louis and St. Joseph streets. - - - - -Ank Bishop - - - *Interview with Ank Bishop* - --_Ruby Pickens Tartt, Livingston, Alabama_ - -_GABR'EL BLOW SOF'! GABR'EL BLOW LOUD!_ - -When "Gabr'el take his silver trump," he is going to blow soft for the -saved and loud for the lost souls, according to Ank Bishop who was born -into slavery eighty-nine years ago, and lives in Livingston, Alabama. -The days before the war were as good as the present, Ank believes. He -tells of them in the following story of his life: - -"My name is Ank Bishop, en I was born in 1849, August 16th, at Ward, -Alabama. My mother's name was Amy Larken, an' my father was Tom Bishop. -I had three brothers, Alf, Volen an' Jim, an' two sisters, Cely an' -Matildy. Us belonged to Lady Liza Larkin at Ward, right nigh Coke's -Chapel. - -"My mother was brought out from South Car'lina in a speculator drove, -an' Lady Liza bought her at de auction at Coke's Chapel. She lef' her -mammy an' daddy back dere in South Car'lina an' never did see 'em no -more in dis life. She was bidded off an' Lady Liza got her, jes' her one -from all her family. She was got fer Lady Liza's house gal. But -sometimes she cooked or was de washer, den ag'in de milker. 'Twas my job -for to min' de ca'ves. Sometimes I went to Mr. Ed Western's sto' at -Gaston, three miles from us house, to see iffen was any mail for Lady -Liza, but 'twa'n't none. - -"Dey was good to us 'caze Lady Liza's son, Mr. Willie Larkin, was de -overseer for his ma, but co'se sometime dey git among 'em an' thrashed -'em out. One time one de niggers runned away, old Caesar Townsy, an' dey -sarnt for Dick Peters to come an' bring his "nigger dogs." Dem dogs was -trained to ketch a nigger same as rabbit dogs is trained to ketch a -rabbit. So Mr. Willie Larkin told Stuart for to say to old man Dick -Peters when he come, 'I'm gone,' but for him to come on. 'I'm gwineter -keep de road,' he say, 'an' cross 'Bigbee at Moscow landin'.' So ol' -Dick Peters, he kept de road lack he tole him to, an' he cross 'Bigbee -at Moscow landin' over in de cane-brake. But dem nigger dogs didn't -never ketch ol' man Caesar. He stayed right wharever he was at 'twell -after S'render, an' de War done ceased. Den he come out, but iffen he -had a been caught, dey'd a used him up pretty rough, but he stayed hid -twell de time done passed. - -"All de women on Lady Liza's place had to go to de fiel' ev'y day an' -dem what had suckerlin' babies would come in 'bout nine o'clock in de -mawnin' an' when de bell ring at twelve an' suckerlin' 'em. One woman -tended to all of 'em in one house. Her name was Ellie Larkin, an' dey -call her 'Mammy Larkin.' She all time sarnt me down in de fiel' for to -git 'em come suckle de chillen, 'caze dat made hit hard on her when dey -gets hongry an' cry. - -"Us didn't get to go to church none, an' us wa'n't larnt nothin'. I'm -nigh 'bout ninety an' I can't read a line. I got some chillun kin read; -one can't whut is sixty-five, but Henry he fifteen an' he kin. De ma, -she go by de name of Pearlie Beasley, she can't read neither, but she's -a good fiel' han' an' she patched dese breeches I'm wearin' an' dis ole -shirt. Miss, I ain't got a coat to my name. Can't go to church, so I -doan' know dat dis any better'n slav'y time. Hit's hard, anyway you got -to travel, got yo' nose on de groun' rock all de time. When pay day -come, ain't nothin' pay wid. Come git de rent, den you out do's ag'in. -Bred an' bawn in Sumter County, wore out in Sumter County, 'specks to -die in Sumter County, an' whut is I got? Ain't got nothin', ain't got -nothin', ain't got nothin'. - -[Illustration: _Ank Bishop, Livingston, Alabama_] - -"But I'm a believer, an' dis here voodoo an' hoodoo an' sper'ts ain't -nothin' but a lot of folk's outten Christ. Ha'nts ain't nothin' but -somebody died outten Christ an' his sper't ain't at res', jes' in a -wand'rin' condition in de world. - -"Dis is de evil sper't what de Bible tells about when hit say a person -has got two sper'ts, a good one an' a evil one. De good sper't goes to a -place of happiness an' rest, an' you doan' see hit no mo', but de evil -sper't ain't got no place to go. Hit's dwellin' place done tore down -when de body died, an' hit's jes' a wand'rin' an a waitin' for Gabr'el -to blow his trump, den de worl' gwineter come to an en'. But when God -say, 'Take down de silver mouf trump an' blow, Gabr'el,' an' Gabr'el -say, 'Lord, how loud shell I blow?' Den de Lord say, 'Blow easy, -Gabr'el, en ca'm, not to 'larm my lilies.' De secon' time Gabr'el say, -'How loud mus' I blow, Lord?' Den de Lord say, 'Blow hit as loud as -seben claps of thunder all added into one echo, so as to wake up dem -damnable sper'ts sleepin' in de grave-ya'ds what ain't never made no -peace wid dey God, jes' alayin' dere in dey sins.' - -"But de Christ'en Army, hit gits up wid de fus' trump, an' dem what is -deef is de evil ones what anybody kin see anytime. I ain't skeered of -'em, though. I passes 'em an' goes right on plowin', but iffen you wants -'em to git outten your way, all you gotter do is jes' turn your head -least bit an' look back. Dey gone jes' lack dat! When my fus' wife died -'bout thirty years ago, I was goin' up to Gaston to see Sara Drayden, -ole Scot Drayden's wife, an' I tuck out through Kennedy bottom 'bout -sundown right after a rain. I seed sompin acomin' down de road 'bout dat -high, 'bout size a little black shaggy dog, an' I says, 'What's dat I -sees commin' down de road? Ain't nobody 'roun' here got no black shaggy -dog? Hit kep' a-comin' an' kep' a-gittin' bigger an' bigger an' closer -an' closer, an' time hit got right to me 'twas as big as a ha'f growed -yearlin', black as a crow. It had four feet an' drop years, jes' lack a -dog, but 'twa'n't no dog, I knows dat. Den he shy out in de bushes, an' -he come right back in de road, an' hit went on de way I was comin' from, -so I went on de way hit was comin' from. I ain't never seed dat thing no -mo'. But I'ze gotter pretty good notion 'bout who hit 'twas." - - - - -Siney Bonner - - - *Interview with Siney Bonner* - --_W.F. Jordan_ - -"Hear dat whistle?" The speaker was Siney Bonner, an ex-slave, now -living in the Norwood section of Birmingham. She had stopped for a -"confab" where a group of other elderly Negroes of the neighborhood had -gathered. "De whistles on dem Big Jacks what pull dese highsteppin' I.C. -trains mind me of dem steamboats what used to pull up at de landin' at -ole Pickensville on de Tombigbee River. - -"'Cose dar wa'n't no railroads dem days an' de onlies' way folks had -trabbelin' about was de steamboat which passed most every week, and de -stage coach which passed twice a week. - -"Lawsy, man, dem was de days, and many de time atter my daddy, whose -name was Green Bonner, heard dat steamboat blow below Pickensville, he -would hitch up de mules to de waggin and foller Massa John on hossback -down to de landin' to fetch back de supply of sugar and coffee and -plow-tools needed on de plantation. Dey would take me 'long to hold de -mules and watch de waggin and it was a reglar picnic to me to see de big -shiney boat and watch de goin's on. - -"Massa John Bonner sho' did 'pend on my daddy. De massa paid a thousand -green-back dollars for him down to Mobile. 'Nuf green-backs to wrap him -up in, he said, so he named him Green Bonner. - -"Yes suh, we was all Baptis'--de deep water kind, and every Sunday dey -used to pile us into de waggins and pull out bright and early for Big -Creek Church on the Carrollton road. Everybody fetched a big basket of -grub and, sakes alive! sech another dinner you never see, all spread out -on de grassy grove by de ole graveyard. Mos' all de quality white folks -belonged at Big Creek and when dere slaves got sho' nuff 'ligion, dey -have 'em jine at Big Creek and be baptized at de swimmin' hole. Some of -de niggers want to have dere own meetin's, but Lawd chile, dem niggers -get happy and get to shoutin' all over de meadow where dey built a brush -arbor. Massa John quick put a stop to dat. He say, 'if you gwine to -preach and sing you must turn de wash pot bottom up'; meanin', no -shoutin'. Dem Baptis' at Big Creek was sho' tight wid dere rules too. -Turn you out sho' if you drink too much cawn licker, or dance, or cuss. - -"Massa John had a big fine bird dog. She was a mammy dog and one day she -foun' six puppies out in de harness house. Dey was mos' all girl puppies -so massa gwine drown 'em. I axed him to give 'em to me and purty soon de -missus sent me to de pos'office, so I put de puppies in a basket and -took 'em wid me. Dr. Lyles come by whar I was settin' and he say, 'Want -to sell dem pups, Siney?' I tell him, uh-huh. Den he say, 'What -'nomination is dey?'. I tell him, dey's Methodis' dogs. He didn' say no -mo'. Bout a week atter dat ole missus sent me to 'de pos'office again, -so I took my basket of puppies. Sho' nuff, 'long come Dr. Lyles and he -say, 'Siney, see you still ain't sold dem pups'. I say, 'Naw-suh'. Den -he axed me ag'in what 'nomination dey b'long to. I tole him dey was -Baptis' dogs. He say, 'How come? You tole me las' week dem was Methodis' -pups'. Ha-ha! Bless God!, look like he had me. But I say, 'Yas-suh, but -you see, Doctah, dey got dere eyes open since den!' He laff and go on -down to his newspaper office. - -[Illustration: _Siney Bonner, Birmingham, Alabama_] - -"How old is I? Law chile, I don't know. My mammy say I was fifteen year -old time of de surrender. I 'members dat mighty well. Massa John call -all de niggers on de plantation 'round him at de big house and he say to -'em 'Now, you all jes' as free as I is. I ain't your marster no mo'. -I'se tried to be good to you and take keer of all of you. You is all -welcome to stay and we'll all wuk togedder and make a livin' somehow. Ef -you don' want to stay, dem dat go will jes' have to root, pig, or die.' -Some stayed and some lef'. My daddy stayed wid Marse John till he was -called home to glory. Now dey all gone but Siney, and I'se jes' here, -waitin' for 'em to call me. - -"Yas suh, I been 'round Carrollton a heap. Atter Marse John and my daddy -bofe died, I wuk'd 'round from place to place. Used to wuk for Mrs. -Roper at de old Phoenix Hotel. I recollect when de new brick court house -was built. De ole court house had been burned and dey 'rested a nigger -named Bill Burkhalter for settin' it on fire. Dey sent him to de pen' -an' some officers started wid him to Montgomery. When dey got to Sipsey -River a mob ketched up wid 'em an' took Bill and hung him dere in the -swamp. 'Bout dat time a bad cloud come up. Dey axed Bill did he have -anything to say. He say, 'I ain't burn no court house, an' ef you all -kill me, my face gwine always ha'nt you'. Whilst he still hangin' dere -in dat swamp de lightnin' flash and de thunder an' wind was somp'n -awful. Nex' mornin' when de sun come up, bless my soul, right dere on de -winder in de court house tower was a photygraf of de face of de nigger -dey done hung for burnin' de old court house. Yas suh, I done seen dat -wid my own eyes an' I speck dat picture still dere. - -"But lawsy me, I got to get goin', kase I'se cookin' me a mess of poke -sallet I picked down by de railroad tracks dis mornin'. Dat poke sallet -and young ernions gwine to be mighty good, and dey sho 'mind me of dem -good old days in Pickens county." - - - - -Jennie Bowen - - - *Interview with Jennie Bowen* - --_Mary A. Poole, Mobile_ - -_NO BELL BRUNG HIM_ - -Jennie Bowen was surrounded by numerous little colored children as I -came upon her sitting on her front porch. She answered my questions -through a mouth void of teeth and with a constant blinking of her brown -eyes with their muddy whites. Her little grand-child had to act to some -extent as an interpreter, as her speech was at times most indistinct. - -"Yassum, I remembers lots of things dat happened back in de days of de -Cibil War," she said. "I remembers de place whar I lived. It were de -prettiest house you ever seed. It were on a high hill overlooking a -small creek and de flowers 'roun' in de yard was somp'n to see, sho' -'nuff. - -"I was bawn in 1847 on Massa Fisher's and Mistis Fisher's plantation -near Camden, Alabama. Us slaves lived in a row of whitewashed cabins in -de rear of de big house. We useta have a mean oberseer, white folks, an' -all de time dere was slaves on our place a runnin' away. - -"I acted as nuss for massa's three chilluns, an' dey learnt me to read -an' write. My pappy was named Burl Fisher an' he come f'um Virginny when -Cap'n Fisher brung him. My mammy was named Grace Fisher, an' she was -'roun' de big house mos' of de time a weavin' an' a cardin' wool for de -slaves, who wo' calico spun in de summer an' wool in de winter. - -"An ole nigger man rung a bell for us to get up by, an' to call de fiel' -han's in de evenin's. Atter Surrender, dis ole nigger stayed right on de -plantation an' was a workin' in de fiel's one day when de Fisher boy -rung de bell for de niggers to come in. All of 'em came 'cep'n dis ole -man an' later on dey ax him why he don't come when dey ring de bell. He -answer: 'Tain't no mo' bell ringin' for dis nigger, 'caze I is free.' - -[Illustration: _Jennie Bowen, Mobile, Alabama_] - -"De Fishers was Pres'terians an' dey had dere own church on de place. -Eve'ybody had to go on Sunday; de white folks sittin' in de front, de -colored folks in de back. De onl'es' holidays us niggers had was -Chris'mas an' New Years. On dese days us all exchanged gif's. - -"My pappy an' mammy atter de war farmed on shares wid Cap'n Fisher. I -was ma'ied 'bout dis time, white folks, to Sam Bowen, who long been -daid. Us had a big weddin' an' de two Mistis Fishers (Massa's daughters) -baked us a cake an' I sont a piece to all my white frien's for dem to -dream on. Atter I come to Mobile, I changed my 'ligion to bein' a -Babtist. - -"I had ten chilluns, but seven of dem is daid. I is even got fo' great -gran' chilluns. - -"Yassum, us had po' white trash back in dem days of de war. Dey lived -near our place, an' some of 'em didn't have no niggers at all. Dey -worked deyse'f in de fiel's. Us didn't fool 'long wid dem kinds of -people dough, white folks. Us kep' mostly to ourselves. - -"Yassum, us house niggers et in de kitchens, dat was separated f'um de -main buildin' by a walkway, kivered at de top but not at de sides. All -de slave chilluns had a grown nigger woman and a young gal 'bout sixteen -to look atter dem. We-alls had a good time an' us was happy an' secure." - - - - -Nannie Bradfield - - - *Interview with Nannie Bradfield* - --_Susie R. O'Brien, Uniontown, Alabama_ - -_WHAT I KEER ABOUT BEIN' FREE?_ - -Nannie Bradfield is a fat little old woman almost as broad as she is -long, with a pleasant face and a broad smile which displays white teeth -still good at the age of eighty-five. She lives alone in a dilapidated -cabin which rests in a clump of trees by the side of the railroad. The -sagging roof is patched with pieces of rusty tin of many shapes and -sizes. - -"Nannie," I said, "aren't you afraid to live here alone?" - -"How come I be skeered? Ain't nobody gwine bother me lessen it be a -spirit, and dey don't come 'roun' 'cep'n on rainy nights, den all you -got to do is say 'Lawd have mercy! What you want here,' and dey go 'way -and leave you 'lone. - -"Any how I's gittin' pretty old and I won't be here so ve'y much longer -so I jes' as well start gittin' 'quainted wid de spirits." - -"Tell me something about yourself and your family, Nannie," I said. -"Dere ain't nothin' much to tell 'cep I was born in slav'y times and I -was 'bout twelve year old in May when 'mancipation come. My Pa and Ma -b'longed to Mars James and Miss Rebecca Chambers. Dey plantation was -jes' on de aidge of town and dat's what I was born. Mars James' son -William was in de war and old Miss would send me to town whar all de -sojers tents was, to tote sompen good to eat to dem. I don't 'member -much 'bout de war 'cep de tents and de bum shells shootin'. I was little -and couldn't do much but I waited on Miss Liz'beth, my young Miss, and -waited on table, toted battie cakes and sich like. No ma'am I don't know -nothin' 'tall 'bout de patterollers or de Klu Kluxers but I know all -'bout de conjer doctors. Dey sho' kin fix you. Dey kin take yo' garter -or yo stockin' top an drap it in runnin' water and make you run de res' -of yo' life, you'll be in a hurry all de time, and if dey gits holt of a -piece of de seat of yo' draw's dey sprinkles a little conjer powder on -it and burns it den you can't never set down in no peace. You jes' like -you settin' on a coal of fiah 'till you git somebody to take de spell -offen you." - -"Nannie, were you glad when the war was over and you were free?" - -"What I keer 'bout bein' free? Didn't old Marster give us plenty good -sompin to eat and clo's to wear? I stayed on de plantation 'til I -mah'ied. My old Miss give me a brown dress and hat. Well dat dress put -me in de country, if you mah'ie in brown you'll live in de country." - -"'Marry in brown you'll live out of town?'" I quoted. "Dat's it--my -remembrance ain't so good and I fergits. - -"No ma'am, I ain't got no chillun, but Bradfield had plenty un um, I was -his fouf wife. He died 'bout three years ago and he done well to live -dat long wid all dem wimmens to nag him. De Bible say it's better to -climb on top of the house and set, den to live inside wid a naggin' -'oman." - - - - -Martha Bradley - - - *Interview with Martha Bradley* - --_Mabel Farrior, Montgomery, Alabama_ - -_IN SLAVERY TIME_ - -Aunt Martha--as she is known to all her "white folks"--claims to be 100 -years old. She was a slave to Dr. Lucas of Mt. Meigs neighborhood long -before the War between the States. Dr. Lucas is one of the well known -Lucas family, with whom General LaFayette spent some time while touring -the United States in 1824. - -"Our Marster wuz sho good to all his 'niggers'," she said. "Us allus had -plenty to eat and plenty to wear, but de days now is hard, if white -folks gin you a nickel or dime to git you sumpin' t' eat you has to -write everything down in a book before you can git it. I allus worked in -the field, had to carry big logs, had strops on my arms and them logs -was put in de strop and hauled to a pile where they all was. One morning -hit was rainin' ad I didn' wanna go to the field, but de oversee' he -come and got me and started whooping me. I jumped on him and bit and -kicked him 'til he lemme go. I didn't know no better then. I didn't know -he was de one to do dat. - -"But Marster Lucas gin us big times on Christmas and July. Us 'ud have -big dinners and all the lemonade us could drink. The dinner'd be spread -out on de ground an' all the niggers would stand roun' and eat all dey -wanted. What was lef' us'd take it to our cabins. Nancy Lucas was de -cook fer eber' body. Well, she'd sho cook good cake and had plenty of -'em but she wouldn't lak to cut dem cakes often. She keep 'em in a safe. -One day I go to dat safe and I seed some and I wanted it so bad till I -jes' had to have some. Nancy say to me, 'Martha, did you cut dat cake?' -I say, 'No sir! dat knife just flew 'roun by itself and cut dat cake.' - -"One day I was workin' in de field and de overseer he come 'roun and say -sumpin' to me he had no bizness say. I took my hoe and knocked him plum -down. I knowed I'se done sumpin' bad so I run to de bushes. Marster -Lucas come and got me and started whoopin' me. I say to Marster Lucas -whut dat overseer sez to me and Marster Lucas didn' hit me no more. -Marse Lucas was allus good to us and he wouldn' let nobody run over his -niggers. - -"There was plenty white folks dat was sho bad to de niggers, and -specially dem overseers. A nigger whut lived on the plantation jinin' -ours shot and killed an overseer; den he run 'way. He come to de river -and seed a white man on udder side and say, 'Come and git me.' Well, -when dey got him dey found out whut he'd done, and was gwine to burn him -'live. Jedge Clements, the man dat keep law and order, say he wouldn't -burn a dog 'live, so he lef'. But dey sho burn dat nigger 'live for I -seed him atter he was burned up. - -[Illustration: _Martha Bradley, Montgomery, Alabama_] - -"Us'd go to meetin' to de Antioch Church some Sundays. Us'd go to de -house and git a pass. When us'd pass by the patterole, us jes' hold up -our pass and den us'd go on. Dar was a 'vidin' 'twixt de niggers and de -white folks. De white preacher'd preach; den de colored man. Us'd stay -at church most all day. When we didn' go to church, us'd git together in -the quarters and have preachin' and singin' amongst ourselves. - -"In cotton pickin' time us'd stay in de field till way atter dark and -us'd pick by candle light and den carry hit and put hit on de scaffold. -In de winter time us'd quilt; jes' go from one house to anudder in de -quarter. Us'd weave all our ever' day clothes but Marster Lucas'd go to -Mobile ever' July and Christmas and git our Sunday clothes, git us -dresses and shoes and we'd sho be proud of 'em. - -"In slavery time dey doctored de sick folks dif'funt frum what dey does -now. I seed a man so sick dey had to put medicine down his tho'at lak he -was a horse. Dat man got well and sho lived to turn a key in de jail. Ef -it was in dese days dat man would be cay'd to de hospital and cut open -lak a hawg. - -"Dere was a slave whut lived in Macon county. He run 'way and when he -was catched dey dug a hole in de ground and put him crost it and beat -him nigh to death." - - - - -Allen Brown - - - *Interview with Allen Brown* - --_Gertha Couric_ - -_IS NIGH A HUNDERD_ - -Uncle Allen is a thin little man with a short white beard that hides -nothing of his ready, toothless smile always evident when conversing -with "de white folks" and contributes to his dignified mien when -solemnly lecturing to "de niggers" about their "no 'count ways." He is -as deaf as the proverbial post, and, once launched into a discourse, -rambles on to its end without regard to interruptions. Asked to tell -something of his early life, he said: - -[Illustration: _Allen Brown, Eufala, Alabama_] - -"I is nigh on to a hundred yeahs old, Suh, and I was brung to dis -country from Virginny whar I was bawn. My mammy's mahster was movin' -from Virginny to Texas, and when he go dis fur he sole me and my mammy -to Mahster McRea. Den Mahster McRea he give me to Miss Julia; den Miss -Julia she mah'ied Mahs Henry Young and I was dere ca'iage driver. Mahs -Henry soon went off to de wawh and was kilt in de battle of Gettysbu'g -and dat nearly bout kilt Miss Julia. - -"A'ter de Surrender nothin' neber was de same. Jest hahd times mos'ly. -Neber been any times lak de days when I was drivin' my ca'iage amongst -de Eufaula high steppers, and I reckon dere neber will be ag'in. - -"De ole man too ole and bruck down to wuhk now, and I gits along wid -whut de Welfare gives me." - - - - -Gus Brown - - - *Interview with Gus Brown* - --_Alexander B. Johnson, Birmingham, Alabama_ - -_GUS SAW MASSA'S HAT SHOT OFF_ - -"They is all gone, scattered, and old massa and missus have died." That -was the sequence of the tragic tale of "Uncle" Gus Brown, the body -servant of William Brown; who fought beside him in the War between the -States and who knew Stonewall Jackson. - -"Uncle Gus" recalled happenings on the old plantation where he was -reared. His master was a "king" man, he said, on whose plantation in -Richmond, Virginia, Uncle Gus waited on the tables at large feasts and -functions of the spacious days before the War. He was entrusted to go -with the master's boys down to the old swimming hole and go in "washin." -They would take off their clothes, hide them in the bushes on the side -of the bank, put a big plank by the side of the old water hole and go in -diving, swimming and have all the fun that youngsters would want, he -said. - -Apparently his master's home was a plantation house with large columns -and with all the glitter and glamour that the homes around Richmond have -to offer. About it were large grain storage places for the master was a -grain dealer and men on the plantation produced and ground large -quantities into flour. - -Gus worked around the house, and he remembers well the corn shuckings as -he called them on which occasions the Negroes gave vent to emotion in -the form of dancing and music. "On those occasions we all got together -and had a regular good time," he said. - -"Uncle," he was asked, "do you remember any of the old superstitions on -the plantation? Did they have any black cat stories?" - -"No sir, boss, we was educated Negroes on our plantation. The old -bossman taught his Negroes not to believe in that sort of thing. - -"I well remember when de war came. Old massa had told his folks befo' de -war began dat it was comin', so we was ready for it. - -"Beforehand the master called all the servants he could trust and told -them to get together all of the silver and other things of value. They -did that, he explained and afterward they took the big box of treasures -and carried it out in the forest and hid it under the trunk of a tree -which was marked. None of the Negroes ever told the Yankees where it was -so when the war ended the master had his silver back. Of course the war -left him without some of the things which he used to have but he never -suffered. - -"Then de war came and we all went to fight the Yankees. I was a body -servant to the master, and once a bullet took off his hat. We all -thought he was shot but he wasn't, and I was standin' by his side all -the time. - -"I remember Stonewall Jackson. He was a big man with long whiskers, and -very brave. We all fought wid him until his death. - -"We wan't beaten, we was starved out! Sometimes we had parched corn to -eat and sometimes we didn't have a bite o' nothin', because the Union -mens come and tuck all the food for their selves. I can still remember -part of my ninety years. I remembers we fought all de way from Virginia -and winded up in Manassas Gap. - -"When time came for freedom most of us was glad. We liked the Yankees. -They was good to us. 'You is all now free. You can stay on the -plantation or you can go.' We all stayed there until old massa died. Den -I worked on de Seaboard Airline when it come to Birmingham. I have been -here ever since. - -[Illustration: _Gus Brown, Birmingham, Alabama_] - -"In all de years since de war I cannot forget old massa. He was good and -kind. He never believed in slavery but his money was tied up in slaves -and he didn't want to lose all he had. - -"I knows I will see him in heaven and even though I have to walk ten -miles for a bite of bread I can still be happy to think about the good -times we had then. I am a Confederate veteran but my house burned up wid -de medals and I don't get a pension. - -"Thank you, mister bossman, fer the quarter. It will buy me a little -grub. I'se too old to work but I has to." - -The reporter left him sitting with his little pack and a long fork in -his hands; in his eyes, dimmed with age, a far-off look and a tear of -longing for the Old Plantation. - - - - -Walter Calloway - - - *Interview with Walter Calloway* - --_W.F. Jordan_ - -_OLE JOE HAD REAL 'LIGION_ - -Walter Calloway lives alone half a block off Avenue F, the thoroughfare -on the southside of Birmingham on which live many of the leaders in the -Negro life of the city. For his eighty-nine years he was apparently -vigorous except for temporary illness. A glance at the interior of his -cabin disclosed the fact that it was scrupulously neat and quite orderly -in arrangement, a characteristic of a great many ex-slaves. As he sat in -the sunshine on his tiny front porch, his greeting was: "Come in, white -folks. You ain't no doctor is you?" - -To a negative reply, he explained as he continued, "Fo' de las' past -twenty-five years I been keepin' right on, wukkin' for de city in de -street department. 'Bout two mont's ago dis mis'ry attackted me an' -don't 'pear lak nothin' dem doctors gimme do no good. De preacher he -come to see me dis mornin' an' he say he know a white gemman doctor, -what he gwine to sen' him to see me. I sho' wants to git well ag'in -pow'ful bad, but mebby I done live long 'nuff an' my time 'bout come." - -Quizzed about his age and antecedents, he began his story: "Well, sir, -Cap'n, I was born in Richmond, Virginny, in 1848. Befo' I was ole 'nuff -to 'member much, my mammy wid me an' my older brudder was sold to Marse -John Calloway at Snowdoun in Montgomery county, ten miles south of de -town of Montgomery. - -"Marse John hab a big plantation an' lots of slaves. Dey treated us -purty good, but we hab to wuk hard. Time I was ten years ole I was -makin' a reg'lar han' 'hin' de plow. Oh, yassuh, Marse John good 'nough -to us an' we git plenty to eat, but he had a oberseer name Green Bush -what sho' whup us iffen we don't do to suit him. Yassuh, he' mighty -rough wid us but he didn't do de whuppin' hisse'f. He had a big black -boy name Mose, mean as de debil an' strong as a ox, and de oberseer let -him do all de whuppin'. An', man, he could sho' lay on dat rawhide lash. -He whupped a nigger gal 'bout thirteen years ole so hard she nearly die, -an' allus atterwa'ds she hab spells of fits or somp'n. Dat make Marse -John pow'ful mad, so he run dat oberseer off de place an' Mose didn' do -no mo' whuppin. - -"Same time Marse John buy mammy an' us boys, he buy a black man name -Joe. He a preacher an' de marster let de slaves buil' a brush arbor in -de pecan grove ober in de big pastur', an' when de wedder warn't too -cold all de slaves was 'lowed to meet dar on Sunday 'fo' preachin'. - -"Yassuh, ole Joe do purty good. I spec he had mo' 'ligion dan some of de -hifalutin' niggers 'tendin' to preach nowadays. De white folks chu'ch, -hit at Hope Hill ober on de stage road, an' sometimes dey fetch 'dere -preacher to de plantation to preach to de slaves. But dey 'druther heah -Joe. - -"Nawsuh, we didn' git no schoolin' 'cep'in' befo' we got big 'nough to -wuk in de fiel' we go 'long to school wid de white chillun to take care -of 'em. Dey show us pictures an' tell us all dey kin, but it didn't -'mount to much. - -[Illustration: _Walter Calloway, Birmingham, Alabama_] - -"When de war started 'mos' all I know 'bout it was all de white mens go -to Montgomery an' jine de army. My brudder, he 'bout fifteen year ole, -so he go 'long wid de ration wagon to Montgomery 'mos' ebry week. One -day he come back from Montgomery an' he say, 'Hell done broke loose in -Gawgy.' He couldn't tell us much 'bout what done happen, but de slaves -dey get all 'cited 'caze dey didn' know what to 'spect. Purty soon we -fin' out dat some of de big mens call a meetin' at de capitol on Goat -Hill in Montgomery. Dey 'lected Mista Jeff Davis president an' done -busted de Nunited States wide open. - -"Atter dat dar warn't much happen on de plantation 'cep'in' gangs of -so'jers passin' th'ough gwine off to de war. Den 'bout ebry so often a -squad of Confederate so'jers would come to de neighborhood gatherin' up -rations for Gin'ral Lee's army dey say. Dat make it purty hard on bofe -whites an' blacks, takin' off some of de bes' stock an' runnin' us low -on grub. - -"But we wuk right on 'twell one day somebody sen' a runner sayin' de -Yankees comin'. Ole mistis tell me to hurry ober to Mrs. Freeman's an' -tell 'em Wilson's Yankee raiders was on de way an' comin' lak a -harrikin. I hop on a mule an' go jes' as fas' as I can make him trabel, -but befo' I git back dey done retch de plantation, smashin' things -comin' an' gwine. - -"Dey broke in de smoke house an' tuk all de hams an' yuther rations, dey -fin' what dey want an' burn up de res'. Den dey ramshack de big house -lookin' fo' money an' jewelry an' raise Cain wid de wimmin folks 'caze -dey didn't fin' what dey wanted. Den dey leave dere ole hosses an' mules -an' take de bes' we got. Atter dey done dat, dey burn de smoke house, de -barns, de cribs an' some yuther prop'ty. Den dey skedaddle some place -else. - -"I warn't up dar but I heern tell dey burn up piles an' piles of cotton -an' lots of steamboats at Montgomery an' lef' de ole town jes' 'bout -ruint'. Twarn't long atter dat dey tell us we'se free. But lawdy, Cap'n, -we ain't neber been what I calls free. 'Cose ole marster didn' own us no -mo', an' all de folks soon scatter all ober, but iffen dey all lak me -dey still hafter wuk jes' as hard, an some times hab less dan we useter -hab when we stay on Marse John's plantation. - -"Well, Cap'n, dat's 'bout all I know. I feel dat misery comin' on me -now. Will you please, suh, gimme a lif' back in de house? I wisht dat -white gemman doctor come on iffen he comin'." - - - - -Esther King Casey - - - *Interview with Esther King Casey* - --_Edward F. Harper, Birmingham_ - -Living with her grandchildren at 801 Washington Avenue, Birmingham, -Alabama, Esther King Casey, former slave of Capt. Henry King of -Americus, Georgia, recalls from fading memory a few vivid scenes of the -days when men in gray moved hurridly about the town, suddenly -disappeared for a while and then returned, one by one, with weary, -halting tread and hollow faces, while gloom and despair hovered over the -town like a pall of desolation. - -Less vivid in her memory are the stories told her by her grandmother of -a long voyage across the ocean, of the arrival in a new land called -Mobile, and of slaves being sold at public auction. Less vivid, too, are -the memories of her own journey to Georgia, where she, with her parents -and brother, were brought to be the slaves of Captain King. - -"I was only four or five years old when we came to Captain King's big -house," said the old woman, brightening with pride in her ability to -recollect. Her manners bore the marks of culture and refinement, and her -speech was surprisingly void of the usual Negro dialect. She is an -example of the former slave who was educated along with the white -children in the family. - -"There were eight or ten slaves in all," Esther continued. "We lived in -a house in the backyard of Captain King's Big House. My mamma was the -cook. Papa was a mechanic. He built houses and made tools and machinery. -Captain King gave me to the 'white lady;' that was Miss Susan, the -Captain's wife. Captain King was a fine man. He treated all of us just -like his own family. The 'white lady' taught us to be respectable and -truthful." - -When asked if she had ever been punished for misbehavior the old woman -smiled and said: "Once the 'white lady' whipped me for playing with the -jailer's children. She had told me not to play with them because they -were not good company for me. She said that she wanted to raise me to be -good and truthful, and that the jailer's little white children told lies -and talked bad." - -Esther remembers well the mobilization of gray-uniformed troops at the -courthouse which stood only a block from the King residence. "The town -was filled with soldiers for several days," she said. "They assembled -about the courthouse and had speakings. One day I passed there with my -papa and saw Abraham Lincoln hanging from a noose in the courthouse -square. Of course, it was only an effigy of Abraham Lincoln which was -used to show what the soldiers thought of him. Papa told me that the -soldiers shot the effigy full of bullet holes before they left town. - -"Before Captain King left he brought a man with him from the courthouse -to value his property. The slaves were valued, too. I remember Captain -King lifting me high above his head and saying to the man: 'I wouldn't -take a thousand dollars for this little gem.'" - -She paused a moment. The light in her eyes showed that she was reliving -the thrill of that childhood incident. - -"Then Captain King left with the other soldiers. Papa stayed and took -care of the 'white lady' and the house. After a while my brother ran -away and joined the troops to fight for Captain King. He came back after -the war, but Captain King did not. Several years later I saw a man down -in south Georgia who told me that he belonged to Captain King's troops. -He said that he was standing near him when he was killed. - -[Illustration: _Esther King Casey, Birmingham, Alabama_] - -"After the proclamation the slaves were free. Most of them leased out to -plantation owners. I stayed with mamma and the 'white lady.'" - -Mrs. King had taught the little slave girl to read and write, and when -schools were opened for the freed slaves she told the child's mother to -send her to school. Fees of fifty cents a month were charged, which Mrs. -King paid as long as the child remained with her. At eighteen years of -age the girl had acquired sufficient education to qualify to teach in -the public schools for Negroes. After three years of teaching she -married Jim Casey, an ex-slave, who took her to his "three-plow" farm in -south Georgia. - -"No man ever lived who was finer than Jim," said the old woman. "My -daughter used to say that I loved him more than God, and that God was -jealous and took him away from me." - -After her only daughter's death in 1919, Esther was brought to -Birmingham by her grandson who has kept her comfortably ever since. Her -hair is just turning gray, though she was born in 1856. The little briar -pipe, which she endeavors to conceal from strangers, is the only outward -evidence that she has anything in common with others of her generation. - - - - -Amy Chapman - - - *Interview with Amy Chapman* - --_Ruby F. Tartt, Livingston, Alabama_ - -_DE MASTERS GOOD, BUT OVERSEERS MEAN_ - -Aunt Amy paused as she worked among the small plants in her garden, -removing a weed here and there. She pushed back the sunbonnet that -shaded her eyes and began: - -"I was bawn on Governor Reuben Chapman's place five miles north of -Livingston on May 14, 1843. My name is Amy Chapman. My mother was Clary -Chapman an' my pappy was Bob Chapman. Dey both come from Virginny; my -mammy from Petersburg an' my pappy f'um Richmond. Dey was driv' down to -Alabamy lak cattle an' Marse Reuben bought 'em. He had a lot of slaves -caze he had a heap of plantations, but him an' his wife stay most of de -time in Huntsville an' dey had a heap of white oberseers. I had a plenty -of chilluns but not as many as my mammy. - -"Who was my husban'? Law chile, I ain't never had no special husban'. I -even forgits who was de pappy of some of dese chilluns of mine. - -"Us had a mean oberseer, an' since Marse Reuben warn't never at home, -dem oberseers useter treat us somp'n awful. One day Marse Reuben come -home an' when he foun' out dat de oberseer was mean to de slaves he -commence to give him a lecture, but when Miss Ferlicia tuk a han' in de -business, she didn't stop at no lecture, she tol' dat oberseer dis: 'I -hear you take my women an' turn dere clothes ober dere haids an' whup -'em. Any man dat's got a family an' would do sich a thing oughter be -sham' of hisself, an' iffen Gov. Chapman can't make you leave, I kin, so -you see dat road dere? Well, make tracks den.' An' Mistis, he lef' raght -den. He didn't wait for no coaxin'. He was de meanes' oberseer us ever -had. He tuk my ol'est brother an' had him stretched out jus' lak you see -Christ on de cross; had him chained, an' I sot down on de groun' by him -an' cried all night lack Mary an' dem done. Dat oberseer was de fus' one -dat ever putt me in de fiel', an' he whupped me wid de cat er nine tails -when I was stark naked. - -"Den dere was anudder mean man named [...] who was always a-beatin' -nigger women caze dey wouldn't mind him. - -"Us warn't learned to read an' write, but Mr. Jerry Brown's slaves were. -He owned a big plantation. Us didn't go to no nigger church, caze dere -warn't none. I was babtized in Jones Creek, an' Dr. Edmon's a white -preacher, j'ined me to de Jones Creek Babtist Church long fo' de war, -an' de song I lacked bes' was a white folks song. Twarn't no nigger -song. It was lack dey sing it now, 'cep' mo' lovely, Miss, mo' lovely. - - Dark was de night - Col' was de groun' - On which my Savior lay - Blood in draps of sweat run down - In agony he pray. - - Lawd, move did bitter cup - If sich dy sacred will - If not content I'll drink it up - Whose pleasure I'll fullfil. - -"An' anudder one us niggers useter sing was might pretty: - - In evil long I tuk de light - An' led by shame an' fear - When a new object stopped my flight - An' stopped my wild career. - - I saw him hangin' on a tree - In agony an' blood - He fixed his languid eyes on me - As near his cross I stood. - - Sho' never till my latter breath - Kin I forgit dat look - He seemed to change me wid his death - Yit not a word he spoke. - - My conscience felt an' owned de quilt - An' plunged me in despair - I saw my sins his blood had spilt - An' helped to nail him dere. - -"Yassum, I kin tell you things about slavery times dat would make yo' -blood bile, but dey's too turrible. I jus' tries to forgit. - -[Illustration: _Amy Chapman, Livingston, Alabama_] - -"I could tell you 'bout bein' run myself wid dem nigger dogs, but I -ain't gwineter do it. I will tell you dough 'bout a mean man who whupped -a cullid woman near 'bout to death. She got so mad at him dat she tuk -his baby chile what was playin' roun' de yard and grab him up an' -th'owed it in a pot of lye dat she was usin' to wash wid. His wife come -a-hollin' an' run her arms down in de boilin' lye to git de chile out, -an' she near 'bout burnt her arms off, but it didn't do no good 'caze -when she jerked de chile out he was daid. - -"One day I seed ole Unker Tip Toe all bent over a-comin' down de road -an' I ax him whut ail him an' he say: 'I's been in de stocks an' been -beat till de blood come. Den ole Massa 'ninted my flesh wid red papper -an' turpentine an' I's been most dead but I is somewhat better now.' -Unker Tiptoe belonged to de meanes' ol' marster around here. - -"But, honey, I ain't never tol' nobody all dis an' ain't gwine tell you -no mo'. Ride me home now, caze I's cripple; a cow was de cause of it. -She drug me roun' dat new orchard whut I planted las' fall. She done run -away wid me. Mistis I wished you would do me a favor an' write my son in -Texas an' tell him dat I say, iffen he 'specks me to make him anymo' of -dem star quilts, he better come on here an' kiver my house. De roof sho' -does leak bad." - - - - -Emma Chapman - - - *Interview with Emma Chapman* - --_Mary A. Poole_ - -Living in a small room in the rear of a house at 361 Augusta Street, -Mobile, Alabama, the writer located an interesting ex-slave, Emma -Chapman, who when first approached was somewhat reticent. I soon learned -I had arrived just as she was ready to have her breakfast, which -consisted of bread and coffee, and insisted she eat first and talk -afterwards, as she had made just about enough fire in the open fireplace -to boil the coffee. - -While she followed my suggestion I glanced about the room and found it -very neat and tidy and an unusually comfortable looking double bed, a -mirrored door chifferobe and two trunks, one rocking chair and a couple -of straight chairs, a table containing all cooking utensils and food -containers. The walls were covered with sheets of manilla wrapping -paper, tacked on, and part of the ceiling patched with odds and ends of -corrugated paper. Emma is small in stature, of light complexion with -greying hair arranged in neat braids around her head, very clean in -appearance. - -Emma said she was about 13 years of age at the time of the surrender, -and that she was born on the plantation of Rev. Mr. Montgomery Curry of -Charleston, S.C. When she was about 3 years of age Mr. Curry moved to -Pickens County, Alabama, about 5 miles from Carrollton and 8 miles from -Pickenville. When I asked why they moved to Alabama, Emma laughed, and -said they expected to find money growing on trees in Alabama, and that -she as a child came near being "snake bit" many a time, digging around -the roots of old trees, trying to find money. - -Rev. Montgomery Curry, said Emma, was married to Ann Haynie, whose -parents were Aaron and Francis Hudson Haynie, and Emma's grandmother was -Lucy Linier, who was born in Virginia and was sold to Mr. Haynie to pay -a debt. Lucy Linier was nurse for his daughter Ann and when she married -Mr. Curry, she brought Lucy with her to her new home. The Currys had -three children, a boy and two girls, and it was Lucy Linier's daughter, -Patsy, who acted as their nurse. - -The home of Rev. and Mrs. Montgomery Curry was a two-story log house -with wide open hall running the entire length of the house and with -rooms opening off either side. The kitchen was out a short distance from -the main house, with the dairy between the two, under a large hickory -tree. - -The slave quarters were also built of logs, with space between for a -shed room and small garden plot and a few chickens. The slave women did -not go to the fields on Saturday as that was their day to clean up -around their homes. They usually washed their clothes at night and hung -them on the bushes where they were left to dry in the sunshine, maybe a -couple of days, as no one could or would disturb them. - -Rev. Montgomery Curry was a Baptist preacher and had no overseer, except -Lucy Linier and her husband, Emma's grandparents, who kept a supervision -over the slaves about 40 in number. There was no whipping allowed on the -Curry plantation, and after the death of Reverend Curry, Mrs. Ann Curry -(his widow) ran the plantation under the same system. The patrollers had -no jurisdiction over the Curry slaves, they were given permits by the -Currys to go and come, and Emma said if one of those patrollers whipped -one of "ole Miss's slaves, she would have sure sued them. - -Emma laughingly said the slaves on other plantations always said the -Curry slaves were "free niggers," as they could always get permits, and -had plenty to eat and milk to drink. The slaves cooked their breakfasts -in their own cabins, but dinner and supper was cooked in the kitchen and -each came with their pan to be filled and had their own gourds which -were grown on the place to drink their milk and of which they could have -full and plenty. - -During the war they cooked for the Confederate soldiers encamped nearby -and great quantities were prepared. Emma was one of those delegated to -carry the food to the camp. All she ever saw of the Yankees were two who -stopped at the house and asked for something to eat. Mrs. Montgomery -invited them in and served the best she had. One of the men wanted to -take the last mule she had and the other said "No, Mrs. Montgomery is a -widow and from the appearance of her slaves she has treated them well." - -Mrs. Montgomery told them that someone had stolen her saddle horse and -the soldier who had remonstrated with the other replied: "Madam, your -saddle horse will be returned in three weeks," and sure enoug, one night -about midnight they heard a horse whinny and Emma's grandfather said -"there is old Spunk," and there was old Spunk waiting outside. - -Emma said the first whipping she ever had, was after the Surrender, -given her by her own father when they left Alabama and went to live near -Columbus, Miss. - -She had always lived in the house with the "old Miss" and her young -Miss, and when she had to leave them, she cried and so did they. - -Her grandmother Lucy Linier nursed "Miss Ann"; Lucy's daughter Patsy -nursed "Miss Ann's" children, and was the special property of Fannie -Montgomery Curry, who married a Mr. Sidney Lipscomb and whose children -Emma helped to look after, so the three generations were interwoven. - -Emma only wishes she could go back to plantation days. All her trials -and suffering came after she left "Ole Miss," and went to live with her -father and mother, George and Patsy Curry, who had fourteen children and -of which Emma was the eldest. Her father who was a quadroon in cast was -cruel to his family, and especially so to her. He made her work like a -man, cutting timber, splitting rails, digging, planting and all work of -the farm. - -Now, Emma is the only member of her family left. She married three -times, having only two children, a girl and a boy, these by her last -husband, Frank Chapman, now dead, and Emma has no knowledge of her -children's whereabouts. She gave them an education so they could write -to her if they wanted to. The girl married and left Mobile, the boy went -to Chicago, was chauffeur for some rich folks. His last letter several -years ago, in which he enclosed $25.00, stated he was going on a trip to -Jerusalem with one of the young men of the family. - - - - -Henry Cheatam - - - *Interview with Henry Cheatam* - --_Ila B. Prine_ - -_I HEARD LINCOLN SET US FREE_ - -"White folks, I'se glad you drapped by to have a talk wid me. I was -gittin' powerfully lonely," said Henry Cheatam, who lives in Marysville, -a Mobile suburb. "Sho' I'll be glad to tell you some about de slave -days. I sho' 'members plenty. Well, to begin wid, I was born in 1850 -near West Point. Dat's in Clay County, Mississippi, you know. I b'longed -to Mr. Tom Hollingshead who was killed in de Cibil War. I 'members all -de slaves agoin' in to take a last look at him atter dey done brung his -body home. - -"My mammy's name was Emmeline Cheatam, an' my pappy's was Sam Cheatam. I -don't remember my grandpappy an' grandmammy atall. - -"Us slaves libed in log cabins what was daubed wid clay to keep de rain -an' win' out, an' de chimneys was made of clay an' sticks. De beds was -home-made an' nailed agin' de wall wid legs on de outer side. De Massa's -house was build of logs too, but it was much bigger'n de nigger cabins -an' sot way out in front of ourn. Atter de massa was kilt, old Miss had -a nigger oberseer an' dat was de meanest debil dat eber libbed on de -Lawd's green yearth. I promise myself when I growed up dat I was agoin' -to kill dat nigger iffen it was de las' thing I eber done. Lots of times -I'se seen him beat my mammy, an' one day I seen him beat my Auntie who -was big wid a chile, an' dat man dug a roun' hole in de groun' an' put -her stummick in it, an' beat an' beat her for a half hour straight till -the baby come out raght dere in de hole. - -"Why de Mistis 'low such treatment? A heap of times ole Miss didn't know -nuthin' 'bout it, an' de slaves better not tell her, 'caze dat oberseer -whup 'em iffen he finds out dat dey done gone an' tol'. Yassun, white -folks, I'se seed some turrible things in my time. When de slaves would -try to run away our oberseer would put chains on dere legs wid big long -spikes tween dere feets, so dey couldn't git away. Den I's seen great -bunches of slaves put up on de block an' sol' jus' lak dey was cows. -Sometimes de chilluns would be seprated from dere maws an' paws. - -"I come pretty near to bein' tuk away from my maw. When de slaves was -bein' 'vided, one of ole Miss' datters was agoin' to Texas, an' I was -goin' to have to go when somebody hollered 'Freedom', an' I sho' was -glad 'caze I could stay wid my mammy now. - -"In dose days us had plenty of good, plain food; such as pot likker, -greens, cornbread, 'taters, peas, pears, an' at hog killin' us had -chittlin's an' pig jowls an' back bone. Den us would cotch 'possums at -night when dey come up in de corn fiel'. Us neber seed no flour dough. - -"As for fishin', we neber did none, 'caze we hadda work too hard. We -worked from 'can to can't.' Git up at sunrise, go to de fiel' an' stay -till dark. In de middle of de day dey would sen' our somp'n t'eat to de -fiel' wid a barrel of water. But for breakfas' an' supper, us hadda cook -our own grub dey gib us. - -"Our clo's warn't many. Us chilluns wo' a one-piece suit made outen -osnaburg, an' us would hab to take dat off at night, wash it an' put it -back on de nex' day. As for shoes, chillun neber had none. You see, -white folks, I was jus' a chile, jus' big enough to tote water to de -fiel's. - -[Illustration: _Henry Cheatam, Marysville, Alabama_] - -"I 'members when de Yankees was acomin' th'ough I hoped to ca'y de -hosses to de woods an' hoped to hide de meat an' bury de valu'bles, -'caze dem Yankees tuk whatever dey wanted, an' you better not say -nothin' neither 'caze dey had dem long swyords ahangin' at dere sides. - -"In dem days, de slaves done all de work an' carried all de news. De -marsters sont notes from one plantation to anudder, an' when dey wanted -de niggers to come to de Big House dey would blow an ole cow horn. Dey -had certain number of blows for certain niggers. Dat is, de niggers dat -was somp'n. Dey would also use dis horn for 'possum an' coon huntin' at -night. De li'l niggers at night went to de big house to spin an' weave. -I'se spun a many roll an' carded a many bat of cotton. I'se also made a -many tallow candle by tyin' strings onto a long stick an' droppin dem -down into moulds filled wid tallow. I'se hid many a night in de fence -corners when I'd be agoin' som'ers to git my mammy some 'bacco. De -pattyrollers would be out lookin' for slaves dat didn't hab no pass from -dere oberseer, an' I'd hear dem acomin' an' I'd hide till dey pass on, -'caze iffen dey cotch me I sho' gwine have a sound beatin'. - -"De owners always tuk care of us, and when us got sick dey would git a -doctor, an' ole Miss was all right, but dat oberseer was a debil. He -wouldn't 'low no meetin' on de place. Sometimes us would slip down de -hill an' turn de wash pot bottom up'ards so de soun' of our voices would -go under de pot, an' us'd have a singin' an' prayin' raght dere. - -"Mos' of de slave could go sometimes to de white folks church when dey -gits a pass from dere Massa, but dat mean oberseer always tried to keep -us from goin' so's us couldn't learn nothin'. He didn't want us to learn -to read or write neither. - -"No'm us didn't have nothin' lak matches till I was growed. Us used -flint rocks an' cotton to start de fires. - -"Us didn't have nothin' but food an' clothes. We didn't have no garden -of our own an' der wan't no celebratin', 'ceptin' at hog killin'. Dat -was de bigges' day of de year. - -"On Sat'day afternoon we was 'lowed to play, but I can't 'member none of -de games. Us jus' played lak all li'l niggers did den. At night time us -jus' went to our cabins an' went to bed, 'caze we warn't 'lowed to do no -singing. Mos' of de singin' was done in de fiel's. - -"Cornshuckin' time come when dey wanted to git de seed corn for -plantin', an' us would commence de shuckin' when it commence rainin'. - -"You axed me 'bout funerals an' weddin's. Us niggers nebber ma'ied an' -don't 'member any big weddin's of de white folks. But dey buried folks -den de same as dey does now, in a box. Dey would bury de slaves same as -dey done de white folks, but us didn't eben have no babtizin' on 'count -of dat oberseer. He didn't lak for us to git no religion. Cose all -slaves didn't have hard treatment lak us did, 'caze dere oberseer an' -Marster warn't as mean as ourn. - -"No'm we didn't know nothin' 'bout no hoodoo stuff in dem days. Dey only -had homemade medicines, dat is unless dey got sho' nuff powerful sick -an' den dey would go to see a doctor. Us used bone-set tea made from a -weed. Lawd, it was bitterer dan quinine, an' it were good for de chills -an' fever, an' it would purge you too. Den us used life-everlastin' tea -for fever, an' Jerusalem brush-reed to get rid of worms. - -"But, Miss, I knows dere is gostes, 'caze when I was a little boy my -mammy come in from de fiel' an' laid across de bed an' I was sittin' in -front of de fireplace an' a big somp'n lak a cow widout no haid come in -de do' an' I commence to beat on it wid my fists. Den my mammy say: -'What matter wid you, nigger?' Den dat critter he walk raght out de do'. -I looked outen de window an' dere it was a-goin' in Aunt Marfa's cabin. -I neber did see it no mo'. Den anudder time a white man died an' my -mammy was a stayin' wid his sister an' dis spirit lak an angel come to -my mammy an' tol' her to tell de white lady to read de Bible back'ards -three times, 'caze dere was one talent 'tween her an' Jesus. Atter dat -she were comforted. Anudder time, my pappy, Sam Cheatam, who was a -wicked man, was a-sittin' in front of de fire an' a big brindle dog come -to de do' an' started barkin'. My pappy say: 'What in de Hell am dat?' -an' snapped his fingers at de dog. De dog he den dropped daid. Some -folks say dat dere ain't no sich things as gostes, but I know dere is, -'caze dere is good spirits an' bad spirits. - -"Dem was good ol' days, Mistis, even iffen us did have a hard time an' I -don't know iffen it warn't better'n it is now. I has to almos' go -hongry, an' I can't git no he'p from de government, 'caze I is over 65 -years old. Fact is, I believe I 'druther be alivin' back dere dan today -'caze us at least had plenty somp'n t'eat an' nothin' to worry about. -An' as for beatin'; dey beats folks now iffen dey don't do raght, so -what's de difference? Yassum, Mistis, I worked as long as I was able an' -didn't axe nobody for nothin', but now it's diff'rent, 'caze I ain't -able to do no work. I'se tried to do raght and ain't never been in but -one fight in my life. I now belongs to de Corinthian Babtist Church, an' -I's tryin' to live so when de good Lawd calls I'll be ready to answer -wid a clean soul. - -"I'se had two wives, but I was only a young nigger when I had de fust -un, an' had two chilluns by her, den I lef' her 'caze she warn't no -'count. Dat's been forty year ago, an' I ain't neber seen my chilluns in -all dem years. My second wife I got when I lived thirty miles below -Birmingham, Alabama, at de ol' Bank Mines. Dat's been thirty-five year -ago an' us is still together. Us ain't neber had no chilluns. No'm, I -don't know nothin' 'bout Abe Lincoln 'ceptin' dey say he sot us free, -an' I don't know nothin' 'bout dat neither." - - - - -Laura Clark - - - *Interview with Laura Clark* - --_Ruby Pickens Tartt, Livingston, Alabama_ - -_CHILLUN IN EV'Y GRABEYARD_ - -Laura Clark, black and wrinkled with her eighty-six years, moved -limpingly about the tiny porch of her cabin on the outskirts of -Livingston. Battered cans and rickety boxes were filled with a profusion -of flowers of the common variety. Laura offered me a split-bottomed -chair and lowered herself slowly into a rocker that creaked even under -her frail body. "Po'ly, Miss, po'ly," she responded to my query about -her health. "Tain't lack de old days. I's crippled and mos' blin' now -atter all de years what I got. - -"I was born on Mr. Pleasant Powell's place in North Ca'lina, and when I -was 'bout six or seven years ole I reckon hit 'twas, Mr. Garret from -right up yonder in de bend, 'bout eight miles from Livingston gwine -no'th on de Livingston and Epes road, bought ten of us chillun in North -Ca'lina and sont two white men, and one was Mr. Skinner, to fotch us -back in waggins. En he fotch ole Julie Powell and Henry to look atter -us. Wa'n't none of dem ten chillun no kin to me, and he never bought my -mammy, so I had to leave her behine. - -"I recollect Mammy said to old Julie, 'Take keer my baby chile (dat was -me) an iffen I never sees her no mo' raise her for God.' Den she fell -off de waggin where us was all settin' and roll over on de groun' jes' -acryin'. But us was eatin' candy what dey done give us for to keep us -quiet, and I didn't have sense 'nuff for to know what ailed Mammy, but I -knows now and I never seed her no mo' in dis life. When I heered from -her atter S'render she done dead and buried. Her name was Rachel Powell. -My pappy's name I don't know ca'se he done been sole to somewhars else -when I was too little to recollect. But my mammy was de mother of -twenty-two chillun and she had twins in her lap when us driv' off. My -gran'mammy said when I lef', 'Pray, Laura, and be er good gal, and min' -bofe white and black. Ev'body will lack you and iffen you never see me -no mo' pray to meet me in heaven.' Den she cried. Her name was Rose -Powell. - -"Us all started den for Mr. Garrett's plantation down yonder in de bend, -ten chillun and two ole uns, and two white men, and us was travellin' -solid a month. Fuss thing Ole Marsa say was 'Now be good ter dese -motherless chillun.' Den he went to war, and de overseers forgot all -'bout dey promise. When Ole Marsa come back he done got his arm shot -off, but he let bofe dem overseers go, ca'se dey done whupped dat ole -'oman what come wid us to deaf. She brought her two little boys, Colvin -and 'Lias, but Joe, dey pappy, didn't come--he was sole 'fo 'Lias was -bawn. Joe never seed 'Lias. - -[Illustration: _Laura Clark, Livingston, Alabama_] - -"I sets cross de road here from dat church over yonder and can't go -'ca'se I'm cripple' and blin', but I heers um singin': - - A motherless chile sees a hard time - Oh, Lord, he'p her on de road. - 'Er sister will do de bes' she kin - Dis is a hard world, Lord, fer a motherless chile. - -"And I jes' busts out cryin'. Dat was de song I had in view to sing for -you, hit's so mournful. I knowed 'twa'n't no reel, 'twa'n't nothin' lack -no reel, 'ca'se I been b'longin' to de church for fifty-five years, and -I don't fancy no reel. I'm glad I got hit to my min' 'fo' you lef'. But -my recollection is shaller. I ain't never read no verse in no Bible in -my life, ca'se I can't read. Some my chillun kin, though. My husban' -died and lef' me wid nine chillun, none of um couldn't pull de others -outer de fire iffen dey fell in. I had mo'n dat, but some come here dead -and some didn't. I got chillun dead in Birmingham and Bessemer. Dey -ain't a graveyard in dis here settlement 'roun' Prospect where I ain't -got chillun buried. Hettie Ann, right up dere ter Mr. Hawkins' -graveyard, and my boy whut got killed settin' on de side de road eatin' -his dinner, he' buried in Captain Jones' place in de bend yonder. - -"Yassum, I been drug about and put through de shackles so bad I done -forgot some of dey names, and I mos' blin' now and can't hear good -neither. But my eyes is good nuff for to see ghosts, but I don't b'lieve -in 'em, 'ca'se I'd see dem chillun sometime effen dey was ghosties. I -know I'd see my boy, ca'se dey showed me his head whar dat Miller boy -hit him in de head wid a spade and split his head wide open, slip up -behin' him and all he said was 'Squeek,' jes' lack a hog, and he was -dead. And de murderer live right here but dey move and now I'm here. -When hit rain us jes' gets under de bed 'ca'se de house ain't got no top -on hit. - -[Illustration: _Laura Clark's House, Livingston, Alabama_] - -"I can't say Marse Garrett wa'n't good to us motherless chillun but de -overseer, Mr. Woodson Tucker, was mean as anybody. He'd whup you nigh -'bout to deaf, and had a whuppin' log what he strip 'em buck naked and -lay 'em on de log. He whup 'em wid a wide strop, wider'n my han', den he -pop de blisters what he raise and 'nint 'em wid red pepper, salt, and -vinegar. Den he put 'em in de house dey call de pest house and have a -'oman stay dere to keep de flys offen 'em 'twell dey get able to move. -Den dey had reg'lar men in de fields wid spades, and iffen you didn't do -what you git tole, de overseer would wrop dat strap 'roun' his han' and -hit you in de haid wid de wooden handle 'til he kilt you. Den de mens -would dig a hole wid de spades and throw 'em in hit right dere in de -fiel' jes' lack dey was cows--didn't have no funeral nor nothin'. - -"Us had a heap of houses in de quarters right on bofe sides de Big -House. Us could step outer one house to 'tother. But, Miss, I didn't -work so hard or have no trouble either. I was in de house atter Marsa -come home and foun' me splittin' rails and plowin'. He 'lowed dey done -put me in too hard a ship, and I was too little, so he tuck me to de -house to draw water and wash dishes, 'ca'se I was a little motherless -gal. Ole Marsa done a good part by me, and I was married to my fuss -husban', Cary Crockett, right dere in de parlor. He tole de overseer dat -us was human and had feelin's same as him, so he rejected de -paterrollers and made 'em git off de place. I was treated good, 'ca'se I -'membered what my gran'ma say, and whatever dey tole me to put my han' -to, I did, and I was obedient and wasn't hardheaded lack some de res.' I -had no trouble, and wasn't 'buked none. But I's had mo' trouble las' ten -years wid my own chillun den I ever did in slav'y time. Dey gives me -sich bitter words till I can't swaller 'em and I jes' sets and cries. I -can't read no songs to comfort me, jes' ketch 'em from de preacher on de -stan' and hole 'em, dat's de way I ketch my larnin'. - -"Las' sermon I hyard, he tuck his tex' en said, 'Don't nobody rob God.' -Den he say, 'Effen you is goin' to 'tend to serve God, serve Him in de -full, 'ca'se God don't never bat a eye, nor turn His haid and he kin see -you. He frowns at ev'y sin, but He's a sinforgivin' man.' I use to know -a heap 'bout de Lord, but I'm so cripple' an blin' since de ca'f jumped -on my foot I can't go to church no mo', so I done forgot. - -"You ax 'bout dem flowers on de po'ch--I sho' wish dey was mine, you -could have 'em 'ca'se dey ain't room nuff wid dem for me ter sit whar I -desire. Us ain't got no meal and here 'tis jes' Tuesday--no mo' till -Saddy. Sho' is bad; us jes' 'pends on de neighbors and borrys." - - - - -Hattie Clayton - - - *Interview with Hattie Clayton* - --_Preston Klein_ - -_DE YANKS DRAPPED OUTEN DE SKY_ - -'Aunt' Hattie Clayton said, "I'se gittin' erroun' de ninety notch, -honey, an' I reckon de Kingdom ain't fur away." - -She lives in a tiny cabin not far from Opelika. Her shoulders are bent; -her hair gray, but she still does a large amount of housework. She likes -to sit on the tumbledown front porch on summer afternoons, plying her -knitting needles and stretching her aged legs in the warm sunlight. - -"'Twas a long time ago, honey," she observed when talk of slavery days -was brought up, "but I 'members as ef 'twas yestidy. My ol' mistus was -de Widder Day. She owned a plantation clos't to Lafayette an' she was -mighty good to us niggers. - -"Ol' Mistus boughten me when I was jus' a little tyke, so I don't -'member 'bout my pappy an' mammy. - -"Honey, I 'members dat us little chilluns didn't go to de fiel's twel us -was big 'nuff to keep up a row. De oberseer, Marse Joe Harris, made us -work, but he was good to us. Ol' Mistus, she wouldn't let us wuk whin it -was rainin' an' cold." - -Asked about pleasures of the old plantation life, she chuckled and -recalled: - -"I kin heah de banjers yit. Law me, us had a good time in dem days. Us -danced most eb'ry Sattidy night an' us made de rafters shake wid us -foots. Lots o' times Ole Missus would come to de dances an' look on. An' -whin er brash nigger boy cut a cute bunch uv steps, de menfolks would -give 'im a dime or so. - -"Honey, us went t' de church on a Sundays. I allus did lak singin' and I -loved de ol' songs lak, 'Ol' Ship of Zion,' an' 'Happy Land.' Ol' Mistus -useter take all de little scamps dat was too little for church an' read -de Book to dem under de big oak tree in de front yahd." - -"Aunt Hattie," she was asked, "do you remember anything about the War -between the States?" - -"You mean de Yankees, honey?" - -"Yes, the Yankees." - -Her coal black face clouded. - -"Dey skeered us nearly to death," she began. "Dey drap right outen de -sky. Ol' Mistus keep hearin' dey was comin', but dey didn't nebber show -up. Den, all ter once, dey was swarmin' all ober de place wid deir blue -coats a-shinin' an' deir horses a'rarin'. - -"Us chilluns run en hid in de fence corners en' behin' quilts dat was -hangin' on de line. An' honey, dem Yankees rid deir horses rat onto Ol' -Mistus flower beds. Dey hunted de silver, too, but us done hid dat. - -"I 'members dey was mad. Dey sot de house a-fire an' tuk all de vittals -dey could fin'. I run away an' got los', an' whin I come back all de -folks was gone." - -'Aunt' Hattie said she "wint down de big road an' come to a lady's house -where she remained until she married. - -"Us moved to Lafayette an' den to Opelika," she concluded, "an' I bin' -here eber since." - -She lives with one of her numerous granddaughters now. She finds her -great happiness in "de promise" and the moments when she can sit in the -shade and dip her mind back into memory. - - - - -Wadley "Shorty" Clemons - - - *Interview with Wadley "Shorty" Clemons* - --_G.L. Clark_ - -He was bent over the lawn, carefully trimming the border into a neat -line. A small black figure in overalls, clean but worn blue chambray -shirt, the misshapen remains of shoes and a nondescript hat, from under -which protruded thin white sideburns. - -"Good morning, Uncle," I said, "Mr. Lee was telling me about you. He -said you lived back in slavery times. Is that right?" - -"Yes suh, I sho' did. I'll be 92 years old de second of August, and I -was a slave for 20 year. I had a good ole massa and mistis, de bes' dere -was. Ole massa was a great big man, an' he wa'n't scared of nothin' dey -was. He wouldn't go nowhere without me. He always took me wid him. My -grandma was a cook and my ma was a house girl. - -"We lived in Pine Hill, a summer resort in Jefferson County, Georgia, -across the river from Louisville. From home we could look over and see -de people walkin' about in Louisville. - -[Illustration: _Wadley (Shorty) Clemons, [TR: Village Springs?], -Alabama_] - -"I remembers de day de Yankees come to Louisville. We could see them -goin' about from one house to anudder, settin' fire. Den dey come on to -de river and sot fire to de bridge. Dey wouldn't use our bridge. Dey -built dese here pontoon bridges and dey could build dem before you could -look away and look back. Den dey come across de river to Pine Hill. - -"Ole massa had his hosses an' mules hid down in de swamp but my uncle -Tom went and got 'em an' brung 'em to de Yankees at de big gate. He -didn't had to do it. He was jes' mean. He hadn't been much good to massa -since de war commenced; lay off in de swamp mos' of de time. Arter he -brung massa's hosses an' mules to de Yankees he went wid dem into -massa's bedroom and dey jes' throwed massa and mistis close all outa' de -closet and wardrobe and he give em' mistis gold yearings and bracelets -and dey took de yearings and put dem on de hosses' years and put de -bracelets on de hosses' ankles. - -"Ole massa was sittin' on de long porch smokin' one of dese Meerschaum -pipes wid a stem way so long and dat pipe was white as snow. He had a -big can of tobacco on de table in front of him. In dem days people made -dey own tobacco and I wisht I had some of it now. - -"Massa had 'bout thutty fattening hogs and de Yankees jes' went in de -pen and cut dem hogs in two. He had jes' lots of turkeys and guineas an' -de Yankees shot dem down. He had thutty hives of bees in one long row -an' one Yankee run up to de firs' hive an jump in it head first, and de -bees stung him till he died. De udders pull him out and took him to de -well and poured water over him but he stayed dead so dey just dug a hole -down by the side of the road and bury him in it. Yessir, dat's de trufe! - -"Dey stayed dere all night and camped out and cooked massa's good smoked -meat and burnt down de barns and done all de devilment dey could. I -couldn't see no use in dere doin' what dey did, but dat's what dey done. - -"Massa had 71 slaves when dey was made free. De next county wasn't fit -for much farming and atter we was freed my Uncle Andy went dere an' -bought a place. De land sold for 50 cents de acre atter de timber was -cut off. Uncle Andy had a brudder Sam and Sam had a steer. Dey plowed -wid de steer. - -"Uncle Andy worked at de sawmill in daytime an' at night he cut two -cords of wood before he go to bed. He make two bales of cotton de first -year and de next year he make four. Den he tuk up preachin'. He was a -Methodist preacher. - -"Den ole massa die and ole mistis lose all her land. Uncle Andy was -right good fixed so he took keer of her a year or more 'fore she died. -Den when she died, he went to pay all de expenses of de funeral but de -white folks won't let him kase dey say he done his share already. - -"My massa's name was William Clemons and dey name me Wadley for ole man -Wadley, de president of de Center Road. - -"Dem days is gone a long time an' I still heah, but dey was good times -den. I had plenty to eat, plenty close to wear and when I gets sick, ole -massa come to give me some medicine and I don't need no doctor. - -"People worship God in dem days and not bother wid church houses so -much. Ev'ry Sunday ole massa get out by de back do' and teach us Sunday -school. Den we cut tree limbs and make brush arbors for preaching. In de -summer atter crops been laid by, us all, black and white, go to camp -meetin' and stay a week. De white preacher preach on one side and de -nigger on de udder. We carry lots of vittles and feed everybody. Niggers -sho' was better off in slavery times." - - - - -William Colbert - - - *Interview with William Colbert* - --_John Morgan Smith_ - -_MY MASTER WAS A MEAN MAN_ - -"Sho. I remember de slavery days. How could I forgits?" - -Slowly Uncle Will spoke these words as he made his way up a few rickety -steps with the aid of an old broomstick to his cabin door. "We can jes' -set in de swing effen you wants to hear a little 'bout dem ole days, -kaze I can sho tell it." - -"Well, first, Uncle Will, what's your full name and where are you from?" - -"My name am William Colbert and I'se fum Georgia. I was bawn in 1844 on -my massa's plantation in Fort Valley. My massa's name was Jim Hodison. -At one time he had 165 of us niggers." - -Uncle Will, a gaunt, black figure with two weeks growth of gray hair -upon his face, spoke in a soft, quaking voice scarcely audible ten feet -away. His eyes had a far-off, sad expression of one who had known -suffering. They were set deep back in bony caverns. - -"Well, Uncle Will, tell me something about the slave days. Was your -master good to you?" - -[Illustration: _William Colbert, [TR: Birmingham], Alabama_] - -"Nawsuh, he warn't good to none of us niggers. All de niggers 'roun' -hated to be bought by him kaze he was so mean. When he was too tired to -whup us he had de oberseer do it; and de overseer was meaner dan de -massa. But, Mister, de peoples was de same as dey is now. Dere was good -uns and bad uns. I jus' happened to belong to a bad un. One day I -remembers my brother, January was cotched ober seein' a gal on de next -plantation. He had a pass but de time on it done gib out. Well suh, when -de massa found out dat he was a hour late, he got as mad as a hive of -bees. So when brother January he come home, de massa took down his long -mule skinner and tied him wid a rope to a pine tree. He strip' his shirt -off and said: - -"'Now, nigger, I'm goin' to teach you some sense.' - -"Wid dat he started layin' on de lashes. January was a big, fine lookin' -nigger; de finest I ever seed. He was jus' four years older dan me, an' -when de massa begin a beatin' him, January neber said a word. De massa -got madder and madder kaze he couldn't make January holla. - -"'What's de matter wid you, nigger' he say. 'Don't it hurt?' - -"January, he neber said nothin', and de massa keep a beatin' till little -streams of blood started flowin' down January's chest, but he neber -holler. His lips was a quiverin' and his body was a shakin', but his -mouf it neber open; and all de while I sat on my mammy's and pappy's -steps a cryin'. De niggers was all gathered about and some uv 'em -couldn't stand it; dey hadda go inside dere cabins. Atter while, -January, he couldn't stand it no longer hisself, and he say in a hoarse, -loud whisper: - -"'Massa! Massa! have mercy on dis poor nigger.' - -Will's eyes narrowed down to fine creases as his thick lips came -together in smacking noises, and the loose skin beneath his chin, and -jaws seemed to shake with the impact of dread memories. - -"Den," he continued, after a brief pause in which time there was no -sound except the constant drop of a bead of water in a lard bucket, "de -war came. De Yankees come in and dey pulled de fruit off de trees and et -it. Dey et de hams and cawn, but dey neber burned de houses. Seem to me -lak dey jes' stay aroun' long enough to git plenty somp'n t'eat, kaze -dey lef' in two or three days, an' we neber seed 'em since. De massa had -three boys to go to war, but dere wasn't one to come home. All the -chillun he had was killed. Massa, he los' all his money and de house -soon begin droppin' away to nothin'. Us niggers one by one lef' de ole -place and de las' time I seed de home plantation I was a standin' on a -hill. I looked back on it for de las' time through a patch of scrub -pines and it look' so lonely. Dere warn't but one person in sight, de -massa. He was a-settin' in a wicker chair in de yard lookin' out ober a -small field of cotton and cawn. Dere was fo' crosses in de graveyard in -de side lawn where he was a-settin'. De fo'th one was his wife. I lost -my ole woman too 37 years ago, and all dis time, I's been a carrin' on -like de massa--all alone." - - - - -Tildy Collins - - - *Interview with Tildy Collins* - --_Susie R. O'Brien, Uniontown, Alabama_ - -In the Negro section of Uniontown, locally known as "Rabbit Yard" (named -by the Negroes themselves), lives "Aunt Tildy" Collins, a typical "black -mammy" of orthodox type. She is a talkative old soul, running over with -slavery tales and greatly beloved by a wide range of acquaintances among -both races. Although eighty-four summers have passed over her snow-white -head, Aunt Tildy's spirit is unconquered by time and her physical -activity is truly remarkable for her age. She does her own housework and -cares for her home without assistance. In front of her one-room cabin is -a neat garden of vegetables and flowers combined, with morning glories -trained carefully over the fence nearly all the way around. There is a -saying in the South, that cotton will grow better for a Negro than for -any other race, and this might well be extended to include morning -glories in Aunt Tildy's case; since none in Uniontown are quite so fine -in growth or brilliance of coloring. - -Like nearly all old Negroes, Aunt Tildy goes to sleep very readily. She -was dozing in a rocker on her small porch, while the scent of wood smoke -and the odor of boiling vegetables issued from the cabin. An iron pot, -hanging from a crane in the fireplace, sending forth clouds of steam and -an appetizing aroma. She clings to old fashioned equipment and disdains -a stove for cooking. Her "biled" vegetables or meats in the hanging pot, -with baked potatoes and "pone" bread from the oven make up a meal that -leaves little to be desired, as many visitors who have shared her -repasts well know. - -As the gate squeaked, Aunt Tildy awoke with a start and a smile. - -"Come in, white folks, I was jes' a-settin' here waitin' for my greens -to bile, an' I musta drapped off to sleep. Set down in dat cheer right -dar, an' tek off your hat; you sho' is lookin' well, an' I'se proud to -see you. - -"Yas, ma'am, I sho' was borned in slavery times, an' I wish to Gawd I -could git now what I useter hab den, 'caze dem was good times for de -black folks. Dese free niggers don't know what 'tis to be tuk good keer -of. - -"Co'se I means dat! I was borned on a big plantation near 'bout to -Linden, an' my Ole Marster was name Harris, yassum, Dick Harris, an' my -Ole Mistis was Miss Mandy. Bofe dey boys fit in de wah, an' I 'members -when dey went off wid de sojers, ole Mistis she cry an' hug dem boys an' -kiss 'em goodbye, an' dey was gone a long time. I was a leetle gal -whenst dey went to de wah, an' I was mos' a grown 'oman when dey come -home, an' dey bofe had whiskers. Young Massa Richard he limpin' an' look -mighty pale, an' dey say he been wounded an' stay in prison on Mister -Johnson's island, summuz up de ribber; but Marse Willis, he look all -right, 'cep'in' whiskers. Ole Marster had a big house, an' dat same -house standin' dar right now. Us had plenty to eat an' plenty to wear, -an' dat's mo'n what some folks got now. - -"Ole Marster was good to all he niggers, an' my pappy and mammy bofe -belonged to him. Dey was a slave-yard in Uniontown, an' ev'y time a -spec'later cum wid a lot of new niggers, Ole Marster he buy four or five -niggers, an' dat's how he come to buy my pappy, atter de spec'later -brung him an' a whole passel of niggers from North C'lina. My mammy here -already 'long to Ole Marster. Her was borned his'n. - -"Sometime a no 'count nigger tek an' runned erway; but de oberseer, he -put de houn's on he track, an' dey run him up a tree, an' de oberseer -fetch him back nex' mawnin', all tuckerd out, an' he' glad to stay home -for a spell an' 'have hese'f. Ole Marster had a good oberseer, too. -'Cose he wan't no quality, lak Ole Marster an' Ole Mistis, but he was a -good, kin' man an' he didn't hab no trouble on de whole plantation. - -"Us alluz had a Chris'mus tree in de quarter, jes' lak de white folks -an' dey was presents for ev'ybody--nobody wan't lef' out, big or little. -Dere was a meetin' house on de plantation an' Ole Marster had a rule dat -all de chilluns had to go to Sunday school soon as dey was big 'nuff, -an' dey had to go in clean white clo'se, too. Us chilluns hate to see -Sunday come, 'caze Mammy an' Granmammy dey wash us an' near 'bout rub de -skin off gittin' us clean for Sunday school, an' dey comb our heads wid -a jimcrow. You ain't neber seed a jimcrow? Hit mos' lak a card what you -card wool wid. What a card look lak? Humph! Missy, whar you been -raise--ain't neber seed a card? Dat jimcrow sho' did hurt, but us hadder -stan' hit, an' sometimes atter all dat, Mammy she wrap our kinky hair -wid t'read an' twis' so tight us's eyes couldn't hardly shet. - -"My Granmammy, her de head cook 'oman at de big house, an' us had to -mine her lak us did Mammy. I ho'p Granmammy in de kitchen, atter I got -big 'nuff an' she sho' did keep me humpin'. Chilluns had to mine dey -olders in dem days. Dey wan't lak dey is now, don't mine nobody, not -eben dey Pa. - -"When de surrender come, Ole Marster he tole all de niggers dey was free -now, an' some was glad an' some was sorry an' welst dey might be sorry, -iffen dey knowed what a hard time dey goner had knockin' 'roun' de worl' -by deyself; no Ole Marster an' no Ole Mistis ter look atter 'em an' feed -'em when dey sick an' when dey well. Look lak ter me, when de surrender -parted de white folks an' de black folks, it hurt 'em bofe. Dey oughter -be tergedder, jes' lak de Good Lord 'tended dey be." - -Aunt Tildy sighed deeply and, gazing afar off, said: "Iffen Ole Marster -was livin' now, I'd be all right an' not hafter worry 'bout nuffin." - -In spite of her eighty-four years, Aunt Tildy makes her living as a -mid-wife and serves as a "doctor man" in cases of minor ailments; but -her practice is so closely interwoven with "conju'in'" that it is -difficult to say which is the more important to her. For example: she -prescribes wearing matches in the hair or a little salt on the mole of -the head for headache. Her sovereign remedy for rheumatism is "'nint de -j'ints wid a little kerosene oil an' put some mullen leaves on it." "A -good dost of turpentine is good for mos' anything de matter wid you." A -coin with a hole in it, usually a dime, tied around the ankle will keep -you from getting "pizen." Furthermore, this same treatment warns against -the ill effects of getting "conju'ed." "Iffen you gits conju'ed, de dime -turn black, an' you kin go to de conju' doctor an' git de conju' took -off." - -"Is you got to go, Missy? Come back agin. I's allus proud to see you," -Aunt Tildy called after me from the edge of the porch. - - - - -Sara Colquitt - - - *Interview with Sara Colquitt* - --_Preston Klein, Opelika, Alabama_ - -_SHE JUST CAN REMEMBER HER HUSBAND'S NAME_ - -Sara Colquitt, who used to till the fields in slavery days, now has a -handmaiden of her own. Sara does not know the date of her birth in -Richmond, Virginia, but she says it was more than a century ago. (1937). -The "girl," whom her daughter has employed to take care of the nearly -blind and helpless centenarian, is well past eighty herself, yet she -keeps her charge neat and clean and the cabin in which they live tidy. -Sara's daughter works in the fields nearby at Opelika, Ala. to keep the -family going. - -"Mr. Bill Slaughter and Miss Mary Slaughter was our marster and mistess -and dey had two chilluns, Marsa Robert and Marsa Brat," Sara said. "I -had four brothers and sisters, Tate, Sam, Jennie, and Tenner. Us lived -in log cabins wid dirt floors and dey was built in two long rows. Us -beds was nailed to de wall at one end and us used corn shucks and pine -straw for mattresses. - -"Miss Mary was good to us, but us had to work hard and late. I worked in -de fields every day from 'fore daylight to almost plumb dark. I usta -take my littlest baby wid me. I had two chilluns, and I'd tie hit up to -a tree limb to keep off de ants and bugs whilst I hoed and worked de -furrow. All us niggers was fed from de big kitchen and wasn't hongry, -but sometimes us would steal more food dan was give us anyhow. - -[Illustration: _Sara Colquitt, Opelika, Alabama_] - -"I was one of de spinners, too, and had to do six cuts to de reel at de -time and do hit at night plenty times. Us clothes was homespun osnaburg, -what us would dye, sometimes solid and sometimes checked. - -"'Sides working de fields and spinning, sometimes I'd ho'p wid de -cooking up at de Big House when de real cook was sick or us had a passel -of company. Us cooked on a great, big fireplace what had arms hanging -out over de coals to hang pots on to bile. Den us had three-legged -skillets what set right over de coals for frying and sech like. Us -cooked sho' 'nuff bread in dem days, ash cakes, de best thing you ever -et. Dey ain't nothing like dat dese days. - -"I was sold oncet before I left Virginia. Den I was brung down to -Alabama and sold from de block for $1,000 to Mr. Sam Rainey, at Camp -Hill, Ala. I still worked in de fields, but I would cook for de white -folks and hope around de Big House on special 'casions. Our overseer was -Mr. Green Ross, and he was a bad one, too. Mean, my goodness! He'd whup -you in a minute. He'd put you in de buck, tie your feet and den set out -to whup you right. - -"He would get us slaves up 'fore day, blowing on his big horn, and us -would work 'twell plumb dark. All de little niggers'd get up, too, and -go up to de Big House to be fed from wooden bowls. Den dey'd be called -ag'in 'fore us come from de fields and put to bed by dark. I useta stop -by de spring house to get de milk, it was good cold too, and tote it up -to de Big House for dinner. - -"I had two chilluns. Dey was named Lou and Eli, and dey was took care of -like de rest. Us useta have some good times. Us could have all de fun us -wanted on Sa'dday nights, and us sho' had it, cutting monkeyshines and -dancing all night long sometimes. Some would pat and sing, 'Keys not -arunning, Keys not arunning," and us sho' did more'n dance, I'm telling -you. Sometimes our Mistess would come down early to watch us dance. - -"Next to our dances, de most fun was corn-shucking. Marsa would have de -corn hauled up to de cribs and piled as a house. Den he would invite de -hands 'round to come and ho'p shuck it. Us had two leaders or generals -and choose up two sides. Den us see which side would win first and -holler and sing. I disremembers the hollers jest now. My mind is sorter -missing. Marsa would pass de jug 'round, too. Den dey sho' could work -and dat pile'd just vanish. - -"Us used de white folks' church in de morning. I j'ined de church den, -'cause I always tried to live right and wid de Lord. - -"When de Yankees come through Dadeville, Ala., us heard 'bout hit and -Marsa hid his money and lots of his fine things in de colored folks's -houses. Dey never found 'em neither. - -"Lemme see who I married? I mighty nigh forgot who it was I did marry. -Now, I knows. Hit was Prince Hodnett. - -"No'm, I don't want no more slavery. I hope dey don't have no more such, -'cause hit was terrible. - -"Yes'm, I'd be proud to have my picture took." - -So pridefully Sara's chair was dragged out on the porch by her maid, and -the "picture was took." - - - - -Mandy McCullough Cosby - - - *Interview with Mandy McCullough Cosby* - --_Margaret Fowler, Fruithurst, Alabama_ - -_THEY CALLED US MCCULLOUGH'S FREE NIGGERS_ - -Mandy McCullough Cosby puffed reflectively at her mellowed corncob pipe -and began her story: - -"My Massa, Bryant McCullough, was a Chambers county man. He had so many -slaves I can't tell you de numbah. He didn't know hisself how many he -had. I is now ninety-five years old an' what I remembers mos' is de way -de chillun roll aroun' in de big nurses room." Mandy lives at 1508-Pine -Street, Anniston, Alabama. She was cutting collards for dinner and left -her dishpan and butcher knife to receive her caller. - -"Mist' McCullough, he raised niggahs to sell--an' the little black -chillen play aroun' until 'bout sundown, dey is give dey supper. A long -trough out in a cool place in the bak yard is filled wif good, cold -buttermilk an' cornbread crumbed in, an' dey each is give a spoon, an' -dey eats dey fill. Den dey is ready fo' bed. Some of dem jes' fall ovah -on de groun', asleep, and is picked up, and put on dey pallet in de big -chillens room. Dey was old woman called de nurse, look after 'em. Dey -git good care fo' de master expects dey will bring good money. - -"Ol' Miss, she don't lak to see dem sold, an' she cry ever' time, she so -tender-hearted. But Mist' McCullough is jes' lak mens is today. He jes' -laugh an' go on. - -"But he was good to his black folks. Folks called us 'McCullough's free -niggers.' Wasn't much whippin' went on 'roun' our plantation, but on -some places close to us, they whipped until blood run down. Some places -they even mixed salt an' pepper in water an' bathed 'em with it. The -salt water'd heal, but when the pepper got in there, it burned lak fire, -an' they'd as well get on to work quick, cause they can't be still -nohow. - -"One woman, on a plantation not so far from us, was expectin', an' they -tied her up under a hack-a-berry tree, an' whipped her until she died. -Mos' any time at night ef you go 'roun' that tree, you could hear that -baby cry. I 'spect you could hear it yet. - -"Everybody said that was murder, an' that something ought to be done -about it, but nothin' ever was. - -"Mist' McCullough always give his folks plenty of sumpin' t'eat an' then -he say, 'I's lookin' for plenty uv work.' 'Niggahs fat an' greasy can't -do nothin' but work. - -"My mother was a loomer. She didn't do nothin' but weave. We all had -reg'lar stints of spinnin' to do, when we come from the fiel'. We set -down an' eat a good supper, an' ever'night until ten o'clock we spin -cuts of cotton, an' reel the tread, an' nex' day, the rolls is carded -an' packed in a basket to be wove. - -"Spinnin' wheels was in every cabin. Dere was so many of us to be tuk -care of, it took lots of spinnin'." - - - - -Emma Crockett - - - *Interview with Emma Crockett* - --_Ruby Pickens Tartt, Livingston, Alabama_ - -On the old east road from Livingston to Epes, about six miles north-east -of Livingston, is the "double house" built of widely assorted materials, -where Emma Crockett lives. The older part of the house is the "settin' -room" where the stick-and-clay chimney of its earlier days has been -replaced by a new brick chimney. A roof of corrugated sheet metal tops -the warped, roughly hewn logs which form the walls. The "new room" is -built in the later shanty style--pine boards, unplaned, and nailed -upright to a frame of 2X4's, the cracks of the flat joints "stripped" -with narrow siding. A roof of "bought" shingles covers this room. -Connecting the two rooms is an open hall roofed with heavy boards -"rived" from pine blocks. Despite its conglomerate architecture this is -a better "colored folks'" house than many in the Black Belt. These -"double houses" often have no roof for the hall and some also lack a -floor, the hall being made entirely of earth, sky and imagination. - -Emma settled herself on the top step at the front of the hall to talk to -me, after first ironing a tiny wrinkle out of her "string apron" with -her hand. - -[Illustration: _Emma Crockett, Livingston, Alabama_] - -"Miss, I'm 'bout sebenty-nine or eighty year old," she told me, "and I -belonged to Marse Bill Hawkins and Miss Betty. I lived on deir -plantation right over yander. My mammy was called Cassie Hawkins and my -pappy was Alfred Jolly. I was Emma Jolly 'fore I married Old Henry -Crockett. Us had five chillun and dey's two of 'em livin' in Bummin'ham, -Fannie and Mary. - -"Sometimes I kain't git my min' together so as I kin tell nothin'. I -fell out t'other day and had a misery in my head ever since. I wish I -could read, but I wa'n't never l'arnt nothin' 'ceptin' atter Surrender -Miss Sallie Cotes she showed us how to read printin'; but I kain't read -no writin. I kain't tell you so much 'bout de wah' ca'se my recollection -ain't no 'count dese days. All I knowed, 'twas bad times and folks got -whupped, but I kain't say who was to blame; some was good and some was -bad. I seed the patterollers, and atter Surrender de Ku Kluxes dey come -den, but didn't never bother me. See, I wan't so old and I minded -ev'ybody, and didn't vex 'em none. Us didn't go to church none, but I -goes now to de New Prophet Church and my favorite song is: - - Set down, set down, set down, - Set down, set down, - Set down, chile, set down. - Soul so happy till I kain't set down. - - Move de member, move Dan-u-el, - Move de member, move Dan-u-el. - Dan-u-el, member, don' move so slow. - Dan-u-el, member, don' move so slow. - Got on my rockin' shoes, Dan-u-el. - Got on my rockin' shoes, Dan-u-el. - - Shoes gwine to rock me home, - Shoes gwine to rock me home, Dan-u-el, - Shoes gwine to rock me home, Dan-u-el, - Shoes gwine to rock me home, Dan-u-el, - Dan-u-el. - - Shoes gwine to rock by faith, - Shoes gwine to rock by faith, Dan-u-el, - Shoes gwine to rock by faith, Dan-u-el. - - Love de member, move Dan-u-el. - Love de member, move Dan-u-el. - Got on my starry crown, Dan-u-el. - Got on my starry crown, Dan-u-el. - -"Dat's all I kin tell you today, honey. Come back when dis misery leave -my head and I gwine to think up some tales and old songs. - -[Illustration: _Emma Crockett's House, Livingston, Alabama_] - -"But I didn't never fool wid no hoodoo and no animal stories neither. I -didn't have no time for no sich foolishness. And I ain't scared of -nothin' neither. - -"I lives here wid my grandchile now on Mr. Bob Davis' place. Us gits -enough to eat, I reckon, but it's tight, I tell you dat!" - - - - -Cheney Cross - - - *Interview with Cheney Cross* - --_Annie D. Dean_ - -_GITTIN' MY PENSION_ - -From all accounts, Aunt Cheney Cross must be quite ninety years old. "In -jewin' de war," she says, "I had done long pass my thirteenth birthday." -Today Aunt Cheney is a true reflection of slavery days and the Southern -mammy. - -Away from highways and automobiles, she lives several miles from -Evergreen on a small farm in the piney woods with her "baby boy." - -Talk with Aunt Cheney reveals that Evergreen's city marshall, Harry L. -Riley, "put out to hope" this old family servant who had "tended" to his -father, George Riley; his mother, "Miss Narciss," and "Miss Lizzible," -his sister. She also helped bring his own "chillun" into the world. - -Aunt Cheney had promised Mr. Riley that she would come in town on a -certain Saturday morning in May, 1937, and would bring a letter from her -young "mistis" for me to read. - -It was past noon on that particular Saturday when she came up the back -steps, a little out of breath, but smiling. "Lawd, honey," she said, -"here 'tis pas' dinner time an' I'se jes' makin' my arrivement here. -No'm, I don't wants no dinner, thank you jes' de same. Whut makes me so -late here now, I stopped by Miss Ella Northcutt's. She's my folks too, -you know, an' she done made me eat all I kin hole! No'm, honey, I can't -eat no cabbage. Me an' cabbage never is set horses together much, but I -will thank you for the ice tea." - -Settling herself down in a low chair, she sighed and began taking off -her shoes. "Honey, you don't mind ef I resses my feets does you? My -white folks is sp'ilin' me here today. I'll be lookin' for it tomorrrow, -too, an' I won't be gittin' it." Her black eyes twinkled in her shiny, -old, wrinkled face as she talked on. - -"I tole Mr. Harry I'se comin'. An' here I is! How'd I come? I come on -Mack and Charlie, dat's how! Yes, ma'am! Dese two boys here, dey brung -me." Pushing her feet out for inspection, she leaned forward, smiling -and pleased. "Dese here foots, dey's Mack an' Charlie. Dey's my whole -pennunce for gittin' about. Don't you worry none. Mr. Harry he'll git be -back home 'gainst dark come on. - -"Lawd, honey, I don't want to know no better folks'n Mr. Harry an' Miss -Emma. I follow dem good folks clean up to Muscle Show! Yessum, I sho' -did. At fust, I tole'm I couldn't go nohow. But dey pull down on me so -hard, look lack I couldn't he'p myself. - -"I stayed on up dere at Muscle Show twell I got so homesick to see my -baby boy I couldn't stan' it no mo'. Now, cose, my baby boy he was den -de father of his own, a boy an' a girl, but to me dat boy is still jes' -my baby, an' I had to come on home." - -Aunt Cheney's little, old body shook with laughter as she leaned back -and said: "Yes, ma'am! I ain't been home no time atall neither, 'twell -here come Mr. Harry back to Evergreen wid his own self. Yes, Lawd! I kin -see'm now, comin' up de big hardwood road, his haid raired back, -asmokin' a sugarette lack he's a millinery! Lawd, Lawd! Me nor Mr. Harry -neither one ain't never gona be contentious nowheres but right here. An' -dat's de Gawd's trufe! - -"Iffen Mr. Harry hadn't come on back here, I never woulda seed no -pension. Dat's de Gawd's trufe, too. Nobody here didn't know my eggzack -age, cause dis wasn't my originally home. All dem whut did know close -onto my age done died out an' I knows it. So when Mr. Harry put out to -hope me, I says in my heart 'Thank Gawd!' - -"I tole Mr. Harry dat iffen anybody in de world knowed my age, it was my -young mistis, an' I didn't know eggzackly where she at, but her papa was -Captain Purifire (Purifoy). Back yonder he was de madistra of our town, -an' he had all of dem lawin' books. I figgered dat my birthright would -be down in one of dem books. I knowed in reason dat my mistis still got -dem books wid her, 'cause dey ain't been no burnin's dat I done heard -about. I knowed, too, dat Mr. Harry was gona fine out where she at. - -"I 'members Captain Purifire jes' lack a book. I does dat! Now, cose, -when he come on in home from de war he didn't 'zackly favor hisse'f den, -'cause when I seed him comin' roun' de house he look so ragged an' -ornery I tuck him for de ole Bad Man hisse'f. I tuck out behind de smoke -house, an' when I got a good look at him th'ew a crack it look lack I -could recognize his favor, but I couldn't call his name to save my life. -Lawd, honey! He's a sight! All growed over an' bushy! You couldn't tell -iffen he's man or beas'. I kep' on alookin' whilst he's comin' roun' de -corner, an' den I heard him say 'Cheney, dat you?' I'se so happy, I jes' -melt down." - -Aunt Cheney was really living over her past. "You see, it's lack dis," -she said: "My fore parents, dey was bought. My Mistis an' my daddy's -mistis, too, was Miss Mary Fields, an' my daddy was Henry Fields. Den de -Carters bought my daddy from Miss Mary Fields. Well, dey mix up an' down -lack dat, twell now my young mistis, what used to be little Frances -Purifire, she's married to Mr. Cunningham. - -"I was brung up right in de house wid my white folks. Yessum, I slep' on -de little trundler bed what pushed up under de big bed, in durinst de -day. I watched over dem chillun day an' night. I washed 'em an' fed 'em -an' played wid 'em. One of de babies had to take goat's milk. When she -cry, my mistis say, 'Cheney, go on an' git dat goat.' Yes Lawd! An' dat -goat sho' did talk sweet to dat baby! Jes' lack it was her own. She look -at it an' wag her tail so fas' an' say: "Ma-a-a-a-a!" Den she lay down -on de flo' whilst us holes her feets an' let de baby suck de milk. All -de time dat goat bees talkin', 'Ma-a-a-a-a,' twell dat baby got -satchified. - -"When us chillun got tuck wid any kind of sickness or zeezes, us tuck -azzifizzity an' garlit. You know, garlit what smell lack onions. Den we -wore some roun' us necks. Dat kep' off flu-anz. - -"Dese days it look lack somepin t'eat don't tas'e lack dat we cooked -back yonder. De coffee us used had to be fresh groun' ever' day. An' -when it commence to bile, I put dese here knees down on de flo' befo' de -fire an' stir dat coffee for de longes'. Den my gran'ma she hung dat pot -up on dem pot hooks over de fire an' washed de meat an' drap it in. Time -she done pick an' overlook de greens an' den wrinched 'em in spring -water, de meat was bilin'. Den she take a great big mess of dem fresh -turnip greens an' squash 'em down in dat pot. Dey jes' melt down an' go -to seasonin'. - -"Nex' thing I knowed, here come my mistis, an' she say: 'Now Cheney, I -wants some pone bread for dinner.' Dem hick'ry coals in dat fire place -was all time ready an' hot. They wouldn't be no finger prints lef' on -dat pone when Cheney got th'ew pattin' it out neither. Better not! Look -lack dem chillun jes' couldn't git 'nuff of dat hard corn bread. - -"Plenty of fancy cookin' went on 'roun' dat fire place, but somehow de -pot licker an' pone bread longside wid de fresh buttermilk stirs my -mem'ry worse'n anything. - -"All dis good eatin' I'se speakin' 'bout tuck place befo' de Yankees -raided us. It was den, too, dat my mistis tuck me down to de spring back -of de house. Down dere it was a holler tree stump, taller'n you is. She -tell me to clam' up to de top of dat holler tree, den she han' me a big -heavy bundle, all wropped up an' tied tight. Hit sho' was heavy! Den she -say: 'Drap it in, Cheney.' I didn't know den whut she's up to, but dat -was de silver an' jew'lry she was hidin'. - -"Yes honey, I 'members dat Yankee raid lack it was jes' yistiddy. I'se -settin' dere in de loom room, an' Mr. Thad Watts' lil' gal, Louise, -she's standin' at the winder. She say: 'O-o-oh! Nannie! Jes' look down -yonder!' 'Baby, what is dat?' I says. 'Dem's de Yankees comin'!' 'Gawd -hep us!' I says, an' befo' I kin ketch my bref, de place is kivvered. -You couldn't stir 'em up wid a stick. Feets sounded lack mutterin' -thunder. Dem bayonets stick up lack dey jes' setting on de mouf of dey -guns. Dey swords hangin' on dey sides singin' a chune whilst dey walk. A -chicken better not pass by. Iffen he do, off come his head! - -"When dey pass on by me, dey put' nigh shuck me outa my skin. 'Where's -de men's?' dey say an' shake me up. 'Where's de arms?' Dey shake me -twell my eye balls loosen up. 'Where's de silver?' Lawd! Was my teefs -drappin' out? Dey didn't give me time to ketch my bref. All de time, -Miss Mary jes' look 'em in de eye an' say nothin'! - -"Dey tuck dem enfield rifles, half as long as dat door, an' bus' in de -smoke house winder. Dey jack me up off'n my feet an' drag me up de -ladder an' say: 'Git dat meat out.' I kep' on th'owin' out Miss Mary's -hams an' sawsidges, twell dey holler 'stop'. I come backin' down dat -ladder lack a squirrel, an' I ain't stop backin' twell I retch Miss -Mary. - -"Yes, Lawd! Dem Yankees loaded up a waggin full of meat an' tuck de -whole barrel of 'lasses! Takin' dat 'lasses kilt us chillun! Our mainest -'musement was makin' 'lasses candy. Den us cake walk 'roun' it. Now dat -was all gone. Look lack dem sojers had to sharpen dey swords on -ever'thing in sight. De big crepe mullen bush by de parlor winder was -bloomin' so pink an' pretty, an' dey jes' stood dere an' whack off dem -blooms lack folkses heads drappin' on de groun'. - -"I seed de sargeant when he run his bayonet clean th'ew Miss Mary's -bestest feather bed an' rip it slam open! Wid dat, a win' blowed up an' -tuck dem feathers ever' which away for Sunday. You couldn't see where -you's at. De sargeant, he jes' th'owed his head back an' laugh fit to -kill hisse'f. Den fust thing next, he done suck a feather down his -win'pipe! Lawd, honey, dat white man sho' struggled. Dem sojers th'owed -water in his face. Dey shuck'm an' beat'm an' roll'm over, an' all de -time he's gettin' limberer an' bluerer. Den dey jack him up by his feets -an' stan'm on his haid. Den dey pump him up an' down. Den dey shuck'm -twell he spit. Den he come to. - -"Dey didn't cut no mo' mattrusses. An' dey didn't cut nothin' much up in -de parlor, 'cause dat's where de lieutenant an' de sargeant slep'. But -dey lef' de nex' day, de whole place was strewed wid mutilation. - -"I 'members well back dere in jewin' de war how ever' oncet a month that -come 'roun' a big box, longer'n I is an' wider too, was tuck to our -sojer boys on de battle fiel'. You never seed de lack of sawsidges dat -went in dat box! Wid cake an' chicken an' pies, an' Lawd! de butter all -rolled up in corn shucks to keep it fresh. Ever'body from ever'where -come to fix dat box an' he'p pile in de stuff. Den you hear 'em say: -'Poor sojers! Put it in here!' Den ever'thing look sorta misty, an' dey -haids droop over, lack. Den you see a mother's bres' heave wid her -silent prayer. - -"Directly atter de surrender, de Ku Kluxes sho' was bad atter de -Yankees. Dey do all sorts of things to aggivate 'em. Dey's continual' -tyin' grape vines crost de road, to git 'em tangled up an' make 'em trip -up an' break dey own necks. Dat was bad too, 'cause dem poor Yankees -never s'picioned no better'n dat dem vines jes' blowed down or somepin. - -"'Long about den, too, seem lack ha'nts an' spairits was ridin' -ever'thing! Dey raided mostly 'roun' de grabeyard. Lawd, honey, I ain't -hankerin' atter passin' by no grabeyards. 'Cose, I knows I got to go in -dere some day, but dey do make me feel lonesome an' kinder jubus. - -"I 'members one night, way back dere, when I'se walkin' down de big road -wid Bud, an' he say: 'Look! Didn't you see me give dat road? Dat ha'nt -done push me clean outa my place.' Now let me tell you somepin. Iffen -you ain't never been dat clost to a ha'nt, you don't know nothin'! I -'lowed he gwine follow me home. When I got dere I shuck mustard seeds -down on my flo'. When you sprinkles 'em lack dat he can't git outa dat -room twell he done count ever' las' one of dem seed. Well sir, de nex' -mawnin' all us could see was somepin lack a lump of jelly layin' dere on -de flo' 'mongst dem seeds. Look lack he done counted hisse'f to a pulp. - -"After dat night, I puts a big sifter down at my do'. You know ha'nts -has to count ever' hole in dat sifter befo' dey can come th'ough. Some -folks puts de Bible down dere, too. Den de poor spairit has to read -ever' word of dat book befo' he crosses over. - -"I reckon 'bout de terriblest thing ever happen to me was dat big -lookin' glass. De lookin' glass was all laid out in de top of my trunk, -waitin' for my weddin' day. One night I'se standin' by de trunk wid hit -wide open. I seed somepin black befo' my eyes an' den a screech owl lit -in my winder an' screech right in my face. I'se so scared I sot right -down in de middle of dat lookin' glass. Hit bus' in a million pieces! -Mamma th'owed up her han's an' holler, 'Git up from dere, gal. You gona -have seven years of bad luck. Shoo dat hootin' owl away befo' you dies -in your tracks!' Den I swoons off. I feels dem ha'nts gittin' ready to -ride me clean down in my grabe. 'Bout den somepin kep' sayin' to me, -over an' over: 'Th'ow dem pieces of lookin' glass in runnin' water.' Den -hit say: 'Burn your mammy's ole shoe an' de screech owl leave.' Atter I -does dat my min' was at res'. - -"Soon as my daddy hear 'em firin' off for de Surrender, he put out for -de plantation where he fust belong. He lef' me wid my mistis at Pine -Flat, but 'twan't long twell he come back to git me an' carry me home -wid him. I hates to leave my mistis, an' she didn't want to part from -me. She say: 'Stay here wid me, an' I'll give you a school learnin'.' -She say to Captain Purifire: 'You go buy my li'l nigger a book. Git one -of dem Blue Back Websters,' she say, 'so I kin eddicate her to spell.' -Den my daddy say: 'Her mamma tole me not to come home widout her an' she -has to go wid me.' - -"I never will fergit ridin' behin' my daddy on dat mule way in de night. -Us lef' in sich a hurry I didn't git none of my cloze hardly, an' I -ain't seed my mistis from dat day to dis!" - - - - -Matilda Pugh Daniel - - - *Interview with Matilda Pugh Daniel* - --_Gertha Couric_ - -_MATILDA WAS WED IN DE WHITE FOLKS' PARLOR_ - -Near Eufaula, Alabama, on a bluff stands a little three room cabin -neatly furnished with plain, well worn, but nicely kept furniture. -Surrounding the house are small beds of pretty flowers, and rows of -fresh vegetables. Here resides in peace and tranquility Aunt Matilda -Pugh Daniel, an old Negro slave, aged 96 years. Aunt Matilda was a full -grown buxom gal when the War between the States was raging. She belonged -to United States Senator, James L. Pugh, and was born on his plantation, -near Eufaula. Even though time has dimmed her sight, and slightly -diminished her hearing powers, she is still active of mind and accurate -in her memories. We will let her speak for herself: - -"Yassuh, white folks, I remembers lots of things dat happen in de -slabery times. I works aroun' de house for mistis, who was de daughter -of Gen'l John Linguard Hunter befo' she ma'ied de massa. When I was a -little pig-tailed nigger, I usta play 'roun' wid Massa's chilluns. We -play injuns in de woods, an' buil' dams down on de creek an' swing in de -yard an' sometime we sho do devilish things. We hid red pepper in ole -Black Bob's chewin' bacca, an' you ought to seed de faces he made. It -makes me laugh still yit. Den we tuken a skunk dat us little white an' -black debils kotched an' turn him loose in de slave quarters. You ought -ter seed dem niggers come a flyin' outer dere. Dey come out like a swarm -of wet antses. - -"Atter I grew up I ma'ied Joe Daniel, a house nigger, an' Gen'l Hunter, -de Mistis's pappy 'formed de ceremony. We was ma'ied in de parlor, an' I -wo' a party dress of Miss Sara's. It sho' was purty; made outen white -tarleton wid a pink bow in de front. I had a pink ribbon 'roun' my haid -too, an' Joe, he look proud of me. Atter de weddin' all de niggers on de -plantation gathered about an' we had a soiree in de back yard. Me an' -Joe moved to de quarter den, but I still worked in de house. Mistis -warn't goin' ter let nobody wash dem julep glasses but me, an' warn't -nobody a goin' ter polish dat silber but dis here nigger. Nawsuh. - -[Illustration: _Matilda Pugh Daniel, Eufaula, Alabama_] - -"Durin' de war us warn't bothered much, but atter de surrender, some po' -white trash tried to make us take some lan'. Some of 'em come to de -slave quarters, an' talk to us. Dey say 'Niggers, you is jus' as good as -de white fo'ks. You is 'titled to vote in de 'lections an' to have money -same as dey,' but most of us didn't pay no 'tention to 'em. - -"Den Massa James an' Mistis moved to Washington, an' Miss Sara wanted me -to go wid her to be her house maid. She said she'd pay me money fo' it, -but I couldn't leave my ole man, Joe, kaze he had a case of consumption. -Joe died a year later an' lef' me wid fo' little chilluns. Us stayed -'roun' on de plantation an' de new massa paid us good money fo' workin', -but soon de house kotched fire an' burn to de groun', an' I have to move -to Eufaula. I bought dis little house wid de money I saved. I has -kinfolks in Detroit dat sen's me a little money, an' some good peoples -in Eufaula helps me out some so I is in purty good financial shape. I -ain't neber 'sociated wid no trashy niggers an' I ain't neber 'ten' to. -I is goin' to be a proud an' good nigger to de las'." - - - - -Carrie Davis - - - *Interview with Carrie Davis* - --_Preston Klein, Lee County, Alabama_ - -_PLANTATION PUNISHMENT_ - -Carrie Davis said "Honey, dere was a lot of cruel things done in slavery -times." - -She was washing when I arrived at her shanty near Smith's Station, -Alabama. She asked, as so many of the old Negroes do, "Has you come to -help me?" I said: "No, Carrie; I want you to tell me about slavery." - -She shook her gray head, recalled: "Dem was good an' bad times, Mistus; -good an' bad. I had a purty good marster; but de marster on de -plantation dat j'ined our'n was mighty mean. He was a bad man, no matter -if de slaves behaved or not. - -"Honey, I 'members dat he had regular days to whup all de slaves wid -strops. De strops had holes in 'em so dat dey raised big blisters. Den -dey took a hand saw, cut de blisters and washed 'em in salt water. Our -Ol' Mistus has put salve on aheap of backs so dey could git deir shirts -off. De shirts'd stick, you see. De slaves would come to our house for -water an' Mistus would see 'em." - -Asked about her life as a slave, she said: "I was borned in Harris -County, Georgia, an' was 'bout ten or twelve when freedom come. My mammy -an' pappy was Martha an' Nathan Perry and had seben chillun. Besides me, -dere was Amy, Ida, Knoxie, Jim, Abraham, an' Franklin. - -"Us lived in de Perry quarters. De cabins was made of split logs, put up -edgeways and daubed wid mud inside an' out. Dey was 'bout a hundred -yards from de big house, whar Marster Billy an' Mistus Nancy Perry -lived. Deir chillun was Clara Maria, Malinda, Sara, Alec, Jim, an' Bill. -Dey was real good to us, too. Us et at de big house. 'Course de food was -cooked on de fireplace, but us had meat and greens but not much -biscuits. Us had collards an' cabbage, too. - -"Sometimes us would have wild game, 'ca'se de men hunted lots an' -kotched rabbits, 'possums and coons. Dey also kotched a lot of fish. - -"No'm, our beds warn't so good. Dey was homemade and de sides was -scantlings wid legs nailed on. Den slats was nailed on top of it to put -our shuck-and-straw mattresses on. - -"My grand-parents was from Virginny. When I was a slave I was used as a -house-girl and to help keep de yards clean and bring in water. Us wore -mostly slips, wove in homemade looms; an' dey was osnaburg an' homespun. -We wore 'em Sunday and Monday de same. Us shoes was made at a tanyard -and dey was brogans as hard as rocks. - -"I 'members dat some of our white neighbors was poor and didn't have no -slaves. Dey would help us work. De overseer couldn't whip dem, but he -would make dem work hard and late. I 'members, too, dat de overseer -waked us up wid a trumpet. - -"Dey useta tell us dat if us didn't work dey was going to sell us to -help feed de rest; and bless yo' soul, us niggers'd go to work, too. -Marster wasn't mean. He would jest lock de slaves in de crib fer -punishment. When slaves was sold, I seed many a nigger put on de block -for five and six hundred dollars. - -"Us couldn't leave de plantation widout a pass; and you better not let -'em kotch you wid a book. Us walked to de white church an' set in de -back. Mr. Davey Snell preach and baptize, and dey had foot-washin's. -Sometimes de niggers'd git so happy dey would shout. Den dey would keep -shoutin' in de fields next day and git a whipping. - -"If a nigger got out widout a pass, dey sot de hounds on you; and de -patrollers'd tear you up too, if you stayed out too late. - -[Illustration: _Carrie Davis, Smith's Station, Alabama_] - -"Us had sech good times on Sattidy nights; frolic, dance an' -cornshuckin's. Most of 'em would be drinkin' and sing and holler: - - Sheep's in de cotton patch; - Got 'im out Monday. - Had it been a white man; - Got 'im out Sunday. - -"Kid Kimbrough was our leader, and he could sing 'Dixie,' too. - -"Christmas mornin' us'd have a better breakfast and dey would give us -rations at de big house. When any of de slaves got married dey went up -to de white folks' house an' jumped over de broom. Dat was de ceremony -at de weddin'. And if marster wanted to mix his stock of slaves wid a -strong stock on 'nother plantation, dey would do de mens an' women jest -lak horses. I 'members dat when two niggers married, dey got a big -supper. - -"All us chilluns had a big time; played 'Pretty Pauline,' 'Turn, -Charlie,' an' sech-lak. - -"No'm I never did see nor b'lieve in ghosts. - -"When us got sick Mistus'd give horse-mint, life-everlasting, goldenrod, -an' holly teas, yessum. And us wore asafetida and pop-ball seed. - -"When de Yankees come, dey handcuffed our folks and took 'em off. -Marster had his meat, corn, fodder, and sech hauled in de swamp near de -plantation. Dem Yankees went as straight to it as if dey had seed us put -it dere. Dey burned it all up and took some niggers from de other farm. - -"When freedom come, I 'members dat marster told us dat us was free, but -dat we could stay on if we lacked. Most of us stayed on wid him for a -spell. Now and den de Ku Klux Klan'd come around and beat on a nigger. - -"I married Charlie Gibson and had two chillun, twelve grand-chilluns and -nine great-grandchilluns. - -"Honey, I's heard Abraham Lincoln's name, but don't know nothin' 'bout -him. I got tired livin' 'mong wicked peoples; and I wanted to be saved. -Dat's why I j'ined de church and still tries to de right." - - - - -Clara Davis - - - *Interview with Clara Davis* - --_Francois Ludgere Diard_ - -_AUNT CLARA DAVIS IS HOMESICK FOR OLD SCENES_ - -"I was bawn in de year 1845, white folks," said Aunt Clara, "on de -Mosley plantation in Bellvy jus' nawth of Monroeville. Us had a mighty -pretty place back dar. Massa Mosely had near 'bout five hundred acres -an' mos' near to one hundred slaves. - -"Was Marse Mosely good to us? Lor', honey, how you talk. Co'se he was! -He was de bes' white man in de lan'. Us had eve'y thing dat we could -hope to eat: turkey, chicken, beef, lamb, poke, vegetables, fruits, -aigs, butter, milk ... we jus' had eve'y thing, white folks, eve'ything. -Dem was de good ole days. How I longs to be back dar wid my ole folks -an' a playin' wid de chilluns down by de creek. 'Tain't nothin' lak it -today, nawsuh. When I tell you 'bout it you gwine to wish you was dar -too. - -"White folks, you can have your automobiles an' paved streets an' -electric lights. I don't want 'em. You can have de busses an' street -cars an' hot pavements an' high buildin' 'caze I ain't got no use for -'em no way. But I'll tell you what I does want. I wants my ole cotton -bed an' de moonlight nights a shinin' through de willow trees an' de -cool grass under my feets as I runned aroun' ketchin' lightnin' bugs. I -wants to hear de sound of de hounds in de woods atter de 'possum, an' de -smell of fresh mowed hay. I wants to feel de sway of de ol' wagon -a-goin' down de red, dusty road an' listen to de wheels groanin' as dey -rolls along. I wants to sink my teeth into some of dat good ol' ash -cake, an' smack de good ol' sorghum offen my mouth. White folks, I wants -to see de boats a passin' up an' down de Alabamy ribber an' hear de -slaves a singin' at dere work. I wants to see de dawn break over de -black ridge an' de twilight settle over de place spreadin' a sort of -orange hue over de place. I wants to walk de paths th'ew de woods an' -see de rabbits an' watch de birds an' listen to frogs at night. But dey -tuk me away f'om dat a long time ago. 'Twern't long befo' I ma'ied an' -had chilluns, but don't none of 'em 'tribute to my suppote now. One of -'em was killed in de big war wid Germany and de res' is all scattered -out ... eight of 'em. Now I jus' live f'om han' to mouth; here one day, -somewhere else de nex'. I guess we's all a-goin' to die iffen dis -'pression don't let us 'lone. Maybe someday I'll git to go home. Dey -tells me dat when a pusson crosses dat ribber, de Lawd gives him whut he -wants. I done tol' de Lawd I don't want nothin' much ... only my home, -white folks. I don't think dat's much to axe for. I supposed he'll sen' -me back dar. I been a-waitin' for him to call." - - - - -George Dillard - - - *Interview with George Dillard* - --_Alice L. Barton_ - -_I LOVED TO PICK DAT BOX_ - -George Dillard, born in Richmond, Va., in 1852, now idles about his -little home at Eutaw and recalls days when he was a slave. The memories -bring smiles to his wrinkled, black face. - -"Honey, dar was a dance every Sattidy night," he chuckled, "an' all de -niggers nigh 'bout broke dey legs adancin'." - -"And didn't you dance just as hard as the others, Uncle George?" - -"Well, Mistus, I was right spry; but I was at my best in de job of -pickin' de banjer. I shorely did love to pick dat box while de other -niggers danced away." - -George said his family came from Virginia to Mississippi, and that he -came to Greene County about 60 years ago. His two masters were a Mr. -Dillard and Bob Steele. - -George explained that he was a field hand and had to work hard most of -the time. - -"But us had plenty to eat," he said. "De food was cooked in Ol' Mistus' -kitchen an' sont to de fiel' on a big cart. I 'member dat a bell would -ring for us to git up, an' we would work as long as it was daylight." - -George said that Mr. Steele owned about 200 slaves and that he always -had plenty of everything. The plantation, he said, consisted of about -2,000 acres. - -"Ol' Massa had a church right on de plantation for us niggers," he -continued. "Many's de time I danced late in de night an' den had to git -up an' go to church wid de rest. All of us had to go. A white man would -preach, but I allus enjoyed de singin' most of all." - -George believes earnestly that ghosts exist, but admits they have never -bothered him. - -[Illustration: _George Dillard, Eutaw, Alabama_] - -"Dey is all aroun'," he maintains, "but dey don't follow me. No'm, I's -not 'fraid of 'em; but I knows plenty of niggers dat'll run if a ghost -so much as brushes by 'em." - -The old darkey said that "atter freedom come to de worl'" he continued -to live with his master and worked a share crop. He said that Mr. Steele -was always fair and good to him; always giving him the best of -everything. - -George married Celia Shelton, and to them were born twenty-four -children. - -"It was a bunch of dem," he said, "but I loved ebry one. I had a nice -weddin' an' de white folks helped me to git myself a 'oman an' then to -git married to her." - - - - -Ella Dilliard - - - *Personal interview with Ella Dilliard* - *756 Canal Street, Mobile, Alabama* - --_Ila B. Prine_ - -_ELLA'S WHITE HEN IS HEAPS OF COMPANY_ - -Ella Dilliard, an old Negro woman who lives at 756 Canal Street, Mobile, -says she was a small girl during slavery time, and does not know the -hardships of it, because she was owned by good people. Her mother's name -was Mary Norris, owned by Mrs. Calvin Norris, who lived in Selma, Ala., -but had a homestead in Mobile. Her father belonged to people by the name -of Childress, and his name was Green Childress. She doesn't remember -much about him because his white people took him to Texas. - -Ella said that her mother was her madame's hairdresser, and that Mrs. -Norris had her mother taught in Mobile. So Ella's life was very easy, as -she stayed around the big house with her mother, although her -grandmother, Penny Anne Norris, cared for her more than her mother did. -One of the things she remembers quite distinctly was her grandmother's -cooking on the fireplace, and how she would not allow any one to spit in -the fireplace. She said her grandmother made corn-pone and wrapped it in -shucks and baked it in ashes. - -Ella said she did not know many colored people, since the quarters were -quite a ways from the big house, and that the plantation was managed by -an overseer. She said the quarters were built in rows with streets -between them. - -She also remembers the first boat she ever saw that was when she was -brought to Mobile after the surrender, and when she saw the boat she -said to her mother: "Look at that house sitting on the water." - -Ella said that there were three cooks at the big house, their names -being Hannah, Judy, and Charlotte, and the gardener's name was Uncle -John. Ella also said that one thing that she remembers so well about the -kitchen in the big house was a large dishpan, that had a partition in -the middle of it, one side you washed the dishes in, and the other side -was used for scalding them. - -The slaves always had Saturdays to wash their clothes and do things for -themselves. Ella, not having lived among Negroes, does not know much -about their habits and customs, but she does remember seeing the big -white covered wagons that the slaves were carried in to be sold; and -remembers hearing talk of the "Pattyrollers." She said when the slaves -were sold, they were put on a block, and that the man who were buying -would look in their mouths just like they did horses. - -Ella said she was born in Greensboro, Alabama, but the plantation where -she later lived was on the Alabama river near Selma, Ala. She doesn't -know how many acres it comprised, or how many slaves that her master -owned. She remembers her madame made her stop calling her mother -"mammy," and her father "daddy." She said: "You know, Miss, that the -white children now-a-days calls their parents 'mammy and daddy' like the -colored people used to. The children now do not respect their parents as -they should, and in fact everything is so different the truth done 'be -under the table.' You know, miss, I am telling the truth, because the -Bible says, 'Woe be unto the one that lies; Judgment is on the land.' - -"In those days people had to work to live, and they raised most -everything they used, such as cattle, hogs, cotton, and foodstuff. Then -the women spun the thread out of the cotton, and wove the cloth." - -Ella helped her grandmother at the weaving by picking up the shuttles -for her. She said they generally used the cloth as it was woven. The -shoes were made on the place and were called red brogans. - -As for the churches, the white folks had the brush arbor camp meetings, -where the people would go and camp in little cabins for weeks, so they -could attend the church. They had newspapers then, Ella said, "but -'course they ain't like you have now, there warn't so many as there is -now. - -"You asked something, miss, about medicines. I don't remember much about -any medicine, because Mr. Calvin Norris was a doctor, and he always -treated us when we were sick. There was a Dr. Browder who 'tended the -plantation." - -Ella is a bright colored, small woman, whose eyes are very keen. She -says that a short time ago she had some trouble with her eyes, and she -got something from the drug store to bathe them with, but it did not -help them. So she caught some pure rain water and "anointed" her eyes -with that, and now she can see to thread a needle. Her life has been -very colorful in many respects. She recalled as a small child, that, -during the war, a minie-ball came through a brick wall of the servant -house where they were living, but it fell without harming any of the -servants. She said when Wilson's raid was made on Selma, that the Yankee -men went through the houses just like dogs, taking whatever they wanted. - -"I 'members Mr. Parkman putting two sacks of money down in his big well, -and him getting it out with hooks after the Yankees left." - -Later when she was brought to Mobile she worked for Judge Oliver Semmes -for twenty years. Judge Semmes was the son of Admiral Raphael Semmes, -and she said he was a blessed, good man. For the past fourteen years she -has been working for the Frank Lyons family of Mobile. - -Ella lives in a double tenement house, having one room and a small -kitchen. The room is full of old furniture and odd things. On the mantle -is a lovely old china pitcher that once was owned by Judge Semmes and -which Ella prizes very much. The thing that puzzles Ella most among the -modern inventions, she said, are the aeroplanes, and the way ice is -made. She said: - -"Miss, we never had any ice way back yonder. We had nice, old, open -brick wells, and the water was just like ice. We would draw the water -and put around the milk and butter in the dairy. It's a mystery to me -how they make that ice, but, my goodness! I guess I need not worry my -head about things, because I am not here for long. All my family is dead -and gone now, and the only companion I have is this here little white -hen. Her name is Mary. You see, I bought her last year to kill for -Christmas, but I couldn't do it. She is so human; and you ought to see -the eggs she lays. I even have a few to sell sometimes. I just keeps -Mary in the room at night with me, and she is heaps of company for me." - - - - -Rufus Dirt - - - *Interview with Rufus Dirt* - --_Woodrow Hand, Birmingham, Alabama_ - -_RUFUS WOULD TALK A LOT FOR A DIME_ - -Foreword: This Negro, Rufus Dirt, was found on one of Birmingham's -busiest streets begging for coins. Because of his inability to read, he -was unable to give the number or location of his home. All he knew was -"jes' som'ers on Southside, boss." - -"I'll drop a dime in your hat uncle if you'll stand here and talk to me -for a few minutes." - -"Sho' boss, iffen you wants, I'll talk all day fo' dat much money. I'se -been here fo' a long time an' I knows plenty to talk 'bout. What does -yo' want to know?" - -I explained my interest in slavery days and my search for ex-slaves, but -he began telling me before I had time to finish. His ability to talk had -somehow escaped what his age had done to his hair, which was sparse as -well as snowy white. His eyes were a glazy red. One hand and arm seemed -to be crippled, but the other waved around in the air as he talked and -finally settled on my shoulder. - -"Boss, I don' rightly know jes' how old I is. I was a driver (Negro boss -of other slaves) during slavery and I reckons I was about twenty -sompin'. I don' remember nothin' in particular that caused me to get dat -drivin' job, ceptin' hard work, but I knows dat I was proud of it 'cause -I didn' have to work so hard no mo'. An' den it sorta' made de other -niggers look up to me, an' you knows us niggers, boss. Nothin' makes us -happier dan' to strut in front of other niggers. Dere ain't nothin' much -to tell about. We jes' moved one crop atter de other till layin' by time -come and den we'd start in on de winter work. We done jes' 'bout de same -as all de other plantations. - -"My massa's name was Digby and we live at Tuscaloosa befo' de war. An' -'bout dat war, white folks. Dem was some scary times. De nigger women -was a-feared to breathe out loud come night an' in de day time, dey -didn't work much 'cause dey was allus lookin' fo' de Yankees. Dey didn' -come by so much 'cause atter de first few times. Dere wa'nt no reason to -come by. Dey had done et up ever'thing and toted off what dey didn' eat. -Dey tuk all Massa's stock, burned down de smokehouse atter dey tuk de -meat out, an' dey burned de barn, an' we'all think ever' time dat dey -goin' to burn de house down, but dey musta forgot to do dat. - -"When de war was finally over an' I was free, my family went to -Vicksburg, Mississippi where we made a livin' first one way an' den de -other. I don't know how long we stayed dere, but I was livin' in -Bummin'ham when dere wa'nt nothin' much here a'tall. I watched all de -big buildin's 'round here go up and I see'd dem build all de big plants -and I'se still watchin', but I still don' know how to tell folks where -places is, 'cause I don' know how to read numbers. I goes anywhere I -wants to go an' I don't ever get lost, but jes' de same, I can't tell -nobody where I am. I don' even know where we is standin' talking like -dis right now. An' boss, I ain't beggin' 'cause I'se too lazy to work. -I'se worked plenty in my time till I crippled dis arm in de mines and -befo' my eyes got so bad," and with a grace and gentleness that may be -called a characteristic of his generation, he added, "I hope I'se told -you what you wants to know." - -He had. I felt well repaid for the dime I had given him. As he walked -off down the street, I noticed for the first time the large crowd that -had gathered around us. Evidently slave tales carry more interest than -this writer realized. - - - - -Katherine Eppes - - - *Interview with Katherine Eppes* - --_Susie R. O'Brien, Uniontown, Alabama_ - -_CABINS AS FAR AS YOU COULD SEE_ - -"Ma" Eppes sat on the steps of her weatherbeaten, unpainted little -cabin, duplicate of the dozens that make up Rat Row, Negro quarter of -Uniontown, and looked down the vista of memory to her childhood when she -lived in "where de log cabins stretched as far as you could see in de -slave qua'ters." - -Despite her eighty-seven years, Katherine Eppes, known to everyone as -"Ma," came as spryly to her tiny porch as her rotund body would permit. -She smiled broadly at her interviewer and seated herself slowly. - -"Sho', honey, I can tell you mo'n anything you want to know 'bout the -big fight, 'ca'se I been here a long time," she began her story. "Dey -ain't many lef' to tell 'bout dem days. My mammy an' pappy was Peter an' -Emma Lines an' us all belonged to Marsa Frank and Miss Sarah Lines. I -was born on dey plantation five miles below Faunsdale 'bout 1850 so dey -tells me. - -"I is right ol' but thank Gawd I still got my teefies an' my ha'r lef'." -Proudly the old woman unwrapped her "head rag" to display a thick mop, -woolly white but neatly parted into squares. Dozens of little plaits, -wrapped with yards of twine, just as her hair had been dressed in the -slave quarters before the War, adorned her head. She sat with uncovered -head unblinking in the bright June sunshine, as she took up the tale of -her health. "I sees pretty good, too, but I's so hebby I ain't able to -toe myse'f 'roun' as pert as I useter. - -"It was diff'rent back in dem days when I belonged to rich white folks. -Dey had plenty of niggers an' dey was log cabins in de quarters jes' as -far as your eyes could see. Marsa Frank an' Miss Sarah was good to de -black folks, too. Dey son, young marsa Frank, fit in de big war. Atter -de war was over I stayed on de Lines' place 'twell atter I ma'ied, an' -Ol' Miss gin me my weddin' dress an' a long veil down to my foots. - -"When us was chillun in de quarters we did a mighty lot of playin'. Us -useta play 'Sail away Rauley' a whole lot. Us would hol' han's an' go -'roun' in a ring, gittin' faster an' faster an' dem what fell down was -outa de game. - -"My mammy wukked in de Big House, aspinnin' an' anussin' de white -chillun. All of dem called her 'mammy.' Ah 'members one thing jes' lack -it was yestiddy. Miss Sarah went to 'Mospolis (Demopolis) to visit wid -her sister, an' whilst she were gone de oberseer, what go by de name of -Allen, whupped my Mammy crost her back 'twell de blood runned out. - -"When Miss Sarah comed back an' foun' it out, she was de maddes white -lady I eber seed. She sont for de oberseer, an' she say: 'Allen, what -you mean by whupping Mammy? You know I don't allow you to tech my house -servants.' She jerk her dress down an' stan' dere lookin' like a sojer -wid her white shoulders shinin' lack a snow bank, an' she say: 'I -'druther see dem marks on my own shoulders dan to see 'em on Mammy's. -Dey wouldn't hurt me no wuss.' Den she say: 'Allen, teck your fambly an' -git offen my place. Don't you let sundown ketch you here. 'So he lef'. -He wasn't nothin' but white trash nohow." - -"Ma" Eppes sat silent for a time as she recalled the vision of Miss -Sarah standing straight and regal in her dismissal of the overseer. -Finally she turned with an abrupt change of subject. - -"Honey, is you a Christian?" she asked earnestly. "I hopes you is, ca'se -you is too fine lookin' for to go to Hell. I b'longs to de Baptis' -Church, an' dey calls me Ma Eppes 'ca'se I's de mother of de church. I -loves to sing de gospel Hymns." - -She began to sing in a high, cracked voice, her body swaying with the -rhythm. The song rose until her neighbors had gathered to form quite an -audience. With much moaning between every line, she sang: - - "I am a sojer of de Cross, - A follerer of de Lam'. - I'm not afeard to own His name, - Nor to 'fen' His cause." - - (Chorus) - - "I wan' you to come, - I wan' you to come, - I wan' you to come - An' be saved." - -She was still singing as I left her, the neighbors joining in the -choruses. Suppers would be late in the row of weatherbeaten cabins, -because the spirit of song was on the gathering. - - - - -Reuben Fitzpatrick - - - *Interview with Reuben Fitzpatrick* - --[HW: _Mabel Farrior, Montgomery, Alabama]_ - -_A HORN FOR A HEADACHE_ - -Reuben Fitzpatrick, of Eugene Street, Montgomery, was born Jan. 9, 1854, -(83 years old). He says: - -"My Marster was Mister Gholson frum Bullock county. He had lots uv -slaves 'cause he was a rich man. I was jes' a boy ten years ole an' he -was a squire dat tried cases, so he rode all over de country to dif'funt -places. I rode wid him to hole his horse. He wore a high top black hat -and had a buggy wid a top dat let back. When we went we was gone a long -time an' when night come he would fix it fer me to sleep wid some uv de -niggers in de quarters where we stopped. I sho' lacked to go 'bout wid -him. - -"My mother was de cook. She had rule over all the cookin'. She spinned -thread an' reeled it off too. - -"When de Yankees come through de country I seed 'em all runnin' so I -thought it was jedgment day an' I runned an' hid under de chimney an' -stayed dere 'tel night. Dey didn't tarry long, but dey drove de horses -right up on de piazza, and throwed ever' thing out de houses, eben -knocked down de smoke 'ouse doors. Dat's de trufe'. - -"One time I was taken to the slave market and I was screwed on the block -and Mr. Martin bought me and my Mamma. The man that was selling us would -holler, "Who'll bid? Who'll bid?" We was supposed to be spry and fidgety -so as to make the men want to buy us. My fust Marster was Wash Jones. He -wan't good to us. He would hit us wid his cane jes' as if it had been a -switch. Ben Jones didn't like the way Marse Wash treated us niggers. He -bought us for his son. - -"We didn't have no doctors much in dem days, but us had a horn us use -when we got sick. If us had the headache that horn would go right over -the spot and it wouldn't be no time 'fore the pain'd be gone. We'd use -that horn anytime we was ailing an' it'd sho' do the work. I used to -have the horn but I don't know jes' where it is now." - - - - -Heywood Ford - - - *Interview with Heywood Ford* - --_Susie R. O'Brien, Uniontown, Alabama_ - -_HEYWOOD FORD TELLS A STORY_ - -"White folks," said Heywood Ford, "I'se gonna tell you a story 'bout a -mean oberseer an' whut happened to him durin' de slabery days. It all -commenced when a nigger named Jake Williams got a whuppin' for stayin' -out atter de time on his pass done gib out. All de niggers on de place -hated de oberseer wuss dan pizen, 'caze he was so mean an' useta try to -think up things to whup us for. - -"One mornin' de slaves was lined up ready to eat dere breakfas' an' Jake -Williams was a pettin' his ole red-bone houn'. 'Bout dat time de -oberseer come up an' seed Jake a pettin' his houn' an' he say: 'Nigger -you ain't got time to be a-foolin' 'long dat dog. Now make him git.' -Jake tried to make de dog go home, but de dog didn't want to leave Jake. -Den de oberseer pick up a rock an' slam de dog in de back. De dog he den -went a-howlin' off. - -"Dat night Jake he come to my cabin an' he say to me: 'Heywood, I is -gonna run away to a free State. I ain't a-gonna put up wid dis treatment -no longer. I can't stand much mo'. I gibs him my han' an' I say: 'Jake, -I hopes you gits dere. Maybe I'll see you ag'in sometime.' - -"'Heywood,' he says, 'I wish you'd look atter my houn', Belle. Feed her -an' keep her de bes' you kin. She a mighty good possum an' coon dog. I -hates to part wid her, but I knows dat you is de bes' pusson I could -leave her wid.' An' wid dat Jake slip out de do' an' I seed him -a-walkin' toward de swamp down de long furrows of cawn. - -"It didn't take dat oberseer long to fin' out dat Jake done run away, -an', when he did, he got out de blood houn's an' started off atter him. -It warn't long afore Jake heered dem houn's a-howlin' in de distance. -Jake he was too tired to go any further. He circled 'roun' an' doubled -on his tracks so as to confuse de houn's an' den he clumb a tree. -T'warn't long afore he seed de light of de oberseer comin' th'ough de -woods and de dogs was a-gittin' closer an' closer. Finally dey smelled -de tree dat Jake was in an' dey started barkin' 'roun' it. De oberseer -lif' his lighted pine knot in de air so's he could see Jake. He say: -'Nigger, come on down fum dere. You done wasted 'nuff of our time.' But -Jake, he neber move nor make a sound an' all de time de dogs keppa -howlin' an' de oberseer keppa swearin'. 'Come on down,' he say ag'in; -'iffen you don't I'se comin' up an' knock you outen de tree wid a -stick.' Jake still he neber moved an' de oberseer den began to climb de -tree. When he got where he could almos' reach Jake he swung dat stick -an' it come down on Jake's leg an' hurt him tur'ble. Jake, he raised his -foot an' kicked de oberseer raght in de mouf, an' dat white man went a -tumblin' to de groun'. When he hit de earth dem houn's pounced on him. -Jake he den lowered hisself to de bottom limbs so's he could see what -had happened. He saw de dogs a-tearin' at de man an' he holla: 'Hol' -'im, Belle! Hol' 'im, gal!' De leader of dat pack of houn's, white -folks, warn't no blood houn'. She was a plain old red-bone possum an' -coon dog, an' de res' done jus' lak she done, tearin' at de oberseer's -th'oat. All de while, Jake he a-hollerin' f'um de tree fer dem dogs to -git 'im. 'Twarn't long afore dem dogs to' dat man all to pieces. He died -raght under dat maple tree dat he run Jake up. Jake he an' dat coon -houn' struck off through de woods. De res' of de pack come home. - -"I seed Jake atter us niggers was freed. Dat's how come I knowed all -'bout it. It musta been six years atter dey killed de oberseer. It was -in Kentucky dat I run across Jake. He was a-sittin' on some steps of a -nigger cabin. A houn' dog was a-sittin' at his side. I tells him how -glad I is to see him, an' den I look at de dog. 'Dat ain't Belle,' I -says. 'Naw,' Jake answers, 'Dis her puppy.' Den he tol' me de whole -story. I always did want to know what happen to 'em." - - - - -Bert Frederick - - - *Interview with Bert Frederick* - --_Preston Klein_ - -_WANTS MY FRIENDS TO GO WID ME_ - - "Wants my friends to go wid me, New Jerusalem; - Wonder ef I'll ever git to heaven, New Jerusalem!" - -Nappy-headed, humble little Bert Frederick sang the old song in a voice -that trembled and broke on the high notes. His black face beamed when he -had finished, and "de old times" came flooding back into his mind. - -"Honey, Ol' Master us'ta sing dat good song to us niggers; an' he allus -could sing it so purty." - -Uncle Frederick, like all the other gray-bearded Negroes of the Old -South, is occupied mostly these days with getting ready to meet "de -Sweet Jesus." As well as he can remember, he was around 12 years old -when "de hawn of freedom sounded." - -He shook his white head when the interviewer asked his age, a slow smile -spreading over his face. - -"Honey chile, you's axed me a riddle. I disremember 'bout dat. De bes' I -kin till you is dat I is eighty-odd--but as to 'zackness, I can't tell." - -Some years ago, Uncle Frederick suffered a broken back in an accident. -Since then he has been unable to stand erect, but can straighten his -back when seated. Therefore, he politely asked to sit down when he was -asked to pose for a picture. - -His first master, he says, was Dr. Rich Vernon, who lived in Chambers -County. Afterward, he was sold to William Frederick. - -He chuckled as he recalled the old days. - -"I was a shirt-tail nigger," he laughed. "Dat is, I wore jes' a long -shirt 'twel I was a big scamp more dan twelve year old. Honey, I was a -sight to look at! - -"Whut did I do about de plantation? Well, I driv de cows an' sheep to -pasture an' seed dat no eagles kotched de lambs. Us had big eagles -'roun' den, an' us had to be keerful wid de small stock. Ef us warn't, -ol' eagle ud swoop down an' tote off a whole lamb. - -"Us had a time in dem days. I 'members dat us had a pen to ketch wild -turkeys in. An' us kotched a few of dem, too." - -Uncle Frederick's mother was Harriett Lumpkin, who lived below Opelika. -He had three sisters, Mary Dowdell, Anne Carlisle and Emma Boyd; but all -are dead. - -[Illustration: _Bert Frederick, Opelika, Alabama_] - -"When de Yankees come to Alabama," he recalled, "Ol' Master tol' de -niggers to hitch up all de wagons an' load all de food an' sech on 'em. -Us had 'bout forty acres of swamp land, so us hid de stuff dere. - -"'Fore long I seed a long string of black an' white horses, wid mules -behin' dem. Dey had packs on dey back. In de packs was grub de Yankees -had tuk off'en de white peoples." - -"Did you enjoy the old slavery days, Uncle?" - -"Yes, chile, dey was good days. Some of de white peoples was bad to de -niggers, but my Ol' Master warn't dat kind. Dat de reason he would let -all de niggers sit aroun' whilst he was a singin'; an' he could sing." - -Uncle Frederick putters about his tiny home in Opelika, managing to grow -a profusion of flowers and vegetables despite his bent back. He was -hoeing in his garden when the interviewer came upon him, but he eagerly -laid down the hoe when told what he sought. - -"Uncle, I want to talk with you about the old times." - -"Lordy me, chile," he beamed, his eyes twinkling, "you done foun' de -raght nigger!" - - - - -Delia Garlic - - - *Interview with Delia Garlic* - --_Margaret Fowler, Fruithurst, Alabama_ - -_DEM DAYS WAS HELL_ - -Delia Garlic lives at 43 Stone Street, Montgomery, and insists she is -100 years old. Unlike many of the old Negroes of the South, she has no -good words for slavery days or the old masters, declaring: "Dem days was -hell." - -She sat on her front porch and assailed the taking of young children -from mothers and selling them in different parts of the country. - -"I was growed up when de war come," she said, "an' I was a mother befo' -it closed. Babies was snatched from dere mother's breas' an' sold to -speculators. Chilluns was separated from sisters an' brothers an' never -saw each other ag'in. - -"Course dey cry; you think dey not cry when dey was sold lak cattle? I -could tell you 'bout it all day, but even den you couldn't guess de -awfulness of it. - -"It's bad to belong to folks dat own you soul an' body; dat can tie you -up a tree, wid yo' face to de tree an' yo' arms fastened tight aroun' -it; who take a long curlin' whip an' cut de blood ever' lick. - -"Folks a mile away could hear dem awful whippings. Dey was a turrible -part of livin'." - -Delia said she was born at Powhatan, Virginia, and was the youngest of -thirteen children. - -"I never seed none of my brothers an' sisters 'cept brother William," -she said. "Him an' my mother an' me was brought in a speculator's drove -to Richmon' an' put in a warehouse wid a drove of other niggers. Den we -was all put on a block an' sol' to de highes' bidder. - -"I never seed brother William ag'in. Mammy an' me was sold to a man by -de name of Carter, who was de sheriff of de county. - -"No'm, dey warn't no good times at his house. He was a widower an' his -daughter kept house for him. I nursed for her, an' one day I was playin' -wid de baby. It hurt its li'l han' an' commenced to cry, an' she whirl -on me, pick up a hot iron an' run it all down my arm an' han'. It took -off de flesh when she done it. - -"Atter awhile, marster married ag'in; but things warn't no better. I -seed his wife blackin' her eyebrows wid smut one day, so I thought I'd -black mine jes' for fun. I rubbed some smut on my eyebrows an' forgot to -rub it off, an' she kotched me. She was powerful mad an' yelled: 'You -black devil, I'll show you how to mock your betters.' - -"Den she pick up a stick of stovewood an' flails it ag'in' my head. I -didn't know nothin' more 'till I come to, lyin' on de floor. I heard de -mistus say to one of de girls: 'I thought her thick skull and cap of -wool could take it better than that.' - -"I kept on stayin' dere, an' one night de marster come in drunk an' set -at de table wid his head lollin' aroun'. I was waitin' on de table, an' -he look up an' see me. I was skeered, an' dat made him awful mad. He -called an overseer an' tol' him: 'Take her out an' beat some sense in -her.' - -"I begin to cry an' run an' run in de night; but finally I run back by -de quarters an' heard mammy callin' me. I went in, an' raght away dey -come for me. A horse was standin' in front of de house, an' I was took -dat very night to Richmon' an' sold to a speculator ag'in. I never seed -my mammy any more. - -"I has thought many times through all dese years how mammy looked dat -night. She pressed my han' in bofe of hers an' said: 'Be good an' trus' -in de Lawd.' - -"Trustin' was de only hope of de pore black critters in dem days. Us -jest prayed fer strength to endure it to de end. We didn't 'spect -nothin' but to stay in bondage 'till we died. - -[Illustration: _Delia Garlic, Montgomery, Alabama_] - -"I was sol' by de speculator to a man in McDonough, Ga. I don't -ricollect his name, but he was openin' a big hotel at McDonough an' -bought me to wait on tables. But when de time come aroun' to pay for me, -his hotel done fail. Den de Atlanta man dat bought de hotel bought me, -too. 'Fo' long, dough, I was sol' to a man by de name of Garlic, down in -Louisiana, an' I stayed wid him 'till I was freed. I was a regular fiel' -han', plowin' an' hoein' an' choppin' cotton. - -"Us heard talk 'bout de war, but us didn't pay no 'tention. Us never -dreamed dat freedom would ever come." - -Delia was asked if the slaves ever had any parties or dances on her -plantation. - -"No'm," she replied, "us didn't have no parties; nothin' lak dat. Us -didn't have no clothes for goin' 'roun. I never had a undershirt until -jest befo' my first chil' was borned. I never had nothin' but a shimmy -an' a slip for a dress, an' it was made out'en de cheapes' cloth dat -could be bought; unbleached cloth, coarse, but made to las'. - -"Us didn't know nothin' 'cept to work. Us was up by three or four in de -mornin' an' everybody got dey somethin' to eat in de kitchen. Dey didn't -give us no way to cook, nor nothin' to cook in our cabins. Soon as us -dressed us went by de kitchen an' got our piece of cornbread. Dey wasn't -even no salt in dem las' years. Dat piece of cornbread was all us had -for breakfus', an' for supper, us had de same. - -"For dinner us had boiled vittles; greens, peas an' sometimes beans. -Coffee? No'm, us never knowed nothin' 'bout coffee. - -"One mornin' I 'members I had started to de fiel', an' on de way I los' -my piece of bread. I didn't know what to do. I started back to try to -fin' it, an' it was too dark to see. But I walk back raght slow, an' had -a dog dat walked wid me. He went on ahead, an' atter awhile I come on -him lyin' dere guardin' dat piece of bread. He never touched it, so I -gived him some of it. - -"Jus' befo' de war I married a man named Chatfield from another -plantation; but he was took off to war an' I never seed him ag'in. Atter -awhile I married a boy on de plantation named Miles Garlic. - -"Yas'm, Massa Garlic had two boys in de war. When dey went off de Massa -an' missis cried, but it made us glad to see dem cry. Dey made us cry so -much. - -"When we knowed we was free, everybody wanted to git out. De rule was -dat if you stayed in yo' cabin you could keep it, but if you lef', you -los' it. Miles was workin' at Wetumpka, an' he slipped in an' out so us -could keep on livin' in de cabin. - -"My secon' baby soon come, an' raght den I made up my min' to go to -Wetumpka where Miles was workin' for de railroad. I went on down dere -an' us settled down. - -"Atter Miles died, I lived dere long as I could an' den come to -Montgomery to live wid my son. I'se eatin' white bread now an' havin' de -best time of my life. But when de Lawd say, 'Delia, well done; come up -higher,' I'll be glad to go." - - - - -Angie Garrett - - - *Interview with Angie Garrett* - --_Ruby Pickens Tartt, Livingston, Alabama_ - -_MULES BE EATIN' AND NIGGERS BE EATIN'_ - -She sat in the door of her small cabin, a short distance from -Livingston, Alabama, in philosophical reflection. Time has not softened -her memories. As she told these facts an occasional expression of -bitterness passed over her face. - -"I's Angie Garrett," she said. I was about sixteen years at beginning uv -de Wa'. I was born in De Kalb, Mississippi. My mother was Betty Scott, -an' I didn't know my father's name. I had four brothers, Ember, Johnny, -Jimmie, and Henry; and three sisters, Delphie, Lizzie Sue, and Frankie, -and my grandmother was Sukie Scott. She lived five miles from -Gainesville across Noxubee Creek (in full, Oka Noxubee) an' I lived wid -her. Never axed 'bout my grand-daddy, 'caze wa'n't no tellin'. My mammy -lived right here in Gainesville an' belong to Mr. Sam Harwood. - -"I b'longed to de Moorings and Cap'n Mooring run on a boat to Mobile -from Aberdeen, Mississippi, 'twus on de 'Bigbee river, an' 'twus called -de _Cremonia_. I was de house gal an' nuss an' I slep' on a pallet in -old Miss's room. I had plenty to eat long as us was on dat boat, and dat -sho' was good. But when us was in De Kalb, vittles was giv' out at de -smoke house, a slice o' meat and piece of bread and peas, and 'twus -sarnt out ter de fiel'. Mules be eatin' and niggers be eatin'. - -"I nussed de Moorings little boy Johnny. De little gal had died. Mr. -Scott in De Kalb had 'bout fifty slaves and a big plantation and a -overseer name' Barnes. He was a haughty man, and niggers was skeered to -death 'caze he would come in a-cussin'. - -"Us would git up 'fo' daylight. 'Twus dark when go out, dark when come -in. Us make a little fire in de fiel' some mawnin's, hit beeze so cold; -dan us let it go out 'fo' de overseer come. Ef he seed you he'd make yer -lay down flat on yo' belly, foots tied out and han's tied out and whoop -yer wid slapper leather strap wid a handle. But I was laid 'cross a -cheer. I been whooped 'tel I tell lies on myself to make 'em quit. Say -dey whoop 'till I'd tell de troof, so I had ter lie 'bout myse'f keep -'em from killin' me. Dis here race is mo' lac de chillun uv Isreal, -'cept dey didn't have ter shoot no gun ter set um free. - -"I was sole ter Mr. Johnny Mooring, 'caze de property was in debt. And -den fuss I b'longed ter Mrs. Scott at De Kalb, and her sole me, an' I -sho' was glad. I walked here to Gainesville frum De Kalb, Mississippi. -Us wa'n't 'lowed to learn nothin'. Sometimes us sing and have a little -prayer meetin', but 'twus mighty easy and quiet like. Gran'ma Sukey use' -to sing, "Travel on, travel on, Soon be Over." - -"Ef any us died in dem days, buried us quick as dey could and got out of -dere and got to work. At night dey blow'd de horn for 'em to bring in de -cotton w'ut de women spinned. Dey made all de clof. Us worked nights -too, but us rested Sundays. Us didn't git no presents at Christmas. -Sometimes us had a corn shuckin', and no celebration for no marriage. -Dat was called "jumpin' de broom," jes' taken up wid 'em. Dey all want -you to have plenty of chillun, though. - -"Us wo' asafetida 'roun' us neck keep off de small pox and measles. Us -didn't have much medicine and some of um was always full of bad -complaints lac' Carrie, my neighbor, whut you axed about. I bees -a-hurtin', but I can't never git in edgeways for her. Always got a lot -excuses; doan' never 'spects to die 'thout folks knows whut ails her. -But she brought me some black-eyed peas today, and I lac's um 'caze dey -biles sof', and I say 'ef de devil brought hit, God sarnt hit.' -Sometimes I bees hongry, an' I say, 'Whut is I'm gwinter eat?', and -along come somebody wid sumpin'. - -[Illustration: _Angie Garrett, Livingston, Alabama_] - -"Wish you could of heered dat calliope on de _Cremonia_. Dey dance some -time 'mos' all night, but dey didn't act lac' dey do now. 'Twus nice -behavior. Look lac' ev'ything goin' back ter heathenism, and hits on de -way now. But de good Lord he'ps me. He hol's my han'. I ain't got -nothin' 'gin nobody. I doan' see no need of fussin' and fightin' an' -a-drinkin' whiskey. Us livin' in a new worl' and I go on makin' de bes' -I kin of hit. Some I lac, some I doan'. - -"I got one daughter, Fannie Watson, a good washer and ironer right here -in Gainesville, and I got a son, too, say he ain't gonna marry 'tel he -kin treat de 'oman good as she kin treat herse'f. I makes him wait on -me, and he gits mighty raw sometimes, but I tells him I'm jes' much -older den he is now as I was when he was bawn. Den he gives me a old -dirty dime, but now wid dese here tokens, you gotter pay some of hit fer -spendin'. Dey tells me hit's de Governor, and I say 'let him carry 'em; -he kin tote 'em, I ain't able.' Well, once ain't always, and twice ain't -forever. - -"No'm, I doan' never go ter church no mo'. De preachers here is goin' -bline about money. Dey ain't interested in dey soul. Some folks b'longs -ter de church an' ain't been changed. De church ain't all of hit. I -'members day uv 'manicpation. Yankees tole us we was free, and dey call -us up frum de fiel' to sign up an' see ef us wanted to stay on wid 'em. -I stayed dat year wid de Moorings, den I bargain for lan', but couldn't -never pay fer hit. Turned loose 'thout nothin'. - -"But dey was a coal black free born nigger name George Wright, had a -floatin' mill right here on de 'Bigbee River, stayed at de p'int of de -woods jes' 'bove de spring branch, and hit did a good service. But he -got in debt and he sole his five boys. Dey was his own chillun, and he -could sell 'em under de law. De names was Eber, Eli, Ezekiel, Enoch, and -Ezra, an' he sole 'em ter de highes' bidder right yonder 'front of de -Pos' Office for cash. And Jack Tom was another free nigger here and he -bought some of 'em, and dey others de white folks bought, and I never -heerd no complaint and I seed 'em long as dey lived. Dey was a heap of -things went on. Some I lac's to remember, some I doan'. But I'd rather -be free now. I never seed Mr. Lincoln, but when dey tole me 'bout him, I -thought he was partly God. - -"But Mr. John Rogers right here, (he's dead an' gone now), he was whut -he was and wasn't 'ceitful. Go to him ef you got into anything, and he -more'n apt to tell you whut to do. He was wile when he was young, but he -settle down and was de bes' white man to de niggers I ever know'd. He'd -he'p me right now ef he was livin' and seen me wearin' dis here rag -nasty, he sho' would." - - - - -Henry Garry - - - *Interview with Henry Garry* - --_W.F. Jordan, Birmingham, Alabama_ - -_MR. RENFROE HANGS ON A CHINYBERRY TREE_ - -"Howdy Cap'n! Kin you tell me how to fin' Jedge Ab's co't? I knowed -'zactly whar hit was in de ole co't house, but I gits all bumfuzzled -tryin' to fin' anybody in dis new buildin'." - -His name was Henry Garry. He wore a suit of faded and extensively -patched Confederate gray and a cap of the regulation porter's style. His -face bore the expression worn only by those of his race who had lived -and toiled in a much earlier and in many instances, happier day. In the -presence of "white folks" he was at ease, indicating an intimate -association and relationship among them and in their service. - -"What business have you in Judge Abernathy's court? You don't look like -a criminal," was the response. - -"Oh, nawsah, I ain't neber done nothin' to nobody no time. But I sho' -don't know what dis new generation of nigguhs comin' to. Hit war bad -'nough when dey couldn' git nothin' but bootleg cawn licker; now dey kin -buy all de gin dey wants right here in Bummin'ham, an' dem rapscallions -git out on Sat'd'y night, fill up on gin an' git all lit up lak a -meetin' house. Den de fust thing dey know dey gits tangled up wid -somebody wid a razor or a meat axe or somp'n an' 'long come de law, -locks 'em up an' de debil's to pay." - -"But why should all that disturb you? They haven't run you in have -they?" he was asked. - -"Nawsuh, hits dat triflin' nevvew of mine. Dat boy kin sho' git into mo' -kin's of trouble dan a pet monkey. He in jail now for some debilment or -yuther an' I 'spect I'se gwine to hab to git him out ag'in. Dat's what -I'se gwine to see Jedge Ab 'bout. Wisht I could git dat boy back down in -Sumter County on Marse John Rogers' plantation. Dat's whar he b'long at. -Betcha Marse John wouldn' take none of his foolishment." - -"Are you familiar with the people and history of Sumter County?" he was -quizzed further. - -"Lawd man, I was bawn in de back yahd whar Marse John Rogers live right -now. Dat was right atter de surrender an' my mammy b'long to de -Vandegraaf family who useter live dar an' owned all dat plantation. My -daddy's name was Daniel Grady. Dey come f'um Virginny long time 'fo' de -wah. All dem ole peoples is dead now. Onlies' kinfolks I hab lef' down -dah is a cousin. She mos' a hundert yeahs ole an' still libs on her -little farm a few miles from Gainesville. An' Cap'n when I says libs, I -means libs. Ain't nothin' dat grow outten de groun' nor in de groun' in -Alabama dat's good for folks to eat but what she got it an' plenty. I -goes down dar to visit her twicet a yeah, an', man alive, hit am a sin -de 'mount of grub I puts away endurin' dem two weeks I stays dar. -Yassah, I'se 'bout due to go down dah now, 'caze dat gyarden sass en' -spring chickens jes' 'bout ripe. - -"My mammy was a seamstress for de Vandegraaf plantation an' made all de -clothes for bofe black and white. She neber did leave de plantation -atter de slaves was freed but stayed right dar till she died, she an' my -daddy bofe. But dey was good hones', 'spectable, chu'ch-goin' people, my -daddy an' mammy was. De little log chu'ch house is still dar an' de -niggers still keeps up de services. De ole pastor nearly a hundert yeahs -ole now, but it would s'prise you how spry he gits 'bout an' conduc's de -meetin's. - -"I don't know 'bout yuther parts, but from what my mammy tell me de -slaves in Sumter County mus' hab had a mighty good time, had plenty of -ebery t'ing an' nothin' to worry 'bout. Seems lak dar warn't no trouble -'mongst de whites an' blacks 'twell atter de wah. Some white mens come -down from de Norf' an' mess up wid de niggers. I was a mighty little -shaver, but I 'members one night atter supper, my daddy and mammy an' us -chilluns was settin' under a big tree by our cabin in de quarters when -all at wunst, lickety split, heah come gallopin' down de road what look -lak a whole army of ghos'es. Mus' hab been 'bout a hundert an' dey was -men ridin' hosses wid de men and hosses bofe robed in white. - -"Cap'n, dem mens look lak dey ten feet high an' dey hosses big as -elephan's. Dey didn't bodder nobody at de qua'ters, but de leader of de -crowd ride right in de front gate an' up to de big dug well back of our -cabin an' holler to my daddy. 'Come heah nigguh! Ho-oh!, 'cose we -skeered. Yassuh, look lak our time done come. - -"My daddy went ober to whar he settin' on his hoss at de well. Den he -say, 'Nigguh git a bucket an' draw me some cool water.' Daddy got a -bucket, fill it up an' han' it to him. Cap'n, would you b'lieve it? Dat -man jes' lif' dat bucket to his mouf' an' neber stop twell it empty. Did -he hab 'nough? He jes' smack his mouf an' call for mo'. Jes' lak dat, he -didn' stop twell he drunk three buckets full. Den he jes' wipe his mouf -an' say, 'Lawdy, dat sho' was good. Hit was de fust drink of water I'se -had sence I was killed at de battle of Shiloh.' - -"Was we good? Cap'n, from den on dar wasn't a nigger dare stick his head -out de do' fo' a week. But nex' day we fin' out dey was Ku Kluxes an' -dey foun' de body of a white man hangin' to a pos' oak tree ober by -Gran' Prairie. His name was Billings an' he come from de Norf. He been -ober 'roun' Livingston messin' up de niggers tellin' 'em dey had been -promised forty acres and a mule, an' dey ought to go 'head an' take 'em -from de white folks. - -"But dat carpetbagger couldn' do nothin' wid ole Slick 'dough. Slick? -Yassah, dat what ebe'ybody call him. He hang 'roun' de co'te house at -Livingston an' listen to de lawyers argufy. He try to 'member all de big -words dem lawyers use. When dat carpetbagger come to town dat nigger -Slick was carryin' his bag to de hotel an' when dey pass de mineral well -in de street, de man axed Slick, 'What dat water good for? Hab it been -tested?' Slick say, 'Oh yassah, dat water been scanalyzed by de bes' -fenologists in de country, an' dey say hit's three quarters carbolic -acid gas, an' de yuther seben eights is hydrophobia.' - -"Yassah, dat ole cannon in de co'te house yahd at Livingston was drug -outten de Tombigbee ribber whar de Yankees done sunk it time of de wah. -De Men's useter load 'er up an' shoot 'er off on big days at Livingston. -Dey had to spike de ole gun, 'dough, to keep de deblish boys 'roun' town -from shootin' it off jes' fo' fun. - -"Git rid of de carpetbaggers? Oh yassah, dey vote 'em out. Well, sah, -tell you how dey done dat. De 'publicans done paid all de niggers' poll -tax, an' gib 'em a receipt so dey could vote same as de whites. Dey made -up to 'lect de officers at de co't house all niggers an' den sen' yuther -ones to Montgomery to make de laws. Same day de 'lection come off dar -was a circus in Livingston an' de Demmycrats 'suaded de boss man of de -circus to let all Sumter County niggers in de show by showin' dere poll -tax receipts. Yessah, when de show was ober de 'lection was ober too, -an' nobody was 'lected 'cepin' white Demmycrats. - -"'Cose dat made Sumter County a mighty onhealthy place for carpetbaggers -an' uppity niggers. - -[Illustration: _Henry Garry, Birmingham, Alabama_] - -"Yo' ax me 'bout de old songs de slaves useter sing. Well, I don't -'members many of dem. Atter de S'render all de ole slaves what stayed on -de plantations 'roun' Gainesville useter gather at de landin' dar -waitin' to see de steamboats pull in from down de Tombigbee on dere way -to Columbus, (Miss.), an' somebody'd start a song, an', Law' man, how -dem niggers sing. Here one I heerd my mammy sing so much I learnt it: - - "Read in de bible, understan' - Methuselah was de oldes' man. - He lived nine hundred an' sixty nine - Den died an' go to Heben in de Lawd's due time. - - Methuselah was a witness - For my Lawd, - For my Lawd. - - "Read in de Bible, Understan' - Samson was de stronges' man. - Went out to battle to fight one time - Killed a thousan' of de Philistines. - - Samson was a witness - For my Lawd, - For my Lawd. - - "Daniel was a Hebrew chile, - Went to de Lawd to pray a while. - De Lawd tole de angels de lions to keep, - So Daniel lay down an' went to sleep. - - An' dat's anoder witness - For my Lawd, - For my Lawd. - -"Now 'bout de ghos' tales. I neber heerd many ghos' yarns 'cep' 'bout de -chinyberry tree whar dey hung Mistah Steve Renfroe. He was 'lected High -Sheriff dat time dey got all de niggers to go to de circus 'stead of -goin' to de 'lection. He a fine lookin' man an' ride a big white hoss -an' ebe'ybody lak him a lot 'cep' de carpetbaggers an' boddersome -niggers. No matter whar, if he meet one of 'em, he look 'em squar' in de -eye for a minute, den 'bout all he say would be, 'Get to hell outten -heah!' An' man, iffen dey could fly dat would be too slow trabelin' for -'em, gettin' outten de county. But atter while he got in trouble 'bout -money matters. Dey say he got color blind, couldn' tell his money from -de county's. So dey 'rest him an' put him in jail, but he bust right out -an' run off. Atter while he sneak back an' 'caze his Ku Klux frien's -wouldn' help him outten de trouble when he got back in jail, he give 'em -away an' tell what dere name was. One night a gang took him outten de -Livingston jail an' go 'bout a mile outten town an' hang him to a -chinyberry tree. I'se hyeard iffen you go to dat tree today an' kinda -tap on hit an say, 'Renfroe, Renfroe; what did you do?' De tree say -right back at you, 'Nothin'.' - -"Nawsuh, folks down 'roun' Gainesville didn' pay much min' to signs an' -conju' an' all dat stuff. My mammy wouldn' let us tote a axe on our -shoulder th'ough de house, an' she wouldn' 'low a umbrella to be opened -in de house, say hit bring bad luck. She neber fail to hab cown-fiel' -peas an hawg-jowl for dinner on New Yeah's Day. She say hit a sign you -hab plenty to eat balance ob de yeah. She put a ball of asafetida on a -string an' make all us chillun wear it 'roun' our neck to keep off -sickness. If a owl begin to hoot ober in Tombigbee bottom too close to -de house, she put de shovel in de fire to make him stop. - -"Wall, sir, I come to Bummin'ham mos' forty yeahs ago when Marse Josiah -Morris finish de Morris Hotel. I fust run de elevators a while, den dey -wukked me in de saloon what useter be jes' back of de office. I been -heah eber sence. I 'speck 'bout de las' thing dat'll happen to dis ole -nigguh will be to haul him away from de Morris Hotel in a black box. - -"But Lawdy, Cap'n, I got to git up to Jedge Ab's co't. Lissen, Cap'n, -iffen I gits dat no'count nevvew outten jail I sho' would lak to git him -a job. You don't know nobody what don't want to hire nobody to do -nothin' does you?" - - - - -Georgia - - - *Interview with Georgia* - --_Gertha Couric_ - -_DEY PLANTED DE SILVER IN DE FIEL'_ - -"No, honey, I neber seed my mammy. She died when I was bawn, an' my -Mistis Mary Mitchell raised me in de Big House. I was named a'ter her -sister, Miss Georgia. I slep' in her room an I was a house nigger all my -days. I neber went to a nigger chu'ch 'tell I was grown an' ma'd, didn' -sociate wid niggers 'cause I was a nu'smaid. I raised Miss Molly, her -las' baby. - -"I was bawn at 'Elmoreland', Massa Americus Mitchell's place, mor'n -ninety yeahs ago, an' a'ter freedom I stayed dah 'tel ole Massa died an' -my Mistis moved to Eufaula to live wid her son, Mahs Merry. - -"'Bout all I know of de wawh is when dey said--'de Yankees is comin', de -Yankees is comin'.' - -"Us sho' was skeerd, an' dere'd be some fas' doin's about de place. All -de cattle an' hawgs an hosses we driv' to de swamp on de nawth creek, -an' de feather beds down dere too an' hid 'em in de brush an' leaves. My -Mistis tied her trinkets in sacks an' put 'em in outlandish places lak -de hen-house an de hay lof'. An' de silver, dey planted in de fiel." - - - - -Fannie Gibson - - - *Interview with Fannie Gibson* - --_J.R. Jones, Columbus, Georgia_ - -Fannie Gibson was born the slave property of Mr. Benajer Goff, a planter -of near Roanoke, Alabama. She says that during her girlhood she "piddled -in de fiels an hepped in de kitchen o' de big house." - -She has very pleasant memories of slave days, and "wishes to God dat she -was as comforbly (comfortably) fixed now as she was den." - -Her ante-bellum owner she pictures as a very humane, Christian -gentleman--a man that took great interest in the material and spiritual -welfare of his slaves. - -Two hymns, sung by 'Aunt' Fannie for her interviewer, are appended. - - _Going Home To Live With The Lord._ - - Goin' home soon in de mornin', - Goin' home soon in de mornin', - I's goin' home to live with de Lord. - - In de mornin' so soon, - In de mornin' so soon, - I's goin' home to live with de Lord. - - I's goin' home to live with de Lord, - I's goin' home to live with de Lord, - I's goin' home soon in de mornin'. - - O, de Lord is a-waitin' for me, - O, de Lord is a-waitin' for me, - I's goin' home soon in de mornin'. - - _Where Were You When You Found The Lord?_ - - My brother, where were you, - My brother, where were you, - My brother, where were you, - When you found the Lord? - - I was low down in the valley, - I was low down in the valley, - I was low down in the valley, - When I first found the Lord. - - My sister, where were you, - My sister, where were you, - My sister, where were you, - When you found the Lord? - - I was low down in the valley, - I was low down in the valley, - I was low down in the valley, - When I first found the Lord. - -This song can be extended indefinitely by addressing the question to -various members of one's family, and to friends. - - - - -Frank Gill - - - *Personal interview with Frank Gill* - *708 South Hamilton Street, Mobile, Alabama* - --_Ila B. Prine, Mobile, Alabama_ - -_A SLAVE BOY ESCAPES WHIPPING BY PULLING TAIL OF FROCK COAT_ - -A low, stout, sleek headed Negro man, sat in an old rocking chair in an -end room of a long row of rooms of a tenement house at 708 South -Hamilton Street, Mobile, Alabama. This old darkey said, when asked by -the writer if he lived during slavery times: "I not only lived durin' -slavery times, but I was here before a gun was fired, an' b'fore Lincoln -was elected. I tells you, Miss, de fust time I 'members anything--a tale -of any kind. I was livin' in Vicksburg, Lee County, Mississippi, an' mah -maw an' paw's names was Amelia Williams an' Hiram Gill. I couldn't tells -you whar dey war from, dough. But I does know dat Mista Arthur an' -George Foster owned us, up 'til I war a big boy. De way it was, dere -mother, Ol' Missy, was a widow, an' her had dese two boys, an' she had -money, I tells you she had barrels ob money; so when de two boys got old -enough she divide de slaves, an' property 'tween 'em. Me an' mah maw -fell to Arthur Foster, and sum ob our kindred fell to George Foster. -Mister George was a Captain in de army an' was killed near Vicksburg. - -"De Ol' Missy's place shore was big, I couldn't say how many acres dere -was, but hit run four or five miles, an' she owned hundreds ob slaves. -She had lots ob log cabin quarters, whut had de cracks daubed wid mud, -an' den ceiled wid boards. I'se tellin' you dey was twice as warm as de -houses we lib in now. Dey had chimbleys built ob mud an' sticks, an' had -big wide, fireplaces, dat we cooked on, an' de beds was homemade, but -Lor' dey was heaps stronger dan dey is now, in dese times. Dem beds was -morticed together. - -"As I said b'fore I was a boy between fourteen or fifteen years old -b'fore de slaves was divided, an' when I was on de Ol' Missy's place, I -stayed aroun' de house, an' wait on dem, an' 'tend de horses. Anudder -thing I had to do, dey would send me for the mail. I had to go twelve -miles atter hit an' I couldn't read or write, but I could bring -everybody's mail to dem jes' right. I knowed I had better git hit right. -You see I could kinder figure, so I could make out by de numbers. - -"Ol' Missy an' Mister Arthur both was good to me an' all de slaves, dey -'low de slaves to make dere own patch ob cotton, an' raise chickens, an' -he would sell hit for dem. Cotton was de main crop, in dem days, hit -would sell as high as twenty-five cents a pound. 'Course dey raises -corn, pears, an' other things on de plantation, too, but dey made de -cotton. Master Jesus! dey sumtimes made from fifty to one hundred an' -fifty bales. - -"I 'members how all de women had looms, both black and white, weavin' -cloth for de clothes; an' den dey raised sheep to git de wool to make -dem gray uniforms. Lord, at sheep shearing time! hit was big times. Let -me tell you, Miss, dem uniforms was made out ob all wool, too, but I -cain't 'member whut dey used to dye 'em gray, but I 'members dey dyed -wid red oak bark, walnut bark, an' also a brush whut growed down on the -branch, also dey used de laurel leaves to dye yellow, as well as clay. -Dey so't de dye wid salt, an' hit really stayed in. - -"Let me tell you, dey really fed us slaves good, up 'til such a length -o' time atter de war broke out, den food began to git scarce. - -"You see de Government taxed 'em, an' dey had to gib so much to feed de -soldiers. Even den us had a good time, I 'members how de li'l chillun -played ball, and marbles, 'specially marbles, hit was our big game. Even -atter night dey had a big light out in de backyard, an' us would play. -Sometimes us would hunt at night, and well I 'members one Sat'day night -I went huntin' wid mah uncle, an' didn't git in 'til daylight nex' -mawning, an' I was sleepy an' didn't git de shoes all cleaned before -church time. So ol' Marsar called me an' tuk me to de carriage house to -gib me a whippin'. Ol' Marser's boy was about de same age as me an' he -beg his paw not to whip me, an' I was beggin', too, but he carried me -on, an' when we got in de carriage house, Ol' Marser had to climb up on -de side wall to git de whip, an' he had on one ob dos long tailed coats, -an' hit left dem tails hangin' down, so I jes' grabbed hold ob dem, an' -made him fall, an' den I run to de Ol' Missy's room, 'ca'se I knowed -when I got in dere, dat Ol' Marser would neber hit me. - -"De Ol' Missy got up out ob de bed an' wouldn't let Ol' Marster whip me, -an' she got so mad dat she tol' him dat she warn't going to church wid -him dat morning, an' dat lack to kill de Ol' Marster, 'ca'se he shore -loved an' was proud ob Ol' Missy. She was a beautiful woman. Dat ended -de whippin', an' dat's de only time I 'members him tryin' to whip me. - -"Ol' Missy didn't 'low dem to whip de women either, an' dey wouldn't -'low de women to roll logs either. But dey did work dem in de fiel's. -'Course dey kept de young women wid babies 'roun' de house, an' dey eat -de same grub as de white folks eat. - -"Talking 'bout log rollin', dem was great times, 'ca'se if some ob de -neighborin' plantations wanted to get up a house, dey would invite all -de slaves, men and women, to come wid dere masters. De women would help -wid de cookin' an' you may be shore dey had something to cook. Dey would -kill a cow, or three or four hogs, and den hab peas, cabbage, an' -everything lack grows on de farm. An' if dere was any meat or food lef' -dey would gib dat to de slaves to take home, an' jes' b'fore dark de -o'seer or Ol' Marster would gib de slaves all de whiskey dey wanted to -drink. Sometimes atter de days work, dey would hab a frolic, such as -dancin', an' ol' time games. - -"Dey would hab dese same kind ob gatherin's at cornshucking time, an' -cotton pickin' time, but dere warn't so much foolishness at cotton -pickin' time, 'ca'se dey didn't call one anudder den, 'ceptin' when de -cotton got so far ahead ob dem, an' was 'bout to set in fer a wet spell, -or rainy season. - -"You axed me 'bout de patty-rollers? You see de City policemen walkin' -his beat? Well, dat's de way de patty-rollin' was, only each county had -dere patty-rollers, an' dey had to serve three months at a time, den dey -was turned loose. And if dey cotch you out widout a pass, dey would gib -you thirty-nine lashes, 'ca'se dat was de law. De patty-rollers knowed -nearly all de slaves, an' it wurn't very often dey ever beat 'em. - -"You know folks was jes' de same den as dey is now, both black, and -white. Some folks you could neighbor wid den, jes' lack you can now, an' -dere was good folks den, jes' de same as dey is now. - -"Christmas time was de bes' ob all, 'ca'se us allus had a big dinner, -an' de Ol' Marster gib de women calico dresses an' shoes, an' de men -shoes an' hats, an' would gib us flour, an' sugar, molasses, an' would -buy beer, whiskey an' wine. - -"De Ol' Marster tuk good keer ob us too, when any ob us got sick he send -for de doctor, den when dey order de medicine to be giben at night, he'd -see dat us got hit. But nowadays if you git sick, you hab to git de -Doctor, an' den pay him yo' se'f. Den de Ol' Marster had to find clothes -an' shoes for us, but now us has to scuffle an' git dem de bes' way us -can. - -"You know, Miss, I'se been here a long time, I eben 'members Jefferson -Davis. I'se seen him many a time. He had a home 'tween here (Mobile) an' -New Orleans, an' you knows he fust tuk his seat in Montgomery, an' den -moved to Richmond, Virginny. - -"I 'members, too, how I useta to think dat de Baptist was de only -religion. You see John de Baptist come here baptizing, an' ever'body had -to offer up sacrifices, a goat or a sheep or sumpin', jes' lack de man -who was going to offer up his son for a sacrifice. But you knows, Jesus -come an' changed all dat. De folks in dem times didn't hab nobody to -worship; an' den one come, who said, 'Father, hand me a body, and I'll -die for dem,' Dat's Christ, an' he was baptized, an' God gib Jesus dis -whole world. So I believed, dat was de only religion. - -"I 'members how us would hab big baptizings an' shout. Us allus went to -church in de white folks church, dey had church in de mornings, us had -ours in de afternoons. Us would hab to hab a pass, dough, 'ca'se de -church was eight miles away from de plantation. - -"Dere was plenty old songs us useta to sing, but I can't 'member 'em. -Dere is dis one dat goes-- - - Wonderful Peter, - Wonderful Paul, - Wonderful Silas, - Who for to make a - Mah heart rejoice. - - On Good Shepherds, feed a' mah sheep. - Don't you hear de young lambs a bleatin'? - Don't you hear de young lambs a bleatin'? - Don't you hear de young lambs a bleatin'? - Oh! Good shepherds feed a' mah sheep." - - - - -Jim Gillard - - - *Interview with Jim Gillard* - --_Preston Klein, Opelika, Alabama_ - -_SOLD AT THREE MONTHS FOR $350_ - -Jim Gillard was eleven years old when the War between the States began. -Thus, the memories of the conflict are fresh; with the retreat from -Rome, Ga., to Salem, Ala., as a refugee, transcending the others. - -Jim was born on a plantation at Pendleton, S.C., and was sold for $350 -when he was only three months old. He was one of eight children -belonging to James and Hannah Gillard. - -"Atter bein' sold, I fust lived 'bout three miles from Rome, Ga.," Jim -recalled. "Den, when de Yankees come into Georgy us refugeed fust to -Atlanta, den to Columbus an' later to Salem. Us was at Salem when de war -ended." - -Jim remembers catching partridges as a boy, taking them to the train and -selling them to Charlie Crowder for ten cents each. - -"Game was plentiful in dem days," he said, "an' I never had any trouble -catchin' dem birds. - -"No'm, our houses wasn't nothin' to brag about. Dey was built of hewn -logs an' had slab floors, havin' two rooms an' a shed cook room. Us beds -was lak tables, wid four legs nailed on to de sides an' den corded over -de top wid ropes dat was tightened wid a big key. Us had shuck -mattresses to sleep on. - -"Us cooked on a great big fireplace. I 'members dat dere was plenty of -meat in de winter, 'ca'se Ol' Marster used to kill as many as thirty -hogs at a time. Us had meat an' bread an' home-made light bread an' de -white folks was mighty kind. I 'members us was carried to Sunday School -every Sunday at 3 o'clock in de evenin'. Ol' Mistus'd teach us de -lesson. De white chilluns had dere Sunday School at 9 o'clock in de -mornin.' - -"I allus went to Sunday School, but on de week days us little niggers -would slip off an' go huntin' when we could." - -Jim recalls that "de little niggers" ate from tin plates on the -plantation; but declared he didn't mind that because the food was always -good. - -"Yes'm, us had purty good clothes. Dey was dyed brown wid walnut leaves -an' hazelnut bush, an' on Sunday us had striped gingham pants an' shoes. -My father was de shoemaker an' had a gov'mint tan yard whar he would -make ol' hard brogans fer $8 a pair. - -"My marster an' Mistus was Steven an' 'Lizbeth Wilson. Dey fust lived in -a big log house, but den moved into a planked house. Dey had nine -chillun; Ann, Steven, William, Liza, Humie, Eddie, Laura, Mary an' -Lizzie. - -"I 'members lots 'bout Mistus 'Lizabeth, 'ca'se she useter read de Bible -to us niggers. She would talk to us 'bout de Good Book an' have prayer -meetin' wid us. - -"My dad useter look atter de fiel' hands. No'm, he war'nt no overseer, -but Ol' Marster allus had confidence in him. - -"I 'members dat when dey would be a funeral, us'd sing; marchin' befo' -de body 'fore us'd get to de grave an' singin', 'Hark come de tune a -doleful sound, my years a tender cry; a livin' man come view de ground -whar you may shortly lie.' - -"Us frolics on Sattidy night was fine an' us'd dance 'twel mos' day. -Marster's brother would fiddle for us, an' at Christmas time us would -have six days to frolic. Us also had a big time at de cornshuckin's, an' -us'd whoop an' holler an' sing mos' all night. De big niggers had plenty -of liquor de boss give 'um. High tables was filled up wid corn an' de -niggers would shuck 'twel it was all done. - -"My aunt married up at de big house an' dey give her a big dance. Dey -had de fiddle and had a great big time. Dey jes' jumped over de broom to -marry, so atter slavery dey had to git married agin. - -"I acted as houseboy in slavery times. An' all de little niggers did -have lots of fun. - -"When de slaves got ailin', I 'members dat Marster had Dr. Word an' Dr. -Dunwoody to come to see us. - -"I 'members, too, how de Yankees come to Spring Villa, 'bout eight miles -from Opelika, an' said to some mens, 'Halt'. De mens wouldn't stop so de -Yankees throwed dey guns on dem. Two white ladies threw a white flag an' -dey wouldn't shoot, but dey carried Mr. John Edwards to Spring Villa an' -made a cross on his wrist; den turned him loose 'ca'se his wife was rale -sick. - -"When de Yankees come, us niggers buried a cigar box wid de jewelry in -it under a certain pine tree 'twel dey went on. - -"Atter de big war, I married Jane Davis fust time; den Carrie Cooper. Us -had two chillun an' one gran' chile, Emanuel Trotter, ten year' old. - -"Yassu'm, Mr. Abraham Lincoln died a warrior for dis country. I b'longs -to de church, 'ca'se if a man dies outter de Ark he is not saved, an' I -wants to be saved." - - - - -Mary Ella Grandberry - - - *Interview with Mary Ella Grandberry* - --_Levi D. Shelby, Jr., Tuscumbia, Alabama_ - -_TODAY'S FOLKS DON'T KNOW NOTHIN'_ - -Life as a child is not clear in the ninety-year old memory of Mary Ella -Grandberry, who lives in Sheffield, but she remembers that she did not -have time to play as do children of today. - -"I don't know jes' how old I is," Mary Ella said, "but I knows dat I'm -some'ers nigh ninety yars ol'. I was borned in Barton, Alabama. My -father an' mother come from Richmond, Virginny. My mammy was name -Margaret Keller an' my pappy was Adam Keller. My five sisters was -Martha, Sarah, Harriet, Emma an' Rosanna, an' my three brothers was -Peter, Adam, Jr., an' William. - -"Us all live in a li'l two-room log cabin jes' off the Big House. Life -wan't ver' much for us, 'caze we had to work an' slave all de time. -Massa Jim's house was a little ol' frame buildin' lack a ord'nary house -is now. He was a single man an' didn't hab so terr'ble much, it seem. He -had a whole lot, too, but jes' to look at him you'd thank he was a po' -white man. Dere was a lot o' cabins for de slaves, but dey wasn't fitten -for nobody to lib in. We jes' had to put up wid 'em. - -"I don' 'member much about when I was a chil'. I disremembers ever -playin' lack chilluns do today. Ever since I kin 'member I had a water -bucket on my arm totin' water to de han's. Iffen I wan't doin' dat, I -was choppin' cotton. Chilluns nowadays sees a good time to w'at we did -den. Ever' mornin' jes' 'bout hip of day de oberseer was 'roun' to see -dat we was ready to git to de fiel's. Plenty times us had to go widouten -breakfas', 'caze we didn' git up in time to git it 'fo' de man done come -to git us on de way to de fiel'. Us wukked 'twell dinner time jes' de -same before we got anythang to eat. - -"De food we et was fix jes' lack hit is now. My mammy fixed our grub at -home. De on'y diffe'nce 'tween den an' now was us didn' git nothin' but -common things den. Us didn' know what hit was to git biscuits for -breakfas' ever' mornin'. It was cornbread 'twell on Sundays den us'd git -fo' biscuits apiece. Us got fatback mos' ever' mornin'. Sometimes us -mought git a chicken for dinner on a Sunday or some day lack Chris'mas. -It was mighty seldom us gits anythin' lack dat, dough. We lacked possums -an' rabbits but dey didn' come twell Winter time when some of de men -folks'd run 'crost one in de fiel'. Dey never had no chanst to git out -an' hunt none. - -"Dere was no sech thang as havin' diffe'nt clo's for winter an' Summer. -Us wore de same thang in summertime as in de wintertime. De same was -true 'bout shoes. Us wore brogans from one yeah to de yuther. - -"My Ol' Massa was a putty good man but nothin' exter. One thang 'bout -him, he wouldn' 'low none of de oberseers to whup none of us, lessen he -was dar to see hit done. Good thang he was lack dat, too, 'caze he sabed -de blacks a many a lick what dey'd got iffen he hadn' been dar. Massa -Jim was a bach'lor, an' he ain't never had much truck wid women folks. -Iffen he had any chilluns, I never knowed nothin' 'bout 'em. - -"De oberseers was terrible hard on us. Dey'd ride up an' down de fiel' -an' haste you so twell you near 'bout fell out. Sometimes an' most -inginer'ly ever' time you 'hin' de crowd you got a good lickin' wid de -bull whup dat de driver had in de saddle wid him. I hearn mammy say dat -one day dey whupped po' Leah twell she fall out like she was daid. Den -dey rubbed salt an' pepper on de blisters to make 'em burn real good. -She was so so' 'twell she couldn' lay on her back nights, an' she jes' -couldn' stan' for no clo's to tech back whatsomever. - -"Massa Jim had 'bout one of de bigges' plantations in dat section. I -guess he had nigh onto a hun'erd blacks on de place. I never knowed -'zackly how many thar was nor how big de place was. - -"De folks now'days is allus complainin' 'bout how dey is havin' sech -hard times, but dey jes' don' know nothin'. Dey should hab come up when -I did an' dey'd see now dey is libin' jes' lack kings an' queens. Dey -don' have to git up 'fo' day when hit's so dark you kin jes' see your -han's 'fo' your eyes. Dey don' know what it's lack to have to keep up -wid de leader. You know dey was allus somebody what could wuk faster dan -de res' of de folks an' dis fellow was allus de leader, an' ever'body -else was s'pose to keep up wid him or her whatsomever hit was. Iffen you -didn' keep up wid de leader you got a good thrashin' when you gits home -at night. Hit was allus good dark when de han's got in from de fiel'. -Co'se iffen dar was a lady what had a baby at home, she could leave jes' -a little 'fo' de sun sot. - -"Younguns now'days don' know what it is to be punish'; dey thank iffen -dey gits a li'l whuppin' from dey mammy now dat dey is punish' terrible. -Dey should of had to follow de leader for one day an' see how dey'd be -punish' iffen dey gits too far behin'. De bigges' thang dat us was -punish' for was not keepin' up. Dey'd whup us iffen we was caught -talkin' 'bout de free states, too. Iffen you wan't whupped, you was put -in de 'nigger box' an' fed cornbread what was made widouten salt an' wid -plain water. De box was jes' big 'nough for you to stan' up in, but hit -had air holes in hit to keep you from suffocatin'. Dere was plenty -turnin' 'roun' room in hit to 'low you to change your position ever' -oncet in a while. Iffen you had done a bigger 'nough thang you was kep' -in de 'nigger box' for months at de time, an' when you got out you was -nothin' but skin an' bones an' scurcely able to walk. - -"Half de time a slave didn' know dat he was sol' 'twell de massa'd call -him to de Big House an' tell him he had a new massa from den on. Ever' -time dat one was sol' de res' of 'em'd say, 'I hopes nex' time'll be -me.' Dey thought you'd git a chanst to run away to de free states. I -hearn my mammy say dat when she come from Virginny dat she come on a -boat built outten logs. She say she never was so sick in all her life. I -seed a 'hole wagon load of slaves come through our farm one day what was -on dere way to Arkansas. Dey was de mos' I ever seed travel at de same -time. - -"De white folks didn't 'low us to even look at a book. Dey would scol' -an' sometimes whup us iffen dey caught us wid our head in a book. Dat is -one thang I sho'ly did want to do an' dat was to learn to read an' -write. Massa Jim promised to teach us to read an' write, but he neber -had de time. - -"Dere wan't but one chu'ch on de place what I lived on, an' de colored -and de white both went to hit. You know we was neber 'lowed to go to -chu'ch widoutten some of de white folks wid us. We wan't even 'lowed to -talk wid nobody from anudder farm. Iffen you did, you got one of de wus' -whuppin's of your life. Atter freedom Massa Jim tol' us dat dey was -'fraid we'd git together an' try to run away to de No'th, an' dat was -w'y dey didn' wan' us gittin' together talkin'. - -"A few years 'fo' de war my pappy learnt to read de Bible. (Mary Ella -apparently forgot her previous comment on penalties for learning to -read). Whenever we would go to chu'ch he would read to us an' we'd sing. -'Bout de mos' two pop'lar songs dey sung was 'Steal Away' an' 'I Wonder -Whar Good Ol' Dan'el Was.' 'Steal Away' is sech a pop'lar song what -ever'body knows hit. De yuther one is done mought' nigh played out, so -I'll sing hit for you. It goes lack dis: - - I wonder whar was good ol' Dan'el, - I wonder whar was good ol' Dan'el, - I wonder whar was thankin' (thinking) Peter, - I wonder whar was thankin' Peter. - - (Chorus) - - I'm goin' away, goin' away. - I'm goin' away, goin' away. - - I wonder whar was weepin' Mary, - I wonder whar was weepin' Mary, - I'm goin' away, I'm goin' away, - I'm goin' away to live forever, - I'll never turn back no mo'. - -"De slaves would git tired of de way dey was treated an' try to run away -to de No'th. I had a cousin to run away one time. Him an' anudder fellow -had got 'way up in Virginny 'fo' Massa Jim foun' out whar dey was. Soon -as Massa Jim foun' de whar'bouts of George he went atter him. When Massa -Jim gits to George an' 'em, George pertended lack he didn' know Massa -Jim. Massa Jim as' him, "George don't you know me?' George he say, 'I -neber seed you 'fo' in my life.' Den dey as' George an' 'em whar did dey -come from. George an' dis yuther fellow look up in de sky an' say, 'I -come from above, whar all is love.' Iffen dey had owned dey knowed Massa -Jim he could have brung 'em back home. My pappy tried to git away de -same time as George an' dem did, but he couldn' see how to take all us -chillun wid him, so he had to stay wid us. De blacks an' de whites would -have de terr'bles' battles sometimes. Dat would be when de blacks would -slip off to de No'th an' was caught an' brung back. De paterollers'd -ketch de colored folks an' lock 'em up twell de owner came atter 'em. - -"Iffen a slave was cotched out after nine o'clock he was whupped. Dey -didn' 'low nobody out atter it was dark 'lessen he had a pass from de -Massa. One night, 'fo' George an' dis fellow (I disremembers his name, -but I thinks it was Ezra) runned away, George tried to git over to de -bunk whar he lived an' one of de oberseers seen him an' dey put him in -de 'nigger box' for three weeks. Jes' as soon as he got out again, -George an' dis Ezra slipped off. Dey had a sign dat dey would give each -yuther eve'y night atter sundown. George would hang de lantern in de -window, an' den he would take it outen de window an' hang it raght back -in dar ag'in. I couldn't never make no sense outen it. I axed him one -day whut he was adoin' dat for. He say dat 'fo' long I'd know 'zackly -what is all about. Dis was de sign of how long dey have to wait 'fo' dey -try to git away. - -"Atter de day's work was over, de slaves didn't have nothin' to do but -go to bed. In fac', dey didn't feel lack doin' nothin' else. On Satiday -dey sot up an' washed so's dey could have some clean clothes to wear de -comin' week. We wukked all day, ever' day 'cep'n some Sat'days, we had a -half day off den. Us didn' git many an' on'y when us as' for 'em. On -Sundays us jes' laid 'roun' 'mos' all day. Us didn't git no pleasure -outten goin' to church, 'caze we warn't 'lowed to say nothin'. Sometimes -even on Chris'mas us didn't git no res'. I 'members on one Chris'mas us -had to build a lime kiln. When us git a holiday us rested. Iffen dere -was a weddin' or a funeral on our plantation us went. Odderways we don't -go nowhar. - -"De war come when I was a big gal. I 'member dat my uncle an' cousin -jined in wid de Yankees to hope fight for de freedom. De Yankees come to -our place an' runned Massa Jim away an' tuk de house for a horsepittil. -Dey tuk all of Massa Jim's clothes an' gived dem to some of dere -frien's. Dey burned up all de cotton, hay, peas an' ever'thing dat was -in de barns. Dey made de white folks cook for de colored an' den serve -'em while dey et. De Yankees made 'em do for us lak we done for dem. Dey -showed de white folks what it was to work for somebody else. Dey stayed -on our place for de longes'. When dey did leave, dere warn't a mouthful -to eat in de house. When de war was over, Massa Jim told us dat we had -to find som'ers else to live. Co'se some of my folks had already gone -when he come home. Us lef' Massa Jim's an' moved to anudder farm. We got -pay for de wuk what we did on dis yuther place. Raght atter de war de Ku -Klux got atter de colored folks. Dey would come to our houses an' scare -us mos' to death. Dey would take some of de niggers out an' whup 'em an' -dose dat dey didn't whup dey tied up by dere fingers an' toes. Dese Ku -Klux would come to our windows at night an' say: 'Your time ain't long -acomin'.' De Ku Klux got so bad dat dey would even git us in de daytime. -Dey tuk some of de niggers an' throwed 'em in de river to drown. Dey -kep' dis up 'twell some folks from de North come down an' put a stop to -it. - -"I ma'ied Nelson Granberry. De weddin' was private. I don't have no -chilluns, but my husban' got fo'. I haven't heered from any of 'em in a -long time now. I guess dey all daid. - -"Abe Lincoln was de bes' president dat dis country eber had. Iffen it -hadn't been for him we'd still be slaves raght now. I don't think so -much of Jeff Davis 'caze he tried to keep us slaves. Booker T. -Washington was one of de greates' niggers dat ever lived, he always -tried to raise de standard of de race. - -"I joined the church 'caze de Bible says dat all people should join de -church an' be Christians. Jesus Christ set up de church an' said dat -ever'body what wanted to be saved to come unto him. Sin is de cause of -de world bein' in de fix dat it's in today. De only way to fight sin is -to git together. Iffen we can do away wid sin raght now, de world would -be a paradise. In de church we learn de will of God an' what he would -have us do. - -"Dere was no po' white trash in our 'munity; dey was kep' back in de -mountains." - - - - -Esther Green - - - *Interview with Esther Green* - --_Ila B. Prine_ - -_US CHILLUN WORE SHOES LIKE GROWNUPS_ - -'Aunt' Esther Green, of 554 Texas Street, Mobile, Alabama, was all too -ready to talk about her slavery days in spite of her assertion that she -didn't remember much about the war. - -"I was jus' a chile," she says. "You can figure for yourself. Somebody -tole me I was born in 1855, so I couldn't of been very old. I was born -in State Line, Mississippi, and was owned by Edward Davis. He owned my -mother, Rachel Davis and her mother, Melinda Davis. I never did know who -my pappy was 'cause I never did see him. - -"To de bes' of my recollections, my whitefolks was allus good to us -niggers. He neber allowed no overseers and he never whipped none of dem, -'ceptin' maybe a switching once in a while for us littl'luns when we -didn't behave. I never saw a growed up nigger whipped in all my life. -Ole Massa jus' didn't b'lieve in dat. Massa was shorely a good man. Lots -of times he would get us little niggers up on de porch at de big house -and have us dance for him. We sho used to have a big time out on dem big -white porches. - -"I never had no work to do myself, 'cause I always stayed in de big -house wid Miss Mary Davis, ole Massa's wife. I was in de house one day -and ole Massa asked me if I wanted to eat at de table wid dem, so I -pulled up a chair and spite of de fact dere was all kinds of good stuff -to eat in front of me, I called for lye hominy. I sho did love dat stuff -better'n anything else I ever et. Ole Massa and de res' of dem jus' -laugh fit to kill. I reckon dey thought I was crazy sho' nuff', but I et -hominy jes' de same. - -"As to de number of slaves ole Massa had, I never knew. Us had log -cabins to stay in. De cracks was chinked up wid yellow mud to keep de -cold out and de chim'ney was made of straw and de same kind of mud, but -dem cabins was warmer dan de house is nowadays. We didn't have no -furniture 'ceptin' a home-made bed which was nailed to de wall on one -side and two legs out in de middle of de floor. De mattresses was made -of straw and hay. All de cookin' was done on de big open fireplaces what -had big potracks to hang de pots on. - -"Massa rationed out de food every week and we usually got a peck of -meal. We had plenty of 'taters and peas and other vegetables dat we -growed on de place. At Chris'mas time, we was give meat and molasses to -make cakes. Us always had plenty of plain food. And too, de men would go -huntin' at night and come back wid lots of big fat 'possums and rabbits -by de dozen, and mos' of de time, dey would even catch a coon. And old -Ben, a nigger who had turkey traps, was always bringin' in lots of dem -big fat birds. - -"De men and women worked in de field all day, but I never picked a bit -of cotton all my life. At night de women would spin and weave cloth, but -I never did learn to do dat. Den dey would dye de cloth different -colors, mostly red and blue though, and make dem into clothes. Us -chilluns had a one-piece dress or slip. Our shoes was all homemade too. -Massa had one man who tanned de leather. He would take it an put it into -a long trough for a long time and den whatever was done dat was supposed -to be done to it, he would take it out and cut it and make shoes. Us -chilluns' had shoes same as de grown folks. - -"On Sundays, we would got to de white folks' church. Dere was a shed -built onto de church and we would sit on benches out under de shed and -listen to de preacher. De white folks would have lots of big baptizings, -but I never did see no niggers baptized den. - -"Ole Massa had a big fambly, three boys and six girls. My own ma had -eight chilluns. Us was always healthy and never had to have much -medicine. 'Bout de only thing I remembers ever takin' was tea made from -de root of de china berry tree. It made good tea for worms, but was to -be used only at certain times of de moon. My man also used Jerusalem Oak -seed for worms. I never fools wid tryin' to doctor nobody's chilluns -now-a-days, things is all so different. - -"My Grandma, Melinda, and ole Ben and his wife was three ole people -Massa freed long time before de war. When all de niggers was freed, -Massa called em up to de house and tole dem dat dey was loose to go -wherever suited dem, but mos' of dem stayed on de place two or three -weeks, and den one mornin' I woke up and all of dem had left durin' de -night. I was de only nigger left on de place and I jus' cried and cried, -mostly because I was jus' lonesome for some of my own kind to laugh and -talk wid. - -"I don't remember exactly what I did after de Surrender, but it was -about four years afterwards dat I come to Mobile and I been here every -since. - -I's a member of de Mobile Delaware Baptist Church, but I can't attend -very regular 'count of bein' all crippled up wid de rheumatisms. I -reckon dat ailing is natural though, cause I been here a long time and -I's got forty grandchilluns and more dan dat many great-grandchilluns." - - - - -Jake Green - - - *Interview with Jake Green* - --_Ruby Pickens Tartt, Livingston, Alabama_ - -_A CONJU' WHAT DIDN' WUK_ - -"Yessum, dem niggers sho' was scared when ole Buck showed up in de -fiel'," Jake Green, former slave, laughed with a vigor that denied his -eighty-five years as he described "a conju' what didn' wuk." Jake has a -vivid memory of those days before the Civil War, though he was only a -small boy when it started. - -"Me an' my mother an' father b'longed to old man Lam Whitehead jes' a -few miles from Coatopa, 'bout ten miles east of Livingston, Alabama," he -began. "My mother was Molly Whitehead, my father was Dan Whitehead. I -don't know nothin' 'bout my gran'mammy an' gran'pappy, but I had a heap -of unkies. - -"Mr. Whitehead owned Dirtin Ferry down to Belmont, an' dey had a darkey -dere named Dick what claim sick all de time. So de Massa man said, -'Dick, dam it, go to de house. I can't get no work outten you.' So Dick -went on. He was a fiddler so dey jes' tuck his vittuls to him for seven -years. Den one day, Old Massa say to de overseer man, 'Let's slip up -dere an' see what Dick doin'. So dey did, an' dere sot Dick, fat as he -could be a-playin' de fiddle an' a-singin', - - 'Fool my Massa seben years. - Gwiner fool him seben mo'. - Hey diddle, de diddle, de diddle, de do'.' - -"'Bout dat time Ole Massa poked his head in de do' said 'Dam iffen you -will. Come outten dere, you black rascal, an' go to work, 'An' I ain't -never hyard of Dick complainin' no mo'. - -"But dey wan't so mean. Sometimes us got whupped but Massa had fo' men -he didn't 'low nobody to hit, white er black. Dey was Unker Arch, he was -de main carriage driver; my father, he was de house servant; Unker -Julius, de fo'man of de plow han's an' Unker Ed'erds, de fo'man of de -hoe han's. Whenever anybody wanted to hire anybody to work for 'em, de -Massa send dem fo' out an' hire 'em by de day to chop cotton or pick. -An' dem fo' niggers could chop much cotton in a day as de mule could -plow. Whenever dey'd stop de plow at twelve o'clock, dem niggers was -right dere to lay de hoe handles on de plow, an' dat's choppin'. All -four could pick a bale of cotton a day. Whenever anybody say, 'Mr. -Whitehead, I want a bale of cotton picked today,' he'd send dem fo' men -an' dey could pick five hundred pounds apiece an' leave de sun still -runnin'. Dey was pickers in dem days! - -"Cose dey had to begin, an' all us got up 'fo' day. Twan't nothin' -strange to be standin' in de fiel' by your plow waitin' for de sun to -come up. Ev'body was early risers in dem days. Dey was pretty good to -us, but ole Mr. Buck Brasefiel', what had a plantation 'jinin' us'n, was -so mean to his'n dat twan't nothin' for 'em to run away. One nigger, -Rich Parker, runned off one time an' whilst he gone he seed a hoodoo -man, so when he got back Mr. Brasefiel' tuck sick an' stayed sick two or -three weeks. Some of de darkies tole him, 'Rich been to de hoodoo -doctor.' So Mr. Brasefiel' got up outten dat bed an' come a-yellin' in -de fiel', 'You thought you had ole Buck, but by God he rose agin'. Dem -niggers was so skeered, dey squatted in de fiel' jes' lack partridges, -an' some of 'em whispered, 'I wish to God he had a-died.' - -[Illustration: _Jake Green, Livingston, Alabama_] - -"'Twan't long atter dat come S'render, but dat nigger done lef' dere, -an' didn't nobody know whar Parker was at. Some of de niggers done -bought an' paid for dey mule an' me an' Pappy was rentin' an' wukkin' on -sneers, when here come Parker, jes' hyared 'bout S'render. He say 'Why -didn't somebody come tell me 'twas S'render?' Den he start a-singin' - - Slav'y chain, slav'y chain, - Thank God a'mighty I'm free at las', - Free at las', free at las', - Thank God a'mighty I'm free at las'. - -"But dat wan't none of Old Massa's niggers. He had one, do' call him -John, an' hit come a traveler an' stayed all night. Ole Massa p'inted -out John, an' said, 'He ain't never tole me a lie in his life.' De -traveler bet Massa a hund'ed dollars 'ginst fo' bits he'd ketch John in -a lie 'fo' he lef'. Next mawnin' at de table de mice was pretty bad, so -de traveler caught one by de tail an' put him inside a kiver-lid dish -what was settin' dere on de table, an' he tole Ole Massa tell John he -could eat sumpin' out of ev'y dish atter dey got th'oo but dat kiver-lid -one, an' not to take kiver offen hit. An' John said, 'Nossuh, I won't.' -But John jes' nachully had to see what was in dat dish, so he raise de -lid, an' out hopped de mouse. Den hyar come Old Massa an' axed John -iffen he done what he tole him not to do, an' John 'nied hit. Den de -traveler look in de dish an' de mouse wan't dere, an' he said, 'See -dere, John been lyin' to you all de time, you jes' ain't knowed hit,' -an' I reckon he right 'caze us had to lie." - - - - -Charity Grigsby - - - *Interview with Charity Grigsby* - --_R.P. Tartt, [HW: Livingston?]_ - -_I KNOWS I'S EIGHTY FIVE BUT 'SPECTS I'S MORE DEN DAT_ - -Charity Grigsby lives in a tumbledown shanty about nine miles from -Livingston on the old Epes road. She was sewing on a quilt when I -arrived; humming an old plantation song that ran: - - Angels in de water, walkin' by de light; - Po' sinners stand in darkness an' cannot see de light! - -A broad smile flowed across her black face as I entered the cabin. She -placed her needle aside, exclaimed: "Law me, honey, I's always proud -when de white folks drap aroun'; an' dat's directly so." - -"Charity," I said, "I want you to tell me about slavery times." - -She lowered her head in thought a moment, said: - -"Honey, what would I tell?" - -"Just all you remember, Charity." - -And this is what she told: - -"Honey, I was borned Charity Grigsby, but I married Nelson Grigory; -ain't much 'stinguish in de names; but 'twas a little. My pappy was -Dan'l Grigsby an' my mammy was Mary Moore. See, us belonged to Ol' -Mister Jim Moore right up yonder 'bove Sumterville near Ramsey Station. - -[Illustration: _Charity Grigsby, Livingston, Alabama_] - -"You goes up de Gainesville an' Livingston Road an' turns off at de -cross road 'bout nine miles from Livingston. Den you goes due west. It -ain't far from dere; bout six miles, I reckons. 'Twan't no big -plantation; 'bout a dozen of us dere; an' Marse Jim didn't have no -overseer lak de rest. He had dem boys of his'n what seed to us. Dey was -John an' William an' Jim. Dey was all tol'able good to us; but dey would -whoop us if we wasn't 'bedient; jes' like a mother raisin' a chile. - -"I can't say how old I is; it's done got away from me; but I was a -stroppin' gal durin' de war. I knows I's eighty-five an' I 'spects I's -more dan dat. I's de mammy of 'leven chilluns; I knows dat; but ain't -but five of dem a-livin'. As you knows, I lives wid two of dem; Mattie -an' Evie. Dey treats me good. Hattie an' Ellen an' my boy lives in -Bessemer. Dat is all my individual chilluns, but I's got a few others. I -can't recollect much to tell; been a good while since de war; but when -you calls it to my 'memberance I can think it up. - -"Honey, dem nigger dogs; dey sho' did run. Sometimes dey kotched a -nigger, but dey didn't never run me. I was in de house weavin' an' -spinnin' lak mistus showed me; an' I didn't never get in no trouble wid -nobody. - -"An' den again, Marse Jim was purty tol'able good to us, but Mr. Ervin -Lavendar was sho' mean to his niggers, an' his plantation warn't far -from our'n. He had a pack of dogs what run de niggers; an' dem was -skeery times, I tell you. Us didn't l'arn no schoolin' nor go nowhere -nor have no corn shuckin' nor nothin'; jes' 'quired to stay in de -cabins. I hyared 'bout Bre'r Rabbit an' hoodoo; but I never takes up no -time wid dat foolishness; never seed no sense in it. Us got on all right -'thout dat. - -"Some of de other niggers 'sides me was all de time in trouble, dough. -Mr. Fulton, who lived clost to Mr. Lavendar, had a nigger-driver an' -overseer name Sanders, an' I bet he was de meanest one of dem all. You -know, honey, dey planted wheat fields in de fall in dem days an' cut it -in de spring. It would come off in time 'nuff to make corn. - -"Dere was a flock of birds lak blackbirds; only dey was wheat birds; an' -dey went in droves an' fly way up yonder. Us had planks to slap together -to keep de birds out er de wheat, because dey et it up. - -"Well'm, one day Mr. Sanders tol' one of de women what was one of de -sucklers on de place, dat if she wouldn't do what he axed her to dey was -a black coffin over her haid. She 'fused him; so when he was loadin' his -gun dere in de wheat fiel', he was holdin' de gun barrel propped under -his chin, jes' so, an de other end settin' on de ground. Well sir, it -went off an' he killed hisse'f stid of dat sucklin' woman; an' dat was a -awful time, 'ca'se de niggers got skeered an' run, an' dey sot Mr. -Lavendar's pack of nigger dogs on 'em. De dogs kotched some an' chewed -'em nigh 'bout to death. It warn' none of us, but it were close. - -"Us laid low, didn't go out nowhere. Us wasn't 'lowed to; couldn't go to -prayer meetin' or nothin'. - -[Illustration: _Charity Grigsby's House, Livingston, Alabama_] - -"You ax what dat song I singin' when you come? Dat was all of it, an' -dat's 'nuff fer me, 'ca'se it's true. What dey gwine to be no mo' fer? -Jes': - - Angels in de water, walkin' by de light; - Po' sinners stan' in darkness an' cannot se de light. - -"I don' want no mo' myse'f; jes' dat; dat's all. How come you wants some -mo'? Don't dat much satisfy you? But honey, de sun gettin' low an' my -chilluns will soon be comin' from de swamps. Ain't no bread cooked fer -'em. I'll tell you some mo' when I gets my mind on it, 'ca'se it's been -a good while since de war. - -"Yas'm, us has 'nuff to eat; but if us could get anymore, us would lak -it. You know how 'tis; can make out wid mighty little. Us eats greens; -lookin' forward to roas' in years comin' in." - - - - -Charles Hayes - - - *Interview with Charles Hayes* - --_Mary A. Poole, Mobile_ - -_SHO' I BELIEVES IN SPIRITS, SAYS CHARLES_ - -"Mistis," said Charles Hayes from his porch in Maysville, near Mobile, -Alabama, "I was a little bitty nigger when de war broke out, an' I -belonged to Massa Ben Duncan who lived at Day's Landin' on de Alabamy -Ribber. - -"Marse Ben's house was de regulation plantation wid slave quarters. Most -of de things us used was made raght dere on de plantation, sich as: -beds, buckets, tools, soap, brogans, breeches, an' chairs. Our -mattresses was either made outen cornshucks or cotton bolls. Us cooked -on an open fireplace, an' eve'y Sadday night us would go to de big house -for supplies. Marse Ben was good to his slaves an' he 'lowed dem to have -a little plot of groun' nex' to de cabins whar dey could raise dere own -little crop. - -"My mammy was a fiel' han' an' my pappy was a mechanic an' he use to be -de handy man aroun' de big house, makin' eve'thing f'um churns an' -buckets to wagon wheels. My pappy also useta play de fiddle for de white -folks dances in de big house, an' he played it for de colored frolics -too. He sho could make dat thing sing. - -"Us useta have all sorts of cures for de sick people, f'rinstance, us -used de Jerusalem weed cooked wid molasses into a candy for to give to -de chilluns to git rid of worms. Den us'd bile de root an' make a kinda -tea for de stomach worms. You know de kinds dat little puppies an' -little chilluns has dat eats all de food dat goes in to de stomach, an' -makes de chile or dog eat plenty but don't git no benefits f'um all -dey're eatin'. Horehound, dat growed wild in Clarke County, was used for -colds. Mullen tea was used for colds an' swollen j'ints. Den dere was de -life everlastin' tea dat was also good for colds and horse mint tea dat -was good for de chills an' fevers. Co'se, Mistis, us niggers had a -regular fambly doctah dat 'tended to us when we was sho 'nough down -raght sick, but dese remedies I's tellin' you 'bout us used when warn't -nothin' much ailin' us. It was always to de owner's interest, Mistis, to -have de niggers in a good, healthy condition. - -"Does I believe in spirits, you says? Sho I does. When Christ walked on -de water, de Apostles was skeered he was a spirit, but Jesus told dem -dat he warn't no spirit, dat he was as 'live as dey was. He tol' 'em dat -spirits couldn't be teched, dat dey jus' melted when you tried to. So, -Mistis, Jesus musta meant dat dere was sich a thing as spirits. - -"Atter de war my pappy an' mammy stayed on de Duncan plantation en' -worked on share crops. Dere was a school on de groun's for us slave -chilluns, an' my gran'mammy, Salina Duncan, taught de bible, 'ca'se she -was f'um Virginny an' had been learnt to read an' write by her Mistis up -dere. - -"My fus' wife was named Alice Bush, an' us had ten chilluns; my second -one was named Caroline Turner an' us didn't have but eight. Both my ole -womens is daid now, white folks, an' I stays here wid one of my -daughters. You see, my eyesight is almos' gone due to one day when I was -a workin' in de forge, a hot piece of iron flew up an' landed in my eye. -'Twarn't long befo' it started to hurtin' in my udder eye. Now both is -'bout to give out." - - - - -Lizzie Hill - - - *Interview with Lizzie Hill* - --_Gertha Couric_ - -_THE STORY OF AUNT LIZZIE HILL_ - -Aunt Lizzie Hill, 94 years of age, moved from the Spurlock plantation, -four miles out, to the city of Eufaula about 20 years ago. She was of -such vigorous constitution, that until recently, she carried on her -regular occupation of laundress or "wash-'oman," as she calls herself. -Too feeble to work regularly, she now is cared for by a niece with whom -she lives. - -Sitting before the fire in a rocking-chair, smoking a clay pipe--her -neat clothing, snow-white hair and wrinkled, kindly face make a pleasing -picture of contentment. Her mind is, apparently, unimpaired, and she -readily responds to her recollections of slavery: - -[Illustration: _Lizzie Hill, Eufaula, Alabama_] - -"Sho, Missey, I 'members 'bout it! I was most grown when freedom come. -My Marster (Richard Dozier) and my Mistis was good to all dey niggers -and dey raised me right. I had two little mistises 'bout as old as me, -and I played wid dem all de time and slep' on a pallet in dey room ev'y -night. Dey slep' on de big bed. My clothes was jes' as good and clean as -deyrn, an I et what dey et." - -The little girls, she explained, were about six and eight years old when -this association began, and it continued until close of the war, when -all were nearly grown. - -"Atter freedom come," continued Aunt Lizzie, "Mammy moved to Cuthbert -and tuk me erway fum Old Mistis; but I runned away and went back to -Mistis, and walked all de fourteen miles down de big road at night--I -runned most ob de way. Three times I done dat, but Mammy come and tuk me -back to work in de field ev'y time. I wanted to stay wid Old Mistis. Dey -called her 'Miss Everline' and ev'ybody liked her. Bofe my little -mistises got mai'ed and den Old Marster and Old Mistis moved off to -Texas, and I ain't eber seed none ob 'em no more. I's had a hard time -workin' in de field since de war. Fo' freedom come, I nebber worked -cep'n in de house--I was a 'house-girl' and didn't do no field work." - - - - -Gabe Hines - - - *Interview with Gabe Hines* - --_Gertha Couric_ - -_GABE WAS KIDNAPPED BY CARPETBAGGERS_ - -Old Gabe had been long in this world--close to one hundred years. He had -experienced much but one incident had out-lasted all the others--even -the stroke that made him older and more feeble. That experience had -caused Gabe and his "ole woman" to stray far from the fold and to walk -all the way back to its shelter. - -That was back in Reconstruction days, when he was not "bandy in his -knees" and long before Anna left him alone in his cabin with just -memories of earlier and happier days. - -Gabe was "birthed in Cusseta, Georgia," the son of two faithful old -slaves, Hetty and Gabe Hines, and they "all 'longed to Marsa William -Shipp an' Miss Ma'y. He told his story thus: - -"Endurin' of de Wah, I was big enough to be water toter on de -plantation. No, Li'l Missy, I doan' 'zactly know how old I is 'ceptin' -by de squeakin' an' achin' of my bones. I 'members lots 'bout doze days. -Dem was happy times, Li'l Missy. Arter we all was freed, I went to -Silver Run to live and dar I mahied Anna. She lef' me nine yeahs ago an' -that broke the happiness. I miss her ev'whar, jes' keep a-missin' her -though nine yeahs hev gone since dey tuk her from de cabin an' lef' her -up thar on de hill. Dere's nights when de mis'ry in dese ol' bones jist -gits past standin' an' on sich nights she come ter me and holp me wid de -linnymint jes' as she useter do. But she caint stay long when she come. - -"I was a-tellin' 'bout Silver Run. Arter we was mahied and was gittin' -use to bein' free niggahs, an' happy in our cabin, one night a gen'ulman -from de no'th was to see us an' he tol' us if we'd go wid him he'd pay -us big wages an' gin us a fine house to boot. - -"Fer two nights we sot dere by dat chimbly a-thinkin' a sight to do or -to don't and ponderin' this way and t'other one. Den we 'cided to go. We -lef ev'y thing dar 'ceptin' whut we tied up in a bandana han'chief, and -we tied that onto a stick for de gen'ulman from de no'th wouldn't let us -take no baggage. We was goin' to Columbus, Georgia, but we didn't know -dat. - -"Li'l Missy, when we got dar, whar he was a-takin' us, we foun' the big -wages to be fifty cents a month, and dat fine house tu'ned out to be mo' -like a stable. Instid of our cabin and gyarden and chickens and our -trees, we had a turrible place, right out under the hot sun wid watah -miles away down a hill. And he wan't no gent'man from de no'th! - -"Missy, I nebber will be able to tell myself whut made us do hit no mo' -den I'll ebber be able to tell how skeered I was one night when de wind -howled an' de lightnin' was sprayin' ober de place an' de rain was so -turrible hit was a-sobbin' in de fire. We knowed de debbil was ridin' de -win' dat night. - -"We was a-sittin' dar befo' de fire, me an' my ol' woman, when we heard -a stompin' like a million horses had stopped outside de do'. We tipped -to de do' an' peeked out an', li'l Missy, whut we seed was so turrible -our eyes jes' mos' popped out our haid. Dere was a million hosses all -kivered in white, wid dey eyes pokin' out and a-settin' on de hosses was -men kivered in white too, tall as giants, an' dey eyes was a-pokin' out -too. Dere was a leader an' he heldt a bu'nin' cross in his hand. - -"When we seed dat, we fell on our po' knees, skeered mos' to def an' we -axed de Great Marster to holp two po' ol' niggers an' holp 'em quick. - -"De fust thing we knowed dem Ku Kluxes had de gen'man from de no'th out -of his hidin' place 'hind our house an' a-settin' on one of dem hosses. -Dey nebber spoke wid him. Dey jes' tuk him off somewhar, we nebber -knowed whar, but he di'n't come back no mo'. - -"Li'l Missy, we heard arterwards dat dis gen'lman from de no'th was no -qual'ty a-tall. Dat he was de wu'st leadah of all de debilment bein' -done; one of dem carpet-baggin' men. - -"Nex' day arter de Ku Kluxes cotched dis man, his wife lef' Columbus in -a hurry, sayin' she couldn't sociate wid de Columbus ladies 'caze dey -was so po'. Dey wa po'! Dey is no denyin' that. We was all po' caze the -Yankees done ruint Columbus. But, li'l Missy, dey's a big dif'ence in -bein' po' an' qual'ty and' bein' jes po' white trash. - -[Illustration: _Gabe Hines, Eufaula, Alabama_] - -"What did I do then? Well, li'l Missy, we lef' Columbus arter whut -happen'd an' we walked to Eufaula, whar twas safe to be. For forty yeahs -I w'uked for de city and Anna, she tuk in washin'. Endurin' dat time we -was gettin' along pretty likely, when one day Gabriel blew his horn for -Anna, and Gabe was lef' alone. - -"My ol' woman's gone. Li'l Missy, mos' ev'y one I knowed is daid. Dis -heah cabin ain' home to me no mo'. Hits lonely ev'y whar. Maybe I'd -orter be thinkin' 'bout Canaan, but hits ol' times crowds dis ol' -darkey's heart. Li'l Missy, may be whin I gits to whar Anna is hit will -be ol' times all ovah ag'in." - - - - -Adeline Hodges - - - *Personal interview with 'Aunt' Adeline Hodges* - *3 Frye Street, Mobile, Alabama* - --_Ila B. Prine, [HW: Mobile?]_ - -_HONGRY FOR PUN'KIN PIE_ - -'Aunt' Adeline, a tall, gaunt, bright-skinned Negro woman, lives on Frye -St., Mobile, Ala. The day I called she was nodding in a cane bottom -rocking chair on a wide porch that extended across the front of a -cottage almost hidden in a grove of giant oaks. She opened her eyes, -which were covered by a pair of steel-rimmed glasses with one lens badly -cracked. The news that a search was being made for old people who had -lived during slavery days acted like an electric shock on the old woman, -who immediately sat up straight and said: - -"Lor, yes'm, I libed in dose days, and I tells you I 'members all 'bout -dem. Do come in and set down. De fust white people I b'longed to was a -man named Jones, who was a colonel in de war, but I can't tell you much -'bout dem, 'caze I was jes' a li'l gal den. I was jes' big 'nuff to tote -water to de fiel' to de folks wukking and to min' de gaps in de fence to -keep de cattle out when dey was gatherin' de crops. I don't 'spec' you -knows anything 'bout dose kind of fences. Dey was built of rails and -when dey was gatherin' de crops dey jes' tuk down one section of de -fence, so de wagons could git through. - -"A'ter de war broke out ole Mister Jones went off to hit, and I 'members -de day he lef'. He come to de fiel' to tell all de han's goodbye, wid a -big white plume on his hat. Dat was in Bolivar County, Mississippi. -A'ter ol' Mister Jones lef' for de war, den de nigger drivers an' -oberseer begun to drive us 'round lack droves of cattle. Every time dey -would hyar de Yankees was coming dey would take us out in de woods and -hide us. Finally dey sold us a'ter carrying us away from Bolivar County. -Some of us was sold to people in Demopolis, Alabama, an' Atlanta, -Georgia, an' some to folks in Meridian and Shubuta, Mississippi. I don't -any more know whar my own folks went to dan you does. - -"I 'members afore leaving ole Mister Jones' place how dey grabbed up all -de chillun dat was too li'l to walk and puttin' us in wagons. Den de -older folks had to walk, and dey marched all day long. Den at night dey -would strike camp. I has seen de young niggers what was liable to run -away wid dere legs chained to a tree or de wagon wheels. Dey would rake -up straw and throw a quilt ober hit and lie dat way all night, while us -chillun slep' in de wagons. - -"When us come to de big river at Demopolis, Alabama, I 'members seein' -de big steamboats dere, and dey said dat de sojers was goin' away on -dem. Hit was in Demopolis us was sold, and a man name Ned Collins of -Shubuta, Mississippi, bought me." - -'Aunt' Adeline said that the houses the slaves lived in on the Jones -plantation were board houses, and that Mr. Jones owned a big plantation -and lots of slaves. She said that they had home-made beds, nailed to the -walls, with mattresses made out of shucks. - -After having been sold to Mr. Collins, of Shubuta, Mississippi, 'Aunt' -Adeline said that life was very hard, not so much for herself, but she -saw how hard the other slaves worked. She was the house girl and helped -clean house, wash dishes, and take care of the children. After finishing -that work, she had to spin thread. Each day she would have to spin so -many cuts, and if she did not finish the required number, she was -punished. - -She said that her mistress kept the finished work on top of a large -wardrobe, and 'Aunt' Adeline said that many times she would steal a cut -of thread off that wardrobe to complete the day's task to keep from -being punished. - -As she grew older she did have to go to the field and pick cotton. -'Aunt' Adeline does not remember it pleasantly. She said: - -"I jes' hates to hab to weigh anything today, 'caze I 'members so well -dat each day dat de slaves was given a certain number of pounds of -cotton to pick. When weighing up time come and you didn't hab de number -of pounds set aside, you may be sho' dat you was goin' to be whupped. -But hit wasn't all bad times 'caze us did hab plenty to eat, 'specially -at hog killin' time. Dey would hab days ob hog killin' and de slaves -would bake dere bread and come wid pots, pepper, and salt. A'ter -cleanin' de hogs, dey would gib us de livers and lights, and us would -cook dem ober a fire out in de open and hit sho' was good eatin'. De -usual 'lowance a week of pickled pork was six or seven pounds, and iffen -you had a big family of chillun dey gib you more. Den dey gib you a peck -of meal, sweet 'taters, sorghum syrup, and plenty of buttermilk. At -Christmas times, dey gib you extra syrup to make cakes wid and sweet -'taters to make 'tater pone. And, Lor', dey would hab big cribs of -pun'kins. Hit makes me hongry to think 'bout dem good ol' pun'kin pies. - -"And did dey raise chickens? You knows in Mississippi dat de minks was -bad 'bout killin' dem. I 'members one time de minks got in de chicken -house and killed nearly every chicken on de place. Ole Mister Jones had -de cook to clean and cook dem, and he come out in de fiel' an' eat wid -dem to let de slaves know dat hit was all right. Den us had dem good ol' -cushaws and lye hominy, too. - -"De clothes was made out ob homespun in one piece. I 'members I allus -had mine split up de side so I could git 'bout in a hurry. De women had -pantalettes made and tied to dere knees to wear in de fields to keep de -dew off dere legs. De shoes was made of cow hide and was called red -russets. De way dey got dem darker was to take a hog 'gristle' and hang -up in de chimbley. When hit git full of soot, we rub de shoes wid dat. -Den dey used de darker shoes for dere Sunday best. - -"You asked me about huntin'? Lor', yes dey hunted in dem times. Up in -dem swamps in Mississippi dere was bears as big as cows, and deers -aplenty. Dey bofe was bad about comin' in de corn fiel's and tearin' -down de corn. You could hyar dem at nights out in de fiel's. Dey also -caught plenty of possums and coons. - -"Of course, us got sick, but dey had de doctor. In dose days de doctor -would cup you and bleed you. I seen a many a person cupped. De doctor -had a li'l square lookin' block of wood wid tiny li'l knifes attached to -hit. On top was a trigger lack is on a gun, and de doctor would put de -block of wood at de nape of dere neck an' pull dat trigger. Den he hab a -piece of cotton wid somepin' on hit to stop de blood when he had cupped -you long 'nough. Dey would allus gib us calamus (calomel) to clean us -out, and den de nex' mawnin' dey gib us a big bowl of gruel made out ob -meal and milk. Den us'd be all right. - -"De slaves warn't 'lowed to go to church, but dey would whisper 'roun' -and all meet in de woods and pray. De only time I 'members my pa was one -time when I was a li'l chile, he set me on a log by him an' prayed, an' -I knows dat was whar de seeds ob religion was planted in my min'. Today -I's happy to tell folks 'bout Jesus and thank Him for His goodness to -me. Hit won't be long twell I meet Him face to face and thank Him." - - - - -Caroline Holland - - - *Interview with Caroline Holland* - --_Mabel Farrior_ - -_CAROLINE HOLLAND HAD MANY MASTERS_ - -"Yassuh, I was a slave," spoke Aunt Carry from her vine-shaded porch at -No. 3 Sharpe Street, Montgomery, Alabama. "I was borned in 1849 on Mr. -Will Wright's plantation on the Mt. Meigs road. Massa Will had a big -slave house an' us niggers sho' use to have a good time playin' 'roun' -down at de slave quarters. We had a row of houses two stories high, an' -dey was filled wid all sorts of niggers. When I was twelve year old, I -was made nu'ss fer my mistis's little girl an' at de fus' I couldn't do -nothin' but rock de cradle. I didn't know how to hol' de baby. Us -niggers had gardeens (guardians) dat look 'atter us lak dey did atter de -hosses and cows and pigs. - -"One night atter we had all gone to bed I heered a noise at de window, -an' when I look up dere was a man a climbin' in. He was a nigger. I -could tell eben do I could scarce see him, I knowed he was a nigger. I -could hear my mistis a breathin', an' de baby was soun' asleep too. I -started to yell out but I thought dat de nigger would kill us so I jes' -kep' quiet. He come in de window, an' he see us a sleepin' dere, an' all -of a sudden I knowed who it was. 'Jade,' I whispers, 'What you a doin' -here?' He come to my bed and put his rough han' ober my mouf. - -"Listen you black pickaninny, you tell em dat you saw me here an' I'll -kill you,' he say, 'I th'ow yo' hide to de snakes in de swamp. Now shet -up.' - -"Wid dat he went to de dresser an' taken mistis' money bag. Atter dat he -went to de window an' climb down de ladder an' I didn't do nothin' but -shake myself nearly to death fum fright. De nex' day de oberseer an' de -pattyrollers went a searchin' th'ough de slave quarters an' dey foun' de -money bag under Jade's cot. Dey tuk him an' whupped him for near fifteen -minutes. We could hear him holla way up at de big house. Jade, he neber -got ober dat whuppin'. He died three days later. He was a good nigger, -'peer to me lak, an' de bes' blacksmith in de whole county. I -ke'pa-wonderin' whut made him want ter steal dat purse. Den I foun' out -later dat he was a goin' to pay a white man ter carry him ober de line -to de No'thern States. Jade jus' had too big ideas fo' a nigger. I us'ta -see Jade's ghos' a walkin' out in de garden in de moonlight; sometime he -sit on de fence an' look at his ole cabin, den sometimes he stroll off -down de cotton fiel'. When de Lawd git th'ough a punishin' him fo' a -stealin' dat money, I guess he won't make us no mo' visits. He jus' go -right on in heaben. Dat's what ghos'tes is, you know; peoples dat can't -quite git in heaben, an' dey hadda stroll 'roun' little longer on de -outside repentin'. - -"Soon atter dat my gardeen tuk me to Tallasse when de massa died. My -gardeen was a good man. He was always a-makin' speeches fo' de slaves to -stay under bondage till dey was twenty-one. One dey he was in front of a -sto' talkin' 'bout de slaves an' a man come up to him an' said he don't -like de way Capt. Clanton talk (dat was my gardeen's name). Capt. -Clanton ask him whut he goin' ter do 'bout it an' de man tuk out a -pistol an' kil't de Cap'n raght dere on de spot. - -"Den I was sold to another man, a Mr. Williamson, 'bout de time de war -broke loose, an' Massa Williamson tuk me ober ter lib wid some mo' -peoples. He said he had mo' slaves dan he could take keer of. Dis was de -Abernathy plantation. While de massa was a standin' in de slave quarters -a takin' to Mr Abernathy, I noticed a boy wid a bad eye. I didn't lak -him at all an' I tol' de massa I don't wanna stay, kaze I didn't lak de -way dat boy Lum wid de bad eye looked at me. Den Mr. Abernathy brung a -boy 'bout sebenteen year old; a big strong lookin' boy named Jeff. He -say 'Jeff, look out after Carry here. Don't let her git into no -trouble.' Fum dat time on till 'bout five year ago, Jeff he always look -after me, kaze atter de war I ma'ied him. Now I ain't got nobody but -myself." - - - - -Jane Holloway - - - *Interview with Jane Holloway* - --_Preston Klein, Opelika, Alabama_ - -_DEY BRUNG WHUPPIN'S ON DEYSELVES_ - -Jane Holloway was ill. For weeks she had been in bed, and the untidy -condition of her cabin brought profuse apologies when I entered. - -"Jane, do you remember me?" I asked. - -"I don't know, honey. I been sick so long wid de fluse I can't 'member -much of anything," she answered peering up at me from her pillow. -Suddenly she smiled, "Shucks. Co'se I 'members you, honey. Your daddy -sho' was good to my boys. Watt worked for him so long. Res' yourself in -dat cheer and I'll tell you all about myself and slavery times what I -can recollect. - -"I'se all alone now 'ceppen for my grandson. He ain't but twelve and he -can't ho'p much. But I guess I got no right to complain I guess I done -got me plenty outa life. - -"I was borned up in North Alabama. My mammy was Carrie Holloway and my -pappy was Traylor Holloway. I had a brother Maryland. Dere nebber was -but de two of us. Us lived in a mud and log house, jes' one room but it -sho' had a big fireplace. Us had a good old time den, effen us jes' had -knowed it, 'caze us was always fed good. Dey had long wooden troughs -what dey poured our bread and milk in and us eat it wid a wooden spoon. -When dey yell, 'Chillun, chillun! Bread!' you bet we jes' burnt de wind -getting dere, 'caze us was always hongry. - -"We had high tester beds in all de houses, what was 'bout a mile from de -Big House. It had four rooms and was all planked up. Mr. Billy Taylor -was mighty good to his niggers. He didn't have so many slaves, he jes' -had a little plantation. Our oberseer was good, too. He had to whip some -of dem sometimes, but dey wouldn't work. Dey brung it all on deyselves. - -[Illustration: _Jane Holloway, Opelika, Alabama_] - -"When de Yankees come enduring de war, de men come arunning and a -screaming dat de Yankees coming. And dey did come on horseback and took -all our provisions what was in de smokehouse. Dey took everything we had -in de way of victuals and stock, too. - -"I j'ined de church when I was ten years old, 'caze I was trying to live -right and do what de Bible said. De white folks had deir services in de -morning, and in de evening would let us niggers have ourn." - -Jane forgot her misery long enough to come out to the porch of her -comparatively comfortable cabin and she was "plumb proud" to have her -"picture took." - - - - -Joseph Holmes - - - *I* - *Personal interview with Joseph Holmes* - *Grand Avenue, Prichard, Alabama* - --_Ila B. Prine, Mobile, Alabama_ - -_DEY KEP' NIGGERS IN GOOD CONDITION TO SELL_ - -Standing in the middle of the road at Prichard, suburb of Mobile, and -gesticulating while talking to a small group of interested listeners an -old Negro man ended his talk to the small gathering and punctuated his -last sentence with a spat of tobacco. - -"No'm," he continued after I had put in my appearance and asked him a -question, "I doesn't know whether I was a slave, but jus' de same I seed -Gen'l Grant's army when it went th'ough Virginny. Jus' as sho' as you is -standin' dar, lady, I seed dem mens all dressed in blue suits, -a-marching' side by side, gwine down de road pas' our place. It tuk 'em -three days to go by our house. - -"An' I remembers when dem Yankees came to our ole Mistis' house an' take -a ladder an' clumb up to de roof an' tear de boards outter de ceilin' to -git dem big hams an' shoulders my white folks done had hid up dar. When -de Yankees find dat stuff dey give it all to de niggers. Den atter de -solgers lef' ole Miss called us to her an' tol' us we was free, but for -us to give back some of de meat an' things dat de Yankees done give us, -'ca'se she didn't have nothin' to eat 'roun' de place. 'Course we was -glad to do it, 'ca'se Mistis sho' was good to us. - -"I remembers ebery Sunday mawnin' dat she'd make de older slaves bring -all de little niggers up to de big house, so she could read de Bible to -'em, and den she give us plenty of dem good biscuits and taters dat -Susanne cook for us. She'd say: 'Git 'roun' dere, Susanne, and he'p dem -little niggers' plates.' I really thought Mistis was a angel. - -"Talkin' 'bout niggers bein' free. Ole Miss tol' us was free, but it was -ten or twelve years atter de surrender befo' I knowed whut she meant. I -was a big boy goin' to school befo' I had an understandin' as to what -she meant. - -"Ole Miss taught de niggers how to read an' write an' some of 'em got to -be too good at it, 'ca'se dey learned how to write too many passes so's -de pattyrollers wouldn't cotch 'em, an' on dem occasions was de onlyes' -times dat I ever seed one of our niggers punished. - -"Mistis never 'lowed no mistreatin' of de slaves, 'case dey was raisin' -slaves for de market, an' it wouldn't be good bizness to mistreat 'em. -Lor' Miss, my white folks was rich; dey had as many as five or six -hundred niggers; men, women an' chilluns. De plantation was big, but I -doesn't remember how many acres it was, but I does remember dat de -cabins was all built in rows, an' dere was streets laid out among de -cabins. De chimneys was built outten dirt an' sticks, an' you know up in -Virginny it got powerful cold, so when dey built de cabins dey th'owed -dirt up under 'em to keep de wind an' snow out. - -"I was bawn in Henry County, Virginny, near Danville, an' I's been to -Vicksburg an' Petersburg a many a time wid my pappy to de wheat an' -'bacca market. Lor', honey, Virginny is de bes' place on earth for good -eaten' an' good white folks. If anybody tells you dat de white folks was -mean to dere niggers, dey neber come from Virginny, 'case us was too -near de free states, an' I done already tol' you dat dey raised niggers -to sell an' dey kep' 'em in good condition. In dose days white folks an' -black folks was black folks. Jus' lak Booker T. Washington was a riber -between de niggers of dis generation an' learnin'. He had all dat was -fine an' good, an' he give de bes' to his people iffen dey would take -it. Dat was de way wid de white folks den; dey didn't do no whuppin'. - -"I's de onlyes' rat lef' in de pond, an' 'case I ain't hung in de smoke -house, folks thinks I's not as old as I say I is, but chile, I's been -here a long time. I 'members how black Sam useta preach to us, an' when -I growed up I useta think warnt nobody Christians cep'n us Babtists, but -I know better now, an' de longer I lives de mo' I realizes dat de -churches go 'way 'case dey leaves off de ordinances of God, although us -has a Bible an' mo' Christian readin' dan ever befo'. - -"My mammy's name was Eliza Rowlets an' my pappy's was Joseph Holmes. My -pappy had de same name as de peoples dat owned him an' my gran'mammy -name was Lucy Holmes. Gran'mammy Holmes lived to be over a hundred years -old, an' she was de fust pusson I ever seed daid. In dem days it tuk -three days to bury a pusson, 'case dey dug de graves as deep as de -corpse was tall. - -"Land sakes a-livin', us had great times, an' I forgot to tell you dat -us had home-made beds wid two sides nailed to de wall an' de mattresses -was made outen wheat straw. - -"As for huntin' I done plenty of it an' one thing I got to git -forgiveness for was when I lef' Virginny, I lef' 'bout fifty or sixty -snares set to cotch rabbits an' birds. - -"My mammy had eight chilluns an' we was raised in pairs. I had a sister -who come along wid me, an' iffen I jumped in de river she done it too. -An' iffen I go th'ough a briar patch, here she come along too. - -"'Bout de fruit; it makes my mouth water to think about dem cheese -apples, dat was yaller lak gold, an' dose Abraham apples, an' de cherry -tree as big as dese oaks here. I's eaten many a big sugar and sweetheart -cherry. But dere was another kind called de Gorilla dat growed as big as -de yaller plums down dis way. Now let me tell you somp'n 'bout Virginny; -'dey had dere laws 'bout drink. Dey had de bes' peach an' cherry brandy -an' mos' any kin' you eber heared of, but dey didn't 'low you to make -drink outten anything you could make bread wid; sich as corn or rye. Us -had our brandy same as you would coffee, 'case it was cold, an' some -mawnin's my pappy would git de brandy out an' my mammy would putt a -little water an' sugar wid it an' gib it to us chilluns. Us neber -thought nothin' 'bout drinkin'. I kinda believes lak dat ole infidel -Ingersoll who said dat anything dat was a custom was dere religion. - -"Now you axed about hog-killin' time? Dat was de time of times. For -weeks de mens would haul wood an' big rocks, an' pile 'em together as -high as dis house, an' den have several piles lak dat 'roun' a big hole -in de groun' what had been filled wid water. Den jus' a little atter -midnight, de boss would blow de ole hawn, an' all de mens would git up -an' git in dem pig pens. Den dey would sot dat pile of wood on fire an' -den start knockin' dem hogs in de haid. Us neber shot a hog lak us does -now; us always used an axe to kill 'em wid. Atter knockin' de hog in de -haid, dey would tie a rope on his leg an' atter de water got to de right -heat, fum dose red-hot rocks de hog would be throwed in an' drug aroun' -a while, den taken out an' cleaned. Atter he was cleaned he was cut up -into sections an' hung up in de smoke house. Lawsie, lady, dey don't -cure meat dese days; dey jus' uses some kind of liquid to brush over it. -We useta have sho' 'nuff meat. - -"Den come cawnshuckin' time. My goodness, I would jus' love to be dar -now. De cawn would be piled up high an' one man would git on dat pile. -It was usually a kinda nigger foreman who could sing an' git de work -outten de niggers. Dis fo'man would sing a verse somp'n lak dis: - - Polk and Clay went to war, - Polk come back wid a broken jaw. - -Den all de niggers would sing back at him wid a kinda shoutin' sound. -Near 'bout all de times de fo'man made up his own songs, by pickin' dem -outen dat shuckin'! It war de jug dat dey brung aroun' eve'y hour. Dat's -de onlyes' time de slaves really got drunk. - -"In dem ole days I went to plenty of dances an' candy pullin's durin' de -Yule season, but I doesn't do dat no mo'. I's a preacher an' when I fus' -lef' Virginny, I come to Georgy an' stayed dar twenty years whar I -kicked up plenty of dus'. I even taught school dar. Den I come to -Alabamy an' lived in Evergreen for 'bout twenty mo' years. Since I been -in Mobile I's worked for sich men as ole Simon, Damrich, an' Van -Antwerp, an' all dere chilluns has been in dese here arms of mine. I's -been a square citizen an' dere hasn't been a time dat I is had to call -on nobody but Uncle Sam when ole man 'pression cotched me. But thank de -Lawd I is still able to git about an' have all my senses 'cep' my -eye-sight, an' it's jus' a little po'ly. I is got all my teeths 'cep' -one, an' my mammy was always proud of my hair. See how silky an' fine it -is? Not quite white, dough. I hope I lives long enough for it to turn -white as snow. I think St. Peter will lak it better dat way." - - *II* - *Personal interview with Joseph Holmes* - *Grand Avenue, Prichard, Alabama* - --_Ila B. Prine, Mobile, Alabama_ - -_TWELVE YEARS 'TWELL I UNDERSTOOD SURRENDER_ - -In the middle of the road near Prichard, an incorporated suburb of -Mobile, stood an aged Negro man, gesticulating as he told a tale of -other days to a small audience. Tall, straight, with gray hair and -mustache, he was a picturesque figure. He does not know whether he was -born in slavery, he said, but he knows his age to be about eighty-one. - -"I doesn't know whether I was a slave, but jes' de same I seed Gineral -Grant's army when hit went th'ough Virginny," he said "Jes' as sho' as -yo' is standin' dar, lady, I seed him, and I seed dem men all dressed in -dem blue suits a-marchin' side by side, gwine down de road pas' our -place. Hit tuk dem three days tuh git pas' our house. - -"An' does I 'member when dem Yankees come tuh Ol' Mistiss house an' tuk -a ladder an' clim' up tuh de roof an' tear de boards outta de ceilin' -tuh git dem big hams an' shoulders dey had hid up dar? I sho' does. De -women folks makes de slaves hide wid de meat; an' when dem Yankees fin' -dat stuff dey jes' gib hit all tuh de niggers, an' I 'members too, how -Ol' Miss calls us all to her atter dey lef' an' tole us dat us was free, -but she tole us dat us hab tuh gib back ob de meat an' 'serves 'case she -didn't hab a bit tuh eat. 'Cose we was glad tuh do hit 'case Ol' Miss -sho' was good tuh her slaves. - -"I 'members ebery Sunday mawnin' dat she made de older slaves bring all -de little niggers up to her big white, two-story house, so she could -read de Bible to us, an' den she gib us plenty dem good biscuits an' -'taters dat she had de cook, Susanne, cook for us. She'd say 'Git 'roun' -dere, Susanne, an' he'p dem li'l niggers plates,' I, railly thought Ol' -Miss was an angel. - -"Talkin 'bout niggers bein' freed, Ol' Miss tole us us was free, but hit -was ten or twelve years atter de Surrender, befo' I knowed whut she was -talkin' 'bout. I was a big boy goin' to school befo' I had any -understanin' as tuh whut she meant. - -"Ol' Miss taught de niggers how to read an' write, an' some ob dem got -to be too 'ficient wid de writin', 'case dey larn how tuh write too many -passes so de pattyrollers wudn't git dem. Dat was de onliest time I -ebber knowed Ol' Miss tuh hab de slaves punished. - -"Ol' Miss nebber 'lowed no mistreatin' de slaves, case dey was raisin' -slaves for de market, an' hit wouldn't be good business to mistreat 'em. -Lor' mah white folks was rich; dey had as many as five or six hundred -niggers, men, women and chillun. De plantation was big but I don't -'member how many acres I does 'member de cabins was all built in rows, -an' streets was laid out 'tween de cabins. De chimbeys was built outta -dirt an' sticks, an' sticks, an' yo' know up in Virginny hit got -turrible cold an' de snow would pile up, so when de cabins was built, de -men th'owed dirt up under de house to keep de snow an' cold out. Yo' -might think dat dirt would wash out from under de house, but hit didn't. -Hit jes' made dem so warm an' com'fo'ble we did'nt suffer. - -"Dat was de way wid de white folks den; dey didn't do no whippin' an' -mistreatin' ob de slaves. Oh, once in a while Ol' Miss might slap de -cook's face an' tell her tuh bear down 'roun' dere, an' if she wanted de -servin' boys to hurry, she would say 'Cutch hit,' meanin' fer dem to cut -some steps an' git 'bout in a hurry. - -"I's de ol'est rat in de pon', an' 'case I ain't hung in de smokehouse, -folks think I's not as ol' as I says I is, but chile, I's been heah. I -'members how Sam useta to preach to us, when we was at Ol' Miss's place, -an' when I growed up, I 'members how I useta think nobody was a -Christian 'ceptin' us Baptists, but I knows better now. An' de longer I -lib de mo' I realize dat de chu'ches go away 'case dey leabes off de -ordinances ob God, 'tho us has got de Bible an' mo' Christian -litterchoor dan eber befo'. - -"My ma's name was 'Liza Rowlets, an' mah daddy's name was Joseph Holmes. -My daddy had de same name as de people whut owned him, an' my gran'ma's -name was Lucy Holmes. Gran'ma Lucy libed to be a hundred yeahs old, an' -she was de fust pusson I ebber seed daid. Hit tuk three days tuh bu'y a -pusson den, 'case dey dug de graves as deep as yo' is tall, which means -mo' than five feet deep. Lor' sakes a-livin' us had great times. I -forgot tuh tell yo' dat us had home-made beds wid two sides nailed tuh -de wall, an' de mattresses was made outta wheat straw. Dat's 'minds me -dat dere wa'n't no pore cattle in dem times, 'case yo' could go whar dey -thresh de wheat an' git all de straw yo' wanted an' feed de dry cattle -on hit. An' you wouldn't believe de fruit us did hab! Yo don't nebber -see de like down dis way. Sich as apples, cherries, quinces, peaches an' -pears. - -"As fer huntin', I done plenty of it, an' one thing I got to git -forgiveness fer was when I lef' Virginny, I lef' 'bout sixty or seventy -snares set to ketch rabbits an' birds. - -"My ma had eight chillun an' we was raised in pairs. I had a sister who -come along wid me, an' if I jumped in de ribber tuh swim, she did hit -too; if I clum' a tree, or went th'ough a briar patch, she done hit -right behin' me. Ma wanted to know why her clo's was so tore up, an' -when dey was pretty, we'd make hit right wid Ma by havin' a rabbit or -coon wid us, an' sometimes a mud turtle. An' as fer 'possums an' coons, -us ketch dem in plenty. - -"'Bout de fruit, hit makes mah mouf watah tuh think 'bout dem cheese -apples dat was yaller lac' gold, an' dose Abraham apples de lack of -which ain't now to be had. An' dose cherry trees as big as dese oaks, -wid long limbs an' big sugar an' sweetheart, an' black heart cherries. -Den dere was annudder kin' of cherry called de gorilla, dat was roun' -an' growed as big as de yaller plums down dis way. - -"Now, let me tell yo' sumpin' 'bout Virginny. Hit had hits own law 'bout -drink. Dey made de bes' peach an' cherry brandy an' mos' any kin' yo' -ebber heerd ob, 'ceptin' dey didn't 'low yo' to make drink out ob -anythin' you could make into bread. Now yo' understan's, sich as corn -and rye. - -"Us had our brandy same as yo' would coffee, 'case hit was cold an' some -mawnin's us would git up an' de snow would be halfway up de do', an' de -men would hab to ditch hit out, so us could git out of de house. On dem -rail cold mawnin's my daddy would git de brandy out an' my ma wud put a -li'l water an' sugar wid hit an gib to us chillun. An' den she'd take -some in her mouf' an' put hit in de baby's mouf an' hit wud open hits -eyes an' stamp hits foot rail peart lack. - -"Us nebber thought nothin' of drinkin'. I kinda believes lack dat ol' -infidel, Ingersoll, who said dat anythin' dat was de custom, was de -religion. - -"Folks was a heap kinder-hearted den dey is now, 'case dey kep' big dogs -to hunt up people los' in de snow. Dey all seemed mo' happy 'case dey -was all busy. At night instid of wastin' dey time, dey wud go tuh de big -house an' spin an' weave an' make clo's. - -"I kin hyar dat ol' loom hummin' now, an' see great cards ob cloth -comin' out, an' dem was clo's den dat was made from hit. Hit tuck fire -tuh git dem offen' yo' dey was so strong. I doesn't 'member whut dey -used fer dye, but I knows dey used copperas as sizin' to hol' de colors. -Some of de cloth was dyed red, blue an' black. I jes' can't 'member -'bout de dye, but dey used copperas. 'Dat was the qualification of de -intelligence ob de primitive age', in usin' dat copperas. Dey not only -made our clo's, but also made out hats. Of co'se dey wa'n't very hatty, -but was mo' cappy. Dey made 'em wid tabs ober de ears, an' to tie under -de chin, an' was dey warm, I'll say! - -"Now, when yo' axes 'bout hawg killin' time, dat was de time! Fer weeks -de men would haul wood and big rocks, an' pile hit all together as high -as dat house; den hab sev'ral piles like dese 'roun' a big hole in de -groun' whut had been filled wid watah. Den jes' a li'l atter mid-night -de boss would blow de ol' horn, an' all de men would git up an' git in -dem hog pens. Den dey would set dat pile of wood on fire, an' den start -knockin' dem hawgs in de haid. Us nebber shot a hawg like dey does now. -Us allus used an ax to kill 'em wid. - -"Atter knockin' de hawg in de haid, dey would tie a rope on hits leg, an -atter de water got to de right heat from dose red hot rocks whut had -been pushed out ob dat pile ob nu'in wood into de watah, dey wud th'ow -de hog in an' drag hit aroun' awhile, an' take him out an' hab him clean -in 'bout three pair o' minutes. Atter he was clean dey hung him up, an' -den later cut him up an' hung him in de smoke house, an' smoke him wid -great oak logs. Huh, dey don't cu'ah meat now, dey jes' use sum kinda -brush an' liquid, but dey don't hab meat lack us did. - -"Den come co'shuckin' time. Mah goodness, I jes' would love to be dere -now. De co'n would be piled up high an' one man would git on dat pile. -Hit usually was one who was kinda niggah fo'man dat could sing an' get -de wuck out of de odder niggers. Dis fo'man would sing a verse somethin' -lack dis: - - Polk an' Clay went to War, - An' Polk come back wid a broken jar. - -"Den all de niggers would sing back to him, an' hallo, a kinder shoutin' -soun'. Ginerally dis fo'man made up his songs by pickin' dem up from -whut he had heard white folks tell of wars. But Miss yo' know whut was -de motor powah of dat co'n shuckin'? Hit was de ol' jug dat was brung -'roun' ebery hour. Dat's de onliest time any ob de slaves railly got -drunk. - -"I wish I could 'member dose ol' songs, but all dat hallo done lef' me, -'case de onliest singin' I hears now is de good ol' sisters singin' an' -sayin' 'Amen.' - -"In days gone by I went to plenty of dances an' candy pullin's but I -doesn't do dat any mo'. I's a preacher, an' when I fu'st lef' Virginny I -come to Georgia an' stayed dere twenty yeahs, an' I kicked up a plenty -of dust in Georgia. I eben taught school an' built a plenty of chu'ches -dere. Den I come on to Alabammy, an' libed in Evergreen fo' about twenty -mo' yeahs, an' I built a two-story brick chu'ch dere. Since I's been in -Mobile I's wu'ked by dat Bienville Squah for twenty-eight years, for -sich men as ol' man Simon, Damrich, an' Van Antwerp, an' all dere -chillun has been in dese arms. I's been a squah citizen an' dere hasn't -been but one time in mah life I's had to call on anybody, an' dat was -when I had tuh call on Uncle Sam when ol' man Depression got me. But -thank God I's still able to be 'bout an' have all my faculties, 'ceptin' -my eyesight is a li'l porely. I still has all mah teeth, 'ceptin' one, -an' my ma allus tuck pride in mah haih, yo' see how fine an' silky hit -is, an' hit ain't snow white yit. Dere is one thing to be thankful fer. -Dat is 'case I's so near home." - - - - -Josh Horn - - - *Interview with Josh Horn* - --_Ruby Pickens Tartt, Livingston, Alabama_ - -_CHASING GUINEA JIM, THE RUNAWAY SLAVE_ - -Seven miles East from Livingston on State Road No. 80, thence Left two -miles via a dim road through the woods to a cultivated section, the -beginning of a large plantation area, stands the old-timey cabin of Josh -Horn, a well known and influential figure in the colored community. -Vigorous and active despite his more than 80 years, Josh exemplifies the -gentleness with which time deals with those dwelling in a healthful spot -and living the simple lives of a rural people. I found him nodding on -his front steps. - -"Josh," I said, "I've come to get you to tell me some old war-time -stories, and I want to ask you some questions about you and Alice and -how you-all are getting along. I just want to know all about you and -your family as far back as you can remember." - -"All right, Miss Ruby, I's glad to tell you what I knows," said Josh, -"and it ain't gonna be a lot of fibbin', but jes' lak everything was. -I's telling you lak you axed me. - -"Now, 'bout how us is getting along. I's telling you de troof, ef I was -took 'fore God, I'd say jes' lak I's saying now, ef my chillun ever et a -moufful dat wasn't honest, dey et it somewhar else, 'ca'se I ain't ever -stole a moufful somepin' t'eat for 'em in all my life. It's honest -vittles dey et, and varmints I's killed in de woods, 'ca'se us raised -chillun fast, and us had a heap of 'em, sixteen, if I 'members right, -and soon's I found out dat I could help feed 'em dat way, I done a heap -of hunting. And everybody knows I's a good hunter. Alice used to make me -go every Friday night; den us always had a 'possum or two for Sunday." - -"Why," I asked, "didn't you go Saturday night?" - -"Well, I'll tell you," Josh said, "Alice is a good Christian woman, and -she knowed I'd hunt mighty nigh all night, and she didn't want nobody -see me coming in Sunday morning wid no gun and no dogs; so I went every -Friday night and went in de week too, and dat holp a lot to feed de -chillun. I don't owe nobody, not a nickel. - -"I lak to got in debt, when de Government come in and tried to help us -wid dat cotton doings. Dey cut it down so on me, tell I couldn't make -nothing; but I's getting on all right now, and so is my chillun. Us is -got fourteen living, and dey's all been to school, but ain't but one -been to Booker Washington's school, but dey kin all read and write, and -some of 'em teaching school out here in de country. De doctor, he come -clear out here to see us, 'ca'se I always pays him. He jes' here wid -Alice last night. It's nine mile and two of dem's back here in de woods -through Marse Johnnie's place, but he come when us went atter him 'bout -midnight, and dat's a comfort to know he come." - -I asked, what was the matter with Alice. - -"Well, I'll tell you, Miss Ruby. She was back dere wid me in de kitchen, -and I got through eating and I come out and set down in de swinger to -git some air. De moon was shining, and Alice come out, saying loud as -she could: 'Who is you? Who is you?' De chillun run to her wid a lamp -and I run, and 'twan't nobody dere. Well, Alice said 'twas a big man -standing right 'side her dressed in black, and she called it Death. Us -couldn't do nothing wid her, and she didn't know nobody, me nor de -chillun, so I went to Livingston atter Dr. McCain, and he come and set -wid her 'bout a hour. He said 'twas de 'cute 'digestion or somepin' lak -dat. I knowed 'twan't no sperrit; I don't b'lieve in nothing lak dat." - -"Well," I said, "I don't know, Josh, I've been hearing some ghost tales -that freeze the blood in my veins." - -"Yassum," said Josh, "if you wants to hear ghost tales, I kin sho tell -'em, ca'se I seed dis here wid my own eyes. 'Tain't no made-up nothing, -needer; jes' somepin' I seed jes' lak I tells you. - -"Green Hale and Isham Mathews b'longed to New Hope church, and de -Reverend Bird Hall pastored dere. Dey axed me down to hear him preach -one night, and us three, me and Green and Isham, was riding along side -and side. I's riding a mule, but it was a fast mule, and Green couldn't -keep up, en Isham said: 'Somebody been hunting.' I looked up and 'twas a -sapling right 'cross de road. He said, 'Fellow oughten leave nothing lak -dat. When de moon git low, it hit him in de face.' De moon was straight -up and down den, and I said: 'Dat's right', and I's telling you de -troof, dat sapling jes' riz up, turned aroun' in de air, en de brush -part tickled my mule and Isham's hoss in de face. If you ever seed 'em -buck and rare and jump up, dey sho did. Den dey took off down de road, -and we didn't hold 'em back, and here come Green. We lef' him behind, -'cause his mule couldn't keep up. If you ever heard a man pray more -earnester dan old Green, I ain't! He come down de road a-yelling: 'Lord, -us live togedder, let us die togedder.' He meant for us to wait on him, -but I couldn't hold dat mule, and I wan't trying to hold him! I was -gitting away from dar! - -"When us come togedder, us was a mile from whar us done been, den us had -to decide what to do. Isham said for us to go wid him, and Green said -no, us nearer to his house; but us wan't near to nobody and I was so -scared, hadn't been for Alice, I'd a jes' stayed right whar us was 'tell -sun-up. I said, 'No, every man better take keer his own self,' en us -did. When I got home, I didn't take nothing off dat mule but myself. I -jes' left him standing at de do' wid de saddle on. What skeered Green -so, was a man, he said, what was ridin' right 'side him en didn't have -no head! 'Twas a good thing he didn't tell me dat den, I'd jes' nacherly -drap dead! - -"No'm, I don't 'zackly believes in ghosties, but I heared Mr. Marshall -Lee say he was riding on home one night and a woman stepped out in de -road and say: 'Marshall, let me ride.' He say: 'My hoss won't tote -double.' She say: 'Yes it will,' and she jump up behind him, and dat -hoss bucked and jumped nigh 'bout from under him, but when he got home, -she wan't dere. He say, his sister had jes' died and it mout been her. - -"'Nother time, one Friday night, Alice say us better git a 'possum for -Sunday. She say she didn't want none caught atter midnight on Sadday. I -went down whar I knowed dey was 'simmons, and dem dogs never treed -nothing; dey jes' run 'round dat 'simmon tree lak dey gone crazy. I'm -telling you de troof, somepin' jump outer dat tree, had a head back'erds -and for'erds and look lak a flame shooting out it eyes! 'Twan't lak no -possum I ever seed, 'twan't lak nothing. Dem dogs, Liz and Roger en -Cuba, made a bluge at me. Cotton was waist high, and I run down de -cotton row and cross de road and dey trail me. I say: 'What ail you, -dogs?' And dey jes' come on a-barkin', and dey run me to de bridge over -Konkabyer. So I clumb on de banisters. I seed dey had my trail an dey -gonna ketch me, so I turn 'round and tore out for de slough. Dey lost my -trail dere and when I got home, 'bout daylight, de thorns and de briars -and all done tore my clothes plum off me. 'Twas t'ree days 'fore I ever -seed dem dogs ag'in. - -"And I kin tell you somepin' else. It's jes' lak I say, I's always been -a hunter, en one night I went down in de post oak woods hunting by -myself. Dis is a fact; 'tain't no lie. It's what I done. I had a mighty -good dog, and I jes' kept walking and walking, and I got mighty nigh to -Mr. Redhead Jim Lee's place, and I walked on and atter while I seed I'd -lost my dog. I couldn't see him nowhar and I couldn't hear him nowhar, -and den somepin' say to me, jes' lak dis: 'Josh, blow your horn!' Jes' -lak dat, lak somebody talking to me. Well I give three loud, long blows -and set dere awhile longer but dat dog didn't come. Co'se I knowed he'd -come sometime, and so I jes' set dere on dat log and I jes' turned a -fool, I reckon, but 'twas jes' lak somebody talking to me, lak it -'peared to me was whispering: 'Josh, you out here in dese woods by -yo'self. You blowed dat horn and your enemy heard you. You's a fool, you -is.' And I whispered back: 'Dat's a fact.' I couldn't hear what it was -a-whispering to me, but us jes' talk back to one 'nuther, and 'bout dat -time I look up and here come three men ridin' on new saddles wid shiny -buckles gwine, 'squeechy, squeechy', jes' lak dat. I hears de hosses -feed jes' as nachel as could be. I thought sho I seed 'em, and it 'pears -to look clean outer reason, but dem men come riding right on up to me, -and I jump over dat log and lay down flat on de other side, and it look -lak I could see right through dat log and heard 'em say: 'Dar he is, dar -he is', and I seed 'em p'inting dey finger right whar I was. I knowed -dem hosses gwineter step over de log on top me, and I's telling you de -troof, I jump up from 'hind dat log and run 'bout two miles, and if it -hadn't been for dat slough, I don't know whar I'd a went. I come to -myself in de middle of dat water, up to hyar, waist high, and dar was my -dog, old Cuba, done treed a 'possum. - -"De fust thing I 'members 'bout slave'y time, I wan't nothing but a boy, -'bout fifteen I reckon, dat's what Marse Johnnie Horn say. Us belong to -Marse Ike Horn, Marse Johnnie's pa, right here on dis place whar us is -now, but dis here didn't belong to me den, dis here was all Marse Ike's -place. Marse Ike's gin got outer fix and we couldn't get it fixed. -Colonel Lee had two gins and one of 'em was jes' below old Turner house. -Recolleck a big old hickory tree? Well dar's whar it was. - -"I was plenty big 'nough to drive de mules to de gin. Set on de lever -and drive 'em, jes lak a 'lasses mill, so dat night Marse Ike told us he -want everybody go wid him to Colonel Lee's gin nex' morning, and didn't -want nobody to git out and go ahead of him. Dat held up de ginning; made -us not go to de ginhouse tell sunup. - -"Us got de mules and jes' waited. 'Twixt daylight and sunup, us all -standing dar at de gate and we heared a little fine horn up de road. Us -didn't know what it meant coming to de house. And bimeby Mr. Beesley, -what live not fur from Marse Ike, he rode up and had five dogs, five -nigger dogs, what dey call 'em, and soon as he come, Marse Ike's hoss -was saddled up and Marse Ike and him rode off down de road and de dogs -wid em, 'head of us. Us followed 'long behind 'em, stay close as dey -'low us, to see what dey was up to. When dey got close to de ginhouse, -ginhouse right 'side de road, dey stop us and Mr. Beesley told old Brown -to go ahead. Old Brown was de lead dog and had a bell on him and dey was -fasten togedder wid a rod, jes' lak steers. He turn 'em loose, and den -he popped de whip and hollered at old Brown and told him 'nigger'. Old -Brown hollered lak he hit. He want to go. And dey was a fence on bofe -sides made it a lane, so he put old Brown over de fence on de ginhouse -side, and told Brown to 'go ahead'. He went ahead and run all aroun' de -ginhouse and dey let him in de gin-room and he grabbled in de cottonseed -in a hole. - -"Den somebody holler 'Guinea Jim', I looks and I didn't see him. Didn't -nobody see him, but dey know dat's whar he been hiding. Mr. Beesley told -old Brown he jes' fooling him, and Old Brown holler ag'in, lak he -killing him, and Mr. Beesley say: 'Go git dat nigger' and old Brown -started 'way from dar lak he hadn't been hunting nothing, but he went -aroun' and aroun' dat gin and Mr. Beesley told him he hatter do better -dan dat or he'd kill him, 'cause he hadn't come dar for nothing. - -"Brown made a circle aroun' dat gin 'way down to de fence dat time, and -he was so fat he couldn't git through de fence. You know what sort of -fence, a rail fence it was. Den he stop and bark for help. Now I seed -dis wid my own eyes. Dey put Brown on top de fence and he jump way out -in de road, didn't stay on de fence. He jump and run up and down in de -road, and couldn't find no scent of Jim. You knows how dey used to make -dem rail fences? - -"Well, Brown come back dar, and dis is de trufe, so help me Gawd. He -bark, look lak, for dem to lift him back up on de fence, and bless God, -if dat dog didn't walk dat rail fence lak he walking a log, as fur as -from here to dat gate yonder, and track Jim jes' lak he was on de -groun'. He fell off once, and dey had to put him back, and he run his -track right on to whar Jim jumped off de fence way out in de road. Old -Brown run right cross de road to de other fence and treed ag'in on -t'other side de road toward Konkabia. Old Brown walk de fence on dat -side de road a good piece, jes' lak he done on de other side, and dem -other dogs, he hadn't never turned dem loose. - -"When Brown he jump off dat fence, he jump jes' as fur as he kin on de -fiel' side, lak he gwine ketch Jim lak a gnat or somepin' and he never -stop barking no more, jes' lak he jumping a rabbit. Den, Mr. Beesley -turn dem other dogs loose dat he hadn't never turned loose, 'ca'se he -say old Brown done got de thing straight. And he had it straight. Dem -dogs run dat track right on down to Konkabia and crossed it to de -Blacksher side. Dey was a big old straw field dar den and dey cross it -and come on through dat field, all dem dogs barkin' jes' lak dey looking -at Jim. 'Reckley, dey come up on Jim running wid a pine brush tied -behind him to drag his scent away, but it didn't bother old Brown. - -"When dem dogs 'gin to push him, Jim drap de brush and runned back -toward Konkabia. Now on Konkabia dere used to be beavers worse den on -Sucarnatchee now. Dey was a big beaver dam 'twixt de bridge and de Hale -place, and Jim run to dat beaver dam. You know when beavers build dey -dam, dey cut down trees and let 'em fall in de creek, and pull in trash -en brush same as folks, to dam de water up dar tell its knee-deep. De -dogs seen him, old Brown looking at him, jes' 'fore he jump in 'bove de -dam right 'mongst de trash and things dey'd drug in dar. Brown seed him -and he jump in right behind him. Jim jes' dive down under de raff, en -let he nose stick outer de water. Every once in a while Jim he put he -head down under, he holding to a pole down dar, and once Mr. Beesley -seed him, he jes' let him stay dar. - -"Brown would swim 'bout 'mongst de brush, backerds and for'erds, and -terreckly Mr. Beesley tole old Brown, 'Go git him.' Den all de men got -poles and dug 'bout in de raff hunting him. Dey knowed he was dar, en -Marse Ike had a pole giggen aroun' trying to find him too. Den he told -Mr. Beesley to give him de hatchet and let him fix he pole. He sharpen -de pole right sharp, den Marse Ike start to jug aroun' wid de pole, and -he kinder laugh to hisse'f, 'ca'se he knowed he done found Jim. 'Bout -dat time Jim poke he head up and say: 'Dis here me', and everybody -holler. Den he ax 'em please, for God's sake, don't let dem dogs git -him. Dey told him come on out. - -"You see, Jim belonged to Miss Mary Lee, Mr. John Lee's Ma, and his Pa -was kilt in de war, so Mr. Beesley was looking out for her. Well, dey -took Jim outer dar, and Mr. Beesley whipped him a little and told him: -'Jim, you put up a pretty good fight and I's gwine to give you a start -for a run wid de dogs.' - -"Jim took out towards Miss Mary's, and Mr. Beesley helt old Brown as -long as he could. Dey caught Jim and bit him right smart. You see dey -had to let em bite him a little to satisfy de dogs. Jim could have made -it, 'cept he was all hot and wore out. - -"Dat's 'bout all I knows, 'cept us belonged to Marse Ike Horn, and fust -us belonged to Mr. Price Williams, what run de hotel in Livingston. He -took my gran'ma to Mobile, den he died. Us Ma belonged to dey two -chillun, Miss Nancy Gulley, Mr. Jake's wife, en Miss Burt Blakeney. -Marse Ike Horn was dey uncle, and us all come 'round to him, and us been -here ever since. My mammy was Ann Campbell, and my pappy was John Horn, -and us ain't never had no trouble wid nobody 'bout nothing. - -"We's having a barbecue on de fo'th of July and us wants you to come -down to it, if Alice gits along well, and I's gwine tell you 'bout Rod -and Big John, and John Graverson when dey runned away and about how old -man Jim Devers, Alice's step-pa, hid em in de cave under he house whar -dey had as nice hams as I ever et, co'se a little tainted, but sho was -good. Dem niggers was fat as beavers, jes' settin' dar eatin' dat meat. - -"And 'bout de time Marse Ike slip up on a heap of niggers at a frolic -'twixt Sumterville and Livingston and put a end to de frolic. De niggers -having a big dance, and Marse Ike and de patterrollers having a big run, -said dey wanted to have some fun, and dey did. Said he eased up on 'em -wid a white sheet 'round him and a big brush in he hand, and somehow or -'nother, dey didn't see him tell he spoke. Den he holler 'By God, I'm -bird-blinding,' and he say dem niggers tore down dem dirt chimleys and -run t'rough dat house. He say he ain't never heerd sich a fuss in a corn -field in his born days. What he mean 'bout bird-blindin'? When you goes -in de canebrake it so thick, you takes a light to shine de bird's eyes -and blind 'em, den you kin ketch 'em. Dat what he call bird-blindin'. -Yassum, Marse Ike in dat too. He couldn't stand for 'em to have no fun -'thout he in it. - -"Come back on de fo'th of July, and I's gwine tell you some sho-nuff -tales. You sort of caught me when my min' wa'n't zackly on it. I ain't -had no sleep, jes' settin' 'side de bed by Alice, ketching a nod now and -den. I's too sleepy to sing you no song, but one I laks is dis: It suits -me now in my age: - - My lates' sun is sinking fas' - My race in nearly run, - My strongs' trial now is pas', - My triump' jes' begun. - -"You come back and I'll sing de res', I's got to see 'bout things now." - - - - -Emma L. Howard - - - *Interview with Emma L. Howard* - --_Margaret Fowler, Fruithurst, Alabama_ - -_IS MASSA GWIN'ER SELL US?_ - - "Mammy, is Ol' Massa gwin'er sell us tomorrow? - Yes, my chile. - Whar he gwin'er sell us? - 'Way down South in Georgia." - -'Aunt' Emma L. Howard sat in a huge, old-fashioned rocking chair at her -home, 170 Elmwood St., Montgomery, and sang the old slave song. When she -had finished, her memory recalled the time, years ago, when she was a -slave on the plantation of William and Georgiana Shepherd in Lowndes -County, between Mac's Switch and Morgansville. - -"Dat was one of de saddest songs we sung endurin' slavery days," she -mused. "It always did make me cry." - -She thought a moment, smiled. - -"I 'members I was de only light nigger in de fambly," she said proudly. -"I was brung up in de house wid de white chillun. Twice a week I went to -my mammy's cabin an' took a bath. I had my own sof' shoes an' my own -nightgown an' jacket an' played games wid my massa's chilluns." - -She explained her duties about the Big House as sweeping the rambling -porches and yards. Sometimes she churned. Afterward she would join the -white children and played most of the day. - -"We played hot-scotch, ring-'roun'-the-rosy an' lots of yuther things I -can't 'member," she explained. "I musta been 'bout seven years old den." - -Emma says she is 84 or 85, but she looks older. She remembers very -little about her brothers and sisters. She can only recall "Sist' -Cellie, Sist' Harriett an' Sist' Liza." Liza helped Aunt Evalina in the -kitchen. - -Emma lifted her eyes toward the ceiling, endeavoring to recall the exact -number of servants her master owned. - -"Edie was de laundress," she recalled, "an' Arrie, she was de weaver. -Den dere was Becky, Melia, Aunt Mary, Ed, John, and Uncle George the -house man, who married Aunt Evalina. Jake was de over-looker (overseer). -He was a great, big cullud man. Dar was more, but I can't 'member. I was -jes' a little shaver den." - -She remembers that the Big House was huge and white with a beautiful -parlor and guest room, where the visitors were entertained. Gigantic -white columns rose in front of the house, and clusters of magnolias -surrounded it. The slave houses were located about two hundred yards -back of the house. - -"Massa Shepherd an' Mistis Georgiana was both good an' treated de -servants kin'," Emma said. "I 'members dat I used to keep de flies offen -Mistis Georgiana wid a big fan, an' once I went to sleep. She jest laugh -when she foun' me sleepin' dar beside her. - -"Massa would only whup a slave fer two things," she recalled. "One thing -was if things warn't done up jes' right at hog killin' time, and de -other was iffen a nigger warn't clean when he 'ported for work on Monday -mornin's. Ol' Massa didn't do de whuppin's hisse'f. Jake did it, but -Massa sat dar on his horse to see dat only a certain number of licks was -give. - -"How did we feel 'bout a white man who would be over-looker? We called -him 'po white trash.' He wasn't thought much of by anybody." - -Emma said that everyone went to church on Sundays and that she liked to -sing the old religious hymns. When freedom came all the Shepherd -servants had been taught to read and write, she said, and each family -had enough money to buy a little home. "De Marster" would make each -family keep pigs, hens and such; then he would market the products and -place the money aside for them, Emma explained. - -Talking further about work about the plantation, she said: - -"Louisa cleaned de parlor an' kept Mistis' room nice." She took up a -recital of work on the plantation. "Atter dat she didn't do anything but -sew, an' Sist' Liza hoped her wid dat. After de weavin', we done sewin', -and it took a lot of sewin' for dat family. Eve'body had two Sunday -dresses, summer and winter, as well as clothes for eve'day. - -"For de men's suits de wool had to be took off an' carded an' got ready -to make. But we had plenty of wool from our own sheep. - -"When dey kilt de hogs for winter meat, dey took some of de hands out of -de field an' let dem ho'p. We had a smokehouse full of hams and -middlin's, an' when rainy spells came, us chillun would rake up chips -an' leaves an' make a smudge of smoke to keep de meat sweet. - -"Massa Shepherd and Miss Georgiana was both mighty kin' hearted an' -treated their servants good. Once when Marse Shepherd sent us chilluns -down to de station wid a note, he say, 'Now, go fas'.' But we played -'long the way an' picked flowers. When we come steppin' back, he say, 'I -told you to hurry.' I held out de flowers an' say, 'See, us brung you -some flowers;' but he take up a little switch an' nettle my legs good. - -"Massa always give us plenty of eve'thing. On Friday us worked an' -washed, an' on Sattidy us cleaned for Sunday. Den on Sunday Massa would -go 'roun' an' have a mouthful at every house to see dat eve'thing was -done up jes' right, an' if they wasn't, somebody got a whuppin' next -day. - -"When us went to church on Sunday, Massa Shepherd, Miss Georgiana an' us -three chilluns rode in de rock-a-way. Dat was a carriage shaped mos' -like a bowl. De carriage was pulled by two big horses, an' de coachman -what sat up on de high seat had on a long double-breasted coat, shiny -black boots an' a tall silk hat. Massa had on a silk hat, too, but he -wore a tight-waisted coat. An' Miss Georgiana, she look lak a bokay. - -[Illustration: _Emma L. Howard, Montgomery, Alabama_] - -"She didn't lak to wear hoops, because she had sprained her ankle once -an' walked wid a limp. She liked to wear thin, cool, flowery dresses wid -lots of ruffles an' lace. She also wore a scoop of white straw, mighty -sof' over de years' an' flarin' high an' spreadin' over de face. It was -filled wid flowers an' tied wid long streamers of ribbon." - -Emma said that Mr. Shepherd died during the second year of the war, and -that it was whispered he was poisoned because he was so good to his -niggers. "Just before the war closed," she said, "Mrs. Shepherd married -again and later moved to Texas. - -"I was took on as a cook by a rich family named Marchiel, in -Montgomery," she said. "Dey treated me lak I was deir own daughter. I -was 'lowed to go out three nights a week, but no more, an' I had to be -home by 'leven o'clock. - -"I got engaged to be married an' de boy had to ax for me. I 'member dat -Massa Marchiel say: 'If you don't take good care of her I'll take her -back.' When de younges' daughter married she lef' me her veil an' -wreath, an' dey give me a weddin' dress an' shoes. - -"My husban' was a carpenter, an' we lived in dis house. When he died, I -went to work for a family dat once was de richest family in de State. -Dey comes to see me every few days, an' nex' week dey are comin' for me -to spen' de day wid dem. De reason I has stayed so well is dat folks has -always been so good to me." - - - - -Everett Ingram - - - *Interview with Everett Ingram* - --_Preston Klein, Opelika, Alabama_ - -_MY GRANDMA RAISED PLENTY CHILLUNS_ - -Uncle Everett Ingram mused: "Honey chile, my gran'mammy was de beatenest -woman to have chilluns dat you ever seen. I has hyared dat she raised so -many of dem dat she brung a mighty heap on de block; somewhere near a -thousan' dollars." - -Uncle Everett is a familiar figure in East Opelika, where he has lived -for years. He was "a right good-sized scamp at freedom time" and -remembers much of what he has seen and heard. He was born in Russell -County, the son of Prince and Fanny Ingram. They had seven other -children; Jerry, Clara, Rubin, Jep, Lula, Eugene and Lucy. - -Everett says of his life: - -"Our house in de slave settlement was made of logs an' had one room. It -had a mud an' stick chimney, a plank floor an' a boxed-up bed wid one -leg at de foot. De mattress was stuffed wid shucks an' straw. - -"My gran'pappy, Prince Walden, an' Lucy, his wife, come from Russell -County, too, an' belonged to de Covingtons. Later dey was sold to Dr. -Walden, at Uchie. When dey come to Uchie de county was full of Indians. -My gran'pappy useta drink likker wid 'em; but gran'ma, she was skeered -an' runned away to Columbus, Georgy. On her way dere, my mammy was -borned in de woods. - -"I 'members dat when I was a strip of a boy, dey cooked ash-cake on -leaves an' de chilluns et pot-licker an' bread an' greens outen wooden -trays wid wooden spoons. Dey would sit under de trees an' eat. Each -family had dey own bowl, an' us et a-plenty, too. In cold weather mammy -kept all de chilluns in de house by de fire. - -"Master had us a two-room house, 'ca'se my mammy was de cook an' weaver. -Dey made dey own silk den, too, an' raised de silk worms. Us useta get -mulberry leaves to feed de silk worms wid. Us used indigo, which us -cooked an' used for dye. Us would wear any kind of clothes on everyday -an' Sunday; an' didn't have no shoes 'til us was big chilluns. - -"Ol' Marster an' Ol' Mistus, Mr. Bill an' Miss Lucy Ingram, lived in a -big weather-boarded house wid a wide hall an' a chimney at each end. De -kitchen was off from de rest of de house. - -"I 'members dat de overseer useta whip mammy an' pappy, 'ca'se dey fight -so much. He useta take my mammy to de carriage to whip her. Marster was -in de war den. When he come home, de overseer tuk mammy by de han' to de -house an' tell Marster 'bout havin' to whip her. He'd jest shake his -head, sad-lak. He was mighty good to all of us. - -"My gran'pappy was put in de speculator drove, put on de block an' sold. - -"I 'members dat Mistus read de Bible to us an' my mammy was converted by -de white preacher. He baptized her. De colored folks used de white -church an' set in de back. - -"An' honey, dey shorely did have good times dancin' on Sattidy nights; -an' sometimes dey would dance 'till Sunday mornin'. When de corn needed -shuckln', it was hauled up near de crib, an' on a purty moonlighted -night Marster would pass 'roun' de likker. It wouldn't be long 'til dey -was all happy an' had what dey called a general. De general led all de -hollers an' songs. Dey shorely did get dat corn shucked fast, too. - -"Gran'mammy was a great doctor; useta give us turpentine an' castor oil -an' Jerusalem oak fer worms. She'd give us all kinds of teas, too. I -'members dat gran'mammy was also a midwife. - -[Illustration: _Everett Ingram, Opelika, Alabama_] - -"De Yankees comed through de yard in May an' tol' us: 'You's free.' De -Yankees wasn't so good. Dey hung my mammy up in de smokehouse by her -thumbs; tips of her toes jest touchin' de floor, 'ca'se she wouldn't -'gree to give up her older chilluns. She never did, neither. - -"Daddy stole both de older chilluns, dough, an' went off. De Yankees -stole provisions an' stock an' hauled 'em off. De news got to Uchie an' -everybody hid out; Marster wid 'em. Dey hunted de money whut was hid in -de colored folks beds; nearly $2,000. De jewelry was dere, too. Dey -foun' some money at de big house an' said: 'Dis money ain't worth a -damn;' but dey tuk it jest de same. - -"I married Hattie Graves. Den I j'ined de church an' was saved." - - - - -Hannah Irwin - - - *Interview with Hannah Irwin* - --_Gertha Couric, [HW: Eufaula?]_ - -_KU KLUX RIDES WHEN DE NIGGERS STARTS TROUBLE_ - -On a high knoll overlooking the winding Chewalla Creek is a little one -room shack. Its rusty hinges and weather-beaten boards have seen many a -glowing sunset; have stood against many high winds and rains; they have -for many years sheltered Aunt Hannah Irwin, ex-slave. Now the old Negro -woman is too old and feeble to venture very often from her small home. -She lives almost in solitude with her memories of the past, and an -occasional visit from one of her old friends who perhaps brings her some -fruit or a little money. - -"Yas'm, I'll be pleased to tell you 'bout whut I remembers aroun' de -time of de War." Aunt Hannah sat stolidly in a chair that virtually -groaned under her weight; and gave utterance to this sentiment through a -large thick mouth, while her gold ear rings shook with every turn of her -head, and her dim eyes glowed with memory's fires. "Dere ain't much I -can tell you, dough," she went on, "kaze I was only twelve years old -when de war ended. - -"I was bawn on Marse Bennett's plantation near Louisville, Alabama. Ma -Mammy's name was Hester an' my pappy was named Sam. - -"I remembers one night raght atter de war when de re'struction was -a-goin' on. Dere was some niggers not far fum our place dat said dey was -agoin' to take some lan' dat warn't deres. Dere massa had been kilt in -de war an' warn't nobody 'ceptin' de mistis an' some chilluns. Well, -Honey, dem niggers, mo' dan one hundred of 'em, commenced a riot an' was -a-takin' things dat don't belong to 'em. Dat night de white lady she -come ober to our place wid a wild look on her face. She tell Massa -Bennett, whut dem niggers is up to, an' widout sayin' a word, Massa -Bennett putt his hat on an lef' out de do'. Twarn't long atter dat when -some hosses was heered down de road, an' I look out my cabin window -which was raght by de road, an' I saw acomin' up through de trees a -whole pack of ghosties; I thought dey was, anyways. Dey was all dressed -in white, an' dere hosses was white an' dey galloped faster dan de win' -raght past my cabin. Den I heered a nigger say: 'De Ku Klux is atter -somebody.' - -"Dem Ku Klux went ober to dat lady's plantation an' told dem niggers dat -iffen dey ever heered of 'em startin' anything mo' dat dey was a-goin' -to tie 'em all to trees in de fores' till dey all died f'um being -hongry. Atter dat dese niggers all 'roun' Louisville, dey kept mighty -quiet. - -"No m'am, I don't believe in no conjurin'. Dese conjure women say dat -dey will make my hip well iffen I gives 'em half my rations I gits fum -de gover'ment, but I knows dey ain't nothin' but low-down, no-count -niggers." - -"Speaking of the Ku Klux, Aunt Hannah. Were you afraid of them?" - -"Naw'm, I warn't afeered of no Ku Klux. At fu'st I though dat dey was -ghosties and den I was afeered of 'em, but atter I found out dat Massa -Bennett was one of dem things, I was always proud of 'em." - -[Illustration: _Hannah Irwin, [TR: Eufaula?], Alabama_] - -"Well, what about the Yankees?" she was asked. "Did you ever see any -Yankees; and what did you think of the ones that came through your -place? Were you glad that they set you free?" - -"I suppose dem Yankees was all right in dere place," she continued, "but -dey neber belong in de South. Why, Miss, one of 'em axe me what was dem -white flowers in de fiel'? You'd think dat a gent'men wid all dem -decorations on hisself woulda knowed a fiel' of cotton. An' as for dey -a-settin' me free! Miss, us niggers on de Bennett place was free as soon -as we was bawn. I always been free." - - - - -Martha Jackson - - - *Interview with Martha Jackson* - _Ruby Pickens Tartt, Livingston, Alabama_ - -_HEAPS OF DEM YALLER GALS GOT SONT NORF_ - -"When de War fus' started," said Martha Jackson, who was born in 1850, -"dey wouldn't let none of de cullud people go to chu'ch 'thout dey had a -pass, and mighty few white folkses would give 'em a pass. Dere was a -heap of men (hit mou't have been six or twelve, my recollection is -short, but anyhow 'twas jus' a big crowd) whut went back'erds en -ferwerds jes' lack sher'fs and de calls de'se'fs de 'Patterrollers.' Ef -de white folks give de niggers a pass, den dey could go, and ef dey was -to go'thout one, dem Patterrollers would have 'em a-runnin' thoo de -woods jes' lack dey was a lot of deer, an ef dey ever cotch 'em, dey'd -take 'em to dey Marster and he'd jes' natchelly wear 'em out! - -"Den dey didn't 'low 'em for to go nowhurs much, eben when de plantation -j'ined one ernudder did, dey'd ketch 'em over dere and fetch 'em back -and dey'd git whooped ag'in, and dat's 'zackly how come a heap uv 'em -run'd away. I knowed a nigger onc't whut was gone nigh 'bout a year, and -he wa'n't gone nowhur but right up de big road a piece, livin' in a cave -whut he dug outer de side uv a clay bank. And Miss Betty say, 'Marthy, -whur you reckon Dan at?' And I never said nothin'. De Patterrollers -couldn't fine him or nobody, and he ain't never showed hisse'f in -daylight 'tel he peered up atter de S'render. - -"And I knowed a woman name Tishie, Miss Mollie's house sarvant. She run -away 'case dey so mean to her, I reckon, and de cullud folks harbored -her and hid her up in de grain house wid de peas and sech lac', stedder -down in de corn crib. And who ever 'twas 'trayed her I ain't sayin' but -a crowd uv dem Patterrollers come and got 'er one night, and tuck her -away, and I ain't nebber seed Tishie no mo'. - -"And one uv Ole Marsa's niggers--'little boy' he go by--he tuck on -might'ly, 'case dey say he wanted to marry Tishie. I know he fotch her -up in de quarter fer ter git her sumpin' to eat atter de white folks -done sleep. But couldn't nobody marry, 'twa'n't 'lowed, 'outer one or -t'other uv de Ole Marsa 'greed to buy bofe uv 'em and ef dey didn't -'gree you sho' better keep 'way fum dey place. And Ole Marsa and Miss -Mollie didn't nebber 'gree. - -"I hear some uv 'em say one dem Patterrollers had 'bout three sets er -cullud chillun over dere, and some uv 'em favor'd Tishie, and ev'y time -hit come time fer 'em yaller gals ter work in de fiel', dey got sarnt -Norf. I reckon 'case he never wanted see his own blood git beat up, and -dat Jim Barton was er cru'l overseer, sho's yer bawn. - -"'Twas a heap of dem yaller gals got sarnt Norf frum 'roun' here sho' -was." - -Martha says most of the meaness of pre-war days on the plantations may -be charged up to cruel overseers. - -"Ole Marsa's wife's sister had a husband whut kep' de meanest overseer -durin' de war dat I ever is seed," she declares. "Dat man would make 'em -niggers on de plantation plow up a gre't big fiel' big as all over -yonder and den check hit fer corn. And checkin' corn in runnin' a -straight row clean 'cross de fiel' bofe ways, and hit make a check 'bout -two feet square. Den he'd make de niggers drap a grain uv corn right in -de middle uv ev'y check, and ef hit didn't come up straight as deese -here fingers on my han', he'd snatch hit up and make 'em eat hit right -den and dere, stalk and all 'thout ever bilin' hit a anything. And -that'll mighty ne'r th'ow you in de middle uv a spell uv sickness sho's -yo' bawn. - -"But dat didn't make no diffe'ns to dat man. And stidder dat, he'd nigh -'bout beat 'em ter deaf ef dey 'sputed his word 'bout hit, but den dey -didn't 'spute, 'case dey was so skeered when dey drappin' hit dat hit -ain't gwinter come up straight lack he say, dat dey couldn't drap hit -good as dey could uv drapped hit. 'Case dey so skeered dey couldn't. - -"Dem niggers jes' natchelly shuck lack dey havin' de black ague chill -soon as dey heered him a-comin'. And when de Patterroles tole him de -niggers was a-risin', 'case dey foun' papers 'bout in de cabins, he nigh -'bout kilt 'em. Some of dem niggers run 'way down in de woods lack deers -and clam' up in de trees, 'case he sot dogs on 'em and some uv 'em -stayed in a cave in de clay bank and tuck to comin' up to us house -nights after vittles. And dat overseer man would send 'em Patterrollers -jes' lack dey was de sher'f down to fotch 'em back, and he'd say, 'Dead -or alive, doan' make no diffe'nce.' And sometimes dem dogs be done nigh -'bout chewed dem niggers up. Den he'd whoop 'em sho' 'nuff. - -"'Twas a long and a wide stiff leather strop w'at he had whut hung back -uv his do', and hit had big roun' holes in hit, and he'd git him a pot -of warm salty water and set hit down by his side. Den he had 'em cotch -de nigger and put his feet in de long block, and somebody helt dey -han's, and he strip 'em stark naked, and he stretch 'em 'cross a log, -and he dip de long stiff leather strop wid de roun' holes in hit in de -briny salt water, and den look out 'case he comin' down on dat po' -nigger's nekkid bottom. De holes in de strop dey sucks flesh up in th'oo -'em, and de nigger's a hollerin' and ev'ybody so skeered dey right ashy, -and dey can't nobody say a mumblin' word 'case dey so skeered. - -[Illustration: _Martha Jackson, [TR: Livingston?], Alabama_] - -"Lawdy, Lawdy, dem was tribbolashuns! Wunner dese here 'omans was my -Antie and she say dat she skacely call to min' he e'r whoopin' her, -'case she was a breeder woman, and brought in chillun ev'y twelve mont's -jes' lack a cow bringin' in a calf. And she say, dat whut make her mo' -val'ble to her Ole Marster. He orders she can't be put to no strain -'casen uv dat. And she say she give him praise on his gretty grave fer -dat. But dem others he worked 'em day en night, Sad'dy en Sunday too -you'se sho' ter hear dem women uv er night battin' de clo'es on er log -in creek wid de stick. - -"But fo' long dat man tuck rale sick, en he b'lieved in conjurashun but -spite everything he done he got worser en worser and fo' long he died. - -"So dey sarnt down in de woods and all over de plantation er lookin' fer -de niggers to come to de Big House 'case dey overseer was dead. And here -dey comes a-shoutin' and a-clappin' dey han's and a-holl'rin' sumpin' -awful. - - Ole John Bell is de'd en gone - I hopes he's gone to hell! - -"En dat was de onles' time I's ever seen dem niggers happy on dat -plantation 'tel atter s'render." - - - - -Jane - - - *Interview with Jane* - --_Mildred Scott Taylor, Georgiana, Alabama_ - -_DID THEY OWN US OR WE OWN THEM?_ - -"Yas, chillun, I 'members de wah; 'caze I was here when de Yankees come -t'rough an' I was about fourteen year ole. Ole Marster he went off to de -wah wid a whole passel of sojers, en' he been gone a long time, en' -nobody to home to look atter de plantation, 'cep Ole Mistis en' Unker -Jude, what was Ole Marster's fust slave he ebber owned. Ole Marster en' -Unker Jude was borned de same day, en' Ole Marster's pappy gin Unker -Jude to him, whenst dey was leetle bitsy babies. When Ole Marster mai'ed -Ole Mistis, dey was young folks, en' dey move to his own plantation. He -tuk Unker Jude wid him, en' Unker Jude was de ca'i'ge driver. When Ole -Marster went off ter de wah, he tole Unker Jude ter look atter Ole -Mistis en' evy'ting on de place 'twell he come back. Whilst Ole Marster -gone to de wah, Unker Jude was oberseer for Ole Mistis, en' he made de -niggers wuk harder dan Ole Marster did, to make co'n, en' oats, en' -fodder, en' meat fer de sojers. - -"Ole Mistis made de womens card bats, en' spin en' weabe on de loom. -What er loom look lak? It look lak er loom, dat what it look lak; what -you spec' it look lak? All de womens, white en' black, wuk hard makin' -jeans fer de sojers clo's en' makin' linsey fer de women's clo's. Us -didn't hab no udder clo's 'cep dem linsey, but dey sho was good uns en' -las' er long time, iffen yer didn't stan' too close ter de fire en' -scorch 'em. - -"Us kep' hearin' of de Yankees comin', en' one mawnin' Ole Mistis she -say: 'Jane, you go down ter de front gate en' stay dar en' watch en' see -iffen de Yankees comin' down de big road, en' when you sees 'em, you run -tell me quick.' - -"Bimeby, I seed de Yankees comin' about a mile down de road, en' I run -tell Ole Mistis, en' she call de womens en' dey run down t'rough de -orchard to de big woods, en' I run tell Unker Jude en' he onhitch de -mules en' lead 'em down ter de big gully behin' de fiel'. - -"Ole Mistis tole me to run back to de house, quick, fo' de Yankees get -dar, en' git her gole watch en' chain outen de bureau drawer; but de -Yankees come in whilst I was gitten de watch en' chain, en' one ob 'em -grabbed it outen by han' en' put it in his pocket en' tole anudder -Yankee: 'I'se gwine tek dis home ter my gal.' - -"De house en' de yard was plum full of Yankees en' dey rid dey hosses -en' tore up ev'yting, lookin' for money en' jewelry. Dey ax me whar it -was hid, en' I tole em' I didn't know en' dey said I was lyin', en' -iffen I didn't tell 'em, dey would kill me 'lak er dam Rebel', en' I sho -was skairt. - -"Dey et up all de sump'n' to eat in de kitchen en' tuk all de meat en' -meal outen de smokehouse en' didn't lef' us nuddin', en' dey went to de -crib en' tuk ev'y year co'n en' all de fodder en' put it in wagins en' -tuk 'em off. - -"De Yankees ax me don't I wanner be free en' I say: 'No, suh', en' dey -say ev'body gwine be free an' I won't hab ter wuk fer Ole Marster no -mo'. Den dey ax me whar Ole Marster at, en' I say: 'He gone to wah', en' -dey ax me whar Ole Mistis, en' I say: 'I dunno whar she at; she done -gone off summuz.' Dey ax me whar de guns, en' I tole 'em us didn't hab -no guns. - -"Dem Yankees mighter been dar till yit, iffen one ob 'em hadn't rid his -hoss ober a bee gum en' Man! dem bees en' dem Yankees sho did mess up! -In about a minute dere wan't no Yankees nowhar 'cep down de big road -whar de dus' jes' foggin' up! 'Bout a week some mo' Yankees come, but -dey muster heared 'bout de bees, 'caze dey lef' dey hosses outside de -big gate en' walked up to de house, but dey didn't stay long 'caze dey -wan't nuffin' lef' atter de fu'st Yankees done to' up ev'ything. En' -when dey ready to go dey tuk dey guns en' stood way off en' shoot de bee -gums all to pieces, en' dey flewed aroun' en' us had to stay 'way 'twel -night. Unker Jude, he wuk all night long, makin' bee gums outen a hollow -log, en' nex' day he hive ebery one ob dem bees en' put 'em in de new -gums, en' de bees dey tote all dey honey en' put it in de new gums fas' -as dey could make comb fer it. Dem bees sho' was smart. - -"When de wah done gone, Ole Marster he come, wid one he arms shot plum -off, en' Ole Mistis she cry, she so glad to see him en' Unker Jude he -cry en' hug Ole Marster, en' us all cry en' tek on, we so glad Ole -Marster come back en' so sorry he arm shot off. Ole Marster tell all de -niggers dey free now en' don't hatter wuk fer him no mo', en' some er de -young niggers went off atter de Yankees, en' neber did come back, but de -res' ob us jes' stayed right whar we is. Us had a mighty hard time for a -long time, but de white folks had de same hard time en' us didn't mek no -diffunce. I mai'ed Rufus en' us raise a big fambly right dar on Ole -Marster's plantation, en' outen us's twelve chilluns, ain't nary one -eber seen de inside ob de jailhouse. I raise my chilluns jes' lak Ole -Mistis raise her'n en' dat's de way to raise 'em, to wuk en' keep outen -debilment. Ole Marster dead en' gone en' Ole Mistis too, but I 'members -'em jes' lak dey was, when dey looked atter us whenst we belonged to 'em -or dey belonged ter us, I dunno which it was. De times was better fo' de -wah. Us had good things to eat en' plenty of it, en' we had good clo's -en' clean clo's fer Sunday. Dat's mo'n some triflin' niggers got now. - -"I goes to church en' sings en' prays, en' when de good Lord teks me, -I'se ready to go, en' I specs to see Jesus en' Ole Mistis en' Ole -Marster when I gits to de He'benly Lan'." - - - - -Hilliard Johnson - - - *Interview with Hilliard Johnson* - --_Ruby Pickens Tartt, Livingston, Alabama_ - -_HOODOOIN' DE DOGS_ - -Uncle Hilliard Johnson and his wife Callie live on the Johnson place -about three and a half miles from Livingston, Ala., the same place -Hilliard was brought as an infant of two in slavery days. He and Callie -tend their own little patch of ground and they own a mule. White friends -patch up the gaps in their financial structure and everybody knows them. -Uncle Hilliard pulled up his mule in front of my house and climbed down -from the high seat, leaving Callie sitting placidly in the sun. - -He came around to the kitchen door and announced that he was here, -"'ca'se he got de word I wanted to ax him somepin." - -"Uncle Hilliard," I said, "I want to hear all about you and your family -and whom you belonged to in slavery time." - -"Well, Miss Ruby, iffen you is knowed me all dese years and still don' -know who I'm is, and my family is, and who us belonged to, dey ain't no -use of me stoppin' now to tell you. 'Sides, I's sick, I's been to de -horspital in York, Dr. Hills', and he wants to operate. I's skeered of -de knife and ain't got no money neither. - -"I can't eat nothin' but tomato soup. Dem sho' is nice ones you got dere -on de she'f, and oyster soup and rice soup and all lac dat. Can't eat no -rough vittles lac collards. I ain't gittin' on well atall, but I'll -'blige you a while. I was thinkin' other day 'bout you and dem ole -sperichel hymns I leads out to Mount Pilgrim. You's got 'Oh Lord, I'm a -Waitin' on You', ain't you? I knowed you had dat 'bout 'And I Can't Do -Nothin' Until You Comes. Sho Can't.' Well, here's one you ain't got, -'ca'se hit's a really old sperichel my gran'maw use to sing. I's sorter -hoarse today, but hit go: - - Jes' carry me and bury me - I'll rise at de comin' day. - Jes' carry me and bury me, - I'll rise at de comin' day. - -"Now dat's jes' de chorus and de verse say: - - When I was in my worldly ways - Nobody had nothin' to say. - Now I'm ridin' de pale white hoss - Ev'ybody got something to say." - -"Den de chorus ag'in, and hit's a pretty one sho's you bawn." - -I mentioned the figure of speech "pale white hoss", but he "didn't know -nothin' 'bout no figures!" - -"And another one, dey is so many, let me see. Here one but I jes' can't -call to mine a heap of verses: - - Trouble here and dey's trouble dere, - I really do believe dere's trouble ev'ywhere. - Swing low, chariot, I'm gwine home. - Swing low, chariot, I'm gwine home." - -"Den hit goes on and tell 'bout de moaner, says: - - Oh, dey's a moaner here, dey's a moaner dere, - I really do b'lieve dey's a moaner ev'ywhere. - Swing low, chariot, I'm gwine home. - Swing low, chariot, I'm gwine home. - - Oh dey's a sinner here, dey's a sinner dere, - I really do b'lieve dey's a sinner ev'ywhere. - Swing low, chariot, I'm gwine home. - Swing low, chariot, I'm gwine home. - - Oh, dey's a Christun here, dey's a Christun dere - I really do b'lieve dey's a Christun ev'ywhere - Swing low, chariot, I'm gwine home. - Swing low, chariot, I'm gwine home. - -"Den dey's a heap of 'em to dat song lac a "deacon" and a "member" and a -"prayer" and a "singer", jes' a whole passel dem verses, but I reckon -dem will do today. - -"Now what else you want, 'ca'se dem mules is tired and I is too. 'Sides -I got to see a man and Callie in de waggin and she's hot too. You knows -Callie, she my wife, my second wife, and us got twelve chillun in all, -growed and married. Us still live on de Johnson place three and a half -miles from Livingston right han' side de ole Boyd road west from town. -Us belonged to Miss Ella Johnson, she was us young Mistis, and Mr. Nep -Johnson, dat's de onliest ones I ever knowed. My mammy, Frances Johnson, -and my pappy, Alf Johnson, come from down 'bout Cubie Station. Young -Mist'iss bought 'em I reckon and my gran'maw, Rachel Johnson. Fus' thing -I knowed, us was livin' on Johnson place. Dey was good to us, 'bout -seventy-five of us all together, I reckon. All I 'members, dey looped de -bridle rein over my feet an' let de mule drag me all over de orchard. It -hurt my head. And dey beat some of 'em up scan'lous, but dey was pretty -good to me, I reckon. See, I wa'n't so ole, jes' a young boy in slavery -time, but I recall young Massa told Tom, a young nigger dere, one time -not to go to de frolic. - -"'Clean up dem dishes and go ter bed,' he say. And Tom said 'Yassuh' but -Marse Nep watch Tom th'oo de do' and atter while Tom slip out and away -he went, wid young Massa right 'hin' him. He got dere and foun' Tom -cuttin' groun' shuffle big as anybody. Young Massa called him, 'Tom,' he -say, 'Tom, didn't I tell you you couldn't come to dis frolic?' 'Yassuh,' -says Tom, 'You sho' did, and I jes' come to tell 'em I couldn't come!' - -"Young Massa didn't hurt Tom none, but I is seed 'em strip 'em plum -nekked and nigh 'bout kill 'em. I did see 'em kill old Collin, but dey -done dat wid a shot gun jes' 'ca'se dey couldn't control him. Did they -have nigger dogs, you say? Yassum, dey sho' did, but I'm tellin' you de -troof now some of de black folks knowed how to git away from dem nigger -dogs jes' lac dey wa'n't dere. Mr. Joe Patton, you know Mr. Joe Patton -don' you? Young Mr. Joe, I'm talkin' 'bout what's over here in town and -use to be de sher'ff. Well, in his day, he done seed a nigger hoodoo dem -dogs 'ca'se dey had nigger dogs after S'render too. I kin tell you what -I seed, but what dey done now, I doan' know, I couldn't tell you dat. -But hit was a fair day, fair as 'tis now, and dey sot de dogs on dat -nigger and 'fo' yer knowed hit dat nigger done lef' dere and had dem -dogs treein' a nekked tree. 'Twa'n't nobody dere. Dey calls hit -hoodooin' de dogs. And I'se seen hit more times than one. Time I tell -you 'bout, Mr. Patton was ag'in. 'Twas a feller right here in town. I -forgits his name but he was a tall nigger, married Dennis Coleman's -daughter. You 'members Dennis Coleman, had dat gal call Hettie? Well, he -married Hettie, and he whooped her up mightily. She 'ported on him to de -sheriff, and he went to git him. I can't think what dat nigger go by -now, but anyhow Mr. Patton couldn't ketch him and he sot de dogs on him -and dey couldn't ketch him. Dey knowed whichaway he went, down 'bout -Bear Creek on Miss Mamie Smith's place in de flatwoods. 'Twa'n't no -trouble to ketch nobody down dere, but dem dogs couldn't do hit, and -fus' thing you know he run back to Hattie's. - -"Now jes' give me a few tomatoes, Miss Ruby, and I mus' cut dis short. -Dey's a cloud comin' up over yonder by Peter's washpot and dat's when us -gits a rain. I got a fur piece to go for a old man. Yassum, I'se nigh -'bout seventy-nine years old and porely." - - - - -Randolph Johnson - - - *Interview with Randolph Johnson* - --_Morgan Smith, [HW: Birmingham?]_ - -_RANDOLPH AND THE LITTLE CRIPPLE_ - -Randolph Johnson, age 84, although he admits he was "jes' a little -picaninny" when the War between the States began, still recalls with -vivid clarity the days of his childhood on the old plantation. Unlike -most of the former slaves, he never worked hard. His hours were too -filled with the joy of playing, for he belonged to a little crippled boy -about his own age and guarded over him all the time. At night the little -white master and his small black playmate slept in the same room; the -latter having a pallet that he spread on the floor. During the day both -little white and black played in the shade of the cedars on the grassy -lawn. The kindly white owner of the plantation was always good to -Randolph. Never a cross word was spoken to him, he says. - -"But one day," Randolph said, "de little massa took very sick. Dey -wouldn't even let me see him. I had a feelin' trouble was a comin', kaze -little massa neber did have no real life like other boys. He was always -a lookin' lak a sick puppy. I gues de Lawd jus' wanted him fo' hisself, -and he took him. - -"Adder dat I was put to work on a mule dat turned de wheel of de cotton -gin. He jus' walk aroun' in circles lak de mule dat's pullin' a syrup -press. Den de War came, and all de good clothes dat we had made on de -loom turned to tatters. De food got low; some of de slaves run away and -some of our houses was burned by de Yankees. Atter de war, de massa came -back and told us niggers dat we waunt slaves no mo'. Said we could go, -but if we wanted to stay we could do dat too. He gib' each fambly dat -stayed a mule, a cow, some tools and money enough to run 'em till dey -could git de crop harvested. He was de best massa dat any nigger ever -had. - -"Den I come to Bummin'ham. I worked on de railroad dey was puttin' -through. I was a big nigger and I could make de others step. I was about -six feet three inches and weighed near 200 pounds. I knowed my ole massa -would have been proud of me if he coulda seed me a-workin' on de -railroad and a liftn' dem ties and a sweatin' wid dem rails; I wished I -coulda been in his cotton field and a-heard him talkin' fair like instid -ob listenin' to dat foreman gibin' us de debil 'bout bein' lazy when we -was a workin' our selfs nearly to death. Den one day I saw de foreman -slap a nigger fo' drinkin' at de dipper too long. De nigger picked up a -shovel and slam him in de haid, and run. Back in de slabery days dey -didn't do somethin' and run. Dey run befo' dey did it, kaze dey knew dat -if dey struck a white man dere want goin' to be no nigger. In dem days -dey run to keep from doin' somethin'! Nowadays dey do it and den dey -runs." - - - - -Abraham Jones - - - *Interview with Abraham Jones* - --_G.L. Clark_ - -_THE PATRIARCH ABRAHAM SAW THE STARS FALL_ - -A lot of water passes under the bridge in 112 years. I thought of that -as I talked to Abraham Jones, 112-year-old ex-slave of Village Springs, -Alabama. "Uncle Abe" says he was born August 1, 1825, in Russell County, -Alabama. Perhaps the day, the month and the year may not be exactly -accurate. But they are near enough. He recalls the falling of the stars, -the removal of the Indians from Russell County and the settlement of -Auburn and other towns in that section. His great age is not apparent in -his looks, actions or natural faculties. His hair is thin and white, but -no more so than that of many men half his age, and his hearing is good. -The mellow voice so characteristic of his race, is strong. He stands as -straight as a soldier. And he works regularly to earn a living for his -family. When we found him he was laying a flagstone walk in hard clay -soil, and there was power in the swing of his pick and his tamping ax. -His regular daily chores include milking a cow and chopping wood. - -[Illustration: _Abraham Jones, Village Springs, Alabama_] - -He describes the phenomenon of falling stars as an event that occurred -when he was "a little shaver 'bout eight year' old." November 13, 1833 -was the date. - -"Yes, sir, I saw de stars fall. Some folks say dey didn't never fall but -I seen 'em. Dey fell jest like pitch from a torch, 'Z-z-z-z-zip, -z-z-z-z-zip!' and big cracks come in de ground. I was settin' on de end -of de porch, and I watched 'em. Dere was so many grown people crowdin' -into de house, 'twa'n't no use fer me to try to git in so I jest sot -still. We had a big sill under our house, more dan a foot thick, and so -many people crowded in de house till dere weight broke de sill. Dey was -cryin' and hollerin' but de stars didn't hurt nobody; dey jest fell and -went out, and I don't know where dey went den; maybe into dem cracks in -de ground. De cracks stayed a long time and it was dangerous for de -people to go about at night; dey might fall into de cracks. One of dem I -remember was two feet across and so deep dey couldn't find no bottom wid -a long pole. I reckon dem stars kept fallin' for about a hour. Folks -thought de end of time was comin' and ever'body got right after dat. - -"Back at dat time de country was not settled much and dere was lots of -Indians. My grandpappy was a full-blooded Indian but I don't know what -kind. De Indians was good people but if dey thought you had done 'em -wrong dey'd kill you right now. I saw some of dem when dey left dat -country. Dey women carried de babies in some sort of sacks, hung down in -front of 'em, and de men carried some of de bigger chillun on dey -shoulders. Dey didn't have no property--jest lived wild in de woods. - -[Illustration: _Abraham Jones' Back Yard, Village Springs, Alabama_] - -"A few years after de stars fell, a passel of people from de other side -of Columbus, Georgia, moved over and started de town of Auburn so dey -could have a place for a school. - -"Before de war my people took me up to Blount County, and when de war -come dey left me to run de grist-mill. I was de fust man in Alabama to -try to grind a bushel of oats. I ground 'em too. A lady brung de oats -and ast me could I grind 'em, and I told her I would try. She say dey -didn't had nothin' for de chillun to eat. I ground de oats, and told -her, 'Ole Mistis, I knows jest how 'tis and I'll be glad to give you a -peck of meal if you will use it.' She say, 'of course I will; jest put -it in with the oat meal, and I sure will appreciate it.' Her husband was -off to de war and she didn't had no way to feed de chillun. - -"I was workin' on de road a long time after de war and was tellin' de -men about dat when her son hear me. She had told him about it and so he -went home and told her he had found me. She sent word back for me to go -to her house and let her see if I shore 'nuff was de same man. So I went -and when she seen me she say, 'Yes, he is the same man,' and she called -her husband and de other chillun and told 'em about it. Her husband say, -'Well, dey is jest one thing we kin do. If he ever need a place to stay -or vittles to eat, we must see dat he gits dem.' - -"In slavery time I belong to Massa Frank Jones, and Timothy Jones was de -overseer on de place. Frank Jones had two plantations, de one whar I was -born and another one close to Columbus. People ax me sometimes what kind -of house I was born in and I tell 'em I wa'n't born in no house; and I -warn't, I was born in de middle of de big road. - -[Illustration: _Abraham Jones' House, Village Springs, Alabama_] - -"It's gittin' to where it's mighty hard for me to go now and do de work -to make sompen for us to eat. I can't git about so fast and my head -bother me a lot. I been workin' a long time now, and you does git tired -after a hundred years of workin'!" - -On his wrists were circlets of heavy cord. I asked him why they were -there and he explained: - -"To keep de pain out. Dey keeps it out purty good but if you can git a -little leather band wid a buckle on it, dat is better yet. I wears dese -all de time." - - - - -Emma Jones - - - *Interview with Emma Jones* - --_Mrs.Preston Klein, Opelika_ - -_EMMA TELLS HOW TO MAKE THEM "TEETHE EASY"_ - -Emma Jones, eighty-three years old, was born in the Chattahoochee Valley -between West Point and Columbus Georgia. She is very alert though quite -deaf. - -"White folks," she began, "I belonged to Marse Wiley Jones and his wife, -Mistis Melba. - -"I lived in a little two-room log cabin with high tester beds and -mattreses filled with cawn shucks. Our food den was away better dan de -stuff we eats today. It was cooked on a fireplace made outen rocks wid -big hooks fastened into de side to swing de pots aroun' on. Us cooked -hoe-cakes on a three-legged skillet dat sot ober hot coals an' us had a -big oven for to bake meat an' cawn bread in. Dere ain't nothin' lak it -nowdays, no'm. - -"Ole Massa had a big garden an' we useta git de vega'bles we et f'um his -garden. De folks was plenty good to us. Sometimes de mens would hunt -'possums an' rabbits an' wild turkeys. We sho' loved dem 'possums -smothered in 'taters. - -"An' talkin' 'bout medicines. Let me tell you a sho' 'nough cure for a -baby dat's havin' a hard time teethin'. Jus' putt a string of coppers -roun' he neck an' he won't have no trouble at all. Us useta do dat to de -little white chilluns an' de black uns too; 'specially in hot weather -when dey jus' seem to have de misery. - -"Atter us got to be big gals, us wo' cotton dresses an' drawses in hot -weather, an' when it git col' we had to wear long drawses an' homespun -wool dresses an' home-knitted socks and shoes dat de cobbler made in his -shop. You know, white folks, we useta make near 'bout eve'ything dat wes -needed to run a body raght on our plantation. Us had eve'ything. On -Sunday us wo' gingham an' calico dresses an' I ma'ied in a Swiss dress. - -"I worked as a house gal an' when Miss Sarah ma'ied I went with her to -nuss her chilluns. Besides Miss Sarah dere was Mista Billy, Mista Crick, -Miss Lucy and Miss Emma. Dey had two uncles an' a Aunt of deres lived -dere too. - -"We had a happy fambly. At night some of de house niggers would gather -'roun' de fire, an' mistis would read us de scriptures, an' de white -chilluns git tired an' slip out de do' but us little niggers couldn't -'ford to do dat; us hadda stay dere whether us liked it or not. -Sometimes de massa let de niggers dance an' frolic on Saturday nights, -but we warn't 'lowed to go offen de plantation, none ceptin' de ones dat -had a wife or husban' on anudder plantation; den dey could only stay for -a short time. Sometimes us could go off to church, an' I remembers a -babtizin' in de creek. Some of dem niggers 'most got demselves drowned. -Dey warn't used to so much water an' dey would come up outen de creek a -spittin' an' a-coughin' lak de debil had a holt of 'em. Dere was so much -shoutin' I 'spose ever'body fo' ten miles aroun' could hear dem niggers -a-carrin' on in de creek. - -"Durin' de war, my mammy helped spin cotton for de soldiers' clothes, -an' when de Yankees come through, us hid all de valuables in de woods. -Us had to feed dem an' dere hosses too. Dey et up near 'bout everything -we had on de place. - -"Dere warn't no schools in dem days for us colored folks. Us learned -f'um de scriptures, an' by listenin' to de white folks talk." - - - - -Hannah Jones - - - *Interview with Hannah Jones* - --_Pigie T. Hix, Greensboro_ - -_AUNT HANNAH HAS A HUNDRED DESCENDANTS_ - -Aunt Hannah Jones lives with her daughter in a small four room house on -Tuscaloosa Street, Greensboro. "Lawdy," she said, "It's been so long dat -I's 'mos' forgot 'bout dem slavery days, but I was bawn, in Bunker Hill, -Amelia County, Virginny. My pappy was named Simon Johnson an' my mammy -was Rhoda Johnson. My Marster was Alfred Wood an' my mistis was Miss -Tabby Wood. When Massa died, de 'state was 'vided an' I fell to de son -dat was too sick to take care of de place an' de slaves. Soon I was tuk -to Richmond an' sold to Jedge Moore of Alabammy for twelve hundred -dollars. Dat was de fust time I ever seed a slave sold. I was sixteen -years old. When Jedge Moore's plantation was sold de niggers went wid de -place an' it was bought by Marse Isaiah an' Marse Bill Smarr. It was -called de Gillum Place and dat is east of Prairieville. I was a house -girl an' ho'p wid de sewin' an' de spinnin'. - -"Us had good houses built outten cedar logs an' de quarters looked jus' -lak dis street dat I lives on now. We had good beds an' plenty vittels -to eat: greens, cawn bread, meat an' all kinds of sweets. Some time de -men folks would ketch a 'possum or rabbit. Marster had a big vegetable -garden an' we was 'lowed to help ourselves f'um dis here garden. Us had -two eve'y day dresses, an' we done our washin' at night. When I was -ma'ied, de ceremony tuk place at my Mammy's house an' I wo' a pretty -white dress. - -"Our oberseer was Harvey Williamson an' he went 'roun' at nine o'clock -to see iffen us niggers was in baid. Sometimes atter he done been -'roun', us'd git up an' have some fun. At de break of day all de slaves -would git up an' go to work. Dose goin' way down in de fiel's would have -to git up even befo' it was light so's to be dar when de dawn broke to -commence de day's work. Den dey would come back at twelve o'clock for -dinner an' res' awhile, den go back an' work till sun down. - -"We useta have a man on de place dat played a banjo, an' we would dance -an' play while he sang. - -"Dis was one of his songs: - - White folks says a nigger won't steal - But I cotched six in my cawnfiel' - If you want to see a nigger run - Shoot at dat nigger wid a gattlin' gun. - -"My last Marsters was two brothers an' dey had one sister, Miss Sarah -Smarr. - -"We didn't have no jail on de place, an' most of us never went offen de -plantation, jus' stayed 'roun' an' had a good time playin' amongst -ourselves. Us niggers had a church dar on de place an' a white man -preached to us, but in Virginny we went to de same church as de Marster -did. I didn't jine no church dough till I come to Alabamy. - -"None of us slaves ever tried to run away to de nawth 'ca'se dey was -good to us. - -"We useta have a doctor dat'd come roun' eve'y two weeks to see how de -slaves was doin' an' iffen we was sick he would give us some medicine. -Some of de women would tie asafetida 'roun' de chilluns necks to keep de -sickness away. - -"Some Saddays we had to work after dinner, but most of the time Marster -would let us have a good time. On Christmas day us had a big celebration -an' didn't do no work at all. - -"Didn't nobody have no time to learn us how to read an' write. - -"I don't know nothin' 'bout Mr. Lincoln 'cep'n he freed all us slaves, -an' when we heard dat us was free all de niggers marched to Prairieville -an' had a celebration. - -"Honey, I's had nine chilluns, twenty five gran' chilluns, twenty seven -great gran' chilluns an' thirteen great great gran'chilluns, an' I is -expectin' mo' to come along pretty soon. I guess maybee I'll have 100 -descendents fo' I shuffle off." - - - - -Josephine - - - *Interview with Josephine* - --_Gertha Couric, Eufaula, Alabama_ - -_WHEN SHERMAN PASSED THROUGH_ - -Aunt Josephine claims to be the oldest Negro in Eufaula. She says she -was born ninety-four years ago in North Georgia on a plantation above -Atlanta. She lives now in Eufaula, Alabama with a great-granddaughter. - -"I used to belong to Marse Rogers," she said. "After surrender, Marse -Rogers moved to dis country, and bought a plantation 'twixt Marse Josiah -Flourney's and General Toney's. He said his plantation j'ined theirs." -She was a nurse-maid all of her life, even in Slave days, and never was -a "field nigger." Asked if she saw any soldiers during the war she said -she saw "thousands." - -"I and my Mistis and her baby hid in de swamps three days while Sherman -and his army was passin' through," she explained. "Marse Rogers was in -Virginny and when he got back home, there wasn't nothin' left but a -well. Everything had been burned up. His house was gone and so was de -smoke house; everything." She added that the well was a "dry well" where -melons and butter and milk and meats were placed, in Summer, to keep -them cool. - -"Those three days my little brother hid in this well, while the soldiers -were passin'," she said. - -"'Fore God, Missy," she exclaimed, "when we got dat little nigger out ob -dat well, he had almost turned white!" - -Aunt Josephine is still a "nurse maid." She rocks her -great-great-great-grandchildren. - - - - -Lucindy Lawrence Jurdon - - - *Interview with Lucindy Lawrence Jurdon* - --_Preston Klein, Lee County, Alabama_ - -_IT AIN'T DE SAME_ - -Lucindy Lawrence Jurdon bustled feverishly about her tiny Lee County -cabin when she learned her picture was "goin' to be tuk." She got out -her old spinning wheel; sat down before it and beamed. Her daughter -coming in from the field, exclaimed: "Ma, I done tol' you dis lady was -comin' to see you; an' you wouldn't believe me." - -After she had posed, she seated herself to tell about slavery days. Her -oldest grandson was sick in the next room with pneumonia; the cabin was -stuffy and bare. - -Lucindy said: - -"Honey, I was borned in Macon, Georgy, on de twenty-eighth day of some -month or other; I can't 'member which. But de year was 1858. - -"My pappy an' mammy, Emanuel and Patsy Lawrence, come from Jasper -County, Georgy. I had a sister named Jennie an' a brother named Phillip, -but I was de oldest. - -"Ol' Marster had 'bout three or four hundred acres on his plantation. -His name was Marster LeRoy Lawrence, and he shorely was good to all us -niggers. His daddy was Mr. Billy Lawrence; an' de marster had four -chilluns. - -"Us lived in a two-room log house wid a lean-to next it. Us was well off -in dem times, but us didn't have sense enough to know it. I 'members dat -us always had plenty of good victuals. - -"Honey, us had meat broiled on hot rocks, roasted 'taters, ash-cake and -sech. On Sunday us had ash-cake cooked in collard leaves; an' beef was -served us when de killin' time come. Marster always gived de niggers -plenty to eat. - -"I can sit here an' picture dat house of marster's; a big, six-room -house wid wide plank weather-boarding. Beside de house was a big garden, -and it had palings 'round it. - -"My mammy was a fine weaver and did de work for both white an' colored. -Dis is her spinning wheel, an' it can still be used. I use it sometimes -now. Us made our own cloth an' our stockings, too. - -[Illustration: _Lucindy Lawrence Jurdon, Lee County, Alabama_] - -"No'm, us never did learn nothing. If us tried to read or write dey -would whack our forefingers off. Us lived forty miles from de town an' -it would take more dan two days to git to town. De women folks had to -fix lunches every time dey went. - -"My grandmammy had sixteen chilluns. I 'members dat when us courted us -went to walk an' hunted chestnuts. Us would string dem an' put 'em -'round our necks an' smile at our fellers. - -"On Sattidy nights dey would have dances an' dance all night long. -Somebody would clap hands, beat pans, blow quills or pick de banjer -strings. When us had cornshuckin's, dey would pile de corn up, ring -'round it an' shuck, drink likker an' holler: 'Boss man, boss man, -please gimme my time; Boss man, boss man, fer I'm most broke down.' - -"I 'members dat one ol' sick man was freed 'fore freedom come. Dey let -him go whar he wanted to, so he dug a hole in de ground an' used it fer -a room. He put rafters inside to help hold it up an' it slanted down at -de back." - -Lucindy mused a moment, concluded: "Dem was good days, honey; mighty -good. But us shorely is in a bad fix now an' needs help mighty bad. It -jest ain't de same no more." - - - - -Lucy Kimball - - - *Interview with Lucy Kimball* - --_Francois Ludgere Diard, Mobile, Alabama_ - -_THE FULFILLED WISH OF MAMMY LUCY KIMBALL_ - -I made two visits to the home of Mammy Lucy Kimball. The first was -during the month of April, 1937; the next was nearly a month later. On -the first trip I had a very successful talk with the old Negro woman, -but on the last, she wasn't at home, and so the information I sought had -to wait. I was very disappointed that I couldn't see her on my second -venture, but it was impossible. - -Mammy Lucy had not grown very feeble when I last saw her, and her -methodical mode of living can be attributed to her consciousness of the -venerable age of eighty-five years which she had reached. She was born -into slavery in 1851 at Swift's Landing near the town of Blakeley, in -Baldwin County. She was a slave in the Charles Hall family of that -county before and during the War between the States. In 1907, she came -to work for the T.S. Fry and Santos Rubira families of Mobile. - -Following the War between the States, Mammy Lucy Kimball worked in -various families at the summer resorts of Baldwin County. - -When a young girl, Mammy Lucy performed the duties of a children's -nurse, and worked as a dining room servant. She had some education, and -as she had worked in families of refinement and culture all her life, -her manner was that of a well educated person. However, like the average -educated Negro, she still displayed the characteristics of the Negro of -the ante-bellum days. She said that she strictly adhered to old -fashioned methods, such as: going to church twice a week, not believing -in doctors, and always taking home-concocted remedies. - -I asked her if she believed in carrying a rabbit's foot for luck, to -which she responded: - -"Honey, you don' think I'm like these other Negroes, who still believe -in that old nonsense? I might tell the children that a rabbit foot -brings good luck because it is an old custom for superstitions persons -to carry one, but, honey, you'd have just as good luck if you carried -brick-bats in your coat. My white people in Baldwin County never brought -me up to believe in such things." - -"Well, Mammy Lucy," I asked, "do you remember any strange or weird -things that happened during the Civil War?" - -"Yes," she answered slowly, "I remember during the Civil War some of the -mischievous Sibley boys who were kin to the Hall family over in Baldwin -County, tied a strange long black thread to the ankle of a black boy -named Slow Poke. - -"Some Negroes were going to town that night to fetch supplies and among -them was Slow Poke. The boys jokingly asked him if he had his rabbit -foot with him as he might need it to keep the rattling noises away at -night. Slow Poke showed them his rabbit foot and, displaying his -glistening teeth in a broad grin he said that there 'warn't goin' to be -no ghosties atter him.' The boys deftly tied a string to Slow Poke's -ankle while some of their friends held his attention. On this string -were attached three cow bladders. Slow Poke hadn't gone far when he -heard the bladders rattling at his heels. He immediately decided that -there was a whole troop of ghosts after him, and so began to hit his -fastest gait down the middle of the dark road. He ran till he reached -Montgomery Hill some miles distant, where the string finally wore out. -His people didn't find him till three days later. Then they took him -home and gave him a sound whipping for running away." - -Mammy Lucy talked of the Hall and Sibley families and of the wealth that -they once had, and what happiness she found in being slave to such good -people. She remembered all the summer resorts on the eastern shore of -Mobile Bay when they were in their glory before the Civil War, and how -the Mobile ferries landed bringing over all the fashionable Mobile -families to their summer homes on the bay. She remembered hearing father -Ryan, the poet-priest of the south, preaching at the dedication of the -Catholic Church at Montrose and the storm in the '70's which almost -demolished Alabama City (now Fairhope). She recalls the landing of the -Confederate troops at Hollywood for wood when they left Mobile at the -outbreak of the war on their way to Fort Pickens, Florida, to enter -active service. - -I found Mammy Lucy to be neat and prim as she must have been thirty -years ago, when she first went to work for the Fry and Rubira families. -She still walks with the agility of a young person, and her mind is -fertile with fresh thoughts and with the deeds of the past. "I have -found happiness," she said. "People have been good to me and I, in -return, have tried to be kind to those around me. I have lived a plain -life and have been rewarded with a ripe age that still finds me feeling -young. I shall never grow old in my thoughts and actions, but always -keep a place in my mind to welcome something new. I will have had a -complete life if I can live only two weeks longer. There is something -I'd like to see." - -After a few more minutes I left her and returned home. There was -something I wanted to ask Mammy Lucy; something that preyed on my mind -for days. I wanted to ask her what the thing was that she wanted to see. -She was so gentle and courteous; my interest seemed officious prying -into her affairs. Someday I shall go to see her again, I decided, and -bring up the subject casually. Then she'll never know of my unworthy -curiosity. - -Three weeks later I walked to the door of Mammy Lucy's cabin and on the -porch stood a Negro girl watering a few pots of flowers. - -"Is Mammy Lucy at home?" I asked. - -The girl was silent for a moment, then she spoke in a high-pitched -whining voice: "Mammy Lucy, she died." - -"Oh, I'm sorry," I said. "When did she die?" - -"Fo' days ago," was the reply. - -I walked down the path of pebbles toward the bay. The question would -never be answered, but I knew that Mammy Lucy died content. - - - - -Ellen King - - - *Personal conversation with Aunt Ellen King* - *Mauvilla, Alabama* - --_Mary A. Poole, Mobile, Alabama_ - -_SATAN DONE GOT DIS JUKING GENERATION_ - -Ellen King lives in a two room cabin nestling back in the woods near -Mauvilla, Ala., about twelve miles above Mobile. A little Negro boy led -me along a circuitous path to the ex-slave, showing the weight of her 86 -years. After talking awhile she became interested and told that she was -born at Enterprise, Miss. on the plantation of Mr. and Mrs. Harvey, but -could not recall their given names, or the names of their children, of -which there were three, two girls and one boy. - -They lived in a big white house and the cabins in the slave quarters -were built of planks, with streets between and little gardens in front -of them. Some planted vegetables and others flowers. - -The Harveys were good masters, they had plenty to eat, and good homespun -clothes to wear and home-tanned leather shoes. The women gathered -leaves, bark, and indigo to dye the cloth to make their dresses of -different colors. - -The plantation was large and had several slaves. Aunt Ellen, however, -could not recall the number of acres or the number of slaves, but knew -there was a crowd of them. The Harvey's raised wheat, cotton and corn, -and lots of live stock. - -Aunt Ellen sat quiet for a few moments and said: - -"Lady, when I sits and thinks of all the good things us had to eat and -all the fun we had 'course we had to work, but you knows lady, when a -crowd all works together and sings and laughs, first thing you knows -work's done." - -Aunt Ellen recalled the Yankees coming through and telling all the -slaves they were free, and that a lot of the slaves went with them, but -Aunt Ellen laughed and said: - -"My Pa and some of the others got scared and hid in a big cave and just -stayed there until the soldiers left, and, lady, he still stayed on -atter the war with the Harveys, and I was married there in the white -folks church. They gave me a big wedding, lots to eat, plenty of music, -singing and dancing. Jest like they used to say, we 'danced all night to -broad daylight.'" - -Aunt Ellen was asked how many times she was married and she replied: - -"Twice, first one dead and don't know where t'other is, and had no -children by either." - -When asked about religion Aunt Ellen said: - -"Lady, I prayed and prayed and religion came to me, and I jined the Big -Zion Methodist Church, in Mobile, Ala., but moved here to Mauvilla where -there was no Methodist Church, so I jined the Baptist Church." - -Aunt Ellen says the people of today are going back not forward. "All -they study is idleness and to do devilment these days. Young generation -done gone, Satan got 'am, too much 'juking' these days, have no time to -study 'bout the Lord and their dying day. All they do, is juke, juke, -juke! When they closed the schools up here in Mauvilla, they had -children all juking. - -The writer was somewhat at a loss to know just what Aunt Ellen meant by -"juking," but thought best to let her talk on and not make a direct -inquiry, and after a little Aunt Ellen continued: - -"No, lady, we used to call figgers for our dancing, had a big fiddle and -two small fiddles, and a set in one room and one in t'other. None of -this twisting and turning. I just can't stand all that juking, just -won't look at it." - -By "juking" Aunt Ellen meant rough dancing of the generation of today. - -Aunt Ellen firmly believes the old-time religion was best for all, and -tried to sing in a wavering voice the following: - - "Down by the river side, - Jesus will talk and walk, - Ain't going to study the world no more, - Ain't going to study the world no more, - For down by the river side, - Jesus will talk and walk." - - - - -Mandy Leslie - - - *Interview with Mandy Leslie* - --_Daphne L.E. Curtis, Fairhope, Alabama_ - -_THE ORPHAN SLAVE-GIRL_ - -In the suburbs of Fairhope, in a rough but neatly-kept cottage of two -rooms, lives Mandy Leslie, a hard-working Negro woman whose energy -belies the seventy-seven years to which she credibly lays claim. Twice -widowed and her children scattered to the winds, Mandy is a pillar of -strength and comfort to several white households, where she makes weekly -calls to care for the laundry work, "wash and iron," as she calls it. -The washing is done in the back yards, where a hot fire under an iron -pot boils the garments to a state that permits Mandy's rubbing over a -fluted wash-board to make them spotless. Strung on lines in the sun, the -clothes are ready for ironing next day. - -Using old-fashioned sadirons, heated at an open fire, Mandy turns out a -"done-up" product that any modern laundry might envy. During the ironing -process, which takes place in the hall or a spare room, the mistress of -the house is entertained with a steady stream of biography, comment, and -information from the lonely old woman who relishes this opportunity to -talk to somebody, especially if there happens to be a visitor who is not -familiar with her story. A typical episode runs like this: - -"Yassum, I 'members de war, but I don't lak no wars. Dey give folks -trouble and dey's full of evil doings. When de Yankees come t'rough -here, dey took my mammy off in a wagon, and lef' me right side de road, -and when she try to git out de wagon to fetch me, dey hit her on de head -and she fell back in de wagon and didn't holler no more. Dey jes' driv' -off up de big road wid Mammy lying down in de wagon--she mount a been -dead, 'cause I ain't never seed her no mo'. - -"Unker John Leslie and Aunt Josie and all dey chillun come along in a -wagon, gwine up North, dey said, and dey said dey found me standing dar -side de road crying for my mammy. Aunt Josie, she say: 'Pore little -lamb, you gwine wid us. Us ain't got much, but us can't let you die.' -And Unker John, he say: 'Poor chile, us mustn't leave her disaway.' He -lift me up in de wagon and drive twell de mule gin plum' out, and den us -stop and took up on a place not fur from Mon'gomery, on Mr. Willis -Biles' place. Us live dar twell I was grown woman, and Mr. Biles sho' -was a good man to live wid and he treat us right every year. - -"Den I married Taylor and us kep' on living wid Mr. Biles and all t'ree -of us's chillun was borned dere. Den Taylor died wid de fever, and he -had insho'ance whet us pay a dollar a mont' for de longest and he say it -take care me and de chillun when he gone. Bless God, dat money didn't -take care nobody 'cept de doctor and de burying-man. Dey bofe got dey -part and lef' me jes' two dollar and seventy cents, dat's all. Mr. Biles -say dey ought to be whupped for chargin' me lak dey did. Den he went to -see 'em, and cussed 'em out, and dey sont back twenty dollar. I ain't -waste no more money on insho'ance, no ma'am! - -"I had a hard time keeping my chillun and working de crop too; but Mr. -Biles, he 'low me a mule, jes' lak he do Taylor 'fore he died, and us -made four bags of cotton de fust year and five bags de nex' year. I pick -every lock of it myself--jes' me and dem little chilluns. - -"Den Rufus he come along and he thought us had all de insho'ance money, -and he court me so hard and so reg'lar dat I act a fool and married him, -and he turn out to be de no-countest nigger dat ever lived. 'Stead of -him supporting me, us had to support him for nigh 'bout ten year, me and -de chillun. He had misery in he back, and couldn't do no hard work lak -plowing and hoeing. It hurt he back to pick cotton and pull fodder, and -he jes' set 'roun' and make a few baskets and eat lak a hoss. - -"Mr. Willis Biles he died, and he boy, Mr. Joe, he took de place and run -it for he ma. Mr. Joe told Rufus 'twan't nothing de matter wid him but -damn lazy, and if he don't git out and he'p me work, he gonna set de Ku -Klux on him. Den us got scared and moved nigh 'bout to Uniontown, and us -live wid Mr. Bob Simmons for seben years hand-running, and he treat us -right every fall 'bout de settlement. Mr. Bob he say 'tain't nothing de -matter wid Rufus jes' lak Mr. Joe say, and Rufus say he gwine move to -town whar he kin git work to suit him. - -"Us move to town, and Rufus he gone all day looking for a job and don't -find nothing to suit him. I has to take in washing from de white folks -to feed us and dey charge two dollars rent for de little shack us live -in. 'Twan't right to do dat; 'cause I ain't never paid no house-rent in -all my bo'n days, twell den. And de fust t'ing I know, dat trifling -Rufus he done sell de mule and wagon and got drunk and lost de res' of -de money. Us was sho' in a bad fix. Why didn't I quit Rufus? Yassum, I -'spects I ought to done dat; but he' so humble when he sober up and pray -so strong. He say de Lord done call him outen he meanness and he gwine -preach Jesus. He make lak he need dem preacher clothes, and us skimped -along and saved 'nough to buy Rufus de suit of clothes wid a long-tail -coat. He got a high-up hat and a Bible, and he sho did look gran'. Us -was proud to see him all fix up and going out to labor in de vineyard of -de Lord. - -"Us give Rufus de las' t'ree dollars us could scrape up and he got on de -train and went to Mon'gomery, but us ain't seen hair nor hide of dat -nigger sence. In 'bout a year us got a letter from him in Juliet, wayup -in Illinois, wharever dat is, and he say he in de pen'tenshry for ten -year, 'cause dey 'scuse him stealing a woman's jew'lry, and would I get -Mr. Biles and Mr. Simmons to do what dey can to get him out. He repent -and been washed in de blood of de Lamb sence he been in jail. And he say -if anybody write me dat he runned off from Mon'gomery wid 'nother woman -and dat he got a wife in Chicago, it's a lie. - -"Dat fix me wid dat triflin' nigger, and Mr. Sam Broady, what's a -lawyer, he got me a 'vorcement and gin me back my fust name, Leslie. Now -I's t'rough wid marrying. My chillun done all gone and got married, and -I come back here whar I come from. 'Twix' here and Brantley, is de -place. - -"How old I is? I was five year old, come de Surrender--how old dat make -me? Sebenty-seben? Dat's right and I be sebenty-eight dis time nex' -year. How I know I be living dis time nex' year? 'Cose, I will be -living! I always notice dat when I lives t'rough March, I lives de res' -of de year, and ain't March jes' now gone, huh? - -"How de way wais' ironed suit you, Missy?" - - - - -Dellie Lewis - - - *Interview with Dellie Lewis* - --_Mary A. Poole, Mobile, Alabama_ - -_DELLIE LEWIS KNOWS CURES AND 'CUNJER'_ - -"To begin at de beginnin', white folks," said Dellie Lewis, "I was bawn -on de plantation of Winston Hunter at Sunflower in Washington County, -Alabama. It's on de Southern Railroad. De fus' thing dat I remembers was -when de Gran' Trunk Railroad cut dere right of way through near -Sunflower. Dey had a chain gang of prisoners dat warn't slaves aworkin' -on de road, an' me an' anudder little nigger gal was sont wid big cans -of buttermilk to sell 'em. One day a handsome white gent'man rode to our -house an' axe me fo' a drink of cool water. He was de fo'man on de road. -Jus' as soon as I handed it to him he done fell offen his hoss on de -groun'. I run to de Mistis an' she got some of de niggers 'roun' de -place to ca'ay de gent'man to de big house, an' do you know it, white -folks, dat man, he neber open his eyes again! He keppa callin' de Mistis -his mammy, but he neber open his eyes to see dat she warn't his mammy. -He died a little later wid a conjested chill. - -"Den I remembers one of de Alabama River floods, dat swep' ober de lan' -an' washed away lots of de food. De gover'ment sont some supplies of -meat, meal an' 'lasses. De barrels was marked U.S. an' one nigger, bein' -tired of waitin' an' bein' powerful hongry tol' us dat de U.S. on de -barrel meant Us, so us commence' to eat. When de oberseer come to gib us -de meat an' 'lasses, us be done et it all up. - -"Us slaves useta git up at dawn; de oberseer blowed a cow hawn to call -us to work. De Hunter slaves was 'lowed to go avisitin' udder slaves -atter work hours an' on Sundays, an' iffen we was to meet a pattyroller, -an' he axe us whar we f'um an' who we b'long to all us had to say was -we's Hunter niggers; an' dat pattyroller didn't do nothin', caze de -Hunter niggers warn't neber whupped by no pattyroller. Some niggers when -dey was kotched eben dough dey warn't Hunter niggers, dey'd say it jus' -de same, caze dem pattyrollers was always 'fraid to fool 'long wid a -Hunter nigger. Massa Hunter, he was somp'n'. - -"Durin' de Christmas celebration, us all had gif's. Us had quilting -bee's wid de white folks, an' iffen a white gent'man th'owed a quilt -ober a white lady he was 'titled to a kiss an' a hug f'um her. Atter de -celebratin' we all had a big supper. - -"An' speakin' of cures, white folks, us niggers had 'em. My grandmammy -was a midwife an' she useta gib women cloves an' whiskey to ease de -pain. She also gib 'em dried watermelon seeds to git rid of de grabel in -de kidneys. For night sweats Grandmammy would put an axe under de bed of -de sick pusson wid de blade asittin' straight up. An' iffen yo' is sick -an' wants to keep de visitors away, jus' putt a fresh laid aig in front -of de do' an' dey won't come in. If you is anxious fo' yo' sweetheart to -come back f'um a trip put a pin in de groun' wid de point up an' den put -a aig on de point. When all de insides runs outen de aig yo' sweetheart -will return. - -"Yassuh, white folks, us useta hab games. Us useta play, 'Puss in de -cawner,' 'Next do' neighbor' an' 'Fox an' geese.' I kin gib you some of -de songs we useta sing: - - Old sweet beans and barley grows, - Old sweet beans an' barley grows, - You nor I nor nobody knows, - Where old sweet beans an' barley grows. - - Go choose yo' east, - Go choose yo' wes', - Go choose de one dat you love best, - If she's not here to take her part, - Choose de nex' one to yo' heart. - -"I is always been a 'piscopalian in belief, white folks. I ma'ied Bill -Lewis when I was fifteen year old in Montgomery an' us had three -chilluns. I is strong in my faith. - - In mercy, not in wrath, - Rebuke me, gracious Lawd - Les' when Dy whole displeasure rise, - I sink beneath Dy rod. - -"Yassuh, I remembers de war. I seed de Yankees a-marchin' through our -place an' down de road dat led to Portland in Dallas County. Dey was -mighty fine looking wid all dere brass buttons and nice lookin' -uniforms. Dey didn't gib us much trouble. Dey had a Cap'n dat was good -an' kin'. I heered him say dat dere warn't agoin' to be no stealin' an' -atrampin' through folks' houses. Dey slep' outen de yard for one night; -den dey went on in to Portland. - -"Mr. Munger was our oberseer, but he had money of his own. He was better -dan mos' oberseers, an' dere warn't no po' white trash, dem onery -buckers libed further back in de woods. - -"When us was sick Dr Lewis Williams, who was de doctor of de massa, -'tended to us slaves. I remembers sittin' in de doctor's lap while he -tried to soothe my ailments. - -"Us house servants was taught to read by de white folks, but my -gran'-mammy, Alvain Hunter, dat didn't have no learnin' but dat knowed -de Bible back'ards an' farwards, made us study. When me an' my brother -was learnin' outen de Blue Back Speller she say: - -"'How's dat? Go ober it.' - -"Den we would laugh an' answer, 'How you know? You can't read.' - -"'Jus' don't soun' raght. De Lawd tell me when its raght. You-all can't -fool me so don't try.' - -"When de marriages was performed, de massa read de ceremony an' de -couples would step off over a broomstick for luck. Den we all had a big -supper, an' dere was music an' dancin' by de plenty." - - - - -Lightnin' - - - *Interview with Lightnin'* - --_John Proctor Mills_ - -Ignorant of the date of his birth, which occurred at Cahaba, the old -State capital, Lightnin' was an overgrown, gangling youth of fourteen or -thereabouts when the Civil War began. Born into slavery, he was the -property of one Joel Matthews, cotton planter, whose fields lay near the -then new capital city. - -Lightnin' is happiest when spinning some yarn of the old days in Alabama -for an interested audience, and when one such inquired as to how he came -to be called "Lightnin'," the old man broke into a toothless grin and -launched at once into another of the stories dear to his heart. - -"Dat's Massa Joel's doin's, boss. I jist natcherly wa'nt neber any too -peart an fas' on my foots, an de fus' thing Massa Joel eber sot me to -fetch him was a cool drink o' water. De water done got wa'm 'fo' I brung -it to him, an stid'er scoldin, he jist bus' out laffin' an' say: "Boy, -you is so slow I gwineter call you after the fas'est thing on earth. -Frum now on yo' name is Lightnin'." An I been Lightnin' eber since. -Co'se I knowed Massa Joel was throwin' off on me, lil' as I was, but it -looks lak I wa'nt bawn in no big hurry an I jist been movin' long -slow-like eber since. - -"Massa Joel musta been bawn on a sunshiny day 'cause he sho' was bright -an' good natured. Eber' nigger on de place love him lak he was sont from -Heaben. Mos' eber' day he come to de quarters wid de fambly doctor to -look atter de niggers, fer he say a well-fed, healthy nigger, next to a -mule, is de bes' propersition a man kin 'ves' his money in." An' us -slaves fared as good as anybody. - -"Naw suh! Massa Joel ain't neber hit me a lick in his life. He say a -well nigger whut doan' wuhk, sho' ain't got no eats an care comin' his -way, an ought'er be sont down de Ribber. - -"Is I been mah'id? Yas suh. I done had fo' wives, an raise 'leben -chillun. But 'taint lak in de ole days. Chillun all gone, an de ole -nigger got no white folks, makes it mighty hahd to git along. 'Bout all -de ole man kin do is fish an I does dat an gits a li'l somp'in to eat. -'Fo young Massa Tom passed on--he was Massa Joel's boy--I ain't neber -wanted fer nothin'. I was Massa Tom's body guard. Us hunted an fished -together, played wid de white chillun an sometimes I rid behin' him on -de hoss, or on de fore seat wid de ca'iage driver when de fambly went to -chu'ch. - -"But dat's all in de pas', an de good Lawd say no man kin bring back de -pas'. So I reckon, ef you all 'll 'scuse me, I better go fish my -trotline an git somp'in to make the de skillit smell." - - - - -Billy Abraham Longslaughter - - - *Interview with Billy Abraham Longslaughter* - --_F.L. Diard, [HW: Mobile?]_ - -_HE CANED A CHAIR FOR PRESIDENT BUCHANNAN_ - -On a bright April afternoon, while strolling along the Louisville and -Nashville banana wharf and watching the crisp breezes from the gulf make -small waves lick at the pilings, I met an old Negro man who was fishing -for croakers off the pier. He had, sitting beside him, a basket -containing wicker canes for making and repairing chairs. In the course -of our conversation, I asked him his age. - -"I'se eighty year old, white folks," he replied. - -"Well," I said, "you must have been a slave back in the days before the -war." - -"Yassuh, boss. I were eight year old when Gen'l Grant freed de niggers." -He spoke the words in a clear, strong voice and with a slight rolling -motion of his gray bristly head. - -"But General Grant didn't free the slaves, Uncle," I protested. - -"Oh, yassuh he did too, white folks," he said respectfully; fo' I was -right dere when de gen'l come into Richmond and sot us free." - -"What about Abraham Lincoln?" I asked. - -"Well, I guess he done a part of it, but he didn't do no fightin', kaze -he hadda 'tend to de business in de White House. He lef' de freein' part -to Gen'l Grant. I don' guess Mr. Abe lived long enough ter help us -niggers much. He went to de Ford's Circus and got hisse'f shot." - -"What's your name?" I asked. - -"Billy Abraham Longslaughter. De niggers all calls me Billy, but ole -Massa Longslaughter afore he died called me William." - -"Where were you born, Uncle Billy?" - -"On ole Massa Longslaughter's plantation near Richmond Virginny." - -"Can you read and write?" - -"Dey neber teach me no readin' and writin' kaze I had to work in de -fields." His rusty hand rubbed across his woolly head, as my questions -continued with the regularity of a metronome; nevertheless, Uncle Billy -seemed always glad to answer them. I couldn't help but notice with what -ease he moved about. He had the agility of a man twenty years his -Junior, though his face, being caverned with wrinkles, gave him the -appearance of great age. - -"Where is your home now, Uncle Billy?" I continued. - -"Most any place I goes, white folks. Ma wife, she died 'bout forty year -ago in Virginny, and I been a trabelin' eber since." - -"What do you do for a living besides fish?" I asked. - -"Oh," he said, "I canes a few chairs," pointing to his basket of -chair-canes beside him on the stringer of the wharf. "You see, white -folks, when all dis repression came on an' dere war'n't no work fo' de -people tuh do, jes lak all de young scallawags I hops me a train and -goes on a trip." - -"Where do you go next, Uncle Billy?" - -"Well, I guess I mought run ober to New Orleens if I can catch me a -freight train a goin' dat away." - -"About your fixing chairs," I said. "Have you ever repaired any for well -known people?" - -"Lor', white folks, I caned a chair oncet fo' President Buchanan and he -used it ter sit on in de White House. I'se made many a chair fo' famous -people as I trabeled about. I guess I jus' keep on a goin' as long as -I'se able, and when I goes on dat last trip across de quiet riber, I'se -goin' ter make one for ole Gabriel, so's he can res' hisself in between -times he blows on dat hawn." - - - - -Louis - - - *Interview with "Uncle" Louis* - --_David Holt, Mobile_ - -_PSYCHOLOGY OF A RUNAWAY SLAVE_ - -Of course you know that we always called the older colored men "Uncle" -and the older colored women "Aunt." It was proper manners. - -Old "Uncle" Louis was the oldest slave on the plantation, "Uncle" Toby -having died. Louis was a "Guinea nigger." His ancestors had been brought -from the Guinea coast of Africa. He had the characteristic marks of his -tribe, being short, strong and very black, with heavy neck, thick lips, -flat nose and eyes like those of a hog. He had great knowledge of wild -plants, claimed to understand the language of birds and beasts. He -prided himself on his powers as a hunter and also claimed intimate -friendship with ghosts and spooks. Being what was known as a "yard -servant," he had picked up much of the talk of his white masters and -spoke his own version of their language. - -Old Louis was what was called a "runaway nigger." He would run away in -the latter part of the summer once in every two or three years and come -back in time to help dig sweet potatoes. I was out in the sweet potato -patch one morning when he returned. The doctor was there, also. When -Louis walked up he simply said, "Hello, Louis; are you well?" - -"Yes sir, Marster." - -"Well, take that basket and go to picking up potatoes." Not a word was -said about his running away. After the hands had knocked off work and -Louis was sitting in front of his cabin, I went to him for an interview. - -"Uncle Louis, what makes you run away? You don't get whipped or abused -in any way." - -The old slave scratched his grizzled head, puffed at his clay pipe and -pondered the subject for some time before he replied: - -"Marse Davie, I does cause de woods seems to call me. When de fall -insec's is singin' in de grass an' the 'simmons is gettin' soft an' de -leaves is beginnin' to turn, I jes natcherly has ter go. De wild sloes, -de red haws an' de crab apples is ripe. De walnuts an de hickory nuts an -de beach mast drappin' an de blue smoke comes over de woods, an de woods -birds an de yard birds goes souf wid de cranes an ducks an wil' geese an -de blackbirds an de crows goes in droves--it seem lack all dat is jes -callin' me." - -"Where do you go?" I asked. - -"Lorsy, Marse Davie, I never goes off de plantation. I always go to de -woods back o' de past'er. Ole Master knows whar I is an so does Henry. -Don't you know dat holler dat come down on de lef' han' side of de -branch--de fus holler you comes to, not more dan two hundred yards in de -woods?" I knew it well. - -"Don't you 'member a big green oak tree growin' on de right han' side of -de holler bout a hunder yard up de path?" - -"Well, sir, dat tree is my home. I done toted some poles an some sedge -gress up dar an made me a bed--but you can't see it from de groun'. When -I gets up dar I can see all 'roun'. I seen you an Marse Joe de las' time -you go fishin'. I lays dar all day and listen to de birds and critters -talkin'. A chicadee tole me you was comin' long befo' I seen you. Den a -jay bird caught a sight of you an he tole me. Can't nobody come along -widout de birds tellin' me. Dey pays no min' to a horse or a dog but -when dey spies a man dey speaks. I done tame' a squi'l so he comes see -me ever'day. - -"De birds and critters sho is good comp'ny. I done made frens wid up all -but de owl and de hawk. Dey is jes natchally bad an de other critters -hates 'em. A ole red-breast' hawk come an lit in a daid pine tree. I -seen him so plain til I knowed what he was thinkin' about. He was jes -mad clean down in his craw and was cussin' ever'thin'. A little pewee -bird seen him an begin to fuss. A crow fly over and hear de pewee, den -fly down close an take a good look at mister hawk den he fly up and -start callin' de other crows. In a little while a whole drove of crows -is flyin' 'roun dat pine tree. Den de jay birds come an dey is callin' -for a fight, but de ole hawk never move. Den de mocking birds come an -dey sair right in and starts pecking at de hawk until he dove into de -woods and gets away, an all de birds begin to talkin' 'bout bugs an -things." - -The old man was wound up for an interminable talk on his favorite theme, -the talk of critters, and to change the subject I asked: "Uncle Louis, -ain't you afraid of ghosts?" - -"Lor', chile, I ain't feared of no ghos' or spook, as I's seed lots of -both. All a ghos' do is jes show hise'f. You never hear of one doin' -nothin' to nobody. Dey is sociable an wants to be near livin' people. -When folks gets scared it hurts de ha'nt's feelin's an dey goes -somewhere else. Dey has all de feelin's dey had when dey was livin'. You -wouldn't stay by wid folks dat's fear'd of you an want to run away from -where you is. - -"Las' night, when I was up in my nes', an my fire had died out, all -'sept one little chunk, an de moon was shinin' like day, I lay down, I -did, an I take a li'l nap o' sleep. Den I wakes up sudden an looks 'roun -ag'in. Well, sir, de norf side of de hill was covered wid ghoses an -spooks; dey was layin' down, standin' up and leanin' agin trees, but -mos'ly dey was jes sittin' on de groun', all lookin' at me hard as dey -could, widout battin' an eye. - -"De neares' one to me was a little white ooman. She war sittin' flat on -de groun', holdin' a baby in her lap. She look mighty pitiful an I say -'please Missis, can I ho'p you an yo' baby? I'd be 'bleeged if you tell -me.' Her lips move but I couldn't hear no sound. Den I lay me down an -drap off to sleep agin. When I wakes up de ghosses is all dere an de -little white ooman look lak she want to say somethin', but can't, an I -say, 'I ain' nothin' but a poor runaway nigger, but my Marster is a -mighty kin' man, he'll sholy he'p you; but she didn't say nothin' an I -goes back to sleep. De next time I wakes up de sun was risin' an I jes -lays dere an watches de ghosses an spooks get thin, an fade away like a -fog." - -The old Negro was sitting in the twilight, talking in a low, impressive -monotone, in a language we both understood but which I find difficulty -in transcribing after all these years that intervene. A screech owl was -"miseryflying" in the family grave yard back of the quarters, a fitting -abligato to the narrative. Though creepy sensations crawled up my spine, -I still had my doubts. - -"Uncle Louis, do you really believe you saw all that, and didn't dream -it while you were curled up in your nest?" I asked. - -The old man seemed aggrieved at my doubts as he replied: - -"It ain't no beleevin' about it. I knows what I knows an I sees what I -sees. De ghos' is what lives when de body is done wore out, but it don't -die." - -"It's all imagination," I said, in defense of reason and nature, as I -understood these things. - -"I wants to ax you what does de imaginin'. It's your ghos' that does the -imagin' so you can see other ghosses an spooks." - -In recognition of Louis' knowledge and powers of reasoning my brother -William wrote a diploma in Latin and presented it to him. After that he -was called "Doctor" Louis. - -I recall that it was about that time that I read a book on psychology -but later discovered that there were those on the plantation who had a -better working knowledge of the subject than was taught in the book. - -Bibliography: Old Plantation Days, an unpublished work by the Venerable -David Elred Holt, late Archdeacon of the Sacramento Diocese (Protestant -Episcopal) of California, and a native of Buffalo Plantation, near -Natchez, Mississippi. - - - - -Tom McAlpin - - - *Interview with Tom McAlpin* - --_John Morgan Smith_ - -_A WHUPPIN' WID DE TRIMMIN'S_ - -"Mornin' Boss," said uncle Tom McAlpin, "how is you dis mornin'?" The -old former slave spoke cordially with a definite twinkle in his muddy -eyes though his age had passed the four score and ten mark. His mind was -alert; his memory vivid, and his faculties of speech quite unusual. Tom -McAlpin was indeed a remarkable man. There was really a sincere note of -welcome in his voice as he came forward, placed a large piece of -cast-iron pipe against the steps of his house, 1928 Ave. D. So., -Birmingham, and looked up at me showing a mouth of straggly teeth in a -warm smile. - -"Yassuh," he continued in his high-pitched voice after our salutations, -"I'll be glad to serve you as bes' I kin wid my knowledge of de pas' -years. Jus' you set down in dat chair," he pointed to what was left of -an ante-bellum wicker seat; "I'll set on dese steps an' us'll go over de -whole thing from de beginnin's. - -"Fus' thing I guess you wants to know is whar an' when I was born. -Yassuh, an' who I b'long to. Well, Boss, I was born in Martersville, -Alabamy. Dat's five miles southwest of Talladega. I come into dis ole -worl' on a sunny day in June, eighteen fawty fo'. I belonged to Dr. -Augustus McAlpin, an' from dat day to dis, I is seed many things come -an' go, an' I is aimin' to see a lot mo' befo' I cross to de udder side. - -"De docta jus' had a small plantation, 'bout 100 acres, I s'pose, an' he -didn't have but 12 slaves, 'caze dere warn't no need fo no mo'. He was -busy in town adoctorin' folks. He didn't have no time to do any real -farmin'. - -"My job aroun' de place was to nuss de chilluns, white an' nigger. We -all played 'roun' together. Sometimes we play coon an' rabbit, fox an' -houn' and snatch, but what was de mostes' fun was a-ridin' ole Sut. Sut -was a donkey an' us useta hitch him to a wagon, an' six of de chilluns -would ride in de wagon an' I'd ride on his back. Sometimes us'd ride all -de way into Talladega wid Sut. - -"Nawsuh, I ain't neber got no whuppin' but one, an' it was a sho' 'nough -complete one, boss, wid all de trimmin's. It all happened when de Massa -told me he better not cotch dem hogs in de corn, an' iffen he did, I was -agoin' to git a whuppin'. Well, boss, dere was one ole hog dat I jus' -couldn't keep outten dere so I tuk a needle an' sewed up his eyes. -'Course I was jus' a little black 'un an' didn't know whut I was adoin', -but I sho' sewed up dat hog's eyelids so's he couldn't see nothin'. Dat -kep' him outten de corn all raght, but when de Massa found it out he -gave me a lickin' dat I ain't forgot yit. Boss, dat was de onlies' -lesson I ever needed in my life. It done de wuk. - -"Yassuh, dere was pattyrollers 'roun' our place, but dey never cotched -me, 'caze I was too swif' for 'em. Boss, I could take holt of a hosses -tail an' run 'roun' de pasture an' keep up wid him. I was sho' fas' on -my feets. - -"Nawsuh, us wan't never given no money for nothin', but I learnt how to -make baskets an' I would take 'em in to Talladega on Sat'day evenings -an' sell 'em to de white folks for fifteen cents. Den when I needed -somp'n lak 'bacca or a little piece of chocolate, I could go to de sto' -an' buy it. Lots of slaves on yuther plantations warn't 'lowed to make -any money dough. - -"Nawsuh, I ain't never had no schoolin', 'ceptin' what I could git outen -de little white folks' books myself. Us niggers useta tote dere books to -school for 'em an' on de way I would look in de book an' git a little -learnin'. - -"When us niggers on de McAlpin place et, us et raght at de same table -dat de white folks et at. Atter dey finished dere meal, us slaves would -sit down raght atter dem an' eat de same kinda food. Yassuh. - -[Illustration: _Tom McAlpin, Birmingham, Alabama_] - -"Sho' I 'members de war. I 'members when de war commence', Jeff Davis -called for volunteers; den a little later when de south needed mo' mens -to fight, Jeff Davis' officers would go th'ough de streets, an' grab up -de white mens an' put ropes 'roun' dere wrists lak dey was takin' 'em -off to jail. An' all de while dey was jus' takin' 'em off to de war. Dey -made all de white mens go. It was called de 'scription. Some niggers -went too. Dem niggers fought raght side of dere masters. Some went as -body guards an' some went as soldiers. - -"Yassuh, Boss, I recalls de time dat de 'federate soldiers, bless dere -souls, hid dere few hosses in de basement of de old Masonic Institute in -Talladega an' hid dere amunition in de hollow stone pillars. Gen'l -Wilson an' his raiders come th'ough dar, but dey never did fin' dem -'federate supplies. Dem Yankees jus' lak to scare eve'ybody roun' de -place to death. Dey shot up de town an' dem blue coats tuk eve'ything we -had: cotton, sugar, flour, hams, preserves, clothes, corn; eve'ything, -Boss, eve'ything. Dey even burned up some houses. - -"But Boss, dere ain't never been nobody afightin' lak our 'federates -done, but dey ain't never had a chance. Dere was jes' too many of dem -blue coats for us to lick. I seen our 'federates go off laughin' an' -gay; full of life an' health. Dey was big an' strong, asingin' Dixie an' -dey jus knowed dey was agoin' to win. An' boss, I seen 'em come back -skin an' bone, dere eyes all sad an' hollow, an dere clothes all ragged. -Boss, dey was all lookin' sick. De sperrit dey lef' wid jus' been done -whupped outten dem, but it tuk dem Yankees a long time to do it. Our -'federates was de bes' fightin' men dat ever were. Dere warn't nobody -lak our 'federates. - -"I was in Richmond dat cold day dat Gen'l Lee handed his sword over to -de yuther side, an' I seen Jeff Davis when he made a speech 'bout -startin' over. I seen de niggers leavin' dere homes an' awandering' off -into de worl' to God knows whar, asayin' good-bye to dere white folks, -an' atryin' to make dere way de bes' dey kin. But, white boss, it jes' -seem lak you let a nigger go widout a boss an' he jes' no good. Dere -ain't much he kin do, 'caze dere ain't nobody to tell him. Yassuh, I was -sont to Richmond to bring home some of our wounded 'federates. Dey sont -me 'caze dey knowed I was agoin' to do my bes', an' caze dey knowed I -warn't afeered of nothin'. Dat's de way I've always tried to be, white -boss, lak my white people what raised me. God bless 'em." - - - - -Anne Maddox - - - *Interview with Anne Maddox* - --_Preston Klein, Opelika_ - -_I SHOUTED THREE DAYS_ - -Bible records place Anne Maddox's age at 113. She lives in a tiny cabin -with her youngest child, Zora, about eight miles from Opelika. She is -very feeble now and had to be wheeled out on the front porch to have her -picture made. - -Anne lives exclusively in the past. To her, the present world is "full -of de devil an' gettin' worser every day." She likes to talk about the -old days, but her voice is feeble and barely above a whisper. - -"I'se heerd a heap o' talk 'bout Mr. Abraham Lincoln," she said, "an' I -had a picture of him onc't; but I don't know nothin' 'bout him." - -Anne takes her religion seriously and is devoutly confident that she -will "inherit de promise." - -"I jined de church in Gold Hill, Alabama," she recalled, "an' honey, I -felt so good I don't know jest how I did feel. I shouted three days an' -wouldn't eat a bite. I couldn't even drink water." - -The old former slave was born in Virginia in 1824 and belonged to John -Umford. She was later sold to Bill Maddox, of Alabama. - -"When I come from Virginny," she said, "us travelled in wagons and slept -in tents. Eve'y mornin' us was made to clean ourselves an' dress up; den -us was put on de block an' bid on. White peoples was dere from -everywhere; de face of de earth was covered by dem. I was thirteen den, -an' I kin remember four wars. - -"My mother and father was Charlie an' Rhody Heath, an' I had two -brothers an' two sisters. Our houses was lak horse stables; made of logs -wid mud an' sticks dobbed in de cracks. Dey had no floors. Dere warn't -no furniture 'cept a box fer de dresser wid a piece of looking glass to -look in. Us had to sleep on shuck mattresses an' us cooked on big -fireplaces wid long hooks out over de fire to hang pots on to bile. - -[Illustration: _Anne Maddox, Opelika, Alabama_] - -"Us fried on three-legged skillets over de fire an' cooked ash-cakes on -de hearth wid hickory leaves on de bottom nex' to de hearth. 'Tain't no -sech good cookin' now as den. - -"'Bout four o'clock in de evenin' all de little niggers was called up in -de big yard where de cook had put milk in a long wooden trough an' -crumbled ash-cake in it. Us had pot licker in de trough, too. Us et de -bread an' milk wid shells an' would use our hands, but it was good. - -"Ol' Marster hunted a heap, but us never did git none of what he brought -in. Us had plenty of clothes, sich as was, but dey was spun an' wove at -home. Us had home-made shoes, hard brogans, called 'Jackson ties.' Dey -had brass caps on de toe an' would rub blisters on de feet. - -"De plantation had several hundred acres. I was up wid de fust light to -draw water and help as house girl. When dat task was done I had to go to -de fiel'. Dey blew a big hawn to 'rouse de slaves in de morning's, -sometimes 'fore day. - -"Marster was good to us niggers, dough. He never 'lowed us to be -whupped; jist scolded us. If us went anywheres, us had to be back by -sundown. I once seed some slaves workin' roads in chains wid a iron ball -hangin' on behin'. It was punishment fur meanness." - -Anne said the slaves on the Maddox plantation were never allowed to -learn to read and write, declaring: "It was too bad if dey kotched a -nigger wid a pencil an' paper in his han!" - -"I was made to carry Marster's chilluns to school, den go back fur 'em," -she said. "Ol' Mistus read us de Bible, an' us went to de white folks -church an' sat in de back, wid de white peoples sittin' up front. - -"Oh, dem patterollers was bad. I sho' would run from dem things, too." - -Anne's mind leaps in fast succession from one subject to another, and at -times it is difficult to keep up with her intermingled thoughts. - -"Ol' Marster give us plenty of licker," she said, "an' us laked dat. One -of de funniest things us had aroun' de plantation was a little goat dat -could walk a fence jist lak us little niggers. - -"When de Yankees come, gran'daddy was at prayer meetin' an' Ol' Marster -come runnin' an' told de niggers to hitch up de mules an' waggins. Dey -was tol' to hide all de food an' jewelry, but 'bout dat time us seed de -Yankees comin'. Dey didn't do us no harm; sho' did some places, dough. - -"T'want long 'fore Marster call all us niggers up to de house an' tol' -us dat us was free. He said us could go away or stay wid him. I stayed -'twel I was grown an' married Doc Maddox. Us had five chillun, Walter, -Failer, Siney, Zora an' Johnny. I don't know how many gran'chilluns I'se -got." - - - - -Mandy - - - *Interview with Mandy* - --_Daphne L.E. Curtis, Fairhope, Alabama_ - -"Howdy Miss. We is sure got a purty day fer de scrubbin' job. Hit will -dry as fas' as we turns hit loose. - -"Now jes' look a yonder, ef she ain't got gold-fishes an' ever'thing -heart could wish!--Is they got ary increases?--Yassum,--dat's good; -mebby so you can sell some. - -"Me got chillun?--well I is borned three head uv em, but dey all died -right now; didn't live a minute. - -"Then I 'dopted me a baby boy. A little bitty girl borned him, an' she -didn't want him,--he was in her way. She said she'd kill him, an' I -didn't want her to git in no trouble, so I tooken him. - -"But sho's you bawn I is sorry I done dat t'ing,--dat nigger so -triflin', he is goin' on fourteen now, an' he ain't no help to me at -all. He only come home when he hongry, an' that's plenty often. - -"An' dis yere husbin' whut I is got now, he 'spicions me 'bout other -men's all de time, and de boy an' him togedder, keeps ever't'ing riled -up mos'ly, twell I'll be glad effen you was to say, you need me to sleep -on your place. - -"Go to school? Yassum I sho did. I had three months a year for three -years, and a extra month onc't, that my mammy paid for. Dat made ten -months for me. I was de forwardest chile my mammy had. When dey was any -readin' to do my mammy sont fer me. - -"Sis Kate kin turn off more work then I kin, but I can mek more cotton. -Oncet I won a contest wid a man an' made 480 pounds. Dey gimme a hundred -pounds for doin' it. - -"Me and Taylor, he's my other husband, the one that died, we used to fo' -mek bales near 'bout every year, but dis yer husband whut I got now, he -don't do nothin' but jalous me, look lak he'd know I didn' want no man, -but jes' fer company; an' dat boy I brung up, he jus' runs nights 'twell -I am jes' plumb skeered. So one night I sont for my sister's boy, she is -my dead brother's wife, an' Miss, dat rascal, he would steal my las' -dime look like. Miss he would steal de har offen your haid could he jus' -git a holt, so I jes' sont him back. I talk to him nice befo' I sont -him, but hit didn' do no good so I up an' sont him. - -"Then Miss Nellie (she that keeps the fillin' station) tooken him an' he -stole a whole ginger ale an' a coky coly, an' she cotch him wid em. -No'am he didn't git 'em open, effen he had uv, he would uv drunk 'em -both, he would fo' sure. - -"An' him tellin' folks he married a rich widow. Huh, Mr. Corte he say, -'Mandy you is getting yo'se'f messed for sho'.' He did so Miss, an' he -done tole de truf' fo' God, he sho did. I is sho messed up wid 'em bofe. - -"But Miss, hit was de bigges' cullud weddin', you ever see, an' me as -black as I is. Dey was three tables for de white folks, an' I don' know -how many cakes, an' Miss Bessie give me my marryin' dress, an' Mister -Harry he give me a dollar, an' him? O yessum, he been married befo', he -is got eight head uv chillun. His fust wife's bringin' em up, up in -Dallas County, an' him carryin' on like he is down here. - -"I allus wanted chillun, a house plum full of 'em, en I done los' all I -could mek, so now effen I could of had me some widout 'em I never would -of had ary husban' a tall. No'am. - -"Me dance? No'am I is j'ined to de Church. Miss Emily she showed me some -white folks dancin' oncet, but I thought they was gettin' too closet -togedder. In my day they used to swing corners. - -"House parties, yassum I is served a many of em. That's what breaks you -down, though; day an' night an' day an' night. - -"Well, good bye Miss, I sure do thank you for my dollar, an' my cup, an' -ever'thing. I is shore enjoyed my day wid you. Me an' you is real good -frien's now, ain't we? Hits been jes' like a partyin'. - -"Now I'll be gettin' to Sis Katie's, she will mo'n likely want me to -carry her Lodge dues up. An Miss, please you ast the bus man, wid yo' -telephone, please sir wait for me jes' a minute." - - - - -Frank Menefee - - - *Interview with Frank Menefee* - --_Preston Klein, Opelika, Alabama_ - -_BROOM-STICK WEDDIN'S_ - -Frank Menefee of Opelika is eighty-four years old and still healthy. He -says, "Kids was brought up right in dem days but don't have no sich now, -'caze de switch was one of de best medicines ever made." - -He was born in Loachapoka, Alabama. His mother and father were Susan and -Monroe Menefee. They had six other children, Patsy, Sally, Lula, Mary, -Melvina, and Philmore. Susan Menefee came from Jefferson County and -Monroe from Gold Hill, Alabama, and belonged to Willis Menefee, near -Roberson's Mill. - -"My mother's father an' mother was Milton and Patsy Footman whut come -frum Meridian, Miss., and dey paid $3500 for dem," Frank boasts. - -"I'se never seed inside a jail, never paid a nickel in council, ain't -never gwine to steal nothin' whut don't belong to me an' ain't never -used a cuss word in my life. I always tried to do whut was right an' I -plowed ever' day us could. Us cooked on dem great big fireplaces, 'bout -six feet wide an' two an' three feet deep, with pots an' kittles hangin' -out over hickory an' oak fires. Nobody better not spit in dat fireplace -neither. Sho' never was better eatin' collards dan dem. All the chillun -had a tin plate an' a tin cup with buttermilk in hit. - -"I was whut dey called a shirt-tail fellow, had long shirt dresses of -osnaburg dyed with red mud an' cinnamon bark. In winter dey doubled de -osnaburg to be warmer. My daddy was a shoemaker. He made dem outer -cowhides an' even lef' de hair on dem sometimes. Yuther times he clean -'em in de wash-pot to git de hair offen 'em. - -"Us had good Marsa and Mistiss, iffen you wukked an' 'haved yourse'f. -Dey was marsa Willis an' Miss Hanna Menefee. Dey jes' had two chillun -Willis an' Willie. Willie weighed two hundred pounds when he was very -young too. De 'Big House' stood in a oak grove wid one big oak tree -raght by it. - -"Mr. Sadler, de overseer, was good, too, but you sho' had to wuk. He's -got a great-great-grandson, Sam Sadler, living now in Waverly, Alabama. -De poor white peoples 'roun' dere used to ho'p us wuk. I disremembers -our carriage driver's name but us had one dat drove Mistiss about, an' -de carriage house was close to de Big House. - -"Marsa had seven or eight hundred acres in de plantation an' I jes' -don't know de number of slaves he did have. Dey got us up by daylight -an' 'fo'. Blowed a cockle shell to get us niggers up. Iffen you didn't -wuk, dey 'tended to you. Dey slashed one nigger an' he died nex' week. -Us plowed 'twell dark an' lots an' lots of times all night long wid a -lantern tied to front an' back of de plows. We was picking cotton all -night long too, be ready to take dat wagon to de gin by three or four -o'clock in de morning. Sometimes dey would put de slaves in chains. When -dey wuk clearing up new groun' dey had chains put 'roun' dey ankles. - -[Illustration: _Frank Menefee, Opelika, Alabama_] - -"On Sunday mornin' Mistiss would try to teach us niggers de Bible. Den -us would go to church at white church an' sit in de back wid white folks -in front. De preacher was Rev'ren Frank Hugely. Dat Sunday mornin' -breakfast sho' was good to us niggers. Us had meat, sugar, lard an' -butter. I used to love to hear dem sing. When My Soul Be Resting in de -Presence of My Lord, I'll Be Satisfied. I was baptized at eleven o'clock -by Dave Hill an' I sho' got happy. I shouted an' sung: 'I'se never drunk -no whiskey in my life.' When any of de niggers would pass on, old -Mistiss would stand over de casket and weep. Us would pull off our hats -an' marsa was nice as he could be, too. Hit was a home-made box dyed -black. Mistiss she would see to de fixin' of de shroud. - -"De patrollers sho' would get you an' dat's one thing made you stick to -your wuk. - -"On Sadday nights us would frolic an' dance all night long iffen you -wanted to, buck-dance, sixteen-hand reel and cake walk. Dey would blow -reed quills an' have all the licker dey wanted. Mistiss, dey ain't jes' -now drinkin' licker. Oh, dem cornshuckings! Shuk corn, drink an' holler -all night long. Sometimes dey'd sing: - - Dark cloud arising like gwine to rain, - Nothing but a black gal coming down the lane, - Nigger stole a pumkin an' started outer town; - Nigger heered it thunder, Lord, an' throwed dat pumkin down. - -"Mistiss, I don't wanter tell you no mo' of dat. - -"When us niggers ma'ied, dey didn't have no preacher. We jes' jumped -over de broom, an' went on an' lived together. Iffen a gal went wrong, -dey beat her nearly to death. Iffen you moved de place when you ma'ied, -de other marsa had to buy you. - -"De li'l niggers had big times. Us used to play, 'Green grow the willow -tree, you swing my gal an' I swing yourn. Green grow de willow tree.' -Dey used to sceer up us niggers 'bout "Raw Head an' Bloody Bones," gwine -to ketch us dat was so sceer bad iffen us didn't mind 'em, but I ain't -never seed nor believed in ghostes. Us didn't get sick much 'caze us -didn't have no trash to eat an' Mistiss giv' us ebony of yarbs an' us -wore sacks of yarbs 'roun' our necks too. - -"The Yankees did plenty of harm. Marsa shot at some of dem; an' dey took -off our cabin wagons. When us was freed dey singed, 'I'se gwine back to -Dixie, no more my heart to wander, never see my master no mo'.' - -"Marsa called us all up an' told us we was jes' free as him. He give us -all a suit of clo'es, some money, a mule, a cow, wagon, hog and a li'l -corn to start off on. Us moved to Dr. Lawrence Smiths near La-Fayette, -Alabama. - -"Later years I ma'ied Jane Drake at the cafe in Opelika, Alabama, and by -de jedge at twelve o'clock. She died, den I ma'ied Phoebe Ethen Drake. -Some says de church can't save you, but I sho' feels safer in hit, an' I -jined 'caze I wants to be better dan I was an' try to be saved." - - - - -Isaam Morgan - - - *Interview with Isaam Morgan* - --_Mary A. Poole, Mobile, Alabama_ - -"Mistis, I was bawn in 1853, 'cordin' to ole Miss's Bible, near Lotts -Landing on the Alabama River." It was Isaam Morgan who spoke from his -porch at 1657 Sligo Street, Mobile, Alabama. "I made a special trip back -dar a few months back to de ole place, an' Mistis' daughter looked it up -for me 'caze I done had forgot. - -"Mr. James Morgan was my Massa, an' his wife, Miss Delia, was my Mistis. -My mammy's name was Ann Morgan, an' as for my pappy, I done forgot -his'n. I was raised raght dar in de white folks house, an' I had my own -special place to sleep. I was de house boy, an' when I growed older I -driv' Mistis aroun' in de Ca'iage. - -"Us niggers lived in sho-'nuff style. Us had our regular quarters whar -us lived in white log cabins chinked wid mud, an' de slaves had built-in -beds an' a big open fireplace whar dey cooked. Us had plenty somp'n -t'eat. All us had to do was to ask for it an' de Massa done de res'. Our -rations was gib out to us eve'y Sadday. Some of de bes' food us ever had -was 'possum an' taters. Us'd go out at night wid a big sack, an' a pack -of houn's an' twarn't long befo' we done treed a 'possum. Atter we done -treed him, de dogs would stan' aroun' de tree an' bark. Iffen de tree -was small, us could shake him out. Iffen it was big, one of de niggers -hadda climb up it an' git ole Mr. 'Possum hisself. - -"Funny things about 'possums, Miss; de bigger dey is seem lak de littler -de tree dey picks to go up. It is sho-'nuff fun, dough, to go a trailin' -th'ough de woods atter a 'possum or coon. De coon'll give you de bes' -chase, but he ain't no good eatin' lak de 'possum. I seen a coon one -time when he was cornered bite de tip of a houn's nose off. - -"Massa Morgan sol' wood to de steam boats, an' us slaves hadda cut de -wood, an' split it up into smaller pieces. Any time a slave worked over -time or cut mo' wood dan he s'pose' to, Massa pay him money for it, caze -whenever one of us slaves seen somp'n we lak, we did jus' lak de white -folks does now. Us bought it. - -"Massa never whupped none of his slaves; he jus' tole us whut to do an' -iffen we didn't do it, he'd call us to him an' he would say in his sorta -way: 'Nigger! How many mo' times is I gotta tell you to do lak you -tole?' Dat's all he would say, an' believe me Mistis, he hada a way of -lookin' at you dat made you jump. When he bought a new slave dat wasn't -use to doin' what he was tol', 'twarn't long befo' massa had him in -line. - -"No'm none of our slaves ever tried to run away. Dey all knowed dey was -well off. We didn't have no oberseer but once. He was a mean un too. He -tried to fight an' whup us slaves, an' one night six big nigger men -jumped on him an' scairt him mos' to death. Atter dat de massa wouldn't -never have no mo' oberseers. He tended to dat business hisself. - -"Whut we do atter we finished work? Go to bed! Dat was de onl'es' place -we was fittin' for. Us was so tired us wouldn't lie down two minutes 'fo -us was 'sleep. On some moonlight nights us was 'lowed to pick de cotton. -Den us'd git a little res' de nex' day. - -"Massa an' his fambly used brass lamps an' candles for light, an' a few -of us slaves had brass lamps too, but most of de niggers used torch -lights. - -"Some of de plantations had a calaboose whar dey putt de slaves dat -wouldn't behave. Dis calaboose was built of logs fastened together wid -stout ropes an' sunk into de groun', but Massa didn't need no calaboose -to make his niggers behave. - -[Illustration: _Isaam Morgan, Mobile, Alabama_] - -"Yassum, us had remedies for ailments. We used wild hoarhound tea for de -chills an' fever, an' sweet gum turpentine, an' mutton suet. Dey wan all -good uns too. But shucks! Warn't nothin' much ever de matter wid us -niggers. - -"Yassum, we used rock an' cotton to start de fires on de plantation, an' -Massa had a flint lock rifle, too. - -"De slaves had dere own special graveyard an' us'd make de coffins raght -on de place dar. When someone die, he was taken in a ox cart to de -grave, wid all de slaves a-walkin' 'long behine de cart singin' de -spirituals. - -"Our clothes was made mostly outen osnaburg wove on de plantation. We -had wool clothes for de winter time dat was carded on de place. We had -shoes made by our own cobbler an' tanned on de plantation. We called -dese brogans. - -"Atter de surrender, de Yankees camped near our place, an' bought aigs -f'um us. Dey offered me a hoss iffen I would go nawth wid dem, but I -jus' couldn't leave de Massa even dough I did wanted dat hoss mighty -bad. I was twenty-one years old when Massa came to me one day an' say: -'Isaam, you is a grown man now. You is got to boss your own business. -It's up to you to fin' work. I can't keep you no longer. Good luck -Isaam. You has been a good nigger, an' you is gonna make somebody a good -worker.' - -"Atter I lef' Massa I worked at diff'ent jobs, sich as: loader, -roustabout on different steamboats an' cotton picker. I worked on de -_May Boyd_, _Lula D._ an' de _Gardner_. One of de ole songs sang on de -boats went somp'n lak dis: - - De John T. Moore - De Lula D. - An' all dem boats is mine - If you can't ship on de Lula D. - You ain't no man o' mine. - -"I been ma'ied three times, Mistis, an' Lawd chile I done forgot de name -of my fust wife. I guess she still livin' somewhere caze she was too -mean to die. My secon' wife was named Dora, an' she is daid. I got a -wife now name Lily. She purty good. - -"Yes maam you can take my picture, but lemme git my hat, caze I ain't -got no hair on my haid, an' I looks better wid a hat. I'se got to be -fixed up stylish." - - - - -Tony Morgan - - - *From record of a conversation in 1884* - --_Francois L. Diard, Mobile, Alabama_ - -_A SLAVE INTERVIEWS A SLAVE_ - -George Washington extolling the virtues of a plain, homespun -suit--granite-jawed Andrew Jackson defying the British at -Pensacola--horror and massacre at Alabama's old Fort Mims--savages -skulking near the fort, their bronzed bodies glistening in the hot -August sunlight. - -These were among memories of parchment-skinned Uncle Tony Morgan, who -was interviewed on Oct. 1, 1884 by Jim Thomas, another slave, and a -record of the conversation held in the files of a family in Old Mobile, -Alabama. Uncle Tony was 105 years old then. - -The story is told by Thomas, former slave of the Diard family. Uncle -Tony was the slave of Mobile Judge H. Toulmin, grandfather of the later -Judge H.T. Toulmin, who was appointed a judge by President Jefferson. - -According to Jim Thomas, Uncle Tony told him: - -"Did I knowed Gen'l Andrew Jackson? Lord bless you honey, why, I knowed -him and remember Gen'l George Washington afore him." - -Uncle Tony explained that he accompanied General Jackson when the -war-loving Tennessean marched from Mobile against Pensacola in 1814. He -said he was serving as a wagoner, and remembered distinctly that the -British surrendered on November 6. He recalled that, during the battle, -Jackson was standing talking with a group of officers when an enemy -shell exploded near him. - -"Move away, general," the old Negro quoted one of the officers as -saying, "they'll kill you!" - -And Jackson replied in a characteristic manner: - -"Damn 'em--I'll have 'em all in hell tomorrow!" - -Concerning George Washington, Uncle Tony told Jim Thomas that the great -American leader visited the town of Frankfort, Ky., and while there made -an address. He wore a home-spun suit, which he pointed out as an example -of what people might do in utilizing their products. - -Frankfort was highly excited when Washington arrived in the city, and -Uncle Tony told of a tiny urchin exclaiming with bitter disappointment -in his voice: - -"Why, Pa, he ain't nothing but a man!" - -Uncle Tony's memory of what occurred at Fort Mims was vivid, according -to Jim Thomas. The older slave related that he was one of many Negroes -in the fort at the time. He said the defenders had been sleeping off a -night of dissipation the morning William Weatherford's warriors -attacked. - -Men, women and children were butchered in the ensuing slaughter and the -buildings were fired. The massacre continued until noon, Uncle Tony -said, when the Indians retreated with scalps and several Negro prisoners -to their camping site, called the Holy Ground. Here, the half-starved -Negroes lived in constant dread that they would be butchered by -war-inflamed Creeks. - -Uncle Tony also recalled carrying the mail from Fort Stoddert, in -Alabama, through the State and Mississippi. On several occasions he -barely escaped being scalped by Indians, he said. - -The old Negro related further that his father was a wagoner under -Cornwallis when that general surrendered to Washington at Yorktown. - -Concerning his age and birthplace, Uncle Tony told Thomas he was born in -Danville, Ky., about 1779. He went to Mobile in 1805 with Judge Toulmin. - -At the time of the interview the old slave was extremely feeble and -lame, and walked with the aid of a cane. His skin was dried and -wrinkled, and cataracts on his eyes had totally deprived him of his -sight. Despite these handicaps, however, Thomas said the old man's mind -was exceptionally clear, and his recollection of events occurring almost -a century before were remarkable. - - - - -Mose - - - *Told by Edith Tatum, Greenville, Alabama* - --_Mildred Scott Taylor, Georgiana, Alabama_ - -_UNCLE MOSE--A TRUE STORY_ - -The early spring sunshine sifted through the honey-suckle vines -clustering around the cabin door, and made a network of dancing light -upon the floor. A little Negro boy sat on the steps gazing silently up -the dusty road and idly listening to the insistent buzzing of insects -hovering about the honey-suckle blooms. - -"Don't yer see nothin' of her yet, Jerry?" came in a querulous voice -from a bed in a corner of the cabin. - -"Naw, Unc' Mose. She ain't in sight yit, but it's mos' time fer 'er." - -"Hit 'pear lak dis mis'ry is er gittin' wus all de time," the voice went -on. - -"Miss Sally say dat limerumunt gwine he'p it," essayed Jerry -consolingly. - -"It don' do no good 'cep'in jess whilst Aun' Judy is er rubbin'. De -rubbin' does mo' good dan de limerumunt." - -"Dar she is, rat now!" exclaimed Jerry presently. - -"Praise de Lawd! fer de ole man sho is hongry en' got de mis'ry from his -haid to his heels." - -"Dar's ernudder lady wid Miss Sally. Sarter looks lak er gal." - -"Mus' be some er ole master's gran'dahters come on er visit. Whyn't yer -come an' sit some cheers out an' dus' em' an' straighten dis quilt -'stead er settin' dar lak er black patch on de sunshine? Don' yer know -how ter ack when de quality is comin'?" By the time the chairs had been -arranged to his notion the visitors were at the door. - -"Good morning, Uncle Mose," said the older woman brightly, as she put a -covered basket down on a table by the bed. - -She had a strong, sweet face and smooth white hair, and the gracious -dignity of a queen. "I hope you rested well last night and are feeling -very much better. I have brought some one to see you. Now guess who she -is," and she placed the girl where the sunshine fell across her face. - -Uncle Mose turned his head on the pillow, and gazed eagerly at his -visitor. Then his old black face wrinkled into a smile. "Lawd, honey, -you sho' mus' be one er Mars' Eddard's dahters, frum de favor!" - -"You are right, Uncle Mose. It's Miss Caroline." - -"I'm so sorry to find you in bed, Uncle Mose," said the girl, coming -closer, while Miss Sally began taking an appetizing breakfast from the -basket and putting it on the table. - -"Father told me not to come home without seeing Uncle Mose. He talks of -you so often." - -The old man beamed with pleasure. "Den Mr. Eddard's done fergive me for -not choosing him dat time," he said with a chuckle. "Did you ebber h'yar -'bout dat time I choosed mah master?" - -"Now, Uncle Mose, none of your reminiscence until Jerry has given you -your breakfast. Then I know that Caroline will be delighted to hear all -about it," and Miss Sally smiled indulgently. "Here, Caroline, put these -flowers in water where Uncle Mose can see them, while I measure some -medicine for him." - -"Dat sho was er good breakfus', Miss Sally," said the old negro with a -sigh of content, as Jerry gave him the last bit of waffle. "Ole Aun' -Jincy allers was er good cook, en her ma befo' 'er. Couldn't nobody beat -Aun' Lucy cookin' in dem days. Ginger cakes? She made de bes' ginger -cakes! Miss Sally, you 'member dat time Ole Marster give me an Mars' Wat -er whole silver dollar en we walked two miles to Mars' Walter's sto' en -spent ev'ry bit er it fer ginger cakes? Er whole dollar's wuth er ginger -cakes, an' Aunt Lucy rat dar at home er cookin' de bes' ones in de -country! Mars' Wat sho was er sight!" and Mose lay looking with dim eyes -into a happy, long-vanished past. - -"Now tell me about when you chose your master," said Caroline, drawing a -chair closer to the bed. - -"O, dat time; I 'members dat mornin' jess lak it was yistiddy. Hit was -in the spring-time lak dis, en ole Mose was er lil' black rascal lak -Jerry dar. I was playin' roun' de cabin do' en h'yer come Jim de ke'ge -driver, en say ole Marster wanted me rat erway. I sho was skeered! But I -couldn't think o' no meanness I had done so I jess helt up mah haid en -marched up de road ter de Big House. En dar I foun' Ole Marster standin' -on de steps, en in er row on de po'ch was Mars' Eddard, en Mars' Ted, an -Mars' Wat, en Mars' Tom. 'Come h'yer Mose,' say Ole Marster in dat big -way er his'n. 'Come h'yer en choose yer marster. I'm gwine to give yer -ter de one you picks out.' I 'gan at Mars' Eddard. He was older 'en me -an' sorter se'rus lak so I passed him by. I looked at Mars' Ted er long -time sorter hes'tatin', but den I jess chanced ter look at Mars' Wat, en -dem blue eyes er his'n was fa'rly dancin' wid sump'n sorter lak ole -Nick, en I say ter mahself, 'dat's de marster fer Mose,' so I say out -loud, 'I chooses Mars' Wat,' en bress yer heart, honey, I ain' nebber -been sorry er minute sence. But de res' er Ole Marsters' boys nebber did -fergive Mose fer dat," and he chuckled at the remembrance. - -Caroline laughed. "Thank you, Uncle Mose, I've enjoyed hearing about it. -I must go and see Mammy now. Next time I come I hope you will be -better." - -"De ole man ain' had his foots ter de flo' in five weeks dis comin' -Sadd'y Miss Ca'line. Good bye, Miss Ca'line honey, come ergin." - -"And now, Jerry, you run tell Aunt Judy to come up at once and rub Uncle -Mose's ankles," said 'Miss' Sally as Caroline left the cabin. "I'll warm -this liniment and have it all ready." She stopped before the open -fireplace and raked up the embers into a little blazing fire, and -putting the saucer of turpentine on the floor at some distance, she -stood up and turned toward the bed. Just then a spark from the fire fell -into the saucer, and the turpentine blazed up. 'Miss' Sally, startled, -sprang back, but in so doing, her light cotton morning gown came in -contact with the blazing turpentine and was quickly ignited. She caught -up her skirts and tried to put it out with her hands, but could not. For -several seconds 'Miss' Sally stood face to face with an awful death. - -"My God-er-Mighty!" cried Uncle Mose, and with the agility of youth and -health he sprang from the bed dragging a blanket with him, and throwing -it around her, wrapped it close, extinguishing the flames just as Aunt -Judy and Jerry appeared in the door. - -"De Lawd in Hebben!" cried fat Judy, her swift glance taking in Miss -Sally's white face, burned garments and helpless hands, and 'Uncle' Mose -tottering back to his bed. - -"Po' lamb! now jess look at dem han's! Lemme tie 'em up in wet sody this -minute! You sho 'mos' got burned up, honey." - -"I would have, but for Uncle Mose," said 'Miss' Sally faintly, as she -sank into a chair. - -Aunt Judy turned stormy eyes upon the poor groaning old man. "I'd lak -ter know how cum Unc' Mose jess foun' out he kin walk?" she inquired -belligerently. "I 'lowed some time ergo dat Mose was possumin'. I sho -ain' gwine to waste mo' elbo' grease on dat old hyp'crite." - -"Hush, Judy," said her mistress sternly, "Uncle Mose is no hypocrite. He -has inflammatory rheumatism. It was a miracle," she added reverently. - -"Dat's hit!" exclaimed Mose, eagerly. "Er miracle! Hit was de -Lawd-er-Mighty let Mose git up den. Fer how you reckon I'd eber face -Mars' Wat ergin' ef I had to tell him I jess lay in de baid en let my -lil' mistress burn up? Mose done promus Mars' Wat ter tek keer er Miss -Sally, an' ole man done de bes' he could." - - - - -Sally Murphy - - - *Interview with Sally Murphy* - --_Preston Klein, Lee County, Alabama_ - -_SLAVERY WAS ALL RIGHT IN ITS PLACE_ - -When I was looking for Sally Murphy, I went into a clean, four room -cabin and found a small, neat Negro woman. - -"Are you Sally Murphy?" I asked. - -"I'm sho' is, honey, and who is you? Lawdy chile, you knows I know Mr. -Pompy (my father). She laughed. "I'll tell you anything I knows. - -"I was jes' 'bout ten years come slavery done. I was borned down on de -Clayton place at Smith's Corners. My pappy he come from South Car'lina, -where his pappy was sold. He name was Calop and my mammy was Hannah -Clayton. There was eight of us chillun. Fred, Silas, Calop, Mary, -Dolphus, Dora, Lula and me. Us all lived down in de quarters, which was -five log houses, daubed wid mud. Dem logs was big ones, hand-hewed, and -de fireplaces was big, too. Us went to de fiel's early in de morning and -picked us a mess of young hick'ry and oak leaves to scald and cook in de -pot wid meat. Dey made good greens and us had poke salad, too. (Made -from the leaves of the pokeberry). - -"When dey dried de fruit us would cook our kind of fruit cake. I don't -recollect what went in it. Dere was plenty though. Mistis had de fruit -dried on tins in de yard, and at twelve o'clock every day all hands went -to de house and turned de fruit. - -"Our beds was homemade, scaffold bedsteads wid ropes wove acrost de top -what could tighten up. Sometimes us had homewove bedspreads on de beds -most every day, but in gen'ally dat was for Sunday only. - -"Our menfolks used to hunt possums and wild turkeys, but dey didn't mess -'roun' none wid rabbits. They didn't waste time on fishing either. - -"Ev'y morning in May Mistis would call us little niggers to de house and -ev'y other morning give us oil and turpentine. We made our own cloth for -clothes. Our mammies wove us long drawers outen cotton. Dey bought wool -and flannelet to make us pantalets. Us wore homemade homespun dresses. -Some of hit was dyed and some checked. Us had shoes reg'lar in winter. - -"Ole Marster Joe and Miss Rosa Clayton was good as gold. Dey had Sara, -Jane, Henry, and Joe. De live in a big, two story house wid six rooms to -hit and had a brick kitchen off from de house out in de yard. Ole -Marster had a big plantation and his two aunties live dere, too. Dey was -Miss Easter and Miss Charlotte. - -"De slave women folks what had chilluns was 'lowed to go home half hour -by de sun to wash ev'y day, and ev'y Sunday morning all de little -chillun had to be washed and carried to de Big House for de Mistis to -inspect 'em. - -"Us mostly stayed at home and didn't go 'bout none, and effen us went to -Mt. Jefferson Church us had to have a pass or de paterollers would sho' -git you. I did think dat 'Hark from the tomb in doleful sound, how -careful, how careful den ought I to live, wid what religious fear' was -de prettiest thing, and I sho' did love to hear dem sing hit. I never -seed de baptising, 'ca'se I used to go to de 'Piscopal Church wid Mistis -and open gates and hold de hosses. I sot in de foot of her carriage. - -"Christmas dey'd give us provisions and de chillun some trash (meaning -toys). Dey sho' had good times on moonlight nights at de cornshuckings. -Dey would haul de corn from de fields and put it in a big ring, and as -dey shucked dey would throw it in ring and den into de crib. Sometimes -dey was so much corn it would stay on de ground 'twell it rotted. - -"Mr. Dickey Williams' mother, Miss Emily, ma'ied while us was dere and -my grandma cooked de cake. My daddy made de cake stand. Hit had three -tiers, each one full of little cakes wid de big cake on top. Hit sho' -was pretty. - -"Dey let de little niggers have all de fun dey wanted. Us played jump -rope and swung in de grapevine swings mostly. Den us had rag dolls. When -any of us got sick, we was give hoarhound tea and rock candy. Sometimes -effen dey wasn't looking and us got a chance us spit it out. Dey got de -doctor effen us needed it. - -"One of our Marsters was killed in de war and brought home and buried. -He was Mr. Joe. All de silver was hid out enduring de war but de sojers -never did come to our house. - -"One day my daddy says, 'Hannah, Marster said us is free now to do what -we want to do.' But us stayed on two years mo'. In a few years I ma'ied -Milton Heard and had a calico wedding dress and Judge Reed ma'ied us in -Opelika in de ole plank court house. I didn't have no chillun and I -lives now wid my niece, Sally Thomas. - -"I don't know what I think 'bout Abraham Lincoln. I don't know nothing -'bout him. Slavery was all right in its place, I guess, 'ca'se some -needed it to make 'em work. - -"Folks get so sinful I thought I was safest in de church. I believe God -intended for us all to be religious." - - - - -Hattie Anne Nettles - - - *Interview with Hattie Anne Nettles* - --_Preston Klein, Opelika, Alabama_ - -_DRUMS BEATING AND FIFES BLOWING_ - -"Dey was sad times, honey; all de people was goin' to war wid de drums -beatin' all aroun' and de fifes blowin.'" - -Hattie Anne Nettles looks younger than her eighty years, but she -remembers climbing a fence to watch gray-clad soldiers of the -Confederacy marching toward the front. She also remembers a few details -about slavery, although she was only a child at the time. - -Hattie was born in Tallapoosa, Ga. Her father and mother were Archie and -Matilda Benson. She had eight brothers and sisters; Charlie, George, -Abraham, Mose, Lucinda, Mandy, Margaret and Queenie. - -"Us had corded beds in dem times," she said, "an' dey was screwed in de -corners to tighten 'em. Our cookin' was simple, too. Us used a griddle -hoe to cook on de big fireplaces. - -"Our dresses was homespun cloth dyed wid indigo, an' us didn't have very -many clothes. But us kept plenty warm in de winter; an' in de hot -summers us didn't need mor'n a thin li'l ol' dress." - -Hattie called her master "a good Christian-hearted man who did de bes' -he could for de niggers." - -"I 'members," she said, "dat all de chilluns was good, too, 'ceptin' two -of de boys. Dey was bad uns for sho' an' was arguin' an' fightin' all de -time. - -"Honey, Ol' Marster sho'ly did lak to sing, an' he was pretty good at -dat. I 'members dat he useter git out in de back an' sing to de top of -his voice: 'I'se Gwine Home to Die No More.' - -"What I 'members most, dough, was de quiltin's an' spinnin' frolics dat -de women-folks had. Den, on Sattidy nights, dere was Sattidy night -suppers an' dances. All de peoples sho'ly did cut de high step at de -dances." - -Hattie beamed as the trend of conversation turned to Christmas on -Southern plantations. - -[Illustration: _Hattie Anne Nettles, Opelika, Alabama_] - -"Dat was a time!" she exclaimed. "Us had to go to mornin' prayer, but -atter dat us went back to de cabins, dressed in our Sunday bes', an' -went up to de 'Big House' fer some foolishness. An' it was sho'ly real -foolishness, too. - -"When I was growed up I married Bill Lockhart an' us had fifteen -chilluns an' eight gran'chilluns. In de ol' days niggers axed de white -marster for de bride an' no license was needed. Iffen dey lef' de -plantation, de other white marster bought 'em so de girl could go wid -her man. - -"Our ol' marster was as good as he could be like I done tol' you. He -looked atter de slaves when dey got sick an' sont for de doctor. In dem -days dey would draw blood. Dey would draw almos' a quart from de body, -an' you usually got well, too." - -Hattie recalled one night of terror on the plantation when the Ku Klux -Klan raided a prayer meeting where a large number of Negroes had -congregated. - -"De Klansmen beat up lots of dem," she said. "If a nigger didn't behave, -dey'd nigh 'bout kill him." - -Hattie lives in Opelika with a daughter. Flowers dot her clean yard and -her old days are full of happiness. - - - - -W.E. Northcross - - - *Autobiography of Reverend W.E. Northcross, 1897* - --_Levi D. Shelby, Jr. (Colored), Tuscumbia, Alabama_ - -(Chapter 1--How Reared) - -I was born a slave in 1840, in Colbert County, Alabama. Education was -denied me, hence I grew up in ignorance. My mother and father were -carried from me when I was only nine years old, but as soon as chance -presented itself I ran away and went to them. My white people brought me -back, and as they were not cruel to their slaves they did not "buck" me. -I stayed with them until I was fifteen summers old. During this time my -mistress made all the children, both girls and boys, come to her every -Sunday, and she taught Sunday School. The book used was the old -fashioned Catechism. - - Jesus keep me near the cross, - There's a precious fountain, - Free to all, a healing stream, - Flows from Calvary's mountain. - -It was against the law for them to learn to read and write, so she -taught them the Lord's prayer and a few other things in the book. She -said that she wanted them to know how to pray, how to tell the truth and -not to steal, and always try to do right in the sight of everybody and -in the sight of God. With these influences, I confessed a hope in Christ -at the age of thirteen years. - - Am I a soldier of the cross, - A follower of the lamb, - And shall I fear to own his cause, - Or blush to speak his name? - -When she did not teach herself, she had an adopted girl to do the same. -Finally the adopted girl married and moved to the farm where I was born, -the farm from which I ran away. About this time, I was twenty years old. -I felt that there was something for me to do. I began to lead prayer -meetings. Still I felt that there was more for me to do. - -(Chapter 2--Entering The Ministry) - -I felt sure that I was called to preach, though "unlearned and -ignorant." I trembled at the thought of preaching the gospel, but -something seemed to push me forward in that direction. So I asked the -people to let me preach. This request was granted. The people at that -time had no place or house of worship. I began to fast and pray night -and day. Being "unlearned and ignorant" (Acts 4:13) my heart silently -murmured-- - - Bread of heaven, bread of heaven, - Feed me till I want no more. - -This was the only school I attended, both day and night. At this time I -did not know "A" from "B," but I met a man who could read a little. This -man liked me and promised to teach me how to read, provided I would keep -it a secret. This I gladly promised to do. - - I am weak, Thou art mighty, - Hold me with Thy powerful hand. - -I secured a blue-back speller and went out on the mountain every Sunday -to meet this gentleman, to be taught. I would stay on the mountain all -day Sunday without food. I continued this way for a year and succeeded -well. I hired my own time and with my blue-back speller went to the -mountain to have this man teach me. The mountain was the great school -which I attended. I went from there to the blacksmith shop to work. From -that place I was captured by the Yankees and carried to war. As I was -crippled I was allowed to remain in the commissary department for about -six months. While we were at camp at Athens, Alabama General Forest came -upon us and defeated, captured, and killed until they were almost -literally wiped out of existence. I had been kind to some little white -children, by which I had won their love, and of course, the love of -their parents, and stayed with them three days during the battle. I came -to a river and turned aside to a farm from which all the people had gone -to save themselves from the war, I got a man to help reach an island -where I worked three days without anything to eat except grapes and -muscadines. I preferred to die on the island than to be killed by the -soldiers. Therefore, in time of danger, I rushed to this house and the -good people hid me and changed my clothes. Hence, when I was found I was -taken for one of the gentleman's slaves. When I was permitted by the man -to try to return to LaGrange, and had gone some distance, I was caught -by deserters from the Southern army, who voted to shoot me. They bound -me and kept me overnight, intending to do away with me the next day. It -was a lonely desert on the Tennessee river. I could not sleep, so all -night I prayed to God, and the wives of the men prayed to God for the -poor "nigger," and also prayed to their cruel husbands. Their prayers -prevailed, and I was robbed and let go. I had vowed not to reveal their -whereabouts. I left loving God and believing in his providence as I had -never believed before. - - Earth has no sorrow that - Heaven cannot heal. - -I went home and got another spelling-book, although it was not allowed. -Some of my own people told my master that I had a book trying to read. -He sent for me to come to the house. I obeyed, though I dreaded to meet -him, not knowing what the consequence would be. But his heart had been -touched by Divine power and he simply told me that he heard that I had a -book, and if I was caught with it I would be hung. So I thanked him and -departed. Notwithstanding my master's counsel I thirsted for knowledge -and got some old boards and carried them to my house to make a light by -which I could see how to read. I would shut the doors, put one end of a -board into the fire, and proceed to study; but whenever I heard the dogs -barking I would throw my book under the bed and peep and listen to see -what was up. If no one was near I would crawl under the bed, get my -book, come out, lie flat on my stomach, and proceed to study until the -dogs would again disturb me. I did this for many nights. I continued in -this way to try to learn to spell and read as best I could. - - Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness, - for they shall be filled. - -I, like the Ethiopian, wanted a guide. I moved to Mrs. McReynold's. God -bless her! She gave me a lesson every night for a period of four years. -Then I went to my old master's brother, whose wife helped me every night -as long as I would go to her for help. Rev. Shackleford (white) greatly -aided me for a period of three years. - -Boys and girls, grasp these golden opportunities which are now extended -you from the school room. "Unlearned and ignorant" as I was I came along -that way until the present time. My readers have better chances than I -had. So I hope that they will make good use of their time and make my -heart feel glad to see them setting their marks high and preparing -themselves for the Great Beyond where all must go. Thither all nations -will be called before the mighty judgment seat of the Ruler of the -universe to give an account for the deeds done in this world. My prayer -for the reader is, that they may make strong, useful, wise and Christian -men and women, and at the end of time meet their God in peace. - -(Chapter 3--My Work) - -I will endeaver, in this chapter, to tell something about my works and -whereabouts. I was ordained to the gospel ministry in 1867 by Rev. Mr. -Slater (white), and Rev. Henry Bynum. Rev. Stephens Coleman and Rev. -Henry Bynum, aided by Dr. Joseph Shackleford (white) laid down the -foundation stones for the colored Baptist churches in Morgan, Franklin, -Colbert, Lauderdale, and Lawrence counties, Alabama. I am now pastor of -the First Baptist Church, at Tuscumbia, Alabama, which is the best Negro -edifice in North Alabama. This church was organized thirty-five years -ago, by me, with seventy-five members, but it now had a membership of -nine hundred. I have pastored it for lo! these many years. This church -is an excellent brick edifice. A few other brethren and myself organized -the Muscle Shoals Baptist Association--one of the oldest and largest -associations in Alabama. I have been Moderator for four years and its -Treasurer for six years. I built the church at Russellville, Alabama, -and pastored it for four years, and then ordained Bro. P. Jones and -recommended him as pastor. I built the Barten church and pastored it for -a period of fifteen years, after which I recommended Rev. James Hampton -there as pastor. I pastored the Cherokee church five years, ordained -Bro. Dennis Jackson and recommended him there as pastor. I pastored -Liberty Baptist church for three years, ordained Bro. Alex Brown and -recommended him there as pastor. I served Iuka, Mississippi for five -years and then recommended a Brother from the West, who belonged to the -Mt. Olive Association, to it. I built up the Sheffield church, pastored -it three years and then recommended Bro. G.B. Johnson there as shepherd. -I also built up Mt. Moriah church at Prides, Alabama. I frequently -uttered these words: - - Where Jesus leads me I will follow - and his footsteps I'll pursue. - -I organized St. Paul church (Colbert County) and pastored it for two -years. Rev. E.C. White, who is now Assistant Moderator of the Muscle -Shoals Association, was ordained by me. I have ordained more than twenty -preachers to the gospel ministry, baptized six thousand persons, united -in marriage five thousand couples, and buried about seven thousand -persons. I have been faithful to every charge. - - Hark the voice of Jesus calling, - Who will and work today? - Fields are white and harvest waiting, - Who will bear the sheaves away? - -I have never left the old land mark. Not an one of the churches which I -have pastored has brought a charge against me. - - The deepest secrets of our hearts - shall shortly be made known. - -I have been married three times and have known no woman but my wife, -"though unlearned and ignorant." I have never had but one "fuss" with my -wife. I told her at one time to hush and she failed to do so, then I -slapped her, after which I went to the Lord in prayer and asked to be -forgiven. I regret very much indeed to inform the world in print that I -have been drunk from intoxicating liquors twice, which was before I -professed religion. Notwithstanding I have ever held up temperance and -aimed to keep it high until Shiloh comes to gather up his jewels. The -following recommendation will show what the best people of Tuscumbia -think of me: - - - Tuscumbia, Ala., March 13, 1897 - - - To whom it may concern:-- - - We take pleasure in stating that we have known the bearer of - this letter, Rev. Wilson Northcross for a number of years, and - that he is a conscientious, intelligent colored man of good - character. He has been pastor of the Missionary Baptist Church - of this place since the war, having been instrumental in - building the church, and always has made a good citizen. We - believe him in every way worthy of the respect and confidence of - his people. - - - Fox Delony, Judge of Probate - Jas. H. Simpson, Circuit Clerk - Chas. A. Simpson, Deputy Clerk - W.H. Sawtelle - Max Lueddemann - - - -The following resolution was adopted by the church which I pastored -thirty years: - - Resolved, That Rev. W.E. Northcross, our pastor, is a good, - moral, Christian man. He has been our pastor for thirty years, - and we can truthfully say that he teaches in all things by - example as well as by precept. - ---TUSCUMBIA MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH - -The history of this church has undergone many changes, but they all -worked for its betterment. At the close of the Civil war the few members -went from brush arbor to brush arbor for three years. Then they held -services in gin houses and under shelters for two years and six months. -Then as the church was growing rapidly, they thought best to draw out, -buy a lot, and build to themselves. So they bought a lot for what they -paid fifty dollars ($50.) and erected a five hundred dollars ($500.) -building thereon in which to worship the Lord. So the church continued -to grow until it now has a membership of nine-hundred, a splendid brick -edifice worth about six thousand dollars ($6,000.) and a thriving -congregation. The church has never had but one pastor, and I have been -as faithful as a clock. Through me (Rev. W.E. Northcross) the church was -built, and I have ever since held high the Baptist doctrine throughout -North Alabama. - - - - -Wade Owens - - - *Interview with Wade Owens* - --_Preston Klein, Opelika, Alabama_ - -_WADE OWENS HEARD ABE LINCOLN SPEAK_ - -The Reverend Wade Owens of Opelika was born in Loachapoka, Alabama, in -1863 and just missed slavery, but he has heard his homefolks talk so -much about freeing the Negroes, he feels as if he was grown then. His -mother and father, Wade and Hannah Owens, came from Virginia and moved -into "Jenks Quarters" on the Berry Owens place. They had several -children, Wade, Nettie, Chance, Anderson and Iowa. Wade used to help -drive up the cows. This cabin was of logs, mud and sticks with leaf and -mud chimneys and slab floors. The beds fitted into the wall with plank -sides, two posts with planks nailed on top, resembling tables. A box -served as a dresser. - -"All ash-cakes were cooked on poplar an' chestnut leaves, when dey -roasted taters," Wade says. "Us chillun used to go early in de mornin' -an' lick de honey offen de leaves for sweets den. Us didn't wear nothin' -but our long shirts, an' us had homemade hats and brogans, hard as -bricks with brass caps on de toes. I thought dey was de prettiest things -I ever seed. - -"Marsa Berry an' Miss Fanny Owens was good to us niggers. My daddy was -de carriage driver for Miss Fanny, but take keer of dat man Ben Boddy, -the overseer. He was de meanes' man God ever put life in. He wouldn't -let us have no fire, matter not how cold, us had to work jes' de same or -de nigger hounds 'ud sho' get you. Iffen not dog caught, dey would beat -you to death nearly. He was so mean marsa run him off. Dey blew de -risin' horn an' us worked from daylight 'twell dark or frum can to -can't. - -"Marsa had a pretty two-story log house, big columns an' big porch. He -had 'bout two or three hundred acres an' worked 'bout three hundred -slaves. Us had a jail an' locked runaways in hit. Brother Lockhart used -to preach to us niggers in de white church at Lebanon an' us walked to -hit. - -"My daddy was sold fer $160. When dey put chains on de niggers dey was -put 'roun' de legs and arms an' to a post. Dey took pains to ho'p my -mammy an' pappy to learn. Dey would teach de Bible to 'em too. Marsa -used to sing dem good ole songs, 'My heart frum de tomb, a doleful -sound. My ears attend to cry,' and 'Amazing grace how sweet it sounds.' - -"At baptising dey'd give de water invitation an' den go in water. An' -didn't dey come out happy, shouting and praying? Ol' man Buck could hear -dem two miles off, but hit was a glorious baptising. - -"All de hands stopped when dey was a funeral an' didn't work no mo' -'till de body was buried. All de whites would go too. Dey would make de -boxes, pour hot water over de plank to shape it up into a casket, den -take turpentine an' smut to paint it. Den another big time, settin' up -wid de dead, sing, shout an' holler an' try to preach. - -"De patrollers would come to de colored frolic, an' one time a han' -slipped off an', gentlemen, didn't he give 'em trouble to ketch him, an' -dey didn't. When dey had dem Saddy night frolics an' dance all night -long an' nearly day when hit was goin, dey would turn de pot upside down -in de floor to hold de soun' in. My daddy pick de banjo. At de -cornshuckings dey'd sing 'All 'Roun' de Corn Pile Sally,' an' dey had -whiskey an' gin. Us had good time on Chris'mas, give us toys, syrup -candy, light bread an' grape wine. - -"My brother married up at de Big House an' dey giv' him a big dance an' -marsa made me drunk. 'Twas fust one den t'other giv' it to me an' -knocked me out. Dey had de preacher an' didn't jump de broom. Dey had de -preacher so would be tied good. Dey would tell us chillun all kinds of -ghos' stories 'bout witches gittin' outter dey skins. Us had free -jumping grapevine ropes an' mumble peg. One night I was at Notasulga an' -I heerd some singing. I stopped an' hit was right at my feet an' would -go futher off. I took out wid hit an' hit kept stoppin' an' startin' off -ag'in 'twell hit giv' out entirely. I looked to see where I was an' I -was at de cemetery an' nothin' didn't bother me neither. I eased out an' -shut de gate an' never foun' whut carried me dere. - -"When us 'ud git sick, dey would bleed you, stick somp'n in your arm and -draw de blood. Den dey would giv' us scurry grass and fever weed. -Bone-set was use' as teas for colds an' fever to sweat you. An' hit sho' -would sweat you, too. Marsa said war was comin' an' thought hit was to -free us. Pappy went to war with young marsa an' stayed 'twell he got -killed. - -[Illustration: _Rev. Wade Owens, Opelika, Alabama_] - -"Dey hid de carriage horses, meat, silver an' plates. Yankees asked -iffen marsa was good, an' us said yes. Dey searched de smokehouse an' -some scraps no good an' nothin' but scrappy horses so dey didn't bother -a thing. Us stayed one year an' worked on one-eighth farm. The Ku Klux -Klan was turrible. One John Lyons would cut off a woman's breast an' a -man's ear or thumb. - -"Atter I got growed I married Leila Benford at Mr. Lockhart's house, an' -us had a nice little frolic, wid cake, syrup pudding an' wine. It was a -fine night wid me, 'caze all kissed de bride. Us had fourteen children, -jes' eight living, Minnie, Wade, Robert, Walter, Viola, Joe, Jim and -Johnnie, an' ten grand-chilun. - -"I heered Abraham Lincoln speak once at Chicaumaugee Mountain an' he -said 'For people, by people, and through people.' I always 'membered -dat. I jined de church 'caze I got converted." - - - - -Molly Parker - - - *Interview with Molly Parker* - --_Preston Klein, Opelika, Alabama_ - -_HE WAS A GOOD OVERSEER AND TREATED SLAVES RIGHT_ - -Down in lower Lee County I found Molly Parker, an old acquaintance, -ailing, and with the wandering mind of the aged. She could find answers -to some of my questions, but some she couldn't get straight. She was -just as clean and neat as she had always been, clad in an apron dress -that she would call a "Mother Huggard." - -Molly is eighty-five years old and lives with her sister Edna in a -simple cabin, with a little patch of flowers between it and the field -where Edna is still young enough to work. Molly was a housewife's -treasure in the days gone by, but now she is too feeble to do more than -work her little patch of flowers. - -[Illustration: _Molly Parker, Lee County, Alabama_] - -She was born in Virginia but was brought to Alabama when a child and -sold to a Mr. Dunn, near Salem. Her mother and father were John and -Fanny, the parents of four children, Molly, Edna, Sam and Albert. - -"I was a big size housegirl, but I sho' could work," Molly recalled. -"Mr. Digby blowed a big bugle early every morning to get us all up and -going by bright light. Mr. Digby was a good overseer and treated all de -slaves de best he knew how. - -"I married Dick Parker on a Sunday and dey fixed us a big dinner wid -more good things to eat, but I was too happy to eat much myself. I ain't -had no chillun of my own, but I ho'ped mammy with hern. - -"De Yankees done camped nigh our house, and I had to help cook and tote -de grub down to 'em. Us read in de free paper 'bout us being free. Massa -didn't tell us nothing, but us stayed on for a long time atter dat. -Massa had a passel of slaves. - -"Yes'm, I'se a member of de church. Why I jined? Jest for protection, I -reckon. - -"I'd hate to see slavery time ag'in, 'cause hit sho' was bad for some of -de niggers, but us fared good though." - - - - -Lindy Patton - - - *Interview with Lindy Patton* - --_Alice S. Barton, Eutaw, Alabama_ - -_FIFTY YEARS IN DE PO' HOUSE_ - -"White folks," said Lindy Patton, from a chair in the Greene County Poor -House. "I was born in 1841 an' it taken me fifty years to git to de po' -house. Now I is got jus' fo' mo' years to make it an' even fifty dat I -been dere. I hopes I makes de grade, caze dat would be some sorta rec'd -wouldn't it? Fifty years in de po' house. - -[Illustration: _Lindy Patton, [TR: Eutaw], Alabama_] - -"I wukked in de fiel's an' I worked hard all day long. De white folks -useta gimme de clothes of de lil' white chilluns. I was born in -Knoxville, Alabama, in Greene County, an' I belonged to Massa Bill -Patton. I remembers a slave on our plantation dat was always arunnin' -away. De Massa try beatin' him but dat didn't do no good. Dat nigger -would run away in spite of nothin' they could do. One day de massa -decided he was goin' to take de nigger to Mobile an' swap him for -anudder one. De Misstis tol' him to leave de ole fool alone, said it -warn't worth the trouble. Well, de massa started out to Mobile wid de -nigger, an' when de got dere an' de train stop, de nigger, he lit out -an' de massa runned right behine him. Dey musta runned a mile or mo' -till finally de Massa he gib out an' let de nigger go. Two days later de -massa he died f'm a-chasin' dat low down burr head. - -"Nawsuh, de white folks didn't teach us to read or write. White folks, I -can't hardly count none at all. We didn't have no church on dat place -neither. We jus' went along wid de massa an' sot in de back. I ain't -never ma'ied, an' I ain't never goin' to." - - - - -Simon Phillips - - - *Interview with Simon Phillips* - --_J. Morgan Smith_ - -_EX-SLAVE LEADER RECALLS OLD DAYS_ - -Simon Phillips, ex-slave, at 90 years is still as clear-thinking as a -young man, and a leader among the oldsters of his race in Birmingham and -Alabama. He has been for the past twenty-three years president of the -union of ex-slaves which is composed of 1,500 Negroes scattered -throughout Alabama. He is the only one of the Birmingham organizers of -the society living today and though one of the oldest of his group, he -shows but few signs of decrepitude. He walks with the aid of a hickory -cane which has been in his possession for almost a half century, and his -memory is not only accurate but vivid. His physical activity is shown by -the fact that he had already spaded his garden and tiny stalks had -pushed themselves above the ground on a plot of earth, covering -approximately seventy-five yards square, on the Spring morning when he -took "a little time off" to talk of the past. - -Well does he recall the days when, under Alabama skies in the 1860's, he -curried his master's fine carriage horses; the times old Aunt Hannah -cured him of "achin's" with vegetable and root herbs; the nights he -spent in the slave quarters singing spirituals with his family. - -Simon Phillips was one of 300 Negroes belonging to Bryant Watkins, a -planter of Greensboro, Alabama. He was a house man, which means that he -mixed the drinks, opened the carriage doors, brought refreshments on the -porch to guests, saw that the carriage was always in the best of -condition and tended the front lawn. When asked about slave days, he -gets a far-away expression in his eyes; an expression of tranquil joy. - -"People," he says, "has the wrong idea of slave days. We was treated -good. My massa never laid a hand on me durin' the whole time I was wid -him. He scolded me once for not bringin' him a drink when I was supposed -to, but he never whup me." - -The old slave added that every plantation had a still and there was much -brandy, but he rarely ever saw a drunk man. He says that when the men -felt themselves becoming intoxicated, they would go home and lie down; -now, he says, they go home and fall down. - -The plantation on which Simon lived was seven miles long and three miles -wide. When luncheon was served, the Negroes far off in the bottom lands -had their food brought to them by the trash gang (boys and women) while -those in the nearer cotton fields ate in a large mess hall. The food -consisted of turnip greens, meat, peas, crackling bread and syrup, and -plenty of it. "Not since those days," he states, "have I had such good -food." - -"What about the marriage situation, Simon?" he was asked. "How did you -go about getting a wife?" - -"Well, nigger jus' go to the massa and tell him that there's a gal over -in Cap'n Smith's place that he want for a wife, if she happen to be -there. Then the massa go to Cap'n Smith and offer to buy her. Maybe he -do and maybe he don't. It depend on whether the Cap'n will sell her, and -iffen she a good strong, healthy nigger. Niggers was bought mostly like -hosses. I was too young to have me a wife when I was wid de massa, but I -got me one later on after the war." - -[Illustration: _Simon Phillips, Birmingham, Alabama_] - -During the War between the States, Simon served as body guard for John -Edward Watkins, son of the plantation owner. Body guards went with their -owners and cleaned the guns, kept the camp in order and did some -cooking. Simon entered the war at the age of fourteen in Joe Wheeler's -51st cavalry. He distinctly recalls the time he stood within ten feet of -the great general while he was making a speech. - -Sometimes slaves were parted from their families, because when one -planter bought a Negro from another planter, he did not necessarily buy -his wife or children, or husband, as the case might be. The slaves were -advertised around and put on a block to stand while they were auctioned. -Women invariably brought more than men. He was asked, "about overseers, -Simon. What sort of men were they?" - -"Well," he answered, "some was mighty mean. When the massa be away, they -tried to think up things to whup us for. But when the massa around, had -he catch 'em gettin' ready for to beat a slave, he say, 'don't cut no -blood from that Nigger!'" - -Born in Hale County in 1847, Simon Phillips stayed with his master until -1886 at which time he went to live in Tuscaloosa to earn 17c a day, but -he says he fared better on it than on three dollars now. - -After the war many Negroes stayed with their masters and he remembers -that some of the carpetbaggers came through his plantation and tried to -make the ex-slaves stake off the land, saying that half of it belonged -to them. - -"One day," says Simon, "a few niggers was stickin' sticks in the ground -when the massa come up. - -"'What you Niggers doin'?' he asked. - -"'We is stakin' off de land, massa. The Yankees say half of it is ourn.' - -"The massa never got mad. He jus' look calm like. - -"'Listen, niggers' he says, 'what's mine is mine, and what's yours is -yours. You are just as free as I and the missus, but don't go foolin' -around my land. I've tried to be a good master to you. I have never been -unfair. Now if you wants to stay, you are welcome to work for me. I'll -pay you one third the crops you raise. But if you wants to go, you sees -the gate.' - -"The massa never have no more trouble. Them niggers jus' stays right -there and works. Sometime they loaned the massa money when he was hard -pushed. Most of 'em died on the old grounds. I was the youngest of a -family of sixteen and I has one sister still livin' on the old -plantation. I'm going down to see her next week, 'cause I can never tell -when the Great Master is goin' to call. We's gotta be ready when he -does, and both us is gettin' mighty old. I wanta be sure and see her and -the old place once more." - - - - -Roxy Pitts - - - *Interview with Roxy Pitts* - --_Preston Klein, Opelika, Alabama_ - -_ROXY PITTS RECALLS CHILDHOOD_ - -"I don't know 'zackly whar I was born," said Aunt Roxy Pitts, "but it -was summuz 'roun Youngsboro, Alabama, en it was in 1855, fo' de wah -started, dat Ole Marster said I was born. How ole dat make me? -Eighty-two, gwine on eighty-t'ree? Dat's right, en I be eighty-t'ree -year ole dis time nex' year, iffen I lives. - -"Yassum, I goes to church putty reg'lar, iffen it don't rain; coz de -rain makes de mizry in my hip en lays me up. I belongs to de Baptis' -church en was baptize wid Jesus when I was twelve year ole. I'se a -foot-washin' Baptis', I is, but dey ain't none of dem kind er Baptis' -'roun' here, en I jes goes wid de udder Baptis' en sets in de amen -corner, en iffen I wants to shout, I shouts, en nobody ain't gonner stop -me, bless the Lord! - -"My fu'st marster was name Sam Jones, but I don't 'member him. My udder -marster, de one what I 'members, was name Sam Peg, en us lived clost to -a little town name Limekiln. My mammy was part Injun, en Ole marster -cudden' keep her home ner workin' needer; she alluz runnin' off an stay -out in de woods all night long. When I was a little gal, she runned off -ag'in en lef' a teeny little baby, en nebber did come back no mo'. Dey -said she gone whar de Injuns is. Dat was atter de wah, en pappy had to -raise dat little bitsy baby hisse'f. He tuk it en me to de fiel' whar he -workin', en kep' a bottle of sweeten water in he shirt to keep warm to -gib de baby when it cry. Den Pappy he mai'ed Aunt Josie en dey had er -whole passel er chilluns, en dey was my brudders en sisters. - -"'Member 'bout de wah? Sho', I 'members 'bout de wah; but us don't hab -no wah whar us was. Ole Marster got kilt in Virginny, dey said, en he -didn't nebber come back home, en dem what did come back was all crippled -up an hurt. Us didn't see no Yankees 'twel dey come along atter de wah -was gone, en dey tuk Ole Mistis' good hosses en lef' some po' ole mules, -en dey tuk all us's co'n en didn't lef' us nuddin' to eat in de -smokehouse. Dey runned off all de chickens dey cudden ketch, en jes' fo' -dey lef', de ole rooster flewed up on de fence 'hine de orchard en crow: -'IS-DE-YANKEES-G-O-N-E-E'? En de guinea settin' on de lot fence, say: -'Not Yit, Not Yit,' en de ole drake what was hid under de house, he say: -'Hush-h-h, Hush-h-h.' - -"Us chilluns sho was misch'us. One time, atter a big rain, us foun' two -hens swimmin' aroun' in de tater house, en us tuk en helt em under de -water twel' dey's done drownded dead, en we tuk 'em to Mammy en she -cooked 'em in a pot en shot de kitchen do'. When dem chickens got done, -us went under de flo' en riz up a plank en got in de kitchen en stole -one ob dem chickens outen de pot en et it smack up. When Mammy foun' dat -chicken gone, she tuk er brush broom an wo' us plum out. But us didn't -keer; de brush broom didn't hurt nigh lak de chickens taste good." Aunt -Roxy nodded her head and rocked back and forth, as if she enjoyed -recalling those youthful escapades. - -"Yassum, I kin see plenty good enough to sew, cep'n' I can't tread de -needle, en I has to keep atter dese triflin' chilluns to he'p me. You -see dis quilt I'se piecin! Miss Lucy gwine gib me tree dollars fer it, -coz she say it be made right, en dat's de way I makes em. Miss Lucy know -she got er good quilt, when I gits t'ru wid it." - -"Is yer got enny snuff, Missy? You don't dip snuff! No'me, I didn't tink -you did." - - - - -Carrie Pollard - - - *Interview with Carrie Pollard* - --_Ruby Pickens Tartt, Livingston, Alabama_ - -_A HUSBAND COULDN'T BE BOUGHT_ - -Carrie Pollard was born in slavery time but she was never a slave. Her -grandmother was a free woman who came to Tuscaloosa as a servant in the -1820's and was rescued from a man who claimed ownership, but whose claim -was disallowed. The grandmother went to Gainesville, with her slave -husband for whom she bought freedom. - -One of her daughters, who was Carrie Pollard's Aunt Cynthia, was not so -lucky. She couldn't buy her husband free. The story, told so often to -Carrie when she was a child, is still a bright memory to the mulatto -woman who was born in 1859 and still lives in Gainesville in the house -of her birth. - -[Illustration: _Carrie Pollard, Gainesville, Alabama_] - -"My Aunt Cynthy," said Carrie, "was free born in North Carolina. She -come down here to Gainesville, an' though the deed sez you can't take a -blue veined chile an' make a slave outa her, de man whut brought her -made like he owned her or sump'in'. She lived on one plantation wid her -guardian. Tom Dobbs, a slave nigger whut belonged to Mr. Dobbs here in -Gainesville, he lived on another farm cross de road. An' dey couldn't -marry, 'caze Mr. Dobbs wouldn't sell Tom an' Aunt Cynthy's white folks -wouldn't let her marry, so dey jes' taken up an' went ahead. Her an' Tom -had nine chillun, as fine looking mulattoes ez you'd wanta see. An' old -Mr. Dobbs wanted 'em an' he couldn't get 'em. - -"Aunt Cynthy was a good midwife, so a white lady sent fer her to come to -Sumterville, Alabama, to nuss her an' she went. An' while she was dere, -she dream't sump'in' done happened to her chillun an' dat dey was in -trouble. So she tole de white lady she was nussin' 'bout whut she -dream't an' she said, 'Mammy, iffen you is worried 'bout your chillun -I'ze gwineter send you to a fortune teller an' see whut's de matter.' - -"De fortune teller cut de cards, an' den she looked up en tole Aunt -Cynthia 'All yo' chillun an' your husband done gone an' I can't tell you -where dey's at.' So Aunt Cynthia run back an' tole de white lady. She -called her husband an' he had one of his niggers saddle up two hosses -an' ride wid Aunt Cynthy back to Gainesville. When she foun' her -guardian, Mr. Steele, he met her wid de news dat dey was tuck to DeKalb, -Mississippi. - -"He got on his hoss an' tuck some other white men wid him, an' dey -captured old man Dobbs right dere wid Tom an' de nine chillun. Dey done -stopped an' camped an' was cookin' supper. So Mr. Steele tole him he -could keep Tom, 'caze he was hissen, an' a slave, but Cynthy was free -born an' he couldn't have her chillun. But Mr. Dobbs sez he didn't want -Tom nohow, caze he was part Indian an' no 'count an' wouldn't work. So -Mr. Steele bought Tom for Aunt Cynthy an' brought 'em all back to live -wid him. An' he give Aunt Cynthy an' Tom an' de chillun a nice house -right 'cross de branch here after surrender." - -Carrie tells of how her grandmother used to send them to the mill in -Gainesville with wheat, "jes' lack you do corn nowadays, to git flour. -An' us git de grudgins an' de seconds an' have de bes' buckwheat cakes -you ever et." - -She says there are more black Negroes now in Gainesville than she has -ever seen. She says, "Hit use to be a sight to see 'bout fifty bes' -lookin' mulatto girls up in de public square here listenin' to de ban' -an' nussen' de chillun, not five black ones in de bunch. An' dey had -good sense, too. Us didn't have no clocks, so us white mistis would say, -'Yawl come home a hour by sun to do de night work,' an' us didn't hardly -ever miss it." She says her grandmother sent her two daughters to school -in Mobile, and they went down the river from Gainesville in a river boat -called _Cremonia_. - - - - -Irene Poole - - - *Interview with Irene Poole* - --_Susie R. O'Brien, Uniontown, Alabama_ - -_HUSH WATER FOR TALKATIVE WOMEN_ - -Under the spreading branches of an enormous fig tree laden with ripe -fruit "Aunt Irene" sat dreaming of old times. At her feet several -chickens scratched and waited for the soft plop of an over ripe fig as -it fell to the ground. - -Aunt Irene's back is bent with age and rheumatism, but her two-room -cabin is as clean and neat as a pin. Her small yard is a mass of color -where marigolds, zinnias, verbena and cockscomb run riot, and over the -roughly-made arch at the gate trailed cypress vine in full bloom. "Good -morning Aunt Irene," I said. "A penny for your thoughts." - -"Well honey, I don't know as dey is wo'th a penny; not to you anyhow. I -was jes' stud'in' 'bout ole times an' 'bout mah ole marster. You know if -he was livin' today he would be a hundred an' sixteen years ole." - -"Who was your master Aunt Irene? Tell me about him." - -"His name was Jeff Anderson Poole an' he was de bes' man in de world. -Mah ole miss was name Mollie. I was born on his plantation three miles -from Uniontown eighty five years ago. - -"Mah pappy, Alfred Poole, b'longed to Marse Jeff an' he bought mah -mammy, Palestine Kent, from another plantation 'cause mah pappy jes' -couldn' do no work fer thinkin' 'bout her. - -"Marse Jeff paid fifteen hunderd dollars for my mammy an' her three -little chillun. Marse Jeff was rich, he owned three big plantations an' -Lawd knows how many niggers. Dey was a hunderd head on our plantation. -He lacked to race horses an' had a stable full o' fine racers. I spec' -he made lots o' his money on dem horses. Miss Mollie say when he win he -swell out his ches' an' stick his thum's in de armhole of his ves' an' -talk 'bout it, but when he lose he don't say nothin'. - -"Yas ma'am dere was always plenty to eat. A thousan' poun's o' meat -wasn't nothin' to kill on our plantation. My mammy was de cook in de big -house an' my pappy driv de carriage an' went 'roun' wid Marse Jeff when -he tuck trips. I was a house servant too. When I wasn' nothin' mo' in a -baby, de oberseer's wife tuck me to train, so I would know how to ac' in -de big house. - -"One day she started to give me a whuppin'. Us was out in de yard an' -when she bent over to git a switch I runned under her hoopskirt. When -she look 'roun' she didn't see me nowhar. After while she started on up -to de house an' I runned along wid her under de hoopskirt, takin' little -steps so I wouldn't trip her up, till I seed a chance to slip out." -Irene threw back her head and laughed loud and long at this amusing -memory. - -Asked then about her mistress she said: "Yas ma'am she was good. She -never punished me, she used to go 'roun' de quarters eve'y mornin' to -see 'bout her sick niggers. She always had a little basket wid oil, -teppentine an' number six in it. Number six was strong medicine. You had -to take it by de drap. I always toted de basket. She gived me mah -weddin' dress. It was white tarletan wid ban's o' blue ribbin. I sole de -dress las' year but I can show you de pantalets she made me. I used to -wear 'em to meetin' on Sunday when us had singin' an' de preacher said -words." Aunt Irene brought out the deep ruffled pantalets carefully -folded and yellow with age, she had treasured them for seventy-five -years. - -"No ma'am, Marse Jeff didn't go to de war, I don't know why. I guess it -was 'cause he was so rich. Now don't you be thinkin' he was gun shy, -'cause he wasn't an' he done his part too 'cause he took keer o' five -widders an' dey chillun when dey men got kilt in de war. - -"My pappy lef de night de Yankees tuck Selma. It was on Sunday, an' I -ain't seed him since. - -"After de surrender us staid on with Marse Jeff. Us didn't keer nothin' -'bout bein' free 'cause us had good times on de plantation. On Sadday -dey had corn shuckin's an' de niggers had a week at Chris'mas wid -presents for eve'ybody. Camping at de big house an' mo' to eat in one -day den I sees now in a year. - -"Aunt Irene, do you remember anything about the conjurers in the old -days?" - -"I don't put much sto' by dem folks. Dey used to give you de han' so you -could please yo' mistess an' dey would sell you hush water in a jug. -Hush water was jes' plain water what dey fixed so if you drink it you -would be quiet an' patient. De mens would git it to give to dey wives to -make 'em hush up. I reckon some of de mens would be glad to git some now -'cause gals dese days is got too much mouf." - - - - -Nicey Pugh - - - *Interview with Nicey Pugh* - --_Ila B. Prine, [HW: Mobile]_ - -"I was bawn a slave, but I ain't neber been a slave", was Aunt Nicey's -first remark to me as I came upon her pulling up potato draws in her -garden in Prichard, Alabama. "Dere was 'leben chilluns in my family an' -all 'em is daid ceptin' me an' one brother who is seventy-five year old -at de present time. My pappy's name was Hamp West an' my mammy was Sarah -West. All my folks belonged to Massa Jim Bettis, an' was born an' raised -on his place. - -"When I was a little pickaninny I worked in Massa Jim's house, sweepin' -an' a-cleanin'. Us slaves had to be up at de house by sunup, build de -fires an' git de cookin' started. Dey had big open fireplaces wid -potracks to hang de pot on. Dat's whar us boiled de vegetables. An' -honey, us sho had plenty somp'n' t'eat: greens, taters, peas, rosenyurs -an' plenty of home killed meat. Sometimes my oldest brother, Joe West, -an' Friday Davis, anudder nigger, went huntin' at night an' kotched mo' -possums dan we could eat. Dey'd ketch lots of fish; 'nuf to las' us -three days. - -"I remembers one day when me an' anudder little nigger gal was agoin' -atter de cows down in de fiel' an' us seed whut I reckon' was de Ku Klux -Klan. Us was so skeered us didn't know whut to do. One of 'em walked up -to us an' say: 'Niggers, whar you agoin'?' - -"'Us is jus' atter de cows, Mr. Ku Klux,' us say. 'Us ain't up to no -debilment.' - -"'All right den,' dey say, 'jus' you be sho dat you don't git up to -none.' - -"Atter we got home us told de massa 'bout de 'sperience, an' he jus' -laugh. He tol' us dat we warn't goin' to be hurt iffen we was good; he -say dat it was only de bad niggers dat was goin' to be got atter by dem -Ku Klux. - -"When we was little we didn't hab no games to play, kaze Massa Jim an' -Miss Marfa didn't hab no chilluns, an' I ain't neber had no speriences -wid ha'nts or hoodoos. Dey neber teach us to read or write kaze when de -niggers learn anything, dey would git upitty an' want to run away. We -would hab Sad'day afternoons off, den us would sweep de yards, an' set -aroun' on benches an' talk. It was on de benches dat mos' of us slaves -set in warm weather. We et outen tin cups an' us used iron spoons to -shovel de food in. - -"At Christmas time, Massa would have a bunch of niggers to kill a hog -an' barbecue him, an' de womens would make 'lasses cake, an' ole massa -Jim had some kinda seed dat he made beer outen, an' we-alls drank beer -'roun' Christmas. - -"But dere warn't no udder time such as New Years. Us all celebrated in a -big way den. Most of dem no 'count niggers stayed drunk fo' three days. - -"An' as fo' de funerals, I don't eber remember but three white folks -dyin'. Dey jus' didn't seem to die in dem days, an' de ones dat did die -was mostly kilt by somp'n'. One white gentman got hisself kilt in a gin -'chinery an' anudder was kilt a workin' on de big road. Den dere was a -white 'oman who was kilt by a nigger boy kaze she beat him for sicking a -dog on a fine milk cow. He was de meanest nigger boy I eber seed. I'll -neber forgits de way dem white mens treated him atter he done had his -trial. Dey drug him through de town behin' a hoss, an' made him walk -ober sharp stones wid his bare feets, dat bled lak somebody done cut 'em -wid a knife. Dey neber gib him no water all dat day an' kep' him out in -de boilin' sun till dey got ready to hang him. When dey got ready to -hang him dey put him up on a stand and chunked rocks at his naked body; -dey thro gravel in his eyes and broke his ribs wid big rocks. Den dey -put a rope around his neck an' strung him up till his eyes pop outen his -head. I knowed it was a blessin' to him to die. - -"But all and all, white folks, den was de really happy days for us -niggers. Course we didn't hab de 'vantages dat we has now, but dere wus -somp'n' back dere dat we ain't got now, an' dat's secu'aty. Yassuh, we -had somebody to go to when we was in trouble. We had a Massa dat would -fight fo' us an' help us an' laugh wid us an' cry wid us. We had a -Mistis dat would nuss us when we was sick, an' comfort us when we hadda -be punished. I sometimes wish I could be back on de ole place. I kin see -de cool-house now packed wid fresh butter an' milk an' cream. I can see -de spring down amongst de willows an' de water a trickling down between -little rocks. I can hear de turkeys a gobblin' in de yard and de -chickens a runnin' aroun' in de sun, an' shufflin' in de dus'. I can see -de bend in de creek jus' below our house, an' de cows as dey come to -drink in de shallow water an' gits dere feets cool. - -[Illustration: _Nicey Pugh, Prichard, Alabama_] - -"Yassuh, white folks, you ain't neber seed nothin' lak it so you can't -tell de joy you gits f'um lookin' for dewberries an' a-huntin' guinea -pigs, an' settin' in de shade of a peach tree, reachin' up an' pullin' -off a ripe peach and eatin' it slow. You ain't neber seed your people -gathered 'bout an' singin' in de moonlight or heered de lark at de break -of day. You ain't neber walked acrost a frosty fiel' in de early -mornin', an' gone to de big house to build a fire for your Mistis, an' -when she wake up slow have her say to you: 'Well, how's my little nigger -today?' - -"Nawsuh, jus' lak I told you at fus'. I was bawn a slave, but I ain't -neber been one. I'se been a worker for good peoples. You wouldn't calls -dat bein' a slave would you, white folks?" - - - - -Sally Reynolds - - - *Personal conversation with Sallie Reynolds* - *552 South Conception Street, Mobile, Alabama* - --_Compiled by Mary A. Poole_ - -_SATAN'S GOIN' 'ROUND WID HIS TAIL CURLED UP_ - -Sally Reynolds, living at 552 South Conception street, was busy at the -wash tub when the writer called to interview her on July 20, 1937, so it -being a hot day we decided to continue our conversation out doors under -the washshed amid a conglomeration of tubs, buckets, empty boxes, etc. - -Sallie said she was born in Hiltown, Georgia, where her mother Margaret -Owens was a slave and the cook on the plantation of Mr. Lit Albritton. -When Sallie was about three years of age her mother gave her to Mrs. -Becke Albritton, who lived at New Providence, near Rutledge in Crenshaw -County, Alabama, to whom she was bound until 21 years of age. There was -also a brother given by her mother to some folks in Florida and of whom -Sallie never had any knowledge whatever. - -Sallie said Mrs. Albritton was kind to her, taught her to spin and sew, -and she tried to learn herself to weave, but, somehow, could never -master it. - -Mrs. Albritton had only a few slaves who were named, Mose, Dan, Charles, -Sandy (the latter so called because he ate sand as a child), and two -women, Hannah and Tene. - -They had no regular quarters but just cabins out in a rear lot. - -Sallie said all the whippings were given by either of the young Messrs. -Albritton, they were high tempered, as their father was before them. She -laughed and said she had Indian blood in her veins and sometimes she was -sassy as she felt independent knowing Mrs. Albritton would always take -her part. - -She recalled the Yankee's coming through after the war, one remained at -the Albritton home after the others had gone on, and she remembered -hearing Mrs. Albritton telling friends who visited her, that after this -soldier had left he wrote Mrs. Albritton a letter, telling her to look -on the back of the bench on the gallery where he had sat and she would -find his message. Sallie said she was a little girl sitting on the floor -at her mistress feet, ready to fetch and carry for her and she often -wondered but didn't dare ask what the message was; she did, however, -hear some one say that the Yankees said, if they ever came again, they -would take them from the cradle and that puzzled her, to know just what -they meant. - -Mrs. Albritton had a regular herb garden and Sallie helped her to gather -the herbs, Pennyroil, Dock Sage, Tansy (single and double), Thyme, and -Yarrow. They used Samson Snake Root in whiskey for cramps, and Butterfly -weed for risings. - -The writer asked Sallie about church and she said they had no church but -Mr. Albritton talked to her and impressed on her as a child to never -touch anything that did not belong to her. "Ask for it and if not given -to her, to let it alone and to never lie, or to carry tales, and she -could always keep out of trouble." Sallie said she hated to see Sunday -morning come, as the men folks were around the house and they would pick -on her and somehow she would get a beating. - -Sallie remained with Mrs. Albritton until she was 22 years, when she -married John Russell, by whom she had three children. They all died as -babies, later she married Gus Reynolds, (now dead) so Sallie just rents -a room and lives alone. - -Sallie says present generation knows too much and too little, that the -"Old-time religion" was best for all, she thinks "Satan's goin' 'round -wid his tail curled up, catching all he can devour"; and "folks should -do like Christ did when Satan tried to tempt Him, and tell Satan to go -get behind them, and they get behind Jesus they could not have sorrow -run across their hearts and minds." - - - - -Mary Rice - - - *Interview with Mary Rice* - --_Gertha Couric, [HW: Eufaula]_ - -_DESE UPPITY NIGGERS_ - -Few of the ex-slaves will readily admit that they were mere field hands -in the old days. Generally they prefer to leave the impression that they -were house servants, or at least stable boys or dairy hands. - -But "aunt" Mary Rice, age 92, who lives in Eufaula, holds no such view -about the superior social position of house servants. She was a "big -missy gal" ('teen age) during the War, and about her duties on the -plantation of Dr. Cullen Battle near Tuskegee, where she was born, she -said: - -"Honey, I lived in de quahter. I was a fiel' nigger, but when I was a -lil' gal, I helped around de milk-house, churnin', washing de pails and -de lak, and den give all de little niggers milk. - -[Illustration: _Mary Rice, Eufaula, Alabama_] - -"Massa Cullen and Mistis' Ma'y Jane was de bes' Marster and Mistis' in -de worl'. Once when I was awful sick, Mistis' Ma'y Jane had me brung in -de Big House and put me in a room dat sot on de 'tother side of the -kitchen so she could take kere of me herself 'cause it was a right fur -piece to de quahter and I had to be nussed day and night. - -"Yassum, I was jes' as happy bein' a fiel' han' as I would'er been at de -Big House; mebbe mo' so. De fiel' han's had a long spell when de crops -was laid by in de summer and dat's when Massa Cullen 'lowed us to -'jubilate' (several days of idle celebration). I was happy all de time -in slavery days, but dere ain't much to git happy over now, 'cep'n I's -livin'--thank de Lawd. Massa Cullen was a rich man, and owned all de -worl' from Chestnut Hill to de ribers, and us always had eberything us -needed. - -"Niggers dese days ain't neber knowed whut good times is. Mebbe dat's -why dey ain't no 'count. And dey is so uppity, too, callin' dereselves -'cullud folks and havin' gold teeth. Dey sez de mo' gold teeth dey has, -de higher up in chu'ch dey sets. Huh!" - - - - -Cornelia Robinson - - - *Interview with Cornelia Robinson* - --_Preston Klein, Opelika, Alabama_ - -_DE YANKEES WUZ A HARRICANE_ - -"One time I 'members a storm us had. I calls it a harricane; but it was -really de Yankees comin' through." - -Quaint, little Cornelia Robinson was anxious to give all the facts she -could remember about slavery days; but she was only about four years old -during the latter days of that period, and must depend a great deal on -what has been told her. - -"Chile, dem Yankees come through an' cleaned out de smokehouse; even -lef' de lard bucket as clean as yo' hand. Ol' Marster tuk his bes' -horses an' mules to de big swamp, an' de Yankees couldn't fin' 'em. But -dey tore up everything dey couldn't take wid dem. Dey poured all de -syrup out an' it run down de road lak water. - -"One pore little nigger boy was so skeered dat when he went out to git -up de cows an' when he couldn't fin' some of 'em, he laid down in a -hollow stump an' nearly froze to death. Dey had to thaw him out in de -branch, but he was powerful sick. He war'nt no 'count for nothin' atter -dat. - -"I 'members dat Ol' Mistus saved all her jewels an' sech frum de -Yankees. She brung 'em out to de nigger cabins an' hid 'em amongst us." - -Cornelia, forever smiling, wears her gray hair in two short braids down -the back. She says her father and mother were George and Harriett -Yancey, who belonged first to a Mrs. Baugh and who were later sold to a -Dr. Trammell, of near Lafayette. Her brothers and sisters were Charlie, -Willie, Albert and Ann. - -[Illustration: _Cornelia Robinson, Opelika, Alabama_] - -"I 'members de high, four-poster beds us useter sometimes sleep on," she -said. "I was so little dat I had to crawl into 'em wid de help of a -stool. I 'members dat de mud fireplaces of early times was far back, -deep an' wide. All de little niggers was fed milk an' bread, wid de -bread crumbled in. Us also had pot licker an' greens. - -"Our clothes was muslin an' calico for de hot weather; an' den in winter -us had linty cloth, part wool an' part cotton, homespun. Us raised de -sheep, too, but us didn't wear no clothes hardly in hot weather. - -"Us sho' did have a good marster an' mistis. Dey give us all de clothes -an' food us needed an' gived us medicine. Us wore asafetida an' pennies -aroun' our necks to help us not to git sick. - -"Dey taught my mother to read an' write, too. Not many done dat. She'd -read de Bible to us little niggers an' give prayers. Atter slavery, us -had schools. I 'members dat George Hawkins an' his wife taught it." - -Cornelia recalls some of the happenings of slavery times. - -"If de slaves went off de plantation widout a pass, de patterollers -would ketch 'em an' beat 'em powerful bad. If de niggers could outrun de -patterollers an' git home fust dey couldn't be whupped. Dey had dogs -called 'nigger hounds', same like dey had bird dogs, an' dey would track -de slaves an' bring dem back home. - -"I 'members my mother goin' to corn shuckin's. 'Course dey put us little -niggers to bed 'fore dey went but dey sho' sounded lak dey was havin' a -big time, hollerin' an' singin'. Us went to de white folks church in de -afternoon, an' de Reverend Gardner was a mighty good preacher. When any -of us niggers died, Marster was good to us an' let all de niggers quit -an' attend de burial. Dey made de coffins at home an' would black dem -wid soot. - -"Us had a ol' quack herb doctor on de place. Some bad boys went up to -his house one night an' poured a whole lot of de medicine down him. An -honey, dat ol' man died de next day. - -"Atter I got grown I married Robert Benson an' us had four chillun and -several grandchillun." - -Cornelia, beaming and apparently happy every minute of the day, lives -with one of her grandchildren in Opelika. - - - - -Gus Rogers - - - *Interview with Gus Rogers* - --_Mary A. Poole, Mobile, Alabama_ - -_JABBO EXPLAINS HIS BLACK SKIN_ - -Living on the Moffat road at Orchard, in western Mobile County, Alabama, -on Mr. McIntyre's place is Gus Rogers, who is known better by the name -of Jabbo. He claims to be over ninety years of age, but could give no -proof. He claims the 26th of June as his birthday. - -When asked how old he was, he replied with a smile: - -"Miss, I don't know but I found everything here when I came along." - -He was born at Salisbury, N.C. on the Rogers' plantation, and Mr. John -and Mrs. Mary Rogers were his master and mistress. His parents were -William and Lucy Rogers, who had five children, three girls and two -boys. - -Jabbo said the Rogers's home was built of boards of virgin timber and -the slave quarters were some distance from the big house. Some of the -cabins were built of logs and some of boards, all having clay chimneys -and big open fireplaces equipped for cooking, as the slaves usually -cooked their own meals, except during busy seasons, when meals were -prepared in the house kitchen by the slave women too old to work in the -fields. - -Jabbo said one old man went around and rapped on the doors to wake up -slaves to go to work. When asked how long they worked he laughed, and -said: - -"Just from sun to sun and then you went to bed, 'cause you knew that old -man would sure be rapping before you were ready next morning." - -When asked about earning any money, Jabbo said: - -"Law, Miss we didn't even know what money was, and we didn't have no use -for it. We had all we needed, plenty to eat and all the clothes -necessary those days." - -The Rogers raised lots of tobacco and wheat, and all the necessary farm -products needed on the plantation. They had a large orchard and made all -the cider they could drink. - -Jabbo recalled driving many a refugee wagon during the War, and when -they heard of the Yankees' coming, the Rogers family took all the horses -and mules and hid them in the swamps and buried all the silver and other -valuables. - -After the devastation wrought by War, Mr. Rogers moved his family to -Massey Station, Montgomery County, Alabama, intending to raise cotton. -He brought Jabbo's father and mother and family with him, but meeting -with little success he returned to Salisbury, N.C. Jabbo remained in -Alabama. - -Jabbo married and raised a family of five children. There were two girls -and three boys but he has no knowledge of their present whereabouts. - -When asked if he was married more than once, Jabbo laughed and said: - -"No, Miss I always had the price of a marriage license in my pocket, but -somehow I never married." - -In answer to inquiry as to religion, Jabbo replied: - -"Miss, I am a Methodist, but there's only one religion. You have to be -pure in heart to see Him, because He said so, and to do unto others as -you desire others to do unto you." - -Continuing about religion Jabbo said: - -"God gave it to Adam and took it away from Adam and gave it to Noah, and -you know, Miss, Noah had three sons, and when Noah got drunk on wine, -one of his sons laughed at him, and the other two took a sheet and -walked backwards and threw it over Noah. Noah told the one who laughed, -'you children will be hewers of wood and drawers of water for the -other's two children, and they will be known by their hair and their -skin being dark,' so, Miss, there we are, and that is the way God meant -us to be. We have always had to follow the white folks and do what we -saw them do, and that's all there is to it. You just can't get away from -what the Lord said." - -Jabbo said he would like "to go back to the good old days, 'though there -was good folks and there was mean folks, then too, just like there is -today." - -Bibliography: Personal interview by the writer with Gus Rogers, -ex-slave, better known as "Jabbo." - - - - -Janie Scott - - - *Personal interview with Janie Scott* - *255 South Lawrence Street, Mobile, Alabama* - --_Mary A. Poole, Mobile, Alabama_ - -_SLAVE CA'LINE SOLD FER A SACK O' SALT_ - -Janie Scott, living in a cottage at 255 South Lawrence Street, was -interviewed by the writer on July 14th, 1937. She claimed she was born -April 10, 1867, but she appeared older than seventy years of age. She, -of course, was unable to give any experiences of her own as a slave but -recalled what had been told her by her mother, who was a slave on the -Myers plantation at Tensaw, Alabama. - -When asked how large was the plantation, Janie answered: - -"Lordy, chile, many an acre an 'bout sixty slaves." - -Her mother worked in the house, and when the field hands were working -helped carry water out to them in buckets, each one getting a swallow or -two a piece. Her father was Andy White, and was raised on the plantation -of John Jewett at Stockton, Alabama. - -Janie had heard her father say he was a coachman and drove the folks -around, also came over in a boat with his master to Mobile to get -supplies and groceries, and that they killed many a deer in -neighborhoods just north of Bienville Square. - -Jane said her mother's Master and Mistress didn't want her mother to -marry Andy, because he was too light in color and light niggers Janie -said folks didn't think as strong as a good black one, so her mother, -Sarah Porter, and Andy White her father just borrowed a mule without the -Master's consent and rode off and were married, anyhow. - -Janie laughed and said she guessed it was all right after all because -they had eleven children, two are now living, Janie and a sister Daisy. - -When the writer asked if slaves ever earned any money, she replied: - -"They didn't even know what money was." Then she continued: "Once when -my mother was a little girl she asked her mistress to give her fifteen -cents, and her Mistress wanted to know why she wanted fifteen cents. Her -Mother replied: "I wants to see what money looks like." - -Her Mistress thought she was trying to act smart and in place of fifteen -cents she received a whipping. - -The slaves wore homespun clothes, but her mother remembered having as -her best dress one made of marino. - -The slaves quarters were log cabins with clay chimneys, and they cooked -in the open fireplaces in the winter and in the summer on what they -called scaffolds, built out in the yard. These were made of clay -foundations with iron rods across on which the pots hung. - -Janie said her mother "was strong and could roll and cut logs like a -man, and was much of a woman." Then they had a log rolling on a -plantation the Negroes from the neighboring plantations came and worked -together until all the jobs were completed. - -After each log rolling they gave them molasses to make candy and have a -big frolic. - -During the Civil War when supplies were scarce, especially salt, Marster -John rode off taking her mother's sister Ca'line with him, and when he -returned alone his wife, Mrs. Meyers, wanted to know where was Ca'line, -and Marster John replied: "I sold her for a sack of salt." At first they -did not believe him, but Ca'line never returned and Sarah never saw her -sister anymore. - -After the Surrender the Yankees came through and the slaves hid under -the house, but the soldiers made them come out and told them they were -free, and gave the slaves everything on the place to eat. They all went -down to the creek and praised God for what he had done for them. - -Janie does not believe in charms, hoodoo or fortune-tellers, saying: - -"Those folks can't tell you nothing. When Christ was risen He carried -all prophets with Him and didn't leave any wise folks able to tell -things going to happen here on earth--everything Christ wanted folks to -know had already happened." - -Janie did say the best charm she knew of was a bag of asafetida worn -around the neck to ward off sickness or to take nine or ten drops in a -little water would sure keep the worms down. - -The slaves got plenty of coons, rabbits and bear meat, and could go -fishing on Sundays, as well as turtle hunting. - -The overseer on the Myers plantation was not a mean man, they had a -calaboose or sweat box to punish unruly slaves in place of whipping -them. - -After the Surrender her father and mother moved to Mobile, Alabama, and -her father continued to work for Mr. Jewett at his mill located at the -foot of Palmetto Street on the Mobile river front. - - - - -Maugan Shepherd - - - *Interview with Maugan Shepherd* - --_Gertha Couric, [HW: Eufaula]_ - -_SLAVERY COMING BACK? MAUGAN HOPES SO_ - -"Mistus, I hears slavery times is comin' back." - -Uncle Maugan Shepherd is past 80. He idled about the front of his -tumble-down house in Eufaula, happily recalling the old plantation days. -He has never learned to read, and therefore pins a great deal of -dependence upon hearsay. - -"Where did you hear about slavery coming back?" the interviewer asked -him. - -"Well, mam, 'pear lak I heard it somewhar. I don't rikolect jest now." - -"Would you like to have the old times back again, Uncle Maugan?" - -He studied a moment, beamed: - -"Yassum, I would. I'se proud I was borned a slave. I'se too young to -'member much, but I knows I always had enough to eat and wear den, and I -sho don't now. - -Uncle Maugan said that he was "birthed" at Chestnut Hill; that he -belonged to Marse and Mistus Rich Wiley, and that his father and mother -were Bunk and Betsy Wiley, both "field niggers." Maugan had two -brothers, Oliver and Monroe; but no sisters. - -"I never seed ma and pa much 'cept on Sundays," he explained. "Dey was -allus workin' in de fields an' I was out chasin' rabbits an' sech mos' -of de time. At night I jest et my cornpone an' drink my buttermilk an' -fell on de bed asleep." - -Maugan remembers one overseer, scornfully referring to him as "po' white -trash." - -"Us slaves called him by his las' name behin' his back," the old darky -explained, "'caze us hated to 'mister' dat white man." - -Maugan remembers Reconstruction and a great deal about "atter de -surrender," but says "rickolection ain't so good" on things that -happened before. - -"I 'members dat I was powerful scared of de Yankee soldiers," he said, -"but dey never hurt nobody. Dey come through Eufaula an' all us niggers -tried to hide; but dey jest come on by an' laughed at us fer bein' -scared." - -[Illustration: _Maugan Shepherd, Eufaula, Alabama_] - -More than fifty years ago, Maugan married Kitty. She is about 70 and -makes her living washing clothes for "de white peoples." They never had -any children. - -Maugan says he never goes anywhere except to church on Sundays. His legs -are not so strong anymore, he explains. - -"My ol' 'oman, she sho' lak to go to funerals," he chuckled. "But in -dese days day takes de body to have it vulcanized, so we can't have no -settin' ups. Dis went hard on Kitty, 'caze she was a mourner; but it -didn't do her no good, shoutin' an' amournin' all night. She would -always come home wid her head tied up an' her eyes set back in her -head." - -Maugan still works. He is a good yardman, but says some day he is just -"gwine ter drap out, lak his pa did." - - - - -Allen Sims - - - *Interview with Allen Sims* - --_Preston Klein, Opelika_ - -_PLENTY OF FOOD AND NO TRASH NEITHER_ - -While interviewing former slaves in the rural sections of Lee County, I -ran across Allen Sims, a sturdy old Negro, who proved to have an -unusually clear recollection of slavery as the institution appeared to -the small boy of that era. He was not old enough to make a work-hand at -its close. He spoke slowly, but with evident positiveness as to the -facts: - -"I 'members lots 'bout slavery times; 'cause I was right dar. I don't -'member much 'bout de war, 'cause I was too little to know what war was, -and de most I seed was when de Yankees come through and burnt up de Big -House, de barns, de ginhouse and took all Old Marster's hosses and -mules, and kilt de milk-cows for beef. They didn't leave us nothing to -eat, and us lak to starve to death. - -"Our folks, de Simses, dey come fum Virginny. My pappy and mammy was -borned dere. Dey names was Allen Sims and Kitty Sims. My Old Marster was -Marse Jimmie Sims, and my Old Mistis was Miss Creasie. Some of Pappy and -Mammy's chillun was borned in Virginny, and some of 'em in Alabama. I -was de baby chile, and I was borned right on dis very place whar us is -now. Dey had a whole passel of chillun. Dere was Chaney, Becky, Judy, -Sam, Phoebe, King, Alex, Jordan and Allen--dat's me. - -"Us lived in a log house in de quarter, wid a board roof and a ol' rock -fireplace wid a stick and dirt chimley. We had plenty wood, and could -build jes' as big fire as we need, if de weather was cold. Mammy, she -cook ash-cake in de fireplace, and it was de bes' bread I ever eat, -better'n any dis store-bought bread. You ain't never eat no ash-cake? -Umph, Missy, you don't know what good bread is lak! - -"Old Marster was good to his niggers and all of 'em, big and little had -plenty to eat, and it wa'n't trash neither. Us had ash-cake, hoe-cake, -pone-bread, meat and gravy, peas, greens, roast-neers, pot-liquor, and -sweet 'taters, I'ish taters, and goobers--I spec Old Marster's niggers -live better dan lots of white folks lives now. - -"Aunt Mandy, what was too old to work, looked atter all de little nigger -chilluns, whilst dey mammys was working, and she whip us wid a brush, if -we didn't mind her; but she fuss more dan she whip, and it didn't hurt -much, but us cry lak she killing us. - -"When us got sick, Old Mistis looked atter us herself, and she gin us -oil and turpentine and lobelia and if dat didn't cure us, she sont for -de doctor--de same doctor dat come to see her own fambly. Sometime a old -nigger die, and Old Marster and Old Mistis dey cry jes' lak us did. Dey -put 'em in a coffin and bury 'em in de graveyard, wid de white preacher -dar and nobody didn't work none dat day, atter us come back fum de -graveyard. - -"Our beds was bunks in de corner of de room, nailed to de wall and jes' -one post out in de flo'. De little chilluns slep' crosswise de big bed -and it was plum' full in cold weather. - -[Illustration: _Allen Sims, Lee County, Alabama_] - -"Our clothes was osnaburg, spun and weave' right at home, and it sho' -did last a long time. De little niggers jes' wore a long shirt, 'twell -dey got big 'nough to work in de field, and us had red shoes made at de -tan-yard to wear in winter time; but us foots was tough and us went -barefooted most all de winter too. Us played games too, ginerly, jumping -de rope and base. - -"De grown niggers had good times Sadday nights, wid dances, suppers and -wras'lin. De corn-shuckings was de biggest time dey had, 'cause de -neighbors come and dey laughed and hollered nearly all night. - -"Old Marster and Old Mistis lived in a big two-story white house. Dey -had ten chillun, five boys and five gals, and dey all growed up and -married off. De old carriage-driver was name Clark, and he sho' was -proud. De overseer was Tetter Roberson, and he was mean. He beat niggers -a lot, and bimeby Old Marster turned him off. He used to blow de horn -way befo' day to git de niggers up, and he work 'em 'tell smack dark. - -"Atter de Yankees burned up everyt'ing 'cept de cabins, us jes' stayed -right dar wid Old Marster when us freed. Old Marster built a new house -for him and Old Mistis, but it wa'n't much better dan our cabin and dey -lived dere 'tell dey died. - -"When I growed up, I married Laura Frazier, and us had a big wedding and -a preacher, and didn't jump over no broom lack some niggers did. Us had -jes' two chillun dat lived to be grown. Dey is Filmore and Mary Lou, and -us ain't got no gran'chillun. - -"When I got grown, I j'ined de Baptist Church at Rough Neck, 'cause I -felt I had done enough wrong, and I been a deacon forty year." - - - - -Frank Smith - - - *Interview with Frank Smith* - --_D.A. Oden_ - -"Yassuh, its jes' lak I tell yer. I was borned in Ole Virginny and my -Ole Marster was Doctor Constable and he and us all lived out a piece fum -Norfolk whar you kin see de whole ocean. I was writ down in de Bible, -jes' lak Ole Marster's udder niggers, and Ole Mistis said hit was de six -day of Jinnerwary in forty-eight when I was borned. How ole dat mek me -now? Eighty-nine, gwine on ninety--dat's right. - -"Ole Marster he died eight years fo' de Big War, and Ole Mistis -'refergeed' down to Alexandria, where her mammy and pappy lived and tuk -me and Unker Dan and Aunt Melissy wid her; but she sole my mammy and my -pappy and all de rest of de niggers ter de man what bought de plantation -and us never did see 'em no mo'. - -"I was de house-boy at Ole Mistis' pappy's house, I disremember his -name; but, anyhow, I didn't wuck in de field lak de udder niggers. Wen -de Big War started, Ole Mistis she tuck me and her chilluns and us -'refergeed', down somewhars dey was a co'thouse, whut dey called -'Culpepper', or sump'n lak dat, and us lived in town wid some mo' of Ole -Mistis' kinfolks, but dey wan't her mammy and pappy. De so'jers marched -right in front of our house, right by de front gate, and dey was gwine -ter Ho'per's Ferry to kill Ole John Brown, whut was killin' white folks -and freein' niggers fo' dey time. Dat was Mister Lincum's job, atter de -war. And no niggers wan't ter be free tell den. - -"We lived clos't ter de big hotel whar Gineral Lee and a whole passel of -soldiers stayed, and dey had de shineyest clo's I ebber seed. Dey was -fine gem'men and Ole Mistis she let me wait on 'em whilst she didn' need -me ter wuck eround de house, and dey gimme a dime lots of times. I -shined Gineral Lee's shoes sometimes--and he alluz gin me a dime and -said: 'Dat looks nice.' Some of de ginerals jes' gimme de dime and -didn't say nuthin' but dey wasn't big mens lak Gineral Lee and Ole -Marster. He was straight and dignerfied and didn't talk much, but he'd -walk up and down on de front gallery and de ord'lies brung him telegrafs -from Bull Run, whar us and de Yankees was fightin'. Lawzy missy, I heard -em talkin 'bout 'Bull Run' dat day and I 'lowed somebody's bull had got -out and us and de Yankees was tryin' ter ketch him and git him back in -de paster! - -[Illustration: _Frank Smith, Birmingham, Alabama_] - -"Wen de war got too close to us, Ole Mistis tuck me and her little gal -what was older'n me, and lef' Unker Dan and Aunt Melissa, and us went to -Lynchburg, whar her mammy and pappy done move to, and us stayed wid dem -ag'in, but Ole Mistis was gittin' worried over de war, and when I broke -her iv'y-handled dinin' room knife and fergot ter tell her, she slap my -head nearly off and got mad and sole me ter a man whut lived in -Cleveland, Tennessee. - -"Her pappy tried ter keep Mistis fum sellin' me. He said all I needed -was a good brushin', but nobody couldn't do nothin' wid Ole Mistis wen -she got good and mad! - -"My new marster wan't lak my own whitefolks; so I up and runned way and -jine de Yankee army and got a job workin' fer a cap'n name Esserton, or -sump'n lak dat; him and a Lieutenant somebody. We followed General -Sherman clear to Atlanta and ten mile fudder on, den dey turned back, -and marched clear back to Chattanooga and den kep' on tell we got ter -Nashville. I sho' was glad to git away fum Atlanta, cause dey was dead -men eve'y way you looked atter dey quit fightin'. Dey gimme a uniform, -but I didn't get no gun--I fought wid a fryin-pan. - -"We stayed in Nashville a while and when de war was over, Cap'n Esserton -wanted ter tek me to Illinois wid him and give me a job; but I didn't -lak de Yankees. Dey wanted you to wuk all de time, and dat's sump'n I -hadn't been brung up to do. Dey turned me free and I went wid a passel -of Gineral Lee's so'jers, what come along goin' home and us went down -and crossed de bigges' ribber I eber seed. I tuk up on fus' one farm and -den anudder, tell I found one I lak and den dat was two years atter we -lef' Nashville (1867) and I stayed dar close to Baton Rouge sixteen -years. Lawd, de cotton and sugar cane us did mek on dat rich lan'. Its' -richer'n de gwana dey sells out here in Alabama! - -"I went to Memphis on a 'scursion and stayed dar, doin fus' one thing -and den another, 'cep git in jail, and I worked at a house painter's -trade. I heered dey paid good wages fer paintin' in Bummin'ham and I -come here de same year all dem niggers was killed in dat church -stompede. I got a job wid Mr. Douglass, janitorin' at de Jefferson -Theater and him and me stayed together three years. I bought a waggin -and sold kerosene oil fer about a year, 'tell my money was all gone and -den I got a job wid de Base Ball Association in de year 1913. I been wid -'em ever sence. I used ter meck fum $8 ter $15 a week, 'cordin' ter how -times was, tell de 'pression come and I'se too ole ter wuk now, so I -jes' totes de mail and does odd jobs and dey pays me $3 a week fer dat. -I 'plied fer ole-age pension two years back, but it hain't come yit. I -got one boy livin' in Bummin'ham. He's 40 year old, but he don't help me -nary cent. My fus' wife died in Louisiana and I married a gal in -Memphis, but she lef' me when I los' my job one time and went to Detroit -wid a passel of niggers. She ain't nebber writ back to me and I done -quit payin' her any mind. - -"Cep'n de rheumatiz, I'se in good health and gits around pretty good. -Ole Mistis showed me how to read print and I ain't never fergot how. De -Yankees didn't know dat I could read, and I never did let on. I kin see -pretty well but hafter put on my glasses to read de print. Sho! I'se -gwine to live to be a hunded years old! How many mo' years I got to go? -Ten. Dat's right. I know I'se good fer dis year, 'cause I alluz notice -dat ef I live trough March, I lives all de rest ob de year!" - - - - -John Smith - - - *Interview with John Smith* - --_Susie R. O'Brien, Uniontown, Alabama_ - -_"MAD 'BOUT SOMEPIN'"--SO THEY HAD A WAR_ - -John Smith is 103 but he doesn't want to be tied down. "Effen I's free, -I wants to 'joy it," John says, and he lives up to his desire. Though he -is a "war veter'n" with bullets in his side and leg and his century of -life has enfeebled him, he roams the countryside about Uniontown -continually, "settin' a spell" with his acquaintances. - -It was only after several trips I finally caught him "settin'," and he -showed no inclination to move from his advantageous position near a -watermelon patch. He was industriously working on a huge slice of melon, -his face buried in the sweet fruit, as I drove up to the little cabin -where he was visiting. - -As the car came to a stop he raised his head and wiped his dripping chin -on his sleeve. He called to a little Negro girl in the yard, "Gal, go -bring de white lady a rockin' cheer", and turning to me he said, "You'll -'scuse me for not gittin' up lak I ain't got no manners, won't you -Mistess? I got a misery in my laig; you know de one whar I got shot in -de war." - -The rocking chair was brought out and taking a seat nearby I said, -"Uncle John, I want you to tell me all about yourself, were you in the -war and are you really a hundred and three years old?" - -"Glad to, glad to mistess, but fust don't you want a watermillon?" He -pointed to a patch nearby where the melons glistened in the sun. "Dis -July sun make de juice so sweet you'll smack yo' mouf for mo'," and -searching the rind to see that he had left none of the juicy red meat, -Uncle John began his story. - -"Well, I been livin' 'roun' dese parts 'bout ninety year. I was born -somewar in North Ca'lina, I don't 'member much 'bout my Mammy an' Pappy -'cause I was took 'way from dem by de speckerlaters when I was 'bout -thirteen year ole. De speckerlaters raised Niggers to sell. Dey would -feed 'em up an' git 'em fat and slick and make money on 'em. I was sold -off de block in 'Speckerlater's Grove' in North Ca'lina. De fus' day I -was put up I didn't sold, but de nex' day I brung a thousand dollars. -Mr. Saddler Smith from Selma bought me. Dey called him Saddler Smith -cause he was in de saddle business and made saddles for de army. Dey -fotch us down on boats. I 'member de song de men on de boat singed. Hit -go like dis: - - Up an' down de Mobile Ribber, - Two speckerlaters for one po' lil nigger. - -"My marster was de best in dis country. He didn't had many niggers, but -he sho' tuck good keer o' dem what he did had. He didn't 'low nobody to -hit 'em a lick. Sometime when I would git cotch up wid in some diverment -de white folks would say, 'Whose nigger is you?" and I say, 'Marse -Saddler Smith.' Den dey look at each oder an' say kinder low, 'Better -not do nothin' to ole Smith's nigger. He'll raise de debil.' - -"I didn't had no mistiss. My marster was a widder. He raised me up -workin' 'roun' de saddle shop. I ain't never liked to work nowhow, but -don't tell nobody dat. I was bout twenty seven year ole when de war -broke out. De ole uns was called out fust and de young uns stayed home -and practiced so dey could shoot straight an' kill a Yankee. Us -practiced every Friday evenin'. Course I didn't know what dey fightin' -'bout. I jes' knowed dey was mad 'bout somepin'. Atter while Marster's -son Jim j'ined de 'Federate sogers an' I went wid him for to tote his -knapsack, canteen and sichlike and to look atter him. Dat's when I got -dese here balls in my side and got a bullet in my laig, too. I was -movin' de hawses to de back of de lines out de thick of de fight when, -zipp, a minit ball cotch me right in de shoulder." - -Proudly John displayed the balls in his side and the scar on his leg. -The old woman, at whose cabin John was visiting, interrupted the story -several times. Finally he got tired of it and said: "Shet yo' mouf -'oman, I don't need no ho'p, dis is grown folks talk, you don't know -nothin' 'bout it, you wasn't even birthed tell two year 'fo' de -Surrender. Now whar was I at? I slep' right by Marsa Jim's side. -Sometime atter us done laid down and bofe of us be thinkin' 'bout home, -Marse Jim say, 'John, I lak to have some chicken.' I don't say nothin' I -jes' ease up an' pull my hat down over my eyes an' slip out. Atter while -I come back wid a bunch o'chickens crost my shoulder. Nex' mornin' Marse -Jim have nice brown chicken floatin' in graby what I done cook for him. -Us was fightin' on Blue Mountain when Marse Jim got kilt. I looked and -looked for him but I never did find him. Atter I lost my marster I -didn't 'long to nobody and de Yankee's was takin' eve'y thing anyhow, so -dey tuck me wid dem. - -"I tuck keer of Gen'l Wilson's hawse, Gen'l Wilson was de head man in de -Yankee army. But I didn't lak dey ways much. He wanted his hawse kep' -spick and span. He would take his white pocket hankercher an' rub over -de hawse and if it was dirty he had me whupped. I was wid Gen'l Wilson -when he tuck Selma 'gins't Gen'l Forrest and sot fire to all dem things. -I drive de artillery wagon sometime. Atter Surrender I was kinda puny -wid de balls in my side." - -"John," I asked, "why didn't they remove the balls at the time you were -shot?" - -"How could dey 'move de balls when I was runnin' fast as I could pick up -my foots? I driv de stagecoach twixt Selma and Montgomery. I 'member my -stops. Dey was Selma, Benton, Lown'esboro and Mon'gomery. I driv four -hawses to it. Dere was a libbery stable at Benton and I changed hawses -dere." - -"Now John tell me about your wife and children," I said. "How many -children did you have?" - -"Gawd, I don't know mistess. Dey runnin' 'roun' de country like hawgs. -Dey don't know me an' I don't know dem. I ain't never been mai'ed. -Niggers didn't marry in dem days. I jes' tuk up wid one likely gal atter -anoder. I ain't even mai'ed to de one I got now. I jes' ain't gwine tie -myse'f down. Effen I's free, I's gwine to be free." - -Uncle John sat for a time in deep thought, then said, "I wish I mought -be back in dem days, 'cause I been seed de debil since I been free. -Atter I was free I didn't had no marster to 'pend on and I was hongry a -heap of times. I 'long to de 'Federate nation and always will 'long to -y'all, but I reckon it's jes' as well we is free 'cause I don't b'lieve -de white folks now days would make good marsters." - -Uncle John had about talked out and as I rose to leave I said, "Thank -you John, this will make a good story," to which he replied indignantly, -"Hit ain't no story. Hit's de Gawd's trufe mistess." - - - - -Annie Stanton - - - *Personal interview with "Aunt Annie" Stanton* - *Rylands Lane, Mobile, Alabama* - --_Ila B. Prine, Mobile, Alabama_ - -Out on Ryland's Lane is an old negro woman 84 years of age who is -totally blind, but whose mind is clear in regards to things pertaining -to the long ago. - -"Aunt Annie" says that things that happened when she was a child are -much more vivid in her mind than are things of today. She said "Sumtimes -I now starts tuh do dumpin' an' fogits what I wants tuh do, den I ahs -tuh go bac' tuh de place whar I started from so I kin 'member whats I -started tuh do". - -"Aunt Annie" was born on Knight's Place on the Alabama River, June 2nd., -1853. This place is now known as Finchburg, in Monroe County, Alabama. -Her mother's name was Mary Knight and her father's name was Atlas -Williams, who had the same name as his owner, Mr. Offord Williams. "Aunt -Annie's" mother's people were owned first by Mr. Cullen Knight and after -his death, were owned by Mr. John Marshall. - -"Aunt Annie" was seven years old then the Civil War started, and that -she had "nursed two cullered chillun afore de war." - -When asked by the writer about nursing these children, so as to be sure -she said colored children, she replied, "dat de slaves lived on de -plantation, and dey had an overseer who libed on dis place, an' she -neber seed de Marshall's place 'til after dey was freed. As I growed -bigger into a big yearlin' gal I was tuk intuh de oversee'rs home to -'tend tuh de dinin' room table sich as settin' hit an' washin' de dishes -an' cleanin' up, an' later on I was showed how to iron, spin thread, -weave cloth, and make candles. Honey, folks talkin' 'bout depression now -don't kno' nothin' 'bout hard times. In dem days folks didn't hab -nothin' 'ceptin' what dey made. Eben if yo' had a mint ob money, dere -was nothin' to buy. We made de candles to burn by tying strings on the -stick and puttin' dem down in melted tallow in moulds. In dem times we -had no matches, folks made fire by strikin' flint rocks together an' de -fire droppin' on cotton. I don't know whether dese rocks were ones dat -de Indians lef' or no, but day was dif'rent from other rocks. People -usta carry dem an' de cotton roun' in boxes sumtin lak snuff boxes tuh -keep de cotton dry. Sumtimes when dey could'nt get de fire no odder way, -dey would put de cotton in de fireplace and shoot up in dere an' set hit -on fire." - -"Aunt Annie" said she never could start a fire with the flint rock and -cotton, and she said, "de fust matches and lantern I'se eber seed was -when de Yankees cum tuh dere place, I th'ot dey was two officers, 'couse -dey had de matches and lantern. Two years a'ter I was freed, an' twar -den I seed mah first lamp. - -"De men did mos' ob de farm wurk, dey planted cotton, corn, potatoes, -cane, peas and pumpkins, an' dey ginned de cotton by hitching four -horses tuh de gin, and dey run hit dat way." - -When asked if they had plenty to eat when they were slaves, "Aunt Annie" -said: - -"Lor', yes I guess we had 'nough, but, 'tearn't much, c'ase I 'members -when we was li'l chillun we had a big wooden tray dat dey put de food in -and we all set 'round dat an' et like li'l pigs. De rations for a week -was 3 lbs of meat a week, 1 peck ob meal, potatoes an' syrup. At -Christmas times de overseer called all de men an' women in an' gib each -woman a dress, a head handkerchief, an' tuh de men he gave a hat, knife, -an' a bottle of whiskey. De overseer also gib tuh us flour and sugar fo' -Christmas, an' I 'members one Christmas when I was a li'l gal, a'ter de -overseer gib all de women a dress dere was a short piece ob cloth lef' -an' he gib dat tuh me." "Aunt Annie" said "dat de slaves went tuh de -white folks church, an' sot on de seats on de outside ob de church, an' -dat church was a hewed log building. Atter de white folks got thro' -preachin', den de cullered preacher would preach. Sumtimes de cullered -folks would hab church when de white folks didn't an' den de slaves -would hab tuh get a pass from his owner, 'ca'se dere would be some mean -folks what would beat de niggers ef dey didn't hab a pass from dere -owners or bosses." - -"Aunt Annie" also said, "I'se neber hyeard of no hoodoo stuff 'til in -late years, dey's mo' ob dat foolishness now dan I'se ebber hyeard of in -mah life. Nowadays de hoodoos doctors, what is allus agoin' 'round -foolin' folks out ob dey money, looks lack de dogs might ob and' dem, -dey is so turrible lookin'. I don't believes in dem. Us folks a long -time ago neber hab no money fo' dem to git. Us had tuh make own -medicine. When de babies had de colic us wud tie soot up in a rag an' -boil it, and den gib dem de water, an' tuh ease de prickly heat us used -cotton wood powdered up fine, and fo' de yellow thrash us would boil de -sheep thrash an' gib em de tea." - -"Aunt Annie" has been married twice, her first husband left her years -ago, when she married Louis Stanton and had five children by him. Louis -was killed in a hailstorm, April 13, 1903, and all of her children are -dead. She is now being cared for by friends, and she said, "that ef I's -didn't git a li'l he'p from de Government tuh gib dis frien'" she didn't -know what she would do as she has been totally blind for two years. - - - - -Theodore Fontaine Stewart - - - *Interview with Theodore Fontaine Stewart* - --_Gertha Couric, [HW: Eufaula]_ - -_US GWINE 'ER WALK DEM GOLD STREETS_ - -"De years are mighty long widout Lottie, Massa. She done gone on to de -promise; but I knows she wid Jesus. And us gwine 'er walk dem golden -streets together holdin' hands." - -Uncle Theodore Fontaine Stewart lives alone in a weather-beaten, -one-room Eufaula shanty. It is clean and surrounded by flowers. In the -rear is a small garden; and there you will find Uncle Stewart when the -dawn is fresh or the dusk is coolly approaching. - -"Lottie been gone away nigh onto twenty-two year now, Massa. Her was a -good woman; one of de best de Lord ever sont to de earth." - -He paused to think when the interviewer asked his age. - -"It hard fer me to tell 'bout dat," he said, "but I knows I'se well past -de ninety mark. I guess I'se gwine on a hundred, caze I was borned 'fore -de war an' was a right peart boy at de surrender." - -"What about slavery times, Uncle Stewart?" - -He mused a moment, his black fingers gently caressing the buttons on his -rust-colored old vest. - -"I 'members all 'bout dem times," he said, "an' de Lord know dey was -better times den we got now, for white or black. Nobody was hongry den, -Massa, and peoples didn't git in de devilment dey gits in now. Folks -went to de church an' 'haved demselves in dose days. - -"Who was my Ol' Marster?" He looked at the interviewer a moment, -answered proudly, "Why, he was de riches' man in Georgy. I knows you has -heard of Marse Theodore Fontaine. He had three big plantations and mo' -niggers dan he could count. He moved clost to Florence, an' his three -places was so big you couldn't see 'crost de littlest field. - -"Ol' Marster he lib in a big house, bigger dan any meetin'-house in -Eufaula. He had a gang of fine horses, an' when company was dar he had -horse races on his own track. His horses could beat all de horses -brought dar, an' dat's de direc' trufe." - -Uncle Stewart filled a blackened old corncob pipe with tobacco, -continued: - -"Ol' Marster, he didn't go to de war. He too ol' to go, so he stay home -an' make corn an' fodder an' oats an' sen' dem to de soldiers what -killin' Yankees. One day de Yankees come along an' burnt up everything -on de place, 'cept de nigger cabins. Dey took all de horses and -everything us had to eat. - -"Ol' Marster went off somewhar when dey come; I don't 'member where; an' -when he come back he had to live in one of de nigger cabins 'twel he -could build a house. But de new one wasn't big lak de old one. - -"My pappy was a fiel' han' 'twel one time Ol' Marster put him on a horse -to ride in a race, an' pappy beat de other horse so far Ol' Marster was -tickled pink. He said a nigger what could ride lak dat had no bizness in -de fiel', so he made a stable boy outen pappy. - -[Illustration: _Theodore Fontaine Stewart, Eufaula, Alabama_] - -"Ol' Marster didn't have no Ol' Mistus. He say he so big all de little -ladies look funny 'side of him. When company was dar his sisters, Mistus -Mary an' Mistus Lucy, come an' kep' house; but dey lef' when de company -did. - -"My pappy was name Ed Stewart, caze Ol' Marster buy him from a Stewart. -Atter de war dey call pappy's chilluns Stewart; but us is Fontaines by -right, bet yo' life on dat. - -"Ol' Marster was good to de niggers, but his overseers was mean. Ol' -Marster fired dem atter awhile an' got some good overseers. He didn't -'low dem to whip a nigger 'cept when he say, an' he didn't say so much. - -"My mammy was name' Sarah, an' her an' pappy stayed right wid Ol' -Marster when de surrender come. Dey was right in de room when Ol' -Marster died, an' dey cried something awful. Us all stayed dar 'twel -pappy an' mammy die; den us chilluns split up an' went everywhere. - -"Mammy an' pappy had ten head o' chilluns sides me, but I don' know whar -dey at now. Mammy raise all her chilluns right, an', long as I knowed -dem, none of dem ever got in a jailhouse. - -"Mammy didn't 'low her chilluns to steal. Her was Ol' Marster's house -cook, an' when she kotch any of us takin' things from de kitchen, she -sho' did tan us hides wid a brush. - -"Me an' Carlotta; us calls her Lottie; was married in de ol' Mount Maria -church, whar all de niggers went to meetin' every Sunday. Us had fo' -chillun, two gals an' two boys; but dey all dead now 'cept de las' boy, -an I ain't heard frum him since 'fore his mammy died. - -"Yes, Massa, her was a good woman. It won't be long now 'fore us will -walk dem golden streets han' in han'." - - - - -George Strickland - - - *Interview with George Strickland* - --_Preston Klein, Opelika, Alabama_ - -_CORNSHUCKIN' WAS DE GREATES' THING_ - -George Strickland, alert for all his ninety-one years but blinking in -the bright sunlight as he laid his battered felt hat beside the rocking -chair in front of his cabin in Opelika, Alabama, as he looked back down -the decades and remembered the times when "cornshuckin' was de greates' -thing." Though only a boy when the War between the States ended, he -recalled days of slavery easily as he told the following story. - -"I was nine years old when us niggers was sot free an' 'fo' dat time us -refugeed from Mississippi to Mobile, den to Selma, den to Montgomery an' -from dar to Uchie, near Columbus, Georgia, whar we stayed 'til us was -freed. - -"My mammy an' daddy come from Mississippi fust. Dey was Cleveland an' -Eve Strickland an' dar was fo' of us chilluns, Will, Sam, Missouri an' -me. Us quarters had dirt flo's an' was in two long rows wid a street -between. On de east side of de settlement was de barns, shops an' sich -like. De beds was boxed up an' nailed to de wall, den dey was filled wid -pinestraw. Dey fed us li'l niggers in wood troughs made of poplar. De -cook in de big house cooked pots of greens an' po'd potlikker an' all in -de troughs. Us et hit wid mussel shells or wid usses han's or gourds. -Our wimmin folks would bile de gourds to keep dem from being bitter. -Usses had two acre paster dat usses would turn under in de fall an' -plant hit in turnips. I 'clare fo' goodness dey growed nearly as big as -a gallon bucket. - -"Dey gived us clo'es ev'y Saddy night an' de winter clo'es had some cow -hair in dem to make 'em warm. - -"Ol' Marsa John Strickland was circuit preacher an' him an' Miss Polly -lived up in a big log house. De logs was hewed an' split an' lined on -each side. De logs stood on dey sides an' didn' lay flat. Dey chilluns -was Mary, Laura, Sallie, Wiley, George an' Lougene. - -"When Ol' marsa went off to preach, de overseer was mean an' whupped de -niggers so bad Mistis runned him off. Dey had 'bout a hundred slaves an' -would wake dem up by beating on a big piece of sheet ine (iron) wid a -long piece of steel. - -"De well didn' hab no windless but had a lever wid a bucket fastened on -one end of hit, an' we would hold to de yuther end to dip de bucket in -de water. - -"When dey whupped de niggers dey would tie dem to a tree an' whup dem -good. When dey was sold dey would put 'em on a stand or block, as dey -called hit den, an' dey w'ud roll up dey sleeves to see de muscles. Den -dey bid on dem an' bought 'em for 'bout $1,000 to $1,500 apiece. Us -traveled in ox carts, an' I fust rid on a stage when I went to Uchie. -When slaves would be ver' bad dey would chain dem out all night. You -sho' had to stay at home an' wuk. - -"Our chu'ch was nearby an' us sot nex' to de do'. Mistis called up all -de li'l niggers, talked to dem an' had pra'r. De yuthers had pra'r -meetin' oncet a week. - -"De wimmin folks had a big time quiltin's wid somebody aplayin' on ol' -gourds wid horse hair strings, called old gourd, horse hair dance. - -"Cornshuckin' was de greates' thing of all. Ol' Marsa tuck a jug of -likker 'roun' an' got dem tight an' when dey got full dey would h'ist -him up an' down, tote him 'roun' an' holler. Den de fun started an' dey -would play de old gourd an' horse hair dance, de han'saw an' case knife. -Dey could run dey han' up an' down de saw to change de tune an' de -leader was on top of de pile of corn singin' whilst all de yuthers would -follow. - -"Us chilluns was 'sleep den, but us had our good times hidin' de switch -an' playin' han'-over ball. Dey sho' skeer us nearly into fits wid tales -of Rawhead and Bloody-bones. - -"I'se never tuk a oath ner teched nothin' didn' b'long to me in all my -life. - -"Our med'cin' was Jerus'lem oak seed what was beat up to give de -chilluns for worms. - -"On Sund' mornin' dey giv' us biskits for breakfast, which was so rar' -dat we would try to beat de yuthers outten dey'n. - -"Oncet dey piled ev'ythin' on waggins an' put all us li'l niggers on -top. Us rations, lak coffee, meal, meat an' mos' ev'ythin' was kivvered -over wid sheets. Den dey tuk us off an' us stayed t'ree days an' nights. - -"Ol' marsa tuk one of de fellers wid him to be on de front line to help -keep off de Injuns, so us chilluns b'lieves. - -[Illustration: _George Strickland, Opelika, Alabama_] - -"Dat battle of Atlanta was de wust thing dat's ever been. All de houses -for a fur piece jes' shuck from de big guns. De Yankees camped in a big -hundred acre fiel' close by. Den dey rushed up to de house, kicked de -gate down, tuk Mistiss trunk out an' bus' hit open huntin' money. But -dey foun' none, so dey sot fire to de house an' ast, whar de horses? De -niggers couldn' tell an' den dey burnt de house down. - -"Atter dat, Ol' Marsa tell us, us is free from him but needn't leave -iffen us didn' want to go, but could stay on wid him an' he'd treat us -right an' give us half of what us made. - -"In after years I ma'ed Josephine Bedell an' us had George, Phillip, -Renza, Eldridge (de baby), May Willie an' Leila. I's got some -gran-chillun, too, but kain't think of dey names. - -"Hit was de plans of God to free us niggers an' not Abraham Lincoln's. - -"I's allus tried to live under de correction of de Lord. Hit's my duty -to try to do so." - - - - -Cull Taylor - - - *Personal interview with Cull Taylor* - *364 N. Scott Street, Mobile, Alabama* - --_Ila B. Prine, Mobile, Alabama_ - -_A SLAVE IS GIVEN HIS YOUNG MISSY'S NAME_ - -A tall, stoop-shouldered, black Negro man came trudging down the road -with a hoe in his hand. Asked where Cull Taylor lived, the old man said, -"Lady I'se Cull Taylor. Dis is mah house here. Does you want to see me?" - -When told that his visitor was looking for old people who lived during -slavery days Cull said: - -"I were born a slave, but warn't very old when de niggers was freed. I -were born March 5, 1859, in Augusta County, Alabama. Mah maw come from -Richmond, Virginia and her name were Jane Hare. Mah paw's name were -Willingham Hare, and he were brought to Alabama from North Carolina. I -guess you'se wonderin' why mah name is Taylor when mah maws and paws -name was Hare? - -"You see when dey was fust brought here, a man name Tom Taylor bought -'em, an' when I were born, dey gib me to Miss Bennie Taylor. Ol' Marse -Tom's girl. Miss Bennie gib me de name Taylor an' I'se allus kept hit. -She shorely was good to me. I neber had nothing much to do, I stayed wid -her, 'til I was grown, atter she married Mr. Bob Alexander. - -"'Bout de war, I does 'member how mah maw was a-weavin' cloth when de -Yankees come through. An' atter de niggers was freed ol' Marse Tom gib -mah maw de loom. - -"Ol' Marse was a good man. He neber 'lowed no o'seer or anybody to -mistreat his niggers. He had plenty of 'em, too, and a big plantation -wid plenty to eat. Course de slaves had to work on de plantation an' -raise de stuff to eat. His house was a big fine, white place, an' de -cabins whar de slaves libed was built in rows, wid streets between dem, -so you could drive 'tween 'em wid big double team wagons. De cabins was -built out ob logs wid a notch out in de shoulders, an' laid on top ob -one another an' when dey built de wall up as high as dey wanted hit, dey -would bore a augor hole an' put a pin in hit to hold 'em together. Den -dey put de roof on. Dey filled de cracks between de logs wid mortar, so -as to keep de wind out, an' it sho' made de houses warm. Us had jes' -wooden home-made beds, wid mattresses made of cotton, or moss, an' -sometimes hay. Us neber hab no springs on de beds. - -"As I said, Ol' Marse Tom was a good man, an' he was too old to go to de -war, but he had two boys. De oldest one went to de war an' was killed. -But de youngest warn't old enough to go. Ol' Marse Tom had de women sew, -makin' clothes, an' had nurse women to look atter de little niggers -while dere maws was in de fields. I 'members as a li'l boy how dey had -one house whar de nurse kept de chillun an' it was as clean as a pin. -Dere was wooden troughs different heights for de different age chillun, -an' dose troughs was scrubbed as white as cotton mos'. When meal time -come, dey would crumble up cornbread wid pot licker, or milk an' gib to -de youngest ones. An' dey had plenty ob milk, I 'members de big milk -dairy, an' smoke house on de place, an' when de Yankees come through dey -went into de dairy an' drank all de milk dey wanted. - -"I 'members mah paw was out in de woods hidin' de mules when dey come -through an' dere was only one old horse on de place. Dem Yankees turn -hit loose, but otherwise dey behaved very nice." - -Cull said that they didn't know anything about dishes and spoons such as -are used now, for they had wooden spoons for the slaves. He said that -the usual rations for a week included a peck of meal, and six or seven -pounds of meat to each man, and if he had a big family he was given -more. They raised rice, sugar cane, pumpkins, watermelons, cushaws, -peaches, pears, plums and grapes. - -"Mah white folks not only tuk keer ob us durin' slavery times, but dey -gib us things atter us was freed. You ax me 'bout de slaves clothes? -Yas'm, lady, us had good, stout, clothes, made out ob de cloth dat de -women wove. I can see mah maw throwing dat ol' shickle from one side to -de other, weaving cloth on dat loom. Dey dyed de cloth wid red oaks an' -dogwood bark, and Chinaberry bark, and had all kinds ob colors, sich as -blue, red, brown, and black. - -"Den dere was de big times, sich as de hog killin' time, an' corn -shucking, an' 'specially cotton pickin' time. Sometimes de neighboring -plantation would hab a regular cotton pickin' festival, an' all ob us -would go and he'p pick de cotton, and de nigger what would pick de mos' -would git a dress or de men would git a suit ob clothes. De suits was -made out ob osnaburg, and sometimes bed tickin'. When a big crowd would -come to dese cotton pickin's, dey would pick out three or four bales ob -cotton. - -"De li'l niggers had a good time playin' in de sand makin' frog houses, -an' spinnin' tops. But, Lordy! when us got sick, dey gib us Jerusalem -oak and sassafras tea. But neber was dere anything said 'bout hoo-doo -stuf. I never heard ob hit, 'til dese later years. - -"But us did hab church, an' prayer meetin', an' funerals! Lor', yes, dey -don't bury folks now. In dose days dey started singin' at de house an' -sung all de way to de graveyard; an' den dey put dem in de groun' good -full six feet deep, dey jes' lays folks on top ob de groun' now-a-days. -But times is different now, lady. - -"I 'members how de men would go out nights an' hunt de possums an' de -coons, and wild cats. Dey den would sometimes go deer an' rabbit huntin' -in de daytime; an', too, dey would set traps to ketch other varmints. -Dere was plenty ob squirrels too. - -"But let me tell you, de bes' thing ob all, was de good locust beer, dey -made from locust seeds. Dey also made 'simmon beer, an' wine out ob -plums. Dem war good days den." - - - - -Daniel Taylor - - - *Interview with Daniel Taylor* - *Montgomery, Alabama* - --_John Proctor Mills, Montgomery, Alabama_ - -Foreword:--In Uncle Daniel Taylor we find the unusual, fast disappearing -type of negro ex-slave (it makes the sentimental white man feel a deep -sadness in the passing of these gentle old souls, whose lives have been -well spent in serving to the best of their ability.) Uncle Dan is a -light complected mulatto (octoroon) with a high and broad forehead (a -noble brow) devoid of all negroid features, a heavy suit of silk-like -hair almost free of any kinks, a heavy suit of gray beard (it is in the -short kinky hair next to his throat that the negro stands out most -prominently) a fine moustache which matches the snowy silkiness of his -hair up on his head. Deep set, dark blue-grey eyes which beam with -kindliness, wide apart and far-searching. A voice well modulated and -refined in timbre, of tenor quality. Uncle Dan has been so closely -associated with the educated white man of the South until he uses no -negro dialect, but his speech is that of one who has tried at all times -to speak correctly and deliberately. He has served as janitor at nearly -all of the Public Schools of the Montgomery City Schools system, and for -fifteen years or more has been at the Baldwin High School; is janitor at -this school at present (May 1937) where he is highly respected, and -greatly beloved by the student body and members of the large faculty. - -"Strange to say, I do not remember the name of my first master, nor of -the second master to whom my Mother and myself were sold to in Alabama. -I was born at Charleston, South Carolina, and at the age of two and a -half years we landed at Luverne, Ala., where with my Mother I was sold -for four-hundred dollars. - -"I was fourteen years old at the time of the 'Surrender,' and was living -at old 'Rocky Mount' in Crenshaw County, at the time of the 'Civil War.' -Professor Mack Barnes of Highland Home, Alabama, was the first man I -ever worked for, and he, as you know, was at the head of the large -school located in Highland Home. - -"The hottest moments of my life were the ones in which my Mother got -tight in behind me with a hickory (switch) and I always took to the -woods. I'll just bet that I knew and could tell more about the woods and -the cane-brake than anyone in that section. Yes sir! I knew every -varmint that crawled on its belly, and all the rest which went on four -feet, that lived there. Believe me, I knew every one of them by name and -right where they stayed. - -"The hot moments just mentioned usually found me 'cooling off' in the -creek in the old swimmin' hole. - -[Illustration: _Daniel Taylor, Montgomery, Alabama_] - -"Among the thrilling moments of my life well do I remember the visits of -President Jefferson Davis, (the first and only President of the -Confederate States of America) to the home of my Master. Mr. Davis -always gave me a quarter of a dollar for holding his horse, and up 'til -lately I had one of those quarters as a highly valued keep-sake, but it -suddenly disappeared, I know not where. - -"The most exciting moments of my whole life was when the Herron Street -School (at present the Cottage Hill School) caught fire and burned to -the ground. We had marched all of the children out of the building to -safety (you see we had all had disciplined fire drills) but Professor -Charles L. Floyd (Superintendent of the Montgomery Public Schools) was -mindful lest there should still be one person left in the building, so -hastened back into the rapidly burning building. He just wouldn't listen -to the pleadings of Miss Jinny (Miss Virginia Hereford, who was the -Principal of this school) nor to Miss Sophy (Miss Sophia Holmes) a -teacher at the primary department, nor would he listen to my humble -plea. The roof was already tumbling in, and the blazing rafters were -falling in every direction. I could stand it no longer, so rushed right -through the smoke and flames, finally I found Mr. Floyd and dragged him -out to safety. My God! I loved that white man, he was one of the finest -men I ever knew! - -"No! Mister John, I have never sought a 'heroe's medal for bravery and -for risking my life', my one great reward was in the saving of the life -of my true friend Professor Charles L. Floyd." - - - - -George Taylor - - - *Personal interview with George Taylor* - *409 South Hamilton Street, Mobile, Alabama* - --_Ila B. Prine, Mobile, Alabama_ - -_CHILLUN WAS TAUGHT TO BE MANNERABLE_ - -George Taylor, an old and very black man, who lives at 409 South -Hamilton street in Mobile, says he is an ex-slave. He knows that he was -born in Mobile on the corner of Cedar and Texas streets, but left -Mobile, and was carried to Gosport, Alabama, when he was twelve years -old. His father's name was Gus Taylor and his mother's Sarah Taylor, and -they were owned by Mr. W.G. Herrin. There were twenty-one children in -George's family, and he said he was the oldest one, and helped "nuss de -odders." - -"Mah grandfather's name was Mac Wilson an' mah grandmother's name was -Ellen Wilson, an' de ol' Miss's name was Miss Mamie Herrin. All de -colored folks' chillun called Mr. Herrin 'Cl' Marster, an' he sho' was a -good marster, too. I 'members dat atter I got to be a big boy dey put me -in de fiel's choppin' cotton, but I neber could pick cotton. I knows dat -mah paw said I was too crazy 'bout de girls, so he tuk me an' made me -plow. - -"Ol' marster had a big place, I don't jes' exactly knows how many acres -dey was, but I knows us had plenty ob cotton, 'ca'se sometimes dey would -pick four or five bales a day. An' den I knows durin' cotton time mah -paw hauled cotton all day long to de gin whut was run by five or six -mules. - -"Durin' de busy season on de plantation ol' Marster had de older women -cookin' an' sendin' de dinner to de fiel'. Dere was two big baskets, one -to put de bread in, an' de odder basket to put de meat in. Every mornin' -at three o'clock de women begun cookin' an' each han' brought his own -meat an' bread to this cabin to be cooked. Every person's plate had -their names on 'em. Ever'body had to be up by daylight an' ready to -begin work. De men had to get up before daylight an' begin to harness de -mules, an' soon as light dey was in de fiel's. Dere was two hundred and -fifty head ob colored people, 'scusing chillun. Dey would raise four, -five, and six hundred bales ob cotton, a year. Us worked den, dere -warn't no walkin' 'bout den, not eben on Sat'day atternoons, but I -believes I'd lack it betta dan I does now, 'cause de chillun was taught -to be mannerable den, but now dey cuss if you say anything to dem. - -"Us had a good place to stay, de ol' Marster's house was a big two-story -house, an' our cabins was built ob boards an' was in a row. Us didn't -hab no stoves, jes' cooked out in de yard ober a fire wid stakes on each -side of hit, wid an' iron bar across 'em to hang de pots on. Ol' Marster -rationed out de food, an' each man was 'lowed seven pounds ob meat, de -women was 'lowed six pounds an' five pounds for each child. Den dey gib -us a peck ob meal, five pounds of flour and some molasses. - -"I neber did eat at home wid mah folks, 'ca'se I nussed in de big house, -an' ebery time dat de white chillun eat, I had to eat, too. Dere was -plenty ob pecan, walnut, an' ches'nut trees on de place, an' us could -eat all de nuts we wanted; and den de slaves had dere own gardens if dey -wanted to. - -"Den I 'members how dere was four men who put de hogs in de pens to -fatten, sometimes, dey would put as many as a hundred or a hundred an' -fifty at a time. Den hit was dere duty to tote feed from de fiel's to -feed 'em. - -"My! when I think ob dat big smoke house, mah mouth jes' waters. At hog -killin' time, dere was certain men to kill, an' certain ones to cut 'em -up. Dere warn't neber no special time to hog killin', jes' when de ol' -Marster said do hit, we did hit. - -"You see us was allus under his direction, 'ca'se if us wanted to go -anywhere, us had to git a pass, eben to church. De white folks had -Methodist church, an' de collored had de Baptist church. - -"I also 'members de time I was put up on de block to be sold, an' when -de man only offered five hundred dollars, fer me, an' Ol' Marster tole -me to git down, dat I was de mos' valuable nigger he had, 'ca'se I was -so strong, an' could do so muck work. - -"Mah maw was de weaver, an' dere was a woman named Assella who did de -dyeing. Mah paw gathered de bark, sich as red oak, elm, maple and -juniper bark, an' dry hit an' den grin' hit up. Dey also used borax, -alum and blue stone, to set de dye. De women made de clothes out ob dis -cloth dat was woven on de place. - -"You axed 'bout weddin's. Us didn't hab weddin's lack us do now. De way -us married would be to go to de big house, an' ol' Marster had us to -jump over a broom stick, an' den us was considered married. But dere was -one thing dat us warn't 'lowed to do, an' dat was to abuse or cuss our -wives, an' you betta not strike 'em, ca'se hit would be jes' too bad. - -"You know, Miss, I'se been here a long time. I 'members when dere was -only one house 'tween St. Louis Street an' Frascati, an' dat was de -Guard House. I also 'members de ole time remedies dat dey used in de ole -days. Dey used red oak bark for fever an' colds, an' den dere was -hoarhound, an' black snake root dat de ol' Marster put whiskey on. Ol' -Marster made his own whiskey. An' oh! yes, de calomus root growed in de -woods whar dey lived. I neber seed dem send to no store for medicine. I -neber hyeard ob no hoodoo stuff, 'till I was grown, an' anudder thing -folks didn't die of lack dey do now. When any one did die, dey allus had -a big funeral, an' de men would sometimes hitch up a ox team or mule -teams, an' as many as could git in would go. De coffins was home made -an' stained. Dere was plenty ob han's to dig de graves, too. - -"I'se tell you, Miss, folks is pretty much de same, if de white folks -treat de niggers right, you couldn't get dem to leave dem. I 'members -when de Yankees come through, I was standin' on de Ol' Marster's porch, -an' I seed dem comming, an' Marster got up on his crutch an' go to de -steps an' invite dem in, an' believe me dey come in, too. Dey jes' -natcherly tore up ol' Marster's place; then de furniture all 'roun' an' -broke heaps ob hit. I knows b'fore dey got dere ol' Marster had mah paw, -an' Jerry Lee, an' Mace Pouncey, an' anudder man take four barrels ob -money an' carry down to de spring an' put hit in de spring, an' I'se -tellin' you, Miss, you couldn't any more git near dat spring, dan -nothin', ca'se de quicksan' made dem barrels boil up, one at a time, an' -de way dey had to git dem barrels, was to buil' a scaffold from de -river, an' let a line down an' ketch aroun' dem barrels. - -"Atter we was freed, Ol' Marster come out in de yard an' got in de -middle ob all ob us, an' tole us dat de ones dat wants to stay wid him, -to stan' on one side, an' de odders to stan' on de odder side. So mah -paw got on de side wid dose who wanted to leave, an' us lef' Ol' Marster -an' paddled down de river, in a paddlin' boat to Belle's Landing. - -"As I'se said before, I'se been here a long time, I eben 'members seeing -Jeff Davis. I knows I ain't here for long, but I'se ready, 'ca'se I'se -been fightin' for Jesus twenty-nine years, an' I ain't tired ob fightin' -yet. I'se a Deacon in de Baptist Church." - - - - -Amanda Tellis - - - *Personal interview with Amanda Tellis* - *and her daughter Sarah Chastan* - *in Allenville, Mobile County, Alabama* - --_Written by Ila B. Prine_ - -Amanda Tellis, a tall, thin, light lulatto woman, who was born a slave -November 30, 1854, lives in Allenville, a negro settlement about four -miles north of Mobile, Alabama. - -Amanda's father was a spaniard, whose name was John Quick, and her -mother's name was Sallie Pugh, her mother having the same name as the -people who owned her. Sallie, Amanda's mother, was born a slave in -Charleston South Carolina, and she and her mother were brought to -Alabama and sold when Sallie was twelve years old. The mother was sold -to someone in Demopolis, Alabama, while Sallie was sold to the Pugh -family in Grove Hill, Alabama. - -Amanda was born in Grove Hill, Alabama and Mr. Meredith Pugh was her -master, and Mrs. Fannie Pugh was her mistress. Her young "Missus" was -Miss Maria Pugh, a daughter, one of seven children in the Pugh family. -Amanda said she willed to "Miss Maria" and she nursed and took care of -her until the surrender. Many times when Amanda would be promised a -whipping for not doing things as she should have, Miss Maria would save -her from the whipping, by throwing herself back from the table and -screaming for them not to touch Amanda, her nurse. - -Aside from caring for "Miss Maria", Amanda said she spun three cuts of -thread a day, and when the writer asked what a cut was, she said: "A cut -was a broach full." During the war, (meaning the Civil War,) Amanda said -she and her sister Nancy spun 160 yards of cloth, and they finished the -last on the day of the Surrender, when the Cannons were fired at Fort -Morgan, and they were mustering the men out. - -Amanda's life was a very easy one in comparison to some of the other -slaves. She said she had seen many of the slaves cruelly mistreated, but -her people were fortunate in having a good master and mistress. - -However, at the close of the war, Amanda was told to pretend she had a -chill, and go to her mother's cabin, so she did as she was told. When -she reached the cabin, her mother, brothers and sisters each had a -pillow slip, filled with clothes and she was given hers and they ran -away, and came to Mt. Vernon, Alabama. Amanda was only eleven years old -then. - -Her life has been varied since, having married three times. Her first -husband was Scott Johnson, and was the father of all of her children, -seven boys and one girl. Amanda lives with this girl now. Her second -husband was Vance Stokes, and her third was S.T. Tellis, a negro -Methodist preacher. Amanda said he was "no count and I did not stay with -him long." - -Amanda is now confined to her bed and has been for the past seven weeks, -her body has wasted away, until she is skin and bones. Her eyes however -are still bright and keen, her hair snow white and she still has a few -teeth. Her mind seems to be clear, and her memory good, in fact the past -is now a part of her, and she told the writer she was so happy because -she had come to ask her about it, before it was too late. - - - - -Ellen Thomas - - - *Interview with Ellen Thomas* - --_Mary A. Poole, Mobile_ - -_TABLE SERVICE AS TAUGHT TO AUNT ELLEN_ - -In a little cottage at 310 Wienacker Avenue, in the western part of -Mobile, lives Ellen Thomas, who claims to be 89 years old. She is small -of stature, dark brown in color, with high cheek bones and small regular -features. Although she wears the old-fashioned bandana handkerchief -bound about her head, the story of 'Aunt' Ellen is unusual, in that -having been raised as a house servant in a cultured Southern family, she -absorbed or was trained in the use of correct speech, and does not -employ the dialect common to Negroes of the slavery days. - -'Aunt' Ellen was born in Mobile. Her mother, Emeline, was a dwarf who -was brought from St. Louis to Mobile by a slave-trader. When put up for -sale, her deformity enlisted the sympathy of Judge F.G. Kimball, who -bought her and brought her to his home on Dauphin Street, between -Hallett Street and Georgia Avenue. Later, Sam Brown, a free Negro from -the West Indies, came to Mobile and, wanting Emeline for his wife, -agreed to pay Judge Kimball for her, giving himself as security. Sam and -Emeline had only two children, Pedro and Ellen, both born on Judge -Kimball's place and raised in his home as house servants, having little -contact with the field slaves. - -In her childhood, Ellen had as her special mistress Miss Cornelia, one -of the Kimball girls, who trained her in the arts of good housekeeping, -including fine sewing, which was itself an art among the women of that -period. Ellen relates with much pride, her ability to put in tucks and -back-stitch them in the front of men's shirts, to equal the best machine -work of the present day. Although hampered by failing eyesight in recent -years, her work with the needle today is proof that her claims are not -exaggerated. - -In all her experience as a slave, she recalls but one whipping. This was -with a small switch in the hands of Judge Kimball. The cause? She -answered: "I ain't coming," when he called her; and at his second call, -she said: "I shan't do it." She was seven years old at the time. - -Judge Kimball insisted that the house servants use good English, she -said. Thus brought up as a child among the Kimball children, and because -of her duties as a house servant, she mingled little with the field -hands and acquired none of their dialect. Even her long association with -free Negroes since the war, has failed to eradicate early impressions -and practices in the use of words, and she stresses this in conversation -with educated white persons. - -Because she was a house servant, Ellen was accorded many privileges not -enjoyed by ordinary slaves. Good food, neat clothing and cleanliness of -person were requirements rigidly enforced. As personal maid to young -girls little older than herself, her lot was quiet and the association -developed a devotion and friendship that was lifelong. Among the -privileges that fell to her as a child, she recalls that of accompanying -the family on carriage rides--usually seated beside the driver to the -envy of her little mistress on the more dignified inside seat. - -[Illustration: _Ellen Thomas, Mobile, Alabama_] - -Her training as a house servant was very broad and involved every -feature of a well kept household of that period. She has especial pride -in her ability to serve at table, particularly when there were guests -present. A feature of the training given her and which Ellen says she -never knew of anyone else receiving was, after being taught to set the -dining table complete for guests, she would be blindfolded and then told -to go through the motions of serving and so learn to do so without -disturbing anything on the table. So proficient did she become in -serving, that a few times when they had guests, Judge Kimball would for -their amusement have Ellen blindfolded and direct her to serve the -dinner. In passing dishes a small silver tray was used. - -Ellen said that they tried to teach her brother Pedro to serve the table -likewise; but his natural clumsiness prevented. He could never learn. - -During the war, she said, her master had an immense pit dug near the -house, put his cotton in the pit and built the woodpile over it. The -Federal invaders never found it. - -Judge Kimball owned extensive tracts of land above Mobile and used a -large number of his slaves to cut timber for wood and lumber; hewn -timber being largely used for house-building. He built a house for every -one of his children, from his own timber, and even had his own coffin -made from home-grown cedar. Ellen failed to follow this act of her -master with approval, judging from her tone in speaking of it. - -She remembers the Surrender and the incidents accompanying that event. -She was seventeen years old. Thus she describes the first visit -afterward of the enemy. "I was helping to cook breakfast one morning, -frying codfish and potatoes, when I heard a drum and ran to tell Master. -He jumped up and said: 'It's the Yankees! Tell Pedro to get a sheet and -hang it out in front.' Pedro was excited and, instead of getting a -sheet, got one of Mistress' best table cloths and hung it from a big oak -tree near the front gate. When the Yankees rode up, they dismounted and -Master invited them in for breakfast." - -One of the Yankee Lieutenants asked her name, and she told him: "Ellen -Brown." He looked puzzled at her answer, knowing her master's name to be -Kimball. (Since her father was a free man, 'Aunt' Ellen said that she -and her brother, Pedro, always retained their own name, instead of -"Kimball.") The lieutenant then said: "All right, Ellen, bring me a -glass of milk at thirteen o'clock." - -She went to her little mistress, and asked her "what that old lieutenant -meant by 'thirteen o'clock.'" Miss Cornelia laughed and said he meant -"one o'clock." - -'Aunt' Ellen related how Judge Kimball was always teaching them and gave -them regular lectures. She particularly remembers one of his sayings: -"You can never swing on yellow pine tree, as it is tender and pliable." - -She remained with the Kimballs three years after the war, worked for -other families a short time and then married Amos Thomas when she was -about twenty years old. They had a very large family, eleven girls and -nine boys. She now has great-grandchildren who are married. - -Although there is little doubt that her age is approximately what she -claims, 'Aunt' Ellen is remarkably well preserved, physically and -mentally. Her activity and industry would not be inappropriate to a -woman a score of years younger. Unlike many persons of her years she -does not constantly look forward to her time of departure, but takes -life as it comes--caring more for today than for tomorrow. - - - - -Elizabeth Thomas - - - *Interview with Elizabeth Thomas* - --_Montgomery_ - -_HID THINGS THEY AIN'T NEVER FOUND_ - -Elizabeth Thomas who lives at 2 Eugene Street, Montgomery, Alabama stuck -up one finger when asked her age. That meant 100 she said. She is -typical the oldtime Negro with head rag tightly covering her hair, -carrying a slick old walking-stick whose bark is worn in places because -of constant use, and little old straightcut full apron. Her memory is -not clear but her hearing is perfect. - -She stated-- - -"I lived mighty fine in dem days, I tel' you. Mister Ben Martin Jones -was my Marster, and I was born on de Red Bridge Road. I was a house -servant. All our clo'es was made at de quarters. My Mammy made mine an' -all I wanted, too. I useter hear my mammy say, de patteroles (patrols) -would git us ef we done wrong but I didn't know nothin' 'bout -patteroles, 'cause dey wasn't none on our place. Dey whipped you, too, -but my Marster could control all his niggers so he didn't 'low none uv -'em on our place. - -"I was 21 years ole when de Yankees come but I didn't run and dey didn't -do nuthin' to me but folks was in such a hurry they hid things dat ain't -never been foun' yet. I liked meetin' on Sundays an' sometime we never -got outer church tell daylight. I wants to live jes' as long as Jesus -say an' when he say go, I'se ready. At Christmas times we always had -good dinners and heap o' company; plenty uv it. My Missus died and atter -dat my mother raised ole Marster's chile, Tommy John, right 'long wid -me. O, dem was happy days, I tell you." - - - - -Mollie Tillman - - - *Interview with Mollie Tillman* - --_Susie R. O'Brien, Uniontown, Alabama_ - -_I WARN'T NO COMMON SLAVE_ - -Aunt Mollie Tillman was fifteen years old when the Southern slaves were -freed; but despite her advanced age, she is able to work every day in -the cotton fields and admits that she is "purty peart." - -She said, "Honey, I kin ricolleck all 'bout slavery time, 'caze I was a -big ol' gal den. Why, I 'members when de 'mancipation come as if 't'was -yestidy." - -Aunt Mollie recalls that she was born on a plantation near Rome, -Georgia, and that her owners were Dan and Lucy Phillips. - -"Marse Dan was a Baptis' preacher," she explained, "an' he shorely was a -good man. He was a chaplain in de big war and he didn't get hurt. - -"Marster owned lots an' lots of slaves an' de plantation was jes' full -o' niggers. He was a powerful important man. - -"Honey, I warn't no common eve'yday slave, I ho'ped de white folks in de -big house. Mistus Lucy wouldn't let 'em take me to de fiel'. Dem was -good days, chile; might good days. I was happy den, but since -'mancipation I has jes' had to scuffle an' work an' do de bes' I kin." - -Aunt Mollie's hair is snow white in sharp contrast to her ginger-cake -skin. - -"I 'members all 'bout when de Yankees come," she said. "Dey was jes' -ruineration to de plantation. Dey tuck all de mules an' cows, den sont -out an' got all de chickens an' eggs dey could fin'. Eatin' was kind o' -slack wid us atter dey lef'." - -Aunt Mollie's life has known romance. Let her tell it: - -"I was ol' 'nough to be castin' my eyes 'roun' at de young bucks, an' -dere was a nigger what lived on de plantation jinin' our'n whut tuck a -shine to me. I lacked dat boy fine, too. - -"He would come over to see me ever' time he git a chanct. One night he -'low he gwine'r ax his marster to buy me so's me an' him could git -married. Well, atter dat he didn' come no mo'. - -"I waited an' I watched, but I didn' hear nuffin of dat nigger. Atter -'while I got worried. I was 'fraid de patterollers done kotch him, or -maybe he done foun' some gal he lak better dan he do me. So I begin to -'quire 'bout him an' foun' dat his marster done sol' him to a white man -whut tuck him 'way down yonder to Alabama. - -"Well ma'am, I grieved fo' dat nigger so dat my heart was heavy in my -breas'. I knowed I never would see him no mo'. Soon atter dat, peace was -'clared an' de niggers was free to go whar dey pleased. - -"My folks stayed on wid Marse Dan fer a year; den dey 'cided to go to -Alabama an' farm. We hit it off to Alabama an' I begin to go 'bout some -wid de young bucks. But somehow I couldn't git my min' off dat other -nigger. - -"Well ma'am, one day at a big meetin' I runned up on him. I was so happy -I shouted all over dat meetin' house. We jes' tuck up whar we lef' off -an' 'fo' long us got married." - -And, Aunt Mollie continued, they lived happily until his death about 20 -years ago. - -She now lives in Uniontown, happy and contented. She has her garden and -flowers; but emphasizes that "de ol' days was de bes' of all." - - - - -Alonza Fantroy Toombs - - - *Interview with Alonza Fantroy Toombs* - --_Gertha Couric, [HW: Eufaula?]_ - -_HE BELONGED TO BOB TOOMBS OF GEORGIA_ - -"Missy," said Alonza Fantroy Toombs, "I'se de proudest nigger in de -worl', 'caze I was a slave belonging to Marse Robert Toombs of Georgia; -de grandest man dat ever lived, next to Jesus Christ. He was de bes' -stump speaker in de State, an' he had mo' frien's dan a graveyard has -ghosts. He was sho a kin' man, an' dere warn't no one livin' who loved -his wife an' home mo' dan Marse Bob. - -"Missy," Uncle Lon continued, "he was near 'bout de greates' man dat -eber come outen de South. He were a good business man; he were straight -as dey make 'em, an' he sho enjoy playin' a good joke on someone. I -useta see him a-walkin' down de road in de early mornin' an' I knowed it -were him f'um a long distance, 'caze he was so tall. I guess you knowed -all 'bout his a-servin' in de State legislature an' in de United States -Congress an' a-bein' a gen'l in de war an' him bein' de secretary of -State in de 'federacy. - -[Illustration: _Alonza Fantroy Toombs, [TR: Eufaula?], Alabama_] - -"I was bawn on Marse Bob's plantation in de Double Grade Quarters. My -pappy's name was Sam Fantroy Toombs an' my mammy was Ida-Belle Toombs. -In de slabery times I was too young to work in de fiel's, so my job was -to hunt an' fish an' feed de stock in de evenin'. My pappy was a -preacher an' Marse Bob learnt him to read and write, an' would let him -go f'um plantation to plantation on de Sabbath Day a-preachin' de -gospel. He was Marse Bob's carriage driver. - -"Yas'm, white folks, Marse Bob was a good provider, too. Us niggers et -at home on Sundays, an' us had fried chicken, pot pies, bacon, beef, -pork, an' hot coffee. On de udder days, our meals was fixed for us so -dat de time us got for res' could be spent dat way. On Sadday us stopped -work at noon an' would come wid our vessels to git flour, sugar, lard -an' udder supplies. My mammy's pots an' pans was so bright dat dey -looked like silver, an' she was one of de bes' cooks in de lan'. She -useta cook fine milk yeast bread an' cracklin' bread. All us slaves on -Marse Bob's place was cared for lak de white folks. We had de white -folks doctor to treat us when we was sick. We had good clothes, good -food an' we was treated fair. Dere warn't no mean peoples on our -plantation. - -"White lady, I 'members Marse Bob's smokehouse bes' of all. It had -ever'thing in it f'um 'possum to deer; an' de wine cellar! Don't say -nothin'! Dat was de place I longed to roam. But Marse Bob, he drink too -much. Dat was his only fault. He hit de bottle too hard. I couldn't -understand it neither, caze he lef' off smokin' in later years when he -thought it warn't good for him; but he keppa drinkin'! - -"I been ma'ied twice, Mistis. De fus' time to Ida Walker. She died at -childbirth; de little fella died too. Den I ma'ied Alice James, an' -she's been gone nigh on to twenty year now. My pappy, Rev. Sam Fantroy -mai'ed me both times. - -"Atter de S'render, nary a slave lef' Marse Bob. He gib eve'y nigger -over twenty-one a mule, some lan' an' a house to start off wid. Yassum, -Mistis, I kin read an' write; my pappy learnt me how. I'm eighty-six -year' old now an' still goin' strong, ceptin' 'bout six years ago I had -a stroke. But I come out all right. I lives here wid my sister an' she's -good to me. De only thing lef' for me to do is to wish dat when I cross -dat ribber I can slip back to de ole place to see some of my frien's." - - - - -William Henry Towns - - - *Interview with William Henry Towns* - --_Levi D. Shelby, Jr., Tuscumbia, Alabama_ - -_DIS WAS DAT LONG AGO_ - -"It's been so long sence, I don' 'member much," William Henry (Bill) -Towns said talking of slavery days. Towns was only seven when the Civil -War began and his memories are those of childhood, which he mixes with -reminiscences and opinions of the older slaves with whom he came in -contact immediately after the war. Towns knows the exact date of his -birth. He says: - -"I was born in Tuscumbia, Alabama, December 7, 1854. My mother was name -Jane Smoots. She come from Baltimore, Maryland. My father's name was Joe -Towns, and he come from Huntsville, Alabama. - -"I had a passel of brudders an' sisters; Charlie and Bob was my -brudders; Betty, Kate, Lula an' Nelie was my sisters. Dere wasn't but -two of us endurin' slavery. Dat was me an' Nelie; de rest was born atter -slavery. Me an' Nelie was Townses, the rest, Charlie, Kate, Lula, Bob -and Betty was Joneses. How dat come 'bout was dis away. Endurin' slavery -my father was sold to anudder slave owner. Atter de war my mother -married Frank Jones; den dese yuther chillun was born. - -"It done been so long sence all of dis was I disremembers most 'bout it. -Anyway, the Big House was a two-story house; white like mos' houses -endurin' dat time. On the north side of the Big House set a great, big -barn, where all de stock an' stuff dat was raised was kep'. Off to de -southwes' of de barn an' wes' of de Big House set 'bout five or six log -houses. These house was built facin' a space of ground in de center of a -squa'e what de houses made. Anybody could stan' in his front do' an' see -in at the front of de yuther houses. - -"Sometimes enduring' de week an' on Sunday, too, de people would git -together out in dis squa'e an' talk 'fore goin' to bed. The chillun what -was too young to work was always out in de front playin'. Jes' acrost -from our place was anudder wid de quarters built 'mos' de same as ourn -'ceptin' dat dey had a picket fence 'roun' de quarters to pervent 'em -from runnin' away. 'Course Mr. Young didn't have to worry 'bout his -han's runnin' away, cause he wan't a mean man like some of de slave -holders was. He never spoke harsh or whupped 'em, an' he didn't 'low -nobody else to do it neither. - -"I remember one day a fellow come from acrost on anudder farm an' spoke -sumpin' 'bout Mr. Young bein' too easy wid his servants. He said, 'Them -darn niggers will think they is good as you iffen you keep up de rate -you goin' now, Young.' Mr. Young just up an' told him if he ever spoke -like dat again he'd call his bluff. Mr. Young told him de he didn't work -his people like dey was oxes. - -"All of Mr. Young's hands liked him 'cause he didn't make 'em sleep on -corn shuck mattresses an' he didn't have dey meals cooked in a wash pot. -A lot of de yuther slaves didn't know what it was to eat meat, lessen it -was a holiday. Mr. Young 'lowed his people to eat just what he eat. I -hear my mother tell a tale 'bout a man what took a meat skin an' whipped -his chillun's mouth wid it to fool folks like dey had some meat for -dinner. Ole Caleb told one a lil' bit bigger'n dat, though. He said one -night him an' a feller was comin' from prayer meeting an' they runned -'crost a possum settin' in de root of a tree by de side of de road. He -say he stopped to git him an' dis yuther feller told him he wouldn't -bother wid him 'cause he wouldn't git none of him no how. Caleb ast him -why he said that. He said, ''Cause your ole master is gwine take him -jes' soon as you git home wid him.' Caleb told him dat Mr. Young wasn't -dat kin'er man. De yuther feller ho'ped Caleb to ketch dat possum, an' -he got a piece of him de nex' night when ever'body come in from de -fiel'. Caleb said de ol' feller enj'yed de meat so much dat he wished he -took him an' his family de 'hole possum. - -"We didn't live so far from Big Spring Creek. 'Co'se, we didn't do no -fishin', 'cause we younguns had to 'tend gaps to keep de cattle off'n de -crops. De grownups had to go to de fiel'. Life was kin'er happy durin' -slavery 'cause we never knowed nothing 'bout any yuther sort of life or -freedom. All we knowed was work from one en' of de year to de yuther, -'ceptin' on holidays. Den we'd have to go to church or set around de -fire an' lis'en to de old folks tell stories. The grownups would go to a -dance or do sumpin' else for indertainment. Co'se us younguns got a heap -of pleasure outten dem fairy tales dat was tol' us by de older ones. I -know ma an' dem use to tell some of de awf'lest tales sometimes. I'd be -'fraid to go from one part of de house to de yuther widoutten somebody -wid me. Us younguns would had to play some sort of a game for -indertainment. Dere was a whole lot of games an' riddles to be played -dem days. It have been so long sence I played any of 'em I'se mos' near -disremembers de biggest part of 'em. I 'members a song or two an' a few -riddles what ol' Caleb use to tell us. De song goes sumpin' like dis: - - Saturday night an' Sunday, too. - Had a yaller gal on my mind. - Monday mornin', break of day, - White folks had me gwine. - -"De riddles was like dis; - - Slick as a mole, black as a coal, - Got a great long tail like a thunder hole. - (Skillet) - - Crooked as a rainbow, teeth lak a cat, - Guess all of your life but you can't guess dat. - (black berry bush) - - Grows in de winter, dies in de spring, - Lives wid de root stickin' straight up. - (icicle) - -"Dere was anudder song what Caleb use to sing. It goes like dis: - - Whar you gwine buzzard? Whar you gwine crow? - Gwine down to de river to do jes' so. - -"Dere was a whole lot more to dat song what I disremembers. - -"Anudder song what comes to my min' is: - - Hawk an' de buzzard went down to de law; - When de hawk got back he had a broken jaw. - Lady's pocketbook on de judge's bench - Haden' had no use for a pocketbook sence. - -"Sometimes I visits wid ol' Mingo White an' me an' him talks over dem -days dat me an' him was boys. We gits to talkin' an' 'fore you knows it -ol' Mingo is cryin' lak a baby. 'Cordin' to what he says he is lucky ter -be a-livin'. Dis is one thing I never likes ter talk 'bout. When slavery -was goin' on it was all right for me 'cause I never had it hard, but it -jes' wan't right to treat human bein's dat way. If we hadn't a-had to -work an' slave for nothin' we might have somepin' to show for what we -did do, an' wouldn't have to live from pillar to pos' now. - -[Illustration: _William Henry Towns, [TR: Tuscumbia?], Alabama_] - -"Speakin' of clothin', everything that we wore back den was made by -han'. Many a night my ma use' to set an' spin wid a spindle. I have set -an' done the cardin' for her so she could git her tas' done. In de -summer we would wear un'erwear what was made outten cotton. In de winter -it was made outten flannel. De shoes was made of cowhide what was tanned -right dere on de place. Dem was de hardes' shoes I ever seen. Sometimes -dey'd wear out 'fore dey was any ways soft, an' den sometimes atter dey -was wore out you couldn't hardly ben' 'em. Some of de han's would go -bar'footed until de fall an' den wear shoes. Slippers wan't wore den. De -fust pair of slippers I ever 'members havin' was de ones what I bought -for my weddin'. Dey didn't cos' but a dollar an' six bits. My weddin' -suit didn't cos' but eight dollars, an' a straw hat to match it cos' six -bits. - -"As I said afore, Massa Young an' ol' Mistis was mighty good folks on -'count of dey never whupped any of they han's. Iffen dere was one dat -would give trouble dey would git rid of him. De overseers had to be kin' -to de hands or else he was outten a job. De chillun was mighty nice, -too. Ever' time dey went to town or to de sto' dey would bring us -younguns some candy or somepin'. Joinin' our farm was a farm whar de -slaves fared lak dogs. Dey was always beatin' on some of dem. - -"Ever'body worked hard enduring' dat time. Dat was all we thought we was -'spose' to do, but Abe Lincoln taught us better'n dat. Some say dat Abe -wan't intrusted so much in freein' de slaves as he was in savin' de -union. Don' make no diff'ence iffen he wan't intrusted in de black -folks, he sho' done a big thing by tryin' to save de union. Some of de -slaveholders would double de proportion of work so as to git to whip 'em -when night come. I heard my ma say after slavery that dey jes' whipped -de slaves so much to keep dem cowed down an' 'cause dey might have -fought for freedom much sooner'n it did come. - -"Caleb come from N'Orleans, Louiseanner. He say dat many a day ship -loads of slaves was unloaded dere an' sold to de one offerin' de mos' -money for dem. Dey had big chains an' shackles on dem to keep 'em from -gittin' away. Sometime dey would have to go a long ways to git to de -farm. Dey would go in a wagon or on hoss back. - -"Talk 'bout learnin' to read an' 'rite--why, iffen we so much as spoke -of learnin' to read an' 'rite we was scolded like de debil. Iffen we was -caught lookin' in a book we was treated same as iffen we had killed -somebody. A servant bett'nt be caught lookin' in a book; didn't make no -diff'ence if you wan't doin' nothin' but lookin' at de pictures. - -"Speakin' of church; we went to de same church as de white folks did; -only thing was we had to go in de evenin' atter de white folks. De white -folks would go along an' read de Bible for de preacher, an' to keep dem -from talkin of things dat might help dem to git free. Dey would sing -songs like 'Steal Away,' 'Been Toilin' at the Hill So Long,' an' -'Old-Time Religion.' - -"Ever' once in a while slaves would run away to de North. Mos' times dey -was caught an' brought back. Sometimes dey would git desp'rit an' would -kill demse'ves 'fore dey would stand to be brought back. One time dat I -heard of a slave that had 'scaped and when dey tried to ketch him he -jumped in de creek an' drown hisse'f. He was brought from over in -Geo'gia. He hadn't been in Alabama long 'fore him an' two more tried to -'scape; two of 'em was caught an' brought back but dis yuther one went -to de lan' of sweet dreams. - -"After de day's work was done an' all had eat, de slaves had to go to -bed. Mos' slaves worked on Sat'day jes' lak dey did on Monday; that was -from kin' to caught, or from sun to sun. Mr. Young never worked his -slaves 'twell dark on Sat'day. He always let 'em quit 'roun' fo' 'clock. -We would spen' dis time washin' an' bathin' to git ready for church on -Sunday. Speakin' of holidays; de han's celebrated ever' holiday dat deir -white folks celebrated. Dere wan't much to do for indertainment, -'ceptin' what I'se already said. Ever' Christmas we'd go to de Big House -an' git our present, 'cause ol' Mistis always give us one. - -"Slaves never got sick much, but when dey did dey got de bes'. Dere was -always a nurse on de farm, and when a slave got sick dey was righ' dere -to give dem treatments. Back in dose days dey used all sorts of roots -and yarbs for medicine. Peach tree leaves was one of de mos' of'en. -Sassafras was anudder what was used of'en; hit was used mostly in de -spring made in tea. Asafetida was anudder what was use to keep you from -havin' azma. Hit was wore 'round de neck in a lil bag. Prickler ash was -anudder what was tooken in de spring. Hit was 'spose ter clean de blood. -Some of de folks would use brass, copper an' dimes wid holes in 'em to -keep from havin' their rumertiz. - -"I was seben years old when de war commence. I 'members Mrs. Young said -when de Yankees come dey was goin' to ast us iffen dey had been good to -us. She said dat dey was goin' to ast us all 'bout how much money dey -had; an' how many slaves what dey owned. She told us to say dey was po' -folks an' dat dey didn't have no money. I 'member my mother said dat she -hoped Mr. Young and dem to hide deir money som'ers in a well dat wan't -bein' used 'cause it gone dry. Dem Yankees sho' did clean up whar they -went along. Dey would ketch chickens by de bunches and kill 'em an' den -turn 'roun' an' make de ol' Mistis clean 'em an' cook 'em for dem. Dem -Yankees set fire to bales an' bales of cotton. Dey took de white folks -clo'se an' did away wid 'em. Sometimes dey would tear 'em up or give dem -to de slaves to wear. De war ended in sixty-five an' I was eleben years -ol' den. - -"Jes' atter de war we was turned loose to go for ourse'f. What I mean by -dat, we was free. I didn't mean that we lef' Mr. Young's 'cause we -stayed wid him for de longest atter slavery was over. - -"My fust work was in a blacksmith shop down on West Six Street. I worked -for fifty cents a day den until I learned de trade. Atter I worked at de -blacksmith shop for about two years I took up carpenter work. I served -apprentice for three years. I followed carpent'ing the res' of my life. - -"I married Lizzie Anderson when I was twenty-one years ol'. She wan't -but seventeen years ol'. We didn't have no big weddin', we jes' had de -fambly dere. I raised ten chillun up until April de twenty fourth. -That's when William Henry died. My chilluns doin' pretty well in life. -Dere's two of my sons what's doctors; one is a carpenter. The other one -is Grand Orator of the Shriners. My gals is doin' fine, too. Three of -'em is been school teachers, one a beauty cult'ist an' de other one a -nurse. I feels sati'fied 'bout my chillun now. Dey seems to be able to -make a livin' for they se'ves pretty well. - -"I thinks that Abe Lincoln was a mighty fine man even if he was tryin' -to save their union. I don't like to talk 'bout this that have done -happened. It done passed so I don't say much 'bout it, specially de -Presidents, 'cause it might cause a 'sturbance right now. All men means -well, but some of 'em ain't broadminded 'nough to do anythin' for nobody -but themse'fs. Any man that tries to help humanity is a good man." - - - - -Stepney Underwood - - - *Interview with Stepney Underwood* - --_John Morgan Smith_ - -_THE COURT JESTER_ - -"Yassuh, I was a slave. I was tin year' old whin de war begin." Uncle -Stepney spoke the words between intermittent jerks of an uncontrollable -voice. The nervousness which resulted from hard work and a long struggle -for existence had not only given him palsy, but had left him with an -upheaving diaphragm. Thus he shook and shivered while stuttering so -constantly as to be almost unintelligible. - -"My mammy belonged to the Johnstons and my pappy was owned by the -Underwoods," he continued; "dey lived next to each other on two big -plantations in Lowndes County. Dey was good peoples--dem Underwoods. I -remembers dat dey use to think I was as funny as a little monkey. De -massa usta laugh his head off at me, and when dere was parties, de -guestes would always say: 'Whar Stepney? We wants to see Stepney dance.' -I usta cut many a [...] pigeon wing fur 'em. - -"One day atter I finish' my chores, I slip off an go across de line to -see my mammy. When I was a-comin' back th'ough de woods, I met up wid -two pattyrollers. Dey stop me and say: 'Nigger, who you belong to?' - -"'Massa Jim Johns'on,' I answers. - -"'Whut you a doin' out here, den?' dey say, all de time a slippin' a -little closer so's to grab me. - -"I don't take time to gib 'em no mo' answers kaze I knowd dat dis meant -a beatin'. I starts my legs a-flyin' an' I runs through de fores' lak a -scar't rabbit wid dem pattyrollers right behin' me. My bare feets flew -over dem stones an' I jus' hit de high spots in de groun'. I knowed dem -two mens didn't have no chance to kotch me, but dis sho meant a whuppin' -when I got home. - -[Illustration: _Stepney Underwood, [TR: Birmingham], Alabama_] - -"But I didn't go home dat night. I stay out in de woods and buil' me a -little fiah. I laid down under a sycamo' tree a-tryin' ter make up my -min' ter go an' take dat beatin'. I heered de panthers a screamin' a way -off in de fores' an' de wildcats a howlin', an' how I wished I coulda -been wid my mammy. Eve'y now and den, I could see eyes a shinin' in de -darkness an' rustlin's in de bushes. Warn't no use of me a-cryin' kaze I -was a long way fum home an' dere warn't no one to could hear me. Eve'y -thing seem to be agin' me. Far off across de ridge I heered a screech -owl a-callin', an' I knowd dat meant death. I was glad I had my overalls -on so's I could turn my pockets inside out'ards to stop him. Atter I -done dis, he sho-nuf stopped. Den my lef' ear it commence to ichin', and -I knowd dat someone was a-sayin' somethin' mean about me. Probably dat -oberseer dat was a-goin' to whup me when I got home. Soon I fell slap to -sleep on a bed of moss. De nex' day I was awful hongry, an' long 'bout -de time de sun was a-comin' ober de ridge, I heerd some mens a-comin' -through de brush. It was de massa, de oberseer an' some mo' mens. I runs -toward de massa and I calls as loud as I could: 'Massa Jim, here I is.' - -"He come up wid an awful frown on his face and de oberseer, he had a big -whup in his han'. - -"'You little bur-head Nigger debil', de massa say, 'I teach you ter run -away fum yo' place. Come on home; I'se gwine give you a good breakfast -an' fix you up in some decent clothes. I'se got visitors a-comin' an' -heah you is out in de woods when I needs you to dance.' Den de massa, he -smile lak I ain't done nothin' wrong. 'I guess you wants yo mammy, you -little lonesome pickaninny. Well, I s'pose I hadda go ober and buy her. -You little debil you--now git on home.'" - - - - -Charlie Van Dyke - - - *Personal conversation with Charlie Van Dyke* - *713 S. Lawrence street, Mobile, Ala.* - --_Written by Mary A. Poole_ - -_IT TOOK $50.00 TO PUT UNCLE CHARLIE ON DE FLOOR!_ - -An old colored man, named Charlie Van Dyke, living at 713 S. Lawrence -street, Mobile, Ala. claims to be 107 years old, but he has no authentic -record of his birth. He told the writer he was born in North Carolina, -and when he was ten years old, Mr. William Martee King, who owned his -mother, "Nellie Drish", moved to Tuscaloosa, Ala., where the King family -remained about a year, moving then from Tuscaloosa down into Dallas -County, near Selma, Ala. - -While Mr. and Mrs. King and their family remained in Tuscaloosa, -Charlies mother Nellie Drish met and married William Van Dyke, who -belonged to the Van Dykes, who owned the neighboring plantation. - -Charlie assumed his step-father's name, but knew little of him, or of -the Van Dykes to whom his step-father belonged, because, as Charlie -explained to the writer, after the Kings moved down in Dallas County, -(as Charlie always referred to his home in Alabama) and brought his -mother Nellie and her family with them, his stepfather could only visit -them once a year, and that privilege was given him on Christmas Day. He -had to start back the next day, as he had to make the trip to and fro on -horse back. - -Uncle Charlie said the Kings owned about a thousand acres in Dallas -County and had about a hundred head of slaves, but with all their riches -they lived in a plain plank house. - -He smiled and said, "Now-a-days folks passing such a house, would say -'Colored folks live there.'" - -The slave quarters were the regular log wood cabins, said Uncle Charlie, -with space between each row and a little plot of ground to separate each -cabin to itself. - -Uncle Charlie said his mother cooked for the white folks, and sometimes -she didn't get down to their cabin but on Sunday afternoon, that he -being the oldest had to look after the younger children, and that he was -never required to do heavy work as he broke his leg when a boy, so the -folks let him just work around the yard and look after his sisters and -brothers and also the other slave children. - -Uncle Charlie said Mr. King traveled a lot, went to France once, that -took almost a year and the overseer had full charge and he was mean and -made everybody stand around. He even made the slaves shuck corn on -Sundays, each had their allotted amount to shuck before they could stop. - -When the writer asked about church on the plantation, Uncle Charlie -replied: "Church was what they called it but all that preacher talked -about was for us slaves to obey our masters and not to lie and steal. -Nothing about Jesus was ever said, and the overseer stood there to see -the preacher talked as he wanted him to talk." - -The only day that Uncle Charlie said they were given any real holiday -was Christmas, everybody got his drink of whiskey on Christmas, and not -another drink until next Christmas, "it sure seemed a long time between -drinks", added Charlie with a smile. - -Uncle Charlie said they did let you have a funeral when some one died, -they made the coffin on the plantation and carried it by hand to the -graveyard, singing as they went along. He tried to recall the hymns, but -all he could chant in a sing-song way was, - - Last word he said was about Jerusalem - And he traveled along to the grave! - -When asked about war days, Uncle Charlie was first on the Confederate -side, then on the Northern side, and he seemed somewhat bewildered about -it all, he said he saw a stockade, as he called it, in Selma, Ala., and -he remembered food stuff being sent to the soldiers, and also recalled -the Yankees coming, and a Captain coming up the road and telling them -the soldiers were coming. Uncle Charlie said the colored folks thought -the Captain had to go back North before they came back, but in a flash -like lightening there they were, hundreds of them, and they scared folks -so bad some of them jumped in the river and tried to swim across and -those that couldn't, they just drowned. - -When the writer tried to check up on Uncle Charlie's age, asking him how -old he was when the war started, he replied: - -"I dont know but I was a man long afore it all started, lady, and I was -thirty-three years old when I married 'bout a year after the surrender." - -When asked why he waited so long to get married, Uncle Charlie said: - -"Didn't you know in slavery days they wouldn't alow a man to marry -unless he could split a hundred rails a day?" - -The writer smiled and said: - -"Now, Uncle Charlie," and then he chuckled, and said: - -"Well, I guess the right one didn't come 'long till I met her." - -When asked if he had a regular wedding feast, he replied. - -"Yes, lady, it took $50.00 to put me on the floor." - -Charlie and Theresa had "five head of children", as Uncle Charlie -expressed it, of which three are dead and two living, but he claims his -children do not look after him, but his church folks and friends give -him the helping hand. He is a member of the St. Luke Missionary Baptist -Church, of Mobile. - -Uncle Charlie says he has his religion from the foregone prophets, that -he "don't understand this day religion", that he came along when people -were serving Daniel's God, and when people had to be born again, now -they serve a sanctified God and jump from one religion to another. - -Uncle Charlie finished the interview by saying, "Lord teach me how to -pray, And teach me to love it woo." - - - - -Lilah Walker - - - *Interview with Lilah Walker* - --_William B. Strickland, Carbon Hill_ - -_I HEAR DE WHIRRIN' OF QUARE WINGS_ - -I walked through a small glade overshadowed by large oak trees, near -Carbon Hill in Walker County, Alabama. A weird little cabin confronted -me; its porch and steps loosely held to the main part of the structure -by a few weak boards. Lilah Walker, an old Negro woman, squatted on the -steps with her chin resting in her black hands, in an attitude of deep -reverie. As the old woman heard me approaching she raised her head in -cordial greeting. - -"Come in, young marster," she said. "How is you today?" - -"Fine, Aunt Lilah," I answered. 'How's the world treating you?" - -"Oh, I can't complain," she replied. - -The old woman continued. - -"It mought be safer to set inside, 'case dey says when de sun swing low -lak dis dat de miassahs whut make you sick 'gin to rise outten yon' -swamp." Then she chuckled: "I bin here since 'fo' de wah, an' I ain't -neber seen no miassahs rise outten dat swamp yit. Yassuh, dat sho is so, -but from whut I seed rise outten it my 'pinion is dat dey done lef' long -'fo' dis. But I seed quare wings whirrin' outten dat swamp jus' 'fo' -days atter de surrender, an' I seed 'em near 'bout eve'y day since. I -seed 'em an' I heered 'em jus' a whirrin'! - -"Nawsuh, I sho can't 'splain de wings, but I is got my 'pinion how come -dey is. When I tells you whut took place here durin' dem dark ole days, -den maybe you'll hab yourn. Ole Mistis died 'fo de war, an' ole Massa, -he too ole to go. He didn't do nothin' but set aroun' an' read de books -an' papers. 'Peer lak to me he jus' plum forgit 'bout young Mistis after -her mammy died, an' de little gal jus' growed up lak a wild flower in de -woods, cep'n for a handsome young boy on de nex' plantation. Dey was -nearly always together. - -"By an' by de boy got ole enough to go to de wah. It was jus' a little -fo' de close. Den young Mistis, she droop an' she droop. 'Reckley she -'gin to swoon, long jus' anywheres she would. One day she swoon an' -nothin' I could do would bring her back to her senses. I jus' couldn't -fetch her to. I call ole Massa an' he git a doctor. Dey putt me outten -de room an' I ain't neber heared whut dat doctor said till yit, but ole -Massa, he go stark wild. He holla an' carry on in his sleep all de -night; an' de nex' day he druv' de young Mistis away. Dere was a cabin -den in de swamp, an' she went dar to live. I snuk out dar an' tote her -vittles to her fo' days an' days. She always grab me an' say: 'Don't you -love me an' don't you believe in me, mammy?' - -"'Co'se I does, honey chile, 'ca'se I useta sing to you 'bout de good -ole lan' of promise.' Den I says to her: 'Dese times is powerful -triflin', an' maybe 'fo' long I's gwine home an' de white folks will -miss me 'ca'se dey can't raise chilluns.' Den she cry an' I cry. - -"'Bout dat time de word come of de surrender. Ole Massa seem to come to -his wits den an' he kep' a close watch on me so's I can't leave de house -to carry de food. On de fo'th day, I cotch a chance an' I snuck off. -When I come close to de cabin I call, but young Mistis neber answer. Den -I went to de do', but I neber go in de do', 'ca'se millions of black -wings come a-whirrin' outten de house. I run an' run an' I pray too, but -de big black wings still follow me. Sometimes in de early mornin' I -still hears an' sees two pairs of wings, sometimes white, sometimes -black. - -"Yassuh, I is aimin' to tell you 'bout ole Massa; whut 'come of him. One -evenin' I ventured to de aidge of dat swamp, an' somep'n cracked under -my feets. I is jus' about to run when I sees it's jus' a piece of paper. -I sees it has writin' on it so I taken it to ole Massa. Den when he read -dat he sho 'nough go plum crazy. 'Bout dat time dey open what dey called -a 'sane 'slylum in Tusaloosy an' dey taken ole Massa dar an' a little -later he died. - -"De young boy who went to wah, whut about him? Dey say he was killed in -de las' battle of Appomatox. Dat piece o' paper? Yassuh. It was a paper -sayin' dat young Mistis and de young boy on de nex' plantation was -'nited in ma'iage. Listen, young Massa. I hears dem quare wings -a-whirrin'." - - - - -Simon Walker - - - *Interview with Simon Walker* - --_Ira S. Jordan_ - -Softly mumbling to himself and gravely shaking a bare, shiny head that -had only a fringe of white, closely-kinked wooly hair about the ears, -the old Negro shuffled out of the crowded courtroom into the corridor. - -Turning clear, quizzical eyes toward a group of white men loitering near -the doorway and addressing no one in particular, with a final emphatic -shake of his head he said: - -"Hit do beat all, de way dese young niggers is allus in trouble wid de -law. Now, whin Ah was a young buck de only law mongst us niggers was de -word uv ole Massa. Mebbe you all's heerd tell o' him--Cun'l Hugh Walker? - -"Ef de Cun'l wasn't de richest man anywhar 'round Forsyth, Georgy, den -mah name ain't Simon Walker. Yassuh! Dat's mah name too. Ah belonged to -de Cun'l 'long wid more'n er hundderd mo' slaves, an' my mammy an' pappy -befo' me belonged to de Walkers. - -"All uv 'em gone now--gone to Glory, an dis ole nigger heah all by -hisself--de las' one er de fambly. De Cun'l, he had eight boys, an all -'cept de least un jined de Confederits. - -"'Twas a turrible sad day when young Maas Chap was brung home wid one of -his laigs shot plumb off by de Yankees; an me settin' dar by him -a-fannin' erway de flies endurin' all de long hot days whilst he was -layin' dar on de aige o' Kingdom Come. An' all de time Ah was thankin' -de Lawd dat mah lil' Maas Jim was too young to go to de wawh--(all de -Cun'l's sons dey had body servants, an Ah was Maas Jim's boy). Ah useter -look atter him, go to school wid him an play in de woods 'tell school -was out, an ef he had 'er gone to de wawh, dis nigger would er been -right dar wid him. - -"Nawsuh, Maas Jim an me never did go to de wawh, but us seed de Yankees -whin' Gen'l Sherman come marchin through our plantation. An ef Ah live -fur thousand yeahs Ah'd never fergit dat day! Ah ain't nivver seed so -many men in one crowd befo' er since, an de las' one uv 'em wearin' de -same kind of clo'es. Dey come right up in de yahd, an a passel of 'em -tromped right into de Big House, jist lak it was dare'n. Dey turned -ebrything wrong side out'ards a-lookin' fer de silver an de jewl'ry, but -Ole Missis, she done had news dey was comin' an all de stuff was hid in -de woods. Whin dey couldn't fin' de plate an' jewl'ry, dey was hoppin -mad, an atter takin' all de hams an rations dey could tote off dey sot -fire to de smoke-house, an' de bahn an' all de cotton dat was piled -around de ginhouse, to keep de Confederits frum gittin it, dey said. Dey -took all de good houses an' mules an' lef' dere ole hongry, broke-down -nags dat won't fittin' fer nothin' 'cept fert'lize. But dey didn't hu't -nobody, not eben Cookie whin she tuck er broom atter em in de kitchin." - -[Illustration: _Simon Walker, Birmingham, Alabama_] - -"Ah reckon dem soldiers thought de Cun'l was plumb ruint whin dey lef, -but Ah says, Cun'l Walker was er rich man, an' 'fo' long us done bought -fresh rations, en drive up de hargs frum de swamp an kilt mo' meat. Den -de Cun'l he sont off fer mo' mules, an whin dey come de wu'k went on -ergin. - -"Come de day whin all de niggers was sot free. Cun'l Walker call all de -slaves up to de Big House, an standin dere on de verandah he told 'em -dey was now all free niggers--free to go whar dey pleased. But, ef -anybody wanted to stay on de plantation to hole up dare hans. Mos' all -de hans stayed on de plantation 'tell de Cun'l died, an de fambly sorter -broke up. Dat was fo' yeahs atter de Surrender. - -"Well, atter dat, Ah jist drifted eroun', an fin'ly landed heah in -Bummin'ham in 1888. Wont nothin' much heah den but muddy roads an -swamps, but Ah got er job totein' mortar whar dey was buildin' de fust -brick sto', an' den er long time atterwards Ah wo'ked fer de 'T.C. and -I.' fer twenty-five yeahs. - -"But de ole nigger ain't no mo' good fer hahd labor. All dah white folks -done gone on, an heah I is on de Welfare, jist waitin' fer de good Lawd -to call me up dare fer de Great Reunion--Amen." - - - - -Lucindia Washington - - - *Interview with Lucindia Washington* - --_Alice S. Barton_ - -Little black Cindy skipped along the narrow path that led to the Spring -House. In her hand she swung an empty cedar pail that she was soon to -fill with cool, fresh milk. She entered the small glade overhung with -willow trees and spread with soft grass, and gazed at the sparkling -water of the spring as it caught the beams of sunlight coming through -the trees and reflected them in myriads of little points. Shadows of the -waving leaves danced over the ground and up the side of the stone Spring -House. How cool and nice it was here, she thought. Gentle breezes -rustled the limbs of small saplings and quietly stirred the long grass -along the upper part of the branch. - -A young rabbit hopped from a little clump of bushes and Cindy watched -him as the small creature drank thirstily from the crystal water. -Occasionally, the bunny would lift his head as if warned by a slight -sound, but in a moment she saw him fold back his delicate ears and once -more dip his small mouth into the babbling water. - -After quenching his thirst, the rabbit hopped a few feet away and -nibbled on a wisp of tender grass. Cindy was as still as a statue as she -watched the procedure. "Dat's de cutest little bunny I ever seed," she -said to herself. "I wish I could ketch him." But Cindy knew that she -could not catch a rabbit, so she was content to stand in the shadow of a -sycamore and gaze eagerly at the animal, nibbling the grass. - -Suddenly, without warning, Cindy's eyes protruded from their sockets -with an expression of fear. Slipping noiselessly through the green -undergrowth she saw a giant rattler gliding slowly toward the young -rabbit. She wanted to cry out, but she was afraid; afraid of attracting -the rattler's attention toward her. She was deathly afraid of snakes. -Since babyhood, she had harbored a growing fear of them. If Cindy had -been still before this time, she now became a frozen image. It would not -have been apparent that she was even breathing. So frightened was she of -the snake that her whole body broke out in a profuse perspiration. Her -eyes were glued to the tremendous brown monster which, without the -slightest sound, oozed deftly toward its victim. Cindy was hypnotized! -The snake seemed to hold her in a strange spell. Slowly, inexorably he -moved entirely out of the undergrowth and was now weaving on the clear -ground. He approached the rabbit within a distance of three feet and -began to carefully form himself in a deadly coil. Cindy saw every -movement. She saw each diamond on its brown back; each scale of its -crawling skin; each lash and point of its tongue; the whiteness of its -breast, the large track that it had made in the sand. She watched its -eyes gleam, expressionless and ominous. She gazed at the deadly mouth as -it slowly began to open. She was aware of the first appearance of the -two death-like fangs pointing downward. She saw the ten-buttoned rattle -stand erect. She saw it quiver; shake; sound. She saw the rabbit turn -with fear. She saw the strike; the sinking of the fangs into the soft, -brown fur. She watched the rabbit give an ephemeral struggle; witnessed -the brief pitiful look in the bunny's eyes and at last saw the mouth -sink into the small belly and draw the last breath of life away. - -The experience was more than the little girl could stand. Cindy was now -in a state of frenzy. She could not move, nor speak, nor turn her eyes. -She could only stare! At what? - -The monstrous snake then girded himself for further onslaught. After -being sure his victim was dead, he loosed his grip and stretched at full -length upon the ground; drew the rabbit out until it too was stretched -carefully out with its hind feet together and its head pointing in the -opposite direction. Then followed an experience that to Cindy seemed -entirely impossible. The snake took the hind feet of the rabbit in his -mouth, until gradually they had disappeared. Then came what seemed to -'Cindy an agonized struggle. The snake's mouth stretched almost to the -breaking point as it began slowly to close over the rest of the rabbit's -rear quarter. With fits and starts and jerks and stretches, the rattler -reeled and squirmed; contorted and wreathed and sucked until the rabbit -had half gone. With the last great effort the serpent threw himself into -another series of bodily contortions that seemed to 'Cindy positively -agonizing to him, until at last the rabbit had entirely disappeared from -the earth. For several minutes 'Cindy apparently watched the tremendous -hump in the snake move slowly backward. With gradually diminishing -intermittent jerks, the snake finally got the small animal to his -digestive tract. The monster then crawled to a hot sandy section and -went to sleep. - - ---- - -Two hours later it was twilight. An overseer was walking along the path -to the Spring House. He paused for a moment beneath a sycamore tree to -rest and cool himself. As his eyes roamed the shadowy little glade they -came to rest on the body of a little Negro girl, lying inert upon the -soft grass with the handle of a cedar bucket clutched in a death grip. -He lifted the small black form into his arms and carried her to the -house. He saw in her face an expression of mingled agony and fear. - - ---- - -"Yassuh, white folks, dat was me," Aunt 'Cindy smiled as she told me of -the experience, 80 years later. "Dat was de biggest snake I ever seed. -He musta been seven feet long. - -[Illustration: _Cindy Washington, [TR: Eutaw], Alabama_] - -"All dis happen in Sumter County whar I was bawn. Us had a pretty place -dere. I'll never forgits how de niggers worked dere gardens in de -moonlight. Dere warn't no time in de day. De white folks work tuk dat -time. De oberseer rung a big bell for us to git up by in de mawnin' at -fo' o'clock, an' de fus' thing we done was to feed de stock." - -"You axe was we punished?" Yassuh, we was punished for something: most -of all for stealin'. - -"Yassuh, we was taught to read an' write, but mos' of de slaves didn't -want to learn. Us little niggers would hide our books under de steps to -keep f'um havin' to study. Us'd go to church wid de white folks on -Sunday and sit in de back, an' den we go home an' eat a big Sunday meal. -When we got sick f'um eatin' too much or somp'n, Massa Jim Godfrey was a -doctor an' he'd ten' to us. Den when new nigger babies came, nine little -black bugs was tied up in rags 'roun' dere necks for to make de babies -teethe easy. When I was ma'ied, white folks, at de age of thirteen, Alex -Washington, my husband an me had a forty-dollar weddin'. My mistis baked -me a cake, an' a white schoolmaster named Henry Hindron spoke de -ceremony. Me an' dat ole husband had twenty-two chilluns. - -"Yas ma'm. I sho does believe in ghosties. We's got one good spirit an' -one bad un. One goes to heaben an' de udder stays on earth. Ghosties sho -does lak whiskey, caze dey'll follow you iffen you got any. Iffen you -po' it on de groun' beside you, dough, dey'll lose track of you. Always -give a gos' de raght han' side of de road, white folks, an' he won't -bother you. - -"Yes my chile, I is got religion. I seed Jesus a hanging f'um de cross. -He give his blood so dat us could live. I knows I is goin' to heaben." - - - - -Eliza White - - - *Interview with Eliza White, age around 80* - *Opelika, Alabama* - --_Preston Klein, Opelika, Alabama_ - -_SHE SEED A HA'NT_ - -Eliza White lives by the Central of Georgia Railroad tracks in Opelika. -The passing of many years has not dulled her mind, and so she was able -to tell of many things which happened "befo' de wah." - -"Yas, suh, I was a slave. Ole Massa was name' Billy Jones, and Ole -Mistis was name' Angeline. Dey lived in Harris County, Georgia, close to -Columbus. My pappy and mammy was Peter and Frances Jones, and I had a -brother, Dennis, and a sister, Georgianne. - -"Massa was a good man, and I did love Ole Mistis. Dey was mighty good to -us niggers; fed us out dey own garden. We had checked homespun clothes -foh eve'yday, and purty calico and dyed osnaburg ones foh Sunday. I went -to church wid de white folks, settin' in de foot of de carriage. I -'members well de Sunday I fust seen a shoutin'. It was two white ladies. - -"Massa and Mistis had four chillun. Two of dem, Dave and Quit, was bad -fighting kids. I seen Massa make dem strip to dey waist, and whip 'em, -den make dem go in and bathe. - -"Massa lived in a big, fine white house. He had two or three hundred -slaves, and de quarters was in two long rows, runnin' up near 'bout to -de big house on de hill. Dey even raised deer on de place. De houses in -de quarters was two-room log houses wid a shed room to cook in. My mammy -was de cook at de big house, and granny was de weaver. Pappy was de -bedmaker; he made most of de beds outen poplar. I had a little chair in -de corner where I sot and kept de flies offen Mistis wid a green twig -brush. - -"Whenever Massa sont any de slaves offen de place he had to gib 'em -passes so de patterollers wouldn't ketch 'em and whip 'em foh runnin' -away. De patterollers was a good thing foh de lazy ones. When daylight -come we had to get up, else we'd be whipped. Massa didn't have his -slaves whipped much; just when dey was lazy and wouldn't work. - -"Ev'ey now and den we would have some good frolics, mostly on Sattiday -nights. Somebody would play de fiddle and we all danced to de music. De -folks sure had some big times at de cornshuckin's, too. De men would -work two or three days, haulin' de corn and pilin' it near de crib. Den -dey would invite folks from other quarters to come and help wid de -shuckin'. While dey shucked dey would holler and sing: - - You jumped and I jumped; - Swear, by God you out jumped me. - Huh! Huh! Round de corn, Sally. - -"Granny used to give us tea made outen sage roots, mullen, pine, -hoarhound--dat sho' was bitter stuff. We had purty beads made wid corn. -And I still 'members de Christmas I got my fust shoes. I just hugged dem -tight and went to sleep holdin' 'em. Dey was button shoes. - -"When we heard de Yankees was comin' we hid all de meat and rations and -de silver in de big swamp, and turned de horses loose, and all us kids -hid in de bedticks (mattresses). De Yankees stayed around two or three -days and would pull de hands out of dere beds by dey toes. - -"But I really seed a ha'nt one time. I knowed it was. De was one old man -been havin' de toothache all de time; he used to keep he jaw tied up. I -was gwine over to see him day time. Well, 'fore I got dere I seen what -look like him comin'. When I got nearer he turned to a man riding a mule -and wearing a big hat. Den, 'fore he got to de house he was plum gone. -Dat's how I knowed it was a ha'nt." - - - - -Mingo White - - - *Interview with Mingo White* - --_Levi D. Shelby, Jr., Tuscumbia, Alabama_ - -_JEFF DAVIS USED TO CAMOUFLAGE HIS HORSE_ - -Mingo White lives at Burleson in Franklin County, Alabama, and though he -doesn't know his age he remembers that he was a big boy when the War -between the States began. His reminiscences of slavery days, when he was -a field hand, are an incongruous combination of stories of severe -cruelty and free Saturday afternoons, Sunday holidays and happy -festivals of cornshucking and community cotton picking. He talks of -punishments visited on recalcitrant slaves beyond human endurance and of -tasks saddled on one person that would take half a dozen to accomplish. -Mingled with these perhaps fogged memories of the nonagenarian are -interesting sidelights of "drivers," paterollers," Ku Kluxers and -share-cropping in reconstruction days. - -"I was born in Chester, South Carolina, but I was mos'ly raised in -Alabama," Mingo said. "When I was 'bout fo' or five years old, I was -loaded in a wagon wid a lot mo' people in 'hit. Whar I was boun' I don't -know. Whatever become of my mammy an' pappy I don' know for a long time. - -"I was tol' there was a lot of slave speculators in Chester to buy some -slaves for some folks in Alabama. I 'members dat I was took up on a -stan' an' a lot of people come 'roun' an' felt my arms an' legs an' -chist, an' ast me a lot of questions. Befo' we slaves was took to de -tradin' post Ol' Marsa Crawford tol' us to tell eve'ybody what ast us if -we'd ever been sick to tell 'em dat us'd never been sick in our life. Us -had to tell 'em all sorts of lies for our Marsa or else take a beatin'. - -"I was jes' a li'l thang; tooked away from my mammy an' pappy, jes' when -I needed 'em mos'. The only caren' that I had or ever knowed anything -'bout was give to me by a frein' of my pappy. His name was John White. -My pappy tol' him to take care of me for him. John was a fiddler an' -many a night I woke up to find myse'f 'sleep 'twix' his legs whilst he -was playin' for a dance for de white folks. My pappy an' mammy was sold -from each yuther too, de same time as I was sold. I use' to wonder if I -had any brothers or sisters, as I had always wanted some. A few years -later I foun' out I didn't have none. - -"I'll never forgit de trip from Chester to Burleson. I wouldn't 'member -so well I don't guess, 'cepin' I had a big ol' sheep dog name Trailer. -He followed right in back of de wagon dat I was in. Us had to cross a -wide stream what I tuk to be a ribber. When we started 'crost, ol' -Trailer never stop followin'. I was watchin' him clost so if he gived -out I was goin' to try to git him. He didn't giv' out, he didn't even -hab to swim. He jes' walked 'long an' lapped de water lack a dog will. - -"John took me an' kep' me in de cabin wid him. De cabin didn' hab no -furniture in hit lack we has now 'days. De bed was a one-legged, hit was -made in de corner of de room, wid de leg settin' out in de middle of de -flo'. A plank was runned 'twix' de logs of de cabin an' nailed to de -post on de front of de bed. Across de foot an' udder plank was runned -into de logs an' nail' to de leg. Den some straw or cornshucks was piled -on for a mattress. Us used anythang what we could git for kivver. De -table had two legs, de legs set out to de front whilst de back part was -nail' to de wall. Us didn't hab no stove. Thar was a great big fireplace -whar de cookin' was done. Us didn't hab to cook, though, lessen us got -hungry after supper been served at de house. - -"I warn't nothin' but a chile endurin' slavery, but I had to wuk de same -as any man. I went to de fiel' and hosed cotton, pulled fodder and -picked cotton wid de res' of de han's. I kep' up too, to keep from -gittin' any lashes dat night when us got home. In de winter I went to de -woods wid de men folks to ho'p git wood or to git sap from de trees to -make turpentine an' tar. Iffen us didn't do dat we made charcoal to run -de blacksmif shop wid. - -"De white folks was hard on us. Dey would whup us 'bout de leas' li'l -thang. Hit wouldn't a been so bad iffen us had a had comforts, but to -live lack us did was 'nouf to make anybody soon as be dead. De white -folks tol' us dat us born to work for 'em an' dat us was doin' fine at -dat. - -"De nex' time dat I saw my mammy I was a great big boy. Dere was a 'oman -on de place what ever'body called mammy, Selina White. One day mammy -called me an' said, Mingo, your mammy is comin'.' I said, 'I thought dat -you was my mammy.' She said 'No I ain't your mammy, yer mammy is 'way -way from here. I couldn't believe dat I had anudder mammy and I never -thought 'bout hit any mo'. One day I was settin' down at de barn when a -wagon come up de lane. I stood 'roun' lack a chile will. When de wagon -got to de house, my mammy got out an' broke and run to me an' th'owed -her arms 'roun' my neck an' hug an' kiss me. I never even put my arms -'roun' her or nothin' of de sort. I jes' stood dar lookin' at her. She -said, 'Son ain't you glad to see your mammy?' I looked at her an' walked -off. Mammy Selina call me an' tol' me dat I had hurt my mammy's -feelin's, and dat dis 'oman was my mammy. I went off an' studied and I -begins to 'member thangs. I went to Selina an' ast her how long it been -sence I seen my mammy. She tol' me dat I had been 'way from her sence I -was jes' a li'l chile. I went to my mammy an' tol' her dat I was sorry I -done what I did an' dat I would lack fer her to fergit an' forgive me -for de way I act when I fust saw her. After I had talked wid my real -mammy, she told me of how de family had been broke up an' dat she hadn't -seed my pappy sence he was sold. My mammy never would of seen me no mo' -if de Lawd hadn' a been in de plan. Tom White's daughter married one of -Mr. Crawford's sons. Dey lived in Virginia. Back den it was de custom -for women to come home whenever dey husbands died or quit 'em. Mr. -Crawford's son died an' dat th'owed her to hab to come home. My mammy -had been her maid, so when she got ready to come home she brung my mammy -wid her. - -"Hit was hard back in dem days. Ever' mornin' fo' day break you had to -be up an' ready to git to de fiel'. Hit was de same ever' day in de year -'cep' on Sunday, an' den we was gittin' up earlier dan the folks do now -on Monday. De drivers was hard too. Dey could say what ever dey wanted -to an' you couldn't say nothin' for yourse'f. Somehow or yuther us had a -instinct dat we was goin' to be free. In de even't when de day's wuk was -done de slaves would be foun' lock' in dere cabins prayin' for de Lawd -to free dem lack he did de chillun of Is'ael. Iffen dey didn' lock up, -de Marsa or de driver would of heard 'em an' whupped 'em. De slaves had -a way of puttin' a wash pot in de do' of de cabin to keep de soun' in de -house. I 'members once ol' Ned White was caught prayin'. De drivers took -him de nex' day an' carried him to de pegs, what was fo' stakes drove in -de groun'. Ned was made to pull off ever'thang but his pants an' lay on -his stomach 'tween de pegs whilst somebody stropped his legs an' arms to -de pegs. Den dey whupped him 'twell de blood run from him lack he was a -hog. Dey made all of de han's come an' see it, an' dey said us'd git de -same thang if us was cotched. Dey don't 'low a man to whup a horse lack -dey whupped us in dem days. - -"After my mammy come whar I was I ho'ped her wid her work. Her tas' was -too hard for any one person. She had to serve as maid to Mr. White's -daughter, cook for all of de han's, spin an' card four cuts of thread a -day an' den wash. Dere was one hundred an' forty-four threads to de cut. -If she didn't git all of dis done she got fifty lashes dat night. Many a -night me an' her would spin an' card so she could git her task de nex' -day. No matter whut she had to do de nex' day she would have to git dem -fo' cuts of thread, even on wash day. Wash day was on Wednesday. My -mammy would have to take de clo's 'bout three quarters of a mile to de -branch whar de washin' was to be done. She didn't have no wash board -lack dey have now 'days. She had a paddle what she beat de clo's wid. -Ever'body knowed when wash day was 'case dey could hear de paddle for -'bout three or four miles. "Pow-pow-pow," dat's how it sound. She had to -iron de clo's de same day dat she washed an' den git dem four cuts of -thread. Lots of times she failed to git 'em an' got de fifty lashes. One -day when Tom White was whuppin' her she said, 'Lay it on Marsa White -'case I'm goin' to tell de Yankees when dey come.' When mammy got -through spinnin' de cloth she had to dye it. She used shumake berries, -indigo, bark from some trees, and dar was some kind of rock (probably -iron ore) what she got red dye from. De clo's wouldn't fade neither. - -"De white folks didn't learn us to do nothin' but wuk. Dey said dat us -warn't 'spose' to know how to read an' write. Dar was one feller name -E.C. White what learned to read an' write endurin' slavery. He had to -carry de chillun's books to school fer 'em an' go back atter dem. His -young marsa taught him to read an' write unbeknowance' to his father an' -de res' of de slaves. Us didn' have nowhar to go 'cep' church an' we -didn' git no pleasure outten it 'case we warn't 'lowed to talk from de -time we lef' home 'twell us got back. If us went to church de drivers -went wid us. Us didn't have no church 'cep' de white folks church. - -"After ol' Ned got sech a terrible beatin' fer prayin' for freedom he -slipped off an' went to de North to jine de Union Army. After he got in -de army he wrote to Marsa Tom. In his letter he had dose words: - -"'I am layin' down, marsa, and gittin' up, marsa;' meaning dat he went -to bed when he felt like it an' got up when he pleased to. He told Tom -White dat iffen he wanted him he was in the army an' dat he could come -after him. After ol' Ned had got to de North, de yuther han's begin to -watch for a chance to slip off. Many a one was cotched an' brung back. -Dey knowed de penalty what dey would have to pay, an' dis cause some of -'em to git desp'rite. Druther dan to take a beatin' dey would choose to -fight hit out 'twell dey was able to git away or die befo' dey would -take de beatin'. - -"Lots of times when de patterollers would git after de slaves dey would -have de worse' fight an' sometimes de patterollers would git killed. -After de war I saw Ned, an' he tol' me de night he lef' the patterollers -runned him for fo' days. He say de way he did to keep dem frum ketchin' -him was he went by de woods. De patterollers come in de woods lookin' -for him, so he jes' got a tree on 'em an' den followed. Dey figured dat -he was headin' fer de free states, so dey headed dat way too, and Ned -jes' followed dem for as dey could go. Den he clumb a tree and hid -whilst dey turned 'roun' an' come back. Ned went on widout any trouble -much. De patterollers use ter be bad. Dey would run de folks iffen dey -was caught out after eight o'clock in de night, iffen dey didn' have no -pass from de marsa. - -"After de day's wuk was done there warn't anything for de slaves to do -but go to bed. Wednesday night they went to prayer meetin'. We had to be -in de bed by nine o'clock. Ever' night de drivers come 'roun' ter make -sho' dat we was in de bed. I heerd tell of folks goin' to bed an' den -gittin' up an' goin' to yuther plantation. On Sat'day de han's wukked -'twell noon. Dey had de res' of de time to wuk dey gardens. Ever' fambly -had a garden of dere own. On Sat'day nights the slaves could frolic for -a while. Dey would have parties sometimes an' whiskey and home-brew for -de servants. On Sundays we didn't do anything but lay 'roun' an' sleep, -'case we didn' lack to go to church. On Christmas we didn't have to do -no wuk: no more'n feed de stock an' do de li'l wuk 'roun' de house. When -we got through wid dat we had de res' of de day to run 'roun' wharever -we wanted to go. 'Co'se we had to git permission from de marsa. - -"De owners of slaves use to giv' cornshuckin' parties, an' invite slaves -from yuther plantations. Dey would have plenty of whiskey an' other -stuff to eat. De slaves would shuck corn an' eat an' drink. Dey use'to -giv' cotton pickin's de same way. All of dis went on at night. Dey had -jack-lights in de cotton patch for us to see by. De lights was made on a -forked stick an' moved from place to place whilst we picked. De corn -shuckin' was done at de barn, an' dey didn' have to have de lights so -dey could move dem frum place to place. - -"De only games dat I played when I was young was marbles an' ball. I use -to sing a few songs dat I heard de older folks sing lak: - - Cecess ladies thank they mighty grand, - Settin' at de table, coffee pot of rye, - O' ye Rebel union band, have these ladies understan' - We leave our country to meet you, Uncle Sam. - -"Dese songs was 'bout de soldiers an' de war. There was one 'bout ol' -General Wise what went: - - Ol' General Wise was a mighty man, - And not a wise man either, - It took forty yards of cloth to make a uniform, - To march in de happy land of Canaan. - - Chorus: - - Ha-ha, ha-ha, de south light is comin', - Charge boys, charge, dis battle we mus' have, - To march us in the happy land of Canaan. - -"There was a song 'bout General Roddy too: - - Run ol' Roddy through Tuscumbia, through Tuscumbia, - We go marchin' on. - - Chorus: - - Glory, glory hallelujah, glory, glory hallelujah, - Glory, glory hallelujah as we go marchin' on. - - Ol' Roddy's coat was flyin', ol' Roddy's coat flyin' high, - Twell it almost touch de sky, we go marchin' on. - -"I was a pretty big boy when de war broke out. I 'member seein' the -Yankees cross Big Bear creek bridge one day. All of de sojars crossed de -bridge but one. He stayed on de yuther side 'twell all de res' had got -'crost, den he got down offen his horse an' took a bottle of somp'in' -an' strowed it all over de bridge. Den he lighted a match to it an' -followed de res'. In a few minutes the Rebel sojars come to de bridge to -cross but it was on fire an' dey had to swim 'crost to de yuther side. I -went home an' tol' my mammy dat de Rebels was chasin' de Union sojars, -an' dat one of de Unions had poured some water on de bridge an' sot it -afire. She laugh' an' say: 'Son, don't you know dat water don't make a -fire? Dat musta been turpentine or oil?' I 'member one day Mr. Tom was -havin' a big barbecue for de Rebel soldiers in our yard. Come a big -roarin' down de military road, an' three men in blue coats rode up to de -gate an' come on in. Jes' as soon as de Rebels saw 'em de all run to de -woods. In 'bout five minutes de yard was full of blue coats. Dey et up -all de grub what de Rebels had been eatin'. Tom White had to run 'way to -keep de Yankees from gittin' him. 'Fo de Yankees come, de white folks -took all dey clo's an' hung 'em in de cabins. Dey tol' de colored folks -to tell de Yankees dat de clo's was dere'n. Dey tol' us to tell 'em how -good dey been to us an' dat we lacked to live wid 'em. - -"All day dat we got news dat we was free, Mr. White called us niggers to -the house. He said: 'You are all free, jes' as free as I am. Now go an' -git yerse'f somewhar to stick your heads.' Jes' as soon as he say dat, -my mammy hollered out: 'Dat's 'nough for a yearlin'. She struck out -'crost de fiel' to Mr. Lee Osborn's to git a place for me an' her to -stay. He paid us seventy-five cents a day, fifty cents to her an' two -bits for me. He gave us our dinner along wid de wages. After the crop -was gathered fer that year, me an' my mammy cut an' hauled wood for Mr. -Osborn. Us lef' Mr. Osborn dat fall an' went to Mr. John Rawlins. Us -made a share crop wid him. Us'd pick two rows of cotton an' he'd pick -two rows. Us'd pull two rows of corn an' he'd pull two rows. He -furnished us wid rations an' a place to stay. Us'd sell our cotton an' -open corn an' pay Mr. John Rawlins for feedin' us. Den we moved wid Mr. -Hugh Nelson an' made a share crop wid him. We kep' movin' an' makin' -share crops 'twell us saved up 'nough money to rent us a place an' make -a crop fer ourse'ves. Us did right well at dis until de Ku Klux got so -bad, us had to move back wid Mr. Nelson for protection. De mens that -took us in was union men. Dey lived here in the south but dey tooken us -part in de slave business. De Ku Klux threat to whup Mr. Nelson 'case he -took up fer de niggers. Heap uv nights we would hear of the Ku Klux -comin' an' leave home. Sometimes us was scared not to go an' scared to -go 'way from home. - -"One day I borrowed a gun frum Ed Davis to go squ'el huntin'. When I -taken de gun back I didn't unload hit lack I allus been doin'. Dat night -de Ku Klux called on Ed to whup him. When dey tol' him to open de do', -he heard one of 'em say, 'Shoot him time he gits de do' open. 'Well, he -says to 'em,' wait 'twell I kin light de lamp.' Den he got de gun what I -had lef' loaded, got down on his knees an' stuck hit th'ough a log an' -pull de trigger. He hit Newt Dobbs in de stomach an' kilt him. He -couldn't stay 'roun' Burleson any mo', so he come to Mr. Nelson an' got -'nough money to git to Pine Bluff, Arkansas. The Ku Klux got bad sho' -'nough den and went to killin' niggers an' white folks, too. - -"I ma'ied Kizi Drumgoole. Reverend W.C. Northcross perform' de ceremony. -Dere warn't nobody dere but de witness an' me an' Kizi. I had three -sons, but all of 'em is dead 'cepin' one an' dat's Hugh. He get seven -chilluns. He wuks on de relief. - -"Abe Lincoln was as nobler man as ever walked. Jeff Davis was as smart -man as you ever wan' to see. Endurin' de war he sheared his horse in -sich a way dat he looked lack he was goin' one way when he'd gwine de de -yuther. Booker T. Washington did one of de greates' things when he fix -it for nigger boys an' girls to learn how to git on in de worl'. - -"Slavery wouldn't a been so bad, but folks made it so by selling us for -high prices, an' of co'se folks had to try to git dey money's worth out -of 'em. The chillun of Is'ael was in bondage one time an' God sent Moses -to 'liver 'em. Well I 'spose dat God sent Abe Lincoln to 'liver us." - - - - -Abe Whitess - - - *Interview with Abe Whitess* - --_David Holt_ - -_"MAYOR OF DOUGLASVILLE"_ - -When the sunshine is warm, Abe Whitess, "Mayor of Douglasville," sits -outside his cabin door near Bay Minette, Alabama, and watches the stream -of traffic on US 31 just beyond his bare feet, "a' restin'" in the -soothing sand. More than 90 years ago he was born not many miles from -this same cabin over in Mississippi as a slave of Col. Rupert, who owned -plantations in Alabama and Mississippi. - -"I come over to Alabama after the surrender," Abe Whitess told his -interviewer after he had retired with dignity to put on shoes before he -permitted his photograph to be taken. "I went to a plantation in Butler -County fust and then came on down here to Bay Minette. - -"Slavery wasn't so bad. Col. Rupert was a good marster, but he lived way -over in Mobile and us was at his Scooby (Scooba) plantation. That was in -Kemper County and his overseer there sho was handy with a whup. I was a -cotton hand and spent most of my time totin' water for the other hands. -When Mr. Lincoln 'mancipated us we was free and I didn't carry any more -water. It wasn't 'twell after the surrender I went to Butler County, -where Colonel Rupert had him another plantation. - -"I come down here to Bay Minette a long time ago. I us'ta be chairman of -the Republican party in Baldwin County here, but when the Republicans -got in they made the white gem'mun what took my job postmaster. Then the -bank I had my money in went busted in another Republican time and I -loses $658.05. I votes for Mr. Roosevelt now." - -Abe Whitess stopped to take a chew of his favorite tobacco and admitted -that he lived alone in his one-room cabin by preference. He doesn't want -women "botherin' 'round his place and ain't had no truckin' with 'em for -years." He cooks on the hearth just as his mammy did before him decades -ago in the slave quarters of Colonel Rupert's plantation. - -[Illustration: _Abe Whitess, Bay Minette, Alabama_] - -Despite his years, he is well able to take care of himself. He carries -his nine decades lightly, and his kindly face is topped by a wealth of -snow white hair. Though he lost money in the bank failure that made him -a Democrat in politics, Abe owns 14 acres of land, part of which he -farms. He has cleared a portion of it for a baseball diamond which is -rented to Negro teams, who play there frequently. The fee is always -collected before a ball is thrown. - -Several years ago he donated a part of the acreage to be used for a -public road which opened up a portion of Douglasville, the suburb in -which he lives, where a number of Negroes had developed a residential -section. His people named him then and since "Mayor of Douglasville," -without office or emolument, but Abe wears the title with a dignified -content for his remaining years. - - - - -Callie Williams - - - *Interview with Callie Williams* - --_Mary A. Poole, Mobile_ - -_PATTEROLLERS USED SHACKLES, SAYS CALLIE_ - -Callie Williams was only four years old at the time of the surrender, -but stories told to her by her mother are vividly remembered, and the -fact that she has had the same environment continously throughout the -years imprinted these happenings permanently on her mind. She lives at -504 Eslava Street, Mobile. - -"My mammy and pappy was brought to Alabama by specalators who sold 'em -to Mr. Hiram McLemore at Newport Landing, on de Alabama ribber," Callie -said. "Mammy's name was Vicey and she was born in Virginia, but my pappy -was born in Kentucky. His name was Harry. Mr. McLemore had about three -hundred head of slaves, some of 'em on one plantation of about two -thousand acres an' de res' on another place of about five hundred acres. -He sho' did have a pretty house. It was all white and ramblin-like and -had big trees aroun' it. Dere was a cool well and a big dairy right -close by it and den de cabins was all in a row in de back, some of 'em -made out of planks, but mos' of 'em was made wid logs. Dey was all named -after whoever lived in 'em." - -Aunt Callie needed little urging to tell of the old days, and she claims -to vividly remember her master's family. - -"His wife was named Axie Bethea and he had seven children," she said. - -"One of 'em I never will forget, Miss Julia, 'case she gimme de first -calico dress I ever had and I was proud as a peacock wid it. Miss Julia -was de oldest little girl and dey give me to her. - -"My mammy say dat dey waked up in de mornin' when dey heard de sweep. -Dat was a piece of iron hangin' by a string and it made a loud noise -when it was banged wid another piece of iron. Dey had to get up at four -o'clock and be at work by sunup. To do dis, dey mos' all de time cook -breakfast de night befo'. - -"Pappy was a driver under de overseer, but mammy say dat she stay at de -little nursery cabin and look after all de little babies. Dey had a -cabin fixed up with homemade cradles and things where dey put all de -babies. Der mammies would come in from de field about ten o'clock to -nurse 'em and den later in de day, my mammy would feed de youngest on -pot-licker and de older ones on greens and pot-licker. Dey had skimmed -milk and mush, too, and all of 'em stayed as fat as a butter balls, me -among 'em. Mammy saw dat I always got my share. - -"De slaves got rations every Monday night. Dere would be three pounds of -meat and a peck of meal. Dere was a big garden dat all of 'em worked and -dey had all de vegetables dey needed and dere was always plenty of -skimmed milk. Dey cooked de meals on open fireplaces in de big iron -'spiders.' Dem was big pots hangin' over the fire from a hook. Dey do de -cookin' at night and den warm it over the nex' day if dey wanted it dat -way. - -"While mammy was tendin' de babies she had to spin cotton and she was -supposed to spin two 'cuts' a day. Four 'cuts' was a hard day's work. -What was a cut? You oughta' know dat! Dey had a reel and when it had -spun three hundred yards it popped. Dat was a "cut." When it had been -spun, den another woman took it to de loom to make cloth for de slaves. -Dey always took Saturday afternoon to clean up de clothes and cabins, -'case dey always had to start work on Monday mornin' clean as a pin. If -dey didn't, dey got whupped for bein' dirty. - -"Some of de niggers, after dey'd been beat, would try to run away and -some of 'em got loose, but de patterollers caught a lot of 'em and den -dey'd get it harder dan ever befo' and have shackles out on dere feet -wid jes' enough slack for 'em to walk so dey could work. - -"If dey wanted to go 'possum huntin' or fishin', dey could get passes -from de overseer. Two things dey really loved to eat was 'possum and -fish. Dey'd eat and eat 'till dey'd get sick and den dey'd have to boil -up a dose of Boneset tea to work 'em out. If dat didn't make 'em feel -better, dey'd go to Marster. He always kept calomel, bluemas and quinine -on hand. If dey got too bad off sick, den marster would call de doctor. -De children wasn't bothered with nothin' much but worms and dey'd take -Jerusalem oak. It was de seed of a weed dat cook' and mix' 'lasses to -make it taste like candy. Boneset was a bush and dey'd boil de leaves to -get boneset tea. - -"Mos' of de time de slaves would be too tired to do anything but go to -bed at night, but sometimes dey would set around and sing after supper -and dey would sing and pray on Sunday. One of de songs dat was used mos' -was 'Yon Comes Old Marster Jesus.' If I remembers rightly, it went -somp'n' like dis: - - I really believe Christ is comin' again - He's comin' in de mornin' - He's comin' in de mornin' - He's comin' wid a rainbow on his shoulder - He's comin' again bye and bye. - -"Dey tried to make 'em stop singin' and prayin' durin' de war, 'case all -dey'd ask for was to be sot free, but de slaves would get in de cabins -and turn a big wash pot upside down and sing into dat, and de noise -couldn't get out. I don't remember nothin' about dis ceptin' what mammy -say. - -"When de Surrender come, she say dat a whole regiment of soldiers rode -up to de house yellin' to de niggers dat dey was free. Den de soldiers -took de meat out of de smokehouse and got all de 'lasses and meal and -give it all to de niggers. Dey robbed de bees and den dey eat dinner and -go on to de nex' place, takin' de menfolks wid 'em, all 'ceptin' de ones -too old, my pappy among 'em. - -"After it was all over my pappy rented land on Mr. McLemore's place and -he and mammy stayed dere till dey died. Dey was buried in de same -graveyard dat Mr. McLemore had set aside for his slaves. I married Frank -Williams in Montgomery, Alabama, but our marriage was nothin' like mammy -say her and pappy's was. She say dey 'jumped de broom stick.' When any -of de slaves wanted to get married dey would go to de big house and tell -marster and he'd get his broomstick and say, 'Harry, does you want -Vicey?' And Harry would say 'yes.' Den Marster would say, 'Vicey, does -you want Harry?', and she say 'yes.' Den marster say, 'Jine hands and -jump de broomstick and you is married. De ceremony wasn't much but dey -stuck lots closer den, and you didn't hear about so many divorces and -such as dat. - -"All my children is dead but two. I had five. One is livin' in Atlantic -City, N.J., and I live here wid de other one. I 'spects I'll jes' go on -livin' here 'till I die, serving Ole Marster as bes' I can. If all de -peoples on dis here earth would do dat, we wouldn't be pestered wid all -dese here troubles like we is nowadays. - - - - -Silvia Witherspoon - - - *Interview with Silvia Witherspoon* - --_Susie R. O'Brien, Uniontown, Alabama_ - -_FOOTS GETS TIRED FROM CHOPPIN' COTTON_ - -Aunt Silvia Witherspoon sat dozing on the steps of her small cabin, her -bare feet stretched out in the dry dust of the yard. A large horsefly -settled upon her broad nose and after a moment Aunt Silvia's composure -was disturbed to such an extent that she waved it off with her hand. On -doing so her eyes opened and she saw me approaching the steps. She -straightened. "Mawnin', Mistis. Jus' settin' heah coolin' off my foots. -I'se plum wo' out f'um choppin' cotton. - -"Yassmam," she continued, after I had asked a few questions, "I -remembers some things 'bout de slavery days. 'Co'se I can't remember -jus' 'zactly how old I is, but I mus' be mought nigh on to ninety, -'ca'se I was a raght sizable gal when de war ended. I was bawn on a -plantation in Jackson, Mississippi, dat belonged to my Massa, Dr. Minto -Witherspoon. My Pappy an' Mammy was name Lum an' Phyllis Witherspoon. De -white folks lived in a big, white house made outten logs. Honey, Massa -an' Mistis Witherspoon was quality! Yassmam, dey was quality. Us slaves -was treated lak we was somp'n round dat place. Massa didn't 'low no -oberseer to tote no strop 'hine his niggers. Besides dat we was fed good -an' had good clothes. He useta done had brogans sont out in boxfuls f'um -Mobile. My job was to do little things aroun' de white folks' house, but -befo' dat I stayed in de quarters an' nussed my mammy's chilluns, while -she worked in de fiel's. She would tie de smalles' baby on my back so's -I could play widout no inconvenience. I laked to stay at de big house, -dough, an' fan de flies offen de white folks while dey et. Dat was de -bes' job I eber had. Mistis gived me a dress dat de white chilluns done -out-growed an' on Sunday I was de dressed-upest nigger in de quarter. - -"Massa 'longed to de Presbyterian chu'ch, so all us niggers was -Presbyterians too. We all went to our own chu'ch dat was on de place -dar. - -"Massa kep' a pack of blood hounds but it warn't often dat he had to use -'em 'ca'se none of our niggers eber runned away. One day, dough, a -nigger named Joe did run away. Believe me Mistis, dem blood hounds cotch -dat nigger 'fo' he got to de creek good. It makes me laugh till yit de -way dat nigger jumped in de creek when he couldn't swim a lick jus' -'ca'se dem houn's was atter him. He sho made a splash, but dey managed -to git him out 'fo he drowned. - -"I ma'ied about a year atter de war, an' Mistis, I didn't have no pretty -dress to git ma'ied in. I ma'ied dat ole nigger in a dirty work dress -an' my feets was bare jus' lak dey is now. I figured dat iffen he loved -me, he loved me jus' as well in my bare feets as he would wid my shoes -on. - -"Does I believe in ghosties? Sho I does. I don't suppose you was bawn -wid a veil on yo' face lak I was, 'ca'se I can see dem ghosties as plain -as dey was here raght now. I'll tell you 'bout one dat comes out de -white folks chu'ch yard. On dark rainy nights, I sees him, tall wid long -white robes drappin f'um him. He carries a big light so bright dat you -can't see his face, but he looks jus' lak a man. It don't bother me -none, 'ca'se I don't bother it. - -"I keeps a flour sifter an' a fork by my bed to keep de witches f'um -ridin' me. How come I knows dey rides me? Honey, I bees so tired in de -mawnin' I kin scarcely git outten my bed, an' its all on account of dem -witches ridin' me, so I putt de sifter dere to cotch 'em. Sometimes I -wears dis dime wid de hole in it aroun' my ankle to keep off de conjure, -but since Monroe King tuk an' died us ain't had much conjerin' 'roun' -here. You know dat ole nigger would putt a conjure on somebody for jus' -a little sum of money. He sold conjure bags to keep de sickness away. He -could conjure de grass an' de birds, an' anything he wanted to. De -niggers 'roun' useta give him chickens an' things so's he wouldn't -conjure 'em, but its a funny thing Mistis, I ain't never understood it, -he got tuk off to jail for stealin' a mule, an' us niggers waited 'roun' -many a day for him to conjure hisself out, but he never did. I guess he -jus' didn't have quite enough conjurin' material to git hisself th'ough -dat stone wall. I ain't never understood it, dough." - - - - -George Young - - - *Interview with George Young* - --_Ruby Pickens Tartt, Livingston, Alabama_ - -_PETER HAD NO KEYS 'CEPIN' HIS'N_ - -"De Lawd wouldn' trusted Peter wid no keys to Heaven," in the opinion of -George Young, of Livingston, Alabama, born into slavery ninety-one years -ago. George knew the rigors of slavery under an absentee landlord and -brutal overseers, according to the story he tells. - -"I was born on what was knowed as de Chapman Place, five miles nor'wes' -of Livingston, on August 10th, 1846," George began his tale. My name was -George Chapman an' I had five brothers, Anderson, Harrison, William, -Henry an' Sam, an' three Sisters, Phoebe, Frances and Amelia. My -mother's name was Mary Ann Chapman an' my father's name was Sam Young, -but he b'longed to Mr. Chapman. Us all belonged to Governor Reuben -Chapman of Alabama. - -"The overseer's name was Mr. John Smith, an' anudder's name was Mr. -Lawler. He was dere de year I was born, an' dey called hit "Lawler -year." Bofe of 'em was mean, but Lawler, I hear tell, was de meanes'. -Dey had over three hund'ed slaves, caze dey had three plantations, one -at Bodke, one in Huntsville and dis yere one. I can't say Marsa Chapman -wasn't good to us, caze he was all de time in Huntsville an' jes' come -now an' den an' bring his family to see 'bouten' things. But de -overseers was sho' mean. - -"I seed slaves plenty times wid iron ban's 'roun' dey ankles an' a hole -in de ban' an' a iron rod fasten to hit what went up de outside of dey -leg to de wais' an' fasten to another iron ban' 'roun' de waist. Dis -yere was to keep 'em from bendin' dey legs an' runnin' away. Dey call -hit puttin' de stiff knee on you, an' hit sho' made 'em stiff! Sometimes -hit made 'em sick, too, caze dey had dem iron ban's so tight roun' de -ankles, dat when dey tuck 'em off live things was under 'em, an' dat's -whut give 'em fever, dey say. Us had to go out in de woods an' git -May-apple root an' mullen weed an' all sich to bile for to cyore de -fever. Miss, whar was de Lord in dem days? Whut was He doin'? - -"But some of 'em runned away, anyhow. My brother Harrison was one, an' -dey sot de "nigger dogs" on him lack fox houn's run a fox today. Dey -didn't run him down till 'bout night but finely dey cotched him, an' de -hunters feched him to de do' an' say: "Mary Ann, here' Harrison." Den -dey turned de dogs loose on him ag'in, an' sich a screamin' you never -hyared. He was all bloody an' Mammy was a-hollerin', 'Save him, Lord, -save my chile, an' don' let dem dogs eat him up.' Mr. Lawler said, 'De -Lord ain't got nothin' do wid dis here, an' hit sho' look lack He -didn't, 'caze dem dogs nigh 'bout chewed Harrison up. Dem was hard -times, sho'. - -"Dey didn't l'arn us nothin' an' didn't 'low us to l'arn nothin'. Iffen -dey ketch us l'arnin' to read an' write, dey cut us han' off. Dey didn't -'low us to go to church, neither. Sometimes us slip off an' have a -little prayer meetin' by usse'ves in a ole house wid a dirt flo'. Dey'd -git happy an' shout an' couldn't nobody hyar 'em, 'caze dey didn't make -no fuss on de dirt flo', an' one stan' in de do' an' watch. Some folks -put dey head in de wash pot to pray, an' pray easy, an' somebody be -watchin' for de overseer. Us git whupped fer ev'ything iffen hit was -public knowed. - -"Us wasn't 'lowed visit nobody from place to place, an' I seed Jim -Dawson, dis here same Iverson Dawson' daddy; I seed him stobbed out wid -fo' stobs. Dey laid him down on his belly an' stretch his han's out on -bofe sides an' tie one to one stob, an' one to de yuther. Bofe his feet -was stretch out an' tied to dem stobs. Den dey whupped him wid a whole -board whut you kiver a house wid. De darkies had to go dere in de night -an' take him up in a sheet an' carry him home, but he didn't die. He was -'cused of gwine over to de neighbor's plantation at night. Nine o'clock -was de las' hour us had to be closed in. Head man come out an' holler, -"Oh, yes! Oh, yes! Ev'ybody in an' do's locked." An' iffen you wan't, -you got whupped. - -"Wan't nobody 'lowed to co't. Us jes' taken up together an' go ahead, -an' dat thing wan't fixed 'twel atter S'render. - -"De Patterolles come frum diffe'nt places, an' de Tank'sleys, de Potts, -de Cock'ells an' de Greg'rys was neighbors. I may of went to dey house -an' dey claim to pertec' me playin' wid dey little nigger chillun, but -iffen de Patterollers ketch me, dey claim dey wan't 'sponsible. One day, -dey tuck out atter me an' I come right here in Livingston, but I was -gwiner run away anyhow, 'caze I had seed ole Uncle Thornton dat mornin'. -See, I was de ca'f nusser an' soon as I lef' de house I met him, an' -here come de overseer, Mr. Smith. He sent atter me an' he said, 'I seed -six niggers in de woods whut run away,' an' asked did I see ole man -Thornton. I said, 'No, I ain't seed nobody.' He said, 'Nev' mine, I make -you tell a better tale'n dat in de mawnin'.' So when I went wid de slop -to dem ca'ves I got to thinkin' 'bout dat whupping so I come right here. - -"Mr. Norville had a wood-shop right 'crost de road dere by de white -folks Baptis' church an' I hid in de back of hit dat night. But dey -foun' me an' tuck me back. Den dey stop me from ca'f nussin' an' put me -in de fiel' under de head man. I was glad of dat, 'caze I wanted to be -wid de other han's, but when I foun' out how 'twas, I wanted to be back. -Hit was a harder tas' den when I was nussin' ca'ves an' keepin' 'em from -breakin' in de fiel' an' eatin' up de crop. - -"I was a good han' an' obeyed de owners an' de head man an' never had no -'fuse 'bout work. I went one time to Bennet's Station, ten miles b'low -here, wid jes' seven mo' niggers from de Chapman place, an' us driv' -over a thousan' head of cattle to Atlanta, Ga., an' never had no -trouble. I was easy pleased. Give me a piece of candy an' I'd lick hit -'twel my mouf was so'. I reckon hit was all right, but I dunno. All de -nations couldn't rule. Jes' lack hit is now, de stronges' people mus' -rule. - -[Illustration: _George Young, Livingston, Alabama_] - -"Atter S'render, dey tuck a darky for de probit jedge, but dat nigger -didn't know nothin' an' he couldn't rule. So den dey tuck a white man -name Sanders, an' he done all right. We was under hard task-masters an' -I'm glad dey sot me free, 'caze I was under burden an' boun'. But -ignerrancy can't rule, hit sho' can't. We is darkies, an' white folks -ought to be favorable. Some speaks better words'n others, but ev'ybody -ain't got de same heart, an' dat's all I knows. - -"No'm, I dunno nuthin' 'bout no spirits, either, but Christ 'peered to -de 'postles, didn't He, atter he been dead? An' I'se seed folks done -been dead jes' as na'chel in de day as you is now. One day me an' my -wife was pickin' cotton right out yonder on Mr. White's place, an' I -looked up an' seed a man all dressed in black, wid a white shirt bosom, -his hat a-sittin' on one side, ridin' a black hoss. - -"I stoop down to pick some cotton, den look up an' he was gone. I said -to my wife--I call her Glover but she go by two names--I said, Glover, -wonder whar dat man went what was ridin' long yonder on dat pacin' -hoss?' She say, 'What pacin' hoss an' what man?' I said, 'He was comin' -down dat bank by dat ditch. Dey ain't no bridge dere, an' no hoss could -jump hit.' Glover said, 'Well, I'm gwine in de house 'caze I don' feel -lack pickin' cotton today.' - -"But I ain't skeered of 'em. I gets out de path plenty times to let 'em -by, an' iffen you kin see'em, walk 'roun' 'em. Iffen you can't see 'em, -den dey'll walk 'roun' you. Iffen dey gets too plentiful, I jes' hangs a -hoss shoe upside down over de do', an' don' have no mo' trouble. But -ev'ybody oughter have dat kinder min', to honor God. He 'peered to de -'ciples atter He died, an' he said also, 'Peter, I'll give you de keys -to de kingdom'. But Peter didn't have nobody's keys 'cep'in' his'n. -Don't you know iffen he'd of give Peter all dem keys, dey's a heap of -folks Peter gwineter keep out of dere jes' for spite? God ain't gwineter -do nothin' dat foolish. Peter didn't have nobody's key 'cepin' Peter's!" - - - - -Transcriber's Note - - -Original spelling has been maintained; e.g. "_stob_--a short straight -piece of wood, such as a stake" (American Heritage Dictionary).--The -Works Progress Administration was renamed during 1939 as the Work -Projects Administration (WPA). - - - - - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SLAVE NARRATIVES: A FOLK HISTORY -OF SLAVERY IN THE UNITED STATES FROM INTERVIEWS WITH FORMER SLAVES: -VOLUME I, ALABAMA NARRATIVES *** - - - - -A Word from Project Gutenberg - - -We will update this book if we find any errors. - -This book can be found under: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/36020 - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no one -owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation (and -you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without permission -and without paying copyright royalties. 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