SLAVE NARRATIVES

_A Folk History of Slavery in the United StatesFrom Interviews with Former Slaves_

TYPEWRITTEN RECORDS PREPARED BYTHE FEDERAL WRITERS' PROJECT1936-1938ASSEMBLED BYTHE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS PROJECTWORK PROJECTS ADMINISTRATIONFOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIASPONSORED BY THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

_Illustrated with Photographs_

WASHINGTON 1941

[Transcriber's Note: Obvious printer errors have been corrected. In someinstances Transcriber's notes (TR) are included with each individualinterview, as well as some Handwritten Notes (HW) from the original weremaintained but as notation only. In addition, punctuation and formattinghave been made consistent, particularly the use of quotation marks. Added two lines to list of illustrations missing from original. ]

VOLUME XI

NORTH CAROLINA NARRATIVES

PART I

Prepared bythe Federal Writers' Project ofthe Works Progress Administrationfor the State of North Carolina

INFORMANTS

Adams, Louisa 1Adkins, Ida 8Allen, Martha 13Anderson, Joseph 16Anderson, Mary 19Andrews, Cornelia 27Anngady, Mary 32Arrington, Jane 44Augustus, Sarah Louis 50Austin, Charity 58

Baker, Blount 63Baker, Lizzie 66Baker, Viney 70Barbour, Charlie 73Barbour, Mary 78Baugh, Alice 82Beckwith, John 87Bectom, John C. 91Bell, Laura 99Blalock, Emma 103Blount, David 110Bobbit, Clay 117Bobbitt, Henry 120Bogan, Herndon 125Boone, Andrew 130Bost, W. L. 138Bowe, Mary Wallace 147Brown, Lucy 152Burnett, Midge 155

Cannady, Fanny 159Cofer, Betty 165Coggin, John 176Coverson, Mandy 179Cozart, Willie 182Crasson, Hannah 187Crenshaw, Julia 194Crowder, Zeb 196Crump, Adeline 203Crump, Bill 207Crump, Charlie 212Curtis, Mattie 216

Dalton, Charles Lee 223Daniels, John 229Daves, Harriet Ann 232Davis, Jerry 237Debnam, W. S. 241Debro, Sarah 247Dickens, Charles W. 254Dickens, Margaret E. 259Dowd, Rev. Squire 263Dunn, Fannie 270Dunn, Jennylin 275Dunn, Lucy Ann 278Durham, Tempie Herndon 284

Eatman, George 291Edwards, Doc 295Evans, John 298

Faucette, Lindsey 302Flagg, Ora M. 307Foster, Analiza 311Foster, Georgianna 314Freeman, Frank 318

Gill, Addy 323Glenn, Robert 328Green, Sarah Anne 340Griffeth, Dorcas 346Gudger, Sarah 350

Hall, Thomas 359Hamilton, Hecter 363Harris, George W. 370Harris, Sarah 375Hart, Cy 379Haywood, Alonzo 382Haywood, Barbara 385Henderson, Isabell 389Henry, Essex 393Henry, Milly 399Hews, Chaney 405High, Joe 409High, Susan 417Hill, Kitty 422Hinton, Jerry 427Hinton, Martha Adeline 433Hinton, Robert 436Hinton, William George 441Hodges, Eustace 446Huggins, Alex 449Hunter, Charlie H. 453Hunter, Elbert 457

ILLUSTRATIONS

 _Facing page_Louisa Adams 1

Viney Baker 70

John Beckwith 87

Clay Bobbit 117

Henry Bobbitt 120

Herndon Bogan 125

W. L. Bost 138

John Coggin 176

Hannah Crasson 187

Bill Crump 207

Charlie Crump and Granddaughter 212

Harriet Ann Daves 232

Charles W. Dickens 254

Margaret E. Dickens 259

Rev. Squire Dowd 263

Jennylin Dunn 275

Tempie Herndon Durham 284

George Eatman 291

John Evans 298

Sarah Gudger 350

Sarah Harris 375

Essex Henry 393

Milly Henry 399

Joe High 409

Elbert Hunter 457

N. C. District: No. 2 [320152]Worker: T. Pat MatthewsNo. Words: 1384Subject: Louisa AdamsPerson Interviewed: Louisa AdamsEditor: Daisy Bailey Waitt

[TR: Date Stamp "JUL 7 1937"]

LOUISA ADAMS

My name is Louisa Adams. I wuz bawned in Rockingham, Richmond County, North Carolina. I wuz eight years old when the Yankees come through. Ibelonged to Marster Tom A. Covington, Sir. My mother wuz named Easter, and my father wuz named Jacob. We were all Covingtons. No Sir, I don'tknow whur my mother and father come from. Soloman wuz brother numberone, then Luke, Josh, Stephen, Asbury. My sisters were Jane, Frances, Wincy, and I wuz nex'. I 'members grandmother. She wuz named Lovie Wall. They brought her here from same place. My aunts were named, one wuznamed Nicey, and one wuz named Jane. I picked feed for the white folks. They sent many of the chillun to work at the salt mines, where we wentto git salt. My brother Soloman wuz sent to the salt mines. Luke lookedatter the sheep. He knocked down china berries for 'em. Dad and mammiehad their own gardens and hogs. We were compelled to walk about at nightto live. We were so hongry we were bound to steal or parish. This traitseems to be handed down from slavery days. Sometimes I thinks dis mightbe so. Our food wuz bad. Marster worked us hard and gave us nuthin. Wehad to use what we made in the garden to eat. We also et our hogs. Ourclothes were bad, and beds were sorry. We went barefooted in a way. What I mean by that is, that we had shoes part of the time. We got onepair o' shoes a year. When dey wored out we went barefooted. Sometimeswe tied them up with strings, and they were so ragged de tracks lookedlike bird tracks, where we walked in the road. We lived in log housesdaubed with mud. They called 'em the slaves houses. My old daddy partlyraised his chilluns on game. He caught rabbits, coons, an' possums. Wewould work all day and hunt at night. We had no holidays. They did notgive us any fun as I know. I could eat anything I could git. I tell youde truth, slave time wuz slave time wid us. My brother wore his shoesout, and had none all thu winter. His feet cracked open and bled so badyou could track him by the blood. When the Yankees come through, he gotshoes. 

I wuz married in Rockingham. I don't 'member when Mr. JimmieCovington, a preacher, a white man, married us. I married James Adamswho lived on a plantation near Rockingham. I had a nice blue weddingdress. My husband wuz dressed in kinder light clothes, best Irickerlect. It's been a good long time, since deen [HW: den] tho'. 

I sho do 'member my Marster Tom Covington and his wife too, Emma. Daold man wuz the very nick. [HW correction: Nick] He would take what wemade and lowance us, dat is lowance it out to my daddy after he hadmade it. My father went to Steven Covington, Marster Tom's brother, andtold him about it, and his brother Stephen made him gib father his meatback to us. 

My missus wuz kind to me, but Mars. Tom wuz the buger. It wuz a mightybit plantation. I don't know how many slaves wuz on it, there were a lotof dem do'. Dere were overseers two of 'em. One wuz named Bob Covingtonand the other Charles Covington. They were colored men. I rode withthem. I rode wid 'em in the carriage sometimes. De carriage had seatsdat folded up. Bob wuz overseer in de field, and Charles wuz carriagedriver. All de plantation wuz fenced in, dat is all de fields, widrails; de rails wuz ten feet long. We drawed water wid a sweep and pail. De well wuz in the yard. De mules for the slaves wuz in town, dere werenone on the plantation. Dey had 'em in town; dey waked us time dechicken crowed, and we went to work just as soon as we could see how tomake a lick wid a hoe. 

Lawd, you better not be caught wid a book in yor han'. If you did, youwere sold. Dey didn't 'low dat. I kin read a little, but I can't write. I went to school after slavery and learned to read. We didn't go toschool but three or four week a year, and learned to read. 

Dere wuz no church on the plantation, and we were not lowed to haveprayer meetings. No parties, no candy pullings, nor dances, no sir, nota bit. I 'member goin' one time to the white folkses church, nobaptizing dat I 'member. Lawd have mercy, ha! ha! No. De pateroller wereon de place at night. You couldn't travel without a pas. 

We got few possums. I have greased my daddy's back after he had beenwhupped until his back wuz cut to pieces. He had to work jis the same. When we went to our houses at night, we cooked our suppers at night, etand then went to bed. If fire wuz out or any work needed doin' around dehouse we had to work on Sundays. They did not gib us Christmas or anyother holidays. We had corn shuckings. I herd 'em talkin' of cuttin decorn pile right square in two. One wud git on one side, another on theother side and see which out beat. They had brandy at the corn shuckin'and I herd Sam talkin' about gittin' drunk. 

I 'member one 'oman dying. Her name wuz Caroline Covington. I didn't goto the grave. But you know they had a little cart used with hosses tocarry her to the grave, jist a one horse wagon, jist slipped her inthere. 

Yes, I 'member a field song. It wuz 'Oh! come let us go where pleasurenever dies. Great fountain gone over'. Dat's one uv 'em. We had a gooddoctor when we got sick. He come to see us. The slaves took herbs deyfound in de woods. Dat's what I do now, Sir. I got some 'erbs right inmy kitchen now. 

When the Yankees come through I did not know anything about 'em tillthey got there. Jist like they were poppin up out of de ground. One ofthe slaves wuz at his master's house you know, and he said, 'The Yankeesare in Cheraw, S. C. [HW correction: South Carolina] and the Yankees arein town'. It didn't sturb me at tall. I wuz not afraid of de Yankees. I'member dey went to Miss Emma's house, and went in de smoke house andemptied every barrel of 'lasses right in de floor and scattered decracklings on de floor. I went dere and got some of 'em. Miss Emma wuzmy missus. Dey just killed de chickens, hogs too, and old Jeff the dog;they shot him through the thoat. I 'member how his mouth flew open whendey shot him. One uv 'em went into de tater bank, and we chillun wantedto go out dere. Mother wouldn't let us. She wuz fraid uv 'em. 

Abraham Lincoln freed us by the help of the Lawd, by his help. Slaverywuz owin to who you were with. If you were with some one who wuz goodand had some feelin's for you it did tolerable well; yea, tolerablewell. 

We left the plantation soon as de surrender. We lef' right off. We wentto goin' towards Fayetteville, North Carolina. We climbed over fencesand were just broke down chillun, feet sore. We had a little meat, cornmeal, a tray, and mammy had a tin pan. One night we came to a old house;some one had put wheat straw in it. We staid there, next mornin', wecome back home. Not to Marster's, but to a white 'oman named PeggyMcClinton, on her plantation. We stayed there a long time. De Yankeestook everything dey could, but dey didn't give us anything to eat. Deygive some of de 'omen shoes. 

I thinks Mr. Roosevelt is a fine man and he do all he can for us. 

District No: 3 [320278]Worker: Travis JordanNo. Words: 1500Title: Ida Adkins Ex-slaveInterviewed: Ida Adkins County Home, Durham, N. C. 

[TR: Date Stamp "JUN 1 1937"]

IDA ADKINS

Ex-slave 79 years. 

[TR note: Numerous hand written notations and additions in the followinginterview (i. E. Wuz to was; er to a; adding t to the contractions. )Made changes where obvious without comment. Additions and comments wereleft as notation, in order to preserve the flow of the dialect. ]

I wuz bawn befo' de war. I wuz about eight years ole when de Yankee menscome through. 

My mammy an' pappy, Hattie an' Jim Jeffries belonged to Marse FrankJeffries. Marse Frank come from Mississippi, but when I wuz bawn he an'Mis' Mary Jane wuz livin' down herr near Louisburg in North Carolinawhare dey had er big plantation an' [HW addition: I] don' know how manyniggers. Marse Frank wuz good to his niggers, 'cept [HW addition: that]he never give dem ernough to eat. He worked dem hard on half rations, but he didn' believe in all de time beatin' an' sellin' dem. 

My pappy worked at de stables, he wuz er good horseman, but my mammyworked at de big house helpin' Mis' Mary Jane. Mammy worked in deweavin' room. I can see her now settin' at de weavin' machine an' hearde pedals goin' plop, plop, as she treaded dem wid her feets. She wuz agood weaver. I stayed 'roun' de big house too, pickin' up chips, sweepin' de yard an' such as dat. Mis' Mary Jane wuz quick as erwhippo'-will. She had black eyes dat snapped, an' dey seed everythin'. She could turn her head so quick dat she'd ketch you every time youtried to steal a lump of sugar. I liked Marse Frank better den I didMis' Mary Jane. All us little chillun called him Big Pappy. Every timehe went [HW correction: come back] to Raleigh he brung us niggers backsome candy. He went to Raleigh erbout twice er year. Raleigh wuz er farways from de plantations--near 'bout sixty miles. [HW notation:check--appears to be about 40 miles only. ] It always took Marse Frankthree days to make de trip. A day to go, er' day to stay in town, an' aday to come back. Den he always got home in de night. Ceptn' [HWaddition: when] he rode ho'se back 'stead of de carriage, [HW addition:an'] den sometimes he got home by sun down. 

Marse Frank didn' go to de war. He wuz too ole. So when de Yankees comethrough dey foun' him at home. When Marse Frank seed de blue coatscomin' down de road he run an' got his gun. De Yankees was on horses. Iain't never seed so many men. Dey was thick as hornets comin' down deroad in a cloud of dus' [HW: correction "dust"]. Dey come up to de housean' tied de horses to de palin's; [HW correction: dey was so many deywas stan] 'roun' de yard [HW addition: fence]. When dey seed Marse Frankstandin' on de po'ch [HW correction: porch] wid de gun leveled on dem, dey got mad. Time Marse Frank done shot one time [HW correction: "oncea"] a bully Yankee snatched de gun away an' tole Marse Frank to hold uphis hand. Den dey tied his hands an' pushed him down on de floor 'sidede house an' tole him dat if he moved [HW addition: a inch] dey wouldshoot him. Den dey went in de house. 

I wuz skeered near 'bout to death, but I run in de kitchen an' got abutcher knife, an' when de Yankees wasn' lookin', I tried to cut de ropean' set Marse Frank free. But one of dem blue debils seed me an' comerunnin'. He say:

'Whut you doin', you black brat! you stinkin' little alligator bait!' Hesnatched de knife from my hand an' told me to stick out my tongue, dathe wuz gwine to cut it off. I let out a yell an' run behin' de house. 

Some of de Yankees was in de smoke house gettin' de meat, some of demwuz at de stables gettin' de ho'ses, an' some of dem wuz in de housegettin' de silver an' things. I seed dem put de big silver pitcher an'tea pot in a bag. Den dey took de knives an' fo'ks an' all de candlesticks an' platters off de side board. Dey went in de parlor an' got degol' clock dat wuz Mis' Mary Jane's gran'mammy's. Den dey got all dejewelry out of Mis' Mary Jane's box. 

Dey went up to Mis' Mary Jane, an' while she looked at dem wid her blackeyes snappin', dey took de rings off her fingers; den dey took her gol'bracelet; dey even took de ruby ear rings out of her ears an' de gol'comb out of her hair. 

I done quit peepin' in de window an' wuz standin' 'side de house when deYankees come out in de yard wid all de stuff dey wuz totin' off. MarseFrank wuz still settin' on de po'ch [HW correction: porch] floor wid hishan's tied an' couldn' do nothin'. 'Bout dat time I seed de bee gums inde side yard. Dey wuz a whole line of gums. Little as I wuz I had anotion. I run an' got me a long stick an' tu'ned over every one of demgums. Den I stirred dem bees up wid dat stick 'twell [HW correction:'till] dey wuz so mad I could smell de pizen. An' bees! you ain't neverseed de like of bees. Dey wuz swarmin' all over de place. Dey sailedinto dem Yankees like bullets, each one madder den de other. Dey lit ondem ho'ses 'twell [HW correction: till] dey looked like dey wuz live [HWcorrection: alive] wid varmints. De ho'ses broke dey bridles an' toredown de palin's an' lit out down de road. But dey [HW correction: dar]runnin' wuzn' nothin' to what dem Yankees done. Dey bust out cussin', but what did a bee keer about cuss words! Dey lit on dem blue coats an'every time dey lit dey stuck in a pizen sting. De Yankee's forgot allabout de meat an' things dey done stole; dey took off down de road on er[HW correction: a] run, passin' de horses. De bees was right after demin a long line. Dey'd zoom an' zip, an' zoom an' zip, an' every timedey'd zip a Yankee would yell. 

When dey'd gone Mis' Mary Jane untied Marse Frank. Den dey took all desilver, meat an' things de Yankees lef' behin' an' buried it so if deycome back dey couldn' fin' it. 

Den day called ma an' said:

'Ida Lee, if you hadn't tu'ned [HW correction: turned] over dem bee gumsdem Yankees would have toted off near 'bout everythin' fine we got. Wewant to give you somethin' you can keep so' you'll always remember disday, an' how you run de Yankees away. '

Den Mis' Mary Jane took a plain gold ring off her finger an' put it onmine. An' I been wearin' it ever since. 

N. C. District: No. 2 [320276]Worker: Mary A. HicksNo. Words: 402Subject: Ex-Slave StoryPerson Interviewed: Martha AllenEditor: Daisy Bailey Waitt

[TR: Date Stamp "JUN 7 1937"]

[HW: good short sketch]

EX-SLAVE STORY

An interview with Martha Allen, 78, of 1318 South Person Street, Raleigh. 

I wuz borned in Craven County seventy eight years ago. My pappa wuznamed Andrew Bryant an' my mammy wuz named Harriet. My brothers wuz JohnFranklin, Alfred, an' Andrew. I ain't had no sisters. I reckon dat we iswhat yo' call a general mixture case I am part Injun, part white, an'part nigger. 

My mammy belonged ter Tom Edward Gaskin an' she wuzn't half fed. Decook nussed de babies while she cooked, so dat de mammies could wuck inde fiel's, an' all de mammies done wuz stick de babies in at de kitchendo' on dere way ter de fiel's. I'se hyard mammy say dat dey went terwuck widout breakfast, an' dat when she put her baby in de kitchen she'dgo by de slop bucket an' drink de slops from a long handled gourd. 

De slave driver wuz bad as he could be, an' de slaves got awfulbeatin's. 

De young marster sorta wanted my mammy, but she tells him no, so hechunks a lightwood knot an' hits her on de haid wid it. Dese white menswhat had babies by nigger wimmens wuz called 'Carpet Gitters'. Myfather's father wuz one o' dem. 

Yes mam, I'se mixed plenty case my mammy's grandmaw wuz CherokeeInjun. 

I doan know nothin' 'bout no war, case marster carried us ter CedarFalls, near Durham an' dar's whar we come free. 

I 'members dat de Ku Klux uster go ter de Free Issues houses, strip allde family an' whup de ole folkses. Den dey dances wid de pretty yallergals an' goes ter bed wid dem. Dat's what de Ku Klux wuz, a bunch ofmean mens tryin' ter hab a good time. 

I'se wucked purty hard durin' my life an' I done my courtin' on a steeran' cart haulin' wood ter town ter sell. He wuz haulin' wood too on hiswagin, an' he'd beat me ter town so's dat he could help me off'n dewagin. I reckon dat dat wuz as good a way as any. 

I tries ter be a good christian but I'se got disgusted wid dese youngupstart niggers what dances in de chu'ch. Dey says dat dey am truckin'an' dat de Bible ain't forbid hit, but I reckin dat I knows dancin' wharI sees hit. 

N. C. District: No. 2 [ ]Worker: Mrs. Edith S. HibbsNo. Words: 275Subject: Story of Joseph AndersonInterviewed: Joseph Anderson 113 Rankin St. , Wilmington, N. C. Edited: Mrs. W. N. Harriss

[TR: No Date Stamp]

[HW: Unnumbered]

STORY OF JOSEPH ANDERSON

1113 Rankin StreetWilmington, N. C. 

Yes'm I was born a slave. I belong to Mr. T. C. McIlhenny who had a bigrice plantation "Eagles Nest" in Brunswick County. It was a big place. He had lots of slaves, an' he was a good man. My mother and father diedwhen I was fourteen. Father died in February 1865 and my mother died ofpneumonia in November 1865. My older sister took charge of me. 

Interviewer: "Can you read and write?"

Joseph: "Oh yes, I can write a little. I can make my marks. I can writemy name. No'm I can't read. I never went to school a day in my life. Ijust "picked up" what I know. "

I don't remember much about slave times. I was fourteen when I wasfreed. After I was freed we lived between 8th and 9th on Chestnut. Werented a place from Dan O'Connor a real estate man and paid him $5 amonth rent. I've been married twice. First time was married by Mr. EdTaylor, magistrate in Southport, Brunswick County. I was married to myfirst wife twenty years and eight months. Then she died. I was marriedagain when I was seventy-five years old. I was married to my second wifejust a few years when she died. 

I was on the police force for a year and a half. I was elected April 6, 1895. Mr. McIlhenny was an ole man then an' I used to go to see him. 

I was a stevedore for Mr. Alexander Sprunt for sixty years. 

Joseph is now buying his house at 1113 Rankin Street. Rents part of itfor $8. 50 a month to pay for it. He stays in one room. 

NOTE: Joseph's health is none too good, making information sketchy andincoherent. 

N. C. District: No. 2 [320086]Worker: T. Pat MatthewsNo. Words: 1905Subject: MARY ANDERSONPerson Interviewed: Mary AndersonEditor: G. L. Andrews

[TR: Date Stamp "AUG 23 1937"]

MARY ANDERSON

86 years of age. 17 Poole Road, R. F. D. #2. Raleigh, N. C. 

My name is Mary Anderson. I was born on a plantation near Franklinton, Wake County, N. C. May 10, 1851. I was a slave belonging to Sam Brodie, who owned the plantation at this place. My missus' name was Evaline. Myfather was Alfred Brodie and my mother was Bertha Brodie. 

We had good food, plenty of warm homemade clothes and comfortablehouses. The slave houses were called the quarters and the house wheremarster lived was called the great house. Our houses had two rooms eachand marster's house had twelve rooms. Both the slave and white folksbuildings were located in a large grove one mile square covered with oakand hickory nut trees. Marster's house was exactly one mile from themain Louisburg Road and there was a wide avenue leading through theplantation and grove to marster's house. The house fronted the avenueeast and in going down the avenue from the main road you traveleddirectly west. 

The plantation was very large and there were about two hundred acres ofcleared land that was farmed each year. A pond was located on the placeand in winter ice was gathered there for summer use and stored in an icehouse which was built in the grove where the other buildings were. Alarge hole about ten feet deep was dug in the ground; the ice was put inthat hole and covered. [TR: HW note in left margin is illegible. ]

A large frame building was built over it. At the top of the earth therewas an entrance door and steps leading down to the bottom of the hole. Other things besides ice were stored there. There was a still on theplantation and barrels of brandy were stored in the ice house, alsopickles, preserves and cider. 

Many of the things we used were made on the place. There was a gristmill, tannery, shoe shop, blacksmith shop, and looms for weaving cloth. 

There were about one hundred, and sixty-two slaves on the plantationand every Sunday morning all the children had to be bathed, dressed, andtheir hair combed and carried down to marster's for breakfast. It was arule that all the little colored children eat at the great house everySunday morning in order that marster and missus could watch them eat sothey could know which ones were sickly and have them doctored. 

The slave children all carried a mussel shell in their hands to eatwith. The food was put on large trays and the children all gatheredaround and ate, dipping up their food with their mussel shells whichthey used for spoons. Those who refused to eat or those who were ailingin any way had to come back to the great house for their meals andmedicine until they were well. 

Marster had a large apple orchard in the Tar River low grounds and upon higher ground and nearer the plantation house there was on one sideof the road a large plum orchard and on the other side was an orchard ofpeaches, cherries, quinces and grapes. We picked the quinces in Augustand used them for preserving. Marster and missus believed in giving theslaves plenty of fruit, especially the children. 

Marster had three children, one boy named Dallas, and two girls, Bettieand Carrie. He would not allow slave children to call his childrenmarster and missus unless the slave said little marster or littlemissus. He had four white overseers but they were not allowed to whip aslave. If there was any whipping to be done he always said he would doit. He didn't believe in whipping so when a slave got so bad he couldnot manage him he sold him. 

Marster didn't quarrel with anybody, missus would not speak short to aslave, but both missus and marster taught slaves to be obedient in anice quiet way. The slaves were taught to take their hats and bonnetsoff before going into the house, and to bow and say, 'Good morningMarster Sam and Missus Evaline'. Some of the little negroes would godown to the great house and ask them when it wus going to rain, and whenmarster or missus walked in the grove the little Negroes would followalong after them like a gang of kiddies. Some of the slave childrenwanted to stay with them at the great house all the time. They knew nobetter of course and seemed to love marster and missus as much as theydid their own mother and father. Marster and missus always used gentlemeans to get the children out of their way when they bothered them andthe way the children loved and trusted them wus a beautiful sight tosee. 

Patterollers were not allowed on the place unless they came peacefullyand I never knew of them whipping any slaves on marster's place. Slaveswere carried off on two horse wagons to be sold. I have seen severalloads leave. They were the unruly ones. Sometimes he would bring backslaves, once he brought back two boys and three girls from the slavemarket. 

Sunday wus a great day on the plantation. Everybody got biscuitsSundays. The slave women went down to marsters for their Sundayallowance of flour. All the children ate breakfast at the great houseand marster and missus gave out fruit to all. The slaves looked forwardto Sunday as they labored through the week. It was a great day. Slavesreceived good treatment from marster and all his family. 

We were allowed to have prayer meetings in our homes and we also wentto the white folks church. 

They would not teach any of us to read and write. Books and papers wereforbidden. Marster's children and the slave children played together. Iwent around with the baby girl Carrie to other plantations visiting. Shetaught me how to talk low and how to act in company. My association withwhite folks and my training while I was a slave is why I talk like whitefolks. 

Bettie Brodie married a Dr. Webb from Boylan, Virginia. Carrie marrieda Mr. Joe Green of Franklin County. He was a big southern planter. 

The war was begun and there were stories of fights and freedom. Thenews went from plantation to plantation and while the slaves actednatural and some even more polite than usual, they prayed for freedom. Then one day I heard something that sounded like thunder and missus andmarster began to walk around and act queer. The grown slaves werewhispering to each other. Sometimes they gathered in little gangs in thegrove. Next day I heard it again, boom, boom, boom. I went and askedmissus 'is it going to rain?' She said, 'Mary go to the ice house andbring me some pickles and preserves. ' I went and got them. She ate alittle and gave me some. Then she said, 'You run along and play. ' In aday or two everybody on the plantation seemed to be disturbed andmarster and missus were crying. Marster ordered all the slaves to cometo the great house at nine o'clock. Nobody was working and slaves werewalking over the grove in every direction. At nine o'clock all theslaves gathered at the great house and marster and missus came out onthe porch and stood side by side. You could hear a pin drap everythingwas so quiet. Then marster said, 'Good morning, ' and missus said, 'Goodmorning, children'. They were both crying. Then marster said, 'Men, women and children, you are free. You are no longer my slaves. TheYankees will soon be here. '

Marster and missus then went into the house got two large arm chairsput them on the porch facing the avenue and sat down side by side andremained there watching. 

In about an hour there was one of the blackest clouds coming up theavenue from the main road. It was the Yankee soldiers, they finallyfilled the mile long avenue reaching from marster's house to the mainLouisburg road and spread out over the mile square grove. The mountedmen dismounted. The footmen stacked their shining guns and began tobuild fires and cook. They called the slaves, saying, 'Your are free. 'Slaves were whooping and laughing and acting like they were crazy. Yankee soldiers were shaking hands with the Negroes and calling themSam, Dinah, Sarah and asking them questions. They busted the door to thesmoke house and got all the hams. They went to the ice-house and gotseveral barrels of brandy, and such a time. The Negroes and Yankees werecooking and eating together. The Yankees told them to come on and jointhem, they were free. Marster and missus sat on the porch and they wereso humble no Yankee bothered anything in the great house. The slaveswere awfully excited. The Yankees stayed there, cooked, eat, drank andplayed music until about night, then a bugle began to blow and you neversaw such getting on horses and lining up in your life. In a few minutesthey began to march, leaving the grove which was soon as silent as agrave yard. They took marster's horses and cattle with them and joinedthe main army and camped just across Cypress Creek one and one halfmiles from my marster's place on the Louisburg Road. 

When they left the country, lot of the slaves went with them and soonthere were none of marster's slaves left. They wandered around for ayear from place to place, fed and working most of the time at someother slave owner's plantation and getting more homesick every day. 

The second year after the surrender our marster and missus got on theircarriage and went and looked up all the Negroes they heard of who everbelonged to them. Some who went off with the Yankees were never heard ofagain. When marster and missus found any of theirs they would say, 'Well, come on back home. ' My father and mother, two uncles and theirfamilies moved back. Also Lorenza Brodie, and John Brodie and theirfamilies moved back. Several of the young men and women who oncebelonged to him came back. Some were so glad to get back they cried, 'cause fare had been mighty bad part of the time they were ramblingaround and they were hungry. When they got back marster would say, 'Wellyou have come back home have you, and the Negroes would say, 'Yesmarster. ' Most all spoke of them as missus and marster as they didbefore the surrender, and getting back home was the greatest pleasure ofall. 

We stayed with marster and missus and went to their church, the MapleSprings Baptist church, until they died. 

Since the surrender I married James Anderson. I had four children, oneboy and three girls. 

I think slavery was a mighty good thing for mother, father, me and theother members of the family, and I cannot say anything but good for myold marster and missus, but I can only speak for those whose conditionsI have known during slavery and since. For myself and them, I will sayagain, slavery was a mighty good thing. 

N. C. District: No. 2 [320280]Worker: Mary A. HicksNo. Words: 789Subject: Cornelia AndrewsStory Teller: Cornelia AndrewsEditor: Daisy Bailey Waitt

[TR: Date Stamp "JUN 7 1937"]

CORNELIA ANDREWS

An interview on May 21, 1937 with Cornelia Andrews ofSmithfield, Johnston County, who is 87 years old. 

De fust marster dat I 'members wuz Mr. Cute Williams an' he wuz a goodmarster, but me an' my mammy an' some of de rest of 'em wuz sold toDoctor McKay Vaden who wuz not good ter us. 

Doctor Vaden owned a good-sized plantation, but he had just eightslaves. We had plank houses, but we ain't had much food an' clothes. Wewored shoes wid wooden bottom in de winter an' no shoes in de summer. Weain't had much fun, nothin' but candy pullin's 'bout onct a year. Weain't raised no cane but marster buyed one barrel of 'lasses fer candyeber year. 

Yo' know dat dar wuz a big slave market in Smithfield dem days, dar wuzalso a jail, an' a whippin' post. I 'members a man named Rough somethin'or other, what bought forty er fifty slaves at de time an' carried 'emter Richmond to re-sell. He had four big black horses hooked ter a cart, an' behind dis cart he chained de slaves, an' dey had ter walk, or trotall de way ter Richmond. De little ones Mr. Rough would throw up in decart an' off dey'd go no'th. Dey said dat der wuz one day at Smithfielddat three hundret slaves wuz sold on de block. Dey said dat peoples camefrom fer an' near, eben from New Orleans ter dem slave sales. Dey saiddat way 'fore I wuz borned dey uster strip dem niggers start naked an'gallop' em ober de square so dat de buyers could see dat dey warn'tscarred nor deformed. 

While I could 'member dey'd sell de mammies 'way from de babies, an'dere wuzn't no cryin' 'bout it whar de marster would know 'bout itnother. Why? Well, dey'd git beat black an' blue, dat's why. 

Wuz I eber beat bad? No mam, I wuzn't. 

(Here the daughter, a graduate of Cornell University, who was in theroom listening came forward. "Open your shirt, mammy, and let the ladyjudge for herself. " The old ladies eyes flashed as she sat bolt upright. She seemed ashamed, but the daughter took the shirt off, exposing theback and shoulders which were marked as though branded with a plaitedcowhide whip. There was no doubt of that at all. )

"I wuz whupped public, " she said tonelessly, "for breaking dishes an''bein' slow. I wuz at Mis' Carrington's den, an' it wuz jist 'fore declose o' de war. I wuz in de kitchen washin' dishes an' I draps one. Demissus calls Mr. Blount King, a patteroller, an' he puts de whuppin' yo'sees de marks of on me. My ole missus foun' it out an' she comed an' gotme. "

A friend of the interviewer who was present remarked, "That must havebeen horrible to say the least. "

"Yo' 'doan know nothin, " the old Negro blazed. "Alex Heath, a slave wuzbeat ter death, hyar in Smithfield. He had stold something, dey tellsme, anyhow he wuz sentenced ter be put ter death, an' de folkses dar incharge 'cided ter beat him ter death. Dey gib him a hundret lashes fernine mornin's an' on de ninth mornin' he died. "

"My uncle Daniel Sanders, wuz beat till he wuz cut inter gashes an' hewuz tu be beat ter death lak Alex wuz, but one day atter dey had beathim an' throwed him back in jail wid out a shirt he broke out an' runnedaway. He went doun in de riber swamp an' de blow flies blowed de gashesan' he wuz unconscious when a white man found him an' tuk him home widhim. He died two or three months atter dat but he neber could git hisbody straight ner walk widout a stick; he jist could drag. "

"I 'specks dat I doan know who my pappy wuz, maybe de stock nigger on deplantation. My pappy an' mammy jist stepped ober de broom an' course Idoan know when. Yo' knows dey ain't let no little runty nigger have nochilluns. Naw sir, dey ain't, dey operate on dem lak dey does de malehog so's dat dey can't have no little runty chilluns. "

"Some of de marsters wuz good an' some of dem wuz bad. I wuz glad ter befree an' I lef' der minute I finds out dat I is free. I ain't got nokick a-comin' not none at all. Some of de white folkses wuz slaves, tergit ter de United States an' we niggers ain't no better, I reckons. "

N. C. District: No. 2 [320026]Worker: T. Pat MatthewsNo. Words: 22, 289Subject: A SLAVE STORY (Princess Quango Hennadonah Perceriah). Reference: MARY ANNGADY [HW: 80 years]Editor: George L. Andrews

[TR: Date Stamp "OCT 25 1937"]

MARY ANNGADY

(Princess Quango Hennadonah Perceriah)1110 Oakwood Avenue, Raleigh, North Carolina. 

I was eighteen years old in 1875 but I wanted to get married so I gavemy age as nineteen. I wish I could recall some of the ole days when Iwas with my missus in Orange County, playing with my brothers and otherslave children. 

I was owned by Mr. Franklin Davis and my madam was Mrs. Bettie Davis. Iand my brother used to scratch her feet and rub them for her; you knowhow old folks like to have their feet rubbed. My brother and I used toscrap over who should scratch and rub her feet. She would laugh and tellus not to do that way that she loved us both. Sometimes she let me sleepat her feet at night. She was plenty good to all of the slaves. Herdaughter Sallie taught me my A B C's in Webster's Blue Back spellingBook. When I learned to Spell B-a-k-e-r, Baker, I thought that wassomething. The next word I felt proud to spell was s-h-a-d-y, shady, thenext l-a-d-y, lady. I would spell them out loud as I picked up chips inthe yard to build a fire with. My missus Bettie gave me a blue backspelling book. 

My father was named James Mason, and he belonged to James Mason ofChapel Hill. Mother and I and my four brothers belonged to the same manand we also lived in the town. I never lived on a farm or plantation inmy life. I know nothing about farming. All my people are dead and Icannot locate any of marster's family if they are living. Marster'sfamily consisted of two boys and two girls--Willie, Frank, Lucy andSallie. Marster was a merchant, selling general merchandise. I remembereating a lot of brown sugar and candy at his store. 

My mother was a cook. They allowed us a lot of privileges and it wasjust one large happy family with plenty to eat and wear, good sleepingplaces and nothing to worry about. They were of the Presbyterian faithand we slaves attended Sunday school and services at their church. Therewere about twelve slaves on the lot. The houses for slaves were builtjust a little ways back from marster's house on the same lot. The Negroand white children played together, and there was little if anydifference made in the treatment given a slave child and a white child. I have religious books they gave me. Besides the books they taught me, they drilled me in etiquette of the times and also in courtesy andrespect to my superiors until it became a habit and it was perfectlynatural for me to be polite. 

The first I knew of the Yankees was when I was out in my marster's yardpicking up chips and they came along, took my little brother and put himon a horse's back and carried him up town. I ran and told my motherabout it. They rode brother over the town a while, having fun out ofhim, then they brought him back. Brother said he had a good ride and waspleased with the blue jackets as the Yankee soldiers were called. 

We had all the silver and valuables hid and the Yankees did not findthem, but they went into marster's store and took what they wanted. Theygave my father a box of hardtack and a lot of meat. Father was aChristian and he quoted one of the Commandments when they gave himthings they had stolen from others. 'Thou shalt not steal', quoth he, and he said he did not appreciate having stolen goods given to him. 

I traveled with the white folks in both sections of the country, northand south, after the _War Between the States_. I kept traveling with themand also continued my education. They taught me to recite and I mademoney by reciting on many of the trips. Since the surrender I havetraveled in the north for various Charitable Negro Societies andInstitutions and people seemed very much interested in the recitation Irecited called "When Malinda Sings". 

The first school I attended was after the war closed. The school waslocated in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and was taught by a Yankee whitewoman from Philadelphia. We remained in Chapel Hill only a few yearsafter the war ended when we all moved to Raleigh, and I have made it myhome ever since. I got the major part of my education in Raleigh underDr. H. M. Tupper[1] who taught in the second Baptist Church, located onBlount Street. Miss Mary Lathrop, a colored teacher from Philadelphia, was an assistant teacher in Dr. Tupper's School. I went from there toShaw Collegiate Institute, which is now Shaw University. 

I married Aaron Stallings of Warrenton, North Carolina while at Shaw. He died and I married Rev. Matthews Anngady of Monrovia, west coast ofAfrica, Liberia, Pastor of First Church. I helped him in his work here, kept studying the works of different authors, and lecturing andreciting. My husband, the Rev. Matthews Anngady died, and I gave a lotof my time to the cause of Charity, and while on a lecture tour ofMassachusetts in the interest of this feature of colored welfare forRichmond, Va. , the most colorful incident of my eventful life happenedwhen I met Quango Hennadonah Perceriah, an Abyssinian Prince, who wastraveling and lecturing on the customs of his country and the habits ofits people. Our mutual interests caused our friendship to ripen fast andwhen the time of parting came, when each of us had finished our work inMassachusetts, he going back to his home in New York City and Ireturning to Richmond, he asked me to correspond with him. I promised todo so and our friendship after a year's correspondence became love andhe proposed and I accepted him. We were married in Raleigh by Rev. J. J. Worlds, pastor of the First Baptist Church, colored. 

P. T. Barnum had captured my husband when he was a boy and brought himto America from Abyssinia, educated him and then sent him back to hisnative country. He would not stay and soon he was in America again. Hewas of the Catholic faith in America and they conferred the honor ofpriesthood upon him but after he married me this priesthood was takenaway and he joined the Episcopal Church. After we were married wedecided to go on an extensive lecture tour. He had been a headsman inhis own country and a prince. We took the customs of his people and hisexperiences as the subject of our lectures. I could sing, play theguitar, violin and piano, but I did not know his native language. Hebegan to teach me and as soon as I could sing the song _How Firm AFoundation_ in his language which went this way:

 Ngama i-bata, Njami buyek Wema Wemeta, Negana i bukek diol, di Njami, i-diol de Kak Annimix, Annimix hanci

 Bata ba Satana i-bu butete Bata ba Npjami i bunanan Bata be satana ba laba i wa-- Bata ba Njami ba laba Munonga

We traveled and lectured in both the north and the south and our life, while we had to work hard, was one of happiness and contentment. Itraveled and lectured as the Princess Quango Hennadonah Perceriah, wifeof the Abyssinian Prince. I often recited the recitation written by thecolored poet, Paul Lawrence Dunbar _When Malinda Sings_ to the delight ofour audiences. 

 * * * * *

The following incidents of African life were related to me by my husbandQuango Hennadonah Perceriah and they were also given in his lectures onAfrican customs while touring the United States. 

The religion of the Bakuba tribe of Abyssinia was almost wholly Paganas the natives believed fully in witchcraft, sorcery, myths andsuperstitions. The witch doctor held absolute sway over the members ofthe tribe and when his reputation as a giver of rain, bountiful crops orsuccess in the chase was at stake the tribes were called together andthose accused by the witch doctor of being responsible for theseconditions through witchery were condemned and speedily executed. 

The people were called together by the beating of drums. The witchdoctor, dressed in the most hellish garb imaginable with his bodypainted and poisonous snake bone necklaces dangling from his neck andthe claws of ferocious beasts, lions, leopards and the teeth of viciousman-eating crocodiles finishing up his adornment, sat in the middle ofa court surrounded by the members of the tribe. In his hand he carried agourd which contained beads, shot, or small stones. He began hisincantations by rattling the contents of the gourd, shouting and makingmany weird wails and peculiar contortions. After this had gone on forsometime until he was near exhaustion his face assumed the expression ofone in great pain and this was the beginning of the end for some poorignorant savage. He squirmed and turned in different directions with hiseyes fixed with a set stare as if in expectancy when suddenly his gazewould be fixed on some member of the tribe and his finger pointeddirectly at him. The victim was at once seized and bound, the doctor'sgaze never leaving him until this was done. If one victim appeased hisnervous fervor the trial was over but if his wrought-up feelings desiredmore his screechings continued until a second victim was secured. He hadthese men put to death to justify himself in the eyes of the natives ofhis tribe for his failing to bring rain, bountiful crops and success tothe tribe. 

The witch doctor who sat as judge seemed to have perfect control overthe savages minds and no one questioned his decisions. The persons werereconciled to their fate and were led away to execution while theymoaned and bade their friends goodbye in the doleful savage style. Sometimes they were put on a boat, taken out into the middle of a riverand there cut to pieces with blades of grass, their limbs beingdismembered first and thrown into the river to the crocodiles. A drinkcontaining an opiate was generally given the victim to deaden the painbut often this formality was dispensed with. The victims were often cutto pieces at the place of trial with knives and their limbs thrown outto the vultures that almost continuously hover 'round the huts andkraals of the savage tribes of Africa. 

In some instances condemned persons were burned at the stake. This formof execution is meted out at some of the religious dances or festivitiesto some of their pagan gods to atone and drive away the evil spiritsthat have caused pestilences to come upon the people. The victims atthese times are tortured in truly savage fashion, being burned to deathby degrees while the other members of the tribe dance around and go wildwith religious fervor calling to their gods while the victim screecheswith pain in his slowly approaching death throes. Young girls, women, boys and men are often accused of witchcraft. One method they used oftelling whether the victim accused was innocent or guilty was to givethem a liquid poison made from the juice of several poisonous plants. Ifthey could drink it and live they were innocent, if they died they wereguilty. In most cases death was almost instantaneous. Some vomited thepoison from their stomachs and lived. 

The Bakubas sometimes resorted to cannibalism and my husband told meof a Bakuba girl who ate her own mother. Once a snake bit a man and heat once called the witch doctor. The snake was a poisonous one and theman bitten was in great pain. The witch doctor whooped and went throughseveral chants but the man got worse instead of better. The witch doctorthen told the man that his wife made the snake bite him by witchery andthat she should die for the act. The natives gathered at once inresponse to the witch doctor's call and the woman was executed at once. The man bitten by the snake finally died but the witch doctor hadshifted the responsibility of his failure to help the man to his wifewho had been beheaded. The witch doctor had justified himself and theincident was closed. 

The tribe ruled by a King has two or more absolute rules. The Kingsword is law and he has the power to condemn any subject to death at anytime without trial. If he becomes angry or offended with any of hiswives a nod and a word to his bodyguard and the woman is led away toexecution. Any person of the tribe is subject to the King's will withthe exemption of the witch doctor. Executions of a different nature thanthe ones described above are common occurrences. For general crimes theculprit after being condemned to death is placed in a chair shaped verymuch like the electric chairs used in American prisons in taking thelives of the condemned. He is then tied firmly to the chair with thongs. A pole made of a green sapling is firmly implanted in the earth nearby. A thong is placed around the neck of the victim under the chin. Thesapling is then bent over and the other end of the thong tied to the endof the sapling pole. The pole stretches the neck to its full length andholds the head erect. Drums are sometimes beaten to drown the cries ofthose who are to be killed. The executioner who is called a headsmanthen walks forward approaching the chair from the rear. When he reachesit he steps to the side of the victim and with a large, sharp, long-bladed knife lops off the head of the criminal. The bodies of menexecuted in this manner are buried in shallow holes dug about two feetdeep to receive their bodies. 

The rank and file of the savage tribes believe explicitly [HWcorrection: implicitly] in the supernatural powers of the witch doctorand his decisions are not questioned. Not even the King of the triberaises a voice against him. The witch doctor is crafty enough not tocondemn any of the King's household or any one directly prominent in theKing's service. After an execution everything is quiet in a few hoursand the incident seems forgotten. The African Negroes attitude towardsthe whole affair seems to be instinctive and as long as he escapes hedoes not show any particular concern in his fellowman. His is of ananimal instinctive nature. 

The males of the African tribes of savages have very little respect fora woman but they demand a whole lot of courtesies from their wives, beating them unmercifully when they feel proper respect has not beenshown them. The men hunt game and make war on other tribes and the womendo all the work. A savage warrior when not engaged in hunting or war, sleeps a lot and smokes almost continuously during his waking hours. Girls are bought from their parents while mere children by the paymentof so many cows, goats, etc. The King can take any woman of the tribewhether married or single he desires to be his wife. The parents ofyoung girls taken to wife by the King of a tribe feel honored and fallon their knees and thank the King for taking her. 

The prince of a tribe is born a headsman and as soon as he is able towield a knife he is called upon to perform the duty of cutting off theheads of criminals who are condemned to death by the King for generalcrimes. Those condemned by the witch doctor for witchcraft are executedby dismemberment or fire as described above. 

 * * * * *

My husband was a cannibal headsman and performed this duty of cuttingoff persons heads when a boy and after being civilized in America thisfeature of his early life bore so heavily upon his mind that it wasinstrumental in driving him insane. By custom a prince was born aheadsman and it was compulsory that he execute criminals. He died in aninsane ward of the New Jersey State Hospital. 

[Footnote 1: [HW: ]Dr. Henry M. Tupper, a Union Army chaplain, whohelped to start Shaw University in 1865. ]

N. C. District: No. 2 [320126]Worker: T. Pat MatthewsNo. Words: 1051Subject: JANE ARRINGTONStory Teller: Jane ArringtonEditor: Geo. L. Andrews

[TR: Date Stamp "AUG 4 1937"]

JANE ARRINGTON84 years old302 Fowle StreetRaleigh, N. C. 

I ort to be able to tell sumpin cause I wus twelve years old when deyhad de surrender right up here in Raleigh. If I live to see dis comingDecember I will be eighty five years old. I was born on the 18th ofDecember 1852. 

I belonged to Jackson May of Nash County. I wus born on de plantationnear Tar River. Jackson May never married until I wus of a great biggirl. He owned a lot of slaves; dere were eighty on de plantation beforede surrender. He married Miss Becky Wilder, sister of Sam Wilder. DeWilders lived on a jining plantation to where I wus borned. 

Jackson May had so many niggers he let Billy Williams who had aplantation nearby have part of 'em. Marster Jackson he raised my fatherand bought my mother. My mother wus named Louisa May, and my father wusnamed Louis May. My mother had six chilluns, four boys and two girls. The boys were Richard, Farro, Caeser, and Fenner. De girls Rose andJane. Jane, dats me. 

We lived in log houses with stick an' dirt chimleys. They called 'emthe slave houses. We had chicken feather beds to sleep on an' de houseswus good warm comfortable log houses. We had plenty of cover an' featherpillows. 

My grandmother on my mother's side told me a lot of stories 'bouthaints and how people run from 'em. Dey told me 'bout slaves dat hadbeen killed by dere marster's coming back and worryin' 'em. Ole MissusPenny Williams, before Jackson May bought mother, treated some of deslaves mighty bad. She died an' den come back an' nearly scared deslaves to death. Grandmother told all we chillun she seed her an' knowedher after she been dead an' come back. 

John May a slave wus beat to death by Bill Stone an' Oliver May. OliverMay wus Junius May's son. Junius May wus Jackson May's Uncle. John Maycome back an' wurried both of 'em. Dey could hardly sleep arter dat. Deysaid dey could hear him hollerin' an' groanin' most all de time. Desewhite men would groan in dere sleep an' tell John to go away. Dey wouldsay, 'Go way John, please go away'. De other slaves wus afraid of 'emcause de ghost of John wurried 'em so bad. 

I wurked on de farm, cuttin' corn stalks and tendin' to cattle inslavery time. Sometimes I swept de yards. I never got any money for mywork and we didn't have any patches. My brothers caught possums, coonsand sich things an' we cooked 'em in our houses. We had no parties butwe had quiltin's. We went to the white folks church, Peach Tree Church, six miles from de plantation an' Poplar Springs Church seven miles away. Both were missionary Baptist Churches. 

There were no overseers on Jackson May's plantation. He wouldn't havenary one. Billy Williams didn't have none. Dey had colored slaveforemen. 

After wurkin' all day dere wus a task of cotton to be picked an' spunby 'em. Dis wus two onces of cotton. Some of de slaves run away fromBill Williams when Marster Jackson May let him have 'em to work. Dey runaway an' come home. Aunt Chaney runned away an' mother run away. MarsterJackson May kept 'em hid cause he say dey wus not treated right. Hewouldn't let 'em have 'em back no more. 

I never saw a grown slave whupped or in chains and I never saw a slavesold. Jackson May would not sell a slave. He didn't think it right. Hekept 'em together. He had eighty head. He would let other white peoplehave 'em to wurk for 'em sometimes, but he would not sell none of 'em. 

If dey caught a slave wid a book you knowed it meant a whuppin', but dewhite chillun teached slaves secretey sometimes. Ole man Jake Rice aslave who belonged to John Rice in Nash County wus teached by ole JohnRice's son till he had a purty good mount of larnin'. 

We did not have prayer meeting at marster's plantation or anywhur. Marster would not allow dat. 

When I wus a child we played de games of three handed reels, 'Old GrayGoose', 'All Little Gal, All Little Gal, All Little Gal remember me'. Wetook hold of hands an' run round as we sang dis song. 

We sang 'Old Dan Tucker'. Git outen de way, ole Dan Tucker, SixteenHosses in one stable, one jumped out an' skined his nable an' so on. 

Dr. Mann and Dr. Sid Harris and Dr. Fee Mann and Dr. Mathias lookedarter us when we wus sick. Mother and de other grown folks raised herbsdat dey give us too. Chillun took a lot of salts. 

Jackson May wus too rich to go to de war. Billy Williams didn't go, toorich too, I reckons. I remember when dey said niggers had to be free. Depapers said if dey could not be freedom by good men dere would befreedom by blood. Dey fighted an' kept on fightin' a long time. Den deYankees come. [HW correction: New paragraph] I heard dem beat de drum. Marster tole us we wus free but mother an' father stayed on withMarster. He promised 'em sumptin, but he give 'em nothin'. When de cropwus housed dey left. 

Father and mother went to Hench Stallings plantation and stayed thereone year. Then they went to Jim Webbs farm. I don't remember how longthey stayed there but round two years. They moved about an' about amongthe white folks till they died. They never owned any property. They beendead 'bout thirty years. 

I married Sidney Arrington. He has been dead six years las' September. 

I am unable to do any kind of work. My arm is mighty weak. 

I know slavery wus a bad thing. I don't have to think anything aboutit. Abraham Lincoln wus the first of us bein' free, I think he wus a manof God. I think Roosevelt is all right man. I belongs to thePentecostal Holiness Church. 

AC

N. C. District: No. 2 [320031]Worker: T. Pat MatthewsNo. Words: 1, 426Subject: SARAH LOUISE AUGUSTUSSource: Sarah Louise AugustusEditor: George L. Andrews

[TR: No Date Stamp]

SARAH LOUISE AUGUSTUSAge 80 years1424 Lane StreetRaleigh, North Carolina

I wus born on a plantation near Fayetteville, N. C. , and I belonged toJ. B. Smith. His wife wus named Henrietta. He owned about thirty slaves. When a slave was no good he wus put on the auction block in Fayettevilleand sold. 

My father wus named Romeo Harden and my mother wus named Alice Smith. The little cabin where I wus born is still standing. 

There wus seven children in marster's family, four girls and two boys. The girls wus named Ellen, Ida, Mary and Elizabeth. The boys wus namedHarry, Norman and Marse George. Marse George went to the war. Mother hada family of four girls. Their names wus: Mary, Kate, Hannah and myself, Sarah Louise. I am the only one living and I would not be living but Ihave spent most of my life in white folk's houses and they have lookedafter me. I respected myself and they respected me. 

My first days of slavery wus hard. I slept on a pallet on the floor ofthe cabin and just as soon as I wus able to work any at all I wus putto milking cows. 

I have seen the paterollers hunting men and have seen men they hadwhipped. The slave block stood in the center of the street, FayettevilleStreet, where Ramsey and Gillespie Street came in near Cool SpringsStreet. The silk mill stood just below the slave market. I saw thesilkworms that made the silk and saw them gather the cocoons and spinthe silk. 

They hung people in the middle of Ramsey Street. They put up a gallowsand hung the men exactly at 12 o'clock. 

I ran away from the plantation once to go with some white children tosee a man hung. 

The only boats I remember on the Cape Fear wus the Governor Worth, TheHurt, The Iser and The North State. Oh! Lord yes, I remember the stagecoach. As many times as I run to carry the mail to them when they comeby! They blew a horn before they got there and you had to be on time'cause they could not wait. There wus a stage each way each day, one upand one down. 

Mr. George Lander had the first Tombstone Marble yard in Fayettevilleon Hay Street on the point of Flat Iron place. Lander wus from Scotland. They gave me a pot, a scarf, and his sister gave me some shells. I haveall the things they gave me. My missus, Henrietta Smith, wus Mr. Lander's sister. I waited on the Landers part of the time. They werehard working white folks, honest, God fearing people. The things theygave me were brought from over the sea. 

I can remember when there wus no hospital in Fayetteville. There wus alittle place near the depot where there wus a board shanty where theyoperated on people. I stood outside once and saw the doctors take aman's leg off. Dr. McDuffy wus the man who took the leg off. He lived onHay Street near the Silk Mill. 

When one of the white folks died they sent slaves around to the homesof their friends and neighbors with a large sheet of paper with a pieceof black crepe pinned to the top of it. The friends would sign or make across mark on it. The funerals were held at the homes and friends andneighbors stood on the porch and in the house while the services weregoing on. The bodies were carried to the grave after the services in ablack hearse drawn by black horses. If they did not have black horses todraw the hearse they went off and borrowed them. The colored peoplewashed and shrouded the dead bodies. My grandmother wus one who didthis. Her name wus Sarah McDonald. She belonged to Capt. GeorgeMcDonald. She had fifteen children and lived to be one hundred and tenyears old. She died in Fayetteville of pneumonia. She wus in Raleighnursing the Briggs family, Mrs. F. H. Briggs' family. She wus going hometo Fayetteville when she wus caught in a rain storm at Sanford, whilechanging trains. The train for Fayetteville had left as the train forSanford wus late so she stayed wet all night. Next day she went home, took pneumonia and died. She wus great on curing rheumatism; she did itwith herbs. She grew hops and other herbs and cured many people of thisdisease. 

She wus called black mammy because she wet nursed so many whitechildren. In slavery time she nursed all babies hatched on her marster'splantation and kept it up after the war as long as she had children. 

Grandfather wus named Isaac Fuller. Mrs. Mary Ann Fuller, Kate Fuller, Mr. Will Fuller, who wus a lawyer in Wall Street, New York, is some oftheir white folks. The Fullers were born in Fayetteville. One of theslaves, Dick McAlister, worked, saved a small fortune and left it toMr. Will Fuller. People thought the slave ought to have left it to hissister but he left it to Mr. Will. Mr. Fuller gives part of it to theex-slaves sister each year. Mr. Will always helped the Negroes out whenhe could. He was good to Dick and Dick McAlister gave him all hisbelongings when he died. 

The Yankees came through Fayetteville wearing large blue coats withcapes on them. Lots of them were mounted, and there were thousands offoot soldiers. It took them several days to get through town. TheSouthern soldiers retreated and then in a few hours the Yankees coveredthe town. They busted into the smokehouse at marstar's, took the meat, meal and other provisions. Grandmother pled with the Yankees but it didno good. They took all they wanted. They said if they had to come againthey would take the babies from the cradles. They told us we were allfree. The Negroes begun visiting each other in the cabins and became soexcited they began to shout and pray. I thought they were all crazy. 

We stayed right on with marster. He had a town house and a big house onthe plantation. I went to the town house to work, but mother andgrandmother stayed on the plantation. My mother died there and thewhite folks buried her. Father stayed right on and helped run the farmuntil he died. My uncle, Elic Smith, and his family stayed too. Grandfather and grandmother after a few years left the plantation andwent to live on a little place which Mrs. Mary Ann Fuller gave them. Grandmother and grandfather died there. 

I wus thirty years old when I married. I wus married in my missus'graduating dress. I wus married in the white folks' church, to JamesHenry Harris. The white folks carried me there and gave me away. MissMary Smith gave me away. The wedding wus attended mostly by whitefolks. 

My husband wus a fireman on the Cape Fear river boats and a white man'sNegro too. We had two children, both died while little. My husband and Ispent much of our time with the white folks and when he wus on his runsI slept in their homes. Often the children of the white families sleptwith me. We both tried to live up to the standards of decency andhonesty and to be worthy of the confidence placed in us by our whitefolks. 

My husband wus finally offered a job with a shipping concern inDeleware and we moved there. He wus fireman on the freighterWilmington. He worked there three years, when he wus drowned. After hisdeath I married David Augustus and immediately came back to NorthCarolina and my white folks, and we have been here ever since. I am amember of several Negro Lodges and am on the Committee for the NorthCarolina Colored State Fair. 

There are only a few of the old white folks who have always been goodto me living now, but I am still working with their offspring, amongwhom I have some mighty dear friends. I wus about eight years old whenSherman's Army came through. Guess I am about eighty years of age now. 

AC

N. C. District: No. 2 [320261]Worker: T. Pat MatthewsNo. Words: 908Subject: A Slave StoryStory Teller: Charity AustinEditor: Daisy Bailey Waitt

[TR: Date Stamp "JUN 26 1937"]

CHARITY AUSTIN507 South Bloodworth Street, Raleigh, N. C. 

I wus borned in the year 1852, July 27. I wus born in Granville County, sold to a slave speculator at ten years old and carried to Southwest, Georgia. I belonged to Samuel Howard. His daughter took me to Kinston, North Carolina and I stayed there until I wus sold. She married a mannamed Bill Brown, and her name wus Julia Howard Brown. My father wusnamed Paul Howard and my mother wus named Chollie Howard. My old missuswus named Polly Howard. 

John Richard Keine from Danville, Virginia bought me and sent me to aplantation in Georgia. We only had a white overseer there. He and hiswife and children lived on the plantation. We had slave quarters there. Slaves were bought up and sent there in chains. Some were chained toeach other by the legs, some by the arms. They called the leg chainsshackles. I have lived a hard life. I have seen mothers sold away fromtheir babies and other children, and they cryin' when she left. I haveseen husbands sold from their wives, and wives sold from their husbands. 

Abraham Lincoln came through once, but none of us knew who he wus. Hewus just the raggedest man you ever saw. The white children and me sawhim out at the railroad. We were settin' and waitin' to see him. He saidhe wus huntin' his people; and dat he had lost all he had. Dey give himsomethin' to eat and tobacco to chew, and he went on. Soon we heard hewus in de White House then we knew who it wus come through. We knowedden it wus Abraham Lincoln. 

We children stole eggs and sold 'em durin' slavery. Some of de whitemen bought 'em. They were Irishmen and they would not tell on us. Theirnames were Mulligan, Flanagan and Dugan. They wore good clothes and werefunny mens. They called guns flutes. 

Boss tole us Abraham Lincoln wus dead and we were still slaves. Ourboss man bought black cloth and made us wear it for mourning for AbrahamLincoln and tole us that there would not be freedom. We stayed thereanother year after freedom. A lot o' de niggers knowed nothin' 'ceptwhat missus and marster tole us. What dey said wus just de same as deLawd had spoken to us. 

Just after de surrender a nigger woman who wus bad, wus choppin' cottonat out plantation in Georgie. John Woodfox wus de main overseer and hisson-in-law wus a overseer. Dey had a colored man who dey called a niggerdriver. De nigger driver tole de overseer de woman wus bad. De overseercame to her, snatched de hoe from her and hit her. The blow killed her. He was reported to de Freedman's Bureau. Dey came, whupped de overseerand put him in jail. Dey decided not to kill him, but made him furnishde children of de dead woman so much to live on. Dere wus a hundred ormore niggers in de field when this murder happened. 

We finally found out we were free and left. Dey let me stay with MissJulia Brown. I was hired to her. She lived in Dooley County, Georgia. Inext worked with Mrs. Dunbar after staying with Mrs. Brown four years. Her name wus Mrs. Winnie Dunbar and she moved to Columbia, SouthCarolina takin' me with her. I stayed with her about four years. Thiswus the end of my maiden life. I married Isaac Austin of RichmondCounty, Georgia. He wus a native of Warrenton County and he brought mefrom his home in Richmond County, Georgia to Warrenton and then fromWarrenton to Raleigh. I had two brothers and thirteen sisters. I didgeneral house work, and helped raise children during slavery, and rightafter de war. Then you had to depend on yourself to do for children. Youhad to doctor and care for them yourself. You just had to depend onyourself. 

Dey had 320 acres o' cleared fields in Georgia and then de rice fields, I just don't know how many acres. I have seen jails for slaves. Dey hada basement for a jail in Georgia and a guard at de holes in it. 

No, No! you better not be caught tryin' to do somethin' wid a book. Deywould teach you wid a stick or switch. De slaves had secret prayermeetin's wid pots turned down to kill de soun' o' de singin'. We sang asong, 'I am glad salvation's free. ' Once dey heard us, nex' mornin' deytook us and tore our backs to pieces. Dey would say, 'Are you free? Whatwere you singin' about freedom?' While de niggers were bein' whuppedthey said, 'Pray, marster, pray. '

The doctor came to see us sometimes when we were sick, but not after. People just had to do their own doctorin'. Sometimes a man would takehis patient, and sit by de road where de doctor travelled, and when hecome along he would see him. De doctor rode in a sully drawn by a horse. He had a route, one doctor to two territories. 

When de white folks were preparing to go to de war they had big dinnersand speakin'. Dey tole what dey were goin' to do to Sherman and Grant. Alot of such men as Grant and Sherman and Lincoln came through de Southin rags and were at some o' dese meetings, an' et de dinners. When dewhite folks foun' it out, dere wus some sick folks. Sometimes we got twodays Christmas and two days July. When de nigger wus freed dey didn'tknow where to go and what to do. It wus hard, but it has been hardsince. From what de white folks, marster and missus tole us we thoughtLincoln wus terrible. By what mother and father tole me I thought he wusall right. I think Roosevelt wus put in by God to do the right things. 

EH

N. C. District: No. 2 [320012]Worker: Mary A. HicksNo. Words: 367Subject: BLOUNT BAKERPerson Interviewed: Blount BakerEditor: G. L. Andrews

[TR: Date Stamp "SEP 10 1937"]

BLOUNT BAKER

An interview with Blount Baker, 106 Spruce Street, Wilson, NorthCarolina. 

Yes'um, I 'longed ter Marse Henry Allen of Wilson County an' we alwaysraise terbacker. Marse Henry wus good ter us so we had a heap of prayermeetin's an' corn shuckin's an' such. 

I 'members de big meetin's dat we'd have in de summer time an' dat goodsingin' we'd have when we'd be singin' de sinners through. We'd staypretty nigh all night to make a sinner come through, an' maybe de weekatter de meetin' he'd steal one of his marster's hogs. Yes'um, I'se hada bad time. 

You know, missy, dar ain't no use puttin' faith in nobody, dey'd foolyou ever time anyhow. I know once a patteroller tol' me dat iffen I'dgive him a belt I found dat he'd let me go by ter see my gal dat night, but when he kotch me dat night he whupped me. I tol' Marse Henry on himtoo so Marse Henry takes de belt away from him an' gives me a possum ferhit. Dat possum shore wus good too, baked in de ashes like I done it. 

I ain't never hear Marse Henry cuss but once an' dat wus de time datsome gentlemens come ter de house an' sez dat dar am a war 'twixt denorth an' de south. He sez den, 'Let de damn yaller bellied Yankees comeon an' we'll give 'em hell an' sen' dem a-hoppin' back ter de north in ahurry. '

We ain't seed no Yankees 'cept a few huntin' Rebs. Dey talk mean ter usan' one of dem says dat we niggers am de cause of de war. 'Sir, ' I sez, 'folks what am a wantin' a war can always find a cause'. He kicks me inde seat of de pants fer dat, so I hushes. 

I stayed wid Marse Henry till he died den I moved ter Wilson. I hasworked everwhere, terbacker warehouses an' ever'thing. I'se gittin' ofmy ole age pension right away an' den de county won't have ter supportme no mo', dat is if dey have been supportin' me on three dollars amonth. 

LE

N. C. District: No. 2 [320244]Worker: T. Pat MatthewsNo. Words: 745Subject: LIZZIE BAKERPerson Interviewed: Lizzie BakerEditor: Daisy Bailey Waitt

[TR: No Date Stamp]

LIZZIE BAKER424 Smith Street

I was born de las' year o' de surrender an'course I don't rememberseein' any Yankee soldiers, but I knows a plenty my mother and fathertole me. I have neuritis, an' have been unable to work any fer a yearand fer seven years I couldn't do much. 

My mother wus named Teeny McIntire and my father William McIntire. Mammy belonged to Bryant Newkirk in Duplin County. Pap belonged tosomeone else, I don't know who. 

Dey said dey worked from light till dark, and pap said dey beat him sobad he run away a lot o' times. Dey said de paterollers come to wharedey wus havin' prayer meetin' and beat 'em. 

Mammy said sometimes dey were fed well and others dey almost starved. Dey got biscuit once a week on Sunday. Dey said dey went to de whitefolks's church. Dey said de preachers tole 'em dey had to obey deremissus and marster. My mammy said she didn't go to no dances 'cause shewus crippled. Some o' de help, a colored woman, stole something when shewus hongry. She put it off on mother and missus made mother weartrousers for a year to punish her. 

Mammy said dey gave de slaves on de plantation one day Christmas anddat New Years wus when dey sold 'em an' hired 'em out. All de slaves wusscared 'cause dey didn't know who would have to go off to be sold or towork in a strange place. Pap tole me 'bout livin' in de woods and 'boutdey ketchin' him. I 'member his owner's name den, it wus Stanley. He runaway so bad dey sold him several times. Pap said one time dey caught himand nearly beat him to death, and jest as soon as he got well and got agood chance he ran away again. 

Mammy said when de Yankees come through she wus 'fraid of 'em. DeYankees tole her not to be 'fraid of 'em. Dey say to her, 'Do dey treatyou right', Mammy said 'Yes sir', 'cause ole missus wus standin' dere, an' she wus 'fraid not to say yes. Atter de war, de fust year atter desurrender dey moved to James Alderman's place in Duplin County andstayed dere till I wus a grown gal. 

Den we moved to Goldsboro. Father wus a carpenter and he got a lot ofdat work. Dat's what he done in Goldsboro. We come from Goldsboro toRaleigh and we have lived here every since. We moved here about de yearo' de shake and my mother died right here in Raleigh de year o' deshake. Some of de things mother tole me 'bout slavery, has gone rightout of my min'. Jes comes and goes. 

I remember pap tellin' me' bout stretchin' vines acrost roads and pathsto knock de patterollers off deir horses when dey were tryin' to ketchslaves. Pap and mammy tole me marster and missus did not 'low any of deslaves to have a book in deir house. Dat if dey caught a slave wid abook in deir house dey whupped 'em. Dey were keerful not to let 'emlearn readin' and writin'. 

Dey sold my sister Lucy and my brother Fred in slavery time, an' I havenever seen 'em in my life. Mother would cry when she was tellin' me'bout it. She never seen 'em anymore. I jes' couldn't bear to hear hertell it widout cryin'. Dey were carried to Richmond, an' sold by oldmarster when dey were chillun. 

We tried to get some news of brother and sister. Mother kept 'quiring'bout 'em as long as she lived and I have hoped dat I could hear from'em. Dey are dead long ago I recons, and I guess dare aint no use everexpectin' to see 'em. Slavery wus bad and Mr. Lincoln did a good thingwhen he freed de niggers. I caint express my love for Roosevelt. He hassaved so many lives. I think he has saved mine. I want to see him faceto face. I purely love him and I feel I could do better to see him andtell him so face to face. 

LE

N. C. District: No. 2 [320182]Worker: Mary A. HicksNo. Words: 339Subject: VINEY BAKERStory Teller: Viney BakerEditor: Daisy Bailey Waitt

[TR: No Date Stamp]

VINEY BAKEREx-Slave Story

An interview with Viney Baker 78 of S. Harrington Street, Raleigh. 

My mammy wuz Hannah Murry an' so fur as I know I ain't got no father, do' I reckon dat he wuz de plantation stock nigger. I wuz borned inVirginia as yo' mought say ter my marster Mr. S. L. Allen. 

We moved when I wuz little ter Durham County whar we fared bad. Weain't had nothin' much ter eat an' ter w'ar. He had a hundert slaves an'I reckon five hundert acres o' lan'. He made us wuck hard, de littleones included. 

One night I lay down on de straw mattress wid my mammy, an' de nex'mo'nin' I woked up an' she wuz gone. When I axed 'bout her I fin's dat aspeculator comed dar de night before an' wanted ter buy a 'oman. Dey hadcome an' got my mammy widout wakin' me up. I has always been gladsomehow dat I wuz asleep. 

Dey uster tie me ter a tree an' beat me till de blood run down my back, I doan 'member nothin' dat I done, I jist 'members de whuppin's. Someof de rest wuz beat wuser dan I wuz too, an' I uster scream dat I wuzsho' dyin'. 

Yes'um I seed de Yankees go by, but dey ain't bodder us none, case deyknows dat 'hind eber' bush jist about a Confederate soldier pints a gun. 

I warn't glad at de surrender, case I doan understand hit, an' deAllen's keeps me right on, an' whups me wuser den dan eber. 

I reckon I wuz twelve years old when my mammy come ter de house an'axes Mis' Allen ter let me go spen' de week en' wid her. Mis' Allencan't say no, case Mammy mought go ter de carpet baggers so she lets mego fer de week-en'. Mammy laughs Sunday when I says somethin' 'boutgoin' back. Naw, I stayed on wid my mammy, an' I ain't seed Mis' Allenno mo'. 

AC

District: No. 2 [320151]No. Words: 733Worker: Mary A. HicksSubject: EX-SLAVE STORYStory Teller: Charlie BarbourEditor: Daisy Bailey Waitt

[TR: Date Stamp "JUN 7 1937"]

[HW: A (circled)]

EX-SLAVE STORY

An interview on May 20, 1937 with Charlie Barbour, 86 of Smithfield, N. C. Johnston County. 

I belonged ter Mr. Bob Lumsford hyar in Smithfield from de time of mybirth. My mammy wuz named Candice an' my pappy's name wuz Seth. Mybrothers wuz Rufus, William an' George, an' my sisters wuz Mary an'Laura. 

I 'minds me of de days when as a youngin' [HW correction: youngun'] Iplayed marbles an' hide an' seek. Dar wuzn't many games den, case nobodyain't had no time fer 'em. De grown folkses had dances an' sometimesco'n shuckin's, an' de little niggers patted dere feets at de dances an'dey he'p ter shuck de co'n. At Christmas we had a big dinner, an' fromden through New Year's Day we feast, an' we dance, an' we sing. De fustone what said Christmas gift ter anybody else got a gif', so of cou'sewe all try ter ketch de marster. 

On de night 'fore de first day of Jinuary we had a dance what lasts allnight. At midnight when de New Year comes in marster makes a speech an'we is happy dat he thanks us fer our year's wuck an' says dat we isgood, smart slaves. 

Marster wucked his niggers from daylight till dark, an' his thirteengrown slaves had ter ten' 'bout three hundred acres o' land. Course deymostly planted co'n, peas an' vege'ables. 

I can 'member, do' I wuz small, dat de slaves wuz whupped ferdisobeyin' an' I can think of seberal dat I got. I wuz doin' housewuckat de time an' one of de silber knives got misplaced. Dey 'cused me ofmisplacin' it on purpose, so I got de wust beatin' dat I eber had. I wuzbeat den till de hide wuz busted hyar an' dar. 

We little ones had some time ter go swimmin' an' we did; we alsofished, an' at night we hunted de possum an' de coon sometimes. OleUncle Jeems had some houn's what would run possums or coons an' he ustertake we boys 'long wid him. 

I 'members onct de houn's struck a trail an' dey tree de coon. UncleJeems sen's Joe, who wuz bigger den I wuz, up de tree ter ketch de coonan' he warns him dat coons am fightin' fellers. Joe doan pay much mindhe am so happy ter git der chanct ter ketch de coon, but when he ketcheddat coon he couldn't turn loose, an' from de way he holler yo' woulds'pose dat he ain't neber wanted ter ketch a coon. When Joe Barbour wuzburied hyar las' winter dem coon marks wuz still strong on his arms an'han's an' dar wuz de long scar on his face. 

I 'members onct a Yankee 'oman from New York looks at him an' nigh'bout faints. 'I reckon', says she, dat am what de cruel slave owner ordriver done ter him'. 

Yes mam, I knows when de Yankees comed ter Smithfield. Dey comed wid debeatin' of drums an' de wavin' of flags. Dey says dat our governor wuzhyar makin' a speech but he flewed 'fore dey got hyar. Anyhow, we libedoff from de main path of march, an' so we ain't been trouble so much'cept by 'scootin' parties, as my ole missus call' em. 

Dey am de darndest yo' eber seed, dey won't eat no hog meat 'cept hamsan' shoulders an' dey goes ter de smoke house an' gits 'em 'thout nopermission. Dey has what dey calls rammin' rods ter dere guns an' deyknock de chickens in de haid wid dat. I hyard dem say dat dar warn't nouse wastin' powder on dem chickens. 

Dey went ober de neighborhood stealin' an' killin' stock. I hyard 'bout'em ketchin' a pig, cuttin' off his hams an' leave him dar alive. Defoun' all de things we done hid, not dat I thinks dat dey am witches, but dat dey has a money rod, an' 'cides dat some of de slaves tol' 'emwhar marster had hid de things. 

Yes 'um, I reckon I wuz glad ter git free, case I knows den dat I won'twake up some mornin' ter fin' dat my mammy or some ob de rest of myfamily am done sold. I left de day I hyard 'bout de surrender an' Ifared right good too, do' I knows dem what ain't farin' so well. 

I ain't neber learn ter read an' write an' I knows now dat I neberwill. I can't eben write a letter ter Raleigh 'bout my ole man'spension. 

I 'members de days when mammy wored a blue hankerchief 'round her haidan' cooked in de great house. She'd sometimes sneak me a cookie or acobbler an' fruits. She had her own little gyardin an' a few chickensan' we w'oud ov been happy 'cept dat we wuz skeered o' bein' sold. 

I'se glad dat slavery am ober, case now de nigger has got a chanct terlive an' larn wid de whites. Dey won't neber be as good as de whites butdey can larn ter live an' enjoy life more. 

Speakin' 'bout de Ku Klux dey ain't do nothin' but scare me back in'69, but iffen we had some now I thinks dat some of dese young niggerswhat has forgot what dey mammies tol' 'em would do better. 

MH:EH

N. C. District: No. 2 [320249]Worker: Mary A. HicksNo. Words: 678Subject: MARY BARBOURPerson Interviewed: Mary BarbourEditor: Daisy Bailey Waitt

[TR: No Date Stamp]

MARY BARBOUR

Ex-Slave Story

An interview with Mary Barbour 81 of 801 S. Bloodworth Street, Raleigh, N. C. 

I reckon dat I wuz borned in McDowell County, case dat's whar my mammy, Edith, lived. She 'longed ter Mr. Jefferson Mitchel dar, an' my pappy'longed ter er Mr. Jordan in Avery County, so he said. 

'Fore de war, I doan know nothin' much 'cept dat we lived on a bigplantation an' dat my mammy wucked hard, but wuz treated pretty good. 

We had our little log cabin off ter one side, an' my mammy had sixteenchilluns. Fas' as dey got three years old de marster sol' 'em till welas' four dat she had wid her durin' de war. I wuz de oldes' o' desefour; den dar wuz Henry an' den de twins, Liza an' Charlie. 

One of de fust things dat I 'members wuz my pappy wakin' me up in demiddle o' de night, dressin' me in de dark, all de time tellin' me terkeep quiet. One o' de twins hollered some an' pappy put his hand oberits mouth ter keep it quiet. 

Atter we wuz dressed he went outside an' peeped roun' fer a minute denhe comed back an' got us. We snook out o' de house an' long de woodspath, pappy totin' one of de twins an' holdin' me by de han' an' mammycarryin' de udder two. 

I reckons dat I will always 'member dat walk, wid de bushes slappin' mylaigs, de win' sighin' in de trees, an' de hoot owls an' whippoorwillshollerin' at each other frum de big trees. I wuz half asleep an' skeeredstiff, but in a little while we pass de plum' thicket an' dar am demules an' wagin. 

Dar am er quilt in de bottom o' de wagin, an' on dis dey lays weyoungins. An' pappy an' mammy gits on de board cross de front an' drivesoff down de road. 

I wuz sleepy but I wuz skeered too, so as we rides 'long I lis'ens terpappy an' mammy talk. Pappy wuz tellin' mammy 'bout de Yankees comin'ter dere plantation, burnin' de co'n cribs, de smokehouses an' 'stroyin'eber'thing. He says right low dat dey done took marster Jordan ter deRip Raps down nigh Norfolk, an' dat he stol' de mules an' wagin an''scaped. 

We wuz skeerd of de Yankees ter start wid, but de more we thinks 'boutus runnin' way frum our marsters de skeerder we gits o' de Rebs. Anyhowpappy says dat we is goin' ter jine de Yankees. 

We trabels all night an' hid in de woods all day fer a long time, butatter awhile we gits ter Doctor Dillard's place, in Chowan County. Ireckons dat we stays dar seberal days. 

De Yankees has tooked dis place so we stops ober, an' has a heap o' fundancin' an' sich while we am dar. De Yankees tells pappy ter head ferNew Bern an' dat he will be took keer of dar, so ter New Bern we goes. 

When we gits ter New Bern de Yankees takes de mules an' wagin, deytells pappy something, an' he puts us on a long white boat named OceanWaves an' ter Roanoke we goes. 

Later I larns dat most o' de reffes[2] is put in James City, nigh NewBern, but dar am a pretty good crowd on Roanoke. Dar wuz also a oleIndian Witch 'oman dat I 'members. 

Atter a few days dar de Ocean Waves comes back an' takes all ober terNew Bern. My pappy wuz a shoemaker, so he makes Yankee boots, an' wegits 'long pretty good. 

I wuz raised in New Bern an' I lived dar till forty years ago when mean' my husban' moved ter Raleigh an' do' he's been daid a long time Ihas lived hyar ober [TR: eber] since an' eben if'en I is eighty-oneyears old I can still outwuck my daughter an' de rest of dese youngniggers. 

[Footnote 2: refugees]

N. C. District: No. 2 [320162]Worker: Mary A. HicksNo. Words: 927Subject: Plantation TimesPerson Interviewed: Alice BaughEditor: Daisy Bailey Waitt

[TR: Date Stamp "JUN 1 1937"]

PLANTATION TIMES

An Interview on May 18, 1937 with Alice Baugh, 64, who remembers hearingher mother tell of slavery days. 

My mammy Ferbie, an' her brother Darson belonged ter Mr. David Hinnantin Edgecombe County till young Marster Charlie got married. Den dey wuzdrawed an' sent wid him down hyar ter Wendell. De ole Hinnant home amstill standin' dar ter dis day. 

Marster Charlie an' Missus Mary wuz good ter de hundred slaves whatbelonged ter' em. Dey gib 'em good houses, good feed, good clothes an'plenty uv fun. Dey had dere co'n shuckin's, dere barn dances, prayermeetin's an' sich like all de year, an' from Christmas till de secondday o' January dey had a holiday wid roast oxes, pigs, turkey an' all derest o' de fixin's. From Saturday till Monday de slaves wuz off an' deyhad dere Sunday clothes, which wuz nice. De marster always gib 'em apaper so's de patterollers won't git 'em. 

Dey went up de riber to other plantations ter dances an' all demthings, an' dey wuz awful fond uv singin' songs. Dat's whut dey doneatter dey comes ter dere cabins at de end o' de day. De grown folksessings an' somebody pickin' de banjo. De favorite song wuz 'Swing LowSweet Chariot' an' 'Play on yo' Harp Little David'. De chilluns usterplay Hide an' Seek, an' Leap Frog, an' ever'body wuz happy. 

Dey had time off ter hunt an' fish an' dey had dere own chickens, pigs, watermillons an' gyardens. De fruits from de big orchard an' de honeyfrom de hives wuz et at home, an' de slave et as good as his marster et. Dey had a whole heap o' bee hives an' my mammy said dat she had tertell dem bees when Mis' Mary died. She said how she wuz cryin' so harddat she can't hardly tell 'em, an' dat dey hum lak dey am mo'nin' too. 

My mammy marry my pappy dar an' she sez dat de preacher from deMethodis' Church marry 'em, dat she w'ar Miss Mary's weddin' dress, alluv white lace, an' dat my pappy w'ar Mr. Charlie's weddin' suit wid aflower in de button hole. Dey gived a big dance atter de supper dey had, an' Marster Charlie dance de first [HW correction: fust] set wid mymammy. 

I jist thought of a tale what I hyard my mammy tell 'bout de IssueFrees of Edgecombe County when she wuz a little gal. She said dat deIssue Frees wuz mixed wid de white folks, an' uv cou'se dat make 'emfree. Sometimes dey stay on de plantation, but a whole heap uv dem, longwid niggers who had done runned away from dere marster, dugged caves inde woods, an' dar dey lived an' raised dere families dar. Dey ain'twored much clothes an' what dey got to eat an' to w'ar dey swiped fromde white folkses. Mammy said dat she uster go ter de spring fer water, an' dem ole Issue Frees up in de woods would yell at her, 'Doan yo'muddy dat spring, little gal'. Dat scared her moughty bad. 

Dem Issue Frees till dis day shows both bloods. De white folkses won'thave 'em an' de niggers doan want 'em but will have ter have 'emanyhow. 

My uncle wuz raised in a cave an' lived on stold stuff an' berries. Mycousin runned away 'cause his marster wuz mean ter him, but dey put deblood hounds on his trail, ketched him. Atter he got well from debeatin' dey gib him, dey sold him. 

I'se hyard ole lady Prissie Jones who died at de age of 103 las' wintertell 'bout marsters dat when dere slaves runned away dey'd set debloodhounds on dere trail an' when dey ketched 'em dey'd cut dere haidsoff wid de swords. 

Ole lady Prissie tole 'bout slaves what ain't had nothin' ter eat an'no clothes 'cept a little strip uv homespun, but my mammy who died fourmonths ago at de age 106 said dat she ain't knowed nothin' 'bout suchdoin's. 

When de Yankees come, dey come a burnin' an' a-stealin' an' MarsterCharlie carried his val'ables ter mammy's cabin, but dey found 'em. Deyhad a money rod an' dey'd find all de stuff no matter whar it wuz. Mammy said dat all de slaves cried when de Yankees come, an' dat most uv'em stayed on a long time atter de war. My mammy plowed an' done suchwork all de time uv slavery, but she done it case she wanted to do itan' not 'cause dey make her. 

All de slaves hate de Yankees an' when de southern soldiers comed bylate in de night all de niggers got out of de bed an' holdin' torcheshigh dey march behin' de soldiers, all of dem singin', 'We'll Hang AbeLincoln on de Sour Apple Tree. ' Yes mam, dey wuz sorry dat dey wuz free, an' dey ain't got no reason to be glad, case dey wuz happier den dannow. 

I'se hyard mammy tell 'bout how de niggers would sing as dey picked decotton, but yo' ain't hyard none uv dat now. Den dey ain't had to worry'bout nothin'; now dey has ter study so much dat dey ain't happy nuffter sing no mo'. 

"Does yo' know de cause of de war?" Aunt Alice went to a cupboard andreturned holding out a book. "Well hyar's de cause, dis _Uncle Tom'sCabin_ wuz de cause of it all; an' its' de biggest lie what ever beengived ter de public. "

N. C. District: No. 2 [320157]Worker: Mary A. HicksNo. Words: 341Subject: WHEN THE YANKEES CAMEStory Teller: John BeckwithEditor: Daisy Bailey Waitt

[TR: No Date Stamp]

WHEN THE YANKEES CAME

An Interview with John Beckwith 83, of Cary. 

I reckon dat I wuz 'bout nine years old at de surrender, but we warn'thappy an' we stayed on dar till my parents died. My pappy wuz namedGreen an' my mammy wuz named Molly, an' we belonged ter Mr. Joe Edwards, Mr. Marion Gully, an' Mr. Hilliard Beckwith, as de missus married all of'em. Dar wuz twenty-one other slaves, an' we got beat ever' onct in awhile. 

When dey told us dat de Yankees wuz comin' we wuz also told dat iffenwe didn't behave dat we'd be shot; an' we believed it. We would'uvbehaved anyhow, case we had good plank houses, good food, an' shoes. Wehad Saturday an' Sunday off an' we wuz happy. 

De missus, she raised de nigger babies so's de mammies could wuck. I'members de times when she rock me ter sleep an' put me ter bed in herown bed. I wuz happy den as I thinks back of it, until dem Yankeescome. 

Dey come on a Chuesday; an' dey started by burnin' de cotton house an'killin' most of de chickens an' pigs. Way atter awhile dey fin's decellar an' dey drinks brandy till dey gits wobbly in de legs. Atter datdey comes up on de front porch an' calls my missus. When she comes terde do' dey tells her dat dey am goin' in de house ter look things over. My missus dejicts, case ole marster am away at de war, but dat doan dono good. Dey cusses her scan'lous an' dey dares her ter speak. Dey robsde house, takin' dere knives an' splittin' mattresses, pillows an' ever'thing open lookin' fer valerables, an' ole missus dasen't open hermouth. 

Dey camped dar in de grove fer two days, de officers takin' de housean' missus leavin' home an' goin' ter de neighbor's house. Dey make mestay dar in de house wid 'em ter tote dere brandy frum de cellar, an'ter make 'em some mint jelup. Well, on de secon' night dar come de wuststorm I'se eber seed. De lightnin' flash, de thunder roll, an' de houseshook an' rattle lak a earthquake had struck it. 

Dem Yankees warn't supposed ter be superstitious, but lemmie tell yo', dey wuz some skeered dat night; an' I hyard a Captain say dat de witcheswuz abroad. Atter awhile lightnin' struck de Catawba tree dar at de sideof de house an' de soldiers camped round about dat way marched off terde barns, slave cabins an' other places whar dey wuz safter dan at datplace. De next mornin' dem Yankees moved frum dar an' dey ain't comeback fer nothin'. 

We wuzn't happy at de surrender an' we cussed ole Abraham Lincoln allober de place. We wuz told de disadvantages of not havin' no edercation, but shucks, we doan need no book larnin' wid ole marster ter look atterus. 

My mammy an' pappy stayed on dar de rest of dere lives, an' I stayedtill I wuz sixteen. De Ku Klux Klan got atter me den' bout fightin' wida white boy. Dat night I slipped in de woods an' de nex' day I went terRaleigh. I got a job dar an' eber' since den I'se wucked fer myself, butnow I can't wuck an' I wish dat yo' would apply fer my ole aged pensionfer me. 

I went back ter de ole plantation long as my pappy, mammy, an' demarster an' missus lived. Sometimes, when I gits de chanct I goes backnow. Course now de slave cabins am gone, ever' body am dead, an' darain't nothin' familiar 'cept de bent Catawba tree; but it 'minds me ofde happy days. 

N. C. District: No. 2 [320163]Worker: T. Pat MatthewsNo. Words: 1, 566Subject: JOHN C. BECTOMStory Teller: John C. BectomEditor: Daisy Bailey Waitt

[TR: Date Stamp "JUN 1 1937"]

[HW: N. C. ]

JOHN C. BECTOM

My name is John C. Bectom. I was born Oct. 7, 1862, near Fayetteville, Cumberland County, North Carolina. My father's name was Simon Bectom. Hewas 86 years of age when he died. He died in 1910 at Fayetteville, N. C. My mother's name was Harriet Bectom. She died in 1907, May 23, when shewas seventy years old. My brother's were named Ed, Kato and Willie. Iwas third of the boys. My sisters were Lucy, Anne and Alice. My fatherfirst belonged to Robert Wooten of Craven County, N. C. Then he was soldby the Wootens to the Bectoms of Wayne County, near Goldsboro, thecounty seat. My mother first belonged to the McNeills of CumberlandCounty. Miss Mary McNeill married a McFadden, and her parents gave mymother to Mis' Mary. Mis' Mary's daughter in time married Ezekial Kingand my mother was then given to her by Mis' Mary McFadden, her mother. Mis' Lizzie McFadden became a King. My grandmother was named LucyMurphy. She belonged to the Murpheys. All the slaves were given off tothe children of the family as they married. 

My father and mother told me stories of how they were treated atdifferent places. When my grandmother was with the Murpheys they wouldmake her get up, and begin burning logs in new grounds before daybreak. They also made her plow, the same as any of the men on the plantation. They plowed till dusk-dark before they left the fields to come to thehouse. They were not allowed to attend any dances or parties unless theyslipped off unknowin's. They had candy pullings sometimes too. Whilethey would be there the patterollers would visit them. Sometimes thepatterollers whipped all they caught at this place, all they set theirhands on, unless they had a pass. 

They fed us mighty good. The food was well cooked. They gave the slavesan acre of ground to plant and they could sell the crop and have themoney. The work on this acre was done on moonshiny nights and holidays. Sometimes slaves would steal the marster's chickens or a hog and slipoff to another plantation and have it cooked. We had plenty of clothes, and one pair o' shoes a year. You had to take care of them because youonly got one pair a year. They were given at Christmas every year. Theclothes were made on the plantation. 

There were corn mills on the plantation, and rice mills, and threshingmachines. The plantation had about 300 acres in farm land. The enclosurewas three miles. My marster lived in a fine house. It took a year tobuild it. There were about 16 rooms in it. We slaves called it the greathouse. Some of the slaves ran away and finally reached Ohio. There wasno jail on the plantation. Sometimes the overseer would whip us. 

The Kings had no overseers. King beat his slaves with a stick. Iremember seeing him do this as well as I can see that house over there. He became blind. An owl scratched him in the face when he was trying tocatch him, and his face got into sich a fix he went to Philadelphia fortreatment, but they could not cure him. He finally went blind. I haveseen him beat his slaves after he was blind. I remember it well. He beat'em with a stick. He was the most sensitive man you ever seed. He ran astore. After he was blind you could han' him a piece of money and hecould tell you what it was. 

There were no churches on the plantation but prayer meeting' were heldin the quarters. Slaves were not allowed to go to the white folk'schurch unless they were coach drivers, etc. No sir, not in thatcommunity. They taught the slaves the Bible. The children of the marsterwould go to private school. We small Negro children looked after thebabies in the cradles and other young children. When the white childrenstudied their lessons I studied with them. When they wrote in the sand Iwrote in the sand too. The white children, and not the marster ormistress, is where I got started in learnin' to read and write. 

We had corn shuckings, candy pullings, dances, prayer meetings. We wentto camp meetin' on Camp Meeting days in August when the crops were laidby. We played games of high jump, jumping over the pole held by twopeople, wrestling, leap frog, and jumping. We sang the songs, 'Go tellAunt Patsy'. 'Some folks says a nigger wont steal, I caught six in mycorn field' 'Run nigger run, the patteroller ketch you, Run nigger runlike you did the other day'. 

When slaves got sick marster looked after them. He gave them blue massand caster oil. Dr. McDuffy also treated us. Dr. McSwain vaccinated usfor small pox. My sister died with it. When the slaves died marsterburied them. They dug a grave with a tomb in it. I do not see any ofthem now. The slaves were buried in a plain box. 

The marsters married the slaves without any papers. All they did was tosay perhaps to Jane and Frank, 'Frank, I pronounce you and Jane man andwife. ' But the woman did not take the name of her husband, she kept thename of the family who owned her. 

I remember seeing the Yankees near Fayetteville. They shot a bomb shellat Wheeler's Calvary, and it hit near me and buried in the ground. Wheeler's Calvary came first and ramsaked the place. They got all thevaluables they could, and burned the bridge, the covered bridge overCape Fear river, but when the Yankees got there they had a pontoonbridge to cross on, --all those provision wagons and such. When theypassed our place it was in the morning. They nearly scared me to death. They passed right by our door, Sherman's army. They began passing, sothe white folks said, at 9 o'clock in the mornin'. At 9 o'clock at nightthey were passin' our door on foot. They said there were two hundred andfifty thousan' o' them passed. Some camped in my marster's old fiel'. AYankee caught one of my marster's shoats and cut off one of the hindquarters, gave it to me, and told me to carry and give it to my mother. I was so small I could not tote it, so I drug it to her. I called herwhen I got in hollering distance of the house and she came and got it. The Yankees called us Johnnie, Dinah, Bill and other funny names. Theybeat their drums and sang songs. One of the Yankees sang 'Rock a ByeBaby'. At that time Jeff Davis money was plentiful. My mother had about$1000. It was so plentiful it was called Jeff Davis shucks. My motherhad bought a pair of shoes, and had put them in a chest. A Yankee cameand took the shoes and wore them off, leaving his in their place. Theytol' us we were free. Sometimes the marster would get cruel to theslaves if they acted like they were free. 

Mat Holmes, a slave, was wearing a ball and chain as a punishment forrunning away. Marster Ezekial King put it on him. He has slept in thebed with me, wearing that ball and chain. The cuff had embedded in hisleg, it was swollen so. This was right after the Yankees came through. It was March, the 9th of March, when the Yankees came through. MatHolmes had run away with the ball and chain on him and was in the woodsthen. He hid out staying with us at night until August. Then my mothertook him to the Yankee garrison at Fayetteville. A Yankee officer thentook him to a black smith shop and had the ball and chain cut off hisleg. The marsters would tell the slaves to go to work that they were notfree, that they still belonged to them, but one would drop out andleave, then another. There was little work done on the farm, andfinally most of the slaves learned they were free. 

Abraham Lincoln was one of the greatest men that ever lived. He was thecause of us slaves being free. No doubt about that. I didn't thinkanything of Jeff Davis. He tried to keep us in slavery. I think slaverywas an injustice, not right. Our privilege is to live right, and liveaccording to the teachings of the Bible, to treat our fellowman right. To do this I feel we should belong to some religious organization andlive as near right as we know how. 

The overseers and patterollers in the time of slavery were called poorwhite trash by the slaves. 

On the plantations not every one, but some of the slave holders wouldhave some certain slave women reserved for their own use. Sometimeschildren almost white would be born to them. I have seen many of thesechildren. Sometimes the child would be said to belong to the overseer, and sometimes it would be said to belong to the marster. 

N. C. District: No. 2 [320118]Worker: Mary A. HicksNo. Words: 610Subject: AUNT LAURAStory Teller: LAURA BELLEditor: Geo. L. Andrews

[TR: Date Stamp "AUG 6 1937"]

AUNT LAURA

An interview with Laura Bell, 73 years old, of 2 Bragg Street, Raleigh, North Carolina. 

Being informed that Laura Bell was an old slavery Negro, I wentimmediately to the little two-room shack with its fallen roof and shakysteps. As I approached the shack I noticed that the storm had done greatdamage to the chaney-berry tree in her yard, fallen limbs litterin' theground, which was an inch deep in garbage and water. 

The porch was littered with old planks and huge tubs and barrels ofstagnant water. There was only room for one chair and in that sat a tallNegro woman clad in burlap bags and in her lap she held a small whiteflea-bitten dog which growled meaningly. 

When I reached the gate, which swings on one rusty hinge, she bade mecome in and the Carolina Power and Light Company men, who were at worknearby, laughed as I climbed over the limbs and garbage and finallyfound room for one foot on the porch and one on the ground. 

"I wus borned in Mount Airy de year 'fore de Yankees come, bein' defourth of five chilluns. My mammy an' daddy Minerva Jane an' Wesley'longed ter Mr. Mack Strickland an' we lived on his big place near MountAiry. "

"Mr. Mack wus good ter us, dey said. He give us enough ter eat an'plenty of time ter weave clothes fer us ter wear. I've hearn mammy tellof de corn shuckin's an' dances dey had an' 'bout some whuppin's too. "

"Marse Mack's overseer, I doan know his name, wus gwine ter whup mymammy onct, an' pappy do' he ain't neber make no love ter mammy comes upan' takes de whuppin' fer her. Atter dat dey cou'ts on Sadday an' Sundayan' at all de sociables till dey gits married. "

"I'se hearn her tell' bout how he axed Marse Mack iffen he could cou'tmammy an' atter Marse Mack sez he can he axes her ter marry him. "

"She tells him dat she will an' he had 'em married by de preacher de nex'time he comes through dat country. "

"I growed up on de farm an' when I wus twelve years old I met ThomasBell. My folks said dat I wus too young fer ter keep company so I hadter meet him 'roun' an' about fer seberal years, I think till I wusfifteen. "

"He axed me ter marry him while he wus down on de creek bank a fishin'an' I tol' him yes, but when he starts ter kiss me I tells him dat der'smany a slip twixt de cup an' de lip an' so he has ter wait till we gitsmarried. "

"We runned away de nex' Sadday an' wus married by a Justice of de Peacein Mount Airy. "

"Love ain't what hit uster be by a long shot, " de ole woman reflected, "'Cause dar ain't many folks what loves all de time. We moved terRaleigh forty years ago, an' Tom has been daid seberal years now. We hadjest one chile but hit wus borned daid. "

"Chilluns ain't raised ter be clean lak we wus. I knows dat de houseain't so clean but I doan feel so much lak doin' nothin', I jest went ona visit 'bout seben blocks up de street dis mo'nin' an' so I doan feellak cleanin' up none. "

I cut the interview short thereby missing more facts, as the odor wasanything but pleasant and I was getting tired of standing in that onelittle spot. 

"Thank you for comin'", she called, and her dog growled again. 

N. C. District: No. 2 [320111]Worker: T. Pat MatthewsNo. Words: 1153Subject: EMMA BLALOCKStory Teller: Emma BlalockEditor: Geo. L. Andrews

[TR: Date Stamp "AUG 6 1937"]

EMMA BLALOCK88 years old529 Bannon AvenueRaleigh, N. C. 

I shore do 'member de Yankees wid dere blue uniforms wid brass buttonson 'em. I wus too small to work any but I played in de yard wid myoldes' sister, Katie. She is dead long ago. My mother belonged to oleman John Griffith an' I belonged to him. His plantation wus down here atAuburn in Wake County. My father wus named Edmund Rand. He belonged toMr. Nat Rand. He lived in Auburn. De plantations wus not fur apart. Derewus about twenty-five slaves on de plantation whur mother an' mestayed. 

Marse John used ter take me on his knee an' sing, 'Here is de hammer, Shing ding. Gimme de Hammer, shing ding. ' Marster loved de niggerchilluns on his plantation. When de war ended father come an' lived withus at Marse John's plantation. Marster John Griffith named me Emmy. Mygrandfather on my fathers side wus named Harden Rand, an' grandmotherwus named Mason Rand. My grandfather on my mother's side wus named AntnyGriffiths an' grandmother wus named Nellie. 

Our food wus a plenty and well cooked. Marster fed his niggers good. Wehad plenty of homespun dresses and we got shoes once a year, atChristmas Eve. I ken 'member it just as good. We got Christmas Holidaysan' a stockin' full of candy an' peanuts. Sometimes we got ginger snapsat Christmas. My grandmother cooked' em. She wus a good cook. Mymother's missus wus Miss Jetsy Griffith and my father's missus wus LucyRand. Dey wus both mighty good women. You know I am ole. I ken 'memberall dem good white folks. Dey give us Fourth July Holidays. Dey come totown on dat day. Dey wore, let me tell you what dey wore, dey woredotted waist blouses an' white pants. Dat wus a big day to ever'body, deFourth of July. Dey begun singing at Auburn an' sung till dey reachedRaleigh. Auburn is nine miles from Raleigh. Dere wus a lot of lemonade. Dey made light bread in big ovens an' had cheese to eat wid it. Somesaid just goin' on de fofe to git lemonade an' cheese. 

In the winter we had a lot of possums to eat an' a lot of rabbits too. At Christmas time de men hunted and caught plenty game. We barbecued itbefore de fire. I 'members seein' mother an' grandmother swingingrabbits 'fore de fire to cook 'em. Dey would turn an' turn 'em till deywus done. Dey hung some up in de chimbly an' dry 'em out an' keep 'em along time an' dat is de reason I won't eat a rabbit today. No Sir! Iwon't eat a rabbit. I seed 'em mess wid 'em so much turned me 'ginsteatin' 'em. 

I don't know how much lan' Marster John owned but, Honey, dat wus someplantation. It reached from Auburn to de Neuse River. Yes Sir, it did, 'cause I been down dere in corn hillin' time an' we fished at twelveo'clock in Neuse River. Marster John had overseers. Dere wus six of 'em. Dey rode horses over de fields but I don't 'member dere names. 

I never seen a slave whupped but dey wus whupped on de plantation an' Iheard de grown folks talkin' 'bout it. My uncles Nat an' Bert Griffithswus both whupped. Uncle Nat would not obey his missus rules an' she hadhim whupped. Dey whupped Uncle Bert 'cause he stayed drunk so much. Heloved his licker an' he got drunk an' cut up bad, den dey whupped him. You could git plenty whiskey den. Twon't like it is now. No sir, itwon't. Whiskey sold fur ten cents a quart. Most ever' body drank it butyou hardly ever seed a man drunk. Slaves wus not whupped for drinkin'. Dere Marsters give 'em whiskey but dey wus whupped for gittin' drunk. Dere wus a jail, a kind of stockade built of logs, on de farm to putslaves in when dey wouldn't mind. I never say any slave put on de blockan' sold, but I saw Aunt Helen Rand cryin' because her Marster Nat Randsold her boy, Fab Rand. 

No Sir, no readin' an' writin'. You had to work. Ha! ha! You let yourmarster or missus ketch you wid a book. Dat wus a strict rule dat nolearnin' wus to be teached. I can't read an' write. If it wus not fur mymother wit don't know what would become of me. We had prayer meetingsaround at de slave houses. I 'member it well. We turned down pots on deinside of de house at de door to keep marster an' missus from hearin' desingin' an' prayin'. Marster an' his family lived in de great house an'de slave quarters wus 'bout two hundred yards away to the back of degreat house. Dey wus arranged in rows. When de war ended we all stayedon wid de families Griffiths an' Rands till dey died, dat is all 'ceptmy father an' me. He lef' an' I lef'. I been in Raleigh forty-fiveyears. I married Mack Blalock in Raleigh. He been dead seven years. 

My mother had two boys, Antny an' Wesley. She had four girls, Katie, Grissie, Mary Ella an' Emma. I had three chilluns, two are livin' yet. They both live in Raleigh. 

We had big suppers an' dinners at log rollin's an' corn shuckin's inslavery time ha! ha! plenty of corn licker for ever'body, both white an'black. Ever'body helped himself. Dr. Tom Busbee, one good ole white man, looked after us when we got sick, an' he could make you well purtyquick, 'cause he wus good an' 'cause he wus sorry fer you. He wus afeelin' man. Course we took erbs. I tell you what I took. Scurrey grass, chana balls dey wus for worms. Scurrey grass worked you out. Dey give uswinter green to clense our blood. We slaves an' a lot of de white folksdrank sassafras tea in de place of coffee. We sweetened it wid brownsugar, honey, or molasses, just what we had in dat line. I think slaverywus a right good thing. Plenty to eat an' wear. 

When you gits a tooth pulled now it costs two dollars, don't it? Wellin slavery time I had a tooth botherin' me. My mother say, Emma, takedis egg an' go down to Doctor Busbee an' give it to him an' git yourtooth pulled. I give him one egg. He took it an' pulled my tooth. Trydat now, if you wants to an' see what happens. Yes, slavery wus a purtygood thing. 

N. C. District: No. 2 [320165]Worker: Mary A. HicksNo. Words: 1430Subject: Days on the PlantationPerson Interviewed: Uncle David BlountEditor: Daisy Bailey Waitt

[TR: Date Stamp "JUN 1 1937"]

[HW: N. C. Good general story--]

[HW: Good storyHates the Yankeesboy beaten by overseer who is later discharged;slaves make pact with Yankees]

DAYS ON THE PLANTATION

As told by Uncle David Blount, formerly of Beaufort County, who did notknow his age. "De Marster" he refers to was Major Wm. A. Blount, whoowned plantations in several parts of North Carolina. 

Yes mam, de days on de plantation wuz de happy days. De marster made uswuck through de week but on Sadays we uster go swimmin' in de riber an'do a lot of other things dat we lak ter do. 

We didn't mind de wuck so much case de ground wuz soft as ashes an' demarster let us stop and rest when we got tired. We planted 'taters in deuplan's and co'n in de lowgroun's nex' de riber. It wuz on de Cape Fearan' on hot days when we wuz a-pullin' de fodder we'd all stop wuck 'boutthree o'clock in de ebenin' an' go swimmin'. Atter we come out'n dewater we would wuck harder dan eber an' de marster wuz good to us, casewe did wuck an' we done what he ast us. 

I 'members onct de marster had a oberseer dar dat wuz meaner dan a meannigger. He always hired good oberseers an' a whole lot of times he letsome Negro slave obersee. Well, dis oberseer beat some of de half grownboys till de blood run down ter dar heels an' he tole de rest of us datif we told on him dat he'd kill us. We don't dasen't ast de marster tergit rid of de man so dis went on fer a long time. 

It wuz cold as de debil one day an' dis oberseer had a gang of usa-clearin' new groun'. One boy ast if he could warm by de bresh heap. Deoberseer said no, and atter awhile de boy had a chill. De oberseer don'tcare, but dat night de boy am a sick nigger. De nex' mornin' de marstergits de doctor, an' de doctor say dat de boy has got pneumonia. He tells'em ter take off de boys shirt an' grease him wid some tar, turpentine, an' kerosene, an' when dey starts ter take de shirt off dey fin's dat itam stuck. 

Dey had ter grease de shirt ter git it off case de blood whar deoberseer beat him had stuck de shirt tight ter de skin. De marster wuzin de room an' he axed de boy how come it, an' de boy tole him. 

De marster sorta turns white an' he says ter me, 'Will yo' go an' astde oberseer ter stop hyar a minute, please?'

When de oberseer comes up de steps he axes sorta sassy-like, 'What yo'want?'

De marster says, 'Pack yo' things an' git off'n my place as fast as yo'can, yo' pesky varmit. '

De oberseer sasses de marster some more, an' den I sees de marsterfairly loose his temper for de first time. He don't say a word but hewalks ober, grabs de oberseer by de shoulder, sets his boot right hard'ginst de seat of his pants an' sen's him, all drawed up, out in deyard on his face. He close up lak a umbrella for a minute den he pullshisself all tergether an' he limps out'n dat yard an' we ain't neberseed him no more. 

No mam, dar wuzent no marryin' on de plantation dem days, an' as oneole 'oman raised all of de chilluns me an' my brother Johnnie ain'tneber knowed who our folkses wuz. Johnnie wuz a little feller when dewar ended, but I wuz in most of de things dat happen on de plantationfer a good while. 

One time dar, I done fergit de year, some white mens comes down deriber on a boat an' dey comes inter de fiel's an' talks ter a gang of usan' dey says dat our masters ain't treatin' us right. Dey tells us datwe orter be paid fer our wuck, an' dat we hadn't ort ter hab passes tergo anywhar. Dey also tells us dat we ort ter be allowed ter tote guns ifwe wants 'em. Dey says too dat sometime our marsters was gwine ter killus all. 

I laughs at 'em, but some of dem fool niggers listens ter 'em; an' it'pears dat dese men gib de niggers some guns atter I left an' promisedter bring 'em some more de nex' week. 

I fin's out de nex' day 'bout dis an' I goes an' tells de marster. Hesorta laughs an' scratches his head, 'Dem niggers am headed fer trouble, Dave, 'he says ter me, 'an I wants yo' ter help me. '

I says, 'Yas sar, marster. '

An' he goes on, 'Yo' fin's out when de rest of de guns comes Dave, an'let me know. '

When de men brings back de guns I tells de marster, an' I also tellshim dat dey wants ter hold er meetin'. 

'All right, ' he says an' laughs, 'dey can have de meetin'. Yo' tell'em, Dave, dat I said dat dey can meet on Chuesday night in de packhouse. '

Chuesday ebenin' he sen's dem all off to de low groun's but me, an' hetells me ter nail up de shutters ter de pack house an' ter nail 'em upgood. 

I does lak he tells me ter do an' dat night de niggers marches in an'sneaks dar guns in too. I is lyin' up in de loft an' I hyars dem say datatter de meetin' dey is gwine ter go up ter de big house an' kill dewhole fambly. 

I gits out of de winder an' I runs ter de house an tells de marster. Den me an' him an' de young marster goes out an' quick as lightnin', Islams de pack house door an' I locks it. Den de marster yells at dem, 'I'se got men an' guns out hyar, he yells, 'an' if yo' doan throw demguns out of de hole up dar in de loft, an' throw dem ebery one out I'segwine ter stick fire ter dat pack house. '

De niggers 'liberates for a few minutes an' den dey throws de guns out. I knows how many dey has got so I counts till dey throw dem all out, denI gathers up dem guns an' I totes 'em off ter de big house. 

Well sar, we keeps dem niggers shet up fer about a week on shortrations; an' at de end of dat time dem niggers am kyored for good. Whendey comes out dey had three oberseers 'stid of one, an' de rules amstricter dan eber before; an' den de marster goes off ter de war. 

I reckon I was 'bout fifteen or sixteen den; an' de marster car's me'long fer his pusonal sarvant an' body guard an' he leabes de rest ofdem niggers in de fiel's ter wuck like de dickens while I laughs at demYankees. 

Jim belonged to Mr. Harley who lived in New Hanover County during dewar, in fac' he was young Massa Harley's slave; so when young Massa Tomwent to de war Jim went along too. 

Dey wuz at Manassas, dey tells me, when Massa Tom got kilt, and deorders wuz not to take no bodies off de field right den. 

Course ole massa down near Wilmington, doan know 'bout young Massa Tom, but one night dey hears Jim holler at de gate. Dey goes runnin' out; an'Jim has brung Massa Tom's body all dat long ways home so dat he can beburied in de family burian ground. 

De massa frees Jim dat night; but he stays on a time atter de war, an'tell de day he died he hated de Yankees for killing Massa Tom. In factwe all hated de Yankees, 'specially atter we hear 'bout starve dat firstwinter. I tried ter make a libin' fer me an' Johnnie but it was badgoin'; den I comes ter Raleigh an' I gits 'long better. Atter I gitssettled I brings Johnnie, an' so we done putty good. 

Dat's all I can tell yo' now Miss, but if'n yo'll come back sometimeI'll tell yo' de rest of de tales. 

Shortly after the above interview Uncle Dave who was failing fast wastaken to the County Home, where he died. He was buried on May 4th, 1937, the rest of the tale remaining untold. 

N. C. District: No. 2 [320185]Worker: Mary A. HicksNo. Words: 459Subject: Ex-Slave StoryPerson Interviewed: Clay BobbitEditor: Daisy Bailey Waitt

[TR: Date Stamp "JUN 17 1937"]

EX-SLAVE STORY

An interview with Clay Bobbit, 100 of S. Harrington Street, Raleigh, N. C. , May 27, 1937. 

I wuz borned May 2, 1837 in Warren County to Washington an' DelisiaBobbit. Our Marster wuz named Richard Bobbit, but we all calls him MassaDick. 

Massa Dick ain't good ter us, an' on my arm hyar, jist above de elbowam a big scar dis day whar he whupped me wid a cowhide. He ain't whuppedme fer nothin' 'cept dat I is a nigger. I had a whole heap of demwhuppin's, mostly case I won't obey his orders an' I'se seed slaves beat'most ter deff. 

I wuz married onct 'fore de war by de broom stick ceremony, lak all derest of de slaves wuz but shucks dey sold away my wife 'fore we'd beenmarried a year an' den de war come on. 

I had one brother, Henry who am wuckin' fer de city, an' one sisterwhat wuz named Deliah. She been daid dese many years now. 

Massa Dick owned a powerful big plantation an' ober a hundert slaves, an' we wucked on short rations an' went nigh naked. We ain't goneswimmin' ner huntin' ner nothin' an' we ain't had no pleasures 'less weruns away ter habe 'em. Eben when we sings we had ter turn down a pot infront of de do' ter ketch de noise. 

I knowed some pore white trash; our oberseer wuz one, an' de shimshams[3] wuz also nigh 'bout also. We ain't had no use fer none of 'eman' we shorely ain't carin' whe'her dey has no use fer us er not. 

De Ku Kluxes ain't done nothin' fer us case dar ain't many in ourneighborhood. Yo' see de Yankees ain't come through dar, an' we isskeerd of dem anyhow. De white folks said dat de Yankees would kill usif'en dey ketched us. 

I ain't knowed nothin' 'bout de Yankees, ner de surrender so I stays onfer seberal months atter de wahr wuz ober, den I comes ter Raleigh an'goes ter wuck fer de city. I wucks fer de city fer nigh on fifty years, I reckon, an' jis' lately I retired. 

I'se been sick fer 'bout four months an' on, de second day of May. Deday when I wuz a hundert years old I warn't able ter git ter de citylot, but I got a lot uv presents. 

Dis 'oman am my third lawful wife. I married her three years ago. [4]

[Footnote 3: Shim Sham, Free Issues or Negroes of mixed blood. ]

[Footnote 4: The old man was too ill to walk out on the porch for hispicture, and his mind wandered too much to give a connected account ofhis life. ]

N. C. District: No. 2 [320190]Worker: Mary A. HicksNo. Words: 793Subject: Ex-Slave StoryStory Teller: Henry BobbittEditor: Daisy Bailey Waitt

[TR: No Date Stamp]

EX-SLAVE STORIES

An interview with Henry Bobbitt, 87 of Raleigh, Wake County N. C. May 13, 1937 by Mary A. Hicks. 

I wuz borned at Warrenton in Warren County in 1850. My father wuz namedWashington, atter General Washington an' my mamma wuz named Diasia attera woman in a story. Us an' 'bout forty or fifty other slaves belongedter Mr. Richard Bobbitt an' we wucked his four hundred acres o' land ferhim. I jist had one brother named Clay, atter Henry Clay, which showshow Massa Dick voted, an' Delilah, which shows dat ole missus read deBible. 

We farmed, makin' tobacco, cotton, co'n, wheat an' taters. Massa Dickhad a whole passel o' fine horses an' our Sunday job wuz ter take careof 'em, an' clean up round de house. Yes mam, we wucked seben days aweek, from sunup till sundown six days, an' from seben till three orfour on a Sunday. 

We didn't have many tear-downs an' prayer meetin's an' sich, case defuss sturbed ole missus who wuz kinder sickly. When we did have sompin'we turned down a big wash-pot in front of de do', an' it took up de fuss, an' folkses in de yard can't hyar de fuss. De patterollers would gityou iffen you went offen de premises widout a pass, an' dey said dat deywould beat you scandelous. I seed a feller dat dey beat onct an' he hadscars as big as my fingers all ober his body. 

I got one whuppin' dat I 'members, an' dat wuz jist a middlin' one. Demassa told me ter pick de cotton an' I sot down in de middle an' didn'twuck a speck. De oberseer come an' he frailed me wid a cotton-stalk; hewuz a heap meaner ter de niggers dan Massa Dick wuz. I saw some niggerswhat wuz beat bad, but I ain't neber had no bad beatin'. 

We libed in log houses wid sand floors an' stick an' dirt chimneys an'we warn't 'lowed ter have no gyarden, ner chickens, ner pigs. We ain'thad no way o' makin' money an' de fun wuz only middlin'. We had tersteal what rabbits we et from somebody elses [TR correction: else's]boxes on some udder plantation, case de massa won't let us have none o'our own, an' we ain't had no time ter hunt ner fish. 

Now talkin' 'bout sompin' dat we'd git a whuppin' fer, dat wuz ferhavin' a pencil an' a piece of paper er a slate. Iffen you jist lookedlak you wanted ter larn ter read er write you got a lickin'. 

Dar wuz two colored women lived nigh us an' dey wuz called "freeissues, " but dey wuz really witches. I ain't really seen 'em do nothin'but I hyard a whole lot 'bout 'em puttin' spells on folkses an' I seedtracks whar day had rid Massa Dick's hosses an' eber mo'nin' de hossesmanes an' tails would be all twisted an' knotted up. I know dat dey donedat case I seed it wid my own eyes. Dey doctored lots of people an' ourfolkses ain't neber had no doctor fer nothin' dat happen. 

You wuz axin' 'bout de slave sales, an' I want ter tell you dat I hasseen some real sales an' I'se seed niggers, whole bunches of' em, gwin'ter Richmond ter be sold. Dey wuz mostly chained, case dey wuz new terde boss, an' he doan know what ter 'spect. I'se seed some real sales inWarrenton too, an' de mammies would be sold from deir chilluns an' darewould be a whole heap o' cryin' an' mou'nin' 'bout hit. I tell youfolkses ain't lak dey uster be, 'specially niggers. Uster be when anigger cries he whoops an' groans an' hollers an' his whole body rocks, an' dat am de way dey done sometime at de sales. 

Speakin' 'bout haints: I'se seed a whole lot o' things, but de worstdat eber happen wuz 'bout twenty years ago when a han'ts hand hit meside o' de haid. I bet dat hand weighed a hundred pounds an' it wuz ascold as ice. I ain't been able ter wuck fer seben days an' nights an' Istill can't turn my haid far ter de left as you sees. 

I reckon 'bout de funniest thing 'bout our plantation wuz demarryin'. A couple got married by sayin' dat dey wuz, but it couldn'tlast fer longer dan five years. Dat wuz so iffen one of 'em got tooweakly ter have chilluns de other one could git him another wife orhusban'. 

I 'members de day moughty well when de Yankees come. Massa Dick hewalked de floor an' cussed Sherman fer takin' his niggers away. All o'de niggers lef', of course, an' me, I walked clean ter Raleigh ter findout if I wuz really free, an' I couldn't unnerstan' half of it. 

Well de first year I slept in folkses woodhouses an' barns an' in dewoods or any whar else I could find. I wucked hyar an' dar, but defolkses' jist give me sompin' ter eat an' my clothes wuz in strings'fore de spring o' de year. 

Yo' axes me what I thinks of Massa Lincoln? Well, I thinks dat he wuzdoin' de wust thing dat he could ter turn all dem fool niggers loosewhen dey ain't got no place ter go an' nothin' ter eat. Who helped usout den? Hit wuzn't de Yankees, hit wuz de white folkses what wuz leftwid deir craps in de fiel's, an' wuz robbed by dem Yankees, ter boot. Myole massa, fur instance, wuz robbed uv his fine hosses an' his feedstuff an' all dem kaigs o' liquor what he done make hisself, sides hismoney an' silver. 

Slavery wuz a good thing den, but de world jist got better an'outgrowed it. 

EH

N. C. District: No. 2 [320235]Worker: Mary A. HicksNo. Words: 863Subject: HERNDON BOGANStory Teller: Herndon BoganEditor: Daisy Bailey Waitt

[TR: No Date Stamp]

HERNDON BOGAN

Ex-Slave Story

An interview with Herndon Bogan, 76 (?) of State Prison, Raleigh, N. C. 

I wus bawned in Union County, South Carolina on de plantation o' DoctorBogan, who owned both my mammy Issia, an' my pap Edwin. Dar wus six o'us chilluns; Clara, Lula, Joe, Tux, Mack an' me. 

I doan' member much 'bout slavery days 'cept dat my white folkses wusgood ter us. Dar wus a heap o' slaves, maybe a hundert an' fifty. I'members dat we wucked hard, but we had plenty ter eat an' w'ar, ebeniffen we did w'ar wood shoes. 

I kin barely recolleck 'fore de war dat I'se seed a heap o' cocksfightin' in pits an' a heap o' horse racin'. When de marster winned he'ud give us niggers a big dinner or a dance, but if he lost, oh!

My daddy wus gived ter de doctor when de doctor wus married an' deyshore loved each other. One day marster, he comes in an' he sez dat deYankees am aimin' ter try ter take his niggers way from him, but dat deyam gwine ter ketch hell while dey does hit. When he sez dat he startster walkin' de flo'. 'I'se gwine ter leave yore missus in yore keer, Edwin, ' he sez. 

But pa 'lows, 'Wid all respec' fer yore wife sar, she am a Yankee too, an' I'd ruther go wid you ter de war. Please sar, massa, let me go widyou ter fight dem Yanks. '

At fust massa 'fuses, den he sez, 'All right. ' So off dey goes ter dewar, massa on a big hoss, an' my pap on a strong mule 'long wid deblankets an' things. 

Dey tells me dat ole massa got shot one night, an' dat pap grabs de gun'fore hit hits de earth an' lets de Yanks have hit. 

I 'members dat dem wus bad days fer South Carolina, we gived all o' defood ter de soldiers, an' missus, eben do' she has got some Yankee folksin de war, l'arns ter eat cabbages an' kush an' berries. 

I 'members dat on de day of de surrender, leastways de day dat we hyard'bout hit, up comes a Yankee an' axes ter see my missus. I is shakin', Iis dat skeerd, but I bucks up an' I tells him dat my missus doan wantter see no blue coat. 

He grins, an' tells me ter skedaddle, an' 'bout den my missus comes outan' so help me iffen she doan hug dat dratted Yank. Atter awhile Igathers dat he's her brother, but at fust I ain't seed no sense in hercryin' an' sayin' 'thank God', over an' over. 

Well sar, de massa an' pap what had gone off mad an' healthy an' ridin'fine beastes comes back walkin' an' dey looked sick. Massa am white ascotton, an' so help me, iffen my pap, who wuz black as sin, ain't paletoo. 

Atter a few years I goes ter wuck in Spartanburg as a houseboy, den Igits a job wid de Southern Railroad an' I goes ter Charlotte ternight-watch de tracks. 

I stays dar eighteen years, but one night I kills a white hobo who amtryin' ter rob me o' my gol' watch an' chain, an' dey gives me eighteenmonths. I'se been hyar six already. He wus a white man, an' jist a boy, an' I is sorry, but I comes hyar anyhow. 

I hyard a ole 'oman in Charlotte tell onct 'bout witchin' in slaverytimes, dar in Mecklenburg County. She wus roun' ninety, so I reckon sheknows. She said dat iffen anybody wanted ter be a witch he would draw acircle on de groun' jist at de aidge o' dark an' git in de circle an'squat down. 

Dar he had ter set an' talk ter de debil, an' he mus' say, 'I will havenothin' ter do wid 'ligion, an' I wants you ter make me a witch. ' Atterday he mus' bile a black cat, a bat an' a bunch of herbs an' drink desoup, den he wuz really a witch. 

When you wanted ter witch somebody, she said dat you could take datstuff, jist a little bit of hit an' put hit under dat puson's doorstepsan' dey'd be sick. 

You could go thru' de key hole or down de chimney or through de chinksin a log house, an' you could ride a puson jist lak ridin' a hoss. Datpuson can keep you outen his house by layin' de broom 'fore de do' an'puttin' a pin cushion full of pins side of de bed do', iffen he's a mindto. 

Dat puson can kill you too, by drawin' yore pitcher an' shootin' hit inde haid or de heart too. 

Dar's a heap o' ways ter tell fortunes dat she done tol' me but I'sedone forgot now 'cept coffee groun's an' a little of de others. Youcan't tell hit wid 'em do', case hit takes knowin' how, hit shoredoes. 

N. C. District: No. 2 [320022]Worker: T. Pat MatthewsNo. Words: 1, 741Subject: ANDREW BOONEStory Teller: Andrew BooneEditor: G. L. Andrews

ANDREW BOONEage 90 years. 

Wake County, North Carolina. Harris Farm. 

I been living in dese backer barns fifteen years. I built this littleshelter to cook under. Dey cut me off the WPA cause dey said I wus tooole to work. Dey tole us ole folks we need not put down our walkin'sticks to git work cause dey jes' won't goin' to put us on. 

Well, I had some tomatoes cooked widout any grease for my breakfast. Ihad a loaf of bread yesterday, but I et it. I ain't got any check fromthe ole age pension an' I have nothin' to eat an' I am hongry. I jes'looks to God. I set down by de road thinkin' bout how to turn an' whatto do to git a meal, when you cum along. I thanks you fer dis dime. Iguess God made you give it to me. 

I wus glad to take you down to my livin' place to give you my story. Dis shelter, an ole tobacco barn, is better dan no home at all. I is aman to myself an' I enjoy livin' out here if I could git enough to eat. 

Well de big show is coming to town. It's de Devil's wurk. Yes sir, it'sde Devil's wurk. Why dem show folks ken make snakes an' make 'em crawltoo. Dere wus one in Watson Field in de edge of Raleigh not long ago an'he made snakes an' made 'em crawl too. All shows is de Devil's wurk. 

I never done anything fer myself in all my life. I always wurked fer deRebels. I stuck right to 'em. Didn't have no sense fer doin' dat Iguess. 

One time a Rebel saw a Yankee wid one eye, one leg an' one arm. DeYankee wus beggin'. De Rebel went up to him an' give him a quarter. Denhe backed off an' jes' stood a-lookin' at de Yankee, presently he wentback an' give him anudder quarter, den anudder, den he said, 'You takedis whole dollar, you is de first Yankee I eber seed trimmed up jes' tomy notion, so take all dis, jes' take de whole dollar, you is trimmed upto my notion'. 

I belonged to Billy Boone in Slavery time. He wus a preacher. He livedon an' owned a plantation in Northampton County. The plantation wus nearwoodland. The nearest river to the place wus the Roanoke. My ole missus'name wus Nancy. When ole marster died I stayed around wid fust one thenanother of the chilluns, cause marster tole me jes' fore he died fer meto stay wid any of 'em I wanted to stay with. All dem ole people donedead an' gone on. 

Niggers had to go through thick an' thin in slavery time, with roughrations most of de time, wid jes' enough clothin' to make out wid. Ourhouses were built of logs an' covered wid slabs. Dey wus rived out ofblocks of trees about 3-6 and 8ft in length. De chimleys wus built ofsticks and mud, den a coat of clay mud daubed over 'em. De cracks in deslave houses wus daubed wid mud too. 

We wurked from sun to sun. If we had a fire in cold weather where wewus wurkin' marster or de overseer would come an' put it out. We etfrozen meat an' bread many times in cold weather. After de day's wurk inde fields wus over we had a task of pickin' de seed from cotton till wehad two ounces of lint or spin two ounces of cotton on a spinnin' wheel. I spun cotton on a spinnin' wheel. Dats de way people got clothes inslavery time. 

I can't read an' write but dey learned us to count. Dey learned us tocount dis way. 'Ought is an' ought, an' a figger is a figger, all for dewhite man an' nothin' fer de nigger'. Hain't you heard people count datway?

Dey sold slaves jes' like people sell hosses now. I saw a lot of slavessold on de auction block. Dey would strip 'em stark naked. A niggerscarred up or whaled an' welted up wus considered a bad nigger an' didnot bring much. If his body wus not scarred, he brought a good price. Isaw a lot of slaves whupped an' I was whupped myself. Dey whupped me widde cat o' nine tails. It had nine lashes on it. Some of de slaves wuswhupped wid a cabbin paddle. Dey had forty holes in' em an' when you wusbuckled to a barrel dey hit your naked flesh wid de paddle an' everywhur dere wus a hole in de paddle it drawed a blister. When de whuppin'wid de paddle wus over, dey took de cat o' nine tails an' busted deblisters. By dis time de blood sometimes would be runnin' down dereheels. Den de next thing wus a wash in salt water strong enough to holdup an egg. Slaves wus punished dat way fer runnin' away an' sich. 

If you wus out widout a pass dey would shore git you. De paterollersshore looked after you. Dey would come to de house at night to see whowus there. If you wus out of place, dey would wear you out. 

Sam Joyner, a slave, belonged to marster. He wus runnin' from depaterollers an' he fell in a ole well. De pateroller went after marster. Marster tole' em to git ole Sam out an' whup him jes' as much as deywanted to. Dey got him out of de well an' he wus all wet an' muddy. Sambegan takin' off his shoes, den he took off his pants an' got in hisshirt tail. Marster, he say, 'What you takin' off you clothes fer Sam?'Sam, he say, 'Marster, you know you all can't whup dis nigger right overall dese wet clothes. ' Den Sam lit out. He run so fas' he nearly flew. De paterollers got on dere hosses an' run him but dey could not ketchhim. He got away. Marster got Sam's clothes an' carried 'em to de house. Sam slipped up next morning put his clothes on an' marster said no moreabout it. 

I wus a great big boy when de Yankees come through. I wus drivin' a twomule team an' doin' other wurk on de farm. I drove a two hoss wagon whendey carried slaves to market. I went to a lot of different places. 

My marster wus a preacher, Billy Boone. He sold an' bought niggers. Hehad fifty or more. He wurked the grown niggers in two squads. My fatherwus named Isham Boone and my mother wus Sarah Boone. Marster Boonewhupped wid de cobbin paddle an' de cat o' nine tails an' used the saltbath an' dat wus 'nough. Plenty besides him whupped dat way. 

Marster had one son, named Solomon, an' two girls, Elsie an' Alice. Mymother had four children, three boys an' one girl. The boys were namedSam, Walter and Andrew, dats me, an' de girl wus Cherry. 

My father had several children cause he had several women besidesmother. Mollie and Lila Lassiter, two sisters, were also his women. Dese women wus given to him an' no udder man wus allowed to haveanything to do wid 'em. Mollie an' Lila both had chilluns by him. Derenames wus Jim, Mollie, Liza, Rosa, Pete an' I can't remember no more of'em. 

De Yankees took jes' what dey wanted an' nothin' stopped 'em, cause desurrender had come. Before de surrender de slave owners begun to scatterde slaves 'bout from place to place to keep de Yankees from gittin' 'em. If de Yankees took a place de slaves nearby wus moved to a place furtheroff. 

All I done wus fer de Rebels. I wus wid 'em an' I jes' done what I wustole. I wus afraid of de Yankees 'cause de Rebels had told us dat deYankees would kill us. Dey tole us dat de Yankees would bore holes inour shoulders an' wurk us to carts. Dey tole us we would be treated alot worser den dey wus treating us. Well, de Yankees got here but theytreated us fine. Den a story went round an' round dat de marster wouldhave to give de slaves a mule an' a year's provisions an' some lan', about forty acres, but dat was not so. Dey nebber did give us anything. When de war ended an' we wus tole we wus free, we stayed on wid marstercause we had nothin' an' nowhere to go. 

We moved about from farm to farm. Mother died an' father married MariaEdwards after de surrender. He did not live wid any of his other slavewives dat I knows of. 

I have wurked as a han' on de farm most of de time since de surrenderand daddy worked most of de time as a han', but he had gardens an'patches most everywhere he wurked. I wurked in New York City for fifteenyears with Crawford and Banhay in de show business. I advertised for'em. I dressed in a white suit, white shirt, an' white straw hat, andwore tan shoes. I had to be a purty boy. I had to have my shoes shinedtwice a day. I lived at 18 Manilla Lane, New York City. It is betweenMcDougall Street and 6th Avenue. I married Clara Taylor in New YorkCity. We had two children. The oldest one lives in New York. The otherdied an' is buried in Raleigh. 

In slavery time they kept you down an' you had to wurk, now I can'twurk, an' I am still down. Not allowed to wurk an' still down. It's allhard, slavery and freedom, both bad when you can't eat. The ole beesmakes de honey comb, the young bee makes de honey, niggers makes decotton an' corn an' de white folks gets de money. Dis wus de case inSlavery time an' its de case now. De nigger do mos' de hard wurk on defarms now, and de white folks still git de money dat de nigger's labormakes. 

LE

STATE EDITORIAL IDENTIFICATION FORM [320002]

STATE: North CarolinaRECEIVED FROM: (State office) AshevilleMS: Interview with W. L. Bost, Ex-Slave. WORDS: 2, 000DATE: Sept. 27, 1937

Interview with W. L. Bost, Ex-slave [HW: 88 years]63 Curve Street, Asheville, N. C. 

By--Marjorie Jones

My Massa's name was Jonas Bost. He had a hotel in Newton, NorthCarolina. My mother and grandmother both belonged to the Bost family. Myole Massa had two large plantations one about three miles from Newtonand another four miles away. It took a lot of niggers to keep the work agoin' on them both. The women folks had to work in the hotel and in thebig house in town. Ole Missus she was a good woman. She never allowedthe Massa to buy or sell any slaves. There never was an overseer on thewhole plantation. The oldest colored man always looked after theniggers. We niggers lived better than the niggers on the otherplantations. 

Lord child, I remember when I was a little boy, 'bout ten years, thespeculators come through Newton with droves of slaves. They always stayat our place. The poor critters nearly froze to death. They always come'long on the last of December so that the niggers would be ready forsale on the first day of January. Many the time I see four or five ofthem chained together. They never had enough clothes on to keep a catwarm. The women never wore anything but a thin dress and a petticoat andone underwear. I've seen the ice balls hangin' on to the bottom of theirdresses as they ran along, jes like sheep in a pasture 'fore they aresheared. They never wore any shoes. Jes run along on the ground, allspewed up with ice. The speculators always rode on horses and drove thepore niggers. When they get cold, they make 'em run 'til they are warmagain. 

The speculators stayed in the hotel and put the niggers in the quartersjes like droves of hogs. All through the night I could hear themmournin' and prayin'. I didn't know the Lord would let people live whowere so cruel. The gates were always locked and they was a guard on theoutside to shoot anyone who tried to run away. Lord miss, them slaveslook jes like droves of turkeys runnin' along in front of them horses. 

I remember when they put 'em on the block to sell 'em. The ones 'tween18 and 30 always bring the most money. The auctioneer he stand off at adistance and cry 'em off as they stand on the block. I can hear hisvoice as long as I live. 

If the one they going to sell was a young Negro man this is what he say:"Now gentlemen and fellow-citizens here is a big black buck Negro. He'sstout as a mule. Good for any kin' o' work an' he never gives anytrouble. How much am I offered for him?" And then the sale wouldcommence, and the nigger would be sold to the highest bidder. 

If they put up a young nigger woman the auctioneer cry out: "Here's ayoung nigger wench, how much am I offered for her?" The pore thingstand on the block a shiverin' an' a shakin' nearly froze to death. Whenthey sold many of the pore mothers beg the speculators to sell 'em withtheir husbands, but the speculator only take what he want. So meybe thepore thing never see her husban' agin. 

Ole' Massa always see that we get plenty to eat. O' course it was nofancy rashions. Jes corn bread, milk, fat meat, and 'lasses but the Lordknows that was lots more than other pore niggers got. Some of them hadsuch bad masters. 

Us pore niggers never 'lowed to learn anything. All the readin' theyever hear was when they was carried through the big Bible. The Massa saythat keep the slaves in they places. They was one nigger boy in Newtonwho was terrible smart. He learn to read an' write. He take othercolored children out in the fields and teach 'em about the Bible, butthey forgit it 'fore the nex' Sunday. 

Then the paddyrollers they keep close watch on the pore niggers so theyhave no chance to do anything or go anywhere. They jes' like policemen, only worser. 'Cause they never let the niggers go anywhere without apass from his master. If you wasn't in your proper place when thepaddyrollers come they lash you til' you was black and blue. The womengot 15 lashes and the men 30. That is for jes bein' out without a pass. If the nigger done anything worse he was taken to the jail and put inthe whippin' post. They was two holes cut for the arms stretch up inthe air and a block to put your feet in, then they whip you with cowhidewhip. An' the clothes shore never get any of them licks. 

I remember how they kill one nigger whippin' him with the bull whip. Many the pore nigger nearly killed with the bull whip. But this one die. He was a stubborn Negro and didn't do as much work as his Massa thoughthe ought to. He been lashed lot before. So they take him to the whippin'post, and then they strip his clothes off and then the man stan' off andcut him with the whip. His back was cut all to pieces. The cuts abouthalf inch apart. Then after they whip him they tie him down and put salton him. Then after he lie in the sun awhile they whip him agin. But whenthey finish with him he was dead. 

Plenty of the colored women have children by the white men. She knowbetter than to not do what he say. Didn't have much of that until themen from South Carolina come up here and settle and bring slaves. Thenthey take them very same children what have they own blood and makeslaves out of them. If the Missus find out she raise revolution. But shehardly find out. The white men not going to tell and the nigger womenwere always afraid to. So they jes go on hopin' that thing won't be thatway always. 

I remember how the driver, he was the man who did most of the whippin', use to whip some of the niggers. He would tie their hands together andthen put their hands down over their knees, then take a stick and stickit 'tween they hands and knees. Then when he take hold of them and beat'em first on one side then on the other. 

Us niggers never have chance to go to Sunday School and church. Thewhite folks feared for niggers to get any religion and education, but Ireckon somethin' inside jes told us about God and that there was abetter place hereafter. We would sneak off and have prayer meetin'. Sometimes the paddyrollers catch us and beat us good but that didn'tkeep us from tryin'. I remember one old song we use to sing when we meetdown in the woods back of the barn. My mother she sing an' pray to theLord to deliver us out o' slavery. She always say she thankful she wasnever sold from her children, and that our Massa not so mean as some ofthe others. But the old song it went something like this:

 "Oh, mother lets go down, lets go down, lets go down, lets go down. Oh, mother lets go down, down in the valley to pray. As I went down in the valley to pray Studyin' about that good ole way Who shall wear that starry crown. Good Lord show me the way. "

Then the other part was just like that except it said 'father' insteadof 'mother', and then 'sister' and then 'brother'. 

Then they sing sometime:

 "We camp a while in the wilderness, in the wilderness, in the wilderness. We camp a while in the wilderness, where the Lord makes me happy And then I'm a goin' home. "

I don't remember much about the war. There was no fightin' done inNewton. Jes a skirmish or two. Most of the people get everything jesready to run when the Yankee sojers come through the town. This wastoward the las' of the war. Cose the niggers knew what all the fightin'was about, but they didn't dare say anything. The man who owned theslaves was too mad as it was, and if the niggers say anything they getshot right then and thar. The sojers tell us after the war that we getfood, clothes, and wages from our Massas else we leave. But they wasvery few that ever got anything. Our ole Massa say he not gwine pay usanything, corse his money was no good, but he wouldn't pay us if it hadbeen. 

Then the Ku Klux Klan come 'long. They were terrible dangerous. Theywear long gowns, touch the ground. They ride horses through the town atnight and if they find a Negro that tries to get nervy or have a littlebit for himself, they lash him nearly to death and gag him and leave himto do the bes' he can. Some time they put sticks in the top of the tallthing they wear and then put an extra head up there with scary eyes andgreat big mouth, then they stick it clear up in the air to scare thepoor Negroes to death. 

They had another thing they call the 'Donkey Devil' that was jes as bad. They take the skin of a donkey and get inside of it and run after thepore Negroes. Oh, Miss them was bad times, them was bad times. I knowfolks think the books tell the truth, but they shore don't. Us poreniggers had to take it all. 

Then after the war was over we was afraid to move. Jes like tarpins orturtles after 'mancipation. Jes stick our heads out to see how the landlay. My mammy stay with Marse Jonah for 'bout a year after freedom thenole Solomon Hall made her an offer. Ole man Hall was a good man if thereever was one. He freed all of his slaves about two years 'fore'mancipation and gave each of them so much money when he died, that ishe put that in his will. But when he die his sons and daughters nevergive anything to the pore Negroes. My mother went to live on the placebelongin' to the nephew of Solomon Hall. All of her six children wentwith her. Mother she cook for the white folks an' the children makecrop. When the first year was up us children got the first money we hadin our lives. My mother certainly was happy. 

We live on this place for over four years. When I was 'bout twenty yearold I married a girl from West Virginia but she didn't live but jes'bout a year. I stayed down there for a year or so and then I metMamie. We came here and both of us went to work, we work at the sameplace. We bought this little piece of ground 'bout forty-two years ago. We gave $125 for it. We had to buy the lumber to build the house alittle at a time but finally we got the house done. Its been a good homefor us and the children. We have two daughters and one adopted son. Bothof the girls are good cooks. One of them lives in New Jersey and cooksin a big hotel. She and her husband come to see us about once a year. The other one is in Philadelphia. They both have plenty. But the adoptedboy, he was part white. We took him when he was a small and did the bestwe could by him. He never did like to 'sociate with colored people. Iremember one time when he was a small child I took him to town and theconductor made me put him in the front of the street car cause hethought I was just caring for him and that he was a white boy. Well, wesent him to school until he finished. Then he joined the navy. I ain'tseem him in several years. The last letter I got from him he say heain't spoke to a colored girl since he has been there. This made me madso I took his insurance policy and cashed it. I didn't want nothin' todo with him, if he deny his own color. 

Very few of the Negroes ever get anywhere; they never have no education. I knew one Negro who got to be a policeman in Salisbury once and he wasa good one too. When my next birthday comes in December I will beeighty-eight years old. That is if the Lord lets me live and I shorehope He does. 

N. C. District: No. 3 [320279]Worker: Travis JordanSubject: Mary Wallace Bowe Ex-slave 81 Years Durham County Home Durham, N. C. 

[HW: Lovely story about Abraham Lincoln]

[TR: This interview was heavily corrected by hand. I. E. Wuz to was, erto a, etc. Changes made without comment. ]

MARY WALLACE BOWEEx-slave 81 years

My name is Mary Wallace Bowe. I was nine years ole at de surrender. 

My mammy an' pappy, Susan an' Lillman Graves, first belonged to MarseFountain an' Mis' Fanny Tu'berville, but Marse Fountain sold me, mymammy an' my brother George to Mis' Fanny's sister, Mis' VirginiaGraves. Mis' Virginia's husban' was Marse Doctor Graves. Dey lived on deole Elijah Graves estate not far from Marse Fountain's plantation herein Durham county, an' Mis' Virginia an' Mis' Fanny seed each other near'bout every day. 

I was little when Marse Fountain an' Marse Doctor went to de war but Iremembers it. I remembers it kaze Mis' Fanny stood on de po'ch smilin'an' wavin' at Marse Fountain 'til he went 'roun' de curve in de road, den she fell to de floor like she was dead. I thought she was dead 'tillMis' Virginia th'owed some water in her face an' she opened her eyes. 

De nex day Mis' Virginia took me an' mammy an' we all went over an'stayed wid Mis' Fanny kaze she was skeered, an' so dey'd be company foreach other. Mammy waited on Mis' Virginia an' he'ped SurellaTu'berville, Mis' Fanny's house girl, sweep an' make up de beds an'things. I was little but mammy made me work. I shook de rugs, brung inde kindlin' an run 'roun' waitin' on Mis' Virginia an' Mis' Fanny, doin'things like totin' dey basket of keys, bringin' dey shawls and such asdat. Dey was all de time talkin' about de folks fightin' an' what deywould do if de Yankees come. 

Every time dey talk Mis' Fanny set an' twist her han's an' say: "What iswe gwine do, Sister, what is we gwine do?"

Mis' Virginia try to pacify Mis' Fanny. She say, 'Don' yo' worry none, Honey, I'll fix dem Yankees when dey come. ' Den she set her mouf. Whenshe done dat I run an' hid behin' Mis' Fanny's chair kaze I done seedMis' Virginia set her mouf befo' an' I knowed she meant biznes'. 

I didn' have sense enough to be skeered den kaze I hadn' never seed noYankee sojers, but 'twaren't long befo' I wuz skeered. De Yankees comeone mornin', an' dey ripped, Oh, Lawd, how dey did rip. When dey rode upto de gate an' come stompin' to de house, Mis' Fanny 'gun to cry. 'Telldem somethin', Sister, tell dem somethin'; she tole Mis' Virginia. 

Mis' Virginia she ain' done no cryin'. When she seed dem Yankees comin''cross de hill, she run 'roun' an' got all de jewelry. She took off derings an' pins she an' Mis' Fanny had on an' she got all de things outof de jewelry box an' give dem to pappy. "Hide dem, Lillmam" she tolepappy, 'hide dem some place whare dem thieves won't find dem'. 

Pappy had on high top boots. He didn' do nothin but stuff all datjewelry right down in dem boots, den he strutted all' roun' dem Yankeeslaughin' to heself. Dey cussed when dey couldn' fin' no jewelry a tall. Dey didn' fin' no silver neither kaze us niggers done he'p Mis' Fannyan' Mis' Virginia hide dat. We done toted it all down to de cottin ginhouse an' hid it in de loose cotton piled on de floor. When dey couldn'fin' nothin' a big sojer went up to Mis' Virginia who wuz standin' in dehall. He look at her an' say: 'Yo's skeered of me, ain' yo'?'

Mis' Virginia ain' batted no eye yet. She tole him, "If I was gwine tobe skeered, I'd be skeered of somethin'. I sho ain' of no ugly, braggin'Yankee. "

De man tu'ned red an he say: "If you don' tell me where you done hidedat silver I'se gwine to make' you skeered. "

Mis' Virginia's chin went up higher. She set her mouf an' look at datsojer twell he drap his eyes. Den she tole him dat some folks done comean' got de silver, dat dey done toted it off. She didn' tell him dat itwuz us niggers dat done toted it down to de cotton gin house. 

In dem days dey wuz peddlers gwine 'roun' de country sellin'things. Dey toted big packs on dey backs filled wid everythin'from needles an' thimbles to bed spreads an' fryin' pans. One daya peddler stopped at Mis' Fanny's house. He was de uglies' manI ever seed. He was tall an' bony wid black whiskers an' blackbushy hair an' curious eyes dat set way back in his head. Deywas dark an' look like a dog's eyes after you done hit him. Heset down on de po'ch an' opened his pack, an' it was so hot an'he looked so tired, dat Mis' Fanny give him er cool drink of milkdat done been settin' in de spring house. All de time Mis' Fannywas lookin' at de things in de pack an' buyin', de man kept up arunnin' talk. He ask her how many niggers dey had; how many mendey had fightin' on de 'Federate side, an' what wuz was she gwine doif de niggers wuz was set free. Den he ask her if she knowed MistahAbraham Lincoln. 

'Bout dat time Mis' Virginia come to de door an' heard what he said. Sheblaze up like a lightwood fire an' told dat peddler dat dey didn't wantto know nothin' 'bout Mistah Lincoln; dat dey knowed too much already, an' dat his name wuzn [HW correction: wasn't] 'lowed called in dat [HWcorrection: her] house. Den she say he wuzn [HW correction: wasn't]nothin' but a black debil messin' in other folks biznes' [HW correction:business], an' dat she'd shoot him on sight if she had half a chance. 

De man laughed. "Maybe he [HW correction: Mr. Lincoln] ain't so bad, ' hetold her. Den he packed his pack an' went off down de road, an' Mis'Virginia watched him 'till he went out of sight 'roun' de bend. "

Two or three weeks later Mis' Fanny got a letter. De letter was from datpeddler. He tole her dat he was Abraham Lincoln hese'f; dat he wuzpeddlin' over de country as a spy, an' he thanked her for de res' on hershady po'ch an' de cool glass of milk she give him. 

When dat letter come Mis' Virginia got so hoppin' mad dat she took allde stuff Mis' Fanny done bought from Mistah Lincoln an' made us niggersburn it on de ash pile. Den she made pappy rake up de ashes an' th'owdem in de creek. 

N. C. District: No. 2 [320148]Worker: Mary A. HicksNo. Words: 377Subject: Ex-Slave RecollectionsPerson Interviewed: Lucy BrownEditor: Daisy Bailey Waitt

[TR: Date Stamp "JUN 7 1937"]

EX-SLAVE RECOLLECTIONS

An interview with Lucy Brown of Hecktown, Durham, Durham County, May 20, 1937. She does not know her age. 

I wuz jist a little thing when de war wuz over an' I doan 'member muchter tell yo'. Mostly what I does know I hyard my mammy tell it. 

We belonged to John Neal of Person County. I doan know who my pappywuz, but my mammy wuz named Rosseta an' her mammy's name 'fore her wuzRosseta. I had one sister named Jenny an' one brother named Ben. 

De marster wuz good ter us, in a way, but he ain't 'lowin' no kinds offrolickin' so when we had a meetin' we had ter do it secret. We'd turndown a wash pot outside de do', an' dat would ketch de fuss so marsterneber knowed nothin' 'bout hit. 

On Sundays we went ter church at de same place de white folkses did. Dewhite folkses rid an' de niggers walked, but eben do' we wored woodenbottomed shoes we wuz proud an' mostly happy. We had good clothes an'food an' not much abuse. I doan know de number of slaves, I wuz solittle. 

My mammy said dat slavery wuz a whole lot wuser [HW correction: wusser]'fore I could 'member. She tol' me how some of de slaves had derebabies in de fiel's lak de cows done, an' she said dat 'fore de babieswuz borned dey tied de mammy down on her face if'en dey had ter whup herter keep from ruinin' de baby. 

She said dat dar wuz ghostes an' some witches back den, but I doan knownothin' 'bout dem things. 

Naw. I can't tell yo' my age but I will tell yo' dat eber'body whatlives in dis block am either my chile or gran'chile. I can't tell yo'prexackly how many dar is o' 'em, but I will tell you dat my younges'chile's baby am fourteen years old, an' dat she's got fourteen youngin's[HW correction: youngun's], one a year jist lak I had till I hadsixteen. 

I'se belonged ter de church since I wuz a baby an' I tells dem eber'daydat dey shore will miss me when I'se gone. 

N. C. District: No. 2 [320115]Worker: Mary HicksNo. Words: 462Subject: PLANTATION LIFE IN GEORGIAReference: Midge BurnettEditor: George L. Andrews

[TR: Date Stamp "AUG 6 1937"]

PLANTATION LIFE IN GEORGIA

An interview with Midge Burnett, 80 years old, of 1300 S. BloodworthStreet, Raleigh, North Carolina. 

I wus borned in Georgia eighty years ago, de son of Jim an' HenrettaBurnett an' de slave of Marse William Joyner. 

I wurked on de farm durin' slavery times, among de cotton, corn, an'sugar cane. De wurk wusn't so hard an' we had plenty of time ter havefun an' ter git inter meanness, dat's why Marse William had ter have somany patterollers on de place. 

Marse William had near three hundret slaves an' he kept sebenpatterollers ter keep things goin' eben. De slaves ain't run away. Nawsir, dey ain't, dey knows good things when dey sees dem an' dey ain'tleavin' dem nother. De only trouble wus dat dey wus crazy 'bout goodtimes an' dey'd shoot craps er bust. 

De patterollers 'ud watch all de paths leadin' frum de plantation an'when dey ketched a nigger leavin' dey whupped him an' run him home. As Isaid de patterollers watched all paths, but dar wus a number of littlepaths what run through de woods dat nobody ain't watched case dey ain'tknowed dat de paths wus dar. 

On moonlight nights yo' could hear a heap of voices an' when yo' peepober de dike dar am a gang of niggers a-shootin' craps an' bettin'eber'thing dey has stold frum de plantation. Sometimes a pretty yallergal er a fat black gal would be dar, but mostly hit would be jist men. 

Dar wus a ribber nearby de plantation an' we niggers swum dar ever'Sadday an' we fished dar a heap too. We ketched a big mess of fish ever'week an' dese come in good an' helped ter save rations ter boot. Dat'swhat Marse William said, an' he believed in havin' a good time too. 

We had square dances dat las' all night on holidays an' we had aChristmas tree an' a Easter egg hunt an' all dat, case Marse Williamintended ter make us a civilized bunch of blacks. 

Marse William ain't eber hit one of us a single lick till de day whenwe heard dat de Yankees wus a-comin'. One big nigger jumps up an'squalls, 'Lawd bless de Yankees'. 

Marse yells back, 'God damn de Yankees', an' he slaps big Mose asumerset right outen de do'. Nobody else wanted ter git slapped soeever'body got outen dar in a hurry an' nobody else dasen't say Yankeester de marster. 

Eben when somebody seed de Yankees comin' Mose wont go tell de' marster'bout hit, but when Marster William wus hilt tight twixt two of dem bighusky Yankees he cussed 'em as hard as he can. Dey carries him off an'dey put him in de jail at Atlanta an' dey keeps him fer a long time. 

Atter de surrender we left dar an' we moves ter Star, South Carolina, whar I still wurks 'roun' on de farm. I stayed on dar' till fifty yearsago when I married Roberta Thomas an' we moved ter Raliegh. We have fivechilluns an' we's moughty proud of 'em, but since I had de stroke we hasbeen farin' bad, an' I'se hopin' ter git my ole aged pension. 

EH

N. C. District: No. 3 [320274]Worker: Travis JordanSubject: Fanny Cannady Ex-Slave 79 Years Durham County[TR No. Words: 1, 444]

[TR: No Date Stamp]

FANNY CANNADYEX-SLAVE 79 years

I don' 'member much 'bout de sojers an' de fightin' in de war kaze Iwuzn' much more den six years ole at de surrender, but I do 'member howMarse Jordan Moss shot Leonard Allen, one of his slaves. I ain't neverforgot dat. 

My mammy an' pappy, Silo an' Fanny Moss belonged to Marse Jordan an'Mis' Sally Moss. Dey had 'bout three hundred niggahs an' mos' of demworked in de cotton fields. 

Marse Jordan wuz hard on his niggahs. He worked dem over time an' didn'give den enough to eat. Dey didn' have good clothes neither an' deyshoes wuz made out of wood. He had 'bout a dozen niggahs dat didn' donothin' else but make wooden shoes for de slaves. De chillun didn' haveno shoes a tall; dey went barefooted in de snow an' ice same as 'twuzsummer time. I never had no shoes on my feets 'twell I wuz pas' tenyears ole, an' dat wuz after de Yankees done set us free. 

I wuz skeered of Marse Jordan, an' all of de grown niggahs wuz too 'ceptLeonard an' Burrus Allen. Dem niggahs wuzn' skeered of nothin'. If dedebil hese'f had come an' shook er stick at dem dey'd hit him back. Leonard wuz er big black buck niggah; he wuz de bigges niggah I everseed, an' Burrus wuz near 'bout as big, an' dey 'spized Marse Jordanwus'n pizen. 

I wuz sort of skeered of Mis' Polly too. When Marse Jordan wuzn' 'roun'she wuz sweet an' kind, but when he wuz 'roun', she wuz er yes, suh, yes, suh, woman. Everythin' he tole her to do she done. He made her slapMarmy one time kaze when she passed his coffee she spilled some in desaucer. Mis' Sally hit Mammy easy, but Marse Jordan say: 'Hit her, Sally, hit de black bitch like she 'zerve to be hit. ' Den Mis' Sallydraw back her hand an' hit Mammy in de face, pow, den she went back toher place at de table an' play like she eatin' her breakfas'. Den whenMarse Jordan leave she come in de kitchen an' put her arms 'roun' Mammyan' cry, an' Mammy pat her on de back an' she cry too. I loved Mis'Sally when Marse Jordan wuzn' 'roun'. 

Marse Jordan's two sons went to de war; dey went all dressed up in deyfightin' clothes. Young Marse Jordan wuz jus' like Mis' Sally but MarseGregory wuz like Marse Jordan, even to de bully way he walk. Young MarseJordan never come back from de war, but 'twould take more den er bulletto kill Marse Gregory; he too mean to die anyhow kaze de debil didn'want him an' de Lawd wouldn' have him. 

One day Marse Gregory come home on er furlo'. He think he look prettywid his sword clankin' an' his boots shinin'. He wuz er colonel, lootenent er somethin'. He wuz struttin' 'roun' de yard showin' off, when Leonard Allen say under his breath, 'Look at dat God damn sojer. Hefightin' to keep us niggahs from bein' free. '

'Bout dat time Marse Jordan come up. He look at Leonard an' say: 'Whatyo' mumblin' 'bout?'

Dat big Leonard wuzn' skeered. He say, I say, 'Look at dat God damnsojer. He fightin' to keep us niggahs from bein' free. '

Marse Jordan's face begun to swell. It turned so red dat de blood near'bout bust out. He turned to Pappy an' tole him to go an' bring him disshot gun. When Pappy come back Mis' Sally come wid him. De tears wuzstreamin' down her face. She run up to Marse Jordan an' caught his arm. Ole Marse flung her off an' took de gun from Pappy. He leveled it onLeonard an' tole him to pull his shirt open. Leonard opened his shirtan' stood dare big as er black giant sneerin' at Ole Marse. 

Den Mis' Sally run up again an' stood 'tween dat gun an' Leonard. 

Ole Marse yell to pappy an' tole him to take dat woman out of de way, but nobody ain't moved to touch Mis' Sally, an' she didn' move neither, she jus' stood dare facin' Ole Marse. Den Ole Marse let down de gun. Hereached over an' slapped Mis' Sally down, den picked up de gun an' shoter hole in Leonard's ches' big as yo' fis'. Den he took up Mis' Sallyan' toted her in de house. But I wuz so skeered dat I run an' hid in destable loft, an' even wid my eyes shut I could see Leonard layin' on degroun' wid dat bloody hole in his ches' an' dat sneer on his black mouf. 

After dat Leonard's brother Burrus hated Ole Marse wus' er snake, denone night he run away. Mammy say he run away to keep from killin' OleMarse. Anyhow, when Ole Marse foun' he wuz gone, he took er bunch ofniggahs an' set out to find him. All day long dey tromped de woods, denwhen night come dey lit fat pine to'ches an' kept lookin', but deycouldn' find Burrus. De nex' day Ole Marse went down to de county jailan' got de blood houn's. He brung home er great passel of dem yelpin'an' pullin' at de ropes, but when he turned dem loose dey didn' findBurrus, kaze he done grease de bottom of his feets wid snuff an' hoglard so de dogs couldn' smell de trail. Ole Marse den tole all deniggahs dat if anybody housed an' fed Burrus on de sly, dat he goin' toshoot dem like he done shot Leonard. Den he went every day an' searchedde cabins; he even looked under de houses. 

One day in 'bout er week Mis' Sally wuz feedin' de chickens when sheheard somethin' in de polk berry bushes behin' de hen house. She didn'go 'roun' de house but she went inside house an' looked through decrack. Dare wuz Burrus layin' down in de bushes. He wuz near 'boutstarved kaze he hadn' had nothin' to eat since he done run away. 

Mis' Sally whisper an' tole him to lay still, dat she goin' to slip himsomethin' to eat. She went back to de house an' made up some more cawnmeal dough for de chickens, an' under de dough she put some bread an'meat. When she went 'cross de yard she met Marse Jordan. He took de panof dough an' say he goin' to feed de chickens. My mammy say dat Mis'Sally ain't showed no skeer, she jus' smile at Ole Marse an' pat hisarm, den while she talk she take de pan an' go on to de chicken house, but Ole Marse he go too. When dey got to de hen house Ole Marse puppybegun sniffin' 'roun'. Soon he sta'ted to bark; he cut up such er fussdat Ole Marse went to see what wuz wrong. Den he foun' Burrus layin' inde polk bushes. 

Ole Marse drag Burrus out an' drove him to de house. When Mis' Sallyseed him take out his plaited whip, she run up stairs an' jump in de bedan' stuff er pillow over her head. 

Dey took Burrus to de whippin' post. Dey strip off his shirt, den deyput his head an' hands through de holes in de top, an' tied his feets tode bottom, den, Ole Marse took de whip. Dat lash hiss like col' water oner red hot iron when it come through de air, an' every time it hitBurrus it lef' er streak of blood. Time Ole Marse finish, Burrus' backlook like er piece of raw beef. 

Dey laid Burrus face down on er plank den dey poured turpentine in alldem cut places. It burned like fire but dat niggah didn' know nothin''bout it kaze he done passed out from pain. But, all his life dat blackman toted dem scares on his back. 

When de war ended Mis' Sally come to Mammy an' say: 'Fanny, I's sho gladyo's free. Yo' can go now an' yo' won' ever have to be er slave nomore. '

But Mammy, she ain't had no notion of leavin' Mis' Sally. She put herarms' roun' her an' call her Baby, an' tell her she goin' to stay widher long as she live. An' she did stay wid her. Me an' Mammy bof stayedMis' Sally 'twell she died. 

N. C. District: No. 3 [320193]Field Worker: Esther S. PinnixWord Total: 3, 199Editor: P. G. CrossSubject: "Negro Folklore of the Piedmont". Consultants: Mrs. P. G. Cross, Miss Kate Jones, Descendants of Dr. Beverly Jones. 

Sources of Information: Aunt Betty Cofer--ex-slave of Dr. Beverly Jones

[HW: Cofer]

NEGRO FOLK LORE OF THE PIEDMONT. 

 * * * * *

The ranks of negro ex-slaves are rapidly thinning out, but, scatteredhere and there among the ante-bellum families of the South, may be founda few of these picturesque old characters. Three miles north ofBethania, the second oldest settlement of the "Unitas Fratrum" inWachovia, lies the 1500 acre Jones plantation. It has been owned forseveral generations by the one family, descendants of Abraham Conrad. Conrad's daughter, Julia, married a physician of note, Dr. BeverlyJones, whose family occupied the old homestead at the time of the CivilWar. 

Here, in 1856, was born a negro girl, Betty, to a slave mother. Here, today, under the friendly protection of this same Jones family, surrounded by her sons and her sons' sons, lives this same Betty in herown little weather-stained cottage. Encircling her house are lilacs, althea, and flowering trees that soften the bleak outlines of unpaintedout-buildings. A varied collection of old-fashioned plants and flowerscrowd the neatly swept dooryard. A friendly German-shepherd puppy rousesfrom his nap on the sunny porch to greet visitors enthusiastically. Inanswer to our knock a gentle voice calls, "Come in. " The door opensdirectly into a small, low-ceilinged room almost filled by two doublebeds. These beds are conspicuously clean and covered by homemadecrocheted spreads. Wide bands of hand-made insertion ornament thestiffly starched pillow slips. Against the wall is a plain oak dresser. Although the day is warm, two-foot logs burn on the age-worn andirons ofthe wide brick fire place. From the shelf above dangles a leather bagof "spills" made from twisted newspapers. 

In a low, split-bottom chair, her rheumatic old feet resting on the warmbrick hearth, sits Aunt Betty Cofer. Her frail body stoops under theweight of four-score years but her bright eyes and alert mind are thoseof a woman thirty years younger. A blue-checked mob cap covers hergrizzled hair. Her tiny frame, clothed in a motley collection ofundergarments, dress, and sweaters, is adorned by a clean white apron. Although a little shy of her strange white visitors, her innate dignity, gentle courtesy, and complete self possession indicate long associationwith "quality folks. "

Her speech shows a noticeable freedom from the usual heavy negro dialectand idiom of the deep south. "Yes, Ma'am, yes, Sir, come in. Pull achair to the fire. You'll have to 'scuse me. I can't get around much, 'cause my feet and legs bother me, but I got good eyes an' good ears an'all my own teeth. I aint never had a bad tooth in my head. Yes'm, I'm81, going on 82. Marster done wrote my age down in his book where hekep' the names of all his colored folks. Muh (Mother) belonged to Dr. Jones but Pappy belonged to Marse Israel Lash over yonder. (Pointingnorthwest. ) Younguns always went with their mammies so I belonged to theJoneses. 

"Muh and Pappy could visit back and forth sometimes but they never livedtogether 'til after freedom. Yes'm, we was happy. We got plenty to eat. Marster and old Miss Julia (Dr. Jones' wife, matriarch of the wholeplantation) was mighty strict but they was good to us. Colored folks onsome of the other plantations wasn't so lucky. Some of' em hadoverseers, mean, cruel men. On one plantation the field hands had tohustle to git to the end of the row at eleven o'clock dinner-time'cause when the cooks brought their dinner they had to stop just wherethey was and eat, an' the sun was mighty hot out in those fields. Theyonly had ash cakes (corn pone baked in ashes) without salt, and molassesfor their dinner, but we had beans an' grits an' salt an' sometimesmeat. 

"I was lucky. Miss Ella (daughter of the first Beverly Jones) was alittle girl when I was borned and she claimed me. We played together an'grew up together. I waited on her an' most times slept on the floor inher room. Muh was cook an' when I done got big enough I helped to setthe table in the big dinin' room. Then I'd put on a clean white apronan' carry in the victuals an' stand behind Miss Ella's chair. She'd fixme a piece of somethin' from her plate an' hand it back over hershoulder to me (eloquent hands illustrate Miss Ella's making of asandwich. ) I'd take it an' run outside to eat it. Then I'd wipe my mouthan' go back to stand behind Miss Ella again an' maybe get another snack. 

"Yes'm, there was a crowd of hands on the plantation. I mind 'em all an'I can call most of their names. Mac, Curley, William, Sanford, Lewis, Henry, Ed, Sylvester, Hamp, an' Juke was the men folks. The women wasNellie, two Lucys, Martha, Nervie, Jane, Laura, Fannie, Lizzie, Cassie, Tensie, Lindy, an' Mary Jane. The women mostly, worked in the house. There was always two washwomen, a cook, some hands to help her, twosewin' women, a house girl, an' some who did all the weavin' an'spinnin'. The men worked in the fields an' yard. One was stable boss an'looked after all the horses an' mules. We raised our own flax an'cotton an' wool, spun the thread, wove the cloth, made all the clothes. Yes'm, we made the mens' shirts an' pants an' coats. One woman knittedall the stockin's for the white folks an' colored folks too. I mind shehad one finger all twisted an' stiff from holdin' her knittin' needles. We wove the cotton an' linen for sheets an' pillow-slips an' tablecovers. We wove the wool blankets too. I use to wait on the girl who didthe weavin' when she took the cloth off the loom she done give me the'thrums' (ends of thread left on the loom. ) I tied 'em all together withteensy little knots an' got me some scraps from the sewin' room and Imade me some quilt tops. Some of 'em was real pretty too! (Pride ofworkmanship evidenced by a toss of Betty's head. )

"All our spinnin' wheels and flax wheels and looms was hand-made by awheel wright, Marse Noah Westmoreland. He lived over yonder. (A thumbindicates north. ) Those old wheels are still in the family'. I got oneof the flax wheels. Miss Ella done give it to me for a present. Leatherwas tanned an' shoes was made on the place. 'Course the hands mostlywent barefoot in warm weather, white chillen too. We had our own mill togrind the wheat and corn an' we raised all our meat. We made our owncandles from tallow and beeswax. I 'spect some of the old candle mouldsare over to 'the house' now. We wove our own candle wicks too. I neversaw a match 'til I was a grown woman. We made our fire with flint an'punk (rotten wood). Yes'm, I was trained to cook an' clean an' sew. Ilearned to make mens' pants an' coats. First coat I made, Miss Juliatold me to rip the collar off, an' by the time I picked out all theteensy stitches an' sewed it together again I could set a collar right!I can do it today, too! (Again there is manifested a good workman'spardonable pride of achievement)

"Miss Julia cut out all the clothes herself for men and women too. I'spect her big shears an' patterns an' old cuttin' table are over at thehouse now. Miss Julia cut out all the clothes an' then the colored girlssewed 'em up but she looked 'em all over and they better be sewed right!Miss Julia bossed the whole plantation. She looked after the sick folksand sent the doctor (Dr. Jones) to dose 'em and she carried the keys tothe store-rooms and pantries. [HW: paragraph mark here. ] Yes'm, I'msome educated. Muh showed me my 'a-b-abs' and my numbers and when I wasfifteen I went to school in the log church built by the Moravians. Theygive it to the colored folks to use for their own school and church. (This log house is still standing near Bethania). Our teacher was awhite man, Marse Fulk. He had one eye, done lost the other in the war. We didn't have no colored teachers then. They wasn't educated. We'tended school four months a year. I went through the fifth reader, the'North Carolina Reader'. I can figger a little an' read some but I can'twrite much 'cause my fingers 're--all stiffened up. Miss Julia use toread the bible to us an' tell us right an' wrong, and Muh showed me allshe could an' so did the other colored folks. Mostly they was kind toeach other. 

"No'm, I don't know much about spells an' charms. Course most of theold folks believed in 'em. One colored man use to make charms, littlebags filled with queer things. He called 'em 'jacks' an' sold 'em to thecolored folks an' some white folks too. 

"Yes'm, I saw some slaves sold away from the plantation, four men andtwo women, both of 'em with little babies. The traders got 'em. Sold 'emdown to Mobile, Alabama. One was my pappy's sister. We never heard fromher again. I saw a likely young feller sold for $1500. That was my UncleIke. Marse Jonathan Spease bought him and kept him the rest of his life. 

"Yes'm, we saw Yankee soldiers. (Stoneman's Cavalry in 1865. ) They comemarchin' by and stopped at 'the house. I wasn't scared 'cause they wasall talkin' and laughin' and friendly but they sure was hongry. Theydumped the wet clothes out of the big wash-pot in the yard and filled itwith water. Then they broke into the smokehouse and got a lot of hamsand biled 'em in the pot and ate 'em right there in the yard. The womencooked up a lot of corn pone for 'em and coffee too. Marster had abarrel of 'likker' put by an' the Yankees knocked the head in an' filledtheir canteens. There wasn't ary drop left. When we heard the soldierscomin' our boys turned the horses loose in the woods. The Yankees saidthey had to have 'em an' would burn the house down if we didn't get 'em. So our boys whistled up the horses an' the soldiers carried 'em all off. They carried off ol' Jennie mule too but let little Jack mule go. Whenthe soldiers was gone the stable boss said, 'if ol' Jennie mule once gitsloose nobody on earth can catch her unless she wants. She'll be back!'Sure enough, in a couple of days she come home by herself an' we workedthe farm jus' with her an' little Jack. 

"Some of the colored folks followed the Yankees away. Five or six of ourboys went. Two of 'em travelled as far as Yadkinville but come back. Therest of 'em kep' goin' an' we never heard tell of' em again. 

"Yes'm, when we was freed Pappy come to get Muh and me. We stayed aroundhere. Where could we go? These was our folks and I couldn't go far awayfrom Miss Ella. We moved out near Rural Hall (some 5 miles fromBethania) an' Pappy farmed, but I worked at the home place a lot. When Iwas about twenty-four Marse R. J. Reynolds come from Virginia an' set upa tobacco factory. He fotched some hands with 'im. One was a likelyyoung feller, named Cofer, from Patrick County, Virginia. I liked 'iman' we got married an' moved back here to my folks. (the Jones family) Westarted to buy our little place an' raise a family. I done had fourchillen but two's dead. I got grandchillen and great-grandchillen closeby. This is home to us. When we talk about the old home place (the Jonesresidence, now some hundred years old) we just say 'the house' 'causethere's only one house to us. The rest of the family was all fine folksand good to me but I loved Miss Ella better'n any one or anythin' elsein the world. She was the best friend I ever had. If I ever wanted foranythin' I just asked her an she give it to me or got it for me somehow. Once when Cofer was in his last sickness his sister come from EastLiverpool, Ohio, to see 'im. I went to Miss Ella to borrow a littlemoney. She didn't have no change but she just took a ten dollar billfrom her purse an' says 'Here you are, Betty, use what you need andbring me what's left'. 

"I always did what I could for her too an' stood by her--but one time. That was when we was little girls goin' together to fetch the mail. Itwas hot an' dusty an' we stopped to cool off an' wade in the 'branch'. We heard a horse trottin' an' looked up an' there was Marster switchin'his ridin' whip an' lookin' at us. 'Git for home, you two, and I'll'tend to you, ' he says, an' we got! But this time I let Miss Ella go to'the house' alone an' I sneaked aroun' to Granny's cabin an' hid. I wasafraid I'd git whupped! 'Nother time, Miss Ella went to town an' told meto keep up her fire whilst she was away. I fell asleep on the hearth andthe fire done burnt out so's when Miss Ella come home the room was cold. She was mad as hops. Said she never had hit me but she sure felt likedoin' it then. 

"Yes'm, I been here a right smart while. I done lived to see threegenerations of my white folks come an' go, an' they're the finest folkson earth. There use to be a reg'lar buryin' ground for the plantationhands. The colored chillen use to play there but I always played withthe white chillen. (This accounts for Aunt Betty's gentle manner andspeech. ) Three of the old log cabins (slave cabins) is there yet. One of'em was the 'boys cabin'. (house for boys and unmarried men) They've gotwalls a foot thick an' are used for store-rooms now. After freedom weburied out around our little churches but some of th' old grounds areplowed under an' turned into pasture cause the colored folks didn't getno deeds to 'em. It won't be long 'fore I go too but I'm gwine lie nearmy old home an' my folks. 

"Yes'm, I remember Marse Israel Lash, my Pappy's Marster. He was a low, thick-set man, very jolly an' friendly. He was real smart an' good too, 'cause his colored folks all loved 'im. He worked in the bank an' whenthe Yankees come, 'stead of shuttin' the door 'gainst 'em like theothers did, he bid 'em welcome. (Betty's nodding head, expansive smileand wide-spread hands eloquently pantomime the banker's greeting. ) Sothe Yankees done took the bank but give it back to 'im for his very ownan' he kep' it but there was lots of bad feelin' 'cause he never givefolks the money they put in the old bank. (Possibly this explains theclosing of the branch of the Cape Fear Bank in Salem and opening ofIsrael Lash's own institution, the First National Bank of Salem, 1866. )

"I saw General Robert E. Lee, too. After the war he come with somefriends to a meeting at Five Forks Baptist Church. All the white folksgathered 'round an' shook his hand an' I peeked 'tween their legs an'got a good look at' im. But he didn't have no whiskers, he wassmooth-face! (Pictures of General Lee all show him with beard andmustache)

"Miss Ella died two years ago. I was sick in the hospital but the doctorcome to tell me. I couldn't go to her buryin'. I sure missed her. (Poignant grief moistens Betty's eyes and thickens her voice). Therewasn't ever no one like her. Miss Kate an' young Miss Julia still liveat 'the house' with their brother, Marse Lucian (all children of thefirst Beverly Jones and 'old Miss Julia', ) but it don't seem right withMiss Ella gone. Life seems dif'rent, some how, 'though there' lots of myyoung white folks an' my own kin livin' round an' they're real good tome. But Miss Ella's gone!

"Goodday, Ma'am. Come anytime. You're welcome to. I'm right glad to havevisitors 'cause I can't get out much. " A bobbing little curtsyaccompanies Betty's cordial farewell. 

Although a freed woman for 71 years, property owner for half of them, and now revered head of a clan of self respecting, self-supportingcolored citizens, she is still at heart a "Jones negro, " and all thedistinguished descendants of her beloved Marse Beverly and Miss Juliawill be her "own folks" as long as she lives. 

N. C. District: No. 2 [320188]No. Words: 340Worker: Mary A. HicksSubject: Ex-slave StoryStory Teller: John CogginEditor: Daisy Bailey Waitt

[TR: No Date Stamp]

JOHN COGGIN. Ex-Slave Story. 

An interview with John Coggin 85, of Method, N. C. 

When the interviewer first visited Uncle John he was busy cutting hayfor a white family nearby, swinging the scythe with the vigor of a youngman. In late afternoon he was found sitting on the doorsteps of hisgranddaughter's house after a supper which certainly had onions on themenu and was followed by something stronger than water. 

"I was borned on March 1, 1852 in Orange County. My mammy wuz namedPhillis Fenn an' she wuz from Virginia. I ain't neber had no paw an' Iain't wanted none, I ain't had no brothers nar sisters nother. "

"We 'longed ter Doctor Jim Leathers, an' de only whuppin' I eber got wuz'bout fightin' wid young Miss Agnes, who wuz sommers long' bout my age. Hit wuz jist a little whuppin' but I' members hit all right. "

"We wucked de fiel's, I totin' water fer de six or seben han's thatwucked dar. An' we jist wucked moderate like. We had plenty ter eat an'plenty ter w'ar, do' we did go barefooted most of de year. De marstershore wuz good ter us do'. "

"I 'members dat de fust I hyard of de Yankees wuz when young marstercome in an' says, 'Lawd pa, de Yankees am in Raleigh. '"

"Dat ebenin' I wuz drawin' water when all of a sudden I looks up deroad, an' de air am dark wid Yankees. I neber seed so many mens, hossesan' mules in my life. De band wuz playin' an' de soldiers wuz hollerin'an' de hosses wuz prancin' high. I done what all of de rest o' de slavesdone, I run fer de woods. "

"Atter de surrender we moved ter a place nigh Dix Hill hyar in Raleighan' my mammy married a Coggin, dar's whar I gits my name. All of usslaves moved dar an' farmed. "

"Way long time atter dat ole Marster Jim come ter visit his niggers, an'we had a big supper in his honor. Dat night he died, an' 'fore he diedhis min' sorta wanders an' he thinks dat hit am back in de slave daysan' dat atter a long journey he am comin' back home. Hit shore wuzpitiful an' we shore did hate it. "

"Yes 'um honey, we got 'long all right atter de war. You knows datniggers ain't had no sense den, now dey has. Look at dese hyar sebenchilluns, dey am my great gran'chillun an' dey got a heap mo' sense danI has right now. "

EH

N. C. District: No. 2 [320150]Worker: Mary A. HicksNo. Words: 433Subject: MANDY COVERSONStory Teller: Mandy CoversonEditor: Daisy Bailey Waitt

[TR: Date Stamp "JUN 7 1937"]

MANDY COVERSONEx-Slave Story

An interview with Mandy Coverson, 78, of 103 South Wilmington Street, Raleigh. 

I wuz borned in Union County to Sarah an' Henderson Tomberlin. Mymother belonged to Mr. Moses Coverson, an' my pappy belonged to Mr. Jackie Tom Tomberlin. I stayed wid my mammy, of course, an' MarsterMoses wuz good ter me. Dey warn't so good ter my mammy, case dey makesher wuck frum sunup till sundown in de hot summertime, an' she ain't hadno fun at all. She plowed two oxes, an' if'en yo' has eber been around asteer yo' knows what aggravatin' things dey is. 

De oberseer, whose name I'se plumb forget, wuz pore white trash an' hewuz meaner dan de meanest nigger. Anyhow I wuz too little ter do muchwuck so I played a heap an' I had a big time. 

My mammy, died 'fore I wuz very old an' missus kept me in de house. Iwuz petted by her, an' I reckon spoiled. Yo' knows dat den de niggersain't neber eat no biscuits but missus always gimmie one eber meal an'in dat way she got me interested in waitin' on de table. 

I wuzn't old enough ter know much, but I does 'member how de fambly hidall de valuables 'fore de Yankees come, an' dat Marster Moses inpickin' up de big brass andirons hurt his back an' dey said dat dat wuzde cause of his death a little while atterwards. Anyhow de andirons wuzsaved an' dar warn't no trouble wid de Yankees who comed our way, an'dey ain't hurt nobody dar. 

Dey did kill all de things dat dey could eat an' dey stold de rest ofde feed stuff. Dey make one nigger boy draw water fer dere hosses fer aday an' night. De Yankees wuz mean 'bout cussin', but de southernsoldiers wuz jist as bad. Wheeler's Cavalry wuz de meanest in de wholebunch, I thinks. 

De Ku Kluxes wuz pretty mean, but dey picked dere spite on de FreeIssues. I doan know why dey done dis 'cept dat dey ain't wantin' noniggers a-favorin' dem nigh by, now dat slavery am ober. Dey done a heapof beatin' an' chasin' folkses out'n de country but I 'specks dat deCarpet Bagger's rule wuz mostly de cause of it. 

I married Daniel Coverson, a slave on de same plantation I wuz on, an'forty years ago we moved ter Raleigh. We had a hard time but I'se gladdat he an' me am free an' doan belong ter two diff'ent famblies. 

AC

N. C. District: No. 2 [320212]Worker: Mary A. HicksNo. Words: 914Subject: Ex-Slave StoryStory Teller: Willie CozartEditor: Daisy Bailey Waitt

[TR: No Date Stamp]

EX-SLAVE STORY

An Interview by Mary A. Hicks with Willis Cozart of Zebulon, (Wake Co. N. C. ) Age 92. May 12, 1937. 

No mam, Mistress, I doan want ter ride in no automobile, thank you, I'se done walked these three miles frum Zebulon an' walkin' is what haskept me goin' all dese years. 

Yes'm I'se a bachelor an' I wuz borned on June 11, 1845 in PersonCounty. My papa wuz named Ed an' my maw wuz named Sally. Dar wuz ten ofus youngins, Morris, Dallas, Stephen, Jerry, Florence, Polly, Lena, Phillis, Caroline, an' me. Mr. Starling Oakley of Person County, nearRoxboro wuz my master an' as long as him an' ole mistress lived I wentback ter see dem. 

He wuz right good to de good niggers an' kinder strick wid de bad ones. Pusonly he ain't never have me whupped but two or three times. You'shyard 'bout dese set down strikes lately, well dey ain't de fust ones. Onct when I wuz four or five years old, too little to wuck in de fiel's, my master sot me an' some more little chilluns ter wuck pullin' up weedsroun' de house. Well, I makes a speech and I tells dem le's doan wucknone so out we sprawls on de grass under de apple tree. Atter awhile olemaster found us dar, an' when he fin's dat I wuz de ring-leader hegives me a little whuppin'. 

Hit wuz a big plantation, round 1, 200 acres o' land, I reckon, an' hehad 'bout seventy or eighty slaves to wuck de cotton, corn, tobacco an'de wheat an' vege'bles. De big house wuz sumpin to look at, but de slavecabins wuz jist log huts wid sand floors, and stick an' dirt chimneys. We wuz 'lowed ter have a little patch o' garden stuff at de back but nochickens ner pigs. De only way we had er' makin' money wuz by pickin'berries an' sellin' 'em. We ain't had much time to do dat, case wewucked frum sunup till sundown six days a week. 

De master fed us as good as he knowed how, but it wuz mostly on bread, meat, an' vege'bles. 

I 'members seberal slave sales whar dey sold de pappy or de mammy 'wayfrum de chillums an' dat wuz a sad time. Dey led dem up one at de timean' axed dem questions an' dey warn't many what wuz chained, only de badones, an' sometime when dey wuz travelin' it wuz necessary to chain anew gang. 

I'se seed niggers beat till da blood run, an' I'se seed plenty more widbig scars, frum whuppin's but dey wuz de bad ones. You wuz whupped'cordin ter de deed yo' done in dem days. A moderate whuppin' wuzthirty-nine or forty lashes an' a real whuppin' wuz a even hundred; mostfolks can't stand a real whuppin'. 

Frum all dis you might think dat we ain't had no good times, but we hadour co'n shuckin's, candy pullin's an' sich like. We ain't felt likehuntin' much, but I did go on a few fox hunts wid de master. I uster gofishin' too, but I ain't been now since 1873, I reckon. We sometimeswent ter de neighborhood affairs if'n we wuz good, but if we wuzn't an'didn't git a pass de patter-rollers would shore git us. When dey gotthrough whuppin' a nigger he knowed he wuz whupped too. 

De slave weddin's in dat country wuz sorta dis way: de man axed demaster fer de 'oman an' he jist told dem ter step over de broom an' datwuz de way dey got married dem days; de pore white folks done de sameway. 

Atter de war started de white folks tried ter keep us niggers frumknowin' 'bout it, but de news got aroun' somehow, an' dar wuz some talkof gittin' shet of de master's family an' gittin' rich. De plans didn't'mout to nothin' an' so de Yankees come down. 

I 'members moughty well when de Yankees come through our country. Deystold ever'thing dey could find an' I 'members what ole master said. Hesays, 'Ever' one dat wants ter wuck fer me git in de patch ter pullin'dat forty acres of fodder an' all dat don't git up de road wid dem d----Yankees. ' Well we all went away. 

Dat winter wuz tough, all de niggers near 'bout starved ter death, an'we ain't seed nothin' of de forty acres of land an' de mule what deYankees done promise us nother. Atter awhile we had ter go ter our olemasters an' ax 'em fer bread ter keep us alive. 

De Klu Klux Klan sprung right up out of de earth, but de Yankees put astop ter dat by puttin' so many of dem in jail. Dey do say dat dat'swhat de State Prison wus built fer. 

I never believed in witches an' I ain't put much stock in hain'ts butI'se seed a few things durin' my life dat I can't 'splain, like de thingwid de red eyes dat mocked me one night; but shucks I ain't believin' indem things much. I'se plowed my lan', tended it year atter year, livedby myself an' all, an' I ain't got hurted yet, but I ain't never rid ina automobile yet, an' I got one tooth left. 

B. N. 

N. C. District: No. 2 [320159]Worker: T. Pat MatthewsNo. Words: 1453Subject: HANNAH CRASSONStory Teller: Hannah CrassonEditor: Daisy Bailey Waitt

[TR: HW notes at bottom of page illegible]

HANNAH CRASSON

My name is Hannah Crasson. I wuz born on John William Walton'splantation 4 miles from Garner and 13 miles from Raleigh, N. C. In theCounty of Wake. I am 84 years ole the 2nd day uv dis las' gone March. Ibelonged to Mr. John William Walton in slavery time. My missus wuz namedMiss Martha. 

My father wuz named Frank Walton. My mother wuz named Flora Walton. Grandma wuz 104 years when she died. She died down at de old plantation. My brothers were named Johnnie and Lang. My sisters were Adeline, Violet, Mary, Sarah, Ellen, and Annie. Four of us are livin', Ellen, Mary, Sarah and me. 

De old boss man wuz good to us. I wuz talkin' about him the uddernight. He didn't whup us and he said, he didn't want nobody else to whupus. It is jis like I tell you; he wuz never cruel to us. One uv his sonswuz cruel to us. We had a plenty to eat, we shore did, plenty to eat. Wehad nice houses to live in too. Grandma had a large room to live in, andwe had one to live in. Daddy stayed at home with mother. They workedtheir patches by moonlight; and worked for the white folks in the daytime. 

They sold what they made. Marster bought it and paid for it. He made abarrel o' rice every year, my daddy did. 

Mr. Bell Allen owned slaves too. He had a plenty o' niggers. Hisplantation wuz 5 miles from ourn. We went to church at the white folkschurch. When Mr. Bell Allen seed us cummin' he would say, 'Yonder comesJohn Walton's free niggers. '

Our marster would not sell his slaves. He give dem to his children whenthey married off do'. I swept yards, churned, fed the chickens. In deebening I would go with my missus a fishin'. We eat collards, peas, cornbread, milk, and rice. We got biskit and butter twice a week. I thoughtdat de best things I ever et wuz butter spread on biskit. We had a cornmill and a flour mill on the plantation. There wuz about 24 slaves on deplace. Dey had brandy made on de plantation, and de marster gib all hisslaves some for dere own uses. 

My grandmother and mother wove our clothes. Dey were called homespun. Dey made de shoes on de plantation too. I wuz not married til atter desurrender. I did not dress de finest in the world; but I had niceclothes. My wedding dress wuz made of cream silk, made princess withpink and cream bows. I wore a pair of morocco store bought shoes. Myhusband was dressed in a store bought suit of clothes, the coat wuz madepigen [HW correction: pigeon] tail. He had on a velvet vest and a whitecollar and tie. Somebody stole de ves' atter dat. 

One of our master's daughters wuz cruel. Sometimes she would go outand rare on us, but old marster didn't want us whupped. 

Our great grand mother wuz named granny Flora. Dey stole her frumAfrica wid a red pocket handkerchief. Old man John William got my greatgrandmother. De people in New England got scured of we niggers. Dey wereafrid me would rise aginst em and dey pushed us on down South. Lawd, whydidn't dey let us stay whur we wuz, dey nebber wouldn't a been so mennyhalf white niggers, but the old marster wuz to blame for that. 

We never saw any slaves sold. They carried them off to sell 'em. Theslaves travelled in droves. Fathers and mothers were sold from theirchilluns. Chilluns wuz sold from their parents on de plantations closeto us. Where we went to church, we sat in a place away from de whitefolks. The slaves never did run away from marster, because he wuz goodto 'em; but they run away from other plantations. 

Yes, we seed the patterollers, we called 'em pore white trash, we alsocalled patterollers pore white pecks. They had ropes around their necks. They came to our house one night when we were singin' and prayin'. Itwuz jist before the surrender. Dey were hired by de slave owner. Mydaddy told us to show 'em de brandy our marster gib us, den dey went ona way, kase dey knowed John Walton wuz a funny man about his slaves. Deygave us Christmas and other holidays. Den dey, de men, would go to seedere wives. Some of the men's wives belong to other marsters on otherplantations. We had corn shuckin's at night, and candy pullin's. Sometimes we had quiltings and dances. 

One of the slaves, my aint, she wuz a royal slave. She could dance allover de place wid a tumbler of water on her head, widout spilling it. She sho could tote herself. I always luved to see her come to church. She sho could tote herself. 

My oldest sister Violet died in slavery time. She wuz ten years oldwhen she died. Her uncles were her pall bearers. Uncle Hyman and UncleHandy carried her to the grave yard. If I makes no mistake my daddy madeher coffin. Dere wuz no singin'. There were seven of the family dere, dat wuz all. Dey had no funeral. Dere were no white folks dere. 

Dey baptized people in creeks and ponds. 

We rode corn stalks, bent down small pine trees and rode' em forhorses. We also played prison base. Colored and white played, yes sir, whites and colored. We played at night but we had a certain time to goto bed. Dat wuz nine o'clock. [HW: New paragraph indicated]

De boss man looked atter us when we wuz sick. He got doctors. I had thetyphoid fever. All my hair came out. Dey called it de "mittent fever. "Dr. Thomas Banks doctored me. He been dead a long time. Oh! I don't knowhow long he been dead. Near all my white folks were found dead. Mr. Johndied outside. 

Walton died in bed. Marster Joe Walton died sitting under a tree side depath. Miss Hancey died in bed. 

I 'member the day de war commenced. My marster called my father and mytwo uncles Handy and Hyman, our marster called 'em. Dey had started backto the field to work in the afternoon. He said, 'Cum here boys, ' thatwuz our young marster, Ben Walton, says 'cum here boys. I got sumptin'to tell you. ' Uncle Hyman said, 'I can't. I got to go to work. ' He said'Come here and set down, I got sumptin' to tell you. '

The niggers went to him and set down. He told them; 'There is a warcommenced between the North and the South. If the North whups you willbe as free a man as I is. If the South whups you will be a slave allyour days. '

Mr. Joe Walton said when he went to war dat dey could eat breakfast athome, go and whup the North, and be back far dinner. He went away, and itwuz four long years before he cum back to dinner. De table wuz shore seta long time for him. A lot of de white folks said dey wouldn't be muchwar, dey could whup dem so easy. Many of dem never did come back todinner. I wuz afraid of the Yankees because Missus had told us theYankees were going to kill every nigger in the South. I hung to my mammywhen dey come through. 

I thought Abraham Lincoln wuz the Medicine man, with grip in his han', cause he said every borned man must be free. 

I did not think anything of Jeff Davis. I thank de will of God forsetting us free. He got into Abraham Lincoln and the Yankees. We arethankful to the Great Marster dat got into Lincoln and the Yankees. Deysay Booker Washington wuz fine, I don't know. 

The white folks did not allow us to have nuthing to do wid books. Youbetter not be found, tryin' to learn to read. Our marster wuz harderdown on dat den anything else. You better not be ketched wid a book. Dayread the Bible and told us to obey our marster for de Bible said obeyyour marster. 

The first band of music I ever herd play the Yankees wuz playin' it. They were playin' a song. 'I am tired of seeing de homespun dresses thesouthern women wear'. 

I thinks Mr. Roosevelt is a fine man. Jus' what we need. 

N. C. District: No. 2 [320169]Worker: Mary A. HicksNo. Words: 130Subject: EX-SLAVE STORYStory Teller: Julia CrenshawEditor: Daisy Bailey Waitt

[TR: HW circled "I"]

[TR: No Date Stamp]

EX-SLAVE STORY

As Julia Crenshaw recalled her mother's story. 

My mammy wuz named Jane an' my pappy wuz named Richard. Dey belongedter Lawyer R. J. Lewis in Raleigh, dar whar Peace Institute am ter day. Mammy said dat de white folkses wuz good ter dem an' gib 'em good foodan' clothes. She wuz de cook, an' fer thirty years atter de war shecooked at Peace. 

Before de Yankees come Mr. Lewis said, dat he dreamed dat de yard wuzfull uv dem an' he wuz deef. When dey comed he played deef so dat hewon't have ter talk ter 'em. Him he am dat proud. 

Mammy said dat she ain't cared 'bout been' free case she had a goodhome, but atter all slavery wusn't de thing fer America. 

N. C. District: No. 2 [320239]Worker: T. Pat MatthewsNo. Words: 1, 414Subject: ZEB CROWDERStory Teller: Zeb CrowderEditor: Daisy Bailey Waitt

[TR: Date Stamp "JUN 30 1937"]

ZEB CROWDER323 E. Cabarrus Street

I wont nuthin' in slavery time and I aint nuthin' now. All de work I amable ter do now is a little work in de garden. Dey say I is too ole terwork, so charity gives me a little ter go upon every week. For one weeks'lowance o' sumptin' ter eat dey gives me, hold on, I will show you, datbeats guessin'. Here it is: 1/2 peck meal (corn meal), 2 lbs oat meal, 2lb dry skim milk, and 1 lb plate meat. Dis is what I gits fer one week'lowance. I can't work much, but de white folks gib me meals fur washin'de woodwork in dere houses, de white folks in Hayes's Bottom. Whatlittle I do, I does fer him. He gives me meals for workin'. De charitygives me about 80 cts worth o' rations a week. 

I wus seven years old when de Yankees come through. All de niggers'cept me an' de white folks ran to de woods. I didn't have sense enoughter run, so I stayed on de porch where dey were passin' by. One of 'empointed his gun at me. I remember it as well as it was yisterday. Yessir, I seed de Yankees and I remember de clothes dey wore. Dey were blueand dere coats had capes on' em and large brass buttons. De niggers andwhite folks were afraid of' em. De ole house where dey came by, an' meon de porch is still standin', yes sir, and dey are livin' in it now. Itbelongs to Ralph Crowder, and he has a fellow by de name o' Edward, acolored man, livin' dere now. De house is de udder side o' Swift Creek, right at Rands Mill. I belonged ter ole man William Crowder durin'slavery, Tom Crowder's daddy. Ralph is Tom's son. My missus wus namedMiss Melvina an' if I lives ter be a hundred years old I will neverforget dem white folks. Yes sir, dey shore wus good ter us. We had goodfood, good clothes and a good place ter sleep. 

My mother died before de war, but Miss Melvina wus so good ter us wedidn't know so much difference. Mother wus de first person I rememberseein' dead. When she died Miss Melvina, marster's wife, called uschillun in and says, 'Chillun your mother is dead, but anything in diskitchen you wants ter eat go take it, but don't slip nuthin'. If you slipit you will soon be stealin' things. ' I had four brothers and onesister, and none of us never got into trouble 'bout stealin'. She taughtus ter let other people's things alone. 

My father wus named Waddy Crowder. My mother wus named Neelie Crowder. Grandpa was named Jacob Crowder and grandma was named Sylvia Crowder. Iknow dem jist as good as if it wus yisterday. 

Never went ter school a day in my life. I can't read an' write. Deywould not 'low slaves ter have books, no sir reee, no, dat dey wouldn't. We went wid de white folks to church; dey were good ter us, dat's detruth. Dere aint many people dat knows 'bout dem good times. Dey had alot o' big dinners and when de white folks got through I would go up andeat all I wanted. 

I 'member choppin' cotton on Clabber branch when I wus a little boybefore de surrender. When de surrender come I didn't like it. Daddy an'de udders didn't like it, 'cause after de surrender dey had to paymarster fer de meat an' things. Before dat dey didn't have nuthin' to dobut work. Dere were eight slaves on de place in slavery time. Clabberbranch run into Swift Creek. Lord have mercy, I have caught many a fishon dat branch. I also piled brush in de winter time. Birds went in debrush ter roost. Den we went bird blindin'. We had torches made o'lightwood splinters, and brushes in our han's, we hit de piles o' brushafter we got 'round 'em. When de birds come out we would kill 'em. Derewere lots o' birds den. We killed' em at night in the sage fields[5]where broom grass was thick. Dem were de good times. No sich times now. We killed robins, doves, patridges and other kinds o' birds. Dey aintno such gangs o' birds now. We briled 'em over coals o' fire and fried'em in fryin' pans, and sometimes we had a bird stew, wid all de birdswe wanted. De stew wus de bes' o' all. Dere aint no sich stews now. Weput flour in de stew. It was made into pastry first, and we called itslick. When we cooked chicken wid it we called it chicken slick. 

Dere were no overseers on our plantation. Marster wouldn't let you haveany money on Sunday. He would not trade on Sunday. He would not handlemoney matters on Monday, but 'ceptin' dese two days if you went to himhe would keep you. He was who a good ole man. Dat's de truf. 

The Ku Klux would certainly work on you. If dey caught you out of yourplace dey would git wid you. I don't remember anything 'bout deFreedman's Bureau but de Ku Klux Klan was something all niggers wusscared of. Yes sir, dey would get wid you. Dats right. Ha! Ha! Dat'sright. 

I never seen a slave whupped, no sir, I never see a slave sold. I sawde speculators do'. I saw de patterollers, but dey didn't never whup mydaddy. Dey run him one time, but dey couldn't cotch him. Marster Crowderallus give daddy a pass when he asked fer it. 

I believe ole marster an' ole missus went right on ter Heaven, Yes, Ido believe dat. Dat's de truf. Yes, my Lawd, I would like to see' emright now. Dere is only one o' de old crowd livin', an' dat is MissCora. She stays right here in Raleigh. 

We used to have candy pullin's, an' I et more ash cakes den anybody. Wecooked ash cakes out o' meal. We had dances in de winter time, and otherplays. I played marbles an' runnin' an' jumpin' when I wus a chile. Deygive us sasafrac tea sweetened to eat wid bread. It shore wus mightygood. My father never married enny more. He settled right down after dewar and farmed fer his old marster and all we chillun stayed. We didn'twant ter leave, an' I would be wid 'em right now if dey wus livin'. 

I got married when I wus 21 years old, and moved ter myself in a littlehouse on de plantation. De house is standin' dere now, de house where Ilived den. I seed it de udder day when I went out dere to clean off mywife's grave. I married Lula Hatcher. She died 'bout ten years ago. Imarried her in Georgia. I stayed dere a long time when missus' brother, Wiley Clemmons, went ter Georgia ter run turpentine an' tuck me wid him. I stayed dere till he died; an' Mr. Tom Crowder went after him an'brought him back home an' buried him at de ole home place. He is buriedright dere at de Crowder place. 

I have worked wid some o' de Crowders mos' all my life and I miss dempeople, when one of 'em dies. Dey allus give my daddy outside patches, and he made good on it. He cleaned up seven acres, and do you know howhe fenced it? Wid nuthin' but bresh. An' hogs an' cows didn't go in dereneither. We had lots o' game ter eat. Marster 'lowed my daddy ter huntwid a gun, and he killed a lot o' rabbits, squirrels, an' game. Wetrapped birds an' caught rabbits in boxes. Daddy caught possums an'coons wid dogs. One o' my brothers is livin' at Garner, N. C. I am fouryears older den he is. From what little judgment I got I thought a rightsmart o' Abraham Lincoln, but I tells you de truf Mr. Roosevelt has donea lot o' good. Dats de truf. I likes him. 

[Footnote 5: The Negroes call the tall grass sage. ]

AC

N. C. District: No. 2 [320243]Worker: T. Pat MatthewsNo. Words: 585Subject: ADELINE CRUMPStory Teller: Adeline CrumpEditor: Daisy Bailey Waitt

ADELINE CRUMP526 Cannon Street

My name is Adeline Crump, and I am 73 years old. My husband's name wusJames Crump. My mother's wus Marie Cotton and my father's name wusCotton. My mother belonged to the Faucetts; Rich Faucett wus hermarster. Father belonged to the Cottons; Wright Cotton wus his marster. My maiden name wus Cotton. Mother and father said they were treated allright and that they loved their white folks. They gave them patches, clothed them tolerably well, and seed that they got plenty to eat. Thehours of work wus long. Nearbout everybody worked long hours then, butthey said they wus not mistreated 'bout nothing. When they got sickmarster got a doctor, if they wus bad off sick. 

They wus allowed holidays Christmas and at lay-by time, an' they wus'lowed to hunt possums an' coons at night an' ketch rabbits in gums. They also caught birds in traps made of splinters split from pine wood. 

Mother and father had no learnin'. They would not allow them to learnto read and write. Marster wus keerful 'bout that. I cannot read an'write. My mother and father told me many stories 'bout the patterollersand Ku Klux. A nigger better have a pass when he went visitin' or ifthey caught him they tore up his back. The Ku Klux made the niggersthink they could drink a well full of water. They carried rubber thingsunder their clothes and a rubber pipe leadin' to a bucket o' water. Thewater bag helt the water they did not drink it. Guess you have heardpeople tell 'bout they drinking so much water. 

Marster didn't have no overseers to look after his slaves. He done thathisself with the help o' some o' his men slaves. Sometimes he made 'emforeman and my mother and father said they all got along mighty fine. The colored folks went to the white folk's church and had prayer meetingin their homes. 

Mother lived in the edge o' marster's yard. When the surrender comeafter the war they stayed on the plantation right on and lived onmarster's land. They built log houses after de war cause marster let allhis slaves stay right on his plantation. My mother had twenty-onechillun. She had twins five times. I was a twin and Emaline wus mysister. She died 'bout thirty years ago. She left 11 chillun when shedied. I never had but four chillun. All my people are dead, I is de onlyone left. 

Marster's plantation was 'bout six miles from Merry Oaks in ChathamCounty. We moved to Merry Oaks when I wus fourteen years old. I marriedat seventeen. I have lived in North Carolina all my life. We moved toRaleigh from Merry Oaks long time ago. My husband died here seventeenyears ago. I worked after my husband died, washin' and ironin' forwhite folks till I am not able to work no more. Hain't worked any in fo'years. Charity don't help me none. My chillun gives me what I gits. 

Slavery wus a bad thing, cause from what mother and father tole me allslaves didn't fare alike. Some fared good an' some bad. I don't knowenough 'bout Abraham Lincoln an' Mr. Roosevelt to talk about 'em. No, Idon't know just what to say. I sho' hopes you will quit axin' me so manythings cause I forgot a lot mother and father tole me. 

N. C. District: No. 2 [320232]Worker: Mary A. HicksNo. Words: 844Subject: BILL CRUMPPerson Interviewed: Bill CrumpEditor: Daisy Bailey Waitt

[TR: No Date Stamp]

[HW: "photo"]

BILL CRUMPEx-Slave Story

An interview with Bill Crump, 82 of State prison, Raleigh NorthCarolina. 

I reckon dat I wus borned in Davidson County on de plantation of Mr. Whitman Smith, my mammy's marster. 

My daddy wus named Tom an' he 'longed ter Mr. Ben Murry fust an' laterter Mr. Jimmy Crump. Daddy wus named atter his young marster. Dey livedin Randolph, de county next ter Davidson whar me mammy an' de rest of dechilluns, Alt, George, Harriet, Sarah, Mary an' de baby libed. 

Both of de marsters wus good ter us, an' dar wus plenty ter eat an'w'ar, an' right many jubilees. We ain't none of de dozen er so of useber got a whuppin', case we ain't desarved no whuppin'; why, dar wusn'teben a cowhide whup anywhar on de place. We wucked in de fie'ls fromsunup ter sundown mos' o' de time, but we had a couple of hours atdinner time ter swim or lay on de banks uv de little crick an' sleep. Ober 'bout sundown marster let us go swim ag'in iff'en we wanted ter doit. 

De marster let us have some chickens, a shoat an' a gyarden, an' 'taterpatch, an' we had time off ter wuck 'em. In season we preserved our ownfruits fer de winter an' so we larned not ter be so heaby on demarster's han's. 

My daddy wus a fiddler, an' he sometimes played fer de dances at deCross Roads, a little village near de marster's place. All what ain'tbeen mean could go, but de mean ones can't, an' de rest o' us has terhabe a pass ter keep de patterollers from gittin us. 

Yes mam, we had our fun at de dances, co'n chuckin's, candy pullin's, an' de gatherin's an' we sarbed de marster better by habin' our fun. 

I'se seed a bunch o' slaves sold a heap of times an' I neber seed nochains on nobody. Dey jist stood dem on de table front of de post officeat Cross Roads an' sol' 'em ter de one what bids de highes'. 

We hyard a whisper 'bout some slaves bein' beat ter death, but I ain'tneber seed a slave git a lick of no kin', course atter de war I seed deKu Klux runnin' mean niggers. 

Dar wus no marryin' on de plantation, iffen a nigger wants a 'oman hehas got ter buy her or git her marster's permit, den dey am married. 

When one o' de slaves wus sick he had a doctor fast as lightnin', an'when de died he wus set up wid one night. De marster would gibe demourners a drink o' wine mebbe, an' dey'd mo'n, an' shout, an' sing allde night long, while de cop'se laid out on de coolin' board, which'minds me of a tale. 

Onct we wus settin' up wid a nigger, 'fore de war an' hit bein' a hotnight de wine wus drunk an' de mo'ners wus settin' front o' de do'eatin' watermillons while de daid man laid on de coolin' board. Suddenlyone of de niggers looks back in at de do', an' de daid man am settin' upon de coolin' board lookin right at him. De man what sees hit hollers, an' all de rest what has been wishin 'dat de daid man can enjoy de winean' de watermillons am sorry dat he has comed back. 

Dey doan take time ter say hit do', case dey am gone ter de big house. De marster am brave so he comes ter see, an' he says dat hit am onlyrestrictions o' de muscles. 

De nex' mornin', as am de way, dey puts de man in a pine box made by'nother slave an' dey totes him from de cabin ter de marster's buryin'groun' at de cedars; an' de slaves bury's him while de marster an' hisfambly looks on. 

I doan know much 'bout de Yankees case de warn't none 'cept de skirtin'parties comed our way. 

Atter de war we stays on fer four or five years mebbe, an' I goes terschool two weeks. De teacher wus Mr. Edmund Knights from de No'th. 

I'se sarbed four years an' ten months of a eight ter twelve stretch ferkillin' a man. Dis man an' a whole gang o' us wus at his house gamblin'. I had done quit drinkin' er mont' er so 'fore dat, but dey 'sists onhit, but I 'fuses. Atter 'while he pours some on me an' I cusses him, den he cusses me, an' he says dat he am gwine ter kill me, an' hefollers me down de road. I turns roun' an' shoots him. 

Dat am all of my story 'cept dat I has seen a powerful heap of ghostesan' I knows dat dey comes in white an' black, an' dat dey am in de shapeer dogs, mens, an' eber'thing dat you can have a mind to. 

LE

N. C. District: No. 2. [320148]Worker: Mary A. HicksNo. Words: 652Subject: CHARLIE CRUMPPerson Interviewed: Charlie CrumpEditor: Daisy Bailey Waitt

[TR: Date Stamp "--- 11 1937"]

CHARLIE CRUMPEx-Slave Story

An interview with Charlie Crump 82 of Cary (near)

I wuz borned at Evan's Ferry in Lee or Chatham County, an' I belongedter Mr. Davis Abernathy an' his wife Mis' Vick. My pappy wuz namedRidge, an' my mammy wuz named Marthy. My brothers wuz Stokes an' Tucker, an' my sisters wuz Lula an' Liddy Ann. Dar wuz nine o' us in all, butsome o' dem wuz sold, an' some o' dem wuz dead. 

De Abernathy's wuzn't good ter us, we got very little ter eat, nothin'ter wear an' a whole lot o' whuppin's. Dey ain't had no slaves 'ceptseben or eight, in fact, dey wuz pore white trash tryin' ter git rich;so dey make us wuck. 

Dey wucks us from daylight till dark, an' sometimes we jist gits onemeal a day. De marster says dat empty niggers am good niggers an' datfull niggers has got de debil in dem. An' we ain't 'lowed ter go nowharat night, dat is if dey knowed it. I'se seed de time dat niggers fromall ober de neighborhood gang up an' have fun anyhow, but if dey hyardde patterollers comin' gallopin' on a hoss dey'd fly. Crap shootin' wuzde style den, but a heap of times dey can't find nothin ter bet. 

I toted water, case dat's all I wuz big enough ter do, an' lemmie tellyo' dat when de war wuz ober I ain't had nary a sprig of hair on myhaid, case de wooden buckets what I toted on it wored it plumb off. 

When we got hongry an' could fin' a pig, a calf or a chicken, no matterwho it had belonged to, it den belonged ter us. We raised a heap o' canean' we et brown sugar. Hit 's funny dat de little bit dey gibed us wuzwhat dey now calls wholesome food, an' hit shore make big huskyniggers. 

My mammy had more grit dan any gal I now knows of has in her craw. Sheplowed a hateful little donkey dat wuz about as hongry as she wuz, an'he wuz a cuss if'en dar eber wuz one. Mammy wuz a little brown gal, den, tough as nails an' she ain't axin' dat donkey no odds at all. She ustertake him out at twelve an' start fer de house an' dat donkey would hunchup his back an' swear dat she wuzn't gwine ter ride him home. Mammywould swear dat she would, an' de war would be on. He'd throw her, butshe'd git back on an' atter she'd win de fight he'd go fer de house asfast as a scaulded dog. 

When we hyard dat de Yankees wuz comin' we wuz skeerd, case MarseAbernathy told us dat dey'd skin us alive. I'members hit wuz de last o'April or de fust o' May when dey comed, an' I had started fer de canefil' wid a bucket o' water on my haid, but when I sees dem Yankeescomin' I draps de bucket an' runs. 

De folks thar 'bouts burnt de bridge crost de ribber, but de Yankeescarried a rope bridge wid 'em, so dey crossed anyhow. 

Dem Yankees tuck eber thing dat dey saw eben to our kush, what we hadcooked fer our supper. Kush wuz cornmeal, onions, red pepper, salt an'grease, dat is if we had any grease. Dey killed all de cows, pigs, chickens an' stold all de hosses an' mules. 

We wuz glad ter be free, an' lemmie tell yo', we shore cussed olemarster out 'fore we left dar; den we comed ter Raleigh. I'se alwaysbeen a farmer an' I'se made right good. I lak de white folkses an' deylaks me but I'll tell yo' Miss, I'd ruther be a nigger any day dan to belak my ole white folks wuz. 

M. A. H. L. E. 

N. C. District: No. 2 [320050]Worker: Mary HicksNo. Words: 10, 018Subject: BEFORE AND AFTER THE WARStory Teller: MATTIE CURTISEditor: George L. Andrews

[HW: 8/31/37]

BEFORE AND AFTER THE WAR

An interview with Mattie Curtis, 98 years old, of Raleigh, North Carolina, Route # 4. 

I wus borned on de plantation of Mr. John Hayes in Orange Countyninety-eight years ago. Seberal of de chilluns had been sold 'fore despeculator come an' buyed mammy, pappy an' we three chilluns. Despeculator wus named Bebus an' he lived in Henderson, but he meant tosell us in de tobacco country. 

We come through Raleigh an' de fust thing dat I 'members good wus goin'through de paper mill on Crabtree. We traveled on ter Granville Countyon de Granville Tobacco path till a preacher named Whitfield buyed us. He lived near de Granville an' Franklin County line, on de Granvilleside. 

Preacher Whitfield, bein' a preacher, wus supposed to be good, but heain't half fed ner clothed his slaves an' he whupped 'em bad. I'se seenhim whup my mammy wid all de clothes offen her back. He'd buck her downon a barrel an' beat de blood outen her. Dar wus some difference in hisbeatin' from de neighbors. De folks round dar 'ud whup in de back yard, but Marse Whitfield 'ud have de barrel carried in his parlor fer debeatin'. 

We ain't had no sociables, but we went to church on Sunday an' deypreached to us dat we'd go ter hell alive iffen we sassed our whitefolks. 

Speakin' 'bout clothes, I went as naked as Yo' han' till I wus fourteenyears old. I wus naked like dat when my nature come to me. MarseWhitfield ain't carin', but atter dat mammy tol' him dat I had ter haveclothes. 

Marse Whitfield ain't never pay fer us so finally we wus sold to Mis'Fanny Long in Franklin County. Dat 'oman wus a debil iffen dar eber wusone. When I wus little I had picked up de fruit, fanned flies offen detable wid a peafowl fan an' nussed de little slave chilluns. De las' twoor three years I had worked in de fiel' but at Mis' Long's I worked inde backer factory. 

Yes mam, she had a backer factory whar backer wus stemmed, rolled an'packed in cases fer sellin'. Dey said dat she had got rich on sellin'chawin' terbacker. 

We wus at Mis' Long's when war wus declared, 'fore dat she had beenpurty good, but she am a debil now. Her son am called ter de war an' hewon't go. Dey comes an' arrests him, den his mammy tries ter pay himout, but dat ain't no good. 

De officers sez dat he am yaller an' dat day am gwine ter shoot hishead off an' use hit fer a soap gourd. De Yankees did shoot him downhere at Bentonville an' Mis' Long went atter de body. De Confederateshas got de body but dey won't let her have it fer love ner money. Deylaughs an' tells her how yaller he am an' dey buries him in a ditch likea dog. 

Mis' Long has been bad enough fore den but atter her son is dead shesez dat she am gwine ter fight till she draps dead. De nex' day shesticks de shot gun in mammy's back an' sez dat she am gwine ter shoother dead. Mammy smiles an' tells her dat she am ready ter go. Mis' Longturns on me an' tells me ter go ter de peach tree an' cut her ten limbs'bout a yard long, dis I does an' atter she ties dem in a bundle shewears dem out on me at a hundret licks. Lemmie tell yo', dar wus piecesof de peach tree switches stickin' all in my bloody back when she gotthrough. 

Atter dat Mis' Long ain't done nothin' but whup us an' fight till sheshore nuff wore out. 

De Yankee captain come ter our place an tol' us dat de lan' was goin'ter be cut up an' divided among de slaves, dey would also have a mulean' a house apiece. 

I doan know how come hit but jist 'fore de end of de war we come terMoses Mordicia's place, right up de hill from here. He wus mean too, he'd get drunk an' whup niggers all day off' an' on. He'd keep dem tieddown dat long too, sometimes from sunrise till dark. 

Mr. Mordicia had his yaller gals in one quarter ter dereselves an' desegals belongs ter de Mordicia men, dere friends an' de overseers. When ababy wus born in dat quarter dey'd sen' hit over ter de black quarterat birth. Dey do say dat some of dese gal babies got grown an' attergoin' back ter de yaller quarter had more chilluns fer her own daddy orbrother. De Thompson's sprung from dat set an' dey say dat a heap of demis halfwits fer de reason dat I has jist tol' yo'. Dem yaller wimen wushighfalutin' too, dey though [HW correction: thought] dey wus better dande black ones. 

Has yo' ever wondered why de yaller wimen dese days am meaner dan blackones 'bout de men? Well dat's de reason fer hit, dere mammies raised demto think 'bout de white men. 

When de Yankees come dey come an' freed us. De woods wus full of Rebswhat had deserted, but de Yankees killed some of dem. 

Some sort of corporation cut de land up, but de slaves ain't got noneof it dat I ever heard about. 

I got married before de war to Joshua Curtis. I loved him too, which ismore dam most folks can truthfully say. I always had craved a home an' aplenty to eat, but freedom ain't give us notin' but pickled hoss meatan' dirty crackers, an' not half enough of dat. 

Josh ain't really care 'bout no home but through dis land corporation Ibuyed dese fifteen acres on time. I cut down de big trees dat wus allover dese fields an' I milled out de wood an' sold hit, den I plowed upde fields an' planted dem. Josh did help to build de house an' he workedout some. 

All of dis time I had nineteen chilluns an' Josh died, but I kep' onan' de fifteen what is dead lived to be near 'bout grown, ever one ofdem. 

Right atter de war northern preachers come around wid a little booka-marrying slaves an' I seed one of dem marry my pappy an' mammy. Atterdis dey tried to find dere fourteen oldest chilluns what wus sold away, but dey never did find but three of dem. 

But you wants ter find out how I got along. I'll never fergit my firstbale of cotton an' how I got hit sold. I wus some proud of dat bale ofcotton, an' atter I had hit ginned I set out wid hit on my steercart ferRaleigh. De white folks hated de nigger den, 'specially de nigger whatwus makin' somethin' so I dasen't ax nobody whar de market wus. 

I thought dat I could find de place by myself, but I rid all day an'had to take my cotton home wid me dat night 'case I can't find no placeto sell hit at. But dat night I think hit over an' de nex' day I goes'back an' axes a policeman 'bout de market. Lo an' behold chile, I foun'hit on Blount Street, an' I had pass by hit seberal times de daybefore. 

I done a heap of work at night too, all of my sewin' an' such an' depiece of lan' near de house over dar ain't never got no work 'cept atnight. I finally paid fer de land. Some of my chilluns wus borned in defield too. When I wus to de house we had a granny an' I blowed in abottle to make de labor quick an' easy. 

Dis young generation ain't worth shucks. Fifteen years ago I hired abig buck nigger to help me shrub an' 'fore leben o'clock he passed outon me. You know 'bout leben o'clock in July hit gits in a bloom. Deyoung generation wid dere schools an dere divorcing ain't gwine ter gitnothin' out of life. Hit wus better when folks jist lived tergether. Dere loafin' gits dem inter trouble an' dere novels makes dem badhusban's an' wives too. 

EH

By Miss Nancy Woodburn Watkins [320227]Rockingham CountyMadison, North Carolina

[TR: No. Words: 1, 165]

Ex-Slave Biography--Charles Lee Dalton, 93. 

In July, 1934, the census taker went to the home of Unka ChallileeDalton and found that soft talking old darky on the porch of his severalroomed house, a few hundred feet south of the dirt road locally calledthe Ayersville road because it branches from the hard surfaced highwayto Mayodan at Anderson Scales' store, a short distance from UnkaChallilie's. Black got its meaning from his face, even his lips wereblack, but his hair was whitening. His lean body was reclining whilethe white cased pillows of his night bed sunned on a chair. Hisgranddaughter kept house for him the census taker learned. UnkaChallilie said: "I'se got so I ain't no count fuh nuthin. I wuz uhtakin' me a nap uh sleepin' (' AM). Dem merry-go-wheels keep up sich aracket all nite, sech a racket all nite, ah cyan't sleep. " Thisdisturbance was "The Red Wolfe Medicine Troop of Players and Wheels"near Anderson Scales' store in the forks of the Mayodan and theAyresville roads. 

In 1937 in the home of his son, Unka Challilie ninety-three, told thecause of his no "countness. " "I wuz clean-up man in de mill in Mayodanontill three years ago, I got too trimbly to git amongst de machinery. Daze frade I'd fall and git cut. "

I cum tuh Madison forty-five yeah ago, and I bought one acre, and builtme a house on it, an' razed my leben chillun dyah. My wife was EllenIrving of Reidsville. We had a cow, pigs, chickens, and gyardum ofvegetables to hope out what I got paid at de mill. 

Nome I nevah learned to read an write. Ounct I thought mebbe I'd gitsum lunnin but aftah I got married, I didn't think I would. 

My old Marse wuz Marse Lee Dalton and I stayed on his plantation tillforty-five years ago when I cum tuh Madison. His place wuz back up dyahclose tuh. Mt. Herman Church. Nome we slaves ain't learn no letters, butsumtimes young mistis' 'd read de Bible tuh us. Day wuz pretty good tuhus, but sumtimes I'd ketch uh whippin'. I wuz a hoe boy and plow man. Mymothers' name wuz Silvia Dalton and my daddy's name wuz Peter Dalton. Day belonged to Marse Lee and his wife wuz Miss Matilda Steeples(Staples). Marse Lee lived on Beaver Island Creek at the John HamptonPrice place. Mr. Price bought it. He married Miss Mollie Dalton, MarseLee's daughter. Dyah's uh ole graveyard dyah whah lots uh Daltons isburied but no culled fokes. Day is buried to the side uh Stonevillewiff no white fokes a-tall berried dyah. De ole Daltons wuz berried onde Ole Jimmy Scales plantation. Day bought hit, an little John Pricewhat runs uh tuhbaccah warehouse in Madison owns hit now. (1937) Histenant is Marse Walt Hill, an hits five miles frum Madison. I knose whahde old Deatherage graveyard is, too, up close to Stoneville whah sumDaltons is berried. Ole Marse Lee's mother was a Deatherage. 

Ole Marse was kind to us, an' I stayed on his plantation an' farmedtill I kum to Madison. Dee Yankees, day didn't giv us nuthin so we hadkinduh to live off'n old Marse. 

Fuh ayteen yuz I kin member ah de Mefodis Church byah in Madison. Iwuzn't converted unduh de Holiness preachment uh James Foust but duh derevival of Reverend William Scales. William didn't bare much lunnin. Hiswife wuz Mittie Scales an huh mother wuz Chlocy Scales, sister to TommieScales, de shoemaker, what died lase summuh (July, 1936). William jeswanted so much tuh preach, and Mittie hoped him. I'se been uh classleader, an uh stewart, an uh trustee in de church. It's St. Stephen'sand de new brick church was built in 1925, an Mistuh John Wilson's sonwrote uh peace uh bout hit in de papuh. De fuss chuch wuz down dyahcross de street fum Jim Foust's "tabernacle. " But de fuss cullud chuchin Madison wuz a Union chuch over dyah by de Presbyterian graveyard whahnow is de Gyartuh factry. An' Jane Richardson wuz de leader. 

Yess'm I got so no count, I had to cum live with mah son, Frank Dalton. Frank married Mattie Cardwell. You remembuh Mary Mann? She marriedAnderson Cardwell. Day's bofe dade long time. Days berried jess up hyuhat Mayodan whah Mr. Bollin's house is on and dem new bungyloes is on topum, too. Uh whole lots uh cullud people berried in dah with de slaves ofOle Miss Nancy (Watkins) Webster on till de Mayo Mills got started andday built Mayhodan at de Mayo Falls. An' dat's whah my daughter-in-law'sfolks is berried. 

My leben chillun--Frank, one died in West Virginia; Cora married HenryCardwell; Hattie married Roy Current and bafe ob dem in Winston; Dellamarried Arthur Adkins, an' Joe, an' George an' Perry an' NathanielDalton, an'. 

Yes'm mah daughter-in-law has de writings about de brick chuch, demwhut started hit, an' she'll put it out whah she can git hit fuh youeasy, when you coun back fuh hit. 

Nome, up at Marse Lee Dalton's fob de s'renduh us slaves didn't nevuhgo tuh chuch. But young Miss'ud read de Bible to us sometimes. 

Here in the five room, white painted cottage of his son, Frank, UnkaChallilie is kindly cared for by his daughter-in-law, Mattie. A frontporch faces the Mayodan hard road a few doors from the "coppubrationline. " A well made arch accents the entrance to the front walk. Aclimbing rose flourishes on the arch. Well kept grass with flowers onthe edges show Mattie's love. At the right side is the vegetable garden, invaded by several big domineckuh chickens. A kudzu vine keeps out thehot west sun. Unka Challilie sits on the front porch and nods to hisfriends [HW:, or] else back in the kitchen, he sits and watches Mattieiron after he has eaten his breakfast. Several hens come on the backporch and lay in boxes there. One is "uh settin" fuh fried chickenlater! A walnut tree, "uh white wawnut", waves its long dangly greenblooms as the leaves are half grown in the early May. Well dressed, clean, polite, comforted with his religion, but very "trimbly" even onhis stout walking stick, Unka Challilie often dozes away his "nocountness" with "uh napuh sleepin" while the mad rush of traffic andtourist wheels stir the rose climbing over the entrance arch. Anex-slave who started wiff nuffin de Yankees gave him, who lived on hisold Marse's place ontil he wuz forty-eight, who cleaned the Mayo Millsontill he wuz too trimbly to get amongst de machinery, who raised elevenchildren on an acre of red Rockingham county hillside, faces the nextmove with plenty to eat, wear, plenty time to take a nap uh sleepin. 

N. C. District: No. 2 [320281]Worker: Mary A. HicksNo. Words: 386Subject: JOHN DANIELSStory Teller: John DanielsEditor: Daisy Bailey Waitt

[TR: No Date Stamp]

JOHN DANIELSEx-Slave Story [HW: (?)]

I'se named fer my pappy's ole massa down in Spartanburg, SouthCarolina, course I doan know nothin' 'bout no war, case I warn't borned. I does 'member seein' de ole 'big house' do', maybe you want me ter tellyou how hit looked?

It wuz a big white two-story house at de end uv a magnolia lane an'a-settin' in a big level fiel'. Back o' de big house wuz de ole slavecabins whar my folks uster live. 

Dey said dat de massa wuz good ter 'em, but dat sometimes in de mo'nin'dey jist has lasses an' co'nbread fer breakfas'. 

I started ter tell you 'bout de Joe Moe do'. 

You mebbe doan know hit, but de prisoners hyar doan git de blues so badif de company comes on visitin' days, an' de mail comes reg'lar. We'salways gittin' up somepin' ter have a little fun, so somebody gits up deJoe Moe. 

Yo' sees dat when a new nigger comes in he am skeerd an' has got deblues. Somebody goes ter cheer him up an' dey axes him hadn't he rutherbe hyar dan daid. Yo' see he am moughty blue den, so mebbe he says dathe'd ruther be daid; den dis feller what am tryin' ter cheer him tellshim dat all right he sho' will die dat [HW correction: 'cause] he's gotde Joe Moe put on him. 

Seberal days atter dis de new nigger fin's a little rag full of somepintwix de bed an' mattress an' he axes what hit am. Somebody tells him dathit am de Joe Moe, an' dey tells him dat de only way he can git de spelloff am ter git de bag off on somebody else. Ever'body but him knows'bout hit so de Joe Moe keeps comin' back till a new one comes in an' hel'arns de joke. 

Talkin' 'bout ghostes I wants ter tell you dat de air am full of 'em. Dar's a strip from de groun' 'bout four feet high which am light on dedarkes' night, case hit can't git dark down dar. Git down an' crawl an'yo'll see a million laigs of eber' kin' an' if'en you lis'ens you'llhyar a little groanin' an' den you has gone through a warm spot. 

B. N. 

N. C. District: No. 2 [320186]Worker: T. Pat MatthewsNo. Words: 725Subject: HARRIET ANN DAVESStory Teller: Harriet Ann DavesEditor: Daisy Bailey Waitt

[TR: No Date Stamp]

HARRIET ANN DAVES601 E. Cabarrus Street

My full name is Harriet Ann Daves, I like to be called Harriet Ann. Ifmy mother called me when she was living, I didn't want to answer herunless she called me Harriet Ann. I was born June 6, 1856. MiltonWaddell, my mother's marster was my father, and he never denied me toanybody. 

My mother was a slave but she was white. I do not know who my mother'sfather was. My mother was Mary Collins. She said that her father was anIndian. My mother's mother was Mary Jane Collins, and she waswhite--maybe part Indian. My grandfather was old man William D. Waddell, a white man. I was born in Virginia near Orange Courthouse. The Waddellsmoved to Lexington, Missouri, after I was born. I guess some of thefamily would not like it if they knew I was telling this. We had goodfood and a nice place to live. I was nothing but a child, but I know, and remember that I was treated kindly. I remember the surrender verywell. When the surrender came my grandfather came to mother and toldher: 'Well, you are as free as I am. ' That was William D. Waddell. Hewas one of the big shots among the white folks. 

My white grandmother wanted mother to give me to her entirely. She saidshe had more right to me than my Indian grandmother that she had plentyto educate and care for me. My mother would not give me to her, and shecried. My mother gave me to my Indian grandmother. I later went back tomy mother. 

While we were in Missouri some of my father's people, a white girl, sent for me to come up to the great house. I had long curls and wasconsidered pretty. The girl remarked, 'Such a pretty child' and kissedme. She afterwards made a remark to which my father who was there, mywhite father, took exception telling her I was his child and that I wasas good as she was. I remember this incident very distinctly. 

My mother had two children by the same white man, my father. The otherwas a girl. She died in California. My father never married. He loved mymother, and he said if he could not marry Mary he did not want to marry. Father said he did not want any other woman. My father was good to me. He would give me anything I asked him for. Mother would make me ask himfor things for her. She said it was no harm for me to ask him for thingsfor her which she could not get unless I asked him for them. When thesurrender came my mother told my father she was tired of living thatkind of a life, that if she could not be his legal wife she wouldn't beanything to him, so she left and went to Levenworth, Kansas. She diedthere in 1935. I do not know where my father is, living or dead, or whatbecame of him. 

I can read and write well. They did not teach us to read and write inslavery days. I went to a school opened by the Yankees after thesurrender. 

I went with my mother to Levenworth, Kansas. She sent me to school inFlat, Nebraska. I met my husband there. My first husband was ElishaWilliams; I ran away from school in Flat, and married him. He brought meto Raleigh. He was born and raised in Wake County. We lived togetherabout a year when he died July 1st, 1872. There was one child born to uswhich died in infancy. 

I married the second time Rufus H. Daves in 1875. He was practically awhite man. He wouldn't even pass for a mulatto. He used to belong to theHaywoods. He died in 1931 in Raleigh. 

I think Abraham Lincoln was a fine, conscientious man; my motherworshipped him, but he turned us out without anything to eat or live on. I don't think Mr. Roosevelt is either hot or cold--just a normal man. 

AC

N. C. District: No. 2 [320257]Worker: Mary A. HicksNo. Words: 429Subject: JERRY DAVISStory Teller: Jerry DavisEditor: Daisy Bailey Waitt

[TR: Date Stamp "JUN 26 1937"]

JERRY DAVISEx-Slave StoryandFolk Tale

An interview with Jerry Davis 74 of 228 E. South Street, Raleigh, NorthCarolina. 

I wus borned in Warren County ter Mataldia an' Jordan Davis. Dere wustwenty-two o' us chilluns, an' natu'ally Marster Sam Davis laked mymammy an' daddy. He owned two hundert an' sebenty slaves, an' three, four, or five scopes o' lan'. 

Marster wus good ter us, he gibe us plenty ter eat, an' w'ar, an' hewus good an' kind in his talkin'. I warn't big 'nuff ter do much 'sidesmin' de chickens, an' sich lak. 

I doan 'member so much 'bout de Yankees comin' 'cept sein' dem, an' datdey gibe my pappy a new blue overcoat an' dat I slep' on it onct ertwict. I knows dat de Yankees wus good ter de niggers but dey warn't sogood ter de ole Issues. Dey did 'stroy most eber'thing do'. 

I can't 'member, but I'se hyard my mammy tell o' dances, co'nshuckin's, wrestlin' matches, candy pullin's an' sich things dat wus hadby de slaves dem days. 

My pappy tol' me 'bout de cock fights in de big pits at Warrenton an'how dat when de roosters got killed de owner often gibe de dead bird terhim. I'se also hyard him tell 'bout de hoss races an' 'bout MarsterSam's fine hosses. 

I knows dat de marster an' missus wus good case my mammy an' daddy'sisted on stayin' right on atter de war, an' so dey died an' was burieddar on Marster Sam's place. 

I wucked in de Dupont Powder plant durin' de World War but I wusdischarged case I had acid injury. 

Yessum, I'll tell you de only rale ole tale dat I knows an' dat am destory' bout----Jack. 

JACK

Onct dar wus a white man down in Beaufort County what owned a niggernamed Jack. Dis man owned a boat an' he was fer ever more goin' boatridin', fer days an' nights. He larned Jack how ter steer an' often he'dgo ter sleep leavin' Jack at de wheel, wid 'structions ter steer alwaysby de seben stars. 

One night as Jack steered for his master to sleep, Jack suddenly fellasleep too. When he awake it wuz jist at de crack of dawn so no starswus dar. 

Jack went flyin' ter de marster hollerin', 'please sur marster, hang upsome mo' stars, I done run by dem seben'. 

JACK AND THE DEVIL

Onct Jack an' de debil got inter a 'spute 'bout who can throw a rock deferderest. De debil sez dat he can throw a rock so fur dat hit won'tcome down in three days. 

Iffen you can throw a rock furder dan dat, sez de debil, I'll give youyer freedom. 

De debil chunks a rock an' hit goes up an' stays fer three days. Whenhit comes down Jack picks hit up an' he 'lows, 'Good Lawd, move de starsan' de moon case dar's a rock comin' ter heaben'. 

De debil sez, 'Iffen you can do dat den you can beat me case I can'tthrow a rock in a mile o' heaben'. 

AC. 

N. C. District: No. 2 [320240]Worker: T. Pat MatthewsNo. Words: 1025Subject: A Slave StoryStory Teller: W. S. DebnamEditor: Daisy Bailey Waitt

[TR: Date Stamp "JUN 30 1937"]

W. SOLOMON DEBNAM. 701 Smith Street. 

Yes, I remember the Yankees coming to Raleigh. I don't know very muchabout those times, I was so young, but I remember the Yankees all rightin their blue clothes; their horses, and so on. I'll be 78 years old the8th of this comin' September an' I've heard mother an' father talk aboutslavery time a whole lot. We belonged to T. R. Debnam at Eagle Rock, WakeCounty. His wife was named Priscilla Debnam. My father was named DanielDebnam an' my mother was named Liza Debnam. My master had severalplantations an' a lot of slaves. I don't know how many, but I know hehad 'em. He fed us well; we had a good place to sleep. We had woveclothes, enough to keep us warm. He treated me just like he had been myfather. I didn't know the difference. Marster an' missus never hit me alick in their lives. My mother was the house girl. Father tendedbusiness around the house an' worked in the field sometimes. Our houseswere in marster's yard. The slave quarters were in the yard of the greathouse. I don't remember going to church until after the surrender. 

I remember the corn shuckin's, but not the Christmas and the fourth ofJuly holidays. They had a lot of whiskey at corn shuckin's and goodthings to eat. 

I heard pappy talk of patterollers, but I do not know what they were. Pappy said he had to have a pass to visit on, or they would whip him ifthey could ketch him. Sometimes they could not ketch a nigger they wereafter. Yes, they taught us to say pappy an' mammy in them days. 

I remember the coon and possum hunts an' the rabbits we caught in gums. I remember killin' birds at night with thorn brush. When bird blindin'we hunt 'em at night with lights from big splinters. We went to grasspatches, briars, and vines along the creeks an' low groun's where theyroosted, an' blinded 'em an' killed 'em when they come out. We cooked'em on coals, and I remember making a stew and having dumplings cookedwith 'em. We'd flustrate the birds in their roostin' place an' when theycome out blinded by the light we hit 'em an' killed 'em with thorn brushwe carried in our han's. 

Marster had a gran'son, the son of Alonza Hodge an' Arabella Hodge, 'bout my age an' I stayed with him most of the time. When Alonza Hodgebought his son anything he bought for me too. He treated us alike. Hebought each of us a pony. We could ride good, when we were small. He letus follow him. He let us go huntin' squirrels with him. When he shot an'killed a squirrel he let us race to see which could get him first, whilehe laughed at us. 

I didn't sleep in the great house. I stayed with this white boy tillbed time then my mammy come an' got me an' carried me home. When marsterwanted us boys to go with him he would say, 'Let's go boys, ' an' wewould follow him. We were like brothers. I ate with him at the table. What they et, I et. He made the house girl wait on me just like he an'his son was waited on. 

My father stayed with marster till he died, when he was 63 an' I was21; we both stayed right there. My white playmate's name was RichardHodge. I stayed there till I was married. When I got 25 years old Imarried Ida Rawlson. Richard Hodge became a medical doctor, but he diedyoung, just before I was married. 

They taught me to read an' write. After the surrender I went to freeschool. When I didn't know a word I went to old marster an' he told me. 

During my entire life no man can touch my morals, I was brought up bymy white folks not to lie, steal or do things immoral. I have lived apure life. There is nothing against me. 

I remember the Yankees, yes sir, an' somethings they done. Well, Iremember the big yeller gobler they couldn't ketch. He riz an' flew an'they shot him an' killed him. They went down to marster's store an'busted the head outen a barrel o' molasses an' after they busted thehead out I got a tin bucket an' got it full o' molasses an' started tothe house. Then they shoved me down in the molasses. I set the bucketdown an' hit a Yankee on the leg with a dogwood stick. He tried to hitme. The Yankees ganged around him, an' made him leave me alone, give memy bucket o' molasses, an' I carried it on to the house. They went downto the lot, turned out all the horses an' tuck two o' the big mules, Kentucky mules, an' carried 'em off. One of the mules would gnaw everyline in two you tied him with, an' the other could not be rode. So nextmorning after the Yankees carried 'em off they both come back home withpieces o' lines on 'em. The mules was named, one was named Bill, an' theother Charles. You could ride old Charles, but you couldn't ride oldBill. He would throw you off as fast as you got on 'im. 

After I was married when I was 25 years old I lived there ten years, right there; but old marster had died an' missus had died. I stayed withhis son Nathaniel; his wife was named Drusilla. 

I had five brothers, Richard, Daniel, Rogene, Lorenzo, Lumus andmyself. There wont places there for us all, an' then I left. When I leftdown there I moved to Raleigh. The first man I worked fer here wasGeorge Marsh Company, then W. A. Myatt Company an' no one else. I workedwith the Myatt Company twenty-six years; 'till I got shot. 

It was about half past twelve o'clock. I was on my way home to dinneron the 20th of December, 1935. When I was passing Patterson's Alleyentering Lenoir Street near the colored park in the 500 block somethinghit me. I looked around an' heard a shot. The bullet hit me before Iheard the report of the pistol. When hit, I looked back an' heard it. Capt. Bruce Pool, o' the Raleigh Police force, had shot at some thiefthat had broken into a A&P Store an' the bullet hit me. It hit me in myleft thigh above the knee. It went through my thigh, a 38 caliberbullet, an' lodged under the skin on the other side. I did not fall butstood on one foot while the blood ran from the wound. A car came by inabout a half hour an' they stopped an' carried me to St. Agnes Hospital. It was not a police car. I stayed there a week. They removed the bullet, an' then I had to go to the hospital every day for a month. I have notbeen able to work a day since. I was working with W. A. Myatt Companywhen I got shot. My leg pains me now and swells up. I cannot stand on itmuch. I am unable to do a day's work. Can't stand up to do a day's work. The city paid me $200. 00, an' paid my hospital bill. 

Abraham Lincoln was all right. I think slavery was wrong because birdsan' things are free an' man ought to have the same privilege. 

Franklin Roosevelt is a wonderful man. Men would have starved if hehadn't helped 'em. 

N. C. District: No. 3 [320199]Worker: Travis JordanSubject: SARAH DEBRO EX-SLAVE 90 YEARS Durham, N. C. 

[TR: Date Stamp "JUL 24 1937"]

SARAH DEBROEX-SLAVE 90 YEARS

I was bawn in Orange County way back some time in de fifties. 

Mis Polly White Cain an' Marse Docter Cain was my white folks. MarseCain's plantation joined Mistah Paul Cameron's land. Marse Cain owned somany niggers dat he didn' know his own slaves when he met dem in deroad. Sometimes he would stop dem an' say: 'Whose niggers am you?' Dey'dsay, 'We's Marse Cain's niggers. ' Den he would say, 'I'se Marse Cain, 'and drive on. 

Marse Cain was good to his niggers. He didn' whip dem like some ownersdid, but if dey done mean he sold dem. Dey knew dis so dey minded him. One day gran'pappy sassed Mis' Polly White an' she told him dat if hedidn' 'have hese'f dat she would put him in her pocket. Gran'pappy wuzer big man an' I ax him how Mis' Polly could do dat. He said she meantdat she would sell him den put de money in her pocket. He never did sassMis' Polly no more. 

I was kept at de big house to wait on Mis' Polly, to tote her basket ofkeys an' such as dat. Whenever she seed a chile down in de quarters datshe wanted to raise be hand, she took dem up to do big house an' traineddem. I wuz to be a house maid. De day she took me my mammy cried kazeshe knew I would never be 'lowed to live at de cabin wid her no moreMis' Polly was big an' fat an' she made us niggers mind an' we had tokeep clean. My dresses an' aprons was starched stiff. I had a cleanapron every day. We had white sheets on de beds an' we niggers hadplenty to eat too, even ham. When Mis' Polly went to ride she took me inde carriage wid her. De driver set way up high an' me an' Mis' Polly setway down low. Dey was two hosses with shiney harness. I toted Mis'Polly's bag an' bundles, an' if she dropped her hank'chief I picked itup. I loved Mis' Polly an' loved stayin' at de big house. 

I was 'bout wais' high when de sojers mustered. I went wid Mis' Pollydown to de musterin' fiel' whare dey was marchin'. I can see dey feetsnow when dey flung dem up an' down, sayin', hep, hep. When dey was allready to go an' fight, de women folks fixed a big dinner. Aunt Charityan' Pete cooked two or three days for Mis' Polly. De table was piled widchicken, ham, shoat, barbecue, young lam', an'all sorts of pies, cakesan' things, but nobody eat nothin much. Mis' Polly an' de ladies got tocryin. ' De vittles got cold. I was so sad dat I got over in de corneran' cried too. De men folks all had on dey new sojer clothes, an' deydidn' eat nothin neither. Young Marse Jim went up an' put his arm 'roun'Mis' Polly, his mammy, but dat made her cry harder. Marse Jim was acavalry. He rode a big hoss, an' my Uncle Dave went wid him to de fiel'as his body guard. He had a hoss too so if Marse Jim's hoss got shotdare would be another one for him to ride. Mis' Polly had another sonbut he was too drunk to hold a gun. He stayed drunk. 

De first cannon I heard skeered me near 'bout to death. We could heardem goin' boom, boom. I thought it was thunder, den Mis Polly say, 'Lissen, Sarah, hear dem cannons? Dey's killin' our mens. ' Den she 'gunto cry. 

I run in de kitchen whare Aunt Charity was cookin an' tole her Mis'Polly was cryin. She said: 'She ain't cryin' kaze de Yankees killin' demens; she's doin' all dat cryin' kaze she skeered we's goin' to be sotfree. ' Den I got mad an' tole her Mis' Polly wuzn' like dat. 

I 'members when Wheelers Cavalry come through. Dey was 'Federates butdey was mean as de Yankees. Dey stold everything dey could find an'killed a pile of niggers. Dey come 'roun' checkin'. Dey ax de niggahs ifdey wanted to be free. If dey say yes, den dey shot dem down, but if deysay no, dey let dem alone. Dey took three of my uncles out in de woodsan' shot dey faces off. 

I 'members de first time de Yankees come. Dey come gallupin' down deroad, jumpin' over de palin's, tromplin' down de rose bushes an' messin'up de flower beds. Dey stomped all over de house, in de kitchen, pantries, smoke house, an' everywhare, but dey didn' find much, kazenear 'bout everything done been hid. I was settin' on de steps when abig Yankee come up. He had on a cap an' his eyes was mean. 

'Whare did dey hide do gol' an silver, Nigger?' he yelled at me. 

I was skeered an my hands was ashy, but I tole him I didn' nothin' 'boutnothin; dat if anybody done hid things dey hid it while I was sleep. 

'Go ax dat ole white headed devil, ' he said to me. 

I got mad den kaze he was tawkin' 'bout Mis' Polly, so I didn' saynothin'. I jus' set. Den he pushed me off de step an' say if I didn'dance he gwine shoot my toes off. Skeered as I was, I sho done someshufflin'. Den he give me five dollers an' tole me to go buy jim cracks, but dat piece of paper won't no good. 'Twuzn nothin' but a shin plasterlike all dat war money, you couldn' spend it. 

Dat Yankee kept callin' Mis' Polly a white headed devil an' said shedone ramshacked 'til dey wuzn' nothin' left, but he made his mens toteoff meat, flour, pigs, an' chickens. After dat Mis' Polly got mightystingy wid de vittles an' de didn' have no more ham. 

When de war was over de Yankees was all 'roun' de place tellin' deniggers what to do. Dey tole dem dey was free, dat dey didn' have toslave for de white folks no more. My folks all left Marse Cain an' wentto live in houses dat de Yankees built. Dey wuz like poor white folkshouses, little shacks made out of sticks an' mud wid stick an' mudchimneys. Dey wuzn' like Marse Cain's cabins, planked up an' warm, deywas full of cracks, an' dey wuzn' no lamps an' oil. All de light comefrom de lightwood knots burnin' in de fireplace. 

One day my mammy come to de big house after me. I didn' want to go, Iwanted to stay wid Mis' Polly. I 'gun to cry an' Mammy caught hold ofme. I grabbed Mis' Polly an' held so tight dat I tore her skirt bindin'loose an' her skirt fell down 'bout her feets. 

'Let her stay wid me, ' Mis' Polly said to Mammy. 

But Mammy shook her head. 'You took her away from me an' didn' pay nomind to my cryin', so now I'se takin' her back home. We's free now, Mis'Polly, we ain't gwine be slaves no more to nobody. ' She dragged me away. I can see how Mis' Polly looked now. She didn' say nothin' but shelooked hard at Mammy an' her face was white. 

Mammy took me to de stick an' mud house de Yankees done give her. It wassmoky an' dark kaze dey wuzn' no windows. We didn' have no sheets an' notowels, so when I cried an' said I didn' want to live on no Yankeehouse, Mammy beat me an' made me go to bed. I laid on de straw ticklookin' up through de cracks in de roof. I could see de stars, an' desky shinin' through de cracks looked like long blue splinters stretched'cross de rafters. I lay dare an' cried kaze I wanted to go back to Mis'Polly. 

I was never hungry til we waz free an' de Yankees fed us. We didn' havenothin to eat 'cept hard tack an' middlin' meat. I never saw such meat. It was thin an' tough wid a thick skin. You could boil it allday an' allnight an' it wouldn' cook dome, I wouldn' eat it. I thought 'twuz mulemeat; mules dat done been shot on de battle field den dried. I stillbelieve 'twuz mule meat. 

One day me an' my brother was lookin' for acorns in de woods. We foun'sumpin' like a grave in de woods. I tole Dave dey wuz sumpin' buried indat moun'. We got de grubbin hoe an' dug. Dey wuz a box wid eleven hamsin dat grave. Somebody done hid it from de Yankees an' forgot whare deyburied it. We covered it back up kaze if we took it home in de day timede Yankees an' niggers would take it away from us. So when night come weslipped out an' toted dem hams to de house an' hid dem in de loft. 

Dem was bad days. I'd rather been a slave den to been hired out like Iwas, kaze I wuzn' no fiel' hand, I was a hand maid, trained to wait onde ladies. Den too, I was hungry most of de time an' had to keepfightin' off dem Yankee mens. Dem Yankees was mean folks. 

We's come a long way since dem times. I'se lived near 'bout ninety yearsan' I'se seen an' heard much. My folks don't want me to talk 'boutslavery, day's shame niggers ever was slaves. But, while for mostcolored folks freedom is de bes, dey's still some niggers dat out to beslaves now. Dese niggers dat's done clean forgot de Lawd; dose dat'salways cuttin' an' fightin' an' gwine in white folks houses at night, dey ought to be slaves. Dey ought to have an' Ole Marse wid a whip tomake dem come when he say come, an' go when he say go, 'til dey learn tolive right. 

I looks back now an' thinks. I ain't never forgot dem slavery days, an'I ain't never forgot Mis' Polly an' my white starched aprons. 

N. C. District: No. 2 [320147]Worker: T. Pat MatthewsNo. Words: 805Subject: CHARLES W. DICKENSStory Teller: Charles W. DickensEditor: Daisy Bailey Waitt

[HW note: 26]

[TR: Date Stamp "JUN 11 1937"]

CHARLES W. DICKENS1115 East Lenoir Street

My name is Charles W. Dickens. I lives at 1115 East Lenoir Street, Raleigh, North Carolina, Wake County. I wuz born August 16, 1861, deyear de war started. My mother wuz named Ferebee Dickens. My father wuznamed John Dickens. I had nine sisters and brothers. My brothers werenamed Allen, Douglas, my name [HW: question mark above "my name"], Jake, Johnnie and Jonas. The girls Katie, Matilda Francis, and Emily Dickens. 

My grandmother wuz named Charity Dickens. My grandfather wuz Dudley T. Dickens. I do not know where dey came from. No, I don't think I do. Mymother belonged to Washington Scarborough, and so did we chilluns. Myfather he belonged to Obediah Dickens and missus wuz named SilviaDickens. Dey lowed mother to go by the name of my father after dey wuzmarried. 

We lived in log houses and we had bunks in 'em. Master died, but I'member missus wuz mighty good to us. We had tolerable fair food, and asfur as I know she wuz good to us in every way. We had good clothing madein a loom, that is de cloth wuz made in de loom. My father lived inFranklin County. My mother lived in Wake County. I 'member hearin'father talk about walkin' so fur to see us. There wuz about one dozenslaves on de plantation. Dere were no hired overseers. Missus done herown bossing. I have heard my father speak about de patterollers, but Inever seed none. I heard him say he could not leave the plantationwithout a strip o' something. 

No, sir, the white folks did not teach us to read and write. My motherand father, no sir, they didn't have any books of any kind. We went towhite folk's church. My father split slats and made baskets to sell. Hesaid his master let him have all de money he made sellin' de things hemade. He learned a trade. He wuz a carpenter. One of the young mastersgot after father, so he told me, and he went under de house to keep himfrom whuppin' him. When missus come home she wouldn't let young masterwhup him. She jist wouldn't 'low it. 

I 'members de Yankees comin' through. When mother heard they werecomin', she took us chillun and carried us down into an ole field, andafter that she carried us back to the house. Missus lived in a two-storyhouse. We lived in a little log house in front of missus' house. Mymother had a shoulder of meat and she hid it under a mattress in thehouse. When the Yankees lef, she looked for it; they had stole the meatand gone. Yes, they stole from us slaves. The road the Yankees wuztravellin' wuz as thick wid' em as your fingers. I 'member their blueclothes, their blue caps. De chickens they were carrying on their horseswuz crowing. Dey wuz driving cows, hogs, and things. Yes sir, ahead of'em they come first. The barns and lots were on one side de road deywere trabellin' on and de houses on de other. Atter many Yankees hadpassed dey put a bodyguard at de door of de great house, and didn't 'lowno one to go in dere. I looked down at de Yankees and spit at 'em. Mother snatched me back, and said, 'Come back here chile, dey will killyou. '

Dey carried de horses off de plantation and de meat from missus'smokehouse and buried it. My uncle, Louis Scarborough, stayed wid dehorses. He is livin' yet, he is over a hundred years old. He lives downat Moores Mill, Wake County, near Youngsville. Before de surrender oneof de boys and my uncle got to fightin', one of de Scarborough boys andhim. My uncle threw him down. The young Master Scarborough jumped up, and got his knife and cut uncle's entrails out so uncle had to carry 'emto de house in his hands. About a year after de war my father carried usto Franklin County. He carried us on a steer cart. Dat's about all I'member about de war. 

Abraham Lincoln wuz de man who set us free. I think he wuz a mightygood man. He done so much for de colored race, but what he done wasintended through de higher power. I don't think slavery wuz right. 

I think Mr. Roosevelt is a fine man, one of the best presidents in theworld. I voted for him, and I would vote for him ag'in. He has done alot for de people, and is still doin'. He got a lot of sympathy for 'em. Yas sir, a lot of sympathy for de people. 

MM

N. C. District: No. 2 [320184]Worker: T. Pat MatthewsNo. Words: 655Subject: MARGARET E. DICKENSStory Teller: Margaret E. DickensEditor: Daisy Bailey Waitt

[TR: Date Stamp "JUN 11 1937"]

MARGARET E. DICKENS1115 E. Lenoir St. 

My name is Margaret E. Dickens and I was born on the 5th of June 1861. My mother wuz free born; her name wuz Mary Ann Hews, but my mother wuzcolored. I don't remember anything about Marster and Missus. My fatherwas named Henry Byrd. Here is some of father's writing. My mother'sfather was dark. He had no protection. If he did any work for a whiteman and the white man didn't like it, he could take him up and whup him. My father was like a stray dog. 

My name was Margaret E. Byrd before I got married. Here is some offather's writing--"Margaret Elvira Byrd the daughter of Henry and MaryAnn Byrd was born on the 5th June 1861. " My grandfather, my mother'sfather was a cabinet maker. He made coffins and tables and furniture. Ifhe made one, and it didn't suit the man he would beat him and kick himaround and let him go. Dis was told to me. My father was a carpenter. Hebuilt houses. 

I can read and write. My father could read and write. My mother couldread, but couldn't write very much. 

I have heerd my mother say when she heerd the Yankees were commin' shehad a brand new counterpane, my father owned a place before he marriedmy mother, the counterpane was a woolen woven counterpane. She took itoff and hid it. The Yankees took anything they wanted, but failed tofind it. We were living in Raleigh, at the time, on the very premises weare living on now. The old house has been torn down, but some of thewood is in this very house. I kin show you part of the old house now. Mymother used to pass this place when she wuz a girl and she told me shenever expected to live here. She was twenty years younger than myfather. My mother, she lived here most of the time except twenty-fouryears she lived in the North. She died in 1916. My father bought thelan' in 1848 from a man named Henry Morgan. Here is the deed. [6]

When we left Raleigh, and went North we first stopped in Cambridge, Mass. This was with my first husband. His name was Samuel E. Reynolds. He was a preacher. He had a church and preached there. The East windswere so strong and cold we couldn't stan' it. It was too cold for us. Wethen went to Providence, R. I. From there to Elmira, N. Y. From there wewent to Brooklyn, N. Y. He preached in the State of New York; we finallycame back South, and he died right here in this house. I like the Northvery well, but there is nothing like home, the South. Another thing Idon't have so many white kin folks up North. I don't like to be calledAuntie by anyone, unless they admit bein' kin to me. I was not a foolwhen I went to the North, and it made no change in me. I was raised torespect everybody and I tries to keep it up. Some things in the Northare all right, I like them, but I like the South better. Yes, I guess Ilike the South better. I was married to Charles W. Dickens in 1920. Heis my second husband. 

I inherited this place from my father Henry Byrd. I like well water. There is my well, right out here in the yard. This well was dug herewhen they were building the first house here. I believe in havin' yourown home, so I have held on to my home, and I am goin' to try to keepholdin' on to it. 

[Footnote 6: An interesting feature of the deed is the fact thatHenry Morgan made his mark while Henry Byrd's signatureis his own. ]

N. C. District: No. 2 [320156]Worker: T. Pat MatthewsNo. Words: 1369Subject: REV. SQUIRE DOWDStory Teller: Rev. Squire DowdEditor: Daisy Bailey Waitt

[HW: Minister--Interesting]

[TR: Date Stamp "JUN 1 1937"]

[HW: language not negro, very senternous & interesting. ][TR: The above comment is crossed out. ]

REVEREND SQUIRE DOWD202 Battle StreetRaleigh, N. C. 

My name is Squire Dowd, and I was born April 3, 1855. My mother's namewas Jennie Dowd. My father's name was Elias Kennedy. My mother died inGeorgia at the age of 70, and my father died in Moore County at the ageof 82. I attended his funeral. My sister and her husband had carried mymother to Georgia, when my sister's husband went there to work inturpentine. My mother's husband was dead. She had married a man namedStewart. You could hardly keep up with your father during slavery time. It was a hard thing to do. There were few legal marriages. When a youngman from one plantation courted a young girl on the plantation, themaster married them, sometimes hardly knowing what he was saying. 

My master was General W. D. Dowd. He lived three miles from Carthage, inMoore County, North Carolina. He owned fifty slaves. The conditions weregood. I had only ten years' experience, but it was a good experience. Noman is fool enough to buy slaves to kill. I have never known a realslave owner to abuse his slaves. The abuse was done by patterollers andoverseers. 

I have a conservative view of slavery. I taught school for four yearsand I have been in the ministry fifty years. I was ordained a Christianminister in 1885. I lived in Moore County until 1889, then I moved toRaleigh. I have feeling. I don't like for people to have a feeling thatslaves are no more than dogs; I don't like that. It causes people tohave the wrong idea of slavery. Here is John Bectom, a well, healthyfriend of mine, 75 years of age. If we had been treated as some folkssay, these big, healthy niggers would not be walking about in the Southnow. The great Negro leaders we have now would never have come out ofit. 

The places we lived in were called cabins. The Negroes who were thriftyhad nice well-kept homes; and it is thus now. The thrifty of the coloredrace live well; the others who are indolent live in hovels which smellfoul and are filthy. 

Prayer meetings were held at night in the cabins of the slaves. OnSunday we went to the white folk's church. We sat in a barred-off place, in the back of the church or in a gallery. 

We had a big time at cornshuckings. We had plenty of good things toeat, and plenty of whiskey and brandy to drink. These shuckings wereheld at night. We had a good time, and I never saw a fight at acornshucking in life. If we could catch the master after the shuckingwas over, we put him in a chair, we darkies, and toted him around andhollered, carried him into the parlor, set him down, and combed hishair. We only called the old master "master". We called his wife"missus. " When the white children grew up we called them Mars. John, Miss Mary, etc. 

We had some money. We made baskets. On moonlight nights and holidays wecleared land; the master gave us what we made on the land. We hadmoney. 

The darkies also stole for deserters during the war. They paid us forit. I ate what I stole, such as sugar. I was not big enough to steal forthe deserters. I was a house boy. I stole honey. I did not know I wasfree until five years after the war. I could not realize I was free. Many of us stayed right on. If we had not been ruined right after thewar by carpetbaggers our race would have been, well, --better up by thistime, because they turned us against our masters, when our masters hadeverything and we had nothing. The Freedmen's Bureau helped us some, butwe finally had to go back to the plantation in order to live. 

We got election days, Christmas, New Year, etc. , as holidays. When wewere slaves we had a week or more Christmas. The holidays lasted fromChristmas Eve to after New Years. Sometimes we got passes. If ourmaster would not give them to us, the white boys we played with wouldgive us one. We played cat, jumping, wrestling and marbles. We playedfor fun; we did not play for money. There were 500 acres on theplantation. We hunted a lot, and the fur of the animals we caught wesold and had the money. We were allowed to raise a few chickens andpigs, which we sold if we wanted to. 

The white folks rode to church and the darkies walked, as many of thepoor white folks did. We looked upon the poor white folks as our equals. They mixed with us and helped us to envy our masters. They looked uponour masters as we did. 

Negro women having children by the masters was common. My relatives onmy mother's side, who were Kellys are mixed blooded. They are partlywhite. We, the darkies and many of the whites hate that a situation likethis exists. It is enough to say that seeing is believing. There weremany and are now mixed blooded people among the race. 

I was well clothed. Our clothes were made in looms. Shoes were made onthe plantation. Distilleries were also located on the plantation. Whenthey told me I was free, I did not notice it. I did not realize it tillmany years after when a man made a speech at Carthage, telling us wewere free. 

I did not like the Yankees. We were afraid of them. We had to beeducated to love the Yankees, and to know that they freed us and wereour friends. I feel that Abraham Lincoln was a father to us. We considerhim thus because he freed us. The Freedmen's Bureau and carpet baggerscaused us to envy our masters and the white folks. The Ku Klux Klan, when we pushed our rights, came in between us, and we did not know whatto do. The Ku Klux were after the carpet baggers and the Negroes whofollowed them. 

It was understood that white people were not to teach Negroes duringslavery, but many of the whites taught the Negroes. The children of thewhite folks made us study. I could read and write when the war was up. They made me study books, generally a blue-back spelling book aspunishment for mean things I done. My Missus, a young lady about 16years old taught a Sunday School class of colored boys and girls. ThisSunday School was held at a different time of day from the white folks. Sometimes old men and old women were in these classes. I remember oncethey asked Uncle Ben Pearson who was meekest man, 'Moses' he replied. 'Who was the wisest man?' 'Soloman', 'Who was the strongest man?' wasthen asked him. To this he said 'They say Bill Medlin is the strongest, but Tom Shaw give him his hands full. ' They were men of the community. Medlin was white, Shaw was colored. 

I do not like the way they have messed up our songs with classicalmusic. I like the songs, 'Roll Jordan Roll', 'Old Ship of Zion', 'SwingLow Sweet Chariot'. Classical singers ruin them, though. 

There was no use of our going to town of Saturday afternoon to buy ourrations, so we worked Saturday afternoons. When we got sick the doctorstreated us. Dr. J. D. Shaw, Dr. Bruce, and Dr. Turner. They were thefirst doctors I ever heard any tell of. They treated both whites anddarkies on my master's plantation. 

I married a Matthews, Anna Matthews, August 1881. We have one daughter. Her name is Ella. She married George Cheatam of Henderson, N. C. Amagistrate married us, Mr. Pitt Cameron. It was just a quiet wedding onSaturday night with about one-half dozen of my friends present. 

My idea of life is to forget the bad and live for the good there is init. This is my motto. 

B. N. 

N. C. District: No. 2 [320079]Worker: T. Pat MatthewsNo. Words: 862Subject: FANNIE DUNNStory Teller: Fannie DunnEditor: G. L. Andrews

[TR: Date Stamp "AUG 17 1937"]

FANNIE DUNN222 Heck Street, Raleigh, N. C. 

I don't 'zakly know my age, but I knows and 'members when de Yankeescome through Wake County. I wus a little girl an' wus so skeered I runan hid under de bed. De Yankees stopped at de plantation an' along deroad fur a rest. I 'members I had diphtheria an' a Yankee doctor comean' mopped my throat. Dey had to pull me outen under de bed so he coulddoctor me. 

One Yankee would come along an' give us sumptin' an another would comeon behind him an' take it. Dats de way dey done. One give mother a mulean' when dey done gone she sold it. A Yankee give mother a ham of meat, another come right on behind him an' took it away from her. Dere shorewus a long line of dem Yankees. I can 'member seeing 'em march by sameas it wus yisterday. I wus not old enough to work, but I 'members 'em. Idon't know 'zackly but I wus 'bout five years old when de surrenderwus. 

My name before I wus married wus Fannie Sessoms an' mother wus namedDella Sessoms. We belonged to Dr. Isaac Sessoms an' our missus wus namedHanna. My father wus named Perry Vick, after his marster who wus namedPerry Vick. My missus died durin' de war an' marster never marriedanymore. 

I don't 'member much 'bout missus but mother tole me she wus some goodwoman an' she loved her. Marster wus mighty good to us an' didn't allowpatterollers to whip us none. De slave houses wus warm and really deywus good houses, an' didn't leak neither. 

I don't 'member much 'bout my grandparents, just a little mother toleme 'bout 'em. Grandma 'longed to de Sessoms an' Dr. Isaac Sessomsbrother wus mother's father. Mother tole me dat. Look at dat picture, mister, you see you can't tell her from a white woman. Dats my mother'spicture. She wus as white as you wid long hair an' a face like a whitewoman. She been dead 'bout twenty years. My mother said dat we all faredgood, but course we wore homemade clothes an' wooden bottomed shoes. 

We went to the white folks church at Red Oak an' Rocky Mount MissionaryBaptist Churches. We were allowed to have prayer meetings at de slavehouses, two an' three times a week. I 'members goin' to church 'boutlast year of de war wid mother. I had a apple wid me an' I got hungryan' wanted to eat it in meetin' but mother jest looked at me an' touchedmy arm, dat wus enough. I didn't eat de apple. I can 'member how bad Iwanted to eat it. Don't 'member much 'bout dat sermon, guess I put mymind on de apple too much. 

Marster had about twenty slaves an' mother said dey had always beenallowed to go to church an' have prayer meetings 'fore I wus born. Marster had both white an' colored overseers but he would not allow anyof his overseers to bulldoze over his slaves too much. He would call aoverseer down for bein' rough at de wrong time. Charles Sessoms wus oneof marster's colored overseers. He 'longed to marster, an' mother saidmarster always listened to what Charles said. Dey said marster hadalways favored him even 'fore he made him overseer. Charles Sessoms felldead one day an' mother found him. She called Marster Sessoms an' hecome an' jest cried. Mother said when Marster come he wus dead shoreenough, dat marster jest boohooed an' went to de house, an' wouldn'tlook at him no more till dey started to take him to de grave. Everybodyon de plantation went to his buryin' an' funeral an' some from de udderplantation dat joined ourn. 

I 'members but little 'bout my missus, but 'members one time she run mewhen I wus goin' home from de great house, an' she said, 'I am goin' tocatch you, now I catch you'. She pickin' at me made me love her. Whenshe died mother tole me 'bout her bein' dead an' took me to her buryin'. Next day I wanted to go an' get her up. I tole mother I wanted her tocome home an' eat. Mother cried an' took me up in her arms, an' said, 'Honey missus will never eat here again. ' I wus so young I didn'tunderstand. 

Dr. Sessoms an' also Dr. Drake, who married his daughter, doctored uswhen we wus sick. Dr. Joe Drake married marster's only daughter Harrietan' his only son David died in Mississippi. He had a plantation dere. 

I been married only once. I wus married forty years ago to Sidney Dunn. I had one chile, she's dead. 

From what I knows of slavery an' what my mother tole me I can't say itwus a bad thing. Mister, I wants to tell de truth an' I can't say itsbad 'cause my mother said she had a big time as a slave an' I knows Ihad a good time an' wus treated right. 

LE

N. C. District: No. 2 [320187]Worker: Mary A. HicksNo. Words: 382Subject: JENNYLIN DUNNPerson Interviewed: Jennylin DunnEditor: Daisy Bailey Waitt

[TR: No Date Stamp]

JENNYLIN DUNNEx-Slave Story

An interview with Jennylin Dunn 87, of 315 Bledsoe Avenue, Raleigh, N. C. 

I wuz borned hyar in Wake County eighty-seben years ago. Me an' myfolks an' bout six others belonged ter Mis' Betsy Lassiter who wuz rightgood ter us, do' she sho' did know dat chilluns needs a little brushin'now an' den. 

My papa wuz named Isaac, my mammy wuz named Liza, an' my sisters wuznamed Lucy, Candice an' Harriet. Dar wuz one boy what died 'fore I can'member an' I doan know his name. 

We ain't played no games ner sung no songs, but we had fruit ter eatan' a heap of watermillions ter eat in de season. 

I seed seberal slabe sales on de block, front of de Raleigh Cou'thouse, an' yo' can't think how dese things stuck in my mind. A wholeheap o' times I seed mammies sold from dere little babies, an' dar wuzno'min' den, as yo' knows. 

De patterollers wuz sumpin dat I wuz skeerd of. I know jist two o' 'em, Mr. Billy Allen Dunn an' Mr. Jim Ray, an' I'se hyard of some scandelousthings dat dey done. Dey do say dat dey whupped some of de niggersscandelous. 

When dey hyard dat de Yankees wuz on dere way ter hyar dey says ter usdat dem Yankees eats little nigger youngins, an' we shore stays hid. 

I jist seed squeamishin' parties lookin' fer sumpin' ter eat, an' I'sehyard dat dey tuck ever'thing dey comes 'crost. A whole heap of it deyflunged away, an' atterwards dey got hongry too. 

One of 'em tried ter tell us dat our white folks stold us from ourcountry an' brung us hyar, but since den I foun' out dat de Yankeesstole us dereselves, an' den dey sold us ter our white folkses. 

Atter de war my pappy an' mammy brung us ter Raleigh whar I'se beenlibin' since dat time. We got along putty good, an' de Yankees sont ussome teachers, but most o' us wuz so busy scramblin' roun' makin' alivin' dat we ain't got no time fer no schools. 

I reckon dat hit wuz better dat de slaves wuz freed, but I still lovesmy white folkses, an' dey loves me. 

N. C. District: No. 2 [320125]Worker: Mary A. HicksNo. Words: 1119Subject: AUNT LUCY'S LOVE STORYPerson Interviewed: Lucy Ann DunnEditor: G. L. Andrews

[TR: Date Stamp "AUG 1 1937"]

AUNT LUCY'S LOVE STORY

An interview with Lucy Ann Dunn, 90 years old, 220 Cannon Street, Raleigh, N. C. 

My pappy, Dempsey, my mammy, Rachel an' my brothers an' sisters an' meall belonged ter Marse Peterson Dunn of Neuse, here in Wake County. Darwus five of us chilluns, Allen, Charles, Corina, Madora an' me, allborned before de war. 

My mammy wus de cook, an' fur back as I 'members almost, I wus a housegirl. I fanned flies offen de table an' done a heap of little things ferMis' Betsy, Marse Peterson's wife. My pappy worked on de farm, which wusboun' ter have been a big plantation wid two hundert an' more niggerster work hit. 

I 'members when word come dat war wus declared, how Mis' Betsy criedan' prayed an' how Marse Peter quarreled an' walked de floor cussin' deYankees. 

De war comes on jist de same an' some of de men slaves wus sent terRoanoke ter hep buil' de fort. Yes mam, de war comes ter de great housean' ter de slave cabins jist alike. 

De great house wus large an' white washed, wid green blinds an' deslave cabins wus made of slabs wid plank floors. We had plenty ter eatan' enough ter wear an' we wus happy. We had our fun an' we had ourtroubles, lak little whuppin's, when we warn't good, but dat warn'toften. 

Atter so long a time de rich folkses tried ter hire, er make de po'white trash go in dere places, but some of dem won't go. Dey am treatedso bad dat some of dem cides ter be Ku Kluxes an' dey goes ter de woodster live. When we starts ter take up de aigs er starts from de springhouse wid de butter an' milk dey grabs us an' takes de food ferdereselbes. 

Dis goes on fer a long time an' finally one day in de spring I sets onde porch an' I hear a roar. I wus 'sponsible fer de goslins dem days soI sez ter de missus, 'I reckin dat I better git in de goslins case Ihear hit a-thunderin'. 

'Dat ain't no thunder, nigger, dat am de canon', she sez. 

'What canon', I axes?

'Why de canon what dey am fightin' wid', she sez. 

Well dat ebenin' I is out gittin' up de goslins when I hears music, Ilooks up de road an' I sees flags, an' 'bout dat time de Yankees am dara-killin' as dey goes. Dey kills de geese, de ducks, de chickens, pigsan' ever'thing. Dey goes ter de house an' dey takes all of de meat, demeal, an' ever'thing dey can git dere paws on. 

When dey goes ter de kitchen whar mammy am cookin' she cuss dem out an'run dem outen her kitchen. Dey shore am a rough lot. 

I aint never fergot how Mis' Betsy cried when de news of de surrendercome. She aint said nothin' but Marse Peter he makes a speech sayin'dat he aint had ter sell none of us, dat he aint whupped none of us bad, dat nobody has ever run away from him yet. Den he tells us dat all whowants to can stay right on fer wages. 

Well we stayed two years, even do my pappy died de year atter desurrender, den we moves ter Marse Peter's other place at Wake Forest. Atter dat we moves back ter Neuse. 

Hit wus in de little Baptist church at Neuse whar I fust seed big blackJim Dunn an' I fell in love wid him den, I reckons. He said dat he lovedme den too, but hit wus three Sundays 'fore he axed ter see me home. 

We walked dat mile home in front of my mammy an' I wus so happy dat Iaint thought hit a half a mile home. We et cornbread an' turnips ferdinner an' hit wus night 'fore he went home. Mammy wouldn't let me walkwid him ter de gate. I knowed, so I jist sot dar on de porch an' sezgood night. 

He come ever' Sunday fer a year an' finally he proposed. I had toldmammy dat I thought dat I ort ter be allowed ter walk ter de gate widJim an' she said all right iffen she wus settin' dar on de porchlookin'. 

Dat Sunday night I did walk wid Jim ter de gate an' stood under dehoneysuckles dat wus a-smellin' so sweet. I heard de big ole bullfrogsa-croakin' by de riber an' de whipper-wills a-hollerin' in de woods. Darwus a big yaller moon, an' I reckon Jim did love me. Anyhow he said soan' axed me ter marry him an' he squeezed my han'. 

I tol' him I'd think hit ober an' I did an' de nex' Sunday I tol' himdat I'd have him. 

He aint kissed me yet but de nex' Sunday he axes my mammy fer me. Shesez dat she'll have ter have a talk wid me an' let him know. 

Well all dat week she talks ter me, tellin' me how serious gittin'married is an' dat hit lasts a powerful long time. 

I tells her dat I knows hit but dat I am ready ter try hit an' dat Iintends ter make a go of hit, anyhow. 

On Sunday night mammy tells Jim dat he can have me an' yo' orter seeddat black boy grin. He comes ter me widout a word an' he picks me upouten dat cheer an' dar in de moonlight he kisses me right 'fore mymammy who am a-cryin'. 

De nex' Sunday we wus married in de Baptist church at Neuse. I had anew white dress, do times wus hard. 

We lived tergether fifty-five years an' we always loved each other. Heaint never whup ner cuss me an' do we had our fusses an' our troubles wetrusted in de Lawd an' we got through. I loved him durin' life an' Ilove him now, do he's been daid now fer twelve years. 

The old lady with her long white hair bowed her head and sobbed for amoment then she began again unsteadily. 

We had eight chilluns, but only four of dem are livin' now. De livin'are James, Sidney, Helen an' Florence who wus named fer FlorenceNightingale. 

I can't be here so much longer now case I'se gittin' too old an' feeblean' I wants ter go ter Jim anyhow. The old woman wiped her eyes, 'Ithinks of him all de time, but seems lak we're young agin when I smellhoneysuckles er see a yaller moon. 

LE

N. C. District: No. 3 [320271]Worker: Travis JordanSubject: Tempie Herndon Durham Ex-Slave 103 Years Old 1312 Pine St. , Durham, N. C. 

[TR: Date Stamp "AUG 23 1937"]

TEMPIE HERNDON DURHAMEX-SLAVE 103 YEARS OLD1312 PINE ST. , DURHAM, N. C. 

I was thirty-one years ole when de surrender come. Dat makes me shonuff ole. Near 'bout a hundred an' three years done passed over dis herewhite head of mine. I'se been here, I mean I'se been here. 'Spects I'sede olest nigger in Durham. I'se been here so long dat I done forgot near'bout as much as dese here new generation niggers knows or ever gwineknow. 

My white fo'ks lived in Chatham County. Dey was Marse George an' Mis'Betsy Herndon. Mis Betsy was a Snipes befo' she married Marse George. Dey had a big plantation an' raised cawn, wheat, cotton an' 'bacca. Idon't know how many field niggers Marse George had, but he had a mess ofdem, an' he had hosses too, an' cows, hogs an' sheeps. He raised sheepsan' sold de wool, an' dey used de wool at de big house too. Dey was abig weavin' room whare de blankets was wove, an' dey wove de cloth forde winter clothes too. Linda Hernton an' Milla Edwards was de headweavers, dey looked after de weavin' of de fancy blankets. Mis' Betsywas a good weaver too. She weave de same as de niggers. She say she lovede clackin' soun' of de loom, an' de way de shuttles run in an' outcarryin' a long tail of bright colored thread. Some days she set at deloom all de mawnin' peddlin' wid her feets an' her white han's flittin'over de bobbins. 

De cardin' an' spinnin' room was full of niggers. I can hear demspinnin' wheels now turnin' roun' an' sayin' hum-m-m-m, hum-m-m-m, an'hear de slaves singin' while dey spin. Mammy Rachel stayed in de dyein'room. Dey wuzn' nothin' she didn' know' bout dyein'. She knew every kindof root, bark, leaf an' berry dat made red, blue, green, or whatevercolor she wanted. Dey had a big shelter whare de dye pots set over decoals. Mammy Rachel would fill de pots wid water, den she put in deroots, bark an' stuff an' boil de juice out, den she strain it an'put inde salt an' vinegar to set de color. After de wool an' cotton done beencarded an' spun to thread, Mammy take de hanks an' drap dem in de pot ofbollin' dye. She stir dem' roun' an' lif' dem up an' down wid a stick, an' when she hang dem up on de line in de sun, dey was every color of derainbow. When dey dripped dry dey was sent to de weavin' room whare deywas wove in blankets an' things. 

When I growed up I married Exter Durham. He belonged to Marse SnipesDurham who had de plantation 'cross de county line in Orange County. Wehad a big weddin'. We was married on de front po'ch of de big house. Marse George killed a shoat an' Mis' Betsy had Georgianna, de cook, tobake a big weddin' cake all iced up white as snow wid a bride an' groomstandin' in de middle holdin' han's. De table was set out in de yardunder de trees, an' you ain't never seed de like of eats. All de niggerscome to de feas' an' Marse George had a dram for everybody. Dat wassome weddin'. I had on a white dress, white shoes an' long white glovesdat come to my elbow, an' Mis' Betsy done made me a weddin' veil out ofa white net window curtain. When she played de weddin ma'ch on de piano, me an' Exter ma'ched down de walk an' up on de po'ch to de altar Mis'Betsy done fixed. Dat de pretties' altar I ever seed. Back 'gainst derose vine dat was full or red roses, Mis' Betsy done put tables filledwid flowers an' white candles. She done spread down a bed sheet, a shonuff linen sheet, for us to stan' on, an' dey was a white pillow tokneel down on. Exter done made me a weddin' ring. He made it out of abig red button wid his pocket knife. He done cut it so roun' an'polished it so smooth dat it looked like a red satin ribbon tide 'roun'my finger. Dat sho was a pretty ring. I wore it 'bout fifty years, denit got so thin dat I lost it one day in de wash tub when I was washin'clothes. 

Uncle Edmond Kirby married us. He was de nigger preacher dat preached atde plantation church. After Uncle Edmond said de las' words over me an'Exter, Marse George got to have his little fun: He say, 'Come on, Exter, you an' Tempie got to jump over de broom stick backwards; you got to dodat to see which one gwine be boss of your househol'. ' Everybody comestan' 'roun to watch. Marse George hold de broom 'bout a foot high offde floor. De one dat jump over it backwards an' never touch de handle, gwine boss de house, an' if bof of dem jump over widout touchin' it, deywon't gwine be no bossin', dey jus' gwine be 'genial. I jumped fus', an' you ought to seed me. I sailed right over dat broom stick same as acricket, but when Exter jump he done had a big dram an' his feets was sobig an' clumsy dat dey got all tangled up in dat broom an' he fell headlong. Marse George he laugh an' laugh, an' tole Exter he gwine be bossed'twell he skeered to speak less'n I tole him to speak. After de weddin'we went down to de cabin Mis' Betsy done all dressed up, but Extercouldn' stay no longer den dat night kaze he belonged to Marse SnipesDurham an' he had to back home. He lef' de nex day for his plantation, but he come back every Saturday night an' stay 'twell Sunday night. Wehad eleven chillun. Nine was bawn befo' surrender an' two after we wasset free. So I had two chillun dat wuzn' bawn in bondage. I was worth aheap to Marse George kaze I had so manny chillun. De more chillun aslave had de more dey was worth. Lucy Carter was de only nigger on deplantation dat had more chillun den I had. She had twelve, but herchillun was sickly an' mine was muley strong an' healthy. Dey never wassick. 

When de war come Marse George was too ole to go, but young Marse Billwent. He went an' took my brother Sim wid him. Marse Bill took Sim alongto look after his hoss an' everything. Dey didn' neither one get shot, but Mis' Betsy was skeered near 'bout to death all de time, skeered deywas gwine be brung home shot all to pieces like some of de sojers was. 

De Yankees wuzn' so bad. De mos' dey wanted was sumpin' to eat. Dey wasall de time hungry, de fus' thing dey ax for when dey came was sumpin'to put in dey stomach. An' chicken! I ain' never seed even a preachereat chicken like dem Yankees. I believes to my soul dey ain' never seedno chicken 'twell dey come down here. An' hot biscuit too. I seed apassel of dem eat up a whole sack of flour one night for supper. Georgianna sif' flour 'twell she look white an' dusty as a miller. Demsojers didn' turn down no ham neither. Dat de onlies' thing dey tookfrom Marse George. Dey went in de smoke house an' toted off de hams an'shoulders. Marse George say he come off mighty light if dat all deywant, 'sides he got plenty of shoats anyhow. 

We had all de eats we wanted while de war was shootin' dem guns, kazeMarse George was home an' he kep' de niggers workin'. We had chickens, gooses, meat, peas, flour, meal, potatoes an' things like dat all detime, an' milk an' butter too, but we didn' have no sugar an' coffee. Weused groun' pa'ched cawn for coffee an' cane 'lasses for sweetnin'. Datwuzn' so bad wid a heap of thick cream. Anyhow, we had enough to eat to'vide wid de neighbors dat didn' have none when surrender come. 

I was glad when de war stopped kaze den me an' Exter could be togetherall de time 'stead of Saturday an' Sunday. After we was free we livedright on at Marse George's plantation a long time. We rented de lan' fora fo'th of what we made, den after while be bought a farm. We paid threehundred dollars we done saved. We had a hoss, a steer, a cow an' twopigs, 'sides some chickens an' fo' geese. Mis' Betsy went up in deattic an' give us a bed an' bed tick; she give us enough goose feathersto make two pillows, den she give us a table an' some chairs. She giveus some dishes too. Marse George give Exter a bushel of seed cawn ansome seed wheat, den he tole him to go down to de barn an' get a bag ofcotton seed. We got all dis den we hitched up de wagon an' th'owed in depassel of chillun an' moved to our new farm, an' de chillun was put towork in de fiel'; dey growed up in de fiel' kaze dey was put to worktime dey could walk good. 

Freedom is all right, but de niggers was better off befo' surrender, kaze den dey was looked after an' dey didn' get in no trouble fightin'an' killin' like dey do dese days. If a nigger cut up an' got sassy inslavery times, his Ole Marse give him a good whippin' an' he went wayback an' set down an' 'haved hese'f. If he was sick, Marse an' Mistislooked after him, an' if he needed store medicine, it was bought an'give to him; he didn' have to pay nothin'. Dey didn' even have to think'bout clothes nor nothin' like dat, dey was wove an' made an' give todem. Maybe everybody's Marse an' Mistis wuzn' good as Marse George an'Mis' Betsy, but dey was de same as a mammy an' pappy to us niggers. 

N. C. District: No. 2 [320160]Worker: Mary A. HicksNo. Words: 466Subject: EX-SLAVE STORYStory Teller: George EatmanEditor: Daisy Bailey Waitt

[TR: Date Stamp "JUN 1 1937"]

EX-SLAVE STORY

An Interview on May 18, 1937 with George Eatman, 93, of Cary, R. #1. 

I belonged ter Mr. Gus Eatman who lived at de ole Templeton place on deDurham highway back as fer as I can 'member. I doan r'member my mammyan' pappy case dey wuz sold 'fore I knowed anything. I raised myself an'I reckon dat I done a fair job uv it. De marster an' missus wuz good todere twenty-five slaves an' we ain't neber got no bad whuppin's. 

I doan 'member much playin' an' such like, but I de 'members dat I wuzde handy boy 'round de house. 

De Confederate soldiers camp at Ephesus Church one night, an' de nex'day de marster sent me ter de mill on Crabtree. Yo' 'members where oleCompany mill is, I reckon? Well, as I rode de mule down de hill, outcomes Wheeler's Calvalry, which am as mean as de Yankees, an' dey ax melots uv questions. Atter awhile dey rides on an' leaves me 'lone. 

While I am at de mill one uv Wheeler's men takes my mule an' my co'n, an' I takes de ole saddle an' starts ter walkin' back home. All de way, most, I walks in de woods, case Wheeler's men am still passin'. 

When I gits ter de Morgan place I hyars de cannons a-boomin', ahh--h Iain't neber hyar sich a noise, an' when I gits so dat I can see dar deygoes, as thick as de hairs on a man's haid. I circles round an' gitsbehin' dem an' goes inter de back uv de-house. Well, dar stan's aYankee, an' he axes Missus Mary fer de smokehouse key. She gibes it terhim an' dey gits all uv de meat. 

One big can uv grease am all dat wuz saved, an' dat wuz burried in debroom straw down in de fiel'. 

Dey camps roun' dar dat night an' dey shoots ever chicken, pig, an'calf dey sees. De nex' day de marster goes ter Raleigh, an' gits agyard, but dey has done stole all our stuff an' we am liven' mostly onparched co'n. 

De only patterollers I knowed wuz Kenyan Jones an' Billy Pump an' deywuz called po' white trash. Dey owned blood houn's, an' chased deniggers an' whupped dem shamful, I hyars. I neber seed but one Ku Kluxan' he wuz sceered o' dem. 

Atter de war we stayed on five or six years case we ain't had no placeelse ter go. 

We ain't liked Abraham Lincoln, case he wuz a fool ter think dat wecould live widout de white folkses, an' Jeff Davis wuz tryin' ter keepus, case he wuz greedy an' he wanted ter be de boss dog in politics. 

District: No. 3. [320121]Worker: Daisy WhaleySubject: Ex-slave Story. Interviewed: Doc Edwards, Ex-slave. 84 Yrs Staggville, N. C. 

[HW: Capital A--circled]

[TR: Date Stamp "AUG 6 1937"]

DOC EDWARDSEX-SLAVE, 84 Yrs. 

I was bawn at Staggville, N. C. , in 1853. I belonged to Marse PaulCameron. My pappy was Murphy McCullers. Mammy's name was Judy. Dat wouldmake me a McCullers, but I was always knowed as Doc Edwards an' dat iswhat I am called to dis day. 

I growed up to be de houseman an' I cooked for Marse Benehan, --MarsePaul's son. Marse Benehan was good to me. My health failed from doing somuch work in de house an' so I would go for a couple of hours each dayan' work in de fiel' to be out doors an' get well again. 

Marse Paul had so many niggers dat he never counted dem. When we openedde gate for him or met him in de road he would say, "Who is you? Whareyou belong?" We would say, "We belong to Marse Paul. " "Alright, runalong" he'd say den, an' he would trow us a nickel or so. 

We had big work shops whare we made all de tools, an' even de shovelswas made at home. Dey was made out of wood, so was de rakes, pitchforksan' some of de hoes. Our nails was made in de blacksmith shop by han'an' de picks an' grubbin' hoes, too. 

We had a han' thrashing machine. It was roun' like a stove pipe, onlybigger. We fed de wheat to it an' shook it' til de wheat was loose fromde straw an' when it come out at de other end it fell on a big cloth, bigger den de sheets. We had big curtains all roun' de cloth on defloor, like a tent, so de wheat wouldn' get scattered. Den we took depitchfork an' lifted de straw up an' down so de wheat would go on decloth. Den we moved de straw when de wheat was all loose Den we fannedde wheat wid big pieces of cloth to get de dust an' dirt outen it, so itcould be taken to de mill an' groun' when it was wanted. 

When de fall come we had a regular place to do different work. We hadhan' looms an' wove our cotton an' yarn an' made de cloth what was tomake de clothes for us to wear. 

We had a shop whare our shoes was made. De cobbler would make our shoeswid wooden soles. After de soles was cut out dey would be taken down tode blacksmiyh an' he would put a thin rim of iron aroun' de soles tokeep dem from splitting. Dese soles was made from maple an' ash wood. 

We didn' have any horses to haul wid. We used oxen an' ox-carts. Dehorse and mules was used to do de plowin'. 

When de Yankees come dey didn' do so much harm, only dey tole us we wasfree niggers. But I always feel like I belong to Marse Paul, an' i stilllive at Staggville on de ole plantation. I has a little garden an' doeswhat I can to earn a little somethin'. De law done fixed it so now dat Iwill get a little pension, an' I'll stay right on in dat little house'til de good Lawd calls me home, den I will see Marse Paul once more. 

N. C. District: No. 11 [320001]Worker: Mrs. W. N. HarrissNo. Words: 658Subject: John Evans Born in SlaveryEditor: Mrs. W. N. Harriss

Interviewed

John Evans on the street and in this Office. Residence changes frequently. 

[TR: Date Stamp "SEP--1937"]

Story of John EvansBorn in Slavery. 

I was born August 15th, 1859. I am 78 years old. Dat comes out right, don't it? My mother's name was Hattie Newbury. I don't never rememberseein' my Pa. We lived on Middle Sound an' dat's where I was born. Iknows de room, 'twas upstairs, an' when I knowed it, underneath, downstairs dat is, was bags of seed an' horse feed, harness an' things, but it was slave quarters when I come heah. 

Me an' my mother stayed right on with Mis' Newberry after freedom, an'never knowed no diffunce. They was jus' like sisters an' I never knowednothin' but takin' keer of Mistus Newberry. She taught me my letters an'the Bible, an' was mighty perticler 'bout my manners. An' I'm tellin'you my manners is brought me a heap more money than my readin'--or deBible. I'm gwine tell you how dat is, but fust I want to say the most Ilearned on Middle Sound was' bout fishin' an' huntin'. An' dawgs. 

My! But there sho' was birds an' possums on de Sound in dem days. Pa'tridges all over de place. Why, even me an' my Mammy et pa'tridgesfer bre'kfust. Think of dat now! But when I growed up my job wasfishin'. I made enough sellin' fish to the summer folks all alongWrightsville and Greenville Sounds to keep me all winter. 

My Mammy cooked fer Mis' Newberry. After a while they both died. I neverdid'nt git married. 

I don't know nothin' 'bout all the mean things I hear tell about slavesan' sich. We was just one fam'ly an' had all we needed. We never paid no'tention to freedom or not freedom. I remember eve'ybody had work to doin slavery an' dey gone right on doin' it sence. An' nobody don't gitnowheres settin' down holdin' their han's. It do'n make so much diffunceanyhow what you does jes so's you does it. 

One time when I was carryin' in my fish to "Airlie" [TR: difficult toread] Mr. Pem Jones heard me laff, an' after I opened dis here mouf ofmine an' laffed fer him I didn't have to bother 'bout fish no mo'. Lordy, dose rich folks he used to bring down fum New Yo'k is paid me asmuch as _sixty_ dollars a week to laff fer 'em. One of 'em was named Mr. _Fish_. Now you know dat tickled _me_. I could jes laff an' laff 'boutdat. Mr. Pem give me fine clo'es an' a tall silk hat. I'd eat a bigdinner in de kitchen an' den go in' mongst de quality an' laff fer' eman' make my noise like a wood saw in my th'oat. Dey was crazy 'bout dat. An' then's when I began to be thankful 'bout my manners. I's noticed ifyou has nice manners wid eve'ybody people gwine to be nice to you. 

Well, (with a long sigh) I don't pick up no sich money nowadays; butmy manners gives me many a chance to laff, an' I never don't go hungry. 

John has been a well known character for fifty years among the summerresidents along the sounds and on Wrightsville Beach. He was a fishermanand huckster in his palmy days, but now John's vigor is on the wane, andhe has little left with which to gain a livelihood except his unusuallycontagious laugh, and a truly remarkable flow of words. "Old John" couldgive Walter Winchel a handicap of twenty words a minute and then beathim at his own game. His mouth is enormous and his voice deep andresonant. He can make a noise like a wood saw which he maintains for 2or 3 minutes without apparent effort, the sound buzzing on and on fromsome mysterious depths of his being with amazing perfection ofimitation. 

Any day during the baseball season John may be seen sandwiched betweenhis announcement boards, a large bell in one hand, crying the ball gameof the day. "Old John" to the youngsters; but finding many a quarterdropped in his hand by the older men with memories of gay hours andhearty laughter. 

District: No. 3 [320198]Worker: Daisy WhaleySubject: EX-SLAVEStoryteller: Lindsay Faucette Ex-Slave Church Street, Durham, N. C. 

[TR: Date Stamp "JUL 2 1937"]

LINDSEY FAUCETTE, 86 Yrs. Ex-slave. 

Yes, Mis', I wuz bawn in 1851, de 16th of November, on de OcconeecheePlantation, owned by Marse John Norwood an' his good wife, Mis' Annie. An' when I say 'good' I mean jus dat, for no better people ever livedden my Marse John an' Mis' Annie. 

One thing dat made our Marse an' Mistis so good wuz de way dey broughtup us niggers. We wuz called to de big house an' taught de Bible an' deywuz Bible readin's every day. We wuz taught to be good men an' women an'to be hones'. Marse never sold any of us niggers. But when his boys andgirls got married he would give dem some of us to take with dem. 

Marse never allowed us to be whipped. One time we had a white overseeran' he whipped a fiel' han' called Sam Norwood, til de blood come. Hebeat him so bad dat de other niggers had to take him down to de riveran' wash de blood off. When Marse come an' foun' dat out he sent datwhite man off an' wouldn' let him stay on de plantation over night. Hejus' wouldn' have him roun' de place no longer. He made Uncle Whitted deoverseer kase he wuz one of de oldest slaves he had an' a good nigger. 

When any of us niggers got sick Mis' Annie would come down to de cabinto see us. She brung de best wine, good chicken an' chicken soup an'everything else she had at de big house dat she thought we would like, an' she done everything she could to get us well again. 

Marse John never worked us after dark. We worked in de day an' had denights to play games an' have singin's. We never cooked on a Sunday. Everything we ett on dat day was cooked on Saturday. Dey wuzn' lightedin de cook stoves or fire places in de big house or cabins neither. Everybody rested on Sunday. De tables wuz set an' de food put on to eat, but nobody cut any wood an' dey wuzn' no other work don' on dat day. Mammy Beckie wuz my gran'mammy an' she toted de keys to de pantry an'smoke house, an' her word went wid Marse John an' Mis' Annie. 

Marse John wuz a great lawyer an' when he went to Pittsboro an' otherplaces to practice, if he wuz to stay all night, Mis' Annie had my mammysleep right in bed wid her, so she wouldn' be 'fraid. 

Marse an Mistis had three sons an' three daughters, --De oldest son wuznot able to go to war. He had studied so hard dat it had 'fected hismind, so he stayed at home. De secon' son, named Albert, went to war an'wuz brought back dead with a bullet hole through his head. Dat liked tohave killed Marse John an' Mis' Annie. Dey wuz three girls, named, Mis'Maggie, Mis' Ella Bella and Mis' Rebena. 

I wuz de cow-tender. I took care of de cows an' de calves. I would haveto hold de calf up to de mother cow 'til de milk would come down an' denI would have to hold it away 'til somebody done de milkin'. I tended dehorses, too, an' anything else dat I wuz told to do. 

When de war started an' de Yankees come, dey didn' do much harm to ourplace. Marse had all de silver an' money an' other things of value hidunder a big rock be de river an' de Yankees never did fine anything datwe hid. 

Our own sojers did more harm on our plantation den de Yankees. Deycamped in de woods an' never did have nuff to eat an' took what deywanted. An' lice! I ain't never seed de like. It took fifteen years forus to get shed of de lice dat de sojers lef' behind. You jus' couldn'get dem out of your clothes les' you burned dem up. Dey wuz hard to getshed of. 

After de war wuz over Marse John let Pappy have eighteen acres of landfor de use of two of his boys for a year. My pappy made a good crop ofcorn, wheat an' other food on dis land. Dey wuz a time when you couldn'find a crust of bread or piece of meat in my mammy's pantry for us toeat, an' when she did get a little meat or bread she would divide itbetween us chillun, so each would have a share an' go without herselfan' never conplained. 

When pappy wuz makin' his crop some of de others would ask him why hedidn' take up some of his crop and get somethin' to eat. He would answeran' say dat when he left dat place he intended to take his crop with himan' he did. He took plenty of corn, wheat, potatoes an' other food, acow, her calf, mule an' hogs an' he moved to a farm dat he bought. 

Later on in years my pappy an mammy come here in Durham an' bought ahome. I worked for dem' til I wuz thirty-two years old an' give dem whatmoney I earned. I worked for as little as twenty-five cents a day. Den Igot a dray an' hauled for fifteen cents a load from de Durham depo' toWest Durham for fifteen years. Little did I think at dat time dat Iwould ever have big trucks an' a payroll of $6, 000. 00 a year. De goodLawd has blest me all de way, an' all I have is His'n, even to my ownbreath. 

Den one day I went back home to see my old Marse an' I foun' him sittin'in a big chair on de po'ch an' his health wuzn' so good. He sed, "Lindsey, why don' you stop runnin' roun' wid de girls an' stop youcou't 'n? You never will get nowhere makin' all de girls love you an' denyou walk away an' make up with some other girl. Go get yourself a goodgirl an' get married an' raise a family an' be somebody. " An' I did. Iquit all de girls an' I foun' a fine girl and we wuz married. I sho gota good wife; I got one of de best women dat could be foun' an' we livedtogether for over forty-five years. Den she died six years ago now, an'I sho miss her for she wuz a real help-mate all through dese years. Weraised five chillun an' educated dem to be school teachers an' othertrades. 

I have tried to live de way I wuz raised to. My wife never worked a dayaway from home all de years we wuz married. It wuz my raisin an' mystrong faith in my Lawd an' Marster dat helped me to get along as wellas I have, an' I bless Him every day for de strength He has given me tobring up my family as well as I have. Der is only one way to live an'dat is de right way. Educate your chillun, if you can, but be sho yougive dem de proper moral training at home. De right way to raise yourchillun is to larn dem to have manners and proper respect for theirparents, be good citizens an' God fearin' men an' women. When you havedone dat you will not be ashamed of dem in your old age. I bless myMaker dat I have lived so clos' to Him as I have all dese years an' whende time comes to go to Him I will have no regrets an' no fears. 

N. C. District: No. 2 [320223]Worker: T. Pat MatthewsNo. Words: 567Subject: A SLAVE STORYStory Teller: Ora M. FlaggEditor: Daisy Bailey Waitt

[TR: No Date Stamp]

ORA M. FLAGG811 Oberlin Road

My name is Ora M. Flagg. I wus born in Raleigh near the ProfessionalBuilding, in the year 1860, October 16. My mother wus named Jane Busbee. Her marster wus Quent Busbee, a lawyer. Her missus wus Julia Busbee. Shewus a Taylor before she married Mr. Busbee. Now I tell you, I can't tellyou exactly, but the old heads died. The old heads were the Scurlockswho lived in Chatham County. I heard their names but I don't rememberthem. Their children when they died drawed for the slaves and my motherwus brought to Raleigh when she wus eight years old. She came from theScurlocks to the Busbees. The Taylors were relatives of the Scurlocks, and were allowed to draw, and Julia Taylor drawed my mother. It wusfixed so the slaves on this estate could not be sold, but could bedrawed for by the family and relatives. She got along just middlin'after her missus died. When her missus died, mother said she had to lookafter herself. Mr. Busbee would not allow anyone to whip mother. Hemarried Miss Lizzie Bledsoe the second time. 

I wus only a child and, of course, I thought as I could get a littlesomething to eat everything wus all right, but we had few comforts. Wehad prayer meeting and we went to the white people's church. I heardmother say that they had to be very careful what they said in theirworship. Lots of time dey put us children to bed and went off. 

About the time of the surrender, I heard a lot about the patterollers, but I did not know what they were. Children wus not as wise then as theyare now. They didn't know as much about things. 

Yes sir, I remember the Yankees coming to Raleigh, we had been takenout to Moses Bledsoe's place on Holleman's Road to protect Mr. Bledsoe'sthings. They said if they put the things out there, and put a family ofNegroes there the Yankees would not bother the things. So they stored alot of stuff there, and put my mother an' a slave man by the name o' TomGillmore there. Two Negro families were there. We children watched theYankees march by. 

The Yankees went through everything, and when mother wouldn't tell themwhere the silver wus hid they threw her things in the well. Mothercried, an' when the Yankee officers heard of it they sent a guard thereto protect us. The colored man, Tom Gillmore, wus so scared, he and hisfamily moved out at night leaving my mother alone with her family. TheYankees ate the preserves and all the meat and other things. Theydestroyed a lot they could not eat. 

Mother and me stayed on with marster after the surrender, and stayedon his place till he died. After that we moved to Peck's Place, calledPeck's Place because the property wus sold by Louis Peck. It wus alsocalled the 'Save-rent' section, then in later years Oberlin Road. 

I think slavery wus a bad thing, while it had its good points inbuilding good strong men. In some cases where marsters were bad it wus abad thing. 

Abraham Lincoln wus our friend, he set us free. I don't know much aboutBooker T. Washington. Mr Roosevelt is all right. Jim Young seemed to beall right. Jeff Davis didn't bother me. I guess he wus all right. 

EH

N. C. District: No. 2 [320214]Worker: Mary HicksNo. Words: 361Subject: Ex-Slave StoryStory Teller: Analiza Foster. Editor: Daisy Bailey Waitt

[TR: No Date Stamp]

EX-SLAVE STORY

An interview with Analiza Foster, 68 of 1120 SouthBlount Street, Raleigh, North Carolina. 

I wuz borned in Person County ter Tom Line an' Harriet Cash. My mammybelonged ter a Mr. Cash an' pappy belonged ter Miss Betsy Woods. Both ofdese owners wuz mean ter dere slaves an' dey ain't carin' much if'en deykills one, case dey's got plenty. Dar wuz one woman dat I hyard mammytell of bein' beat clean ter death. 

De 'oman wuz pregnant an' she fainted in de fiel' at de plow. De driversaid dat she wuz puttin' on, an' dat she ort ter be beat. De master saiddat she can be beat but don't ter hurt de baby. De driver says dat hewon't, den he digs a hole in de sand an' he puts de 'oman in de hole, which am nigh 'bout ter her arm pits, den he kivers her up an' strapsher han's over her haid. 

He takes de long bull whup an' he cuts long gashes all over hershoulders an' raised arms, den he walks off an' leabes her dar fer ahour in de hot sun. De flies an' de gnats dey worry her, an' de sunhurts too an' she cries a little, den de driver comes out wid a panfull of vinegar, salt an' red pepper an' he washes de gashes. De 'omanfaints an' he digs her up, but in a few minutes she am stone dead. 

Dat's de wust case dat I'se eber hyard of but I reckon dar wuz plentymore of dem. 

Ter show yo' de value of slaves I'll tell yo' 'bout my gran'ma. She wuzsold on de block four times, an' eber time she brung a thousand dollars. She wuz valuable case she wuz strong an' could plow day by day, den tooshe could have twenty chilluns an' wuck right on. 

De Yankees come through our country an' dey makes de slaves draw waterfer de horses all night. Course dey stold eber'thing dey got dere han'son but dat wuz what ole Abraham Lincoln tol' dem ter do. 

MH:EH

N. C. District: No. 2 [320088]Worker: T. Pat MatthewsNo. Words: 570Subject: A SLAVE STORYStory Teller: Georgianna FosterEditor: George L. Andrews

[TR: Date Stamp "AUG 23 1937"]

GEORGIANNA FOSTER1308 Poole Road, Route # 2. Raleigh, North Carolina. 

I wus born in 1861. I jes' can 'member de Yankees comin' through, but I'members dere wus a lot of 'em wearin' blue clothes. I wus born atKerney Upchurch's plantation twelve miles from Raleigh. He wus mymarster an' Missus Enny wus his wife. My father wus named Axiom Wilderand my mother wus Mancy Wilder. De most I know 'bout slavery dey tole itto me. I 'members I run when de Yankees come close to me. I wus 'fraidof 'em. 

We lived in a little log houses at marsters. De food wus short an'things in general wus bad, so mother tole me. She said dey wus a wholelot meaner den dey had any business bein'. Dey allowed de patterollersto snoop around an' whup de slaves, mother said dey stripped some of deslaves naked an' whupped 'em. She said women had to work all day in defields an' come home an' do de house work at night while de white folkshardly done a han's turn of work. 

Marse Kerney had a sluice of chilluns. I can't think of 'em all, but I'members Calvin, James, Allen, Emily, Helen, an' I jest can't think ofde rest of de chilluns names. 

Mother said dey gathered slaves together like dey did horses an' sold'em on de block. Mother said dey carried some to Rolesville in WakeCounty an' sold 'em. Dey sold Henry Temples an' Lucinda Upchurch frommarster's plantation, but dey carried 'em to Raleigh to sell 'em. 

We wore homemade clothes an' shoes wid wooden bottoms. Dey would notallow us to sing an' pray but dey turned pots down at de door an' sungan' prayed enyhow an' de Lord heard dere prayers. Dat dey did sing an'pray. 

Mother said dey whupped a slave if dey caught him wid a book in hishand. You wus not 'lowed no books. Larnin' among de slaves wus aforbidden thing. Dey wus not allowed to cook anything for demselves atde cabins no time 'cept night. Dere wus a cook who cooked fur all durin'de day. Sometimes de field han's had to work 'round de place at nightafter comin' in from de fields. Mother said livin' at marster's wus hardan' when dey set us free we left as quick as we could an' went to Mr. Bob Perry's plantation an' stayed there many years. He wus a good manan' give us all a chance. Mother wus free born at Upchurch's but when dewar ended, she had been bound to Wilder by her mother, an' had marriedmy father who wus a slave belongin' to Bob Wilder. Dey did not like defare at Marster Upchurch's or Marster Wilder's, so when dey wus set freedey lef' an' went to Mrs. Perry's place. 

Dey had overseers on both plantations in slavery time but some of deniggers would run away before dey would take a whuppin'. Fred Perry runaway to keep from bein' sold. He come back do' an' tole his marster todo what he wanted to wid him. His marster told him to go to work an' hestayed dere till he wus set free. God heard his prayer 'cause he said heaxed God not to let him be sold. 

Mother an' father said Abraham Lincoln come through there on his way toJeff Davis. Jeff Davis wus de Southern President. Lincoln say, 'Turn demslaves loose, Jeff Davis, ' an' Jeff Davis said nuthin'. Den he come desecond time an' say, 'Is you gwine to turn dem slaves loose?' an' JeffDavis wouldn't do it. Den Lincoln come a third time an' had a cannonshootin' man wid him an' he axed, 'Is you gwine to set dem slaves freeJeff Davis?' An' Jeff Davis he say, 'Abraham Lincoln, you knows I is notgoin' to give up my property, an' den Lincoln said, 'I jest as well goback an' git up my crowd den. ' Dey talked down in South Carolina an'when Jeff Davis 'fused to set us free, Lincoln went home to the Northand got up his crowd, one hundred an' forty thousand men, dey said, an'de war begun. Dey fighted an' fighted an' de Yankees whupped. Dey set usfree an' dey say dat dey hung Jeff Davis on a ole apple tree. 

EH[HW in margin:--illegible]

N. C. District: No. 2 [320247]Worker: T. Pat MatthewsNo. Words: 815Subject: FRANK FREEMANStory Teller: Frank FreemanEditor: Daisy Bailey Waitt

[TR: No Date Stamp]

FRANK FREEMAN216 Tappers Lane

I was born near Rolesville in Wake County Christmas Eve, 24 of December1857. I am 76 years old. My name is Frank Freeman and my wife's name isMary Freeman. She is 78 years old. We live at 216 Tuppers Lane, Raleigh, Wake County, North Carolina. I belonged to ole man Jim Wiggins jus' thisside o' Roseville, fourteen miles from Raleigh. The great house isstandin' there now, and a family by the name o' Gill, a colored man'sfamily, lives there. The place is owned by ole man Jim Wiggins'sgrandson, whose name is O. B. Wiggins. My wife belonged to the Terrellsbefore the surrender. I married after the war. I was forty years olewhen I was married. 

Old man Jim Wiggins was good to his niggers, and when the slavechildren were taken off by his children they treated us good. Missusdressed mother up in her clothes and let her go to church. We had good, well cooked food, good clothes, and good places to sleep. Some of thechimneys which were once attached to the slave houses are standing onthe plantation. The home plantation in Wake County was 3000 acres. 

Marster also owned three and a quarter plantations in Franklin County. He kept about ten men at home and would not let his slave boys workuntil they were 18 years old, except tend to horses and do light jobsaround the house. He had slaves on all his plantations but they wereunder colored overseers who were slaves themselves. Marster had threeboys and five girls, eight children of his own. 

One of the girls was Siddie Wiggins. When she married Alfred Holland, and they went to Smithfield to live she took me with her, when I was twoyears old. She thought so much o' me mother was willing to let me go. Mother loved Miss Siddie, and it was agreeable in the family. I stayedright on with her after the surrender three years until 1868. My fatherdecided to take me home then and went after me. 

They never taught us books of any kind. I was about 8 years old when Ibegan to study books. When I was 21 Christmas Eve 1880, father told me Iwas my own man and that was all he had to give me. 

I had decided many years before to save all my nickles. I kept them ina bag. I did not drink, chew, smoke or use tobacco in any way duringthis time. When he told me I was free I counted up my money and found Ihad $47. 75. I had never up to this tasted liquor or tobacco. I don'tknow anything about it yet. I have never used it. With that money Ientered Shaw University. I worked eight hours a week in order to helppay my way. 

Later I went into public service, teaching four months a year in thepublic schools. My salary was $25. 00 per month. I kept going to schoolat Shaw until I could get a first grade teacher's certificate. I nevergraduated. I taught in the public schools for 43 years. I would beteaching now, but I have high blood pressure. 

I was at Master Hollands at Smithfield when the Yankees came through. They went into my Marster's store and began breaking up things andtaking what they wanted. They were dressed in blue and I did not knowwho they were. I asked and someone told me they were the Yankees. 

My father was named Burton, and my mother was named Queen Anne. Fatherwas a Freeman and mother was a Wiggins. 

There were no churches on the plantation. My father told me a storyabout his young master, Joe Freeman and my father's brother Soloman. Marster got Soloman to help whip him. My father went in to see youngMissus and told her about it, and let her know he was going away. He hadgot the cradle blade and said he would kill either of them if theybothered him. Father had so much Indian blood in him that he wouldfight. He ran away and stayed four years and passed for a free nigger. He stayed in the Bancomb Settlement in Johnson County. When he came homebefore the war ended, Old Marster said, 'Soloman why didn't you stay?'father said, 'I have been off long enough'. Marster said 'Go to work', and there was no more to it. Father helped build the breastworks in theEastern part of the State down at Ft. Fisher. He worked on the forts atNew Bern too. 

I think Abraham Lincoln worked hard for our freedom. He was a greatman. I think Mr. Roosevelt is a good man and is doing all he can for thegood of all. 

LE

N. C. District: No. 2 [320010]Worker: T. Pat MatthewsNo. Words: 976Subject: ADDY GILLStory Teller: Addy GillEditor: G. L. Andrews

[TR: Date Stamp "SEP 10 1937"]

ADDY GILL 1614 "B" St. Lincoln Park Raleigh, North Carolina. 

I am seventy four years of age. I wus born a slave Jan. 6, 1863 on aplantation near Millburnie, Wake County, owned by Major Wilder, whohired my father's time. His wife wus named Sarah Wilder. I don't knowanything 'bout slavery 'cept what wus tole me by father and mother but Ido know that if it had not been for what de southern white folks donefor us niggers we'd have perished to death. De north turned us out widout anything to make a livin' wid. 

My father wus David Gill and, my mother wus Emily Gill. My father wus ablacksmith an he moved from place to place where dey hired his time. Dats why I wus born on Major Wilders place. Marster Gill who owned ushired father to Major Wilder and mother moved wid him. For a longtimeatter de war, nine years, we stayed on wid Major Wilder, de place we wusat when dey set us free. 

Mr. Wilder had a large plantation and owned a large number of slavesbefore de surrender. I only 'members fourteen of de ones I know belongedto him. Mr. Wilder wus a mighty good man. We had plenty to eat an plentywork to do. Dere wus seven in the Major's family. Three boys, two girls, he an his wife. His boys wus named Sam, Will and Crockett. De girls wusnamed Florence and Flora. Dey are all dead, every one of 'em. De wholeset. I don't know nary one of 'em dats livin. If dey wus livin I couldgo to 'em an' git a meal any time. Yes Sir! any time, day or night. 

I farmed for a long time for myself atter I wus free from my father at21 years of age. Den 'bout twelve years ago I come to Raleigh and got ajob as butler at St. Augustine Episcopal College for Colored. I workeddere eight years, wus taken sick while workin dere an has been unable towork much since. Dat wus four years ago. Since den sometimes I ain'table to git up outen my cheer when I is settin down. I tells you, mister, when a nigger leaves de farm an comes to town to live he sho istakin a mighty big chance wid de wolf. He is just a riskin parishin, dats what he is a doin. 

I married forty five years ago this past November. I wus married on desecond Thursday night in November to Millie Ruffin of Wake County, NorthCarolina. We had leben chilluns, six boys an five gals. Four of the boysan one of de gals is livin now. Some of my chilluns went north but deydidn't stay dere but two months. De one dat went north wus Sam, dat wusde oldest one. He took a notion to marry so he went up to Pennsylvaniaand worked. Just as soon as he got enough money to marry on he come backan got married. He never went back north no more. 

Mother belonged to Sam Krenshaw before she wus bought by Marster Gill. Her missus when she was a girl growin up wus Mrs. Louise Krenshaw. Demissus done de whuppin on Mr. Krenshaw's plantation an she wus mightyrough at times. She whupped mother an cut her back to pieces so bad datde scars wus on her when she died. Father died in Raleigh an mother diedout on Miss Annie Ball's farm 'bout seven miles from Raleigh. Mother anfather wus livin there when mother died. Father den come to Raleigh andied here. 

I caint read an write but all my chilluns can read and write. Motherand father could not read or write. I haint had no chance. I had nolarnin. I had to depend on white folks I farmed wid to look atter mybusiness. Some of em cheated me out of what I made. I am tellin you detruth 'bout some of de landlords, dey got mighty nigh all I made. Mr. Richard Taylor who owned a farm near Raleigh whur I stayed two years wusone of em. He charged de same thing three times an I had it to pay. Istayed two years an made nothin'. Dis is de truth from my heart, fromhere to glory. I members payin' fur a middlin of meat twice. Some of dewhite folks looked out fur me an prospered. Mr. Dave Faulk wus one of'em. I stayed wid him six years and I prospered. Mr. John Bushnell wus aman who took up no time wid niggers. I rented from him a long time. 

He furnished a nigger cash to run his crap on. De nigger made de crapsold it an carried him his part. He figgered 'bout what he should havean de nigger paid in cash. He wus a mighty good man to his niggertenants. I never owned a farm, I never owned horses or mules to farmwith. I worked de landlords stock and farmed his land on shares. Farmin'has been my happiest life and I wushes I wus able to farm agin cause Iam happiest when on de farm. 

I had a quiet home weddin' an I wus married by a white magistrate. Igot up one night an' wus married at 1 o'clock. 

Atter de weddin she went back home wid me. We have had our ups anddowns in life. Sometimes de livin' has been mighty hard, but dere hasnever been a time since I been free when I could not git a handout fromde white folks back yard. 

LE

N. C. District: No. 2 [320020]Worker: T. Pat MatthewsNo. Words: 2, 118Subject: A SLAVE STORYStory Teller: Robert GlennEditor: George L. Andrews

[TR: Date Stamp "SEP 10 1937"]

ROBERT GLENN 207 Idlewild Avenue Raleigh, North Carolina. 

I was a slave before and during the Civil War. I am 87 years old. I wasborn Sept. 16, 1850. I was born in Orange County, North Carolina nearHillsboro. At that time Durham was just a platform at the station and nohouse there whatever. The platform was lighted with a contraption shapedlike a basket and burning coal that gave off a blaze. There were holesin this metal basket for the cinders to fall through. 

I belonged to a man named Bob Hall, he was a widower. He had threesons, Thomas, Nelson, and Lambert. He died when I was eight years oldand I was put on the block and sold in Nelson Hall's yard by the son ofBob Hall. I saw my brother and sister sold on this same plantation. Mymother belonged to the Halls, and father belonged to the Glenns. Theysold me away from my father and mother and I was carried to the state ofKentucky. I was bought by a Negro speculator by the name of Henry longwho lived not far from Hurdles Mill in Person County. I was not allowedto tell my mother and father goodbye. I was bought and sold three timesin one day. 

My father's time was hired out and as he knew a trade he had by workingovertime saved up a considerable amount of money. After the speculator, Henry Long, bought me, mother went to father and pled with him to buy mefrom him and let the white folks hire me out. No slave could own aslave. Father got the consent and help of his owners to buy me and theyasked Long to put me on the block again. Long did so and named his pricebut when he learned who had bid me off he backed down. Later in the dayhe put me on the block and named another price much higher than theprice formerly set. He was asked by the white folks to name his pricefor his bargain and he did so. I was again put on the auction block andfather bought me in, putting up the cash. Long then flew into a rage andcursed my father saying, 'you damn black son of a bitch, you think youare white do you? Now just to show you are black, I will not let youhave your son at any price. ' Father knew it was all off, mother wasfrantic but there was nothing they could do about it. They had to standand see the speculator put me on his horse behind him and ride awaywithout allowing either of them to tell me goodbye. I figure I was soldthree times in one day, as the price asked was offered in each instance. Mother was told under threat of a whupping not to make any outcry when Iwas carried away. He took me to his home, but on the way he stopped forrefreshments, at a plantation, and while he was eating and drinking, heput me into a room where two white women were spinning flax. I was givena seat across the room from where they were working. After I had satthere awhile wondering where I was going and thinking about mother andhome, I went to one of the women and asked, 'Missus when will I see mymother again?' She replied, I don't know child, go and sit down. I wentback to my seat and as I did so both the women stopped spinning for amoment, looked at each other, and one of them remarked. "Almighty God, this slavery business is a horrible thing. Chances are this boy willnever see his mother again. " This remark nearly killed me, as I began tofully realize my situation. Long, the Negro trader, soon came back, putme on his horse and finished the trip to his home. He kept me at hishome awhile and then traded me to a man named William Moore who lived inPerson County. Moore at this time was planning to move to Kentucky whichhe soon did, taking me with him. My mother found out by the "Grapevinetelegraph" that I was going to be carried to Kentucky. She gotpermission and came to see me before they carried me off. When shestarted home I was allowed to go part of the way with her but they senttwo Negro girls with us to insure my return. We were allowed to talkprivately, but while we were doing so, the two girls stood a shortdistance away and watched as the marster told them when they left thatif I escaped they would be whipped every day until I was caught. Whenthe time of parting came and I had to turn back, I burst out cryingloud. I was so weak from sorrow I could not walk, and the two girls whowere with me took me by each arm and led me along half carrying me. 

This man Moore carried me and several other slaves to Kentucky. Wetraveled by train by way of Nashville, Tenn. My thoughts are notfamiliar with the happenings of this trip but I remember that we walkeda long distance at one place on the trip from one depot to another. 

We finally reached Kentucky and Moore stopped at his brother'splantation until he could buy one, then we moved on it. My marster wasnamed William Moore and my missus was named Martha Whitfield Moore. Itwas a big plantation and he hired a lot of help and had white tenantsbesides the land he worked with slaves. There were only six slaves usedas regular field hands during his first year in Kentucky. 

The food was generally common. Hog meat and cornbread most all thetime. Slaves got biscuits only on Sunday morning. Our clothes were poorand I worked barefooted most of the time, winter and summer. No books, papers or anything concerning education was allowed the slaves by hisrules and the customs of these times. 

Marster Moore had four children among whom was one boy about my age. The girls were named Atona, Beulah, and Minnie, and the boy was namedCrosby. He was mighty brilliant. We played together. He was the onlywhite boy there, and he took a great liking to me, and we loved eachdevotedly. Once in an undertone he asked me how would I like to have aneducation. I was overjoyed at the suggestion and he at once began toteach me secretly. I studied hard and he soon had me so I could read andwrite well. I continued studying and he continued teaching me. Hefurnished me books and slipped all the papers he could get to me and Iwas the best educated Negro in the community without anyone except theslaves knowing what was going on. 

All the slaves on marster's plantation lived the first year we spent inKentucky in a one room house with one fireplace. There was a dozen ormore who all lived in this one room house. Marster built himself a largehouse having seven rooms. He worked his slaves himself and never had anyoverseers. We worked from sun to sun in the fields and then worked atthe house after getting in from the fields as long as we could see. Ihave never seen a patteroller but when I left the plantation in slaverytime I got a pass. I have never seen a jail for slaves but I have seenslaves whipped and I was whipped myself. I was whipped particularlyabout a saddle I left out in the night after using it during the day. Myflesh was cut up so bad that the scars are on me to this day. 

We were not allowed to have prayer meetings, but we went to the whitefolks church to services sometimes. There were no looms, mills, or shopson the plantation at Marster Moore's. I kept the name of Glenn throughall the years as Marster Moore did not change his slaves names to hisfamily name. My mother was named Martha Glenn and father was named BobGlenn. 

I was in the field when I first heard of the Civil War. The woman wholooked after Henry Hall and myself (both slaves) told me she heardmarster say old Abraham Lincoln was trying to free the niggers. Marsterfinally pulled me up and went and joined the Confederate Army. Kentuckysplit and part joined the North and part the South. The war news keptslipping through of success for first one side then the other. Sometimesmarster would come home, spend a few days and then go again to the war. It seemed he influenced a lot of men to join the southern army, amongthem was a man named Enoch Moorehead. Moorehead was killed in a few daysafter he joined the southern army. 

Marster Moore fell out with a lot of his associates in the army andsome of them who were from the same community became his bitter enemies. Tom Foushee was one of them. Marster became so alarmed over the threatson his life made by Foushee and others that he was afraid to stay in hisown home at night, and he built a little camp one and one half milesfrom his home and he and missus spent their nights there on his visitshome. Foushee finally came to the great house one night heavily armed, came right on into the house and inquired for marster. We told himmarster was away. Foushee lay down on the floor and waited a long timefor him. Marster was at the little camp but we would not tell where hewas. 

Foushee left after spending most of the night at marster's. As he wentout into the yard, when leaving, marster's bull dog grawled at him andhe shot him dead. 

Marster went to Henderson, Kentucky, the County seat of HendersonCounty, and surrendered to the Federal Army and took the Oath ofAllegiance. Up to that time I had seen a few Yankees. They stopped nowand then at marster's and got their breakfast. They always asked aboutbuttermilk, they seemed to be very fond of it. They were also fond ofham, but we had the ham meat buried in the ground, this was about theclose of the war. A big army of Yankees came through a few months laterand soon we heard of the surrender. A few days after this marster toldme to catch two horses that we had to go to Dickenson which was theCounty seat of Webster County. On the way to Dickenson he said to me, 'Bob, did you know you are free and Lincoln has freed you? You are asfree as I am. ' We went to the Freedmen's Bureau and went into theoffice. A Yankee officer looked me over and asked marster my name, andinformed me I was free, and asked me whether or not I wanted to keepliving with Moore. I did not know what to do, so I told him yes. A fixedprice of seventy-five dollars and board was then set as the salary Ishould receive per year for my work. The Yankees told me to let him knowif I was not paid as agreed. 

I went back home and stayed a year. During the year I hunted a lot atnight and thoroughly enjoyed being free. I took my freedom by degreesand remained obedient and respectful, but still wondering and thinkingof what the future held for me. After I retired at night I made planafter plan and built aircastles as to what I would do. At this time Iformed a great attachment for the white man, Mr. Atlas Chandler, withwhom I hunted. He bought my part of the game we caught and favored me inother ways. Mr. Chandler had a friend, Mr. Dewitt Yarborough, who was anadventurer, and trader, and half brother to my ex-marster, Mr. Moore, with whom I was then staying. He is responsible for me taking myselfinto my own hands and getting out of feeling I was still underobligations to ask my marster or missus when I desired to leave thepremises. Mr. Yarborough's son was off at school at a place calledKiloh, Kentucky, and he wanted to carry a horse to him and also takealong some other animals for trading purposes. He offered me a new pairof pants to make the trip for him and I accepted the job. I deliveredthe horse to his son and started for home. On the way back I ran intoUncle Squire Yarborough who once belonged to Dewitt Yarborough. Hepersuaded me to go home with him and go with him to a wedding in UnionCounty, Kentucky. The wedding was twenty miles away and we walked theentire distance. It was a double wedding, two couples were married. Georgianna Hawkins was married to George Ross and Steve Carter married awoman whose name I do not remember. This was in the winter during theChristmas Holidays and I stayed in the community until about the firstof January, then I went back home. I had been thinking for several daysbefore I went back home as to just what I must tell Mr. Moore and as tohow he felt about the matter, and what I would get when I got home. Inmy dilema I almost forgot I was free. 

I got home at night and my mind and heart was full but I was surprisedat the way he treated me. He acted kind and asked me if I was going tostay with him next year. I was pleased. I told him, yes sir! and then Ilay down and went to sleep. He had a boss man on his plantation then andnext morning he called me, but I just couldn't wake. I seemed to be in atrance or something, I had recently lost so much sleep. He called me thesecond time and still I di [HW: d] not get up. Then he came in andspanked my head. I jumped up and went to work feeding the stock andsplitting wood for the day's cooking and fires. I then went in and atemy breakfast. Mr. Moore told me to hitch a team of horses to a wagon andgo to a neighbors five miles away for a load of hogs. I refused to doso. They called me into the house and asked me what I was going to doabout it. I said I do not know. As I said that I stepped out of thedoor and left. I went straight to the county seat and hired to Dr. George Rasby in Webster County for one hundred dollars per year. Istayed there one year. I got uneasy in Kentucky. The whites treated theblacks awful bad so I decided to go to Illinois as I thought a Negromight have a better chance there, it being a northern state. I waskindly treated and soon began to save money, but all through the yearsthere was a thought that haunted me in my dreams and in my waking hours, and this thought was of my mother, whom I had not seen or heard of inmany years. Finally one cold morning in early December I made a vow thatI was going to North Carolina and see my mother if she was still living. I had plenty of money for the trip. I wrote the postmaster in Roxboro, North Carolina, asking him to inform my mother I was still living, andtelling him the circumstances, mailing a letter at the same time tellingher I was still alive but saying nothing of my intended visit to her. Ileft Illinois bound for North Carolina on December 15th and in a fewdays I was at my mother's home. I tried to fool them. There were two menwith me and they called me by a ficticious name, but when I shook mymother's hand I held it a little too long and she suspicioned somethingstill she held herself until she was more sure. When she got a chanceshe came to me and said ain't you my child? Tell me ain't you my childwhom I left on the road near Mr. Moore's before the war? I broke downand began to cry. Mother nor father did not know me, but mothersuspicioned I was her child. Father had a few days previously remarkedthat he did not want to die without seeing his son once more. I couldnot find language to express my feeling. I did not know before I camehome whether my parents were dead or alive. This Christmas I spent inthe county and state of my birth and childhood; with mother, father andfreedom was the happiest period of my entire life, because those whowere torn apart in bondage and sorrow several years previous were nowunited in freedom and happiness. 

EH

N. C. District: No. 3 [ ]Worker: Travis JordanSubject: SARAH ANNE GREEN Ex-Slave, 78 Years Durham County

[TR: No Date Stamp]

SARAH ANNE GREENEX-SLAVE 78 YEARS

My mammy an' pappy wuz Anderson an' Hannah Watson. We fus' belonged toMarse Billy an' Mis Roby Watson, but when Marse Billy's daughter, Mis'Susie ma'ied young Marse Billy Headen, Ole Marse give her me, an' mymammy an' my pappy for er weddin' gif'. So, I growed up as Sarah AnneHeaden. 

My pappy had blue eyes. Dey wuz jus' like Marse Billy's eyes, kaze OleMarse wuz pappy's marster an' his pappy too. Ole Marse wuz calledHickory Billy, dey called him dat kaze he chewed hickory bark. Hewouldn' touch 'bacca, but he kept er twis' of dis bark in his pocketmos' all de time. He would make us chillun go down whare de niggers wuzsplittin' rails an' peel dis bark off de logs befo' dey wuz split. Destuff he chewed come off de log right under de bark. After dey'd skin delogs we'd peel off dis hickory 'bacca in long strips an' make it up intwis's for Ole Marse. It wuz yellah an' tas' sweet an' sappy, an' he'dchew an' spit, an' chew an' spit. Mis' Roby wouldn' 'low no chewin' inde house, but Ole Marse sho done some spittin' outside. He could stan'in de barn door an' spit clear up in de lof'. 

Ole Marse an' Mis Roby lived on er big plantation near Goldston an' deyhad 'bout three hundred slaves. Hannah, my mammy, wuz de headseamstress. She had to 'ten' to de makin' of all de slaves clothes. Deniggers had good clothes. De cloth wuz home woven in de weavin' room. Ten niggers didn' do nothin' but weave, but every slave had one Sundaydress a year made out of store bought cloth. Ole Marse seed to dat. OleMarse made de niggers go to chu'ch too. He had er meetin' house onplantation an' every Sunday we wuz ma'ched to meetin'. Dey wuz preachin'every other Sunday an' Sunday School every Sunday. Marse Billy an' Mis'Roby teached de Sunday School, but dey didn' teach us to read an' write, no suh, dey sho didn'. If dey'd see us wid er book dey'd whip us. Deysaid niggers didn' need no knowledge; dat dey mus' do what dey wuz toleto do. Marse Billy wuz er doctor too. He doctored de slaves when dey gotsick, an' if dey got bad off he sen' for er sho nuff doctor an' paid debills. 

Every Chris'mas Marse Billy give de niggers er big time. He called demup to de big house an' give dem er bag of candy, niggertoes, an' sugarplums, den he say: 'Who wants er egg nog, boys?' All dem dat wants erdram hol' up dey han's. ' Yo' never seed such holdin' up of han's. Iwould hol' up mine too, an' Ole Marse would look at me an say, 'Go 'wayfrom hear, Sarah Anne, yo' too little to be callin' for nog. ' But hefill up de glass jus' de same an' put in er extra spoon of sugar an'give it to me. Dat sho wuz good nog. 'Twuz all foamy wid whipped creaman' rich wid eggs. Marse Billy an' Mis' Roby served it demselves fromdey Sunday cut glass nog bowl, an' it kept Estella an' Rosette busyfillin' it up. Marse Billy wuz er good man. 

When de war come on Marse Billy was too ole to go, but young Marse Billyan' Marse Gaston went. Dey wuz Ole Marse's two boys. Young Marse BillyHeaden, Mis' Susie's husban' went too. 

De day Ole Marse heard dat de Yankees wuz comin' he took all de meat'cept two or three pieces out of de smoke house, den he got de silveran' things an' toted dem to de wood pile. He dug er hole an' buried dem, den he covered de place wid chips, but wid dat he wuzn' satisfied, so hemade pappy bring er load of wood an' throw it on top of it, so when deYankees come dey didn' fin' it. 

When de Yankees come up in de yard Marse Billy took Mis' Roby an' lockedher up in dey room, den he walk 'roun' an' watched de Yankees, but deytoted off what dey wanted. I wuzn' skeered of de Yankees; I thought deywuz pretty mens in dey blue coats an' brass buttons. I followed dem all'roun' beggin' for dey coat buttons. I ain't never seed nothin' aspretty as dem buttons. When dey lef' I followed dem way down de roadstill beggin', 'twell one of dem Yankees pull off er button an' give itto me. 'Hear, Nigger, ' he say, 'take dis button. I's givin' it to youkaze yo's got blue eyes. I ain't never seed blue eyes in er black facebefo'. ' I had blue eyes like pappy an' Marse Billy, an' I kept datYankee button 'twell I wuz ma'ied, den I los' it. 

De wus' thing I know dat happened, in de war wuz when Mis' Roby foun' deYankee sojer in de ladies back house. 

Down at de back of de garden behin' de row of lilac bushes wuz de twoback houses, one for de mens an' one for de ladies. Mis' Roby went downto dis house one day, an' when she opened de door, dare lay er Yankeesojer on de floor. His head wuz tied up wid er bloody rag an' he looklike he wuz dead. 

Mammy say she seed Mis' Roby when she come out. She looked skeered butshe didn' scream nor nothin'. When she seed mammy she motioned to her. She tole her 'bout de Yankee. 'He's jus' er boy, Hannah, ' she say, 'heain't no older den Marse Gaston, an' he's hurt. We got to do somethin'an' we can't tell nobody. ' Den she sen' mammy to de house for er pan ofhot water, de scissors an' er ole sheet. Mis' Roby cut off de bloody ranan' wash dat sojer boy's head den she tied up de cut places. Den shewent to de house an' made mammy slip him er big milk toddy. 'Bout dattime she seed some ho'seman comin' down de road. When dey got closer sheseed dey wuz 'Federate sojers. Dey rode up in de yard an' Marse Billywent out to meet dem. Dey tole him dat dey wuz lookin' for er Yankeeprisoner dat done got away from dey camp. 

After Ole Marse tole dem dat he ain't seed no Yankee sojer, dey tole himdat dey got to search de place kaze dat wuz orders. 

When Mis Roby heard dem say dat she turned an' went through de house todo back yard. She walk 'roun' 'mong de flowers, but all de time shewatchin' dem 'Federates search de barns, stables, an' everywhare. But, when dey start to de lilac bushes, Mis' Roby lif' her head an' walkright down de paf to de ladies back house, an' right befo' all dem mens, wid dem lookin' at her, she opened de door an' walk in. She sholy did. 

Dat night when 'twuz dark Mis' Roby wrap' up er passel of food an' erbottle of brandy an' give it to dat sojer Yankee boy. She tole him deywuz ho'ses in de paster an' dat de Yankee camp wuz over near Laurinburgor somewhare like dat. 

Nobody ain't seed dat boy since, but somehow dat ho'se come back an' inhis mane wuz er piece of paper. Marse Billy foun' it an' brung it toMis' Roby an' ax her what it meant. 

Mis' Roby took it an' 'twuz er letter dat sojer boy done wrote tellin'her dat he wuz safe an' thankin' her for what she done for him. 

Mis' Roby tole Marse Billy she couldn' help savin' dat Yankee, he toomuch of er boy. 

Marse Billy he look at Mis' Roby, den he say: 'Roby, honey, yo's braverden any sojer I ever seed. '

N. C. District: No. 2 [320356]Worker: T. Pat MatthewsNo. Words: 624Subject: DORCAS GRIFFETHPerson Interviewed: Dorcas GriffethEditor: Daisy Bailey Waitt

[TR: Date Stamp "JUN 26 1937"]

DORCAS GRIFFETH602 E. South Street

You know me every time you sees me don't you? Who tole you I wus DorcasGriffith? I seed you up town de other day. Yes, yes, I is old. I is 80years old. I remember all about dem Yankees. The first biscuit I ever etdey give it to me. I wus big enough to nus de babies when de Yankeescame through. Dey carried biscuits on dere horses, I wus jist thinkin'of my young missus de other day. I belonged to Doctor Clark in ChathamCounty near Pittsboro. My father wus named Billy Dismith, and my motherwus named Peggy Council. She belonged to the Councils. Father, belongedto the Dismiths and I belonged to the Clarks. Missus wus named Winnie. Dey had tolerable fine food for de white folks, but I did not get any ofit. De food dey give us wus mighty nigh nuthin'. Our clothes wus bad andour sleepin' places wus not nuthin' at all. We had a hard time. We had ahard time then and we are havin' a hard time now. We have a house tolive in now, and de chinches eat us up almos, and we have nuthin' tolive on now, jist a little from charity. I fares mighty bad. Dey givesme a half peck of meal and a pound o' meat, a little oat meal, andcanned grape juice, a half pound o' coffee and no sugar or lard and noflour. Dey gives us dat for a week's eatin'. 

De Yankees called de niggers who wus plowin' de mules when dey camethrough an' made 'em bring 'em to 'em an' dey carried de mules on widem. De niggers called de Yankees Blue Jackets. 

I had two brothers, both older dan me. George de oldest and Jack. Letme see I had four sisters 1, 2, 3, 4; one wus named Annie, one namedRosa, Annie, and Francis and myself Dorcas. All de games I played wus dewurk in de field wid a hoe. Dere wus no playgrounds like we has now. No, no, if you got your work done you done enough. If I could see how towrite like you I could do a lot o' work but I can't see. I kin write. Igot a good education acording to readin', spellin, and writin'. I kinsay de 2nd chapter of Matthey by heart, the 27 chapter of Ezelial byheart, or most of Ezekial by heart. 

I learned it since I got free. I went to school in Raleigh to deWashington School. Dey wouldn't let us have books when I wus a slave. Iwus afraid ter be caught wid a book. De patterollers scared us so bad inslavery time and beat so many uv de slaves dat we lef' de plantationjus' as soon as we wus free. Dat's de reason father lef' de plantationso quick. I also remember de Ku Klux. I wus afraid o' dem, and I did notthink much of 'em. I saw slaves whupped till de blood run down derebacks. Once dey whupped some on de plantation and den put salt on deplaces and pepper on 'em. I didn't think nuthin in de world o' slavery. I think de it wus wrong. I didn't think a thing o' slavery. 

All my people are dead, and I am unable to work. I haven't been able towork in six years. I thought Abraham Lincoln wus a good man. He had agood name. 

I don't know much about Mr. Roosevelt but I hopes he will help me, cause I need it mighty bad. 

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SARAH GUDGER [320005]Ex-slave, 121 years

Investigation of the almost incredible claim of Aunt Sarah Gudger, ex-slave living in Asheville, that she was born on Sept. 15, 1816, discloses some factual information corroborating her statements. 

Aunt Sarah's father, Smart Gudger, belonged to and took his family namefrom Joe Gudger, who lived near Oteen, about six miles east of Ashevillein the Swannanoa valley, prior to the War Between the States. Familyrecords show that Joe Gudger married a Miss McRae in 1817, and thatwhile in a despondent mood he ended his own life by hanging, as vividlyrecounted by the former slave. 

John Hemphill, member of the family served by Aunt Sarah until"freedom, " is recalled as being "a few y'ars younge' as me, " and indeedhis birth is recorded for 1822. Alexander Hemphill, mentioned by AuntSarah as having left to join the Confederate army when about 25 years ofage, is authentic and his approximate age in 1861 tallies with thatrecalled by the ex-slave. When Alexander went off to the war Aunt Sarahwas "gettin' t' be an ol' woman. "

Aunt Sarah lives with distant cousins in a two-story frame house, comfortably furnished, at 8 Dalton street in South Asheville (the Negrosection lying north of Kenilworth). A distant male relative, 72 years ofage, said he has known Aunt Sarah all his life and that she was an oldwoman when he was a small boy. Small in stature, about five feet tall, Aunt Sarah is rathered rounded in face and body. Her milk-chocolate faceis surmounted by short, sparse hair, almost milk white. She is somewhatdeaf but understands questions asked her, responding with animation. Shewalks with one crutch, being lame in the right leg. On events of thelong ago her mind is quite clear. Recalling the Confederate "sojers, marchin', marchin'" to the drums, she beat a tempo on the floor with hercrutch. As she described how the hands of slaves were tied before theywere whipped for infractions she crossed her wrists. 

Owen Gudger, Asheville postmaster (1913-21), member of the BuncombeCounty Historical Association, now engaged in the real estate business, says he has been acquainted with Aunt Sarah all his life; that he has, on several occasions, talked to her about her age and earlyassociations, and that her responses concerning members of the Gudgerand Hemphill families coincide with known facts of the two families. 

Interviewed by a member of the Federal Writers' Project, Aunt Sarahseemed eager to talk, and needed but little prompting. 

SARAH GUDGER(born September 15, 1816)Interview with Mrs. Marjorie Jones, May 5, 1937

I wah bo'n 'bout two mile fum Ole Fo't on de Ole Mo'ganton Road. I sho'has had a ha'd life. Jes wok, an' wok, an' wok. I nebbah know nothin'but wok. Mah boss he wah Ole Man Andy Hemphill. He had a la'geplantation in de valley. Plenty ob ebbathin'. All kine ob stock: hawgs, cows, mules, an' hosses. When Marse Andy die I go lib wif he son, William Hemphill. 

I nebbah fo'git when Marse Andy die. He wah a good ole man, and deMissie she wah good, too. She usta read de Bible t' us chillun afoah shepass away. 

Mah pappy, he lib wif Joe Gudgah (Gudger). He ole an' feeble, I'membahs. He 'pend on mah pappy t' see aftah ebbathin' foah him. Heallus trust mah pappy. One mo'nin' he follah pappy to de field. Pappy hestop hes wok and ole Marse Joe, he say: "Well, Smart (pappy, he nameSmart), I's tard, wurried, an' trubble'. All dese yeahs I wok foah mahchillun. Dey nevah do de right thing. Dey wurries me, Smart. I tell yo', Smart, I's a good mind t' put mahself away. I's good mind t' drownmahself right heah. I tebble wurried, Smart. "

Pappy he take hole Ole Marse Joe an' lead him t' de house. "Now MarseJoe, I wudden talk sich talk effen I's yo'. Yo' ben good t' yo' fambly. Jest yo' content yo'self an' rest. "

But a few days aftah dat, Ole Marse Joe wah found ahangin' in de ba'n byde bridle. Ole Marse had put heself away. 

No'm, I nebbah knowed whut it wah t' rest. I jes wok all de time f'ommawnin' till late at night. I had t' do ebbathin' dey wah t' do on deoutside. Wok in de field, chop wood, hoe cawn, till sometime I feels lakmah back sholy break. I done ebbathin' 'cept split rails. Yo' know, deysplit rails back in dem days. Well, I nevah did split no rails. 

Ole Marse strop us good effen we did anythin' he didn' lak. Sometime heget hes dandah up an' den we dassent look roun' at him. Else he tie yo'hands afoah yo' body an' whup yo', jes lak yo' a mule. Lawdy, honey, I'stuk a thousand lashins in mah day. Sometimes mah poah ole body be soahfoah a week. 

Ole Boss he send us niggahs out in any kine ob weathah, rain o' snow, itnebbah mattah. We had t' go t' de mountings, cut wood an' drag it downt' de house. Many de time we come in wif ouh cloes stuck t' ouh poah olecold bodies, but 'twarn't no use t' try t' git 'em dry. Ef de Ole Bosso' de Ole Missie see us dey yell: "Git on out ob heah yo' black thin', an' git yo' wok outen de way!" An' Lawdy, honey, we knowed t' git, elsewe git de lash. Dey did'n cah how ole o' how young yo' wah, yo' nebbahtoo big t' git de lash. 

De rich white folks nebbah did no wok; dey had da'kies t' do it foahdem. In de summah we had t' wok outdoo's, in de wintah in de house. Ihad t' ceard an' spin till ten o'clock. Nebbah git much rest, had t' gitup at foah de nex' mawnin' an' sta't agin. Didn' get much t' eat, nuthah, jes a lil' cawn bread an' 'lasses. Lawdy, honey, yo' caint knowwhut a time I had. All cold n' hungry. No'm, I aint tellin' no lies. Itde gospel truf. It sho is. 

I 'membah well how I use t' lie 'wake till all de folks wah sleepin', den creep outen de do' and walk barfoot in de snow, 'bout two mile t'mah ole Auntie's house. I knowed when I git dar she fix hot cawn ponewif slice o' meat an' some milk foah me t' eat. Auntie wah good t' usda'kies. 

I nebbah sleep on a bedstead till aftah freedom, no'm till [HW:asterisk] aftah freedom. Jes' an ole pile o' rags in de conah. Ha'dly'nuf t' keep us from freezin'. Law, chile, nobuddy knows how meanda'kies wah treated. Wy, dey wah bettah t' de animals den t' us'ns. Mahfust Ole Marse wah a good ole man, but de las'n, he wah rapid--- he showah rapid. Wy, chile, times aint no mo' lak dey usta be den de day an'night am lak. In mah day an' time all de folks woked. Effen dey had noniggahs dey woked demselves. Effen de chillun wah too small tuh hoe, deypull weeds. Now de big bottom ob de Swannano (Swannanoa) dat usta growhunners bushels ob grain am jest a playgroun'. I lak t' see de chillunin de field. Wy, now dey fight yo' lak wilecat effen it ebben talked'bout. Dat's de reason times so ha'd. No fahmin'. Wy, I c'n 'membah OleMissie she say: "Dis gene'ation'll pass away an' a new gene'ation'll cum'long. " Dat's jes' it--ebbah gene'ation gits weakah an' weakah. Den deytalk 'bout goin' back t' ole times. Dat time done gone, dey nebbah meetdat time agin. 

Wahn't none o' de slaves offen ouh plantation ebbah sold, but de ones onde othah plantation ob Marse William wah. Oh, dat wah a tebble time! Allde slaves be in de field, plowin', hoein', singin' in de boilin' sun. Ole Marse he cum t'ru de field wif a man call de specalater. Day walkround jes' lookin', jes'lookin', All de da'kies know whut dis mean. Deydidn' dare look up, jes' wok right on. Den de specalater he see who hewant. He talk to Ole Marse, den dey slaps de han'cuffs on him an' takhim away to de cotton country. Oh, dem wah awful times! When despecalater wah ready to go wif de slaves, effen dey wha enny whu didn'wanta go, he thrash em, den tie em 'hind de waggin an' mek em run tilldey fall on de groun', den he thrash em till dey say dey go 'thout notrubble. Sometime some of dem run 'way an cum back t' de plantation, denit wah hardah on dem den befoah. When de da'kies wen' t' dinnah de oleniggah mammy she say whar am sich an' sich. None ob de othahs wanna tellhuh. But when she see dem look down to de groun' she jes' say: "Despecalater, de specalater. " Den de teahs roll down huh cheeks, causemebbe it huh son o' husban' an' she know she nebbah see 'em agin. Mebbedey leaves babies t' home, mebbe jes' pappy an' mammy. Oh, mah Lawdy, mah ole Boss wah mean, but he nebbah sen' us to de cotton country. 

Dey wah ve'y few skules back in day day an time, ve'y few. We da'kiesdidn' dah look at no book, not ebben t' pick it up. Ole Missie, dat is, mah firs' Ole Missie, she wah a good ole woman. She read to de niggahsand t' de white chillun. She cum fum cross de watah. She wahn't lak desma't white folks livin' heah now. When she come ovah heah she brungdarky boy wif huh. He wah huh pussonal su'vant. Co'se, dey got diffentnames foah dem now, but in dat day dey calls 'em ginney niggahs. She wahgood ole woman, not lak othah white folks. Niggahs lak Ole Missie. 

When de da'kies git sick, dey wah put in a lil' ole house close t' debig house, an' one of the othah da'kies waited on 'em. Dey wah ve'y fewdoctahs den. Ony three in de whole section. When dey wanted med'cine deywent t' de woods an' gathahed hoahhound, slipperelm foah poltices an'all kinds ba'k foah teas. All dis yarbs bring yo' round. Dey wah ve'yfew lawyers den too, but lawsy me, yo' cain't turn round fer dem now. 

I 'membahs when mah ole mammy die. She live on Rims (Reems) Crick withothah Hemphills. She sick long time. One day white man cum t' see me. Hesay: "Sarah, did yo' know yo' manmy wah daid?" "No, " I say, "but I wantst' see mah mothah afoah dey puts huh away. "

I went t' de house and say t' Ole Missie: "Mah mothah she die tofay. Iwants t' see mah mothah afoah dey puts huh away, " but she look at memean an' say: "Git on outen heah, an' git back to yo' wok afoah I wallupyo' good. " So I went back t' mah wok, with the tears streamin' down mahface, jest awringin' mah hands, I wanted t' see mah manmy so. 'Bout twoweeks latah, Ole Missie she git tebble sick, she jes' lingah 'long foahlong time, but she nebbah gits up no mo'. Wa'nt long afoah dey puts huhaway too, jes' lak mah mammy. 

I 'membahs de time when mah mammy wah alive, I wah a small chile, afoahdey tuk huh t' Rims Crick. All us chilluns wah playin' in de ya'd onenight. Jes' arunnin' an' aplayin' lak chillun will. All a sudden mammycum to de do' all a'sited. "Cum in heah dis minnit, " she say. "Jes lookup at what is ahappenin'", and bless yo' life, honey, de sta's wahfallin' jes' lak rain. [7] Mammy wah tebble skeered, but we chillunwa'nt afeard, no, we wa'nt afeard. But mammy she say evah time a sta'fall, somebuddy gonna die. Look lak lotta folks gonna die f'om de looksob dem sta's. Ebbathin' wah jes' as bright as day. Yo' cudda pick a pinup. Yo' know de sta's don' shine as bright as dey did back den. I wondahwy dey don'. Dey jes' don' shine as bright. Wa'nt long afoah dey tookmah mammy away, and I wah lef' alone. 

On de plantation wah an ole woman whut de boss bought f'om a drovah upin Virginny. De boss he bought huh f'om one ob de specalaters. She laffan' tell us: "Some ob dese days yo'all gwine be free, jes' lak de whitefolks, " but we all laff at huh. No, we jes' slaves, we allus hafta wokand nevah be free. Den when freedom cum, she say: "I tole yo'all, nowyo' got no larnin', yo' got no nothin', got no home; whut yo' gwine do?Didn' I tell yo'?"

I wah gittin along smartly in yeahs when de wah cum. Ah 'membah jes' lakyestiddy jes' afoah de wah. Marse William wah atalkin' t' hes brothah. Iwah standin' off a piece. Marse's brothah, he say: "William, how oleAunt Sarah now?" Marse William look at me an' he say: "She gittin' nighonta fifty. " Dat wah jes' a lil while afoah de wah. 

Dat wah awful time. Us da'kies didn' know whut it wah all bout. Ony oneof de boys f'om de plantation go. He Alexander, he 'bout twenty-fiveden. Many de time we git word de Yankees comin'. We take ouh food an'stock an' hide it till we sho' dey's gone. We wan't bothahed much. Oneday, I nebbah fo'git, we look out an' see sojers ma'chin'; look lak dewhole valley full ob dem. I thought: "Poah helpless crittahs, jes' goin'away t' git kilt. " De drums wah beatin' an' de fifes aplayin'. Dey wahde foot comp'ny. Oh, glory, it wah a sight. Sometime dey cum home onfurlough. Sometime dey git kilt afoah dey gits th'ough. Alexander, hecum home a few time afoah freedom. 

When de wah was ovah, Marse William he say: "Did yo'all know yo'all'sfree, Yo' free now. " I chuckle, 'membahin' whut ole woman tell us 'boutfreedom, an' no larnin. Lotta men want me t' go t' foreign land, but Itell 'em I go live wif mah pappy, long as he live. I stay wif de whitefolks 'bout twelve months, den I stay wif mah pappy, long as he live. 

I had two brothahs, dey went t' Califonny, nebbah seed 'em no mo', no'mah sistah, nuther. I cain't 'membah sech a lot 'bout it all. I jes'knows I'se bo'n and bred heah [HW correction: here] in dese pa'ts, nebbah been outten it. I'se well; nebbah take no doctah med'cine. Jes'ben sick once; dat aftah freedom. 

[Footnote 7: (One of the most spectacular meteoric showers on record, visible all over North America, occurred in 1833. )]

N. C. District: No. 2 [320007]Worker: T. Pat MatthewsNo. Words: 734Subject: THOMAS HALLPerson Interviewed: Thomas HallEditor: G. L. Andrews

[TR: Date Stamp "SEP 10 1937"]

THOMAS HALLAge 81 years316 Tarboro Road, Raleigh, N. C. 

My name is Thomas Hall and I was born in Orange County, N. C. On aplantation belonging to Jim Woods whose wife, our missus, was namedPolly. I am eighty one years of age as I was born Feb. 14, 1856. Myfather Daniel Hall and my mother Becke Hall and me all belonged to thesame man but it was often the case that this wus not true as one man, perhaps a Johnson, would own a husband and a Smith own the wife, eachslave goin' by the name of the slave owners, family. In such cases thechildren went by the name of the family to which the mother belonged. 

Gettin married an' having a family was a joke in the days of slavery, as the main thing in allowing any form of matrimony among the slaves wasto raise more slaves in the same sense and for the same purpose as stockraisers raise horses and mules, that is for work. A woman who couldproduce fast was in great demand and brought a good price on the auctionblock in Richmond, Va. , Charleston, S. C. , and other places. 

The food in many cases that was given the slaves was not given them fortheir pleasure or by a cheerful giver, but for the simple and practicalreason that children would not grow into a large healthy slave unlessthey were well fed and clothed; and given good warm places in which tolive. 

Conditions and rules were bad and the punishments were severe andbarbarous. Some marsters acted like savages. In some instances slaveswere burned at the stake. Families were torn apart by selling. Motherswere sold from their children. Children were sold from their mothers, and the father was not considered in anyway as a family part. Theseconditions were here before the Civil War and the conditions in achanged sense have been here ever since. The whites have always held theslaves in part slavery and are still practicing the same things on themin a different manner. Whites lynch, burn, and persecute the Negro racein America yet; and there is little they are doing to help them inanyway. 

Lincoln got the praise for freeing us, but did he do it? He give usfreedom without giving us any chance to live to ourselves and we stillhad to depend on the southern white man for work, food and clothing, andhe held us through our necessity and want in a state of servitude butlittle better than slavery. Lincoln done but little for the Negro raceand from living standpoint nothing. White folks are not going to donothing for Negroes except keep them down. 

Harriet Beecher Stowe, the writer of Uncle Tom's Cabin, did that forher own good. She had her own interests at heart and I don't like her, Lincoln, or none of the crowd. The Yankees helped free us, so they say, but they let us be put back in slavery again. 

When I think of slavery it makes me mad. I do not believe in giving youmy story 'cause with all the promises that have been made the Negro isstill in a bad way in the United States, no matter in what part helives it's all the same. Now you may be all right; there are a few whitemen who are but the pressure is such from your white friends that youwill be compelled to talk against us and give us the cold shoulder whenyou are around them, even if your heart is right towards us. 

You are going around to get a story of slavery conditions and thepersecusions of Negroes before the civil war and the economic conditionsconcerning them since that war. You should have known before this lateday all about that. Are you going to help us? No! you are only helpingyourself. You say that my story may be put into a book, that you arefrom the Federal Writer's Project. Well, the Negro will not get anythingout of it, no matter where you are from. Harriet Beecher Stowe wroteUncle Tom's Cabin. I didn't like her book and I hate her. No matterwhere you are from I don't want you to write my story cause the whitefolks have been and are now and always will be against the negro. 

LE

N. C. District: No. 3 [320016]Worker: Travis JordanSubject: Hecter Hamilton Ex-slave 90 Years. 

[TR: Date Stamp "JUN 30 1937"]

HECTER HAMILTONEX-SLAVE 90 YEARS

Dey wuz two General Lee's, in de 'Federate War. One los' his fight, butde other won his. 

One of dese Generals wuz a white man dat rode a white hoss, an' de otherwuz a mean fightin' gander dat I named General Lee, though I didn' knowden dat he wuz goin' to live up to his name. But when de time come datlong neck gander out fit de whole 'Federate army. 

My white fo'ks lived in Virginia. Dey wuz Marse Peter an' Mis' LauraHamilton. Dey lived on de big Hamilton plantation dat wuz so big dat widall de niggers dey had dey couldn' 'ten' half of it. Dis lan' done beenhanded down to Marse Peter from more den six gran'pappys. Dey wuz cottonan' 'bacca fields a mile wide; de wheat fields as far as yo' could seewuz like a big sheet of green water, an' it took half hour to plow onerow of cawn, but dey wuz plenty of slaves to do de work. Mistah SidneyEffort, Marse Peter's overseer, rode all over de fields every day, cussin' an' crackin' his long blacksnake whip. He drove dem niggers likedey wuz cattle, but Marse Peter wouldn' 'low no beatin' of his niggers. 

Marse Peter had acres an' acres of woods dat wuz his huntin' 'zerve. Deywuz every kind of bird an' animal in dem woods in shootin' season. Deywuz snipes, pheasants, patridges, squirrels, rabbits, deers, an' foxes;dey wuz even bears, an' dey wuz wolfs too dat would come an' catch desheeps at night. 

Dey wuz always a crowd at Easy Acres huntin' ridin' dancin' an' havin' agood time. Marse Peter's stables wuz full of hunters an' saddlers formens an' ladies. De ladies in dem days rode side saddles. Mis' Laura'ssaddle wuz all studded wid sho nuff gol' tacks. De fringe wuz tipped widgol', an' de buckles on de bridle wuz solid gol'. When de ladies went toride dey wore long skirts of red, blue, an' green velvet, an' dey hadplumes on dey hats dat blew in de win'. Dey wouldn' be caught wearin'britches an' ridin' straddle like de womens do dese days. In dem timesde women wuz ladies. 

Marse Peter kept de bes' sideboa'd in Princess Anne County. His cutglass decanters cos' near 'bout as much as Mis' Laura's diamon' earrings I's goin' tell yo' 'bout. De decanters wuz all set out on desideboard wid de glasses, an' de wine an' brandy wuz so ole dat one goodsize dram would make yo' willin' to go to de jail house for sixty days. Some of dat wine an' likker done been in dat cellar ever since Ole MarseCaleb Hamilton's time, an' de done built Easy Acres befo' Mistah GeorgeWashington done cut down his pappy's cherry tree. Dat likker done beendown in dat cellar so long dat yo' had to scrape de dus' off wid aknife. 

I wuz Marse Peter's main sideboa'd man. When he had shootin' company Ididn' do nothin' but shake drams. De mens would come in from de huntin'field col' an' tired, an' Marse Peter would say: 'Hustle up, Hecter, fixus a dram of so an' so. ' Dat mean dat I wuz to mix de special dram datI done learned from my gran'pappy. So, I pours in a little of dis an' alittle of dat, den I shakes it 'twell it foams, den I fills de glassesan' draps in de ice an' de mint. Time de mens drink dat so an' so deydone forgot dey's tired; dey 'lax, an' when de ladies come down destairs all dredd up, dey thinks dey's angels walkin' in gol' shoes. Demwuz good times befo' de war an' befo' Marse Peter got shot. From de dayMarse Peter rode his big grey hoss off to fight, we never seed him nomore. Mis' Laura never even know if dey buried him or not. 

After de mens all went to de war dey won't no use for no more drams, soMis' Laura took me away from de sideboa'd an' made me a watchman. Datis, I wuz set to watch de commissary to see dat de niggers wuzn' give nomore den dey share of eats, den I looked after de chickens an' things, kaze de patter-rollers wuz all 'roun' de country an' dey'd stealeverythin' from chickens to sweet taters an cawn, den dey'd sell it tode Yankees. Dat's when I named dat ole mean fightin' gander General Lee. 

Everywhare I went 'roun' de place dat gander wuz right at my heels. Hewuz de bigges' gander I ever seed. He weighed near 'bout forty pounds, an' his wings from tip to tip wuz 'bout two yards. He wuz smart too. Iteached him to drive de cows an' sheeps, an' I sic'd him on de dogs whendey got 'streperous. I'd say, Sic him, General Lee, an' dat gander wouldcha'ge. He wuz a better fighter den de dogs kaze he fit wid his wings, his bill, an wid his feets. I seed him skeer a bull near 'bout to deathone day. Dat bull got mad an' jump de fence an' run all de niggers inde cabins, so I called General Lee an' sic'd him on dat bull. Dat birdgive one squawk an' lit on dat bull's back, an' yo' never seed suchcarryin's on. De bull reared an' snorted an' kicked, but dat gander heldon. He whipped dat bull wid his wings 'twell he wuz glad to go back inde lot an' 'have hese'f. After dat all I had to do to dat bull wuz showhim General Lee an' he'd quiet down. 

Now I's goin' to tell yo' 'bout Mis' Laura's diamon' ear rings. 

De fus' Yankees dat come to de house wuz gentlemens, 'cept dey made usniggers cook dey supper an' shine dey muddy boots, den dey stoleeverythin' dey foun' to tote away, but de nex ones dat come wuz mean. Dey got made kaze de fus' Yankees done got de pickin's of what Mis'Laura hadn' hid. Dey cut open de feather beds lookin' for silver; deyripped open de chair cushings lookin' for money, dey even tore up decarpets, but dey didn' fin' nothin' kaze all de valuables done beenburied. Even mos' of de wine done been hid, 'twuz' all buried in de olegraves down in de family grave yard wid de tombstones at de head an'foots. No Yankee ain't goin' be diggin' in no grave for nothin'. 

Dey wuz one Yankee in dis las' bunch dat wuz big an' bustin'. He strutbigoty wid his chist stuck out. He walk 'roun' stickin' his sword in dechair cushions, de pictures on de walls an' things like dat. He gotpowerful mad kaze he couldn' fin' nothin', den he look out de window an'seed Mis' Laura. She wuz standin' on de po'ch an' de sun wuz shinin' onde diamon' ear rings in her ears. Dey wuz de ear rings dat belonged toMarse Peter's great-great-gran'mammy. When de sojer seed dem diamon'shis eyes 'gun to shine. He went out on de po'ch an' went up to Mis'Laura. 'Gim me dem ear rings, ' he say jus' like dat. 

Mis' Laura flung her han's up to her ears an' run out in de yard. Desojer followed her, an' all de other sojers come too. Dat big Yankeetole Mis' Laura again to give him de ear rings, but she shook her head. I wuz standin' 'side de house near 'bout bustin' wid madness when datYankee reach up an' snatch Mis' Laura's hands down an' hold dem in his, den he laugh, an' all de other sojers 'gun to laugh too jus' like deythought 'twuz funny. 'Bout dat time Ole General Lee done smell a fight. He come waddlin' 'roun' de house, his tail feathers bristled out an'tawkin' to he'sef. I point to dem sojers an say, "Sic him, General Lee, sic him. "

Dat gander ain't waste no time. He let out his wings an' cha'ged demYankees an' dey scatter like flies. Den he lit on dat big sojer's backan' 'gun to beat him wid his wings. Dat man let out a yell an' drap Mis'Laura's hands; he try to shake dat goose, but General bit into his neckan' held on like a leech. When de other sojers come up an' try to pullhim off, dat gander let out a wing an' near about slap dem down. I ain'tnever seed such fightin! Every time I holler, Sic him, General Lee start'nother 'tack. 

'Bout dat time dem Yankees took a runnin' nothin. Dey forgot de earrings an' lit out down de road, but dat gander beat dat bigoty yellin'sojer clear down to de branch befo' he turned him loose, den he jump inde water an' wash hese'f off. Yes, suh, dat wuz sho some fightin' goose;he near 'bout out fit de sho nuff Marse General Lee. 

N. C. District: No. 2 [320230]Worker: T. Pat MatthewsNo. Words: 942Subject: GEORGE W. HARRISStory Teller: George W. HarrisEditor: Daisy Bailey Waitt

[TR: No Date Stamp]

GEORGE W. HARRIS

604 E. Cabarrus Street, Raleigh, N. C. 

Hey, don't go 'roun' dat post gitting it 'tween you and me, it's badluck. Don't you know it's bad luck? Don't want no more bad luck den whatI'se already got. My name is George Harris. I wuz born November 25, 82years ago. I have been living in the City of Raleigh onto 52 years. Ibelonged to John Andrews. He died about de time I wuz born. His wifeBetsy wuz my missus and his son John wuz my marster. 

Deir plantation wuz in Jones County. Dere were about er dozen slaves onde plantation. We had plenty o' food in slavery days during my boyhooddays, plenty of good sound food. We didn't have 'xactly plenty o'clothes, and our places ter sleep needed things, we were in need oftenin these things. We were treated kindly, and no one abused us. We had asgood owners as there were in Jones County; they looked out for us. Theylet us have patches to tend and gave us what we made. We did not havemuch money. We had no church on the plantation, but there wuz one onMarster's brother's plantation next ter his plantation. 

We had suppers an' socials, generally gatherings for eatin', socialsjist to git together an' eat. We had a lot o' game ter eat, such aspossums, coons, rabbits and birds. 

De plantation wuz fenced in wid rails about 10 ft. In length split frompine trees. De cattle, hogs an' hosses run out on de free range. Thehosses ran on free range when de crap wuz laid by. There wuz an ole maredat led de hosses. She led 'em an' when she come home at night deyfollowed her. 

De first work I done wuz drappin' tater sprouts, drappin' corn, thinnin'out corn and roundin' up corn an' mindin' the crows out of de field. Deydid not teach us to read an' write, but my father could read, and heread de hymn book and Testament to us sometimes. I do not remember evergoin' to church durin' slavery days. 

I have never seen a slave whipped and none ever ran away to the Northfrom our plantation. 

When I wuz a boy we chillun played marbles, prison base, blind fold andtag, hide an' seek. Dey gave us Christmas holidays, an' 4th of July, an'lay-by time. Dey also called dis time "crap hillin' time. " Most o' detime when we got sick our mother doctored us with herbs which she had inde garden. When we had side plurisy, what dey calls pneumonia now, deysent fer a doctor. Doctor Hines treated us. 

We lived near Trenton. When de Yankees took New Bern, our marster had usout in de woods in Jones County mindin' hosses an' takin' care o' thingshe had hid there. We got afraid and ran away to New Bern in CravenCounty. We all went in a gang and walked. De Yankees took us at DeepGully ten miles dis side o' New Bern an' carried us inside de lines. Deyasked us questions and put us all in jail. Dey put my father ter cookin'at de jail and give us boys work 'roun' de yard. Dey put de others atwork at de horse stables and houses. 

De smallpox and yaller fever caught us dere and killed us by dehundreds. Thirteen doctors died dere in one day. Jist 'fore Gen. Leesurrendered dey carried us to Petersburg, Va. , and I waited on MajorEmory and de others worked fer de Yankees. When de surrender came wewent back home to Craven County, next to Jones County, and went tofarmin'. Sumpin' to eat could not hardly be found. De second year atterde war we went back to old marster's plantation. He wuz glad ter see us, we all et dinner wid him. We looked over de place. I looked over delittle log cabin where I wuz born. Some of de boys who had been slaves, farmed wid old marster, but I worked at my trade. I wuz a brick moulder. Yes, a brick maker. 

My mother was named Jennie Andrews and my father was Quash Harris. Myfather belonged to de Harris family on de nex' plantation in JonesCounty. Atter de surrender we all went in his name. We changed fromAndrews to Harris. I do not recollect my grandmother and grandfather. Ican't recollect them. 

Marster told us directly after dey declared war dat he expected we wouldall soon be free. De majority of de slaves did not want to be free. Deywere stirred up. Dey didn't want it to be. Dey didn't want no fightin'. Dey didn't know. 

I married Mary Boylan first, of Johnston County, at Wilsons Mills, Jan. 4, 1878. Here is de family record. Ole marster made me copies after dewar, and I copied dis. 'George Harris was married the year 1878, Januarythe 4th. George Harris was born the year 1855 November the 25th. '

I had five brothers, but they are all dead, fur as I know: John Nathan, Louis, David, Jefferson, Donald and my name George. My sisters, MaryAnn, Sara, Lucy, Penny, Emaline, Lizzie, Nancy, Leah and one I can'tremember. Dats all. 

I thought Abraham Lincoln wuz a great man. I remember him well. I thinkhe done de best he knowed how to settle de country. Mr. Roosevelt is asmart man. He is doing de best he can. I think he is goin' to help decountry. 

N. C. District: No. 2 [320183]Worker: Mary A. HicksNo. Words: 660Subject: AN EX-SLAVE STORYStory Teller: Sarah HarrisEditor: Daisy Bailey Waitt

[HW: Good points]

[TR: Date Stamp "JUN 11 1937"]

SARAH HARRIS

Interviewed May 19, 1937. 

Sarah Harris is my name. I wuz borned April 1861, on the plantation ofMaster John William Walton. My father wuz name Frank Walton and mymother wuz name Flora Walton. My brothers wuz name Lang and Johnny. Mysisters: Hannah, Mary, Ellen, Violet and Annie. My grandmother wuz nameEllen Walton. She wuz 104 years old when she died. My mother wuz 103years old when she died; she has been dead 3 years. She died in October, 3 years this pas' October. 

I 'member seeing the Yankees. I wuz not afraid of 'em, I thought deywere the prettiest blue mens I had ever seed. I can see how de chickensand guineas flew and run from 'em. De Yankees killed 'em and give partof 'em to the colored folks. Most of de white folks had run off and hid. 

I can't read and write. I nebber had no chance. 

De Yankees had their camps along the Fayetteville road. 

Dey called us Dinah, Sam, and other names. 

Dey later had de place dey call de bureau. When we left de white folkswe had nothing to eat. De niggers wait there at de bureau and they give'em hard tack, white potatoes, and saltpeter meat. Our white folks giveus good things to eat, and I cried every day at 12 o'clock to go home. Yes, I wanted to go back to my white folks; they were good to us. Iwould say, 'papa le's go home, I want to go home. I don't like thissumptin' to eat. ' He would say, 'Don't cry, honey, le's stay here, deywill sen' you to school. '

We had nothing to eat 'cept what de Yankees give us. But Mr. BillCrawford give my father and mother work. Yes, he wuz a Southern man, oneo' our white folks. Daddy wuz his butcher. My mother wuz his cook. Wewere turned out when dey freed us with no homes and nuthin'. Master saidhe wuz sorry he didn't give us niggers part of his lan'. 

While I wuz big enough to work I worked for Porter Steadman. I got 25cent a week and board. We had a good home then. I just shouted when Igot dat 25 cent, and I just run. I couldn't run fas' anuff to git to mymother to give dat money to her. My father died, and my mother bought ahome. She got her first money to buy de home by working for de man whogive her work after de surrender. The first money she saved to put on dehome wuz a dime. Some weeks she only saved 5 cents. Lan' sold fur $10 aacre den. 

Just after de war de white and colored children played together. Dey hada tent in our neighborhood. I wuz de cook for de white chilluns parties. We played together fer a long time after de war. 

I married Silas Cooper of Norfolk Va. He worked in the Navy yard. I wuzmarried in Raleigh. I had a church wedding. 

I think Abraham Lincoln wuz a great man. He would cure or kill. But Ilike my ole master. The Lord put it into Abraham Lincoln to do as hedone. The Lord knowed he would be killed. 

I think slavery wuz wrong. I have a horror of being a slave. You see alldis lan' aroun' here. It belongs to colored folks. Dey were cut off widnothin', but dey is strugglin' an' dey are comin' on fast. De Bible saydat de bottom rail will be on top, and it is comin' to pass. Sometime decolored race will git up. De Bible say so. 

I think Mr. Roosevelt is one of the greatest mans in de world. He wantsto help everybody. 

I doan think much of Mr. Jeff Davis. Dey used to sing songs uv hanginghim to a apple tree. Dey say he libed a long time atter de war dressedlike a 'oman, he wuz so skeered. 

TPM:EH

N. C. District: No. 3 [320122]Worker: Daisy WhaleySubject: Cy Hart Ex-slave, 78 years. Durham, N. C. 

[HW: 48]

[TR: Date Stamp: "AUG 6 1937"]

CY HART, 78 Yrs. Ex-Slave. 

Ephram Hart was my pappy and my mammy's name was Nellie. He belonged toMarse Ephram Hart. One day Marse Hart took some of his niggers to deslave market an' my pappy was took along too. When he was put on deblock an' sold Marse Paul Cameron bought him. Den Marse Hart felt sosorry to think he done let my pappy be sold dat he tried to buy him backfrom Marse Paul, an' offered him more den Marse Paul paid for him. ButMarse Paul said, "No, Suh. I done bought him an' I want det niggermyself an' I am goin' take him home wid me to Snow Hill farm. "

Pappy married my mammy an' raised a family on Marse Paul's plantation. We had to be eight years ole before we 'gun to work. I tended dechickens an' turkeys an' sech. I helped tend de other stock too as Igrowed older, an' do anythin' else dat I was tole to do. When I gotbigger I helped den wid de thrashin' de wheat an' I helped dem push destraw to de stack. 

We had what wuz den called a 'groun' hog. It wuz a cylinder shapedcontraption. We put de wheat straw an all in it an' knock de grain loosefrom de straw. Den we took de pitchforks an' tossed de straw up an'about, an' dat let de wheat go to de bottom on a big cloth. Den we fande wheat, to get de dust an' dirt out, an' we had big curtains hung'roun' de cloth whar de wheat lay, so de wheat wouldn' get allscattered, on de groun'. Dis wheat was sacked an' when wanted 'twus tookto de mill an' groun' into flour. De flour wuz made into white bread an'de corn wuz groun' into meal an' grits. 

When de war started der wuz some bad times. One day some of Wheeler'smen come an' dey tried to take what dey wanted, but Marge Paul had desilver money another things hid. Dey wanted us niggers to tell dem whareverythin' wuz, but we said we didn' know nuthin'. Marse Paul wuz hidin de woods wid de horses an' some of de other stock. 

Den Wheeler's men saw de Yankees comin' an' dey run away. De Yankeeschased dem to de bridge an' dey done some fightin' an' one or two ofWheeler's men wuz killed an' de rest got away. 

Den de captain of de Yankees come to Mammy's cabin an' axed her whar demeat house an' flour an' sech at. She tole him dat Pappy had de keys togo an' ax him. "Ax him nothin'", de captain said. He called some of hismens an' dey broke down de door to de meat house. Den dey trowed outplenty of dose hams an' dey tole Mammy to cook dem somethin' to eat andplenty of it. Mammy fried plenty of dat ham an' made lots of bread an'fixed dem coffee. How dey did eat! Dey wuz jus' as nice as dey could beto Mammy an' when dey wuz through, dey tole Mammy dat she could have derest, an' de captain gave her some money an' he tole her dat she wuzfree, dat we didn' belong to Marse Paul no longer. Dey didn' do any harmto de place. Dey wuz jus' looking for somethin' to eat. Den dey left. 

We didn' leave Marse Paul but stayed on an' lived wid him for manyyears. I lived wid Marse Paul 'til he died an' he done selected eight ofus niggers to tote his coffin to de chapel, an' de buryin' groun'. Hesaid, "I want dese niggers to carry my body to de chapel an' de gravewhen I die. " We did. It wuz a lood [HW correction: load] I would havebeen glad had der been two or four more to help tote Marse Paul for hesho wuz heavy. After everythin' wuz ready we lifted him up an' toted himto de chapel an' we sat down on de floor, on each side of de coffin, while de preacher preached de funeral sermon. We didn' make any fusswhile sittin' dere on de floor, but we sho wuz full of grief to see ourdear ole Marse Paul lying dere dead. 

N. C. District: No. 2 [320130]Worker: Mary A. HicksNo. Words: 381Subject: THE BLACKSMITHPerson Interviewed: Alonzo HaywoodEditor: G. L. Andrews

[TR: Date Stamp "AUG--1937"]

THE BLACKSMITH

An interview with Alonzo Haywood, 67 years old of 1217 Oberlin Road. 

On East Cabarrus Street is a blacksmith shop which is a survival ofhorse and buggy days, and the smiling blacksmith, a Negro, although hehas hazel eyes, recounts the story of his father's life and his own. 

My father was Willis Haywood and in slavery days he belonged to Mr. William R. Pool. Mr. Pool liked father because he was quick and obedientso he determined to give him a trade. 

Wilson Morgan run the blacksmith shop at Falls of Neuse and it was himthat taught my father the trade at Mr. Pool's insistence. 

While father, a young blade, worked and lived at Falls of Neuse, he fellin love with my mother, Mirana Denson, who lived in Raleigh. He come tosee her ever' chance he got and then they were married. 

When the Yankees were crossing the Neuse Bridge at the falls, near theold paper mill, the bridge broke in. They were carrying the heavyartillery over and a great many men followed, in fact the line extendedto Raleigh, because when the bridge fell word passed by word of mouthfrom man to man back to Raleigh. 

Father said that the Yankees stopped in the shop to make some hossshoes and nails and that the Yankees could do it faster than anybody heever saw. 

Father told me a story once 'bout de devil traveling and he got sorefeet and was awful lame but he went in a blacksmith shop and theblacksmith shoed him. 

The devil traveled longer and the shoes hurt his feet and made him lamerthan ever so he went back and asked the blacksmith to take off de shoes. 

The blacksmith took them off under the condition that wherever the devilsaw a horse shoe over a door he would not enter. That's the reason thatpeople hang up horseshoes over their door. 

Mother died near twenty years ago and father died four years later. Hehad not cared to live since mother left him. 

I've heard some of the young people laugh about slave love, but theyshould envy the love which kept mother and father so close together inlife and even held them in death. 

LE

N. C. District: No. 2 [320127]Worker: Mary A. HicksNo. Words: 547Subject: AUNT BARBARA'S LOVE STORYStory Teller: Barbara HaywoodEditor: Geo. L. Andrews

[TR: Date Stamp "AUG 4 1937"]

AUNT BARBARA'S LOVE STORY

An interview with Barbara Haywood, 85 years old. Address1111 Mark Street, Raleigh, North Carolina. 

Anything dat I tells you will near 'bout all be 'bout Frank Haywood, myhusban'. 

I wus borned on de John Walton place seben miles southeast of Raleigh. My father, Handy Sturdivant, belonged to somebody in Johnston County butmother an' her chilluns 'longed ter Marse John Walton. 

Marse John had a corn shuckin' onct an' at dat corn shuckin' I fust sawFrank. I wus a little girl, cryin' an' bawlin' an' Frank, who wus a bigboy said dat he neber wanted ter spank a youngin' so bad, an' I ain'tliked him no better dan he did me. 

He 'longed ter Mr. Yarborough, what runned de hotel in Raleigh, but hewus boun' out ter anybody what'ud hire him, an' I doan know whar he gothis name. 

I seed Frank a few times at de Holland's Methodist Church whar we wentter church wid our white folks. 

You axes iffen our white folks wus good ter us, an' I sez ter yo' datnone of de white folks wus good ter none of de niggers. We done ourweavin' at night an' we wurked hard. We had enough ter eat but we waswhupped some. 

Jest 'fore de war wus ober we wus sent ter Mr. William Turner's placedown clost ter Smithfield an' dats whar we wus when de Yankees come. 

One day I wus settin' on de porch restin' atter my days wurk wus donewhen I sees de hoss-lot full of men an' I sez ter Marse William, who amtalkin' ter a soldier named Cole, 'De lot am full of men. '

Marse Cole looks up an' he 'lows, 'Hits dem damned Yankees, ' an' wid dathe buckles on his sword an' he ain't been seen since. 

De Yankees takes all de meat outen de smokehouse an' goes 'roun' ter deslave cabins an' takes de meat what de white folkses has put dar. Datwus de fust hams dat has eber been in de nigger house. Anyhow de Yankeestakes all de hams, but dey gibes us de shoulders. 

Atter de war we moved ter Raleigh, on Davie Street an' I went ter schoola little at Saint Paul's. Frank wus wurkin' at de City Market onFayetteville Street an' I'd go seberal blocks out of my way mornin' an'night on my way ter school ter look at him. You see I has been in lovewith him fer a long time den. 

Atter awhile Frank becomes a butcher an' he am makin' pretty good. I isthirteen so he comes ter see me an' fer a year we cou'ts. We wus settin'in de kitchen at de house on Davie Street when he axes me ter have himan' I has him. 

I knows dat he tol' me dat he warn't worthy but dat he loved me an' dathe'd do anything he could ter please me, an' dat he'd always be good terme. 

When I wus fourteen I got married an' when I wus fifteen my oldes'daughter, Eleanor, wus borned. I had three atter her, an' Frank wusproud of dem as could be. We wus happy. We libed together fifty-fouryears an' we wus always happy, havin' a mighty little bit of argument. Ihopes young lady, dat you'll be as lucky as I wus wid Frank. 

N. C. District: No. 2 [320210]Worker: Mrs. Edith S. HibbsNo. Words: 550Subject: Story of Isabell Henderson, NegroInterviewed: Isabell Henderson 1121 Rankin St. , Wilmington, N. C. Edited: Mrs. W. N. Harriss

[TR: No Date Stamp]

STORY OF ISABELL HENDERSON, NEGRO

 * * * * *

1121 Rankin St. , Wilmington, N. C. 

I'll be 84 years old come August 9. My gran'-daughter can tell you whatyear it was I was born I don' 'member but we has it down in the Bible. 

I lived near the "Clock Church" (Jewish Synagogue)[8], 4th and Market. We had a big place there. My gran'mother did the cookin'. My mother didthe sewin'. I was jus five years old when the men went away. I guess tothe war, I don' know. Some men came by and conscip' dem. I don' knowwhere they went but I guess dey went to war. I was such a little girl Idon't 'member much. But I does know my Missus was good to me. I used toplay with her little boy. I was jes' one of the family. I played withthe little boy around the house' cause I was never 'lowed to run thestreets. They was good to me. They kept me in clothes, pretty clothes, and good things to eat. Yes'm we was slaves but we had good times. 

Interviewer: "What did you eat?"

Isabell: "Oh I don't 'member 'special but I et jes what the family et. "

Maybe my father was killed in the war maybe he run away I don' know, hejus' neber come back no mo'. 

Yes'm I remember when the soldiers came along and freed us. They wentthrough breakin' down peoples shops and everything. 

My mother married again. She married Edward Robertson. He was good tome. Yes'm he was better to me than my father was. He was a preacher anda painter. My mother died. When my father, (step-father) went off topreach, me and my sister stayed in the house. 

I stayed home all my life. I just wasn't 'llowed to run around like mostgirls. I never been out of Wilmington but one year in my life. That yearI went to Augusta. No'm I don't likes to go away. I don't like thetrains, nor the automobiles. But I rides in 'em (meaning the latter). 

I remember when the 4th Street bridge was built. I was married overthere in St. Stephen's Church, 5th and Red Cross. Yes M'am my auntie shegib me a big weddin'. I was 22 and my husband was 22 too not quite 23. Not a year older than I was. He was a cooper. Yes Ma'm I had a bigweddin'. The church was all decorated with flowers. I had sixattendants. Four big ones and two little ones. My husband he had thesame number I did four big ones and two little ones. I had on a whitedress. Carried flowers. Had carriages and everything. My husband wasgood to me. I didn't stay home with my father but about a month. Wewanted to go to ourselves. 

We went in our own home and stayed there until I got a "sickness. " (Shelooked shy) I didn't know what was the matter with me. My father told meI better come home. So I went home to my father and stayed there abouttwo years. 

I have had five children. Three are livin'. Two are dead. 

I never worked until after he died. He left me with five little childrento raise. 

He was the only man I ever 'knowed' in all my life from girlhood up. 

[Footnote 8: The Synagogue has no clock on the exterior, but Isabellpersisted with her name of "Clock Church. "]

N. C. District: No. 2 [320017]Worker: Mary A. HicksNo. Words: 738Subject: Ex-Slave StoryStory Teller: Essex HenryEditor: Daisy Bailey Waitt

[TR: Date Stamp "JUN 26 1937"]

ESSEX HENRY

Ex-Slave Story

An interview with Essex Henry 83 of 713 S. East Street, Raleigh, N. C. 

I wus borned five miles north of Raleigh on de Wendell Road, 83 yearsago. My mammy wus Nancy an' my pappy wus Louis. I had one sister, Mary, an' one bruder, Louis. 

We 'longed ter Mr. Jake Mordecai, an' we lived on his six hundert acresplantation 'bout a mile from Millbrook. Right atter de war he sold dislan' ter Doctor Miller an' bought de Betsy Hinton tract at Milburnie. Mr. Jake had four or five hundert niggers hyar an' I doan know how manyat de Edgecombe County place. 

De wuck wus hard den, I knows case I'se seed my little mammy dig ditcheswid de best of 'em. I'se seed her split 350 rails a day many's de time. Dat wus her po'tion you knows, an' de mens had ter split 500. I wus toolittle ter do much but min' de chickens outen de gyarden, an' so I faredbetter dan most of 'em. You see Miss Tempie 'ud see me out at de gatemornin's as dey wus eatin' breakfas' on de ferander, an' she'ud call meter her an' give me butter toasted lightbread or biscuits. She'd give mea heap in dat way, an' do de rest of de slaves got hungry, I doan thinkdat I eber did. I know dat Miss Jenny Perry, on a neighborin'plantation, 'ud give my mammy food, fer us chilluns. 

Mo'nin's we sometimes ain't had nothin' ter eat. At dinner time de cookat de big house cooked nuff turnip salet, beans, 'taters, er peas ferall de han's an' long wid a little piece of meat an' a little hunk ofco'nbread de dinner wus sont ter de slaves out in de fiel' on a cart. 

De slaves 'ud set roun' under de trees an' eat an' laugh an' talk tillde oberseer, Bob Gravie, yells at 'em ter git back ter wuck. Iffen deydoan git back right den he starts ter frailin' lef' an' right. 

Dar wus a few spirited slaves what won't be whupped an' my uncle wusone. He wus finally sold fer dis. 

Hit wus different wid my gran'mother do'. De oberseer tried ter whup heran' he can't, so he hollers fer Mr. Jake. Mr. Jake comes an' he can't, so he hauls off an' kicks granny, mashin' her stomick in. He has hercarried ter her cabin an' three days atterward she dies wid nothin' donefer her an' nobody wid her. 

Mr. Jake orders de coffinmaker ter make de pine box, an' den he fergitshit. De slaves puts de coffin on de cyart hin' de two black hosses an'wid six or maybe seben hundert niggers follerin' dey goes ter de Simms'graveyard an' buries her. All de way ter de graveyard dey sings, 'SwingLow Sweet Chariot, ' 'De Promised Lan', 'De Road ter Jordan, ' an' 'OleTime Religion. '

Hit's a good thing dat none of de white folkses ain't went to defunerals case iffen dey had de niggers can't sing deir hymns. Does youknow dat dey warn't no 'ligion 'lowed on dat plantation. Ole lady BetsyHolmes wus whupped time an' ag'in fer talkin' 'ligion er fer singin'hymns. We sometimes had prayermeetin' anyhow in de cabins but we'd turndown de big pot front o' de door ter ketch de noise. 

Dey won't gib us no pass hardly, an' iffen we runs 'way de patterollerswill git us. Dey did let us have some dances do' now an' den, but notoffen. Dey let us go possum huntin' too case dat wus gittin' somethingter eat widout Mr. Jake payin' fer hit. 

Mr. Henry, Mr. Jake's bruder an' his Uncle Moses uster come a-visitin'ter de house fer de day. Mr. Henry wus little wid a short leg an' a longone, an' he had de wust temper dat eber wus in de worl'; an' he lovedter see slaves suffer, near 'bout much as he loved his brandy. We knowedwhen we seed him comin' dat dar wus gwine ter be a whuppin' frolic 'forede day wus gone. 

Dar wus three niggers, John Lane, Ananias Ruffin an' Dick Rogers whatgot de blame fer eber'thing what happens on de place. Fer instance Mr. Henry 'ud look in de hawg pen an' 'low dat hit 'peared dat he bruder'sstock wus growin' less all de time. Den Mr. Jake sez dat dey done beenstold. 

'Why doan you punish dem thievin' niggers, Jake'?

Jake gits mad an' has dese three niggers brung out, deir shirts ampulled off an' dey am staked down on deir stomichs, an' de oberseer gitswored out, an' leavin' de niggers tied, dar in de sun, dey goes ter dehouse ter git some brandy. 

Dey more dey drinks from de white crock de better humor dey gits in. Deylaughs an' talks an' atter awhile dey think o' de niggers, an' back deygoes an' beats 'em some more. Dis usually lasts all de day, case hit amfun ter dem. 

Atter so long dey ketched Jack Ashe, a Free Issue, wid one of de pigs, an' dey whups him twixt drinks all de day, an' at night dey carried himter de Raleigh jail. He wus convicted an' sent ter Bald Head Island terwuck on de breastworks durin' de war an' he ain't neber come back. 

[HW: Asterisk in margin] Dar wus a man in Raleigh what had two bloodhoun's an' he made his livin' by ketchin' runaway niggers. His name wusBeaver an' he ain't missed but onct. Pat Norwood took a long grass sythewhen he runned away, an' as de fust dog come he clipped off its tail, desecond one he clipped off its ear an' dem dawgs ain't run him no more. 

De war lasted a long time, an' hit wus a mess. Some of Marster Jake's[HW: Asterisk] slaves lef' him an' when de Yankees got ter Raleigh deycome an' tol' 'em 'bout de way Mr. Jake done. Well in a few days hyarcomes de Yankees a-ridin', an' dey sez dat dey had tentions o' hangin'Mr. Jake on de big oak in de yard iffen he 'uv been dar, but he ain't. He an' his family had flewed de coop. 

Dem Yankees went in de big house an' dey tored an' busted up all deypleased, dey eben throwed de clothes all ober de yard. 

Dey took two big barns o' corn an' haul hit off an' down Devil's Jump onMorris Creek dey buried ever so much molasses an' all. 

At Rattlesnake Spring de Yankees fin's whar Marster Jake's still hadbeen, an' dar buried, dey fin's five barrels o' brandy. 

Atter de war we stayed on as servants o' Doctor Miller fer seberalyears. I 'members de only time dat I eber got drunk wus long den. Dedoctor an' his frien's wus splurgin', an' I went wid another nigger tergit de brandy from de cellar fer de guests. When I tasted hit, hit drunkso good, an' so much lak sweetin water dat I drunk de pitcher full. Iwus drunk three days. 

I married Milly, an' sixty years ago we moved ter town. We scuffledalong till twenty-eight years ago we buyed dis shack. I hopes dat we cangit de ole age pension, case we shore need hit. 

N. C. District: No. 2 [320015]Worker: Mary A. HicksSubject: Ex-Slave StoryStory Teller: Milly HenryEditor: Daisy Bailey Waitt

[TR: Date Stamp "JUN 26 1937"]

EX-SLAVE STORY

An interview with Milly Henry 82 of 713 South East Street, Raleigh, N. C. 

I wus borned a slave ter Mr. Buck Boylan in Yazoo City, Mississippi. Idoan know nothin' 'bout my family 'cept my gran'maw an' she died inMississippi durin' de war. 

Marster Buck owned three plantations dar, de Mosley place, Middle place, an' de Hill place. Me an' gran'maw lived at de Mosley place. One dayMarster Buck comes in, an' we sees dat he am worried stiff; atter awhilehe gangs us up, an' sez ter us:

De Yankees am a-comin' to take my slaves 'way from me an' I don't 'posedat dey am gwine ter do dat. Fer dem reasons we leaves fer No'thCarolina day atter termorror an' I ain't gwine ter hyar no jaw 'bouthit. '

Dat day he goes over de slaves an' picks out 'roun' five hundret ter go. He picks me out, but my gran'maw he sez dat he will leave case she am soold an' feeble. I hates dat, but I don't say nothin' at all. 

We leaves home in kivered wagons, wid a heap walkin' an' in 'bout threeweeks, I reckon, we gits ter Raleigh. You should have been 'long on dattrip, honey; When we camps side of de road an' sleeps on de groun' an'cooks our rations at de camp fires. I think dat dat wus one spring 'forede surrender wus de nex'. 

Marster Buck carries us ter Boylan Avenue dar whar de bridge am now an'we camps fer a few days, but den he sen's us out ter de Crabtreeplantation. He also buys a place sommers east o' Raleigh an' sen's somedar. 

I misses my gran'maw fer awhile, but at last Uncle Green comes fromMississippi an' he sez dat gran'maw am daid, so I pretty quick stopsworrin' over hit. 

Marster' cides ter hire some o' us out, an' so I gits hired out ter MissMary Lee, who I wucks fer till she got so pore she can't feed me, den Iis hired out ter Miss Sue Blake an' sent ter de Company Shop up aboveDurham. 

Miss Mary wus good, but Miss Sue she whup me, so I runs away. I wentbarefooted an' bareheaded ter de train, an' I gits on. Atter awhile deconductor comes fer a ticket an' I ain't got none. He axes me whar I'segwine an' I tells him home, so he brung me on ter Raleigh. 

I went right home an' tol' Mr. Buck dat Miss Sue whupped me, an' dat Irunned away. He said dat hit wus all right, an' he hired me out ter Mis'Lee Hamilton who lived dar on de Fayetteville Street. 

She wus a widder an' run a boardin' house an' dar's whar I seed defirst drunk man dat eber I seed. He put de back o' his knife ginst myneck an' said dat he wus gwine ter cut my throat. I tell you dat I isknowed a drunk eber since dat time. 

I wus drawin' water at de well at de end of Fayetteville Street when deYankees comed. I seed 'em ridin' up de street wid deir blue coatsshinin' an' deir hosses steppin' high. I knowed dat I ought ter beskeered but I ain't, an' so I stands dar an' watches. 

Suddenly as dey passes de bank out rides two mens frum Wheeler's calvaryan' dey gits in de middle o' de street one of de hosses wheels back an'de man shot right at de Yankees, den he flewed frum dar. 

Two of de Yankees retracts frum de army an' dey flies atter de Rebs. When de Rebs git ter de Capitol one o' dem flies down Morgan Street an'one goes out Hillsboro Street wid de Yankees hot in behin' him. 

Dey ketched him out dar at de Hillsboro Bridge when his hoss what wusalready tired, stumbles an' he falls an' hurts his leg. 

Durin' dat time de big man wid de red hair what dey calls Kilpatrickbrung his men up on de square an' sets under de trees an' a gang o'people comes up. 

When dey brung de young good lookin' Reb up ter de redheaded Gen'l hesez 'What you name Reb?'

De boy sez, 'Robert Walsh, sir. 

What for did you done go an' shoot at my army?

"Case I hates de Yankees an' I wush dat dey wus daid in a pile, " de Rebsez, an' laughs. 

"De Gen'l done got his dander up now, an' he yells, " 'Carry de Rebsommers out'r sight o' de ladies an' hang him. '

De Reb laughs an' sez, 'kin' o' you sir, ' an' he waves goodbye ter decrowd an' dey carried him off a laughin' fit ter kill. 

Dey hanged him on a ole oak tree in de Lovejoy grove, whar de Governor'smansion am now standin' an' dey buried him under de tree. 

Way atter de war dey moved his skileton ter Oakwood Cemetery an' put himup a monument. His grave wus kivered wid flowers, an' de young ladiescry. 

He died brave do', an' he kep' laughin' till his neck broke. I wus daran' seed hit, furdermore dar wus a gang of white ladies dar, so deymight as well a hanged him on de Capitol Square. 

De Yankees wus good ter me, but hit shore wus hard ter git a job do', an' so I ain't fared as good as I did' fore de war. 

Mr. Buck wus good ter us. Sometimes he'd lose his temper an' cuss, denhe'd say right quick, 'God forgive me, I pray. ' Dat man believed in'ligion. When de oberseer, George Harris, 'ud start ter beat a slave deylarned ter yell fer Mr. Buck an' make lak dey wus gittin' kilt. 

Mr. Buck'd come stompin' an' yellin' 'stop beatin' dat nigger. 

Course dis ruint de slaves, case dey could talk lak dey pleased ter Mr. Harris, an' iffen dey could yell loud nuff dey ain't got no whuppin'. 

Yessum, I'se glad slavery am over; we owns dis home an' some chickens, but we shore does need de ole age pension. I'se got two fine gran'sons, but let me tell you dey needs ter wuck harder, eat less, an' drink less. 

On de count o' dem boys I wants de ABC Stores so's dey won't drink boxlye. 

EH

N. C. District: No. 2 [320047]Worker: T. Pat MatthewsNo. Words: 737Subject: CHANEY HEWSPerson Interviewed: Chaney HewsEditor: G. L. Andrews

[TR: No Date Stamp]

CHANEY HEWS80 years old. 104 Cotton Street, Raleigh, North Carolina. 

My age, best of my recollection, is about eighty years. I was 'bouteight years ole when de Yankees come through. Chillun in dem days wusnot paid much mind like dey is now. White chillun nor nigger chillun wusnot spiled by tenshun. 

I got enough to eat to live on an' dat wus 'bout all I keered 'bout. Desso I could git a little to eat and could play all de time. I stayedouten de way of de grown folks. No, chillun wus not noticed like dey isnow. 

I heard de grown folks talkin' 'bout de Yankees. De niggers called 'emblue jackets. Den one mornin', almost 'fore I knowed it, de yard wusfull of 'em. Dey tried to ride de hosses in de house, dey caught dechickens, killed de shoats and took de horses an' anything else deywanted. Dey give de nigger hardtack an' pickled meat. I 'members eatingsome of de meat, I didn't like. 

We had reasonably good food, clothin', and warm log houses wid stick an'dirt chimleys. De houses wus warm enough all de time in winter, and deydidn't leak in rainy weather neither. 

Dere wus a lot of slaves an' marster an' missus wus good to father an'mother. When dey had a cornshuckin' we slaves had a good time, plenty toeat, whiskey for de grown folks and a rastlin' match after de corn wusshucked. A nigger dat shucked a red ear of corn got a extra drink ofwhiskey. Dat wus de custom in dem days. 

No prayermeetings wus allowed on de plantation but we went to Salem towhite folks church and also to white folks church at Cary. 

Dey whupped mother 'cause she tried to learn to read, no books wusallowed. Mother said dat if de blue jackets had not come sooner or laterI would have got de lash. 

Mother belonged to Sam Atkins who owned a plantation about ten milesdown de Ramkatte Road in Wake County. Father belonged to Turner Utleyand father wus named Jacob Utley and mother wus named Lucy Utley. Mymaiden name wus Chaney Utley. Dey wurked from sun to sun on deplantation. 

When de surrender come father an' mother come to town an' stayed about ayear an' den went back to ole marster's plantation. Dey wus fed a longtime on hardtack and pickled meat, by de Yankees, while in town. Deystayed a long time wid ole marster when dey got back. Mother wus hiscook. Rats got after mother in town an' she went back to marsters an'tole him 'bout it an' tole him she had come back home, dat she wus fraidto stay in town an' marster jes' laughted an' tole us all to come rightin. He tole mother to go an' cook us all sumptin to eat an' she did. Wewus all glad to git back home. 

I wus too little to wurk much but I played a lot an' swept yards. Wedrank water outen gourds an' marster would tell me to bring him a gourdfull of cool water when he wus settin' in his arm chair on de porch. Ithought big of waitin' on marster, yes, dat I did. 

Dere wus fourteen of us in family, father, mother an' twelve chilluns. Dere is three of us livin', two of de boys an' me. 

Slavery wus a good thing from what I knows 'bout it. While I liked deYankees wid dere purty clothes, I didn't like de way dey took marster'sstuff an' I tole 'em so. Mother made me hush. Dey took chickens, meat, hogs an' horses. 

We finally left ole marster's plantation an' moved Jes' a little wayover on another plantation. Mother an' father died there. 

I married Sam Hews in Wake County when I wus fifteen years old. I had nochildren. After we wus married we stayed on de farm a year or two den wemoved to Raleigh. We have wurked for white folks ever since, an' I amstill wurkin' for 'em now all I am able. I washes an' irons clothes. Sometimes I can't wash, I ain't able, but I does de bes' I can. De whitefolks is still good to me an' I likes' em. 

LE

District: No. 2 [320158]Worker: T. Pat MatthewsNo. Words: 1554Subject: Joe HighPerson Interviewed: Joe HighEditor: Daisy Bailey Waitt

[TR: Date Stamp "JUN 1 1937"]

[HW: interesting first & last paragraph glad slavery ended but lovedMissus]

JOE HIGH[HW:--80 years]

Joe High interviewed May 18, 1937 has long been one of the bestindependent gardners in Raleigh, working variously by the hour or day. 

My name is Joe High. I lives at 527 So. Haywood. St. Raleigh, N. C. Nowdere is one thing I want to know, is dis thing goin' to cost meanything. Hold on a minute, and le' me see. I want to be square, and Imust be square. Now le' me see, le' me see sumpin'. Sometimes folks comehere and dey writes and writes; den dey asts me, is you goin' to pay disnow? What will it cost? Well, if it costs nothin' I'll gib you what Iknows. 

Let me git my Bible. I wants to be on de square, because I got to leavehere some of dese days. Dis is a record from de slave books. I've beentryin' to git my direct age for 35 years. My cousin got my age. I wuzborn April 10, 1857. My mother's name wuz Sarah High. Put down when shewuz born, Oct. 24, 1824. This is from the old slave books. We bothbelonged to Green High, the young master. The old master, I nebber seedhim; but I saw old missus, Mis' Laney High. The old master died before Iwuz born. We lived two miles north uv Zebulon. You know where Zebulon isin Wake County? I had two brothers, one brother named Taylor High, 'nother named Ruffin High. My sister died mighty young. She come herewrong; she died. I' member seeing my uncle take her to the grave yard. Idon't know whe're there's enny rec'ord o' her or not. 

My work in slavery times wuz ridin' behin' my Missus, Clara Griffin, whowuz my old missus' sister's daughter. She came to be our missus. Whenshe went visiting I rode behind her. I also looked atter de garden, keptchickens out uv de garden, and minded de table, fanned flies off detable. They were good to us. Dey whupped us sometime. I wuz not oldenough to do no fiel' work. 

One time I slep' late. It wuz in the fall uv the year. The otherchilluns had lef' when I got up. I went out to look for 'em. When Icrossed the tater patch I seen the ground cracked and I dug in to seewhat cracked it. I found a tater and kept diggin' till I dug it up. Icarried it to the house. They had a white woman for a cook that year. Icarried the tater and showed it to her. She took me and the tater andtold me to come on. We went from the kitchen to the great house and sheshowed the tater to the old missus sayin', 'Look here missus, Joe hasbeen stealin' taters. Here is the tater he stole'. Old missus said, 'Joebelongs to me, the tater belongs to me, take it back and cook it forhim. When the cook cooked the tater she asked me for half uv it. I gaveit to her. If I had known den lak I knows now, she wuz tryin' to git meto git a whoppin' I wouldn't 'er give her none uv dat tater. 

There were some frame houses, an part log houses, we called 'em thedarkey houses. The master's house wuz called 'the great house'. We hadvery good places to sleep and plenty to eat. I got plenty uv potlicker, peas, and pumpkins. All us little darkies et out uv one bowl. We usedmussel shells, got on the branch, for spoons. Dey must not er had nospoons or sumpin. The pea fowls roosted on de great house evey night. Ididn't know whut money nor matches wuz neither. 

I 'member seein' Henry High, my first cousin, ketch a pike once, but Inever done no fishin' or huntin'. I 'member seein' the grown folks startoff possum huntin' at night, but I did not go. 

I wore wooden bottom shoes and I wore only a shirt. I went in my shirttail until I wuz a great big boy, many years atter slavery. There were50 or more slaves on the plantation. Old women wove cloth on looms. Wemade syrup, cane syrup, with a cane mill. We carried our corn toFoster's Mill down on Little River to have it ground. It wuz calledLittle River den; I don't know whut it is called in dis day. 

There wuz a block in de yard, where missus got up on her horse. Therewere two steps to it. Slaves were sold from this block. I 'member seein'them sold from this block. George High wuz one, but they got him back. 

Dey did not teach us anything about books; dey did not teach us anythingabout readin' and writin'. I went to church at the Eppsby Church nearBuffalo, not far from Wakefield. We sat in a corner to ourselves. 

My brother Taylor ran away. Young master sent him word to come on backhome; he won't goin' to whup him, and he come back. Yes, he come back. 

We played the games uv marbles, blind fold, jumpin', and racin', andjumpin' the rope. The doctor looked atter us when we were sick, sometimes, but it wuz mostly done by old women. Dey got erbs and dey gibus wormfuge. Dey worked us out. I wuz not old enough to pay muchattention to de doctor's name. 

I 'members one day my young master, Green High, and me wuz standin' inde front yard when two men come down the avenue from de main road to thehouse. Dey wanted to know how fer it wuz to Green High's. Master told'em it wuz about 2 miles away and gave 'em the direction. Dey wereYankees. Dey got on their horses and left. Dey didn't know dey wuztalking to Green High then. When dey left, master left. I didn't seehim no more in a long time. Soon next day the yard wuz full uv Yankeesoldiers. I 'members how de buttons on dere uniforms shined. Dey gotcorn, meat, chickens, and eveything they wanted. Day didn't burn thehouse. 

Old man Bert Doub or Domb kept nigger hounds. When a nigger run away hewould ketch him for de master. De master would send atter him and hisdogs when a nigger run away. I 'member one overseer, a Negro, Hamp Highand another Coff High. Nobody told me nothin' about being free and Iknowed nothin' 'bout whut it meant. 

I married Rosetta Hinton. She belonged to the Hintons during slavery. She is dead; she's been dead fourteen years. We were married at hermother's home; the river plantation belonging to the Hintons. I wuzmarried by a preacher at this home. Atter the wedding we had good thingsto eat and we played games. All stayed there that night and next day wewent back to whar I wuz workin' on de Gen. Cox's farm. I wuz workin'dere. We had 6 chillun. Two died at birth. All are dead except one inDurham named Tommie High and one in New York City. Tommie High works ina wheat mill. Eddie High is a cashermiser, (calciminer) works on walls. 

I thought slavery wuz right. I felt that this wuz the way things had togo, the way they were fixed to go. I wuz satisfied. The white folkstreated me all right. My young missus loved me and I loved her. Shewhupped me sometimes. I think just for fun sometimes, when I wuz ridin'behind her, she would tell me to put my arms around her and hold to herapron strings. One day she wuz sittin' on the side saddle; I wuz sittin'behind her. She wud try to git old Dave, the horse she wuz a ridin towalk; she would say, 'Ho Dave', den I wud kick de horse in de side andshe wud keep walkin' on. She asked me, 'Joe, why does Dave not want tostop?'

I saw a lot of Yankees, I wuz afraid of 'em. They called us Johnnie, Susie, and tole us they wouldn't hurt us. 

I think Abraham Lincoln is all right, I guess, the way he saw it. Ithink he was like I wuz as a boy from what I read, and understand; hewuz like me jest the way he saw things. I liked the rules, and ways o'my old master and missus, while the Yankees and Abraham Lincoln gave memore rest. 

How did I learn to read? Atter de war I studies. I wonts ter read dehymms an' songs. I jis picks up de readin' myself. 

It's quare to me, I cannot remember one word my mother ever said to me, not nary a word she said can I remember. I remember she brought me hotpotlicker and bread down to the house of mornings when I wuz small; butI'se been tryin to 'member some words she spoke to me an' I cain't. 

N. C. District: No. 2 [320246]Worker: T. Pat MatthewsNo. Words: 936Subject: SUSAN HIGHStory Teller: Susan HighEditor: Daisy Bailey Waitt

[TR: No Date Stamp]

SUSAN HIGH519 Haywood StreetRaleigh, N. C. 

My name is Susan High. I wus born in June. I am 70 years old. My motherwus named Piety an' she belonged to de ole man Giles Underhill before desurrender. My father he wus George Merritt an' he belonged to BenMerritt, Ivan Proctor's grandfather. Dey lived on a plantation nearEagle Rock, Wake County. Dey called de creek near by Mark's Creek. 

My parents said dat dey had a mighty hard time, an' dat durin' slaverytime, de rules wus mighty strict. De hours of work on de farm wus fromsun to sun wid no time 'cept at Christmas and at lay-by time, 4th ofJuly for anything but work. Dey were not 'lowed no edication, and verylittle time to go to church. Sometimes de went to de white folks church. Mother said dey whupped de slaves if dey broke de rules. 

Dey said de overseers were worse den de slave owners. De overseers wereginerally white men hired by de marster. My father said dey had poorwhite men to overseer, and de slave owner would go on about his businessand sometimes didn't know an' didn't eben care how mean de overseer wusto de slaves. 

Dere wus a lot o' things to drink, dey said, cider, made from apples, whiskey, an' brandy. Dey said people didn't notice it lak dey do now, not many got drunk, cause dere wus plenty of it. Father said it wus tencents a quart, dat is de whiskey made outen corn, and de brandy wuscheap too. 

Dey said de clothes were wove, an' dat mos' chillun went barefooted, an'in dere shirt tails; great big boys, goin' after de cows, and feedin' dehorses, an' doin' work around de house in deir shirt tails. Grown slavesgot one pair o' shoes a year an' went barefooted de res' o' de time. Biscuit wus a thing dey seldom got. 

Women cleared land by rollin' logs into piles and pilin' brush in de newgrounds. Dey were 'lowed patches, but dey used what dey made to eat. Daddy said dey didn't have time to fish and hunt any. Dey were too tiredfor dat. Dey had to work so hard. 

Daddy said he wus proud o' freedom, but wus afraid to own it. Dey prayedfer freedom secretly. When de Yankees come daddy saved a two horse wagonload of meat for marster by takin' it off in de swamp and hidin' it, an'den marster wouldn't give him nary bit uv it. After de surrender, deyturned him out wid a crowd o' little chillun wid out a thing. Dey givehim nothin'. My mother saved her marster's life, Charles Underhill. 

Well you see he wus takin' care uv a lot o' meat and whiskey for DickJordon, an' de Yankees come an' he treated 'em from whiskey he had in abottle, an' tole 'em he had no more. Dey searched his home an' found itin a shed room, an' den dey said dey were goin' to kill him for tellin''em a lie. She herd [HW correction: heard] 'em talkin' and she bustedthrough de crowd and told 'em dat de stuff belonged to anudder man anddat her marster was not lyin', an' not to hurt 'im. De Yankees said, 'You have saved dis ole son of a bitch, we won't kill' em den. ' Dey tookall de meat, whiskey, an' everything dey wanted. Marster promised mothera cow, and calf, a sow, and pigs for what she had done for him an' tostay on an' finish de crop. When de fall o' de year come he did not giveher de wrappin's o' her finger. Dat's what my mudder tole me. We wusteached to call 'em mammie and pappie. I is gwine to tell you justzackly like it is we were taught dese things. I wants to be pasidefilyright in what I tell you. 

We lef' dat place an' mammie an' pappie farmed wid Solomon Morgan a FreeIssue for several years. De family had typhoid fever an' five were downwith it at one time. But de Lawd will provide. Sich as dat makes me saypeople wont die till deir time comes. Dere is some mighty good whitepeople in dis place in America, and also bad. If it hadn't been for 'emwe colored folks would have ben in a mighty bad fix. We got our jobs andhelp from 'em to git us to de place we are at. Dr. Henry Montaguedoctored us and none died. It wusn't dere time to go. No, no, hit wasn'tdeir time to go. We then moved back to Marster's for a year, and then wemoved to Rolesville in Wake County. 

I married den and moved to Raleigh. I married Robert High. He is dead. He been dead 'bout 30 years. I don't know much 'bout Abraham Lincoln Ithink he wus a fine man. Mr. Roosevelt's ideas is fine if he can carry'em out. 

AC

N. C. District: No. 2 [320084]Worker: T. Pat MatthewsNo. Words: 878Subject: KITTY HILLPerson Interviewed: Kitty HillEditor: G. L. Andrews

[TR: Date Stamp "AUG 17 1937"]

KITTY HILL329 West South Street, Raleigh, North Carolina. 

I tole you yisterday dat my age wus 76 years old, but my daughter comehome, an' I axed her' bout it an' she say I is 77 years old. I don'tknow exactly the date but I wus born in April. I wus a little girl 'boutfive years ole when de surrender come, but I don't' member anythingmuch' bout de Yankees. 

I wus born in Virginia, near Petersburg, an' mother said de Yankees hadbeen hanging' round dere so long dat a soldier wus no sight to nobody. 

'Bout de time de Yankees come I' member hearin' dem talk 'bout desurrender. Den a Jew man by the name of Isaac Long come to Petersburg, bought us an' brought us to Chatham County to a little country town, named Pittsboro. Ole man Isaac Long run a store an' kept a boardinghouse. We stayed on de lot. My mother cooked. We stayed there a longtime atter de war. Father wus sent to Manassas Gap at the beginning ofde war and I do not 'member ever seein' him. 

My mother wus named Viney Jefferson an' my father wus named ThomasJefferson. We 'longed to the Jeffersons there and we went by the name ofJefferson when we wus sold and brought to N. C. I do not 'member mygrandparents on my mother's or father's side. Mother had one boy an'three girls. The boy wus named Robert, an' the girls were Kate, Rosa andKitty. Marster Long bought mother an' all de chilluns, but mother neverseed father anymore atter he wus sent off to de war. 

I married Green Hill in Chatham County. I married him at Moncure aboutnine miles from Pittsboro. We lived at Moncure and mother moved therean' we lived together for a long time. When we left Moncure we come terRaleigh. Mother had died long time 'fore we left Moncure, ChathamCounty. We moved ter Raleigh atter de World War. 

Mother used ter tell we chilluns stories of patterollers ketchin'niggers an' whuppin' 'em an' of how some of de men outrun depatterollers an' got away. Dere wus a song dey used to sing, it wentlike dis. Yes sir, ha! ha! I wants ter tell you dat song, here it is:

 'Somefolks say dat a nigger wont steal, I caught two in my corn field, one had a bushel, one had a peck, an' one had rosenears, strung 'round his neck. 'Run nigger run, Patteroller ketch you, run nigger run like you did de udder day. '

My mother said she wus treated good. Yes she said dey wus good ter herin Virginia. Mother said de slave men on de Jefferson plantation inVirginia would steal de hosses ter ride ter dances at night. One time ahoss dey stole an' rode ter a dance fell dead an' dey tried ter tote himhome. Mother laughted a lot about dat. I heard my mother say dat decavalry southern folks was bout de meanest in de war. She talked a lotabout Wheeler's cavalry. 

Dere wus a lot of stealin' an' takin' meat, silver, stock an' anything. Hosses, cows an' chickens jist didn't have no chance if a Yankee laidhis eyes on 'em. A Yankee wus pisen to a yard full of fowls. Dey killedturkeys, chickens and geese. Now dats de truth. Mother said de Yankeesskinned turkeys, chickens and geese 'fore dey cooked 'em. Sometimes deywould shoot a hog an' jist take de hams an' leave de rest dere to spile. Dey would kill a cow, cut off de quarters an' leave de rest ter rot. 

Mother said no prayer meetings wus allowed de slaves in Virginia whereshe stayed. Dey turned pots down ter kill de noise an' held meetings atnight. Dey had niggers ter watch an' give de alarm if dey saw de whitefolks comin'. Dey always looked out for patterollers. Dey were notallowed any edication an' mother could not read and write nuther. 

I 'member de Ku Klux an' how dey beat people. One night a man got awayfrom 'em near whar we lived in Chatham County. He lived out in de edgeof de woods; and when dey knocked on de door he jumped out at a backwindow in his night clothes wid his pants in his hands an' outrun 'em. Dere wus rocks in de woods whar he run an' dat nigger jist tore his feetup. Dey went ter one nigger's house up dere an' de door' wus barred up. Dey got a ax an' cut a hole in de door. When de hole got big enough denigger blammed down on 'em wid a gun an' shot one of dere eyes out. Youknow de Ku Klux went disguised an' when dey got ter your house dey wouldsay in a fine voice, Ku Klux, Ku Klux, Ku Klux, Ku Klux. 

[HW correction: New paragraph] Some people say dey are in slavery nowan' dat de niggers never been in nothin' else; but de way some of it wusI believe it wus a bad thing. Some slaves fared all right though an' hada good time an' liked slavery. 

LE

N. C. District: No. 2 [320218]Worker: T. Pat MatthewsNo. Words: 997Subject: JERRY HINTONPerson Interviewed: Jerry HintonEditor: Daisy Bailey Waitt

[TR: No Date Stamp]

JERRY HINTON

My full name is Jerry Hinton. I wus borned in February, 1855. I am notable ter work. I work all I can. I am trying ter do de best I can terhelp myself. Yes, just tryin' ter do sumpin, ain't able ter work much. Iam ruptured, an' old. My old house looks 'bout old as I do, it's 'boutto fall down, ain't able ter fix it up. It needs repairing. I ain't ableter make no repairs. 

I wus born on a plantation in Wake County. My master wus RichardSeawell, an' Missus wus named Adelaide. His plantation wus on NeuseRiver. He had two plantations, but I wus a little boy, an' don'tremember how many acres in de plantation or how many slaves. There wus alot of 'em tho'. I would follow master 'round an' look up in his face sohe would give me biscuit an' good things ter eat. 

My mother, before marriage, wus named Silvia Seawell, an' father wusnamed Andrew Hinton. Atter they wus married mother went by the name ofHinton, my father's family name. I had--I don't know--mos' anything wusgood ter me. Master brought me biscuit an' I thought that wus thegreatest thing at all. Yes, I got purty good food. Our clothes wus notfine, but warm. I went barefooted mos' o' the time, an' in summer I wentin my shirt tail. 

Dey called de slave houses 'quarters', de house where de overseer livedwus de 'Overseer's House'. Master had a overseer to look atter his men;De overseer wus named Bridgers. De house where Master lived wus de'Great House'. 

Dey would not allow us any books. I cannot read an' write. I have seende patterollers, but I neber saw' em whip nobody; but I saw' em lookin'fer somebody ter whup. I've neber seen a slave sold. I've neber seen ajail fer slaves or slaves in chains. I have seen master whup slavesthough. I wus neber whupped. Dey wrung my ears an' pulled my nose topunish me. 

Dere wus no churches on de plantation, but we had prayer meetin's in ourhomes. We went to de white folks church. My father used to take me by dehand an' carry me ter church. Daddy belonged ter de Iron Side BaptistChurch. We called our fathers 'daddy' in slavery time. Dey would not letslaves call deir fathers 'father'. Dey called 'em 'daddy', an' whitechildren called deir father, 'Pa'. I didn't work any in slavery time, 'cept feed pigs, an' do things fer my master; waited on him. I went'round wid him a lot, an' I had rather see him come on de plantationany time dan to see my daddy. I do not remember any possums or othergame being eaten at our house. I do not remember eber goin' a-fishindurin' slavery time. 

Master had two boys ter go off ter de war. Dey carried 'em off ter dewar. I don't know how many children dey had, but I remember two of 'emgoin' off ter de war. Don't know what became of 'em. 

I shore remember de Yankees. Yes sir, Ha! ha! I shore remember dem. DemYankees tore down an' drug out ever'thing, dey come across. Dey killedhogs, an' chickens. Dey took only part of a hog an' lef' de rest. Deyshot cows, an' sometimes jest cut off de hind quarters an' lef de rest. Dey knocked de heads out o' de barrels o' molasses. Dey took horses, cows an' eber'thing, but they did not hurt any o' de children. Dey wusfolks dat would tear down things. 

Atter de surrender my mother moved over on de plantation where my fatherstayed. We stayed dere a long time, an' den we moved back to RichardSeawell's, old master's plantation, stayin' dere a long time. Den wemoved to Jessie Taylor's place below Raleigh between Crabtree Creek an'Neuse River. When we lef' Taylor's we moved ter Banner Dam northeast ofRaleigh near Boone's Pond. Mother an' father both died dere. Atterleaving dere I come here. I have lived in Oberlin ebery since. GuessI'll die here; if I can git de money to pay my taxes, I know I will diehere. 

I think slavery wus good because I wus treated all right. I think I am'bout as much a slave now as ever. 

I don't think any too much o' Abraham Lincoln, Jeff Davis or any o' demmen. Don't know much 'bout 'em. Guess Mr. Roosevelt is all right. 'Bouthalf the folks both black an' white is slaves an' don't know it. When Iwus a slave I had nothin' on me, no responsibility on any of us, only towork. Didn't have no taxes to pay, neber had to think whur de next mealwus comin' from. 

Dis country is in a bad fix. Looks like sumptin got to be done somewayor people, a lot of 'em, are goin' to parish to death. Times are hard, an' dey is gettin' worse. Don't know how I am goin' to make it, if Idon't git some help. We been prayin' fer rain. Crops are done injured, but maybe de Lawd will help us. Yes, I trust in de Lawd. 

I been married twice. I married Henritta Nunn first, an' den HenrittaJones. I had three children by first marriage, an' none b [HW: y] secondmarriage. My wife is over seventy years old. We have a hard time makingenough to git a little sumptin to eat. I wus mighty glad to see youwhen you come up dis mornin', an' I hopes what I have told you will helpsome one to know how bad we need help. I feels de Lawd will open up deway. Yes sir, I do. 

LE

N. C. District: No. 2 [320179]Worker: T. Pat MatthewsNo. Words: 568Subject: MARTHA ADELINE HINTONPerson Interviewed: Martha Adeline HintonEditor: G. L. Andrews

[TR: HW Date "8/31/37"]

MARTHA ADELINE HINTON#2--Star St. , Route 2, Raleigh, North Carolina. 

I wus born May 3, 1861 at Willis Thompson's plantation in Wake Countyabout fifteen miles from Raleigh. He wus my marster an' his wife Murielwus my missus. My father's name wus Jack Emery an' mother's name wasMinerva Emery. My mother belonged to Willis Thompson and my fatherbelonged to Ephriam Emery. Mother stayed with my marster's marrieddaughter. She married Johnny K. Moore. 

Marster had three children, all girls; dere names wus Margaret, Carolineand Nancy. There wus only one slave house dere 'cause dey only had oneslave whur my mother stayed. Marster Thompson had five slaves on hisplantation. He wus good to slaves but his wife wus rough. We had areasonably [HW correction] good place to sleep an' fair sumptin to eat. You sees I wus mighty young an' I members very little 'bout some thingsin slavery but from what my mother an father tole me since de war it wusjust 'bout middlin' livin' at marster's. Slaves wore homemade clothesan' shoes. De shoes had wooden bottoms but most slave chilluns wentbarefooted winter an' summer till dey wus ole 'nough to go to work. Defirst pair of shoes I wore my daddy made 'em. I 'member it well. I willnever furgit it, I wus so pleased wid 'em. All slave chillun I knowsanything 'bout wore homemade clothes an' went barefooted most of thetime an' bareheaded too. 

I member de Yankees an' how dey had rods searchin' for money an' tookthings. I members a Yankee goin' to mother an' sayin' we was free. Whenhe lef' missus come an' axed her what he say to her an' mother tolemissus what he said an' missus says 'No he didn't tell you you is free, you jes axed him wus you free. ' Father wus hired out to Frank Page ofGary. He wus cuttin cord wood for him, when he heard de Yankees wuscoming he come home. When he got dere de Yankees had done been to dehouse an' gone. 

Durin' slavery dey tried to sell daddy. De speculator wus dere an 'daddysuspicion sumpin. His marster tole him to go an' shuck some corn. Deyaimed to git him in de corn crib an' den tie him an' sell him but whenhe got to the crib he kept on goin'. He went to Mr. Henry Buffaloe's an'stayed two weeks den he went back home. Dere wus nuthin' else said 'boutsellin him. Dey wanted to sell him an buy a 'oman so dey could have alot of slave chilluns cause de 'oman could multiply. Dey hired men outby the year to contractors to cut cord wood an' build railroads. Fatherwus hired out dat way. Ole man Rome Harp wus hired out day way. Hebelonged to John Harp. 

Daddy said his marster never did hit him but one blow. Daddy said hewurked hard everyday, an' done as near right as he knowed how to do ineverything. His marster got mad ah' hit him wid a long switch. Den daddytole him he wus workin' bes' he could for him an' dat he wus not goin'to take a whuppin. His marster walked off an' dat wus de last of it, an'he never tried to whup him again. 

N. C. District: No. 2 [320225]Worker: T. Pat MatthewsNo. Words: 775Subject: ROBERT HINTONStory Teller: Robert HintonEditor: Daisy Bailey Waitt

[TR: No Date Stamp]

ROBERT HINTON420 Smith Street, Raleigh, N. C. 

My name is Robert Hinton. I ain't able to work, ain't been able to doany work in five years. My wife, Mary Hinton, supports me by workin'with the WPA. She was cut off las' May. Since she has had no job, wehave to live on what she makes with what little washin' she gets from dewhite folks; an' a little help from charity; dis ain't much. Dey giveyou for one week, one half peck meal, one pound meat, one pound powderedmilk, one half pound o' coffee. Dis is what we git for one week. 

I wus borned in 1856 on de Fayetteville Road three miles from Raleigh, south. I belonged to Lawrence Hinton. My missus wus named Jane Hinton. De Hintons had 'bout twenty slaves on de plantation out dere. Dey hadfour chillun, de boy Ransom an' three girls: Belle, Annie an' Miss Mary. All are dead but one, Miss Mary is livin' yit. My mother wus named LizaHinton an' my father wus named Bob Hinton. My gran'mother wus named MaryHinton an' gran'father Harry Hinton. 

We had common food in slavery time, but it wus well fixed up, an' wewere well clothed. We had a good place to sleep, yes sir, a good placeto sleep. We worked from sunrise to sunset under overseers. Dey weregood to us. I wus small at dat time. I picked up sticks in de yard an'done some work around de house, but when dey turned deir backs I wouldbe playin' most o' de time. We played shootin' marbles, an' runnin', an'jumpin'. We called de big house de dwelling house an' de slave quartersde slave houses. Some of 'em were in marster's yard and some wereoutside. Dey give all de families patches and gardens, but dey did notsell anything. 

We had prayer meetin' in our houses when we got ready, but dere were nochurches for niggers on de plantation. We had dances and other socialsdurin' Christmas times. Dey give us de Christmas holidays. 

No sir, dey did not whup me. I wus mighty young. Dey didn't work chillunmuch. I have seen 'em whup de grown ones do'. I never saw a slave soldand never saw any in chains. Dey run away from our plantation but deycome back again. William Brickell, Sidney Cook, Willis Hinton all runaway. I don't know why dey all run away but some run away to keep frombeing whupped. 

I have lived in North Carolina all my life, right here in Wake County. We used to set gums and catch rabbits, set traps and caught patridgesand doves. 

Yes sir, I went blindin'. I 'members gittin' a big light an' jumpin''round de bresh heaps, an' when a bird come out we frailed him down. Wewent gigging fish too. We found 'em lying on de bottom o' de creeks an'ponds at night, an' stuck de gig in 'em an' pulled 'em out. 

De white folks, ole missus, teached us de catechism, but dey didn't wantyou to learn to read and write. I can read and write now; learned sincede surrender. Sometimes we went to de white folks church. I don't knowany songs. 

When we got sick our boss man sent for a doctor, Dr. Burke Haywood, Dr. Johnson, or Dr. Hill. 

I 'members when de North folks and de Southern folks wus fightin'. DeNorthern soldiers come in here on de Fayetteville Road. I saw 'em by dehundreds. Dey had colored folks soldiers in blue clothes too. In demornin' white soldiers, in de evenin' colored soldiers; dats de way deycome to town. 

I married first Almeta Harris. I had six children by her. Second, Imarried Mary Jones. She is my wife now. We had six children. My wife isnow 65 years old and she has to support me. I am done give out too muchto work any more. 

Yes sir, that I have seen de patterollers, but my old boss didn't 'low'em to whup his niggers. Marster give his men passes. 

I know when de Ku Klux was here, but I don't know much about 'em. 

I thought slavery wus a bad thing' cause all slaves did not fare alike. It wus all right for some, but bad for some, so it wus a bad thing. 

I joined the church because I got religion and thought the church mighthelp me keep it. 

I think Abraham Lincoln wus a good man, but I likes Mr. Roosevelt; he isa good man, a good man. 

AC

N. C. District: No. 2 [320048]Worker: T. Pat MatthewsNo. Words: 922Subject: WILLIAM GEORGE HINTONPerson Interviewed: William George HintonEditor: G. L. Andrews

[TR: HW Date: "8/31/37"]

WILLIAM GEORGE HINTONStar Street, R. F. D. #2, Box 171

I was born in Wake County in de year 1859. August 28th. I 'membersseeing de Yankees, it seems like a dream. One come along ridin' a mule. Dey sed he wus a Yankee bummer, a man dat went out raging on peoplesthings. He found out whur the things wus located an' carried the restthere. The bummers stole for de army, chickens, hogs, an' anything theycould take. Atter de bummer come along in a few minutes de whole placewus crowded wid Yankees. De blue coats wus everywhere I could look. 

Marster didn't have but five slaves, an' when de Yankees come dere wusonly me an' my oldest sister dere. All de white folks had left exceptmissus and her chillun. Her baby wus only three weeks ole then. 

A Yankee come to my oldest sister an' said, 'Whur is dem horses?' Hepulled out a large pistol an' sed, 'Tell me whur dem horses is or I willtake your damn sweet life. ' Marster hid de horses an' sister didn'tknow, she stuck to it she didn't know an' de Yankees didn't shoot. 

Dey come back, de whole crowd, de next day an' made marster bring in hishorses. Bey took de horses an' bought some chickens an' paid for 'em, den dey killed an' took de rest. Ha! ha! dey shore done dat. Paid forsome an' took de rest. 

I seed de Yankees atter de surrender. Dey wus staying at de ole SoldiersHome on New Bern Avenue. One day mother carried me there to sell to 'em. One time she went there an' she had a rooster who wus a game. His eyeswus out from fighting another game rooster belonging to another personnear our home, Mr. Emory Sewell. She carried de rooster in where derewus a sick Yankee. De Yankee took him in his hands an' de roostercrowed. He give mother thirty-five cents for him. De Yankee said if hecould crow an' his eyes out he wanted him. He said, he called dat spunk. 

Dere wus a man who wus a slave dat belonged to Mr. Kerney Upchurch comealong riding a mule. My oldest sister, de one de Yankees threatened, tole him de Yankees are up yonder. He said, 'Dad lim de Yankees. ' Hewent on, when he got near de Yankees dey tole him to halt. ' Instead ofhaltin' he sold out runnin' the mule fur de ole field. Der wus a gang ofyoung fox hounds dere. When he lit out on de mule, dey thought he wusgoin' huntin' so dey took out atter him, jest like dey wus atter a fox. Some of de Yankees shot at him, de others just almost died a laughin'. 

We didn't git much to eat. Mother said it wus missus fault, she was sostingy. 

We had homemade clothes an' wooden bottom shoes for de grown folks, butchillun did not wear shoes den, dey went barefooted. 

All de slaves lived in one house built about one hundred yards from thegreat house, marsters house wus called the great house. 

My father wus named Robin Hinton an' my mother wus named Dafney Hinton. My father belonged to Betsy Ransom Hinton an' mother belonged first toReddin Cromb in Lenoir County an' then to James Thompson of Wake County. I wus borned after mother wus brought to Wake County. Marster had oneboy named Beuregard, four girls, Caroline, Alice, Lena and Nellie. I donot remember my grandparents. 

I saw a slave named Lucinda, sold to ole man Askew, a speculator, byKerney Upchurch. I seed 'em carry her off. 

One of de slave men who belonged to ole man Burl Temples wus sent towurk for Mr. Temples' son who had married. His missus put him to totin'water before goin' to wurk in de mornin'. Three other slaves toted wateralso. He refused to tote water an' ran. She set de blood hounds atterhim an' caught him near his home, which wus his ole marster's house. Olemarster's son come out, an' wouldn't let 'em whup him, an' they wouldn'tmake him go back. 

Missus Harriet Temples wus a terrible 'oman, a slave jest couldn't suither. De slave dat run away from young marster wus finally sent back. His marster give him a shoulder of meat before he left. He hung it in atree. Missus tole him to put it in the smoke house. He refused, sayin'he would see it no more. 

A slave by the name of Sallie Temples run away 'cause her missus, MaryTemples, wus so mean to her. She stuck hot irons to her. Made 'em drinkmilk an' things for punishment is what my mother an' father said. Sallienever did come back. Nobody never did know what become of her. 

Soon as de war wus over father an' mother left dere marsters. Dey wentto Mr. Tom Bridgers. We lived on de farm atter dis. Mother cooked, sister an' I worked on de farm. Sister plowed like a man. De first helpmy mammy got wus from de Yankees, it wus pickle meat an' hardtack. I wuswid her an' dey took me in an' give me some clothes. Mother drawed from'em a long time. We have farmed most our lives. Sometimes we worked ashirelings and den as share croppers. I think slavery wus a bad thing. 

N. C. District: No. 2 [320116]Worker: Mary A. HicksNo. Words: 465Subject: Eustace HodgesStory Teller: Eustace HodgesEditor: Geo. L. Andrews

[TR: Date Stamp "AUG 6 1937"]

EUSTACE HODGES

An interview with Eustace Hodges, 76 years old, of 625 W. Lenoir Street, Raleigh, North Carolina. 

I doan know when I wus borned, ner where but at fust my mammy an' me'longed ter a McGee here in Wake County. My mammy wurked in de fiel'sden, ditchin' an' such, even plowin' while we 'longed ter McGee, but hesold us ter Mr. Rufus Jones. My daddy still 'longed ter him but at declose of de war he comed ter Mr. Jones' plantation an' he tuck de nameof Jones 'long wid us. 

Marse Rufus wus gooder dan Marse McGee, dey said. He give us more tereat an' wear an' he ain't make us wurk so hard nother. We had our wurkter do, of course, but mammy ain't had ter ditch ner plow no mo'. Shewurked in de house den, an' none of de wimmen done men's wurk. Courseshe can't wurk so hard an' have 'leben chilluns too. She had a baby oneday an' went ter wurk de nex' while she 'longed ter McGee, but at MarseRufus' she stayed in de bed seberal days an' had a doctor. 

Marse Rufus uster let us take Sadday evenin' off an' go swimmin' erfishin' er go ter Raleigh. I 'members dat somebody in town had a fusswid Marse Rufus 'bout lettin' his niggers run loose in town. Marse Rufusatter dat had a oberseer in town ter see 'bout his niggers. 

I got a whuppin' once fer punchin' out a frog's eyes. Miss Sally giv'hit ter me long wid a lecture 'bout bein' kin' ter dumb brutes, but Iain't neber seed whar a frog am a brute yit. 

Yes'um I heard a heap 'bout de Yankees but I ain't prepared fer deretakin' eben our bread. Miss Sally ain't prepared nother an' she tells'em whar ter go, den she goes ter bed sick. I wus sorry fer Miss Sally, dat I wus. 

De day dat news of de surrender come Miss Sally cried some more an' sheain't wanted mammy ter go, so Marse Rufus said dat we can stay on. Deysaid dat Mister McGee runned his niggers offen his place wid a breshbroom dat day. 

Atter de war we stayed on Marse Rufus' place till 1898 when pa died. Ihad married a feller by de name of Charlie Hodges, what lived on anearby plantation an' we wus livin' on Marse Rufus' place wid pa an' ma. We moved ter Raleigh den an' atter seberal years mammy moved hear too. You can fin' her on Cannon Street, but I'll tell you dat she's prettypuny now, since her stroke. 

N. C. District: No. 2 [320195]Worker: Mrs. Edith S. Hibbs and Mrs. W. N. HarrissNo. Words: 795Subject: Alex Huggins' StoryInterviewed: Alex Huggins, 920 Dawson St, Wilmington, N. C. Edited: Mrs. W. N. Harriss

[TR: No Date Stamp]

STORY OF ALEX HUGGINS, EX-SLAVE

920 Dawson Street, Wilmington, N. C. 

I was born in New Bern on July 9, 1850. My father and mother belonged toMr. L. B. Huggins. My father was a carpenter and ship builder an' thefirst things I remember was down on Myrtle Grove Sound, where Mr. Huggins had a place. I was a sort of bad boy an' liked to roam 'round. When I was about twelve years old I ran away. It was in 1863 when thewar was goin' on. 

Nobody was bein' mean to me. No, I was'nt bein' whipped. Don't you knowall that story 'bout slaves bein' whipped is all _Bunk_, (with scornfulemphasis). What pusson with any sense is goin' to take his horse or hiscow an' beat it up. It's prope'ty. We was prope'ty. Val'able prope'ty. No, indeed, Mr. Luke give the bes' of attention to his colored people, an' Mis' Huggins was like a mother to my mother. Twa'nt anythin' wrongabout home that made me run away. I'd heard so much talk 'bout freedom Ireckon I jus' wanted to try it, an' I thought I had to get away fromhome to have it. 

Well, I coaxed two other boys to go with me, an' a grown man he got theboat an' we slipped off to the beach an' put out to sea. Yes'm, we sho'was after adventure. But, we did'n get very far out from sho', an' I sawthe lan' get dimmer an' dimmer, when I got skeered, an' then I gotseasick, an' we was havin' more kinds of adventure than we wanted, an'then we saw some ships. There was two of 'em, an' they took us on board. 

They was the North Star an' the Eastern Star of the Aspinwal Line, amail an' freighter runnin' between Aspinwal near the Isthmus of Panamaand New York. We used to put in off Charleston. 

Then, in 1864 I joined the Union Navy. Went on board our convoy, theNereus. We convoyed to keep the Alabama, a Confederate privateer, away. The Commander of the Nereus asked me how's I like to be his cabin boy. So I was 2nd class cabin boy an' waited on the Captain. He was FiveStripe Commander J. C. Howell. He was Commander of the whole fleet offFort Fisher. When the Captain wanted somethin' good to eat he used tosend me ashore for provisions. He liked me. He was an old man. He didn'ttake much stock in fun, but he was a real man. I was young an' was'ntserious. I jus' wanted a good time. I don't know much about the war, butI do know two men of our boat was killed on shore while we was at FortFisher. 

After the battle of Fort Fisher, we was on our way to Aspinwal. Layin'off one day at Navassa Island, the Mast Head reported a strange sail. 'Where away?' 'Just ahead'. 'She seems to be a three mast steamer!''Which way headed?' We decided it was the Alabama going to St. NicholasMole, West Indies. 

Our Captain called the officers together an' held a meetin'. Says he:'We'll go under one bell (slow). Lieutenant will go ashore an' get someinformation. ' When we got there she had a coal schooner alongside takingon coal. Our Captain prepared to capture her when she came out. But shedid'n come out 'til night. She dodged. Good thing too. She'd a knockedhells pete out o' us. She was close to the water and could have foughtus so much better than we could her. We didn't want to fight 'cause weknowed enough to jest natu'ally be skeered. She was a one decker man o'war. We was a two decker with six guns on berth deck, an' five guns onspar deck. I never saw her after that, but I heard she was contacted bythe Kearsage which sunk her off some island. 

I stayed in the navy eighteen months. Was discharged at the BrooklynNavy Yard. Admiral Porter was Admiral of the U. S. Navy at that time. 

I stayed in New York five or six years, then I cane home to my mother. Iwas in the crude drug business in Wilmington for twenty years. 

Yes'm I went to church and Sunday school when I was a child, when theycould ketch me. Whilst I was in New York I went to church regular. 

I married after awhile. My wife died about ten years ago. We had oneson. I b'lieve he's in Baltimore, but I ain't heard from him in a longtime. He don't keer nothin' about me. Of co'se I'm comfortable. I gitsmy pension, $75 a month. I give $10 of it to my nephew who's a cripple. 

N. C. District: No. 2 [320124]Worker: T. Pat MatthewsNo. Words: 645Subject: CHARLIE H. HUNTERStory Teller: C. H. HunterEditor: Geo. L. Andrews

[TR: Date Stamp "AUG 4 1937"]

CHARLIE H. HUNTER, 80 years old, 2213 Barker StreetWest Raleigh

My full name is Charlie H. Hunter. I wus borned an' reared in WakeCounty, N. C. , born May, 1857. My mother wus Rosa Hunter an' my fatherwus named Jones. I never saw my father. We belonged to a family namedJones first, an' then we wus sold to a slave owner seven miles Northwestby the name Joe Hayes an' a terrible man he wus. He would get mad 'boutmost anything, take my mother, chain her down to a log and whup herunmercifully while I, a little boy, could do nothing but stan' there an'cry, an' see her whupped. We had fairly good food an' common clothing. We had good sleeping places. My mother wus sold to a man named Smith. Imarried first Annie Hayes who lived sixteen months. 

No prayer meetings wus allowed on de plantations an' no books of anykind. I can read an' write, learned in a school taught by Northern folksafter the surrender, Mr. An' Mrs. Graves who taught in Raleigh in therear of the African Methodist Episcopal church. The school house wusowned by the church. We played no games in slavery times. I saw slavessold on the block once in Raleigh. 

I wus to be sold but the surrender stopped it. When the Yankees comethey asked me where wus my marster. I told them I didn't know. Marstertold me not to tell where he wus. He had gone off into the woods to hidehis silver. In a few minutes the ground wus covered with Yankees. TheYankees stole my pen knife. I thought a lot of it. Knives wus scarce andhard to get. I cried about they taking it. They got my marster'scarriage horses, two fine gray horses. His wife had lost a brother, whohad been in the army but died at home. He wus buried in the yard. TheYankees thought the grave wus a place where valuables wus buried andthey had to get a guard to keep them from diggin' him up. They wouldshoot hogs, cut the hams and shoulders off, stick them on theirbayonetts, throw them over the'r shoulders an' go on. 

We called our houses shanties in slavery time. I never saw anypatterollers. I don't remember how many slaves on the plantation wustaken to Richmond an' sold. My mother looked after us when we wus sick. I had four brothers an' no sisters. They are all dead. I did house workan' errands in slavery time. I have seen one gang of Ku Klux. They wusunder arrest at Raleigh in Governor Holden's time. I don't remember theoverseer. 

We moved to Raleigh at the surrender. Marster give us a old mule when weleft him, an' I rode him into Raleigh. We rented a house on WilmingtonStreet, an' lived on hard tack the Yankees give us 'til we could gitwork. 

Mother went to cooking for the white folks, but I worked for Mr. JeffFisher. I held a job thirty-five years driving a laundry truck for L. R. Wyatt. The laundry wus on the corner of Jones an' Salisbury Street. 

I married Cenoro Freeman. We lived together fifty-six years. She wus agood devoted wife. We wus married Dec. 9, 1878. She died in May1934. [HW: bracket] Booker T. Washington wus a good man. I have seen him. Abraham Lincoln wus one of my best friends. He set me free. The Lawd ismy best friend. I don't know much 'bout Jefferson Davis. Jim Young an'myself wus pals. 

My object in joining the church wus to help myself an' others to live adecent life, a life for good to humanity an' for God. 

N. C. District: No. 2 [320154]Worker: Mary A. HicksNo. Words: 670Subject: EX-SLAVE STORYStory Teller: Elbert HunterEditor: Daisy Bailey Waitt

[TR: Date Stamp "JUN 1 1937"]

EX-SLAVE STORY

An interview on May 19, 1937 with Elbert Hunter of Method, N. C. , 93years old. 

I wuz borned eight miles from Raleigh on de plantation of Mr. JacobHunter in 1844. My parents were Stroud and Lucy an' my brothers wuz Tom, Jeems an' Henderson. I had three sisters who wuz named Caroline, Emilinean' Ann. 

Massa Hunter wuz good to us, an' young Massa Knox wuz good too. My mammywuz de cook an' my pappy wuz a field hand. Massa ain't 'lowed nopatterollers on his place, but one time when he wuzn't ter home my mammysent me an' Caroline ter de nex' door house fer something an' depatterollers got us. Dey carried us home an' 'bout de time dat dey wuzaxin' questions young Massa Knox rid up. 

He look dem over an' he sez, 'Git off dese premises dis minute, yo'dad-limb sorry rascals, if us needs yo' we'll call yo'. 'My pappypatterolls dis place hisself. '

Dey left den, an' we ain't been bothered wid 'em no more. 

I toted water 'fore de war, minded de sheeps, cows and de geese; an' Iain't had many whuppin's neither. Dar wuz one thing dat massa ain't'low an' dat wuz drinkin' 'mong his niggers. 

Dar wuz a ole free issue named Denson who digged ditches fer massa an'he always brung long his demijohn wid his whiskey. One ebenin' Missustells me an' Caroline ter go ter de low groun's an' git up de cows an'on de way we fin' ole man Denson's demijohn half full of whiskey. Caroline sez ter lets take er drink an' so we does, an' terreckly I gitswobbly in de knees. 

Dis keeps on till I has ter lay down an' when I wakes up I am at home. Dey says dat Massa Jacob totes me, an' dat he fusses wid Denson ferleavin' de whiskey whar I can fin' it. He give me a talkin' to, an' Iain't neber drunk no more. 

When we hyard dat de Yankees wuz comin' ole massa an' me takes de cattlean' hosses way down in de swamp an' we stays dar wid dem fer seberaldays. One day I comes ter de house an' dar dey am, shootin' chickens an'pigs an' everthing. I'se seed dem cut de hams off'n a live pig or ox an'go off leavin' de animal groanin'. De massa had 'em kilt den, but it wuzawful. 

Dat night dey went away but de nex' day a bigger drove come an' my mammycooked fer 'em all day long. Dey killed an' stold ever'thing, an' atlast ole massa went to Raleigh an' axed fer a gyard. Atter we got degyard de fuss ceased. One of de officers what spent de night dar losthis pocket book an' in it wuz seven greenback dollars, de fust I eberseed. 

We wuz glad ter be free even do' we had good white folks. De wuck hourswuz frum daybreak till dark, an' de wimmens had ter card an' spin somuch eber night. We had our own chickens an' gyarden an' little ways ofmakin' money, but not so much fun. 

We played cat, which wuz like base ball now, only different. De childrenplayed a heap but de grown folks wucked hard. De cruelest thing I eberseed wuz in Raleigh atter slavery time, an' dat wuz a nigger whuppin'. 

De pillory wuz whar de co'rthouse am now an' de sheriff, Mr. Ray whuppeddat nigger till he bled. 

I neber seed a slave sale, an' I neber seed much whuppin's. I larnedsome long wid de white chilluns, 'specially how ter spell. 

No mam, I doan know nothin' 'bout witches, but I seed a ghos'. Hit wuznear hyar, an' hit wuz a animal as big as a yearlin' wid de look of adog. I can't tell you de color of it case I done left frum dar. 

B. N.