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A Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves TYPEWRITTEN RECORDS PREPARED J3Y THE FEDERAL WRITERS PROJECT g 1936 1938 ASSEMBLED BY THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS PROJECT WORK PROJECTS ADMINISTRATION FOR THE PISTR~CT OF COLUMBIA SPONSORED BY THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS Illustrated with Photographs WASHINGTON 1941 SLAVE NARRATIVES

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~ ~ \ ~ ~- VOLUME XVI TEXAS NARRATIVES PART I Prepared by t~ie Federal Writers Project of the Works Progress A~dministrat ion for the State of Texas

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INFORMAN~ B Adams, Will Adams, William Adams, William M. Allen, Sarah Anderson, Andy Anderson, George (Wash) Anderson, Willis Armstrong, Mary rnwine, Stearlin Ashley, Sarah Babino, Agatha Barclay, Mrs. John Barker, John Barnes, Joe Barrett, Annstead Barrett, Harriet Bates, John Beokett, Harrison Bell, Frank Bell, Virginia Bendy, Edgar Bendy, Minerva Benjamin1 Sarah Bess, Jack Betts, Ellen Beverly Charlotte Black, Francis Blanchard 01 ivi er Blanks, Julia Boles, Elvira Bonner ( Bonner) Betty Boyd, Harrison Boyd, Issabella Boyd, James Boykins, Jerry Brackins, Monroe Bradshaw, Gus Brady, Wes Branch, Jacob Branch, William Brini, Clara Brooks, Sylvester Broussard Donaville Brown, Fannie Brown, Fred Brown, James Brown, Josie Brown, Zak Drum, Madison Bunton, Martha ~3pence Butler, Ellen Buttler, Henry H. Byrd, William Cain, Louis Calhoun, Jeff Campbell, Simp Cape, 3~ames Carruthers, Richard Carter, Cato Cauthern, Jack Chambers, Sally Banks Choice, Jeptha Clark, Amos Clark, Anne Cole, Thomas Coleman, Eli Coleman, Freely Collins, Harriet Columbus Andrew (Smoky) Connally, Steve Connier, Valmar Cornish, Laura Crawford, John Cumby, Green Cuxnmins, Tempie Cunningham Adeline Daily, Will Daniels, Julia Fi ancis Darling, Katie Davenport, Carey Davis, Campbell Davis, William Davison, Eli Davison, Elige Day, John Denson, Nelsen Duhon, Victor 156 160 163 166 169 174 176 179 182 185 188 191 193 Qr~ J.., r 202 212 214 217 220 223 225 236 240 242 246 249 252 254 257 260 263 266 J L~ 973 278 281 285 289 295 298 302 305 307 1 4 9 12 14 Washington 17 21 25 31 34 37 39 42 45 47 49 51 54 59 62 66 68 70 72 75 84 87 90 93 106 109 112 114 117 121 124 130 133 137 A 147 149 151 154

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ILLUSTRATIONS Facing page 1 4 25 31 34 66 72 72 84 87 109 114 il ? J.24 133 143 147 149 151 ~ ~. 154 156, 160 163 Will Adans William Adams Mary Armstrong Sterlin Arnwine Sarah Ashley Edgar and Minerva Bendy Jack Bess s House Jack Bess Charlotte Beverly Francis Black Betty Bonner (Bonner) Issabella Boyd James Boyd Monroe Brackins Wes Brady William Branch Clara Brim S;~lvester Brooks Donaville Broussard Fannie Brown Fred Brown 3~ames Brown ~rosie Brown

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Facing page Zek Bx own 166 Martha Spence Bunton 174 Ellen Butler 176 Sirap Campbell . 191 ~Tames Cape 193 Cato Carter 202 Amos Clark s Sorghum Mill 220 A1fl08 Clark ~ 220 Anne Clark ~ 223~ Preely Coleman 240 Steve Connally 249 Steve Connally s House ~ 249 Vairnar Connier 252 3~o1in Crawford 257 Green Cumby 260 Tempie Cuminins 263 Adoline Cunningham 266 Will Daily s House 269 Will Daily 269 Tulia Francis Daniels 273 Katie Darling 278 Carey Davenport 281 Campbell Davis ~ 285 Nelsen Denson . 305

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 006 001

Ll )C~ ) ~L~SLAVE STORI~3 Page One .~ ~ :1 (Texas) ~ ~ WILL ADAMS waB borr~ in 1857, a slave o ~ Dave Cavin, in Harrison Co., Texas. He re-P malnecl with the Cavins until ~ . 1885, then farmed for himself. will lives alone in Marshall, Texas, supported by a $13a00 m~ntbly pension. My folks allus belongs to the Cavins and wore their name till after ~rn3ncipat~on, Pa and ma was named Freeman and~ Amelia Cavin and. Massa Dave fotches them to Texas from A1ab~ma, along with ma s mother, what we called Maria. The Cavins allus thunk lots of their niggere and Grandma Maria say, Why shouldn t they ~- it was their money~.1 She say there was plenty Indiens here when they settled this cotnitry and they bought ana traded with them without kuhn tb~n~ if they could, The Indians was poor folks, jus ~ p ufer and loaf r ound all the t ime. The n iggers was a heap s ight . better off than they was, cease we had plenty to eat and a place to stay. !otLng Massa Torn was my special massa and he still lives here. Old Man Dave seemed. to think more of his niggers than anybod~y and we tthmk lots of ~r white folks, My pa was leader on the farm, and. there wae~ t no over~ seer or driver. When pa whip a nigger he needn t go to Massa Dave, but pa say, Go ou way. you nigger. Freem~ui didn t whip you for nothin . Massa D~3:~~e ~11ue believe pa1 cause he tells the tr~ith. . : . ~ ~ ~ UQne time a peddler come to our.house and after supper he goes to ~ see bout hi~ pony. . Pa d.o~e feed that pony fifteen ears of corn. The peddler tell massa bis pony ain t been fed nothiu and. masse git m~4 ~nd ~ Be on you w~ iffen you gwin. cuae my niggers of lyin ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~j ~

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Ex~a1ave Stories Pace Two ~. ~ p 0 (Texas) ~ ~ We had good quarters and. plenty to eat. I members when I s just walki.nt rc~nd good. pa come in from the field at night and. taken me otit of bed. and dress me and feed me and then p1a~r with me for hours. Him bein. leader, he s gone from kfore day till after night. The old heads got out early but us young.~crap~ slep till eight or nine otclock, ~x~d don t you think Massa Dave ain t comm1 r~md to see we is fed. I~ members him like it was yeet dazy, comin to the quarters with his stick and aski i us, Had your breakfas ? ~ say, Yes, suh. Then ~ ask if we had nough or wanted an~ more, It look like he taken a pleastire in seem us eat, 4~t dinner, when the field hands corne in, it am the same way. He was sho that potlicker was fill as long as the niggers want t o eat. NThe hands worked from sun to sun. Massa give them 11,1 crops and. let them work them on Saturday. Then he bought the stuff and the nig~ers go to Jefferson and buy clothes and sech like. Lots saved money and bought freedom ~ fore the war was over. ~ We went to churc)z and first the white preacher pre~ched and then he lama our cullud preachers . I seed him ordain a cullud preacher and he told him to allus be honest. When the white preacher laid his hand on him, all the niggers git to hollerin and shoutin and pr~v~in and that nigger git scart mos to death. . t, On . Chri stm s we had all we could ea.t and. drink and aft er that a big ~ ~ ~ party, and. you ought to see them gals swingin they partners round. T:hen massa have two niggers wrestle, and. our sports and dances was big ~iport f o.~ S ~ White folka~ They dsit onthe ge1ler~ and watch the niggers put it On ~brown. a.2~ ~ ~ ~ ~. : : ~ ~ ~ . ~

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3 ~x.~s1ave Stories Page Thr e (Texas) Massa didn t like his niggers to marry ou tue place, bu~t sometime. they d. c~o it, and massa tell his ne ighbor ~My nigger ~in comm t o you pi ace. Make h im~ behave ~ 4~1 the ni~e rs ~ ha~e& then and. they wann ~ no Hu~nt avilie and. gallows and burnin s then. ~ . Old massa went to war with his boy, Billie, Theyts lots of cry1n~ and weepin when they sot us free. Lots of them did& t want t o be free cause they knowed nothin1 and hrid. nowhere to go. Then what had good massas staye& right on. ~ - t, I tmmember s when that Ku Klux -bus ines. s tart s up. Smart nigger. causes that. The carpet-badgers ruint the nigger. and thewhite iiien couidn, ~ c1~ a thing with thera, so they got up the Ku. Xiux and stirs up the world. Thera carpet~ baggers come round larnth niggers to sass the white folks what d.one fed. them. They come to pa with that talk end. he told them, Listen, white folks, you is gwine start a graveyard if yoti come~ round here teachin nig~ers to sass white folks.~ Them carpet-.baggers etarts all the trouble at lections in Reccnstruction. Ni~g rs didn t know ~nythin tmbout politics. NMOs$ theyoung nigger. ain t usi& the education they got now, I~s been here eighty years and .tili has to be showed end told. b! white folks. These young niggers wontt git told by whites or blacks either. They thinks they done knowed it ail and. that gits them in trouble. ~ II stays wtth the Cavins moe twenty years after the war. Mter I :..ieav~~s, I ailus farms said does odd jobs round town here. I s father of ten ~.:*i .1en by one ~Eman. I lives by myself now arid they gives me $13.00 a month. Itd be proud. to git it i~ it wasntt more n a dollar, cause they ain t nothin ~a o~ man c~an do no more. ~ ~

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 009 004

il )r~t~:; ~ EL.&~AU ~!OR1L~ Page t:~k. ~ 4 (Texas) WILLIAM ADIMS, 93, was born i~i slav.r~y, with no opportumit~ for en education, xcspt three aor~ths in a public school. He has t~ight hi~eelf to read and ~ ~ to writ.. Hio lifelong a~biu tion has been t o become easter of the a~pernatural powers which he bilieves to exist. He is n~ wsll.known among 8 .i~thweetsrn Negro.. for hi. faith in th, occult. To~ia want to know end telk abont de power de people tslli y ~ I bas1 WeU~ sit doua here, right there in dat chair, befo we~uns starts. i: gits oe ice wat r and. den we~uns ce~ discuss de subject. I wants to splain it clee~rl7, so youe can undereten4. I s born a slays, 93 years ago, so of c~irs I ~sabs d~ war period. Like all de other alavei I has to chance for edumacation. Three months am de total time t a sp nt going to school. t teached. sy~elf to read and write. X,s anxious to lars to read so I could s~w,7 and find out about amy th~ngs. D~ I has done, WThsr. am lots of folks, and edumacated. ones, too, what s~s we ~vns believes in .upsr.tit ion. Wel 1, it i cause dey don t under. stand. kember de Lawd, in som ~ Eis we~s can b. ~yst ritoua~ D Bible says so. There s~e thisgi de Laid wants & 1 folks to know, so~ things jus de chosen few t o know, end soue things no one should know. low, just cause y~ts don t know bout a~ie of de Lawd s laws, I taint s~peretitton if some other person uMeritands and believes is sich. ~There ii some bors to sing, some born to preach, and. so~ ~.- born to know de signa. Th~rs ii soue born under de powsr of &. d~ vil l~

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Jx~.slaYS Stories . Page Two 5 ~ ~ (Texas) an I hare de power to put i~ury and misery on people, and some born under d power of b Lawd for to do good and overcome dc . vil po~r. Now, dat produc.e two forces, liks fire and wate~re ~Ytl forces starts de fir. and I bas de water force to put de fire out. SHow I larnt sich? Well, I . done lam it. It come to me. When de Lewd gives sich power to a persons it just comes to em. It am 40 years ago now when s tust fully reslige dat I has de power. However, t s allw~ int risted. in do workin s of 4.. signs. When I s c~ little piecaninn.y, ~ ma~ and mther folks used to talk about de signs. I hears dem talk about what hqpens to folks cause a spell was put on oem. ~3. old folks in den d~a knows mors about de signs ~at de Lawd uses to reveal Eis laws den de folks of todey. It em ehe true of de Cu11U4 folks in Africa4 dey iuitivs land. Sons of de fol~ le~hs at their beliefs end says it an ~perstit ion. but it i knowin how &. Lawd re~s&Ls Eis l~s. Wow, let me tell joue of something I~s seen. That en seei~, cen t be doubted. It h~pens when t s a young mari and befo I s real IZS dat l s one dat am chosen for to show de power. A mule had eait his leg so bad dat him am bleedia to death and dey couldn t step it. An old cullud men liTs near there dat dey turns to. He c~es over and passes his hand over de cut. isfo long tie ble dint stop and dat s de power of do Lawd workin throu h dat nigger, dat s all it . WI knows about a woman dat had lost her mind. De doctor say it wae c~5ed f:~iom a tum i~ de head. Dey toot an ex..ray picture, but dore s no t~aor. Dsy gi~ss up and~ sels its a pecul mr cas.. ~t w~ was took to one with de power of ds good spirit and he s~q its a peculiar case for dem dat don t understand. Dim ~n a case of di lvii spell. Two d~s after, de

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~x-elave Stories Page Three (j (Texas) wOaan ha~ her rind back. Dey s lots of dose kind of cases de ord nery person never hear about. Tous hear of de case de doctors can t understaM, nor will dey spend to treataant. Dat a~ eanae of & evil spell dat aa on de p rsons. 513o~it special persons bein chosen for to show de power, read you.s Bibi,. It says in de bo k of Mark, third chuter, tand H. ordained twelve, dat dey Should be with Ria, dat Re wight send them forth to preach and to have d. power to heel de sick and t~ cast ~tt devils. If it was t no evil in people, wh~ does de Lawd sq. cast ~it sich? A~td in de fifth eb~ter of Jaaes~ it further sei, 1f any an sick, let hi. call de elders. Let dem pre~ o v er hie. De prayers of faith shall save hi. There tie again. Jaith, dat aa ihat coiants. Witten t tells dat I seen ~RD7 person. given up to die, aM d~n a aan with tie power coises aM saves sich person, den its not for people to say it an superstition to b.li.ve in de power. ~Do&t forgit ~ t. agents ct de devil have de power of evil. Dey can put ziser~ of every kind on people. Dey can aa cB trouble with de work and with de business, with de f~ ly and with ds health. So folks isis be on de watch all di time. Polki has business trouble canoe de evil power have control of es. Dey has de evtl power east out and Bave di b~zsin s.. There ~ a ~an in Waco dat coae to see ee boat dat. Ko say to me o~er~thing he try~ to do in de las stx aonths turned ~t ~ It starts with h~a lesta his pocketbook with $50.00 in it. K. ~ 7. a carload of h~q aM it catch firs aM he los .11 of it. Be spends

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T~x~.slaTe Stories Peg. P~.r (Texas) $200.00 advertisin de thr.i..d~ sale and it begin to rain, so he )~Oa M0fle7. It aho am tie s~ll power. ~ell, h. say, Dat a~ de w~ lt go, so I c~ee to yott. I .e7s to hini, Its de evil power dat ha~e you control . we1~ins shall eauas it to be cast out. It e done aitd he has no aor trouble. You wants to know if persons with de powe:i for good can be successful in castin out devils in all cases? !ell~~ I anewsre dat, yes and no, Dsy can in every cas if de affected person 1i~air~ de faith. If de party not ha,, enough faith, den it ~ a failure. qearin de coin for prot~ction gainet de evil power? D~t a~ .laple. Lot. of folks wears sich and dey uses ~ixtvris di~t am t prink. le~ in de house, and elch. Dat am a question ~ fait~. If dey has de true faith in sich, it works, Otherwise, lt wo&t. Some folks won t think fo a minute of goi\I without lode stone or de salt and pepper mixture in de litti. eack~ tied round diy n ck.~ Sosse wears de silver coin tied round dey neck. All sich a~ t~r todkt!~ awa~ de ~ff~at o~ de evil p~ower, Ihen on, h~re d~ faith iz~ sich an ~ &C~ d nt&y LOIS as h&i ~, iwy atto alsorable. eej~ old. darky dat has faith iz~ lodsstone foi da chs~x~ toi& ~e de spsrierLc. he has in Mianta onc.. He carryiu de hod and de f%~st tbiiAg he dois drap soas brick on he foot 1~ next thing, ~.s foot slip as hin starts ~p de lAUer and hi~ sud d bricks &r~ to de gr~M. It am lucky for hi~ it wasn~t fez . Jus a sp?raifl ankle ~L as boss senda hi~ ht*e for de day. !e ais CIted and gite on de atTest oar aM ehen de coa&~ct r oeil for de fars Rufua rsa&~sa for he ~~asy

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Jzislavs St~ri s peg. liv. 8 iTexas) but he los lt or forgits it at ha~ie, D. oondnctor sej he let him pe~ flex tiai an~ asks wh.r . bs ~iv.. B*tus tells hin end h. say, Why, ~agg.r, yo~i :~s ~ de ~o~i ci~T ~)a~ c~iiss ~ufus to walk further ~tth de lanze foot dan if b.. start~i& wa1~rla~ in de tust place. He thinks ther Mu. b. soaething wrong with he cb~ar~, aM he look for it nd lt gone! Sho nough, it en los,. le think~ ~Ier. I sits all d.~, and I won t aake another ~0,, till I ~it,, d l~ic~e~iton. When cL. chilien school I sends de~ to de ru~storf~ fo~ s~ of d. eton.. and g~1 flied.. 10w, now, 1 i~ bv~en wu~t* for dat one bont~~ black cat ~ crossi* de r~ad, eMsho~ ~&aigh~ :1~t come. Let ~e ~ on. Kow aaiy p.opie c~n yons find da~ ltki~a t~ have .. bi#t;~ oat cross in front f~, of ea? Dat ii right, no uns lik.~ da4L !~et ~ old culiud person in~ fori yons dat it sho ~Le ad 3~c1c 4i~.,~ It is sign of bad. luck ahe~d, so tu211 back, Stop what 7O~i dotii~ ~ s;! . tellin ~ia of t~ .f aaz~y cases of failure to took warum fron die black cat. ~ ~ e. im~ cell Miller. Ris wife and hut f em takin en a~uto ride end d~!ftl~,.c~ ~at cross de road. end he cuued a little ~d got. on. ~n ~ ~ot l~ till he ~rns de corner and his i~tte fLUO ont of de car dw 4~~ ~ tur ~n,, i~en he goes back end picks her ~ ehe 5M d a&r f&Ut~1 eaU ~ was a..rt&in hossba k and a do j~e.th, bul he ~lYti On. Well, iti not long till hisi e;~ throw h~i ff. 1 e 1f~4)~ breaks his leg, so t&ce a 6i3n~ t ovsz iooI: di blaok~ c&~. Dat sa a warnin black cat b oss

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 014 009

~ : ~ 4~~()192 ZX~~SLATZ STCRIZS Page ~je 9 ~ ~ (Pew) WILLIAM M. ADAMS, ipirit~~list preaeher and healer, who Lives at 1404 Illinois Ave., Pt. Worth, Texu, was born a slave en the J_e. Davis plantation, in San Jacinto Co. Texas. After the wer he works& in a groe rp, punched cattle fsrasd ast preach- et. Re movrnt to Pt. WorI~h in 1902. WI was bo n 93 ysars ago, dat :is whut ~ at:~ther sq.. W. didn keep no record lika folks &orI tOda7. All I knOW is I been 7ers a long time. M~r sother, i~e was Juli. A&~s and m7 father be was James Adas.. She s bo n in Ko11~cs Springs, Mississippi aM ~ father, now .d..n, ht~ was bo r ix~ florida. le was a ~~ack~ Orsek Intlan. Dez s was 12 of u. chilien. When I was Sbout seven d.. aiaas, a~e acme and gits s. for her srva.nt. I lived in de bi~ hc*iso till she di.. Ear t~M Marster Davis was poisrful good to a.. Marster Davis he was s big 1~iy.r and de o~er of a plantation. Tha~t all I do was wait on oie nissu.. I d light her pipe for her and I helped her wit her knittin She give as aone~ all de tiae. She had a little trunk ~he keep.d w~oney in and lots of t1~s I d have to pack it down Wit ay~ feet.. $1 dis~a.~b.r J~u how aai~ ilaves der. was, but dors was aors~nl00. 1sawutchssl00.4tatat~as~ Whinde7tuka bunch of slaves to trade, dey put ohgiLns ca sa. D. other slaves livsd in log cabins back of de big house. ~ . Ds~ had dirt floors and bids dat was i~s litt of a n shucks or straw. At nit. de~ burn.d de lps ~or bout as. hour, darn d over id.

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~x-slavs Stories Paie Two ~(Toxas) seers, dey come kno& on de door and tell em put de light out. Lote of o1~iresers w~s me~. Sometiza.s dey d whip a nigger wid a leather strap ~bcw.t a foot wide and long aa y~ir arm and wid a wooden hand .. at de end. On Sat day and Sunday nites dey d dance and sing all nit, long. Dey didn dance like today, dey danced de rount dance end j 1g and do de pigeon wing, and scme of de~ would jump up and see how many time he could kick his feet. for. dey hit de groun . Dey had an oie fiddle and some of e~ would take two bones in each hand and rattle em. Dey sang songi 1 ike 1D~~na had a Wo oden Leg, and A Hand full of Sugar, and Cotton eyed Joe I di. ~aeaber how dey went. De slates didn have no church den, but dey d. take a big m~ga~ kettle and turn it top doimi on de grmin and put logs roan it to kill de sein . Dey d. pray to be free and e ing and dance. Then war come dey c e and got de slaves fros all de pla~tta. tions and tuk em to build de breastworks. I ~ lots of soldiers. Des ~t sing a song dat go something 1 ike dis: ~I~J~ff Davis rode a big white hoes, Lincoln rode a mu .s; Je55 Davis i. our President, ~ ~ Lincoln is a fool. ~ ~ n ~ ~ when de slaves would lu awq . 01e Jahn Bilhinger, he had a bunch of dogs and. h 1ti take after runaw~r niggere. Somet~ees de dogs dida ketch de nigger. Den oie Billinger, he d cuss and kick dogs. ev, didn have to have a pass but on other plantations dey did, or de paiidlsroll rs would git you aM whip yoi~. Dey was de poor ithite 2..

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Exe,slave *tories Pa1ge Three (?exas) folks dat didn? have no elayes. We didn call ea ithite folks dem days No suh, we called dea Bt~.kry. Jus fore de war, a white preacher he cone to us slates and st s: Do y~i wan~ to keep you homes what yaa git all to eat, and raise your chilien, or do yi~i wan to b free to roan roun without a hoae, :~ i~. de wil aniaal s~ If you wan t o keep you honie s you be tter pray for de South to win, All day wan s to pray for de South to win, raise the hand. We all raised our hands cause we was skeered not to, but w. eho didn wane de South to win. Dat night all de slaves k~ad a meetin down in de hollow. Oie UncleMack, he gits up and says: One tute over in Tirginny der. was two oie gge, Uncle Bob and. Uncle Tc~. 1 y was aa& at one ~xiuther and one day dey decided to have a dinner and bury de hatchet. So th~r sat down and when Uncle Bob wasn~ t looking Uncle Torn put soae potsen in Uncle Bob s food, but he saw it and when Uncle Torn wain t looki& Uncle Bob he turned. de trq roun on Uncle Toa, and he git. de poison food. Uncle Mack, he says: Dat s what we elates is gwtne do, jus turn de tray rain and pray for de North to win. ~ After de wax dr~r was a lot of .xciteinent t~ong de niggers. Dsy was rejoicin and singin . Sowje of ein looked pu~sled, sorter skeered I Ike. ~it dey danced and had a big j eaboree. ILote of sis stayed and iorked on de halves. Others hired mit. I went to work in a grocery store and he paid ae $1.50 a week. I give a:y mother de dollar and ke.ped de half. Den I got married and farmed for aiihiie. Den I corne to Port Worth and I been yere since.

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 017 012

. 420198 5 ~ ~ .~. e EX~~:SLAVE STOBTh~5 .Pa~e One . (Texa5) SARAH ALLEN was born a $laT of John ~nd Sally ~oodren, in the - ~ Blue Ridge Mountai~ns of Virginia. Before the Civil War, her owners H ~ ~k~ c~e to TexaB, locating near a ~b . small town then called. Preedor~i. 4~V She ltv s at 3322 Imtas St., ts - . :~i Paso, Texas. ~ I i: was birthed ir~ time of bond~e You know, some people . aT e ashamed t o tell 1. t but I thank G~od I was li owed. to s ee theN times as well a.~ now. It~s a pretty hard story, how cruel sorne of the niarsters was, but 1 had the luck to be with good white people. But some I knew were put on the block ~nd sold. I tm~mber when they d corne to John ~oodren15 place to buy, but he not sell any. They d have cer~in days when theytd sell off the block and. they took chilien way from mothers, screamin for d.ere chilien. ft I w:~s b irthed. in oie Vi rgin la in de Blue Ridge M~ntains. . When de white people come toTex~s, de cullud. people come with then~. Dat e be en a I ong time . ~ . H~ ~ was n~rned Ch~lotte, my paw Pa~ks Ad~z. He s a white n~an . I gue s~ ~ I ni about e ightv s orne ye ars oie. You ~ow, in sla~ezy times when dey had bad mareter dey d run away, but we did.n want to. ~4y ml~sus would see her people had. soaeth ng good. t eat every Su.n&ay mornin . You had to mind. your rnis~.is \ ~ ~ nnd inarster ~nd yo~i be treated well. I think I was about twelve when ~ dey freed us and we stayed. with marater 1b~ut a year, then went to John~ Ecole place and rented soue len . ~ We made two bale5 of cotton and. it ~. :~ ~ was the first money we ever saw. ~ ~ . Back when we lived with Marster Good.ren we had. big candy ~ 0*1~

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13 Ei-slave Storie5 Pace Two .~ puIlln 5. Invite e7erybozi.y ~nd p1~r. We had good times. De worst thing, we dI1n never have no schoo1in~ till after I married. Den I went to school two weeks. My husban was teacher. He never was a $1~ve . Hi s father bou~bt freed.om through a bi ~.cksxni th shop some way. I had ~ nice weddlnt . ~ My dress w~s hite an3. trimmed with blue .-. ribbon. My second. day dress was white with red dots. I had. a beauti-~ fui veil and a wreath and bout two, three waiters for table dat d2.y. ~ mother was nearly white. Brighter than me. We left my father in Virginia. I was jus as white as de chilien I played with. I used t o be pluie br ight but here 3. at ely I ~ ~e t tin ~ awful dark. My 1msban~ was of a mixture like rou call bri~ht ~in~e r cake color, i~ d know where he ~ot his le~rnin ~ I fee . so bad. since he s gone to Glory. Now I~m oie, de LoH bas t~en care of me. He put th~.t spt~it in people to look after oie folks and now i~y ch ien look after me. i~ve two sons, one name James Alien, one R.M. Both live in E1 Paso. After we ~o to sleep, de people will know these things, cause if freedom h;~ .n come, it wx~ .d have been so miser~bie.

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 019 014

420149 . . EL~&~LTJ I2CBI:~$ Page On (!.xas) AIDT ANI1~BSOJ, 94, was born a ~ slats of Jack Eale~, who oimed a plantation in Williamson Co., Texas. Thiring the Civil War, nd~ was sold to V. T. Boue., of Bl&nco County~, iho in loss than a year sold Andy~ to his brother, John !mLse. Andy now lives with hi. third $f and eight of his children at 301 Arsoitr St. Port W~rth, Tizas. NM7 nase aa Andy J. Anderson, and X s born on Massa Jack Haley s plantation in *illiaason County, Texas, and lisses leley owned ay folks and bout twelve other fanili.. of niggers. Vs born in 1843 and that ask.. 94 year old. and 18 ysar when de war starts. X s had sperisnoes thirin dat tise. AMassa !a2~ey ~ kind t his cullu~t folks and his as kind to ovary- bo4, and all de folks likes his. De other white folk. called we uns de pet- ted i~iggers. There as bi~*it 30 old. and young niggers and bont 20 piccanix~niea too littl too work0 and de ~ea cares for dem while dey saisies works. l s girine splain how it ~ sanagid on Massa Riley s plantation. It m sort of liks de mall tova, cans. verything we uses sadi right th.re. Thor. am de shoemaker and hi is de tannir end make do leather from de hi&s. ~ 1~S~ sassa has bout a thousand sI~ep and he gits de wool, and de nigger. cards ~ and spin. and weaves it, and at sakes all de cloths.. D~t sassa have cattle and sich pttrvidi di silk and de ~tter and bif: sest for satin Doit sassa ~ ~ have do Wrkiys andahickens aM Is hawge and de bees. With all that, us never Tu hoagx~. S S ~ S ~i plantation as planted is cotton, sostly, With de corn and di wheat a little, cases sassa don t need a~ch of das. He never sill nothia ~ ~t de cotton. k

020 015

~x.elave Stori.s p~ ~ ~ (esias) Ds livia for de oullud folks good.. De quartars em built frou loge like d T . all in dem days. D. floor ds dirt but we has de b~h.s and what is matte on de place. And is bas de big firsplac~ for to cook and ~s tias plenty to cook in dat fireplace, cause maBsa allue lows plenty good rations, but he watch elose for de wastia of d food. De wait breaks and dat make de big change on .. massa s place. He jines de er~ and hire. a men cell Delbri~ge for overseer. After dat, de bell start to pop, cause da first thing ~l~ridge do is cut di rations. He weighs out de asat three pm.nd for de week, and hi asasurs a peck of meal. And twarn t enough. He half starv. us nigger. end be want me wo* end he start de whippin s. I guesses he starts to edaaacate ea. I guess dat Deibridge go to heil when he diM, but I don t ~.e how de debbil could stand him, 51 u.ns em not uss to sich and s~e rune off. ihm dey ~ cotched then ~ a whippin at de staks. ~iut dat Dlbridge, he sold me to Massa Bous., in 3lanco Count3r. X s )~ glad when X s sold, but it short glad.. flees, c~s hers ~ another man what hell z too good for. He giv.s a. de whippin arid de scars es still on a~ arms and ay~ back, too. I ll. cari~ ~ dem to my grav. He send* *e for firewood and when I gits it loadd, , iiheel ~ hit. a stu~ and de te~i j.rks and dat breaks de ippletres. So he tie. me to de stake Md every half hour for four hours, de7 la~s ta lasheS on my back. Por de first couple heurs de pain awful. l s never forgot it. Dsn 1 . ~ itood so ach p4* X not feel so *ueh end wh.u de~ takes as loose, I . Jus bout half dad. I la~s in de bumk two dais, gittiii over dat whippin , gittin ~ ~ 0,11 it in dl body bmt not Le heart. Io~ eUh, I has dat in de b.ez t till die ~ ~ .4.,

021 016

:~xN~B1ay. Storie6 Page Three ~ (~.xaa) 16 After dat whippin I doesn t have de heart to work for de ~asea. If I seed. &. cattle In de eornfie1d~ I turns de back, etead of chasmS em out. I guess dat de reason de ~aesa sold me to his brother, Kasea John. And he ~ good. like my first i~assa, he never whipped me. !~ j~ surrender ~m n~nced and massa t ella us we s free. When dat takes place, lt am about one hour by sun. I says to myself,. I won t be here 1on~~~ But I s not re~1tze what I . in for till after I s started, but I couldn t turn back. For dat means de whippin or daflger from de patter rollers. Dere I was and I kep on gwine. No nigger am spoBed to be off de massa s place withimt de pass, 80 I traYele at night and hides dunn de ~1i~t. I stays in de bresh and. gits water from de creeks, but not much to eat . Twice s sho dem pat ter rollers am pass in while I s hidin . I S 21 year old. den, but it ~ de fi~ .t time I : gone any place, cept to de ne1ghb~rs,so I , worried bout de right way to Massa Haley s place. BUbt de mm of dc third dey I comes to he place and I s so hofl 17 and tired end ecairt for fear Massa H,ley not h~e from de ar~ ylt. So I finde my p~py and he hides me in he cebin t ill a week and dsn l~ick c~es to me when Massa ~Ialey c0e home He come at night and de next worum dat D~lbridge ~ shunt off da place ci ia. Massa Haley seed h, nig~ers was all gaunt and lots ~ run off and de field. m not plowed right, and only half de sheep end everything left. So massa say to dat Dslbridge, Den am no words can s plain wbat y~s done ~ Git off ~y place fore I smashes y D n I kin c~e out from my peppy s cabin and de old. massa was glatt to ass as, and he let me stay till freedom am ordered. Dat s dc h~pie. time in my life, when ~t gits back to Massa Haley. .4..

[Interview with Anderson, George Washington (Wash)] 022 017

421)317 .. ~ ~: 17 Dibble, Fred, 2.11. Beehier Rheba P.W., Beaumont, Jefferson, Dist. ~3. A frail sick man, neatly clad in white pajamas lying patiently in a clean bed awaiting the end which does not seem far away. Although . we protested against his talking, because of his weakness, he told a brief story of his life in a whisper, his breath very short and every word. was spoken with great~. effort. His light skin and his features denote ne characteristic . of his race, has a. bald head with a bit of gray hair around the crown and a slight growth of gray whiskers about his face, is medium in height and build. WASH A1~DER~ON, although born in Charle8ton, S. C., ~ . S has spent practically all of his life in Texas ( ~ ~ ~j~ ~ M s folks call me Wash Anderson, but dey uster cal). me George. My whole name George Washington Anderson. I was b. n in Charleston, S.u f lina in 1855. Bill Andenen was my l~ marster. Dey was two boy and two gal in his fanilly. W~ all lef Charleston and conic to Orange, Texas, bof. freed~o~n come. I was f, year .1 when dey mek dat trip. N1 dan member nuttirt bout Charleston. You see where I was b. n was bout two rnile~ fron~.de city. I went back ne time in 1917 but I n stay dere l n~. My pa was Irv in Anders en and my memmer was name Bliza. 01 m&rster was pretty. rough on his niggers. Dey

023 018

~: 18 Dibble, Fred, P.W Beehler ~ Rheba P.W., Beaumont, Jefferson, Diat. #3. tell me he had my gran daddy beat t. death. Dey never did beat nie. Dey made de trip from Charle5t n toross de country and eettle in Dunean a Wood d.wn here in Orange county. Dey had a big plantation dore. I dunn. i1~ .1 rns.rster had m.ney back in Charleston, but I t ink h must have. He had b ut 25 r 30 slaves n de place. 01 man Ander~ n he had a big tw ~et ry house. It was bull out ~f 1.gs but it waa a big Line h uie. De ilaves ji. had little hg huts. Dare warn t no fl B to tern, nuthin but de run . Dem little huts j had ne x ~orn in em. Dey wai ne tamily t. de h uae, oep n aome~ time dey put two r t ree tarnily t a hsuee. Dey jis herd d. elavos in dore like a bunch f pigs. Dey uster raise o tt~n, and co n, and sugar cane, and ~ioh like, but dey IIdLn uster ratee n rice. Dey uster sen ituff t~ Terry in a railriad to sen it t. niarket. Smetine dey hitch up dey teamS and. sen it t~ Orange and Beau~ nt ja wagons. De l~ ~arster he had. a bsat, t.., and 3 metinie he sen a b atl ad ~ 14. i tuff to Beaumont My wirk was t. drive de surrey t.r de family and l..k atter L~ hos~~~s and de harneaa and lish. I jis have de bei h.sees ~t de place t. see atter.

024 019

19 Dibble, Fred, P.W Beehler Rheba P.W., Beauin nt, Jeffers n, Dist. ~3. I saw lits f s.jers dunn de war. I see t~~j D.*flT by, bi t~ Sabine Pae a ~ b ut de tinte if dat battle. Back tri slavery tise dey uster have a white prea~ cher t o rne r,un and preach t. de eullud f.lks. But I dri t member much b ut de s, rigs what dey uster sing. I play retin right smart when I was little. Dey uster have . ts if fun yl hide and s e ek, ~ and hide de switeh. We. uster rid.. stick h.sses and play r un at ai : dein t ings what ohillun play at. Dey had plenty 1 hiss es and mulos and e w~ on de .1 plantation. I had. t. l ok atter sme if de hosses, but dem what I hatter l.ok atter was s pise ti be de bes besses in de bunch. Like I say, I drive de surrey and. dey allus have de bes hosses t. pull dat surrey. Dey had a 11g stable. Dey kep d.c harness in clerc, too. Eb ry~ t ing whatde st~ok eat dey raise on de plantation, all de c n and. fsdder and sich like. Atter freed.m cerne I went reun dom &iVrent kind f w rk. I uster werk in stewnbeats, and on de railr ad and at sawmilhin . I was a sawyer fer a hug, ..ng time. I w.rk ~ Un in ~ sana and Arkansas and Okiahema as

025 020

Dibble Fred, Geeh .er Rheba, P.L, Beaum nt, Jeffersen, Dist. #3. well as in Texas . When I waan ~j dein dem kinds if werk, I uster work reun at anyt Ing what cerne to han I ~nember me t ime I was in for de Burr Lurnb er C.mpany at Fert T wnsend up dere in Arkansas. t~fl~en I was beut 36 year 1~ I git marry. 1 been married. twice . My us wife was naine Hannah and. Rever end Ge.rge Childreas was d~e preacher dat marry us. He was a ~ii11ud preacher. Atter Hannah beefl dead seine time I marry my seeor~ wife. Her naine was Tempte Perkins. Later on, u~ iep. rate. Us sept ~ en count 1~ m ney matters. II btl.ngs t. de Baptis Chutoh. 8 metime de preaeher cerne roun and see me. He was here a few Lays age dis week. ~

"Uncle Willis Anderson." 026 021

TEXAS UNCLE WILLIS ..~DERSON Rfl?ERENCES .A. Cor~rt~do ~ Chu1d~ren-.-.J. Prank Dobie, Fu.b. l9::~:?, Austin, Tex. :3. Leon County News-.-.Centerville, Texas-.-. Thurs~3y May 21, 1936. C. Con~u1tant-.-.Unc1e Willis A~ter~on, resid3llt o: : Centerviile, mex, born ~~ri1 15, 1844. An interesting ch~ar~.c~er at Centerville, Texas, is Uncle Willis Andersofl, an ex-.sle~ve, born April 15, 1844, 6 miles west of Ceriterville on the old. McDaniels plantation near what is now known t~s Hopewell Settlement. It is generally said that Uncle Willis ~.s one of the oldest living citizens in the County, boack or white. He is referrea to generally for information con-. cerning d.a:irs gnne by and. for the history of th ~t County, ~zpecia1ly in the irr~ mediate vicinit;i of Centerville. Uncle Willis is an interestii~g fi~nre. He may be found sitting on the porches of the stores facIng Federal Highway Yo. 75, noddin~ or con versing with small groups of white or colored people that gather around him telling of the days gone by. He also likes to watch the Irnases and. ~tomobilee that pass through the small town musir~ and. comnientirg on the swiftness of thins today. Uncle Wil1i~ still cultivates a smailpatch five miles out fr#~i the town. Uncle Willis is a tall dark, brown skinned. man having a large heed covered with mixed gray w~. y hair. ~e ha~ lost very few teeth considering his age. ehen sitting on the porches of the stores the soles of his farm-.ehoes

027 022

22 may be seen tied. together with piec.s of wire. He supports himself with a cane made from the Elm tree. At present he wears a tall white Texas Ce~. tennial h at which makes hinr appear more unique th~ui ever. Uncle Willis memory Is vivid.. He Is familiar with the older ~1g... uree in the history of the ~otmty. He tells tales of havii~g travelled by oxen to West Texas for flour and beliig go~s for six months at a time. He r.. members the ~eech1 and. the Kicka~oo Ithtans ann. also claimB that he can point out a tree where the Americans hung an Indian Chief. He says that he has plowed ~ arx Ows, pots and. flints on the Reubens Bains place and~ on the Mc Daniel armi. He can tell of the early lawlessness i~ the Coutity. His facs lights up when he recalls how the Yankee soldiers came throu~h Centervifle tellin.~ the slave owners to free their slaves. He also talks very low vrhe~ he mentions the name of Jeff Davi e ~ because h. says ~h& man save sdrop* the nig~ers houses in slavery time and if yer sed. that Jeff Davis was a good ipan, they barbecued a hog for you, but if yer sed1 that Abe Lincoln was a good. man, tka~: yer had to fight o r go to the woods. ~ Among the most interesting tales told. by Uncle Willis is the tale of the Lead mine. Uncle Wflhi s says that sane where along Bog~ Creek near a large hickory tree and a red. oak tree, near Patrickrs ~ he and his master, Auss MeDaniels, woifid dig lead. out of the ground whic~a they used to make pistol and rifle balls for the old. Mississippi rifles during slavery tims. Uncle. Willis claims that they woul43.ig slags of lead oat of the ground some 12 and 15 inches long, and others as large as a inan~s fist. They would carry this ore back to the big house and melt it down to get the trash out of it, them they would pour it into molds and make rifle balls and pistol

028 023

) r) balls from It, In thj9 ~ they kept plenty of amu~1tion ~n hand. In recent years the land. has changed ownership, and. the present owners live In Dallas. Learning of the tale of the lead mine on thur property they went to Centervill. in an attempt to loce.te it and were ~eferred. to Uncle Willis. Uncle Willis says they offered him two hundred dollars if he could locat the mine. Being so sure that he knew its exact location, said that the $200 was his meat. However, TJncls Willis was unable to locate the spot where they dug the lead and. the mine remains a mystery. (o) Recently a gro~up of citizens 0 Leon County incluci~n~ W. D. Lacey, Joe McDaniel, Debbs Brown, W. II Hill and. Judge Lacey cross questioned Uncle Willis about the lead. mine. Judge Lacey did. the questioning while them thers formed an audience. The conversation went as follows: Which ~way would. you go when you went to the mine? Judge Lacey asked. ROut tows hd. Normar~ee . How long would it take you to get there ? Two or three hours. Was it on a creek? Yessub, ~ But you cant go t o it sow? Nosiih I just can t recollect exactly where ~tis. (P) j. Prank Doble mentions ina~ty tales of lost lead mines throughout Texas lit Coronado s Ohildren, a publication o~the Texas Polk-Lore Society.

029 024

Lead in the early days of the Repu~bl~c and the State was very valtiable, as lt was the source of protection from the Indians ~nd also the means of sup~ plying food. (A)

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 030 025

il *)~Y~( ~~w\ft~ . ) ILe,SLAfl STORIE3 . pegs One 25 (T.x.~i) MART ARMSTRONG, 91, livis at 3326 Pisrei Av.. ~ Houston, T xas . She was born on a farm near St. Loais, Missouri, a slays of Tt1~ urn c:!.~.1and. Kir athsr, Sa~ Mama, bslongsd to a nigger trad r, ~ iho baa a farm adjoining th Cisys-. land plac.. ~I~s Aunt Mary, aU right, bat you all has to ~ cuss me if I don t talk so good, Cause I~s been f.elin poorly for a spell and I am t so y ng no more Law as when I think back what I used t o d~o, and. now it s all I can do t o hobbl round a 1 ittle . Why Mise O . ivi a, WY i~istrns, used. to put a glass plumb fUI of water on my~ head~ and then have me waltz r~and the room, and I d. dance so imoothiike, I don t spill nary drap. w That was in St Louis where I s born. You ses my aana belong to old. Wj~j~ Cleveland and old. Polly Cleveland, an they was the mean~ est two white folks what e~er liv.&, ~cause they was aUu~e beatin on their slaves. I know, canes a~zaa told ~ and I sears about it other plaose arid besides old. P~lly, eh. was a P~lly devil if there ever was one and she whipped ay 1. i ttli si ster etat was only nine months old and jes a baby to death. She come end took the diaper offen ay little sis ter and whipp,d till the blood .1e. ran ils C&USI ehe cry like all babies d.o~ and it kilt 1*7 sistsr. I neyer forgot the)t~ but I ~ot some even with that old Polly d.itl and s this~am way.

031 026

~Ex-e1ave Stori.. p~ Two 26 ( Texas) You see, Vs bout 10 year old. and. I be1oz~gs to Miss Olivia, what was that old. Polly e d~ighter, end one day old. Polly devil comes to where Miss Olivia lives after she marries, and trys to give me a lick out in th. yard, and. I pick. up a rock bout as big as half yc~ir fist and hits her rigbt in the eye and. busted the eyeball, and till. her that s for ~aippin my baby sister to death. !o~i could hear her holler for five miles, bu~t Miss Olivia, when I tells her, says, Esl , I guess gamma has larnt her lesson at last.~ But that old flhly was mean like her hueban , old b1evelar~d, till she die, end I hopes they is burnin~1 in torment now, I dcii t tmember 1bout the start of things so much, cspt what Mise Olivia and my a~ma, her name was Siby, tells me. ~ Course, it s powerful cold in winter times end the farms was lots different from down here. ~ calls ~sm plantations down here but up at St. Lou~is they was jes called farms and that a what they as, cause w. raises wheat and barley and rye and Oats and. corn and fruit. The houses was builded with brick and heavy wood, too, ~ca~se ~ cold ~i~p there, and we has to wear the warm clothes and they s wows on the place, and we works at it in the evsnin s. P 4 Cleveland takes a lot of his slaves what was in custom1 and~ brings em toTexas to seU. You kitow, he w~n t epoaed to do that, cause when yott s la eustc~ , that s caus. he borrowed money on yoi~i, and you s not sposed to leaw. the place till he paid up. Coarse, old. Clewsland jes tells the one he owed the money to, you had run off, or squirmed out some wey, h. was that mean. .2.

032 027

i ~aS 1 . 1~x~1aYe Stories Page Thre. (Texas) Mazuma say dhe WaB in one bunch and me in r~other, Mamma had 1~en put fore this with ~iy papa, Sa~ Ad~s, but tht~t mckee no diff renc to Old. Cleveland. He s ~o mean he never wov~d sell the man and w~an and chilien to the semt~ one. He d sell the man he e and. the woman there and if they s chilien, he d. seil them iome place else. 0h, old Satan in torment could&t be no mean.er th9n what he and Old Polly was to they slaves. He d chaii~ a nigger up to whip t and rub salt and pepper on him, like he said, to season him up. And when he d. Beil a slave, he d. grease their mouth aU up to make it look like.they d been fed. good and was itrong and healthy. Wefl, mamma say they hadn~ t no more n got to shreveport fore iome l~.w man ~~otch old. Cleveland and takes ~n all back to St. Louie. Then ray little sister s born, the one old P~ily devil kilt, and 11 bout four year old then. AMiss Olivia takes a i to me and, though her papa and mama 80 IS&fl, ehe a kind to e~ex yone ~ and. they j es love her. She marriee to Mr. !iil Adame what was a fine mari, and. has bout five farms and 500 slaves, and. he buys m~ for her from old Cleveland and pey~hiii $2~5oo.OO, and givse him George lienry, a nigger, to boot. Law~y; I s shoe ~ to be with Mies Olivia and. away from old. Cleveland and Old Polly, cause they kilt my little ister~ 0W, lives in St. Louis, on Chinquapin Bill, amt X s houeeg rl and when the babies starte to come I nueees em and spins thread for clothe. on the lo~~ :i $piflB Iii cute of thread a week, but I has plenty of time for ~.self and that s where I larni to dance eo good. Law, I sho jie crazy b t d.ancin . If I s setting satin ~y victu.al~ and hear. a fiddle play, I gStI up and dances. ~

033 028

o 1h-4,) ~x e1aYe Stories ~ Pour ( Texas) Mr. Will and Miss O~1~ia sho is good to me, and I never calls Mr. Will Jiassa neither, but when they s ccmpany I calls hii~ Mr. Will and. round the house byourselves I calls them pappy and i~ammy , cause they raises me up from the little girl. I hears old Cleveland done took my mamrn* to Texas gain but I could.n t do nothin ! cause Miss Olivia wouldn t have much truck with her folks. Once In a while old Polly come. ov r, but Miss Olivia telle her not to touch me or the otber~s. Old. Polly trys to buy me back from Miss Olivia, and if they had they d. kilt me sho But Misa Olivia ~ 8~, I d. wade in blood as deep as Hell fore I d l t you have Mary. That s jes th very words eh. told. sea. Then I hears my papa I didn t know him so well, je. me like mamma being took so far One day Mr. Will say, Law me, I never wcm t forget that. t o the Mi s s sippi River and pret ty soon here they o aies the Nat chez *nd the ~clipsi, with smoke aud fir. J.. pmirin out of they s~ok.stacks. Thkt old captain on the Clips. starts puttin in bacon meat iz~ the boiler and th, crease je. ec~ies out a blazin and it beat the Natchiz to piece.. UI stay. with Mise Olivia till 63 ~hen Mr. Will set us all free. I was bout 17 year old then or mors. I way I goin find. my m~u~a. MX. Jill !iXSI ~ . me up two papsrs, on. bout a yard long and the other sane aa.llir, ~it both has big~ gold seals what he says is the seal of the State of Missouri. K. gives me aoniy~ and thys my fa~i tiCkSt to Texas and t.ll~ me th 7 is still is sGld some place I don t know where.. Course, what mairnn~ done told. me, so that didn t worry L~Wa7. Mary, you want to go to the river and ~e Where we live it ain t far the boat race?t .4-

034 029

Ex..slaYs Stories Page Pire 29 (fixas) ~: BIaV8 times down here and t o put the papers lit my bosom but t o do what ever the ~ whitS folks tells me, eyen jf they wants to sell ~ But he ~y, i ors you gets I off the block, jee pull out the papers, but jes hold. im up to let folks see and ~ don t let Sm out o ~ your hands, and when they sees them they h~s to let you alone. j Miss Olivia oily and carry on and say be careful of myself c~zse lt sho I rough in Texas. She give me a big basket what had so much to sat in lt I couldn t I hardly heft it and ~other with clothes in it . They pits me lr~ the back end a ~ the boat where the big, old wheel what run the boat was and I goes to New Orleans, ~ and the captain puts me on nother boat and I comes to Gal~eston, and that captain ~ puts me on ftother boat and I comes up this here a~ffalo Bayou to Houston. ~ . aj looks round Houston, but not long. It sho was a dumpy little place : then and I gets the stagecoach to Austin. It takes us two days to get there and I thinks my back bust ed. 1 1 nough, lt was sich rough ridin ~ Then I has troubi e aho A man asks me whers I goin and says to come long and he takes me to a Mi . Charisy Crosby. They takes nil to the block what thsy sells slaves on. t gets right. up like they tells me, 1ca~ise I lecte what Mr. Will done told me to do, and they starts bid.din on me. And. when they cried off and this Mr. Crosby cane up to get me, I je. pulled out my papers and helt em up high and when he sles ~sm, he say, Let me see them. ~it I says, IOU jes look at it up here, and he squints up and say, This gal am free and has papers, ~nd tsll~ me he a legislaturs man and takes me and lets me stay. with his slates. He is a good Ian, I Es telle me there s a slave refugee camp in Wharton County but I cUdn t hare no money left b~t he pays me SOffle fO1~ workin and when the war s OYer ~ starts to hunt mamua gain, and finds her in Wharton County near where Ik~arto~ ii.. Law me, talk ~ ~~rjfl~ and singin and cry~.n soins mors, we mirs d~on, lt. I stays with mamma till I gets married in 1871 o John Armstrong,

035 030

~ 3() ~x..a1ave Stories . Pa e Six (Texas) S and then we all c~es to &uston. I getinie a job nusein for Dr. the yellow fever ~p1d.znic. I ~Iects in with tI~e rots, I s seen folks with the death on 1em and grab other folks, The white and black, cause he sweat it out and Yin6gar end mustard and s oiu ei se in it. :~it0 law me, so much is gone out of my mind, cause Pi 91 year old. now and my mind jee like my legs, jes kind~a hobbl rouM abit. R,llaford and. was all through $75 people die jes like sheep fever jump from their bed with doctor saved lots of folks, of em ~ He mixed p hot ~ water

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 036 031

420085 . EL~jTE STORI~8 Page One 31 (!~exa.) S~ARLIN ABNWINE, 94, wae born a slave t o Albertus Arnwine near Jaciceonville, Texas, who died. when Steaz lin was se yen or e i~ht. He was bo~tght by John Moseley, of Ib~sk, T xas, who made Stearlin a howeboy, and was very k1X4 to him. He now lives about six ~i1es west of Jacksonville. I ~vas bo n f rs de war in 1853 r ight ~iear the hers ~ town, on Gii.m Creek. My ma~way be1cn~ed to Massa Libertue Arnwine, and he waan ~ ever aarrie&. Re owned. four woi~t~ i~ i~ajng~v~, bit, my grandmother, Gracie, and my Aunt Winnie and Ai~nt Mary. He didII1 own ~ay niWr mes, ~ cept the chifle ~ of these women. Grendiaa lived In de ho~iee with Massa Lrnwine ~ ~nd the rest of ~is lived in cabine in de ya &. My n~imny come fxxa Men~hte but I done 1a~ow whar my p~py come from. He was Ike Lane, I has three half brothers, ~ . ~nd their naines le Joe and Will and John Sohot, and. two sisters called Polly and Rosie, Massa rnwine died fore de war ami he ma~1e a will eM it gave ai . he owned. to the~, women he owned, and Jedge Jowell promised massa on his deathbed. he wa~iid talcs us to de free country, but he dUn He took us to hie place to work for hii for boet two years and the women never did get that 900 acres of 1~tnd Massa Arn~ine willed t otem, I don. know who got it but they dIdn . I ~.owi I et ill has a share in that i~nd, but it t~3~es mosey to ~it it in cou t. When war broke I feU into the hen s of Meesa John ~oseley ~ ~ : ~ ~ at Th~sk. They broi~ht the dogs to r un us up from the fiel s whar we was Woitin~, I was the only one of my fam ly to go to assa John ~L

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32 Ex slave Stories Page Two ~ ~ ~ (Texas) I never did wotk in the fiel s at Massa John~s place. He said. I unis be his ho~ieeboy and houseboy I was. Massa was sho good to me 911d I d~id love to be with him and follow him rouit . The kitchen was out In de ya d and I had. to carry the victuals t o the big .~room. When d inner was over Massa John tuk a nap and I had to fan him, and. Lawey me, ltd git so sleepy. I kin hear hin~ now, for d. wa~ce up and saar ~ Go ge t me a dr ink outta the northeast corner of de well, We had straw end grass beds, we put it in sacks on de groun and t on ~ s cke. I don isember how im~ch lend Massa John had. but it was a big place a~d he had lots of slaves. We chillun had supper early In de ~en in and mostly cornbread and hawg neat and milk. We all ate from a big pot. I lamed to spin a~d weave and. knit and made lote of socks. tMa~sa John had. two etep-~daughters, Mies Mollie and Miss Lem a, and~ they wen to school atBask. It was my job to take em thur ev ry Monday morni& on horses and go back after tea Priday afternoon. n ~ never eaz nt no money fore freedom come but once i~iy brother-. in-law give me five dollars. I was so proud of it I showed lt to de l~1ies and. ou of eis said, Yoi~t ~ need dat, and ehe give me two sticks of candy and tuk de money. But I didn , know any better then. UI seed. slaves for sale on de auction block. They sol em 1cordl~ to etrengt and muscles. They was stripped to de wale . I seed the warnen and little chillun cryin and beggin not to be sep-. . .~ ~ arated, but it didn do no good.. They had. to go. L I

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. ~z~elave Stories ~ ~ree 33 ~(Texas) . ~The only chu cli I knowed. bout was when t d. git tog ther in de night and have prayer meeti~ ~ ~ We ~ise to go way out in de woods so (~C ~white folks wou.ldn hear nothin . Sometimes weed stay nearly all night on Saturday, ~ ca~iee we di&n have to work Sund~. Bout the only thing we could play rae stick hosees.~ I made miles ~nd ailes on the stick hoesee. After the War Massa John have his chillun a big roll of Confederate money and they give us some of it to trade and. buy stick hosses dth~ t; When Mas sa John t t us we was free he dnt seem t o mint but Mise :Em, she bawled and. equalled., say her prop ty taken wa~r fron her. After dat, my mammy gathers us togedder and tuk ue to the Dr. Middleton place, out from Jacksonville. Prom thai to de Ragsdaie plane whar i s been ever since. wore my first pants when I was fou~teenyeare oie, and they stung till I was ais ble. The cloth was store bought ~t m~rny made the pants at borne. it was what we called dog-hair cloth. Manmiy ~4ade my first shoes, we called em ~ red r pe . I

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 039 034

~2OO75. EL.SLLY~ ST tIXS Peg. On~ (?.xas) 8~RAE ASHI3Y, 93, was born in Kiesiesippi. She recall. her eq,eri.nc.s when sold. on ta. bbock in lew Orleans, and on a cotton plantation in ?sxas. She now lives at Goodrich, Texas. II ain t able to do nothi no more. I,e jus pli~b give ou.t and I stays her. by myself. My daughter, O.o~gia Grime, ehe u~sed to live with me but ehe s been dead. fair year. ~I was born in Miss ippt and Massa Henry Thomas buy us and bring ua here. E. a spec lator and. buys up lots of nigger. ~nd sells em. Us family was sep rat.d. My two sisters and my papa was sold to a Man in Georgia. ~n dey pi~t me on a block and bid ai off. Dat in New Orleans and I scairb and cry, ~it dy put me up dare anyway. tiret dey takes me to Georgia and dey didn t sell me for a long spell. Massa Thomas he travel round and buy and sell ai~srs. U. stay in de spectlators 4rovs d. lang time. RAfter while Uaese Mose Davis come fron Cold Spring, in Texai, end buys us. ~e was buyin up litti. chillsn for hi chilien. Dat bout fmir year befo1 de first war. I was 19 year old when de burst of fredoa comi in Jitne and I git turn leo... s ~ ~ workin in d.. fi.ld den. Jus befo dat di old Massa he go off and ~iy more nigger.. Es go iast. Re on a boat ihat git stove up and he dii and n ver corns back: no mor . Us never see him no mors.

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!:x~...1ay, Stori s ~ Pa ~ . P1FO t~ ~ : (pm) . 3,) n! used to hat, to ptt~ cotton aM s~time X pick 300 piand and tote it a ails to de cott~ house. Soue pick ~O to 800 powid cotton and havi to tot. de bag di whole titi to da gin. Iff n day di&t do dey work dey git whip till dey haie bltst,r on ~ iffen day didn t do t t di man on a hose goes down di r ws and whip with a paddle sake with holes in it and bue de . I never git whip, cau~ I ellue git ~y 300 pound. Us haTs to go early to do dat, when de horn goes early, befo daylight. tie have to t&~s de victuals in de b~.k.t to da field. Massa have de log h~iss and us liv. in little h~issa, trowe4i in long rows, Din wasn t no Mesttn1s lowed in de quarters anti iffert day have prayer aestin cia boss man whip d~i. Soaetiti ua 1 ~n off at night and go to ca~ a ttn . I takes de white chilien to church e ~eti~s, but dey co~d~ t lam ae to sing no song. tcatiis I dida have no spirit. $*U. never got ao~igh t~ eat, so ua ~seps stealing stuff. Us has to. Dl7 give u1s de pecic ot aeai to last i. week and two, thr. pound bac~ in chwik. Us never have flottr or sugar, jus e cornmeal end dl meat and tatars. I~ nigg rs has de bi~ box under de fireplace, where day kept eli do pig and chickens what day steals down in salt. 1$! seed a aen run away and de white sen got di dogs and day kotch hia and~ put Ma in de front rooa end he jump throuih d.c big window endbr~kdsglu.allup, Deysho whipehiMwhendq~otchssh&~. D. way day whip di uig~ers was to ettip ~as off ni~kett i~n& whip es till day aaka bli.t,ri and bus do blisters. J n day taki di salt II,,..

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~x.a1av. Stories Page Three ) (Texas) and rd pepper aM put in de w mds. After d~ wash .M greame d~ .ntt put s~ethi~ on dem, to kesp d~ froa blee& to daath. ~Whei d boss man to1d~ ue freedom was e~e he didn t ltk it, but he givS all u~ 1 ba .e of cotton aM so~ne corn, He aa~c us to stey eM he p with de crop butwe ~ne so gla& to git ~way dat nobody ~teys. ~ I got ~b~mt fifty &ollars for di cotton &M den I linde it to a nigger what never pqs I. back yit. D.n I got no plac to go, so I cooks for a whit. aa~. name Dick C~j . K. spesen give me $5.00 de month but h. never paid me no money. fle,& givi me eats and. clothes, cans. h. ha. di little itore. Niow, X e all alone and thinks of dem old times what was so bad, and l s rea~1y for d.s Lard to cell mes

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 042 037

~ +~e~)~ . . 4 ~ ~j ~* L~ 1~X~SLAVE STORL~S Page One (Texas) AGATHA BABINO, born a slave of Ogis Gu.idry, near Carenco, Louis..~ iana, now liveB in ~ cottage on the property of the Blessed Sac-. r~jaent Church, in B~ausaont, Texas. ~he s~ s she is at least eightyseven and probably rauch older. I Old Marse was Ogis ~ uidry. Old Mis s was Laurentine . t~y had. four chilien, Placid, Aiphonse ~rnd. Mary and Alexandrine, and. live in a big, one-~story house with ~ gallery ~nd brick pillrrs. Dey h~1 a big place. I spect a mile cross It, ~nd fifty slaves. My mama n~xirwas Glance Richard. She come from South Carolina. Papa was Dick Richard. He corne from North Carolina. He was slave of old Placid Guilbeau. He live near Old. Marse. Uy brothers was Joe and Nlchol~s and Oui ~nd Albert ~nd Maurice, and sisters was Maud and C~lestine and Pauline. Us slaves lived in shabby houses, De~r builded of logs and have dirt ~e have a four foot bench. ~e pull it to p. table nnd set on it. a platform with planks and moss, W. had Sunday off. Christmas was off, too. De~v give us chicken and flour den. But most holidays de white folks hr~s company. Dat mean more work for us. Old Marse bad. He beat us till we bleed. He rub salt and. pepper in. One time I sweep de yard. Young miss come home from college. She slap my face. She want to beat me. Mpjn~ ~ to beat her, so dey did.0 She took de beatin fca me. My aunt ru.n off cause dey beat her so much. Dey bx~ig her back and beat her some more.

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( ~.~sli~Ve Stories Page Two (Texas) We have dance outdoors sometime, S~~meb~dy pl~Ey fiddl~ and banjo. ~ dance de reel and quadrille ~~id buck dance, Dc men dance dat. If we ~o to dance on ~flOthCI plantation we hpve to have pass. De patterrolle~s come arid make us sh ow de slip. If dey ain t no slip, we git beat, III see plenty sojers. Dey fight ~t Pines ~nd we hear hail g zin~--.zing. Younr rn~rse have blue coat, He put it on ~.nd climb a tree to see. De sojers cOme and think he a Yankee. Dey take his gi~in. Dey turn him loose when dey find out he ain t no Yankee, When dere~l Yankees come dey take corn and gooses ~nd hosses. Dey don t ask for nothln Dey take what dey wants. ~ masters hava chilien by slaves. Some sold dere own chilien. Some sot dem free. ?$~rfl~en freedom come we have to sign up to work for money for ~ ~Tear. \~e couldn t go work for nobody else. After d~ year some st~ys, but not long. De Ku Klux kill niggers, Dey come to take my uncle. He open de door. Dey don t take him but tell him to vote Democrat next day or dey ~yill. Dey kilt some niggers what wouldn t vote ~mo rat. Dey kill m~r old uncle Davis. He won t vote Democrat. Dey shoot him, ~ Den dey stand him up and let him fR11 down. De~ tie him by de feet. Dey drag him through de br ,sh . Dey d~.re hi s wi fe to cry . When I thirty I marry Tesisfor Babino. Pere Abadie marry us at Grand ~ Coteaij, We have dinner with wine, Den come big d~rnce. We have t~celve chilien. ~e works in de field in Opelousas. We come here twenty-five year a~go. He die in l9l7~ .Dey let s meuve here. It nice to be near de church. I cari go to .j~ers when I wants to, ~ : ~

Ex-slave autobiography. 044 039

42~()iGi ~T ~sIave Voltime page one 39 EX-.SLAVE STORIES (Texas) ~ ~ ~ ~ ..~. ~ ~ :::y~ ~ EX~ SLAVE AUTOBI OGRAPHY MRS. JOHN B IWL Y (nee Sarah Sanders) BrOWflWoQd, Texaswas born in Komo, Missi~ipI~i3 September 1., 1853, ~he wa$ born a slave at the l orth S1~&des plaoe. Mr. ~uid ~trs. Uorth Slade were the only owners she ever had, ~he served as x~irse ~taid 1 ~or her r&~rster s children and did gexieral hoasework. ~ 3he~ with her mother axid ~ther and ~imiu~ ly stayed with the ~1ades u~nti1 the end 0 the year a ~ter the Civil vm~r. They then rxioved to theinse1ves~ hiring ouSt to White Folks. ~My inaratex and mistress w~s &OOd to all de s1~tves dat worked for dem.. 3u~t ou~r over~eer, Jimmy ~he~rex~, was ~ho ine~n, one d~y he doxae git triad at me for some litt,le ~ome~ thin an~ w~ien I take de ashee. to de gardexi he catches me &~id ch~1rAa ute u~p ~ad down on de groU~.t1T. One day he ~~ot mad

045 040

Pa~e two. at my brother and kicked him end over end, jes like a stick ci: wood. Hewould whip us tU we was raw and then p~it pe.p~ per and salt in de sores. Uhe thought we was too slow in doiri anything he would kick us oU ~ :~roun and churn u~ uI~ and down. Our punishment depended on de inooc o ~ de ove~ ~ seer. I never did see no slaves sold. ~ihen we was sick dey ~ give us medicine out of drug stores. De over~seer would git ~: ~ coarse cotton cloth to make our work clotheout o ~ and !~ den he would make dem so narrow we couldn hardl.y walk. ~ There was 1800 acres in itarster ~lade s plantation, we got up at 5:00 o clock in de rnornin and de riel~ workers would qtiit after sun~down, Vie didn have no jails ~or slaves. ~7e went to church with de white Loiks and there was a place in de back of de chu~rch ~or tis to sit. I was 3est ~ child den and us ehiflans would gather in de back yard and sins sonos and play games and dance jigs. Song I member most is The Day is Past and Gone.t One time rnarster sound out the over seer w~ so rneaxi to rae, so he discharged him and released me from duty ~or awhile. ~e never did wear shoes through de week but on Sunday we would dress a~ in our white cotton dresses and put on shoes. we wasn t taught to reed or wr it; ~ ~.ir owner cl idn t think anythix~ about it. We had to work i~ there was work to be done, ~hen we got caught u~ den we could have time off. I~ any of us got sick our inistre88 would ~ tend to us herse1~. U she thought we was sick enough she would call de white doctor, When de ~n~rster done told ~s we was free we jumped up and

046 041

Page three 4J. cloWn and sJ.~~ped our hands and shou~ted Glory to Godp ~ child dat was one happy bunch oi~ ni~ers. ~whUe ~texi dat some o:i: de slaves told iratrster dey wante~ to stay on with him jike dey had been but he told erri no dey oou.ldn t, ~ dey was free, ire said he could tise some of e~ but dey would haTe to buy what dey got ~nc1 he v~ou1d have to pay em like men. When I was bout 16 years old I nit~rried John B~rcIay. ITS had ten chil.luxi and :Cour gran ~-chi11un and nov~ I iive~ by myae1 ~.

047

#420128 Ex-431~ve S~ories (L~LA~) JOHN BA~ER, a~e 84, iiOUStOfl. ~ photographs rriakbked ~ have been assi~~ned to this ra~inuscript ~ the Green Curuby photos ~re 3ttached to the proper manu~ script and the five referred to above ~re prob~ ably pictures of John Barker.

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 048 042

.~ w ~ k. ~ ~ ~ Pa~e one ? :j~ ib (i.xas) 4 ? ~ ~ JOEN BAREEa, age 84, was born near Cjncinnati, Ohio, the property of the Barker family, who moved to Misso~tri and. later to Texaa. He ~ ant his wife live in a neat eotta~e in Houston, Texas. t I was bo,m a ~ slave . I ~ in a Malaas ser(Madaas car) nigger. I member all boat dem times, even up in Ohio, thott~h dQBarkers .. brought me to Texas later on. My mother and father was call Goodman, b~tt dey diet when I was little and. Missy Barker raised me . on de plantation do~ near Ho~iston. Dey was plenty of work ant plenty of room. HI member my ~rantma ant grandpa. In dem days d.c hornet toads runs over de world. and my ~rwidpa would gather tem ant lay tem in de fireplace till dey driet and roll em with bottles till dey like ashes and. den rub it on de shoe bottoms. You see, when dey . want s t o ran aw&y, tat stu~ff t t s tick all on de shoes it et lok t O de track. Den dey carries some of tat powder ant throws it as far as dey cou juap ant ten jump ever it, ant to dat again till dey use all t, powder. Dat throwed. de common hou.nds off de trail altogether. But dey have de bloodhounds, hell h~tnts, we calls em, and dey could pick up tat trail. Dey rtin my ~ran&pa over 100 mile ~nd three or fou~r days ant nichts and found him under a bridget, What dey put on him was . ~. enoug;hl I seen ~ em whip r~nawiay niggers t ill de blood ran down tere :i~. .: ~ ~ ba&s ant den put salt in de places. ~i~ . .t I epect dore was boat 40 or 50 acres in de plantation. Dey worket ant worked and. titn t have no dances er church. Dances nothin!

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~1~$l~ve Stories Page Two 443 (Texas) ~ . . t My massa and. missus house was nice, but it was a log house. They had. big fireplaces what took great b g chunks of wood and kep fire ~ a~1l night, We lives in de back i~ a little bitty house like a chicken ~ house. We makes beds out of posts and slats across teni and. fills tow sacks with shucks in em for mattress ~nd pillows . I seed slaves sold. ~i& they was yoked like steers ax~d sold. by pairs sometimes. Dey wasn1t lowe!. to marry, . cause they co~ld be sold ana it wasn t no use, but you could live wi.th em, ~e used. to eat possums and. d~ese old fashioned coons ani~1 ducks, Smetimes we d. eat goats, too. We has plenty cornmeal and lasses and we gets milk sometimes, but we has no fine foot, cept on Christn~as, we gits some cake, maybe. ~ My grandma says one . day dat we all is free but we staye&.~ with Massa Barker quite a while. Dey pays us for workin but it am t m~ch~ pay, cause de war done took dere money and all. Bat they was good. to ~s, so we stayed. . . ~nI was boat 20 when I marries de fust time. lt was a big blow~ ou~t and. I was scared de whole time First time I ~ ever t ackled inarryin . ~ ~ y hat a big paper sack of rice and. throwed. it all ove.r her and I enough ~tce to last three or foUr days, throwed away jtts for nothin . I had on a black, alpaca suit with frock tail coat ~itd if I am t mist aken, a right .~!~ts shirt, My wife have a great train on her dress and one dem things ylu call a wreath. I wore de ludest shoes we could. find, what you call leather. . Die here my thirt wife. We marr;es in ~a4e Pass and comes up ~ :~ain ie Reservation and w~rk8 foi de arrny till we goes to work for ~ : : ~ ~ . ~ .

050 044

~1~s1ave Stories . Page Three 44 (Texas) de Pattersons, and we been here 23 years now. OEhosties? I was takin care of a white msn when he died. and. I seed. something tbout three feet high ~~nd black. I reckon I must have fainted cause they has de doctor for me, And. on dark nichts I seed. ghesties what has no head.. ~ Dey looks like dey wild ~nd dey is all in dif~ ferent performance. When I coin down de road. and fee . a~ hot steam and look over my shoulder I can see em plain as y~ st~n&in dere. I seed. em when ~y wife was with me, but she can t see em, cause some people ain t ~1fte& to see es,

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 051 045

4201 33 ~ ~L~SLAVE STOBIES Page One (Texas) 4 JOJJ BAB~1E8, 89, was born In Tiler Co. Texas ~ on Jim Sapp s plant at loi. He is very feeble, but keeps his great grand.children in line while their mother works. They live in Beaumont. Joe Is tall, slight, and has gray hair and. a stu~bby gray mustache. In his kind, geitle voice he relates ~ his experiences in slavery days. Dey calls me Paul Barnes, but my name ain t Paul, it am Joe. My massa was Jim sapp up here in Tyler County, and in I s sus ~ iaxne was LnJ~. J~ Sapp place was b~t and dey raise a sight of cotton and corn. Old. massa Jim he h9ve bout 25 or 30 slaves. ~ nz~me was irtimiel, but ~ey call her Emily, and pa s name Jerry, Woote~ tcause he live on de Wooten place. My steppa named Barnes and I t aken dat name ~y parent s dey have de broomstick weddli . !hen I~s a chile us play marbles and run rabbits and ride de stick hoss and de like. When I gits more bigger, us play ball sort of like baseball. One time my brudder go git de hosses and dey lots . of rain aid de creek swol . up high. De water so fast it wash him off he hosa and. I am t t seed him sInce. Dey never find de body. He s bout ten year old. den, t Massa live in de big box hmse and de qp,arters am in a row : : 1 de back. Same of dem box and some of dem log,. Dey have two rooms. : ~ d.ay de big, old oowhorn blow for dinner and. us have de 1 ittle t in ::;. u.p what us git potlicker 1* and neat and. cornbread and. salt bacon. Us gits green2) to o. De chimneys bout four feet widea n d dey cooks evezy _ ~i~g in de fireplace. Dey have pots end. ovens and put fire below and ~ em, t ~ 1 ~

052 046

.E .slaVe Stories PageT~~o (~exas) 4G t I us ed. to wear what I cal 1~ a one ~.butt oi cutaway. It was j j a shirt make out of homespun with pleats down front. Dey make dey o~n cloth dem time1 Massa marry de Thlks In de broomstick style. Us don have de party but sometime us s Ing and play games like de round dance Dey give de little ones bacon to suck and tie de string to de bacon and d other round. dey wrists, so dey won t swallow or lose do bacon. For de little bits of ones de~ rings de bel . for dey mor~ners to come from de field and nues sein, After freedom come us stay a year and den move to Be~imont and us work in de sawmill for Mr. Jim Long. De fust money I git I give t o my mammy. Me aznd mammy and at epdaddy s t ~ys in Beairnont two years den noves to Tyler i~d plants de crop. But de aext~ year us ~nove back to Beaumont on de La*gb.am place and mammy work for de Longs till she die. ~fl~en I git marry I many Dicey Allen and. she die and I never ~ rn&ry no o. I worked in wa and on 4. og p ond. and. al lus gi t s by pretty good. I ain t done no work much de last ten yee~r, I s too old. i: sort a looks after my graadchillen and I sho loves dem. I sits round and hUX~tB all de time. It am rheumatism In de feets, I reckon. : ~ ~ got six graadohiflen and. three greg ..grandchillea aad dat one ~rou hears ~ I dat de baby I ~ rais ~ in dere. ~ l s feared I didn t tell you so mch bout thhtgs wi~ back, but ~te truth am, I can t member like I used to ~ ~

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 053 047

420166 ~X~.SLAVE STORIES Page One (Texas) AP~MST:EAD BARRETT, born in 1847, was a slave of Stafford Barrett, who lived in Hu.ntsville, Texas, He is the husband 0 ~ Harriett Barrett. Ax inztead has a very poor memory ~nd r~an tell little about early days. He and. Harriet re~ cei~re old Pf~e pensions. 111 8 really owned by ~r~ssa Stafford Barrett but m~r rn~~r t lon~d to ~L~ss~a Ben ~alker and was lowed. to keep me with her. So after we uns sot free, I lives with xay dad..d~r ~d ma~y and goes by da name of Barrett. Daddy s name waS Henry Barrett and he s brun~ toTexas fro~nRicbmon~., in Virgir~ny,and mammy corne from KentucI~r. Us all lived in Hantsville. I waited on Miss Ann~and mamiriy was cook. Old massa have*doctor for us when us sick. We s too val ble, Jus like to de Tht beef, massa am good to u. Massa g&to other states arid g t men and women and chile slaves and bring de~ ht~ck to sell, cause he spec lator. He ni~ke dem wash up good and den sell dem. Mos time we~un~ went nalced, Jus have on one shirt or no shirt a- tall. ... ~ ~ I know when peace dared dey all s}icutin . One woin~ui hollerin z~d ~ S a white man with de high- .steppin hoss ride obst to her and I see h n g t ~ . ~it snd O~ fl he knife and. cut he r wide ~ cross de st omech. Den he put he hat ~ ~n5ide he shirt and rid off like liglitnin . De wox~ian put in wagon and I never ~ :~. heered. no more bcr~it her. ~ NI didn t ~it nothin when us freed. Only some caet.off clothes. Zong ti~ie aft er I rent s de place on halves and f~rrns most ~y 1 ife Now s too old to work and g te a pension to lii~eon. ~

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3X~SLAV~ STORIES Page Dwo . (Texa5) . .. .48 III seexn~ to think us have more freedom when us slaves, c~se we have no SpOnSIbIlIty for sickness den. ~1~e have to take care all dat now and de white mari, he beats de nigger i~ut what he mace!. Back In de old. days, de white men am honeet, Ail the niggerknowed was hard. work. I think de oullud folke o~ight to be lowed more privileges in votin now, ~ cau$e dey have de saune ~ 8ponsibi ity as white men and dey more arid more educated and. brighter and. br1gh~er. ~ . .. . HI thiflk our young folks pretty sorry. They wont do right, but I tlievei fen dey could git fair w~ee dey d. do better. Dey git beat out of . . what dey does, anyway. ~ ~ ~ . . UI tmember a owner had some 8 .aVeS and de overseer had lt In for two of dem. ~ Ret cl whip dem near every day and dey does all could be did to . pleaee him. So one d~r he come to ~ field and cafls one dem slc.ve$ and. daqt slave draps be hoe and goes over and grabe dat verseer. Den de other . . ~Iave &tt dat overseer e head right s1~ off ~ and throwed. it down . one of de .:.=~~bw$. De owner he foole rciind. ~ eeI1~ dem two slaves for $800.00 each~ :.~~4at .~fl de p~intehrnent dem two slaves ever got. ~. . : ~ ~ ** * *

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420167 ~L~SLAVI~ STORIES Page One ; 49 (Texas) . HABRI$~T BABB~TT 86 was horn in ~ r \ Walker O~. Texas, in 1851, a slave 1 ~ of Steve Glass . She now lives in ~) Palestine, Texas. Massa Steve G1r~ss, be own my~appy e~nd mammy and rue, until the ~ war freed us. Pappy s borned. in Africy and. mammy in Vir~iny, ~r~ brung ~ to Texas t fore de war, end I s borned. in Texas in 1851. I ~S heere~ my ~ grandpa wa~ wild and dey dn t know ~ bout xnayi in Africy. M~r ~ brother name Steve Glass and I dunno iffen I had sisters or note ~ Dey put me to cookin when Vs a Ii . kid .~nd people says now d~i.t ~ 1Lunt Harriet aiu de bes cook in Madisonville. ?~assa have great big gardai ~ ~ and plenty to eat. I~ cook big skillet plumb \iII corn at de time and us ~ all bave plenty meat. Massa, he etej out end. kill big deer and. put In de great big pot and cook it. Then us have cornbread ~rnd syrup. . t Us have log quarters with stick posts for bed and deerskin stretch ~ ~ ~ over it. Den us gull moss and throw aver dat. I have de good massa, bless ~ ~ ~ he soul. M1~ey, she plumb good. She sick all de time and dey never have ~: ~ ~ white chilien. Dey live in big, log house, four rooms in it and de great ~ ~: ~ ~ ~ hail both way s through it . . S . ~ :~ ~ : Massa, he have big bunch slaves and work dem long as dey could see ~ :~ . ~ and den I ock em up in &e q~art ers at night t o koep em from runn 1 off. De patterrollers come ~~id go through de quarters to see if all de niggers d~ete, Dey ~walk right over us when us sleeps. KZome slave run off, gwine to de north, and. massa he cotch him and. give ~ thiX ty-~nine ltdke with rewhtde aX4~I lock d~n up at night, too, and. keep L OU hi.m ir~ d~t tute. ~ ~ ~.: ~ ~ ~: : ~ ~ ~ : ~ . ~ :: ~ . ~ . .~ ~ ~ ~ .~ ~ . ~ . ~

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zx~~sLiv:E STORIES Page Two (~exas) I have de good massa, bless he so~il, arid missy she plumb go:d. Itli never forait dem. M~ssa low us have holiday Saturday night and ~ go to nigger dance i~ it on nother pl~ntatiou. Boy, oh bo~r, de tin pan heatin and. de banjo pickin and de dance all nicht long. ~Wheii d.e war start, white missy die, and ma~a have de preacher. ~ She w~ .s white angel, Den m~.s~a mari~y Missy nice Long ~nd she ~e bad woman with us nig~ers. She hard on us, not lIke old. missy. HI lamed lots o! remed~ee for sickpeople. Charcoal axid onions and honey for de Ii~1 ~i~h~ a~i good, and car~hor for de chills and fever and teeth cuttin . l s bol . red o&c bark ~nd mo~e tea for fever and make cactus weed root tea for fever and chills and. colic, De best reme&y fOE chills and. fever am to git rabbit foot tieon strIng round de neck. Massa, he carry iiie to war with him, cause l s de good cook. In dat New Orleans batt le he wounded and guns roarin everywhere. ~ Dey ~rang massa in and I ~ s ~ as white as he am den. ~m Yar~kees done shoot de roof off de house, I fluss de s ick and wounded clean through de woe aJad seed dem .dfln on every side of me. ~ ~ Its most scared to death when de war end. Us still in 1~ew Orleans and all de shoutint dat took place tcau.se us free! Dey crowds on de streets ~ was in a $tir jus as thick as flies on de dog. Massa say I~s free as U~n, but iffen I wants to cook for him and missy I gite $2. 50 de month, so I cooks for him t ~l I I marries ~rmst ead. Barre t t, and t hen u~ farm for de ii?in Us have big church wedd.in and. I haa white loyal dress and. black ~i~oga~ shoes. 11$ been married 51 years noW0 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ . ~

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4 ~2O I ~ ) ~ EL~SLAVE STORIES Pace Que *~ ~ r h, ) (Texas) JOHN BATES, 84, was bora in Little Rock, Arkansas, a sieve 0q Moei~ Bateiriai. When still very young, John rno1re~. with his mother, a s1~ve of Harry Hogan, to Limestone C~.,Tex~s. John now lives in Corsic~uia, supported by his children and cil old age pension. My p ~ w was Ike Bat crn~ caus e his mt~s ~ s n arne am Mockbatemr~, and maminy~ s n ui~e wn.s Fr~ncis. They come from Tennessee end I had four brothers and six sisters, de jes1 left de last part of de name off and call it Bates and ~ how I got ny name. Maniny longed to Massa Harry Ho~pn and while I s sm~ll us move to Texas, to Limestone County, ~M. I don T i~nber iiiuch bout p~p~y, ct~ise I ain t never seed him since, ~assa Eo~a~ was a pu~ty good sort of fellow, but us went hon~ry de fust winter in Tex~s. He lived in de bie log house with de hallway clean throu?~h and a gallery clean tcross de front. De chimney was big nough to burn lods in and it sho throwed out de heat. It was a good, big place and young massa come out early ~nd holler for us to git up and be in de fieN, ttMissy Hogai was de good wonmi and try her dead level best to teach me to read and writes but my head jest too thick, I jes couldn t lam. My Uncle Ben he could read rie Bible and. he allus tell us some day us be free and Massa Harry lauch, -haw, baw, haw, and he sey, Hell, no, yous never be free, yous aia t got sense iough to make d.e livin if rous was free, Dei he takes de Bible ~ way fr ciii Uncle Ben and say it put de bad ideas in he head, but Uncle gits tt~other Bible and hides it and . massa never finds it out.

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Ex ~.s1~e Stories Page Two 52 (Texas) Wetuns goes to de big baptism one time and lt s at de big sawmill tank and 50 Is baptise and I s in dat bu~nch myself. But dey dld* t have no u~era1s for d slaves, but jes bury dem like a cow or a hosa, jes dig de hole and roll tem in i~t and cover em up. War come and durli1 dem times jes lii~e t~de~r iearly everybody kiows what gwine oi, news travels purty fast, and. iffen de slaves couldn t git it with de pass dey slips out after dark and go in an~other p .axitation by de back w~r. Course, iffen d~n patterrollers cotch dem it iBs too bad. and dey gits whip. When de news comes In dat Us free, Uassa Harry never c~ J~l us up like everybody else d1~ the slaves, us h~.s to go up and ask him bout it. He corne out on de front gallery aiad says we is free and turns around and goes In de house without nother word. We ~J.l sho feels sorry for him the way he acts and hates to leave him, hut we wants to go. $cnowed he wasn t able to give us itothin 80 begins to scatter and bout ten or fifteen day8 Massa Harry dies. I think he jes grieve himself to death, all he trouble commt on him to once. ~ Us worked on dIPf* rent famis t Il . I m~rrlee and my fust wife am Emma Williams and a cullud preecher marr1~s us at her house. Us picked cotton after dat and den I reRts a place on de halvers for five year and after t rai years I buys eighty acres of land. Fin ly us done paid dat out aid: done some repairs and dei~ us se~p rate after livin twenty.three year together. So I gives dat place to her and de six chilien ~id I walks oL2~t ready to start all over gain.

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53 ~x~ ~ve Stories Page Thr~ ( Te: as) - Then I meets Sarah JoAes and ~s marries, but she gives me de d.ivOrcement, All dis time I works on a far~n ~~ or de day wages, d~ I rente nother farm o~ de halvers o~. de black land and stays d.ere sev ral year. Fi* ly I gits de job workl*1 at de cotton oil ~i11 in Corsicana and stays at dat job till dey says X s too old.. I done b~y dis 11 l home here and now has a place to live. Sarah done corne back to rae a~d us has seven chilien. Oie of de boys works at de cotton oil mill and two works at de conipress right here in Cors1c~na and one works at de beer place in Dallas. IIUS raises a 11,1 on riese t~o lots and. de chilien brings so~ from de farm, I mean my ft~st wife s chilIen, and with de pension check us m~*age to live a 11,1 longer, Us boys pays ~4taxes and ~e insurance for us, .ss**.

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4~2()3O6 EX-SLAVE STORLES Page On~ . 54, (Texas) ~ H4.RRISON BECKETT, born a ~ slave of I. D. Thomas of /~ San ~igustine, Texas, now ~ . ~ lives in Beaumont. A ~great A ~ ~ grandson climbed Into Hax -~ ~ .~ ~ ~ rison s lap during the inter.. :.~ :.:~~ view, and his genial face lit up with a smile, He c112~ckled as he told f his own boyhood days and. appeared to enjoy rerninis cing. At times he uses bi~ words, some of his own coining. ~I~s ~rnon~ ~e culls now, like a hoss what ~ too old. l s purt7 small ylt when rnanctpation comes ~nd didn t have no hard. work. Old Massa have inc and de other I I J. ~i~gers keep de stock out de fields . Us li I boogers have to run and keep de cows~u.t de corn and de cotton patch. Dat ought t o been nough t o keep us out of 1. u ~ corne to pass my mammy work in de field. Her n~ne Cynthia Thomas and daddy s name Isaac Tho~nas. Bu.t after freedom he goes back to Florida end. find, osit he people end git he real name, and. dat am Beckett. Dat bout ten years after maxicipation he go back to he old. home in Florida. Mamny s people was de Polkses, in Georgt~ M~ mmy come in fr i de field at nine or ten o1clock at night and. she be all wore out and too tired to cook lots of times. But she have to git some food for us. We all had a tin pan and git round de table and dat like a feast. But lots of times she s so tired she go to bed without eatin nothin herself, My a ist ers was ~l Ion and Sani and eorgy Ann and C indy and SIdI -Ann. Dey s all big .nough to work in de field. My br~idders name Matthew and Ed and Eenr~ and Harry, what am me, and de ~ one am General Thomas. . tDey aore n a hundred head. of black folks ot. Massa Thonias two farms, ~ and. ~ bout a hundred fifty acres in each farm ~ One de farmS in iron ore what

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Ex~..slave Stories P~ge Two 55 (Texas) am red land, and de other in tray land, half sand an1 half black dirt. Us slaves live in pole houses and soime in split Io houses, with two rooms, one for to sleep in and one for to cook in. Day ~ iV) glass windows, jus holes in de walls. Dere w~s j~ck beds to sleep On, made out of poles. Dey has four legs and ain t nail to de wp,lls. Old Massa he care for he hands purty well considerin everything. in ginnin tune he low de women to pick up cotton froit de ground and m~Ice ix~attresses and quilts. He nake some cloth and ~buy some, A. woman weave all de time and when e shickle jump out on de floor I picks it up. I used to could ~it socks and I Was Jes a li l. boy then, but I keep ~v~rything in twembr~ce. Dey have some school and de chilIen l~rnt re~din and wrjtin and nenners and behavicur, too. Sometime dey g t de brok&.down white rtmn to be teacher. But us dtdntt know much and lt taken ten years or more after freedom to ~it de black men de qualification way he could handle th1rt~s. 0On~ time us boys ~it some watermillions out in de bresh and hit ~em or drap ~ to break 1em open. Dere come massa and cotch as riot workint, but catin he watermillions, He tell my daddy to whip me. But lots of times when us sposed to mind de calves, us a~n out catin watermillions in de bresh, Den de calves git out and rna~sa se~ dein ruz~ and cotch us. tiold mas s ~. was kind and~ ~o od though. He have part lai ity bout him, and wouldn t whip nobody without de c~use. He whip with de long, keen switch and it did.n t brulsede back, but sho1 did sting. ~Yhen he git real mad, he pull up you shirt a~d whip on de bare hide . One time he whipp in me and I

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Zx Biave Stories Page Three ~ ~ 5G Texas) .~ . busts de button off my shirt what he holdin on to, ~nd rtms aw~r. I tries t o outran him, and. dat tic1~i~ him. I sho give c~e ground fit s with ray feet s. But dem whippin s done inc ~ooc1. Dey break me up fron thievin and. make de rn~n Qfme~ . HDe w~r dey dress us 1i~ nigger bo-rs den, ~ey give us a shirt what coiiie way d~own tween de knees and ankles. When de weather am too cold, dey sometimes give us pants. ~ white preachers come round and preach. i~y have de tabernacle like a arbor a~d cullu.d folks co~ne from all round to hear de Gospel spounded. Most every farm have de cullud man lamm to preach. I used. to long to de Methodists bu.t now I longs to de Church of Christ. Me,ssa Thomas, he de wholesale merchant and git kilt in New Orleans. A big box of freight goods fall on him, a box bout a yard square on de end and six yards long. t ~ carryint b~k some good foe to make exchangeuient and dey pullin up de box with pulley and rope and it fall on him. De New Orleans folks ~ y it am de accidentment, but de rest say de rope am cut. One of mass& a old friends was Lawyer Brooks. He us ~ri. to firmanize de word. ~Massa bave two bays, Mr. Jinizn le and Lt 1 Ide and dey both goes to de w~u . I Ide he go up in ~kansas and dey say when dat first cannon busts at Li l Rock, he starts ruiinin and never stops till he gits back homes I d~~ t see how he could. do dat, c ~se Li i Rock am way far off, but dat what de~ e~ . Den de men cznes to git sertere and dey gits Li I ~ and. takes him baa. Mr. Jimmie, he didn t ~ bre&c de ranks. He stood he ground. ~Maamy and. dem ten me when war ein over de boss and. he wife, dey calls ~~1ti<~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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i~x~ s1ave Stories Page Four L~ ~ (Texas) . de slaves up in de 1~ncb and tells sein, ~You s free as I is. Keep on or quit, if :~ou wants. You don t have t o stay no further you. s free tod~y~. Dat near June 19th, end all of 1ein stays. ILassa say, Go head and finish~de crop and. I feed you axid pay you.t Dey all lcnowed when he kilt de hawgs us glt plenty of meat, ~ Dat young massa say all dat, tcause old. massa done git kilt. It s at Pano .a. County where I first hears of de Klux. Dey call dexa White Caps den, Dey move over in Panola County and ranges at de pl~ce call Big Creek Merval, by McFaddin Creek. Dey s purty rough. De landowners tell dey niggers not to kill de White Caps ~t to scare dem wv. At nicht dey C orne knock ~nd if you don t open it dey p~ it open and. run you out in d.c fi eid. Dey ru~n de nig~ers from Merryville round Longview. Dey some good men in de Klux and. some bad men. ~it us work hard and go home and dey ai& t bother us none, Dey used. to be a nigger rc*.tnd dere, call Bandy Joe, ~Ee git kilt at Nacogdochee fintly. He could turn into ~iything. De jedge of he parish was Massa Lee and he say dey ought let Bandy Joe live, so dey could lam he art. Dey done try cotch him de long time, and. m~rbe be holdin him and first thing ~ they know he gone and dey left holdin he coqt. Dey shoot at him and not hurt him~ Ee. tell he wife dey am t no kind bullet can hurt him but de s ilver bul, . Dat Bandy Joe, he say he a spirit and. a human both. Iffen be didn t . wa~ ~ you to ~ see him you jus ~ oald t see him. Lots of folks liked him. De .. j~ge~ s~ ~he wish he could a been brung to town, so he could 1zaiaine him bout he sifts, De jedge knowed~ Bandy Joe could dis pear jus like nothin, and he like to bear he qjiotation how he git out he skin. I d like to know dat myself. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ & ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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Ex- slave Stories Page Five (Texas) UI nAgin~s I seed ghostles two, three times. I used to range round at nighttime. I rides through a old slavery field end de folks tell me, Harry, you better be care~.tl ~win~ cross dat old. field, They s things dere what makes mulos ru.n twF3y. One night it am late and my ~iule i~in sway. I r~e my rnind I go back and see what he ru.n from and. somnethint ~m by dc fence like de bear stand up straight. It st~nd dere bout fifteen minutes while I draws my best pinion of it. I didn t git any nearer ~an to see it, A man down de road. tell me de plac e a~n hazit cd ~mnd he dunno how many wagons and maul ~s git pull by dat thi rig at dat place, One time I~s living nother place and it ein twixt s~rndown and dusk. I had. a 11)1 boy thind me ~nd I seed. a big sow with no head c~in over de fence. My ma, she allus say what I see ~aight be ma~ination and to turn my head and look gain and I does dat. But it still dere, Den I seed a hoss goin down de road and he drag e chain, and. cross de bridge and turn down de side road. But when I git to de side road. I ain t seed. no hosa or nothin . I did~n t sap nothin to de li l bo~r ~jnd me on de mule till I gits most home, den asks him did he see anythin . He say no. I wouldn t tell him fore dat, 1cause I fraid. he light out and outrun me and I di3n t want to be by myself with dem things. When I gits home and tell everybody, dey s~r dat a man name McCoy, what was kilt d ers and I seed he spirit. ~ 1bo~it twenty~.one when I marries Mandy Green. Us has twelve chilien, and. a world of grandcbillen. I travels all over Louisiana and Texas in my time, and come here three year ago. My son he work in de box fact ry here, and he ~ git a bodily inji,trement while he workin and. die, ~nd I come here to de burial aad .1 been here ever sInce, * ** * ** *

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~1 ~) )C(~ -~I~ $~. ~J ~ ) ~ ~ ~X~8LAV~ STOflI~S Page One ~ r ( (Texas) . ?~. FRA.NK BELL, 86, was a slave of Johnson Bell, who ran a saloon In New Orleans. Prank lives in )Ladisonville, Texas. t,1 was owned by Johnson Bell and. born in New Orleans, 4n Louislana. Cordin to the bill of sa .e, I~m eighty..six years old, and my master was a Frenchman and was real mean to me. He run saloon ~.nd kept bad women. I don t know nothing b~t my folks, if I even had any, cept in~ma. They done tell me she was a bad wonan and a !rench Creole. ft I worked trouncl mastert s saloon, kept everything cleaned up after they d have all night drinicin parties, men and w~en. I earned nickels to tip off where to go, so s they could. sow wild. oats. I buried the nickels under rocks. If master done cotch me with money, he d take it and beat me nearly to death. All I had. to eat was old stuff those people left all scraps what was left. One t irne s orne bad men come t o mast er s and git s in a shootin scrape and the~r was two men kilt. I sho did run. B~tt master cotch me and make me talce th~ men to the river and tie a weight on them, so they d sink and the law wouldn t git him. The clothes I wore was some master s old ones. They aflus had holes in them. Master he stay drunk nearly all time and was mean to his slave. I m the only one he had, and didn t cost him nothing0 He have bill of sale made, cause the law say he done stole me when I~m small child. Master kept me In chains sometimes. He shot se~veral men. ~..1..

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~x..s1ave Stories Page Two ~ Go (Texa2) . II d1dn~t have no quart ers but stays round the place and. throw old sack down and. lay there and sleep. Pm fraid to run, cause master say he d hunt me and kill nigger. When ~ ~ seventeen I marries a gal while maater~. on drunk spell. Master he run her off, and I slips off at night to see her, but he finds lt oi~t. He takes a big, long knife and cute her head plwnb off, and t les a great heavy weight to her and makes me throw her in the river. Then he puts me in chains ~nd every night he come give me a whippin for long time. When war come, master swear he not gwlne fight, but the Yankees they captu~res New Orleans and. throws master in a pen and. guards him. He get s a chance and scapes. When war mn over he wcn t free me, says It~ valuable to him in his trade, He say, Nigger, you s suppose to be free bu.t I ll pay ~rou a dollar a week and iffen you ru~ns off I 111 kIll you. ~ So he makes me do 1 ike beTh the war, but give me bout a dollar a month, stead week. He say I cost more n I~m worth, bu~t he won t let me go. Times I don t know why I didn t die beTh It~ growed, sleepin on the ground, winter and summer, rain and snow. Bit not xm~tch snow there. Master helt me long years after the war. If anybody git after him, he told them I stay cause I wants to stay, but told me if I left he d kill hIm nother nigger, I stayed till he gits in a drunk brawl one night with men and women and they gits to shootin and some kilt. Master ~ot kilt. Then I m left to live or die, so I wanders from place to place. 1 nearly starved to death beTh I ~d leave New Orleans cause I couldn t think master wn dead and Itm fraid. Finally I gits up nerve to leave town, and stays the first night

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Ex slave Stories Page Three G (Texas) in white man s barn. I never slep . every time I hears ao~ething, I jtwrps up and master be standin there, lookinV at me, but soon s I git up he d. leave. Next night I slep out in a hay field, and master he git right tc~p of a tree and start holleri& at me, I never stays in that place. I gits g&ne from that place. I gite back to town fast as my legs carx7 me. Then I sits looke up in jail. I don t know what for, never did. know. One the men says to me to come with him and takes me to the woods and gives me an ax. I. cuts rails till I nearly falls, all with chain locked r~nd feet, so I couldn t run off. ~ He turns me loose and I wanders gain. Never ha& a home. Works for men long nough to git fifty, sixty cents, then starts roamin gain, like a stray dog like. Aft er long t ime I marri es l aline Graham. Then I has a home and. we has a white preacher marry us. Je has one boy and he farms and I lives with him. I worked at sawmill and farms all my life, but never could make nnxch money. You know9 the nigger was wild till the white man made what he hai out of the nigger. He . done ed oat. them real smart.

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~)(\ I ~ ~ ~ ~ -~ ~ U-sLAYs S.i~ORL~S Pegs One ~lbTexas) Awtt Virginia Bell 1205 ~ithvsn St., liOust OU, was born a slave near Opilouses, Louisiana, on the plantation of Thomas Lewis. Although saie remet ber. being told she was born on Christmai Day~, ens does not know tne year, but Bays B~e guesses she is about 88 years oid~. 1~Iell, awl, thi fus question you. ask ~e, bout how old I is~ I don know zactly. You see it ain t like things is to day0 The young folks can tell. you the ii zact age and everytbing, but in tnose cia~T8 we didn pay xm~ich tention to such things. But I knows I was n in slavery ttiuea and sly pappy t ol me I was b o n on a Christmas Day, x~t dic1n member jus what year. 1~Ie was owned by Uassa Lewis. Thomas Lewis was his name, and he was a United States laver. I ain t gwineter talk gainat ~y w~iite folks like some cullud fol1~s do, cause Massa Lewis was a aighty fine man and so was Miss ~Lary, and they treated us ~iigkity good. ~MasB& had a big plantat ion ne ar Opelousas and I was bo n there. I 1me~oer ttie neignoor folks us d to bring their cotton to the gin on his farm for ginnin and bal in ~ . My ai B naae was D,lia, That was ail, jus Della. ~ papw B name was Jim Blair. Botia of them was from Virginny, but from diff1rent places and was brou~gzit t o Louis lana ~y nigger trade s and sold t O Mas sa Lewi. I know na~ p~py was lot s older than my mother and he had. a wife and fivs chilien back in Virginny and i~ad oem sold away irom tnea ~ hire. 1_

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Ex..slave Stories P8 5 TWO (3 T~ (Texas) Then tie and my mother started a family out here. I don know what become of hi~ ftily back in Virginny, ~au.s~ when we was freed ne stayed with us. When I got old enough I was ho~issgirl and used t~ cax ry notes for Miss Mary to the neighbors and. bring back anawsre. Miss Mary would say, Now, Virginny, you take this note to sech and each place and be surs and b. back in se eh and se eh t tine and. I ail i.tB was. Massa Lewis had four or five fa~i1ies cf us slaves, but ws us.d to hays some ta.n after work and ue young folks would skip rope and~ play ring games, Dunn week days the field hands would work till the sun was jus goin down and then tile o~erseer would holler t ail gh and that was the signa . to quit. AU hands knocked off Sat day noon. ~ ~We didn have no scrxoolin or pre~~hjn~ . Only the white folks had them, but sometimes on Suiidaye we d go up to the house and listen to the white folks singin . Iffen axiy~ o:r tne slave hands wanted to git married, Massa Lewis would git them up to the house after supper time, have tus man and woman j me hands and then read to them outen a book. I g~iess it was the Scriptures. Then he d t.ll em they was married but to be r.ady for work in txi. moritin Massa Lewis married us cordin to GospeL Musa used. to feod us good, too, and. we iiad plenty clothes. 4..

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Ex slave Stories P~ ~ (Texas) Iffsn w got iook sick, we ~ad doctor treatment, too. Iffen a hand took ~ic~c in t1~e field with a isisery, they was carried to their q~erters and. Massa or Miss Mary would give th i a dose of ~p.cac and make them vomit and would sen for the doctor,, They w~uldn fool nons iffen one of us took sick, but would clean us out and take care of~stillwswasv~sl1, There was mighty little whippin goin on at our place, cause Massa Lewis ~nd Miss Mary treated u.s good. They wasn t no overseer gem to whip, cause Massa wouIdn low him to. Le s ee, I don rsc lec sore t~ian two wnippin s I see anyone gtt from Massa, and that has been so long ego I don rsctlec what they was for. Then the ~~ar done coins ~ long it sho chang3d things and we heerd. this and that, but we d.Idn know imic~i what it was abcRLt. Then one clay Uassa Lewis had all the wagons loaded with food. and cnairs ~nd beds and. other t~tngs from the house and ~ir qu~rtsr., aM I hee~ d bi~ say we wa ~ovin to Polk County, way over in Tsxas I know lt took 1h a long time to git tulers, and when we did. I never see so ~ueb woods. It sho was tUft rent from the plantati on. I had to work in the fields, saas as tAris rss , and we stayed ther. three years and made three crops of cotton, buis not s O euch as on our old. place, cause there wasn t so mich clearing. Thin one day Massa LSWIB t l~ us we was free, jas as free as he was ~ jus like you take the bridle offen a hose and turn him loose. Je jue looked

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~Z-~sla~s Stories Page lcxir (~exaa) 65 ~rou~n as iffen we ~ good. sense. We didn have nothin nor no~ where to go, and. Massa Lswis say iifen we ftnien making cl. crop, he would take us back to Opelousa. and give u~ a place to stay~ and feed us So after pickin we gos s back and when we git there we sees where those rascal Tankee s stre~e& everything houses burned, ~a~ kettles broke up. It looked mighty bad. Massa Lewis hadn no money, but he fixed us ttp a place to stay end give us what he could to eat, but things was mtgt~ty ziard for a ~hile. I know peppy used. to catch rabbits and take them to town and sell thea or trade thee for sonethin to eat, and. you know that wasn t euch, cause you can t git ~ch for a little ol rabbit. Then tt~s Pr Mar, that was ~iis name give us a order for t~ain~s to put in a crop with and to live till we made the crop. tCourse, I g~tess we wasn as bad off as some, tcause white folks knew we was Massa Lewis folks and didn bother us none. Then I got married to John Bell, and it was a scripture weddin too. Re died. 28 years ego, but I has stayed married to hi~ ever since. We had thirteen chilien, bat they is all dead now 1cept four, b~it they was raised. up rignt and they is mighty good to they oil ~~ma7.

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 072 066

~~1~~()i 1 4. L~SLA~E 8TOR1~S Page One (Texas) z~cau BENDT, 90 odd y.az s, was the slave of Henry Bendy, of Woodville, Texas, has to oak. en effort to rezesiber and ta forced. to seek aid frc~ his wife, MineTva, at certain points in hie at ory. Edgar has lived in Woodville ail his life. l s a good size boy ehen de war gwlne on aiid I seed. de aoldi.rs cone right hers in Woodville. A big bi~nch of dem cai through ~nd de7 have cannons with des. My ~arster he dtdn. t go to ware C8~1~ h too old, I guass. t I s born ~ right )~rs and done I ive ~ hereabauts every a inc. ~ *sn 151117 3.nd.y, h. ay zarat er and he mn de at ore hers in Woodvil 1. aM have de fais, too. I didn t do nothin espt muss babies, I jes juap d~ up and down and de old ~areter hire ~e o~it to nuss other ehtte folks chilien, bi~an& little. ~My daddy nase Jack Crews and M7 W~fl7 WaS Winnie. Both of dsa~ woxted on 4e fare and I noter seed deii auch. I didn t have no house of ~y own, c&u.e de marater, h give as de room in he hous . T~s Iota of slaves and bout 100 acres in c~xlt vation. He gaYs d~ plenty to eat and good h~espin clothes to wear. He wa~ eighty good. 5Marst r have d~ plank hOuse and all cis thtnijs in it was ho~e~ ~ke. D cook was a old cullud woman and I eat at de kitchen t&ble and have de ease what de shits folks eats. Us has lots of seat, deer aeat and poem~a and coon and sich, and us sets tr~,s for birds.

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1~X ilaY Stoniss Page Two (Texas) t~ Dey ain t nothin better dat go in de wood dan cl. big, fat poam~m. D.y git fat on black haw. and acorns end chinquapin and uic~h. Chinqizapin is good. for p.qpl. to sat and to rout. I uaed to b. plumb giv. up to be d.e best 1~nt.r in Tyler and in d. whole o ntr~. I kilt mors dser dan a~y other man in di county and I b.,n guida for all ds big men what comes hen to ~mnt. My wife Xtn.rva, h ~..d. to go 1~intin with me. I kep on 1~uitin ~nd kintin till d.s Jack.&-.~lanterne git after ae. Dat a light yen uses all ~rmind y~i. D.y follow all long and d~7 StC~p y~ still. ! n one time it git all over mi. Come like de wind., blow, blow, and. c~e isa like firs all on ~ *~. end ~ clothss and. thing.. Vh.n dat git after me I quit ~ntin at nighttime and ain t been huntin unes. One time I fisbia on de creek and I ain t got no gun, and. i: look up and dens a big, wild cat. le never pay me no mind, no mon dan nothin , but dat ain t make no diff rencs to me. I Jeu flew in dat cr..kJ I used. to b.loi~ig to ds lodge but when I git uo old I couldn t pq my Jew,, : git Unfina~CIa1 and I ain t & memben no aons. ..es.*s.s

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 074 068

A ( ~ N u.m.si~ :i s ro~i~s p~e One ~ (Texas) MI~RYA BF4NDT, 83, was born a slave to LF~~5a1~2.s Gool.by, Henry Co. ~labama, who brought ber to ~exaa when ehe was five. They set tied. near Joodville ~ where linerva still lives, My sanies ~embra~ce was de big, white sandy road what lead we, froa de hottee I t was clean end white ~nd u~s chilien 1 ove to walk in de soft, hot sand. Dat in Henry County, Alabama, where I s bor* and ay old. narster was La~exus ~oolaby and he have de big plantation with lots of nigger folks. I a~srnber 3ua as good as yesterday wigglin ~ toes iii dat sandy road and rtuinin way to de grits aill where dey grind de a~e~l. Dat have de~g water wheel dat sint~ and squeak as it go round.. Aunt Mary, she ~a~s all us little chilien sleep i~ de heat of de day under de big, spreadin oak tree in de yard.. My sema have 17 Chiliifl. Her same Doilie and. ~ d.,ddy name Herd. EI s 11ue a little chile in diem days and I *tay in d.s house with de white folks. Dey raies ~. a pet in de f~ily. Missus Goolsby, she have two gals and dey give ~e to de oldest. Vben she dii dey pi~tt mi in d. bed with her ~t iNen I knowed she dyin dey wouldn t bulk able to cotch ~e. She rub ~y head. and tell her ~ and. m~a, I ~ gwine 1w~ ~tt I wants you prc~ise you ain t never whip i~y little nigger. Dey never did.. s ~ jus bout fj~~ year old. when us aake de trip to Tsxaa. UI co1~e right near Voodville and aake de plentation. It a big place and dey raise core and cott ca aM cane. We ~a1c i our own ~ er and. has ~Oi~74 ~( ~

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!x-slays Stories P$3~ Two ~ (Texas) . t) msa~ as siX k~ tt1. on de Au naci at ~e tims, Dey raise dey tobacco, too. Ils sick and a old man he sa~ he make mi tobacco medicine and day dry da Isafi and make d~ sweet like sugar and feed me like oandy ~ I ~~ber old ar.tr sq war broke out and Capt. Collier s mn was a. drillW right dsr south of Joodvtlls. All de wives and ~Chillsn watch dem drill. Dey was lots of d~, 1*t I couldn t count. D. whols shebang frcs de town go watch dem. 7o~tr of de Gooisby bo~ goes to dat war ei~d dey eau John aM Ziby and Za~td and ~dison, Zabud, he git woti~udsd9 no h. git kilt, aM Add.iso~ he git woended. I worry den, c~aes Z ain t ses no rea~Ofl foe dem to have to dis. ~ftsr tLS free dey turn ua boss in de woods and. dat de bad time, C~1B. most u~ Iidn t know wbsre to turn. I wain ~t raise to do ~othim and X didn t know how. D.y didn t even givs ue a hoecake or a suc; of bacoz. tIts a Ju1n brid.s 59 rear ago when I git married. De old. white 3~tict preachsr name Blackihear ~*tt as a~d dat nigger over dare, Zd&Br Bend;, tog d4sr end us bein togsddsr ever sine.. tie never have Chick or chile. I . such s good mues I guess ~e Lawd. dld&t want as to have non, of ~ owit, so s I could nues all de others and I spect I s nusssd most de white chtllsn and cullud, too, hers in Woodville.

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 076 070

420V77 ? ~ EL~SL~4V~ STORIES Pace One ~ (Texas) ~ /0 t ~ARLH BENJAMIN, 82 was born a slave of the ~ilbert family, in Clavin Parish, iouisiana. Ix~ 1867 she married. Ca . Benj.~. airiln ana. they settle& in Cors-rnicana, Texae, where sarah now lives~ UI is Sarah Benjamin and~ is 82 year old, cause my maiii~y told~ me I~ born in l8~5 in Clavin Parish in ~aouisiana. Her name was Fannie arid. my pappy s n~xne was JaCk Cal1ah~a The re was ~~ts three Gf u~s chilien and l s de oldest~ Marse Gilbert was toltsble rood. to we i~ns, ari~. give us plenty to est. He ha~ a sm kchei~tse bi~ as a church ant it was full, an~ in ~o bi: kitchen we ai . et chilien afl~ all. De crown folks e t first ant &en ~1e chilien, Did~ we have plenty of p~s~iis ard fish by de barrels ~ All tis was coeke~ in ~e racks over ~e fireplace an~ it were goat. ~O~r clothes was all liainespwi ant ~e shoes mais by de shoe~n~ker. Old nia;rse wantet ail us to ~o te charch ant if d.ey didn t have shoes toy have som~thin~ like te moccasin, I ton t know how ma~r sleves there was but it was a l~t maybe 60 or 70. Dey worke~1. hard every dey tcept ~un y. Iff~n they was bad they nii~ht git whiappint s, b~it not too hart, riot to ~e blow. Iffen &ey w~,s still bai-, dey puts ~ chains on de~ a~id puts tern in de stocks, caus there wasntt no ~a . there. nc~ when I~e little~ marss st~ippe me stark ms~Iern na~et ant p*te n e oil ts black, biat he w ulth~ t sell~ie, cau~se he w~s bit oniy $350.00 ant h. say n., ~cw~tse I was good. aM fat4

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~ i~X $1aVe Stories Paie Two 71 (Texa.) Dey ~idn t lam ~s n~thin ar~ iffer~ yo~ ~1E lam to writo, ~ :~ou better keep it to you.rse ~ , 1ca~se some ~1~wes ~ot de thumb or ~ ir~er c~it ~ff ~ or lamm t~ writes Then de s1av~s come in frcm de fie3 s d.y ~~id~n t lam nothint, they jt~ ~ to bee, lessen moonthine nights come aiid~ iey eo~1c! work in ie tobacco patc h. D. ~ars~er cive each one ~.e 1i~t1s tobacco patch &nd iffen he raised mere~n he could. use h~ co~xI eell it. Cn Christmas we all heSs &e we .k vacati on ~ an~~ maybe te Ian. ~e alius have ~i~e cran dinner on dat day, and n~ w iu.ppin z. But dey couiintt 1~av~ t~e pIantatioi~ withc~u~t ~e pass, even ~n-Christmas De women ha& t~ nui d~e ~in in i.e ~a~ti~ aii~ d~ r~an at nicht. Dey fed~ ~e old. ~in from b~ekets an~ ~y ~mmy fet from io~e baskets ~11 diy witb ~ hi~h f ver ~ ~.ied. ~at night, She ~u1dn t t~ .1 ~.e marster she sick, f r fe~.r ~he have t. tp~k~ de q ainine. De i~y we w~,e free~, ~Ie s1av~ ju~s 8cattere~, Iceptj~~ me, Mis$y Gi1b~ t zays I wasn t no c1~vs ne ni re ~bu.t I h~iA to sta~r at~. h&p her for ~ board. t~jfl l s crown. I stay~ till I ~ae bout 16, ~en I ri~ns away and~ marri ~ s Cal Benj e~min an& we comes t o T exai C al ant ~ has ~ix chilien, but he died. fore ley was ~ro~m, * *** 5 s **

Ex-slave autobiography. 078 072

4 2()023 For Ex-.Slave Volume Page one EX-.~SLAV~ STORIES (Te~x~s) _7 / OCT 2 1937 BX- SI VE AUTOBIOGRAPHY ~icx: BESS was born near Goliad, Tsxaa In 18 4, a ilavs of Stevs Bees who was a rancher. He worked with atock as a very young boy and this waa his duty during and after the Civil War, as hi rsmaihed with his bou for thres years after emanolpatlono 11e then cams to old Bsn Ficklin four railea south of the prsaent San Angelo, Texas, when lt was th~ oounty seat of Tom Gresu County and before there vai q~ San Angelo. fis oontlnued hia work on ranoheB hers and has never done any other kind of work. For the p~,st several yeax~ he hae bsn very feeble and has mads hie home with a daughter In San Angelo, Zack who waa as.ist d out ot b & and dr.es.d by his gran4~aon, hobbled in ou hie cans and said, I was Joe a Enall boy vorkin on de r~n~h Wien I hsar talk bout con-.

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Page two ~ 73 scriptin de men for de war what was agoin to set de slaves free. Je didu know hardly what d.y was a talkin bout cause w. knowed dat would be too good. to be trus. I jes keeps ou workin wid my hoeses and my cattle (dare wasn t no sheep den) Joe like dare wasn t no war, cause dat was all I ever knows(~ how to do. . *Our oie niarster, he wasn t 8:0 very mean to us, course he ~whips us once and awhile but dat wasn t like de slave holders what had dem colored drivers. Dey abo was rough on de slaves. X s besn told lots bout de chains and de ditfe nt punis~bments but our treatment wasn t so bad. Our beds was pretty good when we uses dem. Lots of di time we jes slespa on de groun spec lally in summer. *Our log huts iaa comfortable and we had come kind of tloot e in all of dein. Some was plank and some was poles but but dat was better dsn de dirt floo s some cabins have. De ests we have wis jes good .~iita, lots of meats and vegetables and de like; pos~im and coon and beef and all cooked good. Our clothes was Jee home spun like all de others. ~We didn have euch a big ranch and not many slaves but we all gits along. We learns a little bout readin and writin . I don t member any camp meetin s tu after de war. w. had a tew dia s*d on Ch~ istmae times we jes tsars up de country. Lawdy3 LawdZ Dat fiddlin went on all nights ~ and we dance awhile den lay down and sleeps, den gits up and dances some mo e. We would have big cakes and everything

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Page three good to eat. Then we gits sick dey Jes gives us some kind of tea, Ino$tly made from weeds. Moe of de time we gits well. When de news comes dat we was free our boss, lie say, You tree now. Course we was glad but we didn know nothin to do but Jes stay on dere,and we did bout three years and de boss paya us a little by de month ror our work. I s lef den den and comes to old Ben Fickl4n to work on a ranch. Dat was before dere was any San ~&nge1o,Tex ~ ~ as. l s been here ever since, jea a workin from one ranch to another long as I was able. Now l s Je8 stayin round wid my ohillun and dey takes good care of me.

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 081 075

420170 EX-SLAVE STORIES (Texas) P~4c~e One : 75 ELLEN BET ~S, 118 L Live O&c S1~., Houston, Texas, is 84. All of her people and their masters caine frori Virginia and settled in Louisiana about 1853. Her grandparents belonged to the Green family and her parente, Charity ~nd Willi~n Gree~i, belonged to T olas ~ Parsons Ellen 3. ives with friends ~io support her. Her sole belonging is an old trunk and sha carries the key on a string around her neck. \~ nI got born~d on de Bayou Teche, obst to Opelousac. Dat in St . Mary s Parish, in Lo~iisi~na, and I belonged to Tol~~s Parsons what had bout 500 slaves, c~intin de big ones and de little ones, ~ nd he had God know what else When my eye s j es barely frech open Mar se Tolas die and will de hU.11 lot of us to he brother, william Tolas. Arid I tells you dat Marss !illi~ am de greates man what ever walk clic e~rth. Dat s de truth. I can t 11e on him when de pore m~n s in he grave. When a whixppin got to be done, old 1~arse do it heseif. He ~ low no overseer to throw he gale down arid. pull up dere dress and whup on clerc bottom like I hear tel . some of sein do. Was he still ~vin I spect o te part of he hands be with him today. I knows I woi~ld. When us niggers go down de road fc~Ths say, Den~s Parson s niggers. D0n t hit one dein n1g~ers for God s s&~ce or Parsons ~ eatS your j acke t lip. fl ~A3.lnt Rachel what cook in de big house for Miss Corneli~ had four y ~flg~ uns arid dem chilien fat eM slick as I ever seen. All de niggers halve to stoop to Aunt Rachel jes like dey curtsy to Missy. I mind de L

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Ex ~slave Stories Page Two ~ 7G (Texas) t i~ae her husbsnd, Uncle Jim, g t ia~~d ~nd hit her over de ~ with de poker. ~& big knot r~,ise up on Aunt Rachel s heed md when M~rse t~j~ bout it, she s~,y. she done bump de he~d. She dnssn t tell rn Uncle Ji~ or M~se sho bcat hirn, Marse s:~o proad dem black, slick chilIen of R~chcls. You couldn t find. p y~ller chile on he pl~ce. He sho got no use for inixin blnck ~md white, M3rse William h~ve de pretti~s ~iace ixo ~nd down dat bayai, with ~e fine house an~ fine trees end. sech. ~ro~n where w~ live it s five mile to Centerville one wayand five mile to Patt~ rson t other. Dey h~u1s de 1ut~iber from one place or t other to in~ke wood hous~&s for ~e sl~v,s. Sometime M~rse buy de furniture and sometime d.c carpenter m~ke it. Miss Sidney w~.s Marse s first wif ~ and he had six boys by her. Den ~ he marry dc wldcw Cornelius ~nd she give him four ~o~rs. ~7ith ten chilien springin up quick like dat ~nd ~1l (~C cuilud chillen commt lon~: fast ~s pig litters, I d(~fltt do nothin r~1l my days, but nuss, fluss, nuss. I nuss . so many chilien it don~ went a~d stunted my growth ~nd dat s wh~r I ~in t nothin but bones to dis day. tt~J~en de cuilud woman b~s to cut cane ail d~y till midnight come ~nd r : after, I has to nuss de babies for dem ~nd tend de white chilien, too. Some ~ern babies so fat and bid; I h~.d to tote de feet while nother gal tote de head. I was sech ~ li~ 1 one bout s even or e ight year cl d Dc b i~. folks 1 cave : some toddy for colic ~nd crrin and sech ~nci I done drink de toddy ~nd let de chilien have de milk. I don t know no better, Lawsy me, it ~ wondeT I ain t de bigges dnrnker in dis here country, wii ~li de toddy I done put in my young belly!

083 077

Er slave Stories Page Tiwee ~ ( Texas) UWhen late 0fb night come, iffen dem babies wake up and bawl, I set up a screech and out screech ~em till dey shut dere mouth. De louder day bawl d~ louder I b~wl~ Sometime when Marss hear de babies cry, h&~cor~e down and say, W~r de chill~n cry like dat, Ell~i? I say, Marse., I git so hongry and tired I done drink de milk up. ~ftien I talk sassy like dat, Marse jes shake he finger at me, cause he ~c~owed l s a good. One and don t let no Uttle mite starve. Nobody ever hit ~e a lick. Marss allas say bein in~an to d.c iroung uns make dem mean when dey grows up and nobody gwlneter buy a mean nigger. Marss don t even let de chilien go to de big cane patch. Re pl~nt little bitty patches close to c1e house and each li ? nigger have a patch and he work it till lt got growed. Marss hawe de house girls make popcorn for em and candy. I nur~s (j5 sick folks too. Sometirri~ I dose with Blue Mass pills ~nd sometime Dr. Faweett leave rhubarb and ipicac and ca1ot~l ~nd castor oil and ~ sech. Two year after de war, I git marry ~rtc~. git chilien of m r own and den I turn into de wet fluss.. I wet nuss de white chilien an5 black chilien, like dey all de saine color. S0metime I have a wh te un pullin de one side anda black one de other. II wanted to git de papers for midwifin but, law, I don t never hav~e no time for lamm in slave time. If Marse cotch ~ p~~r in you. hand he sho1 whop yOU. He on t ~ low n o bright niggers r ound he sell em qui ok. He al lu~ say, Book .arnin don t raise no good sugar 09fl5. De only lamm he low was when dey lam de cullud chilien de Methodist catechism. De only writinS a ~ er ever git, am when lie git born or marry or die, den Marse put as naine in de b~ig book. -3..

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Ex..s1ayeSto~ jes Page ~ our z 78 (Texas) ~ 1Law, I leet de time Marse marry Miss Cornella. He went on de mail boat anci brung her trom ~ew Orleans, Sue ie prett les women in o.e world almost, ceptin sne nave ae b1~es~ mOui~ I nearly ever seect. He bru.ng her up to ae house ~nci ~ il de niggers ~nd boys and girls aria cats ~nd d~gs ~na sech come end. salute ner, Dere she st~rnd on de gallery, with a purty white dress on with red. stripes runnin up ~nd down, Marse s~y to her, ~Honey, 5CC all ~e black folks, dey longe to ~rou flow. She wave to us and smile on us arid next dcy she give her weddin dress to my ma. Dat de fines dress I ever seen. It was purple ~u~ct green silk ~z~d !~ll de nigger gals wear dat dress when dey git marry, My sister Sidney wore l-t ~nd Sarv ~nd ~iry. tt~lss Corrdia was de fines wor~n In de world, Come SL~J~ 1~T mornin sAie done~ put a bucicet of dimes on de iront gallery and stand ere ~nd throw dimes to Ue nigger chilien jes like feeain chickens. I sho rlgnt here to test y, t cause ~ e right dere helpin grab. Sometime she done put de was~itub of butter- milk on de back gallery and us chilien bring us gourds ~inc1 dip up dat good~, olc. buttermilk till it all git drunk up. Som~tlrne she fotcti bread and butter to d~e back gallery and pass lt out when it don t even corne mealtime, Miss Cornelia set my ma to CUttIU patterns and sewin right ~ She give all de women a bolt or iinsey to make clothes ~nd ma cut de pattern. Us all have de fine drawers down to de ankle, buttoned with pretty white b~ttons on de bottom, Lawsy, ma sho cut a mite of drawers, with sewin for her eleven gals and four boys t oo. In de summertime we all git a bolt of blue cloth and white tape for trimmin , to make Sunday dresses. ?or de field, all de niggers git homespun what you make jumpers out of. I lect how M& se say, Don t go into de field dirty Monday i . Scrub youself and. put on de clean jumper. -.4-.

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Ex.~21ave Stories Page Five (Texas) i~ Marse sho good to dent gt~i1s and. bucks what cuttin ~ ~ ~then dey git done in~kin sugar, he give ~ drink cr11 P~ch ~r. Honey to d~ women folk md whiskey ~nd brandcr to, de men. .tnci of ~11 cte dan~1n ~n~1 c~perin you ever seen! My pa was ficldler arid w&d cut de pigeon wing ~M cut d.c bu~ck and~ every otner kind of dance. Sometime pa git t ired. and sa~r fl~ am t gwin~t er p ~y no more and us g~1s git busy anct pop him corn ~rici make cand r, so to tice turn to play more. Marse shot turn over in h~ crave did he i~iow bout. some dat lrsses. Dem black boys don t- care. I seen tern pull rats out de sugar barrel and dey taste de si~ar anci say, ~Un t nothin wrong with dat sug~r. It still sweet. One c~~y a pert one pull a dead scorpion out de s~rr~p kettle ~nd he jas leugh arid. say, M~ ~e don t w8nt waste none dis syrup, and he lick de syrtip right off th~t scorpion s body ~nd legs. Lawsv me, I seen thousands and. thousands sugar barrels arid kettl~ ot syrup in my (18y. Lawd knows how much cane old Marse have. To dem ~ de cane it don~t see~:i ~o much, bu.t to d-em wnat wor~c: hour in, hour out, de~ sugar ca:Lle f&elds sho stretch from one end de earth to de othe~. Marse ship hogs and hogs of sugar down de bayou. I seen de river boats go ~ wn with big signs what s~iy, Buy dis here lasses on de side. and. he raise a world ot rice end. taters and corn and. pe9nuts, too, When de work slight us black folks sno have de balls and dinners ~ nd We git z~ll day to barbecue meat down on de ba~ti ~n1 de white folks c~ae and e~t long side d.e cullud. Then a blat gal marry, Marse marry her hisseif in de bi~ house. He marry ein Saturday, so dey git Sunday off, too. One time de river boet come sech. down 5..

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: 80 Ex..slave Stories Page Six ( Texas) bearin d4 license for niggers to git merry with. M~,rs~ chase em O~ f ~nd ~ Don t you ~Oine truckin no no~count papers roun my nigg~rs. ~kien I marry em, dey rnprly ~s good ~s if de Lawd God hisself marry em arid it don t take no paper to bind de tie. M.erse don t stand no messin round, neither. A gal have to be of ~ge a~id ~sk her pa ~nd ma and J&rse and Missy, ~nd if dey agree, dey go ahead ~nd git marry. Mt~rse hpire de marry bo k to ~put de n~rne down, One tirae Marse take me long to help tote some chilien. He done write up to VirgiJnny for to buy fresh hand~. D~y n old :~n dat hobble long de road and de chilien start to throw rocks arid de old m~rn tu~n round to one prissy one and. say, ~o on, voun~~im, -~rou li be where dogs can t bark at you tomorrow. Nex inornin us cookin in de kitchen ~nd ~l1 ~. sudden dat 11)1 boy i~s crumple up dead on de floor. Law, we s scairt. Nobody ever bother d~t old man no more, for he shoe l~y de evil finger on ~TOU~ ~ Marse s brother, Conr~d, what was ~. widdyman, cO~qe to live on de plantation and he had a 1i~1 gni bout eight yew old. On~ day sue in de pluma orchard playin with a rattlesn~k~ and Marse Conrad have de fit. Dc li l gal won t let nobody hurt d&~ snake and she play with hirn. He won t bite her. She keeps hirn bout tb.ree year, and she d rub ~nd gre~.se him. One day he gct sick ?nd dey give him some brandy, hut ~ie ~ie ~nd olci Doc pickle him in de bottle of brandy. Dat gai git so full of grief dey take h~r to de Infirin ry in New Orleans and den one d~y she up ~nd die. ~ ;, . Dat sri~ke ain t ~ll what Doc P~wcett pickle. A slave wcxn~n give birth to a baby g~l what heve two faces with a strip of hair runnin tween. . Old Doc ~awcett pickle it in de j~r of brandy. Old doc start to court Miss

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Ex~s1r ,ve Stor~ies p~g~ Seven (Texas) Cornella w~ien Marse die, 1~a~ she don t ha~re none of him and h~ done rent streigkit w~r ~nd Icill hisseif, One day a 1i~I 1ri~fl c me~ ridin by on ~ 11 l ~un boss so f~.st you couldn t see d~t :rloss ted. . a~ sw1tchin , He whoopin arid hollerin1. Us nig gers gun whoop ~nd ho11~, too. i)en first thing ~rou know d~ Yanks ~nd de Democrats gun to figrit right dere. Dey ~ hiwi old mountain front Marge s hou~e and de Yanks tg~ pepper cnnnon bal . cLown from ~e top dat hill. De war met right dere ~nd dem Yanks r~nd Democ~ts fit for twenty-fo t.tr hours straight riinnin , When de bullets starts rainin~ down, Marse call us and slip us w~y beck into de woocts, where it so black and deep. Next dey, when de fight over, M~rse come out with great big wagons piles fUJ.1 0 mess-poke for us to eat. Dat what us call hog rne~it Us sho glad t o ~ scz~e from de Yankees. 11~V~hen us driir back to ae plantation, sech a sight I never seen. Law, de thin~s I can tell. Dem Yanks have kilt men and women. I ~ babies pick up from de road with dere brains bust right out. One old iuan ~in drp.win water and a cannon ball shoots him right in de well. Dey dr~ws hi~ up with de fish in I Inc. Dey s a old sugar boat out on de bi~you with blood ~nd sugar ru.nnin long si~:te de busted barrels. :~Lasses run in cie ba~rou and blood run in de ait ches. Marse have de great big orcnard on de road. ~nd it wipe cleari as de whistle. Ballets wipe up everythin ~nd bust dat sugar cane all to pieces. Dc house sot far back and scape de bullets, imt, law, de time d~ev haves ftDeyP~$ awful, awful times after dat. old cotton dress cost five dol~ lare ~fl(L a pound of cOffee cost five dollars and a pint cup flour cost six bit s.

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82 Ex~..slave Stories Page Eight (Texas) De Yanks ~rounct all de tir~e and one d~y they comes right in de house where Miss Corriella eatin h~r dllnn~,r. Dey marc i rourtd. d~ tab1~, jes scoopin up rn~t ~nd taters and grRb~in cornpon~ right and left. Miss Corneila don t s~y a word, jes ~mi1t~ sweet ~.s hon~y.-c~ke. I reckon dem so~j~rs might a took de siIv~r and se~ch onI~r she charm t~.ty~ h~r bein so quiet ~nd Ipdvllke. First thing ~rc~u know dein soj~rs curtsy to Mi~sy end take &~rese1f right otit de door m~id don t come back. UD~n it s~m 1i~ Marse have ~L1 c~e troub1~ in de~ world. H~ boy, Ned, die in ~.e war and William, whet naine forhe pr., drink bad 11 de tiae. And after de war ~em Ku Kiuxers wnat v ,i~r de false &aces try to tinker with Marse s nigger s One day tJnc1~ D~ve ~ t art t o t own ~nd a K1u~er a5k him where a~n he pass. Dat Kiuxer cLout him but Une1~ Dave outrun him in de cane. Marss grab ci~ noss and go rest d~t rn~ii and Marse a j~dg~ and. h~ m~ ke d~t nan p~y de fine for hittin UncJ.~ Dave. 1!t~r dy hears of dat, de~n old pok~ faces I scairt of old Marse and d~e~r git out ~~rom Opelousas and stays out Then m~ and. my husbRfld, John, corne to Texas d.~ folks say dat Lou1s1~ma i~msters de iuearles In de world and I s~r rigiit back ~t ~m dat dey is good and. me~xi in every spot of de earth. That more, de Louisiana m~tst~rs free dere nigg~rs a y,ar ~ any Pexas nigger ~it free. u When manc 1.pat i on come Ma ~s e gi t on e b 1g bi ock and. SR~, You a ~1 i~ as fr~ e as I is, standin rig~it here. Does ~rou. want to stay with me, ~roti can, ~nd I ll pay rou for de work. All ~Ie niggers cheer and say dey want to stay, but Marse die not long after and. ~11 us niggers scatter. HI sho ~1ect dat day old Marse die. ~e won t die till ma gits He keep s~i~ , ~there ~ Charity, tell Charity to come. Dey fotch

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Ex slave Stories Page 1~lin~ (Texas) f. ma from (te c~~ne patch ~md~ she hold Marse s ht~nd till h~ die. Us niggers went to de ~ra~eyp~rd and us shO cry Over old }~rse. Marse s brother, Goidnin carries ~ll ti~ hrixicts b~c~: to d~ free country to turn ~em loose, He s~v de fr country ~in de ones whet s yellin bout 5l~.ve times, so dey co~l~ jes take care 0 dc niggers. M~rse Golcinsm so big dat when he st~nct in cie door ~rou co.lctn t git 1y Mm, thout he st~nd s id9~v1ays. tLt~.w, times ~in t like dey wa~ In s?~ve dsys. kIl my t~n crillien is dead and my 31c!. ~ cone, and now I reckon my time bout rive. .&~l I got to do now am pr~y cie L1~wd to keet~ me strai~kit, den when de great da come, I can m~rcti cie ror~d to glory.

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 090 084

420125 F~X-sLAv:~ s~roi~i~s PRge One (Pexag) ; 84 CHA~IOTTE BEVERLY was born a slave to Cn.ptain Pank~y s wife, in Montgomery County, Texae. She haB 11Yf~d rao!t OEf her life within ~ radius of 60 miles frafl Houston, arid now lives with one of he~r children i~ a little house on tne highway betwe between Cleveland and Shepherd~, Texas. ~ ~1ie does n~ know her ~ e, but appears to be about ninety. . H, ~ born in Montgoi~ery Count~r ~ IIS the iuud~er of eleven chilIen, four gals and seven boys. M~r grandma corne fr xn Alabexna and 1A7 dadd7 was Strawder Green aM he belong to Col. Thi~hes. My maw named Phyllis and she belong to Capt. Pi~tkey. There was bout forty niggers, big and. litt1e~, on the plantation. Lawd, they was good. to us. Us didn know nothin bout bad times and cutt Ing end whipping ~nd slasriing. I had~ to wo~c in the house and I member one thing I has to do was scrub Mistus gol snuf!box twict a week, She kep sweet, Scotch snuff and sometimes I takes a pinch out, We used to go to the white folks church ~nd if us couldn git in ~e cl stand round by the door and. sing ~ Mistus wouldn low us dance on the place but they give us pass to go to danceon ne& plantation, w ae re my clad:dy live, avery year they have bit Christmas d.inner and ham ~nd turkey and allue feed~ us good. Us have Christmas party and. sing songs. That was sweet m~isic. Marster have a lovely nouse, all celled and plastered. It was a log house but it W&~ iuake ~ veautiful inaide with mirrors an~ on ~ . . the board was lots of s liver and china i~nd silver spoons with the li*in1e an~t part. of my jobwas to keep em sparklin .

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E~x~s1ave Stories P~e Two (Texas) ~ ~ o1ks iii theta times cooks in the fireplace and. my auntie, she cook. She make simmon bread and. tat~r pone and. the like. She mash up ~simrnons with bu.tter and pour sweet milk and flour in it. That make good siznrnon bread.. We has skillets what was flat and deep and set on three legs. The slaves live~i in little log houses and sleep on wood~ beds. The beds was make three-legged. They make augur hole in side of the house and put in pieces of wood to make the bed frnme, and they put straw and cotton mattress on them bed. Old x~arster used to let he slaves have a extry cotton patch to they selves and they work it by the moonlight. They could sell that cotton ~nd have the money for tiieyselves. My white mistus was a Christian and she d own her od. anywhere. She used to sho~~t, jus sit and ci~p her h~~nd.s and say, Hallaluj~h.~ Once I seed. lier shout in churcxi and. I tninkg something ail her and I r~n down the elsie and goes to fannin her. One oftne slaves was a sort a preacher and. sometimes marster lowed hia t o p reach t o trie n iggers but he have t o preac~i with a t~b ove r nie ~aead, ca~.tse ne git so happy he talk too loud. Somebody fr~ tne big nouse liable to come down and make him quit cause ~e makin sturbanc ~. UI ~rings water from the well and they have what tziey call piggirs., and they was little tubs with two handles. Mistus wou.ldn low me to do any heaYy work. I ~ see eoj ers and knit s socks for ein b~r moonshine . Me ~md my hu was married. by a Yankee sojer. I was dress in white Tarleyton wedd1n1 dress ati~1 I didn wear no hoop skirt. I had. a pretty wreath of little white flowers~ little bitty, little dainty ones, the pretties little . 0.3w

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:Ex..elave Stories Page Two (texas) things. When I marry, my sister merry too ~nd our ~msbe~n e was brudders. My husban dress in suit of white linen. He sho look handsome. He give me a gol ring and a cup and saucer for dcli gif . Vie git married in Huntsville and us dicin go no weddin Journey trip. We was sopoor we c~tildn go round the houses I s bout twenty some year when I marries, I don know jus how old. ~e has a big dance that night and tne white come, cause they likes to see the niggers dance. ttThe white folks had interee in they cullud. people where I times they s as many as fifty cradle with little nigger babies in the mistus, she look after them and take care of them, toc. She and dry them herself. She hod a little gal git water and help. had no chilien of her own, I d. blow the horn for the mudders of babies to come in from tx~e fields and. nurse sein, in mornin and. afternoon. Mistus feed them what was old exwugh to eat victuals. Sometimes, they mammies talc. th~i to the field and fix pallet on ground for then to lay on. The las word my old Mistus Pankey say when she die was You take care ot Charlette. 86 hut folks live. Some.. ~ and turn them She never the little ..******* **

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42()~49 * EX~..SLAV~ STORIES ~ Page One .. ( Texas) ~ * p FRANCIS BLACK was born at . Grand Bluff, Mississippi ab~it 1850, on the Jim Canton plan- tation. When five years old, she was stolen and taken to the sl~zve market in 1~Tew Orleans. Failing to sell her there, the slave traders took her to Jef ferson, Texas, arid sold her to Bi1l~Tumlin. ?rancis stayed with him five years after she was freed, then iriartied and * moved to Cass County, Texas. She became blind a year ago, * and now 1 ives at the Bagland Old. ~ Folks Home 31 8 Elm St . Texarkana . Texas~ My name ~arri Prancis Black, e~d I don t know jes ~ how old I is, but tmembers lots b~t them slave days. I was a big gal, washint and ironint, when they sot the d.arkies free. ~ rom that, I c~)late I m in my eighties. s, ~ was boi n in Grand Bluff, in Mississ ipp I on Old ManOarit ont ~ plantation, and I was stole from my folks when I was a 11,1 gal and * never seed th~za no more. Us kids played in thebig road there In Mis siesippi, and one day ras and tnother gal is playin up and down the road and three whlt e men come ~ I ong in a wagon. They grabs us up and. puts us~ in the wagon and covers us with quilts. I hollers and. yells and one the men say, S~Iet up, you nigger, or Ill kill you. I told him, Kill me if you want s t o you st oie me from my folks t Th~ men t ook us t o New Orleans t o the big slave market . I had l ng hair arid they cut lt off like a boy and tried to sell me, but I told theini men what loo~cs at me, the men ~ut my hair off and stole me. ~ . ; . ~ mc man ~h&t cmt n~ hair off c~irsed me and said if I &Idn t~ bush he ~ d ~ ~ ~: ~ ki1lms~ bu:t he co9:tdn t s ll us at New Orleans and tookus to Jefferson.

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Ex -elave Stories Page Two (Taxas) ~ . ~ 88 . t, I never knowed what they done with the other gal but they s old me to . ~ax se Bill Tu.mlin, what r~in a big lIvery stable in Jefferson, and I longed to him till surrender. I lived in the house with them, cau~e they had a boy and g~l and I did. for thera They bought me cl othes and t o~k good care of me but 1. never seed no money till surrender. I et what they et, after they g~ through. Missy say she didnbt lieve in fe~din1 the darkies scraps, Uke some folks. HI playe~d with them two chilien all day, then sot the table. I was so . smsll I d g~t in a chair to reach the dishes out of the safe. I hw3. to pull a long flybrash over ~ the tani e whilst the whi te folks et. ~Marse Tumlin had a farm tbout I~our mile from town, and a overseer, ~nd I seed him bt~ckle the niggers crost a log and whip them. Marse lived in Jeffers on lies elf and when he d. go t o the farm he alius t o ok ~ t s boy with hirn. Wetd be playin in the barn and Marse call from the house, Come on, Ji~ini e, weTr, gwine to the farm . ~ Jimmie allus s~y t o me, tCome . on , nigger, lette rid.e round the farm. I d say, I alntt no nigger. He d say, Tes, yciu is, my pa paid $200 for you~. He bought you for to play withme.T ~ ~ ~ Jefferson~was a good town till it burned up. I tm~bers the big : ~ fire what looked 111cc the whole t own gwineter burn up Mars. B ill I os t :~ his livsx y stabl in the fire. ;. ~ . . ~he Yankee soldiers, all dressed in blue, come to run the town ~ after the war. Marse Twnlin done told nie Vin free, but I Btays On till Itm moat growed. Then I works round town and marries Dave Black, and we ~ ~ 2.

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P LAC E H O L D E R

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 096 090

42()i.42 ZI.$LAVE STORIES Page One 9() (Texa.) OLITtER BIL4JWRARD, 95 years o1~, was a slave of Clairville La San, who owned a large plantation ii Mat tinytlle Parish, Louisiana. Ris fat~r was a Prenchman and Olivier epsaics rather haltingly, as though it is difficult for hin to express his thoughts in ~nglish, for he has talked a species ofYrench all hi. life. Re lives in ~at~io~t Texas NI was plo~ing and hoeing before the freedom ~nd I talk more of the Prench cause I c~es from St. Uartinville Pax ieh. I was born there in Loui si ana and ~y mama was Angel trie Je an Pierre and. she waa slave born. Mypapa waS Olivier Blanchard and he white man carpenter on old plantation. We belong to Clairvil e LaSan and all live on ~ that place. My papa just plain carpenter tut could draw patterns foe houses. I don t know where he laz n that work. II ~ s count freeborn arid still have one white half sister alive. When freedom come ~y mama and papa split up and m~a get marry. ft I pick cotton and mama cook. She make koosh-koosh and cyayah. that last plain clabber. Mama cook lots of gaspergo~i and carp and the poisson asii fish. with the long snout -i-what the~y call gar now. I think it eel fish they strip the skin off and wr~ round the hair and isaks it curly. The Ba~rou Teche, it ru.n close by and the w~en do all the clothes with a big paddle with holes in it to clean them in the bayou. They paddle them clean oe~ the rocks and then wash them in the water. N.l~.

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. Zimslave Stories Page Two 9j ( Texas) One time one big bayou. gator cone up and. bite a woman~s arm off0 She ~y sister In law. ~t they keep on washing the clothes in the bayou. just the same. IIW ha,e plenty ta eat and peaches and muscadines and pecans, cause there right smart woods aad swa~ there. We pl~ in the woods and sost time in the bay~ on boats with planks what would float. W. had the rood time and had a little pet o~on. You know, the coon like sweet things and he steal ~.tr syrup and when we chase him with the switch he hide under the bed. Ity old miscue was good Catholic and she have us christened and iiak:~ the first counioi, That not registered, cause it before the freedom, but it wers in old St. Uax tin s church, same old. church what steM now. Ther was a st~ue of Pers Jean, the old. priest, in front the church and one of St. Martin, too. Plenty ~n from St. Martinvill e go to the wa and Archie he go to Virginia ~id fi~it. The first one to pass oer place Well 3a~iks end he was a Yiikee going up the Red River. Tb. yellow fever cans dunn1 that war and kill lots. All the big plantation bave the graveyard for the cullud peo~ple. That fever so bad. they get the coffin rsad~ before they dead and they so scared that some wsrentt dead but they think they are and busy them. There was a White girl call Oolene $o~ni.r what was to marry Suadq~ and she take sick Irida7 before. She sa not to bury her in the gronn& b~t they put her there while they got the tomb ready. ehen they open the ~r~ind grave t, put her ta the toeb they~ find she bU.rL.& alive and she eat all her own ~ .h~ld r and hand. W57. KSr sweetheart Gart Berrild, he see that coi~se. DeBliett, was John

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~xE~slave Stories PageThree (Texas) and he go home and. get took with yellow fever and die. They was the old. lady what die. Sh wae a terrible soul. One tiae after she di. I go to get water out of her rain barrel and t had a lamp in one hand. That old. lady s ghost blowed o~~t the leap and slap. ped the pitcher out my hand. After she first die her ~ieband ~mt black dress on her and ti~ up the jaw with a r~ and my girl lo~ in the rocs and. there that old la~, Liza Lee, sittin by the fire. My girl tell her mama and after three day she go back, and Liza Lee buried but my wife see her ittin by the fire. Then she sorry she whip the chile for sayin she saw Liza Lee. That old lady, Lisa Lee, was a tart and she stay a tart for a long time. I marry 72 year ago in the Catholic Church in St. )Lartinville. My wife call Adeline chretien arid she dead 3? year. Je have seven children but foLtr live now. Prank my only boy live no~ in Iowa, in Louieiane~ and my two girls live Enzie~e De Qperive and Rose Baptiste.

Ex-slave autobiographies - Julia Blanks (Texas). 099 093

42()199 !~L.SI~Lv:I s~iis Page One 93 ~ (Texa.) JuLIA ~ANKS was born of a slave motile r and a three~quart er Indian father, in San Antonio, in the secoM year ot t~e Civil War. ifer mother part Trench and part Negro, wa_s owned by Mrs. Jozin G. Wilcox, formerly a hiss Donaldson, wi~o nad lived at tue Whit House, and who gave Julia to ner daughter. After the slaves were freed, Julia contiu~. ued to live with her mother in S~ Antonio until, at fifteei~, she mar ned Henry Hall. l ive years later her second marriage took place, at Leon Spring., Texas, wi~ere site lived ~ until moving to the Adams ranch, on the Trio River. Hra ohs raised her family. After leaving the ideas ranch, Julia and Henry bou~it two section. or state land, but after four years they lit it goback because of K.nry s ill health, and aov.& to tTvalds. I was born in San Antonio, in 1862. My mothsr s nains vai Racbael Miller. I don t know i! she was born in Tennessee or Mississippi. I heard her talk of both places. I don t ~ow nothing about my father, because ne run off when I was about three monthe old. He was thre-quarter Cherokee Indian. They wer loti of Inttians then, and my Imeband s people come from SaTonnait, Georgia, and he said they irai lots of Indians there. I n.ad. two sisters and one brotbar and the sisters are dead but a, brother lives somewhers in Arizona, My mother s master s n_e was John C. Wilcox. Then we was small chilien, they hirs& my sisters out, but not a.. My grandfather bought ay grattdmotbez s time and they run ant sold her ti Miss Doaalds~*. Sb. was haaf French. She locked -3- a lau*d;~ houai, Tbay 1~ired ~ mother oat, too. ~ You s.. ~ grand~ ther was free born, but they stols bar

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: g~a1ave Autobiographies -~ ~Tu1ia Blanks. Page p~ (Tex.~) j ea like a iren oh ma. She ~n t a si ave but sbe and her brother were stolen and sold. She said the stage coach used to pass her un s hou se a nd one day she and her ~ hr ther :. we~it down to torn to buy sc~ buns, and ~ien they were comin back, the Btage stopped and asked em to ride. She wanted to ride, but her broth er dd. t . But they t ooaxln ~ em till they ~ot em in. They set her down between the two ~men that was in there &~d set her brother between two x~n, and when they got close to the house, they threw cloaks over their heads ~nd told the driver to drive as fast as he could, and he sure drove. They taken em to Washin ton, ~ to the ihite House, and made her a present to Mary 1~1leox (Miss Donald on) end. her brother to soxi~ebody else. Then this woman married ohn C. Wilcox ax~. they oonie to Texas. She saw a cousin of hers when they got to Washin ton, and she knew, after that, he had somethin to do uith her and h~ brother bain stolen. One ~ay she foun~1 e. piece of yellow money an& took it to her cousin and he told her it wasn t no good and gave her a dime to go get her some candy. AXter that she saw gol money and knew what it was. . She said she had a good. time, though, when she was gro~ing up. They were ~etty good to her, but after they came to San ntoni , ~a. Wilcox began bain mean. She kep my mother hired out all the tlm and. ga ~e me to ~ her daughter and ~y sis ter to her son. ~ mother was ke~p hired out all the time, oooking; an~ ~ attez freedom, she just took, to waai4n and. ironin ~andta~~ boi~ght his tirn~ an~& my gx andiaothe~ s. tii~. out . ~ey ~ stay ~t:h her. . ~ ~ ..

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~~s1ave Awtobiographies ~ ~Tu1ia Blanks Page ~ (T.x..i) (~ IL) I ve heard my mother talk about coffee. They roasted beans and made coffee. She says, out on the plantation, they would take bran and. put it in a tub and bave em. stir lt up with water in it and let all the white ~o to the bottom end d~ip it off and strain it and make starch~ I bave made starch out of flour over and otten, rnyselt. I had four or five little giris and I had. to keep era like pins. In them days they wore little ealico dresses, wide and Lull and standin out, e~nd a bonnet to match every dress. I used to. hear my grandmother tell about the good. times they u~aed to have. They would go from one plantation to another and have q~uIlt ~ s and. e or n husk in s ~ And they would dane e . They didn t have dances. then like they do now. The white people would give them things to eat. They would have to hoof it five or six miles and didn t niind it. ~They had what they called ~tros, and if you didn t have a pass they would whip you and put you in Jail. Old Man Burns was hired at the courthouse, and. if the muarsters had slaves that they idn t want to wh ip the y would send the ni t o the oo urthous e to be whipped. Son~ of the xnarsters was good and some wasntt. There was a woman oh she was the meane st thing ~ I don t know if she had a husband. ~ I never did hear anything about him. Ihen she iould. get mad at one ~ o f h~r si ave 1~ ~1, ah e woul d make the n~n tie her down, end she had what they called ~cat-~o -~ninetails, aM. ~ after she got the blood to come, she would dip lt In salt and~ pe~pper and whip her again. Oh, she was n~azU My 4-

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EZ~slave Autobiographies ~ Julia Blenks Page P~ir 9G (Texas) mother s marster ~as good; he wouldn t whip any of his slaves. But his wife wasn t good. If she got mad. at the wom&i, when he would come home she would say: ~Tohn, I want you. to whip Liza. Or Martha. And he would say, Them are your slaTes, You whl~ them. f He was good and. she was mean. When my aunt would go to clean hois.e she (Mrs. ~fi1cox) would turn all the pictures in the house but one, the meanest looking one ~ you know how it always looks like a picture is watching you every where you go ~ and. she would tell her if she t ouched a t hing or left a bit of dirt or if she III t do it good, this. picture would tell. And. she believed it. My grandmother t old a tale one time You know in slave time they had an old women to cook for the chilien. One day they were going to have company . This woman tha t vas the boss of the ~piace where the chilien was kept told the old oullud woman to take a piece of bacon and ~ease the mouths of all the chilien. ~hen she told. a boy to. bring them up to these people, and the woman said: Oh, you must teed these chilien good, tust look at their mouths L ~ And the woman said, Oh, that s the way they eat.~ They didn t get meat often. That was Just to make them believe they had lots to eat. No . They were ~ut off from educat ion The way my ste~p~ father gpt his learning wasa c~uliud blacksmith would teach school at night, end us chilien taught our mother. She didn t know how to spell or read. or t She dl du t know B from buil~~a toot. aoi ot thei~ were. allowed to have church and some di~Ln t. ILL&~ teii read. the Bible cause they couldn t rea&. As

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Page JIjy. 9~3 E~-~siave Aut obiographies ~ ~rul ia Blanks (T.xai) my mother used to say, they were raised up as green as cucumbers. ~het old blacksmith was the onlyist man that ~mew how to read. and. wri te in si avery t irae that I kx~w of . My grandmo ther or none of them knew ho w to read ; the y o ould count bu t t h at was all. That s what makes me mad. I tell my grandchillen they ought to learn ail they can cause the old people never had a chance My husband never did. have any sohool:Ln~, but he sure could figger. N:ow, if you want me to get tangled up, Just give me a pencil and paper and. I don t know nothing. She tapped h~r skull. I figger in my head~ The chilien, today, ought to appreciate an education. ROh, yea, theywere good. to the slaves when they were sick. They would have the doctor come out and wait on them. Most plantations had what they cal led. en old granny eullu~d woman that treated the chilien with h ~rbs and such things. Gan~s? I d.on t know. We used to play rap jacket. We would get switches and ~iip one another. You know, after you was hit severe . t line s it di.di~ t hurt much . ye p1s~yed a many time. In slave t une th e men used to go u ar~ night and. hunt possums and t003US. They would have a d.og or two along. They ixsed to go six or seven miles afoot to corn liuskin s and quiltin s. ~ud those off ~the oth er plant ati ons would come ov er and join in the work. Leid they would~ne~rly always have a good. dinner. sometimes. j~. of the. owners would give em s. hog or somethin ~- nice to eat, but ~rns of em didn t. ~ No la, Oflt t know if they run oftb to t he Nor th but

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Page : ~x-~s1ave~ Autobiographies ~ J~u1ia Blank8 (T.x ~s) some or tirnm runned off and. stayed in the swaurpa, and they was mean. They called them ruxiaways. If they saw you,tI~ y would tell you to bring them soirtething to eat . And if you didn t do It, if they airer got you they sure would fix you. I don t know when my mother was set free. My husband s marster s name was King. He was from Savannah, Georgia, but at the tiate was living close to Boerne. My husband s father was killed in the war. When my husband w s about ten years old, his marster hadn t told them they was free. lou know some of them didn t tell the slaves they was free until the y had to . Af~ter freedom. was declared, Iota of people didn t tell the slaves they were free. One morning, ray husband said, he happended to look out and he saw a big bunch o1~ men coming down the road, and he thought he never saw such pretty men in his life on them horses. ~L~hey had. so many brass buttons on their clothes lt looked like gold. so he run and told his mama, and. she looked and. saw it was soldiera, end~ some of exu told the boss, and he looked and saw them soldiers coinin in the big gate end he called em in q~uick and. told them they wer e fre e SO when the s ol di ers conte, they asked him if he had. told his slaves they were free, and. he said yes. They asked the Ne~~es if they lived there, ani tley said yes One said. ~ He Jus t t old. ~is we was free / ~he s old.i ers asked. him why he had Jus t told t hem, end he said th ey w~sn t all there and he was waiting ~or them all to be there. u~yp husban& said~ he thought thera was the prettiest bunch of me~ he ever saw, and the prettiest horses. Of course, he

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Ex ~1ave ~Lutobiographies ~ J ulia ~1anks Page S.ve~ 99 Uc~:*~a ) hadn t never saw any soldiers before. I know lt looked pretty to me when I used to see the soldiers at the barracks and hear the band~ playin and. see them drillin and ever thing. You see, we lived on a little cross- street right back of st. Mary s Church in San Antonio. j dontt know how that place is now. where the post office is now, there used. to be a blacksmith ~hop and my father worked there. j. went back to sen Antonio about fifteen years ago and. jes took it afoot and looked at the ehaziges. ni was fifteen years old the first time I married. It was alniost a run~a ~way marriage. I was married in San A~ntoaio. My first husband s name was Henry Hail. My first wedding dress was as wide as a wagon theet. It was white lawn, full of tucks, and. had. a big ruffle at the bottoraG I had. a wreath and a veil, too. The veil had. lace all around. it. Vie danced and had a supper. W~e danced all the dances they danced. then; the waltz, sQuare, piadrille, polka, and- the gallopade ~ and that s what it was, all right; you shore galloped. You d start from one end of the hail and run clear to the other end.. In those days, the women with all them long trains ~ the m~n would hold it over his arm. i~~To, Lord! Honeymoons wasn t thought of then. No m, I never worked out e day in my 1ife.~ J~okingly, ~I guess they thought I was too good looking. I was about twenty years old when I married the second time. .1 was married in Leon Springs the second tixne. Before we eome out to this country from Leon Springs, they was wild grapes dewberries. p1un~s and agaritas bla ok haws, -J -s

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Ex- slave Autobiographies ~ Jtilia Blanks Page (Eight) red. haws. M-~fli -~m~ Then~ dewberrie6, I dearly love em~ I never did see wild cherries out here I didn t like the cherries much, but they make fine wine. We used to gather mustang grapes and. make a barrel of wine. After I married the second time, we lived on the Adams ranch on the ~ rio and stayed on. that ranch fifteen years. Vie raised all our chilien right on that ranch. I am taken for a Mexkin very often . I j es talk Mexkin back to era. I learned to talk it on the ranoh~ As long as I have lived at this place, I have never had. a cross word. about the chilien. ill my neighbors here is Mexkins . They used to laugh at me when I tried to talk to the hands on the ranch, but I learned to talk like ~ We used to have big round-~ups out on the Adams ranch. They had fences then . The neighbor s wz uld. all come over and get out nd gather the cattle and bring em in. Up at Leon Springs at that time they didn t have eny fences, and they would have big round~ups there. But after we come out here, it was differ~ e~nt. He would notify his neighbors they were goin to gather cattle on a certain day. The chuck wagon was right there at the ranch, that is, I was the chuck wagon. But if they were goin to take the cattle off, they would have a chuck wagon. They would round up a pasture at a time and come in to the ranch for their meals. Now on the Wallace ranch, they would always take a chuck wagon. When they were gettin ready t~ start brandin at the ranch, my husban4 always 1ce~ his brandin irons all in the house, hangin up ri~it where he could get his hands on ein.

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Ex-~s1ave A,utobfr~raphies ~ J~u11a Blanks Page Nin.1()j (Texas) Whenever they would go oft to other ranches to gather cattle, you would see ever man with his beddin tied up behind him on his horse. He d have jes a small roll. They ~uld always have a slicker if nothin else. That slicker answered ror ever thing sometimes. My husband. slep many a night with his saddle under his head. He used to carry mall from San Antonio to Dog Town, horse-V back. That was the town they used to call Lodi (Lodo), but I don t know how to s~pel1 it, and don t know what it nieans. It was a pretty tough tov~i. The jail house was made out of dobe and pickets. They had a big picket fence all around lt. They had a ferry that went right across the San. Antonio River fron Floresville to Dog Town. I know he told nie he come to a place and they had a big sign that said, Nigga, don t let the sun go down en you here. They was awful bad down in there. He would leave Dog Town in the evenin and he would get to a certain plaoe up toward San Antonio to camp, and once he stopped LGf ore he got to the place he always camped at. He said he didn t know what made mi stop there that time, but he stopped and took the saddie off his horse and let tj~ graze while he lay down. After a while, he saw two cigarette fires in the dark right up the road a little piece, and he heard a Mexkin say, I don t see why he s so late toniplit. He alwayS gets here before night and camps rl~at there . He knew they was waylayin t j~, ~ ~ he picked his saddl e up right easy and carried. it fu ther back de~n the road in the brush and. then corne got his horse and took him out there and s~ddied im u~p end went away ~ them Mexkins. He went on in ~I.9-.

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I~x s1ave Autobigraphies ~ JUlia Blanks Pace Ten 1O~ (T.x.) to San Antonio and didn t go back any more. A, white man took the mail to carry then and the first trip he made, he never come back. He went down with the mail and. they round the mail scattered somewhere on the road, but t hey never found the man, or the horse, either. On the Adams ranch, in the eat~1y days, we used to have to pack water up the bank. You might not believe it, but one of these sixty-~pound lard cans Lull of water, I ve ~-~oarried it on ray head many a tine ~e had steps cut into the bank, and it was a good ways down to the water, and I d pack that can up to the first level ~ and go back and get a couple a buckets of water and carry a bucket in each hand. and. the can on my head up the next little slantin hill before I got to level ground. I carried vat er that way t ill my chilien go t big enough to carry water, then they took it up. When I was carryin water in thera bi~ cans my head would sound like new leather -~ you know how it squeaks, and. that was the way it sounded in my head. But, it never &td hurt m~e. You see, the Mexkins carry loads on their heads, but they fix a rag around their heads s orne way to help balance it But I never did. 1 jes set it up on my head and carried it that way. Oh, we used. to carry water~L My goodness~ My mother said it was the Indian in n~ ~ the way I could carry water. When we were first married and moved to the Adams ranch, we used. to come here to Uvalde to dances. They had. square dances then. They hadn t commenced. all these frolicky dances they have now. L~hey would ~ have a supper, but they had it to s eli Every rellow would have to treat his girl he danced with. ~ - 10

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Page i1~ven 103 ~x-~s1ave Autobiographies ~ J~u1ia Blanks ( Tsxas) I can remember when my ~rand ather lived in a house with a dirt floor, and they had. a fireplace. And I can remember just as weil how he used. to bake hoecakes for us kids. He would rake back the coals and ashes real smooth and. put a wet paper down on that and then lay hi~ hoeca~e do~vn on the paper and. put another paper on top or that and the ashes on top. I used..to think that was the best bread I ever ate. I tried it a few times, but I made such a mess I di4n t try it any m~ore. One thing I have seen em make, especially on the ranch. You take and clean a stick and. you put on a piece of meat and. piece of fat t:~.1l you take and use up the heart end liver end sw etbread and other meat and put it on the stick ar~ wrap it around dth leaf fat and then put the milk g~t or marrow gut around the whole thing . They o all that 1~ac~Ji~q (mule), &~d I tel . you, it s good. ~hey make it out of a goat and sheep, mostly. An~other thing, we us ed to have big a, and I have cooked great pans of steak axe. iriountain orsilters. Generally, at the ann and n~rkin I cooked up i~any a big p~an of mountain orahtera. I wish I had a nickel for ever one I ve cooked, and. ate tooZ People from up North have come down there, arid., when they were brand.ln end. cuttin calves there, they sure did eat nd~ en~Ioy that dinner. ItTile men uae& to go ~ up to the lake fishin and catch big trout, or bass, they call em now; and. we d take big buckets of butter - we d.idn~t take a saucer of butter or a pouz~ ; we taken butter up there in ~*iokets~ for we sure had plenty of lt ~ and. ..11lp.,

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Page Twelv.1()4 . ~-s1a~ve Autobiographies ~ Julia Blanks (Texas) we d take lard. too, and. cook our fish up there, and. had. corn bread or hoe cakes and plenty of butter for ever thing, and it sure was good. I tell you ~ like my husband used to say - we was livin ten days in the week, then. When we killed hogs, the nieat from last winter was hung out-p side and t1~n new nieat, salted d~o wn and then smoked, put in there, and we would cook the old bacon for the dogs. Vie always kep some good dogs there, and. anybody ~l tell you they was always fat. We had lots of wild turkeys and I raised turkeys, too, till I got sick of eookint turkeys. Don t talk about deer~ You know, it wasntt then like it is now. Iou.could go kill veni4on any time you wanted to. But I don t bleuie em for passin that law, for people used to go kill em and ses take out the hams and tender-s loin and leave the other layin there. I have saved many a sack of dried meat to keep it from spoilin . We would raise watermelons, too. We had a big field three mile from the house and a ninety-acre field right in the house. We used to go get loads of melons for the hogs and they got to where they didn t eat anything but th.e heart. I used to leave my babies at the house with the older girl and. go out horseback With. my husband. My oldest girl used to take the place of a cowboy, and put her hair up in her hat. A~nd rides M~ goodness, she loved to rideZ They thought she was a boy. She wore pants and leggin s. And. maybe you think she couldn t ri&e~ After we left that ranch, we took up some state land. I aouldiz t beIl you how big tha t pla c e was We had 640 in one pla o e

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.~ ( ~ Page ThtrteeaIU~) . ~ Ex~ s1ave Autobiographies -~ ~Tu1ia Blanks (Texas) and 640 in another place; it was a good big place. Lfter ray husband got sick, we had to let it go back. e couldn$t pay it out. ~e only lived on it about four years. M~T husband has been dead about nineteen years. I had. a Den full and a half of chilien. I have four livin chilien, two girls and. two boys. I have a girl, Carrie, in California, v~rkin in the fruit ail the time; one boy, u.eorge, in Arizona, workin in the raines ; and. a girl in Arizona Lavinia washes a rid iro ~ and cooks and ever thing else she can get at. And I have one boy here. I have ten grandchillen and. I ve got five great grandchillen. I belong to the Methodist huroh. I joined about twenty five years ago. ~y husband joined with rae. But here, of late years, when I go to church, it makes nie mad to see how the people do~the preacher up there trying to do all the good he can do and them settin back there laughin and talking . I was baptized. There was about five or six of us baptized in the Leona down here. People tell that I ve got plenty and don t need. help. Even the MexJcins here and. ever body say I ve got iuoney. ~Tes because we ~ad that farm down there they think I corne out with ~aoney. But what in the world ~vould I want with money if I didn t use it? I cantt take it with rae when I die and I could be gettint the use of it~ now while I need it. I could have what I want to eat, anyway. Pm gettin a little pension, but it ain t near enough to keep us0 I ve got these two grandehullen here, and things is so high, too, so I don t have enough of anything without skimpin all the time.

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42031.2 ~L~SLAV.~ STORIES . Pare One (Texas) ELVIRA BOLb~S, 94, has Outlived nine of her ten children. She lives at 3109 Manzana St., El Paso, Texas, with her d~htev, Minnie. She was born ~ slave of the Levi Ray f~wii1y near Lexington, Mississippi, and was sold as achi1~1 to Elihui Boles, a nei~ghboring p1~tation owner. During the iRst year o-f the Civil War she was brought to Teias, with other ref u.gee slaves, II dust tiuemb~r my ~ irst marster and naissus, 1cause she dont want me there. It58 ~L child of the rn~xster. Dey didn tell me how old I was when de~r sold me to Boles. M~ missus sold me to Boles. Dey tuk us to where d.ere was a he~ of white folks down by the caurt hrnse and we d be there in lots and den de whites ud bid. for us. I don know how old I w~ts,. but I washed dishes and den dey put ae to work in de fields. We don git ~ nickel in slavery. Marster Boles didn have man ~ slaves on de farm, but lots in brickyerd. I toted brick back and put tern down where dey h~. to be, Six bricks each load ~ll day. Th~t s de reason I ain1t no tcount, I se worked to death. I fired de \trnece for three years. Stan in front wid. hot fire on my face. Hard work, but GOod was wid. me We d work ~ t Ill dark, quit awhile after sun~ own. Marster was good to slaves, did.r~t believe in jus lashint rem. He d not be brut al but t d kill ~ em de ad r ight on the sp ot Overseers id ~it after em and whop em down. 1-

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-4 ( i, ~ lu , Dx.-slave Stories . Page Two ( Tex~s) Itse seventeen, maybe, when I married to slave of Boles. ~ rrried on Saturd~y ni~ght. Dey ~1ve me a dress ~nd ~ey hnd things to eat, let me have ~omethin~ like what you c~.l1 a party. \~e just h~d common clothes on. And then I h:~d to work every day. I d leave my baby cryint in de y~~d ~nd he d be cryin , hut I coulcin st~y. Done everything but split r~i~ls. I ve cut timber ~ rid p1ou~hed. Done everyth1n~ ~ man could do. I couldn notice de time, but I d. be ~ to ~it back to my baby. 9Lo~~ cabins h~d dirt floor, sometimes plankin c~ovrn. I worked late and m~de pretty quilts. Sometimes dey d. let u~ h~ve a party. Saturday nights, de white people cive us meat ~nd stuff. Give us syrup and we d make cendy, o~it in de yards ~e ~ d ask our frien s and dance all night . Den ~o to work next day. \~ d . clean off de yard. and daxice out dere. Christmas come, dey cive us a big e~nog and cive us ca~ce. Our white folks did. White folks chilien had bought c~dy. ~Ye didn~ git any, but dey let us play wid. de white chilien. We d play smut. Thoever beat wid de cards~ he1d ~it to smut you. TaIce de smut from fireplace ~nd rub on your face. Doctor take care of us Iffen we sick, so~3 ~it US well to ~it us to work. Iffen dey had a pretty girl dey would ta~ce es, and I1ee one of sea, and my oldest child, he boy by Boles, almost white. We had to steal aw&y at night to have church on n.e ditch bank, crawl haine on de belly. Once overseers heered US prayin give us day each 100 lashes,

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Ex~81ave stories P~ge Three 1OF~ ( Texas) Den when de Yankees come through, dey ud be good to e slaves, to keep tem from tellint on 1eni. Fre~da~ w~s give Jpx~. 1, 1865, but de ~ slavee dj~ ~ lt till June 19. We se refugees. Boles, our r~rster, sent us out r~nd ~ze come from Holmes County to Cherokee County tri a wagon. We was a d.odgln in arid out, rtmnint from de Yankees. Marster said dey was runnint us from de Yankees to keep us, but we was free ~id didnt know it. I lost my baby, its buried soi~ewhere on d~t road. Died ~tt Red. River and. we left it~ De white folks go out and buy foxI tlon~ de road 2nd hide us. Dey s~,y ~etd never be free ifferi day could ~it to Texas wid us, bat de people in Texas toit us wets free. Den marster turn us loose in de world, without a penny. Oh, dey was awful ti~Qes, We just worked from place to place after free~om, Then we started fr~ Mississippi, dey toi us de Yankees 1u~ kill us iffen dey foun us, end dey say, You am t got no time to take nothin to whar you go in . Take your lit tie bundle arid leave all y~ has in your house.1 So when we got to Texas I jus h~d one dress, what I h~d on, Dat s de w~y all de cullud people w.~s ~er f reedot~, never had ~ but whc~.t had on de back, Some of dein had right smart in dere cabins but they was skeered :?~nd dey lef everything. Bed. clothes ~nd ~ll you had was lef . We did.n know any better den,

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3~()1 ~2 U~.SLA.VZ STORIES (Tsxae) ~ BORM~, 80, waa born a slave to Col. LT.Johnson, who farmed at John.~ son Station in T~rrant County. He owned ~tty s parents, five sisterB and four brothers, in addition to about 75 other slaves. After the family was freed, they moved with the other slaves to a piece of 1z~nd. Col. Johnson allowed. thou the use of ~xnti1 his death. Betty lives in a ne~ o settlement at Stop Six, a mib.~ u.rb of Fort Worth. Page One I se bo n April 4th, in I857~ at Johnson Station. It was named after my liars ter. He had a b1~ farm I se don ~ow how many aCres. He had. seven chilien; thrie boys, Ben, torn ~nd Mart, end four girls. E1izabeth~ Sally, Boddy ~nd Y~anna. Marster Johnson wa~ rood to us cullud folks and. he feeds ua coot~ He kep lots of hawgi, &at ~a1ces de meat. In de s~okehou~se am lmng up meat enough for to feed ti.e army, it looks like. We uns ha~ aU de clothes we need. and dey was made on de p1~ce. }Ly ~mmy am de sewing woman and my pappy am do shoemsiker. My work, for to nusi de e~a11 chilien of de mariter. ~ On Sat ~ 4i847 we4 e let off work and lots de tise e~e of ua come to Port Worth wid. de ~arster and he gives us a nickel or a dime for to buy candy. ~I~y whips de niaers ~o~etimes, but twarn t hard. Yc~i know, d nigger gits de devilaent in de head, like folks do, sometimes, and de marster hare to lam em better. He done dat hiseelf and he have no overseer. No nigger tried run away, ~ ca~ise each family have a cabin .1.1~~ 1 (IQ

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110) ~x~slave Stories Page Two (Texas) wid. 1~riks for to sleep on and we1uns all lt~e in de quarter.. Sich nigger as wants to lam read and. write, de marster s girls and boys lar ns em. De girls lamed my auntie how to play de piano. Dere ~n lots of music on dat place; fiddle, banjo and de piano . Sine t n, we had lot s of dat, songs 1 ike 01e Black Joe and ligious songs and sich. Often de marster have ~ come in hi. ho~ise and clears de dinin ro~ for de dance. flat am big time, on special occasion. I~y not calls it dance dem days, dey calls lt de balL t Sho we suns goes t o c}z~rch and de preacher s name it was Jack Ditto. ~Iktrin de wax , I notices de vittles am bout de same. De soldier. come dere and dey driv off over de hill some of de cattle for to kill for to eat. Once dey took some hosses and I hears marster say dem was de ~zantrell me. Tsy comes several t imes and de marster don like it, ~tt he ~ain t help it. ~Ihen freed~ come marster tefl s all us to come to front of de bouse. He am anmt on de porch. Him splains ~ boet free dom and says, Ton is now free and can go whar you ~ J n he tells us he have lamed us not to st al and to be good. and we u.na should member dat and if we~u.ns fete in t: ouble to come to him and he will help us, He sho do dat, too, ~c~se de niggers goes to him lots of times and he always helps. Marster says dat he needs help on de place and sich dat stays, he d pay ~em for de work. Lots of dem stayed, but some left. To dem

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~x elaye Stories Paie Three :U~I ( Texas) d&t leaves, mareter gives a mule, or cow and sich for de itart. To my folks, narster gives some land, He doesntt give us de deed, but de right to stay till he dies. Sho , I seen de fl~ux after de war but I h~e no sperience wid. 1ea. My uncle, he gits whipped by tem, what for I don know t zactly, but I think it was ~ bout a hose Marster sho rave bait dat, cause my uncle weren t to blame, ~h6rL de Klux cc~e de no count nigger sho make de scatter- ment. Some climb up de chimney or jump out de winder and hide in de d~mt and sich, De marster dies bout seven years after freedom and every- body sorry den. I never seen such a furi ral and lots of big men fr i Austin comes. Be was de blessed man! NI married de second year after de T.P. railroad come to Fort forth, to S~m Jones and he work on de &trk ~irnett stock ranch. I se divorseted fr* him after five years and den after 12 more years I marries Rubbin Yelps. My las hLlsban s flainP~~ JO Borner, but T. se never married to the father of ~ only chile. His naine am George Pace, I allus gits long fair, cause after freedom I keeps on workin dom de nussin , Now l se gittin leven dollars trois d. state for pension, and. gita it every month so now t a. eho 0f somethin to eat aM dat make s me happy.

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~2()289 . ~L.sLAv:E~ STORIES Page One 112 (Texas) RARRISOI~ BOYD, 87, wae born in Thisk County, TexaB, a slav. of Wash Trammel. B $remain.d~ with h18 master for fou,r yeare . after emancipatlo*, then moved to Harrison Cot~iity, where h. now lives. His iiei~ory Is poor, buSt he managed to recall ~a few mcl dents. III was f~ fteen years when they says we re fr s. ha s~ the age my O .d Missy dons give me when th. war stopped. She had all us ilggere ages In a book, and told. me I was born near H nd.rso~. My Old Marss was Wash Trammel and he bru.nged me and ray mama and papa from Alab&una. Mama was named Jul tot and. p apa Am . Mars. T rammel owned my grandpa and grandma, too, and theywas nwaed Jeanitte and Josh. The p1aatation~~was two made into on,, and plenty big, and mor n a hu~1red slaves to work it~ Mars. lived in a hew~,d log houes, weatherboarded out and in, and. the quarters was good, log houses with bed raum s hewed out of I ogs. We raised everyt hing ws et cept sugar, ~id Marss b ought that in b ig hogshia~1s We got our week s rat tons every Sunday and when we went to eat, everybody s part was pu~ ou.t to them on a tin plate. Marss Trammel give a big cornehucking every fall. He had two bottom fields in corn. Tlrst we d gather pefls and cushaws and pumpkins out the corn field, thea get the corn and. pi .. it front the cribs.1~Thsy was two big cribs for the corn we kep to use and fiv. big cribs for sale con . My uiacle stayed round ~ the sale corn cribs a3~l spring, t ill ginnin1 time, causi folks come for miles after corn. Mars. had five wheat cribs and one rye crib. ~e went ten mile to Tatum to git ou.r meal and flour ground. The patterrollers darsn t come bout o~ir place or bother us niggers. Marss Wash a.llus say, ~ ~ U pattsrroller my own ~pIace . Marse was good to ~.1-~

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)~x s1ave Storlis Page Two (~exae) U5 and only once a overseer b~at a woman up a trifle, arid Marse Trammel fired him that same day. The ~ojers f1ecat~d lots of corn from Marse and some more ownerB in Busk C0unty piled corn up in a big heap and. made inc go mind it till the rest the sojers got there. I was settin top that corn pile, me and my ~ig bulldog, and the G~eneral rode up. My dog growled and I made hirn hush. The G~enera . man say to me, Boy, you Is ~cused now, go on home0 I got to a fence and looked back, and that aeneral wae hewin hirn a hose triigh out a log. The sojers come in droves ami set up they camp. I sot on a etump arid watched them paee. They stayed three, four daye till the corn was all fed up. While they s camped there they d cotch chickens. They had a f lehm pole i~,nd line and hook. They d put a grain of corn on the hook and ride on they hose and pitch the hook out mong the chickens. When a chicken swallowed the corn they d jerk up the line with that chicken and. ride off. kars had six hundred bales cotton in the Shreveport warehouse when wa~ was over. He got word them Yanke,s done take lt on a boat. He ~ot his brother t o t~)ce him to Shreveport and. say, I Il follow that cott on to Hell and back. He followed hi~ cotton to Alab~raa and got it beck,, but he died and was burled there in Alabama fore Old Mlse~, knowed it. tu st~iyed with her four yearfl after surrender and. then went to farmin with my fobke, for $10.00 a month. After a year or two I went to railroadin , helping cut the right~.of-.way for the T. & P. B~ilroad, fro~n Marshall to Long view. They paid us $1.50 the day and thre~ drinks of whiskey a day. t ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ! marries .fou~ times but had oily on chuld,bu t I never done nothin ~ ~ lIves by myself now, and gits $11.00 p.t~:slon to eat 0*.

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ImSLAU STOBUS PftgS On. j 14 (Texas) Is8AB1gLI~ 3OTh was born a slave of Gus Wood, in Rich. aond1 T1~, who ~ove& to Texas by boat befors the Civil War. Isabella still lie.. in Beam. maitt. uLe~me see, I c~e frog Ric}~ond, Tirginy, to exaa. Massa Gus Wood was ~y owner and. I kin recollect my white folks. Pi born in dat country and dey brought ae over to R1ch~ond and ~y papa and Za~a, too I was jus bout big nough to begin to L~ber. N I coiue from Richniond yere on ~ de boat sometime de stea~boat, so~tiae de big boat. When we left New Orleans dat evenin we struck a big stora. Us git on dat boat in Richmond and. went floatin down to de big boat dat mornin , Looks like it jus ~n for us, ~it every tiiie we look b ck and. thii~k bout h ie it aake us sad. I had a dear, good. aist~s and ~y boss ~i, he furnish a house for he servants, a purty good house. And dey had a place for d. Sunday School~ I~ea was good tiaee. De aisti~e cook dinner and serd it down for d.c old folk8 and chilen to have plenty. My aistua kep a. right in de house, right by her, sewing. I could sew so fast I git i*y task o~qer fore de others git started good. Lots of t1~es when de gals wants to go to de dance I h&p zak~ de dresses, I ~e~ber de pretti.s~ one like y.sterday. It have tucks frcs de waist to ds hea and had diawonds cut all in de skirt. l-

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E .elave Stories Page Two ~ ~ (P,x&e) 5Our boss aan was tioular bmit us beizig tended to and we weB well to ok car of. He brung us to Bea~ont when it was de pluab aud hole, and he settle ~down and try to build up end make it a go. NMaera Wood he allus takee de p~er and one night they set up de long t iae and do dey ~eadii~ . Next aornin de old cook wowan, she Se7, sell, dey havede big war, and lots of dea wounded. BeTh long ua has to t&ce care of s~e ds~ wounded soldiers, and dey has de ceap plaos sear ue. Dey all ca~ round der. and. I do& t know which yea di T~keis and de federates. ~ When we all gits fr.e, dey . de lox~g tue lettin i~s know. Dey wants to git thro.~gh with de corn and de cotton Befo dey l.t~s de banda loose, 1 y was people fi os oth.r plantations sey, Eggers, 70U~ a free az4 yere you workin Us say, Jo, de go~ aent tell us when w. S free. le woxkln one day when eo.ebcdy frota Massa Gr issoa place coae b~r end tell us we s free, and. us stop workin Dey tell us to go 0* WOTkiL~ and de boas aen he cone up and ho say he gwine knock us off de fence if we don t go to work. Mistus c e out and say, Ain~t yt~i g*ine iake dea iiiggere go to work? He send her back in de house and hi cell for t. carri~s end leT he g~iu to town for to see what de gov~~e~t gem do. Nex day he come back and say Vil 1 you s as fr~ u I is.~ ~ MR. sey to I ~ul& star and cook for dea, and he give me five aoii.~~ a month and a houes to stay in and aU I kin at. I ste7s de ontb to do ders work.

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~2 eiaIs Storisi Fags Three ~q ~ (Texas) 1After dat I wishes s~ti~es dat old tiaea is back tgain. I likei to bs fr e, but I wasn t u.ed to it and it was hard to know how to do. i: ae~bers de dances w has in de old tine., when ~e aakes de *uaic with banjo ~ other thing.. S~ii de good ~aeeas lowed c~e niggers dance in d,e back yard and if we goss over dore without da pas. ds patterct~ rolei gits us ~ One tine iq p~a be runnin fr~ dem patterrolee and he run sl~,p Into d~ young ~as~a eM he eay, Oh, ym~ ain t no nigger, I kin tell by de aaell. WDat sind ~ of de ghost story dey ixeed to tell bout de ghostiee what livs in de big bridge down in de hollow, De niggers day sey dat ghosti. *ake too ich noi~ie, wi th ~ll he holl.rin and he rattlin t~ chain. So dat ni~ht one us nigger. what dey call Charlie, h. .~ lie ain t fraid and ho gwinetsr glt hia a ~ostie, eho zough. Us didn t believe hi~ but purty soon ua hears right .~azt wratlin with d. chains ~id hoilerin down b~ d.. bridge and after ~thile he come and say he git de bet of dat ghostii, e~j.s. )~ ain t got .trsngth like de aan. , and ~y old. ~n us have twelvi chilien. altogedder. My Iniaban he co*e fron South Oar lina whar &sy lats cottoneeed. I uaet to jak. hia bout it. I allue say Tirginx~ de beet, cauae I cone from der . 4****

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~1~.)fl(i ~C~ ~ ~F~J~F EX-.SLAVE STORIES Page One (Texas) JA1~ES BOYD was born in Phantom ValJ~ey, Indian Territory, in nfl Indian hut. A~ man named Sanford. T ooldrige et oie him and brought hirn to Texas, somewhere near Waco. James does not know his ace, but thinks he is a ~ndred ~rears or more o1d~. He flOw lives in Itasca,, ~exa5. t I s born in dat Phant oxn Valley in de Indian Territ ory, what am now call Oklahoma. Us live in ~ Indian hut. My pappy Blue Bull Bird and mammy Nancy Will. She come to de Indian Territory with Santa Anna3 from Mississippi, and pappy raise in ~e Territory. I don member much baut my folks, tcause I stole from dem when I a real li l feller. I s a~- fishin in de Cherokee River and a man naine Sanford Wooldrige come by. You see, de white folks and de Indians hqve de fight bout dat dey. l s on d.c river and I heared yellin ~nd shootin and folkses runnin ~nd I sl ips mt o so~o~ bresh right near. Den c orne d.c white man and he say, Everybod~r kilt, ni&~.r, and. derl Indians gwine kill ~crou iffen day cotch you. Come with rae and I ain t low dem hurt ~rou. ~ So I does with him. 1He bru.n~ me to Texas, but I don t know jus where, 1cause I d.idn t know nothin bout dat place . Massa Sanford good to us but look out for he missus, she sho i~g~ on ni~ers. Dere bout 1,600 acres in de plantation and de bi~ house am nice. ~7hen de ni~gers wouldn t work dey whup rem. Us work all week and sometime Sanday, iffen de crops in a rash. Mas sa not much on pre sent s or money but us have warm clothes and plenty to eat and de dry place to live, and dat more n lots of ni~gers has now. 4..-

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Ex slave Stories . Page Two (Texa8) uSorneti~e U5 have de corn huskin and dere a dollar for de one what shuck de inos corn. Us have de big dance bout twict a year, on Christmas and. sometime in de ~uxnrner. When de white folks have dere big ba11~ us niggers cook and watch dem d~ance. Us have !un den. tu 1ike~ to think of dem times when ~.is fish all de hot day or hunts or jus lazed round when de crops ~m laid by. I lLces to shet de eyes and be back in o . c1~ t une s and hear ~ ein s ing i1 I ow Sweet chari ot. I can t sing, now you knows can t no old m~rn sin~ what ain t got no t~ef or hair. I u~ed to like to swin~ dat Ginia Reel and l s spry and young den. 1 Dere s lots I can t member, cause my inem ry done gone weaic like de res of me, but I member when us free us throw de hats in de air and boiler. Old massa say, How ~rou gwine eat ~nd git clothes and sech? Den us ~ scairt and stays with us white folks long as us can. But bout a year after dat I gits de job punchin catt e on a ranch in South Texas. I druv cattle into Kansas, over what de white folks calls de Ohissum Trail. I worked lots of cattle and is what dey call a top hand. I~s work~n for Massa Boyd. den, and he gits me to drive some cattle to Mexico. He say he ain t well no more and for rae to sell de cattle and send him de money and git de job down dere, I goes on down to Mexico and. do what he say. I marries a ca . name Martina in 1869, down in Mat~moras . Us have four chilien and she die. Dat break me up and I drifts back to Huntsville. t ~ done change my name from Scott what it ~m up in de Territory, and make it James Boyd. cause I done work for Massa Boyd. I s gwine be bout 108 year old in next January, if~en de Lawd. epare me dat long. -2..

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Ex slaveStorle$ Page Three (Texae) After I been in Huntsville awhile, I inarrice ~rnrna Smith but us only stay together bout a year and a half. Viasn t no chilien. Den I drifts to Port Bend. County and d.ere I marries Mary McDowd. and. ~s have two chilien. She die with de yellow fever ~md off I goes for~Biirleson County. Dere I marriee Sally McDave and she quit2 rae after us have three chilien. Down in old Washington C0unty I marries ~rance$ ~1ll1~1fl5 and U s lived together till 1900. Dere an no chilien dere. Den goes to Au.st in after ehe die and inarr les Eliza Bunt on in 1903. Us have eight chilien and she die in 1911. Den I comes to Hjll C0unty and marries Mittie Cahee in 1916. S~ie quit me. In 3.924 1 marries Heg~r Price clost to Milford. Us live together now, in Itasca. Us didn t have no chilien, but dat don t matter, cause I e de daddy of bout twenty already. I mos allus wore de black eult when I marries. Jes eeezned ~nore dressed up like . Some my wives wear white and some ~ colors didn t make much diff rence, so dey a likely lookin gal for me. Sometime it am a preacher and. sometime it ~in Jestice of Peace, bi.it de. fust time it am Catholic and priest and all. UTalkini bout all dis rnarryin I mos forgit to show you my scar. I fit in dat freedom war long side Massa Sanford and. got shot. Dat bttllet go through de breast and out de back and. keep me six months in de bed, De fust battle I s in am at Halifax, in North Car lina. Us git de news of freedom when us at Vicksb~.u g, in Mississippi. Moe us niggem fraid say much. De new niggers spect de :;ovt ment give dem de spaii of mules and dey be rich and. not work. But dey done lam .4..

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:~ J~x s1ave Stories Page Pour 120 a lot ese past years. Us am sho slaves now to hard work, and lucky 1f fen us git work. Lots dein nigge~s figgers dey d git dere massa land, but dt~y dldxi t . Dey ou~ht~. of knowed dey wouldn t Warn t n o plantat I on ev er divided I Imowed of, but some de massas give de oldest slavee a ~jtl piece land. After de cattle th~rs done gone, I farms in Elli County. I works twelve year for Massa C1~ude Wakefield, ri~1it near 2~&ilford, too. De old. men ~ d~e to live nowhere long ~nd l s gittin bout ready to cross de rivers I~s seed a heap of cils here earth ~nd de people in it, but I tells you it am sho hard. time now. Us is old and cripple and. iffen de whit e folks don t hoip us I don t know what us ~wine do. Some d~se young ni~gers cone plumb Wild. with dere cigars ~nd cars and tru~ckin ~.nd jazzin and sech. Some go to school and. lam like white folks and teach and. be real helpful. But talk bout workin in slave time ~ twarn t so ht-~rd as now. Dsn ~ou fuss cause dere s work, n~7 you fLSS tca~tSe de~ e ain t no work, Btit den us have somethin to eat and wear and a place to sleep and now us don t 1~now one day what gwine fill ~s tomorrow, or flothin . t I d sho like t o shake ~iassa Boyd s hand s~ain and. ~iear him c6me singin dowr~ de lane. Us hear,him sing or whistle lon~g fore he git dere and. lt mighty good to see him. De slaves allus say, I s ~wine I way tomorrow, and I guess I s gwine I ~y pretty soon tomorrow.

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I b )(\ ~ ~L.sLAvI: STORIZS Page One I 01 (Texas) JERRY BOT~INS spry and j oily at the age of 92, lived with hie aged. wife in their own cabin at 1015 Pius St., Abil,ne, T xas, Re was born a slace to John Thomas Boykin, Pr~pe Co., Georgia, 80 miles from Lagrange Ga. Ei s mast er was a very ~ea1th.y plantation owner, working 11,000 slaves. I been well taken car. of dunn my life. Wkien I was young I lived right in de big house with my marster. I was houseboy. My mother s name was Bet sy Ann Boykin and she was cook for Old. Miscue. My grandpa was blacksmith. I slept on a pallet in dskitchen and in A winter time on cold. nights I members how cold I would get. I d wake up and slip in by maretire bed and den I d say, ~arster John, l s about to freeze. ~ He d. say, You ought to freeze, you littis black devil. What you standia clerc for? I d say, Please, marster John, j.. let sie crawl in by your feet. E. d. say, Well, I will di~ one t in. I and dat s de way I . do every eo1t~ night. $1 was full of ntschief arid I d. tu n de mules out of de lot, jus to see de stablebov git a lickint. One time I wanted a fiddle a white man named Cocoannt Harper kep tryin to sell me for $7.50. I did& neyer have ~y money, capt a little the miseis give me, so I kep teasin her to buy de fiddle for me. She was allus on my side, so she toi me to take some co n from de crib and trade in for de fiddle. In de night I slips out and hitch up de ~uIes and fetched. de co n to old. Harper s house and. traded. for dat fiddle. Den I hides out and play it, so s marster wouldn fin out but he did and. he whip all de daylight -l-p

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~x~ Slave Stories Page Two (Texas) oiitta me. When ds ~issie try to whip me~ I jes wrop up in her big skirts and she never could hurt me muckx. I allus ate ~y meals in de hous at de white folk tables after dey don, et, Iffen I couldn sit in d, marster~s chair, I d swell up like a toad. De aarater done all de whippin 1cause dey had been two over. seers killed on de plantation for whippin slaves till de blood run oet dey body. W~~s I bovered with haints and spooks? I been ~eetin up with em all my life. ~h ii I was younger I wa,a such an old scratch I~& meet 1em right in de road, some without heads. I d take to ii~ heels arid then I d stop and look ramd and they*d b gone. I wors home~.weaved shirts till I was grow~i, then I had some pants and dey was homemade, too. The women gathered wosiack leaves to dye de goods black. I well ric lects when my niarster went to war. He called all us in de kitezien and tolled us n.e nad t~ go over dere and wnlp tnose sons~or~ u 1tCLL B and would. be back ~ fore breakfast. He &tdn return for two years. I E~~5, Marster, we sxio would have waited breakfast on you a long time. He saict, Yes; deys d. hardes sons.. ofu~bitches to wnip I ver had dealins witA.~ ~Wnen war was over, he called us together and tol us we were free. lie said, low, l in goin to givs you a big day and after that you can stay and work for pay or you can go. So he rolled out two barrels of whiskey and killed hogs and~ spread a big day.

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1x~ S1ave Stories Page Three (Texas) ~23 UI wants to tell yo~i 1batt t~ow we killed iiogs in my day. !e digged a deep pit in de gro~in and heated big r cks red hot and. filied up de pit with. wa;er and dropped dem not rocks in and got d.c water not ; den we stuck de hogs and roi led. ~em In dat p it. Soon after I s free a man come for in. t~rom Lo~xisvii1e to iiirs me as foremau in nie cotton muis oem. So I we~ tu.ere and. I worked. in Kentucky for 18 year. Fixty~ one years ago I married. ay ol WO!iafl, Rachel Taylor, at Coreloana, Texas, and I tni.ak ste s jes as fine as taie day I m&rried xter. ~e has six chilien and. ail works hard. for a livin and we got one Iii gran&baby 10 years ol . Sk~ livss tiers at our ho~.tse arid were educatin her. I knows I s goin to live to be over 100 years 01 , cause ~y iiarstsr done toi me so,~ e ses *sssssses*ssss

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~1 )i~fl ~Q _3 ~ 1 .F (La FL.SLAvE $TORI~S Prge Qne. (Texas) MO1~RO~ BRACKINS, born in }~onroe Co., Mississippi, in l8~53, was the propert:? o~! George Reedes. He was brought to Medin~ County, Pexas, when two ye~rs old. Monroe lec~rned to snare ~nd break~ mustangs ~nd became ~. cowpuncher. He lives in Hondo, Tex~s. He h~s an air of pride ~nd self-~respcct, and e~l~1n~ that he used little dialect because he learned to talk fro~n the white folkstt as he was growing u.p. UI was bo n in Mississippi, Monroe County. Itra 84 years old. My m~ster, George Reedes, brought me, ny father ~nd mother ~nd ~y two sisters to Tex~.s when I was two years o .d. My father waS 1~1elson Brackins and my i~ther was Rosanna. I1~4y mcster settled here at a place called Malone, on the Rondo River, He went into the stock business. Our house there was a little, old picket house with a grass roof over it out of the sage grass. The bed was m~ de with a tick of simeks and the children slept on the floor. The boss h~d just a little lumber hou.se. Later on he te~cen us ~bout 20 miles futther down on the Eond.o, the Old. Adams R~mch, snd he h~d a rock house. I was abo~it six years old then. I had some shoes, to keep the thorns outa my feet, ~nd I had rawhide le~ gin s. ~e just h~4 such clothes a~ we could get, old. patche&-up clothes. They just had. that jeans cloth, homemade clothes. II was with George Reedes 10 or 12 years. It was my first trainin ~ le~arnin ~ the s t ock busine ss and horse bre in Be yas toi~able good. to us, to be slaves as we was. His brother had a 1.-I

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Ex-.slave Stories Pa~ge Two 125 (Texas) hired man that whipped me once, with a quirt. Itve heard ny f~tthe-r and mother tell how they whipped tern. T1i~y d tie ~i down on a 1o~ or up to a post -~nd whip ~ ~rn tU the blisters rose, then take a d ? and~ open tei~i up -~n~i pour salt in ~er~t. Yes m, they whipped. the woi~ien~ The most I remember about th~t, ~ay father ~d sieter was in the barn ~ coin and. the m9ster cone in there r~nd whipped my si~te: with a cowhide whip. hy gather caught a lick in the face ~nd he told the master to kPep his whip o~!fen him. So the m~.ster started on i~y father ~nd he ru.n away. ~Then he fin~1iy come in hi~ wa~ so wild hie master. h~d to call ht~n to ~et orders for work, ~r:d fin*~.1Iy the boss shot at him, but they didntt whtp him ari.y more. Of course, some of tern whipped with more r~ercy. The7 had a whippin post ~ when they str~,pped ~en d~wn on ~ log they called it a tstroppin~ log. III remember they t~skei the cotton pickers in Mississippi. They h~ to bring in so many pounds in the evenin and. if they didn t they got ~whippin for it. My sister there, she h~d to bring ~n 900 pou~nds / a dey. ~Tell, cotton was heavie:c~ there. Most .~ny o~ ~em could pick 900 pounds. It was heavier ~d fluffier. We left the cotton country in Mississippi, ~but nobody knew a.nythin~ about cotton out here that I knew of, I ve heard my parents say too, them men that had pl2ntations aM a great lot of slgves, they would speculate with ~a md. would bt~ve a chain that run from the front ones to the back ones. Sometimee they would have 15 ~ 20 r~ile~ to m&~ke to get them to the sale place, but they ouldn t malce a break, Where they expected to make a saJ~e, they

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. Ex~s1ave Stories ?a~ge Three 100 (Texas) ~ ( sd kept 1em in corrals and they had a block there to put tem up on ~nd bid. f em off, The aver~eprice was about $500, but some that had good practice, like a blacksmith, brought a good price, as high ae $1,500. Pt1 heard my mother arid father say they ~vou .d ~o 15 or 20 miles ~o a dance,\.J walkin and get back before daylight be fore the paclderolle rs ~ got em, The slaves would ~o o~ ~ when they had. no permission ~nd them that would. ketch em and whip ein was the padderollers. I S ornetirnes they would hi~ve an awful race. If they happened to lie a slave on the plsxitation that could jest read. a little print, they would get rid of him right now. He would ruin the nig~ gers, they would get too sxn~rt, The was no such thing as school here for culluds in early deys. The white folks we was raised. up with had. pretty ~good education. Thatts why I don t t~1k like most cullud folks. I was about grown and. the was an Ehiglish fwnily settled close, about half a mile, I g~e se . They had a little boy, his name was Artlmr Ede rie and. he corne over and leerned nie how to spell e et and. ~ d.o~ c~nd ~hen~ and such like. I was right around abcrut 20 years old. I couldntt sign my n~me when I was 18 years old, 1 can reiaeraber one time when I was young, I s~w something I ~ magine what it wgS~ like a billygoat reared up on a tree. But I knew thet wasn t a bil .ygoat round there near, nor no other kinds of goats. It was in the daytime and I was out in a horsepasture, I w~s jes wa1kin~ along, hunt in wh~n I s aw that s gh. I g~ie s s I got within 50 st eps of it, then I ~Urned around and. got away. I neyer did think much about a ghost, but t think it could be possible.

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E~s1~ve Stories Paie Pour (Texas) I don t remember scarcely anything about the war because I was so little and times was so different; the couiitry rjsntt settled up &nd everything was wild, no people, hardly. Of course my Itfe w&s in the woods might s~y (Ud~n~ t hardly know when Sundry corne. The northern soldiers never did get down in here th~it I 1~flo; ~. ~ once, when they was enlisting men to ~o to battle a vthole lot of tern dj~j~Tt want: to ~i~t and would run away and dodge out, ~nd they wx~i .d follow te~ ~rid try to ra~ke ~em fight. They had a battle up here on the Nueces once ?nd killed some of 1ei~, I ~iow my boss was in the bunch that followed ~ and he got scared for fe~.r this old. case would be brought up after the war. The coxripany thi~t followed. these men we s cnlled. Old. Th~ff Company. I think somewhere around 40 was in the bunch that they followed, but I don t know how many was killed. They was a bi~ bluff ~nd a big water hole wid they said they was throwed in that big water hole. tlT4e had possw~s and ~coons to eat soinetir~e~. My father, he gen raJ.ly cooked the tcoons he would dress ~t~ rnd stew ~rn and then bake ein. ~3r ~cther wouldn t eat thei~. There w~e plenty of rabbi~ts, too. So~iietirnes when they h~d potatoes they cooked ~en with rem. I remember one time they had just a little patch of ble.ckhead. sugar cane. After the freedom, mv rnother had a kind of garden and she planted snap beans and w~terr~elons pretty rauch every year. The master fed us tol bly well. Everything was wild, beef was free, just had to bring one in ~nd kill it . Oncein 2~hlle, cf a Sunday mornin1 we d get biscuit flour bread to ei,. It was g, treat to us. They measured the flour out and it had to paix out just like they mez~sured. He give us a little somethin1 .4..

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~x..s1ave Stories Page FIve (Tex&s) 128 ever1 Christrnrs and. somethin good to e~ct. I heaH m r people s~y coffee was high, at time s ~nd I know we dicin t get no flour ~ only Suflde~ r morning We lived ou co nbrea&, mostly, ~nd beef ~vad g~i ~ ou~t~ the woods. That was d.uriri the war and c!ter the war, too. UI was aro~.ind about 6 or 7 years old. when we was freed, W~ worked for G~eor~e Reedes awhile, then drifted on ~own to the ~io river ~nd st~red there about ~?. ye~x, then we come to Medin~ County ~ settled here r~Ios~ to where I was raised.. We didn t think it hard tir~ies ~t all rIght after the w~ The country w~s wild. ~?nd unsettled., with ranches 15 or 20 miles apart. You never ~id ~ee ~riybody and we didn t know re~1ly what was going on in the rest cxf the country, Some times somethih~ coi~1a. happen in 5 miles of us axid. we didn t know It for a month. ni WgS On ti2e d~ins Ranch on th~ Fondo when r~iy master come out ~nd told. us we were ~s free ~s he was. He s~.id. we cou1~ stay on ~nd work or could ~o if we wanted to. He ~ve ~r r~other md father 50 cents apiece and 2~. cents for the children. We stayed awhile ~uid then went west to the Frio. Ill used to be ~J.ong with o).d. mr~n Big foot ~Va11ace In my early d.ays. He was ~. mighty fine rn~.n. I worked ~or the people th~,t w~s gatherIng stock together there. . Big Foot rzised. nice horses, old reg lar Texas horses, end~ they was bet- ter than the reg 1~r old Spenish bronco. I used to ~o to his c~im down on the San 2~Ugue1. He lived in one part ~nd hIs chickens in the rest ~ his house. His friends liked to hear him talk about his travels. J~e used. to run stock horses 2nd had. ~ fig~e r 7 on thele ft sho:uider for his brand and the t ip of each ear split was his earmark. TIe lest m~n I broke horses for was Wilson )3~dley. I w~.s there about 12 years~ Be raised. just cavi- y~rd ~ we called it a cavt y~rd of horses, just the .s~me thing as a i~~inu4~. We called tern that later, but we got that frorii the Sp~iish. -5.-

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Ex-~slave Stories ?age Six. 129 (Tex~ts) We would ~et up in a tree with our lorp till the horse con~u~id.er ~nd drop lt down on hl i. Then they were so spoilt ~~re ~ot em tn a. sort of c~vi~ yard ~nd drove sein under trees and caught tem in a snare. ~7e had lots oi~ wild horses, just this side of ?earsall. Bout the only way I~d get throwed. was t o ge t ~ ~?TC les s ~ d ke t ch t jj~ up h~ ck~~j~iore t im up saddi. e ~ j~g up ~nd get on 11m end let tim ~o. Sometimes he d. be too wild. to pItch, he d break arid ruii ~nd you h~d to let un r~n himself d.ov~n, I used. to rather ketch up a wild horse and break im thai to eat brea~ast. ~~Yhen I first st&rted f~p~j~t I t~1 en up some state land., about 30 acres, down on Black Creek, in M.edina County. I stayed there ten or twelve years. Cotton hadn t cot. in this country .~nd 1 raised sox~e corn, sugar cane arid. watermelons. I coz~nnen ed with horses, but long t~v d.o ~n the line I used oxen soite, too. I used one of those old walking plows. HI sold. that place and. moved to a pltce on the Tywaukney (~reek(Tonkawa). I corne up to church and. met my wife then. Her name was Ida Bradley and I was 38 years old. ~Te lived down on the Tywaukney right about 23 ~rears ~d rp.lsed our children there. ~ jes had a 1itti~, home weddtrA~. I wore a suit, dark suit. ~Ie ~ot riarried about 8 o ~1ock in the everiint ~ ~p had barbecue, c~e arid Ice crewn. You see, in them ti~nes I ~rzasn t taught ~ny~ thing about yeard~ and. dates, but I judge lt was about 25 years after the war before I settled on the Tywaukney. *0*0*0*0*

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4~2O3 10 ~LmSLAVj~ 5TQBI~$ . Paie One 130 (P.xae) GUS BRADSHAW wae born g,bout 1845, .at Keecheye, Alabama, a slave of David Gavin. He recalle being brought to Tex~a iy~ the 1850 s when the Cavin f~im1ly settled near old Port Caddo. Gus rer~ained with his waster for t i~ yeprs efter emexLcipation. He now lives a1~ile on a fifty acre farm seven miles northeast of Mar~ shall, which he bought in 1877. Gv~5 receives an $ll~OO per month pension. ~ t, I was born at Keecheye, Alabama, and belonged to old. man David Cavin. The only statement I can iiiake tbout ray age is I knows I was bou~t twenty years old when us slaves was freed. I never knowed ray daddy, but my r~c~amy was ~melia Cavin. I~s heard h~r say ~i e~ s born in Alabar~a i~~ors t imes than I got fingers and t oes, Our old master brting us to Texas when 11s a good. sized kid. I members like it am yesterda~r, how we camped more n a week in New Orleans. I seed tern sell nig~ers off the block there jus like they was cattle. Then we came to old Port Caddo on Caddo Lake and master settles a big farm close to where the boats rti~. Port Ceddo was a big ship ping place then, ~nd Dud ~nd John Perry run the first store there. The folks hailed cotton there fr~rn miles aw~r. Mammyte folks was named Maria and Joe Glost.r and they come to Pexas with th. Cavins My gran&na say to me, ~ don t run you mouth too much and allue have manners t o whit es and blacks . Chilien was r~ ise right then, but now they come u~p any way. I seed young niggers turn the dipper up and drink tfor. old folks. I wouldn t dare do that when I s commt up. Maria say t o me one day S on ~ ~ he re when the s tars fell 1 Sh. tsl). x~ they fell like a sheet and. spread over the round. Ike Hood the

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~:Ex s1ave Stori.e Pace Two (Texas) 131 old blacksiiaith ort our place, he told me, too. I says, Ike, how old was you when the stars fell? He sa; , , Its thirty~..two. Uas a ~v1d had big qttarters for us niggers, with chimneys and. fir )4aces. They use to go round end pick up old hawg or cow bones to bile.with greens and. cabbag.. They was plenty of wild game, and deer and wolves howlin right through this c~mntry,but ycat can t even find the track of one now. The first work I done was picktn~ cotton. Every fellow was out at dey. light picicin cotton or hoein or plOwin . They was one overseer ~nd two nigger drivers. Bu.t ~ t night you could hear us l u~hin and. talkin and. singin and ayin and hear them fid~d.lss and things pl~yin It look like darkiee git long more b.tter then than now, S0me folks says niggers oughtn,t tOE-be slavee, but I says they ought Cause they 4ua on t d o r ight onle s s they i s nads t o do it. AMassa David allus cive us eggn g and plenty good whiskey at Christr~s. ai . day to eat and drink and sing and. dance. We didn t git no presents, hae ~ good time. II ~ t know much bout the war, only Massa Bob Perry come over one dey say to Grandma Maria, They is mirrender, Maria, yotx is free. She say to I don t care, I gwine stay withay white folk~.t - tThe flu Elux done lots of cut ~ up rou~nd there Two of ~ ~ come to . Dr. Taylor e house. H. had two niggers what run off from the flur and they want ~ to whip sIa, but Dr. Taylor wouldn t tiow( et~. i icnowe~i old Col. ~lford, one of ~ . f tus Klux leaders and he was a s ight ~ He t old me once, Que they done send me to the pen for fluxing.1 I say, Masse Alford, didn t they malce a gentleman of ~ .~ . ~ I~: ~ . U U U ~ H. say, Hell, no~ ~

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Ex~s1ave Stories Page Thi .e . ~ ~ (Texas) I knowed old Col. H~,ggethy, toQ. He marries a widow of a rich old Ind~i~in chief, naine McIntosh. He broke a treaty with hie people and had. to hide ou.t in a Cave a long time, and his wife brtxng food to him. One time when she went to the c~.ve he was gon~. She lcnowed thea the Indians done git him and kilt him for 1 lat ~ the treaty. S o ehe marr ice old Col . Haggerdy. The only time I votes wae against whiskey. I voted for it. Some white folks done say they d whip me if I voted fo#t, but Mr. Joe Strickland done told me they jus tryin scare me, so I voted for it. I dontt think nig~ere ought to vote. If some niggers ha~d things In hand stead c( white folks, I cx dn t stay here. These eddi cat ed niggers ax~ cai~e in the devilment The yoang niggere ai n t got no spect for old as.. I bought and paid for fifty acres land here In Harrison County and I has lived on it sixty years. I lived with my wife fifty years fore ehe died and done raise two chull~n, These young ni~gers don t stay married fifty days, some~ ti.~!. I don t ~ness with rem, but 1f I needs help I goes to the white foiks~ If you have youself, they al .us help you if you needs it.

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420240 . F1~.SLAVE STORIES Page One 133 (Texas) ~s 3RADY,88, was born e slave of John Jeeins, who had a farm five miles north of Marshall, Wes has farmed in Harrison County all his life. He now lives with frlenci.s on the Long s Camp Road, and draws a $11.00 monthly pension, I was bor~ and ais~d In Harrison County, ~nd I wi.s eighty.~. eight years old this July past and has wore myself out here in this county~ I was born on Massa John Jeem s p1~ce, on the old. Jefferson Road, and my father was Peter Callowey, and he was born in Alabama and his whole farn Iy brought to Texas by nigger trad~ers, My mother was Harriet EIlls and I had two brother2 named George and Andrew, and fou.r sisters Luira and Judy and. Mary azid Saille. My old Grandpa Phil to)x3. me how he helped run the Indians off the land. ~ ~1 Grandpa Phil told me bout meetin his massa. Massa Jeems ha~i three or four places ~nd gr~iidpa hadn t 3eed him and h went t~) one of the other farms and meet s a man goin down the road. The n~n s~y ~1~o rou belong to?! Grexid.pa Phi . say, )Lassa Jeeras~1 The m~ say, Is he a mean man?t G~r~ndpa say, I don t knwhim, but they say hets purt~~r tight. It was Massa Jeems talkin arid he ia~ghs and~ives Grandpa Phil ive d~oflars~ ~We niggers lived in log houses and s .ep~ on hay mattress with lowell covers ernt et fat pork and. cornbread~ and 1lasses and efl kinds ~ garden stuff. If we et flour bread, our women folks had t o slip the flottr jf~jfl~~ from ~L11327 S kitchen and darsn t let the white folks know it, We wore one riggin low ll clothes a year ~nd t never had shoes on till ~: after eurrender corne. I run ai . over the place tfll I was e. big chap

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E~ -slave Stories Page Two 13 (Texas) in jes a long shirt with r~ string tied round the bottom for a belt. I went with ny yciung massa that w~y when he hunted. in the woods, and toted squirrels for him. tiSoine white folksmi~ht want to put rae b~ck in slavery if I tells h~v we was used in slavery time, but you asks me for the truth. The overseer was straddle his big horse at three o clock in the mornin , roustin~ the hands ~~ to the ~field. He got them all lined i p and then come back to the house for breakfas . The rows was a mile longand no matter how much grass was in them, if you leaves one sprig on your row they beats you nearly to death. Lots of times they weighed cotton by candlelight . All the hands took dinner to the field ~n buckets and the overseer give them fifteen minutes to git dinner. He d start cuffin some~ of them over the head when it was time to stop eatint and go back to work, Re d go to the house and eat his dinner end then he d come back end. look in all the buckets and. if a piece of any thing that was there when he left was et he .d say you was los in t tine and had. to be whipped. He d drive four st&ces in the ground and. tie a nigger down and beat him till he s rew. Then he d take a brick and grind it up in a powder end mix it with lard aiid put it all over him and roll him in a sheet, It d be two days a~ more fore that nigger could work gain. I seed one nigger d.one that W~7 for stealth a meat bone from the meatho~ise, Thatnigger got fift eon hundred lashes The 1 i I chaps would pick up egg shells and. play with them 3fld~ if the overseer seed them he d say you was stealin eggs and give you a beatint. I ~ seed long lines of slaves chained together driv by a white man on a hoss, down the Jefferson road.

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E,~slave Stories Page Three ~ (Texas) The first work I done was drappin corn, ~nd then cow-.~pen boy and sheep herder. All us house chaps had to shell a half bushel corn every night for to fe~d the she p. Many times I has waflted through the querters when I was a little chzp, crrin for my mother. ~Ve rnos~1y oni~r saw her on Swic ~y. Us chilien was in bed. wh~n the folks went to the field t~nd come back. I members waki.nt up at night lots of times ~t~d seem her n~ke a little !nush on the coals in the fire~l~e, ~t she allus made sho that overseer was asleep fore she done that. One time the stock got in the field ~xid the overseer tcuses a old man arid jumps on him and. breaks his neck. When be seed. the old man dead, he run off to the woods, but massa sent some nigger after him ~nd say for him to coir~e back, the old ~ just ~t overhet and. died. 0We went to church on the place and ~rou ought to heared. that preachin . Obey your massa ~nd missy, d.on t steal chickens ~nd eg~s ~nd meat, but nary a word bout havin a soul to s~iVe, 1~~e h~d parties Saturday nichts and- massa corne out and. showed us new steps . He allus had a ext ra j ob for us on Su.nd~y bat he ~ve us Chri ettaas Day and all the meat we wanted. But if you had xioney yau d better hide ~t, cause he d git it. The fightint was did off from us. My father went to war to wait on Josh Calloway~. My father never corne back. Massa Jeems cussed and bused us niggers inor~ n eu~er, but he took sick and. died and stepped off to Hell tbout . six months fore we got free. When we was free the~ beat drums in Marshall. I st~yed on tbout seven months and then my mother ane me went to farmin for

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~x~..s1ave Stories ( Texas) Page Four o~rse1ves ~I wore my~e1f out right in this county and now I m too ld to work, ftpse folks I live$ with takes ~oo~i care o ~ rae and the gov1inent cives ~ $111,00 a month what I is prou~d to git~ 13G

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420165 EX-~SLAVE STORIES Page Or~e j~3~ JACOB BRANCH, ~~bout 86, was a slave of the Van Loos family, in Louisiana, who sold him when a baby to Elisha Stevenson, of Double Bayou, Texas. . Jacob helps his son, Enrichs, f ann, ~N:~ and js unusu~u1ly agil e for his ~e. . c~ They live In the Double Bavou set~ ~ tiement, near Beaiunont, Texas~ 11 3~ t s bought and fotched here to Double Ba~rou when I s j es~ three yeP.r old.. I nnd my half-.brother, Eleck, he de baby, was both born in Louisi8na on de Van Loos place, but I ~o by d.c name of Branch, I ~ ~ ~y daddy name Branch. My zn~na name Benee . Dey spi I t up us family and Elisha Stevenson buy my marna and de two chilien. I ain t never see my daddy no more and don t member him at all. Old Lisha Stevenson he a great one for to raise pies. He sell sometime 500 haw~gs at one time. He take he dogs and. drive dein h~w~s cross de Neches River all by hisself, to sell dem. Dat how he git Juoney to b~iy de nig~ers, sellin h~.wgs and cowhides. ~ Old massa he sho a good old. rrnn, but d~e old missy, sb~ a tornado! Her name Miss Liza, She could be te rible mean. But sometime she take her old inorrel dat a sack make for to carry things in and go out and. come beck with plenty j oints of sugar cane. She ~ take a kn ifs and sit on de gallary and peel dat cane and. ~give a j oint t o every one de liii chilien. Mama, she work up in de big house, dom cookin and washin . Old. massa go buy a culiud. man name Uncle Charley Penner. He a good old. cullud. man. Massa brung him to de quarters arid say, Renee, here yot1 lmsband, and den he turn to Uncle and. say, Charley, dis you woman. -~1..

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~Ex-!1ave Stories p~ Two 138 (Texas) Den dey consider marry. Dat de way dey marry den, by de massa s word. Uncle Charley, he good step pa to us. IDe white folks have de good. house with a brick chimney. Us qu~ar-~ ters de good, snug li i house with flue ~nd oven. Dey didn t bother to h2ve in~ch urn chure, cause us in dere only to sleep. Us have homern~ke bench and. Georgia Hoss bed. with hay mattress. All us cookin and. eatin done iii de idtchen de big house. Us have plenty to eat, too. De smokehcms~ allus full whit e taters and eki s hangin on de wall . Us ~it dem rnos any cime us want jes so long us di n t waste nothin . Dey have bi~ jar with buttermilk and. low us drink all us want. t, ~~~ 1 ~dy t ~j za she have three worn en t o sp in when she ~ it ready make de clothes for everybody. Dey spin and weave and m~ke all us clothes. Us all wear shirt tail till us bout twelve or fou~rteen, boys and gals, too. You couldn t tell us apart. Us chilien start to work soon s us could toddle. First us gather firewood. Iffen it freezin or hot us h~ve to go to toughen us up. V nen us ~pt li l bigger us tend de cattle and feed hosses and haw~a. By tinte us good sprouts us pickin cotton and pullin cane. Us ain t never idle. S0rnetime us git far out in de field and lay down in de corn row and nap. But, Lawdy, iffen dey cotch you, d~ey sho wore ~iou out! Sunday de onliest rest day and den de white fOlks lowus play. Massa never whup Uncle Chancy, ~cause he good nigger and work hard. It make missy mad and one time when massa gone she go down in de field. Uncle ~ ~ Char .ey i C orn j like massa done t old him je s s ingin and happy. Old missy she say, Nigger, I e sho gwineter whap you.. ~ He say, ~ Or you L

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Ex 5 .ave Stories Paie Three f3 (Texas) W1TL2.~ me, I doixi eve~y bit what old massa done tell me. ~ But missy think he gittin lt too good, cauGe he ain t never been whupped. She dumb over de fence and start down de row with de cowhide. Uncle Chancy, he ain t even raise he voice ~ but he cut de ~ weed o~ten dat corn and e xnxnence to wave he hoe in de air, and he say, Missy, I ain t vise you c~e any step closeter. Dat sho make her made b~t she fraid to do nothin . s One tI~s she have nother nigger naine Charlie. Massa go on de trip and. she tell dis Chancy Iffen he ain~t finish grindin all de cornmeal by Monday she gwineter give him a t ousand. lashes. He try, but he ain t ~ .~ able make dat irnxch meal,. so come Monday he x tmned off in de bayou. Dat night come de big fz~eeze and he down dere with water up to he knees and. when mas sa c orne home aM go git him he s o froze he du t walk. Dey brung him in de Id. t ehen and old mie sy cuss him out . s he thaw out, he done die right dere on de spot. . ~ My pore mama~ ~vex~y wasliday old. missy give her de beat in She oouldn t keep de flies from speckin de clothes overnight. Old missy git up soon in de zaorr~in tore mama have time git dem specks off. She snort and say, I Renee I s gwlneter teach you how t O wash. Den she beat mama with . - ~ d.c cowhide. Look like she cu.t my mama in two . ny s de t ime I edges up and. tries take s o~ne d.em 1 take off my mama. t, Slavery, on to nother, was purty rough. Every plantat I on have to answer for itself, . ~ t ~ used. t o know 1~t s of s n, but I don t know many now. Spiritual de~ cornes through visions . s ~ why oullu.d folks can make dem better ~ -~~ ~. I

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i~x s1ave Stories Pace Four ~4() (Texas) d.an white . I know~d one 5Ofl~ what start out tIlDe Jews done kill rore Jesus, .~d b ar~r hirn in de sepuichur; Dc crave wouldn t hold. hirn, Dey place guards ~11 round him, But de a.n~e1s move de stone, ~ De Jews done kill pore Jesus, But de ~rave it wo~~1dntt hold hirn.t Dey nother song what sa~r Run sinner, run, G~wd is a-~ca1lin you. Run, sinner, run, De f i Il overtake ~ou ~ hen I bout ten dey sets ~ne ginnin cotton. Old rn~ssa he done make de cotton with de hand crank. It built on a bench like. I gin de cotton ~ turnin dat crank. When I gits a lapf~i I puts it in de tow sack and dey take it to Miss Susan to make de twine with it. I wax~n and th~rnp de cotton fore de fireplace fore I start ginnin it. Dere school for de white chilien in D0uble Bayou and I used to go meet de chilien comin home and dey stop lon~side de way and. teach me rriy ABC. Dey done carry me as far as Ba~:er in de book when old missy find it out and make dem stop. De war comifl on den and us darsn t even pick up a piece of paper. De white folks didn t want us to larri to read. for fear us find out things. Us livi~ do~ ~by de Welborn s den and I seed dein haul de logs out of Pine Island to make dat Welborn house. Old man Harnshire and old ~an Remington builded dat Welboin house. It cross de bayou, left hanc~ side Smith s ferry. Dat bouse still standin in parts. ~ One mornin Eleck arnd me git up at crack of dawn to milk. ~1 at once come a shock what shake de earth. De big fish jump clean out de bay and. turtles ~4..

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E -elave Stories : Page FIve (T xae) and alligators run out dere ponds. Dey plumb ruint GalvestonL Us runned in d~e house arid. ai . de dish~B and. thinge done jump out de shelf. Dat de first bombardment of G alveston. De sojers put powder under people s houses ~nd blowin up Galve$ton. Youn~massa Shake Stevenson he vol teer and. git kilt somewheree in vi rginny. Youn1~ nias sa Tucker St evens on he am ~ t 11 eve in war and. he say he never gwlne fight. He hide in de woods so de conscrip men can t find him, Old man LaGour come raimd and say he have orders for finl Tucker and. bring hirn in dead. or live. But ~cause he old. massa1s friend, he say, Why don t :~ 1ou bay de boy s services off? So old massa take de boat, Cat rig, us call it, and loads it with corn and. sich and. us pole it down to Galveston. De people need dat food. so imich, dat load supplies dore buy off Massa Tucker from fightin . 11~fter war starts lots of slaves runned off to git to de Yankees. iii dem In di~ part heads for de Rio Grande river. De Mexicans rig up flat : boat$ ouSt In de middle de river, t led. t o stakes with rope . 1 hen de cullud ~ people gits to de rope dey can pull deyseif cross de rest d.e way on dem ~: boats~ De white folks rid de blerican side dat river ~11 de time, but plenty slaves git throi.tgh, i~inyway. HI wait on lote of sojers. I have to get sznartweed and bile it in salt wat er t O bath dem in . ~t help de rheumat isia Dem $Oj ei s have rheamati em so bad ~or s ta~di.n da~ &nd n ight in de wat er. ~: ~ Us e1ao~ in good health dem days. Iffen a eu .lud men weak d~ey move d~e muscles In he arme b1eed~ him and give him plenty bacon aM cornbread, --:~i h~ git so strong be co~1d lift a log. ~.y dtdn t go in for mttlu , ~ 5

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. ~ Ex slave Stories Page Six 142 (Texas) lik~ dey do now. Dey ~it herbe out de woods, blue mass and quinine and. calomel. I think people jes die under pills, now. Old lady Pleld she make medicine wI th snake root and larkspur and marehroot and. redroot . After war azt over Massa Tu~cker brung de freedom papers and. read . dem. He say us all am free as Hell. Old man Chancy so happy he Jes roll on de floor like a hose and kick he heels, De flex mornin mama start do somethin and missy cuss her out. I runned to missy and. say, Us free as de bird. She sho whup me for dat, but no more, ~cause slie so mean us all leave. flat furmy. Old man LaFour what de heed de pat t. errollers and so mean, he de first t help us niggers after freedom. He loan us he ox team an pay Uncle Oharley a dollar de day for work and. a dollar every t ime my mama wash for he wife, f___ _ Old massa and misey split up. She so bad she ain t give him no better I 5i19w dan she done us. Old massa gittin so~ie peaches one day and. she come after ~ him with de bug~r whip. He git on he hose and say, Liz you s gitt in broad 11 as de beef. You too big for me. She so m~d she spit fire. lightenin done )\ kill her, she upstairs and. de big streak hits her. It ~iock her under de bed. . \\ ttDe first freedom work I done am pullin up potato hills at two bits ~ a hunnerd. Bout two bits de most us could mtiike in one dey. I work two days ~ to buy mama de turkey hen for Christm~s. A~jthin~ mama want I think she got to ~ have. Vs growed fore I gits much as four bits ad~y. l s done earn as much as $1.50 in my time, though. When Ps 25 year old I marries Betty Baker bu.t she dead now. De Rev. ~ Patterson he marry u.s Us has four chilien livin . Turth and JIenee dat my gals, ~: and ~nriehs ami MUt on, dat my boys . M~lt on work in Houston and Enri eh help me ~ Pa a Mason 30 year. De lodge split up now, but it answer. ~ ~ ~

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420069 STORt2~S OF F~X~.SLAVES Pace One (Texaa) 1413 r7 William Branch, born 1850, 322 Utah MAY ~ 4 193i ~. ~ ~ onto, Te,as. Eyesight is so poor someone must lead. him to the store or to church, William kneels at his bedside each evening at five ~id says his prayers. In this ceremony he spends a half hour or more chanting one Negro spiritual after another. Yahsur, I w~~s a slave I was ~ b o n U~y 13 1850 on the place of Lawyer Woodson in Lunenburg County, Virginia. It was bout 75 miles southwest of RicI~nnon~I. They was two big plan tations~ one on one side the road, yother the yother. My marster owned 75 slaves. He raised tobacco and cotton. I wukked tobacco sometime, sometime cotton. Dere wasntt no whippin or switchin . We had to iruk hard.. Marater Woodson was a rich man. He live in a great big house, a lumber house painted white. And tt had a great big garden. i:~ elaves livee in a long string of log houses. Dey had dirt floors and shingle roofs. Marster Woodsor~ s ho~ise was shingle roof too, We had home cured bacon and veg tables, dried co n, string beans and dey give us hoe cakes baked in hot ashes. Dere always was lote of fresh milk. How d ue slaves git de clothes? We carded de cotton, den de women spin it on a spinnin wheel. After dat day sew de gahment togeddah on a sewinT machine. Yahaur, wets got sewin machine, wid a big wheel and a h~nd1e. One woman turn de handle and de yuther woman do de ~

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~x..s1ave Stories Page Two :144 Texas Dat s how we git de clothes for de 75 slaves. Marster s clothes? We malces dem for de whole fam ly. ~ missis send de pattren and de slaves makes de cl othe s . Over n igh Richmond a fren of Mar ster Wo ode on has 300 slaves. Dey makes all de clothes for dem. 11 ~ was with )Larster twel de Yankees come down to Virgini~t in 1861. De sergeant of de Yankees takes me up on his hoss and I go s to Washington wid d.e Yankees, I ~ot to stay dere cause I d run away from in~r marster. tu stay at de house ofMarse Frank Cayler. He s ~n oie time hack driver. I was his housebo~r. I stay dere twel de year 1870, den I goes to Baltimore and jines de United States Army. We s sent to Texas count of de Indians bein so bad. Dey put us on a boat at B~1timore and we landed at Galveston, Den we marches from Galveston to Fort ~incan. It was up, up, de whole time, We ties our bedclothes and rolls dein in a bu~nd1e wid a strap. We walks wid our guns and bedclothes on our backs, and de wagons wid de rations follows us. Dey is pulled by mules. ~e goes 15 miles ev ry day. We got no tents, night come, ~ unrolls de blankets and sleeps under de trees, sometime under de brush. ~ Por rations we got canned boans, milk and hardtack, De hard. tacks is 3 or 4 in a box, we wets tem in water and cooks em in a skillet. We gits meat purty often. When we camps for de night de captain say, You1~Ll kin go huntin .t Before we git to de mountains dere s deer and rabbits and. dey ~ no fences, Often in ae dark we sees a big anim l and we shoots. When we bring im to camp, de captain say, IfTen de cow got iron burns de rancher gwineter shoot hisself a nigger scout Th.it de cow ain t got no iron, itts whab de name of de ~ what am t feel de iron? Mavrick, yahsur . We eat s lots

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Stories of ex slaves Page three Texas 145 of dem vrck. We s ~ long de river bott om ~nd before we comes to Fort Duncan we sees de cactus ~nd muskeet. Dere am t much cattle, but one colored scout shoots hisseif a bear. Den we eats high. Fort Duncan were made of slab lumber and de roof was gravel and. grass. Den ~ ordered to Fort Davis Rnd. we s In de mounta1~ns now. Climb, climb all clay, and de Indians give us a fit ev ry ~ We kills some Indians, dey kills a few soldiers. We was at ~ ort Clark a while. At Port Davis I jines de colored Indian Scouts, I was in Capt. eorge L. Andrew s Co. K. We s told de northern Cheyennes is on a rampus and we s goin to Port sill in Indian Territory. Before we gits to Port Concho(San ~n~elo) de Coinanches and de Apaches give us a fit. We fitten eni all de time and. when we gits away from de Comanches and Apaches we fitten de Cheyennes. Dey~s seven feet tall, Dey cou 4n t come through that door. ~Then we gits to Fort Sill, G en. Davidson say de Cheyennes is off de reserv~ ation, and he say, You. boys is got to git dein back. Iffen you. kill 1em, dey can t git back to de reservation. ~ Den we goes scout for de Cheyennes and dey is sc~itin for us. Dey gits us first, on de Wic tita River was 500 of ein, and we ~ot 75 c olored Indian Scout e Den Red Foot de Chief of de Cheyenne s, he come to see Capt. Lawson and say he want rations for his Indians. De captain say he cain t give no rations to Indi~iis off de reservation. Red ~ oot say he dontt Care about no reservation and. he say he ta~ce what we got. Capt. Lawson low we gotter git reinforcements. We got a guide in de scout troop, he call hisseif Jack Ki ,martin. De captain say, Jack, I se in trouble, how kin I git a dispatch to Gen Davids on? Jack say ~ I kin gi. t it thr otigh. And. Jack, he crawl on his belly a~d through de bmsh aM he lead a pony, and when he gits

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Ex.-siave~ stories Page four Texas clear he rides de pony bareback twel he git to Fort Sill. Den Gen. Davidson, he scrn.n d.c gin ral alarm and he send two companies of cavalry to reinforce us. But de Cheyennes give era a fit all de way, dey s gotter cut dere way through de Cheyennes. And ~o1, Sh~fter comes up, and goes out in de hills in his shirt sleeves jus like you s sittin dere~ Dey s snow on de groun ~nd de wind s cole, but de colonel dontt care, ~nd he say, t~h~tl~ dis order Gen. Davidson give? ~ kill de Cheyenne s? You kill em a . 1 from de cradle t o de Cr os s And den we starts de attack. De Cheyennes got Winchesters and rifles and repeaters from de government. Yahsur, de government. give tem de gans dey used to shoot us. We got de oie fashion muzzle loaders. You puts one ball in de muzzle and shove de powder down wid de ra~nrod. Den we went in and. fit em, and etwas like fightin a wasp s nest . Dey kills a lot o! ~ur boys and. we nearly wipes tem out. Den we disarms de Cheyennes we captures, and. turns dere gtins in to de regiment. ti ~ come to San Antonio after ~ se mustered out ~nd goes to work for de Be li Jewe 117 Conip any and stays dere twel I i t work no more Did I 1 ike de army? Yaheur, Id. rLltlmh be in de army da~i a plantation slave.

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~1 .)f~*~~) ~ . M ~ ~ ) ~ ~p ~ J ~LNSLAV~ ST :~I:~S (Texas) CI~ARA BRLk, slave of William Lyons of Branch, Lc~iisiana, now lives in Beaumont, Texas. The t own of Branch was known in slave (tj~yS as Plaqueinine Bouley. Clara estimates her a~e to be 100 or 102, and from var iOLI8 fact s known to he r and her family, this would see~n to be correct, Old massa s name was William Lyons. I didn t have no old missus, cause he was a bachelor. He had a big plantation. I don t know how bit but dey soinetliln like twenty fam lies of slaves ahi1 some dem f~m lies had plenty in dem. My ma was Bec1~ Brim and pa, he n~rne Louis Brim. She come frorn Old Virginny. Dey work in .de field. I had two sister n~rne Cass and Dormie and a brudder name Washington. He went off to d~ war. When it break Out dey come and take him off to work in de ai~iy. He lost in dat war. Be didn t come back. Nobody ever knc~r what happen to him, Some de houses log house and some plank, but dey all good. Dey well built and had brick chimneys. Dey houses what de wind didn t bl~ in. Us had beds, too, not den~ built in de wall. Us sho treat good in. slavery times, yes, euh. Old. massa give us plenty clothes to keep us good and warm. He sho di4. Old massa, he ~ marry and eat de same things de slaves eat. He dii t work dem in de heat of de day. Bout eleven o cl ock, when dat sun git hot; he call dem out de field. He give dem till it git kind. of cool befo he make dem go beck in de field. He didn t have no over~eer. He seed bout de plantation hisself. He raise cotton and corn and sweet taters and peas arid cane, didn t fool with rice. He didn t go in for Oats, neither,

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Ex-~s1ave Stories Page Two (Texas) MWheii Sunday come Old Massa ask who want to go to church. Dein what wants could ride hoss-bp.ck or walk. Us go to de white folks church. Dey sot In front and us sot in back. Us had prayer meetin , too, reg lar every week. One old cullud man a sort of preacher. He de leader in ligion. When de slaves go to work he give dea de task. Dat so mu ch work, so many rows cotton to chop or corn to hoe. When dey git through de~r can do what dey war~t. He task dem on Monday. Sowe dem git through Thursday night. Den dey can hire ou~t to somebody and git pay for 1t~ Old Massa even git de preacher for marryin de slaves. And when a slave die, he git de preacher and have Bible readin and prayin . Mostest de massas didn t do dat.a..way. I as big in war time as I is now. I used to do anything in de field w~iat de men done. I plow and pull fodder and pick cotton. But de hardes work I ever done pju since I free. Old Massa, he didn t work US h~3rd, noway. He allus give us de pass, so dem patterrollers not cotch us. Dey bout six men on hoes back, rid.in de ~Oad~ to cotch niggers what ~t without de pass. Iffen dey cotch him it am de whippin . But de niggers on us place was good 8nd civ lized folks. Dey didn t have no fuss. Old Massa,allus let dem have de gardon and dey can raise things to eat and sell. Sometime dey have some p~ and chickens. I been marry his one time and he been dead bout forty-~one yearsjn~. I stay with Old Massa long time after freed~. In 1913 I come live with my youngest girl here in Beaumont. You see, I can t member so much. I he,s lived so long my ~ am ~ t so good. now. **

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 155 149

40fl ) lQ ~ ~ ~X$LAhVE STORIES (Texas) SYLVESTP~R BROOKS, 87, was born in Green County, Alabania, a slave of Josiah Collier. The old Negroes memor~r is poor, but he managed t o recall a few indidents of slave days0 He 1 ives in Mart Texas. Page One ~I~. born bout de year 1850, near de Torn Bigbee river in Alabama, on a plantation own by Marse Josiah Collier. My folks was Henderson and Martha Brooks and I s de only child den. Marse Collier owned seventy Thm ltes f slaves and dey all lived in dey quarters bout a mile fron de big haase. When frec~dom come }4arse Collier sent for all de slaves and lines us up in a row, two deep, and helt up he hands and say, Boys, you is free as I is. All of yoti what wants to can go, and all of you what wants to can work for me on wages dis year. Next year It11 give you a crop or work for wa~ea. Dey ai . stays but two, and one of dem two my daddy, and he lef mai~y and six chilien and never come back. Us stays on tiil Marse Collier end Missus both dies, and den stays with he oldee gal, and didn t go way till we s growed and has fam lies of our own. - $~ I m~ibers best de Fourth of July. De white folks have lots to eat for dem and us and we plays g~nes and goes swimmin . N-ext thing I members is de patterroflers, cause dey whip me every time dey cotches me without my pass. Dat de way dey make us st~r home at night, and it made good~ niggers out of us, cause we couldn t chase ro~id and gib in no meanness. n Old. Marse often told me bout de stars fall in . It was long bout sundown and growed dark all a sudden and. de chickens goes to roost. Den some stars with L19

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1~x~-s1ave Storiss Page Two 150 (Texas) long tails gins to shoot, d~,n it look like all de stars had came out of Heaven, and did dey fall! De stars not ai . what fell. De white folks and de niggere fell on d.ere knees, prayin to Gawd to save dem iffen de world commt to a end, and de women folks all i un down in de cellar and stayed t 111 rnornizi . Old Marse say tt was in 1833, and. he say dem stars l ail a!hilo and quit awhile, like de showers when it rains. Bout a year after freedc~a Old Marse give us a piece of land for a church and dis was de school t . De preacher s name was Christmas Crawford and dat de reason I members it, it so funx~y to us. De nigger teacher n~zaed Nimron. De nigger. has de blueback speller. and larns rithmetic, too. On Thanksgivin Day de niggere goes round to de white folks houses and. gives a ~ like dis: ufDe old bee make de honeycinb, De youx~g bee make de honey De nigger make de cotton and corn, And de white folks glt de mone~r. t ~De raccoon he a curious man, H. never works till dark; Nothin ever sturbe he mind, Till he hear old Towser bark. Den de white folks asks us in and help ourselves to de cake or wine or whatever dey has, and. we does dis on Christmas, to . We had a song we d. sing when we s thinkin of crnin to Texas: tJe ll putfor de South, for seven-up and loo, Ohime in, n igge i s w m t you come I ong too? No use talkin when de nigger wants to go, Where de corn top blossoms and canebrakes grow. Come long, cuba, and dance de polka juba, Way down South, where de corn tapa grow. I, ~ t d I Ike t o be in old Alabama t o d te btit Old. Marse and Miscue gone and it ain t no use goin dere no more.

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 157 151

420014 :~L.sLAvE STORIES PageOne 151 (Texas) DONAVILLE~ BR JSS RD, a polished gentleman of :~1s race, was the son of a mulatto s1~ve of Emilier Opra.~. mouches He was born In 1850, but appears vigorous. Light s1dnned~, with blue eyes a~d a genial expres~ slon, he gave the story of his life in the French patois spoken by Louis-. lana French Negroes, which h~s been tr3~flSlated iiato English. My mrina was daught er of on e of the C armouche b o~rs ~ One of M sieur Francois sons. She call he~ self JL rnance Carrnouche. She was house servant for the f~mil~ and. I worked around the house. I remember niy ~a~ine brought me the little basket arid it had a ~trap on it. I put the strep over the shoulder and went rou~nd with the sharp stick and picked up the leaves on the around with the stick. t It was a great h~tise with trees and. flowers ~ ~adame I iked all clean and pretty. I never work ~d herd, The l~ d.ies and nay mama, too, petted me as 1f I was the white ch1ld~ M sieu.r had a widow sister. She made us learn the prayers. ~Ve ~ ere glad. to ~o where she was for she always had. something good in her bag for us. I never saw the baptizing. ~n those days ~ll the slaves had. the religion of the master and the Catholics didn t have no baptizi.n~. They didn t have to half-.drown wien they got their religion. The church was 15 or 20 miles off. The priest came and held Mass for the white folks sometimes. UI remember one wedding. My aunt got married.. ~ Mtsieur Caramouche killed a big pig. The white folks ate in the house. The 1-.

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Ex~ s1ave Stories P~e Two 152 (Texas) slaves sat irnder the trees ~nd ~te in the ~ ard. At four o elock the justice of the peace c~pie. He was the friend of Mtsleur Car~rriouche, He rn~de my aunt nnl the m~n hold h~nds ~nd jump over the broom h~nd1e. When the priest caine he ra~de 1~! sieur s1~n some papers. A slave ~1ways had to a~k M sleur to marry. He a1w~ys let the women s1~ves marry who they wanted. He didn t loose by that. He was so good the rien would come to his p1~itat1ori. ~ We all wore the lone chemise, Made out of heavy cloth. They made the cloth on the p1r~ce and the women sewed lt up. ~e didn t we~r the shoes, We d.idn t like them when we had them. Each slave could have the little garden. They r~ised vege~ tables ~nd h~d a couple of beehives for the honey, 1When the Yankees caine they told. ~as we cO~~1c~ be free, b~t I dontt know of any slaves that left. Old Mtsieur died & the fpver In the second year of the war. His wife died. before he did. No children. They sold us, the house and everythin~. Mtsieur Cyprien Arceneaux o ~ Lafayette bought me ~nd Ma~.~ie Arvillien Bernard of St. Pierre bought the mama, They used to call it St. Pierre. They c~l1 It Carenero now. When war was finished I left M sieur Arceneaux and lived with mRma. year and a half after that the mpma married a black man md us three farmed the little farm. M r steppapa didn t like me. I was 1 ight . He and me coulthi t get along. So when I had 20 years I left there and. hired myself out, I saved till I bo~.ight a little piece of land. for myself. Then I married and raised the f~znily. Me ~nd my wife and the children farmed that place up to ten 7e rs ago and. then she died. M~ son farms the place now and I came to Beaumont. I live with my girl.

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Ex slave Stories Page Three 153 (Texas) ~ ill remember me in time o~ war we da~nced, Bound dances. We sang and danced La Boulangere in t hie of War. De song go: La Bou1ar~gere ait ta victoire Et ious, qui sont en guerre, Voici le jai que je dols partir. It 1Mon cher ami tu pars Tu me laisses un enfant dans les bras et prend. tee armes. :~t moi, je vais dans le moment . verser des ~ rmes~ ~ ~ 7 ~ -~ ~t4A,P~L pi i ~and j e serai en le guerre ~ T~i serais de garnison, Et tu m oubllrais moi, Q~L11 serai en lee haillons. . J entends le tcb~nbour qu~.~m appeiie A les points de jour. Mon cher Arma~de, si tu m aimes Tu penserais a mot, quand tu serais, Dans tes plaisir. Moi. ..~ que 8erai au bt~it du ftisil~ I got one real scare. I wris with M sieur Arceneaux lu Lafayette. was the battle. Lots of fighting. Lots of killing. The Taakees came liside the house. I stayed hid. I don t kiow ~rhether s been better sliice the was. .~t all times one has his miseries. ~e managed to get along on the farm. BuSt now I have nothing. Oh, I don t mea~t slavery was better than to be free. I mean times : were better, The reasol 11m so light Is, my mama was half-white. Mfr p~a was : Neville Broussard zrnd he was aU. white. ~:; ~ *e**** k

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~)~( :*~ (bi) ~ ~ i? EX~SLLTE STORIES Page One ( Texas) 7A~NU B~U, aged Negr. if Wail, Texas, dies nit knew her age. She was born near R1cb~ond, Virginia, a slave of the Koonce family. They sold her to Mrs. Margaret Taylor, of Belton, Texas, when l annie was only five years old, and she neyer saw her mother again. sI was borned near Richmond, over in Virginy, b~it Massa Koonce sold me . When I wae five year old he brimg me to Belton and sold. me to Missy Margaret Taylor, and she kep nie till she died. I was growed den and. sold to Massa Jim fletcher and dore I stayed till I was freed. Dore no spring near Massa fletcher s place and us have to git water out de well what dey call de sweep weil . Dey cut down a young eaplin and weight it on one end with rocks and tie de bucket on a rope on de other end and brace de pole o~ er de well. While de big house bein built dey slip in a big wagon and cook over a fireplace make out of rock what us niggers pick up in de wood.. Us cook lots of good eatin ouSt on dat fireplace, d.~ wild turkeys and wild seat sho tasted good. Massa trades ten yards of red calico and two hatchets to de Indiana for some skins and take de skins to Austin and traced de~ for de spinnin wheel and loom, and hauls dem to Beiton in de ox carts. My ai.sy lernt me to spin and weave and did die child git many a whpppin fore I could do it good. Den she lernt me to cook and start me cookin two or three days fore company come. Dat when us have de good old pound cake. De li l chilien stand round when I bake, so as to git to lick de spoons and pans, and how dey pop den lips when dey lickin dat good dougni .1

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EX-8laYe Stories Page Two (texas) Massa have garden seed he bru~n~ to Texas, but he didn t think lt wouid grow, so he ke~p it several months, but den he plants lt and up lt come, jus like in de old states, Us used dem tomatoes for flowers, cause us thnnk ~em pret ty red things would kill us or p~tt de spell on us But de white folks et dem and us lam to. NI was growed and have chIlien for. de freedom war. I never did have no special husban fore de wax . I marries after de war. ~My, how dem niggers coeld play d fiddle back in de gocd old deys. On de moonlight nights, us dance b~ de light of de moon under a b~g oak tree, till moat time to go to work next ~ D. fu~s barb wire u.s ever seen, us scairt t~ lt. Us thw~k lightnln be sho to strike lt. It shoe keep de stock in, though. UI seed men ridin hosies with dead men tied cross dey hose, endurin de freedom war. But t can t tell sich bout dat war, ~c~se I couldn t read and I never git any place cept home at my work. I love dia days better dan I do deal times now, but I m too old to ~member mu~. s.e.c ****

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u ~R ~ ~j~) ~ S~OBI:S~S Page One 15G (Texas) FRED BROWN, 84, 1414 Jones St.. Pert Worth, Texas, was bcrn a slave to W . John Brown, who wned a planta~ion aling tAis Mississippi River, in Baton R.uge Parish, Louisiana Fred was eight years old when the Civil War started. Thiring the War, he and a number ~ of other slaves were taken ti Kaufman Co., Texas, as refugees, by Henry Bidder, an everseer, He wsr~ced five years as a lab~ erer after he was freed, then worked as a cook tint il 1933. ~ Sliot, I has time to talk to you baut my life, cuise I ca&t work arty more and I has nothin but time. It am de rhumatis in de leg, it ketch me dat w~, frein de hip to de knee, zip dat pain goes~ I s bo n in oie Louisiana, in Baton Rouge Parish, on de 16th of November, in 1853. I knows, c~ise rriassa give dis nigger a statement. !u see, dey don lam de nig~ers to read in dem days, ner figger, buSt I can read f1gg~rs. See dem on dat car? Dat am 113. Dat an bad figgers, I never rias any truck with sich numbers as de 7 or de 13. Massa have quite pert a plantation in Louisiana, dis side de Mississippi River. De slaves him own am from 40 to 50 8ometimes. In .~ir family am pappy, mammy and three brudders and. one s ister Julia, and six cusiria, Dat s~n 13 and dat s why massa had so much tr.uble with niggers runnin way! Everyene have d.ere certain we k a~d duties for to do. Mammy am de family cook and she hetp at de loom, ma3cin dc cloth0 My daddy

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~Ex-.s1ave Stories Page Two . (Texas) am tie blackamiith and shoemaker end d.c t anner I ~ spains how he do term in. ~ He put s de hi des in de wat er with black oak bark and purty s eon de hair come off and den ~e rolls and p~~ts de hides for to maie dem soft. When I s bout 8 years old, or sich, day starte me to he~pin in de yard and as I grows older I he pe in de fields. Massa, hi~a raises cane and ce n meetly, no cotton. De baildings on de place am de. resident of de massa and de quarters for de niggers, Dey am built from loge ~nd de quarters has no fl ors and no windows, jus square holes what de windows a~igtit te be. Dey have bunks for aleepin ~j~j a table and benchee, and cooks in de fireplace. t, We allus have plenty for to eat plenty ce nmeal lasses and heavy, brown sugar Ws git s fleur brsad once de week, but lot s of but ter and milk. For de ciffee, we roasts meal bran and for de tea, de SaS8afraS. Den we has veg tables and fruit dat am raised on de place. i~ meat mostly am de wil game deer and de turkey, but somet imee hawg meat. ~Massa have overseer and .verleoker. ~ overseer am in charge of WStk arid de everlook~r am in charge of de cullud women. De overseer give all de whippin s. Smetimes when de nigger gits late, tste~ of comm1 haine ard al de whippin him goes to de caves of de ri ver and stays and jus comes in night time for food. ~hen dey do dat de dawgs is put after dem and den it am de fight ~ tween de nigger and de dawg. Jus once a nigger kills de dawg with de knife, dat was close t. freedom and. it come fore dey k tches him. When dey whips for rwmin ff, de nigger am tied down ever a barrel and whipped hS d, till dey draws blood, s metimes. Dom f.,l niggert what sneak off without di pass, have two things for t, watch, one is not to be ketched. by de vereeer and. de other am . ~2.ii.

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1~x-elave8torjsa p ~ (T.xas) age Three 1~8 de patter.. roller6. i:~ nigger sho am skeert of de patteri. One time my pappr ~nd z~iy mammy goes out wiuiaixt . ~ ~id de patters takes after dem. I se home, ~ ~e too young to be pesterin rotin . I sees dem ccin~n, and. yo~t C uln catched. dem with a j ackrabb lt One t tine azioud.der nigger am runnin fr zn de patters and hideB under de house. Dsy fin him and maks him corn. out You s seen de dawg quavsr when him e col ? ~e1 1, dat nigger ~iaye de ~piaverment jus like dat De patt ers hit s him f ive or s ix 1 icks and lets him ge. Dat nigger hays 1,t~ of power him gits to do quarters ahead of his shadow. Now, I tel . bout some good. times. We is lowed ti have parties and. de dance and we has for music, etch as d. banne and di Jew s harp and a cordian. Dey dance de promenade and d.. jog. Sometimes day have d. ~ ~ Jiggin contest and two niggers puts a glass of water on dere heads and den see wh can dance do linges without spillin any water. ~n WS ~aS lsg r lliri . D re was twe teams, ~b.ut thre to de tem~n and dey see which can reh de log de ~ Den sometimes a couple am lowed to git married and ders am xtry fixsd f.r supper. De couple sts~ps over de bro m laid on do floor, dey s married. den. Sometimes de verl.oker don let dem git married. I spl~.ine it die way. H. F~m used for to father de chillun. Him pick. de pertly, r and de healthy women dat ai to rsa~ de portly chilien. De verl oker, ~1 ~~~ortly man) Dem dat him picks h sverli ks and not low dem to marry 2 ti go r und with sthsr nigger men. If dey ds, its whippln~ sho. Di massa raies. some fins, portly chill.n, and dey sol sims, after dey s half-grown, for $500 and. somet ines mirs. 4.

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~::~r Stiri.. Page,~~ q 159 De war didn make ne diff rune. dat I nst ices cept massa and one e~erseer jines de arn~y, Massa come back, but d.c vereeer a~ captured by de Yankees, so massa says, and we never hears bout him after dat. De soldiers passes by lits of times, both de federates and. de Iblue bellies , but we s never bothered with dem. Di fightin was n t closi enough t. maki trouble . Jus fore freedm c orne, de new overseer a~n etructed te taks tis to Texas and. takes us to Kaufman C unty and we is re igees dire. De Tanke. mans telle us we sa free an& can do sich as we pleases. Dat lef us in charge f ni me and. ~ jue~ like cattle, wen wanderin . ~Pappy, him goss back to Louliana to massa s place. Dat am de las we hears fr.rn him. Max~my and I gses to Henderson and I works at dis and dat and cares for my a~nmy tsn years, till she dies. ~n I gits jibe as ciek in Dallas and Hiuston and lots *f ther places. I gite married in 1901 to Ellen Tillse and I cooks till bout four years agi, till I gite de rhuinatis . D&t e a . I can t.ll you biut di le days. * e.e.c.. ce

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3Y2()O96 ~ IL~.SLLTI~ SPOBXJS Pa1~e One (texas) JAMES BROIl, 84, blind for the lae t 12 years and now living alone in a shack at 408 W. Bel~ k:nap, Port Worth, Texas~ was born a slave of Mr. Berney in Bell Co., Tsxas, in 1853. While itill an infant, he and his mother were sold to Mr. John Blair, who farmned four ailes south of Waco, Texas. JAMES has no known living relatives and. a pension of $14.00 a month is his sole mipport. ~My fttst )Lareter was named Marster Berney. It.e don e member hirns tust name nor nothin ~ bout him. I se don ~ know in 15b~j~,t i;y pa~py, but Marster flair t old me hirns name was John ~ own. ~Marater Blair have hies farm four miles south of Waco. We uns lived in de cabins and have de fiddle and de bani ces. We ~ms sing ai~d have mus ic on Sundays . Marster never wimp. w ~nB and hies was allul good to us. Him gives us plenty to eat, and i~eat, too. Rims keeps b ~t 20 hawgs dere all de time. De wmien make s de clothe s ~nd we uns ha,e all we need. ~De fuit work I do.. is drivin ~ de karster to town. Marster have fine houes. Marster have hirns office in Waco arid we drive dere ever~r day. I1se stays all d~ rsady to dtive him home. Mo. every day hirns give me fivs cents or maybe de dime. Hirns was e big law man and went to de legislature down in A~etin. His pictur. am in Austin, cause se down dere year. ago and seen hi. picture in a case wid Govtner Ross picture. S Arn~d&er thing dat Marster does powe ful good am trade ~1-

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Zx-eiarw Stories ~ ~ (Pew) lui 5e niggers~ He buys and sells ea ail de time. You see, dere was traders dat traveled fr i place to place den days and dey takis aome~ time. as auch as 100 nigger. for to trade. Dere was sheds outside of t own, whaT dey keep. de nigger. ihen dey comes to town. D, Mariter and de tra4er talks dia away How you trade? I se give y~i even trade, Wo, I1ee wants $25,00 for de diff xunoe. I .. gives y~i $5.00.~ Oat s de wq dey talks on and on. Maybe dey aakes de trade and maybe dey don ~. Dey have auction soaetiae and Marster ailus tend ea. At de auction I .. seen dea sell a faaiLy. Maybe one man btq~ de aaaay, am~dder buy de pappy and anudder buy ail de chiliens or asybe jus one, like d&t. t a. see dew cry like dey at de funeral wIen dey sa part cd. Dey has to dr ~ em away. When de giotion begin, he says: Dia nigger ta so and so oie, he never bu.ed, he soun as a doUar. Just look at de ausci. and de big shouid.rs. He e worth a thousen of any aan s aoney. How much ~ t offered? Den de biddin starts. It goes like dis $200 VE~a heal , does Itae hear $250, does I hear $300. Den de nigger take. hias clothes ~ ~ey have one extry suit and goes wid de man dat bix1y. him. De day befo Marster gives wetuns freedoa, he says to we1uns, I se wants ail y~ niggers to come to de front of d.c house Sunday aornint I. ~me was clore and he was standin on de gaiiez7, hoidin a peer in Iiias han a~d readin Dere was tears in hias lye. and soe dr~ on ~1 paper. Irs. have tears in a~r eyes, too; aos of ~sm have. When hias done r.a&in~, hin s ..ys: You darkies is as fr.. as I es is.

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~x..slave Stories Pais Three ( Texas) Y~ can go or you ea~n stay Those dat stay till de crops laid by~, I se will give $5.00 a month. ~Dsn he takes de litti. niggere and sa~s ~ little fellows who I se have sold dere mai~ties will stay wid me till dey ~ 21 years ole. You little fellows, I1Be Imow you s age and I se ~ivs y s de statement ~ Mos of de niggere stays wid him, but dey lef tust one a~d den twider. Itse at aye on witt him for m~y years and works as coach- man. When I left de Marster, twa. to work for a fax aer for one year, den I se eo~nes to Port Worth~ Ise works in lumberya d for long time. Tor de las 12 years l as been bUn . l as had hard. time after dat tu de las year but I s. gita de pension each month, dat ~ a heap of help. Dia nigger am thankful for what de Lawd have bles~ed me wH.

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~I~~SLAV~ STORL~8 (Texas) JOSIE BRO~TN was born about 1859, in Victoria, Texas. She belonged to George Heard.. Her mother was born frei,, a member of the Choctaw Nation, but she was stolen axid so as a slave. Jo5ie now lives in Wood.ville, Texas. Page Ox~ flItz boin on Christmas days In Victoria. Got here jus iii time for d~e eg~nogZ Dat bout 1859, ~cz~iise Vs eix year oie d-e Christmas fore freedc~, My mud.der i~vas a free bo n In~jun woman. Jus like any ole,deinmed Choctaw down in de iroodB. She was stole and ~ by a spec lator s gang. U~ move to Tyler when I ~ne rnont~ oie. - t~Te lib on a big farm and my madder euckle her thirteen ehu1 ,w~ and oie zaistus seven, Bob, my br~id~der, he go to Mansfiel a~id we neyer hear of him no more. He wen with young marster, Wesley Heard. I ~nember de mornin3 dey lef dey ha~d to wait for him, ca~xse he d been out seem his gal. I~ marster hab a bi~ 1o~ house close to de road. De quarters was cordlu to de family what live c~.ere. De stase line through Woodv1i ~pass close i~y. I 1me~ber eittin on d.e rail fence to see de stase ~o by. Dat wa~ a fine sight! D~ stage was bis, rough carriage arid dey was four or five hosse~ on de line. De bugle blow when dey ~o by, with &e dus b~h1n1 dem. Dey was commt f roua Jasper, i~ Louisia&, an~1 everywhere. Then us little dey hi~.b to keep us in .ehouse ~c~se de ba 4 eagle pick ttp chilien jus like de hawk pick up chicken. Dey was lots of catamoan a~d b~bxa and d~eer in de woods. Us never

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Page Two :164 S Ex~51aVe Stories (Texas) tflowed p1817 lone in de woods. NI didnt do nothin cep eat artd slsep and foller oie ra~stu~ ~rou~x~. She giv me good. clothes cause my niu~ader was ~e weaver. De clothe8 jus cut ou.t straight down and dyed. with all kin~s of bark. I hab to keep de head coi~b and grease with lard. re lilt white chillur~ p1a~ with me but not de udder nigger chulluns much. Us pull de long, leaf grass and plait lt and us make rag doll and. plsyhouse and grapevine swing. Dere s plenty grapes, scudlong.3 ~ou~r blue grape and sweet, white grape. Dey make jelly and wine outta d~ew. Dey squeeze de grapes and. put de juice in a jimniijohn(demijohn) to f o1ment. RMY iaudder name was Keyia. Dat Injun. Daddy s nane was Reuben. I zaei~ber when I s li . us goes visit my uncle, Major Scott. He lib in Polk County and he wore earri~ig in he ears and beads and everyt ing. He a IfljU3~. He dead now, many year. My daddy work in de fiel He sow de rice and raise t baccy. Dey have fiel s of it. Dey put it in de crack of de fence to press, den dey dry it on de barn roof. Dat was smokin t baccy~ For de chewin t baccy, dey soak it ~ sugar and honey. Us never see snuff den. On Sunday us dldn work. ;ve has chu ch zaeet in But dey has to have it .Ln de ya d, so de white folks could see de kin of religion spounded. I seed. some bad eight in slavery, but ai.nt never been bueed. nyself. I seed chillun too lii to walk from dey marnr~ties sol right off de block in Woodville. Dey was sol jus like ca3lS. I seed. n~ggera in han locks. After freedom dey wuk a whole year and den Major Saugers, he finally come and. make d.c white folks tu ~ i~ loose. I stay on for years, t ill ole mist~s die She lam me t o knit and. ep in and s ich 3. ike.

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165 Ex Blave Stories Page Three ( Texa!) se111 de early day, U3 hab to b~ keerf nl. De~ i~ay witches rid.e dey hosses on de dak nichts. Us a11u.~ put hossshoes over de door to keep de witch out. I~fen us go out at nicht, us go rount de house three time so de witch not come in while us gone. UI,3 fifteen year oie when I marry. ~1I ~s Paul was from d.c ~es . He was de fus1 husban . Ue hab a rca . weddin with a bride ye il. My weddin dre s s hang way back on de fi o ana. ah inc I ike silver. Dey hab big dance and. eat supper. tlMy secor~d husban name Robert Brown and. I~s ruu.d.cIer of ten chillun. Sides dat, I rai3es six or seveii day I pick up on de street cause dey orfums and hab nobody to care for dem. Some dem chullun drif bout now and I rouldn know en if I seed. ~nL **** *********

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420211 ~SLAV~E ST~I~S ~ Page One 16G (Texa ) ~. z:~K BROWN, 80, was born a elave of Green Brown, owner of six slave families, in ~Yarren County, Tennessee, Zek caine to Texas in ~ . 1868, with Sam Bragg.Zek now lives at 407 W. Bluff St., in Fort Worth, Texas. My name ~in Zek Brown and Massa Green Brown owne~ me. He have a plantation in Tennessee and own aU my folks, what was my pappy and mammy and. two sisters. I never seed any of dem since I ran ~w~y from there, when l s ten years old. Ii sornetijnes wishes Ps back on de plantation. lt s.took good care of dere ~ tid massa am awful good. ~ach Thm ly have dere own cabin and it warn t so much for niceness but we lives cornf r ble and bas plenty to eat and we~. My mammy work de loom, maki~ cloth, end us chilien wears dnsey cloth shirts till dey gives us paz~ts. Massa buy he fivn l~r nice clothes but . dey wears linsey clothes everyday. Seine with shoe s dey am made on de plantatiOn and de first st ore shoes I has a~ after surrender. My memrny buys nie a pair with brass tips on de toe, and ~ I dreas up deM De food am bester dan what I s had since dem days. Dey raises it all ~ut de salt and sich. You wouldn t lieve how us et den. It am ham and bac~on, cause dey raises all de h~wgs . It am cornmeal and some whi te : flour and fruit and honey nnd lasses and brown sugar. De lasses am black as I is and. 4at am some black, I wishes. X was dere and mammy call me, and ~ . I can ;saeU dat.. 1~am fryin right nc. ~ ~ ..~ ;. ~ 11N$ once .doe~. ~ ~ ~ ~3, ma sa whippin and him don t talk rough even. Jus so de work am done we does as we pleases long a. i~te reas bis, U~ :have paz tiee ~M da~ic in and s ingin . ~e mus i e am de banj o arid de fid.dl e. L~ ~

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~x~s1ave Stories P~e Two (Texas) . t, I dont t ~ meinb er when de w~.r st ~rt but I ta~emb ~r ~th en it st op and massa call ail u.s together ~nd tell u~ ~ve s no more s1av~,s~ Him talk lots bout what it ~n~an and how it ara Cliff rent and we uns have to m~e our own way and cgi t pend on hirn likes He s~y if us stay dere ll be wades or we can share crop and everybo~v stay. My folks st ays one y~r and den moves to ~nother he faruis, Pa~py keep d~ f~r~n ~nd mamm:r teach school, Her c~issie done lernt her t o read and sich fro,~ t line she a voun~tun, so she have eddicat ion so good dey puts her to teachin , 1De way I lpav,s home am dis, One day manriy teathth school and Inc ~ m~r sister a~ home-, r~.nd I eides she need de 1~iaircut. She want it, too. s o I g t s de shears and goes t o work and. aft e T I works a wh il ~ d ~ j Th ~3 on ~ t look so good, so I cuts sane raore and den it look worse and. I tries to fix it and first thing I knows dere ain~t no hair left to cut. When mammy come hone she pays me for de work with de rawhide whip and dat hurts my feelin s so b~d I eides to git even by runnin tw~y a few d~iys. It am bout ~indown and I starts to ~o and comes to M~ssa S~ Bragg s p1~ce. l s tired den and not so strong tbout de idea arid ~des to rest. I walks into he yard and dere am a covered wagon ~ and loaded with lots of stuff and de front end opens I finds de soft place in ~i~e baci and. goes to sle~p, and when I wakes up it am t gitt in d~yl ight and dat ~va~on am a- movin . t I d~on t say 1 . ~ s ske ert and wal ts for dat wa~On to stop, so s I can crawl out. I jus sits and. sits and ~vhen it stop I crawls out an~ Massa Bragg say, G~ood gosh, look what ~m cr~wl1nt out de w~on~ He look at Inc a while and den he s~r, You s too far from home for me to take ~rou back

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~x~i slave Stories Page Three (Texas) and you ll git lost 1f you tries to walk home1 I guesses I ll haire to with me. ~ I thinks him a~n coin some place and canin back, but it a~i him come and stop at Birdvilie, Dat am how dis nigg~r corne to Texas. Il ~ t ~ oft en wish iay mnniny done whip inc so hard I e oul~n~ t walk off de place, ~ ~rora den on I has mighty 1v~rd times, I st~rs with Massa Bragg four years and then I hunts for a job where I c&n git some wages. I gits it with Massa Joe Henderson, workin on he fana ~nd ~ been round these parts ever since and farmed most ray life, tel gits into a picklement once years ago. I~s rested on de street. I s not done ~a thing, jus walkin ~ ~ street with ~ fellow ~nd. dey claim he stole somethin , I didn t know nothin tbout since, Did. dey turn me a loose? Dey turn me loose after six rnonth~ on de chain gang. I works on de ro&1 three months with a l ail and chain on de legs. After dat trouble, I shot picks my conxp ny, HI marries onet, bout forty years ac~o, and after four years she dead with d.e heart rnis ry. Us have no chilien so l s alone in de world.. all right long as I co i.ld work, but five years ago dis right arm gits to so bad. I een ~ work no more. ~ o~ a year now dey pays me $9.00 pension. hard to live on dat for a whole month, ~iut Its glad to git it. t8ke -rou to Texas drops It ai~ sh~ikint It ~m 168

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4~)I,~3 F~X~SLAVE STORIES Page One (Texas) i~LtDISON BRUIN, 92 spent his early days as a si~ve on the Curtis farn in the blue gr~,s~ regiin Sf Kentucky, where he h~.d sem~ experience with some cf the fine herses fer which the state is Parieus, . Here, tee, he had certain con~ tacts with sGldiers f John Merg~n, of C0nfederate f~zne. His eyes ~re keen and his voice mellow 2nd low. His years h~ve not t~,ken a heavy toll of his vitality. NIt~ a eid Kentucky man. I,s born in Fayette County, bout five miles from Lexington, right where ciere lots of fine hosses. My old. massa v ps name Jack Curtis and de olclmissus was Miss A.c~die. My mother naine Mary and she die in 1863 and never did see freedom; I don t member my daddy a~t~ll~ De place was jis~ a farm, cause de~r didn t know nothin bout plantations up d.ere in KentucI~y. Dey raise corn and wheat and g~rlic and. fast ho se es Dey us ed t o have b 1g has s race s and dey had. b i~ t racks ~nd I~ s stood in de middle of dat big track in Lexington arid watch dem ex cise de bosses. Sometimes I got to help dem groom some dem grand hosses and dat was de big c ~r ~or me. I don1t m~ber dem hossee nemea, no, euh, but I knowed. one big bay hoes wht~t won de race nearI~r every time, ni had. two sisters name Je~nette and Fanny and a brother, Henry, end after my deddy i~ my mother marries a m~ name Paris and I had one balf.-brother call Alfred Paris. t old ma~ sa was go od t o us and g ive us p3.en ty food . He never beat us hard. He had a son what j is ~ one month older n me and we run round and play lots. Old. massa, he wh5p me and he own son j de same when we

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~x slaveStorles Page Two (Texas) ( bad. He didn t whip us no rnoret~ he ought to, though. Dey was good mass~s ~ some mean ones,ord some worthless cullud folks, too. Diu in de var de cholera broke out tmongst de people ~nd everybody scairt dey gwine cotch it. Dey say it start with de hurtin in de stomach ~nd every time us hurt in de stomach, missus make us corne cp~lck to de b~g house, Dat suit us jis right and when dey sends Will and me to hoe or do somethin us didn t want to do, pretty soon I sa~r, Willie, I think ~y stomach ginnin to hurt. I think dia mis ry a Sign I ~ittin de cholera. Den him sey, tU~ better go to de big house like ma say, ~nd with dat, us quit workin . Us git out lots of work k~t way, hut us ain t ever took de cholera ylt, UDurin~ de war John Morgan s men come ~and took all de hosses, Dey left two and ~illle and me took dem to hide in de plu.m thicket, but us jis git out de gate when de sojers c ie gain and dey head t~ off and t~ke de last two hasses, Mv mother she wore de Yankee flag under her dress like a petticoat when de federates come raidin . Other tinies she wore lt top de dress. ~Vhen dey hears de federat es canin de white folks makes us bury all de ~o1d and de silver spoons out in de garden. Old massa, he in de Yankee a:rIny, I Cause dey script him, but he sons John arid Joe, dey volunteers. Old massa be never sold none of he slaves. I used to hear him and ~1S8UB fu~ bout de ge, cause some long to her axid some to him and dey have de time keepin dem straighten out. Us boys have good time playin . Us draw de line and. s~ie git on one side and szne de other. Den one sii~ out

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Ex~1ave Stories Page Three (Te~as) Chick~rna,Ohick~na, crcney crow, \~ient to de wel . to wash m~r toe; Then I git back my chicken was gone, What time, old. witch? Den someb~r holler out, One o clock or Two o clock or any time, ~nd dem on one side try to cotch dem on de other side, T?\Thpn Ils ~ I dldii t minci piowin but I didri t like to ride ~.t fust, but dey make me lam anyhow. course, dat white bo~r and me, uz like most cn3rthin~ what not too rtiuch work, Ifs go down to de wat~rmelon patch ~~id plug dem melons, den us run hide in de woods and e~t watermelon. C~ourse, dey lots of time dey low us to pl~r jis by ourselves. Us pl~ y one g~i~e where US choose sides and den sing: I, 1 Can ci~in, C arxdio, Old men Dandlo, How m~iiy men r~ got? More n you1 re abi e t o c ot eh ~ Endurin de w~j us git whip many ~. ~ time for plByln with shells whet u.s find in de woods, Us heered de cannons shootlnt in Lexington end lots of dem shells drap in de woods. That did I think when I seed all dem sojers? I wants to be one, too. I dldntt care what side, I jis wants a gu.n end a hoes and be a sojer. John Morgan, he used. to own de hemp factory in Lexin~ tnn. . Tht~i croung massa jine ~Voolford s 11th ~entucky Cavalry, dey come to de plece and h lt befo de big ho~xse in de turnpike. Dey have shotgiuis and. blind bridles on dere hosses, not open bridle like on de race hosses. Dey jis in reg ler clothes but next time dey corne through dey in blue uniforms. All mv white folks come back from de war and didn t git kilt. Nobody ever telt me I s free, I s happy dere and never left dem till 1872. All de others gone befo dat, but I

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Ex.~~s1ave Stories Pace F0ur (~exas) git s all I wants and I dldii t need no money. I didn t iaiow what paper money was and. one time massa s eon give me a paper dime to ~it some squ~.b and. I dldn t know what money was ~nd I burned it U~. I Dey s j one thi ng I ~ like to do most and ds eat . Dey al. lus had. plenty of everything and dey had. a big, wooden tray, ortrou.gh and. dey put potlicker and. cornbread in dat trough and. set it under d.e big loc~ist tree and ai . usli l niggers us set rxtnd and eat and eat. J1s eat all us wants. i~n when us git full us fall over and. go to sleep. Us ils git fat and~ lazy . When us see dat bowl c cm dat bowl call us j is like hawgs rujint t o de trough. Dey was great on gingerbread arid us go for dat. Dey couldn t leave it in de kitchen or de pantry so old. missus git a big tin box ~nd hide de gingerbread under her bed and kept de switch on us to keep us way from lt. But sometime us snee~Ic up In de bedroom ~rnd g t saine, even den. ~~hen I about 17 I left ~entuck~r and. goes to Indiana ~nd ~hlte folks sends me to school to lam rea&la and writin but I got tired of dat and r~in off and. jine de army. Dat in 1876 and dey sends me to 4~rlzona~ After dat I s ~ t Fort Sill In what used. to be Indian Territory and den at 1 ort Clark and Fort Davis, dat in Garfield s ministration, den in Fort Quitman on de Rio G~rande. PS in skirmishes with de Ifldians on Devil s River and. I ~ in de Brazos Canyon, and in de Pat tiesnalce Bange and in de Guadalupe Mountains. ~: ~ De troops was d.e Eighth Cavalry and de Tenth Infantry. De white and de cullud folks was altogether and I have three hosses in de cavalry. De fust one plays out de next one shot down on canzpalgn and one was condemn. On dat campalga us hare de White Mo~~~flta1* paones with us for scouts. L;~

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~x..slave Stories Page Five 173 (T~xas) u When I git discharge from de ~rmy I c orne to T exas and work on de SP. Railroad. and I been in Texas ever since, and when I s in Ballas I got I flicted and got de pension cause I been in de amy. I ain t done much work in ten year. I gits married ifl San Antonio on December 14, 1882 and. I marries Dolly Gross and dat her right dem . Us have de nice weddin plenty t o eat and. drink. Us have only one chile, a gal, and. she dead, but us dopt ~ev ral chilien. - Us come to Beaumont in 1903 ~tM I works round Spindletop and I works for de g~s people and. de waterworks people. I~s been a carpenter and done lots of common work wherever I could find it. It s been long time since slavery ~nd ~ old, but me and my old lady s in go~ health and us manage to ~1t long fairly well. s tbout all I can m~nber bout de old times,

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 180 174

420236 :~x-sLLv~ STOB1~S Pa . One ~ (Texas) V MARTHA ~NCE BU1~0N, 31, was born a slave, Jan. 1, 1856, on the John Bell plantation, in M~rphfreesboro, Tennessee. Mr. Beil sold Martha, her mother and. fOUie sist~~re to Joseph Spence, who brought them to Texas Martha married Andy Bunton in 1980, and they had nine children. Martha now lives with her sister, Susan, on twelve acres of land which their father bought for $25.00 an acre The far~i is pictu~. resquely located on a thickly wooded bill about six miles east of Austin, T xas II was born on New Year s D~iy. Yes, sub, in 1856, on Massa Bell s plantation over in Tennessee. De name of de town was Murphreesboro, and my mammy and my four sisters and me ail lon~ged to Massa John Bell, but he done sold us to Massa Joseph Spence, and dat how I come by my name. I members how Massa Spence briuig us to Texas in wagons, and the W57 we knowed when we hit Texas am cause massa gin to talk bout a norther. When dat norther done strike, all de weeds and leaves jus starts Us poor, ig rant niggers thunk at first dey was rabbits, cause we d. never seed a rabbit den. Massa Spence rid his hoss and Missie Spence come long in d~ richer way, in a coach. De chilien ~lked mornin s azid de older folks walked afternoons. CMassa Spence come to Montopolis, right nigh to Austin, and settled down. I helped carry dinner pails to de field workers, and dey was full of meat and cabbage and biscuit Pappy wasn t dere then, cause he was own by Massa Burrows, over in Tennessee. &it when his massa died, my massa bought pappy and he come out to Texas. Befo I s a si zeable child., mammy took sick with diphtheria and died and pappy had to be mammy and pappy to us, 1-.

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Ex-.elaVs Storiee Page Two (TexaB) Pappy wae a b1~ bodied man a~id on Sunday inornin he d git out of bed and make a bi~ fire and say, Jimmy cripes! You chilien stay in vou beds and I ll make de biscuits. He would, too. I laughs when I thinks bout dem big, ry. bis-P cuits, what was so big we called dem Nigger heels. Dey aho was big biscuita, but dey was good. We never did git no butter, thou~ and sometimes we d ask the white chilien to giv. us a piece of biscuit with butter on it. We gt plenty other eats ~ sliced meat and roastin ears and sweet milk. After freedom pap~ty sent us to school to de white teacher, and dat s why I can read. and write. I went to de sixth grade and. quit. Pappy was drinkin a lot then. He d take alct ol and mix it with lasses and water. But he was good to us. S0inetities a Texas norther come up and we d be on the way home and we d see something eomin what look like a elephant and tt was pappy, with a buncil of coats. I ~ was twenty-four years old when I married Andy ~nt on and he j es rented fartas here and yonder. #. had a big weddin and pork and turkey arid cake, Aunt Lucy &tbbard, what weighed three hundred potinds, done de cookin dat day. We had. such a good t ime nobody lcnowed when one de g~xests at oie a wh le turkey. I was ~tother of aine chilien and. three of dem is livin now. Andy madsa purty good livin till he had. a aral sis stroke. Poor old feller! In de end, I took care of him and. had to work like I was yo~ ~ng again. I cut wood and carried water and. washed and cooked. I had to feed. him. UI owns iiy place here. It am twelve acres and p~py bought it long ago for $25.00 de aol s. My sister lives here too, and my eon, Howard, cornea home sometimes, but he e got e ight houn dogs he can t feed. . I sho can t feed dem on dat $11.00 pension what I gits.

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 182 176

42008G :~L.SLAv~ STORIIS Peg. One (Texas) ~ ) ~~LL~I BUTLIR was born a slave to Richmond 3~itl.r, ne~r Ihiska Ohitto, in the northern part of Oalcasii~a ?ai tsh(now a iart of Bemi. r.gard Parish) in Louisiana. Illen is about 75 years old. She nov lives in Beaumont, T xai, ~My old massa was name Riebmond Butler and he used to ~ave a big plantation over on Whuska Chitto, in Louisiana, and that s where I was born. The~y used to call the place Bagdad. I was his slave till I six year old and then freedom come. I ~ don ~ t member my daddy, but my mammy was name Dicey Ann But 1er. I have seven sister and three brudder, and. they was Anderson and. Charlie and Willi., and. the girls was La~ra and Rosa end Rachel and PanSnie and~ Adaline end Sottie and Nora. Us used to live in a 11,1 log house with one room. The floor was dirt and the house waa ma~.e jus ltk~e they used to make tatar house. !hey~ was a little window in t~ back. When I was a baby they wrop me up in cot ten and put me in a coffee pot ~ that how li 1 1 was But I grows to b. more sizable. The plantation were a good, big place and they have bout 200 head of niggers. When I get. big en~gh they start me to totin water to the fisld. I gits the water t~xt the spring and. totes it in gourds. They cut the gourd.. so that a strip was left round. and cross the top and that the handle. They was about a foot cross and a foot deep. Us used. to have one good. gour us kop lard in and IPI gottrd.s to drink out of.

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~ Storio2 Page Two .~ ~4~4 (Psxas) Ma~~a never elow,d. us slaves go to cimroh bitt they have big holes in the fi6lds they gits down in and prays. They done that way a~se the white folice didu t want them to pray. They need to pray for freeth~ ~ When the white folk. go off they writee on the aea . ~d f1o~ir with they f inger. That the wa~ they know if nu steal ~ea1 . Somet i~e they take a .tick and write in front of the door so if ~ybody go o~tt they step on that writi& and the sassa know. That the way us lam how to write. ~O1d massa didn t give eu wich to eat. When they comes in ~t of the fIeld they goee work for other folks for eoaething to eat. They just have a oJ4 fraite with planke to sleep on and ~o ~at~ triss or nothin . In winter they have to keep the fire goi& all night to keep fr~* freezi& . They put a old quilt down ox~ the floor fr the 11,1 folks. They have a li, . trough us used to eat out of with a li 1 wooden paddle. Us didn t know nothin bout kni~ee and forks. tl ~ never did git nothin euch to eat . My sister she de coOk and eorieti~e when the white folks tone us go up to the big house and she give us so~ethin* But she ~tke us wash the mouth after us finish eat in they won t be no eru~bs ~n our wouth. 0Maisa tteed to beat ~en~ all the time. he git ho~gry and gw~z~e have to e~e Re say he never do that, 1~*it he did, Texas and s~~ne niggers with him and he old. ~asaa have to go to ~y brudder and to sleep under. Then he say if he had i~2uii~ )Ly br~dder tell old aassa as~ de niggers for somethin CaUSS after freedom he go los e~erything and, abo aek hia for food and a it t o do over he uln t s oi~etiae to eat. to Jevt ~nou~h, abelt er

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1~X.~1ave Stories Pa e Three (Texas) ~ J treat the handi so bad. NOne time i,y br~idder slip off de plantat ion and they a1i~ost b at him to death. He told em lie had to do omethin to git eo~ethin to eat. They ueed to put ~ ~ a log or barrel to beat em. My mammy had a strop bout e Ig at i~ich wide they used to beat s~ with~ ~Most clotkie~i what we git is fron the Ile.~ what was rich folks and livea elo~e by. They folks 1 ivee in DeR idder tu Lout slaua, I hearea Th3y treated the slaves ~ike white folk . On Christmas tin~e they give us a meal. I member that. I~ don t member no other holidayi. ehen us ~it ~ US ~o to the woode and git herbe and root8 and r~ake tea and medic1n~. We used to git Blackhaw root and cherry bark and dogwood and chinquapin bark, what sake good tonic. Black snakeroot and ewamproot make good aedicine, too. 9Ly ~aiay told u. ~e was free and we itarbe right off and walks to Sugart owm, bout 8 ~Ue away. I w~mber ~y bru~dder wade . cro~i a pool totin me. I u.eed to flU~3S Dr. Prazier. He used to be th~ high sheriff in DeRidder.

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 185 179

420182 ~ EX....SLAVE S~ORU~S Paie One 179 exas, KENRY L BtTTTL~, 8?, venerable graduate of Washburn College Topeka, Kansas, and ex school teaciier, was ~ born a slave to )~r. George Sullivara 0* hie 300 acre plantation In Par quier Co., Virginia. Henry and a number of other slaves were trans ported to Arkansas in 1863, and. Henry ~ eeceped and. joined. the Union Army. He now lives at 1308 E. Bessie St., Port Worth, Texas. My name is Henry H. Butt1~r and I ~m past 87 years of aie. That figure may ~ot he ~ccurate, hut you raust realize that there were no authentic records made of slave births. I estimate my age on the work I was doing at the commencement or the Civil War and tn~ fact that T ~ was large enough to be accepted as a soldier in the Union Amy, in the year of 1864. I was/Dorn on tAs plantation of George S~ livan, in Parquier Co., Virginia. Th~1antation was situated in the valley at the base of Bull Mountain, and presented a beautiful picture. The plantation consisted of &bo~it 30 acres, with about 30 slaves, th~gh this ni~aber varied. and eoaetiiaes reached. 50. Mr. Sullivan owned my mother and her children, O but my father was owned by Mr. Jota Bector, whose p12ce was adjacent to ours. The slave quarters consisted. of a group of one room log cabins. with no flooring, and very crtid.e furittehings. There were bunks and benches and a table and the fireplace provided themeans for cooking a*d~ heating. . The food was wholesome and of sutficient quant ity. In . pert od absut all the food was produced and processed. on the plantatioi, which O, siimi*ated any reasin for failure to provide ~xnple food.. The meat ~~ : . ~ : ~ ~

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Ex.~.sI~ve Stories Pape Two 180 ( Texas) was borne cured and. trie h~m and bacon nad 2 superIor flavor. On trie ~ullIv~n pl~,ce there ~dstt ~c1 ~~onsideration for hunmn fee1int~s but on trie Rect ,r place~ neither the master nor trie overseer ~eez~ed to under~ st:;~n . th~t ~l~~ves mere human beings. On~ old slave called Jira, on tue Rector place, disobeyed some rule anI e~ Iy one mornIn~ they ordered him to strIp. They tied hirn t~ ttie whi~ping post ~d from morning until noon, at inGerv~1s, the lash was applied to nis b3ck. I, rn~rseif, s~w and he2rd rn~ ny of trie 1~ .. sties ~nd his cries for mercy. One mornin~~ a nw~ber of slaves were ordered to l~y a fence row on the Rector p1~ce. The overseer said, ~This ro~ rnust be )~ Id to the Branch ~nd left in time t~ roll those loss out in trie b~ck woods, It was sundown when w, laid. the iqst rail btit tne overseer put us to roiIin~ logs without any supper ~nd it was eleven when we completed the ~ Old. Pete, the ox driver, becwne so exhausted tti~t he f~11 asleep without unyokIng th~o~en. For that, he was ~IVen 100 lashes, The slaves were ~dlowed to marry but were compelled to first obtain permission rrom the master. The main fRetor involved in securing tne r~iast.~r s consent was his desire to rear negroes with perfect pbysiques, On neither pl2ntation was there ~ny thought or c~x~p~ssion when a s~1e or traae WaS in question. I have seer~ tne separation of husband and wife, child ~nd mother, r~icI the e7tr~me grief or ttaose involved, ~iid the i~sh administered to a grieving slave for neglecting ttieir work. AU this m~de the marriages a fai ce. Hin 1863 Mr. Suilivrn transported about 40 0 US sle.ves to Arkansas, locating us on a farm near Pine Bluff, so we would not be t~en by the ~deraI soldiers, The general faithfltlnese o the slave was notice2ble then, as they had a chance to desert ~nd go to free states. But I thir~k I was the only one

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Ex-slave Stories Page Three (Texas) rho c1~serted ~ Su1liv~.n. I went to F~cter2l He~~quarters ~.t Fort Smith, Ark~isas aild was re ce ived mo the ermy. ~1e cxnp aigri cd in Arbins as anc~ nearby territory. Trie major battle I fou~nt in ~ia that Ot Pi~ Bluff, which l~sted on~ day anI pert of one ni~it, ~ &ft ~ r I was must ered. OU t Ot the army, I s et oi.~t t o ~et au educa.. tiori arid eiitered ~ gr~~de ~ox~oo1 at Pine Bluif. I workec! 9fter sc~oo1 at any job I could secure t:~nct manG~ed to enter Weshixirn C0llege, in Topeka, JC~ansas. After I graduated I fo11owed~ ster~m engin~erin~ for four years, but later I went t o Fort Worth and spent 22 years in ~ducati on~J. work ~~non~ my people. I exerted r~y best efforts to ~.dvence my race. I inarri~i Lucia Brown in 1~i~O and we n~d tnree children, ~l1 ot whom ar~ dead. There is just my wife and me left oi tn~ i wnily, and we iiave a ~?5.OO per month Union soidlerts perisio~. ***********!~ur ~

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 188 182

i~&, 4 ~ ~ 42()283 ~ ~X~SLAVE STORLES Page One 182 - 0 (Texas) WILL~ ~ BYRD, 97, Was born a slave of Sam Byrd, near Mad~... leonville, Texas. William was with his master during the Civil War. The old Negro is v~ry feeble, but enjoyed talking about old times. He lives in M~.dieonville. ~ t, I has a. b ill o ~ s al e what s ~r ~ ~ ~ born in 1840 s o I knows I e ~ ninety~..eeven years old~ and li~ owned by Marse Sam Byrd. My mother s name was Fannie and I dunno pappy1s name, 1~a~zse mymotber allue say she found me a stray in the woods. I alLie lieves my master wc.s my pap,py, but I never did know for shoe. Our quartera was log and the bed built with poles stuck in the cracks and. e owhide stretched over and d gathe r moss ~ bout once a month and zuake it soft. When it was real cold we d git close together and I dontt care how ~ld it got, we d sleep ~ as warm as these here feather beds. I split rails w~d chopped~ cotton ~nd plowed with a woOden plow and / druv M~rse Byrd lots, 1cause he was a trader, slave trade most the tiTus. He was good to ~us and give us lot s t o eat . He he~ a big garden and plenty sugar cane, and brown sugar, We d press the juice out the cane tween two logs and cook it in the big washpot. . We had sheepskin clothes in cold weather, with the fur part inside, :~: ~ ~ shoes less n we wrapped our feet iri fur hides. But them clothes was ~ ~ warmer than these here cott9n overalls. They re plumb coidl Marse Saz~ was full of life and Miseus Joeie was real good, They had. a nice home of that ~ ~ ~d. out split logs and f~r rooms ~d ~ hail two ways throu&3~ it. ~ ~

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~x-~slave Stories Page Two 183 ( Texas) 1Th2t great iron piece hung jes outside the door and Marse Sain hit it at 330 every mornin~. If we didn t muet~r out he coins round with that c~b-~O-nine~tails and let us have it and we knowed what that bell was for next mornin Sometimes when Mar~.e Sam was gone, we d have a overseer. He,~d let us go swirnmin in the creek when the work was done~ ~ If ~ nigger was mean Marse Sain give him fifty licks over a log the first time and seventy~five li eke the second time ~ and bout that t ime he most rally had a good nigger. If they was real mean and he couldn t do nothin with mi, he put them in ~ the j ail with a ch8in On the feet s for three dt~ys and. fed em through a crack in the wall. On Christmas Mare. Sam had. a great big eggnog and kilt a big beef and had ~ ~ fireworks, and the nigger, he 1~ow Christmas was come, We had plenty to eat and eggnog and did bout what we pleased that clay and New Year s. The white folks ~ ~ silus sa~id what we1d do on them days we d. do all year. That s all foolishment, H bu.teome still believes in it. :~ They give a big dance and all night sapper when war started. Then Marse ~H S a, he carries nie for waterboy and cook ax~d to tend hi~ hosees. He had two, end rid one this d~r and the other nex da~r. He was fr~id one git kilt and the~i he wouldn t be sli~n a,4oot, When them big guns went to poppin , I jee couldn t stand it without gittiri in a bruli tor. Then marse goes and gits shot and I has to be his imse. But, : Law& a-~me, one them Y~xk.e gals, ehe falle in love. with mai se whilst he laye ~ dead; ~an~a: 5he ~ iWillIjain, he s mine, so ~ou got to take good care of ~i*~t An~ him with a p~1umb good wife back homes -2

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~x~slave Stories p~e Three (Texas) . ~Mi~i Marse Sam git well, he say he s goin to nother pl~.ce to fight. He was with Genera . Lee whe ~n that old war was over end th~,t there Yankee General. Grant takes General Le~e 1pr isoner, and Marse Sain won ~ t leave his general and he say to me, William, you got to go home alone. I lights out a.4oot to Texas and it s most a year b~fo Igits home. I travels day and. night at first. I buy~s some things to eat but every time I goes by a farmhouse I steals a chicken. Sometines I sho gits hongry. Then I E~lt to the house, Missus Josie faints, cause she thunk Marse Sam ain t with me and he t be dead, I telle her he s ut prison and she say she ~l give me $2.00 a month to stay till hegits back. I~ plumb crazy Tbout a little gal called ~ cause ehe so pert and. full of live, so I stays. ~ e gits us a cabin and tbat s all to o~ir weddint, We stays a ye~ar befo Marse Sa~ii comes back. He was the plumb awfuleat sight you ever done seed~ His clothes is tore offen hie body and he ain t shaved in three montheand he s most starved to death. Miseiis Josie she don t even rectnize him and. wouldn t low hii~ in till I tells ~ her dat ~nMarse Sara1 all right. He stays sick a whole year. ~ I ~ thinks if them Yankees din t tend. to fix some way Thr us pore niggers, ~ ~ dey ought~t turn us a loose. Iffen de white folks in de South hadn t been es r~ what they t~s u.s nigg~rs . been lot s worser off than we was in slavery t ime when ~ the nigger am sick, hie master p~r de bills, but when nigger sick now, that s hi~ ~ own lookout, - ~ t, I never done n but farm and odd j obe I been mar i led ftve times but ~ only my las wife am livin now, Ity four boys and two gals is all farmin right ~ here in the ounty and they helps us oat. ~e gits by somehow. ~ *****

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4 2 ().277 FSLSSLAVE STORfl~S Page One . (Texas) LJ~~) LOUIS CAIN, 88, was born Lii North Carolina, a slave of Samuel Cain, After Louis was freed, he c~xne to Te~as, and. has farmed near J4adison~ . ville over sixty years. t, I knows Its birthed in 1849 cause I had a b il 1 of sale . I t say that. My raaster traded ~ue to i~iassa Joe Cutt for a hundred acres of land. Thatts in 1861, and I t~emb.rs it well, My daddy was Sam Cain, n~xne after old Massa Cain, ~nd naramy was J0sie Jones, tcause she owned by nother rn~ster. Mammy was birthed in North C~rolin~., but daddy ~llus say he come from kf~ricy. He say they didn t work hard over there, cause all they et come out the jungle, and they had all the wives they wantt~d, That was th~ tligi0ii over there. ~ Our quarters was made of logs, in a long shed six ro~rns long, like cowaheds or chicken bouses, and one door to ~~ ach roon. The b~d was a hole thig~ in a corner and poles around ~nd shucks and straw. ~e~ d sleep wam~ all night long, but it wouldn t do In this country in sur~uaertime. Massa give u~ plenty to eat. Our cornbread was what you r~al1s bread and cooked in the ashes. We didn t have no stove. Massa was h tnter and allus had venison ~nd game. They was plenty fish, too, tl~4as a Cain was purty good to his slaves and mean to the~i if the~ didn t behave. Missy was a good woman. They lived in a. two-story rock house with plenty trees & ~ll round, ~1e worked long 25 we could see 9rom four o clock in the mornint and them milked twenty cows end fed the work stock. They was fifty acres and not naugh niggers to work it easy. iater pone a great

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Ex slave Stories Page Two (Texas) t If sora4iig&rs was ineasi they d git I t ~ Massa t led they hands to they feet and tied them to a tree and. hit bout twenty five or fifty licks with a raWhide belt. Hide and blood flew then. Next mornin he~ d tu.rn them loose and they d have to work all day without nothln to eat. He~had a cabin c2lled. jail for the nigger warnen, ~nd ch~&1n them in with cornbread and one glass of water. One nig~r run to th~ woods to be a ~un~le nigger, but massa cotched him with the dogs ~nd took a hot iron nnd brands him. Then he put a bell on him, in a wooden frwne whet slip over the sh~lders and under the arms. Re made that nigger wear the b li ~ year snd took it off on ChristznRs f~r a present to him. It sho did make a good nigger out of him, In the summer tiia~ they had c~znp in~6tin1 and baptized in the creek, white folks first while the old nigger maminies shouts, ~nd then th~ niggers. UOn Saturday mornin us m ~n grated corn for bread the next week ~nd the worien wshed massa s clothes ~nd our n. On Saturday night weed have a dance all night long, snd S~inday the men went to see they wives or swe~th~2rts ~nd us yonngtuns went SWImUiIn in th~ creek.. every nicht but Saturday we had to go to bed at nine otclock. Massa hit the bi~ steel piece and. we knowed it was time to put out the torches and pile in. On Christm;i.s I d stand by the gate, to open it for the company, ~.nd they d throw nuts and candy to me, That night all the slaves what could brung they banjQes and fiddles and. played forthe white folks to dance all night. Them great old days are done gonee Uost the men be full that good, old eggnog. 18G

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Ex-slave Stories page ThZ~6e 18? (Texas) After i~var corne they a1n1t~ no more dances ;~nd. fun, and not inuth to eat or nothint, Massa git kilt in a big battle and missy took four slaves arid bru.ng him hoiie and buried hix~i under a big shade tree in the ~rarc1. That the s~ddes t~iine I ever seen, nobody there to do anythin but missy ~nd nei~ hbor women ~nd scene real young ni~ers like i:1e. She was cryin t~nd all us Liaves t~kin on. IT s a wonder we ever did git massa buriel. ~e carried him on our backs to the ~ t1After that we had to carry mis~ir to the mountAins and hide her, cause everything, house ~nd sheds and all, was bu.rnt, and all her stock kilt by sojers and outlaws. Then she corne out -of hidin she didn t have a thing, not even a bed, But she was a brave woman, ~nd said, Louts, we ll fix some kind of quart ers for you. ~ She went t o work t o rebui1~ the pl~ce. She said ~ You niggers i8 free, but I need you and I ll pay you $2.00 a month. She did, too. She cut sonic logs and builded her one room and~ then we all build us a rooni and that was the best we could th. I lieve the L.~wd blessed that woman. After freedom, that s how I lived the first year, ~nd she paid me e~very cent she promised. I stayed with her three years. Then I heared of a railroad job in Texas, and. married J0sie Sewel in a big weddint and we had a great time. I gits a job on that r~.~lroad for fifty cents a day and. it never lasted inore n a year, so I goes to ~ We had fourteen chillun, four dead now, and the rest farmin all over Texas. I has more n a bundred grandchi .lun. Josie, she done die twenty years ago,

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Ex s1gv~ Stories Pi~ge Four (Texas) t, ~ dontt know .as I spected s s land to be ~ vided. ~nd give us, but they w~as plenty of land for everybody, and missy alius treated us right. 4ages was terrible small for a 1on~ t line after I married ~nd sometimes they wouldn t ~2Y US, and we had. to beg or steal. I s went a whole two days with out nothin to e&t . If it hadn t b~en for them there flu flux, sometimes tne niggers would have went on the warpath for starving. Bu.t the flu K1~ixers wouldn t let tem roam none, if they tried they stretch them out over a log and hit) them with rawhide, but never s~y a word. That was got the niggers they was so silent, not a sound. oat of them, ana. the nigger he can t stand that. I gits a pension and works when I cm~ and gits by. Some the young niggers is purty sorry, they s had. ~o much and ontt predate none of. it~. I s glad for what I can git, tcause I members them old times after th~i war when it was worse n now,

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420178 :EX-~SLAvE STORi~~S Pace One 188 (Texas) ( J:~:~ CALHOUN ~thout 98 born a slave of the Calhoun f~xnily, in Alton, Alabama, After his master died, a son in law, Jim Robinson, brou.ght Jeff and 200 other slaves to ~ Austin, Texas. Jeff was 22 when the Civil War began. He sta~jed with his old rn8ster, ~ who had moved. to Stewart Mills Te xas afte r he was f re ed~ Sand raised 23 children. He says, HI spect I h~~ s near a thous-. children, Erandchildren~nd ~reat ~randchildren. He makes his home ninon~ them, dr1ftin~ overfive states when and as he wishes. My naine ~m Jeff C~lhoiin and I was born in Alton, in Alabama, about 1838, cause I s told by my massa. Dat m~kes me bout 98 year old now. My father was Henry Robinson and my mammy, she Ma~r Robinson. She was born in Maryland, in Vir~ini~ hut didn t know much bout her folks, ~ cause she was sold off young. Dere was four of us brothers and ten sisters, but ~ey all dead now but rae. We makes our beds out of forked sapl1n~s drove in the ground, cause de floors was dirt. ~ e sets de pole in dat ground and it run to de top of de cabin and we mak s one bed down low and one bed above. De bi~ f iks sleeps in de low beds and de chillun abo~ e, cause dey can climb. My mas s a had 15 chillun and my mamma suckled every one of dem, cause his wife was no good to give milk. We allus had lots to eat, but for meat we has to go to de woods and. ~it deer and turkey and buffalo and some bear. I have eat ~ \ hose and skunk and crow and. hawk. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ . ~4. ~

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~ ~ ~x siave Stories Pace Two (Texas) I We has a bi ~ fi re t o C ook on, t~n d t o make de c oni cakes we put one leaf down and put batter on dat and put another leaf over j t and. e over wi. th hot ashes and by noon I t was done . Saine thing for supper. ~e never have biscuits ~cept on Sunday or Christrn~s. t, My inrma was de spinne r s o I has pi enty sU rt s and s orae britches, and we raises indigo on rie place and. i~kes d~1~ of it. We never wore no shoes in de summer and some winters neither. ~Ve has a good. pair of p ~nts and shirt we wears Sundays and holid~s and was married in. It De way dey done at wed.d.ings dem days you p icks out a gi. ri and. tel). your boss If she was from another plantation you had. to git her bosses mission i~nd d.en dey tells you to come up dat night and ~it hitched up. They says to de girl, You s love dis man? Dey says to de m~, You loves die girl? If you sa~r you don t know, it s all off, but if you. say yes, d~ey brings in de broom ~nd holds it bout a foot off de floor and say to you~ to jump over. Den he says you s married. If either of you stumps you toe on de broom, dat znes~i :~ou got trouble Comm1 tween you, so y~u sho jw~ps hi~li. TtMY massa was good. to us. He lived in a log house with a floor and. was all fixed. up with pretty furnit~are and mirrors and silver on de t~ble~. De missias was little end. frail, ~mt she was good to us and. so ivas de massa. )3e waen!t rio hand. to whip like some of he neighbors. Dsy would tied de slaves hand.s to a pole ~d. whLp de blood ou.t of them. Dey was whipped~ for runnin away. -2-

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~ Ex slave Stories ~ . P~e Three (Te,~as) LII knowed. a slave call Ben )3r~dley and he was sold on de auction block and his massa chained him hand ~md foot ~nd started for Texas. Dey got to de Red. River and. was crossin and de chains helt him clown and he never came up. And I hxwe a uncle what i~n off and dey took a pack of pounds - a pack were twelve and. dey got on his trail and I heared. dem runnin him. Dey rtin him three days and. ni~its and took a gun load.ed. with buck shot but was soosed. not to shoot above d.c legs. Dey come back ant said he got away, but some boys was out huntin and. fin&s hin and. he been shot four times with buck shot. ~De only time we got to rest was SU.n ~T at~d d.e fourth of July and. Christmas, and. one ~ay Thanksgiving. We got de big d.lnners on hoiid.ays. After supper was have corn s)rnckings, or on rainy days, and sometimes we sbitcks 500 bushels. We allus picked. d.e cotton in big baskets, and. when we gits it ~ll picked. we spreads on big and has a celebration. UI waz in Te~as when de war broke out and. I hauls corn lots of times to d.e gin where was de soldier cwirp, ~n& I helped cook awhile and. would have been in de battle of Vicks~urg only dey ta~ces another man ste~ of me and he gits kilt. l s glad l s a sorry cook, or I d. got ~- )cilt ~stead. of him.

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420262 . ~ ~X~.SLAVE STORES Page Otie -Ia ( Texas) S ~ s IMP CA~BELL was born January 1860, In Harrison County,Texas, ~ He bel onged t o L L. SI oan and stayed with him until 1883, when S~mp ~iarrIed and moved to Marshall. He and his wife live in Gregg AdS.. dition, Marshall, Texas, and Sizrxp works as porter for a loan cc~npany. My naine Is SImpson Campbell, b~it everybody, white and black, e~1ls me SImp, l s born right here In Harrison County, on B1llSiO~an s place, nIne miles northwest of Marshal ,. I got ~ in on the last five years of slavery. ~ tPappy was Lewis Gsmpbell, and he was soll by the Florida Campbell s to Marse Sloan and fotched to Texas, but he 9llus kep the Campbell name. Maurny was Mariah and the. Si oans brung h~r out o~ South C~rolin~ . She raised a passel of chilien. Besides me there w~ ~ 1Int, Albert and Clinton of the boys, and let me count ~ Dinah~ Clandy, Mary, Lula, Liza, Hann~ .. h, Matilda and Millie of the girls. The SlOans lived in a big house, but it wasntt no shanty. They was fixed bout as good as anybody in the countyand driv as good hosses and rIes as anybo&y. The~r ~asn~ ~ a mean streak in the whole Sloan familye The slave quarters sot, in rows right down in ~ field from the big bouse. They had beds made to the wall, and all the cookin was on the f ire- plate. We raised ail our meat and corn and garden truck right there on the : ~ place ~d Marse Sloan brung wheat and other. rations from Shreveport. The ~ . nigger women spInne~ ~l the cloth and pappy made shoes by hand, when . they ~ : kilt a beef. The beef was dried and jetted and hung in the smokehouse. ~ . . Marse s place civered a thousand acres and he had over a hunderd. slaves~ with a ove~ s,er,Jo1uison and a nigger driver. Us niggers was treated well but the overseer had order to whip us for fightln If the LA

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Ex slave Stories . Page Two (Texas) nigger driver hit too many licks, the overseer sold. him off the place. We worked from four t 11 six and. done a task after that and sot roand and~ta1ked till nine and then had to go to bed. On Saturday night yc~u d hear them fiddles. and banjoes playin and. the niggers singin . All them nnisic gadgets was homemade. The banjoes was made of round pieces of wood, civered with sheepskin. and. strung with catgut strings. They wasn t no school but ILarse Bill larnt some his niggers readin1 ~ and. writ in so we could use them 1 cot ton in the field and s ich like. They was a church on the Sloan place and white preachers done most the xhorting. ~ Mammy allus say the cullud preachers had to preach what they s told obey yc~ master and mi~sus. I seed Yankee sojers arid wagons cO~int home from Mansfield. Marse Torn . sot us free right after surrender, but my folks stayed on with him till he dIed, in 1906. 1 lef when l s twent~r..three and. marries and. made a l vin~ from publi . work in Marshall all my life~ I worked as day laborer and. raised two boys and two girls and the boys is fa~in1 right here in the c~inty ~nd doing well. ~ . ~ Then I s eight~en they got up a ~raendmcnt to the Constitution and got out ~ ~ ~ People s Party Ticket.t~ It was a Democratic ticked and control by Southerners. . They t old u~s niggers if we d vote that ticket we d. be rec nized as white folks, ~ ~ bL~t I didn~ t lie~ a word of it . Old Man Sloan t ol d. all his niggers that and ...~ ~ . they all vot ed. that t icket but two that was Charle y Tang and. S imp . .~. ~ ~ I ~ t lieve the young race ~of oi~.i people is progressin fine . If they ha~i priv lege to use they educat they d~ make more progress but the co br 1 inc ~ ~iolds them back, ~ 192

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42010G ~Z..SLAVE ~rOBIZs PageOne (Texaa) JAME~8 CAPE, centenarian, now liv-. ing tn a dilapi ated. little ekiack in the rear of the stockyards in Fort Worth, Texas, wae born a slave /~ to Mr. Bob Houston, wkiO owned. a ~ laz ge ranch in southeast Texas. N ~ Jame s parents came direct from Africa intc slavery0 James spent his youth as ~ a cowboy, fought in the onfederate army, was wounded and. has an ugly ehoulier scar. After the war, James unknowingly took a job with the, outlaw, Jesse ~ James, for whom lie worked three years, in Missouri. ~e then came - back to Texas and worked in the stocicyarde until 1928. Documentary proof of James age Is lacking, but various facts told him by hi~ parents ax~d others lead him to think lie muet be over 100 years old. n I~g botn in yonder a~theaat Texas ~x~d I don know what month or d year ror eiao~, but ttwas more dan 100 years ago. My mammy and pap~y was b~t~ in Africa, data what dey s toi me. Dey was owned by Marster Be b Roust on and him had de ranch down dere, whar deyiiave cattle and hosmee. ~When I~e old. nough to set on de hoes, dey lamed. me to ride, tendint houes. ~Caiuse I~e good hose rider, dey uses me all de time gwine after hosses, I goes with dem to Mexico. We crosses de river lote of times. I members once when we was a drivin bout 200 hossee north ar&e. Dey was a bad hail storm comes into de face of de herd and dat herd. turns and starts . other way. Dere was five of us riders and. we had. to keep dem hosees from scatterment. I was de leader and do you know what h~pene to dis nigger 1f my ~ioes stumbles? Bight dre~s whar I d still bel Maz ster givs me a new saddle for savin de hossea.

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~ Ex slave Storiss Page Two (Texas) One day Marster Bob comes to me and says, Jtm, how you like to jine de army?t You see, de war bad started. I says to his, . t!hat does I have to do?1 And ~e Ba~i, Tend ioss.s and ride ~ 3: ~ young den and thought it would be lots of ftm, so I says I d go. So de first thing I Iaiows, I s in de army away off eut f?om here, so~ewhar dis side of St. L~is and in T~neesee and Azkansaa and other plae.s. I goes in de any stead of Dr. Carroll. 5After I gits in de ~ it wasu so much fun, 1causs ~ hosses and ridin wasn ~ll I does. No, sar, I has to do shootin and git sk~oted ati One time we stops de train, talces Yankee aoney and lots of other things ort dat train. Dat was way up de other side of Ter ~e esse. 31Y0Lt B heard of di battle of Independence? Dat s whar we fights for three day. and. nights. I s not tendin hosees dat time. Dey gives Re a rifle and sends me up front fi~t ~ when we wasn runnint Je doe s a he~p ef riuini& and dat suits dis nigger. I could do dat bettertn advance. Then de order comes to treat, I s all rsady. si gita shot in de shoulder in dat fight and. lots of ~r soldiers gits killed and w los s our supply, jus leave. it and runs. Noti~ier time w. fights two day. and night. and de Yankees was bad dat time, too, and ~e had to run through de rivsr. I eho thought I s gyms git drowned den. Dat s de time wi trils to git in St. Louis, but de Ya~kee mans stop us. I,. free after de war and goes back to Texas,to Gonzales County, and gits a job tom cowboy work for Marster Ross herdin cattle. And right dsre s wbar l s lucky for not gittin in Jail Or hai ged. It was dis 2...

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~x.s1ave ~orise Pegs Three ( Texas) way: I~s in town and dat san, Posit says to me, I unnerstan you s a good cowhand, and ~ie hires me and tak.s me way out. No house for miles fors w. c~es to de ranch with cattle end I goes to work. After I~e woricin a while, I wonders how come dey brings in sich fine steers so often and I says to myself, Marster Boss mus have heaps of money for to buy all dem steers.1 Deypaye n~ tention to de raisi~i of cattle, jus brings em in and drives dem way. VOn. time Mareter Rose and six mena was gone a week and when dey comes back, one of swas missin . ~yhad no steers dat time and. de7 talks bou.t gittin frusterated and how one man gits shot. I says to myself, tfhat for was dey chased and. shot at? Den I Ime~bers Marster Bob Kouston doue t ~l me bout rustlers end how dey s hanged when dey s caught, and~ I knows den dat s how corns all dem fine steers is ~ in and~ out all de time. ~it how to git tway, dare s de p~izz1~i~ent. I not know which way to go and ier s no houses anywhere near. I keeps gittin sc~tsr, and. ever time somebody c~es, I thinks its de law, But Mareter Ross drives di cattle north and I says to him, l s good hand at de drive. Kin I go with yt~i nez tia you goss north? And. not long after dat we starts arid we gtts to Kansas City. After Marster Ross gets shut of d.s critters, he says, ~Ve~ll rsi for couple days, den starts back. I g875 to me, ~ d~is fli&~1 . ai sieaks ~way and was settin on a bench i~en long comes a white mea and he s tall, had aarkhatr and was fins lookin . K. says to ~ Is. you a cowhand? So I tells him I is, and h. says he wants a hand. on ki.~s farm in )(issouri and h. says, ~Oome with ms.~ Es teils me his name was

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~ Bx elavs Stories Page lour (Tsxaa) James an& takes me to his farm what I tends cattle and~ hosses for thrse years and he pays me well. He gives me more tn t earns. After three years I 1ea~.s, but not cause I lamed. 1e was outlaw, cause I la2 nsd. dat long time afterwa d.s. t a lonesotne for T.xas and dat s how I comes to Port Worth and. hers s whar I~s stayed ever since. I, s married bout 40 years ago to a w~sn dat had eight chiliens. We sep rat.d cause dem chiliens ca~ise arg ments~ I can Ijght one, but not de army. *.ss..**.55s0. 19G

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420180 c~ p. ~X~SLAV~ STORIES Pace One 19~7 (Texas) RICRABD OAJ~JTffERS 100 ye~.r old. ex-slave, w~.s born in Menmhis, Tennessee. Mr. Billy Coats bou1~ht him arid. his mother and. brought them to Bastrop Co. Texas. He came to Houstoa 20 years a~o and 11ve9 in a negro settlement known ~s Acres Home, about 8 miles northeast of ~ It is a wooded section, with a c1earin~ here and there for a Negro shack end. plots of around. for ~rowin~ Wvictuaj.s and COIfl.tl HI wants to tell the Gospel tr~tf. My mammy s naine was Mel ia Carruthers and my papa s name was Max. My papa s papa s name was Carrathers too. My brothers ri~rnes was Charlie ~nd Frank an& Willie and. John and Tom ~rtd Ath~m. When I was still little Mr. Billy Coats hou~ht ray mama and~ us ~nd with about 500 of his slaves we set out to come to Texcs. We does to Bastrop County ana starts to work. My old. missy ~ her name was Missy Myra ~ was 99 year old and her head. w~s bald. as a egg an& ha~ wens on it as bi~ as eggs, too. In them days the boss men had ~ooc1 houses bu.t the ni~ers hai. log cabins and they burned down oftentimes. The chimney would cotch fire cause it was made out of et icks and clay ans. moss . Many the time we have to git up at midnight and push the chimney tway from the house to keep the house from burnin up. The chairs was mostly cbttnks of cordwood put on end, or slabs, j~sst rough, and. the beds was built like afdin We made a sort of mattress oi~tt of corn shucks o~ moss. My missy, she was goo&, but the overseer, he rough. His temper born of the d~ebbi1, himse f. His name was Tom Hill, buSt us called. him tDeb bil Ejil.

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. Ex~s1ave Stories P~e T~o 198 (Texas) Old Debbil Hill, he iased. to whup me and the other ni~ers if we don t jump quick enot~h when he ho11ei~ and he stake us out like you st2~ke out a hide and wimp till we bleed. Many the time I set down and made a eight~plait whup, so he could whup from the heels to the back of the head. tu he f1~er he ~et th proper ret ibution. Sometime he take sPIt and r~b on the nigger so he smart ~nd barn proper and. suffer mis~ ry. They was a caliboose right on the plantation, what look like a ice~house, and it was sho ba~ to ~it locked up in it. Us ~ot provisions lowanced to us every Saturday nicht. If you had two in the fa~nil~r, they lowanced you. one-half gallon lasses an~ 12 to 15 pounds bacon and. a peck of me&l. We have to take the meal end. parch it ~nd za~1ce coffee ~ut of it. ~2ie had our flours. One of them we called. biscuit flo~ir and we called it short s. ~Xe had. rye and. wheat and buck drain. If they didn t provision you nou~h, you jus had. to slip round ~nd ~it a chicken. That easy nou~h, but grabbin a pi~ a s~iv nou~h pr.blem. You h~ve to cotch him by the snoot so he won t squeal, a~ clomp hin tight while you knife him. Th~.t ain t ~tealint, is it? You has to keep right on workin in the field, if you ain t lo~anced nou~h, and no nie ~er like to work with his belly ~roanin . When the white pre~.cher come he preach and. pick up his Bible aM claim he ~ittin the text right ouSt from the rood Book and he preach The Lord say, don t yo u~ nt~gers et eel chickens from your niissus . Don t you steal YOUR MARST~ S haw~s . That would be all he preach. -2

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~x s1ave Stories Paje Three 199 (Texas) Us nig~ers used. to have a prayln grou.nd down in the hollow and sometime we come out of the field, between 1 . and 12 at n1~ht, scorchin and biirnin up with nothin to eat, ~d we wants to ~sk the ~ood Lawd to have xaercy. ~Ve puts crease in a snuff pan or bot tie and rn~ke a ianp . ~7e takes a pine torch, too, ~nd goes down in the hollow to pray. Some dits so jO~rOus they starts to holler loud and we has to stop up they mouth. I see n1~ers ~it so full of the L~wd ~nd so h~.ppy they draps unconscious. tu Icep a eye on the ni~ers down in the cotton patch. ~ Sometime they lazy round and if I see the overseer commt from the bi~ house I sings a song to warn rem, so they not git wlrnpped., and. it ~o like this: Hold up, hold. up, Axaerican Spirit! Hc~1d up hold up H~O~O~O-O-.O~O..O! 1We used. to ~o lrnntin and they was lots of ~ bears and. panthers and coons. We h~ve bear daw~s, fox daw~ and rabbit d.aw~ that mostly jus : o by the name of our d awg. Then they have a daw~ t o ~n n ~. 1,211 never tried the conjure, but they wo~fld take hair and brRss n~iis ~ thimbles and. needles and mix them up in a conjure bag. Bat I knows one thing. They was a old. gin between Wilbar~er and. Oslorado and it was hanted with spirits of kilt nig~ers. Us used to hear that old mill hummin when dark come and we slip up easy, but it stop, then when you slip away it start up. I~I memb r when the stars Tell. We runs and. preys, cause we thinks it je&ga~ent day. It sure dumb old Debbil Bill, them stars was over his power. Il On Su.ndays we p~t shoes on our feet and they was brass t oed. They ~: ~ ~ ~ That s

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Ex-slave Stories Page Peur c~ (Texas) ~ . extry to eat. All them women sho knowed. how to cook! I often tell my wife how ~lad I wa wife how ~la& I was one mornin when my missy give me a hot, b~itter biscuit. i: goes down and shows it to all the other boys. We didn t git them hot, butter biscuits in them days. t I uset to dance the pigeon wine an~ swing my partners round. ~as them womenfolks knock kn e&? You she couldn t tell, even when you swung em round, tcause they dresses was so long. I s been all round the mountain and up on top of it in my day. Darin slave time I been so cold. I mos turn white and. they sot me fore the fire and poultice me with sli~et turnips. Come a norther and it blow with snow and ~ sleet and I d1d~I t have I nou~h clothes t o keep me wa~. When a nig~ r marry, he slick up his lowers and put on his brass-toed. shoes, then the preacher marry him out of the Bible, My pappy have a pass to visit my mammy and if he don t have one, the paddle roller C oxik him on the heat. My ~randma and grandpa come here in a steamboat. The inai~ come to Afric a and. say, Man and woman doe e you want a j ob ? So they dits on the boat ~nd then he has the vantage.. Then I was 21 and~ some more I den t know jus how old, I was a free man. That the clay I shoate~. We niggers scattered like partridges. I had a fiddle and I d pl~iy for the white folks wherever I went when they has the balls. I marries after while, but I don t know what year, cause we never done paid ni tention to years. My first wife died after a long -4..

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i~x-s1ave Stories ~ Five 201 ( Texas) t line I thi nk bout 34 year and I married another and she died this very year. Jus three months later I niarries my housekeeper, named Luvena Dixon, cause I alius lived a upright life and I knowed the Lawd wou1c~Ln t like it 1f I went on livin in the same hou.se wIth Luvena without we was married. She is 52 year old, and we i~ hippy.

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~ w ~ ~ ~ ~SLA~ STOBI~S Page One 202 (Texas) CATO CA~i~R W~ born In 1836 or 1837, near Plneapple,Wil cox County, Alabama, a slave of the C~xter family. He and. his wife 1 ive at 3429 Booth St., Dallas, Texas. Itin h~~e toda~r cause my li l, old dog is lost and. I has to stay round to hunt for him. I been goin every d~y on the track to the cotton patches. I dontt pick no more, count my hands git too tired and begin to cramp on me . Bu~t I go and. set in the field. and watch the lunches for the other hands. t1 ~ am a Imnerd one years old., ~auee s twenty eight coin on t went~r-.ntne a man ~rowned when the breakin up come ~ m purty old, but my folks live that way. My old, b1a~k mammy, Zenie Carter, lived to be a hunerd twentv-.five, and 01 . Carter, my white massa - which was the brother of my daddy ~ lived to be a hunerd four. He aintt been so long died. Al Carter, my own daddy, lived to be very ~eab1e, but I don t know when he died. Back in Alabama, Missie Adeline Carter took me when I was past my creepin1 days to live in the big house with the white folks. I had a room built on the big bouse, where I stayed, and. they was allus good to me, cause I s one o ~ their blood. They never hit me a lick or slapped me once, and. told me they d never sell me away from them. They was the bas quality white folks and. lived in a big, two.-~story hc*~se with a bi~ hail what mn all the way through the house. They waan t rough as some white folks on their niggers. My mammy lived in a hewn-oak log cabin tu the qu~~rters. There was a long row of cabins, some bigger than t others, count of fam ly size. My sassa ha~i over eighty head of slaves. Thea li l, old cabins was cozy, ~cause s. ..

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E~x ..s1ave Stories Pnge Two 20 3 (Texas) we chinked em wltn mud and th~ had. stick chimneys d.aubed with mwt, mixed with hawg-hair. The fixin s was jus, plain thingB~ The beds was draw.-bed8 wooden bedstead8 he .t t ogether with ropes drawed. tight to hold them. ~e scalded mosR and~ ~ried it awhile and stuffed it into tickin to make mattresses. Them beds slep good, better n the ones nowadays. I!There was a good. fireplace for coolcin and Sundays the Missie give us niggers a pint of flxir and. a chicken, for to cook a mess of victu~ala. Then there was plenty game to find. Ma~ a time I ve kilt seventy-five or eighty squirrels o~t of one big beech. There was lots of deer and bears and quails and every other kind of game, but wh~i they ran the Indians out of the country, the game jus followed the Indians. Itve seed the bigges herds of deer followin1 the way the Indians drifted. Whenever the Indians 1sf the game all leV with them, for some reas~i I dunno. 0TalItn bout victuals, our eatin was good. Can t say the same for all place s Some of the plantat ions half starved thei r niggers and lowanced out their eat in till they waan ~ fitt in for work, They had to sup about to niggers on other places to piece ~it their meals. They had field calls and other kinds of whoops and. hollers, what had a meanin to em. si ~r place was fift een hunerd acres in one bi ock, and ~ sides the crops of cotton and. corn and rice and ribbon cane we raised in the botto~na, we had veg tables and. sheep and beef. We dried the beef on scaffolds we built and I used t o t end I t But bes of nytin t o eat I liked a big, fat coon and I allas liked honey. S*n~ the nigger. ~ad li I garden patthes they tended for themselves~

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Ex slave Stories Page Three (Texas) 204 W~verythin ~ I t ei ~ you am the t ruth, but they s plenty I can t t eU you. I heard plenty things from my mammy and. grandpappy. He was a fine diver and Used to dive in the Alabama river for things what was wrecked out of boats, and the white folks woald git him to go down for things they wanted. They d let him down by a rope to find things on the botta of theriverbed. He i~sed to git a piece of money for dom it. My grandinanuny was a ju csie caus e her sammy was a Choctaw India, That s what makes me so mixed up with white blood. Sometimes lt mattered to me, sometimes it more, cause Itm not too far from the ~r~I of my deys. t, ~ had one brot her and one si et er I help ed rai se . They was The Carters told me never to worry bout them, though, cause my the ir blood and ai . of u.s in our fam ly would never be sold, and make free men and. women of us. My brother and sister lived with though. lt ~ was trained for a hcxtseboy and to tend the cows. The bears was so bad then, a sponsible pttsson who could carry a gun had to look after them. My massa used to give me a ll l money long, to buy what I wanted. bought fine clothes. In the summer when I was a li l one, I wore lowerin the rest of the nigger.. That was thln~s made from cotton sackin . Most boys wore shirt tails t ill they was big ysarl in s When they bought me red. fron the town, I cried and cried. I didn t want to wear no rawhide shoes. they took em back. They had a weakness for my crytn . I did have plenty clothes, good woolen suits they spirned on the place, and doesklne and fine a nigger and. her daddy Indian and African and didn t. It don t no mostly nigger. m&~amy was of sotnetime they d the niggers, I allus t~, like the russets So fine

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~x-s1ave OEtorlea Page Four (Texae) linens. I druv in the car age with the white folks and. was bout the moe d.udish nig~ers in them dudish nigger in them parts. t, I used t o t end. the nursi in thread. The reason they cal led it that was wh~i the mami~es was confined with babies havin to suck, they had to spin. I d take them the thread and bring it back to the house when lt was spinned. If they didn t spin seven or eight cuts a day, they d git~.a whuppin . It was consid. ble hard on a ~man when she had a frettin baby. But every mornin them babies had to be took to the bi~ house, so the white folks could see if they s dressed right. They was money tied. up in 1i l nigger you~n~ uns. They whu~peci the women nnd they whixpped the mens. I used. to work some in the tan ry and we made the wiups. They d tie them down to a stob, and give em the whuppin . Soaie niggers, it taken four men to *i~up em, but they ~ot it. The nigger driver was meaner thai the white folks. They d better not leave a blade of grass in the rows. I seed em beat a nigger half a ~iay to make him fees up to stealin a sheep or a shoat. Or they d whiip Iem for runnin ~ aw~ but not so hard if they come back of their own cordance when they got hungry and sick in the swamps. But when they had to i u,n em down with the nigger dogs, they d git in bad trouble. The Carters never did have any real corrigible niggers, but I heard of em plenty on other places. When they was real corrigible, the white folks said they was like mad dogs and didn t mind. to kifl them so much as killin a sheep. They d take em to the graveyard and shoot em down and bury em face downward, with their shoes on. I never seed it done, but they made some the niggere go for a lesson to them that they could git the same. WBut I didn t even have to carxy a pass to leave my own place, like the other niggers . I had a cap with a s ign on it : t Don t bother thi s nigger,

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Ex-~e1ave Stories Page lIve (Texas) or there will be H i J. t o ~ I went aft er the mall In the t own. It c ~e In coaches and they pttt on fresh hosses at Pineapple. The coachman run the hosse~ into Pineapple with a big to-.do and blowin the bugle to git the fresh hosses ready, I got the mail. I was a trusty all my days and iever been I rest ed by the law t o thi s day. I never had no c~plaInts for my treatment, but some the niggers hated syrup niakI~ tIiae~ cause when they had to work till midnight makin syrup, its four oi~clock up, jus the same. Sun-up to sundown was for fiel niggers. Corn simckin was fu.n. Thera days no corn was put In the cribs with s~icks. on It. They shucked It lxi the fiel and. shocked the fodder. They did. it by sides and all hands out. t beef was kilt and they d have a reg lai picnic feast in . They was plenty whi skey for the niggers just like Christmas. Christma8 was the big day at the Carter s. Presents for every body, and the bakin and preparin went on for daye. The lI l ones and the big ones were glad, specially the nigger mens, ceint of plenty good. whiskey. Mr. O~ Carter got the bee whiskey for his nlggers. 9We used. to have frolics, too, Some niggers had fiddles and played the reels, and niggers love to dance ~nd sing and eat. Course niggers had their ~ side, too. They loved to go to church and had a li l log chapel for worship. 3ut I went to the white folks church. In the chapel some nigger mens preached from the Bible, 1~tt couldn t read a line no more than a sheep co~ilde Plie Carters didn t mind their niggers prayin and. singin hymns, but some places wouldn t low them to worship &m~t8ll, afld they had to p~it their heads in pots to sin~ or pray. Moe the nigger. I know, who bad their mar age put in the book, did it after the breakin up, plenty after they had growned chilien. When they got . -.5..

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~x~1a~e Stortea Page Six (~.~b ~ (Texas) i ~a) g married on the places, mostly they jus jumped over a broom and that made sein niarried. Sometimes one the white folks read a li . out of the Scriptures to em and they felt more married~ Take me, I was never one for sickness. But the slaves used to git sick. There was jaundice in them bottoms. First off they d give some castor oil, and if that didn t cure they d give blue mass. Then if he was ~iti11 sick they d git a doctor. They used to cry the nigger~ off jus like SO im~ch cattle, and we didn t think no diff rent of lt . I seed them put them on the block and brag on them somethin big. ~verybody liked to hear them cry off niggers. The cryer was a clown and ruade funny talk ~nd kep everybody laughin . - Then massa and the other mens on the place went off to war, he called me and said, Cato, yo~.i s ellus been a sponeible man, and I leave you to look after the wom~ and the place. If I don t come back, I want you to allus stay by Mi~sie Adeline~ I said, Fore Ga~vd, I will, Massa Oil. He said, Then I can go away peaceable.1 We thou~ght for a long time the sojers had. the Fed rals whupped to pieces, but there was plenty bad tises to go throug~i. I carried a gun and gu~arded the place at nighttime. The paddyrollers was bad. I cotched one and took him to the ho~e more n once. They wore black caps and. put black rags over their faces and was allu.s skaliduggerying round at night. We didxi t u~se torches any more *~en we went round at night cause we wits afeared,, We put out ail the fires round the house at nighttime. The young mens in grey uniforms ttsed to pass so gey and singing in the big road. Their clothes was good and we used to feed them the best we had on the

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~x B1aVe Stories Page Seven (.~exas) . j plaCe. Missie Adeline would say, Cato, they le ~r boys and give them the best this place fords. t lYe taken out the hams and the wine and kilt chickens for them. That was at first. Then the boys and. mens in blue got to c nin that we~r, piid they was fine ~ 1OOki~t men, t 00 . Mi 88 le Adel int~ would cry and say Cat o they is just mens and ~ boys and we ~ot to feed. them, too. Wo had a pavilion built 4n the tard, I lice they ~ had at picnics, and we fed the red rals in that. Missie Adeline ast in to cryin and says to the Yankee s t take Cat o He i the only nigger man I got by me n ow. ~If you take ~ato, I just don t know what I ll do. I tells them sojers I got to stay by Missie Ade .ine so long as I live. The Yankee mens say to her, Don t sturb y~iself, we am t gwine to take Cato or hax~ nothin of yours. The reason they s all right by us, wag cau&~e we prepared for them, but with some folks they was rough somethin ter ble. They taken off their hosses and corn. s, ~ seed the t rees bend low and shake all over and heard the roar and poppin of cannon balls. There was aprin~s not too far from ou place and the sojers used t o camp t here and build a fire and cook a nul e catis e they d got down t o atarvat Ion. When some of the guerillas seed. the fire they d aim to it, and many a time they spoiled that dinner for them sojers. The Yankees did it and our boys did it, too, There was kuhn goin on so ter b e, like people was dogs. Massa 011 o orne back and he was all wore ~t and ragged. He s oon cal I ed all the niggere to the front yard and says, Mens and womens, y~i are today as free as : a~. You are free to do as y~i caus e the damned Yankees done creed you ai e. They am t a nigger on my place ~ what was born here or ever lived here who an t stay here and work and eat to the end of his days, as long as this old place will raise peas ~nd goobere . Go if ~rou wants and stay if you wants -7. .

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~x~s1aveStories Page 3igh~ (Texas) Some of the nigger~ stayed and some went, and some what had ran away to the North come back. They allus called, real hwnble like, at the back gate to Misai. Adeline, and she allus fixed it up with Massa 01 . they could have a place. Near the close of the war I seed some folks leavin for Texas. They said if th~ Fecl rals won the war they d~ have to live In Texas to keep slaves. So plenty started driftin their slaves to the west. They d pass with the womens ridin in the wagons and the mens on foot. Some took slaves to Texas after the Fed ra ~ done creed the breakin up. Long as I lived I minded what my white folks told me, cept one time. They was a nigger workin in the fiel and he kept jerkin the mules and Massa 011 got mad, and he give me a gu.n and said, Go ~t there and kill that ~i I said, Massa 011, please dan t tell me that. I ain t never kilt nobody and I don t want to., He said, Cato, yo~x do what I tell you. He meant it. I went out to the nigger and said, T0u has got to leave this minute, and I 18, tOo, tc~se I is spose to kill you, only I ain t and Massa Oil will kill me. He drops the b.anes and we ran and crawled through the fence and ren away. I hated to go, cause things was so bad., ~nd flour sold for $25.00 a barrel, and. pickled pork for $15.00 a barrel. You couldn t bu y nothin lessen with gold. I had plenty of fec~erate money, only it wouldn t b~r nothin . But today I is a old man and my hands ain t stained with no blood. I Is allus been glad. I didn t kill that man. ~Mu1es run to a ter bie price then. A right puny pair of mules sold for $500.00. ~xt the Yankees give me a mule and I farmed a year for a white man and watched a herd of mules, too. I stayed with them mules till f~.ir o clock even Sundays. So niany scoundrels was goin bout, stealin mules ..8.uu,

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~x s1ave Stories Page Nine 21P (Texas) J That year I waa boun out by greement with the white man, and I made $360.00. The bureau. come by that year lookin at n1g~er a contracts, to see they didn t ~it skunt ou.t their rightful wages. Mis~ie Adeline arid Massa 011 didn t stay mad at rae and ever~r Sunday they caine by to see me, and bru~ng me 11 . del cate thing to eat. The Carters said a hunerd times they regretted they never lamed me to read or write, and they said my d.athiy done put up $500.00 for me to go to the New Allison school for cullud folks. Mies Benson, a Yankee, was the teacher. I was twenty-~nine years old. and jus startin in the blueback speller. I went to school a while, but on~ mornin at ten o clock my poor old mar~my corne by and called me out. She told. me she got put out, cause she too old to work in the fiel I told her not to worry, that I in the family ~ri~n n~, and she didn t never need to git any more three~.quarter hand wages no more. SO I l.ft school and turnt my hand to an~th1ng I could find for years. I never had no trouble findin work, cause all the white folks knowed Cato was a good nigger. I lei my mammy with some fine white folks and she raised a whole family of chilien for them. Their name was Bryan and they lived on a li l bayou. Them young uns was crazy b~it niamrny and they d send me word not to worry abou~t her cause ~ d have the 0 care and when she died e d. tend to her ry. Finally I ccme to Texas, cause I tho~ight there was money for the takin out here. I got a job 9p1ittifl~ rails for two years and from then on I farmed, mostly. I married a woman and lived with her forty-~seven years, rain or shine. We had thirteen chilien and eight of them is livin today.

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Ex- slaVe Stories Page Ten 21 (Texas) ~ndurin the big war I got worried bou.t my li 1 black ra~mzny and I wanted to go back home and see her arid the o1 ~. places. I went, and. she was shriveled. up to not much of anything. That s the last time I saw her. B~it for forty-four years I didn t forget to send her things I thought she d want. I saw Massa 011 and he clone zaarrled after I left and raised a faiaily of chilien. I saw Mlssie Ad.eline and she was a old. w~aen. We went out and looked at the tombstones and the rock markers In the graveyard on the old place, and. some of them done near melted awsy. I looked good at lots of things, cause I knowed. I woulthi t be that way gain. So many had gone on since I d been there beTh . 0After my first wife died I married gain ~nd my wife isa good wo~nan but she s old and. done lost ber voice, and has to be in Terrell most the time. But I git long all right, cept my hands cramps sOme. You goin take iay picture? I lived through plenty and. I lived a long time, b~t this is the first time I ever h~1 my picture took. If I d knowed yc*1 want ed t o do that I d have t i(U ed up and put on my best.

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4 b) ( ~ ~ - ~~j w ( j EL-SLAVE STORIES Page One 2F3 (Texas) JACK CJTH1~R1~, 85, was born near Lustin, Texas. Dick Pownea owned Jack and his parents. After they were freed~, the fam~.. ily stayed on the plantation, but Jack went t o San Angelo, because tiriies was too dull In Travi s County.~, My master was Dick Townes and. my folks come with him from Alabi~ma. H~ w~ned a big plantation fifteen miles from Austin ~nd worked lots of slaves. We had. the best master In the whole c~inty, and everybody called us ~ free nigger s, he was so good to us, and we worked hard for him, raisinV cotton and. corn and wheat and oats. ~ the slaves lived in two-~room log cabins with dirt floors, over In the quarters, but I lived in master s yard. That s where I wi~s born. There was a tall fence twe~n the yard and the quarters and the other nigger boys was so jealous of me they w ~1dn t let me cross tiat fence Into the quarters. They told. me I thinked I was white, jes for livin in masterts yard. tiMe and young master had the good times . He was nigh my age and we d steal chickens from Old Miss and. go down in the orchard and barbecae em. One time she cotched. us and sho wore us outs She d send us to pick peas, but f~w peas we pIcked~ t Old. Iss was good. t o her cullud. folks . \~hen ~3 hear a baby cry in the night she d. put on boots atid take her lantern and go see about it. If we needed a doctor she d send. for old Dr. R~ctor and when I had the measles he give me some pills big as the end of my finger. *1*

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Ex. slave Stories Page Two (Texas) We rent to church all the time. Young Mise come over ~hmda~r mornin and fotched. all us chilien to the ho~ise and read the Bible to us. She was kind. of a old maid and that was her pleaeure. We h.~d baptism s, too. One old cullud man was a preacher. ~ Lawd, Lawd, we had shoutin at them camp meetin s! I gaess we was glad to be free. Old master done die and Old Miss was managin the plantation. She had the wh le ~nch in the yard and read the freedom paper. The old. slaves knowed what it meant, but us young ones didn t. She told everybody they could stay and work on sharee and most of era did, but some went back to they old homes in ab~ma. 1 ~ stayed a while and married, eiid came t o San Angelo. The reason I come, times was dull in Travis County and I done hear so much talk bout this town I said I was commt and see for myself. That was in 1900 and lt was jes a forest here then. I worked eighteen years in McCloskey s saloon, and h~ gave me ten dollars every Christmas sides my pay and a suit every year. I wish he wae livin now~, My wife and I was together fifty-two years and. then she died. After a long time I married again, and my wife is o~t pickin cotton now. It seem mighty hard. to me now by side of old times, but I don t know if it was arty better in slavery days. It seems mighty hard though, since I ~ old and can t work.

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4~ 20154 ~L~SL&TE STORIES Pace One 214 (Texas) I SALLY BANKS CHL~BERS, wife of / ~ Ben Chambers of Liberty, does c~ not know her age. She was born ~<s a slave of Jim ~4oore, in Oak1~nd, ~ Louisiana. Sally has been nar~ ned three tiriu~s and has had seven chi1dr~n, about 54 grand.. children and 13 great~:rand children, Heavy gold. earrings hang from her cars and. she dres ses, even in midsummer, in ~. long- ~ sleeved calico shirt, heavy socks ~.nd shoes, and a swF~eping skirt lLwny ~vRrds wide, Befo I niarry de first time my na~o nra S~Iiy Bnnks, ~nd I~s borned in de old stetes, over in Loui~thna, round Onklnnd. I ain t ~er~br nothin bout dat place, cause I~s so ~n~n.11 when dey brung me to Texas. Old massa n~ime Jita Moore. He a fair old gen r~an, wi~b. a big bald p1~ce on he head, and he ~ia good to de slaves. Not even ~s stric as old inissus, what was de big, stout wornan. She am terrible st.ric but she whip de li l white chilien too, so dey be good. ttMy daddy floiae Jobn ~oore and mazn~ n~~ie Car line, and. d~y borned in Louisiana. W~y grandpa was Lewis Moore and ~rarithr~a nanie Polly, but dey wasn t ~: reg lar Africy people. i~y grandma, she have right smart good blood in her. ?P~Then old massa corne to Texas he bru~g us over first by wagon, a mule wagon with a cover over de top, and he rent de house clost to Liberty. But de next year he find p~ place on de rive~ bottom near G~r~nd Cane and it jes suit him for de slaves he have, so he bi~ng ~li de rest over from Louisiana. My in~ma have four chilien when us corue to Texas, but she have eleven more after freedom. When war broke out she have six, but she multiply aft er a, She de milker and washworaan and spinner and make de good st rorig clothes, 1...

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215 .~ Ex~-s1ave Stories Page Two (Texas) Dey have 11 ~ 1 seperate houses make a~itten 1 ogs for us slaves . De white folks house was one dese big, old. double pen house, with de hail down d.c ~1d~le. Dey have right nice things in it, De white folks lowance out de food. every Saturday night and dat spose last de week. AU de, cullud folks cook for deyself cept n de single menus, and dey eats up in de big kitchen, Us have syr~ip and. cornbre~4 and lots of ~eet taters and homecure meat what dey salt down and hang in de smokehouse. De old. missus, she am t 1 ~ no dancin or i round dat pue, I cause she Christian. Dey low us Saturday and. Sunday off and de women ~ o dey own washin den . ~ menfoiks tend to de gardens round dey own house. Dey raise some cotton axxd sell it to massa and git Ii I money dat way . Us dontt never have no presents, but dey give eatments mostly4 De young massas both ~o to war. Dey John Calhoun Moore end Willie~. L~e oldes goes crazy, kind of shelishock like. As far a~ I ~mowed, he ain t never git no more better. Young William and de old. man comes back without no scratch, bu.t dey ain t serve long. All dey three lists by deyselfs, ca~.se dey didn t have no truck with dein conscx~ip~ers, One my uncles, Levy Moore, he go .t o~ war to ~vai~t ~n de massas, and he etr~ick with de fever at Sabine Pass and die right dere. S After freedom riz up old massa come home. Den he call all de growei :~olks and t.ll dem dey . free. A heap left, dey jes broke ranks and left My daddy and. mama both stay. Dey de .fav rites. Old missus make present tO my mama of a heap of things she need. ~t de white folks was jus rentin and ihen dey have no slaves no more dey give it up and move to Tarkington ~ ~ *irte. Us lost track of dem and ajn~~ never seed dein no more. ~.. ::: ~ : ~iiy daddy come back to Liberty den and work in de woodyard. Mama, she ~ -4.,

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~~~slave Stories ( ~exas) Page Three lam me to work ~nd cook and sich and hire me out to nuss a white baby. I ain t krio~~ed how much dey ~y, cau.se marna she collec de money. H118 19 year oltI when I marry de first time. You 1~ow I ~ot two ziead men, dat Dick O vens ~rnd Nero Willi~~xns, both of Liberty. . I hcs two gals, Alice and ~iry,for Dick, ~uid five chilien for Nero. Dey ail deed Dut ~dl~wyer ~3nd Mavnie, ~nd dey lives right here. I been marry some thirty Odd year to Ben Ch~~mhers but us ain t never h .ve no chilien. ~oo~j~ess, I dunno how many grandchillen I has. I jed~e bout 154 In all and 13 great ones. fil loves to work and. I ain t ~wineter beg, though I s got too to do much. I .can ~ take it but a 1i~l at a tit~e, but I gits by somehow. )ld 21G

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~ib)r~1~9 ~~kJ t EL.SLAVE; sT 1:~s (Texas) JEPTHA CHOI~, 1117 Brashear St., Houston, Texas, was born inslavery, on. the plantation 0 J ezro Choice, abou.t 6 mUes south of Henderson, Texas. Jeptha was sent to school with the ~hite children, and after he was freed., he was sent to school for several years, and. became a teacher, He moved. to Hou.ston in 1888 and opened. a barber shop. Jeptha claims to have been born on Oct. 17, 1835, which would make him 101 years old. He has the appearance of extreme are, but has a retentive memory, and hi s manner of speakin~ varies from fairly good En~. lish to typical Negro dialect and. idiom. P~e Or~ ( ~ A s ~ p ~ be 102 years old, come fall c~rnse my mother told. me I was born on Oct. 17, 1835, and besides, I was abou.t 30 years old at the end. of the Civil War. Vie be1on~ed to the Choices and. I was born on their plantation. My mother e name was Martha and. she had been bro~ht here fr~i Serbia. My father s name was Job~ and. he was from the East Indies. They was brought to this cQ~ntry in a slave boat owned by Captain Adair and sold. to someone at New Orleans before Master Jez.~o Choice bought them. I had. five sisters and. one brother but they are e li dead cep t Ing one brother who lives near Hend.erson. Master Jezro was right kind. He had 50 or 60 slaves ~n a grist mill and. tannery besides the plantati on. My white folks sort of picket me o~tt and I went to school with the white children. I went to the fields when I was abou.t 20, but I didn t do mtich field. worki~i cause they was kespin me good. and. they didn t want to strain me. UQ~ S~an&ay we j~ist put an old. Prince Albert coat on some good nigger and made a preacher o~t of him. We nig~ers hat o~r band., too, and I was -~1..

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~Ex-s1ave Stories Paie Two 218 (~exas) one of the players. The master was m1~hty carefu~ . about raisin healthy ni~er fernili.es and used. u.s strong, healthy young backs to stand the healthy nigger gals. ~hen I was yo~xng they took care not to strain me ~iid I was as hands orne as a speckled p~tp and. was in dem~nci for i . Lat er on we nig~ers was lowed to marry and the master ~nd missus would. fi~ the ni~er ~nd gal up and have the dom s in the bi~ house, The white folks would gather round in a circle with the ni~er and ~ al in the center ~nd then. master laid a broom on the floor and they held hands ~nd jui~ped over it. That married. tem for good. Then babies was born old nigger grannies handled them cases, bu.t until they was about three years old they wasn t lowed round the quarters, but was wet nursed b~r women who didn t work in the field and kept in separate quarters ~nd In the evening their rna~mies were let to see em. \e was fed good ~rnd had lots of beef and haw~ meat and wild 1::ame. Possum and sweet y~s is ini~hty good. 7ou parboil the possum about half done ~nd put him in a skewer p~n rind put him in ~ hot oven and just fore he is done you put s the yams in t he pan ~nd sugar on ~ m. Tha s a feast. U$ometlmes when they s short of bread. the old missus would. say, How I bout s orne ash cakes? Then they d. mix o ornineal ~nd wat er and swe ep ashes out of the open hearth and. bake the ash cakes. The master an~ his boys was cli kilt in the war and after freed.om I stayed. all swnmer. It was pretty tough onus nig~ers for a while, cause the womenfoiks what was left ~ afte r the war did.nt have money. But Colonel Jones, the ~ son in law, took me to live in Henderson and paid twenty five cents a week for i~ore schoolin for me and I learned through fractions.

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Ex slave Stories Paie Three 219 ( Texas) Then I ~ot rae a job teachin school about six months a year ~nd in off times Pd f~rm. I did lots of different kinds of work, on the narrow ~ ~e railroad out of L0n~vtew ~nd I le~rned. to be a barber, too. But I had to cive it up a few years back cause I can t stand up so Ion~ ~ny rtio e and now I m tryin to help m,r people by divine ~hea1in~.

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1~)(\.)1 ) ~ f~h:tt) ~X-~SLAVB~ STORTh~S Page One 220 (Texas) AMOS CLARK, 96 was b orn a slave of Robert Clark, In ~ Washington County, Texas. After Amos was freed, he farmed. near Belton, Texas, Amc~ now liv s in Waco. HI was borned on the second of April, in 1841. Mammy s~r dat de year, cause Marse Bob s brother, Tom, done gotr~u1in and. has a lot of trouble with de Indians, arid. comeback with scars all Over he arms. It warn1t all dey fault, cause Marse Tom allus gittin in trouble with somebody. When I was still half...growed, Mar~e Bob traded inc to Marse ~d Boseborough, and we come to Belton to live. Us piled ox wagons high with 1 ~ ~j clothes ath s ich, arid Old Marse had he books in a special horsehair trunk, that de hide still had. hair on. It had brass tacks all trimmin it up, and it was sho a. fine tru.nk, and he say, Amos, you black rascal keep vcXi eye On dat trunk, and. t git it wet crossi~. de water and. don t let no Indian git it. Us had a sizeable drove of cattle and soi~ie sheep and pigs and. chickens and dux~ks. Marse and Missis finds where dey wants de house and us gits dem axes out and in a few days dere am a nice log house with two big rooms and. a hail ttween dem, mos as big as de rooms. Us been on de road tbo~it six weeks and Missis sho pr~d of her new house. Den us makes logs into houses for us and. a big kitchen close to de big house. Den us builds a office for Old. Marse and. makes chairs and beds and tables for everybody. Old Miss bning her bed end a spindly, l1 l table, and us make all de rest. -P1-.

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~x~.a1ave Stories Page ~wo 221 (P~e Two) ( T exam) For eatin de good. shooterc and scouters gits birds and. rabbits and wild turkeys and sometimes a lot of wild eggs or honey, when dey chops a bee tree down, j old Indian come to hoip us hunt. He d work a week if Marse Ed give him some red calico or a hatchet. Old Miss done bring a dozen hens and a bag of seeds and. folks come ridin t wenty miles to swap~ things. Dere warn t no mill to grind corn, so de bOss carpenter, he hollows out a log and gits some smooth, hard rocks and us grind de corn like it was a ruorter. Old Man Stubblefield bu~ilth~1 a watermill on de creek boat eight miles from us, and den us tooken de corn dere. Dere was three hundred ac es and. more n fifty slaves, and lote of work, clearin and buildin and plantin1. Some de cabins didn t git no floor for two years. Jes quick as dey could, de men gits out clapboards for de walls and split pu~heon slabs for floors and palm s for fences. Missis, she takes two de likelies young slaves and. makes a garden, come spring. Somehow she git herself roses and. posies and vegetables. Dere warn t no overseer. Marse Ed, he jes ride round on he big hoss see to things. Us didn t know nothin bout de war much, cause none us could or write. Dere was two fiddlers mon~et us, Jim Roseborough and. Tom. Dey d have de big barbecue for folks come from miles round, and coffee and chicken and ttirkey and dancin and fiddlin all night. Come daybreak, dey Jes gomn good. Ue niggers dance back de quarters, and c~all u t A.ll eight balance and all eight swing, All left allemorid and right h~ ind grand, Meet your partner and prcm nade, eight, Den march till you come straight.

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j~~~slave Stories Page Three 222 ( Texas) First lady out to couple on de right, Swing Mr. Adam and. swin~ Mjss ive, Swing Old. Adani boTh you leave, 0n t forgi.t your own .-now yout re ~ ttTwo, three years after dat I marries Liza Smith. Us hae four chilien and all dead ~ept John, and. he lives out west. CAfter freedom Old Itarse say kill a yeariin1 and have de big dinner and dance. De youiig ones he told to scatter out and mnt woric, not to steal and work hard. Some de oNes ones he give a cabin aid a patch cf land. He say de nigger what want to stay on and ~ork for him can, iffen he make enough to feed deni. I stays with Marse Ed, but he ~1ve me a patch of twenty acres ant a sorghum mill to make a livin on Dat how I gits on my way after freedom. I gits dat BOr~hUia ~ni11 to workin good and works de Roseborough land and. my patch, and raises corn and cotton and wheat. I was plumb good at farmin . I a .lus had a piece or two f mone-r Iii p.iy pocket since I can member, but now de old. man a too old.. De gov~ment gives me seven or eight dollars a ~nonth and I has a few chi~cens and gits by, nnd de good white folks uigh by sees dat dis old boy don t git cold. C

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420059 LS1.LV~ STORIES ?a~e One 223 (Texas) MOT~R A~ThIE CLA1~X, 112 years old, lives at .3602 Alameda Ave. ~l Paso, Texas. She is too crippled to walk, but a smile lights up the tired old eyes that still see to sew without glasses~ One tooth of a third set is in her upper gum. She is deaf, Ixit can hear if you speak close to her ear, She says Len~ae g t my ears open, bote of rem, wets her finger, then pulls so hard on the e~ lobes it seems- they would be Injured, liii be 1)2 years old, c~ae first day of June(1937). Bo n in Mississippi, I had two riarsters, ~ Itve been free nearly 80 years. I was freed in Memphis. My marster was a Ya~nkee. Re took me to Louisiana and made a slate aatt& me. But he had to go to war. He got in a quarrel one d~y and. grabbed two sIx shooters, but a old. whi te man got him down and. nearly kilt him Our men go t him and gg~e him to the Yankees. wo~t. Cla~rk, my second marster, took a shot at him and. he couldn come south. no mores You don know what a time I se~n~ I don1 wanna see no more war, Why, we made the United States rich but the Yankees come and tuk it. They buried. mone~r ~xid. when you bury money it goes 1u~ ther down, down, doivn wid. then you cai~ t fin1 it. . ~ ~ . You know, thewhite folks hated to give us up worse thing in the world. I pl ghed., hoed, split rails . I don4he hardest : ~ . ~ work ever a man ever dia. I ~ ~ strong, iffenh~iiee~eLme ~ S ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ . ~ ~ : : ~ ~ . ~ th;em down so the ~arster cQ~1&ha~euf~ sea. ~ -~- -- --~---~ ~

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Ex $lave Stor~.es ?~e Two 224 Texas They d. whop u.s wi Ui a bullwhip . We ~ot up p,t 3 o ~ clock, at 4 w~ done et and hitched up the taules ~~id went to the f1~1 s. V1~ worked all day pullin fodder and choppin cotton. Mar8ter d $~y, I wan you to lead dat fiel today, and if you don do it I ll put ~rou in de stocks. Then he d whop me iffen I didn1 know he W~8 talkin to me. ~ ft~1y poppa was $trong. He newer h~d a lick in his life. He helped the ~narster, but one d~y the m~rster says, ~Si,you ~ot to have a whopp in ~ and my poppa says ~I never h~.d a whoppin and you cain ~t whop me.t An the ruarster s~vs, But I kin kill ~rou, ~n he shot mv poppa down. My mPm2 tuk him in the cabin ~nd put hira on a ~pailet. Re died. f~y ia~m~ did the washint for the b1~ house. She tuk a b~g tub or) her head and a bucket o~ wats~r in h~r h~id. My ~rn~ h2d two white chilien by x~arster and they were sold as slaves, I had two chilien, too. I never married, They aJ.lus said w&d steal, but I didn take a thing. Why, they d put me on a hos~ with rnone:r to take into town ~ I d. t~e it to the store in town, and when I~d git back, m~rster d say, CAnne, you didn take a thing. H when women was with child they d d~i~ a hole in the grount ~x~d put their stomach in the hole, ~md then beat ~ They d allus whop us~ t Don1 gring xue ~n~rthin~ fine to we~ for my Mrthd~,y. I jus ant B orne C and,y. I m I i fa r Hjt~i t o t a~ce rQe away from here ~ * * * ****

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j ~*r;s,k;v_ 4;t EL.SLAVE sTO:RrES P~ge One 225 (Texas) TE(.~1 S COLE was born i.n Jack-j son Co., A .ab~ma, on the 8th of August, 1845, a slave of Robert Cole. He ran away in 1861 to join the Union Army. He fought at Chickamau~e, under Gen. Rosecrnn and at Chattanooga, Look a~t Mt. and Orchard Knob, under Gens, Thomas. After the war he worked e~s switchman in . Chattanooga until his health failed duPe to ol~ age. He then 6~un~ to Texas and lives with his dai~ghter, in Corsic~na. Tho!n~s is blind. II might as well. begin far back as I remember arid tell ~rou all about myself. i: was born over ~n Jackson County, in Alabama, on A~ust 8, 1845. My iao~ther was ~lizabeth Cole, her bein a slave of Robert Cole, and my father wag Alex Gerrand, cause he was John ~ slave. I was sposed. to take my fether s name, but he was sech a bad, ornery, no~ C ount s ech a human ~ I ~s t ~ken my old. mas ~ s name . i~r mot her was brung from Virginny by Massa Dr. Cole, and she nussed all his six chilien. My s Ist er ~ s name was Sarah and my brother s np~me w~s Ben and w~ lived in one room of the big house, Rnd ailus h~ a good bed to sleep in and good things to eat c~t the saine table, after de white folks gits through. I played with Massa Cole s chilien all de time, and when I got .. older he started inc ~orkin~ by tot!n wood and sech odd. jobs, and feedin de bawgs. Us chilien had to pick cotton every fall. De big baskets weigh about seventy-4lve to a hundred. pounds, but us chilien put our pickints in some growed slave s basket. De growed slaves was jest like a mule. He work for grub and clothes, ~xid so~ne of dein didn t have as easier a time as a mule, for mules was fed good ~nd slaves was sotietirnes half starved.

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Ex-slave $torit~s . Pcge Two ( TexaE) But Liassa Cole was a smArt !flnfl ~nd a good. man wit}i it. He h~d sp~ct for the s1~ves feelin s ~nd didn t treat riem 1ik~ dumb br~it~s. and lowed dem more privileges dan ~riy other s1~veho1(Ier round dere, He w~ or~ of de best men I ever knows in my whole life nnd his wife was jes 1i~e hirn. Dey had a ~bit, four.~room log house with a big h21 . down the center up nnd down. Dc 1o~s was a , . peeled ~nd de chinkin a diff rent colr r fron d~ 1o~s and covered with beads. De kitchen am ~ one-.roox~i house behin ce big house ~th de big chimney to cook 011e ~ ~vher~ all de meals cooked and carry to de house. In winter massa alLis kill from three to four lmndred haw~s, de two kuhn s he clone in November ~nd January. Soiae kill and stIck, some scald ~ scrape, and sO iie dress dem and cut dem up and render de lard. Dey haul plenty hick ry wood to de smokehouse and de men works in shifts to keep c~e smoKe fire soin sev ral days, d~n hangs de meat in de meathouse. First us eat all de chitlin s, den massa begin issuin cut~back bones to each f~m ly, arid den long come de spareribs, den de middlin or a shoulder, and. by dat time he kill de second tirne~nd dis was to ~o all over gain. ~ach fam ly git de same kind of meat each week. Iffen on~ git a hain, dey all git a ham. ~ll de er~rs ~nd feet was pickle and we eats dem, too. If de meat run out fore kuhnt time~, us git wild turkeys or kill a beef or ~ goat, or git a deer. Messa let us plant pumpkins and have a acre or two for watermelons, iffen us work dein on Saturday everiints. Dere a orchard of bout flie or six acres peaches and apples and he low L~S to have biscuits once a week. Yes, we had good catin and. plenty of it den. ~Ma,ssa had one big, stout, healthy lookin slave bout six foot, four inches tall, what he p&~ $3,000 for. He b ught six slaves I knows of and. give

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~x~s1ave Stories Page Three ~ I (Textas) fr~ $400 up for dem. He never sold a slave tless }~e git onruly. Massa allus Give us C ot ton clothes for sumner and woo . for winter, ~c~use he raised co tton and sheep. Den each f~ra Iy have srme chickens ~d sell d~m and de e~s and r~aybe ~o huntin ~md s~1i d~ hideB c~nd ~it some rn~ney. Den us ~c wh~t am Sunday clothes with dat money, sech ~s hats and pants and shoes and dresses, tI~j~t~ git up early every day in de year, rain or shine, hot or cold. A slave blowed de horn and dere no dancer of you not wa~in up when dat blowed long and loud. He climb up on a platform bout ten feet tall to blow dat bugle, ~Ve!d work till noon and eat tri de shade ~r~d rest bout a hour or a little more iffen it hot, but onl7 a hour if it cold. You is allus tired when ~rou m~kes de d~y like dat on de plantation ~nd you can t play ~1l night like de yO~iflg folks does now~ But us lucky, ~cause Massa Cole don t whip u~. Dc man what have a place nett ours, he sho whip he slaves. He have de cat~ c~nine tails of rawhide leather platted round a piece of wood for a handle. De wood 1bout ten inches long ~nd de leath,r braided on past de stock quite a piece, and bout a foot from dat all de strips tied in a knot ~nd sprangle out, and nakes de t8ssle. Dis am call de cracker and it am what split de hide. Some folks call d~!a buliwhlpe, stead of cat~-o ~-nine teils. De first thing dat Ina;i do when ~xe ~iy a slave, ~rn give him de whippin . He call it puttin de fear of ~awd in him. ~ Cole low us re ~d de Bible. He awful good bout dat. Most de slaveowners wouldn t low no seth. Uncle Den he re~.d to us and on Sunday we c~u1d go to church, Dc preacher baptize de slaves in de river. Dat de

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~x.s1ave Stories (Texas) Paie Pour good, old-time tligion,and us ~ 4. 1 go to shoutin i~nd has a good time. Dis gen ration too dig fied to have de old-time ligion. When baptizin comes off, lt almost like goin to de ci reus. P ople come from all over ~nd d.ey all singin songe and everybody take dere lunch and have de good time. Massa Cole went one time and den he git sick, and next summer he die. Missy Cole, she moves to Runt sville, in Alabama. But she leave me on de plantation, ~cause I~ big and. stout den. She takes my mother to 000k arid dat de last time I ever seed. my mother. Missy Colc~ buys de fine house in Huntsville my mother tells ne to be good and do all de overseer tells-me, I told her goodbye and she never did git to come beck to see me, and I never seed. her arid my brother and sister gain. I dontt know whether dey ara sold or not. III thinks to myself, dat Mr. Anderson, de overseer, he ll give me dat cat o.nine tails de first chance he ~ts, but makes up my mind. he won t git de chance, cause I s gwlne run off de first chance I gits. I didn t know how to git out o ~ dere, but I~s gwine north where dere ain t no slaveowners. In a year or so dere am nother overseez~, Mr. S~ndson, and he give me de log house and de gnl to do my cookin ~nd sich. Dere am war talk and we gins gwine. to de field earlier and stayin later. Corn am haul off, cotton am haul off, nawgs and cattle am rounded up and ha~u1 off and things gins lookin bad. De war am on, litt us don t see none of it. Bat stead of eatin cornbread, us eats bread out of kaffir corn ~id maize. e raises lots of okra and. dey~ ~ say it gwtne be parch and grind to make coffee for ~hite olks. Dat didn t : look go d ither, Dat winter, stead of kuhn three or four hundred hawgs -4-

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~x..slave Stories Page Pive 229 (Texas) . like we allus done befo we only done one killin of a ~ndred sevent~r five ~nd dey not ai . big ones, neither0 When de meat supply runs low, Mr. Sandson sends some slaves to kill a deer wild hawgs.or jes any kind of garne. He never se~ids me in aiiy dem bunches but I hoped he would end one day he calls me to go and says not to go off de plantation too far, but be sho bring home some meat. Dis de chance I been wantin so when we gite to de huntin ground de eader says to scatter out, and I tells him ~me and notber man goes north and make de circle round de river and meet bout aundown, I crosses de river and goes north. 11s gwine to de free country, where dey ain t no slaves. I travels all dat day and night up de river and. follows de north -star. Sev ral times I think de blood houn s am traum me and I gits in de b~g hurry. I s so ti~ed I couldn t hardly move, ~ I gite in a trot0 I~~e hopin .~ and prayin all de time I meets up with dat Harriet Tubman woman. She de oullud w~nen what t&ces slaves to Canada. She allus travels de underground railroad, dey calls it, travels ~t night RZId hides out in de day. She sho sne~s dem out de South and. I thinks she s de brave woman. ~ . . 81 eats ail de nuts and kills a few swai~ rabbits and cotches a few fish. I ~builds de fire and goes off bout half a mile and hides in de thicket till it . burns down to de coals, den bakes me some fish and rabbit. l s shakin ail de time, .~ .. . . fraid~ .~ ~ ~ d git cotched,. but .. ~ ne~sly starve to death. I puts de rest. de fish ~ in . ~.my cap and .tra~els on dat nicht ~i de. north star and hides in a big thicket de nex da7 and along y~j~S ~ hears gu.ns shootint. I sho ~m scart dis time, sh& nough ~ Sear.~.~ ~ .i,n~ and scart to ~go~ ou;t~,~ and while I s ~standin dare, I hears two .~ s~a7, Stick you ~iands up, boy. 1h~t you. dom? I says 1Jh~u~h, I dunno.

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i~x...slaveStories Page Six ~ 230 ~(Texas) You ain t gwine take me back to de plantation, is you?1 Dev s~ys, tNo, Does you want to fight for de North? I says I will, cause dey telks like northern men. Us walk night and day and gits in G~en. Rosecrants camp and dey thunk I~s de spy from de South. Dey asks me aL 1 sorts of questions ~nd says dey lI whip me if I didn t tell dem what I~s spyin tbout, Fin ly dey Ileves me an puts me to work helpin with de c~nnons I feels Tportant den, but I didn t imow what was in front of me, or I spects ltd run off gain. I helps sot dein cannons on dis Chick~m~uga Mount~in, in hiding pl~es. I has to go with a man arid wait on him end dat cannon. First thing I ~iows bang, bang, boom, things has started, and guns am. shootin fester dan ~rou cari think, and I looks round for de w~y t o ran. But dem guns am shoot in down de hill in front of me end. . shootin .at me, and over me and on botn siaes of me. I tries to dig me a hole and git in it. A~ll dis happen right now, and first thing I knows, de man am kickin me and want me t o hoip him kec~ dat cannon loaded . Man, I didn ~ t want no Cannon, but I has to help anyway. ~ We fit till dark and de Rebels got more men dan us, so Gen, ~ Rosecx an sends de message to ~en Woods to come help us out. When de messenger slips off, I. sho wish it e~ me slippin off but I didnt t want to see no Gen. Woods. I jes! wants togit back to dat old plantation p~nd pick more cotton, I d been willin ta do mos ~ything to git out that mess, but I done told Gen. Rosecran I wants to figkit de Rebels and be eho was let t in me o it He wasn1 t j s lett ~ me do lt, ~ ~ he wes~ina1cin iae do it. I done got. in dere and he wcx~ldr~t let me out. . : ~ ~ ~ ~ White folks, dere was men Iayint wantin help, wantin water with blood ~: ~r~inn ifl ~ ~t dem audde top or sides dere headegone, great big holes in dem. 1 j~.,, proiiises de good Lawd if he jes let me g t ou.t dat mess I wouldn t run off ~ no more4 bttt I d~4n t biow den he waen s~ gwine let me out with jes dat battle. ~ L

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!~x- slaVe Stories Page Seven (Texas) S He swine give me plenty more, but dat battle ain t over yet, ~or nex rnorn~n de Rebels gins shootint and killint lots of our mETi, and Gen. Woods ain t corne, so Gen. Rosecroyi orders us to treat, and dtdntt have to tell me what he said, neither. De Rebels cornes after us, shrotin i~nd we runs off end IeaITeS dat cannon what I Was with settint on de hill, and I didn t w~nt dat thing nohow. We kept hotfootin till we sits to Chattanooga and dere is where we StOps. Here comes one dein Rebel general with de big bunch of men and g te right on top of Look Ou~t 1~ounta1n, right obst to Chattanooga, and wouldn t let us out. I don t know jes how long, but a long time. Lots our hosses and mules starves to death and we eats some de hosses. . We all li~:e to starve to death ourselves. Chattanooga is in de- beril de Teflnessee River and on Look Out Mountain, on de eest, am dem Rebels and could keep up wIth everyt~iing we done. After a long t irne a Gen. Thomas gits in some way. He finds de rough traU or wagon road round de mount~in long de river and supplies and. men com~s by boat up de river to dis place and cornes on into Chattanooga. More Union men kep commt and I guess maybe six or eight generals and dey gits ready to fight. It am long latein Fall or early winter. Dey starts climbin dis steep mountain and when us g~ts three~-fourths de S ~ Up ~ am foggy and. you couldn t se no place. Everything wet and de rocks em slick end dey ~ gins fightin . I t spect some shoots derq own nen ~ cause you couldn t S ~ see nothin , jea men ru.nnin and de guns roarin . Fin .y dem Rebels fled and. we .5 5 S gits on L k Out Mountain and tak~e it. S S : ~ ~ ~ Dere a long range of hills leadin wey frc~i Look O~xt Mountain, nearly to kissionary ridge. Dis ridge lon?side de Chickamauge ~iver, what ~m de Indian uame, meanin Bi~rer o~ Deeth De~jt hts de rebels on Orchard. ICnob hill and I ~ ~ Wasn t in diLt, but l s in cie Missionaz v Ridge battle, We h~s to come out de timber ~ -7m.

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~~s1aveStOr1es Pace Nine 232 (Texas) and run cross a strip or openin up de hill. Dey sho kilt lots ou1~ men when we runs crOSs dat op . We rt~ins for all ~ s worth ~nd uses gu.n~ ~ a~rt hing we ~~uld. De Rebels turns and runs ~ff and our soldiers turns de cannons round what wets capture, and kilt some de Rebels with dere own guns. I never did gi~t to where I Wasn t sc~ t when we goes into de battle. Dis de 129t one I s in ~ l s siio glad, for I never seed de like of de~d ~nd wounded m en. We picks dem up~ de Rebels like de Unions, 8M doctors d~ de bes . we could. i~hen I seed all dat sw ferin , I hopes I never lives to see tnother war. Dey S~3~ de world War ~ worse but l s too old to ~ o. sI sho wishes lots o ~ times I never run off from de plantation. I begs de, Genera). not to send me on an~r more battles, ~nd he says l s de coward and sympathizes.with de South. But I tells hin I jes couldn t stand to see ~ji dem men layin dere d:1rin ~ hollerin ~nd beg~in for help ~tnd a drink of water, and. blood everywhere you looks, Kuhn hawgs back on deplantation didn t bother rue none, but dis ~m diff rent, tt)~tjflt~y de General tells rue I can ~o back to Chattrmoogn. and gu~ard de sup.. . plies in c~3p dere and take c~ire de wounded soldiers and prisoners. A banch of men is with me and we has all we can do. We gits de orders to send supplies to some . . gen~al and it my j ob to help load de ~ wagons or box cars or boats . A train of we~ofls . leavee sometimes, We gits all dem supplies by boat and Chattanooga am de stributing . ee4ter. When winter comes, everybody rc~sts awhile and waits for Spring to open. ~ Union general sends in some more cs~illud soldiers. Dere ain t been many cullud. men but de las year de war dere am lots. De North and. de South ~m talcin anything I d#y can git t o Win~de war. ~ ~

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~g~_s1~.veSt ortes (~Texas) Page Ten 233 When Spr1ri~ breaks and all de snow ~ gone, ~nd c~e trees gins pu.ttin out and ever~rthing gins to look purty and. peaceable-ltke, makin you think you ought to be plowin and plantin a crop1 dat when de fightin starts all over gain, kuhn men and b~rnin homes ~nd steahin stock end food. Den dey sends me oat to help clear roads and build teI~p~rary bridges. We walks miles o~ muddy ground, cross rivers, wadin water up to our chins. We builds rafts and pole bridges to ~it de mules and. hosses and cannons cross,~nd. up and down huhls,and cuts roads through t 1m. de battle in a thick forest and de trees big ~s my body jes shot down. I seed But when dey wants t o battle Gen. Thomas alias leaves me in de supplies. Re calls me a coward, ~ nd I she glad he thurik I was. coward, I jest. couldn t stand to see all dem people tore to pieces. c~Trp!, t~, tend. I wasfltt no I hears bout dat In de Miss ion~ry II shifts from bet dunn my time I States~ I seed moe After de war I c~ould~n1t go South, fit ~or de North. I work on de railroads and works ~la~yin ~ new In bcmt two weske I had sa~w a gal next door, but l s bashful. But Rfter ~pa day I dresses up and t&k~3B her to a d-~ice. ~Ne sparks bou~t two months and den ~ welsmarried at her unelee. Ker nam em Nancy. ~e bu~ ap leceof laM and. I haB a two-~room house built cm lt ~e has two chilien and. I s hivin with de baby ~Lr ~ Ridge battle, too. one camp to notber and fin ly gits back to Chattanooga. I handles nough ammunition to kill everybody in de whole United de mainest generals in de Union Army and some in de Rebel Army. am over we ~ s turned. loose nowhere to go and nobody t o help us. for dey calls me de traitor and sho kill me iffen dey }~ows I does any little job I can git for bout ~i year and fin ly gits In Stevenson, in Alabama, I gits transfer to Chattanooga tracks and turn tables and sich.

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Ex.-slave Stories Page Eleven ~ ~ (Texas) I lieve de slaves I knoed as a WhOi~ was happier and better off after inancipation d~n b~fo . 0f course, de first few years it was awful hard to git justed. ~o de new life, All de slaves knowed hOW to do hard work, and dat de old slaves life, but dey didn t know nothin ~ bout bow to pend on demselves for de livin ~ My first year ~ ~ aa hard, bat dere was plenty wild game in dem days. De south was bvoke and. I didn t hear of no slaves gittin anything but to cro~o on de halves. Dey too glad to be free and didn t want nothin . 1Ti~in~s gin to git bad for !ae in Chr~ttanooga as de white men finds out, I run off from de South ~nd jined de North. Son e de brakemen try to git my job. I fin~Iy quits when or~a of dem opens a switch I jus closed. I seed hirn and goes back and fixes de switch, but I quits de job. I goes up north but dey ain t int rested, so I comes ba~k and sells my ho~ie and buys ~ne a team and wagon. I loads it with my wife and chfllen and a few things and starts for Texas. ~~e s on de road. bout six weeks or two !wnths. V~e fishes and hunts every day and de trip didn t cost much. I buys ninety acres in timber in Case County and cuts logs for a house and builds a two-~rooin house and log crib. My wife built a stomp lot for de team and cow and a rail fence. EWe got nough land cleared for de sin~I1 crop, bout thirty acres, and builds de barn and. sheds outselves, We lived there till de chilien am growed. My wife died of chills and fever and den my boy and I built a four~room house of planks from our t imber. Den I gits lonesome, ~ cause d e chilien gone, and sells de place. I bought it for fifty cents de acre and sold it for $12.00 de acre. ~11..

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) ~ :~ r; Ex~s1ave Stories Page Twelve ( Pe xas) I buys sixty acres in Henderson County for $13.00 a acre and m~r~ ries de second time, I didn t care for her like Nancy. All she think bout a~n raisin de devil and never wants to work or save anything. 3he like to have broke me down befo I gits rid of her. I stayed and farmed sev ral ~iears. ~ My son.4n~law rents land in Chambers Creek bottom, and he usually gits he crop ~fore de flood gits it. We has some hawgs to kill evry winter and we has x~r cornmeal. an~1 milk and eggs end chickens, so de pression ain t starved us ylt. ~e all got might nigh naked dunn de pression. I feeds de hawgs and. chickens night and mornin . I can t see demo but I likes to listen to dem eatin and cackle. People don t know how dey s blessed with good. eyes, till dey loses dem. ~verybody ought to be more thankful dan they is. I ain t never voted in my life. I leans to de publicans. I don t know much bout politics, though. Today I is broke cause I spent all my money for med cine and doctors but I gits a small pension and I spends it moi careful.

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420270 E~SLAVI~ STORIES Pa~ One 236 (Texas) ~LI COLF~}4AN, 9 ., was born a slave of George 3rady, in Kentuc1~y. J~ILi~e uiemory is poor and. his story is some-~ what sketchy. He now lives in kiadisonville, Texas. I h~.s a old bill of sale, ~nd it shows I~e born in 1846 and jay zaass~ ny~ George Brady. I know my papDy1s n~rae was saine as ruine, ~nd raernmy~ was Ella, ~nd I hr~d one brother na~aed Sam, and my sisters w~s Sadie ~nd Posa ~nd Viol~. They s ~ll ~ now, Peppy was owned by Massa Coleman, what was brother to Massa Brady. P~ppy could on~v see mariiniy once a week when he s courtint ~ her. I heard pr~p y tell bout his p~i~py, over in Africy, and he had near a htmdred wives and over three hundred chilien. Pappy never (lid work. LII h~ ever did was trr de. He d ra~ke one thing and nother ~nd tr9de it for soraething to ~t. He could get lots of fruit wid ~a:ie out of th~ woods thera days, r nd there was i~ts of fish. Our log house was built of logs, trirnm~d, and h~d six rooms. It was long, like a cowbern or chicken house, r~nd my room was third. \~e h~d one door to each roorn, covered over with hides. ~ e dug out one corner for the bed ~nd fenced it up ~nd gathered straw ~nd noss and tore-up corn shucks, and put in the corner to sleep on. ~7hr~t I mean, it w~s a w~irrn bed, H1~Te did ~1l kinds of work, choppin cotton ~nd split rails ~nd cut rock, and work in the tobacco field, ~ie d cut that tobpcco ~nd hans it in the shed to dry. It had to be hr~nged by the stubble end. ~ h~d plenty to e~t, sech ~s corn pories. Tue corn w~s ~ted by hand and. cooked in ~.shes p;nci~ no salt or soda or fancy things I Ike they put in bread now. -.1

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~x~slave Stories Page Two (Texas) #;;4t) There was possum and rabbit i~nd we cooked tht~m different to n~. A great big, old. pot h~.ine~ over the old. rock fireplace. Food cooked that way still eats good. ~v1assa Brady allus give us lots out of the garden. He fed tts reg ~ lair on good, t stunt ial food, j like you d tend to you hoes if you h~d a rca . good one, ~ Massa Brady, he was one these jolly fellows and a real goad man, ~l1us good. to his black folks, Uisey, she was plumb angel. They lived in a old. stone ~ -~ house with four big rooms. It was the best house in the whole county and. lots of shade trees by it. .. ~ ~e had rbout a hundred acres in our plantation and started to the field t fore d~y1 ight end worked long as we could see and fed an stock and got to bed bout nine otclock. Massa whopped a slave if he got stubborn or lazy. He whopped one so hard that slave said. he d kill him. So Massa done put a chain round his legs, so he j~is hardly walk, and he has to work in the fiel& that way. At night he put noth r chain round his neck and fastened it to a tree. After three weeks massa turnt him loose and that the proud~s nigger in the world, a~d the hardes workin nigger massa had after that. ftQ~ Saturday night we could git a pass or have a party on our own place. ThrQu~gh the week w&d fall into our quarters and thempatterrollers come walk all over us, and we d be pluab still, bu.t after they done gone soi~e niggers :~.; ~g~ts up and out. ~ :: :~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ t on Chri staas Day massa make a great big eg~og~ ~nd 1 et us have al 1 we wants with a big inner. He kilt a yearlin and made plenty barbecue for us.

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~x~s1~te Stories Three (Texas) Massa was ~ colonel in the~ w~r ~nc1 took n~e ~J.~ng to ~ for his hoss and ~ Them guns, yo~ coac~n t hear nothin for them ~oppin . Us ni~gers h(~d to ~o all ove~r ~nc1 pick up thera what got ic it. mein what w~~s hurt we car~ ned back. Them wIi~t W;~s tOO bad hurt we had to carry to the burying pir~ce a~d the white rn~n d finish ~i111n th~rrt, ~o we could roll them in tue hole, 9Wlieri massa say we re free, we nil giin to take on. ~Ve didn t h~ .ve no place to go ~nd ~.sked ~n~ss~ could we stay, but h~ s~y no. But he did let some stay ~nd furnished te~xns ~nd ~!~thin to eRt ~nd work on the halves. I stayed ~nd was sharecropper, ~.nd th~ t was when slavery start, for when we got our cop made it done take ever bit o~ it to p~y our debts and. we h~.d nothing left to buy winter clothes or pay doctor bills. UfBout a year ~fter the war I marries Nora Brady, jus a hoitie weddint, I asks her to come live wtth inc as rnv wife ~nd she greed ~nd she ju~s mov~d :~er clothee to r~iy roora ~nd we lived together ~ long tir~e. One mornin Nora jas died, and there warn1t no chilien, so I sets cii~t for Texas. I done heer the railrc~d is buildiri in Texas tend they hires lots of nigg~rs. I gits ~. boss from massa ~nd rolls up a few c~othes ~nd gits my dun. tu never got very far fore the Indians takes my hoss ~w~y from rae. It was bout fifty mile to a train rand I didn t hnve no ;aoney, but I found a white man what wants wood cut ~nd I works near a month for him ~nd gits $~?.OO. I gits on a train and carnes a hundrtd mile from where that rai1ro:~d ~ ~O1fl~ ~ the country, ~nd I has to walk near all that hundred miles. Once 3nd now a white man comm1 or goin lets me ride. But I got there ~nd the job pays me sixty cents a dey. Thrt wes lots of money them th~ys. Near se I member, it

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~x~slave Stories Page J our 239 (Texas) ~ was 186? or 1868 when I comes to Texas. Then I marries ~nes J razer, and we bas a big weddin ~nd a preacher and a Mg supper for two ~ or three weeks Her p~y kilt gerne and we et barbecue all the time. We had eleven chillen, one a year for a long time five boys and six gals. One made a school teacher and I ain t seen her nearly forty five ~ years, !cause she done took a notion to go north and. they won t let her back in ~ ~ Texas tca~ise she married a white m~n in New York. I don t like that. She don t have no sense or she wou~dn~~ done that, no, sir. Since the nigger been free it been Hell on the poor old nigger. He has advance sanie ways, but he .s still a servant and will be, long asGawd e curse still stay~ on the Negro race, ~Ye was turnt loose without nothin and done been under the white man rule so long we couldn1t hold no job but labor. I worked most two years on that railroad and the rest my life I farine. Now I gits a little pension ~ from the gov raent and them white folks am sho good to give it to me, e~use I . . ain t good for work no more, . . . .

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I ~2()()()3 ~ :r11~.sLAvz STORIES Page ~ 24() ( T.xaa) P~REELY COLEMAN wa~ born In 1852 on the S~.tba farm near New Berry, South Ca~o11na, but h. and. hi. mother wers eold. and brought to TSXaB when Pre ely wa~ a mont h o1~ They settled near Alto, T.xas. Prs.ly now 1iv ~ in Tyer. uhI~ Preely ColeMan and I never gits tired of talking. Yes, nia a~, it am Juneteenth, but I1m home, tcause I~ too old now to go on them celerabrations. Where was I born? I knows that zaetly, caUs my aisay t elle ms that a thousand. times . I was born down on the old. Souba place, in South Carolina, bout ten ~i1e from New Berry. My maa~y belonged to th. Souba family, but its a fact one of the Souba boy. wae my peppy and .o tI~ Soubas selle my ~am~iy to Bob and Dan Lewi. and they brung us to T,xas long with a big bunch of other s1a~es. MarEmy tslls me it was a fall month tf0~~ thy gite to Alto, their new home. Then I was a chile I hae a purty good time, cause there was plenty ~hillen on the plantation. We had the big races. flu~rin the war the sojere stops by on the way to Mansfield, in Louisiana, to git some~ thin to eat and stay &~l night and then s when we had. ths TacSB. There was a mulberry tree we ~ d run to and. we ~ d I me up and the s oj er s would say, Now the first ons to slap that tree gits a quarter, and I nearly ~al1ue gits thir. first. I raade pl.zrty ~iartsrs slappin that old mul berry tr e~ y So the chilien gite into their heads to fix me, cause I wins all the quarters. They throws a rope over my head and started dragginJR. down the road, and down the hill, and I was nigh bout choked to

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Zx~s1aYS Storiss ~ ~ 2~1 (Texas) . diath. My only frien& wai Billy and he waa a~-ftght in try t o git m looes. They was goin to throw nie in the big spring at the foot of that hill, bu~t ws meets Capt. Bsrrjaa*, a white man, and h. took his knif. an& ct~t th. rop froii my neck a~id took ni by the hesle and. ioua d me up and down in th. spring till I come to, They never tries to kill me any more. ~ ~ .-~- f~ I My maauiy. dons married John Selman on the way~~ to Texas, no c.rstmoay, you ~iows, but with her maisa s conesnt. Now our mast.re, the L.wlm, thiy lossa tb.ir place and then the Seimen s buy me and mamy. They pays $1,500 for my meinmy and I was throwsd In. MasBa Seimen hai five cab ne in he backyard end they . bu11~ uk. half drei.. I grows big nough to h4 and den to plow. We hai to be ready for tbe field b~v~ deylight end the oo~k wa. blowsd, and masea eaU out, All hand. r.ady for the ft.ld. At 11:30 he blowe the conk, what am the mussel shell, you knows, gain and we eats dinner, and at 12 : 30 we has to be back at work. But mas sa would-n t low no kind of work on Su~nd.ay. Massa Tom made ~e wear the ehoec, canas they s so many snags and stuaps our fsets gits sore, and they was red russet chose. I~11 ne~.r forgit em, they was so stiff at first we co~1d hardly stand ~. Nut Massa Torn was a good man, thoegh h. did love he dr. He kop the bottle in the center of the dining table aU the time axtd every meal he d have the toddy. Us slaves et out under the trees In summer end In the kitchen in winter and most gen :raliy is has bread in pot liquor or milk, but sometimes honey. nI well members when fresdom come. We was in the field and massa comse up an& 1e7, ~TOU all. is free as I j~~S There was shoetia and cingla ~ ~ and fore nt~it us was ail wq to freedom. L

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. . :Ex-sLAv~ STOBI~S Pace One 242 ( Texas) H RBI~ET COLLINS was born in Houston, Texae, in 1870. Her fanily h~d been slavee of Richard Coke, arid remained with him many years after they were freed, Harriet . recalls some incidente of B.econstru.ction days, and believes in the supereti tions hw~ded down to her ~ ~x~oia slave days. !~r birthday done come in January, on de tenth. I s birthed in Houston, in 1870, ~md Goy. Richard 0oke allus had. owned my daddy and mammy, and dey stayed with him after freedoms M9Jnmy, what ~as Julia Colline, didn t die till 1910, and she was most a hundred year old. I She done t old. me many a t tine bout how folkees gi t all worked up over Marss Cokets ~leotion. Uar~y took lunch to de Capitol House to ~ Marse Richard, and dere he am on de top floor wi th all he congressmen ~ and dat Davis raaxi arid. he men on de bottori~ floor, tryin to~ say Marse Richard aiu t~ot no right to be governor dis here State. Old Miss and. de olksesdidn t slee-p a wiik d~ night, cause dey thunk it shoe be a fight. Dat in 1873, rnwamy allus say. . De old. place at Houston was lilce most all old places. Dere Was O ~ little, emal . dormer windows, dey call gem, in upstairs, and big porches ~: everywhere. Dere was hogany furniture and rosewood bedsteads, and big, ~ ~ . ~ .~ b1ac~wa1hu .~ t dressers with big mirrors and little ones down de side, Old Miss *llus have us keep de drapes white as drifted snow, arid polish de ~ ~ ~ :~n~~re ~ till it ~ shine. ~ Dere was sofies with dem claw foote and lots o:t purty chiny and silver, ~ ;~ ~ tOri d~e fa~ o~it from town ~~re was de log haase, with quarters ami ~ J ~ ~ ~ .~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 141.1

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~x~slaVC Stories Page T~ 243 (~exae) de smokehouse and washliouseand big barns and carriage house. De quarters was little, whitewashed, log houses, one for de family, and a fence of de split palm s round most of dein. ~ De white aud cullud chilien played together, all over de p1ace~ Dey went fishin and rode de plough hosses and r~n de calves and colts and sech devilment. De little white gals all had to wear su.nbonnets, and Old. Miss, she sew dem bonnets on every d~j~r, so dey not git sunburnt. Us niggers weared de long, duckin shirts till us git bout ~rowed, ~nd den us we~red long, dark blue dresses. Dey h~1 spinnin ~nd weavin rooms, where de cullud ~men makes de clothes. . ttOld Mis s, she - sho a powerft~l manager. She biowed j es ~ how much me . arid meat and. sorghum it gwine take to run de plantation a year. She know jes how much thread it talce for spinnin and 8he bossed de sett in hens and turkeys and fixin of serves and soap. She was sho good to you iffen ~ou work and do like she tell you. Many a night she go round to see dat all was right . She a ~ powerful good nuss, too, and so Was mammy. 11De white folks had good times. Dey d. go hossback ridin ~id on picnics, and fisbin and. have big dinners and. balls. Come Christmas, dey have us slaves cut a big lot of wood and keep fires all night for a week or two. De hc~se be lit with candles from top to toe, and lots of c~mpax~y come. For dinner us bave turkey and beef roast and a big ginny ham and big bowls of eggnog and a pitcher ~ ~ of ~ple cider and. ~ apple toady. All us git somethin on christmas and plenty eggnog, but no gittin drunk. I can jes see Uars Dick, tall and. kinder stooped. like, with de big ~ ~ ?a~P h~t and longtail cOat and allus carryin a big, old walkin stick. He ~ 2

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~x..~slave Stories Page Three (Texas) . S was sho ~ a brave man wid de big men say de~r likes dat flop hat cause dey done follow it Ofl de battlefield, He had a big voice and dey dc tell how, in de war, he d holler, ~Come oxi, boys, and de 1~allets be like hail and men falliu all round, but dat don t stop liars. Dick. He d take off dat flop hat a~d plunge right on and dey d foller he bald. head where d. fight was hottes . He was shO a mani Whon I gits married it was eight folkses clerc. I jus walks off and e;oes to bousekeepin . I had a cal too dress and a Baptist preacher marries us. Dere been some queer things white folks can t understand. Der. am folkses ca4 see de spirits, but I can t. My ir~ammy larn d uie a lots of doctorin1, what she Iarnt from old ~olkses from Africy, and some de Indians larnt herz If you has rheumatiem, jes take white sassafras root and bile it and drink de tea. You makes lin ment by bum iiiullein flowers and poke ro ts and. alum and salt. PELt red pepper in you sh~e~ and keep de chills off, or string briars round de neck. Make red or~ black sn~keroot tea to cure fever and malaria, but git de roots in de spring when de sap am high. When ebillen teethint put rattlesnake rattles round de neck, and alligator teeth am good, too. Show de new moon money and you ll ha~re money all month. Throw her five kisses and show her money and make five wishes and you ll git dem. ~at b1ack.~.eyed peas on }~ew Year and have luck all dat year: Dose black eyed peas is lucky, When et on. New Year s Day; You ll aflu5 haVe sweet tatere And. pos sum corne you ay When anybody git cut I allue burne woolen rags and. smokes de wound or ~ apiece fat pine and drops tar from it fl scorched wool ~tid bind. it ~ de ~~L* ~Por headache pu.t. a h raera~sh poultice on de head, or wear a nutmeg on m4i~

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~x~s1ave Stories 245 (Texas) a string round yciu neck. If you. kille de f~irat sn&ce yctu. seee inapring, you enemies ain t gwine git de best of you dat year. For a sprain, git a dirt dauber s nest and put de clay with vin~ar ~nd bind. round de aprain. De dime on de string round my ~nk1e keeps cr~npa ou~t my leg, arid t ~a from red coori~root good, too. Al . dese doctoring things come clear from Africy, and. dey allus worked for manmy aiid for nies too. ~ ****** S S

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420187 L.sk&v:I STORUS (Texas) Page ~e ANDRU ( Smoky) COLUMBUS was born in 1~s59 on the John J. flhington plantation, one mile south of L1nd~n, Texas. He c itinued in ~L5 service Ox tue Zilingtons witil aoout 1878, when he ~sove& to Jefferson, Texas. He carried aeals to Abe RotholUld, who was in jail, ckiarged with the ~uzder of Diamond Besets Moore. Andrew was 3? years a servant of Hon. Tos Araisteact, and was a porter in tl:ie O~1ta1 at .Aji.ttn ihen Lrmiete.4 was a senator. Andrew nov lives in Marshall, Texas. t~. C nI was bo~2i a slave o:t~ Master John ~11ington, w~to lived in Davis County(now Case Co. ) Texas. Master Jot~n ziad a big nouse and close by !aB a long, dou ie row o~ slave quarters. It looked like a town. There was four boys aM two girl. in Master s f~ly and one daughter, Miss Is.~la, married lion Morris, that ran t~ Lou Morris Sc~nool. Master Joim was one white man that sxio took care of his niggers. He give us plenty warm clothes and good shees, and come see u1s and bad ~ ~iae doctor us when we was sick. The niggers et ha~ and ~aiddlin and good eat s as anybody. ~aat r rm s place joined tx~ Ha~ar& place, ware they was lots of wila turkey and the slaves coi~1d go hunting and rirniin1 when tfley wanted. 0~e nad a church and a school for the sla~ee and t~ white folks nelped us git book learnin Moe of tb.e niggers allus went to preeenin on Sunday. 0Ths hands du t work Saturday afternoon.. That ~ s when we wash our clothes and clean up for Sunday. There was parties and. 11.1w

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~x.s1Lave Stories p~ ~ 2? (Texas) danc e5 011 Saturday night for them as want ed them. But there wain t no whiskey drinkin and fightin at tne parties. Mammy di&ntt go to them. She was re1igi~i. and. didn t believe in dancin and sech like. On Christmas Mai~ter John allus give the slave. a big dinner and lt didn t eee~i like slavery b~.me. Tb.e nigger. had. a Bight better tiae tkian they do now, Meeter John did all the boasin hisseif. None of ~.is niggers ever ru~n off cause he was too good for them ~o do that. I only got one whippin rrom him and it was for ste~ilth eggs from a hen s neat. My peppy was carriage driver for Master. I d1dn~t d.o much of the work wX~en i: was a boy, jes sieyed. round the house. 0Master Jonn raised lots of cotton and after it was baled he hauled it to Jefferson on ox wagons. I d allus go with hla, ridin on tap of the bales. I ll never forgit ~iow scared. I was wtien we d cross Black Cypress on Rogerts Ferryboat and it d begin to rock. w ~ don t re~ea ber much about the War. When it was owe r Master Jo~in calls all his slaves t ogether and says, Ym se free now and. yrni c~i go or stay, ~S told. tne men who wanted tc~ leave they could have a wagon and team, but Most of them stayed. Peppy took a wagon and team and left ~but mam~iy and us children stayed and lived with Master Ellington bout 15 years atter the was was over. When I leit Master Jobn I moved to Jefferson and ~arrled Cora Benton and~ ~e had three boys and two girls. Thu. I was in JeU erson Sheriff Tine goes to Cincinnati after Abe Rothchild, for kuhn ~Dia mond Beesie. Abe shot hisseif iii the forehead when he heared. Sheriff

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Ex-eia~e Stories Pa e Three 248 ( Texas) TiLle was after him, but it didn t kill hie. The re was eht some stirrin about ehen the sheriff fotch Abe back to Jefferson. Mr. SaDI Brown was tAie jailer. Abe wouldn t egt the jail food and hired ~ t o brine tus meals to him from the hotel. Hi. cell was fixed up ilice a hotel rooa, with a fine brussels ru~ arid nice tables and chairs, He kep plenty ~ whiskey and beer to drink. He & alius give me a drink when I took hie meals. NI worked 3~i years for Mr. Tom Armistead, who helped L T. Crawford and his brother defend Bothohild. Mr. lppenstadt, he was m~or of Jefferson then and acted as a go~between maxi in the case. Master To~ Ar~istead neger married and I kep house and cooked for him. He giv. me lots of fine clothes. I bet I owned more fine shirts than any nigger in Texas. Re got me a job as porter in the C~itol at Austin while he was senator. I was workin there when they moved in the new Capitol in 1888. They was gonna put on a big party and~ say ai . the porters had to ear c~itaway suits, t didn t have one, so the day fore the party I goes over to ~r. T~,a room at the Brie~ toi Hotel and git one of his. I didn t biow then it was a right new one he had made for the party. When I goe. back to the Capitol a 1 dressed up in that cutaway suit, I meets Mr. Te pleton Houston and he reoogz~izes the subit and. saya, ~ You sho look fine in Mi . Tom s new suit t bout that t ime Mr . Tom~ walks up and, you know, he give me that suit and had him another one made for the partyl I wouldn t 1iY~ where there wasn t ~o good. whiti folk..

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u QI~i ) EX-SLAVE STOBIES Page One 249 (Texas) ~ ~ S~F3VE GOI~NALLY, 90, was born a slave of Torn Cormally, grand~ . fat1i~r of United States Senator Torn Connally, from Texas. The family then ltved In Georgia, and Steve s master was a m~iber of. the Georgia Le~is1ature. I was born in Murray County, Georgia, and was a slave of Massa TOEU Connally, but they called hint Massa tCushl Connally. He was a member of de Georgi a Legi slature . I st~ red. with Mi asy Mary C0nnaI ly t lU I Was sixtyeseven ~nd Massa Cu.shi died. when I was sixty-nine. My mother, Mandy, weighed two hundred pou.nd.s and she was de Connally C 00k, When I was born she to ok d.c fever and ~ cou 4n t rai se me so Missy Mary took and kep me in a li~l cot by her bed. After d~ 11rn with her nearly all de time and follows her. When she go to de garden I catches her dresatail and. when she go to de doctor, bout eighty miles away, I goes with her. I mu~s tell you why everybody call Massa Connally Cushi. Dere am al lUS s o many T 0m Connallys in de fan .y, dey have to have de nickntune t O tell one from de other. Back dere in Georgia, us have lots andlots of fruit, Come time, de women folks preserves and cans till it ain t no use. My mammy tare de prize any day. with her jelly and. sech1 and her cakes j es nachel ly walk off and ~ leave de whole county. Missy Mary ~ de master hand bersef at de fine ~: ~ ~bakin and I d si i.p roand and be handy to lick out de pans. ~ ~ .. .. ~ : ~ ~ Dey &i~~ t haye no ~ frigerat ore den but dey ~ilt I og houa es with~t a floor over de good, cold. spring, and put flat rocks dere to keep de milk L cream and. bu~tter cold. Or dey dig out de place so de crock be down in

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Ex-.slaVe Stories ~%Y~ 250 (Texas) de wet dirt. Dey sho have to make de latch up high, so de bad chilien couldn t open dat doors De pIant~at1on In Georgia was de whopper. I don t know zactly h~ many acres, but it a b1~~ne. Us zn~ke eversrthing and t~n hides and make shoes, jes like ail d.e big places did., De big house and de weav1n~ house and de tannin yard and de sugar mill and slave quarters made a 11 l town. Dere used to be some mighty big d.O1n~s t~eDe. De Connally men arid woina~ am t~:flus good lookers and mighty pop lar, and folkses come from far and. near to visit dem. LII de portant men carne and ~11 de sasslety belles jes drift to our place. Dere sho lots of big balls and dinners and de house fix mighty fine dem times. De women wore d~ hoop skirts and de ribbons aild laces. My sissy was de best lookin prom far and near, and all de gem mans want to dance with her. She shoe look like de quc~en you see tn de plctin e books and she have mighty high ways with folks, but she s mighty ~ good to ais here Ii I b1~ck bocr. ni ~o~s in de buggy with Massa Cushi, up to Tennessee, to git his sons what been kilt or w~.nded. Massa Ned, he dead, and Massa Charles h~ shot in de hip, and die after he git brung home. Massa Dick httrt~ too, bu.t he dtdn~t die, ~Right after de Civil War, when Itm bout nineteen, I cames to Texas with de Connallys, all what didn t git kilt In de waz. I st878 with Missy : ~ ~7 till she die In Georgia. Her eon, Jones Connally, co~ to Brazos County, :: ~: ~ near Bx yan, a~d after dat removes to Eddy. I works for him two years and has 1i~ed~ roend ~tdY ever since. De Connallys give me a house and lot in Ed.dy ~ $c~e de fOCI niggeru speeted a lot, but I waen t w0r171fl none. All I wa~ited ~

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Ex~.s1aVe Stories Three 2~1 (Texas) J.. W~S to stat near de Connallys. i~o~ gen ly all de ~lhves what I know~d was found places for ~nd hoip ~it ~. st~.rt at jobs ~nd plr~ces to live. All de ~~nna1l~r slaves loved dem. Soru~ de timber land give to Mrs. Pose Staten ~nd when sh~ go up ~ere a old. nigg~r woman n~me Ii~cy sees her. Sh~ so happy to see one dem Connally chilien she laugh and cry. Massa Jones Connally have de twin g~ds, naine Ola and SUa. Ofa born with d.c lef a~m o ~f at de elbow and she ~1lus follow me round. ~en I go to milk I puts her in de trough. I saved her life lots of times, One tirn~ she s on th~ conb of d~e two-storc house, when she s Tbout two years old. I eases up and knocks de window out arid coaxes her to corne to rae. ~Nother time, I~s diggin d.c well 2nd sone~ clods falls down ~nd I looks up and. der~ a.~n dat Missy Ola leanin over, i~ios turnblin in de well on her he~d. I gives de loud. yell and. her ~roth,r-~in-l~w come runnin ~nd grabs her legs. Senator Torn Connally, what am a son Of Jones Connally, often says he d like to visit hts grandpa s old home in Georgia. I d like m~hty well to go with him and taice him all over de old home place and out to de old cemetary.

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((%\ 420079 c~~vr ~X~8LAT:g ~oaii~ Paie One L$V (1!exe~s) A. k. ~ TAIM&R CO~MXER was born a slave t. A~pli ssnt Th~gat a swell slave.. holder of Lafa~ett., Lmii.iana. He tells hi. story in a &.xture of Zng.. lishan&Prench. Lefaraaheknow., hi is nearly 90 ysare old. He now lives with his sister, Mary No..., in tbs Pear Orchard Settls~ent, in BeaL~ont T xas. I member de day ~y old aarst.r go to de war. I kin ~aember dat jee like ye.terd~. Re used to like to ple~ de fiddle and saks ne dance when I was I i I b~it he went to de war and got kilt He ne Duplissent ~igat. Mary, ~ sister, she don t ir~e~ber de old sarster. ~i slave. did d. wo~ on d~ fara. I~y was two gro~d~upe, 57 RADS, Colaste~ and ~y uncle, and dere was us two chilien. My father was a white ~ a ~tits Cn.ole sen. I never carry he ne till after freedoa. Nareter wes j e. a poor aan and he have ~1 ~ ordinary house. De slave hou. s was Jest a old. plank house bmit twelve feet b~ twenty feet and have dirt floor. U. cook in de big fireplace and taki a lt~ bout four foot long and have a big Iron pot with a iron lid, Dey put red. hot coals under de pot and on top de lid and d.7 haY, a bi~ iron poker with a hook on it what dey took de lid off with, ~Defo~ dey have coal oil l1!~ip dey used to nee h teiiake candle,, Dey d kill de brute s and keep and save all de tallow and one day was set off to sake de candles, All de nighbor. c~e and dey have kind of party and sat and things SoMet me dey sake thre e, four hunnen cmdl.s in one dq~ and lay dem in a big box, so dey won t git break. u. sake .oep on dqplantation, too. Dey pelt de tallow and ci a@klia . and git lye out de fireplace ash ~e have cotton and corn

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Pe~ge Two Ex~slave Stories ~ _ (_~_ (Texas) tan& potatoes growin so we h~. plenty to eat U. ha~e coosh eooeh, dat cornbread and meat, and som fish to eat. Snails us joe go throu~gh db woods and pick dem up and eat d~ jest like dat. Us eat plenty crawfish. De chilien git string and old. piece fat meat and ti. Ofl ~ie end, and ne go to ~e bog and r~q de string down ~at crawfish bole. When c1 ol& man grab de meat with he pincher, Len u. jerk us np a crawfish, and bile him in hot water, or make de gumbo. SU, drink trench coffee befo de war, but endurin de war u, eouldntt git tie good kind. Den us make coffee out of coffee weed. I~y parch dat weed in da iron oven, grind it and put it in de iron pot. si seed de sojer. and I run under de house, I was so scared. Kary, she hide under de bed in de house. D. Tai~kees come take de cattle ~td went tway with dem. I kirk .ho~ rec lect shen dose so~ers come and de road was ftLII goin ~y and night. De Tenkees find a lot of Confed ~ate sojers close to ~.on, ds other stde of Reytie and dey c~,t~irs lots and brung dem back by der.. 5Aft r while it ~ll over and dey told u. we free, ~tt my mama kep woztir~g for old aissus after freedom, cause old menor, he kilt in dat war. Dn old missi~s die and left three ii l chilien, ~t I dontt know what happen to them, ernie. us go to another place and I plow and Mary she he p pick cotton. ~ lgitaarryat2OandayfirstwtfedeYrenchgal. W, marry by de priest in de church. U. have so many chilien us ha~e to ke.pa~toacco~intf~iralltes,direwasl9inall. Westaysin Louisiana lone time, den come to Tsxas. 2

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420296 :~L.sLAv:E STOPJ~8 Page One 254 ( Texas) LAURA~ CORNI SE was born on the plantation of Isaiah Day, . near Dayton, Texas. She t, reckons s ~bout twelve or maybe thirteen years old when ai,1 de cullu.d foIk was made free. Laura s memory is poor, but she mede an effort to re~ cal , slave clays. She livee at . 2915 Nance St., Houston, Texas. 1Lawd have mercy pon me, when you calls me Aunt Laura lt aeeins jes like you must be some act my white folks, t~puse dat what dey calls nie . . I mean Papa Day s chilien and dere younguna when d~ey c Oi~ie s to see me~ But it been de long time since any o~ dem e orne to see old Aunt Laura, and I reckon dey most all gone n w. You know where Dayt on is at ? \1ell dat s where Papa ay1 s plant a~ t ion was at ~nd where s borned. I 01 t know whei dat am, zactly, but when all de culluci folks w~3 made free I reckons I s bait twel ye or thirteen years old. MF~ma s name was Maria Th~nlap nnd. daddy s name was Saul. Mamma was de seamstress and don t do nothin 1i~t weave cloth on d-e spinnin wheel and malce clothes. Daddy from Lake Providence, I heared him st~y, but I dori~t know where at dat is. He do all de carpenter work. I h~s five sisters and two brothers, but dey heaps 014er dan in. and I don t know much bout dem. We lOngs to Papa Day, his name Isaiah, but us aU call him Papa D~?q, canes he wci&t low none he cullud folks to call him master. He s~y us I s born free as he is nly de other whi te folks won t t eli us so and our souls is j est as white and de reason us am darker on de out side is cause us . is sunburnt . I don t reckon dere am anybody as good to dere cullud folks ashe was,

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~x~s1aYe Stories Pa~ge Two (Texas) Miss Martha, he wife, was mighty good, too. Do3s any us chilien git huxt or scratched~, she fix u~ up ~ give us a hug. I knows dey hi~.s two boys and a gaIe ~ dey coi~es to see me long ttine after l s free and brings dere own chilien. But my mern ry am sort of fo~~like and. I can t tmember dere names now. 0De only work Papa Day lows us chilien do am pick de boles close to de ground, and dat mostly fun, nnd us ride to de house on de wagon what takes de pickin at n1gk~t. Papa Day don t m~ce he cullud folks work Saturdays and Sundays ~nd dey can visit round on other plantations, and he say nobody better bother us none, either. One time us chilien pl~yin . out in de woods and seed two old men what look like wild men, sho nough. Dey h~slon~ hair ai . over 3.o face ~nd dere shirts all bloody. Us n~n ~nd tell Papa Day and he rn~kes us take him clere ~nd he goes in de briar patch where dein men hidin . Dey takes him round de knees and begs him do he not tell dere massa where dey at ~ cause dey maybe git kilt. Dey say dey am old Lodge and Baldo ~nd dey r~n 1way cause dere massa whips dem, Tcause dey so old dey can t work good no raore. Papa Dey has tears coutin in he eyes. Dey canot hardly walk, so he sends dem to de hou~se and has Aunt Mandy, de cook, fix up somethin to eat quick. I never seed sech eatin dey so hongry. He puts dein in a house and tells us not to say nothint. Den he rides off on he hose and goes to dere massa and tells him bout It, and jes dares him to corne git dem. He p~~ys de men some money and Lodge and Baldo stays with Papa Day and I gu.ess day thunk dey in Heaven. t One lLornint Papa Day calls all us to de hoLise and reads de freedom papers and. say, De gov inent don t need to tell you you is free, cause you been free all you days. If you wants to stay you can rx~ if you wants to go, you can. B~it if you go, lots of white folks ain t ~wine treat YOU like I does.

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~x1.s1ave Stories Page Three (Texas) For d.e longeet time, maybe two years, dey wasn t none cf Papa ~ay~s ~uI1ud folks what left, but den first one farn den nother gits sc~ne 1~nd to make a crop on, arid den daddy gits some land and us leaves, too. Ilaybe he gits de lend from P~a Dey, c~se it I*~,t far from hie p1antat~on. Us sho work hard. on dat pl9ce, but I heared. marna ~ lote of times she wishes we stray on Pepa Day s place. HI member one year us don!t make no crop hardly and daddy sa~r he gwine ~it out fore us starves to death, and he moves to Houston. He gits a job dclii carpenter work and hires me out for de housegirl. ~it mama dies and daddy takes sick and lies, too. Lawd. have mercy, dat sho de hard time for me when I loses my mama and daddy, and I has to go to Dayton and stay with m~ sister, Rachel. Both my huisbands what I marries done been d~ead a long time now, end de only child I ever had died when he jes a baby. Now l s jas alone, s1ttun~ ~rid waitin for de Lawd to call ~

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420260 F~X~.SLAVE STORIES Page One (Texas) JOIN OR ~WPOBD, 81 was born a slave on Judge Thompson Rector s plantation at Manor, Texas ~ft er sinanc ip at lori John was a share-cropper. He . has always lived in Travis County and is now cared f ci by a daught er at Aust in. ~John Crawford ama ins. It am eighty one years slnc$ I~s borned and dat s on de old Rector plantation where Manor ~ now~ It wasn t ders den. I knowed the man it was named after. Ma s nains was Vinsy Rector and the old. jedg. brung her from Alabama. 8h. milked all the cowe~ two times a day and I had to turn out all de c~Lves, ~om.timee d.y d. git purty rough and go right to der maminie s. a s name was Tom T0wnee c~e. he ~lon~ed on de Townee place. He was my step.pap and when I~s growed I toolcin my own paptms n~m*, what wa Crawford. I never seed him, though, and didn t know nothin much tbout him, He s sold away fore l s borned. tipap Townes could makf most ry. ~e made turnin plows and bossshoi nails ond a good lot of ftu niturs. He was purty good to me, siderin he wasn~t izi,v own pap. I ~idn~t have no hard time, nowey. I had plenty bacon and side meat and tlassss. very Sunday morning the~ jedge givs us our rations for de week. H. wasn1t short with dma, nsith.r. Maz~y was de ~tim. Injuns corns to Jedge R*ctor s place. Dem Injuns beg for eoni~thin . and the j.dg. allus give dem somn.thin Th. waen~t m.an . Injuns, j.i allus beggin . . . 1

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Zx elavs Stori.e Page Two 258 (Texas) III cantt read and write to this dey. Nobody ever larnt ne my A B C s and I didn t git no chance at school, t, On Chri etmas mit Mas sa R.ct or come out and. give each man and wou~n a big, red pocket handkerchief and a bottle at lj~quor. He buyed dat liquor by de barrel and liked it hisasif, Day why he allue had it on de place. ~ One mornint the jecig. donesend word down by de cook for nobody to go to de field. dat day. We all went up to de big house and. de jedge git up to make d.c speech, but am too choke up to talk, He hated to lose h. slaves, I reckon. So hie eon-in law has to say, You folk. a~a now free and can go where you. want$ to go. Ya~i can stay here and pick cotton and git fifty cents d.c hunerd, But only two famille. stayed., De rest pulled out. After fresdoin we rented land on dc halve.. Soin. niggers soon got ah.a;i and. rented on de third or fourth. When you rent that~a~way you git three bales and de boss git one, Bu~t you has to buy you own teams and seed and all on dat plan. Its a fac1 we was told weed git forty acres and a mule. Dat de talk den but we neye r did git I t . tiDe Iii. flur made a lot of devilment round-about dat county. Dey allus chaeint s orne nigger and beatin him up . But some dem niggers t I ~ ive it. lh n dey gits fr. ,- dey gits wild. Dsy won t work or do nothin and thinks dey don ~t have to. W. didn t hare no ti ~ible cans. we stays ~ on d: tirm and works and don t hate no thick with dem Wild nigger..

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~x slaV $toriee (Texas) Page Three 259 In 187? I. marries Fannie Black at de town of Sprinkle. It waen1t ssch a town, ~se ~ a li 1 place. U. ~nd h r :st~ d married fifty-~two years and four rnontb~. She died. and l.ftine stght y.arago. W. had seven chilien and they is all livint. Four Is hers in Au5t~n ar4 :two in California ~nd one in Ohio. . ~ t, ~ gi t s a 1 j I p. ne ion, $9. OO~ 4. month, and my g~1 Sus le takes cars of me. I ain t got long to ~o now fors de Lawd gwine call m~.

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42OO~7G ~ :~x-.sLAv:g STORIES Page One 260 (Texas) G~Ri~N OUMBY, 86, was born a slave of the Robert H. Cumby family, in Henderson, Thxas. He was about 14 at the close of the Civil War. He stayed. with this old. master four years after he was freed then marned. arid. settled. in Tyler, Texas, where he worked. for the compress 30 years. He lives with hie daughter at 749 Mesquite St., Abilene, Texas. H Diu~in slavery I had pu.rty rough t im. My ~rand.father, Tater Cuznby, was cullud. overseer for forty slaves arid he called. us at frnr in as morning and we worked. from sun to sun. Most of de time we wGrked. on S~xnday, too. De white~ overseers wh~ipped. us with straps when we d.idn t d.o ri:ht, I seed. ni~ers in chains lots of times, 1cauee there wasn~t no jails and. tk~y jus chained. ein to trees. Spec lators on hossee trove big bunches of sla~e s past our place from one place to another, to w~tct ion em at de market places. De women would. be cai~ryin i ll ones in clere arms and. at night dey bed. em down jus like cattle right on de ~rou.nd. sid.e of de road.. Lots of ~ 1 13. chill un was sold. way from de mami~ when dey seven or eight, or even smaller. Dat s why us cu .lud folks d.ontt know our kixifolke to dis day. ~De beet times was ihen d.c corn simekin was at hand.. Den yo~i. didn t have to bother with no pass t. leave de plar~tation, and. de p&tt.r rolls didn t bother you. If d.c patter rolls cotch you with lut te pass any other time, ~tt better wish ~rou dead., cause y~i ~. ~ .~ ~: ~ loult have yourself some trmble.

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i~x-slaVe Stories Paie Two 26j (Tex2s) But de corn shuckin dat was de grant times . Ui de marst ers and dee black boys from plantations from miles round wo::ld oe der. Den when we ~ot de corn pile high as dis house, de table was spread. out wid~er de shade. ~l de boys dat long to old marster wou) take him on de packsad.dle round de house, den d~y brine hirn to de table and s it by he side ; den all ~e boirs c1~t 1 on~ t o Marster A3ev~zi from another plantation take hina on de packsaddle round and round de house, allus sin~inh and dancirit den dey puts him at de other side de table, ~nd dey all do de sane till everybody at de table, den dey have de feast. To see de r~ina.way slaves in de woods scared me to death. They d try to snatch -rou :;nd hold rou, so ~7ou Cotil~fl t ~O tell. Some~ times dey cotched dem runaway ni~ers and d~y be like wild animals and have to be tamed over gain. Dere was a white man call Henderson h:~.d 60 blood.hounds and rents em out to run slaves. I well rec lect de hounds ruii thro ~li our place one ni~ht, chasm de slave what kilt his wife by I UI1flifl~ de harness needle throix~h her be~rt. Dey cotch him and de patter rolls took him to Henderson and hangs him. De patter rolls dey chases me plenty times, but I s lucky, cause dey never cotched me. I slips off to see de ~al on de next plantation and. I hi~s no pass and they chases rae and was I scairt! You should have seed. me ru.n thro~h cl-at bresh, cause I didn t dare ~o out on de road. or de path. It near tore de clothes ~f me, but I goes on and Cits home and slides under de house. But I d ~o to see dat g~1 every time, patter rolls or no patter rolls, and I sits trair~~ so s I c ou .d r~in most as fast as a rabbit.

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i~x.~s1aVe Stories Paie Three Page Three A~ ~ i (Texas) IDe white chillun lamed. us to read md write at nicht, but I never paid much tention, bat I kin read. d,. testament now. Other times at nicht de s1ave~ gathers round de cabins in little bunches and. talks till bedtime. Sometimes we d dance ~nd. someone wo~.Id knock out tii~ie for us by snappin de fth~ers and. sIar~ptn de knee . We didn t h~e nothin to make de music on. ~ ~ We mos Iy lived on corn pone and salt bacon de marster give us. We didn t hve no gardens outselves, caus~we wouldn t h~ve time to work in dem. We werked all day in de fields and den was so tired we coaldn t &o~iothin~ more. My mammy cIoctored~ us when we was feelin bad and she d. take dog-P fenley, a yaller lookin weed., and. brew tea, and. it driv de chills and de fever out of us. Sometimes she put horse mint on de pallet with us to wake us sweat and driv de fever way. For breakfast t make us sass fras tea, to clearoar blood. My marster and. his two step~sons roes to de war. De marster ~s a big gen rai on ~ de s ~thern s ide . I di&n t 1~iow what dey fight in ~ bout for a long time, ten I heered it bout freedom ant I felt like it be Heaven here on earth togit freedom spite de fac I allus had de good mars ter. He ~ was good t o us but you. knows . dat am t de swae as free. **** ******** ~

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~ 420124 ~s EL~SLA~V~ STORIES Page O~e 263 ~ ~: ~ (~eias) T~PI:E cui~n~s was born at Brookeland, Texas, sometime before the Civil War,but does not know her exact age. ~Tiiiiam Neyland owned Temple and. her pere~nts. She now lives alone In a small, weather-S beaten shack in the South Qpartere, a section o! Jasper, Tex. They call me Temple Cuminins and I ws~s horn at Brookeland but I don know jus the xact date. My father s name was Jim St arkins and my e name was Charlotte Brooks and both of em come fran Alabama. I had jus one brudder, Bill, and four sisters named Margaret and Hannah and I~ax y and Liza. Lise was good when I was with them axid us play round. Miss Thnnie Neyland., she Mis Phil Scprborough now, she raise me, cause I was give to them when I was eight year old. I slep on a pallet on the floor. They give me a home-W spun dress onot a year at Christmas t Inc . when company coi~e I had to run and slip on that dress. Lt other time I wore white chiliens cast.~.off clothe s so wore they was ready t O throw . I had to p in them up with red horse thorns to hide my nakedness. My dress was usually split froa hem to neck and I had to wear them till they was strings. ~eht barefoot summer and winter till the feets crack open. I never seed my grandpar~nts 1 ause my mother she sold in Alabama when she s 1? and they brung her to Texas and tree her rough. At mealtime they hand ins a piece otf cornbread and tell me

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. . Ex~s1ave Stories Page Two 264 (Pexas) tR~ tlOflg.t Sometime I git little p1ec~ of meet and blscudt, about ouct a month. I gathered up scraps the white cJaillens lef . Mareter was rough. He t~c~ two beech switches ~M twist t~tern t oget her and whip ~ em t o a ~ . Many ~ s the t line I ~ s bled from them whippin s. Our old mistus, sh~ try to be good tc~ u~, I reckon, b~.tt she was turrible lazy. She had two of us to wait on her ~nd then she didn treat us good. ~erster had 30 or 40 acres and he raise cotton, and corn and ttatoes, He used. to raise 12 bales cotton a year and then drink it all up. ~1e work from daylight till dark, and after. Marster punish them what dith~i work hard enough. The white chilien tries teach me to r&~ad and write but I didn la~rn much, CaUSC I a:Llus workin . Mother was workin in the house, and. she cooked too. She Say she used. to hite in trie chimney corner and listen to what the whit e ~o1ks s~q . Then freedom was dared, marBter wouldn tell t~, but mother she hear him tellin mistus that the slaves we,s free but they didn know it and he s not gwineter tell ~em till he rnakes another crop or two. When mot~r hear that she sa~r she slip ~ out the chimney corner and e rack her heels together ~ir t imes end shouts I s e, I s free. Then she Iwis to the field, gainst marster s will and. toi ai . the other slave s aud they qjilt work. Then sfle run away and. in the ~ night she slip into a big ravine near the nous~ and have them bring inc to her. Marster, he corne out with his gun and shot ~t mother but ~he run down the ravine and gits away with me, . ~ 2~

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265 ~xQs1ave Stories Page Three (Texas) III seed lots or gnosties when I s young. I could& sleep for them. ~ s kind of outgrowed. them now. But one t i~ne rae arid. my younges chile was e~Oinin over to churcn ~nct rignt near tne dippint vat is two big gates and wh~ n we ~it to them, out come a big old. white ox, with long legs an~ noms ana~ when he git bout ha1fwa~, h~ turns into e~ m~ with a Panama hat cn. iie rollers us t~ SaM:r Cr~~c briage. Soinettrn~s at night I sees tnat same spirit s1~tjflh OU tnat bridge tow. My o .d man say, in slavery t 1m~ when he s 2 . he nad to pass a place wii~re patterro1~s whipp~1 slaTes and had kilt soni~. Ee was sittin on a load or fod~cter and tri~ere come a big 1i~ht wavin down tue road. and scarint ~ teaz~ ami tkie hoss~s drag him and near kilt him.

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420(Y7O Page One 26G STORI~~S OF EL.SLAVES (Texas) A~C~L~E C1JNNINGHA~, 1210 FlorIda St., r~ born 1852, was a slave in Lavaca County, ~A ~ 4~ miles n. e~ of H8llettsville. She ~ N { ~ was a slave of ~7ash1ngt on G reenlee Foley and. his grandson, John Woods. The Foley plantation consisted o severe . square leagues, each league containing 4,428.4 acres. jd.ellne Is tall, spare and. primly erect, with fiery brown eyes, which i~W snapj ~ she recalls the ~ days. Plie house is somewhat pretentious and weil furnished. The day was hot and the granddaughter ~pre pared ice water for her grandmother ~~id the irxteririewer. House and. porch were very clean. tI was bo n on ole man Foley s plantation in Lavaca County. He s got more n 100 slaves. He always buy slaves and he never sell. How many acres of Ian he got? Lawd, dat man ain t got acres, he got leagues. De~ raises cotton and co n, and. cattle and hawgs. Oie man Foley s plantation run over Lavaca and Colorado county, he got 1600 acree in one block end some o~ it on de Navidad. River. 01e man Foley live in a big log house wid two double rooms and a hail, and he build a weaviri house agin his own house and dey s anudder house wiJ. de sptnnin wheels. And oie rn~n Foley r~m his own cotton gin ~nd his own grindin mill where dey grinds de co n and dey got a big potato patch. t Dey was rough peo~ple and dey treat ev ry body rough. We lives in de quarter ; de house s all j me cl ose t ogedd er but you kin walk ~ tween em. All de cabins has one room and mostly two f~ lies bunks togedder in de one room wid dirt floors. De slaves builds de cabins, de slaves got no money, dey got no land.~ . ~ suh, we never goes to church. Times we sne~ilcs in de woods and prays de Lawd to make us free and times one of de slaves got happy and made a noise dat dey heered. at de big house end den d~e overseer come and whip us

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Ex~s1aVe stories ~ Two 267 Texas cause we prayed de L~wd to set us free. You. know what a stockman is? He Is a man dat buys and sel z cattle. Ev ry year de stockmau comes to oie man Foley s and he lines us up In de yard and 3.e stockinan got a lotta slaves tied togeacler ~d oie man F0ley he buys some slaves but he ~ t sei.1 none. Yassuh~ de stockraan buys and sells de slaves jes de s~jne as cattle. Dey feeds us well sometimes, 1f d~ey warn t mad. at us. Dey has a big trough jes like de trough for de pigs ~nd dey has a bit ~ouH and. dey totez de gourd full of milk and dey breaks d.c bread in de milk. Den my mammy t~ces a gourd and fills it &id ~1vc~s it to us chillun. How s we eat it? ~e had. oyster shells for spoons and. deslaves comes in from de fields and. dey hands i~s all dirty, and d~ey is hungry. Dey dips de dirty hands right in de trough and we can t eat none of it, De women wuks in de fields until dey has chillun and when de chiflun s oie enough to wuk in de fields den de mother goes to oie man Foley~s house. Dere she s ahouse servant and ~ks at spinnin and weavifl de cotton, Dey makes all de clothes for oie man Foley and his faxn iy and for de slaves. No suh, we ain t got no holidays. Sundays we grinds COtfl and de me~ split rails and. hoes wid de gru.bbin hoe . Oie man Foley has a bla~ksmif shop and a slave does de biackemiffin. De slaves builds cabins wid split logs and dey makes de rcof tight wid. co n s~mcks and grass. One time a month, times one time in two months, dey takes us to de white folks church. Dey s four or five preachers end de slaves. Iffen days a marriage de preacher has a book. He e gotter keep it hid, cause day s afraid iffen de slaves learns to read dey iee~ ns how to ran away. One of de slaves i~ns away and dey ketches him and puts his eyes out. Dey catches anudd.er slave dat run

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Stories of ex slaves Page Three .( ~ex~s) away and dey hanged him up by de ar~ . Yas euh I see dat wid. my own eye s; de; ~ holds de slave up by one arm, dey puts a iron on his knee and a iron on his feet and drag im down but his feet cain t reach de groun . 01e r~an Foley ain t bad, but de overseers Is mean. No suh, we never gits no money and we never gits no 1~n . Oie ~an Foley,he wants to give us suinpin for gardens but Ur. John Woocls,his gran son, is agin it. ~~as I glad when dat was over? Tiouldn you be? It s long after we s free dat I ~its married, Yassuh, ~nd I live in San .~tonio bout 20 years, ** * * * * Ip* * ** *

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~-~--- ~G( For Ex-8lave Volume Page one #~~mpaU ~ EX~.SLAVE $TOPIES (Tex;;~s) ~x-sL~Lv:~ AUTOBIOGRApHY TiLL DAILY, was born in 1858 in Miseouri, near the city of St. Louis. Es wae e. slaTe of the John Daily family and e.rved as chore boy around the house, c~rrisd the breakfast to the field and always ~trovs up the horses on the plantation. The lattr tuty developed a tondxisss for horses which led to a oaresr 8g a race horee rider and. trainer. lis remained with hie white toiks aeveral years after freedom and in Missouri many years longer in this work. He came to San Angelo, Texas in 1922 and took up hotel work which he foilowed until hie health broke, only a tow years ago. Es now liv.. in hie small home in the colored diatriot of the city and depends on his old age pension for a livelihood. Thih.! What you say did you say soiiiethin bout de als age pension? ~estionsd. 1111 when approached on the slavery ~jie.tion, but he anawered readily, ShOt eho I

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Page two j ~ ;_ 6 c~ was a slave an I amt ashamed to admit &at I was. Some of d~ese here tellers thinks dey !ound8 oie when dey says dey vas slaves arid. dey denies it but l s proud~ enough of de good treatment I s got, to allus tell about lt. My meister had a driver but he say his niggers was human, wid human feelin s, so he makes dat driver reports to him fer what little thrashin s we giti. Course we had to do de right thing but jea some how did, moi of de time cause he was good to us. Soon as I was big snough, about tour or five years ol , oie LLtB8, she starts trainin me fer a house boy. I s a dom all sorts of chores by de time I was six years old. Den oie marstsr he starts ssndin me out on de plantation to drive up de houes. - I sho likes dat job cause amt nothin I loves any better den houes. Den when I waa bigger he starts me to oarryin de breakfast tQ de field whar de grown niggers had. been out workin sinoe way tore day. Dey all done dat. Dey say de days wasn t long enough to put in enough time so dey works part of de night. We had go od grub eau se we rai ed ail de co n and de hogs and de cows and chickens and plenty of ewery~ thing. Moi times vo have biscuits axid baoon and syrup for breakfast and butter too if w. wants it but moi niggera dey likes dat fat bacon de bei . nc~1r log cabins was good and oomfortabls. Dey was all along in a row and built out of de same kind of~ logs that our mareters hou8e was.

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Page three o ~ ~ L We had. good. bed.B and d3y was clean. I nsv r had. no money when I wa8 a slave cause I was sa a small boy when de elaves was set free. We had. lots of fish and rabbits, more den we had. possum~ but we sho likes d.at possum when we could git it. My marstr had about three hundred. slaves and a big plantation. PI seen some slaves sold off dat big auction block and de little chillun sho would be a cryin when dey takes dere mothers away from dem. tw, didn have no Jail ~use my marster didu be.~ usw. dat way but a se en other slaves in dem chains and thinge. We didn know nothin bout no learuin~ nor no church neither and when de slaves die dey was Jes buried without no in or nothin . Then de war started., my father, he goss and once I remember he comes home on a furlough and we was all so glad1 den when he goes back he gits killed and. we nev r see him no uio . le had de doctor and good care when we was sick. t. t t reinemb er r~ch bouS t what ~cind e of med Ic me we took bi~t e know it was mostly ma. ~i~ ail irars dat asafoetida ou a string ro~d our necks and sometimes we carry a rabbit s foot i~n our pockets fer good luck.

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Page four z;~ (~ When de. war was ended and de slaves wa~ tree old Uncle Pete, our oldest slave, comes aiu.ialkin up from de woods whar he always go to keeps from bain bothered, to read his Bible, and he had dat Bible under his arm an he say s know in me an de Lawd. knows ashin and den he tell8 us Re say You all is free people now, yo~ ean go when you please and come when you pleases and you ean stay here or go some other place . Veil I had to stay cause my mother stayed and l s ~ee keeps on ridin dem race hosasa tU. long after my marster was dead, din I s gits me some hoases ot my own and train other men s hosses too. l s worked at dat raoin business tu l a come to Texas and when I vent to work in hotels dat killed me up. I s done ev r thing from makin soap ter de sorubbin , to cookin de bes meals fer de bee hotels. I amt been no good since, though, and I had to quit several year s ago. De first time I was married was to Phillis Reed in Missouri and we jas Jumps over de broom, and after Phillis die and I comes to Texas I s gits married again to Susie, here in San Angelo; we Jes Jumps ov r de broom too. I s nev r had no ohillun of my own so I s je~~ a settin here a livin ott de oie age pension.

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4 ~.)()()4)fl ~ ~w*._ J / F4X.-SL V~ STORIES Pace One 273 (Texas) JULIA ~RANGIS DA1~IELS, born in 1848, in G~or~1a, a slave of the Denm~xi family, who movmd to T~xa~ before the Civil ~Yar. JuIia1s meniory falls her when she tries to recall names and dates. She still tries to t~ce part in church ~ictivities ~nd has rec~,ntiy started to learn ~ ethin~ and writ Ing. She lives with a daughter ~t ~23 Spring St. Dallas, Texas. They s lots I disremembers ~M they s lots I remembers, like the year the war s over and. the fightin all done with, c ~xse that the year I lamed to plow and that th~ time I got riaarri ~d. Thet s the very year they lamed me to plow. I 1~rnt all right, tcause I wasn t one ~1(~ to lam anything. Afore to that time, they ain t never h~,d no hoe in the field for me a-~tal1. I jes toted water for the ones in the field. I had plenty brothers and sisters, bout ten cf ~n, but I disr mernbers sane they nruiies. There was Tor~i ~nd ~eorge and Marthy aM Mandy, arid the~r s all ni~ine Demnan, tcause my mammy and d~dy was Lottie ~nd Boyd Denman and they cor~ie from Georg1 ~ to Cherokee County and then to Houston County, near by to Crockett, with Old. Man D~nmsn. He was the one owned ~11 us till he vicI,d some with Miss Lizzie when she marries 1~Lr. Cr~jner, tt~r daddy worked in t he fields with Uncle Lot and my brothers, and my Uncle Joe, he s driver. Bcit Briscoc ~m overseer ~fld he a white ni~n. He can t never wimp the growed mens like be wants, cause they don t let him unless he ask Old Man Denmaxi. I seed hirn whup 1em, thou~h. He m~ce t em t ake off the shi rt ~nd whup wi th the strap. ~ ~ -.1-S

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Ex-slave $tortes Page Two 274 (Texas) ~Now, my mammy was cook in the Derunan house and for our family and UncieJoc ~ family. She dd t hRv~iuch t i~ae for ~Tthin ~ but cookin all the time, But she s th bestt~s~ cook. Us had. f1n~ greens and haigs and beef, Us et collard greens arid pork till us ~got skittieh of it and then they quit the pork arid kilt a beef. When they done that, they s jus pourin water on our wh ~els, cause us liked best of anvthin the beef, ~nd I do to this day, only I can t never git it. O:1(~~ Man Denman had a boy what kilt squirrels and throwed ~em ~ in the kitchen. The white folks et the~n. You ain t never seen no white folks th~ would eat rabbit . I bad. a brother who hunted. 1~ostly on Sunda~ys. He d. leave for the swamps fore da~rbreak and. we d know when w~ d hear him ~ I ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ he had. somethin Tha.t a m~ceu~ of he own, bu~t we knowed they s rabbit s for the pot. All the mens ~ hU.flt on Sunday, tcatse Uncle Joe helt meetin in front he house, Us look out the door and seed Uncle Joe settin the benches straight and sett1n~ he table out under the trees and sweepin clean the l~a~es and. us know they e gwine be meet in ~ They s the loveliest days that ever they was . Night times t o o they d. make it twe en ~ ~ whether 5. d be at our house or Uncle ~ We d~ ask niggers from other farms and I used to sear, I likes meetin jus as good as I likes a party. When orc~ps le laid by us have the most parties and dence and. sing and bave play gaines. The reeli is what I used. to like but I done quit that ~!o1~shne~manY a year ago. I used to ctit a step or two. r remembers one I e4 call the Dew I Vs Dream. It s a fast song ~ ~ ~ ~ th~tL Z~

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Ex~.s1ave Stories (Texas) Page Three 275 f, ~ de Devil drer~ipt a dream, He drempt it ort a Priday - He drempt he catch a sinner. ~ Old ~an Denman am the great one for viding he property and when Miss L1~zie marries with lvtr. Or~ame Crz~mi~r, which am her dead sister s husband, Old ~v1an Denman cive me e~nd two my sisters to Miss Lizzie and he cives two more my sisters to he son. Us ~o~s with Miss Lizzie to the Cramer place and lIves in the b~~ck yard in a lIttle room by the back door, everything fine and nice there till one day Miss Lizzie say to me, Ju~Iia, ~o down to the well ~nd fetch me some water, and. I goes and I seed. in the road a heap of rn~n all In cray and ridin hoss~s, comm1 our way. I runs baek to the house and calls Miss Lizzie. She say, What ~oii scairt for? I tells her bout them men and she say they ain t gwine hirt me none, they jus wants some water. I goes back to the well and heered ~em talk bout a fight. I goes b~ck to the house and some of the mens comes to the gate and. says to Mr. Cramer, Howe re y~,a, Creame? He say, V s all right in my heal th but I am t so good in my m md ~ They says what the matter, Cre~me? He ss~y, I want to be in the fight so bad. When they goes I asks Miss Lizzie what they fi~htin tbout and she say it am ~bout money. That ail I knows. Right after that Mr. Cramer goes and we don t never see him no more, Word cogne back from the fightin he makes some the big, high iiiens mad. and they puts chains round he ankles and make him dig a stump in the hot sun He am t used t o t hat arid I t give bi~fever to the brain and he dies. ~. ?~) /

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Ex~slave Stories Pe~e Four 27G (Texas) ~~f~en Mr. Cremer goes way, Miss L1~zie takers us all end goes back t o 01 d Man ninant s T~e s oj ers us cd to pas s and ~1 I the ~ ~nd hollerin ~ carryin on, you ain t never heered the likes~ They hollers, t Tho-.o~-o~~o Old M~n Denmen how s your clii ckens ? knd t~iey chu.nks and. throws at ~ till they cripples em up ~nd puts tern in they begs, for cookint. Old Man Denman cusses at ~ somethin pow~rful. My sister Mendy ~nd me ein down in the woods a good, fur piece from the house and us keeps heerin e noise. }~r brother cornes down end finds me and say, Conic git your dinner. Tnen I gits there dinner ~m top the gate post end he say they s sojers in the woods and they has been persecutin a old. wom~i on a mule. She was a nigger woman. I gits so scairt I cantt eat my dinner. I aintt got no heart tor victuals. My brothe say, ~Vait f ~ p~&, he comm1 with the mule ~nd h ~tl1 hide you out. I gits on the mule front of p~. Rfld us pass through the sojers and they grabs at us and SAYS Gimme the gal ~ girnxne the gal . Pa say I faints plumb t way. Us heered. guns shootint round and. tbout all the time. Seems like they fit every time they git a chance. Old. Man Denrne.n s boy gits kilt and. two my sisters he property and they dontt 1~iow what to do, tcause they lies ~o be soniebodyts prpperty and they atritt no one to heritance tern. They has to go to the auction but Old Men Denman say not t o fret . At the auct ion the man sir, t~j~t high, goint low, goint mighty slow, a little ~ile to go. Bld eu in, bid. ~ in, The sun ein high, the sun a~n hot, us got to git home tonight, I j~ old. friend of Old Men Deninan ~ hollers out he buys for ?lilliam Bl~ekstone~ Us all comehome and. my sisters too end Old Man Deninan laugh big ~ ~ aM ~ My name aflus been William Blackatone De~nan. t

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( ~ ~x...s1aVe Stories Page pjv e ( Texas) Its a woman growed wh n the w~r w~s to ~. end. I had my first baby when I~s fa~xrt ~en. One d~,y my sister call me ~nd say, They s fit out, and they s been surrenderin and ain t gwine fight no niore.~ Th~.t dusk Old Man Deninan call all us niggers together and st8nd on he steps and make he speech, ~MCflS and womans, you is free as I ~n. You is free to go where ~rou wants but I is beggin yous to stay by me till us git the crops laid by. Then he s~y ~ Stud~r it Over ~ fore you g ive s me you ~i swer. I i s always try as my duty to be fair to ~TOU.I The mens talks it over a~wixt theyselves and includes to stay. They says us might as weil stay there as go somewhere else, a~d us got no money and no pince to go. Then Miss Lizzie rn~rries with Mr. Joe MeMahon and I goes with her to he house near by a~id he say ~ lam me to plow. Miss Lizzie say, ~ Julia, -roll knows~ how to plow and don t make no fool of yourself and. act 111cc ~rou ajn~t never seed no plow afore. Us make a corn crop and goes on ~ ~me as af ore. I gits married that very year and has a iittie fixin for the weddin bakes some caks and I have a dress with buttons ~nd a preacher marries me. I ain t used to weariri nothin but loring(a simple one piece garment made from sacking) . Unnerwear? I ~jfl~ t never wore no unnerwear then. . My husband ren;s a little piece of 1~nci and us raise a corn crop and. tttat s th~ way us do. Us raises our o~ victuals. I has i~ chilien througt~ the year a~ad they clone scatter to the four vinas. Some of them is dead, i: ain t what I used to be for workin . I jus set round. I done plenty ~ in my primer da~s. .~. ~ _________

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4 2(J()J. 3 EX-SLAVE STORIES Page One 278 ( Texas) KATIE DABLI1~G, ab out 88 was born a slave on the plantati on of William McCarty, ~n the Ely.~ sian Fields Road, nine miles south of Marshall, Texas. Katie was a ntirse and~ hou.segirl in the mcCarty household until five years after the end o4~ the Civil War. She then moved to Marshall and rnarried~ Her husband and her three children are de?d and she is support ed. by Gri ffin Will i~is, ~ a boy she found homeless aid reared. They live in a neat three.~roorn shack in Sunny South ~idd.ition of Marshall, Texas. YOLI is talkin now to a nigger what nuss~d seven white chilien in them bullwhip days. Miss Stella, my young mi sy, got ~d1 our ages down in she Bible, and it say I s~ born in 1849. Massa Bill McCarty my massa and he live east and south of Marshall, clost to the Louisiana line. Me and my three br~xdders, Peter and. Adam and Willis, ~il lives to be crowed 2nd married, but m~s~y die in slavery ~id peppy nu tway while he and Massa Bill on they way to the battle of Mansfield. Massa say when he come back from the war, That triflin nigger ru.n way and unes up with them da~mn Y~ike~s. Massa have s ix chilien when war come on end I nussed. all of em. I stays in the ho~tse with em and. sitrn~p on a pallet on the floor, ~d soon t5 big nou~gh te tete th+i .k pail they puts me to miThin too. Massa have more i 100 cows aid most the time ne and Violet do ai . the miThin . ~e better be is that cowpen by five o clock. One niornint massa cotched. me letti* ne the calves do some milkin and he let me off without whippiA that time, but that don t mean he allus good, cause them cows have more fee~j~~ fer than massa did missy. .1.1w

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Ex.~slaVe Stories Pa~ge Two (Texas) 9~e et ~ a~id greens zrn~ co11~rd5 ~nd. mjddlju s. Niggers had better let that hi~m a1one~ We have m~1 coffee. They parch rrt~ . ut the oven ~xid bile it and drL~k th~ liquor. Somet1rri~ we gits some of the Lincoln c~ff~ whet was 1~! from the nex plattat Ion. When the ni.gg~re do~ aiythiig massa bullwhip th~rn, but did.i t skin them up very often, He d whip the mairt for half. dois the pl.wln or hoeli but tf they done it right h&d. find. something else to whip them for. At nicht the mea b~1 to shuck corn and. the warnen card ~nd spi~a. Us got two pieces of clothes for winter and. tw~ for summer, but iiz have no shoes. We had to work Saturday ~11 dey and if that grass was in the ft~ld w~ dl&u t g t no Sunda r, either. They have dancee aM pe.rties for the white folks chi11~n, but missy s~r, Nj,ggers was m~.de to work for white folks,1 and on Christmas Mise Ir ~ne b~es two Cakes for the nigger ~ami1tes but she darsn t let missy know 1bout It. Then a slave dite, massa make the coffin hisseif a~d send a couple ~iggf~re t~ bu~ry the body and say, Do~ t be .loA , t ~nd no si~gin or pr~yi.i~ lowed, ~ put them lia the ground and c ever em up ~nd hurry on back to that field. Niggers dlda t cou t then likethey do now, massa pick out a :ps tly mu ~?fld a~ po tly gal and jiet put em together. ~That he wait am the stock. II member that fight at )Laisfteid like lt ye~ day. Mass~. 5 field am all tore up with cgnnon boles a~d ever time a camlol fire, missy go ff in a r~e. Oie time Wh~A a CaJu~Ofl fire, she say t~ me, YOU 11 1

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Ex..slaYe Stories Page Three 280 ( Texas) b1a~k wench, you nigger8 am ~ t gwlne be free. You s made t o work for white folks. Bout that time she look up and see a Yank~e sojer stt~ndin1 ii the door with a pistol. She say, X~tie, I ~.id.n t say an~rthin did IT I Eay, I ain t tellin no lie, you say ni.ggere ain t gwlne git free. That day you couldn t g t round the place for the Yaflkees and they stays for weeks at a time. Thei massa come home from the war he wants let us loose, but missy wouldnt t do it . I stays on and werks for them s ix y~r~ after the war and. missy whip inc after the war jist like sh~~id fore, She has a hum erd lashes laid up for~me now, and this hoe. it am. . My brudders done .ef massa after the war ~nd moiTe mcx door to the Ware place and one Saturday some iiggers come and tell rae my brtidder Peter am cornu to git me t~y from old missy Sunday night. Th3t night the cows and calves got together and mi s sy s ay j t my f~il t She say I tm gwi~ e give ~rou one hu erd. I ~ she s in the aorniu now go pen them calves, tII don~t know whether them calves was ever penned or not, cmise Peter was waitin for nie at the lot and t9kes m~ ~ live with hi~ on the // ~~~ /~ ~fare place. I s so happy to git away from t~,Vold devil missy, I don t know what to do, ~nd I st~y~ there sev~r years and works out here ~ there for money, Then I marries ~K~ov~s her~e and me and. my man faime . and nothii tcitim done ~~pened.

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420046 . EX~SLATZ STORIES ?a~e One 081 (Texas) V CABEY OLVENPOBT, retired Methodist minister of Anahuac, Texas, appears sturdy despite his 83 years. He was reared a slave of Capt. John Mann, in Walker Co, Texas. His wife, who has been his devoted comp~n1on for 60 years, ~ ;as born in slavery just before emancipation. Carey is very fond of fishing Rnd spends euch time with hook arid line, He is fairly well educated aiul is influential among his fellow Negroes. If I live till the 13th of Au~ ist I ll be 82 years old.. I was born in 1855 up in Walker County but since then they split the county and the place I was born is just across the line In San Jacinto County now. Jini and Janey Davenport w~s my father and mother aM they come from Richmond Virgini a. I had. two s isters Bet ty and Harr let, and. a half brother, Willl~mn. Our old masterts name was John Mann but they called him Capt. Mann. Old D11s8us1 naine was Sarah. I d say old. master treated us slaves ba~1 and there was one thing I couldn ~ t understand, I cause he wa~ ~ ligious and every Sunday rn1 everybody h~d to git ready and go for prayer. I never could understand his ligion, cause sometimes he git up off his knees arid befo we git out the house he cus~us out. All my life I been a Methodist and I been a regular preacher 43 years, Since I quit I been livin here at Anahu~e and seems like I do boat as much p~eachln now as I ever d.ori~. ~I don t tmember no cullud preachers in slavery times. The white ~ethodlst circuit riders come round on horseback and preach. ~ There was a big box ho se for a chiirch house and the cullud folks sit off j~ cne corner of the church. ~ ~ . . .. .~.. ...

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. ~x~slave Stories Page Two 282 (Texas) Sometimes the cullud folks go down in dugouts and hollows and hold they own service and. they used to sing songs what come a gushin up from the heart. They was bout 40 slaves on the place, but I~ never seed no slaves bought or sold and. I never was sold, but I seen tern beat O, Lawd, yes. I seen ~em ni~ake a man put his head through the crack of the r~til fenci~ !~21d then they beat hin till he was bloody, They give some of ein 300 or 400 licks, Old m~n Jim, be run aw~ylots and o~netimes they git the dogs after him. Ee ran away one tine and it was so cold his legs git frozen and they have to cut his legs off. Sometimes they put chains on runaway slaves 9nd chained I~ to the house, I never knowed of ein putting bells on the slaves on our place, but over next to us they did. They had a piece what go round they shoulders arid ~ ound they necke with pieces up over they heads ~nd 1~ing up the bell on the piece over they head. WI was a sheep minder them days. The wolves was bad but they never tackled me, 1caise they d ruther git the sheep. They like sheep meat better n man meat. Old d~ptain wanted. me to train he boy to herd. sheep and one da~~ y ting master see a sow with nine pigs and want me to catch them and I wouldn t do it. He tried to beat me up arid when we git to the lot we have to go round to the big gate and he had a pine knot, aM he catch me in the gr~te and hit me with that knot Old Capt~& n s it tin . on the ~a11ery and he seed it all. When he heer~d the et ory he whipped ~ ~ ~ yoUng master and. the o 4 lady, she aintt like it. ~

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~x..s1ave Stories Page Three Ou ) ~L1L) (Texas) One tiae after that she sittin in the yard. IcLittin and. she throwed. her knittin needle off ~ud c~~11 me to conic git it. I done forgot she wanter whip i~ ~nd when I bring the needle she grab me and I pu . . away but she hold. on my shirt. I run round ~iid round ~~nd she call. her mother and. they catch and whip me. !~y shirt just L~d one btitton on lt and. I was p~11in and gIu?ivin on that button and directly it come off ~nd the ~vvho1e shirt pull off ~nd I dldxi t have nothin on but my skin. 1 rim and climb up on the pole at the gate arid sot there till master come. He ssy, Carey, why you sittin up there? Then I tell him the whole transaction. I say, t~issus, she whip me tcause young marse John git whip that time and not me. Ee make me git down and git up on his hcrse behin him and ride up to the big house. Old. aissus, she done went to the house ~nd go to bed with her leg, cause when she whipp in me she s tkck my head tween he r b~ees and when she do that I bit her. Old master1s house was two~-story With galleries. My mother, she work in the big house and she have a purty good house to live in. It was a plank house, too, but ~ll the other houses was make out of hewed. logs. Then my father was a carpenter and old master let hi~u have lumber and he make he own furniture out of dressed lumber srid make a box to put clothes in. ~e never did have more n two changes of clothes. My father used. to make th~i old Carey plows and was good at makin the mould board out of hardwood. He make the best Carey plows in that part of the country and. he make horseshoes and nriils and ever~rthing out of iron. And he used t o make ep inning wheel s and part s of 1 ooms He was a very valuable man and he make w~aeels and the hub and put the spokes in. .1~3..

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~x..s1aveStOrieS Page Four 284 (vexas) Old master ~tai a bi~ farm and he r ised cotton ~ corn and ~ taters and. peanuts and. sorgArnm cane anc~ some ribbon cane. The bigges crops was cotton and. corn. Mey father told us when freedom corne. He d been a free man, cwise he wa~ boclygu*rd to the old, old master an~ when he died he give my father he freedom. That was over In Richmond, Virginia. Bu.t young master steal him Into slavery ~ain. So he was glad when freed~ come and he was free again. Old. master made arrangement for us to stay with him till after th~ harvest and then we go to the old Rawl~ house what long to Mr. Chiv Rrwls. He and my father and. mother run the place and. lt was a big farm. t, I git mari7 when I was ~ bout 22 years old and that ~ her right there now. We s been married moretn 60 years arid she was 17 years old. then. She was raised. in Grant s criony and her rather was a blacksmith. It ~e had it all ~ ranged and we stop the preacher one Suxtday morn when he was on the way t o preachin ~nd he e ne there to her pa s ho~tse and iiiarry us. We e ha~ 1 . children and ~il 1 has deceased but three. . I was educated since freedc~, cw~tse they wasn t no schools In slavery days, but after I was freed I went to public schools. Most my learnin I got from a. German man what was princ ipal of a college and he teach me the biggest part of my education. Then I was 14 a desperado 4illed my father and then I h~1 my mother an& her eight children to take care of. I worked two months and. Went to school one month and that way t made money to t~ake care of e...,..

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285 EX..$LAVE STORIES (Texas) C~AUPBELL D/LVIS, 85, w~s born in Harrison Co., Texas, ~ slave of Henry Hood. He re S niained on the Hood place about three years after he was freed, then farmed in Loui~1ana, In 1873 he z~iDrried ~ ~noved beck to Harrison ~o. where he farmed until old age forced him to stop. He now lives with his nephew, Billie Jenkins, near K~rna.cIc. Cempbell receives a $32,00 per month o1~ age pension. Page One . 1 *) ~,) ~ ~ ~ Hh1~ bi~ nough in slavery time to heer dera tell de darkies to ~et up and go in the mornin , and to hear the whistlint o~! dem ~b1ps and howlin of de dogs, I s bIrthed up In the norther~st pRrt of this county right on the line of Louisi~na and. Texas, and ~1onged to old man Heniy Hood. My mnmmy a~d daddy was Campbell ~nd Judy Davis and dey both come from Alabama, and was brung here by de traders and sold to Massa Hood. They was nine of us ch illen na e Elli s ~uid Hi1d~man and Henciers on and Henrietta ~ eorgi~ ~nd Harriet ~nc~ Patsy, ~iassa Henry didn t have de fine house ~ut it ~ bl ; one. sot off ~crosi~ de field in de edge of ~ skit of woods. Dey have and a fireplace and old noie raid plank bunks naflto de walls, Dey fed us beef and. veg tables ~ny kind, jus naine it ~ and low us sop bread in potlicker till de world look level, L~t good eatin and all ray life I aintt have no better, Massa didn t 1low no ~rseer on he pince. One my uncles de driver, and massa blow de old conic shell lone ~fore day, and if c~e larkies didn t git.goin vau~ d beer dem whips erackin . Us quarters dirt floors

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j Ex~~81aVe Stories ~ Page Two 286 (texas) ~ UI seed one my sisters whip tcause she ~ spin nough. ~ pu.fl de clothes down to her waist ~nd laid. her down on de stomach aud~ lash her with de rawhide qa. I s in de field when d.ey whips my Uncle Lewis for not pickin nough cotton. De driver pull he clothes down and make him lay on de gr oun1 He ~ ~ t led down but he say he s cart t o . U.De women am Off Friday afternoon to w~wh clothes and all de bands git Saturday afternoon and mos de man go huntin or fishin . Sometimes dey have parties Saturday night and. couples git on de floor and have mu~ic of de fiddle and. banj o. I only meiabers one ring play: I Hop light I i. 1 lady, ~ The cakes ai . dough, Don t mind de weather, Jiis~ so de wind don t blow. De bigges dey to bl~cks and whites was fourth of July. De hands was off all day and massa give de big dinner out under de trees. He allus barbecue de sheep or beef and. have cakes and. pies and fanc~r cookin , He s one de bes bosses round datc~ntry. He ijeve in m&cin dein work and when dey need whippin he done it, but when it come to feedin he done dat right, too. And on Christmas he give us clothes and shoes and nuts and things and nother big dinner, and on Christmas night de darkies sing songs for de white folks, ~ . Us git some book lamm mongst ourselves, round de quarters, end ~ .; h!eour own preacher. Moe de time us chilien play, malcin frog holes in de sand and mw~ people and things. NI done hear lots of talk bout ghosts and hanta and. think I seed

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~x.~.s1ave Stories Page Three 28~ ( ~ ~~s) one onct. 11s comin home from de neighbors at ni~ht, in de moonlight, r ~d rectl7 I seed. something white by side de r~I, De closer I gits de b1~er it fits. PS scart but I w~1ks up to it and. it nothin but ~e big spiderweb on de i~sh. Den I says to myself, tDere ain t 1~Qth1~~ to &is ghost business, Massa have one son go to war and he thken a old cullud maxi with him. I seed soldiers on hosses comin and. ~oin de bi~ road, and. lots o! dem corne to Port Caddo in boats. De pretties sight I ever seed am a soldier band all dress in de uniforms with brass buttons. ~hen de soldiers come back from de war dey throwed. cannon balls long de road end us chilien play with dein, . When de w~r 9JY~ over, massa call u.s ~tlI and say e s free but cm i stay on and work for de victuals and. clothes. ~ bunch leaves and. go to de Pro~oe Marshal at Shreveport end ask him what to do. He tell deni to g~ back and wait till dey find work some place. )~1y m~irny and rue stays at de Hood place tbout three years. V~hen l s twenty-~one I znarrles and come back to Harrison County. !hainmy ~nd me done farm in Lou1si~na up to . My wife and nie marries under de bi~ ocB tree front of de Leigh Church. Us jus common folks and. doesn t have no infair or bi~ to do when us marry. I s voted but our people wonTt pull together. I votes de publican ticket de lone time, but last time I pulls over and votes de Democrat ticket. I cides I jus as well go with de braves as st~v with ~e scart. s If de young gen ! x~ ~ti on would study dey could m ke s omethin~ out . deyselves, but dey wont do it. Dey nia too wild. Just l~t week, I hears de young culluci preacher at Karnack F~ Brwidera rind si st ers style and briglitnes s 0s3..1

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~x~slaVe Stories Pace Four 2~j~ (Texas) ~rn what we needs today. t I looks at him ~nd says to myself, Thank de LRwd I knows better n dat. ~Vhen I s comm1 up it am cl9rk, but I Icnows better things am ahepd for us people and us trusts in de Lawd and was honest with our white folks ~nd profits by what dey tells us. :ey wasntt no ni~gers sent to jail when I s oomint up. it dis 1stvle md b~ightness what gits de young ni~gers in trouble. Dey got de dark way head of deiii, less dey stops and studies and make somethin out deyselves.

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41~O294 EX..SL Vi~ STQEIES Page One 289 (Texa2) WILLIAM t~LVIS wai born near Kingston, Tennessee, on the first of April1 1845. His f~mi1y were the only slaves owned by Jonathan Draper, Baptist minister. In 1869 William joined the army and was stationed at Port Stock.tvn, Texas. He has lived in Houstofl since 1870. William . Is active and tnkes a long, daily walk. Well, s~ih, jest sit down in de chair yonder and Vil tell you what I can bout tines back yonder, Let s see, now. I was born on de first day of April in 1845. De reason I knows was cause Miss Lizzte, our missy, told rn~ so when we was sot free. Mammy done told me I was born doe, on de Tennessee river, near Kingston. I heared her say de tu.rnpike ~iat run past Massaohn s house dere goes ever de mountain to Bristol, over in Virginny. Mammy arid pappy and all us chil en long to de drapers, }~a~a Jonathan what us call Uassa John, and he wife, }~iss Lizzie, and we is de only cullud folks whay dey Owns. $ Massa Jihn am de Baptist preacher, and while I~in sho glad ~o see my folks sot free, Vil tell de truth and say Massa John and Miss Li?zie was mighty good to us. ~y have four chilien; Massa Milton, what am oldea and kill in de first battle; Massa Bob and Massa George and Massa Canero, Oh, yes, dey have one gal, Missy Ann. C,~irse ~s didn t have no last names like now. Mammy named Sop~rie and pappy named Billy. Sometimes de owners give de slaves last names cordin to what dey do, like pappy was meat cook and manim~r cook pies and cakes and bread, so dey might have Cook for de last name. 1-.

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~x..s1aVe Stirles Page T~ 290 ( Texas) HWe has ~ bigger family dan Massa John, cause dey eight of US chilien. I ain t seen none of dem since I lef Virginny in 1869, ~t I member (111 de names. Dere w~s Jane and. Lucy and Ellen and Bob and Solomon and Albert and John, ~md I rr~ de younges do whole lot. I heared Miss Lizzie te .1 some white folks dat my m~ny and pappy give to her by her pappy in Alabama when she get married. Dat de custom with rich folks den, and mammy long to de Ames. wh~t was l4iss Lizzie s name fore she marry. I heared her say when de stars falls, I ththk she s~y in 1832, she was bout eighteen, and dey think de world am endin . ~Pappy was a Indian. I knows dat. He come from Congo, over in Africa, and I heared him say a big storm dru~v de ship somewhere on de Ca lina coast, I member he mighty spect ~ . to Massa and Missy, but he proud, too, and walk straightertn anybody I ever seen. He had scars on de right side he head and cheek what he say am tribe marks, but what dey means I don t know. t, Bo~it de first I members real good am where we am in Virginny and I~assa John runs de ashington College, in Washington County. I member all de pupils eats at ~ house and dat de first job I ever had.. Scuse me for laughin , but I don t re&on I thurk of dat since de Lawd know when. Dat my first job. Dey has a string fasten to de wall On one side de room, with pea fowl tail feathers strung long it, and it runs most de length de room, above de dinin table, and round a pulley~-like piece in de ceilin with one end de string hangiri down, When mealtime come, I am put where de string hang down and I pulls it easy like, sind de feathers swish~s back ~nd forth sideways, and keeps de flies from l~ghtin while folks am eatin . CePtin dat, all I does 2

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Ex~s1aVe Stories Page Three (~exaa) .~ is play round with Massa george ~i ~ Dey ain t no wlmppln ~rt ~.tr place and on Sund.~y us till go to church, and Massa J0hn do de preachin . Dey rides in de bi~ggy ~nd us follow in de wagon. De white folks sets in front de church and us in b~ck. I can t tell you how long us stay at de college, 1z~ctly, but us moves t o ~Y~rm Springa to t ~ke de baths and. drink de water in Scot t County. Dat two, three years nefo de war, (e:,fld Massa John ni~n d~e hotel and preach on Sunday. I think dere am three springs, one sulphur water and one lime weter ~nd one a wann spring. I does a little bit of e~er~rthin~ r~ind de hotel, helps folks off de stage when it druv up, wait on. table and sich. When I hears de horn blow ..~-.you know, de stage driver blow it when dey top de hill bout two ailes way, to let T~7OU know dey commt ~ I sho hustle r .nd ~nd git reedy te meet it, 1c~use most times folks what I totes de grips for give me something. D~t de first money I ever seed. Some de folks gives me de picayune dat what us call a nickel, now, and some gives me two shullin s, what same as two- bits now. A~r~ny was big den, jes like a two-~bit piece, now. :~At when war begin tween de Yankees and de South, it sho chance every~ thing up, tcause fOlks quit comin to de Springs and de soldiers takes iver de place. Massa Milton go to jine de South Axmy and gits kill. Morgan ~nd he men make de Springs headquarter. most de war, tIll de Y~wkees come marchin through tsward. de last . I know pappy say dein Yankees gwi ne ~ n cause dey allus marchin to de South, but none de Srnith soldiers marches to de North. He didn t 2i~r dat to de ~thite folks, but he sho say it to us. When de Yankees come n*archin threugh, dc~ Morgan soldiers j es bid.e out t ill dey gone. Dey never done no fight in round Walk Springs. Lot s of t tines dey goes way fer e o~xple weeks and .4-

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Page Foar ~x~u.s1aVe Stories ( Texas) den comes back and rests a~i1e, Den one mornin ~ I tmembers it jes like it yestiddy, it de fourth c~f July in 1865 ~ Miss Lizzie s~y to me, ~Vi11itin, I wants you to git yo~i papa and de reat de famil and have dein c~e to de porch right aw~r. S I scurries ~t~nd quick like ~uid teUs dem and she coenes out of de house and says, Now, de Yankees done sot you free and you can do what you wants, but ~rou gwineter see more carpet baggers and liars dan you. ever has seed, and. you ll be worse off den yo~i everhas been, Iry~i has ~nythin t.. do with de~~ Den she opens de book and. tells us all when us born and how o c us ~ so us have some record bout ourselves, She tells me I m jes nineteen and one fourth years o)5 when Pin sot free. She tell pappy )La~sa John want to s~e him in de house and when he comes out he tells us Massa John done told him to take a couple wagons and de family and go to de farm bout ten miles wa~r on Possum Creek and work it and stay long as he wants. Massa has us load. up one wagon with ~ Peppy mnde de first crop with jes hoes, cause u.s didn t hve no hosses or mules to plow with. Us raise jes corn and some wheat, but dey am f~uit treea, peaches and. apples and. pears and cherries. Massa John p~y papp~r $120 de year, sides us visions, and us stays dore till peppy dies in 1868. Den I heared. about de railroad what dey buildin at Knoxville an~ I leaves de folks and. gite tae .e job totin water. Dey asks my name and I says ~illi~,m Davis, cause I knows Mr. Jefferson Davis am President of de ~euth during de w~ , arid I figgers it a good name. Ifl 1869 I goes to Nashville and lists in de arm~y~ I m in de 24th Infantry, Company c~, and us sent to Fort Stockton to ~ttard de line of Texas but all us do ~m build dobe houses Col. Wade was de 0~4.u.

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~%.~la ~ Stories Page ~ ive 293 ( ~exas) coiriTnatider de fort and Cap n Johnson was captain of G~, Co. Out dere I votes for de;iirSt time, f ~ Gen, G~rant, when G~reeley and him run for president. But I gits sick at de Fort and. ara muster out in 1870 ~nd comes to Houston. II gits me de deckhand. job on de Dinch, de steamboat what haul freight and passengers ~tWO~fl Galveston ~rd Houston. Den I works ~on de Lizzie, what am a bigger boat. Course, Houston jee a little b~t of place to whp~t it am now ~ day t ni git t iildin s I ike dey t s now ~nd mud. I te . 1 y ou de streets was jes like de swamp when it rain. !~ong bout 1875 I gits marry to Mary Jones, but she died in 1883 and I gits marry gain in 1885 to Arabel~ ~Tilson and hRs four girls and one boy from her, She died bcut ten years back. Co~irse, us cuflud folks marry jes like ihite folks do now, but I seen cullud folks marry ~ fore de war ~tnd massa marry dem dis way: dey goes in de parlor and each carry do broozi. Dey lays de broms on de floor and de woman puther broom fr ~t de man and he put he broom front de wogian. Dey face one nother and step cross de brooms at de same time to each other and. taz~s hold. of hands and dat narry dem. Da ~ de way dey done, shot, c~se I seed my own sister marry dat wz~y. I, ~ has WI she d I ot e of t ime s t o go back and see my folks but I never has been back and never seed dem since I left, and I g ess day am all gone long fore new. I h~s jebbed~ at first one thing and nother and like pappy tell me, I has jebbed. at first one thin~~ and nother, ~nd like pappy tells me, I has trials and. trib~ilat ions and j hn s good chilien what am t never got in no trouble and what all helps take care dere old pappy so I ~L~SS I ain t got no coaplainin b~~it things.

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Ex~S1aTe Stories Page Six 294. (Texas) I dre;~ins sometimes ~ de peach trees and de pear trees and de cherrY trees and I~d. give lots te see de mountains ~g~in, ci~use wien de frost come, boat now, ~ de leaves on de trees put on pretty colors ana d.c persimmons and nuts is ready for pickin and a little later on us kill. de hawgs and put by de meat for de winter. I De Lawd. fergive me f3r dis foo . ishness c~se I got a good. home, and has all I need, but I gits to thinking bout Tirginny sometimes and my f~1.ecs what I am t seed since I left and it sh o make me want t o see lt once more fore Idle.

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A )(~ ~ t~~j .~* F~L.s:LLv~ STORIES Page One 295 (Texas) ~LI DAVISON was born in Dunbar, V(est Virginia, ~ s1a~e of Will ~ ~ Davison. Eli has a bill of sale that statea he was born in 1844. His master raoved to Texas in 1858, and. settled In Madison County. Eli 1iv~B in Madisonvifle, with one of hie sons, My fi rst Old. k~arse was ~flh1 Dacrl s rrn. My father s name was ~verett Lee and xn~ma was Susan, arid. h~ come to see her twict a month, cause he was owned by noth~r master0 Marse Davison h~c1 a good home in ~est Virginia, where l s born, in D~nbar, but most of it 1ong~d to he wife and sh~ was the~ boss of him0 He had a great many slaves, and. ~nae mornin he got up and tvlded. all he h~. ~nd told his wlfe she could have helf the slaves. Then we loaded two W~~OflB and he turned t o hi s ~ ol dest s on and the next s on and. said, You s gwine with me. Cr~w1 on. ~ Then lie s~1d to he wife, Elsie, ~tou can hRve everything here, but I1in takin Eli and I~x and these here two ch1I1~n.~ The other two gals ~nd two boys he 1~ft ~nd ou .l~d out fox Texas . It taken us taos two ~rears to git he~re, and Marse Will never sot e~ es on the ret~ of his family no more, long as he lived. . . M~rse never married any more. Be d. say) They am1 t nother wrnan under the sun I~d~ I~t wear my n~me~ H~ never said his wife s name no more, but w~,s a11u~s talkin of them chiflun h~ done left b~h1nd. tiWe gits here and starts to 1Y~11d a on* room log house for Marse ~ffi11 *~i&his two boys, )~iy quarters was on~ therncovered wagons, till. he trades me ; ~ 1. Q~. 110 cri ed like a baby but he said., ~ I hat e t O d thi s but it s the only : ~ .~. ~ ::~ . ~ : ~ ~. ~7 Isli ~ an~rthtng to leave foi my two boys . Looks I Ike everything done ~ain~st him when he come to Texai, an~t he took sick and died. The boys ~L ~ ~ ~ ~ ~. ~ ~ ~ .~ ~ ~ . ~ ~ !4~. I

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29G Ex~sl&Ve Stories Page Two (Texas) put him sway. nice and loaded up and. went baok to Virginia, but the home waS nailed up and farm lying out, ~nd it took them mOst a year to find they folks. The mother and.on~ gai was dead, so they come back ~nd lived and died. here in Texas. . Marse Will was one more good man b~.ck in Virgini~. He never got mad ~ o r whipp cd a si ave ~ ~ He aflus had plenty to eat with 1 200 acres Imt aft er ? we come here ail we had. to eat was what we kilt i~n the woods and cornbread, He planted seven acres in corn, but all he did was hunt d.e~r and squirrels. They was never a nigger what tried t o run off in Texas ca~ise this was a good. country, plenty to eat by huntin and not so cold. like in Virginia. Aft.; I was traded off, my new uwst~r w~sn t so good to me. He thunk all the time the South would win that war and he treated us mean, His name was Thomas OEreer, He kept tellin us a black nigger never would be free. When it come, he said to us, Well, you black ~ ~ you are just as free as I ~ia.t He turnt us loose with ~ to eat and mos no clothes, He said if ~ he got up nex mornin and found a nigger on his place, he d horsewhip him. It ~ don ~ t know what I ~d. done, but one msr old. Marse Wifl s chillun done settle close b~r and they let me work for them, and built me a log house ~ I faraed on halves. They stood good. for all the groceries I buyed that S ~ year, It took Qi I made that y~ear to pay my debts and that s the way its ~: .~en ever since0 . . . I married Sarah ICeys. We had a home weddin1 and greed. to live together ~ as m~i* wi4 wife. I just goes by her home one day and captu~res her like. ~ ~ ~ ~ On ay saddle behind me and tells her she s i~y wife then. ~ :~ ~ ~ . ~ ~ . ~

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~x-.slave Stories Page Three 29~ (Texas) a 9 ~ they was t o my wedding W~ had six chillun and they s all farm ml round here. Sarah, she dies seventeen years ago and I ju.s1 lives round with fly chilien, tcause l s too old to do any works ~ All I ever done was to farm. That s all this here nigger b~ew what to do. O, I s seed the time when I never had nothin to ea~t and my big bunch of chillun ~ cryin for bread1 I could go to the woods then, but you can ~ git wild game no more, In them days it was five or ten mile to your nearest neighbor, bui~ now they~s so close you can ~tand in your yard and. talk to them. t, I never done no v t in cause them Klu Kiuxers was allus at the . vot in ~ places for a long time after the nig~ers was freed. The niggers has got on since them old days. They has gone from nothin to a fair educated folks. We has been kind of slow, 1c~.ise we was turnt loose without nothin1 and cou,ldn ~ t read and write . . Its worked for fifteen and. thirty cents a day, but Lawcl, blessed to our president,~ we gits & 1111 pension now and thatts kep me from plumb starvin to death. Times is hard. and folks had to do away with everything when they had. that Ho ver fo r pres ident but they will be st raight ened out by and by 1f they ll listen t O the president now. Course s ~e wants to kill him, ~ cause he hoips the p oor but it do 1 ook I ike we ought to have a jlj, bread and salt bac,on wi thout upsett in em, when they has so mua. .~ : ~ ~ ~

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420162 I ~ ~ . EL.SLAVI STORIES Page One 298 V (Texas) ~ ~LIGE DAVISON was born in Richmond., Virginia, a slave c( George Davison. \ ~r~l% :Elige worked in the field foe some C?., time before he was freed, but does ~ not know his a e. He lives with one V of his grandsons, in }Ladizonville, Texas. My birth was in Richmond. That s over in old Virginny ~ ~ George Davison owned me and my pappy and mammy. I m~nber one sister, named Felina Tucker. }Mssa and. Missus were very good white folks and. was good. to the black folks. They had a great big rock house with pretty trees all round but the plant at ion was smal I not ~ re n a hunerd acre s Mas sa growed. tobaccy on ~ bout 30 of th~i acres and he had a big bunch of hawgs. He waked us up ~bout four in the mornin to milk the cows and feed. them hawgs. . Our quarters Was good, builded. cn.it of pine logs with a bed in one corner, no floors aiid windows. Us wore old loyal c1othes and. our shirt, ~ ~ it open all down the front. In winter massa gave us woolen clothes to wear. ~ Us didn t know what shoes was, though. ~ S ~ ~ ft~$5~ he look aster us slaves when us sick, eause us worth . . ~ too mtich money to let die jus like you do a m~ e, He git doct~ ~ or nigger . . .j : ~ rn~y~ She make tea out of weeds ~ bet t n quinine, She put stx~. ng round OUI, neck foe chills and fever, with camphor on it. That shot keep off diseases. Us work aU day till jus tfore dark. Sometimes us got whippin s. ~ _ ~ ; mind so much. Boss ~~rou know h~r eb.ubborn a mule am, he heve to be ~ That the wear slaves is.

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ZL~SLiVF STORIES Pace Two 299 (Te~a5) ~ you ~a,ther a btmch of~ cattle to ~e11 they calves, how the calves and COWS will bawl that the way the slaves was then. They d1dn~t ~ow nothin tbout they kinfoiks, Mos chilIen didn t know wh they papp~ was and. some they ma1~Iny, cause they taI~en sway from the n~r~y when she wean them, end sell or trade the chilien to someone else, so they wouldn t git. ~!tached to they rnai~riy or pappy. . ~ lam us to read and. us read the Bible. He l~rn us to write, too. They a big church on he plantat ion and us go to church and. lam to tell the truth. tu see& some few run away tothe north and. massa 5ometirne cotch teni and put em in j ail. Us couldntt go to nowhere wi thout a pass . The patt err oilers would ~it us ~Ud they do plenty for nigger slave. ~ went to my quarters and be so tIred I jus fall in the door, on the ground, and a patterroller come by and hit me several. licks with a cat o...nine-.tails, to see if I~s tired nouai to not nui ~wsy. Sometimes them patterrilers hit us just to hear us holler. t~en a slave die) he jus 1nother dead nigger. Massa, he b~iilded a wooden box and put the nigger In and carry him to the hole in the grou~nd. Us niarcli round the grave three times and that all. ; HI been marry once fore freedom, with home ~ Massa, he bring ~ some more w~nen to see me. Re wouldn t let me have just one w~an. I h~.ve bout ~ . fift e~ and I dOn~t know how many chl4len, Some over a hunerd, I s shot. I ~member plenty bout the war, teause the Yankees they march on to . R~b~Ond, They Icill everything wh~ in the way. I heared theta big guns and :~ !.5$ art~ !verybody ecart. I didn t see no fighti&, cause I ita out the ~ and~ kee~pe out t il . it ai . over. i~3~k~

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~X~,SLAV~1 s~oi~IES Page Three 300 (Texas) BW~ whei they marches right on the t own I~ s tendin hosses for massa. He have two hosses kilt right under him. Then the Yankees, they capture ti~iat town. Uassa, he send me to git the bug~r and hoss and. carry missu5 to the ~ountai~, but them Yankees they c~ture ir~e and say they gwine hang that nigger. But, glory be, massa he s9ves ne fore they hangs me. Re send he wife ~.nd my wife to another place then, caus they bunt massa s house and tear down all he fences. ~~en the war over massa call me and t eus me I, s free as he was cause them Yank ~es win the ~r. Re give me $5.00 and say he ll give me that much a month if~ en I steys with him, but I starts to Texas. I heared. I wouldn t have to work in Texas, ~cause ever~rthtng growed on trees and. the Texans wore animal hides for clothes, I didn t git no lend or mule or cow. They warn t no plan~ tations divided what I knowed bout. }~o~ niggers jus ~ot turn loose with a cuss, and not nough clothes to cover they bodies. It tb Ltt a year fore I g t s to Texas . I walks nearly all the way. Sometimes I git a li~1 ride with farmer. Sorietime~ I work for folks long the y and git fifty cents and start ~ 1 got to Texas and tr:7 to work for white folks and try to fanu. I couldn t make anythimg at any work. I made $5.00 a month for I don t 1~iow how many year after the war. Iffen the woods wasn~t \ill of wild. game us niggere aU starve to death them deys. I been marry three time. 1 irst wife Eve Shelton. She ran o f with mother man. Then I marries Pay Elly. Us sep rAt e in a year . Then I marry . Parlee Breyle . No I done forgot . ~1ore that I marr le s Sue Wilford, and us I ~ seye~ gals an~1 six bo~rs. They all in New York but one. He stays here. les Pa.rlee aM is have two gals Parlee die three year ago.

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~301 ~X,.SLAV~ STORI~~S (Texa!) Page ?our ~The gov ment give me a pension and I gits 1.111 odt~ jobs round, to get by. But times been hard and I ain t had. much to eat the las few years. Not near so good as what old. massa done give me. But I gits by somehow. ~1 done th b ~~ I coui~i, sidering I s turned out with nothlnt when ~ crowed and ~j4y~t~ know much, neither. ~e young ~o1ks, they lcnowz more, cause they got the chazice for ~

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 309 302

~1 ~ ~~~LJ _ P :~x.~sLLv ~ STORI~~S P.~e One ( Texas) t ~om~ DAY, 81 was ~ born near Dayton, Tennessee, a slave of Major John Day. John lives in McLennan Co. Texas. tu was born. near three ruile from Dayton. That s over in Tennessee, and it was the sixteenth of Yebrtiary, in 1856. Masters name was major John Day an~1 my father ~ s naine was Alfred y, and he was a fi nt-das s blacksmith. Black~mithin was a real trade them days, and my father made axes and hoes and plow shares and knives and even Jew s harps. Master waa good. t my father and. when he done done de day s work he could work ~nd keep the money he made. He d. work till midnight, some~ times, and at de end that war he had fifteen hundred dollars in Confederate money. I never seen such a worker. Master Jobn thunk lote of father hut he took de notion to sell him one time, cause why, he cou.ld git a lot of money for him. He sold him, but my mama and even Old Missy, cried and took on so dat Master John went after de men what bought him, to git hirn back. D~y already done crossed de river, 1*~t master c~l1s and dey brung my father back and he give dem de money back. Dat de only tinie master sold one of us. He was a pre~cher and good to us never beat none of us. He dd t have no overse~er, b ut saw to all de work heseif. He had twenty five slaves a!~1 rai sed wheat and C cm and oat s and vegatables and fruit He had fmr hundred ac: ~es and a hotise with twelve rooms. A man what owned a farm jinin ourn, de houses half a mile apart. He had two slaves Taylor and Jennie and he whip dem every day even if dey hadn t done nothin . He allus beatin On dem seemed like. One awful cold P. .,

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303 ~x.ue1aVe Stories ~ ~ ~ Page Two (Texas) day in 7ebruary, Taylor done go to Denton for somethin ~nd when he come back his master starts beat In on hini, and cursed him sornethin awful . He kep it up till my m~aa, her name wa~ Marish, gits a butcher knife and ~ out dere and say, t Iffen you hits him t nother lick, t 1 . use this on you. Old. Missy was watch in and backed her up So he quit beat in o~ Taylor dat tim~ ~it one clay dat white inaflt3 OW!1 son say to uhu, Iffen you don t quit beatin on dem niggers, I ll knock ~ you In de head. Den he quit. ~ Master was in de Confederate army. He gits to be a major and after he ~ done come out dat war he sho hated. anythin what was blue color. I got hold a ~k old Yankee cap and coat and is wearin dem and master yanks dem off and burns dem. ~ We heared dem g~ins in de Lookout Mountain battle. Dey sounded like ~ thunder, rwnbl&nt low, One day de Feds done take I~yton and. de soldiers goes by ~ our place to drive dem Feds out. Dere a valley bout two miles wide ttwi~t our ~ place and. ~yton and we could see de Confederate soldiers till dey go up de hill ~ on de other side, Long in evenint de Confederates come back through dat valley ~ ~ snd they was travel ~ with dem Yaz~kees right aft er dem . Dey come by our house ~ ~nd we was gittin out de way, all right. Old Missy took all us chillen, black ~ and white, and puts us u.nder half a big hogahead, down in de stormhouse. ~ De Tankess got to de place and t gin ransack it Old Missy done lock dat storrrihouse door and. sot down on it and she wouldn t git up when dey done tell her to. S~ dey takes her by de a~s and lift. her off it . Dey d.Idn t hurt her any. Den dey brekks de lock and c~es down in dire. I didn t Bee whay dey hadn t found us kids, cause sy heart beatint like de hsmmer. De~ turned dat hogahead over and all us kids skinned out der. like de Devil after us. One de Yanks hollers, Look what we done hatch outs t -2m

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Page Three i~x-slaTe Stories (Texas) II tore Out past de barn, thinkin I d go to mama, in de field, but it look lilce all de Yanks in de world jumpin dere hossea over dat fence, so I whirls round and n~,n in dat barn and dives in a stack of hay and ~iries myself so deep de folks like to ne ver found me. Dey ~nted all over de place befo dey done found me. Us kids scart t cause we done see dem ~~J~8t bayonets and thur.k dey was dere horns. Dem Yanks done take all de flour and meal md wheat and corn and smoked meat. After dat master fixes up a place in de ceilin to store stuff, and. a trap door so when it closed you couldn t tell its dere. I lives In and round de oldplace till 1910, den comes to Texas. I jist works round and farms and gits by, bu~t I ain t never done nothin worth teflin .

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~, ~ ~ J . ~ F.~X-.SLAV~ STO~kIJ~S Pace One 305 (Texas) Nelsen Denson, 90, was horn near H~inbirg, .&rkatisas, a SIAVC of Jirji Nelson, who sold Nelsen ~mnd his family to Felix Grundy. Nelsen s me~iory is poor, out he r~an~ed to r~cal1 a few incidents~ He now lives in waco, Texr~s. Uhu be ninety ye~rs rld tMs Decenfb~r.(i93?). I was born in Arkansas, up in Ashley ~)ounty, arid it was the twenty second day of December in 1847. 1~iy mammy was ~ rom Virginny and pap~, was from ~id Kentucky, and. I was one of they ~i~ht chi11~n. Our owner, Marse Jim Densen, brung us to Texas and settled near Marlin, but got in de~bt and sold as all to Marse Felix Grundy, and he kep us till. fr~ed~, and most of us worked for him after that. I~arse Jim Densen had a easy livint in Arkansas, but folks everywhere was coznin to Texas and he cides to throw in his fn tunes. It w~sn1t so 1on~ after that war with Mexico and folks come in a crowd to 1t~ct the~rselves ~ainst Indians and i,vild aniriials, The wolves was the worst to smell cooki~ and sneak into camp, ~~it Indians coin up and. makes the peace sign and has a pow wow with the white folks. M~ se ~it beads or cloth and trade for leather breeches and things, II want to tell how we crosses th~ Red River on de 1~ed River i ~ft. 3ack in them deys the Tied River w~s near closed up by dis timber raft and d.c big boats couldn~t git up de river at ail. We ~its a li~l boat, and a Caddo Indilan to guide us, Dis Red River raft de~r ~y was centuries old. De driftwood floatin d.own de river stops in de still waters and makes a bunch of trees and de dirt I cumulat es end bro or~st raws and. wil . ows and brush ~ro~vs out d i s ri eh d I rt what cover de thif~wood Dis raft grpw~d bout a mile a year r~.nd de oides~ timber rots and~ brea~cs awt~y, out ci-is TIOD last -1-~

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~x.u.slaVe St one ~ Page Two 30G (Texas) . t nough to keep de river clear, le found bee trees on de rapt and had honey. tilt was long time after us corne to Texas when de ~ov1ment opens up de cb~3flnel. Dat am in 1873. l ore dat, a survey done been made and dey found de raft am a hundred ~nd twenty~.~ight miles long. When we was on dat raft it ara like a big swamp, with trees and thick brush and de driftwood snd logs all wedge up tight tween everything. ~ 1 ore Texas secedes, Marse Jensen done sell us ~1l to 1~arse Felix G~rundv, and he goes to war in General Hardeman s Brigade and is with hua for bodygi~rd. ehen de battle of Mansfield come I~m sixteen years old. We was camped on the Sabine River, on the Texas side, and the Yanks on the other side a lj~~ ways. I member the night fore the battle, how the campfires looked, and a quiet night and the wbippo~rwills call in~ in the weeds ~Ye was T spect a ~ tack snd s ings to Iceep cheerful. Th~ Y~tnks sings the Battle Cry o~ Freedom when they charges us. They come on and on and, Lawd, how they flU I stays clost to Marse Grundy and the rebels wins and takes bout a thousand Yanks, ~Most the slaves was happy, the ones I ~owed. They figgers the white men fightin for some principal, but lots of them didntt~ care nothin bout bein free . I s pose some ~as with bad whit e folks but not round us . ~e had more to eat and now I~m so old I wouldntt feel bad if I had old marse to look after me t sain.

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4 2()1 31 EL-SLAVE STORIJ~S Page One 3O ~ (Texas) ~ VICTOR ~IHON was born 9? years ~igo 1~ L2.f~yette Ptrish, La., a s1~ve of the Duhon family. His blue eves a~d almost white ski* are evidence of the white strain in his blood. Even after many years of ~ss~eiation with Eiglieh spcaki~g persons, he ~ speaks a French patois, and his stQry was iRterpreted by a Beaumont french teacher. 9}~&y papa was Luci en Duiioi and my m~ima ~irip~. D~ipui s. I was born over ~ L Louisiana in Lafayette Parish, between Broussard and Warville. Pm 97 years old now, I didn t have brothers or sisters, except half ones. It is like this, my mz~ma was a bouse servant in the Thihon f~xnily. She was the hairdresser. One day she barbered master s son, who was Lucien. He says that he ll shave her he~ad if she wo* t do wh2.t he likes. After that she his woman till he marries ~ white lady. My gr~ndin~ma was stolen from Afric~ and she lived to be 125 y ars old, She died last ye~r in April. I think I ll live long as she did. There were fifteen slaves on the land what Dahon s h~..d but I never ra~ around with them. I had room at the back of the big house. You ka~w, M~dame IYahou was my graridrnama. She was good to me. The o~1y thing I did was look to my master s herse ~x~d be coaclimai for Mad~ine. Master had. four eons. They were R~ant and Jaques and Ludlen and. i)esire, Desire was shot at the dpnce. Master had. abOut 100 aCres ili cotton ~nd the cor~i. He had. a slave for to hunt all the time. He dida t do other things, The

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2x~si~ve St ries Page ~wo 308 (~x~s) partrldee md. the rice birds he killed were cook~d for the white folks, The owls aad the rabbits and the coons ~uid the possums were cooked for ~ us. They had a big room for us to eat ii~. ~h~re th,y cook they h~.d a ~ long OVe~fl with ~. piece down the middle, They cooked th~ white folks things I ou one side. They cookei their own things on th~ other, They had each ~ on~s pots t~nd~ sk1l1.~ts, ~ UI didn t pl:~y much with the bln.ck children. My t1nit~ went waiting ~ on my white folks, ~ USomstjines the priest c~xcie to say Mass. The si~i es went to Mass. ~ The priest married and bc.ptized the slaves. They gave a fe2st of baptizing. .~ all h~i real b~ef meat th~t dny. When ray melna had 22 years she ra~rrie~ ~. Polite Landry ~1~ve. Then : she went to th~ Landry pl&.ntation. There was often marr~r1ng between the ~ two plantations. When they married the wif~ went to her man s plantation. ~ That in~de no difference. It woildn t be long before a girl ~r~m the other ! place marry into the man s plantation. That kept things in balance. ~ My mama m~&rri~d Fairju.ste Willi~~ms. They had two sons ~nd a ~ ~~tei , I didn t know th ~rn so niuch. They were h~l! brotheis 2nd sister. ~ I h~d 22 years when wr~r cnme. You know what war I rne~n. Th~ war ~ wh~n the s1~ves were set free. I wasn~ botheired about fre~edorn. Didn t ~ leave master till be died, Th.~n I went to work for Mr. Polite La~dry. ;; I was ~ ~ ~ haflds. Some s1~v~s ware treated b~d. M ~. :. Natale Valle~2l beat up a slave for ste~1ing. He he t him so hard he l~y ~ in front of the gate ~. whole d~y and the night. I worked on. farms all my life. Then I came to Baumont. About ~ 23 years ago., it was. I work~d at anything. Now I m to~ old. I live with ray daug iter, ******* ~ ~

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Ex-slave Stories Page Three (Texas) 89 moved to Cass County. I raises six chillun but my old man done git so triflin and mean I quit him and worked for myself. I come to Texarkana to work, and allus could earn my own livin till bout a year ago I lost my seein , and Albert Ragland done took me in his home for the old folks. They gives me a $10 a month pension now. They is good to me here and feeds us good. *****