Slave narratives, a folk history of slavery in the United States from interviews with former slaves. Georgia Narratives, Volume IV, Part 3: a machine-readable transcription.

Ex slave Jennie Kendricks. 004 001

Whitley, 100223 l~-22.36 9i ~ ~ L}~ ~x 8L~LV~ ~% ..Y~1IE KENDRICKS. .~:? ~ ronnie Kendricks the oldest of 7 ohilfi~ren, was born in Sherem, Georgia in 1855. Her parents were Martha and Henry Bell. She says that the first thing she remembers is ~a~~of being whipped by her mother. ~Tennie Kendricks gran ~nother and her ten children lived on this - ssxne plantation. : The grandmother bad been brought to Georgia from Virginia: She used to tell me how the slave dealers brought her and a group of other 4~ children along much the same as they would a herd of cattle, ~ - ftlave , when they reached a town all of them had to dance through the streets ~\ ~tnd act lively so that the chances for selling them would be greater . ~ ~Vhen asked to tell about Mr. Moore, her owner, and his family Tennie Kenciricks stated that although her ma~ster owned and operated a large plantation, he was not considered a wealthy man. He owned only two other slaves besides her immediate family and these were men. In Mr. Moores ratnily were his mother, his wife and six children (:tour boys anc9 two girls) Thi s 1~amily live d very cOEnfortably in a two storied weather~board house, With the exception of our grandmother who cooked for the owner s f~mi1y and slaves, and assisted her mistress with housework all the slaves worked In the fields where they cultivated cotton and the corn, as well as the other produce grown there. Every morning at $unrise they had to get up and go to the fields where they worked until it was too dark to see. At noon each day they were permitted to c~e to the kitchen, located just a short distance in the rear of the master s house, where they wex~e served dinner. During the course of the day s work the w~nen shared all the men s work except plowing. All of them picked cotton when it was time to gather the crops. Sane nights they ~wer recjuired to

005 002

. IXrlskell ~ Whitley, ~ . P~e ~a ~.. 2 I-~22~-37 8pm and to help Mrs ~ Moore who dl d all of the weaving. They used to do their own persona3. works at night also. ~ennie Kenth lcks says, she remembers hew her mother and the older girls would go to the spring at night where they washed their clothes and then left them todry on the surround1n~ bushes. :~ As a little girl ~enni Kendricks spent all of her time in the master s house where she played with the young white children. Sa~e~ time s she and Mrs Moore s youngest child a little boy, would fight because it appeared to one that the other was receiving more attention. from Mrs. 1~ oore than the other. As she crew older she was kept in the house . as a playmate to the Moore children so she never had to work in the field a single day. ~ She stated that they all jre good clothing. and that all of I t was made on the ~lantati on with one ezeepti on The serve~ts spun the thread and Mxs. Moore and her daughters did all of the weaving as well as the making of the dresses that were worn on this particular plantation. j The %ay they made this cloth , She continued , was to wind a certain a amount of thread known as a cut onto a reel. Vihen a certain number of cuts were reached they were placed on the loom. This cloth was colored with a dye made from the bark of trees or with a dye that was made from the mdi ~o berry cultivated ~ on the plantation. The drewses that the women were on working days were made of striped or checked materials while these worn on 3unday were usually white.~ . She does not know what the men were on work days as she never came in contact with them. Stockings for all were knitted on the place. The shoes, which were the one exception mentioned above, were made by one Bill Tacobs, an elderly white man who made the shoes for all the plantations

006 003

.. ~ . ~Y21sk~L1 Wtiltley, . . Page 3. 3 1..22 ~3? in the c nxrnmlty. The grown people ~re heavy shoes called Brogans while those worn by the children were not so heavy and were called Pekers because of their narrow appe~ranoe For Sunday wear ail had shoes bought tar this purpose. Mr. Moore s mother was a te.iloress and at times, when the men were able to get the necessary material, she made their suits. There was always enough feed for everybody on the Lioore plantation. Mrs . Moore once told. 3 5 mother to always see that her chii ren had sufficient to eat so that they wou~not have to steal and would therefore grow up to be honorable. As the Gr~indmother did all of the cooking, none of the other servants ever had to cook, not even on Sundays or other hou days such as t he Fourth of 3u1y. There was no et ove in this plantationkitchen, all the cooking was done at the large fireplace where there were a nui~ibor of hooks called potracks. The pets, in ~bich the cooking was done, hung from these hooks directly over the fire. The meals served during the week consisted of vegetables, s lt bacon corn bread pot li quor and mi 1k. On Sunday they were served mi 1k bi. scuit s vegetables and sometime s chi eken. ~Tennie Kenth i oks ate all of her me als in the master s house and says that her food was even better. ~he was also permitted to go to the kitchen to get food at any ~ ~ ~da .. y~~j~etimes when the boys went hunting everyone was ~ A ~1ven roast possum an other suiall gatae. The two male slaves were often ~ permitted to acccmipany them but were notallowedtohandlethe guns. None ~ ~ of the slaves had individual g&rdens of their own. as food. sufficient for their needs was raised In the master s garden. ~ .~ ~ The houses that they lived in were one~ro~ed structures made 7 of heavy plank instead of logs, with planer floors. At one end of this one-roomed c&1n there w~as a large chimney and fireplace macle of rocks, mud.,

007 004

~1h1 tley, 1~22.~37 Driskell 4 Page 4. homemade was then finished child I a warm she azid dirt. In addition to the one door, there was a window at the back. Only one family could live in a cabin as the space was so limited. The furnishings of each cabin consis4~bf~ a bed and one or two chairs. The beds were well constructed, a great deal better than some of the beds the ex~s1ave sav~ during these days. Regarding mattresses she said, We took some tick and stuffed it with dotton and corn husks, which had been tern into sraall pieces and when we get through~ewin~ it looked like a mattress that was bought in a store.tt Light was furnished by lightwood torches fl(~ sometimes by the tallow c~tnd1es. The hot tallow was poured into a candle mold, which dipped into a pan of cold water, when the tallow had hardened, the product was removed. whenever there was sickness, a doctor was always called. As a Gussie was rather sickly, and. a doctor was always called to attend to In ac~dition to the dector s prescriptions there was heart leaf tea and remedy of garlic tea prepared by her ~andmother. If any 0 1 the slaves ever pretended s icimess to avol d work she knc; ~s nothing about lt. As a general rule, slaves were not permitted to learn to read. ~ or ~~ite . but the younger Moore children tried to teach her to spell read, and ~Tite. ~hem she used to stand around Lbs. Moore when she was sewing \she appeared to be interested and so she was tau~ht to sew. .~ ~ Every 3unday afternoon they were all permitted to go to toisai where a colored pastor preached to them. This same minister performed all marriages after the candidates had secured the permission of the master. Ther~was only one time when Mr. Moore found it necessary to sell any of his . On tiil s occasion he had to sell two he saw that they were sold to another kind master. The whipping on most plant ati on were adinini sterd by~he ~eers and

008 005

. Driskell ~AIh1t1ey, Page 5~ 5 1 22~3? In some cases punlshnient was rather severe, There was no overseer on this plantation. Only one of~ Mr. Moore s sous told ~he field hands what to do~ when this son went to war it became necessary to hire an overseer. Once he ~. ~ attempted to whip one of the w~uen but when she refused to allow him to ~ip her he never tried to whip any of the others. J~ennie Kenth icks husban~, who was also a slave, once told her his master wa~ so mean that he often whipped. his slaves until bbood ren in their shoes. There was a group of men, known as the Patter.-Rollers , whose duty it was to see that slaves were not allowed tc leave their individual ~ plantations without passes whi~h~vYere supposed to receive frOEn their masters. A heap of them got whippings for being caught off without these passe / She stated adding that sometimes a few of them were fortunate enou~ to es~ 9a1~! ~ the Patter~o~ ~) She knew of one boy who, after having out ~ run the Patter~-Rol1ers~ , pr/ceeded to make fun of them after he was safe \~ ehind hi s master s fence Another man wh~om the Patt er- Rollers had pur- sued any number of times but who had always managed to e~cape, was finally caught one dey and told to pray before be was given his whipping. As he obeye d he not i ce d that he was not be ing closely observed~ whereupon he made a break that resulted in his escape froen them again. ~ ~ ~ The treatment on sane of the other plantations was so severe that ~ WJ~~o ~~-&A) ~ slaves often ran away, ~ennie Kendricks told of one man 1etm~ lashed r:~n away d\ but was finally caught. Vh~ n his master brought him back he was locked in a room until he could be punished. when the master finally came to a&ainister \ the whipping, Lazh had cut his own threat in a last effort to eecure btxs t ~ \freed~u. He was not successful; his life was saved by quick action on the ~art of his master. S~netime later after rough handling (tash finally killed h~s master/,~ was burned at the stake for this crime. ~

009 006

. . Page6, 6 hltley, Drlskell 1-22..3? . . Other slaves were more successful at escape, scme being abl to remain a~ray for as long as three years at a time. ~ ~tights, they s3.1ppe~. to the plantation where they stole hogs and other food. Their shelters were usually caveZ, sanie tinies holes dug in the ground. Vhenever they were caught, they were severely whipped. slave might se cure hi s freedc~a without running away. Phi s is true in the case o~ J exmie Kendricks grandfather who, after hiring his time out bor a number of years was able to save enough money with which to pur~ chase himself from his master. ~rennie Kendricks remembers very little of the talk between her master and mistress concerning the war. She does remember being take~n to see the Confederate soldiers drill a short distance from the house. She says I though lt was very pretty ~ course I dl nt know what was causir~g tbI s or ~~L) what the results would bee. ~ Moore s oldest eons wenb to war himself did . A not enlist until the war was nearly over. She was told that the Yankee sol~ diers burned all the gin houses and took all live stock that they saw while on the march, but no soldiers passed near their plantation. A~ter the war ended and all the slaves had been set free, some -~ o~A) ~ o~_- ~ ~ ~ did not know lt ~ia-~ they were not told. by their masters. ~i~were )1\ tricked Into signing contracts which bound them to their masters for several years longer. As for herself and :er ~andmother ~ they remained on the Mo re property where her grandmother finally died. Her mother moved away when freedom was aecl~red and started working for someone else. It was about this time that Mr. Moore began to prosper, he and his brother Marvin gone Into busmess together. ~ccording to ~ exmie Kendricks, she has lived to reach such e~ ripe old age because she has aiwsys been obedient and because she has aiwasy be~

010 007

Page?. Driskell ~1hit1ey, a firm believer in God.

Emmaline Kilpatrick. 011 008

F;ic-.S~h~ie~ ~ 8 ~L:1tJ7:i: i ~ ~ ~ b~/ ~ ~ ~/ y~ EX-SLAVE INTERVIEW: EL~ALII~ KILPATRICK Age ?4 White Plains, Greene Co., Ga. BY: SARAH H. HALL ATH:ENS, GA. I

012 009

I ()QOGS ~ ALINZ ~II~ TRI~ B o rn a s1a~re on the p lan ta U on of Judge ~il1iain watson Moore, hI te Plains,(Greene Coun ty) Georgia. ~ie inornix~ in Oc~tober, as I finished planting hyacinth bulbs on r~ y C 5ine t e l y I o t i: saw an old n e gro w o~ian ap~ r oac~hin g . She was ~maline Kilpatrick,born in 1863, on :~y grandfather s Qlantation. MawrL 1 n Mi s s Sarah, she be gan *Ah ~ ~ d ye r ou t h~ar in de graveyard, sri I cuin right erlong Thr t~ g t yer ter read yO Aunt Willie s birthday, offen her tocinstona, er~ put it in writin ferr~e. i: don t rr~ind doing that for you., !~aline, I re2lied, but why do ~OtL Want to know ~y aunt!.~ birthday? N~el1, answer3d the olI ~x~l~ve, WI can t rightly tell ina,h a~e no udder ways My mam~y ~, she tole me, L ~ui bawned de saine night ez Miss Willie i~tiz, en ~ainx~ alit s tO1~ i~e effen I ever want t~r know 1~ovi oie I is, jes ask my white folks how ole M185 W1l1j~ is.! ~1hen I had p~ncil1ed th~ birth.1at~e on a scrap of paper torn froni Thy note book and she had tucked it carefully away th a socket in her clean blue checked gingha~ a~pron, Emmaline began to t~lk of the old day s on ny gran d fa the r s farn. i!:iss Sarah, Ah sho did ~iove yo aunt Willie. We wuz chilluns growin up ter~edder on Marss Billie s pl&ce. You mought not knc~z it, but black chilluns sits grown heap faster d~en white chilluns, ~ en whilst us played round de yard, en orchards, en pastu:~s out dar, ~ i: wuz sposed ter take care er Yiss N~i1lie en not let her git hurt, er \~ nuthin ha~1i?en ter her.

013 010

t ~s. .% ~ msntiy an dat when ~ne BUtts aus ha tarn te Tag, hA a call all his niggsra tergeddar en tell es t y is fres~ en Loan b t ig ter nobody no mo . Ifs say dat any uf um dat want ta, kin go way and live flar dey lets, en do lak dey vanter. H~scme ebber, be do say eff~n enybody wants ter stay dL hin, a live right On in de same cabins, day kin do it, effen dey promise him terbe good niggers en mine him l~ dey allus done. . loat a11 de niggers stayed wid Macse Billie, esppen two er thee brash, go~i f~er r4uthin s. ~e- . $tariSin tt ere in the oqmetery, as t listened to old tmtalirz~ tell of the old days, I could see cotton being loaded on freight cars at the depots I asked Thmline to tell !hat ehe could remem ber of the days when we had no railroad to hwal the cotton to aaxtet. feU, she said, Pore dis byar railroad wus made, dey heulefi de cotton ter de Pint (She meant Union Point) en sold it or. a. Pint s 4es bout twelve miles f m hyar. Po dey had er railros* thu de Pint, Marss Billie used ter haul his cotton clear down ter bolt ter sell it. Ny manny say dat long to de Tar he used ter wait twel all de ootton wuz jicked in de fall, en den he would bave it ~ll loaded on his w~~jns. fll~g tot sundoen he wud start de waggins off, wid yo tinker Andersoet bossin em, on de aU night long ride towards tools. Bout to in de mawnin flrs. Billie en yb~ graraw, riss Margie, ud start off in d surrey, driving de bays, en fo dem waggins git tar bols Marie Billie date coteh u~ wid em. drive er head en lead em ter de cotton mill in bols, rhar he siJi all his cotton. Den him en riss Margie, dey go ter de mill eta en a

014 011

~~L3~t buy wLite Eugar cri ud~r things dey do~n raise On d~ j~lantation, en l~~d ein on de waggin~ en start :.ck honic. . But Erriralins, I nt~:r~xjted, Sherman s ariiiy passed through Y~w31s ~r~d burned the houses and destroyed the propcrty there. How did the people r~arket their cotton then? ~r~a1irie scratched her head. Ah tm~p1~f$ so~cpiri bout dat. ~ rQcI 7a~sU~, I c:l~Ot do~s r~~r ~ ~ ~ dat :e~oik~ ~ d wh~n de ~d rals wu~ bunnin uc~ evvy thing bout J ools, dey v~ruz ~ttin fire ter de n111, when de boss uv ~ sjers look u; 3n see ~r sign Uj~) Over ~r uQs~aI:~ -:T!~.~d3v1. !~it . iu~ de ~ ~ ~ day, kaze dat w~z le :~or~ s 1o:i~ hall U~) over de i111. Dc co~~r boss, I~ :~ks le uUer soj~rs ~.ut out i~ fire. He say hirn er ~ ~as~ui ~isself ~: ~ airL ~ine ce~ nOb~ddy burn u~ er Masonic Ha11. ~! ~ ~:lr.Ier tears uj sQ:~ UT da fixL; ~ ~r de Mill wuks, out, dey I da~ser~t burn 5~o-~v~~ de :idll ~-ouce :<a~e h~ airs t ~t em do nuthin ~er i1~ ~E:53n1C T:Tall.n Ye~ ~ !~1~S Sarah, A1 ~uz j~ ~oout ~wo ~re~rs oie v:~-~x~ ~at i~:a;;er~, 53ut I am t hesr~d ~ 533ut no tin:~ ~Vhen dey didclen take c~ton ~r 3~ols ~zer ~ar t.w~1 de raiiro3.c1 come hyar.~ Did ~er ax r~:e ~ rah ~d ~y ~aw ~n raw? ~1hy, 1~a:se Billie lid, case ~e dLI! ~ rx~z 3~i~ !~Ore, Vars~ 31111e wuz, ~n he wone gwii !~~:~3~T ~ foDl1~ r~~~ i:Dn~st is ni~ s. F0 de War e~ d~irln de War, de riggers ~ ~r~t t~r 1e sane c~ur~h . ~:~r Jare vihife foTh~ want. Only de ~ ~ ~et ~ d~ ~I1~rv. ML:~~:se Bil1~ r-:5:ie ~l1 hi~ ~i~:;ers ~5 ~k :ou~t~~ Fa:d, but he sho ~ 2 :~-~~~?5 lrz ~ ~T ~ ~ ~ !~ r~i~ a11~s :.~ de ezra S~1~d f~ r h~r ~ i:~ :~1Ilu~-~z~ 7~UZ baw ~d in de s~a~T~ ~ ~Ty i~ani~y, she say, Ise ~zrDp+ ~ onli~t slave baby ~Tj55 ~ar~ie ii~r~ 103k ~ft~: d~ :i. ~~:L t jlE~tatj3~. e sick, tarse Billie

015 012

see ~i da t ) ae had rn edle I n e en I o 0km a t te r en e t he wuz bad 8 ~ ck Marse Billie had de white folks doator corne see bout ixr~. Did us hey shoes? Y ~s JIa am us had shoes. Dat wuz all oie ~ egieg wi~iz good fer, jes ter rrek shoes, en fix shoes atter dey wuz bout ter give out. Pegleg made de 5VT~ day shQes for Marse Biiii~ ~~ own ch11iun~, cept flO~!t en den Marse Billie fetched cri h~n~ corne sto bought shoes fun Yools. Yassuiri, us sho wuz skeered er ghosts. Den days when de Way won t long gone, niggers sho wuz skert er graveyards.~ los evvy nigger kep ~: rabbit foot, kaze ghosties~ wone gY ir~e bodder nobuddy dat; hed er let hind foot frum er graveyard rabbit. Dein days dar v1uz r:O~t allus woods round de graveyards, en it uz easy ter ketch er rabbit e:z he loped outer er graveyard. lawey, Miss Sarah, dose days Ah sho wouldn t er been standin hyar in no graveyard taikin ter ennybody, eben in wide open daytirne.~ ~ /~%~ :E:n you ax Ttuz dey enny thing else uz wuz skert uv? Yassuii,us ~Ilu~ did git r~oughty oneasy cf er scritct ~wl hollered et night. ~ Pappy ud hop right out er his bed en stick de fire shovel en de ~ coals. Effen he did dat rat q~uick, en look over 1s let shoulder ~ ~thi:.st. de ~hov~l gittin hot, den r~aybe r~o nigger ~ine die dat week ___~_on dat ~lantation. ~n us nebber did lak ter fine er hawse tal . hair en de hawse tr~ug!i, kaze us wu~ sho ter meet er snake f0 l~g. . ~ Yassuri, us h3.~1 chawms fer heap er things. Tie got em fumer oie ~ Injun o~nan dat lived crost de crick, Her sold us chawins ter rn~k de mens lak us, en chawms dat would ~it er boy baby, ~r anudder kind er chaxn~ efferi yer rant er gal baby. Miss Margie alms scold bout de ch2:wr~$, en riek us shamed ter wear em, cept she doan mine et US wear as~e.rfitHy chswr~s ter keep off fevers, en she doan say nuffth when ~y

016 013

. ~ ~ !~~-~i 13 mammy wear er nutnieg on a wool string round her neck ter keep off de rheurriatlz. En is you got ter g t on hone now, Miss Sarah? Lemme tote dat hoe en trowel ter yer car fer yer. Yer gwine ter take me houie in yer car wid yer, so ez I kin weed yer flower gyarden fo~ night? Yassurn, I sho will be proud tcr ~O it fer de black dress you wo l~?5 year. Ah ~WIfle ter git cyvy s;~eck er grass outer yo flowers., ka~e a~1n you jes lak yo grai~xnaw - my Miss Margie.~ a a a a s a a a a a a a a a a

Charlie King - ex-slave interviewed 019 016

_~7_7 s ~ ~ ~ ~ ~1a ~ ~ ~ p ~f---~ 1 ~ J ~ - Mary A. CrawThrd ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Re~Searoh Worker lu ;\.. Charlie ~iug~-~S1ave ~ Interviewed Charlie was born In Sandtown, (now Woodbu~ry) ~4eriwether Coirnty, Georgia, ~erI~apaei hty.$ive or a1x)~ears ago, He does not know his exact age because his age got burned up ~ ~ ~ ~ when the hou~se in which ha parents lived was burned to the ground~e&~a~&~o. ~ ~ ~ . . : The old xr~n ~s parents, Ned and ann. King, we*e ~eve~--~f sir. ~ *~ 5~ : ~e ~ -~ ~ J~o1Ln King who owned)~ a big plantation near Sandt own, ~ ~ Ch8~r1ie 8 parents were married by the broom stick ceremony. The Master and 1~istrea8 were present at the wedding. The broozn was laid down on. the floor, the couple held each other a hands and stepped backward over It, then the ~aster told the crowd that the couple were n~n and wife. This narria e lasted for over fifty years and they allus treated each other right. Charlie said that all the Niggers on oie Master s place had to work, even chillun over seven or eight) years of age.

020 017

2 The first work that Charlie ~&a remember4 dt~i!t~ was tot Ing C cawn for his mother to drap , and sweeping the yards up et the big house . lie also recalls that many tli s).when he was lii the yard at the big house , ~e LIiss would call hii~ in axid give him a buttered biscuit. The ~aster arid I~istress always n&ied the Negro babies and usually gave theni Bible names. When the Negroes were sick, ~le Master and ~ Le Miss did the doctorii~g, sci~ietixr~s giving them salts or oil, and it ~ ~h~refused te-~-4&ke it1they used the raw hide 9whup. ~hen a xae~ber of a Negro family died) the ~ ster permitted all the Negroes to stop work and go to the fur~ral. The slave was buried in the slave grave yard. 3ometii~s a white minister read the Bible service, but usually a Negro U--!~ ~ ~ ~* ~ . ~ preacher ~ The Negroes on this plantation had to work tro~zn sun up till sun down, except Satur~~ and Sunday; those were free. r~ The master blew on a big coach shell every ~aorniri~ at(~par) o clock, and when the first long blast was heard the lights gin to twinkle in ever~~Nigger cabin. Charlie)cht~ckl1ng) recalled that oie ~1aster blowed that shell so lt could~a been heard for ~i~ve)rniles. WietheZii~1 -We~S-~41eeITt, some of tjie Niggers went to teed the rriules and. horses, soi~ae to milk the cows, some to eook the breakfast In the big house,

021 018

3 son~e to chop the wood, while others were busy cIe~ing up the big house. When asked it he believed in signs, Charlie repliod: I sho does for dis reason, thice jest befo my baby brother died, oie screech owl, he done come and set up in the big oak tree right ~tt the dc~h by de bed and to the next t~1ve)hours passed, lily brother w~s dead. Screech owls aflus holler round the house before de8th.~ The slaves always had plenty to e&t and we~r~. and therefore did not know what it was to be hungry. The ~aster p1~nted ciany acres of cotton, ccrn, wheat, peas, and all kinds of garden things. Zvery Nigger family was required to raise pi~nty of sweet potatoes, the ~ster giving them a patch. ~y oie ~aster trained his sxrartest Niggers to do certain kinds of work. My mother was a ood weaver, aM wove all the cloth for her own fc~xaily, and bossed the weaving of all the other weavers on the plantation. Charlie and all of his ten brothers and sisters helped to card arid spin the cotton for the looms. 3ometiir~s they worked all night, Charlie often going to sleep while carding, when his mother would crack hin on the head with the carder handle and wake him up. Each child had a night for carding and spinning, so they all would get a chance t~o sleep. ~very Saturday ni ht )the Ne roes had a breakdown, often

022 019

4 danc1n~g all night loni~. About twelve o clock they had a bi~ supper, everybody bringing a box of all kinds ot good th1n~s to eats and putting it on a long table. Oil Sunday)all the darkies had to go to church. Sometimes the Master had a house on his plantation for the preaching j !2. -pl~ee, and sometliries the slaves had to go ten or twelve, miles to preaching. When they went so farthe slaves could use oie L~aster s niules and ~~ons. Charlie recalls very well when the Yankees carne through. The first thing they did when they reached oie 1~aster s place was to break open. the ~nokehou~se and throw the best hams and shoulders out to the darkies, but as soon as the Yankees pa s sed) the white folks nade the Niggers take all dey had nt et up back to the smokehouse. \ Yes, Miss, we 1~d plenty of liquor. 01e Master always kept kegs of it in the cellar and big Jirni~iy~johxi s full in the house, and every Saturday nig~ ~ he d give us derides a dram, but nobody nevah seed. no drunk Nigger lak dey does now. Charlie s mother used to give her chillun burnt whiskey every morning to start the day off. This burnt whiskey gave them long life . Another thing that Charlie recalls abou.t the Yankees coming

023 020

5 throw~h, was that they took the saddles off their old sore back horses. turned them 1oose)&~d caught a~xie ot Liaster s tine hosses ~r~tr~p ~e, threw tte saddles over thera and rode away. Charlie said thoti~h oie 1~arster whupped when it was necessary, but he was not onmeroitul like some of the other oie X~iarsters were, but the paterolers would sho lay lt on if they caught a Nigger off his home plantation without a pass. The passes were written statements or permits signed by tile darkies owner, or the plantation overseer. Charlie is very feeble and unable to work. The Griffin ~ ~ . ~ ~ ;: ~ ~ ~ Relief Association f Charlie King ~ 435 E. Taylor Street, Griffin, Georgia Septeziber 16, 1936

Nicey Kinney. Ex-slave - age 86. 024 021

I 00221 aANTATION LIFE AS VIEWED BY EX-SLAVE Written by: Edited by: 21 NICEY KINNEY R.F.D. # 3 Athens, Ga. Misa Grace MeOune Athens Mes. Sarah II. Hall Athens and sohn N. Booth District Supervisor Federal Writers Proj. Res. 6 & 1 Augusta, Ga. Sept. 8, 1938.

025 022

NICEY KI1~NEY ~ ~ 86. . ~& narrow path under large water oaks led through a well~kept yard where a profusion of summer flowers surrounded Nioey Kinney s two-story frame house. The porch floor and a large portion of the roof had. rotted down, and even the old stone chimney at one end of the structure seemed to sag. The middle-aged mulatto woman who answered the door shook her head when asked it she was Micey Kinney. . No, niam, she protested, but dat s my mother and she s sick in bed. She gits mighty lonesonie lyth der in de bed and she sho does love to talk. Us wuld be mighty proud if you would come in and see her. ~ioey was propped up in bed an, althoi~h the heat of the September day was oppressIve, the sick woman wore a black shoulder cape over her thick flannel nightgown; heavy quilts and blankets were piled close about her thin form, and the window at the side of ner bed was tightly closed. Not a lock of her hair escaped the nightcap that enveloped her head. The daughter removed an enipty food tray arid announced, Manl ny, dis lady s corne to see you and I spects you is gwine to lak her fine cause she wants to hear bout dem old days dat you loves so good to tell about. Nicey smiled. I se so glad you come to see me, she said, cause I gits so 09

026 023

lonesome; jus got to stay here in dis bed, day in and day out. I se done wore out wid all de hard wuk I se had to do, and now Itse a aged oman, done played out and sufferin wid de high blood pressur . But I kin talk 8nd I does love to bring back dem good old days a-fore de war. New8papers had been pasted on the wells of Nicey s room. In one corner an enclosed staircase was cut off from the rooni by a door at the head of the third step; the space underneath the stair was in use as a closet. The marble topped bureau, two double beds, a couple of small tables, and some old chairs were all of a period prior to the current cen~ tury. A pot of peas was perched on a pair of firedogs over the coals of a wood fire in the open fireplace. On a bed of red coals a thick iron ~gan held a large pone or cornbread, and the tantalizing aroma of coffee drew attention to a steaiaing coffeepot on a trivet in one corner of the hearth. Nicey s daughter turned the bread over and said, Missy, I jus bet you ain t never seed nobody cookin dis way. Us is got a stove back in de kitchen, but our somepin. t eat seems to taste better fixed dis way; it brings back dem old days when us was chillun and all of us was at home wid manirny. Nicey grinned. Missy, she said, Annie ~ dat s dis gal of mine here - laughs at de way I laks dem old ways of livin but

027 024

I ~ ~_I .1~3_ she s Jus as bad. bout ein as I is, specially bout dat sort of cookin ; somepin t eat cooked in dat old black pot is sho good. M3rse Gerald Sharp and. his wife, Miss ~nnie, owned us and, Child, dey was grand folks. Deir old home was way up in J~aokson County twixt Athens and Tefferson. Dat big old plantation run plumb back down to de Oconee River. Yes, mam, all dem rich river bottoms was Marse Gerald s. M rnrny s naine was Ca lthe and she b longed to Marse Gerald, but Marse Eatton David owned my daddy - his .name was Phineas. De David place warn t but bout a mile from our plantation and daddywas lowed to stay wid. his fambly most evvy night; he was allus wid us on Sundays. Marse Gerald didn t have no slaves but my mammy and her ohillun, and he was sho mighty good to us~ Marse Gerald had a nice four-room house wid a hall all de way through it. It even had two big old fireplaces on one chimbly. No, niam, it warn t a rock chimbly; dat chimbly was made out of home-made bricks. Marster s fambly had deir cookin done in a open fireplace lak evvybody else for a long time Sand den jus fore de big war he bought a stove. Yes, main, Marse Gerald bought a cook stove and us felt plumb rich cause derewarn t many folks dat had stoves back in dem days.

028 025

Mammy lived in de old kitchen close by de bi~ house tU dere got to be too many ot us den Marse Gerald built us a house jus a little pieceoff trom de big house. It was jus a log house, but Marster had all dem cracks chinked tight wid red mud, and he even had one or dem tranklin~baek ohimblies built to keep our little cabin nice and warm. Why, Child, ain t you never seed none of dem old chimblies? Deir backs sloped out in de middle to throw out de heat into de room and keep too much of it from gwine straight up de flue. Our beds in our cabin was corded jus lak dem up at de big house, but us slept on straw ticks and, let me tell you, dey sho slept good atter a hard days s wuk. De bestest water dat ever was come front a spring right nigh our cabin and us had long~handled gourds to drink it out of. Some of dein. gourds hung by de spring all de time and dere was allus one or two of em hangin by de side of our old cedar waterbucket. Sho , us had a cedar bucket and it had brass hoops on it; dat was some job to keep dem hoops scrubbed wid sand to make em bright and shiny, and dey had to be clean and pretty all de time or mammy would git right in behind us wid a switch. ~arse Gerald raised all dem longhandled gourds dat us used stid of de tin dippers folks h~s now, but dem warn t de onliest kinds of gourds he growed. on his place. Dere was gourds inos as big as waterbuckets, and dey had short handles dat was bent whilst de gourds was

029 026

2G -5.. green, so us cou1dha~ig em on a 11mb of a tree in de shad~e to keep water cool ror us v~ien us was wukin in de field dunn hot weather. ~ I never done much field wuk tu de war come on, cause Mistess was lamm nie to be ~ Marse Gerald and Miss Annie never had no chillun cause she warn t no bearin oman, but dey was both mighty fond of little folks. On Sunday inornin s marntay used to fix us all up nice and clean and take us up to de big house for Marse Gerald. to play wid. Dey was good christian folks and tuk de inostest pains to lam us chillun how to live right. Marster used to low as how he had done paid ~5OO for Ua line but he sho.. wouldn t sell her for no price. Lvvything us needed was raised on dat plantation tcept cotton. Nary a stalk of cotton was growed tar, but Jus de saine our clothes was made out of cloth dat Mistess and my mammy wove out of thread us cb~,il1un spun, and Mistess ~ tuk a heap of pains inakin up our resses. Dunn de war evvybody had to wear homespun, but dere didn t nobody have no better or prettier dresses dan ours, cause Mistess knowed, rnore n anybody boutciyein cloth. When time corne to make~ up a batch of clothes Mistess would say, Ca line hoip me git ) up my things for and u~ would fetch dogwood bark, sumach, poison ivy, and sweetgum bark. That poison ivy made the best black of anything us ever tried, and Mistess could

030 027

~ I dye the prettiest sort of purple wid sweetguin bark. Cop ras was used to keep de colors from fadin , and she knowed so well how to handle it dat you could wash cloth what she had dyed. all day long and it wouldn t fade a speck. ~Marster was too old to go to de war, so he had to stay home and he sho seed dat us done our wuk raisin , soinepin t eat. He had us plantallourcleared. ground, and I sho has done some hard wuk d wn In dem old bottoirt lands, plowin , hoein , pullin corn and. fodder, and I se even eut cordwood. and split rails. Deia was hard times and evvybody had to wuk. Sometimes Marse Gerald would be away a week at a time when he went to court at Jefferson, and de very last thing he said tore he driv off allus was, ~Ca line, you end de chillun take good. care of Mistess. ~ He niost allus fetched us new shoes i~ftien he come back, ause he never kept no shoemake r man on our pla ce and a II o urshoeswas_store~bought.) Dey was jus brogans wid brass toes, but us felt powerful dressed up when us got ein on, specially when dey was new and de brass was bright and shIny. Dere was nine or us chillun, four boys and five gals. Us gais had plain cotton dresses made wid long sleeves and. us ware big sunbonnets. What ~ould gals say now if dey had to wear dem sort of clothes and do wuk lak what us done? Little boys didn t wear nothin

031 028

but long shirts in summertime but corne winter evvybody had good. warn clothes made out of wool off of Marse Geraldts own sheep, and boys, even little tiny boys, had britches in winters . Dldyou ever see folks shear sheep, Child? Well, it was a sight in dem days. Marster would tie a skeep on d~e scaffold, what he had done built for dat job, and den he w~u1d have nie set on de sheep s head whilst he cut off de wool. ife Sont it to de factory to have it. carded into bats and. us chillun spun de thread at home and rnanuny and Mistess wove it into cloth for our winter clothes. Nobody warn t fixed up better on church days dan Mcrster s Niggers and he was sho proud of dat. Us went to church wid our white folks cause dere warn?t no colored churches dein days. None of de churches round our part of de country had xneetin evvy Sunday, so us went to threediffunt xaeetip houses. On de tust Sunday us went to Gaptaln Crick Baptist church, to Sandy Crick Presbyterian church on se cond Sundays and on thi rd Sundays meet was at Antioch Methodist church whar Marster and Mistess was members. Dey put me under de watchkeer of deir church when I was a mighty little gal, cause my white folks sho b lieved in de church and in livin for God; de lamm dat dex~ two

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. 00 - f~~J -8- good. old folks glinme is done stayed right wid me all through lite, so tar, and I alms to live by it to de end. I didn t ~~ho tnough jine up wid no church tu I was d~one growed up and h~d left Marse ~era1d; den I jined de Gedar Grove Baptist church and was baptized dar, and dar s whar I b longs ylt. Marster was too old to wuk when dey sot us free, so for a long tinte us jus stayed dar and run his place for hint. I never seed none of dein Yankee so~jers but one time. Marster was off in Jefferson and while I was down at de was~hplace I seed bout 12 men come ridin over de hill. I was slio skeered and when I run and told Mistess she made us all come inside her house and lock all de doors. Dem Yankee mens jus rode on through our yard down tO de river and stayed dar a little while; den dey turned around and rid back through our yard and on down de big road, and us never aeed eis no more. Soon atter dey was sot free Niggers started up churches of dey own and it was some sight to see and hear em on meetin days. Dey would go in big crowdz and sometimes dey would go to mee~1n s a fur piece off. Dey was all fixed up in deir Sunday clothes and dey walked barfoots wid deir shoes acrost deir shoulders to keep em from gittdn dirty. ~rus fore dey got to de church dey stopped and put on deir shoes and den dey was ready to git together to hear de preacher.

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Q t, wFOlks don t know nothin bout hard times now, specially young folks; dey is on de gravy train and don t know It, but dey is headed straight for struetion and perdition; dey s gwine to land in dat burnin fire if dey don t mind. wha t d ey s abo ut J t rust in de . Lord Honey, and cast your troubles on Hun and He ll stay wid you, but if you turns your back on Hirn, den you is lost, plumb gone, just as sho as shelled corn. When us left Marse Gerald and moved nigh. Athens he got a old Nigger named Egypt, what had a big fambly, to live on his place and do all de wuk. Old Marster didn t last long atter us was gone. One night he had done let his fariii hands have a big cornshuokin and had seed dat dey had plenty ot supper and liquor to go wid it and, as was de custom dein days, some of dem Niggers got Old Marster up on deir shoulders and toted him up to de big house, singin as dey went along. He was jus as gay as dey was, and joked de boys. When dey put him down on de big house porch he told Old Mistess he didn t want no supper cept a little coffee and bread, and. he strangled on de tust bite. Mistess sont for de doctor but lie was too nigh gone, and it warn t long fore he had done gone into de glory of de next world. He was bout 95 years old when he died and he had siio been

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31 -10-e a good. man. One of my nieces and her husband went dar atter Marse Gerald died. arid tuk keer of Mistess tu she went honte to glory too. Mammy followed Old Miatess to glory in bout 3 years. Us was livin on de clobnsori place den, and lt warn t long fore nie and George Kinney got married. A white preacher iriarried us, but us didn t have no weddin celebration. Us moved to de 3~oe Langford place In Oconee County, but didn t stay dar but one year; den us moved. crost de crick Into Clarke Ucunty and atter us rarn~d d~ar 9 years, us moved ~ ~ to dis here place whar us has been ever since. Plain old farmin is de most us is ever done, but George used to make some mighty nice cheers to sell to de white folks. Re made t em out of hick ry what he a easoned jus right and put rye split bottoms in em. Dem cheers lasted a lifetime; when dey got dirty you jus washed em good and sot em in de sun to dry and dey was good. as new. George made and sold a lot of rugs and mats dat he made out ot plaited shucks. Most evvybody kep a shuck footmat tore deir front doors. Dem sunhats made out of shucks and buirushes was mighty tine to wear in de field when de sun wa~ hot. Not long atter all ten of our chillunwas borned, George died out and left me wid dem five boys and five gals.

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Some old witch-man conjured rae into inarryin ~Tordan Tackson. Dat s de blessed truth, Honey; a ortune~ teller is done told me how it was done. I didn t want to have nothin to do wid Jordan cause I knowed he was jus a no count old drinkin man dat jus wanted my land and stuff. ~hen he couldn t git rue to pay hirn no heed hisselt, he went to a old conjure man and got him to put a spell on me. Honey, didn t you know dey could do dat back in dem days? I knows dey could, cause I never woulda run round wid no Nigger and married hirn if I hadn t been witched by dat conjure business. De good Lord sho punishes folks for deir sins on dis earth and dat old man what put dat spell on me died and went dc~i to burnin hell, and it warn t long den fore de srell left me. Right den I showed dat no count ~ordan Jackson dat I was a good oman, a powerful sight above him, and dat he warn t gwine to git none of dis land what my chillun s daddy had done left em. .~ hen I jas stood right up to him and showed him he warn t gwine to out whack m.e, he up and left rue and I don t even use his name no more cause I don t want it in ray business no way a t all. Jordan s done paid his debt now since he died and went do~i in dat big old burnin hell long wid de old witch man dat conjured me for him.

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g) ~Yes, Honey, de Lord. done put lt on record dat dere is sho a burnin place for tonnent, and didn t iay Marster and Mj~tess lam nie d~ same thing? I sho does thank ein to dis day for de pains dey tuk wid. de little Nigger gal dat growed up to be me, tryln to show her de right road to travel. Oh! If I could jus see em one and more time, but dey can look down from de glory land/see dat I se still tryin to follow de road dat leads to whar dey Is, and when I gits to dat good and better world I ju8 knows de Good- Lord will let dis aged oman be wid her dear Marster and Mistess all through de time to come. Trust God Honey and 11e wi Il lead you home to glory. I ae sho enjoyed talkin to you, and I thanks you for cornin . I se gwine to ax Him to take good keer of you and let you come back to cheer up old Nicey again.

Julia Larken. Ex-slave - age 76. 037 034

34 PLANTATION LIFE AS VIEWED BY AN EX-SLAVE flJLIA LARKEM 693 Melgs Street Lthens, Georgia Written by: Miss Grace MeCune Athens Edited by: Mrs. sarah li. Rail Athens - and ~rohn~~~N. Booth District Supervisor Federal Viriters Project Residencies 6 & 7 Auguata, Georgia.

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~TtJLIA LARKEN ~ ~ A~e ~. Julia s small three-room cottage is a servant house at the rear of a white family s residence. A sate through an old-fashioned picket fence led into a spacious yard~ where dense shade from tall pecan trees was particularly in .. viting after a long walk in the sweltering heat. . An aged mulatto woman was seated on the narrow porch. lier straight white hair was arranged in braids, and. her faded print dress and. enorinouscilecked apron were clean and. carefully patched. A pair ot dark colored tennis shoes completed her costume. She arose, tall and erect, to greet her visitor. Teasuin, dis here s J~u1ia Larken, she saidwith a friendly smile. Come right in, Chile, and set here and rest on nq nice cool porch. I knows you s tired plumb out. You shouldn t be out walkin round in dis hot sun - It ain t good for you. It ll niake you have brain fever fore you knows it. When asked for the story of her life, J~ulia replied: Lordy, Chile, did you do all dis walkin hot as it is today, jus to hear dis old Nigger talk? Well, jus let me tell you, dem days back yonder fore de war was de happiest time of my whole life. I don t know much bout slavery, cause I was jus a little gal when de war ended. I was borned in war times on Marse Payton Sails plantation, way off down in Lincoln County. j :~Q~34 35

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2. 36 M~ Ma was borned arid bred right dar on dat same place. Marster bought my Daddy and his Mammy from Captain LeMars, and dey tuk de name ot Sails atter dey corne to live on his place. Manuny s naiae was Betsy Sails and ~addy was named Sam l. Dey was niarried soon atter Marster fetched Daddy dar. ~Dere ain t no tellin how big Marster s old plantation was. His house set right on top of a high hill. ~iis plantation road circled round dat hill two or three times gittin from de big road to de top of de hill. Dere was a great deepwell in de yard whar dey got de water for de big house. Marster s room was upstairs and had steps on de outside dat cone down into de yard. On one side of his house was a fine apple orchard, so big dat it went all de way down de hill to de big road. On de other side of de house was a large gyarden whar us raised evvything in de way of good vgftables; dere was beans, corn, peas, turnips, couards, taters, and. onions. Why dey had a big patch of nothin but onions. Us did love onions. Dere was allus plenty of good meat in Marster s big old smoke.~ house dat stood close by de well. Marster, he believed. in raisin heaps of meat. 11e had cows, hogs, goats, and sheep, not to inentionhis chickens and turkeys. All de cloth for slaves clothes was made at home. Mammy was one of de cooks up at de big house, and she made ~ ~ . too. Daddy was de shoeman. 11e made de shoes for all de folks on de plantation.

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3 . De log cabins what de slaves lived in ~s off a piece from de big house. Dem cabins had rock chimblies, put together wid red mud. Dere warn t no glass in de windows and doors of dein cabins - jus plain old honie-inade wooden shutters and doors. Julia laughed as she told of their beds. Us calle d era rourposters, and dat s what dey was b ut dey was jus plain old pine posties what one of de men on de plantation made up. Two posties at de head and two at de foot wid. pine rails betwixt em was de way dey made dem beds. Dere warn t no sto -bought steel springs dein days, not even for de white folks but dem old cordsprings went a long ways towards rnakin de beds comfortable and. dey holped to hold de bed. together. De four poster beds de white folks slept on was corded too, but deir posties warn t made out of pine. Dey used oak and walnut ~------------~----~-..-----------------~-.------- and sometimes real raahogany, and dey carved em up pretty. Some of dem big old posties to de white folkses beds was six inches thick. Slaves all et up at de big house in dat long old kitchen. I kin jus see dat kitchen now. It wern t built on to de big house, cept it was at de end of a big porch dat went from it to de big h~use. ~ great big fireplace was most all do ~ cross one end of dat kitchen, and it had racks and cranes for de pots and pans and ovens but, jus let me tell you, our Marster had. a cookstove too. Yessum, it was a real sho nough iron cookstove. No ni, lt warn t zactly lak de stoves us

041 038

38 uses now. It was jus a long, low stove, widout much laigs, jus flat on top wid eyes to cook on. De oven was at de 1~ottom.. Manuny and ~randnta Mary was mi~kr~y proud of dat stove, cause dere warn t nobody else rround dar what had a oookstove, so us was jus plumb rich folks. Slaves didn t come to de house for dinner when dey was wukin a fur piece off in de fields. It was sont to ein, and dat was what kilt one of my brothers. Whilst it was hot, de cooks would set. de bucket of dinner on his haid end tell him to run to de field wid it fore it got cold. 11e died wid brain fever, and de doctor said it wes from totin all de~ hot victuals on his haid. Pore Brudder John, he sho died out, and ever since den I been skeered of gittin too hot on top of de haid. I~ere was twelve of ~amxriy s chillun in all, countin Little Peter who died out when he was a baby. De other boys was ~Tohn, Tramer, S&m 1, George, and Seott. De only one of my brothers left now is G~eorge, leastwise I reckon he s livin yet. De last count I had of him he was in Cb~ioago, and he must be bout a hundred years old now. De gals was me and Mary, 1~erica, Hannah, Betsy, end Emma. Fore ~randiaa Mary got too old to do eli de cookin Mammy wuked in de field. Mammy said she allus woke up early, and she could hear Marster when he started gittin up. She would hurry and gi.t out fore he had time to call em. Some-

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5. 39 times she cotch her hoss and rid to the field. ahead cl de others, tcause Marster never laked for nobody to be late in de triornin . One time he got atter one of his. young slaves out in de field and told hirn he was a good mind. to have him I whupped. Dat night de young Nigger was tellin a old slave bout it, and de old man jus laughed end said: lNhen Marster) ._. pesters rae dat way I jus rise upand cuss him out. Dat young rellow cided he would try it out and de next time Marster got at~er hiradey had a rukus what I ain t never gwine to forgit. ITs was all out in de yard at de big house, skeered to git a good breath when us heared Marster tell hirn to do sornepin, cause us knowed. what he wes ineanin to do. 11e didn t go right ahead and mind Marster lak he had allus been used to dom . Marster called to him again, and den dat fool Nigger eut loose and he evermore did cuss ~a~ter out. Lordy, Chile, Marster jus fairly tuk de ~ ~-~---- ~ hide off dat Nigger s back. V~hen he tried to talk to dat old slave bout it de old man laughed and said: Shucks, I allus waits tU I gits to de field to cuss ~arster so he won t hear e Marster didn t have but two boys and one of em got kilt in de war. Dat sho ly did hurt our good old ~iarster, but dat was de onliest diffunce de war made on our place. When it was over and dey said us was free, all de slaves st~yed right on wid de Marster; dat was all dey knowed to do. Marster told em! dey could stay on jus as long as dey ~:anted to, and dey was right dar on dat hill tu Marster had done died out and gone to Glory.

043 040

6. Us chillun thought hog kuhn time was de bests) time of all de year. Us would hang rotT~id de pots whar dey was rendin up de lard and all day. us et dem good old browned skin eracklin s and ash roasted taters. Marster allus kilt from 50 to 60 hogs at a time. It tuk dat much meat to feed all de folks dat had to eat from his kitchen. Little ohillun never had nothin much to do cept eatandsleepandpley, but now, jus let me tell you for shoT, dere warn t no runnin round nights lak dey does now. Not long fore sundown dey give evvy slave chile a wooden bowl of buttermilk and cornpone and a ~ ~- ~ --~ - ~ ~ ~ wooden spoon to eat it wid. Us knowed us had to finish eatin in time to be in bed by de time it got dark. Our homespun dresses had plain waisties wid long skirts gathered on to ein. In not weather ehillun wore jus one piece; dat was a plain slip, but in cold weather us had plenty of good warni clothes. Dey ~ -~-~ to make warm cloth for our winter clothes and made shoes for us to wear in winter too. Marster evermore did believe in takin good keer of his Niggers. *1 kin ricollect dat fore dere was any churches right in our neighborhood, slaves would walk 8 and 10 miles to church. Dey would git up way fore dawn on meetin day, so as

044 041

7. 41 to git dar on time. Us wouldn t wear our shoes on dem long walks, but jus went barfoots tu us got nearly to de meetin house. I jus kin member dat, for chullun warn t lowed to try to wslk dat fur a piece, but us could git up early in de m.ornin and see de grown folks start off. Dey was dressed iii deir best Sunday go-to-~ineetin clothes and deir shoes, all shined up, v~as tied together and hung over deir shoulders to keep ein from gittin dust on em ~en folks had on plain honiespun shirts and jeans pants. De jeans what deir pants was made out of was honiespun too. Some of de omans wore homespun dresses, but most of em had a calico_dress what was - .~ . ~ ~ .. ~ saved s~cial for Sunday meetin wear. Omans wore two or ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~%~* ~ _. ~ ~ ~ . ~ ~ r three petticoats all ruffled and starched tU one or dein under- skirts would stand by itself. Dey went bartoots wid deir shoes hung over deir shoulders, jus lak de mens, and evvy onian pinned up her dress and evvy one of her petticoats but one to keep em from gittin muddy. Dresses and underakirts was made long enough to touch de ground dem days. Dey allus went off singin , and us chillun wuld be wishin for de time when us would be old enough to wear long dresses wid. starched petti~ coats and go to rneetin . U8 ohillun tried our best to stay wake tu dey got home so us could hear em talk bout de preachin and singin and testifyin fordeLord, and us allus axed how many had done jined. de church dat day.

045 042

. 8. 42 Long fore I was old enough to raalce dat trip on foot, dey built a Baptist church nearby. lt was de white folkses church, but ~1ey let deir own Niggers join dar too, and. how us chiliun did love to play round it. No m, us never broke out no windows or hurt nothin playin ear. Us warn t never lowed to throw no rocks when us was on de church grounds. De church was up on top of a high hill and at de bottom of dat hill was de creek whar de white folks had a fine pool for baptizin . Dey had wooden steps to go down into it and a long wooden trough leadin from de creek to fill up de pool whenever dere was baptizin to be done. Dey had real sermons in dat church and folks come from miles around to see dem baptizin s. White folks was baptized fust ana den de Niggers. When de time come for to baptize dem Niggers you could hear em singin and shoutin a long ways off. It jus don t seem lak folks has de same sort of ligion now dey had dein days, specially when somebody dies. Den de neighbors all went to de house whar d~e corpse was and sung and prayed wid de fambly. D~cof~ns had to be iaad.s at~er~oikw~s~dor e dead. Dey measured de corpse and made de coffin cordin ly. Most of em was made out of plain pine wood, lined wid black calico, and sometimes dey painted em black on de outside. Dey didn t have no balmers onde plantations so dey couldn t keep dead folks out long; dey had to

046 043

. e /1 ~. ~ bury ein de very next day atter dey died. Dey put de corpae in one wagon and de Larably rode in another, but all de other folks walked to de graveyard. When dey put de coffin in de grave dey didn t have no sep rate box to piece it in, but dey did lay planks cross d~e top of it fore de dirt was put in. De preacher said a prayer and. de folks sua - Earps from deTonib. L~aybe several months later dey would have de runeral preached some sunday. Us had all sorts o~ big dom s at harvest time. Dere was cornshuckin s., logrollin s, syrup makin~s, and cotton pickin s. Dey tuk time about from one big plantation to another. Evvy place whar dey was a-goin to celebrate tuk time off to cook up a lot of tastyeatxnents, specially to ~ barbecue plenty ot good meat. De Mar8ters at dein diftunt places allus seed dat dere was plenty of liquor passed round and when de wuk was done and. de Niggers et all dey wanted, d~ey danced and played most all night. What us chillun laked most bout it was de eatin . What I member best of all is de good old corn risin lightbread. Did you ever see any et it, Chile? Why, my Mammy and U~ranthaa Mary could bake dat bread so good it would jus melt in your mouth. Mammy died whilst I was still little and Daddy married again. I guess his second wire had a tirae wid all of us chullun. She tried to be good to us, but I was skeered of

047 044

10. ~ 44 her for a long time atter she come to our cabin. ~he larnt :nie how to make my dresses, and de fust one I made all by myself was a long sight too bi~ for me. I tried it on and was plumb sick bout lt bein so big, den she said: N~ever mind, you ll grow to it. Let me tell you, I got dat dress off in a hurry cause I was most skeered to death for Lear dat if I kept it on it would grow to my skin lak I thought she meant. I never put dat dress on no more for a long time and dat was atter I found out dat she jus meant dat ray dress would fit me atter I had growed a little more. ~A11 us chillun used to pick cotton for Marster, ~ and he bought all our clothes and shoes. One day he told me and Mary dat us could go to de store and git us a pair of shoes apiece. Course us knowed what kind of shoes he meant for us to git but Mary wanted a fine pal r of Sunday shoes end dat s what she picked out and tuk home. Me, I got brass-toed brogans lak ~Marster meant for us to git. Bout half way home ~ry put on her shoes and walked to de big house in em. When Marster seed em he was ~ but it was too late to take em back to de store atter de shoes had done been wore and was all scratched up. Marsterfussed: Blast your hide, I m a good mind to thrash you to death. Mary stood dar shakin and tremblin but dat s all Marster ever said to her bout it. Us heared him tell Mist ess dat dat gal Mary was a right smart Nigger.

048 045

11. Marster had a great big old. bull dat was mighty mean. Re had. real long horns, and he could lift de fence raum s down one by one and turn all de cows out. Evvy time he got out he wuld fight us chillun, so Marster had. to keep hirn fastened up in de stable. One day when us wanted to play In de stable, us turned Old O~mel (dat was de bull) out in de pasture. He tuk down rails enough wid. his J horns to let de cows in Marster s fine gyarden and dey et it all up. Marster was wuss dan mad dat time, but us hid in de barn under some hay tU he went to bed. Next inornin he called us all up to git our whuppin , but us cried and said us wouldntt never do it no more so our good old Marster let us ofr dat tinie. Lak I done said before, I stayed on dar tu Marster died, den I married Matthew liartsfield. Lordy, Chile, us didn t have no weddin . I had on a new calico dress and Matthew wore some new blue jeans breeches. De~everendffargrove, de white folks preacher, married us and nobody didn t know nothin bout it tu it was all over. Us went to Oglethorpe County and lived dar 19 years fore Matthew died. I wuked wid white folks dar tu I married up wid Ben Larken and us come on here to Athens to live. I have done some wuk for most all de white folks round here. Ben s grandpappy was a miller on Potts Creek, nigh ~tephens, and sometimes ~en used to have to go help him out wid de wuk, atter i~e got old and feeble.

049 046

12. 4G Day s all gone now and cept forsome nieces, I ia left all alone. I kin atill mind de chullun and. even do a little wuk. For dat I do give thanks to de Good Lord. ~ dat he keeps nie able to do some wuk. Goodbye Chile, said Julia, when her visitor arose to leave. You must be more keerful bout walkin round when de sun is too hot. It ll make you sick sho . Folks Jus don t know how to take de right sort of keer of deyselves dese days.

George Lewis. 050 047

1E-~/%~STh1 v~ ~ 7~T I-~ 1 ~ ~ ~ ~Lr. ~h.rge L~wii wae bsrn in Yenaaesla,Fl rid.a December 17,1849. In s&aiti,n ~ ~3 hui*eelf and. hie parents, 8 phia and Charles Lewie, there were thirteen ether children; )j~ ~f whoa were irle. J~Ir.. Lewie (G~ .) wai th~e third eldeet child. ~lthou;h married Mr. Lav i~ parent~ b~1o~~~ te different ewner5. Hwever, :~r. Bro~enIian~ often ~llowr~d hi~ ~Qrvant to vid~t his wife on. the pla~tati,n er her ~?r, ~ Carelino Br~ht. In reard t~ werk all et the ~a~:~ber Gf thr~ ~ clan fared ver~r well. Tii~ f_ th n , -~ihe b~1~n~ te Dr. Br~senhan, wa~ a &dl .ed. shipbu~il~er and. h~i wac pQr~itt~ !: I~ TE~ hi~c~lf :~t t~ thosa ~ his $ervioee. He waa also allowed. t~ hire,,~thoee ~ :~:Lidr~ belen~in; to hi~ who wore ~ld ~neu~h te werk. H. visa n1, rec~uir~d ta pa~ .i$ ~L~tn cuid tht:) ~istrs~e~ of his chuldrma a cc~rtain 2~rcont if his ~rnin~a. O~ the :::i;ht plantation Lr~. L~wi~ served a ~iaid and as part f her duti~ she had. t. help ith the ceeIcin~. LIr. Lewia and hie ~n othera and. 8iatE~ra were never re ~tir~ad t. d. ~ i~ch work. liest ef their tine wae a~pent in playing areund in the yard .f th~big :~use. In answer te a qucry CQUC~)rI11ng the wor~c rQc~uir~ments Cf the ther alavee n ~i$ particular plantation Mr. Lr~wis rt~pl Qd De sun v iuld never ketch de~ at ~ h uae. ~ de ti~ae Lt WL~ Up dey had dsne ~ct t de fiel -~ net c~ gwine. I ve kniwn ~ t, :ave to wait 4fl1 it W~6 br~ht cnou;h te se~ how te plow without ~ivQring the ~:Iai~tc up. y lef ~e early in de zornings dat br~aLcfu~e had. te be sont te d~n in ~ f1~ . s Dq cUlJ~tn waa de ones who carriQd. de ~i~al thera. Dis w~e de firat jib :~at I ~iad. All de ~aile W~i2 ~ut on a lsng stick an e.~ebedy held. t each end ~ da stick. If de fiel hande w~is tic far away fu~ de heuee at dinner time it w~ia aent to :~ F:~ ~a~e as d~ breakfu~ .. A.U ef the alavcia en the ~plantation wc~re awakened each ~ierning by a bugle or a horn ;7hich was blown by the verseer. The ~a~e cv~raeor cave the aignal fer ~th.n~r hour by blowing en the sane horn. ~ll were uaually given Que hei~r f r dinner, :;~~ had. te~ di any VIOrk after l avin~ the fiel~ s U.U1e88 it h~P2eUed. tS ~be ~era.nal I f 1.00048 ~: .~ ~ ~ ~

051 048

. 48 ~~rIc. ::~ werk itb~ez t aaii the earing fsr the stsck was required ~zi 8UX3.d.&yI. 1~ few years baThi e the Civil War Mrs. Bright ~arried a Dz~~ Bennett ~ ~ ~VOd~ t~ his b~e Lu Ge~rgia~Tr.a~e Ce~tnty), Mr. Lewis statas that he and. bie fol .iw slaves always he4 pretty ~ 3 ;~ftro they moved t~ Geer~ia the r~itiens were ism~od daily and f r the ~at part an. ie i~a Ci~~t~ Qf vegetables, r1o9, beans, ~a~at(perk), all. kinde of fish a~. grita,at~~ we get gisd cl.th~e tie says Mr. Lewia. Al . f eifl wi~a bought. All ~ ~h1l .~~ viorr~ a io~ig shirt until dey w~s t,~ big an d~en they was given vanta ~ dreeae~. j~, ~:US 2~~dQ ~it f red. leather aia w~is called bra~ana. ~fter we ~iev~d ti Ge.rg a .~ new ~r:t~r bsu~ht d~ cleth an had. all d~ clwth~s made an cia plantatiet. De ~ W~.5 prabt~r ~ ~ ~.. horo t . ~Q ~t corn bread an biscuit sornet ~ea-.. an it w~.s e~ieti~os to, ~ r ~C~)fl9 ~ilk, all Id.fldS ~f va~etables an sicha staff 1 1~e. dat. D flour dat Wa~~Q d~a ~ wit f was de third grade shorts. the f d~ ~ 8~u~d~ay was alrnost identical~ with that eaten d~riug the week. : ::~~v~r, thase who deai~ed ti ware allewad. t lrnnt as ~oh as thay pleased t. at night. ~ ~ nQt perraittad. t carry ~ns and. s when the ca~o wae treed. ~ the tree 1~a~ t~ ~ ~t ~ in order to g~t Itf It was in this way that the fa~iily larder was increased, I - All in ai says Mr. Lewis~ we ;ot r~vorything wa~ wanted. oxcop dare was na ~ co~iin fc~r ur wGrlc an f wo could nt ~a aft do place unisse We ask~4,)t~ Y~i~: vite 3 ~ L~ ~ Off your ~.laxitation without a p~n~it fu~i d.c~ ~rster de Padd~r-Ril1ovs ~ yo~ ~t :.. en-t ~~ou hoi~ie. Th~ slaves iivin~ uart~rs were loo~t~d in the rear if the big hua, (thu ~ ~:~c-~ Of the plantation occt~cI in. Pensacola as v;~11 as th n ~ in GeerziaG. A~j Wara ~ cf Io;s anci,acoardin; to Mr. LQv;j~, all wero/ substantially built. Ws d.en page were ~ ~1 121 thEa place of nails an~ the cracks left in the walls wore s~aled. with m~ i~:t~ Th~~ cabin3 wQra very co~ifertable and. only Qfl~ fa~ily was allawed. t a cabi~. ~ :3~ ::rs vi~r~ of w~od~. The nly fur;1iEhin~s worQ the bed~s and. OUQ Q~ tw ~ er ~ ~ :~ which sorv~d as chairs. In safle respects these becta. rese~blc~d a scaffGld. nailed. t. 4: ~ ~ ~ ~? C f a hats e O thors wore ~zada ~f hoavy w od and. had, fa~r I egs t. s tend ~ F.r

052 049

49 th9 : : t ~ar t hswe~er, n~ end if the bed. wac UaUed te the wall. ~ ~ ~Wir~ i~ ~ ~t af arq kind f ~tateriaI that a slave ci* 4 secure, burlap easka,a~aenberg,9te. ~r ~ lagge bag bad been ~ade with this ~at~ria1 ~it waa ~t~~ifted with straw. E~&yy ~ ~1. fl~ fra~ aith~ t. side wz~.s ~ed far th~ ~ bed. aprin~a. ~.e o~ ~ : : ~i ~ 3 ~:i~d t a L~nd1e at th~ end ~f thc~ ~d. ~ia 2~w~iitt~d th~ occupa~t t ~ the :: I :~ ~ it bec~e 1osseu~d. A fow ~ ut~nai1s coi~ic~ted th~ f~ruishin~. A~ ~ .~ ~ : . ~ S 2~.cLtrQd by ~ana of tho deer ~nd th~ p~n fire ;lace. d~ 11 St the slavea n th~ plan.tatisn ~ ~ e p~r~itt~ t& frelie wkam~yg~ tiaay vezated~ ~ ~L:: 3r aa liu a tiafl ae they wanted te. T~e aaater gave th~ aU. f the Whielcey tiat t:~ ~ - ~ ~ired. ~e St the ~aizi ti~e~ fer a frolic waa thtring a cern &vieking. At eack freue ~.. ~ r ~ -;a~ dancing, fiddIiLg, arLd eating. Tk~ E~ext ~Srning,h~wever all had~ t be p~ep~d~ t r~rt a8 ~1ffaa1 te the fielda. ~u1 were re ~ red te attend ck~rsk eack S*nday. Th~ a~e ursk val Ued by the ~ ~:~Qre and their sI8~ea. ~e swxiere atten~ded c~irek in the ~.rii*g at e1qy~ s s1,~ :~ t~IQ ~ lavea attezided at three s c ~. L white ~iiiie ter did. all cf the iQ ~L aer~n he presehed a~a Mi . Lewia wa. tc read d~e Bible ~ tail ~a te ~ ~ :~rt au nSt tS s teal ~j ekiekene egga an ~utter, f~a car ~ars tere . ~jj ~L~~.ing .~ ~ ~ tiii~ ~ e1fe~e *iniater. ~en a cIu:pl e wi Ehed te narry the ~an secured the per*is sii~ cf hie int~nded ~ :~: :~~i~r ~ if he c,nsen.ted/ a brec~ waa placed en the f1s~r and the ecc~1e j~p~d ever ~ ~ ~T~re then ~rneunc~d a~ a~d wife. ~ere ~cvaa net a ~reat dea3. f w~ipping .~ the p1a~tati.n et Dr. ~er~se1 ~ at ~:1 ~ : ~ aU w~Li4~2in~! were admini5terQd by S~e et the sv~rs~e~re ~1.yc~d sn th~ p1*~t&t1~u Z: , ~ :~ii~~uf wa~ i y whi:~2ed onc~ and thcin by th~ D.ct.r .Tkia was jiat a f~w day. ~ t:~ ~1ave~ were freed.. Irr. L~j~ ~ that the dct r carie te the fi~1d ~ :~:~ c~::~)d hiz~Jj ~e told. h ~ that they were gsing te be fr~ed bat that befer~ ~ did free ~: ~ ~ ~ ~~*a8 ;oin~ t 1~t ~ ~ Wh4t it wa~ 1i~ te ~e Whipped ~ a white ~L~z Said. he ;:~ :~ ~ ~: ~d. t I)~d51t~ hin vii th a w~ite ak pa&dle. ~hQ1i there waa s~ia~ i1In~a~ *he s1av ~e had the attentisn cf ~ FerrQl. ~n

053 050

,;~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ oocaai,nB the ld rea.4 .f e~etr U and~ t~trpentine was ad*ini,teredo ~ sr~ v,c~$ ~r~~ry little a o~ese t~ian acc.rding t Mr. Lewis. M~ t 9 VQ 7 Z8Z1U7 kept a la~ g~ pet ~f tf3j ttn s (a i~iixtura St WhL8 C~r and~ tree barke ) an~ each a r~ing every ~ab~r i ~ r~ 1y took a d~riii}z ~em thia Irnoket. Thia aupposodly pre7entod. i11no~3~. ~&en tho war broke ut l~r. Lewis says that ho eft~m he~rd the .1& ~e1k~ ~ 1:1; ~iong the~a~c~1w~e ~t n ~ht. ~evora1 th~ he saw the N.rt~rn treepE ~ w ~11 a t~ ~d ~ tii~~ ~troQ:~8 but ho d~, tnt .~ew w1~ether t~oy wqre ~:o u~ ?~ ce4~g frexa the Ceti~ f I ~ 2i;hting~ct,i Ferrai jQined~ the a j but on~ three difforev.t aeaai~n~s ~e ~ ~ ~ofore ;oing~ts war Dr. ~ ez re1 oa Ied~ ~ 1e~ia ts 14a and~ after ~iviug Ithi bj~ f&~,~~~ite t~ ~~orso ;ave 131~e the fellewing charge EDen t I et the Yaukees ~et ki~ ~very ~ ~ ~ Lowie would talci the lame t.j t1ai~ weod~ w1~r~ he hid. with 1~ia ai . day. O~ ~ ~ ;cGaeiolla Dr. P~rre1 slipped back t, his hoxie bi see i~ the korea wa~ being prper1~ \ c:r~d for. All ef tlae ther va1i~ab1e6 b~1 ~ .n~ ta the Ferreliwere hidden ~ Lu er thE? alavee su the plan.tat eu were ~iad~ wlaen they w re tiId~ t~iat ui.y w~r~ fi~ ee bi~ there wa~ ne big d~unatrat rn~. as they were eaa~kat *traLd~ it vi ~ t~. :ir ster xaight de. ~s~ae ~ thea rei~ained. in th~ p1antati~ w~aile thers it th~ left as :oon aa they were told. that thG~T w~ire free. ~ ~avera1 moiitkS aftel! frr~ed~eii was d~eo1aret Mr~ LewLa ta~er was ible t . w1210h ~ ~::;i-L,~ bie fa3~i2y ~~he he4 net seen since they had zivod. t. Ge~r~ia. ~ I Wken asked hie .pini.n f alavery ~nd if freedsa Mr, Lewi* sqid t~at i~ ~ ~ :~1d i ather be free beea~se tE a certain d.e~reo he is ab~e ti do a~ ha pl aaes, ~ t~e ~t ~t:1~-?r imri~ he did iiet have te werry abe~t ~ite.d~auL shelter as a i1a~e ~ \ :~ ~ ti do new at t~aes. L . -~

Mirriam McCommons. Ex-slave - age 76. 054 051

4~ $ T ~,1~ I~ INTERVIEW WflH: MIRRIAM McCOMMONS 164 Augusta Avenue Athens, Georgia. Written by: Miss Grace McCune Rese&rch Worker Athens, Georgia. ~dited by: Mrs. Sarah H. EaU ~ditor ~ Athens John N. Booth District Sujervisor Augusta, Georgia.

055 052

.~ ~ ~i ~%J ~ t) ~~URRIAM M~CO~ONS ii~x-S1ave ~ A~e 76 It was a bright sunny day when the interviewer stojped at the home of Aunt Merry, as she is called, and found her tending her o1d~ .fashioned flower garden. The old Negress was tired and while resting she talked of days long passed and of how things have changed since she was a little gal. My pa wuz William Young, and he belonged to old Marse Wylie Young and later to young Marse Mack Young, a son of old inarster. Pa wuz. born in 1841, and he died in 1918. Ma wuz Lula Limpkin,and she belonged to Marse 3~ack Luxripkin. I forgits de year, but she wuz jus 38 years old when she died. Ma s young rnistis wuz Miss Mirriam Luznpkin, and she wuz sho good ter my ma. I members, cause I seed her lots of times. She married Marse William Nichols, and she ain t been dead many years. II wuz born at Steebens (Stephens), Georgia, in 1862 at seben clock in de mornint on de 27th day of April. Yassum, I got here in time for breakfast. Dey named me Mirriam Young. When I wuz bout eight years old, us moved on de Bowling G~ eenroad dat runs to Lexin ton, Georgia. Us stayed dar tu I wuz bout 10 years old, ~ den us moved to de old Hutchins place. I wukked~ in de field wid my J pa ti . I wuz bout leben years old. Den ma put me out to wuk. I viukked for 25 dollars a year and my schoolint . Den I nussed for ~. ~ I) Marse George Rice in Hutchins, Georgia. 1 think ~arse George and his twin sister stays in L6XIfl ton now. When I wuz twelve, I went to wuic for Marse John I. Callaway. ~a hired me for de carne pay, 25 dollars a year and my schoolin .

056 053

Mi ssus Callaway sho wuz good t o me . She larnt me my books r~adin and writin ~ and sewin knittin and oroche tin . I still got some of de wuk dat she larnt me to do.0 At this. point Aunt Merry proudly displayed a number of articles that she had crocheted and knitted. All were fashioned after old patterns and showed fine workmanship. Mistis larnt me to be neat and clean in evvything I done, and I would walk long de road a_knittint and nebber miss a stitch. I just bet none of dese young folkses now days could do dat. Dey sho don t do no wuk, just run round all de time, day and night. I dOn t know what ll coma of em, lessen dey change deir ways. Whi1~t I wuz still nussi.n Missis little gal and baby boy dey went down to Buffalo Crick to stay, arid dey give me a pretty gray mare. She wuz all mine and her name wuz Lucy. HI tuk de chillun to ride evvy day and down at de crick, I pulled off dey dotes and baptized em,in de water. I would wade out in de crick wid tern, and say: I baptizes you in de name of de Padder and de Son and de Holy Ghost. Den I would souse em under de water. I didn t know nobody wuz seem me, but one znornin Missis axed me bout it and I thought she n~ought be mad but she just laughed and said dat hit mought be good for ein, cause she spect dey needed oaptizin , but to be keerful, for just on t other side of de rock wuz a hole dat didn t have no bottom. Dere wuz just two things on deplace dat I wuz fraid of, and one wuz de big registered bull dat Marster had paid so much money for. H~ sho wuz bad, and when he got out, us all stayed in de house I ~ dey cotched im. Marster had a big black stallion dat cost lots of money. He wuz bad too, but Max ster kept im shut up most of de

057 054

-.3., 54. tine. De wust I ever wuz skeert wuz de time I wuz takin de baby to ride horseback. When one of de Nigger boys on de place started off on Marster s horse, my mare started runnin and I couJ.dn t sto~\ ex~. She runned plumb away wid me, and when de bo~r cotched us, I wuz holdin de baby wid one hand and de saddle wid t other. $1 sho did have a big time once when us went to i~tlanta. De place whar us stayed wuz bout four miles out, whar Ki.rkwood is flow, and it belonged to Mrs. ~obert ~. Austin. She wuz a widder oman. She had a gal namet Mary and us chillun used to ~1ay to.~ gether. It wuz a pretty j~lace wid great big yards, and de riostes flowers. U5 used to go into Atlanta on de six clock commodation, and come home on de two clock tcorn~odation, but evvythings changed 9At de Callaway place us colored folks had big suppers and all day dinners, wid plenty to aat chicken, turkey, and 1,possum, and all de hogs us wanted. But dere warnt no dancin or fightin , cause old Missis sho didn t low dat. I married when I wuz sebenteen. I didn t have no weddin . I wuz just married by de preacher to Albert McCom~ons, at Hutchins. Us stayed at Steebens bout one year after us married and den come to ~thens, whar I stays now. I ain t never had bu~t two chillun; dey wuz twins, one died, but my boy is wid .me now. I used to nuss i~iss Calline Javis, and she done got married and left here, but I still hears from er. She done r~arried one of dem northern mens, Mr. Hope. I members one time whilst dey wuz visitin ~: stayed wid em to nuss deir baby. One of Mr. Ho~pe s friends from New York wuz wid em. When dey got to de train to go

058 055

35 home, Miss Calline kissed r ~e good-bye and de yankee didn t know ~:~hat to say. Miss CalUne say do yankees low dat southern folks air bean to us Niggers and just beat us all de time. Jey just don t know cause my white folkses wuz all good to ne, and I loves em allett As the interviewer left, Aunt Merry followed her into the asking for a return visit and promising to tell more, bout my white folkses.

Ed Mccree. Ex-slave - age 76. 059 056

5G j ~)O()72 / ~ I / ~-:~ ~ ~: ~ LIFE PLANTATI ON As viewed by ED M~GREE 543 Reese Street Athens, Georgia. g. Sadie B. Hornsby Athens ~ Sarah li. Hall Athens Written by: Edited by: Leila Harris August a and ~n N. Booth District Supervi sor Federal Writers Project Residencies 6 & 7.

060 057

.~ ~ ~ ED McCREX Ex-Slave - Age 76. Ed MoCree s home was pointed out by a little albino Negro girl about 10 years old. The small front yard was gay with snapdragons, tiger lilies, dahlias, and other colorful flowers, and the two-~story frame house, painted graywith white trimmings seemed to be in far better repair than the average Negro residence. Chewing on a cud of tobacco, Ed answered the knock on his front door. Good evenin Lady,* he said. Have a cheer on de porch whar it s cool. ~ Ed is about five feet, six inches in height, and on this afternoon he was wearing a blue striped shirt, black vest, gray pants and black shoes. His gray hair waS topped by a soiled grey hat. Nett, his wife, caine hobbling out on the porch and sat down to listen to the conversation. At first the old man was reluctant to talk of his childhood experiences, but his interest was aroused by questioning and soon he began to eagerly volunteer his memories. He had just had his noon meal and now and then would doze s little but was easily aroused when questions called him back to the subject. WI was borned in Oconee County, he said, jus be. low Watkinsville. My Ma and Pa was Louisa and Henry MoCree, but Old Marster called Pa Sherin for short. Far as I ever heared, my Ma and Pa was borned and brung up right dar in Oconee County. Dere

061 058

~e. ~) was six of us chillun: Silas, Luinpkln, Bennie, Lucy, Babe, and me. 3abe, she was borned a long time atter de war. Little Niggers, what was too young to wu~c in de fields, toted water to de field. hands and waited on de old omans what was too old to wuk in de craps. Dein old oinanslooked atter de babies and piddled round de yards. Slave quarters was lots of log cabins wid chimlies of criss~-erossed sticks and mud. Pore white folks lived in houses lek dat too. Our bed was made wid high posties and had. cords, what run evvy which a-way, for springs. Course dey had to be wound tight to keep dem beds from fallin down when you tried to g t in em. For mattresses, de omans put wheat straw in ticks made out of coarse cloth wove right dar on de plantation, and de pillows was made de same way. OleMiss, she let k~ special favorite Niggers, Av what wuk~d up at de big house, have feather mattresses ar~1 pillows. Dem other Niggers shined dey eyes over dat, but dere warn t nothin dey could do bout it cept slip round and cut dem feather beds and pillows open jus to see de feathers fly. Kivver was lowanced out evvy year to de ones what needed lt most. In dat way dere was allus good kivver for evvybody. G~randma Liza b longed to Marse Calvin Johnson long fore Marse ~T0hn MoCree buyed her. She was cook at de big house. c~rand~pa Charlie, he b longed to Marse Charlie Llardin, but atter him and Grandma married, she still vient by de name of MoCree.

062 059

~. 59 WLawdy Miss! Who ever heared. of folks payin slaves to wuk? Leastwise, I never knowed bout none of ein on our place gittin money for what dey done. Course dey give plenty of somepin t eat and clothes to wear, and den dey niade us keep a-humpin it. I does member seem dem paper nickels, dixues, and quarters what us chillun played wid atter de war. Us used to pretend us was rich wid. ail dat old nioney what warn t no good den. - 3out dein eatrnents, Miss, it was lak dis, dere warn t no fancy victuals lak us thinks us got to have now, but what dere was, dere was plenty ol. Most times dere was pokesallet, tur-. nip greens, old blue head couards, cabbages, peas, and taters by de wholesale for de slaves to eat and, onct a week, dey rationed us out wheat bread, syrup, brown sugar, and ginger cakes.) What dey give chillun de most of was potlicker poured over cornbread crumbs in a long trough. For fresh meat, outside of kuhn a shoat, a lamb, or a kid now and. den, slaves was lowed to go huntin a right smart and dey fotoh in a good. many turkies (turtles), possums, rabbits, and fish. Folks didn t know what iron cookstoves was dem days. Leastwise, our white folks didn t have none or ein. All our cookin was done in open fireplaces in big old pots and pans. Dey had thick Iron skillets wid heavy lids on em, and dey could bake and fry too in dem sk1l1ets.~ ) De meats, cornbread, biscuits, and cakes what was cooked in dem old skillets w88 slio mighty good.

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4. 64~) De cotton, flax, and. wool what our clotnes was made out of was growed, spun, wove, and sewed right dar on our plantation. MarseJohn had a reg la~seamster what didn t do nothin else but sew. Sunmertime us chillun wore shirts what looked lak nightgowns. You jUSt pulled one of dem slips over your haid and went on cause you was done dressed for de whole week, day ~nd night. Wintertime our clothes was a heap better. Dey give us thick jeans pants, heavy shirts, and. brogan shoes wid brass toes. Surtrniertirne us all went bar foots. Old Marster John McCree was sho a good white man, I jus tells you de truf, cause I ain t in for tellin nothin else. I done ~us plum forgot 01e Miss lust name, and I can t git up de chilluns names no way. I didn t play round wid em much nohow. Dey was jus little young chillun den anyhow. Dey lived in a big oldplankhouse - nothin fine bout it. I members de heavy timbers w~s mortised together and de other lumber was put on wid pegs; dere warn t no nails bout it. Dat s all I ricollects bout dat dere house right now. It was jus a common house, I d say. Dere was a thousand or more acres in dat old planta~ tion. It sho was a big piece f land, and it was plumb full of i~iggers - I couldn t say how many, cause I done forgot. You could hear~at~bug1ed overseer blowed to wake up de slaves for miles and miles. He got em up long fore sunup and wuked ein in de fields long as dey could see how to wuk. Don t talk bout dat overseer

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whuppin Niggers. He beat on em for most anything. What would old dey need no jail for wid dat/overseer a~-com1n down on ein wid dat rawhide bull-whup? $1f dey got any lamm , lt was at night. Dere warn t no school ouse or no church on dat plantatiorifor Niggers.) Slaves had to git a pass when dey wanted to go to church. Sornetimes de white preacher preached to de Niggers, but most of de time a Nigger wid a good wit done de preachin . Dat Nigger, he sho couldn t read nary a word out of de Bible. At de baptizin s was when de Nigger boys shined up to de gals. Dey dammed up de crick to make de water deep enough to duck em under good and, dunn de service, dey sung: It sdeGoodOldTime ReU4ion. 0When folks died den, Niggers for miles and miles around went to de funeral. Now days dey got to know you mighty well if dey bothers to go a t all. Dem days folks was buried in homemade coffins. Some of dein coffins was painted and lined wid cloth and some warn t. De onliest song I ricollects em singin at buryin s was: 4! 1 Born to Lai Dis odyDown? Dey didn t dig graves lak dey does now. Dey Jus dug straight down to bout five feet, den dey cut a vault to fit de coffin in de side or de~grave. Dey didn t put no boards or nothin over de coffins to keep de dirt off. Bout dem patterol1ers~ Well, you knowed if dey cctched you out widout no pass dey was gwine to beat your back most

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6.. 62 off and send you on home. One night my Pa lowed he would go to see his gal. All right, he went. When he got back, his cabin door was fastened hard and Last. ile was a-cllmbin in de window when. de patterollers got to him. Dey lowed: Nigger, is you got a pass? Pa said: No Sir. Den dey said: Us can t beat you cause you done got home on your xnarster s place,. but us is sho gwine to tell your Marster to whup your hide off. But Old Marste5,) never tetched hirn for dat. Atter dey come in from de fields, dem Niggers et deir supper, went to deir cabins, sot dowx~ and rested a little while arid den dey drapped down on de beds to sleep. Dey didn t wuk none S~iMey atter dinner in de fields. Dat was wash day for slave olnans. De mens done fust onething and den another. Dey cleant up de yards, chopped wood, niended de harness, sharpened plow points, and things lak dat, Saddaynights, Old~ Marster give de young folks passes so dey could go from one place to another a-dancin and a$rolickin and havin a big time gen ally. Dey done most anything dey want~ed to on Sundays, so long as dey behaved deyseifs end had deir passes handy to show.if de patterollers bothered em. Yesauxa, slaves ~ sho looked forward to Christmas times. Dere was such extra good eatin s dat week and so much of em. Old Marster had em kill a plenty of shoats, lambs, kids, cows, and turkeys for fresh meat. De omans up at de big house was busy for a week ahead cookin peach puffs, tater custards, and plenty of

066 063

7. cakes sweetened wid brown sugar and syrup. Dere was plenty of home-~rnadecaridy~for de chilluns Santa Claus and late apples and peaches had done been saved and banked in wheat straw to keep ein good tu Christmas. Watermelons was packed away in cottonseed) and when dey cut em open on christmas Dey, dey et lak fresh melons in July. Us had a high old time for a week, and den on New Year s Day dey started back to wuk. Come winter, de mens had big cornshuckin s and dere was q.uiltin s for de omans. Dere was a row of corn to be shucked as long as from here to Milledge ~venue. Old Marster put a gang of Niggers at each end of de row and it was a hot race tween dem gangs to see which could git to de middle Lust. Dere was allus a big feast waitin for ein when de last ear of corn was shucked. Bout dein quiltin s~ Now Lady, what wuld a old Nigger man know bout somepin dat didn t nothin but omans have nothin to do wid? Dem cotton pickin s was grand times. Dey picked cotton in de moonlight and den had a big feast of barbecued beef, mutton, and pork washed down wid plenty of good whiskey. tter~de feast was over, some of dem Niggers played fiddles and picked banjoes for de others to dance down tu dey was wore out. . / When sla yes got si ek our white folks was mighty go od bout havin em keered for. Dey dosed em up wid oil and turpentine and give em teas made out of hoarhound for some rnis ries and bone-set for other troubles. Most all the slaves wore a sack of asafiddy

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8., 64 (~safetida) round deir necks all de tirn.e to keep em from gittin sick. It was a happy day for us slaves when news cc~ne dat de war was over and de white roiks had to turn us loose. Marster called his Niggers to come up to de big house yard, but I never atayed round to see what he had to say. I runned round dat place e~..shoutin to de. top of my voice. My folks stayed on wid Old. Marster for bout a year or more. If us had left it would have been jus. lak swappin places from de fryin pan to de fire, cause Niggers didn t have no money to buy no land wid ror a long time atter de war. Schools v~as s~ai scattered bout by deni Yankees what had done sot us free. I warn t big enough den to do nottiin much cept tote water to de field and chop a little cotton. Me and ~ettie ~reernan married a long time atter de war. At our weddin I wore a pair of brown jeans pants, white shirt, white vest, and a cutaway coat. Nettle wore s black silk dress what she had done bought from Miss Blanche Rutherford. Pears lak to ~ne it had a overskirt of blue what was scalloped round de bottom. At this point, Nettie, who had. been an interested listener, was delighted. She broke into the conversation with: Ed, you sho did take in dat dress and you ain t forgot it yit.~ You is right bout dat, Honey, he smilingly reg. plied, I sho ain t and I never will forgit how you looked dat day.~

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9. Miss Blanche give me a pair of white silk gloves to wear wid dat dress, mused Nettle. TJs didn t haveno ShO nough weddin , continued Ed Us jus went off to de prea cher man s house and got married up together. I sho is glad my Net; is still a-~livin , even if ;Ls she/down wid de rheuraatiz. I m g1~d I m livin toc, Nettle said with a chuckle. Ed ignored the question as to the number of their children end Nettie made no attempt to take further part in the conv~rsation. There is a deep seated idea prevalent among old people of this type that if the giver ment folks learn that they have ablebodied children, tneir pensions and relief allowances will be dis- continued. Soon Ed was willing to talk again. Yessum, he seid. I sho had ruther be free. I don t never want to be a slave no more. Now if nie and ~ett wants to, us can set around and not fix and eat but one meal all day long. If us don t v~ant to do dat, us can do jus wh-tsomever us pleases. Den, us had to wuk whether us laked it or not. Lordy Miss, I ain t never jined. up wid no church. I ain t got no reason why, only I jus ain t never had no urge from inside of me to jine. Course, you know, evvybody ought to lissen to de services in de church and live right and den dey wouldn t be so skeered to die. Miss, ain t you through aim me questions yit? I is so sleepy, and I don t know no more to tell you. Goodbye. . s ~

Lucy McCullough. Ex-slave, age 79. 069 066

~t~T; ~ l000Si ~ EX-~SLAVE I~ER VIEW: LUCY )4CULLOTIGH / i .~ Age 79. BY: SARAH H. HALL ATHENS, ~ ~ 1 66

070 067

6? LUG! MCCULLOUGH . Ex-slave, Age 79. Doe s Ah member bout war time en d~em days de war? Yassuta, Ah sho does. Ah blong ter Marse Ned~ Carter In Walton county. Whut Ah members 111OS~ Is d4~rnIiest beatin Ah. ebbe r got fuin de overseer on Ma~e Ned s place . De hawgs wuz dyln iaoughty bad~ wid choiry, en Marse Ned lied. is mens drag evvy dead hawg off in de woods en bun em up ter keep de cholry turn spreadin mongst de udder hawgs. De mens wuz keerless bout die tire en long de woods wuz on fire en de way dat rire spread~ In dem dry grape vine s I n de woods inek it pe er lak jed~e nt day t~*us chifluns. Us run bout de woods lookin at de mens tight ~ de tire, en evvy time we see er~new place ei blaze we run dis way en dat way, twel tus thing us knows, we is p1u~ 0fr Marss Ned~ s plantation en us doan rightly know whar us is Us play In de woods en arter while Marse Ned s overseer own fine us en he Ab~ druv us back t~ de big house yaM en give evvy orte uv us ~r good. beaten . Ah witz blaok . en blue en Ah~ nebber &H th~it en run otten Marae Ned s lan no lao lessen I,hed e~pass. Mah mammy she wuz cook at dsi - big house en Ah. wuz raised da~in de kitchen en de back yaM at de big house. Ah ~mz ~ be ~ maid. ter de ladies In de big . De house servant 8 bold that dey is . step better den de field niggers. House sei vants wuz n1gg~ quality folks . Ah m~us not ~ been mo en thee fo yea~ s oie when Misa Millie curn out in de kitchen one day, en gin t~ seold my mammy bout de sorry way mammy d~one clean d~e chitlln/s. Ah am

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Page2 68 nebber heard nobuddy fuss et my mammy be Little ez Ah wuz, Ah sw ll up en rar back en I sez t~ Misa Millie Doan you no Mammy Is boss ~~dis hyar kitchen. You cyan cum ~ tussIn lu bye.r. Miss Millie she Jts lafT but Mammy grab ~ switch en gin ticklin my laigs, but Miss Mime me:k her quit It. ~?W!ho wuz Miss Millie ? Why she m Marae Xe( a wife. Whilst Marse N~ed wuz way at de war, bad aojer ~ns cum thoo d~e country. Mise Millie ~ d~one hyar tell ~.y wuz on de way, en she had de mens haul all Marss e B cOttOn off in de woods en bide It De waggina wuz piled up high wid cotton en de groun ~ wuz sott atter de rain. De waggina letf deep ruts in de groun , but none us talks on de plantati on pay zw heed ter dem ruts When de sojer mena cum, dey see d~i ruts en trail em right out dar In de WOOdS ter de cotton. Den dey sot tire ter de cotton en bun it ail ~1p Dey cum back ter de big house en take all de swaet milk In de dairy house en help emselfs ter evvy thing in de smoke houses. Den dey pick out te strongee er Ifarse Ned s slave mens en take em way wid em. Dey take evvy good. horse ~rse Ned kiM on de plantation. ~1o M~ am., dey diden bun n~ffln ceppen de cotton. Us wuz skesred er patter-rollers den any thing e Ise. petter-rollers diden bOdder tolks much, lessen dey caught em otfen dar marsters plantations en dey diden hab no pase. One night en dunn de war de patter-rollers c~ ter our cabin, en I scrooge down under de kiver In de bed. De pattar~roller ~n tho de kiver often mah face en he see i~ blong dar en b. let me be but Ab. ~z ekeered plumb ter death. Gourtin tolks got ketched en beat up b de patterrollers mo den enny buddy else, kazen dey wuz aUna alippen out ter ter meet one er nudder et night .

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Page 3 When ~o1ks dat lived on diffunt plantations, en blonged ter dlrtunt rnax~st.ers wanted tex~L:~tt married, dey lied dar ter ax bott~imarsters tus . Den etfen dar marsters gree on It, dey let em marry. De riians marater ud give de mart er pass so he cud go see his wife et night but he t better be back on lus own raarsters farm when de bell ring evvy morning. De ehulluns ud blong ter de marster dat own de oman. Black folks wuz heap smarter &en dey is now. Dem. days de oxnans knowed~ how ter cyard, en spin, en weave de aloft, en dey made de close. De m~ens know how ter mek shoes ter wear den. Black folks in~ hey ter go cole e r hongry den kaze dey marsters made tenl wuk en grow good. crops, en den der marsters fed~ tem plenty en tuk keer UT em. !Black toiks wuz better folks den dey is now. Dey knowed dey lied ter be good er dey got beat De gals dey &i t t tare laigs lak dey do now. Cloff hed ter be made den, en hit vru.z er heap Bio trouble ter mek er yaM er clpff, den ut is ter buy it now, but oinans en g&Is, dey stayed kivver~d up better den. Why, Ah meraber one tinte my manuny seed me curnrnln crost de yaM en she say mali dress too short. She tuk lt often me, en rip out de hem~, en ravel at de aig er little, en &en tus thing I knows, she got dat dress tail on ter de loom, en weave more doff on hit, twel it long enuf, lak she want it. Long bout dat time dey wuz kuhn hawgs on de planta-. tion, en it wuz er nioughty cole day. Miss Millie, she tell ~e ter ter tote dis quart er brandy out dar fer ter warm up de mens dat wuz er wukkin in de cole win Long de way, Ah keep er sippin dat brandy, en time Ah got ter de hawg kill~ri place Ah wuz crazy drunk

073 070

:Paget en tryin ter sing. Dat time twon t no ove~ seer beat a. Dem slave nie s beat me d~en to drinkin ~at likker. ~ Mak folks at~yed 0x1 en wt~kked~ Marse Ned long atter de war When Ah wuz m~o grown mali tam ly m~,ve& ter Logansvl 11e No, Ma am, I ain t nebber been so tree en hap~ es when I &tden hey ter worry bout whar de vittles en close gw1r~e cum ruin, en ail Ah had ter ~o wuz wuk evvy day~ lak ~k whltetolks tole ~e

Amanda McDaniel. Ex-slave. 074 071

m~s1aye-~ ~fr t~iOO53 .. 71 ~ . ( g~ AW1DA )LCDLNIZL . ~ ~T;t~~~9 . Zx-slavs ~sy . Amoi~g these few rsnaiairig p rBOflS who hay. lived 1oi~g .*ough to till of ioms of their sxpertences during the reign of King Slavery in the Ukited States is one Mrs. Amanda McDaniel. . As she sat on thi porch in the glare of the warm October aun. ehe prs.. sented. a perfect picture of the old Negro Maiwny c~aonly seen thirix~g the deys of elavsry. She ~niled as skis expectorated a large ~o~nt of the snuff ehe was chewing and. began her story in the following ~.nner: 1 was born in Wateonvills, Georgia in 1850. My mother s name was Matiltta Hale anti ~y father was Gilbert Whitl.w. My mother and father ~ belonged. to different aa~ter s, but the plantations that they li~ed on were near each other and. so my father was allowed. to visit us often. 1(y mother had two other girls who were ~ halt. sisters. Tou see - n~y mother was sold. to the speculator in Virginia ath brought to Georgia where she ~s sold to Mr. Kale, who was our master ~mti1 freedom was declared.. Thin she was sold. to the speculator the two girls who were jay I~alf..sietera had to be sold with her becauss they ~re too you~ to be separated. from their mother. My father, Gilbert Ihitlew, was my mother s second husband. Mr. Kale, OUX master, was not rich like some of the other planters in I the coi~atinity. His piantation was s small on. an~ h. only had eight servants ~: who were all womin. Re vasi5Pt able to hire an overseer and. all of the heavy t~ work such as the plowing was done by his eons. Mrs. Hals did ai . of her own ~ cooking and. that of the slaves too. In all Mr. Kale had eleven children. I ~i had to nm se three of them before I was old .noiagh t. go to the field to work.1 L_~~ When asked to t.ll *bout the kind of work the slave. bad. to do Mrs. Mc- Daniel said: Our folk. had to get i~p at four o clock svery morniiig ~th feed

075 072

the etock tirst. By*e tla. it waslight enough t see they had. to b. i the fiel&. where thE~r host the cotton and. the corn as well as the ither crop.. Between ten and eleven o clock everybody lsft the uisid aM went to the houes where they worked. mitil it was too dark te see. My tiret job was to teke breakfast to those working in the fields. I used buckets for this. Beeides thu I had to dxive the cows to and from the pasture. Ph. rset o! the day W~8 spent in taking care of Mrs. Kale s yo~ang children. After a few years of this I w .B Bent to the fields where I p .antsd peas, corn, etc. I also had. to pick cotton when that time cams, but I never had to bes and d.o the heavy work like m~ mother and. sisters did. According to Mrs. McDaniel they were seldom requir & to work at night after thsy had 1.ft the fields bu.t when su h occasions did arise thsy were as~a11y in the form of spinning thread and. veavizg cloth. During the winter months this was tie only typs of work that they did. On days when the weather was too bad for work out of doors they sh.11.d the . corn anti peas and did other minor typss of work not requiring too much .xposurs. Nobody had to work on Satt~rday afternoons or on Sundays. It was on Sattirdays or at night that the slaves bad the c~bai~c to do their own work such as the repairing of c1othin~, etc. On the Hale plantation c1othin~ was issued two tises each year, once at the beginning of s~sr and again at the beginning of the unter season. On this first issue ail. were given striped. dresses made of cotton ~ateria1. These dresses wsre for wear during the week while dresses ~d.s of white muslin vers givsn for ~ wear. The dy. which was necessary in ordsr to color those clothes worn durizg the week ~s aids by boiling red. dirt or the bark of trses in water. $~aetimes the indigo berry was also used. TM winter issae consistsd. of drsss s mad.. of woolen material . The socks and stoc~ngs vers all ~itt.d.. All of this wearing apparsl s made by Mrs. aals. The shoes that the. ~ slaves wore were made in the nearby tom at a place biown as the tan yafds.

076 073

; 7:3 These shoes were called ~Brogans and they were very cri~de in constrtiction having been i ad.e of very stiff leather. Ion. of the clothing that was worn on this plantation was bought as everything necessary for the manufacture of clothing was available on the premises. As bas been previously stated, Mrs. Kale did all of the ceokieg on the plantation with the possible exception of S~n&ays when the elates cooked for themselves. Duriz~g the week their diet usually consisted of corn breth, fat meat, vegetables, milk, and potiiqiior. The ~ that they ate in Sunday w~s practically the same. All the food that they ate was pr.di~c.& in the master s garden and there was a st~fficient amount for everyone at all times. There were two one~~rocm~ log cabins in the rear of the master s house. These cabins were dedicated to slave use. Mrs. McDaniel says: The floors were made o1~ heavy wooden plaiiks. Lt one end of the cabin was the chimney which was made out of dried mud., sticks, and dirt. On the side of the cabin opposite the door there was a window where we got a little air and a little light. Oux beds were made out of the same kind. of wood that the floors were and we called them Bed-Stilts. Slats were used. for springe uhu. the mattresses were made of large bags stt~ffed. with straw. At night we used. tallow cathles for light and sometimes fat pine that we called. light-wood. As Mrs. Kale did~ all of our cooking we ~ad very few pots and. pans. In th Winter months we used to take nm . and. close the cracks left in the wall where the logs did not fit clo e together. According to Mrs. McDaniel all the eerious illnesses were handled by a doctor who was called in at such times. At other times Mr. Ii Mrs. Kale gave them either castor oil or salts. Sometimes they were given a type of oil called ~lobelia oil. At the bsginni~g of the eprin~ season they drank ve~ nous teas made out of the roots that they gathered. in the surroimd.ing woods.

077 074

;~ ~ -4.. The only one that Mrs. McD~nie1 remembers is that which was made from saesa~ fras root s . This was good. to clean the system says Mrs McDaniel When.. ever ~ they were sick they d~id not have to report to the master s houee each day as was the case on some of the other plantations There were never any pretended illnesses to avoid work as far as Mrs McDaniel knows On Sunday all o ~ the slaves on the H te plantation were permitted to these in their Simday clothes and go to the white church in town. Dm~ing the moi~ning services they sat in the back of the church where they listened to the white pastor deliver the sermoh. In the afternoon they listened. to a sermon that was preached by a colored minister. Mrs. McDaniel has~i~.t the slightest idea of what these sermons were about. She remembers how marriages were performed, however, although the only one that she ever witnessed took place on one of the neighboring plantations. After a broom was placed on the ground a white minister read, the scriptures and then the couple in the process of bei~ mar~ ned. jim~ped over this broom. They were then considered as man and wife. Whippings were very uncommon the the Hale plantation. Sometimes Mr. Kale had to resort to this form of punis1~ment for disobedience on the part . ~Q~) of some of the servants. Mrs. McDaniel says that she ~sbu~ whipped many times but only once with the cowhide. Nearly every time that she was whipped a switch was used. She has seen her mother as well as s~e of the others punished but they were never beaten unmercifully. Neither she or any of the other slaves on the Kale plantation ever came in contact with the Paddie~ Rollers A wh~ they knew as a groi~ of whi te men who went around whipping slaves who were caught away from their respective homes without passes from their masters. When asked about the bi~.ying and the selling of slaves Mrs. Mc.. Daniel said that she had. neyer witnessed an auction at which slaves were being sold and that the only thing she ~ew about this was what she had been told

078 075

-5-, 75 by her mother who had been separated from her husband and. sold in Georgia. Mr . Hale never had. the occasion to sell any of those s1a~es that he held. Mrs. McDaniel remembers nothing o ~ the talk that transpired between the slaves or her owners at the beginning of the war. She says: I was a little girl, and like the other children then, I didr~ have as much ser~se r as the children of today who are of the age that I was then. 1 do r~nernber that my master moved somewhere near Macon, Georgia after General Wheeler marched through. I believs that he did raore damage ththi the Tanks did. then they came throigh. When n~y master moved us along with his family we had to go out of the way a great deal because General Wheeler had destroyed all of the bridges. Besides this he damaged a great deal of the property that he passecL11 Continuing, Mrs. McDaniel said: I dI .II .t see any of the fighting but I did, hear the firing of the cannons. I also saw any number of Confederate soldiers pass by our place . Mr. Hale & &~!I$ join the army althoi~gh his oldest son did. At the time that the slaves were freed it meant nothing in particular to Mrs. McDaniel, who says that she was too young to pay much attention to what was happening. She never saw her fa~ther after they moved away from Wat sonville. At afly rate she and her mother remained in the service of Mr. Hale for a number of years after the war. In the cot~rse of this tims Mr. Hale grew to be a wealthy man. lie continued to ~e good to those servants who remained with him. After she was a crown woman Mrs. McDaniel left Mr. Hale as she was then married. Mrs. McDaniel says that she has reached such an old age because she has always taken care of herself, which is more than the yo~n~ people of today are doing ehe added as an aft er thought.

Plantation life. 081 078

PlANTATION LI~ ~M I,t&~~ ~ ~- as viewed by ex-slave &U~A1~ ~INTOSH 1203 L Hancock Avenue Athens, Georgia. Written by: Edited by: Sadie B. Hornsby J?ederal Writers ~ roj~ot Athens, Ga. Sarah H. Hall - Athens. . John N. Booth - Augusta. :~ I la Harr is - Augusta. April 28, 1938

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~)()og7 ~ . 79 PLkNTATIOI~ LI~ SUSAN MCINTOSH ~1~v1% ~ :A~~ ~ A driving rain sent the interviewer scurrying into the house of Susan Mcintosh who lives with her son, Dr. Andrew Jones, at the corner of Hancock Avenue arid ~i11ups Street. Susan readily gave her story: They tell irie .1 was born i.n November i85i, she said, and I know 1tv6 been here a long time cause I ve seen so many come and go. I ve outlived most all of my folks cept my son that I live with now. Honey, I ve most forgot about slavery days. I don t read, and anyway there am t no nee~ to think of them times now. I was born in Oconee County on Judge William Stroud s plantation. Vie called him Marse ~il1y. Th~t was a long time before Athens was the county seat. Ma s name was Mary Jen, arid Pa was Christo~pher Harris. They called him Chris for short. Marster Young L. G. Harris bought him from Marster Hudson of ~lb rt County and turned hirn over to his niece, Miss ILlla Harris, when she r~arried Marster i~obert Taylor. Marse Robert was a son of General Taylor what lived in the Grady house before it belonged to Mr. tienry Grady s mother . Pa was coachman and house boy for Miss Lula. Marse Billy owned Ma, and Marse Robert owned Pa, and Pa, he come to see i~ia about once or twice a month. The Taylor s, they done a heap of travellin and aiways took my Pa with ein. Oh! there jas thirteen of us chillun, seven die4 s~oon after they wa8 born, and none of em lived to gi t grown cept me The ir name s was Nane tte and ~lla, what was next to ne; Susan thats me; Isabelle, Martha, Mary, Jiana, Lila, William, Gus, and the twins what was born dead; and Harden. He wa~ named for a Dr. Harden what lived here then.

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2. 8f) Marse Billy bought my gran rna in Virginia. She was part Injun. I can see her long, straight, black hair now, and when she died she d idn t have gray hair like mine . They say Injuns don t turn gray like other folks. Gran ma made cloth for the white foiks . aild slaves on the plantation. I used to hand her thread while she . 7a6 weavin . The lady what taught Gran nia to weave cloth, was Mist ess ~owei, and she was a foreigner, cause she warn t born in Georgia. 3he had two eons what run the factory between ~atkinsville and Athens. :~ aunt, Mua Jackson, made all the thread what they done the weavin ~tzith. Gran pa worked for a widow lady what was a simster (se~stress) a~id she just had a little plantation. She was Mist ess~ Dooli.ttle. di Gran pa done was cut wood, tend the yard and gyard.en . lie had. rheumatism and couldn t do much. There ain t niuch to tell about what we done in the slave quarters, cause when we got big enough, we had to work: nus8in the baMes, totin water, and helpin Gran ma with the weavin and cuch like. -beds was driv to the walls of the cabin; foot and headb~ard put together with rails, what run from head to fiot. Planks ..~as laid crossways and straw put on them and the beds was kivve red . ~ith the whitest sheets you ever seen. Some n~ade pallets on the floor. No, Ma am, I didn t make no money t~jJ after freedom. I heard tell of ten and fifteen cents, but I didn t know nothing bout no fi gge re I di dn t know a ni eke I from a dime them days. Yes, Ma am, Marse Billy lowed his slaves to have t~:3ir own gyardens, and side~ plenty of good gyarden sass, we had :~ 1k and butter, bread and meat, chickens, greens, p as, and just ~verything that growed on the farm. Winter and summer, all the food

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3. 81 was cooked in a great big fireplace, about four feet wide, and you could put on a whole stick of cord wood at a time. When they ranted plenty of hot ashes to bake with, they burnt wood from ash trees. Sweet potatoes and bread was baked in the ashes. Seems like vittuls don t taste as good as they used to, when we cooked like that. Possums, Oht I dearly love possums. My cousins used to catch ern and when they was fixed up and cooked v ith sweet potatoes, t~possum meat was fit for a king. Marse ~ illy had a son named Mark, rhat was a little bitty man. They said he was a dwarf. lie never done nothing but play with the children on the plantation. He would take the children down to the crick what run through the plantation ~ui.i fish all day. We had rabbits, but they was most generally caught in a box trap, so there warn t no time wasted a-huntin for ein. I In summer, the slave women wore white homespun and the :~en wore L~ants and shirts iiiade out of cloth what looked like overall ClOth does now. In winter, we wore the same things, cept Marse : iilly give the men woolen coats what co~ down to their knees, and the woiien wore warm wraps what they called sacks. On Sunday we ~ had \ iresses dyed different colors. The dyes were made from red clay arid barks. ~ark from pines, sweetgums, and blackjacks was boiled, ii~id each one made a different color dye. The cloth i~iade at horx~ was ~oarse and was called gusta cloth. MarseBillyletthe slaves :aise chickens, and cows, and have cotton patches too. They would ~ll butter, eggs, chickens, broors, made out of wheat straw and such like . ~ rnu~1in and good shoes, )ants, coats and other nice things for their SUnday clothes. Marse -~6 illy bought le ather fro~n Mars te r Bruinby s tanyard and had shoe s made

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4. 82 for us. They was coarse and rough, but they lasted a long time. My Marster was father-in-law of Dr. Jones Long. Marse Billy s wife, Miss Rena, died long before I wa~ born. Their six children was all grown when I first knowed em. The gals was: Mi s s i~e na Mi s s Se le na is s Li za and Mi s s Su san Mi s s Su san was Dr. Long s wife. I was named for her. ~ There was two boys; Marss John and Marss Mark. I done told you bout Marss Mark bein a dwarf. They lived in a big old eight room house, on a high hill in sight of Mars Hill )~aptist Church. (~arse Billy was a great deacon in that church. Yes, V~am, he she was good to tus Negroes. I heard em say that after he had done bought his slaves by working in a blackst~ith shop, and wearin cheap clothes, like mulberry suspenders, he warn t goin to slash his Negroes up The older folks admired. M st ess and spoke well of her. They said she had lots more property than Marse Billy. She said she wanted Marse Billy to see that her slaves was give to her children. I spose there was about a hundred acres on that plantation and Marss Billy owned more property besides. There was about fifty grown folks and as to the children, I just don t know how many there was. Around the quarters looked like a little town. Marse Billy had a overseer up~to the time War broke out, then he picked out a reliable colored man to carry out his orders. Sometimes the overseer got rough, then Marss ~illy let him go and got another one . The overseer got u~ up about four or five o clock in the morning, and dark brought us in at night. J ails . Yes, Ma m, I ricollect one was in Watkinsville. No, Ma am, I never saw nobody auctioned off, but I heard

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5. 83 about it. Men used to come through an buy up slaves for foreign states where there warn t so many. Well, I didn t have no privilege to learn to read and write, but the white lady what taught my gran ma to weave, had ~ ~ runthe factory, and they taught my uncles to read and write. ~ t The re warn t no chur cli on the ~p1an ta t I on s o we went to Mars Hill Church. The whit1e folks went in the mornings from nine tu twelve and the slaves went in the evenings from three till about five. The white folks went in the front door and slaves used the ~ back door. -~ev. ~edford Lankford, what preached. to the white folks helped a Negro, named Cy Stroud, to preach to the i~egroes. Oht Yes, Ma arn, I well remembers them ba2tizin~5. I believe in church and baptizing. They buried the slaves on the plantation, in coffins made out of pine boards. Didn t put them in two boxes laic dey does J10W~ and dey warn t painted needer. Did you say patterollers? Sho I seen em, but they didn t come on our plantation, cause Marss Billy was good. to his Negroes and when they wanted a pass, if it was for a good reason, he ~ive em one. Didn t none of Marss Billy s slaves run off to no North. When Marss Billy had need to send news somewhere, he put a reliable Negro on a mule and sent him. I sho didn t hear about no trouble twixt white folks and Negroes. I tell you, Honey, when the days work was over them slaves went to bed, cep when the moon was out and they worked in their own cotton patches. On dark nights, the women mended and

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. 6. ~84 quilted sometimes. Not. many worked in ~ fields on Saturday elTeflifl s. They caught up on little jobs aroun ~ the lot; a mending. / harness and such like. On Saturday nights the young folks got together and had little frolics and feasts, but the older folks was gettin things ready for Sunday, cause Marse .i3illywas, a mighty religious man: we had to go to church, and every last one of the children wa~ dragged along too. 9We always had one week for Christmas. They brought ii~ as much ofgoodthings to eat as we could destroy in one week, but on 1~ew y;:i;~~~~8 Day we went back to work. No, Ma am, as I ricollect, we didn t have ne corn shuckings or cotton pickings only what we had to do as part of our regular work. The white folks mostly got married on Wednesday or Thursday evenin s. Oh~ they had fine times, with everything good to eat, and lots of dancing too. Then they took a trip. Some went to Te5cas and some to Chicago. They call Chicago, the colored folks ::rew York now. I don t remember no weddings xnongst the slaves. My cousin married on another plantation, but I warn t there. 9!~here I was, there warn t no playing done, only tmongst the little chillun, and I can t remern ber much that far back. I recall that we sung a little song, about: little drops of water Little grains of sand, Make the mighty ocean . And the pleasant land Oh! Yes, Ma arn, Marse Billy was good to his slaves, ~rhen they got sick. He called in Dr. Jones Long, Dr. Harden, and Dr. Lurnpkin when they was real sick. There was lots of typhoid fever

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7. 85 then. I don t know nothing abSout no herba, they used for diseases; only boneset and hoarhound tea for colds and croup. Th~p~ut ~penriIe (pennyroyal) in the hou8e to keep out flies and fleas, and if there was a flea in the house he would shoo from that place right then and there. ~ The old folks put little bags of assfiddy (assafoetida) around their chillun s necks to keep off rneaslesand chickenpox, and they used turpentine and castor oil on chiliun s gums to make em teethe easy. When I was living on Milledge Avenue, I had Dr. Crawford w. Long to see about one of my babies, and he slit that baby s gums so the teeth could come through. That looked might bad to rie, but they don t believe in old ways no more. She laughed and said: No, Matam, I don t know nqthing about such low down things as hants and ghostst Rawhead and Blooiy Bones, I just thought he was a skelerpin, with no meat on him. Course lots of Negroes believe in ghosts and hants. Us chillun done lots of flightin like chillun will do. I remember how little Marss Mark Stroud used to take all the little boys on the plantation and teach em to play Dixie on re eds what they called quills. That was good music, but the radio has done away with all that flow. t, I knowe d I was a s lave and tha t ~ j t wa s the War t ha t sot nie free. It was bout dinner time when Marse i3illy come to the door and called us to the house. He pulled out a paper and read it to us, and then he said: You all are free, as I am. We couldn t help thinking aoout what a good marster he always had been, and how old, and feeble, and gray headed he looked as he kept on a-~talkin that day. Tou all can stay on here with me if you want to, he

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. ~ ~ 8. 80 lowed, but if you do, I will have to pay you wages for your work. ~ nI never saw no Yankee~s in Athens, but I was in.Atlanta. at Mrs. Winshi~pts on Peachtree Street, when General Sherman come to that town parin his men forto go home. There was about two thousand in all, white and black. They marched up and down Marietta Street from three o clock in the evening tu seven clook next morning. Then they left. I remember well that there warn t a house left standing in Atlanta, what warn t riddled with shell hole s. I was scared j~retty nigh to death and I never want to leave home at no tune like that again. i3ut Pa saw em soon after that in Athens . They ~ was a marching down Broad Street on their way to Macon, and Pa said it looked like a blue cloud going through. Ma and me stayed on with Marse Billy bout six months after the War ended before we come to town to live with Pa. We lived. right back of i~tock College and Ma took in washin fox the folks what went to school there. No, Ma am I never saw no Ku Kiuxers. Me and Lia didn t leave home at night and the white folks wouldn t let em git Pa. ~ Major ~ brought three or. four teachers to teach in a school for Negroes that was started up here the first year after the War. Major Knox, he was left like a sort of Justice of ?~ace to ~.et things to going smooth after the War. I went to school there about three months, then Ma took sick, and I didn t go no more. My white teacher was Miss Sarah, and she was. from Chice.go.. ~ Now and then the Negroes; bought a little land, and white folks gave little places to some Negroes what had been goo.d slaves for em. s ~ d I dn t take in . ab ou t Mr . Abraham Lincoln A long

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o . l time after the War, I heard em say he got killed. I lcnowed Mr. Jeff. Davis was rresident of the Confederacy. As for 3ooker Waehington, I never saw him but I heard his son whe n he was here once and gave a musical of some sort at the Congregational Church. . I was a old gal when I rnarri d bout thirty or forty years after the War. I i~.rried George Mcintosh. Wedding clothes~ she chu~k1ed, and said: I didn t have n~any. I bought ~em second hand from Mrs. Ed. 3ond. They was niee though. The dress I married in was red ~il.k. We had a little cake and wine; no big to do, just a little fambly affair. Of our four chillun, ~ two died young, and two lived to git grown. ~J daughter was a school teacher and she ha3 been dead soiietime. I stays wid my only living child.. My husban died a long time ago. . I cooked and washed for Mr. Pri~ice Hodgson for thirty years. Miss Mary Franklin used to tell nie bOut all them strange places she had been to while, she was paintin . There never was no~ ody in this town could paint prettier pictures than Miis Mary s. I m glad slavery is over. I m too old tO really work anymore, but I m like a fish. going down the crick and if he sees a bug he will catch hirn if he can. I joined the church ~cause I believe in the Son 0 God. I know he is a forgiving God, and will give. me a place to rest after I am gone from the earth. ~verybody ought to tpare for the ~romised land, where they can live always after they are done with this world. . After the interview, she said: ~Koney, this is the most I have talked about slavery days in twelve ye~rs~ a~d I believe what I told .you 18 right. Of coures, lote has faded from my mind about it now. .. ..

William McWhorter. Ex-slave - age 78. 094 091

91 1002.17 PLANTATION LLFE AS VIEVED BY EX~SLAVE WILLIAM MoWHORTER 383 L Br~~ad Street Athens, Qeorgia Written by: Mrs. Sadie B. Eornsby Lth~is - Edi ted by : Mrs . Sarah E. Hall Athens - and~ sohn N. B~Gih District Supervisor Federal Writers Project Residencies G k 7 Augusta, Ga. Sept. ~O, 1938

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WILLIAM MeWEIORTER ~SIa ye ~ Age 78. The rambling, one~story freine building where William Mcwhorter makes his home with his cousin, Sarah Cradd~ock, houses several families and i~ proudly referred to by the neighbors as de partment house. Williani, better known as Shug, is a very black man of medium build. He wore a black slouch hat pulled well down over tangled gray hair, a dingy blue shirt, soiled gray pants, and black shoes. The smile faded from his face when he le8rned the nature of the visit. I thought you was de pensi on lady comin t o fetch me some money ~ he said and stid of dat you wants to know bout slavery days. I se disapp inted. Mistess, it s been a long time since I was b orn on Ma ra e Joe ~!cWhort e r s plan t at ion do~n in Gre en e ~ unty and I was jus a little fellow when slavery was done over wid. Allen and Martha McWhorter was my ma and pa.~ Pa, he was de carriage driver, and ma, she was a field hand. Dey brought he r here from Oingebug ( Orangeburg) South (~arolina and. so id. her to Marse ~Toe when she was jus a little ~gal. Me and Armie, Ella ~rim, and Tom was all de chillu.n in our fembly, and none of us warn t big enough to do no ~k to speak of fore de end of de big war. You see, Mistess, it was lak dis; Marse ~roe, he owned a old oman what didn t do nothin cept stayat de 92

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o ~ (~ &J. house and~ look atter us chillun, and dat was one of dem p1anta~ tions whar dere was sho a heap of slave chillun. Bout our houses? Mistess, I se gwlne to tell you de truTh, dem houses slaves had to live in, dey warn t much, but us didn t know no better den. Dey was jus one-roorn log cabins wid stick and dirt chlmblies. De beds for slaves was home~inade and wa s held together wi d c ords wove evvy which away. If you didn t tighten deiti cords up pretty offen your bed WeB apt to fall down wid you. Suggin sacks was sewed together to ~ make our mattress ticks ~nd dem ticks was filled wid straw. Now, don t tell me you ain t heared of suggin sacks a-fore! Dem was coarse sacks sort of lak de guano sacks us uses now. Dey crowded jus as many Niggers into each cabin as could sleep iii one room, and marri~age never meant a thing in dem days when dey was rangin sleepint q~uarters for slaves. Why, I knowed~ a man what had two wives livin in de sam~e cabin; one of dem omans had all boys and t other one didn t have nothin but gals. It s nigh de same way now, but dey don t live in de same houseifaman sgottwramblies. I mernb er s dat my s ma Grandma Cindy was a field hand, but by de time I was old nough to take things in she WEIB too old for dat sort of wuk and Marater let her do odd jobs round de big house. De most I seed her dom was settin round smokin her old corncob pipe. I was naxr~d for Grandpa Billy, but I never seed him.

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Mistess, does you know iithat you se aim ? Whar was slaves to git nioney whilst dey was still slaves? Dere warn t. but a few of em dat knowed what money even looked lak tu atter dey was made free. *N~ow, you Is talkin bout sornepin sho nough when you starts bout dem victuals. M rse Toe, he give us plenty of sich as couards, turnips and greens, peas, taters, meat, and cornbread. Lots of de cornbread was baked in pones on spiders, but ashoakes was a mighty go in dein deys. ~Lar8ter rai~4j~tsofca~~ so as to have plenty of good syrup. My pa used to possunihunt lots and he was lowed to keep a good possum hound to trail em wid. Rabbits and squirrels was plenti fui and dey made mighty g ood i You am t ne ver seed sich heaps of fish as slaves used to fetch back atter a little time spent fishin in de cricks and de river. De kitchen was sot off froia de big house a little piece, but Old Marster bad a roof built over de walkway so fallin weather wouldn t spile de victuals whilst dey was bein toted from de kitchen in de yard to de dinin room in de big house. I don t reckon you ever seed as big a fireplace as de one dey cooked on in dat old kitchen. It had plenty of room for enough pots, skillets, spiders, and ovens to cook for ail de folks on dat plantation. No, mern, slaves never had. no gardens of del r own ; dey never had no time of deli own to wuk

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4. 95 no garden, but Old Marster ted em troni his garden and dat was big enough to raise plenty for all. De one little cottonshirt dat was all chillun w:~ re in summe rt I me den warn t wo rth t ii bo ut ; d ey cal led it a shirt but it looked niore lak a long-tailed. nightgown to me. For winter, our clothes was made of wool cloth and dey was nice -~----~---~ and warm. Mistess, slaves never knowed what Sunday clothes was, cept dey did know dey had to be clean on Sunday. No matter how dirty you went in de week~a~days, you had to put on clean clothes. Sunday inomin . Uncle ~Tohn Craddock xnadeahoes for all de grown folks on our plantation, but chillun went barfoots and ~ --~-------~ it never seemed to make eni sick; for a fact, II b lieves dey was stouter den dan dey is now. Marse Joe McWhorter and his wife, Miss ~rn1iy Key, ov~aed us, and dey was jus as good to us as dey could be. Mistess, you knows white folks had to niake slaves what b longed. to em mind and be-thave deyselfs in dein days or else dera w.ulda been a heap of trouble. De big fine house what Marse Joe and. his fambly lived. In sot in a cedar grove and Woodville was de town nighest de place. Oh! Yes, mam, dey had. a overseer all right, but I se done forgot his name, and somehow I can t git up de names of Marse Joe s chillun. I se been sick 80 long my xnem ry ain t as good as it used to be, and since I lost my old oman bout E months ago, I don t spect I ever kin recko~ member much no more. It seems lak I se done told you my pa was

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5. 96 Marse ~Toe s carriage driver. He driv de fanibly whar-someever dey wanted to go. . I ain t got no Idee how many acres was In dat great big old plantation, but I se heared ein say Marse J~oe had to keep from ~O to 40 slaves, not oduntin chillun, to wuk dat part of it dat was cleared land. Dey told me, atter I was old enough to take it in, dat de overseer sho did drive dem slaves; dey had to be up and In de field fore sunup and he wuked eta tu slap, black dark. When dey got back to de big house, fore dey et supper, de overseer got out his big bull whip and beat de ones dat hadn t done to s~iit him dunn de day. He made em strip oft deir clothes down to de waist, and evvywhar dat~~ old bull whip struck It split de sk in . Dat was awful awful ~ Soine-~ tii~es slaves dat had been beat and butchered up so bad by dat overseer man would run away, and next day Aunt Suke i~uld be sho to go down to de spring to wash so she could leave some old clothes dar for em to git at night. I se tellin you., slaves she did fare common in dem days. My Aunt Mary b longed to Marse John Craddo ck) and when his wife died and left a little baby - dat was little Miss Lucy - Aunt Mary was nussin a new baby of her o~x so Marse J~ohn mad e he r 1 et h I s baby su ok to o . If Aunt Mary was feedin her own baby and Miss Lu y started cryin Marse J~ohn would snatch her baby up by the legs and spank him, and tell

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6. ~ Aunt Mary to go on aiid nus s his baby fust. Aunt Mary e ouldn t answer him a word, but myma said. she offen seed Aunt Mary cry tu de tears met under her chin. I ain t never Iieared nothin bout no jails in slavery time. What dey done den was most beet de life out of de Niggers to niake ein be-have. Ma was brung to C Bairdstown and sold on de block to Marse J~oe long fore I was borned, but I ain t never seed no slaves sold. Lordy, Mistess, ain t nobody never told you it was agin de law to lam a Nigger to read and write in slavery time? White folks would chop your hands off for dat quicker dan dey would for most anything else. Dat s jus a sayin , chop. your hands ff. Why, Misteas, a Nigger widout no hands wouldn t be able to wuk much, and his owner couldn t sell him for nigh as much as he could git for a slave wid good hands. Dey jus beat em up bad when dey cotched em studyin readin and writin , but folks did tell bout some of de owners dat cut oft one finger evvy time dey cotch a slave tryin to git lamm . How-some-ever, dere was some Niggers dat wanted lamm so bad dey wuld slip out at night and meet in a deep gully whar dey would study by de light of light ood torches; but one thing sho, dey better not let no white folks find out bout it, and if dey was lucky nough to be able to keep it up tu dey larned to read de Bible, dey kept it a close secret.

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7. 98 Slaves warn t lowed to have no churches of dey own and dey had. to go to cb~urcb wid de ~i1te folks. There warn t noroomforchillun In de Baptist church at Bairdstown whar Marse ~Toe tuk his grown~up si sves to meetin so I never did git to go to none, but he used to take my ma along, but - she was baptized by a white preacher when she jined. up wid. dat church. De crick was nigh de church and. dat waswhar dey ~ done de baptizin . ~None of our Niggers never knowed. enough bout de North to run off up dare Lak I lone told you, some of ein did run off atter a bad beatin , but dey jus went to de woods. Seine of ein conie right on back but some dldn t ; Us never knowed whar dein what didn t come back went. Show me a slavery~.tiine Nigger dat ain t heared bout paterollers~ Mistess, I eier to goodness patero11erswasdedevi1s~j?~Ifl. ho~ses . If dey cotched e Nigger out and his Marster hadn t fixed him up wid a pass, it was jus too bad; dey most kilt him. You couldn t . ~ ~ - .__ - - ---- --- -~ --- - ~- -~- ~ - even go to de Lord s house on Sunday less you had a ticket sayin : Dis ~1igger~is de propity of Marse J~oe McWhorter. Let him go. De-re we t ne ver no let ~up when it come to uk. When slaves come in from de fields atter sundown and tended de stock and et supper, de mens still had to shuck corn, mend hoes collars, cut wood, and sich lak; de omans mended clothes, spun thread, wove cloth, end some of ein had to go up to de big house

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8. 99 and nuss de white folks babies. One night my ma had. been nussin one of dein white babies, and atter it dozed off to sleep she went to lay it In its little bed. De child s foot cotch itself in Marse Toe s galluses dat he had. done hung on de foot of de bed, and when he heared his baby cry Merse 3oe woke up and grabbed up a stick of wood and beat ma over de head tu he most kilt her. Ma never did seem right atter dat and when she died she still had a big old knot on her head. Dey said on some plantati otis slaves was let oft frotri wuk when de dinner bell rung on Saddays, but not on our n; dere warn t never no let-up tu sundown on Sadday nights atter dey had tended to de stock arid et supper. On Sunday~ dey was lowed to visit round a little atter dey had tended church, but dey still had to be keerfu . to have a pass wid em. Marse ~Toe let his slaves have one day for holiday at Lhr~stmas and he give ein plenty of extra good soniepin t est and drink on dat special day. New Year s Dey was de hardest day of d~e whole year, for de overseer jus tried hisself to see how hard tie could drive de Niggers dat day, and when de wuk was all done de day ended off wid a big pot of cornfield peas and hog ~iowl to eat for luck. ~ Dat was s posed to be a sign of plenty too. .-----~----~ ~ Cornshuckln s was a mighty go dem days, and folks from miles and miles around was axed. When de wuk was done dey had a big time eatin drinkin wrestlin danoin , and all sorts of frolickin . Even wid all dat liq~uor flowin

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s 9. 80 ftee at oornshuckin s I never heared. of nobod.y ~itt1n mad, and Marse ~Toe never said a cross word at his cornshuckln s.. He allus picked bright nioonshiny nights for dem big cotton pickin s, and dere wern t nothin short bout de big eats dat was waitin for d~em Niggers when de cotton was all picked out. De young folks danced and cut up evvy chanot dey got and called deyseifs havin a big time. Games? Well, bout de biggest things us played when I was a chap was baseball, softball, and marbles. Us made our own marbles out of clay and baked em in de sun, and our baseballs and softballs was made out of rags. Does I know anything bout ghosties? Yes, marn, I sees ha nts and ghosties any time. ~rus t other night I seed a man widout no head, and de old witches most nigh rides \\ me to death. One of ein got holt of me night fore last and. most choked me to death; she was in de form of a black cat. Mistess, some folks say dat to see things lak dat is a sign your blood is out of order. Now, me, I don t know what makes nie see f em. Marse Joe tuk mighty good.keer of sick slaves. 11e allus called in a doctor for em, and kept plenty of castor ile, turpentine, and de lak on hand to dose em wid. Miss Emily made teas out of.a heap of sorts of leaves, barks, and roots, sich as butterfly root, pine tops, mullein, catnip and mint leaves, feverfew grass, red oak bark, slippery ellum bark, and

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o. 10~1 black gum chips. Most evvybody had to wear little sacks of papaw seeds or of assyfizzy (asafetida) round deir necks to keep off diseases. ttDey used to say dat a free Nigger from de North come through de South and seed how de white folks was treatin his race, den he went back up dsr and told folks bout it and axed era to hoip do soniepin bout it. Dat s what I heared tell was e way de big war got started dat ended in settin slaves free. My folks said dat when de Yankee sojers come thr~ugh Miss ~rnily was cryin end on to beat de band. She had all her silver in ner apron and didn t know whar to hide it, so atter awhile she handed it to her cook and told. her to hide it. De cook put it in de woodpile. De Yankee mens broke in de smokehouse, brought out rr~at and lard, kilt chickens, driv off cows and ~iosses, but dey never found Miss j L~nily s silver. It was a long time fore our farnbly left Marse ~Toe s place. Marse Joe never did tell his Niggers dey was free. One day one of dem Yankee sojers rid thr;~ugh de fields whar dey was wukin ana ne axed em if dey di dn t know dey was as free as deir Marster. Dat Yankee kept on talkin and told. ein dey didn t have to stay on wid Marse ~Toe less dey wanted to, end dey didn t have to d3 nothin nobody told em to if dey didn t want to dc it. lie said dey was deir own bosses and was to do as dey pleased from de time of de surrender.

105 102

11. 102 Schools was sot up for sieves not long atter dey was sot free, and a few of de old Marsters give deir Niggers a little land, but not many of em done dat. ~Tus as de Niggers was branchin out and startin to live lak free folks, dem nightriders come long beatin , cuttin , and slashin em up, but I spects some of dem. Niggers needed evvy lick dey got. Now, Mistess, you knows all Niggers would ruther be free, and I ain t no diffunt from nobody else bout dat. Yes, rasta, I se mighty gled Mr. Abraham i4ncoln and Jeff Davis fit tu dey sot us free. Dat Jeff i)&V~~ ought to be ~ ~ - ~ ~ shamed of hisseif to want Niggers.ke~tinbondage; dey says ~ --.~-~- dough, dat he was a mighty good man, and Miss Millie Rutherford said some fine things bout him in her book what sarah read to me, but you can t sp~ct usNig~ers to b lievetiewasso awful good. ~ Me and Ross Barrow had a pretty fair weddin and a mighty fine supper. I don t ricollect what she had on, but I se tellin you she looked ~retty and. sweet to me. Our two boys and three gals is done growed. up sud I se got three grandehillun now. Rosa, she died out bout 2 months ego and. I se gwine to marry agin soon as I finds somebody to take keer of me. I was happier de day I jined de church at

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12. Sander s Chapel, dan I se been since. It wss de joyfuliest day of all lay life, so far. Folks ought to git ready for a better world dan dis to live in when dey is finished on dis earth, end I se sho glad our Good Lord saw fit to set U~ free from sin end slevery. If he hadn t done it, I sho would have been deed long ago. Yistidday I picked a little cotton to git me some bread, and it laid me out. I can t wuk no tore. I don t know how de Blessed Lord rueans to provide for nie but I feels sf0 He ain t gwine to let nie perish.

Ex-slave interview. 111 108

. ~ 108 I ~ ( )()~ ; ~2 o ~-.~S;LA~~ ~!TERvIEw Aunt Carrie ~Lason Milledgeville Georgia (Baldwin County) Written By: Mrs . Este 11e G. Burke Research Worker Federal ~iriters Project Mi11ed~evi11e eorgia Edited By: ~o1_in N. Booth Asst. District Supervisor Federal Writers . Project Athens, Georgia District Two ~iu1y 7 ~37.

112 109

EX-SLAVE INTERVIEW Aunt Carrie Mason . ~ Milledgeville, Georgia (Baldwin County) Howdy Mi s s ~owdy . C orne on I n ~ Ge o rge s p oly today. My grandchillun is dom a little cleanin up ter nie cause us thinks George ain t got long on this earth an us don want de place ter be dirty an all when he s gone. T~e home of Aunt Carrie and Uncle George Mason, a two-room cabin surrounded by a dirty yard, stands in a clearing. Old tin cBfls, bottles, dusty fruit jars, and piles of rat-tail cotton fron gutted mattresses littered the place. An in~mense sugarberry tree, beautifully proportioned, casts inviting shade directly in front of the stoop. It is the only redeeming Leaturc about the premises. Aunt Carrie, reeble and gray haired, hobbled out in the yard with the aid of o stick. Have a seat, Miss. Dat cheer is all rIght. it won t fall down. Don t git ye feet wet in dat dirty water.~ My grandchillun is scourin terday. Effen yer want to,us ll set under de tree. Dey s a cool breeze dar all de time. You wants to fin out my age an all? Law Miss, I don know how oie I is . George is nigh bout ~O I members my mammy said I wuz bawn a mont or two fore freedom wuz dared. Vas um I rekymembers all bout de Yankees. How cura I members bout dein an de wer wuz over den? I cain t tell yer dat, but I knows I members seeirt em in de big road. It mought not uv 109

113 110

Burke- ooth 2 :110 been Mister Shernian s mensbu4 mammy said de Yank es wu.z 1~i~ro~ia~erfreedom wuz dared an dey wuz (~ down here gettin things straight. Dey wuz sho in er mess Je tter de ware ~vvythin ~ wuz tore up ant de po~ niggers did-.~ (~: know which away to turn. M:y niainmy s name wuz Catherine Bass an ray pappy wuz ~phriam Butts. Us b longed ter Mars Ben Bass an~ iay mammy had~ de saine naine ez rnarster tweil she ma ied pappy. He b longed ter somebody else tu marster bought him. Dey had ten ebillun. No, rrieni, ~amnmy didn t have no doctor, Aunt Carrie chuckled, Didn t nobody bardly have a doctor in dean. days. De white folks used yarbs ant oie ~ t~ hetp tern at dat ~~Mammy had er oie omen whut lived on de place evvy timmie r she had a little un. She had one evvy year too. She lost ~t one. Dat chile run aroun~ tu she wuz one year oie an den ~di~ed wid de disentery. Ija had er right hard time in dem days . De beds us used den warn t like dese here nice beds us has nowadays. Don t you laugh, Berry, I kno~s dese beds us gotnow is bout to fall down, Aunt Carrie admonished her grandson when he gutfawed at her statement, You chilluns run erlon~ now an git thoo wid dat cleanin . Aunt Carrie s spirits seemed dampened by Berry s rude laugh and it was several minutes before she started talking again. Dese young folks don t know nuthin bout hard times. ifs wukked in de oie days trum before sunup

114 111

:~ ~ ~ ~ Burke i-Boot h 3 111 tu black night ant us knowed whut wuk wuz. De beds us slep on had roun postes made outen saplins ot hickory or little pine trees. De bark wuz tuk off an dey wuz rubbed. slick an shiny. De sprangs wuz rope crossed frunx one side uv de bed to de udder. De mattress wuz straw or cotton in big secks made outen osnaberg or big salt sacks pieced tergether. Maitmiy din t have much soap an she uster scrub d~e floe wid sand an it~ wuz jes ez white. Yas marn, she made all de soap us used, but it tuk a heap. We uns cooked in de ashes ant on hot coals, but de vittals tasted a heap better n dey does nowadays. Mammy had to wuk in de fiel ant den cum home an cook fer inarster ant his fenibly. I didn know nuth in tbout it till atter freedom but I hyearn ein tell bout it. Mammy an pappy stayed on Marster s plantation tu a year, or tiio atter dey had dey freedom. Marster paid em wages an a. hoise ter stay in. He didn t hay many slaves, bout 20, I reckon. My brothers wuz Berry, Dani l, Ephriaxn, ~ully, Bob, Lin, an George. De yuthers I disremembers.oaze dey lef home wnen dey wuz big enough to earn dey livin an I jes d~on t rec~ ollec . Conjur woman~ Law miss, I aims ter git ter liebem when I dies an I show don t know how ter oonjur nobody. No mam, I ain t never seed no ghost. I allus pray to de Lord dat Ee e spar me dat troubi an not let me see nary one. No good in

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Burke-~Booth ~ 112 ~ 4 folks plunderint on dis earth, atter dey leave here de fus time. Go tway, d~og. A spotted hound, lean and flop-eared was scratching industriously under Aunt Carrie s chair. It was a still suni-. mer day and the flies droned ceaselessly. A well nearby creaked as the dripping bucket was drawn to the top by a granddaughter who had corne in frein the field to get a cool drink. Aunt Carrie watched the girl for a moment and then went back to her story. ~ Effen fly mammy or pappy ever rurined away from Marster, I ain t heered tell uv it, but Ma~ny said dat when slaves did run away, dey wuz cotched an whu~ped by de overseer. t Effen a man or a tonian kil: another one den dey wuz branded \wi~d er hot l on. Er big S wuz pit on dey face somewhars. S stood fer slave, an evvybody knowed dey wuz er znudderer. Marster din t have no overs~ee~1 he ov rseed hisseif. ~Thy is George so white? Cause his raarster wuz er white geneniun named Mister ~Timmie Dunn. ~-Iis maturay wuz er cullud oman name Frances ~Cason an ~ his inarster wuz his paw. Tas main, I see you is stprised, but dat happ ned a lots in dem days. I hyeared tell of er white man whut would Leu hIS SOflS ter go down ter dein nigger quarters an git me mo slaves. Yas main, when George wuz borned ter his mammy, his pappy w~iz er white man an he made George his overseer ez soon ez he wuz big e nuf

116 113

Burke~Booth ~ :113 5 I ter boss de yuther slaves. I wish he wuz able to tell y~r bout I it~ but slnoe lie had dat las stroke he ain t been able ter ~lk none. Aunt Carrie took an old clay pipe from lier apr n pocket and filled it with dry scraps of chewing tobacco. After lighting it she puffed quietly and seemed to be meditating. Finally she took it front her mouth and continued. 1 ain t had. no eddication. I tended school part of one !terni but I wuz so skairt of my teacher that I couldn t lam i~~th~n . ~e wuz a oie white man. He hed been teaoh.in fer ! years an years but he had. a cancer an dey had done stopped I him frum teachin white chillun . EIS naine wuz Mister, Bill ~ G~reer. I wuz skairt cause he was a white man. No man, no white man ain t never harmed me, but I wuz skairt of him enyhow. JOne day he says to me, chile I ain t goin to hurt yer none I cause l in white. He wuz a mighty good oie man. lie would have lamed us mo but he died de nex year. Mararny paid him ten cents a mont a piece fer all us chillun. De boys would ~uk fer dey money but I wuz tne onliest gal an Mammy wouldn t let me go off de plantation to make none. Whut I made dar I got,but I didn t make much tu atter I nia ied. . / Law honey, does yer want to know bout my raa ~ige? Well, /i wuz i~) years oie an I had a preacher to ma y me. iLls naine ~ wuz Andrew Brown. In dem days us alius waited tU de time of ~ ear when us had a big meetin or at Cr~ris mus time. Den effen \ \

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Burke.Booth 114 6 ~ one of us wanted ter git mal ed, he would perform de weddint atter deireetint r atter Chrls mus celebratin . I had er bluish worsted dress. I mai ed in rannywerry, right \ atter Chris mus. At my mai ge us bad barbecue, brunswick \stew, an cake. De whole yard wuz rull uv folks. ~ Mamrny wuz a ligous oman an de Lust day of Christinus sheallus fasted ha f a day an ~ den she would pray. Atter dat evvybody would hay eggnog an barbecue an cake eff en dey had dc money to buy it. Mammy sala dat when dey wuz still slaves Marster allus gived. em Chris xnus, but atter dey had freedom den dey had ter buy dey own rations. Us : would have bander playin an dance de pijen-wing and de . ~-.-.--- .~ No inam, George s pa didn leave hirn no lan when hedied. Us went ter another farm an rent~ed wiien de mai~e wuz over. ~ George s pa warn t dead but he didn t offer to do nuthin / fer us. ~~ Yas um, I se had eight chilluns of my own. Us am never had no Ian us could call our?n. Us 3es mOved from one farm ter another all our days. This neye lan us is on now longs ter Mr. Cime. My son an his chillun wuks it an dey give us whut dey kin spare. De Red Cross ladyhe ps us an us gits along somehow or nother.

Plantation life. 118 115

WOBKS PROGRESS ALUINISTLATION Harry L . Roftine, Ad~iinistrator ELlen S. Woodward, Assistant Admidtrator H~n~ry S. flsberg, . Director of t~ F derai Writers Project. ~ LIfl Susan Matthew8 Madison Street, Nacon, ~ Interview with: Written by: Ruth H. Sanfo~d Iaco~, Georgia~. Edited by: Atmie A. Roee Macon, Georgia. 115

119 116

SUSAN MATTHEWS E~:-~ Slave-.--~Age 84 ..~ Susan Matthews i.e ~4~4~Ui~ .. ge~ ld negrese, . ~e; y t04, ~ *e~g~i . :fl~C1O6e t . two huz~1red pounds. Her eyes were bright, her ~atore.bought kteeth flashed in a salie as sbe ex~essed he:i ~il .ingness to teil us aU she rememberec~ abOUt al.e t*~ea. In a tattered, t 4ed pri~t~dreas, a misshapen bat ai~rag~ed ~i*ie , s~ ~ sat n.j ~i~g the sunaM~~. ~ on ~ poi~ch while she sewed on an nid ... ex*1$ she ~ was i i~. fox bO~. self from Id sugar sacks. Her manner was cheerfil; she sesaed to get genuine enjoy~ mezrt~ from the interview aal gaie us a hearty invita~tion to come to see her again. ni was j es a obi ., she began, ~izen de wbite foi.ks bad a .avea. My ma an I~r Mflen liz the onliest elaves my marster and ai~tia bad. My pa belonged to some mo wbite folks that :I3~ved bOut Live miles from us. My marster and aistis uere poor folks. They lived in a white frame bouse; it wuz 3es a IittI I~use that. *d 1~OUt ~i$e rooms, 1 reckon. The bOuse had a kitchen in the backyard and the ~use ay ma lived wuz in the back yard too, but 3. wuz rEI~ed in my ii~i~i5~ ~ I slept in her room; slep on the foot of ber bed to keep her feats wai~ and everwhere a~ aisti~ went I went to. My marster and aistis wuz sbO good to us an is loved em. My ~a, be done the cooking and the wasithig fer tbe fe*Liy and she could work in tbO fields jes lak a man. She could pLck her three humired pounds of cotton or pu1.1~ as fodder as any aan. She iuz strong an she had a new baby mos ev y year. My marster and Mistis liked for to bave a lot of cbi 3-en t cause tbat helped ter make ~ richer.1 ~ ~ .- - ~ 1 didn t have much time fer ~J.a~Vin when I wuz little cause I wuz .~Uus b~w~ wai ~ tin on my miatis er taking care a my littLe brcitbers and siat~ers. But I did bare a doU to ~ay with. lt w~ a rag dail an my aistis made it fer me. 1 wuz 3es crazy boub that doU az~i I lea~ i~d ~w to sew making elot~s fer it.i d make lotbea fer it anwashaniron ~em,andit wasn tiong fo1k~wed I~wto aewre4 good, ani been sewiI3g ever SiflCf. My white fal.ks wern t rich er tail but we always bad plenty of somep n to eat, and we had fire wood to keep us warm in wizrber too. Je had plenty of syri~ and corn bread, and when dey killed a bog we had fine sausage an cbit1int~, an ei . sorts of good ea~ttrig. My marster and the wbite an coUored boys would go h~~ting, and we . squirrels an rabbits an possi~i jes lots of tile. !eas~, we bad ~Leaty; we never did go I~ngr7. I does 1 ~ rsaember bOiXI~ the Ia~eea o~ing?, lea ma s, I aim does. Tk~ ibife chilien an us bad been looking tex~ sa and looking fer em. Te . wanted em to c~e. !ek~ved twoul.dbefuntosee ~. mIsIx~ tn~o~d~7lwazoutindefzon~ yardto seeaz4l seed awblepaaael ofmeninb1Th~ coats comingdownde road. I hollered WHere c~*, ~de !arlees . ~ 1 k~ed~ twuz dam an my aistis an an my ma an ev y body come o~rb . iA t~ front yard to see ~. The !az ees stol!~ an the le~ing Ian with tbe straps on his sboutdera telked to us an de men g$ watet onten de, weU. ~b a, they didn!t take ~otbing an they ~ hurt i~t~Ld~ag. After a wbiI~bhey S es veut on driwn t~.e road; t~y abo looked botan dusty an tired. .1. 116

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2 1~17 After de war wuz oiei my ~ he ecmed up to oui I~use an. got ~ my n~ ~an ai . us chillenan carries us down to his srst~i~a.pia~e. :1. didn t want ter go cause I loved rn7 ~,stis an ehe cried when we left. My ~ a oie w.arste4Let~ Ma have some lazil to work ~n shares. $~ pa wus a hard workex~ an we helped him an In a few years he bought a little piece Of 1art~ an he owned it~tili ~ ~ ~ died. BO4mce er twice a year we d ail go ba~* ter see our ~i. stis. She ~ wuz elpays glad to see us an treated usfine. ~. . ft After de war a white woman started a school fer nigger cli .len an my pa sent us. This white lady wuz a oie maid an Wuz mighty poor. She an her ma 1i~ed by dereseiv s, 1. reckon her pa had done got kilt in de war. 1 don t know bO~b t~t but 1 knows they wuz mighty poor an my pa paid her fer teaching us in things to eat from hie farm. We didn t never have w mon~y. I loved tci go to school; 1 had a bIi~ back speller an I ieamed real quick but we didn t get ter go a . . t~ tise. When there wuz work ter do on the farm we bad ter stop an do it. Times warn~t ~ better after de war vus over an dey warnt x~ wuss. Wo ~ uz po before de war an we wuz po after de war. But we ailus had scimep n to wear aixi p~Lenty to eat an we never had no kick coning. 1 never did get married. 1 se a old maid thgger, an they tells me you don t see old uiaid niggers. }bw come 1 ain t married 1 don t k~w. Se~a like when 1 wus young 1 seed somep n wrong with ail de mens that would c~e around. Then atter while 1 wuz k1zx~er oie an they didn t come around no mo. last week a man c~e by here what ~ed to co t me. Re seed me settin here on the prch an I says C~e on in an set a while an ~ he did. So maybe, 1 sin t through co tin, waybe 1 11 get larried yet. Here she laughed gleefully. When asked which 8h5 preferred freedom or slavery she repUed~ Well, be.tng fref wuz ail right while 1 wuz young but ~w1tm aid an I ii ~ sh 1 b louged to scuebody cause they would t ke keer of me an r~w 1 aintt got abody to ~take keerof me. The gover~ent gi~v~ a. ~ht doilar5 a ~~nth but that don t go fer e~izgb. 1 has er hard time cause I can t git around an work like 1. used to.

Interview with Liza Mention. 124 121

121 INT~RvIEvg~ WITH LIZA MENTION B~OH L3L Irn, S. C. Written and Edited By Leila liarris and John N. Booth Federal \~rit~rst Projeot Augusta, Georgia 1~Iarch 25, 1938 1. 00080.

125 122

i: ooso ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ . ~ 122 LIlA. MENTION Corne right in. Have a seat. I ll be ~1ad to tell you any thing I can bout dein early days , said Liza Mention. Course I warn t born till de second year atter 1~reedom, so I don t member nothin bout all dat fightin dunn de war. I se sno glad I warn t born in slavery irora what I neared em tell bout ~exn patterol 1ers ketchin and beatin up rolks. Liza s house, a 2-room hut with a narrow rront porch, stands in a peacetul spot on the edge of the Wilson plantation at Beecn Island, south Carolina. ~ metal sign on the door which reveale that the property l s protected by a theft insurance service aroused wonder as to what Liza hacL~ that could attract a burglar. The bedroom was in extreme disorder with clothing, shoes, brie-a-brac, and just plain junk scattered about. The old Negress had been walking about the sunshiny yard and apologized ~or the mess by saying that she lived alone and did as she pleased. 1 Folks says I oughtn t to stay here by myself, she remarked, but I laks to be independent. I cooked 25 years for de Viiison i ambly and aey is gonna let me have als house rree UI I die cause I ain t able to do no work. 4za s close fitting hat pinned her ears to her head. ~he wore a dress tnatwas soiled and copiously patchec~ and her worn out brogans were several sizes too large. Ill health probably accounts for this untidiness for, as she expressed it, when I gits up I hate to set down and when I s e t s down I ha t e s t o g I t up my kne e s hur s me s o

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~r ~ ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ ~ . ~ ~ ~ however, her race broke Into a toothless grin on. the slightest ~ provocation, ~ : ~ I wuz born up on de Reese s place iuMc~Duf~ ie County near Thomson, Ge rgla. When I wuz chuil,un us didn t know nothlxz boi~t no wuk, she volunteered. My ma wuz a Invails (Invalid) so when I wuz 6 years old she give me to her sister over here at Mr. Zd MoElnurray s place t o raise ~ I alu t never knowed who zz~y ~ pa wuz. Us chaps played all de time wid white chi11t~n jus lak dey had all been Niggers . Chilluzi den didn t have sense lak dey got now; us wuz satisfied jus to play ai . de timed I members on Sundays us used to take leaves and pin em t ogether wid ~ .t~orns to make usselves dresses and hats to play in. I never did go to s4hool none so I don t know nothin bout readin and writin and $peUin . I can t spell my own naine, but ~ think lt begins wld a M. Hit s too late to study bout all dat now cause iay old brain couldn t learn nothin . Hit s done lost most all of what little I did know. Back In dem times, folkses cooked on open ireplace~ in winter time and in summer dey built cook stands out in de yard to. set de spiders on, so us could cook and. eat oi~tdoors. Dere warn t no stoves nowhar. When us wuz hard up for soinpin green to bile tore de gyar~ dens got goin good, us used to go out and git wild uustard, poke salad, or pepper grass. Us et ein satisfactory and dey never kilt us. Ihave et heaps of kinds of diffunt weeds and I still eats a mess of poke salad once. or twice a year cause i s good for you. lis cooked a naked hunk of fat meat in. s pot wid some corn durnpLin s.

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-3.., :124 De grown folks would eat de meat and de chilluns would sit around on de floor and eat ae potlikker and. dumplin s out of tin pans. Ils enjoyed dat stuff jus lak it nad been pound cake. Darices in dem days warn t dese here huggin kind o1 dances lak dey has now. .Jere warn t no Big Apple nor n Little Apple neither. Us had a house wid. a raised liatrorm (platrorm) at one end wiiar de music makers sot. Dey iiad a string band wid a riddle, a trumpet, an~ a banjo, but uere ~varn t no guitars lak d y has in dis day. One n~n called de sets and us danced de cardrille (quad~ rUle) de virginia reel, and de l6~- iand cortillion. When Us made syrup on ~e ~aru dere would always be a candy pullin . Dat homemade syrup made real good candy. Den us would have a big time at corn shuckin s too. 1 don t believe in no conjuration. Ain t nobody never done notb.in to me but have seed people dat other folks said nad been hurt. If somebody done soraethin to me .~ wouldn t know whar to rind a root-worker to take it off and anyways I wouldn t trust dem sort DI folks cause ii~ dey can cy3re you uey can kill you too. ttltse a memb~r of de silver Blui~i~ Baptist Church, and I been soin to Sunday ~3chool uar nearly ever since I can meuber. Y0~ know dey say dat s de oldest Ni~e~ church in de country. At fust a white man come roni ~3avannah ana de church wuz built ior his i~ily and dey slaves. Later aere wuz so many colored members de white folks corne out and built another house so de ni~ers could have de old one. VLden dat oie church wuz tore down, de colored olks worrn shippe~ icr a lon:~~ ti~Le in a goat house and den in a brush arbor.

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1~)r~ - 4~ ~ Sorxie folks calls it de .L)ead River Church cause it used to be near Deac~ River and ~e baptism wuz done dar ~or a long time. I wuz baptised dar myself and loves de old spot at ground. I has tried to be a good church member all my IiCe but it s hard ~er me to get a nickel or a dime for preacher money now.~ When asked ii people in tue old days ~ot married by jurilping over a broom she made a chuckling sound and replied: No, us had de preachar but us didn t have to buy no license and I can t see no sense in buyin a license nohow, cause when dey dits ready to quit, dey just quits. Liza brought an old Bible I~roia tne other room in which she said she kept the history or t~iC old church. There were also pic turcs z rom some of her white folks who had moved to North Carolina. L ly husband has been o~aid for 40 years, she asserted, and I hasn t a chile to my nane, noboC.y to niove nothin when J. lays it down and nobody to pick noti~in up. I gets along pretty well most o~ ae time though, but -~ ~7ishes I could werk so i vi~uld leel more independent.

Ex-slave interview. Aunt Harriet Miller. 129 126

12G .~ : ~ ~ ~3~ ~z ~ (~ ~ ?C~LJ ~ ~ * ~ ~ EX-~SLAVE INTE~VI ~V Aunt Harriet Miller Toccoa, Georgia (Stephens County) ~Jri tten are. Annie ~ee Newton ~esearoh Worker Federal Viriters Project ~ Athens, Georgia Edited. By: John N. Booth A86t. District Supervisor Feaeral Writers Project Athens, Georgia District Two July 15, 1937

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EX-SLAVE INTE WIEW Aunt Harriet Miller Toceoa, Georgia (Stephens County) Aunt Harriet ~ iiller, a chipper and. spry mo-lan Half-. breed, thinks she is about 100 ye~ s old. It is remarkable Uaat one so old. shouid. possess so much energy and. animation. She is tall and spare, with wrinkled face, bright eyes, a kinaly expression, anc5. she wears her iron grey hair wound in a knob in the manner of ~ past generation. Aunt ~ arriet was neatly dre ssed as she had just returned from a trip to Cornelia to see some of 1~r folks. She did not appear at all tired from the trip, and s~emed clad to dis~uss the old days. i~iy fat~ier,~ said Aunt Harriet, was a Cherokee Inciian named reen Norris, and my mother was a white woman named .~etsy Richards. You see, I am mixed. My mother give me to Mr. George Naves v~nen I was three years old. He lived in de mountains of South Carolina, just across de river. He didn t own his home. He was overseer for de Jarretts, old. man Kennedy Jarrett. Honey, people was just like dey is now, some good arid some bad. Mr. ~~aves was a good man. Dese here Jarrette was good to deir slaves but de ~-.-.-.-.~-.- s was mean to deirs. l.~iy whitefoiks tried to send me to school but de whitefoiks woulan t receive me in deir school on account of I was mixed, and dere warn t no colored school a4 t all, nowhere. Some of de white ladies taught c~eir slaves. ~es in, some of em did. Now, i.~iss Saille Jarrett, dat was Mrs. Bob~Jarrett s daughter, used. to t~aa~h em some.

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Newton Booth Pace- 2 Slaves had half a day off on Saturd~ay. Dey had. frolics at night, qui1tin~s, dances, corri ab.uckings, and played. de fiddle. Dey sta3v~d in de quarters Sund~ay or went to church. Dey belonged to de same church wid de whitefoj.ks, I belonged to Old Liberty baptist Church. De back seats was what de slaves set. Dey belonged to de same church just like de whitefoiks, but I wasn t with em much. As a child, Aunt Harriet associated with white people, and played with white children, but when she grew up, had to turn to negroes for companionship. 1~ If slaves sL8yed In deir places dey warn t never whipped ~ r put in chains. V hen company come I knowed to get out doors. I went on to my work. I was treated all right. I don t reni~nber getting but three ~kiippings in my life. Old ~~stjs had brOwn sugar, a barrel of sugar setting in de dinin room. She d go off and d come baci~ and ask me oout. d.e sugar. She d get after me ~out~ it and I d say I hadn t took it and den when sh e turned my dress hack and whipped me I couldn t hardly set down. She whipped me twice tout the sugar ~id den she let me alone. T wasn t t~e sugar she whipped me bout, but she was trying to get me to tell de truth. ~es m, dat was de best lesson o~at.~ ever I learned, to tell de truth, like David. I had a large I amb.Ly. Lets see, I had ten ciiui.~.un, two of em dead, and I believes bout 40 grand-.chillun. I could count em. Last Lime I Was counting de great-grandc~iillun dere was 37 but some haue come in since den. I~aggie has Il chillun. i~aggie s husband is a farmer and dey lives near Eastonallee. Li zzie her husband is dead and she lives wid a daughter in Chicago, has b enillun. Den i~,1edia has two.

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Newton-Booth :129 Page-3 Her hus~and, Hiflary Campbell, works for de Governlnt, In ~ashIn~ton. Lieutenant has six; he farms. Robert has six; Rocert is a regular old fariner and Sunday School teacher. Davey has four, den Luther has seven, arid dat leaves Jim, lay baby boy. He railroa~is and I lives wid him. Jim is 37. He am t got no chillun. My husoand, Jud~e Miller, been dead ~5? years. He s ouried at Tu~aIo. ~ Dis old lady been ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ sWIn~1n~ on a limb a 1on~ tii~ie and she goIng to swIng of f from here sorae time. I m near aoout a hundred and. I won t be here 1on~, out when I go, I wants to go in peace wid y:~~r~yc~y. ~ _~fli don t know. I d be ~eard to say dere ain t nothing in vo.o-doo. Some puts a dirne In de shoe to keep de voo-.doo away, a~ soiiie carries a buckeye in de pocket to keep off cra~iip and colic. Dey say a bone dey finds in de jawbone of a ho~ will make chillun teethe easy. ~en de slaves ~ot sick, ~w~iite~o1~s looked after ein. De medicines for sickness ~as nearly all yer3s. Dey ~zive boneset for colds, made tea out of it, and achein~ joints. But.terrly root and slippery elm dark was to cool fever. ~Ii1ow ashes is good for a corr~, poke root for rheurnatlsrri, and a syrup ade of ~ullein, honey, and aIu~ Thr colds. Dey use barks from dogwood, wild cherry, and ~1ac~ baws, ~or one thIns and anot2ier. I ll tell you what s ~ood ~or pizen oak powdered alum and sweet crea~n. seat it if it s 1u~ap alum, and put it in sweet cream, not rail:&, it has to be cream. Dere s lots of other reniedies and things, but l ige~t1n~so sa~p-skul led and. I ra so old

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N ewton.43oo th :13() Page-4 I o&n t remember. Yes rn, I ye got mighty trifling bout my ~- ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ . remembrance. Once some .Lnalans canrped on ~e river bottoms for t1~ree or four years, and. we d go ctown; nie,and Anne, and Genia, nearly every Saturday to hear em preach. ~1e ul t understand i t. Dey didn t have no rac~et or nothing like cQlored. folks. Dey wou 4 sine, and. it sounded all right. We cou1~n t uncterstand. it, but dey enjoyed. it. Dey worked. and. had. crops. Dey had. ponies, pretty ponies. Nobody never did bother em.C~ Dey made bassets out of canes, de beautifulest ba kets, and. dey colored em wid dyes, natchel dyes. Inctian woman wore long dresses and beads. D.~.ir hair was plaited -and hanging ctown de back, and. deir babyes was tied on a blanket on ae back. Liens wore just breeches and. feathers in deir hats. .L wish you cou.Ld have seen em a cooking. Dey would take corn dough, and den dey d boil birds, make sort of long, not round. dumplings, and drop I em in a pot of hot soup. ~v~e thought dat was terrible, putting dat in. de pot wid. de birds. Dey had. blow-guns and d.ey d. slip around, and first thing d.ey d. blow, and down come a bird. Dey d kill a squirrel and ketch fish wid. deir dow ~.uns. Dem guns was made out of caries bout eight feet 1on~ burned out at de j ints for de barrel. Dey put in a arrow what had thistles on one end to make it go through quick and de other end. sharp. Yes honey, I believes in hants. I was going long,

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N ewton.i~ooth Page 5 ;~at nine o clock one night bout the Denham fill and. I heard ~ a chain a rattling long de cross-41es. I couldn t see a, thing and dat chain just a rattling as plain as if it was ~on dis floor. Back, since the war, dere was a railroad ~ working long by dis fill, and de boss, Captain Wing, whipped a convict. It killed him, and de boss throwed him ~in de fill. I couldn t see a thing, and. dat chain was just Zattling right agai de fill where dat convict had been fburied. I believes de Lord took keer of me dat night and. I /hope he keepa on doing so. ~ 1~3i

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132 CONSULTpj~T: Aunt Harriet I;ailer Toceoa, Georgla f

[Interview with Orford, Richard] 152 149

. . 149~ I ~: ~ ~ The following version of slavery was tO3.d by ~4r~ fliehard crford of 54 rro~~tn ~venue in South ~fllanta, t~r~ Orford is large in ~t~tue ai~ ~t1though ~5 years o age he has a very active mind ~ ? e Il S a good aen~ e of humor, ?~r. Orford was torn In Pike County, Georgia(near the present : lte of Griffin) In 1142, 1T1~ n~ter s-nam was Jeff Orford, Mr. Grford de~ cr1b ~F him ~ foiio~s~ : i~ar~te~ wu~ ~ rich nan an he ~ad bout 250 ~1aves .. cow~re C~it ~ as nt ~o i~ny C~W~ ~ some of c~ie o1k~ :~ound dere h~.ci 600 tnd 3O~, !!e h:~d plenty of land too~-~t son t kno ~~ hor ra~iy :tcre~ He r ~1~ ed ev~ ~ he needEd on le plant ttion . ~in ~ev~r ~itd to ~ uy nothi~g~ I mer~ber? ~hen c~e Yankees coiuie t~ipo~ th.. .. ol rrar~t~ ~ad bout 200 b~rr~1F~ of hi~key hid in dE? ~:okeh use~-~at ~ua de fu&~t tire I ever ~ !~e~1de:: ?ii~ ~ ~::ci~ an hIE ~ifc ol rr~rster h~td\t~O\bOY5 8X~ n~.nc glrlstt. ~ ~ \ ~ . c6nti~ii1ng, T~. Crford ~. dd : ~4y ~:t did nt btvc ~ ~ t~n ~T~O~if~ ~ ~ :rdnc ~!~ir~ I ~ent to on; in rrur~ter .~ ~ ~. . -hcn I v, w fiVE~ ~ trr old an I rt~y~d der~. till vi~ ti~1rt~ftve. D fudt ~ ork I ~r~d to do .u~ to nick up c ip~ fe d hk, an keep d yird cle.in. ~3y d tiuc I !:us eight yearz old I ~ driiin my m1F~u~ in de cu~~ria~etI. ~ t1;1~11 ~e rest of ~e ~ ~ u~ fi 1 bancTh. DEy Ep~nt dere t~ne p1o~ :1ng ~n tal:ln c~re of de Pi~nt~tiofl In genera~1. De~ wus ~ome ?.rllO ~ r 1 i~ art other~~ t7ho took c~r~ o:~ dE~ rto: ~ ~T~n made (~~C hrne~r*._.S~E~ ~ iiVC~ ~ 1C~ ever: tin~ ~ ~_t fl~ t~~ d to he dc~ne on de r1~mtation, I~verybody h~td to ~1t up~ fore 4~ybre.:~c an ev~ U . fore lt WU~3 light enuff to eee dey ~u~ ifl dC fIel waltin to ~e how to run a furrow. Long bout nine o clock breakfu~ ~?U~ Sefl~~ to 4e ~

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150 . ~ 4 fiel in a wagon an eli of ein stopped to eat0 At breive o clock dey stopped again to eat dinner. Aft r d.~t deyworked till it we to dark to see ~omen in dem days could pick five~mx~red pourde of cotton a day ~id a child tn a sack on dere backe. ~ tien de we ather v~us too bad to rork in de fie I de ~rde cribed an shucked coun, if dey had axiy rork of dore own to de dey had to do it at night . ~ ~t3ecorc1ing to 1r. Orforci there v a~~ a1vay~ cufficient food on the Onford ~1~ntation Cor the s laves ~1l cooking ras done by one cook at th cook house, ifl frcnt of the cc~k hou~e ere a niziber of long tahie~ ~h~rc the claver ~te their rnea ~ ~then they came in from t~e fic1c:~. Those chlldr cn tho rer~ to&young to ro k in the fie1th~ rcrc a1~o f~d at thfr how.c but in~te~d of cating from the t~b1c~ a~ did the ~ they ~ ere fe~ froin~iong tr~4ghs Mch . t:~e same as iitti ~ pigs. ~-ach r~ given a spoon :~t m~a1 timc aix~ then ~311 of the food ~ durnpcc1 into the troU;?h at t~ie sam~.t&~, ~ ~ ~ The ~ e k ~ay diet for t~e mort ~i: t co~ri~ ted of me~t~ ~ ~ CVE~ got c~iick ~n an turke~ ~.~ay8 T~r, Orford, Coffee ~ a~ r~c~e by parc~in r1~a1 or corn an~ then i~oiiing it in ~tcr, ~onE~ o~ ti~e ~1av~ everh~d to tc~i anyt~ing tc ~t on t~c Ctrford rlmitition. . ~L11 of thEy c1othii~ ~o~n on tMr p1.~nt~tion ~r;~ m~de there. ~or~ of t~ic roi~en ~ - ic ~e ~e too Old to ~ork tri the fie1dF~ the !pi~:~ ~nc t~ ~ taV~r4~ ~ elI a~ the ~ of t~ e gar:~flt~ indigo ra~ w ed to ~dye the c1ot1~i. The o~~i rore c~u1I~co rE~3~es ~ t~ r~~en ~ Wore ~ enherc pants ~n~5 s Mi~rts ~ The cbi1dre~ wore ~ one piece gr.i~n~ent not unlike a ~1i~Tht~Ly 14~thCflEd dress. This ~ ~ kept in plice by a ~ trin~ tied arot~i~c1 their ~ aistr. There rere

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151 at turnt tut ebesaken ou the plantation w~ Us.7 wet Sqs kept bist making e1*ss attbough1 rn Slave ever got but Ors patt of el*ee a year, ~ These sitte wer s nade of very Mfl~ laat)ar aM ~4 en catted brgane. . . In the rear of the master s house was located the stav$ quarters Each )~uee was nade of logs aM was of the double t7p. so that two families coutd be accorxwdated. The tcles aM ch *e in the walls were daub d with mud to keep the weather out, At ons ~ &u~I of the ~btructure was a &~trge fireplace about six feet in width~ The chisaywas ind of dirt. ~ ~ . ~ ~. ~ At for furniture !fr Orford eam : YOu could make your own, furniture if you wanted to but marstst~ would gtve y9W .a rope bed au tro or Uree chairs an tht aus all. De znattres wue aade. out of a. big ~ag or a tickin stuffed 4~ia strawasadat Wue ~ aU de ~ furniture in any of de 1~uses. . ~ ~ ~ . ~ . In dem days folks dld nt git sic1~ much like dey do ~ but ~ ~en dey did de ftdt t~ iing did fer em its to giS e~~~ ft :r dey hid a cold den dey give er . blue Mu3s pilla. fltndey Ml. cry sick de narster sent fer de doctor , \ ~ Our ol narrtc~ ~ ~ ~ of \ie other narsters in de connunity~~~he never did do ruch whuppin of \ tis slaves. One tint : i~it a ~iilte run an ol r~arter ~~a1ct he ru& \~Gtfl to CUt r~y ttXt o~f ~ui dat rus ~e las I heardof it. Sont of\de other elayez tzsttr git rhuppinr fer not ~ orkin4 an fer figt~tit . Ny mother g~t a ithtipp&n once Cer not workin ~ ~7hen dey got ~o b:td ot n~rstar did nt bother bout ~ 1nipnin em ~ahe jes put em~fl de block an at sold em like he would a c11ckex~ or s~orr~cthin 4 1$VeS ~aiso get whuppinc When dey wus caught off the ptantit~o wi4 out ~ a passas de PsddieeRoflere whupped you den, I ~nn kI~W~4kEpaV S ~

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.40 aw$ an hid in de woo~...soae of em even raised ~ azd1i ~ . t r1O~ o~ tis wus a11owe~ to le ~irn to re ~d or to wr~&te ~ut ire cOUld go to church along rid d~ ~hite folk~ ~n de preac~r talked .~.o de c laves ~e em not to s te al f~ de ~trs t ~ r de mie s~ ~u~e dey v~ould ~ stealing fuin dere ~elves~4~e toi em to ~sk : cr ~r~vtt dey ~:anted ~n it ~ou1d be ~ivviin to em~~ v: hen Sherr~an ~r~rched t~ou~ Georgia a number of the slaves on the Orford p1~nt ~tion ~oinE~d iii~ ariuy, ~ flowever, t large number .acr~jne? : ~ the plintation cver~ after freedom wa~ d~c1ared. Mr. Crford wa~ one o~ tho ~ho r cmined. Wbile the Yankee soldiers ~ ere in the vicinity of th~ Crfo~ piant~.tion ~ Orford~ the o~ne~ of t~c p1 mnt~tion, ~id in tf~~C ~ oo~z and h~d some of tix~ slaves bring hi~ ~oo~ etc to him. . ~ or fo~:~~:: ~ thi ~t~f~vE ~ o:~ a~ge rhen he left the pi:uitation and at t~iat tine ~e mart~ied a t rrelve year o~4 girl. ~&cice t:~t ti~ ~ ~yt~ beer: ~ f2th r Of tv:cnty.~tiree childrcn~ ~o:~e of ~ hor~ tr c c tc~ ~ ~or~c c~ :or~ ~rc r~ti1l alive.

Ex-slave interview. Anna Parkes. 156 153

153 A~ ~ -~ ~-~(i~k~) ~ SlAVE I N~RVI~W AN~ZA PA~KES 15 O Strong Street Athens, Georgia Edited by: Written by: Sarah H. Hall Pederal Writers Project Athens, Georgia John N.,Booth District Supervisor Pederal Writers Project :~sidenc ies 6 & 7 Augusta, Georgia

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I ~XX~67 :154 A1~NA PARI S Ex-Slave Age 86 Anna Parkest bright eyes s~park1ed as she watched the crowd that thronged the hallway outside the office where she await ed admittance. A trip to the downtown section is a rare event in the life of an 86 year ~ and, accompanied by her da~ughter~ she was Liaking the most of this opportunity to see the world that lay so far from the door of the little cottage where she lives on Strong Street. When asked if she liked to talk of her childhood days before the end of the Civil War, she eagerly replied: Deed, I does. She was evidently delighted to have found someone who actually wanted to listen to her, and proudly continued: Dem days sho wuz sompin to talk ~bout. I don t never git tired of talkin bout em. Paw, he wuz Olrnstead Lur~kin, and ~-~- ~ -- --- . ~ Ma vniz Liza Lumplcin, and us b longed to Jedge Joe Henry Lumpkin. Us lived at de Lumpkin home place on Prince Avenue. I wuz born de same week as Miss Caille Cobb, and whilst I don t know z aokly what day I wuz born, I kin be purty shot bout how many years oie I is by axin how ole Miss Callie is. Pust I members much tbout is totin de key basket round hind 01e Miss when she give out de/ vittals. I never done a Gawd s speck of -work but dat. I jes follered long atter 01e Miss wid er key basket. ~ Did dey pay us any money? I~.wsy, Ladyt What for? Us didn t need no money. 01e Marster and le Miss all time give us plenty good sornpin teat, and dotes, and dey let us sleep in a good cabin, but us did. have money nowand den. A heap of times us

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2.. 155 had nickles arid dimes. Dey had lots of comg ny at 01e Marster s, and: us allus act mighty spry v~aitin on em, so dey would member us when dey lef Effen it wuz money dey gimme, I jes couldn t wait to run to de sto and spend it for candy. What else did you buy with the money? , she was asked. Nuffin else, was the quick rej4y. All a piece of inoney meant to me dem days wuz candy and de n no candy. I never did git much candy as I wanted vrlaen I wuz chillun. Here her story took a rambling turn. You see I didn t have to save u~ for nuffin . 01e Marster and Oie Miss, dey took keer of us. Dey sho wuz good white folkses, but den dey had to be good white folkses, kaze Oie Marster, he wuz 1Tedge Lumpkin, and de Jedge wuz bound to rake evvy~ody do right, and he gwine do right his own self fore he try to ~~ake udder folkses behave deyselvs. Ain t nobody, nowhar, as g~od to dey Negroes as my white folkees wuz. ~Tho taught you to say Negroes so distinctly? she was asked. 01e Marster,t she promptly answered, Ee splained dat us wuz riot to be shamed of our race. H~ said us warn t no t niggers ; he said us v uz Negroe s and he spe cted his Negroe s to be de oest Negroes in de whole land. . Old Marstei had a bigfinegyarden. His Negroes wukked it ~~ ood, and us wuz sho j~roud of it. Us lived close in town, and all de Negroes on de j~lace wuz ~~a~ndhouse servants. Us didn t have no gyardens round our cabins, kaze all of us et at de big house kit ehe n. Oie Miss had flowers evvywhar round de b ig house,

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3.. :156 and she VIUZ all tiixie giving US sorie to ~~1a~nt ~XbOUfld de cabins. All de Cookin wuz done at de big house kitchen, and hit wuz a sho nough big kitchen. Us had tvio boss cooks, and lots of hel2ers, and us shot had ~lenny of good sompin teat. ~t s de Gawdts trufe, and I means it. Beap of folkses been tryin to gi t me t o say us didn t have nough teat and da.t us never had nuffirL fittin teat. But oie as I is, I cyan start tellin no 11es now. I gotter die fo~ long, and I sho vTants to be clean in de mouf and no stains or lies on my lips when I dies. Our sonipin teat wuz a heap better n what us got now. Us had plenny of evvy~ thing right dar in de yard. Jhickens, ducks, geese, guineas, tu.kkeys, ~nd de sr oke ouse lull of good meat. Den de mens, dey vmz all time goin huntin and fetchin in wild tukkeys, an poddiges, and heaps and lots of tpossums and rabbits. Us had many fishes as us wanted. De big fine shads, and perch, and trouts; ( dein wuz de fishes de Jedge liked ros . Catfishes won t counted fittin to set on de Jed~es thble, but us Negroes wuz lowed to eat all of em us wanted. Catfishes mus be mighty skace now kaze I don t know w~~en ever I is seed a good oie river catfish a.~flap,14n i_lis tail. Dey flaps dey tails atter you done kilt ~ and cleaned em, and drap em in de hot grease to fry. Sot~etinies dey nigh knock de lid offen de fryin pan. 01e M~irster buyed 3i11 Finch down de country sornewhar , and dey called him 7Tilliam at de big house. He wuz de tailor, ai~ he ~ade CiO~5S for de young i:~arsters. 1illiar~ wuz right smart, a~~d one of his jobs wuz to lock up all de vittals atter us done et much ~.s us wanted. ~l1 of us had pl8flfl~, ut dey won t nuffint wasted round 01e Marster s ~1ace.

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4.. 157 ~ ~O1e Misa ~vuz young and ~pretty dem daya, and O1~ Marstex won t no old man den, but us had ~o call em t )~ riss, and 01e Marster, k ze dey chilluns wuz call d tyoung Marstert and Young Mi. s te s s f ~ de ye ry day dey wua b orn . Then asked to describe the work assigned to little Negroes, she quickly answered: ahilluns didn t do nuffin ~ Grownup Negroe8 done all de vruk. All chilluns done wuz to frolic ~ __~a~L~ I wuz jes lowed ter tote de keybasketka~e I wuz all time hangin round de big house, andwanted so badto stay close to my ma in de kitchen and to be nigh 01e Miss. ~ What sort of clo es did I wear in dem days? Why Lady, I had good clo es. Atter my little rnistesses wore dey clo es a li. ttle Ole Miss give em to me Ma allus ~ rriade nie wear ~clean, fresh clo es, and go dressed p good all de time so I d be fittin to carry de. key basket for 01e Miss. Some of de udder slave chilluns had homemade shoes, but I allus had good sto -bought shoes what my young mistess done outgrowed, or what some of de comp fly girnrne . Coin fly what had chilluns b~out my size gimme heaps of do e s and shoe s and some time s dey didn t look like dey d been wore none hardly. . 01e Marster sho had lots of Negroes round his pla e. Deir wuz Aunt Charlotte, and Aunt Julie, and de two cooks, and Adeline, and Mary, and Edle, and ~im~y. De mens v uz Charlie, and Floyd, and William, and Daniel. I disremembers de res of ~ 001e liarster never whipped none of his Negroes, not dat I ever heared of. He tole exii wb~at he wanted done, and give ~ em plenny of tune to do it. D~y wuz allus skeerteffen dey didn t

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5~.. i~8 be smart and do right, dey might git sold to ~o :e rnarster dat ~7ou1d beat ~ en, and be Llean to em. U~ knowed dey won t many marsters as good to dey slaves as 01e MEirster wuz to us. Us vrould of most kilt ourseif wuickin fo~ us would of give him a reason to wanna g t rid of us. No Ma am, Ole Liareter ain t never sold no slave, not whilst I kin rnernoer. Us wuz allus skeert dat effen a Negro g t lazy and triflin he might git sold. No Negro never runned away f um our place. Us didn t have nuffin to run f um, and nowhar to run to. Us heared of ~attero11ers but us won t fraid none kaze us knowed won t no j~attero11er gwine tech none of Tedge Lurnpkin s Negroes. TLT~ had our own Negro church. I b iieves de.y calls it Foundry Stre e t whar de oie church wuz . U~ had mec tin ev~y Sunday. $ometirnes white preachers, and sometimes Negro ~reachers done de preachin . Lis didn t haire no orgin or j~ianny in church den. De preacher hysteddehyrnns. No La am, I cyant mei~oer no songs us sung den dat wuz no diffunt f um de songs now~a~c1ays, ce~jen dey got orgin music wid de singin now. Us had c iections evvy Sunday in church den, sanie as now. 01e Marster give us a little change for c lecti.on on Sunday mawnin kaze us didn t have no money of our own, and he knowed hovr ~ig it u;ade US feel ter drap oney in de c lection plate. Us Meferdis had our baptizin s right dar in de church, same as us does now. ~nd vival meetin s. Dey jes broke out any time. Out on de ~lantations dey jes had vival .e~tin s in iayin by times, out here in to~7n us had ein all dunn de year. 01e Marster wed ter say: ito vivais, better Negroes.

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6.. 1~59 ~vvyb.ody oughter be good and jine de church, but dey sho oughtn t to une ef~en dey still gwine to act like Satan. 9U~ chillun wouid git uj~ long fore day Chris mas ~awnin . Us used ter hang our stockin s over de fire place, but when Chris mas mawn~in come dey vruz so full, hit would of ousted em to hang em up~ on a nail, so dey wuz allus layin on Ma s cheer ~~rhen us waked up. Us chillun won ~t lowed to go round de ~ house early on Chris mas mawnin kaze us rnought sturb our white folkses rest, and den dey done already seed dat us got ~lenny Santa Claus in our ovin cabins. Us didn t know nuffin bout i1~ w Ye ar s Jay ~the n I viuz C hi 1 lun . When any of his Negroes died 31e Marster wuz mighty extra good. 11e give plenny of time for afun ralsermon in de afternoon. Mor~ of de fun ra ls vruz in de yard under de trees by de cabins. ~tter de sermon, us would go crost de bill to de Negro buyin ground, n t far f um whar our white folkses wuz buried. t,US never bothered none bout -Booker Washin ton, or Mister Lincuin, or none of dem folkses way off dar kaze us had our raisin ft u.m de Iurnpkins and dey s de bes folkses dey is anyv har . Won t no Mister Lincum or no Booker Washin ton gwine to he1~ us like 01e Marster and us knowed dat good and plenny. I c~yan member much bout playin no special ~ ames ce~pin 01e Hundud. Us would choose one, and dat one would hide hi~ face agin a i~ree whilst he counted to a hundud. Den he would hunt for all de others. Dey done been hidin whilst he wuz countin . Us lamed to COunt a .playin 01e Hundud .

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:N o Matain, us never went to no school tU. atter de ~Tar. Den I went some at night. I wukked in de day time atter freedom come. My eyes bothered me so I didn t go to. school much. Yes Ma am, dey took mighty good care of us effen us got sick. 01e Marster would call in Doctor Moore or Doctor Carleton and have u s I o olce d a t te r De omans had dx t ra g o o d C are whe n dey chilluns cor~ed. Ti . freedom come, I wuz too little to know much bout dat myself, but Ma allus said dat Negro omans and babies wuz. looked at ter be tter ~ fore freedom come dan dey ever wuz anyrno . s ItAtter de ~ar wuz over a big passel of Yanke e mens come :: to our big house and stayed. Dey et and sle.pt dar, and dey b haved powerful nice and ~erlite to all our white folkses and dey am t bother 1Tedge Lurnpkin s servants none. But den evvybody ath~s bthaved round ~Tedge Lurnpkin s place. Ain t nobody gwine to be brash nough to do no devilment round a ~Tedges place. Hit was long atter de STar fo I married. L cyan member nuffin bout my weddin dress. Pears like to me I been m arried nos all of my life. Us jes went to de preacher man s house and got married. Us had eight chiliun, but dey is al~ dead now ceppin two; one son wukkin way off f um hera, and ~ daughter in Athens. II knows I wuz fixed a heap better fo de ~7ar, than I is flow, but I sho don t want no slav ry to cone back. It would be fine effen evvy Negro had a marster like Jedge Lumpkin, but dey won t all dat sort. Anna leaned heavily on her cane as she answered the knock on the front door when we visited her home. ilCome in, she in vited, and led the way through her s.crupulously tidy house to the back porch. 7.. 1Go

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8.. :16:1 De sun feals good, she said, and it sorter heIrs niy rheumatiz. My rheun~iatiz been awful bad lately. I loves to set here whar I kin see dat my oie hen and iittie chickens don t git in no mischief. A siiiaii bucket containing chicken food was con venientiy at hand, so she could scatter it on the ground to call her chickens away from depredations on the flowers. A little i:ouse made frequent excursions into the bucket and helped himself to the cracked grains in the chicken food. Don t mind him, she ad~on ished, he jes pJ.ays round my cheer all d~.y, and dontt bother nuffin . You didn t tell anything about your brothers and sisters when you talked to n~e before, her visitor remarked. Well, I jest couldn t ~ernber all at onct, but atter L got back home and rested up, I sot here and talked ter myself bout old times. My brudder Charles wuz de coachman what drove 01e Mar s te r s carriage and anudde r ~ brudde r wuz WI lie and one wuz Floyd. My sisters wuz ~Tane and Harriet. tPears like to me dey v1uz more of em, but some how I jest cyan member no more bout em My husband wuz Grant Parkes and he tuk care of de gyarderis and yards for de Lumpkins. I had one chile named Calme, for Oie Miss. She died a baby. My daughter Fannie done died long tiLle ago, and my dau~hter Liza, she wuics for a granddaughter of Ole Miss. I means, Liza wuks for Mister 1~ddie Lumpkin s daughter. I done j~1um c~lear forgot who Mister ~ddie s daughter married. I jes cyan recollec whar my boy, Floyd, stays. You oughter know, Lady, hits de town whar de President lives. Yes

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9.. 162 Ma arn, Washin ton, dats de place whar my Floyd is. I got one more s on but I d one plum forgot hi s nan~e ~nd ~ har he wuz las tirrie I heared f urn hirn. I dontt know if he s liv n or dead~ It sho is bad to git so old you cya& tell de names o ~ yo chilluns straight off widout havin to stop and study, and den you cyan allus rnerther. ~1 done been studyin bout de war tinnes, and I members dat 01e Marster wuz mighty troubled bout his Negroes when he heared a big crowd of Yankee sojers wuz commt to Athens. Folkses done bee n sayin de Yankee s would p ick out de be s Negr oe s and take ein way wid ein, and dere wuz a heap of talk bout de scandlous way dem Yankee sojers been treatin Negro omans and gals. Fore dey got here, 01e Marster sont :108 of his bes Negroes to Augusta to git em out of danger f urri de Fed rals. Howsome~ever de Negroes dat he kept wid im won t bothered none, kaze dem Ped rals spected de Jed~e and didntt do no harm round his place. In Augusta, I stayed on Greene Street wid a white lady nai ed Mrs. Broome. No Ma am, I nebber done no vruk. I jes played and frolicked, and had a good time wid Mrs. .3roorne s babies. She sho wuz good to me . Ma, she vrukked for a Negro oman named 1~rs.Kemp, and lived in de house wid her. 01e Marster sont for us atter de war wuz over, and us wuz iiighty proud to git back home. Times had doue chariged(when us ~:ot back. Mos of Ole Marster s money wuz gone, and he couldn t tal:e keer of so many Negroes, so Ma moved over near de gun fact ry and started ta~kin in washin . 11De wust bother Negroes had dem days wuz findin a place to live. 7Houses had to be built for em, and dey won t no moiley to build em wid.

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/ I I :~ ~ 10.. 163~ *One night, jes atter I got in bed, saine mens c me ~ walkint right in M~ s house widout knockint. I jerked de kivver up over my head quick, and tried to hide. One of de mens axed Ma who she wuz. Ma knowed his voice, so she said: ty0u knows me Mister Blank, (she called him by his sho tnuff naine) tIt~j Liza Lumpki n and you knows I u se d t o b long t o J~e dg Lum~pkin . De udders jes 1~ughed at him and said: Boy, she knows you, so yqu better not say nuffin else. Den anudder man axed Ma how she wu~ makin~ ~ a livin . Ma knowed his voice too, and she called him by name and tole him us wuz takin in washin and livint all right. Dc y laughe d a t him t o o and de n anudder one axed he r s ompin and ~ J she called his name when she answered him too. Den de leader say, Boys, us better git out of here. These here hoods and robes ain t dom a bit of good here. She knows ev ry one of us and can tell our naines. Den dey went out laughin fit to kill, and dat wuz de onhiest time de Ku Kiuxers ever wuz at our house, leastways us s posed dey wuz Ku Kiuxers. I don t member much bout no wuic atter freedom ce~in de wash tub. Maw lamed me how to wash and iron. She said: Some day I ll be gone f um dis world, and you won t know nuffi~ bout ~ takin keer of yo self, lessen you lam right now. I wuz mighty proud when I could do up a weeks washin and take it back to my white folkses and git sho nuff ri6ney for my wuk. ~ I felt like I wuz a grown oman den. It wuz in dis same yard dat ~a lamed me to wash. At fust Ma rented dis place. There wuz another house here den. Us saved our washin money and bought de place and dis is de last of three houses on dis spot. Evvy cent spent on dis place wuz made by takin in washin and de most of it wuz made washin for Mister Eddie Lumpkin 8 family.

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n.. :164 . ~Heaps of udder Negroes wuz smart like Ma, and dey got along all right . De se days de young folkse s don t try s o hard. Things cornes lots easier for em, and dey got lots better chances dan us had, but dey don t pay no ~ to nuffin but spendin ail dey got, evvy day. Boys is wuss en gals. Long time ago I done give all I got to my daughter. She takes keer. .~ me. Effen de roof leaks, she has it looked atter. She wuks aiid meks our luTin . I didn t want nobody to show up here atter I die and take nuffin away f um her. I am never had no hard times. I allus been treated good and had a good livin . Course de rheurnatiz done got i~e right oad, but I is still able to git about and tend to de house while my gal is off at wuk. I wanted towash today, but I couldn t find no s~a ~. My gal done hid de soap, kaze she say I se too old to do my own washin and she wanter wash my clo es herse f~ In parting, the old woman said rather apologetically, II couldn t tell you bout no sho nuiT hard times. ktter de War I wukked hard, but I am t never had no hard times .

"A talk with G. W. Pattillo - ex-slave." 168 165

E~5~4 ~E~cf~J 165 ~j::j, ~~::: s-~: jt~(~: ~ A T~ALK WITH G. ~i. PATTILLO SLAVE Subaitted. by Minnie B. Ross Typed by J. C. R SSe1I 1-22-3?

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Talk with ex-slave Ro8s 16G j or 1/22/37 iu(u:;:4 G. W. PLT~PIILO ci.c~ In the sk~1ter provided. by the Department of Publie We . tare I I ye s an old. Negro G W Pa tti 1 . o who wa s born in Spau1&ing C anty G~riffin Gs . in the year 1852. His parents, Harriett and. Jake Pattillo, had. twelve children, o~ whoi~ he waa the second. younges t The ii master was Mr T. J Ingram. However, they kept the name of their old. master, Mr. Pattillo. Master Ingram, as he was affectionately called. by his slaves, was considered a mid~d~le olass man, wb~o owned. 100 acres o ~ land Wi th one family of slaves axil was more o~ a truck far mer than a plantation owner. Es raised. exiou~gIi cotton to au.pply the nee&s of his family an his slaves and enough cattle to furnish~ food, bat his main crops were coen, wheat, potatoes and. truck. with a few slaves ath a small farm, Master In~am was very lenient and kind to his slaves axiL usually worked with them in the fields. We had no speelal tine to begin or end th~ work for t~ e day . If he go t ti red he w oui d say t~ ,~sj ght boys le t s stop and. rest, and sometimes we didn t start working until ~te in the d.ay.~ Pattillo s mother wa~ cook and general house servant, 80 well thou ht 0f by the Ingram family tkiat she m~iaged the house as she saw fit and. planned the me~la likewise. Youiig Pattillo was oonaidered a pet by everyone and hung around the ini8tress, since she did. not have any children of her own. His job was to

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jor-1/22/37 . Talk with ex-~a1ave ~ Ross hans her the sei880r8 arid. thx~ead. her needles. IiI was lier special pet, said Pattillo, and. my yotinge$t brother was tk~ XII9St~ 8 speoial pet. ~Mr. an& Mrs. Ingram never pu.iitshed. the ckilldren, nor allowed anyone btit their parents to do ~ If the boy became unruly, Mrs. Ingram woa1d~ call hie mother Sz~1 say, Hari iett, I think G. W. need~a to be taken down ~ a button hole lower. The master s house, called the Big Hou.se, was a two.. story frame strtiotur e consis ting o f 10 rooms. Although no t a n~nsion, it was fairly comfortable. The home provided. tor Ps~ tub s family was a three~room frame house furnishe d e onifort ably with good. home-made ~urn1tu.re. Pattillo deolared. that he led. never seen anyone ou the. Ingraa~ Pi enta fl on :pILni she d by the owne r who never allowed. the paterrollers to pu.ni~h tliem either. . Master Ingraii pisoed. signs at different points on his plantation which read. thus: Paterrollere, Pishing and. Hunting ~4i ~ Froh bi ted. on tb.i s Planta ti Ofl . ~ It 8 0011 b e oaa~ 1m ow,,~ by a. 1 . t~ t ~t~ ~Ingram slaves were not given passes by their owner to go any plaoe, oonaequently they were known as Old Ix~ram s ~ ~iggsrs. Master In~?am oo ld not write, b~t wculd tell his slaves to in!or m anyone who wished. to know, that th y belonged to J, D. Ingram. Once, sail Pattilo, my brother Willis, who was known ~or his gambling aM d.rinklng, left oar plantation and. no~ one knew where he had. gone As we sat around. a big open tire ereoking walnuts, Willis case up, jumped. off his horse aie. fell to the ground. Directly behind~ hiw rode a paterroller. Ph. nias tei ~1~impe 11 ~ and eommande~ him to turn a round an d leave hi s

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Ros8 168 j or-1/22/37 Talk with ex slave premises. The Paterroller ignored his warning aizi advanced. still ~u~rther. The master then took his rifle and. shot him. ~e fell to the grouxid dead. and Maatex~ Ingram said. to his wife, Well, I~ioy, I gu.esa the next time I speak to that sooandrel he will take heed. The maater then saddled his horse and rode into town. Very soon a wagon eame back and moved the body. The cotton raised. was woven into cloth from which their o1othin~ was made. We had. plenty of good clothing az~1 ~ood, Pattiflo continued. The smokehouae was never locked and. ~ h~. free access to the whole house. We ~ver knew the u~aning of S key. Master Ingram was very strict abou.t religi on and attending Church. It was customary for everyone to attend Uie 9 o clock prayer services at his home every night. The Bible was read. by the t~1stress, atter which the master would condaot prayer. Children as weU as grownu~pa were expected to attend. On Su.ndays, everybody attended church. Separate Ch~irches were provided. for the Negroes, with White and Colored preachers oond.aoting the services. White Deacons were also the Deacons of tke Colored Churches arid. a colored man was never appointed. deacon of a Chu~rch. Oflly white ministers were priviliged to give the sacriaient and. do the baptizing. Their serinona were of a strictly re ligiou.s nature, ~ihOn a preacher was u.nable to read., 8OIfl~OZ~ was appointed to read the teit. Tite preacher wo ld then bu~i1d his sermon from j t Of o ~irse du.ring the oonference pen od colored a~ well as white ministers were privileged to make the appoint rnents. The Negroes never took up oolle~tions bat placed their money in an envelope and passed. it in. It was their oin money,

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-4-, jcr-1/22/37 Talk with ex slave Ross 169 earned with the master s consent, b~ selling apples, eggs, chickens, etc. Concerning marriages, Pattillo believes in marriages as they were in the olden days. ~ two people felt they wu.z niad~e for e a oh o ther they wu z u.nl ted. wi thin themse Ives when the y d~on e git the master s greeinent, then live together as man and. wife, an that was all. Now, you. got to buy a license and pay the preacher. Loss of life among ~Lavea was a calamity and. 1t a doctor earned a repu~tation for loelug his patients, he sight as well seek a new oorv~iriity. Often his thmnfall would begin by some stich oomment as, Dr. Brown lost old. men Ingram s nigger John. He s no good. and. I don t Intend to use him. The valu.e of slav es varied. from ~5OO to ~lO,OOO, depending on his or her spe cia 1 qu.a li fi ca ti ons Tri desinen s uch a a bi ao.k ami tha a hoe makers, carpenters, etc., were seldom sold under $10,000. Ra ther than sel I a trade aman ~ si a~e owner s ke pt them in order to make money by hiring them ou.t to other ovmers for a set aiim per season. Kowever, before the deal waa closed the lessee would. have to sign a contract which assured the slave s owner that ths slave would receive the best of treatment while In possession. Pattil ,o remembers hearing his parents say the north and South had disagroel and Abraham Lincoln was going to free the slaves. Although he never saw a battle fought, ~iere wers days when he sat and watched the long line of soldiers passing,miles and ail es of thee. Master Ingram did. not enli et bu.t remained

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jor- ./22/3 7 Talk with ex~a1ave Ross at home to take care of his family and. bis po ssessions. After the war ended, Master Ingram called. his slaves to- gethel and told thee o~ Uieir freedoz~, saying, ~ Lincoln whipped. the South and we are going back to the Union. You. ai e as free as I am and. if you. wish to remaink~re you. may. I~ not, you. may go any place you. wish. I am not rich bat we can work together here for ~ot~i our families, sharing everything we raise eqaelly. Pattillo s family remained. there until 1870. SOme owners kept their slaves in ignorance o~ their freedom. Otkers were kind. enough to offer them homes and help them to get a start. After emancipation, politics began to play a part in the lives of ex-slaves, and. many werej~~~roaohed. by oandidate who wanted to bu.y their votes. Pittiflo tells of an old ex-slave owner named. Greeley living in Upson Cou.nty who botight an exslaves vote by giving kiiin as payment a ham, a sack of flour and a place to stay on h18 plantation. After election, he ordered the ex-slave to get the wagon, load. it with his possessions and move away from his plantation. Astonished, the old. Negro asked why. TTBecaase,n replied old Greeley, ~ I~ you. allow ar~rone to bu,y your vote and rob yoa o~ yotir rights a~ a free citizen, someone could hire you. to set my tiou.se on f ire. ~ . Pattillo reinebers slavery gratefu~lly and. says he almost wishes these days were back again.

Ex-slave interview. Alec Pope. Ex-slave - age 84. 174 171

~ ~ t, ~\, ~ I ~ C~J~() EX SLAVE INTE WIEW ALL~C P0P2 1345 Rockspring Street Athens, Georgia Written by: Sadie i. Hornsby Federal Writers ~roject Athens, (-Ia. Edited by: Sarah H. Hall Athens and John N. Booth District Supervi. sor Federal Writers Project Augusta, Ga. April 28, 1938

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I 00086 . 172 ALEC Ex.S1av~ = Age 84. Athens, Georgia. Alec lives with his daughter, Ann Whitworth. When asked if he liked to talk about his childhood days, he answered: Yes Ma am, but is you one of dein pension ladies? The n gative re ply was an evident disappointment to Alec, but it did not hinder his narrative dwell, I wuz born on de line of Clarke and Ogl~thorpe Counties, way down de country. Celia and Willis Pope wuz my ma and pa. Lawdy~ Miet ess, I don t know whaz dey come f ~ ~peers lak pats lust Marster wuz named Pope. Dat s de onhies last name I ever i~ico1lec us havin . ~ Dere wuz a passel of us chillun. My sisters wuz Salue, Phebig Ann, Nelia, and Millie. My brudders wuz Anderson., Osoorn, George, ~obert, Squire, J~ack, and Willis. Willis wuz named for pa and us nicknamed im Tuck. De slave quarters wuz little log house s scattered here and dar. Some of em had two rooms ofi de fust flo and a loft up boys whar de boys most gen~ally slep and de gals slep downstairs. I don t member nothin t all bout what us~done cept scrap lak chilluns will do. Oht :i ain t forgot bout dem beds. Dey used c:or ds for springs, and de cords run f umhead to foot; den dey wove tern t cross de bed tu dey looked lak checks Wheat straw wuz sewed up

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2. :I~73 in ticks for mattresses. When you rolled round on one of dem straw rnattre8ee8, de straw crackled and sounded lak rain. No Ma am, I d on t know riothiri ~ all bout i~y gran ~a and grant ma. I wuz de reg larwaterboy, and I plowed some too . Course dere wuz so many on dat plantation it tuk more n one boy to tote de water. Money? dis Nigger couldn t git no money in dem days. Us sho had plenty somepin t eat, sich as meat, and cornbread, and good old wheat bread what wuz made out of seconds. ~)ere vmz lots of peas., corn, cabbage, Irish tatoes, sweet tatoes, and chickens, spmetimes. Yes. M&azn, sometimes. I lake coffee, but ilS Niggers didn t have much coffee. J)at wuz for de white folkses at c~e big house. Cookin wuz done in de fireplace in great big spiders.~ some o:~ de biggeat of de spiders wuz called ovens. Dey put coals of fire underneath and more coals on top of de lid. Ma baked bread and taters in de ashes. In winter she put de dough in a collard leaf so it wouldn t burn. In summer green corn shucks wuz wrapped ~ round de Iough stid of collard leaves. All de fish and pOss~flS and rabbi te us had wuz cotch right dar on Old }Lar~ter s place cause if one of our Niggers got cotch offen our place hit wuz jes too bad. I sho does love possum, and us had lots of em, cause my brudder u~sed to ketch em by de wholesale wid a dog ~he had, and dat same Jog wuz a powerful goQd rabbit hound too. Us had pretty good clothes most all de year round. In sunimer, shirts, and pants wuz made out of coarse cotton cloth. 3ome time s de pants wuz dyed gray. Winter time us had better clothes :~ade out of yarn and us al .us had good Sunday clothes. Course I ?IUI jest a plow boy den and now I done forgot lots bout how things looked. Our shoes wuz jes common brogans,., no diff unt On 8unday,

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3. :I~74 cepp fl de Nigger boys what wuz shinin up to de gala cleaned. up deir shoes dat day. Our Marster wuz Mr. Mordecai Ed ards. Weil, he wuz pretty good - not too good. He tried to make you do right, bUt if you didn t he would give you a good brushin . Miss Martha, Old Marster s old oman, warn t good a~ OldMarster, but she done all right. Dey had a heap of chillun:. Miss Susa~i, Miss Mary, M1~~ Caille, Miss Alice, and it peers. to~me lak dere wuz two ~o gals., but I can t call em now. Den dere wuz some boys: Marse ~3il1y, Marse Jim, Marse John, Marse Frank, and Marse Howard. Marse Frank ~ldtards lives on Milledge Avenue now. Old Marster and Old Mist ess lived in a great big fine house what looked to ~e lak one of dese big hotels does now. ~ wuz de fust overseer I can ricolleo . He wuz kin to Old Marster. Mar~ter had two or three mo overseers at diff unt times, but I don t ri.c:ollec dey names. Dore wuz two car iage drivers. ) ~ Henry driv ~ de gals round and Albert wuz Old Mist e ss driver. Old .~ L~rster had his own hoes and buggy, and most of de time he driv for hisseif, but he allus tuk a little Nigger boy hained Jordan tiong to help him drive and to hold de hos8.. S Lawdyt Mi. et e ss I o ouldn t rightly say how many acres wuz in dat plantation. I knowed he had two plantations wid fine houses on em. He jes had ifroves and droves of Niggers and 1,a,hen dey got scattered out over de fields, dey look~d lak blackbirds dere wuz so many. You. see I WUZ jes a plow boy and didn t know . S nothin bout figgers and countin . De overseer got us up bout four o clock in de

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4. ~ 1r;:~5 rnornin to feed de stock. Den ue et. Us a .ius sto~ppe~d off by dark. ~iist ess s a old sayin dat you had to brush a Nigger . in dem days to make tern do right. Dey brushed us if us lagged in de field o~~?~e~! t1;on. Dey could allus find some fault wid us. Mareter brushed US sorrie time but de overseer most gen ally done it. members dey used to make de omane pull up deir skirts and brushe d em wid a horse whup or a hi. ckory; dey done de mens de same way eept dey had to take off deir shirts and pull deirpants down. Niggers Shot would holler when dey got brushed. *Jailst Yes Ma am, dey had em way down in L~xin ton. You know some Niggers gwine steal anyhow, and dey put em in dere for dat iiiostly. I didn t never see nobody sold or in chain5. De only chains lever seed wuz on hosses and plows. ~Mist ess, Niggers didn~t haire no.time to lam to read in no Bible or nothin lak dat in elav ry time. Us went to church wid de white folkees if us wanted to, but us warn t bleeged to go. De white folksee went to church at Cherokee Corner. Dore Warn t no special church for Niggers tu long atter de War ~vhen d~y built one out nigh de big road. Some of de Niggers run away to de Nawth - some dey got~back, some dey didn t. Dem patterollers had lots of fun if dey cotch a Nigger, so dey could brush im to hear t1~ holler. De onhies trouble I ever heard bout twixt de whites and blacks wuz when a Nigger sassed a white man and de white man shot im. Ii it se rire d dat Nigge r right, cause he oughta knowed be tter dan to sass a white man. De trouble ended wid dat shot.

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EtI~ most Niggers ever done for a good tine wuz to have little parties wid heaps of fidlin and dancint . On Sunday r~ights dey would have prayer rneetin ~. Dem patterollers would come and break our prayer r~eetin s up and brush us if dey cotch us. tChristmas wuz somepin else. Us had awful good times den, cause de white folkses at de big house give us plenty of ::. odies for CJhris nias week and us had fidli.ri and dancin . U5 would firi~.; L1~p de gals and run all round en playin dem ring- round.-derosie games. Us had i:~ore good times at orn shuckin s, and Old L~arster allus had a little toddy to give us den to make us wuk faster, Oht No Ma ani, I don t trnenber nothin bout what us ~layed when I wuz a little chap, and if I ever knowed anything bout ~awhead and Bloody Bones and sich lak I done plumb forgot it now. ~L1~t I do know Old Marster and Old Mist ess sho wuz powerful. good when ciey Niggers got sick. Dey put a xi~essenger boy on a mule and sont ~ im for Dr. Hudson quick, cause to lose a Nigger wuz losin a good piece of property. Some Niggers *ore some sort of beads ~ round ~eir neci:s to keep sickness away and dat s all I calls to mind bout -~ a t. cham bu s I ne s s. I wuz jest a plow boy so I didn t take in oout de ~~rrender. De only thing I ricollects bout it wuz when Old Marster i~ id my pa and ma us wuz free and didn t belong to him no more. he said he couldn t brush de grown folks no more, but if dey wanted to stay wid im dey could, and dat he would brash dey chilluns if dey .1tid~!.t do right. :~dca told im he war&t gwine brush none of her c~ai11uns no more. 5. 176

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. . 6. 177 tis lived wi.d Old Marster bout a year, den pa moved up on de big road. Buy land? ~To )ff~,tam, Niggers didn t have no money to buy no land wid til dey made it. I didn t take in bout Mr. Lincoln, only dat thoo him us wuz sot free. I heard em say Mr . ~a.vis wuz de President of de South, and bout ~3Qoker Washin toni some of de Niggers tuk him in, but I didn t bodder bout him. Lawdyl Mist ess, I didn t marry de fust time tu long atter de War, and now I done been n~arried three times. I had a awful big weddi.n de. fList tiiiie . De white man what lived on de ~oig road not far f um us said he never seed sich a weddin in his life. Us drunk and et, and danced and cut de buck most all night long. kost ai . my chilluns is dead. I b lieve my fust wife had 10 or 11 chilluns. I know I had a passel fast and last; and jes to tell you de trufe, dere jes ain t no need to sto,p and try to count de grand chilluns. All three of my wives done daid and I m lookint for anudder one to take keer of me now. Why did I jine de church? Cause I jes think evvybody oughta jine if dey wanna do right so se dey can go to :ieben. I feels lak a duff unt man since I done jined and I knows de Lord has done forgive nie for all my sins. ~Mist ess ain t you thoo axin me questions yit? Anyhow I wuz thinkin you wuz one of dem pension ladies. When he was told that the interview was completed, Alec said: I sho is glad, cause I feels lak takin a little nap atter. I eat dese jecans V; hat I got in my pocket. Goodbye Mist ess. . . . .

Slavery as witnessed by Annie Price. 181 178

:z::i ~ s i::: 5~ . ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ a V ~ ~ ~ ~: \ / 7, ~ Pa e 1. Jhitley, ~- ~ ~ ~~ Th?lskeU. 1203? 178 I O O 2 JU ~v~Y AS WIT~$EP~ BY ~j~IE 7RIO~ ~O ~ Mrs. Annie Price was born In Spaulding County, Georgia :z~ ~ October 12 1855. Although only a mere child when freedom was declared she 1~ able to relate quite a few events in her own life as well as s~e of the experiences of other slaves who lived in the saine vicinity &s she. Her mother and father Abe and Caroline were owned by a young married couple named Kennon. (When this couple were married Abe and Caroline had been given as weddine presents by the bride s and the gro~ s parents). Be~1des her parents there four brothers end five sisters ~1l of wh~n were younger than she with one exception. The first thing that she remembers o~ her mother is that of seeing her working in the Marster s kitchen. . Mr. Kennon was described as being a rather young man who was just getting a Start in life. His family consisted of his wife end about five children. He was not a mean 1n~ividual. The plantationon which he lived wc.s a small one, having been given to him by his father (whose plantation adjoined) In order to give him a start. Mr. Keanon owned one other slave besides Mrs. Price and her family while his father owned a large number some of~ whom he used to lend to the younger Mr. Kennon. Cotton and all kinds of vegetables were raised. There was also some live stock. ~.s Mr. Kennon owned only a few slaves it was necessary for these few persons to do all of the work. Says Mrs. Price: 1.&y mother had to do everything from cultivating cotton to cooking. The esme was true of her father and the other servant. Before the break of day each morning they were all called to prepare for the day s work, Mrs. Price then told how she has seen the men of her plantation and those of the adjoining one going

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Page 2. ~ ~iit1ey, Driskell. 1 S i..2O-~37 to the fields at this unearthly hour e~t1ng their breakfast while sitting astride the back of a mule. After her mother had finished cooking and cleaning the house she was sent to the field to help the men. 1~7hen it was too dark to see all field hands were permitted to return to their cabins. This saine routine was followed each ay except Sundays when they were permitted to do much as they pleased. when the weather was too ba9 for field work they ~be1led corn and did other types of work not reQuiring too much exposure. ioltdays were unheard of on the Kennon plantation. ~ a little slave girl the only work thai Mrs. Price ever had to do was to pick up chips and bark for her mother to cook with. The rest of the time was spent in playing with the ~arster s little girls. The servants on our plantation always h&d a Dlenty of clothes continued Mrs. Price, while those on the plantation next to ours (Mrs. Kennon s f&ther never ba~ enough, especially in the winter. This clothing was given when it was needed and not at any specified time as was the case on some of the other plantations in that conmunity. ~ll of t ese articles were made on the plantation and the materials that were mostly used were h aespim (which was also woven on the premises) woolen goods, cotton goods and calico, It has been mentioned before that the retinue of servants wz~s ~al1 in number and so for this reason all of them had a reasonable amount of those clothes that had been Uscarded by the master and the mistress, kfter the leather had been cured it W&S t&ken to the Tannery where crude shoes called Twenty Grands were made, These shoes often caused the wearer no little amount of dis comfort until they were thoroughly broken in. For bedding, homespun sheets were used. The quilts and blankets were made fran pieced cotton material along with garments that were unfit for further wear. ~ Thenever it was necessary to dye any of these articles a type of dye made by boiling the bark from trees was used,

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Page 3. 18f) Vthitley, Driskell. 1~43O~37 In the saine mariner that clothing was plentiful so was there ~u1ways enough food . When ~rs PM ce was aske d I f the slaves owne d by Mr. Kennon were permitted to cultivate a garden of their own she stated that they did tit need to do this because of the fact that Mr. Kemion raised everything that vias necessary and they often had more than enough. Their week~ day iet usually consisted of fried meat, grits, syrup and corn bread for breakfast; vegetables, pot liquor or milk, anc5 corn bread for dinner; and for supper there was milk and bread or flea meat and bread. On Sunday they were given a kind of flour commonly known as the seconds fran which biscuits were made. S netime3 , continued Mrs. Price , my mother brought us the left overs from the master s table and this was usually a meal by itself . In addition to this Mr. JCennon allowed hunting as well as fishing and so on many days there were fish and roast possun~. food on the elder Mr. ICen.non plantation was just as scarce as it Was plentiful on his son s. When asked how she knew about this Mrs. Price tol how she ha s seen her father take meat fran his rna~t~ ~ ~aoke house and hide it so that he could give it to those slaves who invaribly slipped over at night in search of food. The elder Mr. Kennon had enough food but he was too mean to see his slave3 enjoy themselves by having full stomachs. All cooking on Mrs. Price s plantation was done by her mother1 All of the houses on the Kennon plantation were made of logs in cluding that of Mr. Kennon himself. There were only two visible differences in the dwelling places of the slaves and that of ~r. Kennon and there were (1) several rooms instead of the one roan aflowed the slaves and (2) weatherboard was used on the Inside to keep the weather out while the slaves used muc~ to serve for this purpose. In these crude one-roomed houses (called stalls) there was a bed made of some rough wood. nope sied from

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Page 4. 1~Jhit1ey, 181 1..~2O-37 side to side served as the springs for the mattress which was a bag filled with straw and leaves. There were also one or two boxes which were used as chairs. The chimney was made of rocks and mud. All cooking was done here at the fireplace. ~s. Price says; Even Old Marster did nt have a stove to cook on so you know we di d ut . The oniy aval lable li ght was that furnished by the fire. Only one family was allowed to a cabin so as to prevent overcrowding. In addition to a good shingle roof each one of these dwellings had a board floor. iUl floors were of dirt on the olant..~ atlon belonging to the elder Mr. Kennon. doctor wasemployed to attend to those persons who were sick. However he never got chance to practice on the Kennon premises as there was never any serious illness. Minor cases of e1ckne~s were usually treated by giving the patient a dose of castor oil or several doses of sane form of home made medicine which the slaves made themselves from roots that they gathered In the woods. In order to help keep his slaves in good health M~r. Kennon required them to keep the cabins they occupied and their sur roundings clean at all times. Mrs. Price said that the slaves had very few amusements and as far as she can remember she never saw her parents indulge in any form of play at all. She remembers, however, that on the adjoining plantation the slaves often had frolics where they sane and dance1 lbar into the night. These troll es were not held very often but were usually few and far between. As there was no church on the plantation Mr. Kennon gave them a pass on Sundays so that they could attend one of the churches that the town afforded. The sermons they heard were preached by a white preacher and on rare occasions by a colored preacher. ~1henever the colored pastor preached there ~re several white persons present . to see tbat,411~ doctrine save that laid down by them should be preached. ~ll of the nmrrying on both plantations

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Page 5. 18~ :ihitley, Driskell 1.20 37 Mr. Kennon gave them a pass on Sundays so that they couJ~ attend one of the churches that the town afforded. The serinons they heard were preached by a white preacher and on rare occasions by a oo1ore~ preacher. Whenever the colored pastor preache.d there were several white persons present to see that no doctrine save that laid down by them should be preached. All of the marrying on both plantationz was done by a preacher. It has been sal d that a little learning 8 a dcngerous thing and this certainly was true as Lar as the slaves were concerned) according to Mrs Price. She says: If any o1~ us were ever caught with a book we would get a good whipping.~ Because o1~ their great fear of such a whipping none of them ever attempted to learn to read or to write. ~ ageneral rule Mrs. Price and the other nembers of her family were dways treated kindly by the Kennon family. None of them were ever whipped or rai street ed in any way Mrs Pri ce says that she has seen slaves on the ar9joining plantation wh1ppec~. until the blood ran. She describes the sight in the following manner. The one to be whipped was tied across a log or to a tree c~nd then his shirt was dropped around his waist and he was lashed with a cow hide whip until his back was raw. ~!hippings like these were given when a slave was unruly or disobedient or when he ran away. Before a runaway slave could be whipped he had to be caught and the chief way of doing this was to put the blood hounds (known ~o the slaves as nigger hounds ) cri the fugitive s trail. Mrs. Price once saw a ~n being taken to his master after he had been caught by the dogs. ~he says that hIs skin was cut and torn in any number of places and be looked like one big mass of blood. Her father once ran away t o e soaps a whi pping. ( thi s was during the Clvi I War ) ~ and he ;~s able to elude the dogs as well as his human pursuers. Yhen asked about the final outecane of this escape Mrs Price replied that her father remained in

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. Page 6 ~hit1ey, i~r1ske11 J~ ~ 1-20- 37 hiding until the war was ever with and then be wa~ able to show himself without any fear. She has also seen slaves being whipped by a group of white men when her parents said were the ~Paddie~Ro11ers . It was their duty to whip those slave s who were caught away from their respe otive plantati ons without a pass , she was told, According to Mrs. Price the jails were built for the white folks . ~Jhen a slave di d something wrong hi s master puni. shed. him. She does nt remember anything about the beginning of the Civil War neither did she unc~erstend it~ significance until Mr. Kennon c3led as a result of the wounds that he received vihile in action. This impressed itself on her mind indelibly because Mr. I~ennon was the first dead person she had ever seen. The Yankee troops did nt come neer their plantation and ~ so they had a plenty of food to satisfy their needs all during the war. sven after the war was over there was still a plenty of all the necessities of life. When i~s. Kennon informed them thet they were free to go or to stay as they Pleased) /~r father, who had just caae out of hid1n~, told Mrs. Kennon that he did not want to remain on the plantation any longer than it was necessary to get his family together. He said that he wanted to get out to himself so that he could see how it felt to be free. Mrs. Price says that as young as she was she felt very happy because the yoke of bondage was gone and she knew that she could have a privel~~e like everybody else. And so she arid her family moved a~ ay and her father began f~rming for himself. Gail S His was ~ i ~rrfl*~d prosperft~ until his death. ~fter she left the plant- atlon of her birth she lived with her father until she bacanie a grown w~nan and then she married a ~. Price who was also a fariner.

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Page 7. Jhitley, Driskell I8~. 1 2O~-3? Mrs. Price believes that she has lived to reach such a rire old age because she h&s always served ~od and because she alwa s tried to obey those older than she.

A few facts of slavery by Charlie Pye - ex-slave. 188 185

z::i ~ s n ~ ~ ~ v~ ~~ : ~ J~ ~:a~w pacTs CP SLAVERY BY :1 83~ ~ () o ~ 2. 7 CHARLIE P!! Ex-~S1ave I The wiii ter was much surprised to learn that the p~raon ~iom she was ~ about to Interview was nine years oia when the Clvii ~7ar ex4ed. His youthful appear~anoe at first made her realize that probably he was not an ex-.slave after all. Very soon she learned differently. Aflother surprise followed the first in that his n~mory of events dui ing that period was very ha~. The few facts learned are related as follows: Mt . Charlie Pye was born in wnue, Ga. 1856 and was tia ninth child of his ~ar~n:bs, Tom Pys and. ~nirzialine Hjghlai4. Tom Pye, the father, belonged to Volantine Pye owner of a plantation in Columbus Ga. known as the Lynch &id Pye Plantation. ~ s Rye s mi stress was Mis s Mary Eal ~ who lat er nu rrled a ~ ~tts, ~:1ss Ea .ey owned a large number of slaves, although she did not o~ a very large plantation. Q,uite a fe~a~of her slaves were hired out to other owners. The workor~ on the plantation were divided into two or n~re groupa, each groi~ having a different job to dUo. For instance, there ~re the plow hands, hoe J hands, log cutters, etc. Mr. Pye s rr~th~ was a plow h~tnd and besides this, she often had to cut logs. Mr. Py~ wc~s too young to ~ork an~ spent most of his tine playii~ aro~ind the yards. Houses on the Ealey plantation were.bu.ilt of pine poles after which the cracks were filled with red mud. Most of these houses consisted of one ~om; however, a few were built ~ith two rooms to accorrunodate the .larger families. The beds, called ~bunks by I.~. Pye were nailed to the sides of the room. Roped bottoms covered with a mattress of burlap and hay served to complete this structure called a bee. Be~ie8 and a home made table completed the furnishings. There were v~y few if any real chairs found in the slave hones. The houses and furniture were built by skilled Negro carpent~s ~o were hired by the nils tress from othe r slave ownea s. A kind slave owner would allow a

189 186

~ -~ ( ~ 1~-~ ~. _L.c,t) a skilled peraon to hire hia own time and keep niost of the pay which he earned. Plenty ot tood we.a raised on the ~a1ey plantation, but the slave f anililea flore restricted to the ~ diet of corn mea ., i~ rup, and fat bacon. Children ~:ere fed 1 pot lik c~ xnillc and bread trom poplar ugh, frcan which theiy ats ~ith wooden epoons. Grown-ups ate with wooden forks, Slaves y~ere not allowed to raise gardeiie of their own, althot~gh Mr. Pye~a uncle was given the privilege ~ owning a rice patch, which he worked at night. In every ala~e home was found a woden loom which was operated by hands and i~eet, and fi~m which the cloth foe their clothing w~a made. ~Ahen the work in the fields was finished w ien were requfred to cone honie and spin one out (thread) at night. Those who were not ~uccesaful in con~leting this work wers punished the next inornThg Men wore co tton eh~irts and pants whi oh were dyed different ~lore with red oak bark, alUm and coppe~ , Qopp er pro duced an Indigo blue color. I have often watched dye in the process of being n~s, r~.rked Mr. Pye. Mr. Pys s father was a sho~iaker and made all shoes needed on the plantation. The hair was removed frcvn~ the hides by a process known as tanning. Red oak bark was often used for it produced an acid which proved very etfectivs in tanning hides. Slaves ;~ere given sh~s every three fl~ntha. - p 1 To see th~ everyone continued working an overseer rode over the plantation keeping check on the workers. Ii any person was caught resting he was given a sound whipping. Mr. Pye related the following incident which happened on the Ealey plantation. A young col ed girl stopped to rest tox~ a few minutes and my uncle stopped also and spok~e to her Dur Ing ih is conversation the overseer e~s up and began whipping the girl with a sapling tres. My uncle bec~ v ~y ang~ and picked up an ax and hit the overae in the head, killing him. The mistress was very tond of my uncle and ~pt him hid until she could run him. Ruxuiing a slave was the method they used in sending a si ave to another at ate in ordar that he could escape punishment and be sold a~in. You were only given this privi ege if it 3O~ h~pened tia t you were ear~ for b~ youa~ mistress and master.

190 187

; ~1 ~ Overaeera on the ~a1ey p1an~ation were very cruel and whipped lave8 unmero1~u1iy. ~thother iicide~it related by Mr. Pye wan as follows: . ~ My mother resented being whipped. and would run away to the wooda and often remainod~ as 1on~ aa twelve montha at a t ix~ When the a tz ain of stay Ing away from her family becarz~ too great, she wuld return home. No sooner v~u1& she arrive than the 0)4 overseer would tie her to a peach tree and v~hip her again. The whippii~g was done by a Nigger Driver, who followed the ov~ eeer ar ound with a bull whip ~ especially for this purpose The 1&vgest man on the p1~a~rta tion was chosen to be the ttNigger Driver. . . Every slave had to attend church, a1thougt~ there wre no 8ep~,ate churches provided for them. Howeve~ they were allowed to occupy the benchea which were placed in the rear of the church. To attend durch on anoth~ planiation, slaves had to get a pa88 or suffer punishment from the Pader Rollers ~ (Patrollers) We didn t niarry on our plantation r~arked ~fr. Pye After getting the consent of both ma8ters the couple juii~ed the broom, and that ended the so oafled cerernony Following the marriage there was no frolic or celebration. Sometimes Quiltixig partle8 were held in the various cabins on the .plantation. ~veryone would assist in making the winter bed. covering for one faully one night and the next night for some other fai ily, and so ou until everyone bad sufficient bed covering. tt~ doctor was only called, *en a person had almost reached the lazt stages of illness. Illness was often an excuse to remain twey from the field. Blue mass pills, castor oil, etc.wers kcept Lor minor aches end pai~. When a slave died he was buried as quickly as a box could be nailed together. I often heard of people refugeeing during the Civil Wer period, ren~rked Mr Pye In tact our mistress refugeed to Alabama trying to avoid n~eting the Yan1~ but ~ eazi~ in another direction. On one occasion the Yarnks oe~ to ot plantation, took all the best mules and horses, after which they e ene to zi~ iriother s cabin and made her ooo~ eggs for them~. They kept so much noies einging,

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4. I wish I was in Pixie that I could not~sle~. After freedom we we~ e kept in ignorance for qtiite a vhile but when we learned the truth my mother was glad to ~IOV5 away with U~. Irane~iiately after the war ex slave families worked for one tidrd and one fourth o~ the crops raised on different plantations. Years later families were given one-thaif of the crops raised. ~ . - ~!rr. Pye ended the interview by telling the writer that he married at the age of 35 years and was the father of two children, one of whom is living. He is a 3aptist, belonging to ~ount Zion Church, and ha~ atteiided church regularly aid 3elieves that by leading a clean, useful life he has lengthened his days on this earth. During his 1if~etiii~ Mr. Pye followed railroad work. Recently, however, he has had to give this up because of his health. I,

Charlotte Raines - Oglethorpe Co. 192 189

EX c;p1~:rLk :~:~ : :~~ 189 I (~ ~~i7b ~%jj ~1: i~ SUBJECT: . . a . s . e s e s e . . e a e a e . . . . . CHABLOTTE RAINES OGLETHORPE CO. 1) ISTHICT: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . W. P. A. NO. 1. ktESEARCH NORKER: . . ...... . . . . . . . JOHN N. BOO~i ~ D ATE: . . . . . . . . . e . ~ ~ . . . . . . . . . . . JANUARY 18,193?

193 190

i9() John~. N. Booth AUNT CHARLOTTE RAINES EX-S SLAVE Aunt Charlotte Raines, w 1 . up In ths seventise at ths time of her death eome years ago, was an excellent exaznple of the type of negro developed by ths oonomio eyitem of the oil South. When i: could firet remember, Charlotte wa~ eupreme ruler of the kitchen 01 my home. Thin to emaciation and~ ~tooped ai- moet to the point of having a hump on her back ehe wae yet wiry and active. Her gnarled old hands could turn out prod~igoua amounte of work when eh. ohoes to extend hereeif. Her voice wae low and niueicai and ehe eei~ozn raieed it above the ordinary tone of conversation; yet when ehe epoks other colored people hastened to obey her and even ths whites took careful no te o f what she said. Her head. was always bound in a snow-white turban. She wors calico or gl am print dress es and white aprons and these garments always appearsd to be freshly laur4sred. I Charlotte seldom spoke unisse spoken to and ehe would never te . . very much about her early lifs. She had been trained as pereoaai maid to one of her ex master s daughters. e family, ( that of Swepeon H. Cox) was one of the mo at ou , tured and r. fined that Lexington in Ogi et4orp. County could boast. Aunt Charlottenever spoke of her lit. urder the old regime but she had euprems contempt for no count niggers that didn t hay no white Folks. She was thrifty and frugal. Having a

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John N. Booth :191 Pg~ge~2 large family moe t of her email earnlnge was epent on them. However, ahi early taught her children to acratch ~or themeelvea. Two of her dau~ht ra dud after they ha~ each brought aevera . chil dren into the world. Charlotte thought they were being neglected by their rathere and proceeded to take them to raies myes ~ t . Thies graM children were the apple of her eye and ehe did much more for theia than ehe had done for her own children. The old wOman had many queer waye. Typical f her ccciii tricittee was her iron clad refusal to to~xch one bite of food in our houas. If she wished a dieh ehe wae preparing tasted to see that it contained the proper amount o~ each ingredient she would call some member of the family, usually my grandmother, and aek that he or ehe sample the food. Paradoxically, ehe had no compunctions about the ~ount of food ehe carried horns for herself and~ lier family. Strang. as i t may es em Charlo tte was an incorrigible rogue. My mother and my grandmother both say that they have seen her pull up her ekirte and drop things into a flour a&ck which ehe always wore tied round her wai et just for thi e purpose. I myself hays seen this sack so full thgt it would bump against her knee. 8h. did not confins her thsfts to food only. She would also take personal belongings. Another servant in the household once found one of Aunt Charlotte s granddaughters using a corn pact that ehe had. stolen from her young mistress. The ser~int took the trinket away from the girl and returned it to the owner but nothing was ever said to Aunt Charlotte although every one knsw ahi ha~ stolen lt. ~

195 192

John. L Booth ~jt:) ) ~ Ons year wh,n the cherry crop wai exceptionally hsavy, grand mothir had Charlotts mak up a hugs batch of cherry preservsa In an iron pot. Wliil Charlott was out of the kitchen for a momsnt she went In to havia look at the preserves and found that about half ot them had been taken out. A careful but hurried search located the mIssing portion hidden In anothsr contalri r behind the stove. randmother never iald a word but simply put the amount th&t had been taken out back Iii the pot. Charlotte never permitted anyone to take liberties with her except Uncle Daniel, ths man o all work and. another ex slave. Daniel would josh h.r about somi b.au or about h.r over~. fondnsse fer her grandchildren. Shs would. taks just so much of this and then with a quiet g long with you , she wou~U sent him on about his buelnees. Ones when he pressed her a bit too far she hurled a bu~tohsr knif at him. Charlotte was not a superstitious soul. She did not even believe that the n.ar-by screech of an owl was an omen of teath. However, she did have some fearful and wonderful folk remedies. When you got a bee sting Charlotte made Daniel spit to baoco jules on it. She always gave a piece of fat meat to babies because this would make them healthy all their lives. Her favorite remedy was to put a pan of cold water under the bed. to stop night ewsate. In her last years failing eye-sight and genira . ill health forced her to give up her activi life. Almost a complete shut in, she had a window out on the north side of her room so she could

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John N. Booth 1~Y~ Pags.4 %t) 1~ set &nd~ a., whut went on up at t Mo 8 (her name for my grand.moth.r). Shi was ths pert.ot hoste~e and~ whene~rsz any member of our family went to ese how shs did during thies latter days &is aiways servsd locust beer and. cookies. Once when I took her a bunch of violets she gaYs ms an old. coin th&t ehe had. carried on her person for years. Mother d1d~n t want me to take it be caUSS Charlotte a husband had. given it to her ~nd she set ~r.at store by it. However, the old wotnan insisted that I be allowed to keep the token arguing t t would not be of use to her much longer anyway. She died about a month later and in accordanos with her instructions h.r funeral was conducted 11k. white folks e buryin that is without the night beine f illsd with wailing aM minus ths usual haran~u at the church. Ever in death Charlotte still thought alienee golden.

Fanny Randolph - ex-slave. 197 194

~~5L$:~1p ~ ~ .~ ~ ~ q~ ~ ~i~t J &~ ~J/~f~te. ~a. 19 i S UBJ ECT : . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FANNY RANDOLPH . EX SLAVE ~tESEARCH WORKER: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MRS~ MATTIE B . ROBERTS ED ITOR: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JOHN N. BOOTH SUPERVISOR:. ............. ...... MISS VELMA BELL D ISTi~.ICT: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . W. P. A. NO. 1 D ATE: . . . . . . e . s e e e ~ e s e e . e s e e s MARCH 29 93 7t

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FANNY RANDOLPH ~ EX-SLkVE Perhape the ol est exelav living today 1~ found in Jefferson, georgia. Fanny Randolph is a little old. wr1nk1ed~ faced. woman, but at the time of our visit ehe was very neat In a calico dress and~ a white apron with a bandanna handkerchief around. her head. We saw her at the home of a niece with whom she lives, all of her own family being dead. H.r room was tid~y, and sh~ had. a bright log fire burning in the wide old fire place. She readily consented to talk about slavery times. Honey, I d.oari know how oie Zie, but X s. been here er long tinie arid~ I se been told by folks whut knowe,dat I ee, maybe, mo~ dan er hund erd y ear e ol e. I members b aek er long time be de war. My mammy and daddy wuz bole slaves. My daddy1e name wuz D ani e . Thi te an my mai~iny s name she marri ed wuz Sarah Moon, she b longed ter Mars. Bob Moon who lived in Jack son County over near whar Winder is now. He wuz er big landowner an had lote uv 8laVe s. When I wuz bout nine years ois, Mars, Bob tuk ins up ter de 4big houes~ ter wait on o .. Miette. I didn t hay much ter do, jes had ter he p ~ er dress an tie er shoes an run eroun cioin errands fur er. Yer know, in dem times, de white ladies had niggers ter wait on em an d~s big nlgg re done all de hard WUk~: bout de hou3e an yard.~~ Atter some years my mammy an daddy bote died, so I jee stayed at de 1big house1 an wukked on fer Marse Bob an ol Mistie. ~ Atter I growed up, us niggerr on Marse Bob s plantation

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Roberts~Boo th Page 2 had big times at our corn shuokin s an dance8. Us ud. all git ter.. gether at one uv de sabine an ua ud have er big log fire an er room ter dance in. Den when us had all shucked corn er good. while ever nigger would git hie gal an dey would be some niggers over in de corner ter p .&y fer de dance, one wid er fiddle an one ter beat straws, an one wid er banjo, an one ter beat bones, an when de music ud start up (dey gener ly played ~Billy in de ~ Grounde~ or ~Turkey in de Straw)) us ud git on de flot, Den d~e nigger whut called de set would say: Al . join hands art sircie to de 1sf, back to de right, swing corners, swine partners, all run awayZ An de: way dein nig,gere feete would fly~ ~ Bye an bye cie war come on, an all d.e men folks had ter go an figh t d e Yank e e s so us wimmen folk e an clii .lun had . er hard time den caze us all had ter look atter de etock an wuk in cie fiel s. Den us ud hear ai . ~iut how de Yankees wuz gojr~~ roi& an ekeerin1 de wimrnen folks ~ 5~ ter death goin in dey houses an making do !olke cook em stuff ter eat, din tearin up an ffl~5~jfl~ up dey houses an den marchin. on Qff.~ Den when oie Mietis ud hear de Yan~eee wuz comm1 she d call us niggere en us ud take all de china, silver, and. de ~oo1ry whut b longed ter oie Mies an her family an dig deep holee out b hind de smoke-house er under de b~g house, en bury h it all tell de Yankees ut git by.~ 11a.m wuz ~1ark days, but atter r long time de war wuz over an dey tole us us wuz fr e, I didn t~ want ter leave my white folks so I stayed on fer sometime, but atter whils de nigger come erlong

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Rob.rte Boo th 19? Pags.~3 whet I married. Hie name wuz Tom Randolph an beTh de war he b 1on~ed ter Marse Joshua Rand~o1ph, who lived at Jeffereon, so den us move ter Jefferson. Ue had. thirteen ehillun, but dey s all d&ld now ail niy .3,. man le daid toe, so X ee her all by my se f Van et h it warn~t fer my two nieces hers, WhQ lets me liv wid em I dc~~ know whut I d d . UI1S5 allus tried ter do de rig~it thin an de god. Lawd is takin heer uv me fer hie prophet say in de Good Book, l es been yQun~ and now am ois, yet l es nebber eed ds rig~iteoue fersaken ner hi e seed breads So I am t worryin bout ump ter eat, but I cloan want ter stay here much lOnger onlese h ite d.c good. Lawda will. I I. ~ ~ Asked if shi was superstitious, ehe said: Well when I wuz Iyoung, I reckin I WUz, but now my pore oie mine is jes so tired. : ~d h it doan wuk lak h it uster, so I never does think much bout ~ superstition, but I doan lak ter heer er ~squinch owl ~holler in te night, fer h it sho is a sign some uv yore folks is goin ter die, en doan brin er ax froo de house onlees yer taks h it back de earns way yer brung h it ifl, fer dat ill kill de bad luck. When asked if ehe believed in ~ioste or could ses eights s~ae eaid ~Wel1, Mies, yer know if yer is borned wit er veil over yer face yer can see sights but I has never seed any ghosts er si~ht s I warn t born dat way, but my niece here has aest gh.st.e, en she can tell yer bout dat. ~ When we were ready to leave we eaid ~ *~ll Aunt Fanny) we hope you live for many mors years. She replied: l es whim ter \

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Rob erte-Booth Pagi-4 ~ ~ on ilvin ez long ez de Mareter wants me ter, ~t111 I se ~ ready when de summons comes. De good. bawd ha allus giv me I grace ter liv by, an I know He ll giv me dyirx grace when ~ 11W tIme comes.0

202 199

199 CONSULTANT: Jefferson, Georgia Fanny RandO~.ph

Shade Richards. Ex-slave. 203 200

;t(i : 7~= ~ ~ ~b iI~r~ ~ ~( .1 . ~ . . ~ . Re s arch Worker ~ e I ~JO143 . . 2OO~~ Shad.e Riehard,s Ex slave Shade Richards was born January 13, 1846 on the Jirnpson Neals plantation below Zebu~lon in Pike Cou~nt~r.J~is ~ father, Alfred. Richards had been brought from Africa az~. .. was ownedby Mr. Williams on an adjoining plantation. ~ - His mother, Easter RIchards was born in Houston Cou.nty bu.t sold to Mr. Neal. Shade being born on the plantation was Mr. Eeal s property. He was the youngest of Il children. His real name was Shadrack and the brother just older than he was named Meshack . Sometimes the ( mothers named the babies but most of the time the masters did~. Mr. Deai d~d Shade s namin '. 3hade s father came two or three times a month to see his family on Mr. i~eal s plantation always getting ~ pass ~ . from his master ~or ni ~ers~ didn t dare ~o off their own ) plantation without a pass . Before the war Shade s ) ~ grand ather came fro~~~ Africa to buy his son and take him ~E ~ home, but was taken sick and both i ather and son died. \\ Shade s earliest recollections o ~is mother are that she worked in the fields u.ntil she wa~ thru borninT chilltm then she vias put in ohar~e o ~ the milk and butter. There

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were 75 01 80 cows to be milked twice a day and she ha~ to have 5 or 6 other women helpers. Mr. I~ea1 had several plantation8 in different localities and his family did not live on this one in Pike County buSt he riu~ae re~iii~r visits to each one. It had no name, was ju.st called Neal s Place. It consisted. of thirteen hundred acres. rTh were always two or three hundred besides the o~ies he just bought and sold Thr tradin . He didnTt like little ni~ er men and when he happened to find one among his slaves he would turn the do~~ on him and let them ran him down. The boys were not allowed to work in the fields until they were 12 years old, but they had to wait on the hands, ~sj~h ~a~ car ryin~ water, running back to the shop with tools and for tools, driving wa~gons of corn, wheat etc. to the mill to be ground and any errands they were considered bi~ enough to do. Shade ;~:orked in the fields when he became 12 years old. This plantation wa~ 1ar~e and raised everythin~ corn, wheat, cotton, taters , tob~cco, fruit, iregeta~i1es, rice, six~ar cane, horses, mules, ~oat~, ~hee~n, and ho ~. They kepi all that was needed to feed the slaves then sent the su.rplus to o-

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Savannah by the ~Curzw. The stase took passenger$ b~xt. the ~ u,rz~ was 40 or 50 wa ons that took the farm au.rp .ua to Savannah, and e etched. back things for de houSse. ~ Mr. Neal kept 35 or 40 hounds that h~d to be cooked ~or. He was rich with plenty of money always ood. to his slaves and dldnTt whip them mu.eh, bu.t his son, ~. Jimmy, sure I was a bad one~ . Sometimes he d use the cow hide ntil it I lade blisters, then hit thera with the flat of the band ~aw j until they broke and next ~ip the victim into a tub of~ I salty water. It often killed the ni~er but Mr. Jiniiny~ ~ didnTt care. He ~r~hipped Shade s u.ncle to death. ~ V~hen the ~ho~ killinT time come it took 150 n1~ger men a week to 1o it. The sides, shou~1ders, head and jowls were kept to ~eed the slaves on and the rest was shipped to Savannah. Mr. I~eai was ~ood to his slaves and gave them every Satu.rday to ~lay and ~o to the ~wrestIing schoo1 ~ At XD1a~ they had stich a good time, would ~o from house to hou~se, ~he boys would fiddle and they d have a drink of 1iq~uor at each hotise. The liqu.or was pIenti ~u1 for they bou.gkt it iii barrels. he plantations took turn ebout havin Frolics when they fiddled and danced all night.

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~ ~ ::~ . :~ ~ ~ It it wasn t on you.r own plantation you sure had to Pia~e a pass . When a slave wanted~ to Wjine the &mrch tb~e preacher asked. his master if~ he was a ~ood~ nigger , 1f the master spoke ~ip f r you , you. were taken in, buSt if he didxi t you weren t. The churches ha e. pooi for . the Baptist Preacher 8 to baptize In and the Methodist Preacher sprinkled. ~. Neal ~tradedT with Dr. by the year and whenever the slaves were hurt or sick he had to come tend to them. ~ He gave the families their food by the month, buSt if it ~ gave mit all they had to do was to ask for more and he always gave it to them. They had just as good meals thLr1n~ the week as on Sunday, any kind of meat ouSt of the smoke house, chickens, squabs, fresh beef, shoats, sheep, biscuits or cornbread, rice, potatoe8, beans, syrup and any garden vegetables. Sometimes they went fIshing to add to their menu, . The single male slave8 lived together in the boy house \\~ aiid~ had just as much as others. There were a lot of women who d.Id nothini~ but sew, makix~ work clothes for the hands. Their Sunday clothes were bought with the money they made off the little patche& the master let them work for themselves.

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~ : ~ ~ :~ 204 t ~. ~T1rxLmy took Shad~e to the wai wIth hirn. Shade had t.o wait on him as a body servant then tend. to the two horses. Bullets went through Shad~e s coat and hat many times but Se Lord. was taicin care o~ him ~nd he did~n t ~et hurt. They were in the battle of Aj,pQmatox and. at the ~urrend~erin , April 8, 1865, bixi; the evidence warxi t sworn out until May 29, so that s when the ni~gers celebrate emancipation. Shade s brother helped lay the R. i ~. from Atlanta to Macon so the Confederate soldiers and. ammunitian could move faster. In those days a negro wasn t crown until he was 21 re~ard1ess of how 1ar~e he was. Shade was near bout grown when the war was over but worked for Mr. E al fou.r years. His father d mother rented a patch, mu e an plow from Mr. 1 Teal and the the family was together. At first they save the ni~gers only a tenth of what they raised lnit they co~fldn t ~et along on it and after a TTlot of mouthin abou,t iV they save them a third. hat wasn t enough to live on either so ~~ore mouth~..4n about t until they save them a half, and thats what they still gits today. Vlhen the slaves went coartin and the man and woman decided to ~et married, they .;:ent to the man s master for permission then to the woman s master. There was no ceremony if both masters said airight they were considered married and it Wa8 called jwnpin the broomstick.

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Siens were more tru.e. in the oLlen days than now. God. lead his people by dreams.then. One nicht 3ha~e dreanied. Oil a certain road. he used to walk over oi~ten and at the Thrk he ~ou.ri~1 a lead. pencil) then a little farther on he dreamed of~ a purse with ~2.43 in It. 1TeXt day he went farther and j~ist like the dream he Th~ind the pocketbook wI t h ~2 43 in It. Shade now viorks at the Kincaid Mill No. 2, he makes sacks and takes u~p wa~t . He thinks he s lived so lon because he never eats ho~ food or takes any medicine. People takes too niu.eh medicine now days he says and when he ~ee1s bad he ju.st smokes his corn cob pipe o~ takes a chew o~ tobacco. Shade ~Uchard~s East Solomon 3treet Grif~ in, GeorLia September 14, 1936

Ex-slave interview. Aunt Ferebe Rogers. 212 209

.~ : ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ IOOO2~ W~i ittea by Ruth ~ Chitty Bsse~rck Worker District #2 Re-written by Veliria Bell ~~LAV~ INTERVIEW A1J~~T ~ ROGERS 3ald,win County Milledgevllle, Ga11~ More than a eentury lies in the span or memory o~ Aunt Ferebe Rogers.~ The interviewers founl her bud~dled by the fireside, all alone while lier graridaugh.ter worked on a ~PA Project to niake the living for them both. In spite of lier years and h.er frail physique, h~er memory was u8ually clear, only oc~ casionally becoming too ~u1sty for scenesto stand out plainlya I~er face lig ite~ witiL a reminiscent smile when sue was asked to tell us soraething about old tinies. j 1 inenibers a whole heap bout slav ey tines. Law, honey, when freed.on cone I had five chilien. Five chilien and ten cents~ and. her crackled 1au~hter was spirited. ~ I Dey says .i m a hundred and eight or nine years old, but I don t think I II quite as old as dat. I knows I se over a hundred, dough. . ~ nI was bred and born on a plantation on Brier Creek in Baldwin County. My oie marster was Mr. Sain Hart. 11e owned ~ny niother. She had thirteen chilien. I was de oldest so I tuck devil s fare ~ -~-~ My daddy was a ole~time free nigger. Ee was a good- ahoe.-maker, and could make as fine shoes and boots as ever you see. But he neye r would work t i il he wa s plumb out money - den he had t o wo rk

213 210

. Page 2 Ch~tt~3e j 210 But he quit . ~es soon as lie made a little money Mr ~ Chat Morris (he had a regular shoe skop) he offered ltha atuddy work niakiri boots and shoes. for hua. Was ~ ~ pay him ~3OO. a year. But he wouldn t take it. Was too lazy. De o1e-ti~e free niggers had to tell 1mw dey m.ake &ey livin ~ and if dey couldn t give satisfaction bout it, dey was put on de block and sold to de Mghest bidder. Most of eni sold for 3 years for ~5O. ~viy daddy brought ~lOO. when he was sold for three or four ~ars, ~- I was on de block twice myself. When de old headS died dey was so raany slaves for de chilien to draw for, we was put on de block. Mr. ~o~~gett bought. nie den; said I was a good breedin oiiian. ~ Den later, one de young Hart raarsters bought nie back. All de slave s ha d j ff unt wo rk to do .. My aunt le was one d e we avers Old Mi ss had two looms g all de t line She had a old loom and a new bora. My husband niade de new loom. for Old Miss, He was a carpenter and. he worked on outside jobs after he d f inished tasks for his rriarster. He use to xaake all de boxes dey buried de white folks and de slaves in, on de Hart and Golden Plantations. Dey was pretty as you see, too. I/c nI was a fiel han i~yself. I come up twix de plow handles. f I warn t de fastes one wid a hoe, but I didn t turn my back on I nobody plowin . rTo, inam. ~ ~ U. , My raarster had over a thousand acres o land. He was good to us We had plenty to eat like meat and bread and. vegetables. We raised eve ytliing on de plantation - wheat, corn, potatoes, peas, hogs, cows, sheep, chickens - ~Jes eve yt~~.

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Page 3 Chitty-Bell 21f All de elo es wasinade on de plantation, too. Dey spun de thread frox~i cotton and wool, and dyed it and wove it. We had cutters and dem dat done de sewin . I still got de fus dress my husband give me. Lemme show it to you. Gathering lier shawl about her shoulders, and reaching for her stick, she ~hobb1ed across the room to an old hand made chest. My husband made dis chis f~ me. Raising the top, she began to senrch eagerly through the treasured bits of clothing for the robe-tail rauslin that had been the gift of a long-dead husband. One by one the garuents carne out - - her daughter s dreEs, two little bonnets all faded and worn ( my babies bonnets?~), her husband s coat. And dat ~ s fly d s mother s bonnet It use to be as pretty a black as you ever see. It s faded brown now. It was dyed. wid walnut . The chest yielded up old cotton cards, and horns that had been used. to call the slaves . Finally the robe tail muslin cerne to light. The soft material, so fragile with age that a touch sufficed to reduce it still further to rags, was made with a full skirt and plain waist, and. still showed traces of a yellow color and a sprigged design. My hu sbe n d was Ki nehe n Roge r s . ~ Hi s mar st e r was Mr . Bi Il golden, and he live bout fo mile from where I stayed on de :~art plantation.

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~~: ~ ~ge 4 ahit~a .iL ~ ~A1unt . Ferebe 1mw dId you me et your husbend? Well, you see, Us slaves went to de white tolks chu~c~. aSunday. Marster, he was a prirn tlve Baptis and he try to~keep his slave s from to othe r eimrehe s ~ We had ba~ti sin s tust Sundays. Back in dem days dey baptised in de creek,, but at~ de windin up o freedom, dey dug a pool. I went to church Sundays, and dat s where I met my husband. I been ma ied. jes one time. He de daddy o all ray chilien . (I had fifteen in all.) ~ // Viti~o married you, Aunt Ferebe. Did you. have a license? I W1~2o ever heered a nigger havin a license? and she rocked ~ with high-pitched~ laugkter. . ~ Young marster was fixin to nta y us, but ~ got col et, j and a nigge r by name o ~nock Golden niet j~d us . ~ ~1e was what we called a d.ouble-.headed nigger - he could read and write, and he knowed so much. On his dyin bed he said lie been ~ de death o many a nigger cause he taught so many to read and. write. ~ ~ ~ .~. ;_ ~e and ray husband~ could.n t . live together till after treedora cause we had diftunt marsters. When treedo~ come, marster wanted. all us ni~ers to sign u~p to stay till Chris man Bless, yo soul, I didn t sign up. Iwent to ray husbeind~ But he signed up to stay wid his raarster till Chris man. After dat we worked on sh~ares on de Hart~ plantation; den we farmed to - five years wid Mr. BIll ~~J~ohnson. . ~ . ~ ~ Aunt Ferebe are these better times or do you think slavery \tirnes were happier? ~ W~ell now, you ax me ~or de trutb~, didn t ~ you? ~ and. I nt

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~Page 5 Chitty-BeU goin t ~te11 yo d~e truth, I don t tell no lies. Yes~ ~ dese has been bettertinies to me. I think hit s better to work for yourself and b~aTe what you make dan to work for somebody else and, don t ~it nuttin out it. ~Iav ey days was mighty hard. My marster was good to us (I mean he didn t.beat us much, and he give us plenty plain food) but soxae slaves suffered awful. My aunt was beat cruel once, and. lots de other slaves. When dey got ready to beat yo , dey d. 9trip you stark mother naked and dey d say Comae here to ni, God damn you ~ Come t o mae e le an Z. Walk u~p to dat trees, and damn you, 1mg dat treel Den dey tie yo hands round de tree, den tie yo feets; den dey d lay de rawhide on you and cut yo ~ buttocks open. Sometimes dey d rub turpentine : and salt in. de raw plaoes, and den beat you some nio . Oh~, hit was awfu1~ And what could you do? Dey had. all de vantage of you. ~ I never did git no beatin like dat, but I got whuppin s plenty o em. I had plenty Ot devilment in me, but I quit all my de vi mie ut whe n I wa s le d ~ I use t o fight - fi ght wi d an~rthing I could git my han s on. You had. to have passes to ~o fr~oni ~ one plantation to nother. Some de niggers would slip off sometime and go widout a pass, or maybe marster was busy and dey didn t want to b ther him for. a pass, so dey go widout ne. ~ In eve y dee- strick dey had bout twelve men dey call patterollers. Dey ride up and down and aroun looking for niggers widout passes. If dey ever caught you. otf yo plantation wid no pass, dey beat you all over.

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Page & a~tt~Beu . 214 ~ Yes rn, I m:eniber a sotig bout ~ Run, nigger, run, de patterofler git you, Slip over die tence slick as a eel, White xiian ketch. you~ by d~e heel, B~Lri nigger rtui~ No ain~ount oi~ eoaxing availe& to make lier sing the whole of the song, or to tell any more of the words. When slave s run away dey a Iways put de blood-bounds on de tracks. Marster always kep one hound name Rock. I can hear f un now when dey was on de t ra ek ~ ca Hi Eurra1i, Rock ~ hurrah, Rook I Ket eh lia L Dey always send Rock to fetch ira down when dey Thun lin. Dey had de ~ogs trained to keep dey teef out you till ~ey tole f era to bring you d own ~ Den de dogs u~ go at yo th. ~at and. dey d tear you to pieces, too. ~A~fter a slave was caught,, he was brung 1i.orae and put in chalns~ ~ 1~e marsters let de slaves have little patches o Ian for deyse ves. De size o de patch was cordin to de size o yo fami ly . We was lowe d b out ac re s . We made bout fi ye hundred pounds o li nt o ott on and s o it at W rrenton . Den. we tise d de nioneyto buy stuff l or Chris rnan. DId you have bi g time s at Chri. strnas Aunt Fe rebe? Chris ~aan ~ iuiu ~ ciiris mar~ warn t no ~irrunt from other times. Vie used to have quiltirt partIes, candy pullin s, dances, / corn. shuckin s, games like thimble and sich like. Aunt Ferebe refused to sing any of the old songs. No, ~ I ain t go n do dat. I th oo wid. all dat now. Yes, main, I

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P,~ Z C~itty 3e1l 215 members em all right, but I ain t go n ~sing em. No m, nor say de words neither ~ All s pas now~ Course dey had doctors in dem days, but we used mostly home made medicines. I don t believe in doctors much now. We used sage tea, ginger tea, rosemary tea all good for colds and other ail-ments, too. We had nien and women midwive s ~ Dr C I ce ro Gibs on. was wid nie when iiiy fUS baby come. I was twenty-.five years old den. My baby chile seventy five now. ~ . ~ ~ ~ ~ Aunt ie di d you le arrt to read and write ? !t No, ~ I d had ray right arm cut off at de elbow if I d a~done dat. It dey foun a nigger what could read and irrite, t d cut yo arm off at de elbow or s omet iiae s ~ at de shot~Ider ~~ - la answer to a query abou~t ghosts, she said ~ No, iiiani, I ain t seed nu.ttin like dat. Polis corne teflin ine dey see sich and s j eh a thing . I say is de devi I dey see ~ I am t seed riuttin yit. rro iii, I don t believe in no signs, ncither, Do yoti believe a screech owl has anything to do witiL death? Yes, niam, to one my chilien died, squinch .owl come to my house ey ni ght and 1~o 11e r ~ Ai~t er de obi. le di e he ai n. t come no riio . Gows raooin or dogs liowlin after dark means death, too. ~ no, man, I don t believe In no cun~urs. One curijur man corne here once. ILe try his bes to overcome nie, bu~t he couldn t do nuttin iivid: trie. After dat, be tole my kusband he couldn t do

219 216

I, Page 8 Chitty-13e11 216 mittin to me, cause I dithi t believe in bini, arul dein. cun~urfolks cantt hurt you less n you believes in. eu. lie say lie C ould raake de sun. still and do wonders but I knowed &at. :srn t so, cause can t nobody stop de sun cep de man what :~ade hit , and dat s God. I don t believe in no cu.nju.rs. I don t pay irnich tention to tiraes O de nxoon to do t:~1n~s, neither. I plants my garden when I gits ready. But bunch beans doesbetter if you pi~nts em on new moon inAp il. . I~larit butterbeans on full z~ioon in Ap ii - potatoes~ fus o March. When de war broke out de da~~iai Yankees coxae to our place ~ey done eve ything dat was bad. Dey burn evetything dey could-S ~i t use, and dey tu~ck a heap o corn. Marster had a thousand 1~she1s de purtiest shucked corn, ail nice good ears, in de pen ~t de house . Dey tuck all dat Marster had som~e corn pens on ~e river, dough, dey didn t find. I jes can t tell you. aU L~y done. .. 110w e orne I li ye s o long yo u say ? - I don t know ~ j es ~.c goodness o de Lawd, I reckon. I worked hard ail ray life, a:~d always tried to do right.

Henry Washington of Washington-Wilkes. 220 217

O-3 ~i ( :iii~ L5- T:: / j.i~ ~ ~. ~a .~ Tm~nV i~)i ~\ r~ riY-~ r-, j~ 1~r ~ ~ -r i~ i~ tT1/\1~T T~tT T T~11 ~ n~ii~i ~ni i~ULru1fi~) 01 ~ by ~ Minnie Branharn Stonestreet ~V ash ington-47ilkes U~4_i~Ji~t

221 218

0 !~U~ ~ ~ 218 J~1 ~ic~i HENRY ROGERS of ~A3ilJ.NGTON$ILK~ ilenry Rogers of ~iashington Yii1kes is known by almost every one in the town and county. To the men arouad town he is Deacon , to his old friends back in Hancock Gounty (Georgia) where he was born and reared, he is Brit ; to everybody else he is Uncle Henry , arid he is a friend to all. For forty. one years he has lived in ~ashington ~ilkee where he has work d as waiter, as lot man, arid as driver for a livery stable when Lie driv drummers around the country anywhere they wanted to go and in all kinds of weather. He is proud that he made Lis tripe safely and was always on time. Then when automobiles put the old time livery stables out of business he went to work in a large furniture arid undert kin~g establishment where he had charge of the colored department. Fizially he decided to accept a job as jathtor and at one time was janitor for three banks in town. He is still working as janitor in two buildings, despite his seventy three years. Uncle Henry s book lairning ta very limited, but he has a store of knowledge L~thered here and there that is surprising. He uses very little ~ialeot except when he is excited or worried, He speaks of his heart as my time keeper . When he promises anything iii the future he says, Please the Lord to spare xne ,and when anyone gets a bit impatient he bids them, Be paciable, be paclable. Dismal is one ofbis favorite words but it is always dism . When he $*YS1 NOW, I m tellin

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page ..2 219 yer financially or dat a finaxioial he means tha t he is being very. frank and what he is saying is absolutely true. tl Regarded highly as the local weather prophet, Uncle Henry get2 up every morning before daybreak and scans the heavens to see what kind of weather is on its way. 11e guards ail these signs well and under no consideration will he tell then. They were given to him by someone who tus passed on aud he k eps them as a sacred trust. If asked, upon making a prediction, How do you know? Uncle Henry shakes his wise old head and with a wave of the hand says, Datts all right, you jess see now~ it s goin ter be dat way . 4nd it usually ist Seventy.three years ago last gone June Uncle Henry was born in the !~t. Zion community in Hancock county (Georgia), seven miles from 3parta. His mother was Molly Navery Hunt, his father, Jim Rogers. They belouged to i~r. Jenkins Hunt and his wife ?~ iss ~ebeccat . Henry was the third of eight children. He has to say about his early life: Yassum, I wuz born ri~z)ht over there in Hancock county, an stayed there tu the year 1395 when ars. ley come fer me to hep her in the Hotel. here in ~ashington an I been here v ry since. I recollects well living on the ilunt plantation. It wuz a big place ant we had fifteen or twenty slaves (The we was proudly possessive) ~ we wuz all as happy passel o ni~~gers as could be found anywhere. Aunt Winnie wuz the cook ant the kitchen wuz a bi~ old one out in th3 yard an1 had a fireplace

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p age ~ 3 that would conunodate a whole fence rail, it wuz ~o big, an had pot hooks, pots, bi~ old iron ones, ant eVerything er round to cook on. Aunt Winnie had a great big wooden tray dat she would fix all us little nit ir~als . in an call us up ant han tu; a wooden spoon apiece an make us ail set down round the tray an eat all us wanted three times ev ry day. In one corner of the kitchen set a loom my i~Iother use to weave on. She would weave way into the ui ht lots of times. The fu.st thing I members is follerin my i~Iother er round. She wuz the housegirl an seamstress an ev rywhere she went I wuz at her heels. My father wuz the overseer on the Hunt place. ~e never had no ha rd work to do. i~y fust work iuz ~ the calves an shinin ray i~aster s shoes. flow I did love to put a ~3unday shine on his boots an~ shoes~. He called me his ni~ger ant wuz gOiIA ter make a barber out o me if slavery had er helt on. ~s it wuz, I shaved him long as he lived. ~e lived in the Quarters over on a high hill ~cross the spring. branch from the white peoples house. . e had comfortable log cabins an lived over there an wuz happy. 01e Uncle Alex kiunt wuz the bugler an ev ry znornin~ at 400 o clock he lilowed the bii~1e fer us ter ~it up, cept Sunday rnornin s, us all slept later on 3undays. ~Then I wuz a little boy us pl~tyed ii~arbles, mumble peg, ~i all sich gaines. The little white an~ black boys played together, an ev ry time 01e Miss whipped her boys she whipped me too,

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page. 4 but nobody cept my Mistess ever teched me to punish ue. :i recoilects oxaSadday ni~it oie Uncle Aaron Hunt aoine in ant he must er been drinkin er sumpin fer he got ter singin down in the Quarters loud as he could ~ Tell Iitarse Jesus I Done Done All I Kin Do , an nobody could make him hash singin . He got into sich er row tu they had ter go git soins o the white folks ter come down an quiet him down. flat wuz the only sturbance inongst the xiiggers I ever members. I wtiz so little when the ~!ar come on I don t member but one thing bout it an that wuz when it wuz over with an our white mens come home all de neighbors, the Simpaon3, the Neal~, the Aliens all living on plantationi round us had a big dinner over at my white peoples , the hunts, an it sho wuz a big affair. Ev rjbodj from them fauiilies wuz there an sich rejoicin :i never saw. I won t for it that time. I allus been to Ghurch. As a little boy my folks took me to oie L~t Zion. ~e went to the white peoples ~Jhurch tU the colored folks had one of they own. The white folks had services in ~t Zion in the mornint~s an the ni~gers in the evening ~ When a colored person died back in the days when Uncle Henry was coming on, he said they sat up with the dead and had prayers for the living. There was a jAr. Bernan in the conirnunity who made coffins, and~ on the Hunt place old Uncle Aaron I~unt

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page ~ 5 222 helped hinL. The dead were buried in home made coffins arid the hearse was a one horse wagon. When I wuz a grQ~j~~ up said Uncle klenry 1 wore a ~ long looae shirt in the summer, an~ in the winter plenty of good heavy warni clothes. IIjh&8 nuts an 1~ce pants an hickory stripe waists when I wuz a little boy.) 11 these niy ~other spun an wove the cloth fer an my ~iiistess made. ~7hen I wnz older I had copperas pants an~ shirts. Uncle Henry has many signs but is reluctant to tell them. Finally he was prevailed upon to give several. Whathe calls his haut sign is If you runs into hot heat sudden, it is a sho sign hants is soinewheres round. When a rooster comes up to the door and crows, if he is standing with his head towards the door, somebody is oomin~, if he is standing with his tail towards the door, it is a sign of death, according to Uncle Henry. It is good luck for birds to build their nests near a house, and if a w~ale red bird comes around the woodpile chirping, get ready for bad weather for it is on its way. Uncle Henry is a pretty good doctor too, but he doesn t. like to tell his remedies, . He did say that 11f. everlasting tea is about as good thing for a cold as can be given and for hurts of any kind there Is nothing better than soft rosine fat meat and a little soot mlxsd up~ and bound to the wound. H. is excellent with animals and when a mule, dog, pig or anything

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page ~ 6 ~)~4)d) gets sick his nei~hbors call him in arid he doctors them and usually n~kes them well. ~Aa for conjuring, Uncle Hexiry has never known much about it, but he said when he was a little fellow he heard the old folks talk about a mixture of devil s snuff and cotton stalk roots chipped u~ together and put into a little bag arid that hidden under the front steps. This was to make all who came UI? the steps friendly and peacable even if they s~ioald hap en to b e coming ozi s orne o t her mi s s i on. After the ~ar the ~ogers family moved from the HuMe to the Alfriend plantation adjoining. As the Aifriends were a branch of the Hunt family they considered they were still owned as in slavery by the same white peoples . They lived there until Uncle Henry moved to ~ashington~ilkes in 1895. Christmas was a great holiday on the plantation. There was no work done and everybody had a good time with plenty of everything good to eat. ~ster was another time when work was laid aside. A big t~hurch service took place Sunday and on Monday a picnic was attended by ai . the negroes in the community. There were Four th of July cel ions, lo~ ro~lings, corn shucking., house coverings arid quilting parties. In all of these except the Fourth of July celebratIon it was, a shar~. the-~work idsa. Uncle Henry grew a bit sad when he recalled how peoples its. ter be so good bout h.p in one nether, an

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r page I flow dey don t do nothin fer aobody lessen dey pays tem. 11e told how, when a neighbor cleared a new ground and needed help, he invited all the men for some distance around and had a big supi:)er prepared. They rolled logs into hi~e piles and set them afire. ~.hen ail were piled high and burning brightly, supper was served by the fire light. Sometimes the youncer ones danced around the burning logs. ~hen there was a bi barn full of corn to be shucked the neighbors ~iadly ;athered in, shucked the eorn for the owner, who had a fiddler and maybe sortie one to play the banjo. The corn was shucked to ~ay old tune8 and piled high in another bar~a, Then after a good hot ~uppex there was perhaps a dance in the cleared barn. ~ hen a neighbor s house needed covering, he got the shin~~ ~les and ealled in his neighbors and friends, viho came along with their wives. ~hile th men worked atop the house the wor~en were cooking a delicious dinner down in the kitchen. At noon it wa~ served amid much iiierry making. By ~undown the house was finished and the friends went home happy in the rrterxiory of a day ~peut in toil freely ~iven to one who needed ~il those affairs were v~orking ones, but Uncle Henry told of one that marked the end of toilfor a season and that was the ourth of July as celebrated on tiie Bunt and ~.dfriend plantations. Aie said: On the evenin of the third of July all plows, gear, hoes an1 all sich farm tools wuz bro t in frum the fields an~ put in the big grove in front o the house where a long table had been

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_ ~J ra~o ..8 built. On the F~ th a barbecue wuz cooked, when dinner wuz ready all the han s got they plows an tools, the males wuz bro t up an gear put on them, an den oie Uucle Aaron started up a song bout the oro~s wuz Iaidby an res tiiiae had come, an~ every- bod,y grabbed a hoe er swnpin , put it on they shoulder an jined Lhe march rouxid an? round the table behind Uncle Aaron singin an raarehin , Uncle Aaron 1mm off the song an~ ev ry body foilerin him. It wuz a sight to see all the han s an~ r~iu1ea er coin round the ta~1e like that, Den when ev ry body wuz might nigh zau~ted, they stopj~ed an et a bi~ barbecue dinner. Us use ter work hard to g t laid by by de Fo th so s we could celebrate. It sho wuz a happy time on our plantations an the white peoples eujoyed it as rauch as us ni~igers did. nus use ter have good tinies over there in Hancock Qounty , continued Uncle Henry, v rybody wuz so good an kind ter one nother; t ain t like that now no ~am, not .1~k it use ter be. hy I ziiembers onat, when I fust growed up an wuz farnin fer myself, I ~ot sick way 1on~ Uk) in the 3prin~, an lily crop wuz et up in crass when one evenin ~1r. Harris ~ (he wuz overseeint ~er Mr.Treadwell over on the next plantation to the ~1friends) ~ come by. I wuz out; in the field tryin ter scratch rouiid as best I could, f~r. Ikirris say: Brit, you in de E~ra9s mighty bad. I say: Tassir, I is, but I been sick an~ couldn .t hep myself, that s how ooae I s o b eh md . He say : Lo ok lak y ou need s h ~a as ir I says, but I aLa t got nobody to work but me. Dat s all he said. 1~el1 ~iir, the nez mornin by times over comes Mr. Harris wid six plows

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page ~9 ant ei~ht hoe ~ an they give me a whole day s work.an wben they finished that evenin they waM a sprig of grass in my crop; it wuz clean as this floor, an I se teUin~ yet the truth. Dat s the way peoples use ter do, bat not no ac ~ everybody too selfish now, an they think ain t nobody got resj~onsibilits (responsibilities) but them. Speakixig of his early life Uncle Jienry continued: When I growed up I broke race horses fer white mens az~~ raced horse. too, had rooster fights an~ done alithem kind o things, but I sotaght ligion an found it an trum that day to this I ain t never. done them things no mc . When I jined the Church I }~d a Game rooster named Ranger that I had won ei ry fight that I had n~tohed him in. Peoples come miles ter see 1~anger fight; he wuz a ~rhorse Garne. ~fter I come to be a member of the Church I quit f ighUn F~anger so ~r. Sykes c me over ant axed me w~iat I would take fer him, I told him he eould have him E wai n t ~oin~ to fight wid him any mo . He tOok him an went over three states, wixmin ev ry fight ne entered nim in an come home wid fifteen hu.ndred dollars he made on ~aA~er. He give me fifty dollars, ~but I never wanted him baGk. Ranger wuz a pet an I could cb anything wid im. I d hold out my arm an tell him to cone up an he d fly up onmy aria ~ crow. He!d get on up on my haid an crow too, One rainy day fore I cive him away he ~ot in the lot an~ kilt three turkeys an~ a gobbler fer my ~istess She got mighty ~ mad an I sho wuz ~keered tu kiarse took mine an Ranger s part an wouldn t let her do nothin wid u,s. ~ ~

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page ~ 10 i?orty~seven years ago Uncle Henry married ~nnIe Piller of Hancock County. They had four children, three of whom are living. About his courtship and tr~arriage he.has to say: I wuz at k3unday Jchool one Sunday ~j~t saw Annie fer the fast time. I went round where she wuz ant ~ made tquainted with her an riL;ht then an~ there I said to myself, She s my gal . I started goin over to see her an niet zier folks. I liked her Pa au~a an I would set an talk with them ~ pear not to be pajjn much tention to ~nnie. I took candy ant nice things an~ give to the family, not jest to her. I stood in with the oie folks an~ t warn t bug fore me an Annie waz married. Uncle Henry said he took Annie to Sparta to his Pastor s home for the marriage and the preacher told him he charged three dollars for the ceremony. But I tole him I warnt coin to give hirn but er dollar an~ a half tcause I wuz one of his best payin rnerrtbers ant he ought not to charge nie no more than dat. An I never paid him no rirn~ neither, ~ dat wuz er plenty. Though he is cri~pled in. his feets he is hale and hearty and manages to work without missing a day. He is senior Steward in his church and things there ~o about like he say~i even thotagh he isn t a preacher. ~1i the mernber~ seen to look to him for consulatioxi ant courageinent . In all his long life he has never spoke a oath if I knows it, an I hates cussin . He speaks of his morning devotiQr s as havin prayers wid myself . His

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page .~fl blessing at ir~a1time is the saine one he learned in his white peoples honie when he was a little boj: We huinb1~ thank Thee our Heavenly Father, ~ for wr~at we have ~efore us. Uncle Henry says: I loves white peoples an~ I ni a4ith~ 1oni~ ~ in my early day8 dey cared fer ins ant started inc off right they~s my bee frie&s. ~ ~ ~ ~

Julia Rush, ex-slave. 232 229

~ ~) S~Lo~, ~ r, ~ Mrs J1L i~a ~a$h WE~5 b r~ in 1828 an ~a~~nt ~5I~Ina Iglsn4, Ge rgi&e I~aa ~igh, :i~r :~othcr, and. three eist9ra were the pr.per1~ if a Fr~n.ebm~i nat~ed. O,1.n4 De a VO1 Y WE?~1t1~J land. owner. Mrs. ~ak dsea nit r~iei*bor her fathai as h~ was ai d. ~w~y frc:i hi~ fa~ii1y when ahe wa8 a baby. . .~Ia a ch 1d~ Mrs Ra&a B G1 VOd. aa p1a~aate t~ SW? if th~ su a dam~it.,.~ Efl~ ~O ~: ~3.1 that she had. te do was ts play frsn ~io~ming till i~ight. ~Z4hen she grew ~ $11G ~ tarted. worlci.ng in the ki tchen in the *~s tr a hmiae. L ter ~ was a4n~ t. tIi~ fi~1dS where ahQ wsrked aido by aide with hei~ iioth~r ax4 three alatera frs~ ~ ~nti1 s~uz3~d.sw:~,. ~1r~ . Rieh says that sh~ haa pl.wed. a ~sh that ahe belieVaS he ~ I, ~ut~1ow any san. ~Instoad sf ~ veraeer i~~.a11y fs~tud u plantati.XLS ths Cs ~~ ~ tic ~ one Z the ~1aves ti ac t aa fer~an s~ the fi eid hand~~ Ka waa kr~swn ts tke other E:avQ~ as the Nigger Driver and. it waa he whs aw&ca~ed a .). every ~asrning. It w~ ~ ~r1c until tereh lighta had~ to b~ i~sed~ to see by. The e WI~fl who had babie t. ~ th~ c~ionc to the field. in a basket whi4h tha~r ~1aoed en their headso 1,1 if tk~e ka~td were :ivc?n a certain a)&o~t1t of work te perfom each day ar~ it the work was u t s.zp1et,~, ~/i~4n~ eight be forthc~ixig. Breakfast was ~nt t~ tue field. t. the ha~.de and~ if at :.L:~:~~r ti:~ie thQy WeTG~nQt tOO rarj away fron their cabins they were ~err~iitt d~ t, g, . :o .~t ni~tht tlio~j ~rcparc~ th~ r o~ ~ea1a in tli~ir individ.u~1 c~bina. ~ ~ ~11 fooc~ On thQ~~O1oii~1 ~ ~1ant~tion waa i3~uec1. d~ai1~ tro~a thc~ core ~ ~ _;. ~_ 4-r~o 1 7~1S ~iV ?fl ~IIOUh corn to ~ ~ako a ~ ~ ~unt of bread for the ciay ~ h&n zrour4. Th~n thoywent ~tt and duig their ~ :~Ao1QnG1 3 ~arden. No ~19at ai~:o~ ver was issuted~. It waa ~ to thc~ a1ave~ te catch 2i~:jh, cyat~ra and other ~ea f o~ for their ~aeat at~tpp1y. All thooe whs deo r.d. te were ~: 1~ ~ttE?~, to raise ~ Water~1ens aud~ i~~? ve~otab1o~. There was ne ~ ~ ~ aB/te what r~iust bc~ done with the :~roduoe a. ra eed~. It cm 4 br seid. ~ kept :r ~orsona1 co~aj~t en~. Colonel De Biniou always esw that hi ~1av~a had. ea1~ e ant c1.thi~g. I~, t~

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230 ~:~c~i ~ior~tha the ~en were given tw shirts, twe paire cf pant , and twe pa&a .~ under- .~: ~ 1 . All of th~)e9 c1ithe~ were made if Cottsn z~i~ ~ were sowed su the j~1antat~~~. n. ~ were worn in the su~aer The wo~o~. were given bw, dreseee, twe i~Mer~j~, ~ w. ~~ir~3 01 ~mderwear. when the winter seacmi apprsaoked~ an,ther iseue et o1,tiie~ w~ ~t tLii~ tiAe sh~os were given. They v;ore made Sf hea~ red. loather and wore knjjw~j~ aa ~ ~21&~I The ~2ave quartor~ en the~sic~.1~ip1antatien were 1~oat~d behind. the A.lQnal g ~ ~ ~ .:ii. All \7~?~ ~ ~ ~-dr~ ~f 1o~s. ~ ch n1~s in the walla were filled. with :~itid. to keep the : .~ ~r oi~ The floora were et woQd in order to protoct the oc~tpant~ fran t~ d.~~e e. ::~ ~ ~1:- ~rnishiu;e w~fre a orttd~e bed. and ~evora1 bouches. All eceking was d. n~ at t~ ~ ; fireplace in the roar o~ the sue resi~i. .------~- ~ho~ Ge1euc~1 D~ B1~j~~ g wife d.ic~d h3 dividec~. his slavos a~~on~ the Sh 1~r~n. ~ ::. ~h v as ~ivon to her fornor ~1a~ji~ate whi was at the t ~e married and living in ~j I. :~: I ton, Geergia. ~he was very n~an anI efton pu~iiehed. her by b eating her on her fera ~ ~: for tho ~ ihteat cffenee. At ether tbaae ehe zaade her iuabaiid whip her (JIr~.R~~j~.) ~ :2r ~3re back with a cowhith~ whip. lira. 1~tah saya that her yoiuig Mietreae the~g~~t ~ ~ :ior lmsband :ias b~iu~ nti~ato with h~r and se she conatantly boat and. ~ietreat~d ~r. On one occasion all Cf the hair n her hoad.(which was 1.ng and. straigkt~ ~ ~t ~ 1~~r head by the young ~is tress. ~ t Fer a whU. ~? ~re Rash wericed in the fields where she pl,wed and. hied~ the ~ ~ aIon~ with th~ other ~ 1aves. Later sho worked. i.n the ~ house where ehe served. :E; :ai4 arid. where she helped. with the eooking. $he was ften hired. sut te the ether ~a:1tGrs in the vicinitj. ~3he sa~js that ehe liked this becau.so ~he always received. -~ ~ ~t~r treataont ththi she did at her ewn houa. Tkasa ~ersna ~vb hired. her ifte~ ~av~ ~ CiOth~5 as she never reoeived a S~ff3.CiOflt a~IUnt f7L ~ her own ~aet~r. ~ ~.-~----~ ~ The fold was aiaest ~he sane here as it had ~been at the ether p1antati,~. 1 ~ the end if each wee0~c she and hQr fell,w slaves were given a little bacen, vegetables, r ))C~ .~ ::e~ ~ oi~e corn ~ea1 This had. to las t fer a c ertain I ength et tise If t was all ~

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. ~ ~ ~ ~ . 23j~ ~ ~ :~i ~. ~fcre tho tise fsr the next is~i~ that particular ~1ave ba4 t. li,a ~ bait 1. or c::~ co~1d. t~ ~ ~ ~ thQ other slaves u~ia11y ~are~ with tha ~ ~ There was very litt1~ i1ine~ su the plautat .n wher~i ~Iri~ !~aeh ~ ~ r~ ~ ~~c~11y th i only ~2Qd~~?ix1e ~v~r usod. was c~at r ~ 1 and. tur~Gnttut. ~a~ae t ~ ~e:~t tO tho wo~d.s an.cl gathered r~ ts ax~d horb~ frsxa which they ~iath~ thf~ir w~ ~ ~ ~i~~d~ nOS. ~ AooircLtn~ to Mrs. Rush th~ th ~ first of the ~~nth waa a1wa~js sale da~ t,~ :. ~: ~ ~nd :~orseo. ~ waa sold. su ne ~f thGsG ~ay~ fr ~ liar ~wetar in Oarrr,1~,~ t. ~:L: V~ Liorr ~, whe lived. in 1Gw11a1~~ a~. Mr. ~srria paid J~ $1110.00 far ~ar~ :~::~. in~3d With ht~ for a short whul and was later s,ld. t n~ 1I~r. B~ wh~ paid. t ~ J~ ~:L2oo.oo. Bstb. f th~ae i~actors w~ro vory 1dM t her bL~t she wa~ finally ~ ~ t~j L-: forior ~iaot~r kLr. Archibald ThL1 kQ ot Oarr.lAt.u, Q.. Mra R~eh r~e~b ers that notie o f the slavea wore alliwad away fr~ th~ I~r~ ~-tion/ un1~ea they h~Ld~ a pass fro~i thei~ master. Once when ahe wau ;.ing t t.~ t. ~4( 1, 7~ ~ ~ ~Q:1E? frienda che wa~ acc str~d by a ~rm~p et Pathilo-Rillora whi ~av ~ h r a a.u~ ~.::il~it1 ~ she wa~ unabla t~ show a jafls frcn her r~iaater. ~. Lira ~teh alWaye ~1 ~ t in hG~r ~1aB tr.:rc 1tU~GS after IQaving O.1.xiel D~ Bj~j.1~, ~ i~ -j ~ ~~aa in Oarro~ton hnr youn; n~treaa ofton. ~dQ her a1a~p ~nd~r the ba~t~ ~ ~ : . ~ .. ~ ~ anc~ry Wi ti). hO~ .~ft~r the w~r ~ a~ ~v~r with and. freed.ai~ waa dec1arc~d. Mr. Bu,:rico c.~tj~d~ ~. : ::i ~:r~3. :R~h. A btQI~ 3QV~~?&. 1~1I1SUC~ISBf~1 atta~pta she wae finally ~191o t~ ~:_ : ~t to anothGr part ~f th~ ~tat~ vthc~ro she ~arri~d auc~! ~t~irtr~d ~ ~&it1y if ~ Bocmts ~ of th~ or~e1 trea~nont that &i~ received at tho ianda ~ ~j~ ~ ~ - ~: ~ .Irs. Th.~h says that th ) :~re thou~ht of EIav~ry a~r~s ~Ti~?r bio d ~ ~ i~~ ~ ; t:1O3~mdnr who~n ehQ E~rvr~d~, who treated h~r with iciudneas whort ~ho hs1d~ ~ ~ As far as Mrs. Ru~sh 1~iQw8 the w ~rdid very 1itt1~ d.a~a;~ t Lir Dark~. H~ ~ ~ t r?flhiet as a so1di~x .

Plantation life as viewed by ex-slave Will Sheets. 239 236

I ~)O(:~93 PlANTATION UE~E as viewed oy~. ex-slave WILL SHEETS 3290 W. Broad S tre e t Athens, Georgia. Written by: o.; I Sadie B. Hornsby Athens edited by: Sarah H. Hall Athens Leila Harris and J ohn N. Booth District Su~pervisor Federal Writers Project. Augusta, Georgia.

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lflO()93 . . o . WILL SHEETS . ~x-~S1ave - Age 76 Old Will Sheets readily complied with the request that he tell of his experiences during slavery days. tlNotrn I don t mind, its been many a long day since anybody axed me to talk ~bout things dat far back,~ but I laks to have somebody to talk to eau~e I can t g t bout no more since I lose both of my footses, and I gits ~owerfu1 lonesome sornetime~. UI was borned in Oconee County, not far f um. whar Bishop is now. It warn t nothin but a cornfield, way back in deni times. Ma wa~ Jane Southerland. fore she married ir~r pa. lie was Tom Sheets. Law sy Mi s s t I d ont t kn ow whar de y e orne f um. A s far as I knows dey was borne d and rai sed on de ii Marsters plantati ons Dar was seren of us chilluns. I was de oldest ; J~ames,. Joe, Speer, Charlie,. arid Ham was my brudders, and my onlies sister was Prances. You ax me bout my gram ma and gram pa? I can t te U you nothin t all bout ein. I jus knows I had ein and dat s all. You see ~ was ahousegal and de inos I seed of her was when she c~ome to de cabin at night; den us chilluns was too sleepy to talk. Soon as us et, us d~a~pped down on a pallet~ and went fast asleep. Niggers is a sleepyheaded set. UI was a water boy, and was spected to tote water r urn de spring to de house, and to de hands in de fiel . I helped Mandy, one of de colored gals, to drive de calves to de pasture and I toted

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Page 2. 238 in a little wood and done little easy jobs lak dat. Laway Misst I never seed no money tU. atter de War. If I had a had any nioney what could I have done wid it, when I couldntt leave ~at place to sj~end it? ~ ~Dere ain t much to tell bout what little Nigger chillun done in slavery days. Dein what was big enough had to wuk, and dem what warn t p1aye~i slep and scrap~e d Li. tUe Niggers is bad as gaine chickens bout fightint. De quarters whar us lived was log cabins chinked wid mud to keep out de rain and wind. Chimblies was made out of fiel rock and red clay. I never seed a cabin wid more dan two rooms in it. :aeds warn t fancy dem days lak dey is now; leastwise I didn t see no fancy ones. All de beds was corded; dey hada head ~ but de pieces at de foot and sides was jus wide enough for hole s to run de cords thoo and den de cords was pegged to hold em tight. Nigger chil .un slej~ on pallets on de flo . ~Marse Jeff Southerland was a pore man, but he fed us all us could eat sich as turnips, cabbages, couards, green corn, fat neat, cornbread, taters and sometimes chicken. Yes. Ma ai~, chicken dinners was sorter special. Us didn t haTe ein too often. De cookin was all done at de big house in a open fireplace what had a rack crost it dat could be pulled out to take de pots off de fire. Fore dey started cookin a fire was made up ready and waitin ; den de pots of victuals was hung on de rack and swung in de fire~place to bile. Baking was done in skillets. Us cotched rabbits

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Page 3. 239 three and four at a time in box traps sot out in de plum orchard. Sometimes us et em stewed wid dumplin s and sometimes dey was jus plain biled, but us lalced tent bes of all when dey was fried lak C h I cke n s. Oht dein possumst How I wisht I had one right now. My pa used to ketch 40 or ~O of tern a winter. Atter dey marri&d, ~ had to stay on wid Marse Jeff and Pa was bliged to keep on livin wid Marster Marsh Sheets. His marster give him a pass so dat he could corne and stay wid Ma at night att;er his wuk w s. done, and he fotched in de possums. Dey was baked in de~ white folkses kitchen wid sweet tatoes roun ein and was barbecued sometir~es. Us had fishes too what was mighty good eatin . I~re warn t but one gyarden on de plantation. Slave chillun didn t wear nothin in summer but shirts what looked lak gowns wid long sleeves. Gals and boys was dressed in de same way when dey was little chaps. In winter us wore shirts made out of coarse cloth and de pants and little coats was made out of wool.. De gals wore wool dre sse s. He laughed and said : Ort Sunday us ~ jus wore de saflie things. Did you say shoes? laway Misst I was eight or nine fore I had on a pair of shoes. On frosty inornin s when I went to de spring to fetch a bucket of water, y,ou could see my feet tracks in de frost a . . de way dar and back. Miss Carrie, my Mist ess, was good as she knowed how to be. Marse and Mist ess had two gals and one boy, Mis Anna, Miss Callie, an d Mar s te r Johnny.

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Page 4. 240 *Marse Jeff wa~ a good man; he never whu~pped and slashed his Niggers. ~To Ma am, dere warn t nobo~1y whup~ed on Marse Jeff s place dat I knows bout. He didn t have noovers.e~r. Dere warn t no n6ed for one ~ cause he didn t have so many slaves but what he e ould do de overseein his own self. Marse J eff jus had bout four nens arid four oman slaves and him and young Mai~se Johnny wukked in de fiel long side of de Liggers. Dey went to de fiel by daybrea3c and come in late at night. AThen Marse Jeff got behind wid his crop, he would hire slavas f uni other white folkses, mostly f um Pats marster, dat s how Pa o orne t o kn ow ~iy ~ . ~ . Dere was bout a hunderd acres in our plantation countin de woods and pastures. Dey had bout three or four acres fenced in wid pine poles in a plum orchard. Dat s whar dey kej~ de calves. ~Dere was a jail at Watkinsville, but ~rse J~eff never had none of his slaves put in no jail. He didntt have so many but what he could make em behave. I never seed no slaves sold, but I seed em in a wagon passin by on deir way to de block. ~rse Jeff said dey wa~ ta.kiri em a long ways off to sell em. Dat s why dey was aa ridint. Mi s 8 Anna lame d Ma he r A .B s She c ould read a li t t le, but she never lamed to write. ~ Slaves went to de white tolkses church if dey went a t all. I never could sing no tune I se lak my ~ she warn t no singer. Dat s how come I can t tell you bout de songs what dey sung den. I members de fus tUne I seed anybody die; I was tbout eight years old, and I was twelve ~ fore I ever seed a funeral No Ma am, us chilluns s

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Page 5. o. t~~.! didn t go to no baptizin s Ma went, but us didntt. ~Didn t no~1e of Marse Teffts Nig gers ruzi off to no North, but I heared of a Nigger what did on de ~1aoe whar my Pa was at. De only thing I knowed what might a made hini run to de North was dat Niggers thought if dey got dar dey would be in liebten. Dem patterouera was sornepin e .5e. I he.ared foikses say dey would beat de .. ~ ~--------~ ~ ~ ~ da~1ights mos out of you if dey otched you widout no pass. Us lived on de big road, and I seed eni passin moe anytime. I rnos know dere was plenty trouble twixt de Niggers and de white folks.es. Course I never heared tell of none but I m shot dere was trouble jus de same,~ he slyly remarked. . 9&arse ~Teff wukked dem few Liggers so hard dat when dey got to deli cabins at night dey wa~ glad to jus rest. Dey all knocked off f um wuk Sadday at 12 o clock. De oinans washed, ~patched, .~.. ~---- - . ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ and cleaned up de cabin8, and de mens wukked in dey own cotton patche8 what Marse Jeff give em. Some Niggers wouldn t have no cotton patch t cause dey was too lazy to wuk. But dey was all of em right dar Sadday nights when de frolickin and dancin was gwine on. On Sundays dey laid round and slep . Some went to church if dey wanted to. liarster give ein a pass to keep patterollers f um beatin em when de.y went ~o church. % Us chillun8 was glad to ee Chris mas time come caus.e us had plenty to eat den; sich as hogshead, backbones, a heap of cake and a li ttle candy. Us had apj~les what had oeen growed on de .plac e and s t ore d away ~e cia . for Ohr I s mas. Marse Je ff bought scrne

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. . ~ ~ ~ Page c. ~ lallahoe, dat was syrup, and had big old pones of lightbread baked for us to sop it up wid. What us laked best bout Chris mas was de good old hunk of cheese dey give u~ den arid de ground~eas. Don t you know what groundpeas is? Dem s goobers (peanuts). Such a good time US did have, a parchin and a-eatin dem groundpeas~ If de~re was oranges us didn t g~t none. ~rse Yeff give de grown fo1ks~s plenty of liquor and day gd t drunk and cut de buck whilst.it lasted. i~ew Year s Day was de time to git back to wuk. M~.rSe Jeff was sich a ~pore man he didn t have no corn ehuc~kin s on hiB ~p1a. , but he let his Nigger~s go off to em and he vient along hisseif. Dey had a big time a.4iollerin and singin and shuckin corn. ~tter de ~huCkIflt was all done dere was plenty to eat and drink ~ nothin short bout dem corn shuckin s. When slaves got sick, dey didn t have no doctoi dat I knowed bout. Miss Carrie done de doctorin herself. Snake root tea was good for colds and stomach mis ries. Dey biled rabbit tobac-~ ~o, pine tops, and rnullein together; tuk de tea and mixed it wid t lasses; and give it to us~ for diffunt ailments. If dey done dat fl( W~ fol.kses would live longer. Ma put asafiddy (~asafetida) sacks round our necks to keep off sickness. Ma said u~s was gwine to be free Marse Teff said us warn t, and he didn t tell us no diffunt t~il bout ChriB ma~ atter de War was done over wid in April. He told us dat us was free, but he wanted us to stay on wid him, and didn t none of his Niggers leave him. Dey all wukked de saine as dey had before dey was sot~ree only he paid em wages atter de War.

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Page 7. 243 *;.1 tineinbers dem Yankees coinirit down de big road a_Btealint as dey went tlong. Dey swapp d deir bags of bones for de white foikses good fat hosses. I never seed so mans pore hosaes at one time in my life as dey had. Dem. Tankees stole alide meat, chickens, and good bedclothes and burnt down de houses. Dey done devilnient aplenty as. dey went long. I members Marse Jeff put one of his colored mens on his hoes wid a c ffeepot full of gold and sont him to de woo~ds. Atter dem Yankees went .ofl he scnit for him to fetch back de gold and de fine hoss what he d one saved f u~ de so~er~ mena. . ~ I heared tell of dem KuKiuxers, but I never seed em. Laws3r ~ff!55~ that did Niggers have to buy land wid tU attar dey wukked long enoug~i for to make some money? Warn t no sehoolin done round whar us lived. I was 10 years. old fore I ever Bot f~ots in a schoolhouse. De nearest school was at Shady Grove. ~It was a long time atter de War fore I married. Us didn t have no weddin ; jus got marHed. My old oman had on a ealico . dress ~ I disremen~bers what color. She looked good to rue though. Us had 16 chilluns in all; four died. I got 22 grandthillun and one grea t grandchild. None of em~ ha.s j obs *to brag bout; ~ne of em lamed to run a s tore . ~ . UI think Mr . X~inc o In was a grea t~ man cause he s o t us fre e. % When I thinks back, it v~arn t no good feelin to b~ bound down lak dat. M.r. President Davis wanted us to stay bound down. No Ma am, I didn t lak dat Mr. Davis atter I knowed what he stood for. Course dere 18 plenty what needs to be bound down hard and fast so dey won t git in no trouble. i3ut for me I trys to behave rny8elf, and I sho had ruther be free. I guess atter all it s best dat slavery days is 07er. Bout dat B ooker Washin ton man, de Niggers what tuk him in said

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Page 8. 244. he done lots of.goodfor his race, and I reckon he did. Somepin nother jus made me jine de. church. I wanted ~ to do better~ n what I was dom . De Lord says it s best for folkses to be ligious. NO ~ ~1fl, I don t tapect to live as long as my Ma lived, cause dese legs of mine since I done los both of my footses wid blood ~1ZeU atter gangreen sot in~ shot gives me a j~assel of trouble. But de Lord ja good to me and no tellin how long I se gwine to stay here. Miss, you shot tuk me way back yonder, and I laks to talk tbout it. Yes, Ma. a~, dat s b~een a long time back.~ . . . I ~

Robert Shepherd. Ex-slave - age 91. 248 245

245 190138 RO~ER~ SHZBI~fi~ 386 Arch. Street Ath ens eo rgia Written by: Grace keCune (. 2., ~ ~ Athens - Edited. by: Sarah U. Hall Athens - Leila ffa ~ris Augusta and ;ToIin~~~. Booth District Supervisor Federal Writers Project Residencies 6 & 7.

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1 ~JO13~ ~ 246 ROBERT SH:~PH:ERD ~ Robert lives in a small house so old and~ In such bad repal r that~ a strong wi. nd would no doubt tumble it down . Large holes in . the roof can be plainly seen from the gateway. The neat yard, filled with old~taskioned. flowers, is enclosed by a make. shift fence of rusty wire sagging to the ground In places, and. the gate rocks on one hinge. There was some. evl&ence that a porch had. extended across the front of the cottage, but lt Is entirely gone now and large. rocks serve as steps at the doorway. . Thocks and calls at the ~ront~~,of the house were un~ answered and rinally Robert was found working In his garden behind the house. 11e is a tiny old man and hi~ large sun hat made him seem smaller than he actually was. He wore. a clean but laded blue shirt and shabby gray pants much too large for him. His shoes, bound. to his test with strips of cloth, were so much too large that lt was. all he could do to shuffle along. He removed his hat and. revealed white hair that contrasted with h~ black face, as he smiled in a friendly way. Good morning, Missy! liow is youIR was his greet ng. De3plte his advanced age, I~,e keeps his garden In excellent condition. Not a blade of grass was to be seen. Asked how he managed to keep it worked so efficiently he proudly answered: S Well Miss, I Jus wuks In it some svvy day dat comes cept Sundays and, when you keeps right up wid lt dat way, it ain t so hard. tus

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I. 24~ look tjP~~fl~ youZ D~on~t you see I got de bestest beans and sq~uas1iee tround here, and down under ~eza tater vines, I kinteil you, ~m roots IS SUS full of taters. My Old Marst1er done larnt n~e how to gyarden. Hie allus made us raise lots of gyarden sass such as: beans, peas, roas ln ears, couards, turnip greens, and Irigons (onions). For a fa et d~ere was j~us . tbout all de kind s of veg tables us knowed anything bout dein days right~ dar in our Marster s big old gyarden. Bere ~s big ~ patches of taters and In dem wheatfields us g rowed. enou gh to make bread fo r all d e to Ike on dat dere plant at I on Us sh o did ti~ave plenty of mighty good ~mepin t eat. *1 would ax you to come in and set down in my house to talk, he said, abUt I don t spect you could climb up dein d.ere rocks to my door and dein s all de steps I got .~ When Robert called to his daughter, who lived next door, and told her to bring out some chairs, she suggested that the interview take place on her porch. It s shady and cool on my porch, she said, and Pa s done been a-diggln in his gyarden so long he s plum tuckered out; he needs to set down and rest. After making her father comfortable, she drew up a bucket of water from the well at the edge of the porch and after he had indulged in a long drink of the fresh water, he began his story. iii w~ borned on ~Larster J~oe Zehols plantation in Oglethorpe County, bout 10 miles from Lexin ton, Georgy. Mammy was Cynthia Echols fore she m rri ed up WI d my daddy . He was Peyton Shepherd. Atter Pappy and Mammy got married, Old Marse 8hepherd sold Pappy to Marse J~oe Echols so as dey could stay together.

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3. )1 ~ t~e~ t~i ~rs.e J~oe he had. three plant at ions but . he didn t livre on n~one of em. 11e 11ved~ in Lexin ton. He kept a overseer on each one of his plantations and dey had better be good. to his Niggers, or else Marse J~oe would sho git eni way from dar. He never lowed e~ to wuk us too hard, and in bad. or real cold weather us didn t have to do no outside wuk cept evvyday chores what had to be done, come rain or shine, lak miThin , tendin de stock, fetchin In wood, and things lak dat. He seed dat us had plenty of good sornepin t eat. and. all de clothes us neetied. Us ~s lots better off In dem days dan us is now. Old Marster, he had so many Niggers dat he never knowed em all. One day he was a-ridin long towards one of his plantations and he met one of his slaves, named William. Marse ~Toe stopped him and axed him who he was. William said: Why ~arater, I se your Nigger. Don t you know me? Den Marster, he jus laughed and said: Well, hurry on home when you gits what you. is gwine atter.t He was in a good humor dat way most all de time. I kin see him now airidin dat little boss of his n what he called Button, and his little fice dog hoppin long on three legs right side of de hoss. No Ma am, dere warn t~ nothin de matter wid dat little dog ; t on three legs. was jus his way of gittin tro~d. Marster never let none of de slave chillun on his plantation do no wuk tu dey got fifteen ~ dat was soon nough, he sei d On ail o f hi s pi ant at i ons dere was one old oman dat d t

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4. 249, ha ye no thi n eis e to do but look at t er and co 0k fo r d e nlgg er ch I 1 IuXL wh list d ey marnmi es we s at wuk In de fi ei ds . . Aunt Virtey tuk keer of us. She had a big old horn ~hat she blowed,when it was t ime for us to eat and us knowe~ better dan to git so fur otf us couldn t hear dat horzi, for Aunt Viney would sho tear us up. Marster had done told her she better fix us plenty t eat and give i_t t o u s on t line . Dere was a grea ~ what went plum cross de yard, and dat was whar us et. For dinner us had. peas or some other sort of veg tables, and cornbread. Aunt Viney crumbled up dat bread in de trough and. poured de veg tables and pot~l1kker ~ over it. Den she blowed de horn and chillun come a-runnin from evvy which away. lt us et it all up, she had to put more victuals in de t rough . At nights ah e crumbled de Co rnbread in de trough and poured buttermilk over it. Us never had nothin but cornbread and buttermilk at night . Sometimes dat tro ugh would be a sight cause us never stopped to wash our hands, and fore us. had been eatin more dan a minute or two w~t was in de trough would look lak de red mud what had ome off of our hands. Sometimes Aunt Viney would fuss at us and make us clean it out. . Dere was a big ~ on de crick what made a tine place to play, and wadia in de branches was lots of fun. Us frolicked up and down dem woods and had all sort s of good times . anything to keep away from Aunt Viney cause she was sho to have us fetchin in wood or sweepin de yards if us was handy whar she could find us. If us was out of her sight she never bothered bout dem

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5. yards and things. t s wa~ skecred. to answer thit horn when us ot in M~rster S bacco. 11e ra1s~ed lots ot baeco and rationed lt out to mens, but he never lowed chillun to have none tu dey as big enough to wuk In de fields. Us found out how to git In his bacco house and. us kept on gittin his bacco fore it was dried out tu he missed it. Den he told Aunt Viney to blow dat horn and call up all de chiliun. I se gwine to whup evvy one of ein, he would dare. ~tter US got dere and. he seed dat green bacco had done made u~ so sick us couldn t eat he jus couidn t beat us . He ~us laughed. and said: It s good enough ror you. ~Aimt Martha, she done dernilkin and. helped Aunt Nancy cook for de slaves. Dey had a big long kitchen up at de big. house whar de overseer lived. De slaves what wuked in de field never had to do deir own cookin It was all done i~or em in dat big old. kitchen. Dey cooked some of de victuals in big old. washpots and dere was sho a plenty for all. All de cookin was done in big fireplaces what had racks made inside to hang pots on and dey had big old. ovens for bakin , and thick iron skillets, and long-handled fryin pans. You jus can t magine how good things. was cooked dat way on de open fire. Nobody never had no betterj~~1~.~r nieat dan our Marster kept in dem big old smokehouses and hisslaves haj~J~ did. Dem cooks knowed dey had to cook a plenty and have it ready when it was time for de slaves to come in from de fields. Miss Ellen, she was de overseer s wife, went out in de kitchen and looked ower evvything to

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A ~. t-~11d~~) see that lt was all right arid den she blowed. de bugle. When de slaves heared d~at bugle, dey come in a-~slng1n fron de fie)~&s. Dey was happy t cause dey knowed Miss Ellen had a good d inner ready for em. De slave quarters was long rows of log cabins wid chiniblies made out cf sticks and red mud. Deni chlrnblles was all d.e time ketehin fire. Dey didn t have no glass windows. For a window, dey jus .out a openin in a log and fixed a piece of plank cross it so it~ would slide when dey wanted to open or close It. Doors was made out of rough planks beds was rough ~ home~-made frame s nailed to de side of de cabins, and mattresses was coarse, home~wove ticks filled wid wheat straw. Dey had good home-made kivver. Dem beds slept mighty good. Dere warn t many folks sick dein days, specially rnongst de slaves. When one did die, folks would go 12 or 15 miles to de buryin . Marster would say: Take de mules and wagons and go but, mind you, takegoodkeerofdem.mules. 11e never seemed to keer it us we nt - fact was he s a I a u s ought t o go If a s lave dl ed on our place, nobody went to de fields tu atter de buryin . Marster never let nobody be burled tu dey had beendead24hours, and if dey had people from some other place, he waited til dey could git dar. 11e said lt warn t right to huth~y em off o de ground too quick atter dey died, Dere warn t no undertakers dem days. De homefoiks jus laid de corpse out on de eoolin board tu de coffin was made. Lordy Misa! Ain t you never seed one of dem coolin boards? A coolin board

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r~ . . r. was made out ot a long straight plank raised a little at de head, and had legs fixed to make lt set straight. Dey wropt oxaan corpses In wI nd sheet s Uncle Squire de man what done all d e wagon wuk and buildlfl on our place, made cotfins. Dey was jus plain wood boxes what dey painted to make ein look nice. White preachers conducted de funerals, and most of de time our own Marster done It, cause he was a preacher hisseif. When de funeral was done preached, dey sung Uar~s ! ~!2~1~ DeTonib, den dey put de eotfin In a wagon and driv slow and keer~ fui to de graveyard. De preacher prayed at de grave and de mourners sung, I se Born To DIe and Lay DIs BodyDown. Dey never had no out. ~ side box for de coftln to be sot In, but dey put planks on top of de cof~ln fore dey started shoveilin In de dirt. ~ Fourth Sundays was our meetin days and vvybody went to church. Us. went to our white folks church and. rid in a wagon ~ hinddeircar lage. Dere was t* Baptist preachers one of em was Mr . Tohn Gibson and de other was Mr . Patrick But1er~ Mars e ~oe was a Methodist preacher hisseif, but dey all went to de sane chiureh together. De Niggers sot In de gallery. When dey had done give de white folks de seerament, dey called de Niggers down from d~e gallery and give dem sacrament too . Church~ days we s sho nough big nieetln days cause evvybody . Dey preached three times a day; at eleven in de mornin , at three in de and den again at night . De biggest meetin house crowds was1when dey had baptizin , and dat was right often. Dey darnn~ed up de crick on Sadday so as it would be deep enough on Sunday, and

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8. 253 dey done de baptizin fore dey preached de three o clock sermon. At dem baptizin s clere was all sorts of shoutin arid dey would ~ ~ J~ordan, ~ De Livln Waters, and Lord I se Comix~ Eomeo When de craps was laid by and most of de hardest wuk of de year done up, den was ea~p~meet1nt time, long in de last of Jtily arid sometimes in August. Dat was when us had de biggest times of all. Dey had great big long tables and just evvything good t eat. Marster would kill five or six hogs and have em carried dar to be barbecued, ~ and he carried his ~ own cooks along. Atter de white folks et~ dey f e~ de Niggers, and dere was allus a plenty for all. Marster aho looked atter all his. Niggers good at dem times. When de camp-~ineetin was over, den come de big baptizin ; white folks Lust, den Niggers. One time dere was a old slave oman what got so skeered when dey got her out in de crick dat. somebody had to pull her foots out from under her to git her undir de water. She got out from dar and testified dat it was de devil a-holdin her back. ~ De white ladies had nice silk dresses to wear to ~ ~ church. Slave omans had n c ico dresses what dey wore wid hoopskirts ~ dey made out of grapevines. Dey wore poke bonnets wid niffles on exa and, if de weather was sort of cool,. d~ey wore shawls. Marster.alius wore hi~ linen duster. Da~ was his white coat, .naade cutaway style wid lon~g tails. De cloth for most all of de clothes was made at home. Marse ~oe raised lots of sheep and de wool was used to make cloth for de winter clothes. Us had a great long loom house whar sozne of de sla~s didn t

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9. 2~4 d~o nothin ~ but weave q1ot~h, some cyarled.bats, some done4e spinnin , ~ . ~ and d.ere was more of em to do desewin . Mi ~ SS 1~1Ien, she looked atter all dat, and she eut out most of de clothes. She seed~ dat us had plenty to wear. Sometinies Marster would go to de sewin house, and. Mist ess would tell him to git on way rroni dar and look atter his own wuk, dat. her and Aunt ~ru11a couidrun dat loom house. Marster, he jus laughed derii and told us chillun what was hangin round de door to jus listen to dem ornans cackle. Oh, but he was a good old boss man. . ~ . ~Ushadwat rbuckets, called piggens, what was made out ofcedar and had handles on de sides. Sometimes us sawed oft little vinegar kegs and put handles on em. Us loved to drink out ot gourds. Dere was lots of gourds raised evvy year0 Some ot em was so big d~ey was used to keep eggs in a.rd tor lots o~ things us uses. baskets for now. Dem little gourds made fine dippers: ~Deni cornakuckin s was sho nough big times. When us got all de corn gathered up and put In great ion piles, den de gittin ready started. ~y dem omans cooked for days, and de ~sns would git de shoats ready to b~arbecue. Marster would send us out to git de slaves from de t~rms round about dar. wDe place was all lit up wid light ooduknot torches and bonfires, and dere was alternent a.plenty whsn all de Nlggsrs got to singin and shoutin as dey made de shucks fly. One of dem songs w nt soniepin lak dis: Ohs !1Yh&1d,IflYPOI ~h51d,Oh& 117 pore haid is t Dere warn t wrong wid our held. - Lat was Jus our

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1~0 . wey of lettin our ove.z~eer know~ us wa~te& some likker. Pt~rt~ ~oon ~ he woui&oome ~round wid a big horn ot vthiskey, and dat iaad~e de pore ~ haid~ well, but it warn t long fore lt got wuss again, and den us got ~ another horn of i~tiiakey. when de corn was all a~ucked den us et ail us could and, let me tell you, dat was some good. ~tin!s. Den us danced de rest of de night. . t Next day ~en us aLl felt 50 tired and bad, Marster he would tell us bout stayint up all night, but Mlst esa tuk up for us, and dat tickled Old Marster. lie jus laughed. an& sai&: Will you listen to dat oman? Den he would~ make some of us sing one of dea songs us had done been singin to dance by. it goes so~ of lak dis: Turn your pardner ro~d~ 8t.eal round de corner, cause dem. ~ohnson ~ gals I s hare tO . beat Jus glance round and have a good. t lme Dein ~ gals is hard to fin&~ Dat s Jus bout all I can ricoflect of it now. ~ ~ wUs had big pO8$~fl hunts, and. us sho cotched a heap ~ a ~ ~ ~ of em. i~e gals cooked ein wid taters and dey jus made your mouth ~ water. I sho wish I had one now. Rabbits was good. too. Mareter ~ didn t low no huntin wid~ guns, so us Jus took dogs when us went huntin , Rabbits was kilt wid sticks and rocks cept when a bi snow cctne. Dey was easy to track to dey beds den and us could reach in and pull em out When us cot oh nough Of em, tie had big rabbit suppers. SUe big war was bout over when dem yankees corne by our place and jus Went through evvything. Dey called ail de slaves together and told. em dey was free and didn t b long to nobody no more,

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1~i. 236 aud said de slaires could take all dey wanted from de sznokeho use~ ar~ barns and de big house, ant could ~ when a~d whar deywanted to go. Dey tried to hand us out all de meat and hams, but us told e~ u~ warn t hongry, cause Marster had allus done give us all us wanted. When dey couldn t make none of us take nothin dey said lt was de strangest thing dey had done ever s eed and d~at dat man ichols. must have sho been good to kils Niggers. When deia yankees had done gone oft Marster come out to our place. He blowed de bugle to call us all up to de houae He couldn t hardly talk, cause soxaebody had done told. him dat dem yankees couldn t talk his Niggers into stealin nothin . Marster said he never knowed tore how good us loved him. lie told us he had done tried to be good to us and had done de best he could for us and dat he was mighty proud of de way evvy one of us ~ had done haved our~ selfs. 11e saId dat de war was over now, and us was tree and could go anywhar us wanted to, but dat us didn t have to go if us wanted to stay dar. He said he would pay us for our wuk and take keer of us if us stayed or I f us wanted to wiik on shares he would low us to wuk some land dat way. A few of dem Egg~ers drifted oft, but most of em stayed right dar tu dey died.w sad note had come into Robert s voice and b.c seemed to be almost overcome by the sorrow aroused by his reminiscences. His daughter was quick to perceive this and interrupted the conversation: Please Lady, she said. ~Pa s too feeble to talk any more today. Can t

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12. yoU let him rest now and corne back again In. a day or two? Maybe he will be done meinbered thing~s he ouidn t oalI back todayo . The front door was. open when Robert s h use was next visited, and a young girl anawered the knock. Come in, she said. The little house was as~ dilapidated in the interior as it was on the outside. Bright J une sunshine filtered through the many gaps in the root arousing wonder as to how the old man managed to remain inside this house during heavy rains. The room was scrupulously clean a~ neat. In it was a very old iron bed, a dresser that was minus Lts mirror, two chairs, and a table, all very old and dilapidated. The girl laughed when she called attention to a closet that was padlocked. Dat s whar Grand~pa keeps his rations, she said, and then volunteered the information: He s gone next door to stay wid Ma, ~ilst I clean up his house. He can t stand no dust, and when I sweeps, I raises a dust. The girl explained a 12 inch square aperture iii the door, with a slidi ng board fastened on the mai de by saying : Dat s Grandpa s peep-hole. ~Le allus has to see who s dar fore he unfastens his door. Robert was sitting on the back porch and his daughter was ironing ~juat inside the door. Both seemed surprised and happy to see the interviewer and the daughter placed a comfortable chair for her as far as the dimensions of the sma11~porch.would permit from the heat ot the charcoal bucket and irons. Remembering that his earlier recollectioris had ended with the close of the (.~iv1l War, Robert started telling about the days atter freedom had done come.

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~ 15. Me, 3~ stay~ed~ right on dar tu atter Marster d1ed~ He was sick a long, long tinie, and one mornlng Old Mist esa, she called to nie. Robert, ahe said, you ain t gwlne to have no Marster long, cause he s bout gone. .1 called all de Niggers up to de big house and when dey was all in de yard., Mist ess, she said~ Robert you been wid us so long you kin come in and see him fore he s gone for good. Whe~n I got in dat loom I knowed. de Lord had done laid His hand on my good Old Marster, and he was a- golxi to dat Home he used to preaehto us ~1iggers bout, and lt peered to nie lak my heart would just bust. . When de last breath wa~ d~one gone, I went back out in de yard and told de other Niggers, and ~ere was sho ~yln and prayin mongst em, cause all of em loved Marster. Dat was. silo one big funeral. Mlst ess said she wanted .~. all of Marater s old slaves to go, cause he loved em so, and all us of/went. Some what had done been gone f~or years come back for Marster~ funerai~ Next day, atter de funeral was over, Mlst esa, she said : Robert I want you to stay on wid me cause you know how he wanted his wuk done. Den Mlst eas daughter and her husband, Mr. Dicken3on, come dar to stay. None of de Niggers laked dat Mr. Dickensori and so most of em left and den, !bout 2 years atter Marster died, Mist esa went to Lanta (Atlanta) to stay wid another of her daughters, andshe died dar. When Mlst ess left, I left too and come on here to Athens, and I been here ever since.

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~14. 2~9 ~ ~Dere ~a~n t~much.town:, ~ den, and most ai1~ round~ dis hrepiace was woods. :.I. W~iked bout a year.for Mr. J~ohn Mocune s arnbl3r on de o1d.Pit~ter piace,den twent towukforMr.~Mari saaS.L McGlnty. Re was a cyarpenter and built moat. of de tine houses what was put up here dem days. I got de lumber from him to built my house. Dere warn t but two. other ~ouaes round~ here den. My wife, J ulle, washed for de white folks and helped erndo deir housewuk. Our chillun u~.d to come brin rn~ dinner. Us had dem good old. red peas cooked wid side meat in a pot in de fireplace and ashcake to go. wid~ ~ ~ . Eat was eatin s. ~U11O would rake out dem coals an~ klvver em wid~ ashes, and den she would wrop a pane of cornbread dough in collard. or cabbegs leaves and put it on dem. ashes and rake more ashes over it. iou had to dust oIT de bread fore youet it, but ashcake ~ niighty good, folks what lived ott of lt dltn t git sick lak dey does now a~ eatin dis white flour ~bread all de time. If us had any peas left trou dinner and supper, ~Ttt1ie w~uid mash em up right soft, make little cakes what she rolled in corn meal, and try em for ireaktast. Dein sausage cakes mad.e out~ of lett.~over peas was mighty fine ror breaktast. t, When ~ de cMllun started out wid my dinner, ~ulie aflus made two of ein go together and hold hands all de way so dey wouldn t git lost. Now, little ~chillun jus a few years old goes anywhar dey wants to Joiks don t look atter dey chillun ~ lak dey ought to and t ai n t right . Den when ni ght come ahi hun went right o if to bed. Now, dey jus runs round most all night, and it sho is

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. 15.. ~ . 26() a-ruiflln dis young genraya~un (generation). Dey don t take no keer of delrseits.. ~ My.own g?afldchi1iUfl.iS~deSerne way. .. *1 left Mr. McGinty an~ went to wuk f r Mr. Bi oatield In de mill. Mr.~ 311 Dootaon was our boss, and he was ~ho a good man . Deni was good times . I wuked Inside de mill and round de yard too, and sometimes dey sont me to ride de boat Wid de cotton or sometimes wid oloth, whatever dey was sendint. Der waa two mills den . One . was down below de bridge on Ocon es St reet and de old check factory was t other zide of de bridge on Broad Street. Dey used boats to carry de cotton andde cloth from one mill to de other. *~t1 say, can you I I eve it? I wuked to r ~ a day and us paid for our home here. Dey paid us oft wid tickets what u~ tuk to de commissary to git what US needed. Dey kept jus evvythlng dat anyb ody o ould want down dar at de coap ny ~tore So us rai ae4 our ni ne ~ chi hun gi vs em plent y to eat and wear too and a good ro of over deir haids, all on 68 a day and what ~ulie could make wikin for de white folks. ~ Course things warn t high-~priced lak dey is now, but de main dift unce Is dat fOlkS didn t have to have so many kinds of things to eat and wear den lak dey does now. Bers warn t nigh so many ways to throw money way den. . Tiere warn t so iitany places to go; sus church and church spreads, and E~undays, folks went buggy ridin . De young Nigger s, specially dem what was ai.~eparkin , used to rent buggies and hossee

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rrorn Mr. Selig Bernstein. 11e kept a big livery stable den and he i ad a hoss n&med B ekskin. Dat was de hoss what evvybody wanted. csuse he was so gentle and didn t s.keer de omans and c~hi11uns. Mr. ~ernsteifl is a-livin yit, and he is sho a good riian to do business wid. Missy, dere was lots of good white folks den. Most of dem old ones is done passed on. One of de best of ein was Mr. Robert Chappell. lie done passed on, but whilst he lived he was mighty good to evvybody and de colored folks sho does miss him. He b lieved in helpin em and he give ein several churches and tried his best to git em to live right. If~Mr. Robert Chappell ain t in :~eb en, dere ain t no use for nobody else to try to git dar. His ~Tranddaughter.married Jedge Matthews, and folks says she is most as ~cod as her granddaddy was. Robert chuckled when he was asked to tell about his weddir~ Miss, he said, I didn t have no sho ~nough*wedd1nt. Me and ~Tulie jus jumped over de broom in front of Marster and us was naarried. Dat was all dere was to it. Bat was de way most of de slave folks got married dein days. Us knowed better dan to ax de gal ~hen us wanted to git married. Us jus told. our Marster and. he done de axin . Den, if it w~s all right wid de gal, Marster called all de other Niggers up tc~ de big house to ~ee ils j~imp over de broom. If e slave wanted to git married to somebody on another place, den he told Marster and his Marster ~uld talk to de gal s Marster. Whatever dey greed on was all right. If neither one of em would sell one of ~ . ~

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~rj ~ ~ J,,. de slaves what wanted to git married, den dey let em go ahead and jump over de broom, and. de man jus v lsited. his wi fe on her Marster s place, ~oatiy on Wednesday and Sadday nights. If it was a long piece of f, he didn t git dar so often. Dey had to have passes den, cause de patterollers would git era sho ir dey didn t. Oat meant a thrasliin , and dey didn t miss layin on de stick, wb~n dey cotch a NIgger. Dese days, de boys and gals jus walks ofT and don t say nothin to nobody, not even to dey man~nies and daddies. Now take \ ~ ais daughter of mine Callie is her naine she runned away when she w~:Ls bout seventeen. Dat day her rnarniay had done sont her wid de j white folks clothes. She had on brass-~toed brogan shoes, a old f~ded cotton dress dat was plum up to her knees, ~ derzi days, long dresses was stylish ~ and she wore a old bonnet. She was totin de clothes to Mrs. Reese and niet up wid dat Davenport boy. Dey traips d up to de courthouse, got a license, and was married fore me and Julie~ knowed nothin bout it. Julie sho did light out from Ilyar to go git Caille. She brung her back arid kept her locked up in de house a long time fore she would let her live wid~ dat Nigger. Us had our troubles den, butdey warn t lak de troubles Us has now. Now, it seems lak dem was mighty good days back when Arch Street was jus a path through de woods. ~Tulie, she s done been gone ~3 long time, and e~ll of our chillun s daid cept three, and two of em

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18. 263 is done gone up ~north. J iis me and my Callie and de grandch~1iun is ail dat s left here. Soon I se swine to be lowed to go whar rulie is and I Se ready any time, cause I done beeii here long nough. When the visitor aroseto take her d~eparture Robert said: Good-bye Missy, come back to see me and Caille again cause us laked your pea~ents (appearance) de fust time you was here. J~us t rust in de Lord Miss and He will take keer ~ of you wherever you is ~ . 1 *.~ I I

Plantation life as viewed by an ex-slave. 267 264

)Lil / / / TOM SII~GLETON Athens,, Georgia ~ LI~ ~VIJ~DBY N ~X-S1~ Written By: ~diied By: Sadie B. kiornsby Research Worker Federal Writers Project Athens, Georgia Leila Harris ~ditor Federal Writers Project Augusta, Georgia 1 ~ :~ .. . U()084.

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~ ~ ~ . ~ ~ ~ ~ : ~ ~ ~ ~ ~- ~ ~ ~ ~ ?~ ~ ~ ~ 1()O()84 ~ (~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 265 . ~ . ~ ~ ~X-~Lave 4~e 9 4 Athens, Georgia Uncle Toza lives alone in a one room cabin, about two and one half miles rroin town, oxi Loop.-~de-.Loop road, not Ibar from theBrooklyn section of Athens. He states that he lives alone because: I wuz raised right and de Niggers dis day and time ain t had. no raisin . I just can tbe bothered wid havin em round rae all de time. Dey aintt ray sort of rolkses. Unde Torn says he will be 94 years old on 1V ay Ith of this year, but many believe that lie is much older. When asked i~ he felt like talking about his experiences and observances while he was a slave, he said: ~ don t know, Missie; I got a pow rul hurtin in my chest, and I m too old to member much, but you ax nie whatyou want to know and I ll try to tell you. I wuz born in Lumpkin County on L~1a~ster ~To 3ing1e-.~ ton s place. I~~iy ma wuz named Nancy i~arly, and she belonged to Marster Joe Early what lived in Jackson County. My pa s name ~ ~ --~-~ wuz Joe Singleton. I don t meraber rauch tbout ~ brothers and sisters. Ma ai~id Pa had 14 chillu~. Sono of deir boys wuz m.e and Isaac, Jei~i~, Moses, and Jack; and deir aals wuz: Celia, Lau- ~ %~ ra, Dilsey, Patsey, Frankie, and. 1~1inor. Dese wuz de youngest chillun. I don t member de Lust ones. I don t ricollect. nothin t all bout my grandma and grandpa, cause us wuz too busy to talk in de daytime, and at nicht us wuz so whupped ui~ from bard wuk us just went oIT . to sleep early and never talked much

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at no time. All I knows bout em is dat I heared oikses say my gran pa wuz 10? years old when he died. Folkses ~Qfl t live dat 1on~ now-a~.-days. g. tDe slave quarters wuz in rows and had two rooms and a shed. Dey had beds made out of poles fastened together wid pegs and cross em wuz laid de slats what dey spread de wheat straw on. Us had good lcivver teause our Marster wuz a rich man and he believed in takin keer of his Nig~ers. Some put sheets dat wuz white as snow over de straw. Dem sheets wuz biled. wid hoxne~-made soapwhat kept era white lak dat. Uad r folkses put quilts over e straw. At de end of de slave q~uarters wuz de barns and cow sheds, and a little beyond dernwuz de finest pas- ~ ~ ~ you ever seed wid clear water ~i out et a pretty spring, and runnin thoo it. . Dar s whar dey turned de stbek to ~razewnen dey warn t wukkin fern.?? When Tom was asked if he ever made any money, a misohie~ vous smile illumined his race. Yes ~ you see I plowe& durint de day on old lvlarster s rarm. Some or de white roiks what dicin t have many Ni~gers would axold I~arster to let us help on dey places. Us had to do dat wukat night. On bright moonsb.iny nights, I would cutwood, fi~Jenc s, anci sich lak for em. Wid de money dey paid me I bought Sunday shoes and a Sunday coat and sich lak, cause I wuz a Nigger what always did lak to look good on Sunday. ~ I

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. - ~ r~ ~Q Yes ma ana, us had good olo es de year round. Our summer clothes wuzwhite, white as snow. Old. iViarster said dey looked lak linen. In winter us wore heavy yarn what de -~. women made on de looms. One strand wuz wool and one wuz cot-. ton. Us wore our broganshoes evvy day and Sunday too. Marster wuz a merchant and bought sh es fromde tanyard. liowsornever, .-.---.---..-~~ ~ he had. a colored man on his place what could make any kind of shoes. ~ ~ LawUy~ Missie, us had evvythin to eat; all kinds of ~reens, turnips, peas, tatoes, meat and chickens. Us wuz plumb fools bout fried chicken and chicken stew, so Marster lowed. ~ ~ us to raise plenty of chickens, and sometimes at night us Nig ~ers would git together and have a hee old time. No Ma am, us i t have no gyardens . Us didn t ne ed none . Old Marster give us all de vittuls us wanted. .Uissie, you ougnta seed dem big old iron spiders what dey cooked in. Course de white folkses ~ called, em ovens. De ~~uits and ~ dey cooked ~in spiders, dey wuz somethin else. Oh~ dontt talk bout dem ~- ~ Makes mei~ongry just to think ,bout ein. One night when pa and rae went possum huntin . ~ I put a possum what us cotched in a sack and flung it cross my back. Atter us-~started home dat possum chewed a hole in de sack and bit rae square in de back. member my pa had a little dog. Here he stopped talking and called a little black and white dog to him, and said: He wuz ~ ~ s

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!~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ _~ 4 tbout de size ot dis here dog, and pa said he could natehelly juS make a possum de way he always found one so quick when us vient huntir~. The old man sighed, arid 1ookin~ out across the field, continued: Atter siav ry days, Ni~~ ers turned dey chilluns loose, an dende possumsan rabbits most all left, and dere aintt so many fishes left in de rivers neither.. . Toni could not recall much about jus first master: I wuz four year old. when Marster Dr. ~Toe 3in~leton died. All I. ~-~--~---~ - ~ - ~ ~ - - -.1-u members bout him; he wuz a big man, and sho wuz skeered ot him. When he cotch us in de branch, he would holler at Us and say: Corne out of dar rore you ~it sicic. He didn t low us to play in no water, and when h hollered, us litarag. Dere wuz bout a thousand acres in Iviarse ~Joe s plantation, he owned ~ a gold mine and a copper mine too. Old Marster owned bout 65 ~ . - ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ig~ers in all. He bought an sold Ni~ers too. Wnen Old Mars ~ ter ~vanted to send news, he put a Nigger on a mule an sont de message. TAtter Meise ~Toe died, old Mist ess run de 1~arni bout six years. Iviist ess aau~hter, Miss Mat,tie, married Marster Fred Lucas, an old Mist ess sold her~. share in ~e plantation den. My pa, my sister, an rae wuz ~ Dunn de sale my sister cried all de time, an Pa rubbed his jlan over her head an I~ace, an he said: Don t cry., ~rou is gwine live wid young Miss Mattie. I didn t cry none, cause ~I didn t care.

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269 Larse Erect bou~ght us, an tuk us to ~uens to live,an old Llist ess went to live wid her chilluns. ~ didn t have a very bi~ plantation; jus bout 70 or 30 acres I ~ues~, an ~ had bout 2~ Ni~~~ers. ne didn t have no overseer. i:i~ pa wuz cie one in char~~e, an he tuk nis orders troin. Liarse ired, den 11C went out to de larm, wnar lie seeo. dat ae Ni~gers carried ei~i out. Pa wuz o.ecarriage y:~Li~2o. It wuz his delight to drive lor Liarster and i~ist ess. !tMar~rter and Liist ess had ei~ht ehillun Miss Mattie, Eiss i%~ary, I~iss lamlie, 1i s~ ~3enie, Lir. Dave, Mr. Joe, Mr. Frank anc. Mr. Freddy. Dey lived in a bi~ house, weather-boardea over logs, an de inside wuz ceiled. ~~rster an Mist ess sho wuz good to us Ni~gers. Us warn t beat xauch. De onhiest i~ g~er I member dey whupped wuz Cicero. lie wuz a bad. boy. L~y i~~arster never did whup me but onet. ~- Mist ess sont me up town to ketch her a spooi of thread. I ~ot to playin marbles an I~ore knowed it, it wuz dinner time. ~ got home, .iist ~ss wUz mad sno nou~h. Marster cotch nie an wore rae out, butS 1~ist ess never touched me. I seed NiE: ~ers in de bi~ jail at Watkinsville an in de calaboose in Athens. Yes ~~ia am~ I seed plenty o1~ Ni~gers sold on de block in datkins ville. I ricollects de price ot~ one i~i~~er run up to~l5,OOO. . All de sellin wuz done by ~Ae sherii~fs an de slave Marsters. tT!~r5ter ~red i~ucas sold his place whar he wuz livin in town to Major Oook, an movec. to his ran near Princeton Factory.

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f~ ~ ~ ~ ~ T~ T~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~6 270 Atter Major Co k ~ot kilt in de War, Marse Fred comeback to town an lived in his house again. ~ ~ ~ No Ma am, dey warn t flQ schools for Niggers in slav ry time. Mist ess daughters went to Lucy Cobb. Celia, my sister, wuz deir nurse, an when all our little missies got grown, Celia ~ . wuz de house gai. So when our lIttle xnissies went to soho~l dey come home an larnt Celia how to read an write. Bout two years . atter freedom, she begun to teach sohool herselt. tUs had our own churches in town, an de white ~olkses furnished our preachers. Once dey baptised 75 in de river below de Check ~ and Ngg~rs last.~ Ohs d m patterro11ers~. Dey wuz ~Q~hmens. ~ I heared ein say dey would ~beat de sffii~n?~ out of you, ir dey cotch you widout no pass. . ~ Yes Ma am~ dar always wuz a little. trouble twixt de white folkses an Niggers; always a little. Heaps of de Niggers went Nawth. I wuz told s orne white men s livin in town hyar helped ~ em ~it away. My wife had six oi~ er kinfolkses what got cleanback ~ ~ ~ ~ toAtr~a, an d~y~wrote back here fron~dar. Us haa part ie s an danc s at night . Some t ime s ~ t e s s let Celia wear so~iie ot de little missies clo es, cause she wanted her to outshine de other Nigger gals. Dey give us a week at Christ- mas time an Christmas day wuz a b ig day. Dey give us most evvy- ~ thin : a knot of candy as big as my fist, an heaps of other good ~ ~

274 271

s : things. it corn shuckin s Old. Marster fotched a ga~.i n keg ~ - ~ ~1~~~ ~ ~ or whiskey to de quarters an passed it roun~.. Sorne just got tipsy an. some got low down drunk. De onliest cotton pickin us knowed bout wuz when us picked in de daytime, an ~ warn t no good time to dat Nigger caxi t even sing rauch wid his head all bent down pickin cotton. F lkses had fine times at weddin s dem days. Dar wuz more vittuls dan us could eat. Now dey just han out a little somethin . De white folkzes had a fine time too. Dey let de Niggers git married in deir nouses. ir it wuz bad. weather, den ae weddin wuz most genully in 6e hall, but i~ it wuz a pretty day, dey married in de yard. t I can t member m ch bout de games us played or de songs us sung. A few of de games wuz marbles, football, an town ball. t Bout dem witches I don t know nothin ~3ome oC de folkses wore a mole root roun dey neck to keep bad luck away: some wore ~ a t sholy di.d fetch sharpness. 1 don t know nothin tall bout Rawhead and Bloody Bones, but I heared tell he go~ tatter iviist ess Ob~llrUfl an niade em be good. Dey wuz pow ful skeert ola im. Old Marster an Mist ess looked atter deir Niggers mighty well. When dey got sick, de doctor wuz sont Thr straight away. . - ~ .- - - ~ ~- Yes Ma am, dey looked atter eni mighty well. Holly leaves e.n hol~ ~ biled together wuz good torin~j~stion, an blaclcgum an blackhaw roots biled together an strained out an mixed wid whis

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~: ~ ~ ~ . ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~s-?72 key wuz good ~or diffuxit mis .ries. Some of de Nlgger8 wore little lar sacks roun dey necks to keep de fever tway. ttYes Matam.t I wuz inde War tbout two years, wid young Marster JoeLucas. I waited on him, cooked for hini, an went on de scout march wid him, for to tote his gun, ant see atter his needs. I wuz a bugger in dein days~ I members I wuz standin ~ de corner of Jackson Street when dey said freedom had come. Dat siao wuz a rally day ror de Niggers. Bout a thousand in all wuz standint trount here in Athens dat day. Yes Ma am, de rust time de ~ come tho ~ dey robbed an stole all dey could find ant went on toMonroe. Next to come wuz de gyards to take charge of de town, ant dey ~ ~ ~ . ~ ~hingsto goint ~s ight . ~ Atter de War I stayed on wid Maf se Fred, an wukked Lor wages ~or six yeai~, an den arxaed on halves wid him. ~ Some of de Niggers went on a buyin spree, an dey bought land, hand over fist. Some bought eight an nine hundred acres at a time. . Wh~n asked to tell about his wedding, a merry twinkle shone . in his eyes: Lawdy, Missie, dis ole Nigger nebber ~narried ~ti1 long atter de War. Us sho did ~out up jack. Us wuz too old to have any chillun, but us wuz so gay us went to evvy dance ~ tu bout six years ago. She died den, an lef nie all by myse f. tDat Mr. .&byhani Lincoln wuz a regtlar Nigger god. Us

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~ ~ -~i~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ..9~ 273 b Iieved dat Mr. ~TeiT. Davis wuz all right too. Booker Wash-j in ton give a speech here orict, an I wuz dar, but de Niggers made sieh a fuss over hirn I couldn t take in what he said. Asked what he thinks about slavery, now that it is over, he replied: I think it is all right. God intended it. De white folks run de Injuns out, but dey is coniin back tor sh ~ God said. every nation snail go to deir own land fore de end. 1 just jined de church right lately. I had. out de buck when I wuz a young chap, and God has promised us twb plaoe~, heb en an hell. I thinks it wbuld be scandhlrous for anybody to go to hell, so I oide.d. to jine up wid de crowdgoint to heb en. After the interview, he called to a little I~egro boy that had wandered into the hous : Moses ~ ginitae a drink o~ water L Fotch me a ohaw of bacco, Missie done tuck me up de crick, down de branch, now she s a gwine roun . HurryL boy, do as I say, ginune dat water. Nigger chillun, dis day an time; is too lazy to earn deir bread. I wuz sorry to see you come, Missie cause my chest wuz a hurtin so bad, but now I se sorry to see you go. Out of breath, he was silent or a moment, then grinned and said: I wuz just iooidn at de Injun on dis here nickle, you tone gim- me. He looks so happyL Good-bye, Missie, hurry an corne backL You helped dis old Nigger lots, but nay chest sho dc. hurt.

Plantation life as viewed by an ex-slave. 281 278

4 ~ - (-~ 286 Augusta Ave. At~h~ns, Georgia ~ A~j~IE~ED BZ AW ~ .:jrjtten by: Mise Graee MoCune Research Worker Federa , Writers krojeot Athens, Geor~t& Mrs. Sarah H. Hall ~Lditor Federal Athens, ~PA Residency ~o. 6 April 6, 1938 Editei~. by: tYritere Project Georgia

282 279

279 G~R~ Xk ~L!i?* *x~.Slav*, Ag 8? 2S~ Auguata A~e~ ~ Athene, Georgia . The cold, rainy, an4 altcgether disagr~eeabIe weather on U&i outeidi wae ~ soon tox~o tten when the tnt erviewer was admitted to the neat little hoae of Aunt Geor~ta Smith and fountt the old wotn~n. ~Joj~ix~ the cheerful warmth of her blazing fire. Aunt OEeoi~ia &ppea!ed. ~ be quite 1eeble. Shewag not only WtIIifl~, btit eager to. talk of her experiences, and ezpleJned that her slow and rather in~1istInct articulation ja ~ of the several bad after ~ftecte of her ree at strok.s o: paral~ete. . . ~y pappj was BI acks tone Sat th and he b longed to !~ar si Jeb Siiitth. Nj aaamy wa~ Nancy. ~appell, owned by ~i~tue Peggle ~happeIl. $1 st&yed wid Ry M&5I*7Ofl Mistua t~appell e plantatiofl in Og ethorpe Oounty, near old Antioc~h Ohur h. l en I was bout five or. six years oie wy ~mai~xny died. Den ~y pappy doi~s come an got me an t wa 3 to s t~.y wid ta on Mareter ~i th ~s place. Dij waS good to as dar, but 1 warn t satisfied, an I oriect foi Old Liletus. - I d, jee go rouii enlfflin an AGt eatin nUfIIn , an one daj w en us wa~ pickta~ peaches Marster Smith tole my pappy ~ie bettir taie dat ohiI back to her old iuietue, to she dons git sick ter sho .

283 280

MoC~ins Page~-~ 2 sHit was de next iay w en dey ax me did I want to see old ?~istus an I jes cry an say, yaseum. Den Marster say Blacketone, hitch a mule to dat w~u~on, an take d~t ci1ile right back to her Old. ristus. I tell em I can walk, but dey made cie ride in de ~va~on, an I sho was g1~d I was goin back home. $1 seed Old ~A1stus f0 I got dar, an ~ jumped out of ~e agon an run to er . ~i en she seed me, she jes grabbed rue, an I thougjit she was a laughin but when I seed d~t she was cryin , I tole er not to cry, dat I ~v~rn t goin to leave er no rnc~ . Mistus she wac good to me, but ehe was good to all s er nig~ers an dey all loved er. U~ ~tllus had plenny of evYythir)g, 3he riade u~ wear plenny~ of good. warm olo es, an us wo e flannel petticoats when hit was uole weather. Chill~m don t wear nuff c1o ~~ ~ese days to keep em warm, an nuffin on deir legs. Hits a wonder dey doan freeze. 11 diden stay at de ouarter s with de udder n~ggers. ~istus kep me In de big ouse wid er, an I ~iep on a uotton r~ttre~s ~n de ~ by ~ side of er bed. ~ie had a stick dat she used to punch me wi4 w.~ ~n she wannid somepin in de night, an erfen I was hard to wake, she sho could punch wid dat stick. ~ Mistus dicien ever have u~ niggere whipped lessen it j~had to be done. An if us chilluns was bad, fussin an (ightin , Mistus would git er a stick, ~but us would jes run an hide, ~ ~istu~ would forE;it all bout it in jee a little w ile. Ad

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MaCtine P~ge~3 *Marster was dead, an us had a overseer, but he wae ;00d to us jee lak Mistu~ was. Hit wa~ a big old planta.. tion, wid lots of nig~gere. W en de overseer would try to lam de ohilluns to plow an dey did~ri want to lam, dey ;v~u1d jes play roun . Sometir~e8 dey Bnuck off to ne uti.der ~3i~iC O~P de fiel an hunnid for lizards. t~ey would hold a I j iard s h e ~ wid a g ti. ok an spi t bacco j$2 ce In I ~ motif afl turn im loose. De bacco juice would make de lizard runk and he would run rotin ~n roun . Dey would c~otc~h Eflakes, r~:iI1 dem an hang de skins on trees so hit wo~tld rain an dey wouldn t have to ~vuk in de fiel . ~De a~artere was bul lt away f um de big ouse. : ey ~a c?5~b1flc macie of logs an d;el all had dey own gardens whar aey r~ised ~J.1 kincis of vegetablea an allus had plenny of ho~ nieat. ~e cookin was done on a big fireplace ~ in brick ovens. Taters was baked in de ashes, an dey sho was ~ )Od. S 4L~ey had bi~ tlrne8 huntin an fishin ~ de wuk was over. ~y uotch lots of possums, an had bi~ p058U!!1 supoer~. :e p336u:as was X G~St~d with ulenny of tater~, butter an red ~pper. Us ~OU1d eat an dance mo8t of de night w en us ha a posst~a supper. !We raobi te ~ as 83 bad in de garcLens dat dey tuk whi te rags an tied tern on sticks stuck tip in de ground. Rabbits woulden come roun den, cyaze dey wa~ ~~aid of dem white rag~3 !i~in on de atic~k8.

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e) ~ t,~.d( ~ JicCune Page 4 *Migtus b lleved in lookin atter tier nig~ers w en dey waa sick. She would give ein inediethe at horae. ~ndy ~fl tea, made ~v1d ~ houn an ~utterr1y root tea v;ae good ~or worms; dewberry wine, !a~ ~i~e dewberry root tea w~s ~: ood for te stomach ache; sar~on snake root an poplar bark ~ea wae good medicine forc~1es an so e th oats, an w~en you W~J3 ifl pain, de red ~epper bag woUJ~d sh~ help 1ot~ ~oine~ times. Il de homemade ci~iicine c~1d~n cyore er;i, len ~%t8tuS soflt for de doctor. ~ ~1aves .ent to de ~1~ite tolkses chf~h an ~ot u~ tri de ~a11ery. Dey ta.yed all day at uhu oh, an had big dinnerB on ae groun . Dein ~aS sho nough good alnners. Us had. big times on rneetln ciays. Our slaVes h~d prayer rneetth t~iict a week in deir ouarter t~i d ey got roun to all de cabins ~aen dey would start over again. Dey prayed an ~-un~. ~ Il de old songe, ~nd some of em as I me~nber are: Roll Jordan Roll, ~ betL~r ~ md How you ~3t~ep on de Cro3s, ~ Cau9e ~ou ~th G~on er be Mere 1~3flj1,1 Tell de Story Eye an 3ye, All God s Chillune are a ~htherin Home, ~n Re ll ~Tnder~tpx~ Eetter Bye s : ~ Dey re~.1Iy could :;n~ dera old ~ ~:tstus would 1 ~t ~ie ~o to dem cabin prayPr r~ieet1.n ~ an I sho (11(1 enjoy erx~. ~ i~ en ~1~v~ -iled dey jes tuk em off an buried ein. I ~:ioan member em ever havin a funeral, tu iray atter freedom done corne an n1~~ers got dey own ohu ches.

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McCune Page~ b 01 member one night dey had a c~uiltin in de ~uartere. De cuilt was up in de frame, an dey wa~ ail Jee quiltin an1 singin , All God s Chilluns are a Gatherin Home, w en a drunk man wannid to preach, an he jumped up on de c,u.tlt. ~ Hit all fell down on de tb an dey all got fightin mad at im. Dey locked im in de Brnokehouse tu ~ but dey diden nobody tell Mictus nuffin bout lt. Us chillun$ h~d to pick peas; two baBkets full fo ~iinner an two f0 niaht, E~fl~ dey ~ big ba~ets too. I ~uernber dere ~as r. white widow oman what i1vec~ n~-ar our place, an she had two boys. Mi~tu~ let dem boys pick ein sozae peas w en us would be plokin ~n us would run em off, cause us diden lak p0 white trash. But Miwtus made us let ein pick all dey wannid. 01 was bout twelve years old w en freedom come, an was big nough to wait on Mist~s good den. I member how I used to run to de 8prlng wid a little tin bucket w en she ~annid a fresh drink of water. ~1os of de slaves stayed with Mistu8 atter freedom come, cause dey all loved her, an dey diden have no place to go. Mistus red em jes lai she had allus done and paid em a little iioney too. Us diden never have no fussin an fighUn on ow place, an de Ku Klux Klan never come t roun dar, but de niggers had to have a ticket if dey let de place on Sunday. Dat was so de paddyrollera woulden ~~h1p em if dey cotch ein.

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Mo une 284 Page ..~b AU de ntg~ere on de .u~dsr plaes, Called us fx~ee n 1~ger long to freedom oorne, a aaee . w eiden haYs no whippin post, an if auj of us Je. hai to be *dpped, L~istua would aee dat &eywarn t beat ba4 aou~h to lav. no ~tr1pes~ 41My pappi left de oU l3mith plantation, eoon atter he go t 2~ a ~reedom, ~n wen t to Augu~ ta, georgia whar he dt ed in je bout two yeare. . ~ I waked up one m rnin an heered Mietue aakin~ a funny :~ uss. ~3he was tryin to git np an pullin at ber ~ I wa~ p1u~ skeert an I runned atter eo~e of de udder folkaee. Dey ooiw a ~ U31aLfl~ but ehe never did epeak no ao an diden 1i~ but jee a few hours longer. D white folkaee made me go to er tirneral. Dere sho was a big crowd of rolkees dar, oau~e evvybody loved Mietue; ehe wae so good to evvybocly. Dey dn preach long ~o 1; j es prayed an sung Ml etus favorite songs: A~11 God e ~ht11un are a (Mtherln Home an We il Understand Bye an Bye. 1*1 leI de old place not 1c~ng atter Mistue died, ciue hit ~ too 1ones~me dar an I atased her so muoh. I come to town an jas w~kke~i for white folkees. I doan member ali o:f em. ~ut I oatn wuk no mo now, an hit woan be so iOfl~ tu 1 see m,y o:I J~istue again, an den I can etui wait on her, an we woan have to part no mo

Melvin Smith. Ex-slave 96 years. 291 288

Elizabeth Watsou( k p LG~. 7/15/37 ~ ~ . ~ 288~ .~ :i.(I)O.189 i~x ~1ave . . ~ ~JIJVIN SMITH ~ .S ~ Ex Slave 96 Yea,rs . . . ~ ~ Yes m, I show does member all abou~t icy wbite folks an th war cau.se I was twenty-fou.r year oie when th war was over. I was born in 1841 an that xna~es me bout eighty seTen flow, doA t it? Old Smith sat back in his chair witn a smile of satisfaction on hia face. ~ie was seated. on. the narrow porch of his little cabin with the bright su.zi shixie beaming d~owxi u~pon him. Bu,t his bliiid. eyes cou~ld not notice the glare fror~ the sun. His wife and d~aaghter appeared. from arou.n~ the corner of the ho~ise and took their places iiear him to hear again the story that they had. heard many times before. My white folks lived in Beau!ort~ ~ou~th Ca lina~ an that a whar I was born, kelvin continu.eci. My old Misa, I called her Miss Mary, took care of me till I was eight year old.. Then she give me back to in~ ma. Yoa see, it was this a-iaj. ~r ~ au pa was sold. in Bea~fort; I don t know whar they come from before that. V4hen I was oem i~iss Iuiai y took me in ig hoLtse with her an thar I stayed, jest lilce I told you., till I was ei~ht. Old Mies jest wanted me to be iii th room with her an I slep on a pallet right near her oed. In the daytime I played in th yardS an I pick u~p chips for old. 1~iias. Then when I got most big enu.ff o work she give nie back to my ~. Then I live in a cabizi like the rest of tu niggers. Ph qaarters was stretch ed ouSt in a line behind ~iaxse Jim s house. Ever nigger fazn. ly had. a hoase to theysel yea l~e ant ~y pa an ma they name s was Nancy an Henry smith 1 ive in. a cab in with my sisters. They names was Saphronia an Annie. We had. beds in then cabin8 made ou.t of cypress . They looked jest like they do now. Ever body cooked. on fire place. They had pots an boilers that huxi~ over th fire an we pu,t th vittles in thar an they cooked an we et eu. Cou.rse we neyer et so mach in th cabin xnornin th folks all went to th field. ~1a an Pa was fiel hands an cattse ever

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2891 MelTin Smith, xslave. I worked thai? too when I got big enuff. ~iaphronia an Annie, they worked. to th bi~ hoase. All th nigger chillu.n stayed ail day with a worxan that was hired~to take care of them. When asked~ abou.t the ICIncI of food. they ate, Melvin repiiea: We had. enuif for anybo&y. Th vittles wa~ cooked in great bi~ pots over th fire je3t like they was cookin for stock. Peae in thi8 pot, greens in that one. Corn- br cad was ii~ade u~p pat bac~ in. h husks an C ooked in th a8hes . They called that a ash cake. Weil, when ever thing was done th vittles was pou.red. in a trotigh an we all et. We had. spoons cu~t o~t of wood that we et with. Thar wa8 a bi~ lake on th plantation whar we cou~ld fish an they 8how wa8 good when we had. ein for su~pper. Sometimes we go hantin~ an then we bad. possum au squirrel to eat. Th ~O88UZfl8 was best of ail. Melvin was asked to tell something abo~tt his master 8 family. Old. Marster was name Jim Farrell an his wife was 1~iiss i~ary. They had three chiiluxx name ~ riary, Jim an Martha. They live in a big white hoase sot off from th road. boat two an a half mile from Deau.fort. i~iarster was rich I reckon cau.se he had bou~t a sixteen horse farm an a whole hoodle of niggers. If you~ measured ein it would a been several cowpens fu.ll Heap of theni niggers worked in l~arster s hou~se to wait on th white folks. They had a heap of eomp ny so they had to have a heap of ni~gers. Marster was good to his niggers bu.t he had. a overseer that was a mean mai~i. Fie beat th ni~gers so bad. that Ma~ter showed him th road. an told. him to git. Then th~ Boss an his son looked. after tn hands theyselves till they cou.ld~ git another one. That overseer; ~ name was Jimzt~y. Ever xnornin, at foux clock th overseer blowed. a conohshell an ail as niggers knowid it was time to git up an go to work, Sometimes h. blowid a bugle tbat d wake up the ~tion. Ever body worked fron aunup till aUfldOWlt. It we didn t git up when we was . posed to we g~t a butin ~reter d ke sm b~t the part that couldn t be bought. Melvin ehuokld at hie own el,7 way o~ saying that the slaves wire whipped through their clotbes.

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~-i~Ju~ Melvin 3~nit~, ex.~slave. page 3 In the su~~rtIm~~ he continued, We wore shirts that cane down to here.~ Melvin measured to his ank~ In the wintertime we wore heavy jeans over them shirts an bro~n shoes. They made shoes on the plantation but mine was store~ bought. Marster give us eli the vittles an clothes we needed.. He was good to ever body. I member all the po white ti~sb tbat lived near us. ~reter aU .t ime send em meat an breed an help ~ with they crop. Some of em come from Goldeboro, North Ca liM to git a crop whar we lived. They was so sorry they couldn t git no crop whar they come fruit, 80 they moved near us. Sometimes they even come to see the niggeis an et with us. ~e went to see them, too, but we had more to eat than them. They was sorry folks. After a pause, Melvin asked: Did you ever hear how the niggers was sold? Phey wa~put on a stage on th courthouse s~~re an sold kinder like they was stock. The prettiest one got the biggest bid. They said that they was a nmrket in North Ca lina but I nemr,ses d it. The ones I saw ~s jest sold like I told you. Then they went home with they ~ra. If they tried to run away they sont the hounds after th~. Th* dogs would sniff aroui4 an fiI~8t news you knowed they caught them niggers. ~rster e niggers run away sane but they always come beck. They d hear that they could have a better tinie up north so they think t~iey try it. But they found out that they wasn t no easy way to live away from Marster. He always took em back, didn t best em nor nothin I run away once rnya e ! but I never went nowhere . Melvin e bEg body shook with ~laug1iter as he thought of his prank. He shifted in his chair and then begani I was bout sixteen an I took a notion I was grown. So I got under the house right under Marster s dinin room an thar I stayed for three months. Nobody but the cook knowed wbtt I waa~ T~iey was a hole cut in the floor so ever day she lifted the lid an give me something to eat. Ever day I sneaked out an got some wate an wa ked about a bit but I never let nobody see me. I jest got biggety like

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4 ~ . ~ ~ chillun doe8 n~. when I got ready to come out for good I went way round by the barn. axi come up so nobody know whar I been. 01 Misa was standlL in the yard an she spy me an ~y, Jim, she always call. ail us nig~era T1m cause tbat was Marater s name. She sly, J IJI, wk~r you been so long? I say, I been to Mr. Jones s workin. but I don t like the way they treat me. You ail treats me better over her. so I come back home. I say, You ain t gonna whip me is you, Mise? 01 Misa say No I a In t gonna whip you t hie t line but if you do such a thing a~in gonna use all the leather on thu place on you. So I went on bout my business an they never bothered me.* Melvin was asked about the church he attended. To this he repllfd: The niggers had a church in the bush arbor right thar on the place. Preacher Sain Bel . come ever Sunday xnornin at ten clock an we sot tbar an listened to him t ill 1 even t . Then we t ear ~ome an eat our d inner a n lie iound till four 4hirty. We d go back to church an stay bout hour an come home ~or aipp r. The pracher ~a the oi~li est one tIa t could read the Bible. When a nigger joined the church he was baptizd in the creek near the bush arbor. And in s low tone he began to speak the words of the old song though he became somewhat contused. Lord r~nember all Thy dying grosne, And then rezn~ber me. While others fought to win th prizs And sahel tbrougji bloody sea. Through rr~ny dangers toils an e~ree, I have already come. I once was lost but now em found, ~as blind but now I see. I ve knowed that song for a long time. I been a meIl~er of the church for sixty year. When asked about the war, Melvin became somewimt excited. Hs rose feebly to his feet and clasped his walking stick as if it were a gun. I eee d the Yankee sc~Ldiers drill right thar in front of our houas, he said. They d be marchin long this way (Melvii stumblingly took a few steps acrose the Melvin Imith, ex-alave

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Page 5. t~:~,< Melvin Smith, ex- elave porek) an the cap n say, Right an they turn back thie here way. Melvin retraced his steps to illustrate his words. ~CS~ u eay, Aim en!~ they aim.~ He lIfted his stick aM simed. Cap n say, Pire an they firs. I aee d em moe t ever . 01 Ma rst er was a cap n in our arml. I hear big g~e a-boomin all a-time an the eights I did see Streets jest runnin with blood je8t like it was water. Here lay a man on this side with his legs shot off; on that tbar side they was a n~n with his arms shot off. Some ot them never 1~d no head. It was a terrible eight. I wasn t soared cause I knowed they wouldn t hurt me. Them Yankees neger bothered notbin we k~d. I hear ame folks say that they stole they vittles but they never bothered ours cause they had plenty o~ they own. After the war Mareter called us together an say, You is free Sn can go if you want to an I left, so that s ail I know. A few days later a second visit was made to Melvin. This time he was on the inside of his little cabin and was all alone. He came forward, a broad smile on his face when he heard familiar voices. I been thinkin bout wbat I told you an I b lieve that s bout all I member, he said. Then he was asked 1f he r~nembersd any days when the slaves did not have to Yes a, was the r ep .y . W e never worked ou Chri st~s or the Foui th ~ July. Marster aI~aye give us big sacks of ~uit an candy on Christmas an a barbecue the Fourth of July. ~Ve never worked none New Year Day, neither. We jest sot around an et chicken, fish an biscuit. Dunn the weik on Wdnesdsy an Thursday night we had dances an then they wa a a lot of fiddlin an banj o playin e was glad to see d*ys when we never had to w~k cause then we could ele p. It seem like the niggers had to git up soon s they lay down. Marster was good to ue but the overseer was mean. He wan t no po white traeh~ he wae uptodate but he like to beat on niggere.

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OU ) Me1~in Smith, ex-slave Page 8. ~heu asked 1f he has been k~ppier since he was treed, he replisi: In a aen~e the niggers Is better off since freedom come. 01 Mar8ter was good an kind but I like to~be tree to go whar I please. Back then we couldn t go nowbar leS we had a ~*sa. ~Ve don t bave no overseer to bother us now. It ain t that I didn t love my Marster but I jeat likes to be ~ree. ~e8t a8 OOfl as Ma~eter said I didn t b long to nobody no more I left an went to Tallahassee. Mr. Obarlie Pearci come an wanted same k~nds to work In orange grovee ~n fish for him 80 that e wnat i: done. He took a whole crew. While we was down thai Mise Carrie Standard, a white )Ady, had a school for the co1or~ folks. Course, my ol Miss bad done taught me to read an write out of the old blue back Webster but I had done forgot how. Miss Carrie had bout fifteen in her class. I stayed in Tallahassee three years an that s wher I ii~rried the first time. I was j est roz~ncin about an happened to see O~ line Harris so I rried her. That was a year after the war. We never had no pr~cher but after we been goin together for such a long time folks say we n~rried. ~e married jest like the colored folks does now. When I left Tallahassee I moved to another place in Florid*, thirteen mile from Thomaeville, Ga. I stay thar bout thirty-seven year. L4y first wife died an I n~rried another. The second one lived twenty~one year an I married again. The one what s livin now is my third one. In 1905 sh~ h&d a baby that was born with two lower teeth. It never lived but a y~r. In all, I ye had twenty-three chillu*. They most all lives in Florida an I do* t know what they dom or how many chillun they got. I got fo~1r gran -~ohillun livin her~ Melvin was asked to tell what he knew of the Ku Klux Klan. ~e answered: WI don t know nothin bout that. I hear soinethin bout it but I never b lieved in it. I b lieve in h ants, though. I sin t never see d one but I se heald Sn. ~he~ you Palkin long an a twig snaps an you feel like you want to ru* an your legs won t move an your hair feels like it s goin to rise oft your

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~: Melvin Smith, ex-elav Page 7. head, that s a ba nt after you. That aho is the evil spsrrit. An if you ain t good soniethin bad ll happen to you. When asked why he joined the church, he replied: &o many people la tryin to live on flowery beds of ~ee that the world la in a ~amblln position an if it wasn t for the Christian part, the world would be destroyed. They ask God for mercy an He grants it. When they git in trouble they &n send a telegram wire an git relief from on high.

Plantation life as viewed by ex-slave Nancy Smith. 298 295

295 . ~ ~. :~i~ ~ :L ~)L~~~L( PL~NTATION~ LI ~ as viewed by ~x S1ave NANCY SMIflI 129 Plum Street Athens, Georgia Written by: Edited by~ Grace MeOune i~thens - Sarah H. Hall Athens and John N. Booth District Su~pervisor Federal Writers Project :~tesidencies 6 & 7.

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~L;(JI27 29G th~NCY SMITH i~x.-S1ave - About 80 Years Old. Nancy Smith v as in. bed when the interviewer called. The aged Negress appeared to be quite feeble but, even though she was alone in the house, her I~ead was tied up in a snowy white cloth and the sickroom was neat and clean. The bowl of fresh flowers on her bedside table wae no gayer than Nancy s cheerful chuckle as she repeated the doctor s instructions that she must stay in bed becau2e of a weak heart. Lawsy Chile,1 she said, ~ ain t dead yit. t Nancy stated that the grandson who lives with her has been pre.paring . breakfast and cleaning the room since she has been bedridden, and that a niece who lives nearby conies in occasionally during the day to look after her. Asked if she felt strong enough to talk about the old planta t,ion days, she answered: ~I jUs loves to talk bout old times, and I spends a lot of dis lonesome time here by myself ju& a studyin bout dem days. &it now listen, Chile, and understand dis. I warn t no plantation Negro. Our white folks was town folks, dey was. My Mammy and Daddy was J~4~aand Jack Canton. Dey belonged to old Marster, Dr. Joe Canton, ~ and us lived right here in town in abig white house dat had~a upstairs arid a downstairs in it. Our house .- ~ stood right whar de courthouse is now. Marster had all dat square and his nother, Mist ess3essiecarlton, lived on de square de other side of Marse Joe s. His office was on de corner whar de Georgia (Georgian) Hotel i~s now, and his hoss stable was right whar de Cain s

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)( 1 ,) . . Page 2~ ~d~LJ( board i~n hou s e I s Ho ne y you j u ough t t o have ~e e d. Marse To e s hos.sstable for it sho was a big one. ttNo Mam, I don t know tzactly how old I is. I was born t fore- de war, and Marse Joe kept de records of all of us and evvything, but somehow dem books got lost. Folks said I was tbout de age of Marse Joe s son, Dr. Willie . I~rster had thre e boys : Dr. Joe, Jr., Dr. Willie, and Dr. Jimmie, and dere was one little Mist ess. She was Miss Julia. Us all played round in de yard together. ~ Daddy, he was de car iage driver. He driv Marse Joe round, cept when Mist ess wanted to go soniewhar. ~ Den Daddy driv- de coach. for her, and Marse Joe lets another boy go wid him. ~De biggest, bestest fireplace up at de big house was in de kitchen whar Mammy done de cookin . It had a great wide hearth wid. four big swingin racks and four big old pots. Two of de ovens was big and two was little. flat was better cookin rangements and fixin s dan riost of de other white folks in dis town h~d den. When dat fire got good and hot and dere was plenty ~f ashes, den ~1ammy started cookin ashcaJ esand taters. One of Marxmay s good ashroasted taters would be awful good right now wid some of dat good old home~made butter to go wid it. Marster allus kept jus barrels and barre is of good old home -made ~ cause he said dat was what made slave chilluns grow fast and be strong. ~1olks don t know how to have plenty of good things to eat lak us had den. Tus think of Marse Joe s big old plantation down nigh de Georgia t~ai1road whar he rai sed our sornep in t eat : vege table a sich as green c orn,

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. . Page 3. taters, cabbages, onions, couards,. turnip greens, beans, peas more dan I could th inIc uj~ all da1y - and dere was plenty of wheat, rye an d c orn f or ou r bread. 1Out dar de pastur s was full of cows, hogs and sheej, and dey raibed lots of chickens and turkeys on dat farm.. Dey clipped wool from den sheep to weave wid de cotton when dey made ClOth for our winter clothes. t Marster had aosrerseer to look atter his plantation, but us chi hun in t own sho ly ci Id love to be lowed t o go wi.d him or WhO ever went out dar when dey needed sornepint at de big house from de f&~rin. Jey needed us to open and shut gates and run errands, and whilest dey was gittin up what was to be took back to town, us would run round eseln evvything us could. Roney, de clothes us wore den warnt t lak what folks has now. Little gals jus wore slips cut all in one piece, and ooys didn t wear nothint but long shirts tu dey was oig enough to wuk in de fields. J~.t was siinrnertime clothes. In winter, dey give us plenty of warm clothes wid flannel petticoats and brass-toed shpes. Grown up Negroes had dresses what was made wid waisties and skirts sewed together. Dey had a few gathers in de skirts, but not many. De men ~1vore ~ to hold em ui. White folks h~id lots betL3r clothes. Mistt~53t dre9ses had full, ruffled skirts and, no foolin her clothes was sho ly pretty. De white men folks ~Tore .lain britches, but dey had bright coloredcoats ~ vests dat warn t lak de vests de ~en wears now. Dem vests was more lak fancy ~oato d~t didn t have no slee ~. Some folks c;~,1led em t~ie~~cOatst 7 hite chillun never had no special clothes for ~unday.

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. Pag 4 299 ~Miss Julia used to make me sweep de yard wid a little brushbroorn and I had to wear ~ den to keep dust out of my hair. Dat bonnet was ruffled round de front and had staves to hold de brim stiff, but in de back it didn t have no ruffle; jus de bottom of de crown what us called de bonnet tail. Dem bonnets looked good enough in front but mighty bob-~tailed in ~ie back. Dey used to have big tracted meetin s in Pierce s Chapel nigh Foundry S tre e t and Hanc ock Avenue and u~ wa~ allu s glad for dem meetint times to come. Through de week dey preached at night, but when Sunday corne it was all day long and dinner on de ground. Pierce s Chapel wa~ a old fashioned place, but you forgot all bout dat when Brother Thomas got in de pulpit and preached dem old time ~iermons bout how de devil gwine to git you if you don t repent and be washed in de blood of de Iamb. De call to corne up to de mourner 8 ii2~ .ch brought dem Negroes jus rollin over one another in de citer~ent. Soon dey got happy and dere was shoutin all over de ~lace. . Some of em jus fell out. Then de tracted meetin closed and de baptizin dey corne, dat was de happiest time of all. Most of de tine dore was a big crowd for Brother Thomas to lead down into de river, and den Negroes riz up out of de water a-singin : Lord~I m cornin ~ Wharde Hea ~in WatersP1g~, ~p~l~ord~n Roll, Ali God s ~ and sich lak. You jus know~d dey was happy. *No I~.m, I don t member much bout folks dyin in dem days cause I never did love to go round dead folks. D~ first corpse I ever seed was ~trse Joe s boy, yFoung ~rse flinuiy. I was skeered to go

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Page 5. in dat room tu i had done seed him so peaceful lak and still in dat pretty white casket. It was a sho nough caske~t, a mighty nice one; not lak dem old hoine~n~ade coffins most folks was buried in. Harnp Thomas, a colored man dat lived right below us,inade coffins for white folks and slaves too. Some of dem coffins was right nice. Jey was made out of j4ne mostly, and sometimes ht~ painted em and put a ~ nice 1mm over cotton paddin . Dat made tern look better dan de rough boxes de porest folks was bui~ied in. Manmiy said dat when slaves died out on de plantation dey wrop~d de oman~ in windin sheets and laid ein on coolin boards tu de coffins was made. ~ey jut a suit of homesjun~lothes on de mens when dey laid em out. Dey jus had a prayer when dey buried plantation slaves, but when de crops was laid by, maybe a long time Satter de burial, dey would have~ a white rrian come preachafun ral sermon and de folks would all sing: Harps Jflark)FromDeTomb and Calli n God sChillunHome. ~ Dere warn t no patterollers in town, but slaves had to have passes if dey was out atter 9:00 o clock at night or de town marshal would jut a fine on ~ em if dey couldn t show no pass. ttDe fust I knowed bout de war was whe n Marse ~ brother, Marse Bennie Canton, left wid de other sojers and pretty soon he got :cilt. I wa~ littla den, and it was de fust time I had ever seed our Mist ess cry. She just walked u~pan~1 down in de yard a- wringin her hands and cryin . Poor Benny s been killed, sne would say over and over. When dem yankee sojers come, us warn t much skeered cause Marse Joe had done told us all bout ein and said to spect em fore

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Page 6. 30.1 long. Sho nough, one day dey come a-lopin up in Marse Joe .s yard. J)ey had dem old blue uni forms on and evvy one of ein had a t in can and a sack tied to his saddle. Marster told us dey kept drinkint water in dem cans and dey called em canteens. De sacks was to carry deli victuals in. Dem fellows went all through out big house and stolewhatever dey wanted. Dey got all of L ist ess best silver t cause us didn t have no time to hide it atter us knovied dey was nigh round de place. Dey tuk all de somepin t eat dare was in de oig house. When dey had done et all dey wanted and ti c evvything else dey could carry off, dey called us Negroes uj~ ~ fore deir captain, and he said all of us was free and could go any time arid anywhar us wanted to go. Dey left, and us never seed em in dat yard no core. Marse Joe said all of us dat wanted to could stay on wid him. None of us had no1~7har else to ~o and ~ sides nobody wanted to go nowhar else, so eiriry one of Marse Joe s Negroes stayed right on wid him dat next year. Us war n t 5k6 e re d of d e rn Kiuxe rs ( Ku Klux Klan ) he re in t own bu t dey Was right bad out on de plantations. ~ B~out de time I was old enough to go to school, Daddy nioved away from Marse Joets. U~ went over to de other side of de river nigh whar de oldcheck mill is. Dey had made guns dar durint de war, and us chillun used to go and look all t1i~rough dat old mill house. Us played long de river banks and went SWilflmifl ~fl de river. Dem was de good old days, but us never realized it den. II never went to school rrnich, cause I jus couldn t seem to lam nothint Our teachers said I didn t have no talent for book lamm . School was taught in Pierce s Chapel by a Negro man named

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Page 7 . 3(J2 Randolph, and he sho ly did make kids toe de mark. You . had better know dein lessons or you was gwine to git fanned out and have to stay in atter school. Us got out of school evvy day at 2:00 o clock. Dat was cause us was town chillun. I was glad I didn t live in de country cause country schools kept de chillun all clay long. It was sort of funny t1o be able to walk out and go in town whenever us wanted to widout gi. tUn Marster s consent, but dere warn t nothint much to go to to~vin for less you wanted to buy sornepin. ~ A few stores, mostly on ~road Street, de Town Hall, and de Fire Flail was de place s us headed for. Us did love to hang round whar dat fire engine was, tcause when a fire broke out evvybody went, jus evvybody. yolks would form lines fr~xrx de nearest c~ieterns and wells and pass dem buckets of water on from one to another tu dey got to de man nighest de fire. Soon as I was big enough, I went to wuk for white folks. Dey never paid me much in cash money, but things was so much cheaper dan now dat you could take a little cash and buy lots of things. wukked a long time for a yankee fambly nan~ed Palmer dat lived on Oconee Street right below de old Michael house, jus fore you go down de hill. ~Dey ha)d two or three ~hillun and I ain t never gwine to forgit de day dat little Miss Eunice was runnin and playin in de kitchen and fell gainst de hot stove. All cf us was skeered most to death tcause j~t did seem den lak her face was plurno ruint, and for days folks was most sho she was gwine to die. ~ttter a long, long time Miss Bunice gotwell and growed up to be a fine school teacher. Some of dem scars still shows on her face.

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Page 8. ~ 303 ~M and Sain Smith got married when I was 17. No Chile, us didn t waste no money on a big weddin but I did have a rigb.t pretty weddin dress. It was nice and new and was made out of white silk. My sister was a~ ~cookin for Mrs. White at dat time, and dey had a fine two-room kitchen in de back yard set off from de ~ig huuse. 3~r sister lived in one of dein rooms and cooked for de Whites in de other one. Mrs. White let us git rriarried in her nice big kitchen and all de white folks come out from de. big house to see Brother Thomas tie de knot for us. Den nie and Sain built dis very s~ne house whar you is a-settin and I done been livin here ever since. t~Ts was li7in right here when dey put on dem fust new streetcars. Little bitty mules Lulled tern long and sometimes dey had a right hard time draggin dem big ol~ cars through mud and bad weather. Now and den dey got too~frisky and run away; dat was when dem cars would rock and roll and you wished you could g t off and walk. Most of de time dem little mules done good and us was jus crazy bout ridin on de streetcars. When Nancy tired of talking she tactfully remarked: I spects I ~ietter g t quiet and rest now lak de doctor ordered, out I m mighty glad you conie, and I h~.pes you ll be back again fore long. Most folks don t take up no time wid old wore-.out Negroes. Good-~bye, Missy. . s s s . s s I I I

Plantation life as viewed by ex-slave Nellie Smith. 307 304

PLANTATION LIFE AS VIEWED BY EX-SLAVE NELLIE SMITh ~6O W. hancock ~.venue Athens, Georgia Written by: Miss Grace Athens - McCune Edited by:Mrs. Sarah Athens - H. Hall and ;Tc~hn N. Booth District Supervisor Federal Writers Project Residencies 6 & 7 Augusta, Georgia September 2, 1938 ~: J00218

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N~ELLIE SMITH ~ Ex-Slave - ~ge78. Large pecan trees Shalel the small, well-kept yard. that led to Nellie Smith s five-room frame house. The front porch of her v~hite cottage was almost obscured by a white cloud of fragrant clematis i~n full blossom, and the yard was filled with roses and other flowers. small mulatto woman set in the porch swing, a walking stick across her lap. Her straight, white hair was done in a prim coil low on the neck, and her print dress and white apron were clean and neat. In answer to the visitor s inquiry, she smiled and said: This is Nellie ~niith. ~ on t you come in out of the hot sun? I just knows you is plumb tuckered out. Walkin around in this hot weather is goin to make you sick if you don t be mighty careful. Scuse me for not gittin up. I can t hardly make it by myself since I fell and got hurt so bad. My arm was broke and it looks lak my old back never will stop liurtin no more. Our doctor says I ll have to stay bandaged up this way two or three weeks longer, but I spects that s on account of my a ~e. You know old folks bones don t knit and. heal quick lak young folks and, jus let rae tell you, I ve done been around here a mighty long~ time. Are you comfortable, Child? Wouldn t you lak to have a glass of water? I ll call my daughter; she s back in the kitchen. Nellie rapped heavily on the floor with her walking stick, end a tall, stout, mulatto in a freshly laundered house frock made her appeerance. This is ray daughter, Arnanda, said Mellie, and, ~ I ~ titiO

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addressing her oft-spring, she continued: Bring this lady a drink of water. She needs it after walkin way out here in this hot sun. Ice tinkled in the glass that the smiling Amande offered ~ as she in quired solicitously if there was anything else she could do. Azaanda 500 1 went back to her work and Nellie began her narrative. Lordy, Lioney, them days when I was a hiid, is so f8r back that I don t s pect I can tmeinber much bout ein. I does love to t a 1k abo ut t hera t j me s but t h re a I n t ma ny to lks wha t kee rs anything bout listening to us old folks these days. If you don t mind we ll go to my room where it ll be more comfortable. Ainanda appeared again, helped i~iellie to her room, and placed her in a large chair with pillows to support the broken arm. ~anda laughed happily when she noticed her mother s enthusiasm tor the opportunity to relate her life story. Mother likes that, she said, and I m so glad. you asked her to talk about those old times she thinks so much about. I ll be right back in the kitchen ironing; if you want anything, just call me. . . Nellie now began again: I was born right near where the Coordinate kollege is now; it was theold /~Teirplaee then. I don t know nothin bout my Daddy, but my Mother s neue was Harriet ~eir, was and she/owned by ~4arster J ack ~eir. He~ had a great big old planta- tion then and the homeplace is still standin but it has been improved and changed so much that it don t look lak the same house. As Marse ~Iack s Sons married off he give each one of em ahoine and two slaves, but he never did sell none ~f his slaves, and he told. them boys they better not never sell none neither. . Page E. ~Lfl)U

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tJ?IJ 1 Page 3. *Slaves slept In log cabins what had. rock chimblies at the end. The rocks was put together with red clay. ~Al1 the slaves was fed at the big house kitchen. The fireplace, where tney done the cookin , was so big it went mostecross one end of that big old kit~ ~ cben. It had long swingin cranes to hang the pots on, ~nd there was so !fl&fl~ folks to cook for at one time that often there was five or six pots over the fire at the same time. Them pots was large too ~ not lak the little cookin vessels we use these days. For trie bakin , they had all sizes of ovens. Now Child. let ~T~e tell YOU, that was good ~ ~ eatin . Folks. don t take time enough to cook right now; They are al~ ;~ys in too big e hurry to be dom something else and don t cook things long enough. Bac} in dem days they put the vegetables on to cook early in the morniii and biled ein tu they was good and done. lue biggest dlffunce I see is that folks didn t git sick and stay sick with stomach troubles then half as much as they does~now. When ~y grandma took ~ ~ out of one of them old ovens it would be brown ~rid juicy, with lots of rich, brown gravy. ~ and browned in the pan with it would taste mi4ity fine too. With some of ~er good biscuits, that roast meat, brown gravy, and potatoes, you had food good enougn for anybody. I just wish I could taste some more of it one more time bef~re I die. ~ Why, Child, two of the best cake-~makers I ever knew used thera old ovens for bakin the finest kinds of pound cakes and fruit cakes, snd evvyhody knows them cakes was the hardest kinds to bake we had 1h them days. Aunt ~etsey Cole was a great cake~baker then. She belonged to the Eulls, what lived off down below here

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Page 4. 3()8 somewhere but, when there was to be a big weddin or some tspecially important dinner in Athens, folks most always sent for Aunt Betsey to bake the cakes. Aunt Laura I~cCrary was a great eake~k~ too; she baked the cake for President Taft when he was entertained at Mrs. Maggie Jelch s home here. In them days you didn t have to be runnin to the store evvy time you wanted to cook a extra good meal; folks raised evvything they needed right there at home. They had all the kinds of vegetables they knowed about then in their own gardens, and there ~ras ~ ~vvy big plantation raised its own cows for plenty ofmilkand. but~~, as well as lot~ofbeeL cattle, hogs, goats, and sheep. Most all of e~ had droves o~ chickens, geese, and turkeys, and on our place there were lots of peafowis. When it was goin to rain them old peafowls set up a big holler. I never knew rain to fail after them peafowis started their racket. - All our clothes and shoes was honie-niade, and I mean by that they growed the c ~tton, wool, end cattle and made the cloth a;nd leather on the plantation. Summer clothes was made of cotton homespun, and cotton and wool was wove together for winter clothin . Marse Jack owned a man what he kept there to do nothin but make shoes. E1e had another slave to do all ~ and to make all the coffins for the folks that died on the plantation. That same carpenter ruade most all the beds tne white folks and us slaves slept on. Them old beds - they called ?&em teesters ~ had cords for springs;

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. Page 5. nobody never heard of no metal springs tIa~m days. They just wove them cords criss-~cross, from one side to the other and from head to toot. 1tflaen they stretched and sagged they was tightened up,wlth keys what was made for that purposes . ttTust look at my room, Nellie laughed. I saw you lookin at my bed. It was made at ~ood s Furniture Shop, right here in 4thens, and I ve ha~c it ever since I ~ot married the first time. Take a good. look at it, for there ain t many lak it left. Nellie s pride in her attractively furnished roomwas evident as she told of many offers she has had for this furniture, but she added: I want to keep it all here to use myself jus as long as I live. Shucks, I done got plumb off from what I was tellint you jus ravin bout ~y old furniture nd things. ~ ~ My Mother died when I was jus a little girl and she s buried in the old faniily grcveyard on the ~~eir place, but there ~re several other slaves buried there and I don t know which grave is hers. Grendma raised me, and I w~s jus gittin big enough to handle that old peafowl-tail fly brush they used to keep the flies off the we table when/were set free. It wasn t long after t~e nar wnen the Yankees come to Athens. Folks had to bury or hide evvything they could, for them Yankees jUS took anything they could git their hands on, specially cyod food. They wou lci cetch up other folks chickens and take hams from the smokehouses, and ti.~ey jus laughed in folks faces if they said anything bout it. They camred in the woods here on Hancock ~venue, but of course it wasn t settled then lak it is flOw. I was

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. ~ Page 6. 31() mighty scared of them Yankees and they didn t I~k nie neither. One of ein called me a little white-headed devil. One of my aunts worked for a north ~rn lady that. they c~11ed Mr~.Meeker, who lived wherethe old ~arrow home is now. Evvy summer when she went back up North she would leave ~y aunt and uncle to take care of her place. It was right close to the Yankees caxap, and the soldiers made niy aunt cook for them sometimes. I was livin with her then, and I wa~ so scared of ein that I stayed right by her. She never had to worry bout where I was them days, for I was right by her side as long as the Yankees was hangin round athens. My uncle used to say that he had seen theni Yankees ride to places and shoot down turkeys, then make the folks that owned them turkeys cook and serve ena. Folks us d to talk lots bout the Yankees stoppin a whit e - oman on the street and t akin he r earrings right out of her ears to put em on a Negro- onian; I never saw that, I jus heard it. . After the war was over ~rand~abough~gne of the oldslaveca~p~!rona ~arse Jack and we lived there for a long time; then we moved out to ROOk ~pring. I was about eight or nine years old then, and they found out I was a regular tomboy. The woods was ail round Rock 5prin~ then, and I did have a big time clirnbint them trees. I jus fai~rly lived in em dunn the daytime, but when dark come I wanted to be as close to ~randpe as I could git. ~One time, dunn those days at hock Spring, I wanted to go to a Fourth of 3u1y celebration. Those celebrations was mighty rough them days and Grandpa didn t think that would be a good place

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Page 7. 311 for a decent little girl, so he didn t want nie to go. I cried and hollered and cut up something awful. Grandma told him to give me a go~ d thrashin but Grandpa didn t lak to do that, so he promised me I could go to ride if I wouldn t go to that celebration. That jus,! tickled rae to death, for I did lek to ride. Grandpa had two young mules what was still wild, and when he said I could ride one of em Grandma tried herd to keep me off of it, for she said that critter would be sure to kill me, but i was so crazy to go that nobody couldn t tell me nothint. Auntie lent me her domino coat to wear l or a ridin habit and I sneaked and slipped a pair of spurs, then Grandpa put a saddle on the critter and helped rae to git up on him. I used them Spurs, and then I really went to ride. That mule showed his heels straight through them woods and way on out in the country. I couldn t stop him, so I ~jus kept on kickin him with them spurs and didn t have sense to know that was what was raakin him run. I thou~tthem spurs was to make h~m mind rae, and all the time I was laxnmin him with the sours I was hollerin : Stops Oh, Stops When I ~ot to wnere I was too scared to kick him with the spursor do nothin cept hang on to that saddle, that young mule quit his runnin end trotted home as nice and peaceable as you please. I never did have no more use for spurs. &randpa used to send me to Phinizy sxuill to have corn and wheat g~round. It would take all dey long, so they let me teke a lunch with me,. and 1 al~iays had the best sort of time when I went to mill. Uncle Ishem run the mill then and h would let rue think I was helpin him. Then, vmile he helped me eat my lunch, he w:uld call me his lit tie tomboy gal and wo Id tell me about the things he used to do when he was bout my age.

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. Page 8. ~ ~ . ~My first shoolin wa5 in old Pierce s 0hapel that set right spang in the m1d~ie of ~ancock Avenue at Found y Street. Our teacher was a Yankee man, and we were mighty su~rpr1sed to find out ~ - ~ ~ ~ ~$ ~-*- that he wasn t very hard. on us. We had to do something real bad to git a whippin b t when we talked or was late gittin to school we had to ~t and up In the back of the schoolrooni end hold up one hand. Pierce s chapel was where the colored folks had preachi then preachin on Sunday and teachin on week days, aU in the saine builciin , A long time before then it hadbeen the white folks church, and Preacher Pierce was th~ first one to preach there after it was built, so they named it 1~or him. When the white folks built them a new church they gav the old chapel to the colored folks, and, E ney, there was sosie real preaehin dor~e in that old ~1ace. Me, I was a Methodist, but I was baptized just lak the Baptists was doivn there in the Oconee River. Me and my first husband was too young to know what we was dom when we ~ot marri d, but our folks give us a grand big weddin I think ~y weddin cake was bout the biggest one I ever saw baked in one of them old ovens in the open fireplace. They iced it in white and decorated it with grapes. A shoat was cooked whole % and brought to the table with a blg red apple in his mouth. You know a shoat ain t nothin but a young hog that s done ~ot bigger than a little pig. We had chicken and pies and jus evvything good that went to make up a fine weddin supper. ~ Our l took pla ce at night and I wore a white dress made with a tight-fittin waist and a lon , full skirt that was

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. Page 9. OIt jus. covered with ruffles. My sleeves was tight at the wrists but puffed at the shoulders, and niy 1on~ ve 1 of ~ aite net was fastened to ray head. with pretty flowers. I was a mighty dres~ed up bride. The bridegroom ~re a real dark-colored cutaway coat with a white vest. We did have a awell weddin and supper but there wasn t no i cause we was all good church folks. We was so young we jus started out havin a good time and didn t miss nothin that nieant fun and frolic. We was raighty much in love with each other too. It didn t seem. long before we had three children, and then one night he was taken sick all of a sudden end didn t live but a little while. Soon as he was taken sick I sent for the doctor, but my husband told me then he was dyin fast and that he wasn t ready to die. He said: Nellie, here we is with these three little children and neither one of us had been fit to raise em. Now I ve got to leave you and you w1111 have to raise oneof em, but the other two will come right on after me. ?or several moments Nellie was still and quiet; then she raised her head and said: Honey, it was jus~ lak he said it would be. He was gone in jus a little while and it wasn t two weeks fore the two youngest children was gone lak their daddy.I.wo:rried lots after my husband ~nd babies was taken. I wanted to be savedto raise my little girl right and~ I was too proud to let anyb ody know how troubled I was or what it was all about, so I kept it to myself. I lost weight, I couldn t sleep, and was ju~s dyin away with sin. I would go to church but that didn t git me no relief.

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. Page 10. 311 One day a dear, good. white lady sent for rae to corne to the hotel where she was stayin . She had been a rni~hty good friend to rue for a long, long tune, and I had all the faith in the. world in her. She told nie that she had a good job for me and wanted me to take it because it would let me keep my little girl with me. She said her best friend s maid had died and this friend of hers needed someone to work for her. I want you to go there end work for her, said the white lady, for she will be good to you and your child. I ve already talked with her about it. ni took her advice and went to work for Mrs. R. L. Bloomfield whose husband operated the old check mill. Honey, Mrs. Bloomfield was one of ~od. s children and one of the best folks I have ever known. Right away she told her cook: Arnanda, look after Nellie good cause she s too thin. It wasn t long before Mrs. ~1oomfie1d handed me a note and told me t take it to Dr. (.arlton. When he read it he laughed and said Come on Nellie, I ve got to see what s wrong with you. I tried to tell him I wasn t sick, but he examined nie all over, then called to see Mrs. iloomfield and told her that I didn t need nothin hut plenty of rest and to eat enough good food. Bless her dear o 4 heart, she done evvyt~hing she could for me, but there wasn t no medicine, rest, or food that could help trie trouble that was wearin nie down then. Soon they started a revival at our church. One night I wanted to go, but Aunt ~inanda begged nie not to, for she said I needed to go to bed and rest; later she said she would go along with me to hear that preachin . Honey, I never will forgit that night.

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Page 11, 315 The text of the se r~on was: Corne untome, ail you weary an~ heavy laden, and I Will g~iveyou rest. When they began cal.iin tt~e mourners to come up to the mourners bench something Beeined to be jus a-pulIin me In that direction, but I was too proud to go. I didntt think the I ever could go to no mourners bench or shout. After a while they started singin A1tnostPersuaded~, and I coulthi t wait; I jus got up and. run to that blessed mourners bench and I prayed there. Honey,I shouted too, for I found the Blessed Lord that very night and I ve kept Hirn right With rae ever since. I don t aim to lose Hirn no more. Aunt Amande was most nigh happy as I was and, fi~ra that night when the burden was lifted from my heart, I begun gittin better. ~ ~ . I worked on for Mrs. Blooi~ ie1d tU I got married again, 8nd then I quit work cept for nursln s1e~ks n w and tken. I raade good money nursin and kept that up ~ti1 I got too old to work out s id e ni~y own family. My second husband was Scott Smith. We didn t have no big,. fancy weddin for I had done been married and. had. all the trimmin s one time. We jus had a nice quiet weddin with a few close friends and kinfoiks invited. I had on a very pretty, plain, waite dress. % Again I was blessed with a good husband. Scott fixed up that nice niantelpieoe you see in this room for nie, and he was mighty handy about the house; he loved to keep things repaired and in order. Best of all, he was jus as good to my little girl as he was to the girl and boy that were born to us later. All three of my children are grown and. married now, and they are mighty good to their old mother. One of my daugLLters lives in New York.

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Page 12. 316 Soon after we married, we moved in. a big old. house called the old. White place that was jus around the corner from here on Pope street. People said it was haunted, and we could hear something walkin up and down the stairs that sounded lak folks. To keep em froni hein so scared, I used to try to make the others believe it was jus our big Newfoundland dog, but one night ray sister heard it. She got up and found the dog lyin sound asleep on.the l ront porch, so lt was up to me to find out what it was. I walked up the stairs without seem a thing, but, iioney, when I put ray foot on that top step such a feelin come over me as -~- had never had before in all my life. My body trembled tu I h~d to hold tight to the stair-rail to keep from. fallin , and 1 felt the hair risint up all over my head. ~7hile it seemed like hciurs before was able to move, it was really only a very few seconds. I went down those stairs In a hurry and, that fromjnight to this day, I have never hunted ghosts no more and I don t aim to do it again, never. I ve been here a long tir~ie, ~oney. When them first street lights was put up and lit, Athens was still mostly woods. 12hem old street lights would be funny to you now, but they was great things to us then, even if they wasn t nothin but little lanterns what burned plain old lamp-oil hung out on posts. The Old Town Hall was standin then right in the middle of Market (Washington) Street, between Lumpkin and Pulaski ~treets~ The lowest floor was the jail, md pert of the ground floor was the old market place. Upstairs was the big hail where they held e ~urt, and that was where they had so many fine ShOWS. ~Thenever any white folks had a big speech to make they ~~ent to that bi~ old room upstairs in Town hail end spoke it to the crowd.

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. Page :L~. 317 Tofl is. too young to rerneniber them first streetcars what W8$ pulled by 1itt1~ bit~TexasntuIes with bells around their necks. Hearing them bells. was sweet music to uswhen they nieant we was goin to git a ride on them streetcars. Some tolkswas too precise to say streetcars ; they said horsecars , but them horse cars was pulled through the streets by mules, so what s the dlffunce? Sometimes them little mules would mire up so ~deep in the mud they would have to b pulled out and sometim s wien they was feelin sassy arid good, they would jus up and run away with them streetcars. Them little critters could git the worst tangled up in them. lines. Here Nellie laughed heartily. ~8ometimes they would even try to climb inside the cars. It was lots of fun ridin them cars,. for you never did know what was. g in to happen before you got back home, but I never heard of no real bad streetcar accidents here.~ Nellie now began juiaping erratically from one subject to another. Did you notice my pretty flowers and ferns on the front porch? she asked. I jus know you didn t ~guess what I niade them two hangin baskets out of. Them s the helmets that my son and my son-in-.~iaw wore When they was fightin in the World War. I puts ay nicest flowers iTh rem evvy year as a so~ ~ of memorial to the ones that didn ~t git to fetch their helrn~et~back home. Yes Mam, I had two stars on my service flag and while I hated mighty bad. that there had to be war, I wanted my family to do their part. honey, old Nellie is gittin a little tired, but jus you listen to this: I went to meetin one night to hear the first oman preacher that ever had held. a rneetin in thia town. She was

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Page 14. 318 i to preach at a place out on Rock Spring Street and there was more folks there than could git inside that little old weatherboarded house. rhe place was packed and janir~ed, but me and scott niana~ed to git in. When I saw an old Eardshell Baptist friend of mine in there, I asked her how come she was at this kind. of meetin . Curiosity, my child, she said, jus plain old curiosity. The oman got up to preach and, out of pure devilment, somebody on the outside hollered: The house is Lahm down. Now ~hi1d, I know lt ain t right to laugh at preachin s of any sort, but that was one funny scene. Evvybody was tryin to git out at one tirn.e; such cryin , orayin , and testifyin to the Lord I ain t never heard before. The crowd jus went plumb crazy with fright. I was pushed down. and trampled over in the rush before scott could git me out ; they mighty near killed me. The old women stopped ~nd laughed until the tears streamed down her face. You know, ~ oney, she said, -when she could control her voice sufficiently to resume her story, Niggers ain t got no sense at all when they gits scared. When they throwed one gal out of a window, she calle d out : Thank you, Lord for the poor thing thought the Lord. was savin her from a fallin buildin . Poor old Martha Holbrook,! ~ The sentence was nob finished until Nellie s almost hysterical giggles had attracted her daughter who came to see if something was wrong- Martha Holbrook, Nellie repeated, was clim.bin backwards out of a window and her clothes got fastened on a nail. She slipped on down and there she was with her legs kickin around on the outside and the rest of her m.uffled up in her clothes.

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I~age 15. It looked lak her clothes was jus goin to peel off ovrer her head. It took the rnenfolks a long time to git her uncaught and out of that predicament in the window. Pretty soon the folks be gan to come to their senses and they found there wasn t nothin wrong with the house cept that some doors and. windows had been torn out by the crowd. They sho did. git mad, but nobody seenied to know who started that ruotion. My old Hardshell Baptist friend came up then and said: Curiosity brought us here, and curiosity like to have killed the oat. Seeing that Nellie was tired, the vi$itorprepared to leave. Goodbye and ~od bless you, were the old worriants farewell words. At the fr nt door Amanda said: I haven t heard my Mother laugh that way in a long, long time, and I just know she is goin to feel more cheerful after this. Thank you for givin her this pleasure, and I hope you can corne back again. 4 .~) rL:~ ) ~f (1 t~i j

Ex-slave interview with Paul Smith. 323 320

4 ~~() r ;: ~p ~ .j ~ EX-SI~A VE INTERVIEW with ~~rrr C~T~T ~ L)~ 429 Chine Str et Athens, ueor~ia ritten by: i~dited by: Miss ~race ~cCune ~thens Mrs. ~arah U. ~ial1 ~t1~ens Mrs. Le.i1~i i~iarris Augusta - and John IL iooth District 3upervisor ~edera1 writers Project i~esidencies 6 & 7 Augusta georgia.

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~(i ~ ~ I q Paul Smith Ex-Slave, Age 74 429 China Street Athens, Georgia Paul Smith s house 5tands on China Street, a narrow rutted alley deriving its name from the large chinaberry tree that stands at one end or the alley. Large water oaks furnish ample shade for the tidy yard where an old. well,whose bucket hanging from a rickety windlass trame, was supplying water for two Negro woni~n, who were leaning over washtubs. As they rubbed the clothes against th~ washboards, their arias kept time to the chant of Lord. 1~e Coniin Horne. Paul and two Negro men, barefooted and dressed in overalls rolled to their knees, were taking their ease under the largest tree, and two small mulatto children were frolicking about with a kitten. As the visitor approached, the young men leaped to their feet and hasten3d to offer a chair and Paul said.: Howdy-do, Missy, how is you? Won t you have a cheer and rest? I knows you is tired plumb out. Dis old sun is too hot for folkses to be walkin round out doors, Turning to one of the boys he continued: Son, run and fetch Missy soxae fresh water; dat ll make her feel better. JUS how far is you done walked? asked Paul. Then he stopped one of the women from the wasiui~ng and bade her run into the house and fetch a fan forrn }&i~8~~y.

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~2~ e~ Paul is a large man, and. a fringe oJ kinky white hair frames his race. His manner is very friendly for, n.otieing that the visitor was looking with so~ne curiosity at the leather bands that encircled his wrists the . old nian grinned . Dem s jus to make sho dat I won t have no rheumatiz, he declared. Mind 1t I cuts me a chaw of baccy? I se jus plumb lost widout no baccy. Paul readily agreed to give the story oL~ his lite. Dl can t ~it over it, dat you done walked way out here from de courthouse jus to listen to dis old Nigger talk bout dein good old days. Ma~y belonged to Marse Jack llis, and he owned de big old Ellis Plantation in Oglethorpe County whar Iwas borned.~ Marse Jack give mammy to his daughter, young Miss Matt, and when her and Marse Nunnally got married up, she tuk my znanxny long wid her. Mistess liah iet (Harriet) Smith owned my daddy. uni and nianmiy never did git married. My granddaddy and grand inaromy was owned by Marse Jim Stroud of Oconee County, and I dug de graves whar bote ot eni s buried in Mars Hill grav ~eyard. All I knOWS bout slavery time is what I heared tolkses say, tor de war was most over when I was borned, but things hadn t changed much as I was raise up. II warn t but bout 2 years old when young M1S$ Matt tuk my mammy oft, and she put nie out cause she didn t want nie. Missy, dey was sho good to nie. Marse Jack s wife was

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. z J Mistess Lizzie. She done her best to raise nie right, arid de ways she rarnt me is done stayed wid me all dese years; many s de time dey s kept old Paul out of trouble. No Main, I ain t never been in no jailhouse in all my days, and I sho ain t aimin to de nothin to n~ake em put me dar now. In dem d~ays, when chillun got big enough to eat, dey was kept at de big house, cause deir maxurales had to wuk orf in de fields and Old Mise wanted all de chillun whar she could see atter em. Most times dere was a old slave aman what didn t have nothin else to do cept take keer of slave ehillun and feed em. Piekaninnies sho had to xaind too, cause dem old omans would evermore lay on de switch. Us et out of wooden trays, and for supper us warn t lowed. nothin but bread and milk. Long as us was little, us didn t have to wuk at nothin cept little jobs lak ~ e~jps, bringin ina ~ and sometimes de biggest boys had to slop de hogs. Long bout de fust of March, dey tuk de pants way from all de boys and give em little s~i1rts to wear from den tu frost. Yes Marn, dem shirts was all us boys had to wear in summer tu us was bi~ enough to wuk in de fields. Gals jus wore one piece ot clothes in summertime too;~ dey wore a plain cotton dress. % All our clothes, Lor summer and winter too, was made right dere on dat plantation. Dey wove de cloth on de looms; plain cotton for summer, and cotton mixed wid a little wool for winter. Dere was a man on de plantation what made all our brogans tor

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61~ ~ wthter. Marster made sho us had. plenty of good warm elotiaes and shOes to keep US warm when winter come. Folkses raised deir livin , all o~ It, at h~ome den. Dey ~rowed all sorts o1~ gyarden truek seoli as corn, peas3, beans, sallet, taters, coUards, ingons, and squashes. Dey had bi~ fields of grain. Don t torgit dein good old waterxnillions; Niggers couldn t do widout em Marster s old sxaokehouse was plumb tull of meat all de time, and he had raore cows, hogs, sheep, goats, chickens, turkeys, geese, and de lak, dan I ever larnt how to count. Dere warn t no runnin off to de sto evvy tune ~ey started cooklnt a company meal. Dem home-made cotton gins was mIghty slow. Us never seed no Last sto bought gins dem days. Our old gins was turned by a long pole what was pulled arcund by mules and oxen, and it tuk a long time to git de seeds out oI~ de cotton dat way. I 8e seed era tie bundles oC fodder in front of de critters so dey would go faster tryin to gib to de fodder. Dey grez dem gins wid tiome-~ made tar. De big sight was dem old home- mnacle cotton pres8es. When. dem old mules went round a time or two pullin dat heavy weight down, dat cotton was sho pressed. Us chillun sho did lak to see em run dat old gin, cause for~ dey ever had a gin Marster used to make us pick a shoe-rull ou cottonseQ~so tevvyni~ht fore us went to bed. Now dat don t sound so bad, Missy, but did you ever try to pick any seeds out o1~ cotton?

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I, ~) r . - 5 .. t;f;~~~) ~ ~ Course evvybody cooked on open fireplaces dein days, and. dat was wiaar us picked out dem cotton seeds, round dat b1~ old fireplace in de kitchen. All de slaves et together up dar at de big h~ouse, and us had some mighty good ti~nes in dat old kitchen. Slave quarters was jus little one room log cabins what had ctiiinblies made of sticks and red mud. Dein old chiinblies was all de time a~ ketchin on fire. De. mud was daubed twixt de logs to chink up de cracks, and sometimes dey chinked up cracks in de roo1~ wid red mud. Dere warn t no glass windows in dem cabins, and dey didn t have but one window of no sort; it was just a plain wooden shutter. De cabins was a long ways off from de big ~----.--~---~ house, close by de big old spring whar de wash place was. Dey had long benches ~or de wasntubs to set on, a big old oversize washpot, and you mustn t leave out bout dat big old battlin ~2.2.~- whar dey beat d~ dirt out or de clothes. Dein Niggers would sing, and deir battlin sticks kept time to de music. You could _______________ __ ___________________*~_ -------~ hear de singin and. de sound of de battlin sticks from a mighty long ways off. I aintt never been to school a day in all my life. My time as chillun was all tuk up nussin Mistess little chillun, and I sho didn t never git nary a lick bout dem chillun. Mistess said dat a white oman ~ot atter her one time bout lettin a little Nigger look atter her chillun, and dat ozaan got herself told. I ain t never uneasy bout my chillun when Paul is wid em, Mistess said. When dey started to school, it was my job

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t_D~ b -bo see dat dey got dere and when school wa~ out in. de evenin , I had to be dere to tetch ciem ehillun beck home safe and souM. School didn t turn out tu f our o clock den, and it was a right ~ur piece from dat schoolhouse out to our bi~ Iaouse. Us had to cross a e~ick, and when it rained de water would back up and make it mighty bad to git from one side to t other. Marster kept a buggy jus for us to use gwine back and forth to school. One time atter it had done been ramm tor days, dat crick was so high I was tiraid. to try to take Mistess cniU.un erost it by myseir, so I got a man namec~i Blue to do de drivin so I could look atter de caillun. lis pulled up safe on de other side and den dere warn t no way to git him back to his own side. I told him to ride uack in de buggy, den ~ie de lines, and de old mule would corne straight back to us by hisselt. Blue laughed and said dere warn t no mule wid dat mucki sense, tut he soon seed dat I was ri~~it, cause dat ob. mule come right on back jus lak I said he would. Us chillun hau goad o~~d times back den, yes i~iam, us sho aid. Some o: our best times was at de old swi:imin hole. De place whar us dammed up de crick tor our swirnmin hole was a right smart piece on from de big house. Us picked dat place cause it had so many big trees to keep de water shady and cool. One ~3un ay, when dere was a big crowd o~ wiiite and colored ciililun navin a big time splasnin round in de water, a white man what lived close ~y tuk all our clothes and hid em way up at his house; den he got up in a tree and hollered lak evvytning was atter him. Lawsy, Miss, us etililun aU coxiae out or dat crick

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-.7- 32? skeered plumb stifl and ruxi for our clothes. Dey was all gone, but dat never slopped us f~or long. Us lit out straight for datman s house. He had done beat us gitting dar, and wb en Us corne runnin up wid.out no clothes on, he laughed fit to 1~il1 at us. Atter while he told us he skeered us to. keep us from stayin too long in de crick and gittin drownded,but dat didn t slow us up none tbout playing in de swiromin hole. Talkin bout beingS skeered, dere was one time I was skeered I was plumb ruint. Missy, dat was de time I stole some:pin and didn t even know I was stealin . A boy had come by our place dat day and axed nie to go to de shop on a neighbor s place wid him. Mistess lowed me to go, and atter he had done got what he said he was sont atter, he said dat now us would git us some apples. He was lots bigger dan me, ~.nd I jus s posed. his old marster had done told hirn he could git some apples out o~ dat big old orchard. Missy, I jus plumb filled my shirt and pockets wid dem fine apples, and us was havin de rixiest sort ot~ tiMe when de overseer cotch us. He let me go, but dat big boy had to wuk seven long months to pay for dat pIece of ~oolisbinent. I stio didn t never go nowhar else wid aat fellow, cause my good old xnistess said he would git me in a peck oi~ trouble if I did, and I had done larn t dat our mistess was allus right. Times has sno done changed lots since d.em days; chillun warn t lowed to run round den. When I went orr to

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~_)~_~ ) 6 ~i~*;:S~ church on a Sunday, I lcnowed I had to be back home not no later dan four otelock. Now ehillun jus goes all de time, whar-soine.ever dey wants to go. Dey stays out most all ni~Jat sometimes, and d.eir mainmies don t never know whar dey is hal1~ de time. Talxi t right, Missy, i~olkses don t raise deir chillun right no more; dey don t lam ein to be bejient arid don t go wid era to church to hear de Word oi~ de Lawd preached lak dey should ought to. Fore de war, colored toikses went to de same church wid deir white folkses and listened to de white preacher. Slaves sot way back in de meetln house or up in a gallery, but us could hear dem good old serinons, and dem days dey preached some mighty powerful ones. All my folkses jined de Baptist Church, and Dr. ;J~o1an Mell s rather, Dr. Pat Mell, baptized evvy one ot em. Course I growed. up to be a Baptist too lak our own white folkses. Slaves had to wuk hard dem days, but dey had good times too. Our white tolkses looked atter us and seed dat Us had what-some ever us needed. When talk come round bout havin separate churches ror slaves, our white rolkaes give us deir old. meetin house and built deyseli~s a new one, but Lor a long time atter dat it warn t nothin to seewb,ite rolkses visitin our meetin s, cause dey wanted to help us git started off right. One old white lady - us called her Aunt~r Peggy - never did stop comiri to pray and sing and shout wid, us tu she jus went off to sleep and woke up in de better world. Dat sho was one good t oman.

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~.9- 329 ~Soxae o:t~ dem slave8 never wanted no ligion, and dey jus laughedat UB cause us testified xid shouted. One day at church a good old oman got right hind a Nigger dat She had done made up her mind she was gwine to see saved fore dat meeti~i ended. She drug im up to de mourner ~s bench. He. lowed he never made no prep rat ion t o c orne 1x1 di s world and dat he didn t mean to . ~ make none to leave it She prayed and prayed but dat f~o1 Nigger just laugb~ed right out at her. Finally d e oman got mad. Laugh if you will, she told dat man, fl GoOdLawd is gwine to p~args out your sins for sho, and when you gits Lull ot biles and sores you ll be powerrul glad to git sontebody to pray ~or you. Dat am t au; de same Good Lawd is gwine to lick you a thousand. lashes tor evvy time you is done ma e run of dis very ineetin , Missy, would you believe I t it warn t no time rore dat man sic4cex~ed and died right out wid. a cancer in his mouf. Does you ~iember dat old sayin De ways oi~ de Lawd is slow but sho? . ~ Corpses was washed good soon atter de rolkses died and deir clothes put on em, den dey was laid on cooUn boards tu deir cornus was made up. Why Missy, didn t you know dey didn t have no bo ght coi~f~ins dem days ? Dey made em up right dere on de plantation. ~ De corp3e was measured and de coffin made to fit it. Soznetimesd~waslined wid black calico, and. soxaetimes dey painted em black on de outside. Dere wara t no ~ undytakers den, and dere warn t none o~ dem vaults to set coffifls

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- 1O-~ ~ lia neit ier; dey jus laid planks crost de top of a coflin fore de dirt was piled in de grave. When dere was a death round our neighborhood, evvybod~y wexrt and paid deir spects to de ~amb1y of de dead. Folkses sot up ai night wid de corpse and sung and prayed. Dat settin up was mostly to keep cats ofren de corpse. Cats sho is bad atter dead folks; I se heared tell dat dey most et up some corp ses what nobody warn t watehin When de time come to bury de dead, dey loaded de coffin on to a wagon, and niost times de Lambly rod~e to de graveyard in a wagon too, but if lt warn t no fur piece off, most of de other toikses walked. Dey started singin when dey left de house and sung right on tu dat corpse was put in de grave. When de preacher had done said a prayer, dey all sung: I se orntopie and~~y Dis Bod~y ~p_wn Dat was bout all dore was to de buryin , but later on dey had de Luneral sermon preached in church, maybe six months atter de buryin . De white I~olkses had all deir Luneral semions preached atde time of de buryin . ttyes Mam, I members de tust money I ever wuked for. Marster paid me 50 cents a day when I got big enough to wuk, and dat was plur~ib good wages den. When I got to wham I could pick xnore n a hunnerd pounds of cotton in one day he paid me more. I thought I was rich den. Dein was good old days when us lived back on de plantation. I members dem old folkses what used to live round Lexin ton, down ii~ Oglethorpe County.

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331 1.11~ . When uswarntt out in de fields, us done little jobs round de big house, de cabins, barns, and yards, Us used to hoip de older slaves git out whiteoak.splits, and dey larnt us to make cheer bottoms and baskets out ofdem splits. De best cheer bottoms ~ ~ ~ what lasted de longest was dem what us made wid. red ellum withes. Dem old shuck bottoms was fine too; dey plaited dem shucks and wound em round l or cheer bottoms and Th otamats De ~ oxaans made nice hats out o1~ shucks and wheat straw. Dey plaited de shucks and put em together wid plaits of wheat straw. Dey warn t counted much for Sunday wear, but dey made fine sun hats. 9Whilst us ~as ail a..~wukint away at house and yara jobs, de old olkses would tell us bout times fore us wasborned. Dey said slave dealers used to corue round wid a big long line oI~ slaves a-~inarchixi to whar dere was gwine to be a big slave sale. Sometimes dey marched em here from as fur as Virginny. Old folkses said dey had done been fetched to dis country on boats. Dein boats was painted red, real bright red, and dey went plumb to Africa to git de niggers. ~en dey got dere, dey got off and left de bright red boats empty for a while. Niggers laks red,and dey would git on dem boats to see what dem red. things was. When de boats was :C~i11 of dein Loolish Nig~ers, de slave dealers would sail o:~f wid em and i~etch em to dis country to sell em to rolkses what had plantations. Dem slave sales was awful bad in some ways, cause sometimes dey sold marnmies away from deir babies

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~. -12- and raxablies got scattered. Some or em never knowed what corned 01 deir brudders and si$ters and daddies and xnamrnies. 1 seed dem Yankees when dey come, but I was too little ~ to know much about what dey done. Old olkses said dey give de ~. - Athens people smallpox and dat dey died out right and left lots or em. Fore dey ~ot rid o1~ it, dey had to burn up beds and clothes and a rew houses. Dey said dey put Lake Brown and Clarence i3ush out in de swamp to die, but dey got well, come out ot dat swamp, and lived here for years and years. r Granddaddy told us bout how some slaves used to (+~ rum off rroxn deir inarsters and live in eaves and. dugouts . ~ He said a man and a oman run away and lived tor years in one o~ dein places not no great ways from de slave quarters on his marster s place. itter a long, long time, some little white chillun was playin in de woods one day and dumb up in sometrees. Lookin out rrorn high up in a tree one or em seed two little pick~x~i.flnies but he couldn t find whar dey went. When he went back honie and told bout it, evvybody went to huntin em, s posin dey was lost ohillun. Dey traced em to a dugout, and dere dey round dein two grown slaves what bad done run away years ag9, and dey had done had two lit~tle ehillun born in dat dugout. Deir marster corne and got em and tuk ern home, but de chillun went plumb blind when dey tried to live out in de sunhi~ht. ~iey had done lived under ground too~ long, and it warn t long fore bofe of dem CiitilUil was daid.

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_I~ ~ ;~ ~ -13 i~L~ Dem old. s1avery~tinie weddin s warn t lak de way i olkses does when dey gits married up now; dey never had. to buy no license den. When a slave man wanted to gi~ married up wid a gal he axed his rnarster, and. ir it was all ri&ht wid de inarster den him and de gal come up to de bi~ house to jump de broomstick tore ~eir white folkses. De gal jumped one way and de man de other. Most times dere was a bjj~ dance de night dey ~ot married. ir a slave wanted to ~it married up wid a gal what didn t live on dat sanie plantation he told his marater, den his marster went and talked to de ~a1 s marster. Ill bote deir marsters greed den dey jumped de broomstick; ir neither one o~ de niarsters wouldn t sell to de other one, de wife jus stayed on her marster s place and de husband was lowed a pass what let him visit her twict a week on Wednesday and ~3adday ni~ht8. Ii, he didn t keep dat pass to show when de patterollers cotch hirn, dey was more n apt to b~at de skin right orI~ his back. Dem patterollers was ailus watcb.in and dey was awrul rough. No Mam, dey never did. git to beat nie up. I out run em one time, but I everraore did have to make tracks to keep ahead ot~ em. Us didn t know much bout rolkses bein kilt round whar us stayed. ~ometi~:aes dere w~s talk bout devilment a long ways o:Cf. De mostest troubles us knowed. ~bout was on 1e Jim Smith a plantation. Dat sho was a big old place wld/heap o~ slaves on it. Dey says dat rightin didn t mount to nothin . Marse Jim Smi.t~ii got to be miguty rich and. he lived to be an old man. He died out widout never gittin1 married. .~ o1kses said a nigger boy dat was his son was willed heaps 01 dat propity, but ~olk8es beat

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-14- 334 him out o:C it arid, all ot a sudden, he drapped out of sieht. Som~e says he was kilt, but I don t know nothin bout dat.. Now Missy, how come you wants to know bout dem frolics us had dem days? Most of era ended up scandlous, plumb seandlous. At harvest season dere was oornsnuclcin s, wheat~thrashin s syrup-~eookin s, and logrollin s. All dem frolics come in deir own good time. Cornshuokin s was de most run of ein all. Evvybody come from miles around to dein frolics, Soon atter de wuk got started, marster got out his little brown jug, and when it started gwine &e rounds de wuk would speed up wid sich s~xigin as you never hearei, and dem N1~gers was wukin~ : in time wid de music. Evvy red ear ot corn meant an extra s*i~ of liquor for de Nigger what tound ft. When de wuk was done and dey was ready to go to de tables out in de yard to eat dem big barbecue suppers, dey grabbed up deli, marster and tuk him to de big house on deir shoulders. When de supper was et, de liquor was passed some moreand daneint started, and sometiaies it lasted all night. Folkses someti~nes had. frolics what dey called Lairs; dey lasted two or three days. Wid so much dancin , eatin , and licj or drinkin gwine on for dat long, lots of 1~ightin took place. It was awful. Dey ciit on one another wid razors ~nd knives jus lak dey was cuttin on wood. I spects I was bad as de rest of em bout dem razor i ight8, but not whar my good old mist ess could lam bout it. Inever did no fi~htin round cie meetin bouse. It was plumb sinful de way soin.e ot~dem Niggers would git in ruckuses right in ineetin and break up de services.

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335 Brudder Bradberry used to come to ou~r house to hold ni s but Lawsey,- i.s sy, dat mail could eat more dan any Nigger I ever seed from dat day to dis. When us knowed tie was a commt Mistess let us cook up heaps of stui~f, eri ugh to fill dat lone old table plu.nib Lull, but dat table was a11u8 eni~pty when. he left. Yes }iJam, he prayed whilst he was dere, but he et too. Dein prayers rnust a made hini raighty weak. ~arster Joe Campbell,~hat lived in our settlement, was sho a queer man. He had a good farm and plenty oL most eviry thins. He would plant his craps evvy year and den, Missy, he would go plumb craz..y evvy blessed year. Folkses would jine in and wuk his craps out Lor him and, come harvest time, dey had to gather em in nis barns, cause he never paid em no mind atter dey was planted. When de wuk wa~ all done Lor him, Marster Joe s mind allus ccme back and he was all right tu next crap time. I told my good old niarster dat white man w rn t no ways crazy; he bad plumb good sense, gittin all ctat wuk done whilst he jus rested. Marster was a mighty good man, so he jus grinned and said Paul, us mustn t jedge nobody. ~ When marster moved here to Athens I corne right lone wid im. Us started us a wuk-shopdown on dis same old Oconee River, close by whar Oconee Street is now. Dis was mostly jus woods. Dere warn t none oL dese new rangled stock laws den, and tolkses jus Lenoed in deli gyardens and let de stock run evvywhar. Dey marked hc~ so evvybody would know his own; some eut notches

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In de ears, some cut o1~f de tails or znarlced noses, and some put marks on de hoof part of de foots. Mr. Barrow owned bout 20 acres in woods spread over Oconee Hill, and de hogs made Lor deni woods whar dey jus run wild. Cows run. out too and got so wild dey would i~ht when dey didn t want to eome home. It warn t no extra sight den to see rolkses gwine atter deir COWS Ofl mules. Chickens run out, and folkses had a tiras rindin de aigs and knowjn who dein aigs b longed to. Most and gen ally finders was keepers tar as aigs was consarnt but, in spite o~ all dat, us allus had plenty, and Mistess would find. som.epin to give olkses dat needed to be holped. When us come to Athens de old G~eorgy Railroad hadn t never crost de river to come into town. De depot was on ~e east side of de river on what dey called Depot ~3treet. Daddy said he holped to build dat fust railroad. It was wayback in slavery ~ times. Mist ess llah iet Smith s husband had done died out, and de minstrator of de state aired out most all oC Mist ess slaves to wuk on de railroad. It was a long time fore she could git em back home. Missy, did you know dat Indians camped at Skull Shoals, down in Greene County, a long time ago? Old olkse8 said dey used to be round here too, specially at Cherokee Corners. At dem places, it was a long time fore dey stopped plowin up bones whar Indians had done been buried. Right down on dis old river, nigh Mr. Ayeockts place, dey says you kin still see caves

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whar folkses lived when de Indians owned dese parts. If high water$ ain t washed em all away, de skeleton$ o1~ some of dein folkses what lived dar is stil1~in dem caves., Slaves used to hide iia dein same eaves when dey was runnin of f from deir xnarsters or tryin to keep out or de way o1~ de law. Dat s how dein caves was 1~ouM; by white rolkses huntin runaway slaves. Now Missy, you don t keer nothin bout my weddiia . To tell de truTh, I never had no weddin ; I had to steal dat gal o1~ mine, I had done axed her mammy tor her, but she jus wouldn t gree Lor nie to have L ary, so I jus up and told her I was swine to steal dat gal. Dat old oman lowed~ she would see bout dat, and she kept Mary in her sight day and night, inside de house mos ly. It looked lak I never wa~ gwine to git a chance to steal my gal, but one day a~ white boy bought my license for me and I got Brudder Bill Mitchell to go dar wid me whilst Mary s ma was asleep0 Us went inside de house and got married right dar in de room next to whar she was sleepin . When she waked up dere~ was hot times round dat place Lor a while, but good old Brudder Mitchell stayed right dar and holped us through de trouble. Mary s done been gone a long time now and I misses heer mighty bad, but it won t be lone now fore de Lawd calls nie to go whar she is. I done tried to live right, to keep all de laws, and to pay up my jus and honest debts, cause xnist e3s larnt me st.

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I was up in Vir~inny wuklri on de railroad boss man called me aside one day and said: dese ~ other Niggers. I kin tell dat white sho made me proud to hear hirn say dat, for up yonder kin see dat de little Nigger she still tryin to live lak she lariat him to do. When the visitor arose to leave, old Paul smiled and said Goodby Missy. I se had a good time bringin back dem . old days. Goodby, and God bless you.t~ a few years ago . ~ De t Paul you a in t lak o lks raised you. It I knows dat old Miss tuk in and raised is