%images;]> mesn-050 Slave narratives, a folk history of slavery in the United States from interviews with former slaves. Indiana Narratives, Volume V: a machine-readable transcription. Born In Slavery: Ex-Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers' Projectmesn Selected and converted.American Memory, Library of Congress.

Washington, DC, 2000.

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 2000/05/26
Untitled Section 001

A Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves TYPEWRITTEN RECORDS PREPARED BY THE FEDERAL WRITERS PROJEC I a 1936 1938 ASSEMBLED BY TIlE LiBRARY OF CONGRESS PROJECT WORK PROJECTS ADMINISTRATION FOR TIlE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA SPONSOREI) BY THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS Illustrated with Photographs WASHINGTON 1941 SLAVE NARRATIVES

002

VOLt.Th~ V INDIANA NARRATIVES ~ Prepared by the Federal Writers Project of the Works Progress Administration for the State of Indiana

003

INFORMANTS Arnold, George W. Ash, Thoraas,and Crane, Mary 8 Lennox, Ad.eline Rose Lewis, Thomas Locke, Sarah H. McKinley, Robert Miller, Richard Moorman, Rev. Henry Clay Morgan, America Morrison, George Mosely, Joseph Patterson, Amy Elizabeth Preston, Mrs. Q,uinn, William M. 155 Richardson~, Candus Robinson, Joe Rogers, Rosaline Rollins, Parthena RUdd, John Sarnuels, Amanda Elizabeth Simms, Jack Slaughter, Billy Smi th Mr and Mrs . Alex Stone, Barney Suggs, Adah Isabelle Sutton, Katie Thompson, George 196 Wamble (Womble ) Rev. Watson, Samuel Whallen Nancy Whitted, Anderson Woodson, Alex Barber, Rosa Blakeley, I~iittie Boone, Carl Bowman, Julia Boyce, ngie Boysaw, Edna Bracey, Callie Buckner, Dr. George V~ashingt on Burns, George Taylor Butler, Belle Carter, Joseph William Cave, Ellen Cheatam, Harriet Childress, James Colbert, Sarah Cooper, Frank Edraunds, Rev. H. H. Eubanks, John Fields, John W. Fortrnan, George Gibson, John Henry Guwn, Betty Jackson, Henrietta Johnson, Lizzie Jones, Betty Jones, Nathan 120 123 128 131 134 137 141 145 147 150 153 li 13 15 19 21 22 25 27 36 40 43 50 52 55 57 61 64 67,72 77,81 84 158 16a 164 167 169 173 175 176 181 185 189 193 Hockaday, Mrs. Howard, Robert Hume, Matthew 198 206 209 211 214 96 98 101 105 107 ill 113 116 118

004

Facing page Frontispiece 77 211 ILLUSTRATIONS Peter Dunn Tohn W. Fields Anderson ?ihitted

An unhappy experience. 005 001

~ ct4~ . ~ ~J ~iVL 1~ )~striCt iTO. 5 ~ J~nd.erbUrgh County ~ ~a~ana Cree : ~ .r.T tT~ ~T ~\ ~)1~)V DT~TTi~~1 . .L.~. ~ .~. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ * ~ ~1-ii3 i~ ~ritten from an interview with eauh of the ~ollowtng~ ~eorge ~ ~_ ~110~a, Professor r. s. Bcst 0:2 i~he Lincoln E~i~.h Sehool aM ~~muel Bell, ~Ji :~ Ev~nsvilie Inc~jana. George ~. ruold ~as born AIDrII 7, 1861, in BeCt.ford County, Tennessee. ~ ~7a~ the property of Oliver P. J~rnold., who owned. a large ~rm or plantation n eaford county. 111is mother nas a native 0 florne, Georgi ~)v1here she re.~ iflC~ until t\velve ye~rs o~ ace, when she Vi&S sold. at auction. Oliver ~.rnoici bou~tht her, a:~ he also i~urch~se3. her three brothers aM ~e u:~le. The our negroes were t~:e:~ al~~ with other slaves from Georc.da Tenre~see where they were :out to work 01; the Arnold p1~nt~Ltion. C~i this plantation George d. ~TflOlCL \~~S born and. the child was allowed. )o live in a cabin wIth his relatives aM d.eclares that he never heard one them st~eak an i,tn~:1n~ word about Master Oliver Arnold or any member of his mi.ly. ~ ana ~ontentrnent arid a reasonable amount o ~ ~ood. and. clothes eined to be all we needed.,Tt ~ the now wh~.te-~haired man. ~ ~ Only a limited memory of Civil ~ar days is retained. by the old. man but e ~ew events recalled. are vividly describea by him. Mother, my young brother y Sister and. I were walking along one clay. 1 dontt remember where we had tarted. but we passed under the 1ort at ~Vartrace. A battlewa~J~n progress ud. a large camion ~~as fired. above us and. we watched. the huge ball sail throu~ . he air and saw the smoke o~ the cannon pass over our heads. ~7e poor chil~rer re almost seare to d.eatli but our mother held. us close to her and. tried to r ~rifo:rt us. The next moriiing,a ~ter, We/ were sa~ ly at honig, we were proud ~ had. seen that much o~ the great battle and. our mother told. us the war was ) give:~~ freed.orn.TT \ ~ your family x s j o ic~e when they we re set !re e ?~ was the natural question

006 002

u-Slave. Stories ~ ~ District No~.5 . ~ .. ~2. ~r~riderburgh County S . lauafla Creel . ~ ~ E~ERIENCE. t: To ask Uncle George. Tu cannot say that they were hap*~y, as it brokeup a lot 0 real friendShIPS ~ scattere~. many families. ~otber had. a great many pretty quilts t and~ a lOt of beading. Lfter the negroes were set free, Lars. ~.rnold toN us ~ ~ all go an~ make ourselves homes, so we started. eut, each of the grown I person~/ oaded. with great buniles o~ beCi~ding, clothing and personal belongrigs. 7e walkel all the way to ~7artraee to try to fi ~ a borne ana. some way to make a living. ~ . . ; G~eor~e Ti: rnoli remembers sec in~ many soldiec~ going to the pike roaa. n their way to Murfrees ooro. ~ Long lines. o~ tirei men passed. through G~uy~s c~ap on t:~eir wa~~ to Murfreesboro. saie he, TONer people saiOE that they were sent out to pick up the dead from the battle fields a ter the bloody battle of Stone s river that had lately been fought at L~urfreesboro. They ~ t:~eir oomrad~ to bury them at the Union Cemetery near the town of Mur~ 1 ~ree~boro. TT ~7artrace was.a very n~ee place to make~our home. It was located. on r ITashviile and Chattanooga and St. ~1oui~ railroad~, just ~ifty~xie miles Nashville not many miIe~3 from our oui horne, ~ tTL~other found work and got alc~g very well but as soon as we childien were old enough to work,, went back to her ol~ home in georGia where a few years later she~died~. bEJ~ieve she lived. to be seventy-five or seventy six years o~ age, but I ~3ver saw her after she. went back to Georgia. . ~ItMy first work was done on a ~arrn (there are many:~ine farms in Texmess~e) ~ although farm 1a~i~ was not very profitable ~e were a1~ays rod. therever ~ . - I got some yage~. Then I got a job on the railroad.. ~ ~Oi~.oar. ~ ~v ~ ~ place called. Silver Springs. ~8~.td Uncle Georr ~p~11~1 ~ +1~+~ +~~Ait +~ht~i ~ ~

007 003

~-S1ave Stories . Djst ict ITo. 5 VanderlDurgh County . . . Lauafla Creel . . :~.i UN}L~PPY ExP:I~I:~rc~. Here the story teller paused t~ collect his thoughts and. conquer the nervous -~wit1ching o:~ hi~ lips. ~~It was like t~1is: Three o ~ us boys workea together. 7~: were like three brothers, always sharing our fortunes with each other. Vie ~ never have (lone it, but ~e h~.d made a hr~ oit o send.ing to ~rashvi1Ie ~:fter each :~ai~~Y ana havinc: a keg of ~o1IE~nd rum sent In by frei~ht. This 1~c~uor V7~S han ~d. out among our friends an~ so~r~ett~nes we ~ran1: too npjtch and. ~ wire unfit 1or work ~or a d~a~j or two. Our boss was a big strong Irishman, re& iTt~tire~ and frier~ci1y. He a1~vayc got drunk ~~ith us and. all would. become ~ sober enough to soon return to our tas~:s. ~ The tir~e I m te1I~hg ~ou about, we had. all b ~eu iiivite~i to a candy pull ~ lfl town an~ could hardly wait till ti.~e to go, a~ all the youngpeople o~ the valley would be there to pull candy, talk, play games and oat the goodies served to us. The accursoi keg ~ Holland. ruin hadbeen brought in that morn~. ing and my churn John sims hai been ~rin~in ~: too much. About th~~.t time our Bos c.~e up and sai&, ~John, it is tine ~or ~rou to get the sup~er read.yP J~ ~ v~as our cook an~ our meals were served on ~the caboose where we lived wherever 1~re were &iide tracked. All the time Johny was preparing the~ood he was arinking the rum. Vihen . Je went in he ha~ many drinks insid~e ol him anti. a quartbottle filled. to take to the candy pull. Hurry up boys and. let s ~finish up an ~go he said~ impati~ ntly. DonTt take hIm sai . the other boy, Dont ~ou see he is d~rimkV~ So I put my arms about ~is shoulaers and. tried to tell him he had better slee a While before we ~tarted~. The.POOr boywasa bree~L His mother was almost white and. his fatherv~a~ a tho oug~I~red I~ian an . the sun had a most ~ __ ~ - ~ tetn~e-~ 11e mad~e me no answer but running his~han~ into his pocket, ~ _- ~ ~L ~ ktIff~ an~ with one thrus t cut a de ep gash in my ~ ne ok.. A :~: C o1Iowed~. I remember being knoc~ked over azid my hea~i~ striek

008 004

~-S1ave Stories ~~striCt ~O. 5. ~aiiafla Creel ~ 4 ~~~aerburgh County A ~ T~TT~ 1)~~ - ~&._ ~ L~ .~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~o:r:ething. I reache~ out my hans. ELnd. diseoverec5. it v~as the ax. With this aWftlI wea on I E~tru ~: n~: ~rie n ~, my r~io~e than brother. The thud. o~ the ax ~i3rou~1t rue to my sense$ as ou~ U~~i ~ ~e ~cre boti~ aL:~ost mortally NOUfl~ ~ L The bor~ carr~e ~ ~ trte~. to do ~or~et~nc~ ~t rc~ur relief but Jobil ~a:td, Oh, George~ vfl~t an awful thi~t~ we have d.one~ ~1e have never sa Cva cross v~ord to e. h other a.~d now, Iook~at u~ both . ~ ~ 1 u:~tched. roar Jo1~n ~11: away, ~ari:rIe~s ~~:S f~11~rfli~ hUt early in the ~orni~~i3~ fl1~T boss ana. I fol1owo~~ a tr~il o~ blood aown by the side of the tracks. Fro!n there he hu~. r~t t~u necI into the lvoois. e could. 1ollow him no further. ~7e vient to all the nearb~r tov:~ a~. vifl~~ges but we ~oun . no person who hail ever E~Cii him. re suprosed. 1~e ha5. die~L in the Woods and. watched. for the buzzar~e th~nk ng thay woala lead us to hi~ body but he vms iT~eVer secu again. ~ ~or two years I never sat dc~m to look insid.e a bOok nor to eat my food that John Sims was not besiae r~ie. E e haunted my pillow and ~ent besi~e nie night ~ ~ay1 }Iis bloo. wa~ on my han ~s, hi~ ~reseu1ce haunted. me bern. ~ enthirance. ~7hat could I ~o? How could. I escape this aw 1u1 pr~gence? ~fl:OI~ friend. told. me to put wate rbe ween. myself and the pla e where the awful scene occurred~. So, I quit working on the railroad F~flc~ st~rte~ workS ing 011 theriver. People, believed it that time that the ghost of a pe?-~ son you haa wronged wouN not cross water to haunt you. ~ ~ Life on the river was ~.iverting. Things were consta~t1y happening and George rnol& put asiae some of his unhappiness by enga~i.ng iii river a~ivit.ie8~ ~ ~ . -~ ~ . ~ first job on the river ~ as a roust-about on the Bolliver R Cook - ~ wheel packet which carried freight and. passanger~ from Nashin~1Ie,Tsnn~ ~vansvi11e, Ifl&iaflS. I ~orke~. a ro~urn1. tr:t:p on 1~er then went from

009 005

~.t 1ave Stoztee s . District No. 5. . tiaerburgh County :auan~ Creel e: iir rr.~t,,v 1~t~.r v~ . s.a us~~a. J. ~ r3asa vlfle to Cairo, Illinois on the 3. ~. Rhea. r soon aeciaeo. ~o go to ~iro auG. take o ~pinoe on the naaraao, a St. Louis and. Cincinnati paoket :i~1oh orused. from. (~airo to Ulnoinnati. o,,~. th&~t bo~.t I vzorkcd as a roustc.bout for nec~rlythree years. tzmt aia the roustnthout have to OEoT ssk~a o. neighbor tat who hei come into the roo:.i. The roust about ib no better than the rx~.te that rules him. if the ~wte le ~ind.iy &izposed~ the roust-about has an ~aey enough life. mi negroes had oiily a fe o years of freeOEora an~. resented. onelty. u the mate bec ~fle too 4noan, a rofliar fight would. follow an& perhaps several rouet-aboute :ou be hurt before it vins finished. Uncle George saift that f6od was ztl;~c~s plentiful on the boats. Passengers ~ad~ fre ight were crowde tocether on the decks At night there would. be singrig and danoing aM f d4le music. . ~7e rouet-abouts would. got togethe ant ~hoot oraps, dance or play ocras untIl the call ccne to shuffle freight, then 7e woult (tIl get bus~, suC. the a c voice utning orders ct d, be h~ar& for e. long distance. . . . ~irjs~ite of these few pleasures the life of a roust-about is the life of a dog. : ~ do not resall any unkiMnesses of slcvery days. I was boo young to realize what it wae e.fl about, but it ooul never have eq,ualle( the cruelty shown the laborer on the river boats by cruel mates and overseers. Another superstition advanced itself in the story of a b at1told, byUncle George Arnol&. The story follows: Then I wasa roust-about on ib~ dolt hi~t Tie Were sailing out from New Orleens ant as soon as we got well out on . broid. stream the rats commenced juiiipiiig ?ver board. See these rats sait, ~:~4!iT5rm~,. ns.s boat wilt never make a return~ tp!! . . . : s ~:4 ~!~$ .,~e~iey port :. o~ ~ ~ rew left tb,e boat but . the mate at fl. OptS a~k ~ ~ t ~~fl ~!fl&tU f6ole ant b gpt lis to ata. 5Q, t ftw oX un: stays,t:.to~ 4t~ ? 4;; t % i&$1L,,,*, ~ J, s Ll t % a

010 006

P!x_Slave stories :~l~t i t ITO. 54~ 6.. : ~~c1erhurg1i C ounty . G :Lauafla ~ree1 ~ Unhapr.1y Err.erience. - ~ -the necessary work hD.t t1i~ ~ kept leaving as ~ast ~ t1~ey coui ~. ~ ~7hen the boat ~as nearin~c Eioi~nan, i~entuei:y, we sriialied ~ire,and by ~ the time we were in the harpor passengers Were being heiJ. to kee~ them from . (__~ ~ - jump 1~ OVe~ bop~ra. ~ the (~~apt~u: to1c~ us ioys to ~uy~ into the water ai~ save OUI~Se -VeS. Two o~ us 1 junehe~. a hale o-f cotton over.~boar~1 and. jurn~ ed onto it. ~.s we -oath11e~ ~vr~y we hail to often ~:o untier to ~ut ~ut the fire$ as OUT c1othin~T \7OUid bI~ ze ~ uflth:~r the fiyii~ branis :--that feil upon ourbodie~ YTIIC burning boat ~~ Tas JockeCL at Hiokrnan. The passengec~ were ~ut ashore . but none o the freight ~ s~ved, anJ. from a nearh~ willow thicket my matey ~I~ I ~7~itehei tiLe ~O1d Just burn to the water s ed~e. Always hee~t the w~rnings of nature, ~ ~~id Uncle George, If you see rats leaving a ship or a house prepare for ~ flre. c~eorge .~. Ar~~o1d said that Evansville was quite a nice place and ~ eteamboet port even in the e~..rIy da~is o~ his boating experiences am3. he de cide~ to make his home here. He located in the town in 1880. The Court House was 1ocate~ at Third~ and Ilath streets. 3treet cars were mule drawn andpeople thought it great ftin to ride then. T..~.I~e recalls the first shovel :~u1i of ~Lirt being i~ited when the new Courthouse was beingerected, ana. when it was ~inishe ~ two l7hite men ~k~: finishing the slate roo~, ~eII to thei d~eath in the Court House yard. ~ . . ~ -~ G-eorge ~ Arnold procur~~ed ajob as porter in a who1esa1~ feed. store ~on i~iay 10, 1880. Joi in Iluobard ana CoinDany d.id business at the place,at this place heworked. thirty seven years. P.~V.Griese, former mayor of Evansvili has often befriended the negro man and. i~ reaay to s~eak ~kind1y wort in ~iS ~praj~e~ But the f~oe of John Sims still Dresents itself when George Arno1d~ Is ~ ~1~eter o anythin& t~ hurt any other person says he The hurt iWar~ eomes back t O yOU.tt ~ ~

011 007

~-S1ate Stoflee . t. : !mstrjot No. 6. .. ~L ~ ya~~erburgh County . a j,anna Creel AN UIILflY E~RIZffCE . . . . ... George Arnold was married to an !vaneville Woman, but two yeare ago he ~v eam a widower when death claimed his mate. He is now lonely, but were ~. it not for a keg of !!olland gin his old age would be spent in peace and happiness. Beware of strong drink, said Unole George, It oauses trouble. e ~J J 4 i: ~~L % .. . :. I . ~ . . . p .: . . ~ ~: ..~t~ t. . . .. .t. e . . . . . . . q p tt.lbd. s. 4. . 0 ~ I t ~ ~ : ~ ~ ~: ~ : ~ :... ~: ~ S:~ . --- S~%L;:.~. ~ ~d: :~~ ~ ~. %~ dt 1 . g

Reminiscences of two ex-slaves. 012 008

~. ~ . _1,~ Lawrence Uouuty ~ ~ Y TU.t~01 District #~ Bedrd, Indiana 8 /4(~ R~INISC~NC~~3 OF IWO ~X-~LLV~E~9 . References: A. Thomas Ash, ex-8lave, Mitchell, md. B. Mrs. Mary Crane, ex slave, ~iarren St., Mtchell, lud. I have no way of knowing exactly how old I am, as the old Bible containing a record of my birth was destroyed by fire, n~ny yeare ago, but I believe I am about eighty one years old. If so, I must have been born sometime during the year, 1856, four years before the outbreak of the War Between The States. My nother was a slave on the plantation, or farm of Charles A8h, in Anderson county, Kentucky, and it was there that I grew up. I rozue~ber playing with 01 X~ssa s (as he was called) boys, Charley, ~rim and 13i11. I also have an unpleasant memory of having seen other slaves on the place, tied up to the whipping post and flogged for disobeying soins order althougl I have no recollection of ever having been whipped myself as I was only a boy. I can also remember how the grown up negroes on the pla ce le ft to jo in the Union Army as soon as they learned of Lincoln s proclamation making them free men, (A) ~-. ~ --Mr. Ash was sick when interviewed and was not able to do much talking. He had no picture of himself but agreed to pose for one later on. ~

013 009

~2lNs ~e 9 I was born on the farm of ~ttie ~1j111ama, in 1855 and am alghty . two years old. I came to Mitchell, Indiana, about fifty yeara ago with my husband, who Is now dead and four children and have lived here ever since. I was only a girl, about five or six years old when the Clvii War broke out but I can remember very well, happening8 of that time. My mother was owned by V,att le ~ ill i~ms who had a large farm, located in Larue county, Kentucky. My father wasa slave on the farm of a Mr. Duret, nearby. In those days, slave owners, whenever one of their daughters would get married, would ~lve her and her husband a slave as a wedding present, usually allowing the girl to pick the one she wished to accompany her to her new home. When Mr. Duret s eldest daughter married Zeke Samples, she choose my father to accompany them to their home. Zeke Samples proved to be a man who loved his toddies far better than his bride and before lon~ he was broke . Everything he had or owned, including my father, was to bt~ sold at auction to pay off his debts. In those days, there were men who xr~de a business of buying up negroes at auction sales and shipping them down to New Orleans to be sold to owners of cotton and sugar cane plantations, just as men today, buy and~ ship cattle. These men were cal1ed1~igger~-traders and they would ship whole boat loads at a time, buying them up~ two or three he, two or three there and holding them In a jail uiitil they had a boat load, This practice gave rise to the expression, sold down the river.

014 010

1~3_ 10 My father was to be sold at auction, along with all of the rest of Zeke Samples property. Bob Cowherd, a neighbor of Matt Durst s owned ray grandfather, and the old man, my grandfather, begged Col. Bob to buy my father from Zeke Samples to keep hin~ from being sold dcxvn the river. Col. Bob offered what he thought was a fair price for my father and a nigger trader raised his bid 25e Col. said he couldn t afford to pay that much and father was about to be sold to the nigger~trader when his father told Col0 Bob that he had 25 saved up and that II he would buy my father from Samples and g keep the nigger..trader from gett iWhim he would give him ~ the mo. Col. Bob Cowherd took n~y grandfather s ~25 and. offered to meet the traders offer and so my father was sold to him. The negroes in and around. where I was raised were not treated badly as a rule by the ir masters There was one slave owner, a Mr. Heady, who lived nearby, who treated his slave worse than any of the other owners but I never heard of anything so atful ly bad, happening to his niggers . He had one boy who used to cone over to our place and I can remember hearing Massa Williamz call to my grandmother to cook Clir Ist give Heady s Doc something to eat. He looks hungry. Massa Williams always said Heady B Doc when speaking of him or any other slave, saying to call him, for instance, Doc Heady would sound as if he were Mr s owx s on and he said that wouldn t sound right. . When Preildent Lincoln issued his proclamation, freeing the negroes, I remember that my father and most all of the other younger slave men left the farms to join the Union army. We had haifl times then for awhile and had lots of work to do. I don t rerr~mber just when ~ w first regarded myself as free as many of the negroes ~ didn t understand just what it was all about. (B) Ed.Note: Mrs. Crane will also pose for a picture. .

Slaves in Delaware County. Rosa Barber. 015 011

I ~ ~ Submitted b~: ~ri11jarn ~ebb Tuttle District No. 2 . ~ Muncie, Indiana SLAVES IN DELAWARE COUffl2Y ROSA BARBER Reference: ~t~a Barbar, residin~ at 812 South ~efferson, . Munc~e, Indiana. Rosa Barber was born in slavery on the Fox Ellison plantation at North Carden, /i North Carolina, in the year 1861. She was four? years old when fi~eed, but had not reached the a~e to be of value as a slave. Her memory is confined to that short childhood there and her expe:~iences of those days and immediately after the Civil War iriust be taken from stories related to her by her parents in after years, and these are dimly retained. Her maiden name was Rosa Fox ~ taken as was the custom, from the slave~holder who held her as a chattel. Her parents took her away from the plantaLion when they were freed and lived in different localities, supported by the faltherwho was now paid American wages. ~ Her parents died while she was quite young and she ~narried Fox Ellison, an ex-~sleve of the Fox Ellison plantation. His name was taken from the same master as was hers. She and her husband lived together forty-t iree years, until his death. Nine cbildren were born to them of whichonly one survives. After this ex~slave husband died ~ ~l1ison married a second time, but this second husband died some years a&o and she now ren~in$ a widow at tle age of seventy..six years. She recalls t1~t the master of the Fox ~l1ison plantation was spoken of as practicing no extreme discipline on his slaves. Slaves, as a prevaUing business policy of the holder, were :~ iaot allowed to look into a book, or any printed matter, and Rosa :~i~4 :flbPi0tur6s or printed charts given her. Slie bad to play with ~ I

016 012

2. 12 Slaves in Delawai e O~~~ty Rosa Barber her ra~ dolls, or a ball of yarn, if there hatpened to be enou~ht of old string to make one. Any toy or plaything via~ allowed that did not point toward book knowledge. Nursery rhymes and folk~lore stories were censured seve~ly and had to be confined to events that conveyed ne upl~.ft, culture or propaganda, or that conveyed no knovi1ed~e, directly ~y indirectly. Especially did they bar the mental polishing of tbe ~hree R s. They could not prevent the vobalizing of music in the fields and tiie slaves found consolation there in pouring out theIr souls in unison with the songs of the birds.

Folklore. 017 013

130136 . :13 Federal te Project ~ ~ of the W P A Topio ~24O Di.trict $ ~ Pritohett ~ari u County !~!i84:~ Folkiors References (A ) 1~~r Mittie Blakeley -Ex-slave- 2065 Columbia Avenue, Indianapolis, Indiana. ( B ) Arma Pritohett ~Federa1 Writer- 1200 Kentucky Avenue Indianapolis Indiana. Mrs Blakeley ~a born, in Oxford, Missouri1 in I858~ () Her mother died when Mittie wis a baby, and she ~s taken into the big house and brour~ht up ~rith the white children. She waa always treated very kindly. (A) Her duties were the iig~ht ohores, which had to be v~efl done, or 8he ~s chidad, the sa~ as the white children would lave been~ (A) Every evening the children bad to oofleot the eggs The child, ivho brought in the most eggs, would get a ginger cake. Mitti. most always ~ot the cake (A) i~er older brothers and sisters ~re treated very rough, whipped often and hard. She said t~he hated to think, muah lees talk about their awftU treatment (A) . When ehe was old enough, she would have to spin the wool for ~38

018 014

Page #2 Topic #240 Am~ Pritehett ~ ber mietrt~ie, who wove the cloth to xiake the family alotheR (A.) She also le&rned to knit, and after supper would knit Until bedtirnc. (A) She rin~mbore once ~n old wo~*n nlave had dieplea ed her n~tor about eo~nething . Ire bad a pit dug and boards placed over the hole The woiran waa rade to lie on the boardg ~ f ase d~wn, and she ~was beaten Witil the blood gushed from her bo~ ; she ~s left there and bled to . (A) She also renambers how the slaves would go to soirm~ cabin at night for their dances; it on went without a ~*ss, whioh often they did, they would be beaten se ver ly. (A) . The slavea ocnz d hear the ov rsers, riding to, rd the cabin Those who had oor~ without a pass would take the board. up from the floor, get under the cabin floors an~1 stay there Until the overseers had gone. (A) Mrs I3lal ley is very serioua and said ehe felt so sorry for those~ who ~re treated so i~ch worse than anar hu~n wuald treat a beast. (B) She lives in a Y.r7 eoeifortable clean house1 and eaid ~he ~s doing ~.ry well . (3) Bubsiitted January! 24, 1938 Indianapolis Indiana B~i A3~R& PRI~CBFTT ~ w ~:~ ~ ~fU~* ~

Slaves in Madison County. Carl Boone. 019 015

Submitted by: Robert C. Irvin Noblesvllle, md. District No. 2 SLAVES IN i1~ADISO~ COtTNTY CARL BOONE Reference: Personal interview with Carl Boone, 1~nderson, Indiana This is a story of slavery, told by Carl Boone about his father, his mother and himself. Carl is the last of eighteen children born to ars. Stephen ~3oone, in 1~rion 0ounty, Kentucky, Sept. 15, 1850. ~e now resides with his children at 801 West 13th Street, Anderson, L~adison County, Indiana. At the ripe old age of eighty-seven, he still has a keen ~mory and is able to do a hard day s work. Carl Boone was born a free man, fifteen years before the close of the Civil ~1Iar, his father hating gained his freedom from slavery in 1829. 11e is a religious man, having missed church service only twice in twenty years. He was treated well during the time of slavery in the southland, but remembers well, the wrongs done to slaves on ri4~ghboring plantations, and in this story he relates some of the horrors which happened at that timel Like his father, he is also the father of eighteen children, sixteen of whom are still living. He is grandfather of thti~y-seven and great grandfather of one child. His father was born in the slave state of ~~aryland, in 1800, and died in 1897, His mother was born in Marion County, kentucky, in 1802, and died in 1917, at the age of one hundred and fifteen years. Thj~ story, word by word, is related by Carl Boone as follows: VLy naine is Carl Boone, son of Stephen andRachel Boone, born in Marion County, Kentucky, in 1850. 1 am fatber of eighteen children sixteen are still living and I sin grandfather of ~ thirty-seven and

020 016

Slavos 1.n I~LadIeori ~ ounty 2. j6 Carl L~~oone gFeat ~raridfathor of OflO child. I came with my wife, now decesed, tO indiana, in 189I~ and now reside at 801 West 1Z~t1i street In Jtht1OX~8OT), -Litdlana. I w~ born a free inn, fifteen years before the clo~ft) Of the Clvii ~ar. All. the eolor~d lolk on plr31)tI~tio~t8 and iiirit~a around our plarittitiolA WOrC s:L~ives aiid most oi them w ro terribly 18Li WILOd by their masters. After comtr ~ t~o Indiari&~, I furmed for a fe~ yea~s, then moved to Anc1er~on. I became coniiedLed with t}-~ Colored ~atbolic Churc1~ ~irid ~)L1VO tried to live n Christian life. hi~ve oiily mi~sed church ~orv1ce twice in twenty yours. I lost my dear wife thirteen years ~~:; ~n~i I now live witi my son. My fat~or, Stephen ~oono, was born In kary~nad, in 1800. He wus bou,~ht by a nIgger buyer while a boy and wa~i sold to Miley ~ In ~ariori County, 1~entucky. Father was what they ueed to call a picked slave, wa~ a good worker aflU was neVer iu*streated by his ma~tor. ~ married my mother in 1825, and they hiid eighteen chi1dred~. ~astor Miloy ~ save fatiur and nxther Xheir freedom In 1829, and save thorn forty acres of land to tend as their own. He paid father for all the (~x~ he did for hirn after that, and wae always vory kInd to them. My mother was born In slavery, In Marion County, Kentucky, in 1U02. ~he Was treated very mean until ehe married ni~y faLlier in 1825. With hIm ehe gained her freedom in 1829. I was the last born of hr sighteen children. She wasa good woman and joined church after ; OOtflifl~ to Indiana and died ir~ 1917, 1IvIri~ to be one hundred and ~ fifteen years old. I havt~ heard my mother tell of a gi2~1 slave who worked In the kitchen of uiy mother s master. The girl waa told to cook twelve eggs

021 017

Slaves. in ~iad1son County 3 ~ Carl boone for breakfast. When the eggs were served, it was discovered there were eleven eggs on the table and after being questioned, sh admitted that she had eaten one. ~or this, she was beaten mercilessly, which was a common sight on that plantation. T~ most terrible treatment of any slave, is told by my father in a story of a slave on a neighboring plantation, owned by Daniel Thompson. After committing a small wrong, ~aster Thompson became angry, tied his slave to a whippihg post and beat 11L.m terribly. Mrs. ~hompson begged hIm to quit whipping, saying, you might kill him, and the x~aster replied that he aimed ~o kill him. He then tied the slave behind a horse and dragged hirn over a fifty acre field until the slave was dead. As a punishment for this terrible deed, master Thompson was compelled to witness the execution of his own son, one year later. The story is as follows: A neighbor to ~r. ~hompson, a slave owner by name of Kay Van-. Cleve, had been having some trouble with one of his young male slaves, and had promised the slave a whipping. Th6 slave was a powerful man and Mr. Van Cleve was afraid to undertake the job of whipping him alone. ~e called for help from his neighbors, Daniel Thompson and his son D ~9ld. The slave, while the Thompsons were coming, concealed himself in a horse-stall in the barn and hi~ a large knife in the manger. After the arrival of the Thompsons, they and Mr. Van Cleve entered the stall in the barn. Together, the three white men made a grab for the slave, when the slave suddenly made a lunge at the elder Mr. Thompson with the knife, but missed h1rc~ and stabbed Donald Thompson, The slave was overpowered and tied~ but too late, young Donald was dead. ~

022 018

4. s Slaves in Madison C~~~ty Carl Boone The slave was tried for murder and sentenced to be hanged. At the time of the hanging, the first and second ropes used broke when tI~ trap was sprung. For a while the executioner condidered f freeing the slave because of his second failure to hang hirn, but the law said, He shall hang by the neck until dead, arid the third attempt was successful.

Folklore. 023 019

130152 Federal WriterB Project p~, ~ of the W. P A Topto ~24O Distz iot #6 Anm Pritch.tt ~rian Cowit~r File #67. A ~ ---t ~ Folklore ~ ~~-5 - Reforeno s ~I__I ~ (A) Nra. Julia Bov~n ~Ex~ s1ave, 1210 ~Torth Weet street, IMianApolis, India~z~. (~) Arma Pritohett, Fe dero~1 Writer 1200 Tontucky avenue, Indianapolis, Indiana. MrB Y3aw~~.n ~ born in woodford County, 1~entuaky in 1869 (A) Her ir~stGr, Joel Vi Twyix&n WELS kind and generous to ELlI of hi s slaves and he had t~.ny of them. (A) The Tw~n s1avo~ were a1~ayc spoken of, as the pwyir~n tKinfo3k~o (A) All alavet3 woriced hard on the 1ar~o farm, as ivery kiM of vegetation was 11!ieed. They ~re ~Iven sox~x~ of everything that ~ ew on the f&rm1 therefore there wa~ no stealing to got food. (A ) Th ster had h16 awn s1a~vei~, and the ~niatress had her o~n slaysi and ai . ~re treated very kindly. (A) we. Ba~n was tak.n into th. rwyi~n bi~ ou1 ~ at th age of six~1 to help the miatresa in a~y ~y sh oould. She stay ed in th hourn~ until slavery ~i &boliihsd. (A)

024 020

PiLgs~~2 3. ~ropio 4r0 Ani* Pri~hstb After freedom, the old itaster ~i tsk,n very ~ ick and soins ot the forx~r ~1avo~t ~ier~ sez~t for, as he wanted sorrie of iii~ w1~info1ks~ around hi~a when he died, (L) Itrs Bom~iir . i~ ~ven the Twyrrixit faini1~v bible ~vhez e her birth is r~3o~rdod with the rost of the ~rw~rn far~11~r. She shaw. it ~itb prid. (B) ~ )~1rs Bom~n sa~id she nover k~w ~it~nt i~i s3~ve tir~a~ as ehs hae kno~n it in these ti~s of dopreseion. (~3) Sub~iittod January 10, 1988 ~~ianapo1is, Indiana ~y$ MT?(& P~.ITC~!?T? ~~)Ti iT1fr~m

Angie Boyce. 025 021

130123 ~.* W!T1. R~Mays DISt4 3ohi~SOfl Cc. ANGIE BOYCE born In slavery, Mar.14,1861 on the Breeding Plantation, Adair Co. Ky. Mrs. Angie Boyce here makes mention of facts as outlined to her by her mother, Mrs. Margaret ging, deceased. Mrs. Angle Boyce was born in ~i.avery, Mar. 14, 1861, on the Breeding Plantation, Adair County, Kentucky. Her parents were Henry and Margaret King who belonged to James Breeding, a Methodist minister who was kind to all his slaves and no remembrance of h13 having ever struck one of theml ~ ~ It is said that the slaves were in constant dread of the Rebel soldiers and when they would hear of their coming they would hide the aby ??Angie?? and cover her over with leaves~ The mother of Angie was married twice; the name of her first ~ . i.~sband was Stines and that of her second husband was Henry King. It was enry King who bought his and hi s wife ~ s freedom He s ent hi s wife and aby Angie to Indiana, but upon their arrival they were arre8ted and returne ~o Kentucky. They were placed in the Loui3vtlle Jailand lodged in the aine cell with large brutal and drunten Irish woman. The jail was so nfested with bugs and fleas that the baby Angie cryod all n1~ght. The . hite woman crazed with drink became enraged at the cries of the child d threatened to bash its brain~.~t against the wall if it did not top crying . The mother, Mrs King was fore od to stay awake all night o keep the white woman from carrying out her threat. The next mo ming the Negro mother was tried in court and when she Oduced her free papers she was asked why she did not show these papers the arresting officers. She replied that she was afraid that they would ea3. t}iern from her. She was exonei~ d from ai . charges and sent back to diana with her babi.. ~ ~ S~ ~ ~ ~ M~~s . A~igi e y real de e ~ a# 4~9& W.M~U 30U ~ t ~ ~~ui~t1 1 n - T~is~

Life story of ex-slave (Mrs. Edna Boysaw). 026 022

~r~ ~ ~ ~ Clay County Walter R. Barrie 22 Special Assignment District ~ 3 Life Story of Ex Slave (~irs. Edna Boysaw) Personal interview by the writer, Mrs. Boysaw lias been a citizen of this c tununity about sixty-five years. She resides on a small farm, two miles east of Brazil on what is known as the Pinkley Street Road. This has been her home for the past forty years. Her youngest son and the son of one of her daughters lives with her, She is still very active, doing her housework and other chores about the farm. She is very intelligent and according to statements made by other citizens has always been a respected citizen in the ooimnunity, a~s also has her entire family. She is the mother of twelve children. ~iIrs, Boysaw has always been an active church worker, spending much time in missionary work for the col W ored people. ~ Her work was so outstanding that she has been often called upon to speak, not only in the colored churches, but also in white churches, where she was always well received. Many of the most prominent people of the coximiunity number Mrs. Boysaw as one of their friends and her home is visited almost daily by citizens in all walks of life. Her many acts of kindness towards her neighbors and friends have endeared her to the people of Brazil, and because of her long residence in the community, she is looked upon as one of the pioneers. Mrs. Boysaw e husband has been dead for thirty five years. Her children are located iii various cities throughout the country. She has a daughter who je a talented singer, and has appeared on programs with her daughter in many churches. She is not oertain about her age, but according to her memory of events, she is about eighty-seven. Her story as told to the writer follows: VVhen the Civil War ended, I was living near Richmond, Virginia. I am 11/17/37

027 023

y f not sure just how old I was, but I was a big, flat footed woman, and had worked as a slave on a plantation. ~r master was a good one, but many of them were not. In a way, we were happy and contented, working from sun up to Bull down. ~ut when Lincoln freed us, we rejoiced, yet we lciew we had to seek employment now and make our own way. Wages were low. You worked from morning until night for a dollar, but we did not complain. About 1870 a Mr. Masten, who was a coci operator, came to Richmond seeking laborers for his mines in Clay County. He told us that men could make four to five dol lars a day working in the mines going to work at seven and quitting at 3:30 each day. That sounded like a Paradise to our men folks. Big money and you oould get rich in little time. But he did. not tell all, because he wanted the men folk to come with him to Indiana. Three or four hundred came with Mr. )&asten. They were brought in box cars. Mr. Masten paid their transportation, but was to keep it out of their wages. 1~r husband was in that bunch, and the women folk stayed behind until their men could earn enough for their transpe~ ~tion to Indiana. When they arrived about four milee east of Lrazil, or what was known as Harmony, the train was stopped and a crowd of white miners ordered them not to come ai;y nearer Brazil, Then the trouble began. Our men did not know of the labor trouble, as they were not told of that part. Here they were fifteen hundred miles from home, no money. It was terrible. Many walked back to Virginia. Some went on foot to Illinois. Mr. Masten took some of them South of Brazil about three miles, where he had a number of company houses, and they tried to work in his mine there. But many wer ~ shot at from the bushes and killed. Guards were placed about the mine by the owner, but still there was trouble all the time. The men did not make what Mr. Masten told them they could make, yet they had to st~y for they had no place to go. After about six months, i~r husband who had been working hi that mine, fell into the shaft and was injured. He was unable to work

028 024

.~- for over a year. I oame with n~r two children to take Care of him. We had only a little furniture, slept in what was called box beds. I walked to Brazil eacb morning and worked et whatever I could get to do. Often did three washings a day and then walked home each evening, a distance of two miles, and got a dollar a day. 1tMany of the white folks I worked for were well to do and often I would ask the Mistress for small amounts of food which they would throw out if left over from a meal. They did not know what a hard time we were having, but they told me to take home any of such food that I cared to. I was sure glad to get it, for it helped to feed our family. Often the white folks would give me other articles whioh I appreciated. I managed in this way to get the children enough to eat and later when my husband was able to work, we got aloiig very well, and were thaxikful. After the strike was settled, things were better. 1~y husband was not afraid to go out after dark. But the coal operators did not treat the colored folks very good. We had to trade at the Company store and often pay a big price for it. But I worked hard and am still alive today, while all the others are gone, who lived around here about that time. There has sure been a change in the country. The country was almost a wilderness, and where m~r home is today, there were very few roads, just what we called a pig path through the woods. We used lots of corn meal, cooked beans and raised all the food we could during them days. But we had many white friends and sure was thankful for them. Here I am, and still thankful for the many friends I have.

Folklore. 029 025

w ; (~~~LF :1. 30157 F.dor*1 Writers ~rejeot p~ ~ of the W, P. A. ~ropio #240 Distr iot #6 Anna ~itche~t~ Marion CowIL1~r Fils *i~-~~~j ~:~-~pm~L* $~o1kicr. ~ ~ References ~ ~ (A) Wi Callie Braos~r .daughtor.~ 414 Blake roe, ( ) Ax~r* Pritohett .~Fe eraI ~ 1200 1Ce~rbuok~r a~oxnze, Tndianspolia, I:rtdiam, Mrs CaUie Bracey a mother Loulie Terreil, vms bought, vthen a child, by Andy !fl, t~ f~ar~r near Jackson, ~Iiei~ t~he had to work very hard in the fieldi froet ear1~r morning until a~ late in the eveflirLg, as they could poesibly ace. (A) No satter how hard ehe had ~rcrked all day after caraing in from the field, ~he would have to cook toe the next de~y, pac1r~ the lunch buckets for the field ha~da It inide no difference how tired she was, when the horn was b1o~n at 4 a~,, she had to go into the fte34 for another d~r ~f hard ~rk. () The w~n had to a~p1it raila all ds~y ~t*ig, juet like the ~n. Once she got so cold, her teet sesz.d to b. frozenj ~hen th.y~ isi aasd a litti., the~r had aaoUen ao, she could not ~~eftr her ihose. She had t~

030 026

Pag.~~E Topic #240 2G Anm Prit.h.tt ~vrap her feet in burlap, so she would b. able to go into the field the next day. (A) The Reablets ~re knomi for their good butter. 1~h.y al~ays had more t~*n they could use The meter uanted the slav.s to )iave &o~, but the mistress usntsd to sell it, eh. did not believe in giving good butter to s1a~v~s and al v~ays let it ~et strong before she ~uld let them he~ve any. (A) No slaves from neighboring farms ~re allowed on the R&mblet farm, they would got ithipp.d off as V~r. Ran~blet did~ot ivimt anyone to put idsf~s iii his slave s heads. (A) On special occasions, the older slaves i~re allowed to go to the church of their ~.stsr, they had to sit in the back of the church~ and talcs no part in the srv~io. . (A) Louise ~.a gi~ei two dresses a year; her old drosa from last y.a~1 she ~ as ar~ underskirt. 8h. no~r bad a bat, alv~ays ~oro a rag tied o~vsr her head. (A) Mrs. I~racey is a widow and his a grandohild living with her, She tesla ab. is doiug v*ry~ ~1l, her parents had so little, and she doss awn her a~ hcu. Submitted Dsosmber 10, 193? Indlaxiapolis, Ir4iana 3~~s AUA~ PR~~C1IETT uJL~:I~~:~ * t~t,-~

A slave, ambassador and city doctor. 031 027

~x*S1ave Storie8 District #5 ~~~derbUrgh County Lauana Creel A Slave, Ambassador and City Doctor. This paper was prepared after several interviews had been obtained with the 3ubject of this sketch. Dr. George Washingtin Buckner, tall, lean, whitehaired, genial and alert, answered the call of 1~.is door bell. Although anxious to oblige the writer and willing to grant an interview, the life of a city doctor 1$ filled with anxious solicitation for others and he is always expecting a summons to the bedside of a patient or a prof essional interview has been slated. Dr. Buckner is no exception and our interviews were often dis-. turbed by the jingle of the door bell or a telephone call. Dr. Buckner s conversation lead in ever widening circles, away from the topic under discussion when the events of his own life were diseuse-. zed, but he is a fluent speaker and a student of psychology. Psychology as that philosophy relates to the mental and bodily tendencies of the sub ect~ African race has long since become one of the major with which tiis unusual man struggles. Why is the negro? ~ is one of his deepest concerns. Dr. Buckner s first recollections center within a slave cabin in Kentucky. The cabin was the home of his steps-father, his invalid mother and several children. The cabin was of the crudest construction, its only windows being merely holes in the cabin wall with crude bark shutters arranged to keep out w snow and rain. The furnishings of this home consisted of a wood bedstead upon which a rough straw bed and patchwork wuilts provided meager comforts for the invalid mother. A straw bed that could be pushed under the bed-stead tlirougb. the day was pulled into the middle of the cabin at night and the wearied children were put to bed by the impatient step-father. The parents were slaves and served a master not wealthy enough to

032 028

~ix..S1ave Storlea ~istrict #5 ~:2. 2~ VanderbU~t~h County Lauafla Creel A Slave, Ambassador, and City Doctor. provide adaquately for their comforts. The mother had become Invalidate t1irou~h the t~k of bearing children each year and being deprived of medical and $urgical attention. The master, Mr. Buckner, along with $everal of bis relatives had purchased a large trRct of land in Dreen County, Kentucky and by a custom or tradition as Dr. Euckner rernember$; land owners that owned no slaves were considered Po White Trash and were scarcely recognized as citizens within the stateof Kentucky. Another tradition prevailed, that slave children should be present .. ed to the master s young sons and daughters and become their special property even in childhood. Adherring to that tradition the child, George Washington Buckner became the slave of young Mars Dickie Buck.. zier, and although the two children were nearly the same age the little mulatto boy was obedient to the wishes of the little master. Indeed, the slave child cared for the ~aucasIian boy s clothing, polished his boots, put away his toys and was his playmate and companion as well as his slave. Sickness and suffering and even death visits alike the just and the unjust, and the loving sympathetic slave boy witnessed the suffering and death of his little white friend. Then grief took possession of the little slave, he could not bear the sight of little Dick s toys nor books not clothing. He recalls one harrowing experience after the death of little Dick Buckner. George s grandmother was a housekeeper and kit~h ~ maid for the white f~unily.,. She was in the idtohen one late a ternoon preparing the evening meal. The master had taken his f ainily for a visit in the neighborhood and the mulatto child sat on the veranda and recalled, pleasaxiter days. A sudden desire seized him to look into the bed room where little Mars Dickie had lain in the bed. The even~.g

033 029

~x..S1ave Stories t,lstrict #5 ~anderbuTgh County Lauafla Creel ~ Slave, Ambassador and City I~octor. s1iad~ow8 had fallen, axagerated by the influence of tree8j and vines, and when he pl~oed his pale Lace near the window pane he t11o~ht j.~ was the face of litt~e Dickie looking out at ii.im. His nerves gave away and he ran around the house screaming to his grandmother that he had seen Dickie s ghost. The old colored woman was sympathetic, dried his tears, then with tears coursing down her own cheeks she went about her duties. George firnily believed he had seen a ghost and ~never really convinced himself against the idea until he had reached the years of manhood. He re~nembers how the story reached the ears of the other slaves and they were terrorized at the suggestion of a ghost being in the mas~ ter s home. That is the way superstitions always started said the Doc tor, ~Some nervous persons received a wrong impression and there were always others ready to embrace the error. Dr. Buckner remembers that when a young daughter of bis master ~ married, his sister was given to her for a bridal gift and went away ~ from her own mother to live in the young mistress new home, It always ~ filled us with sorrow when we were separated either by circumstances of ~ marriage or death. Although we were not properly housed, properly nourished nor properly clbthed we loved each other and loved onr cabin homes and were unhappy when compelled to part. There are niany beautiful spots near the Green River and our home was situated near Greensburgh, the county seat of Dreen County. The area occupied by Mr. Buckner and his relativps is located near the river and the tue anderinga of the s ta e am alinos t forme d a peninsula e over ed with rich soil. Buckner s hthil relieved the landscape and ole~r springs bubled through crevices 8 fOrding much water for household ~s and near those springs white arid negro children met to enjoy themselves. . Forty years after I left Greensburg I went back to visit the springs ~ and try to meet my old friends .7 The friends had passed away, only a few

034 030

~S1ave Stories District #5 ~~fld rb~ gh County Lauafla Creel A Slave, Ambassador and City Doctor. merchants and salespeople remembered my ancestors. A story told by Dr. Buckner relates an evening at the beginning of the ~ Civil War. I h~d heard my parents talk of the war but it did not seem ~ real to me untii one night whenmother c~e to the pallet where we slept ~ and called to us to Get up and tell our uncles good-bye. Then four ~ startled little children arose~ Mother was standing in the room with a ~ candle or a sort of torch made from grease drippings and old pieces of ~ cloth, these rude candles were in conmion use and a forded but poor light) ~ and there stood her four brothers, Jacob, Joim, Bill~and Isaac all with the light of adventure shin~ting upon their mulatto countenances. They were starting away to fight for their liberties and we were greatlj im.. pressed. . Dr. Euckner stated that officials thought Jacob entirely too aged to enter the service as he had a few scattered white hairs but he reinembers he was brawny and unafraid. Isaac was too young but the other two uncles were accepted. One never returned because he was killed in battle but one fought throughout the war and was never wounded. He remembers how the white men were indignant because the negroes were a1l~wed to thnlist and how Mars Stanton Buckner was forced to hide out in the woods for many months becaus e he ~ had me t slave Frank Buckner and hae tried to kill him. Frank returned to Greensburg, forgave his mastei and procurred a paper stating that he was at fault, afteti which Stantonreturned to active service. EYes, the road has been long. Memory brings back those days and the love of my mother is still real to me, God bless herZ ~ Relating to the value ofan education Dr. Buckner hopes every eaucassiari and Afro American youth and maiden will strive to attain great heights, His first e9orts tb procure knowledge consisted of reciting ~ . A.B,8.3 from the McGufJ y s Blue backed speller with hiS wilettered sister toi a teacher. IZL later years he attended a school conducted by the 4. 30

035 031

. E~z~-S1ave Storlea ~ ~~i ~jstrict #5 L~ ~9~derburgh County Lauafla Creel A Slave, Ambassador and City Doctor, Freemen s As$ociation. I-le f bought a grarrimar r~rn a white 8chool boy and $tudied it at home. When sixteen years of age he was employed . to teach negro children and grieves to recall how limited his ability was bound to have been. When a father considers sending his son or daughter to school, today, he orders catalogues, consults his friends and considers the location arid surroundings and the advice of those who have patronized the different schools. He finally decides upon the school that promises the boy or girl the most attractive and corn fortable urroundings. When I taught the African childr n I boarded with an old man whose cabin was filled with his own fainfl~y. I climbed a ladder leading from the cabin into a dark uncomfortable loft where a comfort and a straw bed were my only conveniences. Leaving Greensburg the youn~g mulatto made his way to Indianapolis where he became acquainted with the first educated negro he had ever met. The r~egro was Robert Bruce Bagby, then principal of the only $chool for negroes in Indianapolis. The same old building is standing there today that housed Bagbyts institution then, he declares. Dr. Buckner recalls that when he left Bagby s school he was so low financially he had to procure a position in a private re~idence as house boy. This position was followed by many jobs of serving tables at hotel \s and eating houses, of any and all kinds. While engaged in that work he met Co1one~~. Albert aohnson and his lovely wife, both natives of Arkansas and he remembers their congratulations when they learned that he was striving for an edu ation. They advised lus entering an educational institution at Terre Haute. His desire had been to enter that institution of Normal Training but felt doubtful of succeed ing in the advanced courses taught because bUis advantagea had been so limited, but Mrs. Johnson told him that God gives his talents to the

036 032

~~S1ave Stories DiStrict #5 6. 32 VanderbUT h County Lauafl9 Creel A Slave, Ambassador and City Doctor. different speciesand kt~ he would love and protect the negro boy. After studying several years at the Terre Haute State Normal George W. I3uckner felt assured that he was reasonably prepared to teach the negro youths and accepted the professorship of ~ schools at Viricennes, Washingtonand other Indiana Villages. I was interested am in the young people and anxious for their advancemen~ but the suffering endured by my invalid mother, ~ho had passed into the great beyond, and the memory of little Master Dickie s lingex~ing illness and untimely death would not desert my consciousness. I determined to take up the study of medical practice and surgery which I did. Dr. Buckner graduated from the Indiana Electic Medical College in 1890. HIs services were needed at Indianapolis so he practiced medicine in that city for a year, then located at Evansc~ille where he has enjoyed an ever increasing popularity on account of his sympsthetic attitude among his people. When I came to Evansville, says Dr. Buckner, there were seventy white physicians practicIng in the area, they are now among the departed. Their task was streneous, roads were almost impossible to travel and those brave men soon sacrificed their lives for the good of suffering htizrrnnity. Dr. Buckner described several of the old doc- (~ ~ .~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ . ~ tors as Striding a horse and s tting out through all kinds of weather. Dr. Buckner is a veritable encyclopedia of negro lore. He stops at many points during an interview to relate stories &e has gleaned. here and there. He has forgotten where he first heard this one or that one but it helps to illustrate a point. One he heard near the end of the war follows, and although it has recently been retold it $ holds the interest of the listener. Andrew Jackson owned an old negro slave, who stayed on at the old home when his beloved master went into

037 033

~~.S1ave Stories. District #5 ~~~d~erburgh County Laus.na Creel ~ Slave, Ambassador and City Doctor. p0lltiCS, became an American soldier and statesman and finally the 7th president of the iJnited~States. The good 8lave still remained through the several years of the quiet uneventful last years of his master and witr~essed his death, which occurred at his home near Nashville, Tenneesee. After th master had been placed under the sod, Uncle Sammy was seen each eay visiting Jackson s grave. 0Do you think President Jackson i~ in heaven? an a~ acquaintance asked Uncit Sammy. If~n he wanted to go dar, he dar now, said the old man. f~n Mars Andy wanted to do any thing all Hell couldn t keep him from dom it, Dr. Buckner believo8 each negro is confident that he will take hirn~. self with all hi~ peculiarities to the land of promise. Each physical featu.re and habitual idiosyncrasy will abide in his redeemed personality. Old Joe will be there in person with the wrinkle crossing the bridge of his nose and little stephen will wear his wool pulled back from his eyes and each will recognize his fellow man. What fools we a~l are.~ declar ed Dr. Buckner. Asked his viewsooncerning the different books embraced in the Holy Bible, Dr. Buckner, who is a student of the Bible said, I believe almost every story in the Bible is an allegory, composed to i lustrate some fundemental truth that could otherwise never hav&~been clearly prosonted only tbrough the medium of an al1egor~y. The most treacherous impulse of the human nat!ure and the one to be most th~eaded is jealousy. With those words the aged Negro~octor launched into the expression of his political views. I m a Democrat. He then explained how he voted for the man but had confidence that h18 chosen party possesses ability in choosing proper candidates. He is an ardent follower of Franklin D. Roosevelt and speaks of Woodrow wilson with bated ~ breath.

038 034

r ~c..S1ave Stories - ~jstrict #5 ... . ~anderbUrgh County 8. Lattafla Creel A Slave, Ambassador and City Doctor. Through the influence of John W. Boehne, Sr., and the friendly advice of other influential citizens of Evansville Dr. Buckner was ap ~s pointed niinister to Liberia, on Woodrow Wilson s cabinet~jin the year 1913. Dr. Buckner appreciated the confidence of his friends in appointifl~ him and cherishes the e~perinece~ gained while abroad. He noted ~he expressions of gratitude toward cabinet members by the citizens or that African coast. One Albino youth brought an offerin~of luscious man~oeS and desired to see the minister from the United States of America. Some natives presented palm oils. ~The natives have been made to under stand that the United States ha8 given aid to Liberia in a financial way and the customs - service of the republic is temporarily administered headed by an American. A thoroughly civilized negro state does not exist in Liberia nor do I believe ~ in any part ~f West Africa. Supersti4 tion is the interpretation of their religion, their poritical views are a hodgepodge of unconnected ideas. Strength over rules knowledge and jealousy croEds out almost all hope of sympathetic achievement and adjustment. Dr. Buckner recounted incidents where jealousy was apparent in the behavior of men and women of higher civilizations than the African natives. While voyaging to Spain on board a Spanish vessel, he witnessed a very refine~.,poltte Jewish woman beine reduced to tears by the taunts of a Spanish offieer, on account of her nationality. Jeal- J ~ ~ he said, protrudes itself into politics, religion and prevents~ educational achievement. f During a political campaign I was compelled to pay a robust negro man to follow me about my professional visits and my social evenings with my friends and family, to prevent meeting physieal violen e to myself or family when political factions were virtually at war within the area of Evansville. The influence of political captaln3 had brought about the dread ul condition and ignorant negroes responded to their

039 035

Ex~3laV0 Stories District #5 VandarbU1~h County Lauafla Croel A Slave, Amba33ador and City Doctor. polltl-Cal craft, without rea1izirx~ who h.tc.I befriended t~iern in need%. The no~ro youth3 are e8pecially 8ubject to propo~anda of the four- flU3her.fOr their home influence 13,to say the least, nagative. Their opportunities limited, t~ie1r education neglected and they are ~ easily aroused by the meddling influence of the tote getter and the ~ traitor. I would to God that their eyes might be opened tothe 1i~ht. ~ Dr. Buckner s influence is mostly exhibited in the sick room, where ~ his presence is introduced in the effort to relieve pain. ~ The graduai rise from ~31avery to promInence, the many trials encount-. ~ ered along the road ha8 ripened the always 3ympathetic nature of Dr. Buck~ ~ ner Into a respon8ive 8uSfer axnori~ a 3u.ffor1fl~ people. 11e ha~ hope that proper influenco3 and sympathetic advice will mould the plastic character of the Afro~American youths of the United States into proper citizens and that their ir~irnortal souls Inherit the promised reward o ~ the redeeorn~ ed through grace. Receivers of ernancit~at1on from slavery and enjoyers of emanci- ~ pation from sin through ~he sacrifice of Abraham Lincoln and Jesus Christ; ~ihy should not the negroes be exalted and happy? are the words of Dr. Buclcner. Note: G. W. Buckner was born December Ist, 1852. The negroes in Kentucky expressed lt In fox huntin tinie One brother was born in ~ time , one in USweet tater time, and another in flplantinl time. ~ ~Negro lore

The life story of George Taylor Burns. 040 036

Ex-~S1ave Stories District ~5 ~ Vanderburgh County Lauana Creel The Life Story of George Taylor Burne. (~L~~r\*e ~~-VA~ A4)) Ox~ -oarts and flat boats, and pioneer surroundings; crowds of men and w~men crowding to the rails of river steainboat8; gay ladies in holiday attire and gentleman in tall hats, low out veste and silk mufflers; for the excursion boats carried the gentry of every area. A little negro boy clung to the ragged skirts of a slave mother,both were engrossed in watching the great wheels that ploughed the ~issi~sippi river into roaming billows. Many boats stopped at Gregeryts Landing, Missouri to stow away wood, for niany engines were fired with wood in the early d~ys. I The Burnts brothers operated a wood yard at the Landing and the work of h~44m~ cutting, ~e~~and piling wood for the conunerce was performed by slaves of the Burns plantation. George Taylor Burns was five years of age and helped his mother all day as she toiled in the wood yards. The colder the weather,the more hard work we had to do. declares Uncle George. George Taylor Burns, the child of Missouri slave parents, recalls the scenes enacted at the Burns. wood yards so long ago. lie is a resident of Evansville, Indiana and his snow white ha r and beard bearfi testimony that his days have been already long upon the earth. Uncle George remembers the ti~ne when his infant hands reached in vain for hi s mother, the kind and gentle Lucy Burns : Remembe rs a long cold winter of snow and ice when boats were tied up to their moorings. Old master died that winter and. many slave s we re sold by the he irs among them was Lucy Burns Little George clung to his mother but stronghands tore away his clasp. Then he watched her cross a distant hill, chained to a long line of departing slaves. George never saw. his parents again and although the memory of his mother is vivid he scarcely re~exnbers his father s face. Es said, ~Father was black but my mother ~was a bright mulatto. . S

041 037

Ex -S1av~ Stories ~ 2. District #5 . . Vanderburgh County The Life Story of George Taylor Burns. Lauaxia Cree1~ Nothing impres$ed the little boy with such unforgettable imagery as the oold which descended upon Greogery s Landing one winter. ~iother1ess, hungry, desolate and unloved, he often cried himself to sleep at night while each day he was compelled to carry wood. One morning he failed to corne when the horn was sounded to call the slaves to breakfast, Old 1~issus went to the negro quarters to see vthat was wrong. and She wa~ horrified when she found I was frozen to the bed. She carried the small bundle of suffering humanity to the kitchen of her home and placed htha near the big oven. Y4hen the warmth thawed the frozen child the toes 1~~31 froi-n his feet. UQId LLissus told ne I would never be strong enough to do hard work, and she had the neighborhood shoemaker fashion shoes too short for axiy body s feet but mine. said Uncle George. Uncle George doesntt remember why he left Missouri but the sister of Greene Taylor brought him to Troy, Indiana. Here she learned that she could not o~wn a slave within the State of Indiana so she indentured the child to a flat boat captaL.~ to wash dishes and ~ait on the crew of workers. ~ ~ George was so small of statfrthat the captain had a low table and stool made that he might work in comfort. George s mistress received ~l5,OO per month for the service of the boy for several years. Prom working on the f&lat boats George became accustomed to the river and soon received eiaploytnent as a cabin boy on a steam boat and from that time through out the most active days of his life George Taylor Burns was a steam boat man. In fact he declares, I know steamboats from wood box to stern wheel. The life of a riverman is a good life and interesting things happen on the river. ~ says Uncle George. Uncle George has been imprisoned in the big nail at 1 ~ew Orleans. ~e has seen his fellow slaves beaten into ~ insensibility while chained to the whipping ~ post iii C0x3g0 Square at New Oran. ~ . . .

042 038

Ex Slave Stories r~ -~- 4- -c- - 1 AJ1S JL .C~d jj~~-) ~D. ~anderb~r~h CounLy Lauena ~~reei The iaife .~tory Of C~eor~e Taylor Iurns. ~ie was badl:,r tr~tou while a slave but he has witnessec even more cruel treatment administered to lus fello~ slaves. ~iaon~: other excitin~. occurrences rer:eiib~roL by the ola nerro ~iau when he rec~lIs -t early river adve~itures is one in whc~h a flat ~ sunJ~: ~iorr ~ Orleirns. Mter clinginj~ for many hours to the c~rii~tiri:, wr~cka~,e he was rescued, half dead froi1-i exhaustion. :Ln memory, ~jeor~e Taylor burns stands in the slave mart at ~e~ Orleans and hears the ~ cti~nc~ers haruner, for ho was sold like a beast of burden by Greene Taylor, brother of his mistress. Greene Taylor, ho~ever, had to refund the money and return the slave to his mistress when hiscrippleci feet were discovered. Greene Taylor VJaS like many other people L have kno~m. i~e was always ready to make life unhappy for a ne~ro. Uncle George, althou.h possessing. an unusual amount of intelligence and ability to learO~ has a very limited education. ttThenegroes were not allovied an education,tt he relates it ~is dan:erous for any person to be cau~ht ~aach~ ing a ne~ro and severi~l ne~roes were put to death Uceause they could read.t Uncle Geor~e recalls a fei~i superstitions entertained by the rivermen. It was bad luck for a i~hite c~t to co~~e aboard the boat. ~ t*.or~e shoes were carried for ~ood luck. tt f rats left the boat the crew ~s uneasy, for fear of a wreck. Un lo Geor.e has very ~1ittle faith in any superstition but remem ber s some of the crews had. Among other boats oh which this old river man v~.s employed are The Atlantic on which he was cabin ooy. The Big dray Ea~1e on which he assisted in many ways. He worked where boats were being constructed while he lived at New Albany. I~ny soldiers wore returned to their homes by means of flat boats and steam boat$ ~when the Civil ~ar had ended and many recruits were sent by water during the viar. Just after peace was declared George met Elizabeth Slye, a young slave girl who had just been set free. Liza would come to see her mother who was

043 039

Ex-Slave Stories ~ . ~ ~ page 4. District #5 I:! Vanderburgh County ~ ~ ~ Lauaxia Creel The Life Story oC George Taylor Burns. working on a boat. People used to corne do wn to the landings to see boats come in, said Uncle George. George and Liza were free, they married and made New Albany the ir home unt il 1 88 . when they caine to Evansville. Uncle George said the Eclipse was a beautiful boat, he remembers the 1etter~.. ing in sold and the bright lights and pollshed.rails of the longest steam boat ever built in the weit. Measuring 365 feet in length and Uncle George declares, ttpor speed she just up and hustled. Louisville was one of the busiest towns in the Ohio Valley. says Uncle George, but he reinember8 New Orleans as the market place where almost all the surpl~~produots were marketed. Uncle George has many friends along the water~front to~vns. ~e ad~iires the Felker family of Tell City, Indiana. He is proud of his own race and rejoices in their opportunities, lie remembers his fear of the Ku Klu~, his horror of the . ~atrol and other clans united to make life dangerous for newly einanci.pated negroes George Taylor Burns draws no oldage pension. He o~wns a building located at Canal and Evans Streets that n houses a number~of~.egro families. He is glad to say his credit is good in every market in the city. Although lamed by r1i~imatic pains and hobbling on feet toeless from his young childhood he has led a useful life. Don t forget I knew Pilot T.oiu Ballard, and Aaron Ballard on the Big Eagle in l858, ~ warns Uncle George. We Negr ea carried passes so we could save our skins if we were caught off the boats but we had plenty of good food on the boats. ~ Uncle George said the roust~bouta sang gay songs ~vrhile loading boats with heavy freight and proviaioz~ but on account of his crippled feet he could not ;;; T~~ou:~o~ ~ . ~ . . . . . . ~ . ~ ~

Folklore. 044 040

40 I 3015.1 IPodersi Writers Project Page ji oj~ the W. P. A. Topic j4kO D trlot #6 Anna Pritohebt !hrlon Coun ty flic j o,& na sr.~~cj Folklore .. a-ri-tan ass Reterenoes a- ---u--w-r nfltasun (A ) Mn Belie Putier aimitghtora 8~9 North cavitol snnne. (3) Arma Pritohett -Fednal ?flters 1200 Fen b~c~ Avente. Beile Butler, the daughter of Chanty Ityer, teils of tS hardships her mother endured during her days of emery. (F) Chaney ta owned by Jette Coffer, e. mean old devil.0 He would whip hie eines for the eiirjtteet mtBdetnnor, and is~ tlaes for nothing at all ~jt~t enjoyed seeing them suffer. ~ny s time Jesse would whip a alan, throw him clot, and gouge his ~r out. Such a enel soti (A) Chamey s sister as aiim a elsie ct the Cotter plantation. One day their it*tter decided to *ID thim both. After tpping tin f27 hard, S started to throw them 6cn~, to to after their eyes. Clianoy grabbed Oui of hin hands, ber sister ~nbbed his othar tiand, etch tin bit s ~ entinly off of etch hand of their aster.

045 041

. ?age~~2 Topic #240 ~ 41 t~~m Fritehett This, of course, hurt Uni io very bad he had to t;tcp their puxiishiasnt and never ~ tte~iptad to whip them again. He told then he would eur.I~y put th n~ i:~:t hi~ pocket ( ~ie11 them) if thty e~r dared to try axithing like that again in life. (A) Not so Ion~ after their figJ~t, Chaney ~*s t:iven to a daughter of their mas ter and her s ister ~s ~iven to another ~au~hter and taken to !~a5saio Cow~t~r, 1T.C. (A) : ~ the next farm to the Coffer far~ii, the overeeers wouU tie tho B1av83 to the ~oi ts b~r their huth, ithip them unmorcifully, then ~a1t their ba~ka ~ ~itke thera very aor e . (A) flhon a slave slowed do~ o~i hii~ oor~n hoeing, no ~rMter Lt he were s ick, or jus t vvry tired, h would ~et ~a~i~r lashes ami a salted back. (A) ~ One woi~n left the plantation without a pass The overseer oau~ht her and whipped hex to death . (A) ~ No slave ~as ever allawsd to look at a book1 for fear he might learn to read. One day the old u~istress caught a ala ve boy with a book, she c1~u*sed h1~ and aa c~d hii~ ~that he ni~ant, and ii~*t he thou~t he could do with a book. She said he looked 1i~e a blac& dog with a breast pua on, and for1~ade him to ever look into a book again. (A) All slaves o~t the Cotter planis~tion ~iiere treated ~.n a wet inhumav~ aanner, scarcely hsvin~ cm~ough to eat, unlosa they would steal it, running the ~ isk of being ~aur ~ht~ and reoeiviw, a severs beatmr for the theft. (A) Mrs Butler lives with her daughters, I~as worloed very hard iz~

046 042

1~ge~5 Topic ~24O Anm Pritohett hei days. 1 (B) ~he has had -to give up ~t1moit everythins~ in the last f.v yew, because her oyeai~ht ha~ failed . 1~owever, ~the i~ very obeerful and enjoys tellinC th~ ~ ~. r~other would tell ~r. (13) St~1iaitted Decei~ber 28, 19e? flcU.~An~po1i~ Indiana I~y: AN~U*1 ~R1TV1~TT V~F~TfrIWiu~ _ .-1~

Joseph William Carter. 047 043

~..La ~V6 B~ 17~ ~~~~i.ave D~O~~Lt~b 6th DIstrict y~~derburgh County . . . I~auafla Creel Joseph :~ ~ This information v as ~aine . through an interview with Joseph William Carter ana several o ~ his daughters. The data was cheerfully given to the writer. Joseph ~iilliam C~rter has lived a long anci,he declares, a happy lif , althou~ h he was born ana. reared in bondage_~his pleasing personality has always made Ms lot an easy one an~1 his yoke seemed easy to wear, Joseph ~7iliiam Carter was born prior to the year 1836. His r~other, Malvina Gardner was a slave in the home of Lir. Gardner until a man named. D. B. Smith saw her and noticing the physical :~erfeeticn o~ the chill at once purchased lier from her master. ~alvina was agrievea.at being Compelled to leave her oLi home, ana her love-. Ly~omig mistre~3s, Thiss Gardner was :~on~ of t~e little muliato girl and. had ;aught her to be a useful member o~ the G~ardner family; however, she was ~o1d to Mr. Smith anci~ was comt~el e3. to accorimany hirn to his home. Both the Gardner and. Smith families lived near ~al1atin, Teirne$see, in Sumner County. The Smith plantation was si~tuated .~on the Cumberland River thd commended a he~.utiful view o ~ river an~ valley acres but Llalvina was very unha1D~y. She ~Lid not enjoy the smith family and longed. for her old friends back in the Gardner home, One night the little girl gathered together her Cew per~onal belongings ~ a~ started back to her old home. Afraid to travel the highway the child followed a path ~he knew through forest; but~-alas, ehe round the way long andbeset with perils. A :~mber of uncivil Indians were encamped on the side o~ the Ou~nberland moun-. .:~~:3 : and a number ~of the young braies were out bunting that night. Th ir :1 approach was heard by the little fugitive gifi but toalate Thr her ~ an escape. Aulndian oalle& ~BucktT caPtured her and by aU the laws - ~ was lus own property~ She lived Thr al~iiost a year i.n the

048 044

Ex- Slave Stories ~ 5th Distriot . page g. 44 VanderbUr& County ~I Lauzma Creel. jpseph wnn~ca?~: teepe with Buck and. during that time leaned. much about Indian habits. % aras #f~ r. iThen Italvina was missed from her new home, ?Tr. taith went to the Gar~er plantation to report hie loss, not finding her there a wid.e search was nade for her but the Indians kept her thoroughly,fipza ~aled.. nies mass, however, kept IV!) the search. She Imew the Indianswereencempe~. ou the mountain arid belIeved. she would :tirt& the girl. with them. The Intie.z~s finally broke cama and the members of the Gardner home watched. them start . aaQ% ~~ ~ . m their journey and Miss Pass soon discovered Maivinaarnong the other naidens in the procession. .. . ... I!he men of the Gcr&ner plantation white and. black, overtook the In j,a~s in& demanded the girl be given up to them. The Indians reluctantly gave er to them. I.tiss Puss ardner tooc her.,,,back and. Mr. Gardner paid Mr. ~ Smith the original purchase price and Malvina Wasonce more installed in n old home. ttalvina Gardner was not yet twelve years of age when she was captured by the IndianS and was scarcely thirteen years of age wheli ehe became the mother of Joseph ~?ifliam, son of the uncivil Indian, B~ick . The child Was born in the Gardner home and mother aM child remained there. The mother was 1,% good slave and loved the members of the Gartner family and her son and she ~ lOved by them in return. Gardner married. a itt . Mooney and ~r. Gardner allowed her to take eph William to her home. The Mooney estate waa s i tuzat & up on the Carth idge road and. some of Joseph William s most vivid memories of slavery and Ourse of bondage embraoe his life s span with the MponeyC story that The aged man relates is of an encounter with an eagle ant ~ 41~ws: . !YGeorge Irish, a white, boy near my own age, was the son 6t th : . . ~ . s . lj ~ ~ ~5:1~~!! operated a sanill on B ledsoe Creek, r~ where it emp~ti i K :A 1. L ; ~ ~ river. eor and :t often went fishing together id ~ : . . .. : ,~ .~ ~

049 045

slave St~ries . th District ~~cl.erburgh County ~7age&~3~ 45 auafla Creel. Joc~epn ~i11iam Carter, had a gOQ~1 dog called. T:I~CtO~. Hector ~:~as as gooi a coon aog as there as to be 1ound in that ~rt o:~ the country. That ~ay we ~boys c1im~ed u~ n the mill shea to watch the sw ms in B1e~soe Creek ana ~ soon noticec3. a reat big fish hawk catehin~. the gosithgs. It made us ~ and. we deejc1e~3, o 1d~Ii the hav%~k. I went 1DaC~ to th house and got an o1~ flint lock rifle ars~ Tiooney had let me carry ~7hen ~e went hur~t1~ig. ~Then I got back where or&e was, the big birl was still bus:~i catching go~Iings. m~ ~irst shot fired broke its wing and~ I clecilecl I Woulti catch it ana take it home with e. The birci put up a terrible eight, cuttin~. me with its bill and. talons. ector carne running. ana tried to help me but the bird cut hirn until his w is brought help from the fle1 ~.. Mr. Jacob G~reene was passing alo~ag and. me to us. He tore me away from the bird but I could not walk and. the b1~od. as running from my body in dozens o ~ places. Poor o13. Hector, was crip~led cl. bleeding for the bird was a big eagle ani wou have killed. both o11 us k help ~ not come~ The ola negro man still shows signs o~ his encounter Lth the eagle. He said it was aptured an~ livea ~bo,ut four months in cap~ Lvitybut its wtng never healed.. The boiy o ~ the eagle was stuffed with leat bran, by G-reene Harris, and- Diaced in the court yard in Sumner County. ~he C~~il ~1ar changed things at the Mooney plantation, said the ol ~ man. Before the ~Var Lir. iIoone~ never had. been cruel to me. I was Mistress Puss s rooerty and she would never have allowed. me to be abused, but some of the ~th r slaves enthired. the most cruel treatment and were worked nearly to ~aath Uncle Joe s memory o~ slavery embraces the whole story of bondage and. ie helpless position held. bY strong bod.ied. men and women o~ a hardy race, verpowered. by the narrow ideals of slave owners an~ cruel overseerers.~ When I was a little bitsy child and. still lived. with ~ Gar .ner, saie he old. man, I saw many o~ the slaves beaten to death. Master~ Gard.ner .~ . . L 4fl t do auy of the whIpp in but ever~ Cew months he sent to Mississ i~i~I

050 046

ij: ~ ~ i~x~s1ave Stories . page 4,, ~ 5th District ~ ~ . /1cm ~~~d~erbUTgl1 County jo(~e~Tifl ~ 1n~iana ~auafla Creel. for negro rul~rs to come to the olantatjon and whip all the negroes that ~ had not obeyed the overseei s. big barrel lay near the barn and. that was always the ~hip~in place.TT Uncle Joe remembers two or three profession~ :~ slave whi-m~ers an~ recalls the ~e~th off two o~ the 1ilssissip~~i whippers. He relates ti~e story as follows: Lars Garaner ha~ one of the finest black smiths that I ever saw. His arms were strong, his muscles stood. out on. his breast an~L should~ers and his legs were never tired. He stood there and. shoed . horses and repaired tools day a ter daj ana there was no work ever made him tired. . o~d negro man so vivialy ~e~cribe~ the noble blacksmith that he almost peared in person, as the story advanced. ~ I donTt know what he had. done to rile up Mars Gardner but all o ~ us knew that the Blacksmith was go ing to be flogged. ~1hen the whippers from Li~Si~s1pri got to the plantation. Thc blE.cksrnith worked on day and. night. all ~.ay he was shoein horses and 111 the spare time he had. he v~as ~akin a knife. ~7hei~ the whippers got there 11~ ~f ~ W Te brought out to watch the whip~in but the blacksmith, Jim ~rthier did. not wait to feel the lash, he jumped right into the bun h of sers and negro whipDers and, knifed two whippers and one overseer to ath; then stuck the sharp knife into his arm and. bled to death.t ~ se~emed the only hope for this man of strength. . He could not humble 1lm~el to the brutal ordeal 0 1 be ing beaten bY the slave whippers. . ~::3I1 the war started, we kept hearing atout the sol~iiersand finally they up their camp in the forest near us. The corn was read.y to bring into ~ barn and the soldiers told LTr. Mooney to let the slaves gather it and. ~ it into the barns. Some of the soldiers helped gather and. erib the : 1. ~ Wanted to help. but Miss P)ss was afraid they would press me into ~.-- ~ ~ ~ ! ~ hid.e in the c llar. There was a big keg of apple cider ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

051 047

4r~ n the cel~r ci~~i ever:~ ~-~T ~ SS Puss handed do~~n ~.. big ~ate of fresh n~er slTh:~s riptht out ~-~ the ~v n, so i ~ ~eii :~!1:~.:ea. m~ old man er~~embers thn~t after the corn was in the crib the soldiers turned tn their ivSr~S to e~:t wh~t ~ :f~llen to tbe ~roui~. efore ti~~ ~ol~iors 1eo~me encc~mped at the :~ooney plantation the:.:r had camp t_9. u on a hill and some SkiT~:~EthiflL~: ~I,Cj OCCUTI~d. 1Tflc.l ~ Joe remembers the 1:-~r~nish ~ui(~~ seei~~~ c~T~~on balls corne over the bieids. Th~ cannon bails re chained toc ether aii~ . tile sl~ve oMldren v~~ould run ~fter the ~r~s~jis. o~: iet~.es t~c~ oh~in~ would ~i~t Iov~r:i trees as the b~l1s rolled throur~h the T~B Do :Jou believe in tTitchcra ~t? ~j~ sskei while thterviewin ~.. t:~e aged negro. ~I~o ~~as t~e answer. 1,1 ha~ a cousin that ~:~s a full blooded InCdan and a i:~ doctor. He got me to help him v~ith his Vo~~.oo work. ~ lot ol opic both white arid. bl~c: sent for the In~uian ~vhen they ~7ere sick. I told m I ~~TOUi~~ do the best I could, if1 ~ ~ioulcI helD sick -oeo~le to ~~:et weil. woman wa.s sick ~~ith rhumatisni ami he ~vas ~oin~ t6 see her. lie sent me in ~ o the v:oods to dig u~ poke roots to boil. I~e then took the brew to the Louse where ti~e sich woman lived, R&d her to ~t both feet in a tub ~~ith warm water into which he had placed tlae ~oke root brew. He told ~i~e Woman she ha~ lizards in her body an~ he was going to bring them out of her, He covered the viornan viith a heavy blan:et and made her sit ~or a l~ng l4rne, possibly an hour, with her feet in the tub of poke root brew and water. FI~ had. me sup a good many lizards into the bub and whenthe woman rernove~. Eier feet, there were the l1~ards. She was soon well and believed. the liz~~rds hE~d~ corne out. f h~T legs. I Was d~isgasted. and~ would flot practice with ~y .~ COuS in aga in TI ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ . ~ n~o you d~thi t eight in the Civil ~7ar. was asked. Uhele Joe. ~ COU~ ~e I4~ia~, when I got OI~L enough I entered the service and barbecued ~k ~

052 048

i~..~lave ~triOS ~ rth ~ Page 6. 48 v~~derburgh County Joce~h7ifl.i~m_Carter. :auana Creel aeet ~ the :Tar clDsed. Barbacueing ha~ been Uncle Joe s specialty curing slavery ~ ~ iic~ ~ol1 ~ed. the same tro ~essi~n during his service ~jth the federal army. He vras freed by the emancuapation -proclamation, and ~OO~fl met and married Sadie Scott, former Slave o~ Lir. scott, a Tennessee )lanter. 3aCde only lived a short time after her m~arriage . He l~..ter mar- ied r. ~ Doolin~. EIer father was nai~ed Oar~auel. He v~ as a blacksmith and- ~ 1ter he ~as free, the countrymen ~vere after hi:-~ to t :~:e ~s life. He was shot nine times and finally kilie~ himsel ~ to ~)rcveut meeting dee~th at the i:: ~riCS of the ~ ro2e~ph ~ Carter is a cripple. In 1933 he fell an3. broke his right thj~i bOfl~ aYi!~ eince th~.t ti:e he ha~ ;~alke~. :1th a crutch. He stays u~ ~quite a lot ~nci is al~7a~s gI~d. to tTeicome visi~tors. He possesses a noble character ana is adrnirei3. b~ his frienas an~L heighbors. Tall, straight, ~ lean o body, his nose is aouj~line; these physical characteristics he inlierited from his Indian ancesters. ~ E.~entle n~ture, ~)(1tL good humor are characteristics handed to h~~n by his mother arC~ ~Qstered by the gentle ~rearing o ~ ~is southern mistress. ~~~heii TJncie Joe Carter celebrated the lOO~1th aniversary O~ MS birth a large cake was presented to him. dec3rated. viith 100 candles. The party was atten~ed b~- children an~ ~ran~ehildren, friends ana neighbors. 1T~at . is ~ pOlitical viewpoint? was aske~i the ol~ man. ~ Mypolit cs is ~y ~ love for my country T. I vote Thr the man, not thc ~arty. Oie JOC S religion is the religion oi~ decency and virtu . I dontt want to b hard in my judgement,TTsaid he, But I Wish the ~vho1e viorl~ would be decent. ~hen I was young man, women wore more clothes in bed. than they now wear on the street. . . : ~~ has: always been a lover of horses but he does not eare for Automobiles G~ ~ ero~1ane s sa id a d~au~hter o~ Uncle J oe ~ Une le Joe ha s se von dai~gh~. ~ ~ ~

053 049

t~51aVeS S~bor~eS ~ im District Page ~. . ~~~e~bUrgh C ount y ~ ~iiana Creel ~rs, he says they have always been obealent anti. attentive to their parents. ieir mother pa~SeCl away seven years ago. The sous ana daughters o~ Uncle ~ remer~:1Der their grana-~mother and recall stories recountea by her 0 her jt:tvi t~j amonp the inalans Papa htil no gray hairs until after mama aied. His hair turned gray from ~ at her loss. saici mrs. Delia Smith, one of his dau~~hters. Uncle Joe~s tile reveals a set of unustu.&Iiy souii teet~x from which only one~ tooth is ~ssing. :e all ~thers an~ gran~tthers, Uncle Joe recoui~ts the cute cIee~s an . funsayings o:t~ the little children he ~ been associated With: how his own. Iciren with eather bed~oked cro~ns er~actecI the caDture of tiieir grandmother id often DIa~ed tT1~00~00 Doctor. ~ ~ ~ ~eie joe stresses the value o~ work, not the enforced labor o ~ the slave but ~e cheerful toil o ~ free reoi~Ie. He i~ glad. that his sons and ~aughters in~ustrious citizens an is ~rou~L they maintain clean homes for their ~ain~ les. ~ He is happy because his ~chi1ciren have never own bondage, an~ he respects the laws o his country and. ap~reciates the ter ~3t that the citizens of i!~van~vi1ie have always showed in the negro race. After Uncle Joe became a young man he met many indians from the tribe at had held his mother captive. Th~OUg1i them he learned. much about his tuer which his mother had. never told hirn. Though he was a ~araiier slave and would. have been Joseph GarOEner, he took is -~ e name of Carter from a step father antI was. known as Joseph Carter.

Ohio County ex-slave, Mrs. Ellen Cave, relates her experiences. 054 050

~w~ ~e ~ ~tonroe .flist. 4, 3efferson County i.9(~fl ~r~ . ~ ) u ~ ~ r ~j ~. . e r:~j-~ t ~ ~ .~- ~ ~ ~ tJ~ F c2~t ~ ~ ~ . ~ ~ .~ . . ~ ~ . ~ OHIO COU3~TY ~-sL~v:E, ~RS ELIE~T CAVE, Ri~L~ThS ~R EXP~~RIIiNCES Ref. ( ) Assistant editor of tThe Rising Sun Recorder furnished the,. f0llowing story which had appeared in the pa-~:;er, )~arch 19, 1937. Mrs. Cave was th slavery for tvielve years before she was freed by the EmancipatiOfl Proclamation. When she gave her story to Aubrey Robinson she was living in a tempo rary garage borne back of the Ri sing Sun courthouse having lost everything in the 1937 flood. 1~:rs. Cave was born on a plantation in Taylor County Kefltucky. She was the property of a man who did not live up to the popular idea of a Southern gentleman, whose slaves refused to leave them, even after their freedom was declared. V/hen she was a ye&r old. her mother was sold to someone in Louisana and she did not see her again until 1867, when they were re-united in Carrolton, Kentu lcy. Her father died when she was a baby. Mrs.Cave told of seeing wagon 1oa~is of slaves sold down the river. She, herself was put on the block several times but never actually sold, although she would have preferred being sold rather than the continuation of the ordeal of the block. ~ Her master was a mean man vtho drank heavily, he had twenty slaves ~ that he fed now and then., and gave her her freedom after the war only when ~ she would remain silent about it no longer. He -was a Sout them syTnpath ~ iser but j oined the Union army where he became a ca~tai~i and was in charge ~ of1~ a Union comm1ssary~ Pinally he was suspected and .~charged with mustering I~pph1es to the rebels~ Be was imprisoned for some time, then courtmartia1~. laud sentenced to die. He escaped by bribing his negro guard. ~:. ~ Mrs. Cave said that her master s father had many young women slaves and~ sold his own half-breed children down the river to Louisiana p1antation~ ~ the work was so serere that the slaves soon died. I, ~ ~ In slavery, iLt s. Care worked aa a m3~id ifl tiLe house untU she 1i~~ I~~& ~ ~* ~ i~j.a.v ~ ~ 537 Words

055 051

~ : : ~ ~ ~ : ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .~ ~ ~ ~ ~ : ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 2 ~ ~ ~ ~. . ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ . ~ ~ ~reW older ~en she was forced to do all kinds of outdoor labor. ~e ~ememb~~ ~a~ir~g logs iii. the ~flOW all ~:1ay. In the ~uznu~er she pitched hay )r any other mari s worI~ in the f leid She was trained to C arry three buckets of ~rater at the ~axne time, two in her ahands and one on her head ~~dsaid she could still dolt. On this plantation the chief article of food ~ or the s1ave~ was bran bread, a though the master1$ children were hind and often slipped them o~t meat O~ other food. Mrs. Cairo remembered seeing General VToolforcl and Gener~l ~organ of~ the southern forces when thEY ~jnade f~fl(3~y ~j~1tS to the ~1antati0fla She saw General Gr~nt ~tvrice during the war. ~he ~aw ~Idiers ~~iing. near the ~ p1antati0r~. Later she was caught and whipped by ~j~it riders, or pat~ a rollers , a~ she tried to slip out to neCro ~e1igiOU8 ~e~tingS. i ~ Mrs. dave was driven frOl3a her plantation two years ~ after the war and --- to arroUton ~entuCI Y, vthere she found her mother and s~Ofl married ~aes 0a te, a former s1a~e on a plantation near hers in Ta~r1or county. ~ Mrs. had th~rteefl, ~9~ii~AreU. . ~ ~ ~ ~ :~~ :For mary years ~itrs. Ca~ lias ~ii~ed on a farm about tWO and one half mi. ~th of Ri$iU ~ ~verythifl~ she had. was washed away ~n the flood and lived in the court hoUSe garage ~~til her ~iou~Ie4COUld be rebuilt. (A)

Folklore. 056 052

~ . r~T~ i_4, (~~*i I 20142 Federal Writers Proj~ot Page j~&l of tho VI. P. A. Topic 1/~24O Diatriot ~46 Anna Prito~tt Marion County z~ ~1~A Folklore R~ ferenooa 1~-~ ~ (A) ~1r~ Harriet Cheata~ ~Ex~~Slav,, 816 Danish street. (B) Arma Pritoh.tt, Federal Writer, 1200 Kentuc~r Avenue, Inoident8 in the life of ~re. CI~ataa as ehe told t)*~t to fl~3 (B) n ~ ~ aa borne ~ 1843 ~ in Gallatinb Tennessee1 94 year; a~o t1th~ coenixi~ (1937) ~hriatrnas 1y. (A) SOur maste r, Martin Henley, a farvte r, was hard on us s1a~ee, but we were happy in spite of our la&c. (A) ~W~n I was a child, I ttidn~t haie it as hard u sois of t}~ Ghfl4re1~ in the quarters ~ I alvay~ stayed in the big bouse ~ slopt on ths~ floor, r1g~xt near the fireplace with on. quilt for ~y bed and or~ quilt to caver i~ T~n whon I growed up I ~aa in the quarters. (A) .~ ~Att~er the Civil war1 I went to Ohio to oo~~k for Geueral Payne. We had a nioe life in the ~ez~r~tl s hau ~i. (A) 1~I re~n~ber one night, way bi~ok before the ~iyil ware

057 053

Page ~2 Topic ~~24O i~m~& ?rits1~tt ~w. wanted a ~oo~e. I went out to steal or~e ~ that waz~ the only way we 81a re8 would have on . I crept very quiet 4~, put ~ hand in where they was and grabbed, and what 1o you suppose I had? A great big polo oat. ~ ell, I dropped him quick, vveri~t back, took ott all my olotha~ dug a hole ~nd buried them. T~ ne~ci~ night I went to the right place, ~ra~b~d i~ a nice big ~ held his x~eck and feet so ~ couldn t holler, put 1~x~ un~ar n~ ar~n, and ran with him, azi4 did we oat? (4 we often had prayer n~oting out in the p~artera, and to ~ ep the folks in the big house from hearing ua w~ would take pots, turn them down, put eo~thing ui4er t1~m, that let tl* sound ~o in this pots put them in a row by t~ door, then our voices wou 4 not go out a~d we could sing and pray to our heart P s ooutent. (A) At Thank giving tii~ we ~nld haie poi~u1 cake That waa tine We would take our hands and boat and beet our cake dough, p;xt the dough in a skillet, oover it with the lid aM pu~ it in t~ firoplaoe (The covered skillet would i~tat our ovens of today. It would take all day to b~1 , but it sure would be goods not like the cakes you have totay. (A) v~1~n we cooked our regular n~aIa we would put our food in pots, slide t}~m on an iron rod that booked into the fire~place. (They wore cafled pot hooks . ) T}~ pote hung right over the open tire and would bail uatil t~e food ~ &ono (A)

058 054

Page~~$ Topic ~~24O Anna Pritshett ~ often made ash cake . (That is made of biacuit dough. ) ~hen the dough waa re ady, we swept a oie ~ place on the floor of the fireplaoe, si~ooth~d thc dough out with our hathe, took ~ aihea, put them on top of the th>u~h, then put sore hot coala on top of the as1~e, and ju5t left it. When it was done~ w~ brushed off the ooa1~, took out the bread, bru~h,~d off the ashes, child, that was brsad. (A) When v*~ roa8tod a chicken, we got it all nice and clean, ati~ff d hirt with dresain~, ~reaced him all over good, put a c~bba~e leaf on the floor of the fixeplaoe put t1~ chiok~n on the cabbago leaf, then COVOrOd him good vrith ar~other cabbage leaf, a~d put hot ooa1~ all over and around him, and left hua to rosat. That is the best way to cook ohioken. (A) Mrs. Cheat~m lives with a daughter, Mrs. Jones. She is a very siu1l old lady, pleasant to talk with, has a v~ery happy disposition. I~ r eyes as s he ss~id ~ have gotten ve~j dim, and she can t piece her quilts anymore. That w*~ the tray she spsz~ her spare tiu. She has beautiful vrhite hair and i~ ye~uy proud of it. (B) Submitted Deseruber 1, 1957 Indianapolis, Indiana By: A~A PRITCI~TT

James Childress' story. 059 055

E~4xan84SL . ~ ~ Vin ) :) ~ . District #5 .! ~ ~. ~ . 55 wmdorburgh County Ltut9fl& Creel j~ htdr Story. from 971 1X11*rYtCW with James Children and from John bell both liv. ~ri:: ; at $12 :3. 2. Fifth Street, L nnsviile, Indiana, : ~Ot~,fl ~ Uncle Jimmy by the many chtldren that cluster about if.o ar:cd mart nover tirlnr cf bis stories of When I was ~ chile. Whon I nte a chile my dn5 y nnd rrinnrr wa~ sieves tnc~ I was a e sL vo, so be$ins many rec~ a nte5 thles of the Ion ; ar~o. nom at ~ttshvi1le ~ Tennessee In the ye~tx 1P60, Uncle Jinnte ro~ crtbei s tit~ Civil War drugs with the excitinr events as relnted to 1:~tci own f~ ~11y ant the r~rnt o? JrrIciR Cbfldroes, his ma5ter. Ho reis me:nben sorrow expro~stc3 in rcrtinn toz~re when Uncle Johnle anti Uncle :ob str ! ted to witr. He rocvlls huppy dn.yi when the beeutiful valley or th~~ CnntboriFnc!J was abloom with w~.ld flowers arid fertile acres were ca:?5CteCl w~th blue zrnes. ~A beautiful view ooi~tld always be enjoyed from the b.tllaides an there were nnny pretty hOEtnee belonflng to tF~ rIch citizens, Sinn !ccp b the irkwne snooth and tended the flowers for rUles arcnnd Nashville, ~ I t~~z a child . sct~.d Uncle Jitnreie. . Uncle 3i!tlie Ohfldrene lies no know1ed~e of ht.s ?II LStSR S hSLVIXUg practiced cruelty towards any slave. We was all weil fed, well clot~4 ant5 lived in rood c&ins I never zot a cross word from Mere Zobn in fli~~ life, he declared. When the s svee got their freedom they rej!te t $taylnt up XflG ti nights to stnz, drince an6 enjoy tMiwel~vos, although tb~~ still aepended on oltMars John LOX! food and bed, they felt too excited to work in the tiel4 or~oere for the. st ck. They bated to leetvs their ii nes but M~. Children told tbem to go out . and make hoes to~ themselves, . . : ~ tGt 11GWh M ~ t I~we1 elM~: and. kipt us 41 to4 tiar, ~ i:~ ~ ~ tNs N* Ih* ad n Isad vrflX S M t ~n )t ed at

060 056

is.smnI . ~ . ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ : ~. g~~~rtst #1 ~ ~ Si 56 ~ Cntt . ~. :~ Ltnnfl* fl*i JEtas c)ISSI4VS. $toflo EvsMVIU since taGt, bStS worked for s good maul mn and Joist :fl1% viii tefl gott t have had onLy~ Manda i~ the oiti It EvtnaviU*4 . U*toZ~ Jimmie ~ ~nosU tin n s tas slay. pn~td to God tor rnstca and the zngro ~ pr,sob.fl *IW*70 prnohed ~boizt tbs ~ dfl ta tim sluveS ~ot d bS no jo~gsr ~23tV~S bnt fr nd h*~P7. tt?Li ~ )sond God, tIWl a*4 stand ~ !! ~ ~ Low Nat oi~gvriot as on of tk~s best eoDgR tifl knew 0. }ifl S ursA. a1a. BUfl4~ ~ *tSfl1~ of tiLl Ofl~ $fld asid it related to God s aetbins tb. xiegz!O S tne. * flbe negroeS at Jab, obfldr.fl pis.. are &Ufl*d to leans much fl~ ~ *oul4* severaL of tha joung ~U could md and tiair ~~atn Wa s good flan and did *0 harrn to a*q~body*0 jean Gidi~~~, Si a ta.k asa,nU of n*tst,Wttb ortip wooli dark sgr, ils te gAS 1* i ftot S mulatto t s ti~a ifl bIDOOSd flSS~O* ~ ~ ~: . ~ ~: ~ ~ : ~ . ~ . ~ ~ - ~ ~ s ~ ~ ~ ~ * . . .~ . - . : ~ ~ ~ 4

Folklore. 061 057

12Q~J4~ r ~ IL)( Fsd ral Writs~~ Projsst Page ~l etthel.P.A. Topis$40 Dietriot ~J4 Anna Prit.hett Marten Co~mty ! t I~ lolkiers ~1__u_ _J_ -i~-r Rsfz sns. LJS~I~ ~S -~-a-~a-aa~ - (A) Mrs. sariih Colbert ~~x~$lay m 3 ~5 )!erth Ci~itol aveni, Indanspoli. Indi~. (3) ~ Pritobett ~ Pedsrs1 Writ.ru 1200 KOntUO~ Menus. ~ r. S arah Carpsnt.r CO1b.rt was born in AUen County, g ntus ~~ in 1855 3h. ~a ownd by Imigs Carpenter, a tarmsr. (A) ~r tather~ lease Carpsnt.r *. the grsMaon of hi. ~atsr, iaLg. Carpenter, who was very kiM to hia. tasse worked on the tarm until the old esster~a death. ~e was then ao 4 to Ji* MeFmriax4 in ?ranktort Kantueky. Jia s wife was ~ ~en to the il~vss1~ ithtppsd them regularly every awix~ing to start the day right. (A) On. ~rnirt~ stter a severs beating, lease ~.t an old slave, who asked him wt~r he let his aistrsu beat him so inu . tasse la~ighsd a~d asked him what h. sould do about it, The old n told him iS he would bit. her toot, the next time abs ~cnosb,d him down, she would stop beating him and psrhape sell hi*. (A) - The next morning h. was gstti~*g his regular beating. he wilth~gly ~U to the fI~or. gxsbhed hie mistress toot, bit her

062 058

p.~ r T.pio ~$4O__ j . Aima Pritsh.tt YST7 hi~. Sk tI t.d v.ry hard to pull ws~y tv~ him, hs bsld ou atiU Iiting0 .I~ run aro~ bi tiw zoom~ lasso .till holding ou. Finally, she stopped b.ating him and xwv*r attomptod to atriks Ida again. (A) V&o nozt woek i~ wa~ put on t~ bloc, biing a ~ good i~rksr and a vsry strong man, the bid.. ~.r. high. (A) gis iow~g master, Iaigo Jr., outbid ovexyo~ and boiaght him tor $2200.00. Eis yot~g mutt... was i.ry moan to him. Bi wont again t. his old friend for advic.. This t:1~ b. told him to get s~ yellow dust, sprinki. it around in his mistress room and it posstbl.,g.tso~in}*rshoo.. !his~didandiua.horttim. I~ was sold agaiu to Johnson Csrp.nt.r in tb. sai county. Hi not really tv.at.d an~ bottor t~rrs. D~ this ti I~. ~ss vry tirod of b.ing aistrsat.4. Ro r~aiab.rsd him old master tolling ~ ~s raNnawa~to hi. old mutAis, t.ia ~ar o.f his m~r haxdships, and told b.~ what tI~ old aastsr had told h~z, so oh. sont him bask. At tks a~xt sal. si~ bought hiLu, aM )~ li v.d tb.ve ~ until slavery wu &olish.d. (A) ~sr grandtathsr, Bat c1I3rTi.flt.r~, was an *7abitiou$ slave; ho dug ors and ~onghb his tr.ed~i. t)~n bought his wife b~ ia~th~ $50.00 a year t. )ssr asator for ksr. S}~ eontinu.d to eork on the tarin ot her own aaato~ Sbr a Tu~y .aaU wag.. (A) Bat s wifS. Matilda, Uve4 on the *~ az,n not tar tr~i~ him, he was s1 ~.I.4 to Tinit her avery 8~*Msy . Ono SuMai~c,

063 059

Psp~S ?opts$40 5~) Anna Priisiatt it look5d lue rain, his mastsr told him to gatlar in th oats, hs refused to do this and waa b.aten with a ~ aw hide lis was so angry, b. went to one of the witoh sraft.ra for e. charm so la oould tix his old aaster. (A) Tia witch doctor told h~.a to got tivs iaw nails, as tiars wers fi~~ ~ers in his iaaiter a family, walk to ths bans, tian walk baokwaz ds a f6w steps ~ poun~1 ons nail in the gz ouM, giving each nail the n~a of each zE~mber of ths tsnily1 starting with tia naatsr, t~ the mi3tress and so on through the ta4lily. ~aoh time one nail wa~ pounded ~iown in th. ground, walk baebrard~ and nail the naxt oxa in Until all wors pounded deep in the ground. lis d~id as instructed and was never beaten again. (A) Jans Gartt~n was the village witah. $ia disturb & iia. slaves with kar oat. Always at milking ti tia eat would ap~ar, and at night would go from oz~ cabin to another, p~rtting oix~ tia grease la~npa With his p. No aatter how t}ay tried to kill the o, it Just could not be tc~ra. 1An old witch dootor to 4 then to n~it a clime D fom a bulist with tue silvsr, and shoot tia oat. 1~ said a 1s4 bU11.t woulct za~ r kill a levitehed animal. Tb. ativr bullet fixed tb oat. (A) Ja_ also bswitoh.~1 tias ehioksns. Tiay were dyin~ so fast .3~rbhing thsy~ dit& soelMd use ..s.. Finally a big tirs wss built and tho d.ead Ohiokena thrown into tia tirs, timt bunisd tia

064 060

P~p#~ :. er . Topis #240 ~ J j Amt~ Prito}~tt chaz ~ aixl no i~r~ o~iokns disd. (A) Mrs. Colbort urn with hr daugi~,r in a vsry comfortable }~ s)~ eeeaa very happ~t and was glad to ttUk of h r early day. how ehe would laugh w~.n t hing of tb ex perienose of ber tentily. 8118 has reared a large family of 1~r owns and feels vsry proud of thei~. (B) 311bnhit~ted D.oenibor 1, 1937 ndftn94~oiB, Indiana By: ~AJbTA PRITC!~TT ~ --

Slavery days of Mandy Cooper of Lincoln County Kentucky. 065 061

i:~. ~ ~ DiBt. 4 Johnson County, md. Wiii. R. )&ys ~ ~ July 29, 1937 753 wor ~ J SLLVERY DAYS OF MMflIY COOPER OF LINCOLN COUNTY, ~ NTUCKX Ref: Frank Cooper, 735 Ott St., Franklin, End. Frank Cooper, an aged colored ~n of Franklin, relates some very irrLeresting conditions t1~.t existed in slavery days as handed down to him by his mother. 1~.ndy Cooper, the mother of Frank Cooper, was 115 years old when she died; s~te was o~ied by three difforozrt familles : the Good s, the i3urtonts, and the Cooper s, all of Lincoln Co. Kentucky. Well, Ah reckon Ah am one of the oldest colored men hereabowts, confessed aged Frank Cooper. What did you all want to see me about? ~r . . mISSIOn being stated, he related one of the strangest oategori~ alluding to his mother s slave life that I 2ave ever heard. One day while mah ir~a~ was washing her back n~r sistah noticed ugly disfiguring soars on it. 1xf quiring about theme W~ found,irnioh to our amazemez*, that they were mami~ s roltos of the now gone, if not forgotten, slave days, This ~was her first reference to her misery days that she ~d evah n~.de in my presence. Of course we all thought she was telling us a big story and we nude fun of her With eyes flashin she stopped bathing, dried her back and reached for the smelly oie black wlji.p that hung behind the kitchen door Biddin us to strip dovin to our waists, ~ little n~inn~r with the boney bent.. ovah back, struck each o f us as hard as evah she could with that black-snake whip each -~ stroke of the whip dr w blood frata our backs. Now , she said to us, you bave a taste of slavery days. With three of her children now having tas~ed of some of her misery day& sh ~aS in th~ mood to tell us more of her sufferings~ still ix~delibly impressed in 1!~T ~fljfl~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .~ ~

066 062

2. . G2 PL~r oie bsok i~ bent ovah from the quick-tempered blows feld b~r the r.d. head.d Miss Burton. At dinner time one day when the ohurnint wasn t finished for the noonday meal she said with an angry b ok that must have been reborn in n~J~ ma3nrny s eyes ~ eyes ti*t were din~ned by years and hard livin three white women beat me from ang$~ beoause they had no butter for their bieouit and cornbread. Miss ~urton uaed a heavy board while the inissue uaed a whip. While I was on my knees beggin them to quit1 Misa Burton hit the email of n~h back with the heavy board. Ah knew no more until kind Mr. Hamilton, who was staying with the white folks, brought me iXIZLdB the cabin and brought me around with the camphor bo~tt1e. Ah ll always thank him ~ God bless him - he picked me up where they had left me like a dog to die in the blazin noonday sun. VAfter xi~.h baok was broken it was doubted whether ah would evah be able to work again or not. Ah was placed on the auction block to be bidded -~ for 80 mah owner could see if ah was worth anything or not. One ~a.n bid $1700. after puttin two dirty fingaha in my mouth to see n~r teeth. Ah bit him and his face showed angah. He then wanted to ~n me so he could punish me. Thinkin hie bid of $1700 was official he unstrapped his bug~r whip to beat me, but n~r mastah saved me. ~r i~ster declared the bid unofficial. At this auction ~r sister was sold for $1900 and was never seen b~ us again. w mother related some experiences she had with the Paddy-Rollers, later called the Kukiux , these Paddy.Rollers were a constant dread to the Negroes They would whip the poor darl ye unmercifully without az~y cause. One night while the Negroes were gathering for a big party and dance the~r got wind of the approaching PaddyimBollers in large nwnbera on ho*sebaok, The Negro men ~id not knmr what to c~ for PrOt00ti0~, th5~J became desperate and decided to gath.~. a q~antit~r of grapevines and tied them fast at a dark place in the

067 063

3, 63 road. ~~hen the Paddy. Rollers came thundering down the road bent on deviltry and unawaro of the trap ~et for thcra, plun ed hoad-oxi into these strong grapevines end three of their number were killed and a score was badly injured. Several horses had to be shot following injuries. When the news of this happening spread it was many months before the Paddy uRollers were again heard of.

Ex-slave Rev. H. H. Edmunds. 068 064

t~oxt 8tv~~, faM ti ka, P~1ea1 *tt~ ~ Projet St. Joeo$2 County ~ ~isthtct fltut tnil t ~ ~3O1Iu (iLl. 01 * .aurvts ~1) V ~ a~-~ . ~ - ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ . ~ _.A~_ fl~~t2t 2ICE /t a nov0 ::j, ;~ TJ&1tt~d , aos usst utoLt~ ~tr t EfldlDDt9 !Z ILCIflC

069 065

Libel anmi, flaM ~ or1e rrn4MPs I Vfltes Proicet 65 at, a..t Ootmt~ s ~Utrt t n imb, Xt4tnm R~W. It, H. i~DMUNU; lt. u u. ! ;40 ~ p~fl4~ at 403 Went haley t3tN,et tn ~td*rt trn th puot ten yonro. florn in F~jnatbu~ ~ ~ Virginia, in ~fl59, he Und there fcrt actent 7 sz ~~ Later trn was taken to ~~teets~Sp$ by his t~tet~, t*M finally to nnsrsflne, T t~~eaee, tero ho Uni until hie rennst to x3ldafl. ile it4* ta very toitgtoem, nn~ for n~a. ywra In een cd his poopta ns a rdMater ot the Gaep~U. i~ tests deeply that the roflgton of tc~ay hoe ~oot1y chantjed fron the roM tine t~os Ugion.t~ In slavery deys, the colored pooplo woro ~o mxbju~itod t3rd tm~ucats2 thfl be obtins they tioro ospoets IL ly easeo$tt3s to ?G1if~ofl.9 OCKI p wsl out thefr roltgou toe1tn~a in the eo~. celled j~crn opizwithMUa. !JD?. ~~iw4i ta nvlassd thst the eu~trstittons et the ootonl poopte ami their beli*t in &w4 ~bbUns te d as to the tact t i~t their iotione ui4 ~ wOrt md upon by slate drives ta keep than in aUbjwi~tioea. OttcmtUa ttbite p~,pl, dressed os z iosts, tflij~taned. tim colored people into doing inny thtn~a tiMe j~rotat. The ~hoat? ~ no teared ter more than the sien-drives. ~ Vhs tin at the Rebelliert is not ren~S~ b~ Mr. l tunds, but he eiar1~y nasCe the period tolloi4ng the irnr ~moin as tho Reconatacitton Purtad. T~J Wort VOV7 tm~:~~p7 uta they learned thee we. tnt se a result at the war. A te~ took S Ituita~e at tt*t~ tfledSft bflSti*t*279 bUt tDflg tOt 1 1~!tTh$ *tat 324K to d ~ flM~t vith thOU tatet ntsstee. t3 ~ie ~ ro~ atMd Sn the p~attssns rit. isn after they two free.

070 066

isaR AIbIS Stro;o, fold ticwlte (3G PedrnSL Unten ProJect at, ascn C 4n~ a i~i*trtst #1 uis*taR, ti4tarmn DnduBill thor tannd to ~ t ~ tttu*solvcpe, often ttt~ztffi. im. etciotions rooeind fro~ the .. iv Lone vrt ore, nud thai tt y t;ero flad to ststrt out th~ the t or 4 for tts*soivoe. ot c~t~ec, thero w~fleo c~ce;*tona, toe the s3svn to 1*4 bean abused b trust ttms. ton *oTt o~n1y too IM to lonvo their tomer 1)OCI . 91~ toU4MrJLng rctdntsDcnOo in told b7 !lr. Eth*I*~t ~At a boy, t worked in Vir~inU fo~ ~ :~unt~, n ! r. Par~rtoX~. ~ Lind tcr~ z~oriS ulia Soevvod ~t3 bocuce on the Awn, : eldc t~ieter twa the lrned bone, After the t~r una over, tho ala. ter g~13~ t,i the ooloz 1 propic to ct:t anC told tbcn tLnt tho7 tictr no 24n~ur ~ atYsc, that ti~oy ni5.t lotnc IZ the ; ;j~~~ 211e tIntes hAd booei iwtortn~ wtboen ~ioh had boon flmt~ az*ott*L bsrnte flh1Le~2 with soit. Ilele tad betm bozt~4 in the binnoXs, nrvi vhen rn*tcc ~ pounl Lu ths ~*rt c1tc, fl gt iltw~ty . oojw2 out ttrot4t thc hotus thus uutertng the cuutztbcre. ~Ptter tho speech, oat son takt the eiaves to r~wa their tiODlt, (jjp4J0 t wfl$ freo, t rott*e~i to do no, enr~ na n roznit, t z o ott~ s torn ~ thie k%a4r~, t nowU~)1i7 DcWOIV tO get eton COLIS t3c7, Toere attar4ntfl, I vont to thc~ h~:to cC thte ~x~n Cor the ~tpr eaa purpose cC siu4dn~ eevcmj~o. flnovoe , t urm z~ocetve4 Sb kindiy, t~M testai se weil, that nfl tha4ts Of fl% SflZKIO SU Xsh~fl, Po~ 7sn after, r~ trios boss iuta t flsit~ ich otbor tu out ant ~ t~1, ~~_S tata thnt the ;~ct peop le ~Z Of()P to be ~ 4. terei to is ~kn6 people, uM doo$~ DeG lt WO nano niaer.~ ~- LISE

Ex-slaves. John Eubanks & family. 071 067

Arohio Icoritz, Field Worker Federal Writers Project Lake County mstriot #1 Gary, Indiana :~ 3 O5~ ~ JOHN EUBANKS &. ~ FAMILY REFER1~CE A ~ 3olm Eu,banks and family Gaz7, Indiana

072 068

j Archie Kox itz, Field Workei~ Federal Writers Project . lake County District /~ . ~ ~) ary, Indiana John Euhanks & Faini ly Gai y s only survi ~ring Civil War veteran was born a ~1ave in Barren County, 1~entuck~r, Juno 6, 1836. HiS ~ther vas a n~~.Latto and a free negro. H13 mother was a slave on the E~rerrett plantation and hi~ ~andparent s were LU I 1-b boded Afri can negro 08 As a chi ici he began work as soon as possible and was put to ~ror1c hoeing and piok Ing cotton ~nd any other odd jobs that would keep him busy. He was one of a family of several children, c~nct is the sole survivor, a brother living in Indianapolis, having died there in 1935. Following the CUstom of the south, when the children of the Everrett family grew up, they married ana slaves were given than ror wedding presents. .Tohn was given to a daughter wbo married a man of the naine of ELthsnks heno e hi s name John Eubanks John wa s one of the more rortw~iate slaves in that h1~ mistress and naster were kinci. and they were in a state divided on the question of slavery. They favored the north. The rest of the children were given to other nierribers of the E~rerrett family upon their marrtage or sold down the river and no crer saw one another unt1. 1 after the close of the Civil War. Shortly after the beginning of the Civil War, when the north seemed to be losing, someone conceived the idea of forming ~ogro regiments and a s a n inducement to the slaves they offered them freedom ir they wou id join the Union f oro o s John s mi stres s and master told him that if he wished to join the Union forces, he had their consent and would not have to z,un away like other slaves were

073 069

page 2 Archie Koritz, Field Worker ~ Pederal Writers Project ~ Lalce County..Di3triet #1 Gary, Indiana doing. At the beginning of the wax, 3ohn was twenty-one years of age. When Lincoln freed the slaves by his Etriancipation Px oclamat Ion ~ ohn wa s pr onipt ly given hi. s freedom by hi ~ ma st er and mistress. John deoided to join the nox~thern army which was 1ocat~d at Bowling Green, Kentitcky a distance of~ thirty.five miles from Glasgow where John was living. He had to walk the entire thirtyfive miles. A1thou~i he fails to remember all the units that he was attached to, he does remember that it was pert or Geiieral Sher.. man s army Hi s regiment started with Sherman on bi s famous march through Georgia, but for some reason unknown to John, shortly after the campaign was on Its way, his regiment was recalled anti sent elsewhere. His regim~it was near Vicksburg, Mississippi, at the time Lee surrenderei. Since Lee was a proud southerner and did not vi ant the negroes present when he surrendered, Grant pnDbably for this reason as much as any other rerused to accept Lee s sword. Then Lee surrendered there was im~.ch shouting among the troops ax~I John was one or many put to wo rk J.oa ding cannons on boat s to be shipp ed up the river. His company returned on the steamboat Ifldia~ . Upon his retuzth to Glasgow~he saw for.the first time In six years, his mother and other members of his famtly who had retu.rned free. Shortly after he rett~.rned to lasgow at the close of the Civil War, he saw several colored people walking down the highway and. was attracted to a young colored girl in the group who was wearing a yellow dress. Immediately he said to himself, !tlf she ain t married there goes my wife. Sometime later they met ard were married Chili atmas day in 1866 To this union twelve chi ld.ren were born f our of whom are 1ivin~ today, two in Gary and the others in the south.

074 070

page 3 Aichie Koritz, Field ~orker Federal VIriterst Project Lake County Distvict #1 Gary, Indiana After his riiarriage he lived on a farm near Glasgow for several years, later moving to Louisville, where he worked in a luriber yeard. He came to Gary in 1924, two years after the death of his wife. President Grant was the first president for whom he cast his vote and he continued to vote until old age prevented him rx oin walk. ing to the poils. P~lthough Lincoln is one or his favorite heroes, Teddy Roosevelt tops his 1i~t of great men and he never failed to vote for him. In 1926, he was tlae only one of three surviving meinebers of the Grand Army ol* the Republic in Ga~ and mighty proud of the fact t~t ho was the only one in the parade. In 1937 he is the sole survivor. He served in the army as a member of Company K of the 108th, ; Kentucky Infantry (Negro Volunteers). When General Morgan, the famous southern raider, crossed the Ohio on his raid across southern Indians John was one or the negro fighters who after heavy fighting, forced Morgan to recross the river and retreat back to the south. He also participated in several skirmishes with the cavalry troops coenmanded by the famous Nathan Be&fored. Forrest, and was a member of thej~egro garrison at Fort Pillow, on the Mississippi which was assaulted ana captured. This result ed in a massacre of the negro so idlers John wa s in severa 1 other fights, but as he says, never onct got a skinhurt. At the present time, ~Lr. Eu.banks is resiuing with his daughter, ~ttbs Bertha S b as and se~era 1 grandehi Idren in Gary, Indiana He is badly crippled with rhe~matiam, has poor eyesight and his memory is failing. Otherwise his health is good. Most of his teeth are good and they are a source of wonder to his denti st He is ninety..

075 071

page 4 Archie Koritz, F~e1d. Worker Federal Writers Project Lake County District #1 Gary, Indi~ana 1~i ( eight years of age axI his wish in Ji.re now, is to live to be a htmdred. Since his brother and mother both died at ninety-eight ana his paternal grandfather at one hund.red-ten years of age, he ~jas a good chance to r ea lize this ambition. Because of his condition most of this interview was had. from his grandchildren, who bave taken notes in recent years or any incidents that he relates. Ho is proud that r~iost of his fifty grandchildren are high school graduates and that two are attending the University of Chicago. In 1935, he enjoyed a motor trip, when his raniily took him back to Glasgow for a visit. He suffered no ill effects from the trip. D:DB 10 5~37

Ex-slaves. Interview with John Eubanks, ex-slave. 076 072

Archie iO~itZ, Field Worker Federal ~1riters Project L~1:e County, District #1 Gary, Indian~i ~: ~ O t~ s i~:x-s r~v~s A ~ ~rchie Koritz, Field 1iorkcr 616 I~ound Street Valp~rciso, Ind n~

077 073

j:~(~~(;o &rchle Koritz, Field Worker Federal Writers . Projee~t Lake County, District #1 Gary, Indiana Jo~:n Eiibanks, Garyts only no~ro Civil War survivor has lived. to see the ninety~eighth anniversary of his birth and despite his advanced age, recalls with surprising clarity many interesting and sad events of his boyhood days when a slave on the ~erett plantation. I~e was born in Glasgow, i3arron County, Kentucky, June 6, 1839, one of seven children of a ~hattoi of the ~veret~ family. The old man retains most of his faculties, but bears the mark of his extreme age in an obvious feebleness and failing sight and memory. He is physically large, says he once was a husky, weighing over two hundred pounds, bears no scars or deformities and despite the hardships and deprivations of his youth, presents a kindly and tolerant attitude. III remembah well, us young uns on the Everett plantation, he relates, I worked since I can remembah, hoein , pickint cotton and othah chohs round the fahm. We didden have much clothes, nevah no undahweah, no shoes, old ovahalls and a tattahed shirt, wintah and summah Come de wintah, it be so cold nah feet weah plumb numb mos o de time and manya time ~ when we git a chanot-. we druve the hogs from outin the bogs an . put ouah feet in the wabxned wet mud. They was cracked and the skin on the bottoms and in de toes weah cracked and bleedin mos o~ time, wit bloody scabs but de si~.iznmah healed them gin. ttDoes yohall remembab, Granpap, his daughter prompted, Yoh mahstah ~ did he treat you mean? No, his tolerant acceptance apparent in his answer, tt~ weah done thataway. Slaves weah whipt and punished and the . : ~ounguns belonged to the xnahstah to work foah him oh to sell. When ~ ~ ~., . . . V . .

078 074

page 2 Archie Hoa~itz, Field Vlorker Federal lriters Project Lake County .. District #1 Gary, Indian~i I weah tbout siX yeahs old, Mahstah Everett give me to Tony ~b~nks as a weddin present when he married mahstah s daughtah Becky. Becky would n let Tony rrhip her slaves who came from her f~thah s plantation. They ah my prophty, ~he say, ant you caint whip dem. Tony whipt his othah slaves but not Becky s. I remeinbah he continued, how they tied de slave rour~d a post, wit hands tied togedder round the post, then a hixaky lash his back wid a snakeskir~ lash tu hizn back were cut c~nd bloodened, the blood spattered gesticulating with his unusually large hands, l an hisn back all cut up. Den they d pouh salt watah on hem. Dat dry and hahden and stick to hem. He nevah toke it off till it heal. Sometimes I see marhstah Everett hang a slave tip toe. He tie him up so he stan tip-toe ant leave him thataway4 I be twenty.-one wehn wah broke out. Mahstah Eubanks say to me, tYohall done need to run way ifn yohall want to jine up wi~ de ah~ny. He say, tDeh would be a fine effin slaves run off. Yohall don haf to run off, go right on and I do not pay dat fine. He say, nlist in de ab.tny but don1 run off. Now I walk thirty-.five mile from Glasgow to Bowling Green to dis place - to de niistin place from home fouh mile .. to Glasgow ~ to Bowling green, thirty~ five mile, On de road I meet up with two boys, so we go on. Dey run way from ~entucky, and we go together. Then saine Bushwackers come down de road. We s scared and run to the woods and hid. As we run tru de woods, pretty soon we heerd chickens crowing. V~e fill ouah pockets wit stones. We goin to kill chickens to eat. Pretty soon we heerd a man holler, ~You come tround outta der ~ and I see a white man and come out Ee say, ~ Wha t yoh a Il d o in ~ t I turn round and say, tWell boys, come Ofl boys. ant the boys co~ out. The man

079 075

Page 3 Archie Koritz, Field ~orker Federal Writers Project i.oke Co~t~y ~ 1)i~trict #1 Grily, Indicn~ say, tI r~i Union Soldier. ~Jhat yoh eli dom heah? I say, t~ e goin to must in de ahiny. Tie say, tDat S Line ~n~I he say, tcome ~ long ~ ~ git right on white monts side ~ we ~o to st~ition. Den he say, ~You go right down to de stntion ~nd L~ive ~joh inforhmatlon. ~Je keep on walkin ~ 1)~ ~e co::e Lo o ~:~hite house t sto~e steps in front w ~ ~O in. An ye got to nlistln ~lace ~nd jine up ~it de ahmy. ~tDen we go troinin in d camp and vre move on. Come to a ~itt1e to1~in ..... ~ little town. Je come to Bollln~ Groen.. den to Loui~il1e. ~e ~ to a rivah . . . . ~ rivah (pain.fully rec~ fling) d i.I~3S1SS1~)~1. ~ ~iC ~ie~I1 nThntr~r ~nd petty soon we gits in ~1enty f~~hts, but not ~ scratch hit trie. We chase dem cavalr:r. ~ run de:.1 i:ll nicht cr~d next :iohnin d ac~ptain he s~r, Dey done broke down. .hen we rest, he sa~j See dey don trick you. I ~ 17e ~1ot all cl ~-m~ men togedder. We hold dem back tu help co~e. ~ ~Je don have no tents. Sleep on naked g