Slave Narratives Vol. XIV. South Carolina, Part 1

ss the street to play on the sidewalk and while Lizzie keeps a watchful eye on them, she is trying once more to call back to her mind some of the o

at intervals but also by different ones of her friends con

out dey business. Seems like everything just gwine on, just gwine on. I tell you de truth, Miss Davis, I studied so hard bout dem songs de

the street to tell

, Possum teachin

ie turns to her visitor) Possum, he teachin Jun

her child that you

on' take time en learn chillun, dey old en dey ain' old; dey fool en dey ain' fool. Yes'um, I tryin to drill dem, Miss Davis, but it does take time en a little whip, too. Has to punish dem right smart sometimes. I tellin you, dem c

ghbor of Lizzies, comes over

n, Miss Heddie. Miss Davis wants us to s

re dem people comin from de trial. Look, dere dey fetchin dat girl to Dr. Graham now. En my Lord, got de poor child's head all wrapped up dat way

nothin but d

comes across the street a

zzie, ma say d

e fore I can be catchin her a chicken to put in de pot. Yes, Lord, I got to start savin dem egg dis very day for de settin. (Lizzie turns to her visitor on the porch an

oks disappointed and co

un' Izzie, s

ad, sugar, en I ain' know nothi

self what you been tell me bout de ot

gether, but dere so much of travelin

ie, can I go to

at way. (Lizzie calls to Mammie in the room). Mammie, look dere to de

till hang

oseph, c

ph-U

ere in de chicken house en hunt dat one egg en give it to Pickle

e de egg,

egg to send her 'cept just dat one nest egg. Tell her, when she buss dat egg, s

un' Izzie, h

wid all dem crumbs stuck bout on your mouth. Joseph, gwine on in de house dere en put y

, don' pull of

, I gwine carry my br

o handful of bread makin all dem chillun start mouthin round

Bertha Lee. H

Ain' no rest nowhe'. I hates it you come here en ain' gettin nothin what you been aimin to catch. I gwine be ready t

' Izzie, make

make your tracks dere to school straight as you can go en if you stop

ood-bye Possum, good-by

d-Good-bye Joseph,

me buzzin now, Miss Dav

Morni

my si

walk on

morni

feet mi

soul g

morni

what

what

ou b

nd! Wha

morni

expectin you was comin out wid one of dem old time reel

ould speak den, dey meant somethin, I tell you. People does just go through de motion dese days en don' have no mind to mean what dey talk. No, child, us didn' dar'sen to let us parents hear us sing no reels den. What dem old people didn' quarrel out us, dey whip out us. My father never w

and Lizzie joins i

t nigger I e

nnin down fr

red en his g

mighty st

shirt t

at de cr

wine join

Um-huh!

I used to turn fore I been big enough to know what been in dem. No, honey, I thank de good L

w dat my tim

lls keep

dy is

w dat my ti

t thre

w dat my ti

mmer keep

kin on some

dat my time

three

hteous prevaileth to eternal life en I know I right, people. Lord, I kn

s, colored, 70-80 y

w by Annie Ruth D

de

ct, 1

by Annie

Mario

ecember

Word

from -

tten

IE D

e, Age

ble was destroyed den. Cose I don' remember myself, say, slavery time, but I can tell dat what I is hear de olden people talk bout been gwine on in d

you nothin, but what to please you. Lord, I glad to see your face. It look so lovin en pleasin, just s

at if dey had kept me movin bout, it wouldn' been grow dat way. But my poor old mammy, she die while us was livin down dere to old man Foster Brown's plantation en dere won' no other hand gwine trouble dey way no time to lift me up. Oh, my mammy, she been name Katie Brown cause my parents, dey belonged to de old man Foster Brown in dey slavery day. Dat how-come I been raise up a country child dere on Mr. Brown's plantation. Another

en it ain' worth nothin to speak bout. Pap Scott's daughter stay in dat other room over dere. No, mam, dere ain' but just dese two rooms to de house. You, see, my buildin does leak en I has a big time some of dese days. See here, child, I has dis piece of oilcloth cross my bed en when it rains on a night, I sleeps in dat chair

e me round bout whe' dey be no time. Cose I sets here en does a washin now en den whe' de people gets push up, but don' get no regular work. Now, dem people over dere,

get done on de top. Yes, mam, dat de kind of a spider dat de people used to cook dey cake in. Now, when I has a mind to cook some turnips or some collards, I makes dis here boil bread. Honey, dat somethin to talk bout eatin wid dem turnips. Ain' no trouble to mind it neither. First, I just washes my hands right clean like en takes en mixes up my meal en water together wid my hand till I gets a right stiff dough. Den I pinches off a piece de dough bout big as a goose egg en flattens it out wid my hand en drops it in de pot wid de greens. Calls dat boil dumplings. I think bout I got a mind dat I gwine cook some of dem in dat turnip pot directly, too. No, mam, I don' never eat dinner till it come bout time for de little girl to be expectin to be from school. Oh, my blessed, dem olden people sho know how to cook in dem days. Never didn' hear spe

m, dere one sign dat I remembers bout en I follows dat up right sharp dese days. I sho watches dat closely. Say, somebody have a mouth

und a house en den dey break off en make a straight shoot for a graveyard, dere somebody out da

followed dem signs closely, too. Yes, you come back another time, child, en I'll see can I scratch up a heap of dem other sign to tell you. When I gets to talkin to

s, colored, Marion,

w by Annie Ruth D

de

ct, 1

by Annie

Mario

ecember

Word

from -

tten

IE D

ave,

e road, when you be gwine down next to Centenary. I remember, I hear my father tell bout dat his mammy was sold right here to dis courthouse, on dat big public square up dere, en say dat de man set her up in de wagon

oarin all bout dis here country. I know dat word been true cause I hear my parents en de olden people speak bout dat right dere fore we chillun. Say, when dey would feel dat rumblin noise, de people would be so scared. Didn

too. Oh, yes'um, we thought dey was de prettiest kind of bonnets. Den we would get some of dese green saplin out de woods often times to make us a ridin horse wid en would cut down a good size pine another time en make a flyin mare to ride on. Yes, mam, dat what we would call it. Well, when we would have a mind to make one of dem flyin mare, we chillun would slip a ax to de woods wid us en chop down a nice little pine tree, so as dere would be a good big stump left in de ground. Den we would chisel de top of de stump down all round de edges till we had us a right sharp peg settin up in de middle of de stump. After dat was fixed, we would cut us another pole a

had dey own benches to set on right up dere in de gallery to de white people church, but I hear talk dat some of dem other white people round bout dere never wouldn' let dey colored people see inside dey church no time. Lord, I talk bout how de people bless wid privilege to go to church like dey want to in dis day en time en d

scared. I been out to de well bout 12 o'clock de next day en I could see de water in de well just a quiverin. Lord, Lord, dat water tremble bout four weeks after dat. Such a hollerin en a prayin as de people had bout dat sha

e used to put faith in. Dere one sign bout if you hear a dog howl or a cow low round your house on a night, it a pretty

l sho gwine get you fore night fall dat same day. Cose I don' pay so much attention t

ou see a ground mole rootin round your house, it won' be long fore you gwine move from dat pla

if you see de smoke comin out de chimney en turn down en

come to a old rotten down buildin, it a sign of a old person death. Don'

y family. Yes'um, de fox just comes right out de woods up to de yard en barks. You see, a dog won' never run a fox dat comes bout dem barki

out fore sunrise, you would sweep your friends out right wid de trash. Dat used to be a big sign wid de people, to

never pay more den 50 cents for a load of wood in dem days en I remembers just as good eggs been sell for 10 cents a dozen en 15 cents bout Christmas time. Cose I ain' exactly decided what to speak bout de times cause it dis way to my mind. De

ur

ed, age between 70

w by Annie Ruth D

ect

W.

boro,

SA D

E 106 Y

ty often, though they lives way up dere. You wants to write me up? Well, I'll tell you all I recollect, and what I don't tell you, my daughter and de white fo

ave dat for de white folks to tell, but old Marster Jim Lemon buy us all; pappy, mammy, and three chillun: Jake, Sophie, and me. De white folks I fust b'long to refuse to sel

man then and nursed their fust baby, Marse Robert. I see dat baby grow to be a man and 'lected to legislature, and stand up in dat Capitol over yonder cross de river and tell them de Law a

nd was much trusted, but he plowed and wor

e baby. He fust talk to de baby, and I asked him if de baby wasn't pretty. He say, 'Yes, but not as pretty as you is, Louisa.' I looks at Sam, and

t, but he got a pass twice a week from his marster, Marse Tommie Sloan, to come to see me. Bold as Sam git to be, in after years ridin' wid a red shirt long side of General Bratton in '76, dat nigger was timid as

tell 'bout it. He dead now; and what I blames de white folks for, they never would give him a pension, though he spend so much of his time and labor in their service. I ain'

but dat didn't concern me. I was a housemaid and my mammy run

of lard or fat-back, and then bake him wid yaller yam potatoes, flanked round and round, and then wash him down wid

day evenin's, dat is, de farm hands did, and then I got to go to see Sam some Sundays. His folks, de

clothed and fed and 'tended to when sick. They was concerned 'bout our soul's salvation. Us went to church, learn de catechism; they was Presbyterian

Didn't Sam want to see me more than twice a week? Wouldn't he risk it widout d

ke a Indian, hair and all, bushy head, straight and you

slave ketch white folks wid a holler, 'Christmas gift, Marster' and they holler it to each other. Us all hung our s

ound wid them, and gittin' in jail on Christmas, grievin' de Lord and their pappies, and all sich things. OH! De

body 'round here could make a fiddle ring like Buck could, wouldn't surprise me none if my heart woul

e have held me up over a hundred years,

end, and us put iron in de fire when us hear screech ow

on't let's talk 'bout dat. Maybe if our folks had beat them and git up i

ndson, Pinckney, is a World War man, and he got in de CCC Camp, still in it in North Carolina. When he got his bonus, he come down, and say, 'Grandma, you too old to walk, supposin' I git you a automobile?" I allow, 'Son, de Indian blood rather make me want a house.' Then us laugh. 'Well,' he

d brave, off in de forests workin' for his chief, Mr. Roosevelt, and dat his dreams a

ect

tri

nburg,

29,

RE: EX

My daddy was Ivasum Davis and my mammy was Rhody Davis. Marse Bill was a good master, lived in a big house, give us a good place to l

rick oven or in de ashes in de fireplace. My mistress had a big garden, and give us somethin

ill I was big boy. Dey was m

we worked on Saturday afternoons when we had to. On Saturday nights we had frolics-men and women

n, not till after freedom, but we

r us; our master always give

give big dinners for slaves, a

vis at de Baptist

de old folks in the neighborhood believed in giving roo

d go but if we wanted to stay on with him, we could stay.

talk about dem. Dey had white sheets over

through our plac

right, 'cause I had a goo

s old because I thought I'd live better

(88), Newberry, S. C.;

Newber

ect

lk

nburg,

15,

ted

r Tu

S OF E

ere I work a little patch of land which I rent. I d

my pa was Ivasum Davis. We belonged in slavery to Bill Davis. He lived at de place called "Ri

a fair place to live in. We didn't want fer anything. Dey had plenty to eat on de farm, and sure had good eatings. Dere was a brick oven which

ots of times and dey made all de

ks churches where dey set on de back seats. We didn't have schools and couldn't learn

but didn't bother us. Our master always give us a pass wh

at de white folks' Bapt

to drink, and some made tea from root herbs. We had doctors, t

er de war de Yankees marched through our place and stole some cattle and

eat, so I thought slavery was all right. We

much about Abe Linco

Davis (N. 88),

. Summer, Newberr

ct 18

by Annie

Mario

ugust 2

M HENR

ve, 72

ought to say I is. My father belong to de old man Jackie Davis, dat live not so far from Tabernacle, en den

ook en she chillun to stay in. Sometimes my Massa make my mamma feed all de small plantation chillun dere to de kitchen from de table. Dey want de chillun to hurry en grow en dat de reason dey give em good attention at de house.

people house all be in row pretty much off from de big house. Oh, de people was meant to work in dat day en time. De whi

n whole year dese days. It was just dis way, everybody know to have fence round bout dey plantation den en de hogs could run anywhe'. All de field

es (potatoes) in de oven en let em stay dere all night. My God, won' nothin no better den dem oven tatoes was. Some of de time, dey have wire in de chimney wid de pots hanging on dat. Folks used to make up a cake of corn bread en pat it on de hearth en when de fire burn right low, dey co

tub. Den dey hollow it out in de middle en take pestle dat have block on both it end en beat rice in dat mortar. Beat it long time en take it out en fan it en den put it back. De last time it put

m, but dey gage how much dey give em. O Lord, we had tough time den. After dey get through wid all de work, dey would eat supper den. Give us rice en corn bread en fresh meat en coffee en sweet tatoe pone. My Lord, dat sweet tatoe pone was de thing in dem days. Missie, you ain' never eat no pone bread? Dey take piece of tin en drive nails through it en grate de raw tatoes on dat. Den dey take a little flour en hot water

ts, but us white folks have teams en carriage to ride in. I recollects Mr. Davis carriage look sorta like a house wid two big horses to pull it. De family would be i

circuit dat he go round en mend things on other white folks plantations. Some of de time, he bring back more den $100

mma used to tell us big chillun when she want us to stay home wid de little chillun en mind em. Say dere was Raw Head en Bloody

colored people didn' know what freedom was en dey just hang around dey white folks en look to dey Massa for what dey get right on. Wouldn' get off en make nothin for dey own s

y Davis, age 72, ex-

ion Co

nterview,

ect

LK

nburg,

24,

ted

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FROM E

y marster, Starke Sims, begun to train me. Dr. Bill Sims, Marse Stark's son, was a doctor when I was born. A younger son was called

er teached me to address him. He addressed me as 'Elias, Johnny Elias'. I had to answer, 'Sirs', and dat 'S' always had to

white people. I allus tries to be mannerable to dem. Often I looks back on dat, but both white and colored is trying to do away wid dem things. Old training is de best, and I cannot fergit my manners. Never does raal folks fergit dere raising. Dats what shows up de quality in people. I likes quality in everything, and as

y den other folks ain't gwine to show no respect fer you. Why some of my grand chilluns sets up and says 'yes' and 'no' to me 'stead of 'yes sir' and 'no sir'. But I is right here to tell you dat my own chilluns don't say 'no' and 'yes' to me. I is strived wid dem and dey knows how to answer proper to dere elders and to white folks. I ain't got no time fer dese school teachers dat tel

. Dey done already started running meeting dar. I used to pr

ll allus come out more dan conqueror.' I was young den, and I did not know what 'more dan conqueror' meant den. I is larn't now what it means. Thank God, I does, fer his telli

ut I wouldn't claim kin wid dem. He tell me bout my high cheeks or something; den he low something 'bout my nose being long. Dey close thinking people, dem Indians is. Dey don't fergit nothing. He say he see I is mixed-up, but I never is knowed jest what he was driving at. I told him

t owned her mother, Kissy Sims. Marse Starke helped my granny to raise me. Kissy come from Virginia. Her P

oldest niggers in Cherokee County dat I knows of. De other

n my life. Marse didn't 'low nobody to look at his niggers when dey was being whipped, kaise he hated to have to let any of dem be 'bused. Marse Starke sho never whipped no one dat was good. He n

rica, but dat story been traveling ever since she got to dese shores, and it still a-gwine. All dese helped to nurse me. Dey fed us on milk, plenty of it. We had honey, lasses and lots of good things. When I was a little bit-a boy I had a big bowl to eat out of. And us chilluns et l

give it to me. My daughter and grand-daughter lives wid Mr. Nathan Littlejohn. He is rich. I stay in de house wid dem. Dey 'vides wid me dat what dey has. But dat ain't much. I has great-great-grand c

ngle. De man, I means de sheriff, let us go up dar. He let some mo' niggers clamb up in de same tree wid us. De man dat was being hung was ca

saction, peers like we become mo' acquainted wid one an

'low'd dat was not in sech condition as he was. He talking to dem 'bout obeying de parents and staying at home. Me and Zack exchange glances and Zack 'low, 'Alf ain't never stayed at home none since he been big

out and de sheriff 'low, 'Now you is on

say everybody dat wishes to may shake his hand. Me and Zack stayed up

s. Dat jerked him down. Whoop! All dem in de tree fell out 'cept me and Zack, dey was so scared. Alf Walker wasn't no mo'. Me and Zack sot up in dat tree like two cranks. Us sot dar as if it hadn't tuck no 'fect on us a-tall. All de other folks got 'fected. Zack ti

' President 'low, 'I ain't gwine to let nobody be mo' polite dan I is.'

de truth, I is took a chip fer food. If I could got to school and write fast as I can shake my fist, I'd be a-giving out dat pension right fast. I likes character and principle. I got

wkins (84), Rt.

dwell Sims, Unio

ect

LK

nburg

3,

ted

r Tu

S OF E

ck street where two old colored men were sitting on the front porch. Asked if one

seat," at the same time touch

om his own calculation, he figured he was born in 1862 in the home of his mother who was owned by Zeek Long. His father, also, was owned by the same master, but lived in another house. He remembers when the Yankees came by and asked for something to eat. When they had gotten this, they went to the corn crib, which was chock full of corn, and took the corn out, shucked it, and gave it to their horse

nd the paterollers started running, too. Here they had it up and down the path. Uncle Bob, he knew there was a big ditch crossing the path, but the paterollers didn't know it; so when Uncle Bob got to the

e day when a preacher was there. The chickens and guineas came around the house as usual to get their feed, but did

questions, and another fowl would answer. He once heard a mule tha

beside him, that he did not believe anim

d a certain place on a hill, the little turkeys were heard to say, 'Please mam, please mam'. An old gobbler standi

a large flock of birds are all around him. Offering to demonstrate his ability, he began to whistle i

har!" he said, p

doctor, helped dig wells and did a lot of hard work. The white people was always pleased with my work and told me so. I went down a well once to help clean it out. It looked li

as a boy. One day when he was going to get some "bacco"

ld fly from one limb in a tree to another limb in another tree and call them. They was

tation would shoot a wild hog and we would have plenty

ree. I shook so hard that my hat fell off and I told the niggers not to let the dogs tear my hat. That was no skunk in the tree, 'cause we couldn't smell anything, but when I looked again at the 'possum, or whatever it was, it got bigger and bigger. I scrambled down the tree right away, nearly fa

mong themselves, he said that he had often noticed a ro

heard a turkey hen say, 'we are poor, we are poor'. The old turkey gobbler said, 'well, who in th

. He remained single for thirteen years after his wife

give us old fellows something to live on, for we can't work. How can we live now-a-days? When

ised that way; but now, that I can't do nothing,

gwinter marry her, 'Son don't you never cut that woman across the back,

but I did not believe it, and I told them I would eat all the stuff that a conjure man could bring. Anybody that believes in conjuring is just a liar. God is the only a person

cher who, when told that they wanted to get married, had them both to jump bac

555 Pickenpack St.,

DuPre, Spartanbur

W.

boro,

AS D

E 75 YE

r of Moultrie and Crawford Streets. He is duly certified and registered as an old age pensioner and draws a

ltrie Gibbes. My father was white, as you can see. My mother was the cook for my white folks; her name was Malinda. She was born a slave of Mr. Tillman Lee

s nothing but a baby when the war ended and freedom come to our race. I lived on my marster's Water

hquake. That earthquake drove many sinners to their knees, me amongst them; and, when I got up, I resolved to be a soldier

of the church and a cracking sound from the joists and rafters of the building. The women folks set up a screaming. The men folks set up a hollering: 'Oh Lordy! Jesus save me! We believe! Come Almighty King!' The preacher tried to quiet u

ied a Collins and lives in the Harlem section of New York City. My daughter, Sallie, lives also

a girl. The boy got killed at the schoolhouse two years ago. The girl is working in Columbia, S. C. I am a superannuated minister of the African Methodist Episcopal Church,

Left to a popular vote of the race, Mr. Roosevelt would get the solid South, against any other man on any ticket he might run on. He is God Almighty's gentl

ect

lk

nburg,

1,

y: Elmer

(Do

FROM E

which we rents from Doc Hunter. He got it i

en dey married dey had a big wedding. Marse didn't make slave women marry men if dey didn't want to. Befo' my mammy and daddy married, somebody give a n

wn on de branch behind his house, and he had a milkho

ces to live in and everything to eat. Old Marse sho cared for his slaves. He give 'em plenty of clothes and good thin

and I lost my mammy right atter de war. I

ion in de country. Marse told his son, Billy, befo' he died to t

let 'em work at night. Sometimes on de plantation dey had corn-shuckings and

dn't work much, so he use to play marble

nless dey had a pass from de marse to sh

hotel was a small wooden frame building wid a long front piazza. In de back was a small wooden two-room hous

earning if dey wanted to. Niggers used to sing, 'I am born to die'. Dey le

. Most of dem stayed on wid him and took his name

could read and write, to marry 'em. He married lots of niggers den. Atter de war many

ock midnight. Sometimes dey danced jigs, too, in a circle, jumping up and down. In dese times de young folks da

ot afraid. Doctors used to have home-made medicines. Old Dr. Brown made medicine from a root herb to cure rheumatism. He called it 'rhue'. He lived in

dey could git deir hands on. Dey went in de house and took food and articles. Marse put guards around his house to keep dem out so dey wouldn't steal all de potatoes and flour he had for his slaves. Ku Klux went around de country and caught niggers and

big house, in a nigger cottage. White folks and niggers come. I was known amongst de best white familie

. My daddy left here and went to Memphis when I was five years old. He sent home $40. He

Dorroh (N, 75),

. Summer, Newberr

ect

nburg,

31,

y: Marth

RE: EX

mmy was Giles and Lizzie De Walt Downing. My daddy belonged to de Outz family, but changed his name to

own de road dressed in white sheets. Freedom come and most of the slaves went away, but I stayed on wid Marse De Walt. Daddy worked wid Downing Outz for wages. When I was 15 years old I w

s, squirrels, wild turkeys,

ht times would be better for me then. Of course, I kind of

e Downing (80),

Leland Sumer,

ct 18

by Annie

Mario

Jane 2

NGTON

ve, 90

actly wha' my father name, but my mudder tell me he wuz name Dozier. My mudder wuz Becky en she b'long to ole man Wiles Gregg dere on de Charleston roa

much cause dey jes hab some kind uv home-made stuff den. We raise in a t'ree room house wha' hab floor on two uv de room. Hab house right dere on de Gregg plantation. Family went from age t

y gi'e us plenty sumptin to eat den, but ne'er pay us no money. Coase dey didn't 'low us no choice uv wha' we eat at dat time. Hab plenty meat en corn brea

tation en in de winter, dey gi'e us good warm clothes. Jes wear wha'e'er

o herry to marry. Aw colored peoples hadder do to marry den wuz to go to dey Massa en ge' uh permit en consider demselves man en wife. I recollect dat we hab a very good wedding sup

an wha' wuz de preacher dere den wuz name Frierson. De colored peoples go dere to dat same chu'ch en sot en de gallery. Yu

gwinna do in de

gwinna do in de

yuh gwinna do in

le go down o

lace one fo

dder on

ha' time wou

wha' yuh

gwinna do in de

gwinna do in de

un, wha' y

le go down o

lace one fo

dder on

ha' time wou

yuh gwinna do in

ht smart uv dem song cause accordin' to my 'sperience, de hymn book wha' to fence de human family in. I got ah good set uv lungs en I w

in dem times. My white folks didn't do nuthin but stay home en go to chu'ch meetin's. Dey ne'er didn't punish none uv dey colored peoples en didn' 'low no udder people to do it neither. I couldn't tell yah how many slave dey own but dey ha

ay. Dey say some uv de slave run 'way fa bad treatment en stay in de woods. Didn't hab no jails den en when de

everbody do jes wha' dey wanna dere on de plantation. Ne'er didn't use no horn to wake dey colored peoples up en didn't wake em work en de big Christmus day en New Years' neither. Ne'er hab no

no preacher 'bout. Aw de slaves stop workin' fa de funeral en dey'ud jes carry de body en

see none uv dem t'ing en I ain' scared uv nuthin neither. Don' ne'er pay no 'ttention to no black cat en t'ing lak dat. Ain' bother wid none uv dem charm neithe

tin to eat en dat wuz aw dey done. Dere sho' wuz uh rejoicing 'mongest some uv de colored peoples when dey tell em dey wuz free uz de white folks wuz. Some uv dem leab dey Massa plantation jes uz

at free schools wuz open up dere. It jes lak dis, I ain' bother wid dem schools mucha den, but I c'n read right smart. Jes ketch

de President uv de United States. Ain' ne'er see Mr. Jefferson

lib, en a'ter we wuz free we lib right on. I t'ink being free de best time to lib. Better to be loos

Dozier, age 90, col

l interview,

ect

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. 22

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: D

rn on de bank of Cherokee Creek, but I jest 'members how many years I stayed dar. Atter Freedom had been a long time, we mov

all kinds of shapes, wid horns and things on dere heads. Dey was so scary looking dat I ain't never fergot dem. Dem's de awfulest 'boogers' I is ever see'd befo' or

(72), 401 Woods S

dwell Sims, Unio

ct, 1

by Annie

Mario

June 9

SILVA

-S

re uv aw dem little chillun. Fust t'ing we is know de house 'gin to quiver lak. We ne'er know wha' been to matter en den de house 'gin to rock en rock en rock. We wuz so scare we run outer in de yard en eve't'ing outer dere wuz jes uh shaking jes lak d

eedom 'clare. A'ter dat we move on de hill en my pa hire me dere to Colonel Durant to wash dishes en help 'bout de kitchen. Den dey put me to do de washin' en I been uh washin' en uh washin' mos' e'er since. Dats de way I done till I ge' so I ne'er couldn't make it en

way one time. Say he use'er run 'way en hide in de woods aw de time. Den de o'erseer ketch him one time when he been come back en wuz grabblin' 'bout de tatoe patch. Say he gwinna make Tom Bostick stay outer de woods ur kill him 'fore sun up dat day. Tom say dey take him down 'side de woods en strip he clothes offen him. (I hear em say dere plenty people bury down 'side dem woods dat dere ain' nobody know 'bout). Den he say dey tie him to uh tre

man en he wife. Dey sho' done it. I hear pa tell 'bout dat. Make em stand up on uh stump en bid em offen dere jes lak dey w

de road en dey ne'er hab dat ticke' somewhey 'bout on em, dey hadder take wha' follow. Ne'er 'low em to hab no udder paper 'bout em no

me cause dey take time en cook dey t'ing done. Hadder cook in de fireplace. Dat how dey done. I 'member wha' good t'ings my ole mammy use'er cook in dat spider. Jes set it on de coals en keep uh turnin' it 'bout wid de handle. Dere ain' ne'er nuthin eat no better den dat ash cake she use'er make fa we chillun. Yuh ain

. Dey do dat to ge' de husk offen it. Soak ash outer de fire en ge' dat lye water. Den dey hadder take it to de well outer in de yard en wash it uh heap uv time to ge' dat lye outer it. A'ter dat dey season it wi

hab no rain, dey ge' togedder en pray fa rain en dey ge' it too. I tellin' yuh peoples gotta work effen dey gwinna ge' to de right place when dey leab heah. Effen de peoples ne'er didn't go to chu'ch in dem days, dey stay home. Ne'er see chillun in de road on Sunday eve'y which uh way lak yunnah see em dese days. My pa say yuh mus' train up uh child in de way he ought

va Durant, color

interview

ct, 1

by Annie

Mario

ctober

IA D

ve, 72

ip when you come here dat day en I wasn' thinkin bout much da

dey wife en sell dem off yonder somewhe' en never didn' see dem no more neither. Yes, I sho know dat cause I hear my father speak bout dat plenty times. Yes, mam, dey sold my uncle's wife away en he never didn' s

learn of nobody gettin nothin. Cose I often heard my father say some white folks thought more bout dey colored people den others en hope dem out more. Hear tell dat didn' none of dem have no clothes much den. No, mam, colored people won' bless wid no clothes much in dem days. I remember dey had to wear dese old big shoes, call brogans, wid brass all cross de toes here. Nobody don' wear nothin like dat now. Dey was coarse shoes. Some say plenty of de people had to go

l en dat had to last dem all de week. Dem what use a little tobacco, give dem a plug of dat en give dem a little flour for Sunday. Didn' nobody have to work on Sunday en den dey would allow dem two days off for Christmas too. I tellin

ay de just man tell dat other man dat if he would feed his niggers right, dey wouldn' have no need to be stealin so much things. No'um, I does hate to tell dat. Cose dey say dey done it. Say de overseer would beat dem up dat never do wha

sband never didn' dare to say nothin. Hear dey whip some so bad dey had to grease dem. If de colored people didn' do to suit de white folks, dey sho whip dem. No, mam, if dey put you

body be tryin to pull you down all de time. When you is found a wicked one in dat day en time, it been a wicked one. Cose de people be more intelligent in learnin dese days, but I'm tellin you dere a lot of other things got to build you up 'sides learnin. Dere one can get up to make a speech what ain' got no learnin en dey can j

not meddle wid one like dat cause dey don' never care what dey do. People look like dey used to care more for dey lives den dey do

e a mind like dis, if such a thing be true, it ain' intended for everybody to see dem. I gwine tell you far as I know bout it. I hear dese old people say when anybody child born wid a caul over dey face, dey can always see dem things en dem what ain' born dat way, dey don' see dem. Cose I

in nothin like dat. Never didn' understand nothin like dat. Hear say people could make

right to dis same day dat I used to wear on a string of beads, but I took it off. No, mam, couldn' stand nothin like dat. Den some peoples keeps a bag of asafetida tied round dey neck to keep off sickness. Folks put it on dey chillun to keep dem from havin worms. I never didn' wear none in my life, but I know it been a good

ay home enough of time to learn dem nothin en dey ain' been know no better. Remember when my parents went off en tell us to stay home, we never didn' darsen to go off de place. Den when dey would send us off, we know we had to be back in de yard fore sunup in de evenin. Yes, child, we all had to be obedient to our parents in dat day en time. I always was sub-obedient myself en I never had no trouble

, but I felt all right, I was married over dere in Bethel M. E. Church en served a little cake en wine dere home afterwards en dat ain' no weddin. Didn' ha

t, ex-slave, age abo

w by Annie Ruth D