"Ex Slave Tales," Montgomery County.
Folder contains 25 pages of former slave narratives compiled for the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in the late 1930s.• • • ..argaret Fowler Jack Kytle • Dem Days Wuz Hell Delia Garlic lives at 43 Stone Street, Montgomery, and insists she is 100 years old. Unlike many of the old egroes of the ~...
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Electronic |
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WPA Alabama Writers' Project Collection |
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Alabama Department of Archives and History |
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Alabama Department of Archives and History |
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WPA Alabama Writers' Project |
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WPA Alabama Writers' Project "Ex Slave Tales," Montgomery County. |
| fulltopic |
WPA Alabama Writers' Project African Americans--Alabama--Biography; Alabama Writers' Project; Montgomery County (Ala.); Slaves--Alabama--Biography; Slaves--Alabama--Social conditions; United States. Works Progress Administration |
| description |
Folder contains 25 pages of former slave narratives compiled for the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in the late 1930s.•
•
•
..argaret Fowler
Jack Kytle
•
Dem Days Wuz Hell
Delia Garlic lives at 43 Stone Street, Montgomery,
and insists she is 100 years old. Unlike many of the old egroes of the
~ South, she has no good words for slavery days or the old masters,
declaring: "Dem days wuz hell.·
She sat on her front porch and assailed the taking
of young children from mothers and selling them in different parts of
the country.
HI wuz growed up when de war come," she said, "an'
I wuz a mother befo' it closed. Babies wuz snatched from deir mother's
"-
breas' an' sold to specYlators. Chilluns wuz separated froo sisters en'
brothers an' never saw each other agin.
·Course dey cry: you think dey not cry when dey wuz
Bold lak cattle? I could tell you 'bout it all day, but even den you
couldn't guess de awfulness of it.
"It's bad to belong to folks dat mvn you soul an'
body; ,. c•an tis you up to a tree, wid yo' face to de tree an' yo'
arms fastened tight aroun' it', who take a long curlin' whip an' cut
de blood ever' lick.
"Folks a mile away could hear dem awful whrppings.
Dey wuz a turrible part of livin'."
Delia said she was born st Powhatan, Virginia, and
was the youngest of thirteen children.
2
"I never seed any of my brothers an' slsters
'oept brother Wl11lam," she sald. "Hlm an'~er an' me wuz brought
~
ln a speculator's drove to Riohmon' an' put ln a warehouse wld a
dr~ve of other nlg~er9. Den we WllZ all put on a block an' sol' to de
of Carter, who wuz de sherlff of de
hlghes' bldder.
"I never
et£
wuz sold to a man by ~~name
county.
'J
,
seed brother Wl11lam agln. y an' me
"No'm, dey war'nt no good tlmes at hls house. He
WU% a wldower an' his daughter kept house for him. I hursed for her, an'
one day I wuz playln' wld de baby. It hurt lts 11'1 han' an' commenced
to cry, an' she whlrl on me, plok up a hot lron an' run lt all
down my arm an' ban'. It took off de flesh uhen she ,done It.
"Atter awhl1e, marster marrled agln; but thlngs . ~
war'n8 no better. I seed hls wlfe blackln' her eyebrows wld smut one
day, so I thought I'd blaok mlne Jest for fun. I rubbed some smut on
my eyebrows an' forgot to rub lt off, an' she kotched me. She waz
powerful mad an' yelled: 'You black devl1, I'll show you how to mock
your betters.'
"Den she plck up a stlck of stovewood an' flal1s lt
7
agln t my head. I dldn't know nothln' more 'tl1l I oome to, lyln' on
de floor. I heard de m1stus say to one of de glrls: 'I thought her
thiok skUll and cap of wool oould take lt better than that.'
"I kept on stayin' dere, an' one nlght de marster come
ln drunk an' set at dp. table wld hls head 10111n' aroun'. I WllZ waltln'
on de table, an' he look up an' see me. I wuz skeered, an' dat made hlm
3
awful mad. He oalled an overseer an' tol' him: 'Take her out an' beat
some sense in her.'
NI begin to cryan' run an' run in de night; but finally I
run baok by de quarters
raght away dey oome for
I never seed my msmmy anymore.
sn,' I
agin.
"
,
wuz took da~ very
an' heard mammy callin' me. I went in, an'
me. ~ horse was standin' in front of de house,
night to Richman' an' sold to a speoulator
NI has thought many times through all dese years how mammy
looked dat night. She presssd my han' in bofe of hers an' said: 'Be
good an' trus' in de Lawd.'
NTrustin' was de only hope of de pore blaok oritters in dem
days. Us Jest prayed fer strength to endure it to de end. We didn't
'speot nothin' but to stay in bondage 'till we died.
\ NI was sol' by de spsculator to a man in cDonough, Ga. I
don't r~oll{pt his name, but he waa openin' a big hotel at loDonough
an' bought me to ait on tables. But when de time come aroun' to pay
for me, his hotel done fail. Den de Atlanta man dat bought de hotel
bought me, too. 'Fa! long, dough, I wes sol' to a man by de name of
Garlic, down in Louisiana, an' I stayed wid him 'till I II fried. I
wuz a regular fiel' han',
•
cotton.
NUS heard talk
plowin' an' hoein' an' c~oppin'
'bout de war, but us didn't pay no
'tention. Ua never dreamed dat freedom would ever corns;"
Delia was asked if the slaves ever had any parties or danoes
on her plantation.
• o'm," she replied, NUS didn't have no parties; nothin' lak
dat. Us didn't have no olothes for gain' 'roun. I never had a under-
••
•
4
shirt until Jsst befo' my first chil' was borned. I never had nothin'
but a shimmy an' a slip for a d*ess, an' it wuz made out'en de cheapes'
cloth dat could be bought; unbleached cloth,
to las'.
coarse, but mate
·Us didn't know nothin' cept to work. Us wuz up by three or
•
four in 4e mornin' an' everybody got dey somethin' to eat in de kitchen.
Dey didn't give us no way to cook, nor nothin' to cook in our cabins.
,... Boon as us dressed us we,nt by de kitchen an' got our piece of corn-bread.
Dey wuzn't even
cornbreali
same.
wuz all us
salt in it dem las' years. Dat piece of
IV
had for b~akfus', an' for supper, us had de
"For din er us had boiled Vittles; greens, peas an' sometimes
beans. Coffee? No'm, us never knowed nothin' 'bout coffee.
"One mornin' I 'members I had started to de fiel', an' on
de way I los' my piece of bread. I didn't know what to do. I started
back to try to fin' it, an' it was too dark to see. But I walk back
aght slow, an' had a dog dat walked wid me. He went on ahead, an'
atter awhile I come on him lyin' dere guardin' dat piece of bread. He
never touched it, so I gived him some of it.
"Jus' befo' de war I married a can named Chatfield from
another plantation; but he was took off to war an' I never seed him
agin. Atter awhile I married a boyan de plantation named iles Garlic.
"Yas'm, :~ssa Garlic had two boys in de war. When dey went s....v
off 4e assa an' mis~ cried, but it made us glad to see dem cry. Dey
made us cry so much.
"When we knowed we wuz tree, everybody wanted to git
out. De rule wuz dat if you steyed in yo' cabin you could keep it,
. '
• •
5
but if you lef', you los' it. iles wuz workin' at Wetumpka, an' he
slipped in an' out so us could keep on livin' in de cabin.
" y secon' baby soon come, an' raght den I made up my
min' to go to Wetpmpka where iles wuz orkin' for de railroad. I
WO
went on down dere an' settle down.
"Atter iles died, I l~ved d~e long as I could an'
den come to 'ontgomery to live wid my son. I'se eatin' white bread
now an' havin' de best time of my life. But when d~ Lawd say. 'Delia,
well done; come up higher,' I'll be glad to go."
c
. - . Alabam
S>-
Rubf,n 1<'itzpatrick,
" years old). He says:
HORN FOR HEAD!\CHE.
A'I O,A
of Eugene Street, was born Jan. 9, 1854, (83
tiLly JJarster roz 'ster Gholson frwn Bullock county. lie had
lots uv slaves 'cause he wuz a rich man. J. wuz jes a boy ten years
ole an' he wuz a squire dat tried cases, so he rode allover de country
to dif'funt places. I rode wid him to hole his horse. lie wore a high
to? black hat and had a buggy wid a top dat let back. ':Then we went
we vroz gone a long time an' when night come he rould fix it fer me to
sleep wid some uv de niggers in de quarters where we stopped. 1 shoo
lacked to go 'bout lid him.
~ mother vroz de cook. he had rule over all the cookin'. e
spinned thread an' reeled it off too.
/hen de Yankees ccone through de country I seed 'em all runnin'
so I thought it wuz jedgment day an' I runned an' hid under de chimney
an' sta,yed dere 'tel night. Dey didn't tarry long, but dey drove de
horses right up on de piazza, and throVled ever' thing out de houses,
eben knocked do m de smoke 'ouse doors. Dat's de trufe'.
One time I was taken to the Slave market and I was screwed on
the block and ;cr. Lartin bought me and r:JY ·"rona. he man that was
selling us would holler II \'ho'll bid? " 0'11 bid: tI .e wuz supposed to
be s. ry and fidgety so as to make the men lant to buY us. Y fust
arster nas . ash one s. He lan' t good to us, He would hit us wid
his cane jes' as if it had been a switch. Ben Jpnes didn't like the
way "~rse ash treated us niJgers, he bou~t us for his son.
I ,e didn't have no doctors much in de 'fS, but US had a horn us
use when a/got sick. t re had ~\e headuc e that horl ,ould 'l.gIlt
over the S ot and it ouldn't be no tL~e 'fore the ~ain'c be gone.
- - •
•
, MabiH Farrior
Lois Lynn
Sohn ~organ Smith
1 -
•
"Yassuh, I a slave," spoke Aunt Carry from her
vine-shadea porch at O. 3 oharpe otreet, ontgowery abama. ItI
wuz barned in 1849 on
road. assa \.ill had a
the t. Meigs ,
sno use to have
high, an' dey wuz fillea wid all sorts 01 niggers.
a goocll
nouses
timrlaYin'
tllO stories
'roun' down at de ,.e naa a ro of
hen 1 wuz twelve year old, I wuz made nu'sS fer my mistis~51ittle girl
d,d'/I'f 1:1'14v./
an' at de fus' I couldn't do nothin' but rock de cradle. I t
1~~hOl' de baby. Os niggers had gardeenS(~rdians~ dat look ~tter us lak
dey did atter de hosses and cows and PigS~
\1 One night atter we had all gone ~ Abed I heered a noise at
de window, an' when I look up dere wuz a man a climbin' in. He wuz a
nigger.
a,.....nigger.
a sleep too.
I could tell eben do I could scarce see him, I knowed he wuz
'I
I could hear my mistis a beeathin, an' de de baby wuz soun'
I started to yell out but I thought .... dat de nigger
~f"
would kill us so 1 j~S' ke~ quiet. He come in de lIindow, an' he ... us
t ., 1\
a sUd:en I knowed who it vmz. 'Jade,- I ~.,~lJ
a doin' here?# tle co e to my bed and put his ~-
a sleepin' dere, an' all of whispersI •••hat you
han' ober my mouf. II Jf./
C Listen you blacA: picaninny, you tell em
I'll kill you, I he say, ( I ."-.th'ow yo?,fhuide to
Now shet up.)
aat you saw me here an'
de snakes in de s amp.
.id dat he went to de dresser ... an' taken mistiJ mon~y bag •
tter dat he went to de window an' climb down de lauder an' I didn't do~'
but shake myself nearly to death fum fright
De nex' day de an' de pattyrollers went a~
• •
•- searchin' th'ough de slave quarters an' dey faun' de money bag
under Jade's cot.
minutes. e could
Dey tuk him an'
hear him hol.l.a
whupped·him for near fifteen
'- ay
way up~de big house. Jade,
he neber got ober dat whuppin'. He died three days later. He wuz a
good nigger, 'peer to me 18k, an' ae bes' blacksmith in de whole
county. I ke~ra_Onderin' whut made him want ter staal dat purse.
en I faun out later eat ne uz a gomn to pay 4 white man ter
carry him ouer de line to de ~Jtnern otates. " ade/us , had too
• J,.;
big ideas fa' a nigger. I usta see "ade's gJs~ a wa~k1n' out
in ae garden in e moonlight; sometime he sit on de fence an'
look at his a e cabin, den so etimes he stroll off down de cotton
fiel'. ~hen de La~ git th'ough a puniashin' him fa' a stealin'
dat money, I guess he won't make us no mo' visits. He Jus' go right on
J,...
in heaben. Dat's what gostes is.you kno~ peoples dat can't quite git in heaben, an' dey haed"a stroll 'rollO' little longer on de outs~do
repenti~rd
~ ~o"l'\ a )
~ my gardeen tuk me to Tallasee when de massa died. y gardeen
wuz a good man. He lwals a-makin' speeches fa' de slaves to stay
under bondage till.dey wuz~ f\one dey he wuz in front of a st~ talkin'
'bout de slaves an' a man elme up to him an' said he don't like de way
Capt. Clanton talk(dat roz my gardeen's name). Capt. Clanton ask him
whut he gain' ter do 'bout it )
an' de man tuk out a pistol an' kilt
mo'
~
Den I wuz sold to another man, a M.r. illiamson, bout.., time de
war broke loose, an' ....~assa illiamson tuk me ~<;e;~~Wi~ some
people he said he had mo' slaves dan he could ff. Dis
de Cap'n raght dere on de spot.
wuz de ~bernathy plantation. While de massa wuz a standin' in de
slave quarters a takin' to ~r. Abernathy, I noticed a boy wid a ba eye.
I didn't lak him at all an' I tal' de massa I don't wanna stay, kaze I
wid de bad eye
didn't lak de way dat boy Lum!looked at me. Den Yr. Abernathy brung
up a boy bout sebenteen year old; a big strong lookin boy named Jeff.
• I. O.
(
-2-
peaoll .1u (.clo..) 'all don. r ..en.
t... 40 111t. bu .... Jia a.. k14 u"
bocsrl
•
.. UJuu•••at
...- 4er I1U' t .11> ..... .ha.g. H,,'
abo ~ ui-d..., ".
• , t&II ....'. ~11JI0 U"
all 1111\ b.1a. one • 0 • a &II
• Iloa I 1l&1l'7 ho1a'
Jh.
..... 1 li ") .... ,.. _ .. MIld u" Ilo_(,)
_"'._..... •• aalr7"" • -pM Wll6.
o 1... II .....1d
II1t, , d141 II l' AD
_ bo,. • _ _ J'1cl>' ...~.... 111
... 1'OOk .... k1l ... ..p 1n d."
1l:l_ _ .•IlY .. -llI.addJ ._.
beah, dey' .' t 1a ••• 4 0 • r .. JIU.\1l1a'
tell 1ll.' ..-•••• IIaIl h. lu" .""7 on. u" 4 nlMD.h ehillun Jlu
.... 's ez eft deJ wua hi. 0_ chilla, 'toe wd t'. er trute, 8ho'. all' •
•t"""a' h.aIIl"
"D.''. or .hol. p....ll UI 4ea. ho l.t· ovah nlgguh••hut boea'o. UY b.l..'
laalaee-nl '.. but all. ...' t nll1r7 on.. 'uh abo ••1'."" no 7uhd nlgph
••1n w. jles ... p1D.1D. tlel' n1 all .llut plo.. • ••, an' ...d. 481'
crap. tv ha'pp t.ed 40r t 7, '4or .... UY 4 ae-l1lggah. d' thl....I"
"Speall1Jl' 'bout plo.l.., (?) ah abo aha t.,.. '.tincU" all ole
1IIll.·. "aM ~ •!lock' • Tau. • abo .... hl1h4 taU ..1' U 101lg lalg.'d •
• ariah r boaecled, lID' n& la.11 ft
"lIeb•• Bett·. pl -t..hun au.' ut .... 1:1110 tum whor h. 11 v. In 481' b...
hsh... WI' ."'" thillt' ,,4011. taw d.r •JOJlllOnt .... b.elt u" u. al.,... In 4...
111ggah qUIlt-tch•• n..... 4.....Il.. kine-d....hlt. all ah .",ah ..'41"
"Jh ...""eIl will taw it 481' capahm·. "" 111.' .r.ttab.on Oulo. coDre4J'lt
Pr."l-d... " &II .n ..lgh' 40h .., ....d hl' .14 all OWl1 "'7 aye.. De,...,. hl'
........ , eo 'bo' t 4re.. at1"a1h(? I but hlt .bo Cawd auzl Be ... ha4 81' Cal.
•
•
•-
".B.C. o -1-
Ll'm'mIlf'
)
lIlre_: L1ghblll' ••a born at old caha a, Alab_, but Ialo•• not tba dd.,
IIIOllth, nor the y.ar, but aooordllll! to hU to tba ...... Bet..... the
Stat., h a all oT.rgro.Il, S8IIll11llg boy at 1'o..-t..n or tltte.n y.ar. at ag.,
at the U at tha UIlc1Tll .ar. H.... born a ala.. on the plantatlc. ot 1Il'.
loel Matth••• at old C8hawha.
•
-D r.ot1ll. Y'ill wondah. hah ah 0.... tar be ulled 'Ughb1ll' (?)
but dat'. rlght eaaytled tar 'apla1ll, MIl 01• .u.tah K1.tah 101.,-- K1atah
101. Mathy.re .-r y'ill pl_a••, do... tole .. tar hurl')' up OIl. dar, aIld ah WWI
eo alow dat h. dOll. braok out 1Il ar great b.ec laugh at., All doll. t.lt rlght
..rry taw MIla.'t, all d h. 88y r- aho 10 slow all ah'. gw1llter oall yar aItah
d... t ..... tb1llg a t •••••aIl data Ughblll-. Mar•• 101., y•• aha 1*
thow1ll ott Oil dlo. nlggah, 0 .. ra'll !<no.. ah' ••• a10w as ar 01<!<rart. nll
'11 hat ta.. otuee ... 0 .. ab d1d1l't .....ded 11l 110 gr.at b••S burry-.
Lany ".0}', d.1I __ da.. be.' day. UT .u whole Ht. taha, all blt _!<a•
.. t.el rlght _pytled rlgbt oU.Il, tar tlnk arbout hlt. Mar•• 101. WWI 0'" UT
d.r tln••••blte IIBlla d.r Good Lan .nab dOll. brUllg8d a... dU.....t. .InY day
he o8118d tew d.r alan quattab. wid d.r taablr dootab all qulred attah .TT)" nlggah
a d plao. k... h. don. 88y'd,- 11 ted, helthr nlggah nex t ..... 11II1. 1.
d b proper.ltion ... I88Il 0aIl h1a IIDIl.r 11l. jJl'u••laT•• tared ju••••
good as t .... po••'bl. "fur .nnybuddy t.r t .....
Mara. 101. IlU8tah b. 'd be....d _ .1' .UIl.hahn)' day bee h. aho .u. allu.
bright aDd good neturd. OIL Nn, .TT)" nlggah am d.r plaoa do... lUT hlll lal< as Il•
• un dar son UT osn MUilt beok am .art tar aho. Hl. lurtll' k1ll......
Ifa. BUb ah, naTTllh ol....d ar Hot tua -" lII.tah 101. 1Il mah Ht.. jJl h.
• • -
'!'DRY
ClIol. Pet. lll.... wu born a Maooe 00...t7 a l862. Be eow 111'.. at
5ll Col ... St. (a 'II. r .... )
B••t.ted:
"I wua borned 0. 1IBr•• Bl11 11111... plllllaUaD. on .... 487. ala.., IlIl 1
bope ta but .. 1 ..... jlo a ba7 'bout 10 1 toted wahr IOD. lib d. ti... 1
h.....e talk 'bollt d. war ..... ooatDg un 00•• 1 wua oll. but 1 wua 10 .altle'
aD aurcOOIl U. R. 10.....t Caap ott up udar 011 d. , ••'. lIY b_ ra1lroad
,_t ~ 1011•• tla har.. 1 ••bar. do b.Ule at ab..... 1 _t to Rioh••
w1d .,. ba.. 1 rod. do ..... tr.a on' .. toad all 4. or.aI<II. U'f 00'" 1
warp't a _ ..... 4. tl&1aUe but I .... out at d. bor.'pltal- hU eot OIlt all do
qo .... 1I10he01l4-, &II I w. 1. 4 ar • _oh .. de t1&lahr. '0 •• d_ oonn
bull.t••truoll: all 'roIIII dar.. I dOli••• _h wuII: t.r de coated'raw. 011
OUR thll .1d out a oarateh d07 ort.r talt. br. ....... n.1I d. TaaIt••• 00... thu
40)' «ot a 'hiDd •• Bill h. tuk on •••t to La Gr •• aoorglo aad dar. h.
dled. I. broil .... U".
th r had Mba _. ho doUlbtar•• - d...... thr.. or to oldar ...".
"I dollt ha... 110 tv lit aad butter 110. 1 doll't lalt IIUth1D u'. 1ll.
oa'oo t t .... whut II ted wh.1I ...... 11..1A .1th lIar.tar. Ole a....
wo1lld po' d. I01llt la a 10 troueh w14 bra d la U, \1>. ..... aballt 2 or II
toot 4MP. all do l1Ul. 111 ar • ....u.d .tOII' r_ un oat U. eo.oU......'d
1)0' ",,'lip 111 1t 0114 ••'d oop 1t .1d br.ad.
I h.ar'lI ~t. b It 111 d_ 487. &II 111 ooee plaoa. dar ..... haIIt., but 1
....or ••ed 1 uoter &0 huata' w1d d. lIar.t r h•••7 h. ooed halite. 1
aow. CIll. do7 va...... a. hllllUII' aII4 j •• 'tor.... oro._ tha Stat. hd.r.t.
BlI04 up 111 1Ia0oa 00lld7 h••topped quiolt lu. 1 ""7: _t 70U .top tar? aa4 h.
007 dar eo a eperU oro.. d.t road aa 1 dOIl't want to I01x up w1d it. B. jaw |
| title |
"Ex Slave Tales," Montgomery County. |
| titleStr |
"Ex Slave Tales," Montgomery County. |
| url |
http://cdm17217.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/wpa/id/821 |
| id |
ADAHwpa821 |
| thumbnail |
http://cdm17217.contentdm.oclc.org/utils/getthumbnail/collection/wpa/id/821 |
| _version_ |
1743797182779097088 |
| spelling |
GSU# SG022774_00310-00335SG022774_00310_00335"Ex Slave Tales," Montgomery County.Folder contains 25 pages of former slave narratives compiled for the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in the late 1930s.1936-1937 circa1930-1939African Americans--Alabama--Biography; Alabama Writers' Project; Montgomery County (Ala.); Slaves--Alabama--Biography; Slaves--Alabama--Social conditions; United States. Works Progress AdministrationTextDocumentsAlabama. Dept. of Archives and HistoryWorks Progress Administration filesSG022774WPA Alabama Writers' Project, Ex Slave Tales, Montgomery County, #3.Alabama Dept. of Archives and History, 624 Washington Ave., Montgomery, AL 36130EnglishThis material may be protected under U. S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S. Code) which governs the making of photocopies or reproductions of copyrighted materials. You may use the digitized material for private study, scholarship, or research. Though ADAH has physical ownership of the material in its collections, in some cases we may not own the copyright to the material. It is the patron's obligation to determine and satisfy copyright restrictions when publishing or otherwise distributing materials found in our collections.96 dpi tiff•
•
•
..argaret Fowler
Jack Kytle
•
Dem Days Wuz Hell
Delia Garlic lives at 43 Stone Street, Montgomery,
and insists she is 100 years old. Unlike many of the old egroes of the
~ South, she has no good words for slavery days or the old masters,
declaring: "Dem days wuz hell.·
She sat on her front porch and assailed the taking
of young children from mothers and selling them in different parts of
the country.
HI wuz growed up when de war come," she said, "an'
I wuz a mother befo' it closed. Babies wuz snatched from deir mother's
"-
breas' an' sold to specYlators. Chilluns wuz separated froo sisters en'
brothers an' never saw each other agin.
·Course dey cry: you think dey not cry when dey wuz
Bold lak cattle? I could tell you 'bout it all day, but even den you
couldn't guess de awfulness of it.
"It's bad to belong to folks dat mvn you soul an'
body; ,. c•an tis you up to a tree, wid yo' face to de tree an' yo'
arms fastened tight aroun' it', who take a long curlin' whip an' cut
de blood ever' lick.
"Folks a mile away could hear dem awful whrppings.
Dey wuz a turrible part of livin'."
Delia said she was born st Powhatan, Virginia, and
was the youngest of thirteen children.
2
"I never seed any of my brothers an' slsters
'oept brother Wl11lam," she sald. "Hlm an'~er an' me wuz brought
~
ln a speculator's drove to Riohmon' an' put ln a warehouse wld a
dr~ve of other nlg~er9. Den we WllZ all put on a block an' sol' to de
of Carter, who wuz de sherlff of de
hlghes' bldder.
"I never
et£
wuz sold to a man by ~~name
county.
'J
,
seed brother Wl11lam agln. y an' me
"No'm, dey war'nt no good tlmes at hls house. He
WU% a wldower an' his daughter kept house for him. I hursed for her, an'
one day I wuz playln' wld de baby. It hurt lts 11'1 han' an' commenced
to cry, an' she whlrl on me, plok up a hot lron an' run lt all
down my arm an' ban'. It took off de flesh uhen she ,done It.
"Atter awhl1e, marster marrled agln; but thlngs . ~
war'n8 no better. I seed hls wlfe blackln' her eyebrows wld smut one
day, so I thought I'd blaok mlne Jest for fun. I rubbed some smut on
my eyebrows an' forgot to rub lt off, an' she kotched me. She waz
powerful mad an' yelled: 'You black devl1, I'll show you how to mock
your betters.'
"Den she plck up a stlck of stovewood an' flal1s lt
7
agln t my head. I dldn't know nothln' more 'tl1l I oome to, lyln' on
de floor. I heard de m1stus say to one of de glrls: 'I thought her
thiok skUll and cap of wool oould take lt better than that.'
"I kept on stayin' dere, an' one nlght de marster come
ln drunk an' set at dp. table wld hls head 10111n' aroun'. I WllZ waltln'
on de table, an' he look up an' see me. I wuz skeered, an' dat made hlm
3
awful mad. He oalled an overseer an' tol' him: 'Take her out an' beat
some sense in her.'
NI begin to cryan' run an' run in de night; but finally I
run baok by de quarters
raght away dey oome for
I never seed my msmmy anymore.
sn,' I
agin.
"
,
wuz took da~ very
an' heard mammy callin' me. I went in, an'
me. ~ horse was standin' in front of de house,
night to Richman' an' sold to a speoulator
NI has thought many times through all dese years how mammy
looked dat night. She presssd my han' in bofe of hers an' said: 'Be
good an' trus' in de Lawd.'
NTrustin' was de only hope of de pore blaok oritters in dem
days. Us Jest prayed fer strength to endure it to de end. We didn't
'speot nothin' but to stay in bondage 'till we died.
\ NI was sol' by de spsculator to a man in cDonough, Ga. I
don't r~oll{pt his name, but he waa openin' a big hotel at loDonough
an' bought me to ait on tables. But when de time come aroun' to pay
for me, his hotel done fail. Den de Atlanta man dat bought de hotel
bought me, too. 'Fa! long, dough, I wes sol' to a man by de name of
Garlic, down in Louisiana, an' I stayed wid him 'till I II fried. I
wuz a regular fiel' han',
•
cotton.
NUS heard talk
plowin' an' hoein' an' c~oppin'
'bout de war, but us didn't pay no
'tention. Ua never dreamed dat freedom would ever corns;"
Delia was asked if the slaves ever had any parties or danoes
on her plantation.
• o'm," she replied, NUS didn't have no parties; nothin' lak
dat. Us didn't have no olothes for gain' 'roun. I never had a under-
••
•
4
shirt until Jsst befo' my first chil' was borned. I never had nothin'
but a shimmy an' a slip for a d*ess, an' it wuz made out'en de cheapes'
cloth dat could be bought; unbleached cloth,
to las'.
coarse, but mate
·Us didn't know nothin' cept to work. Us wuz up by three or
•
four in 4e mornin' an' everybody got dey somethin' to eat in de kitchen.
Dey didn't give us no way to cook, nor nothin' to cook in our cabins.
,... Boon as us dressed us we,nt by de kitchen an' got our piece of corn-bread.
Dey wuzn't even
cornbreali
same.
wuz all us
salt in it dem las' years. Dat piece of
IV
had for b~akfus', an' for supper, us had de
"For din er us had boiled Vittles; greens, peas an' sometimes
beans. Coffee? No'm, us never knowed nothin' 'bout coffee.
"One mornin' I 'members I had started to de fiel', an' on
de way I los' my piece of bread. I didn't know what to do. I started
back to try to fin' it, an' it was too dark to see. But I walk back
aght slow, an' had a dog dat walked wid me. He went on ahead, an'
atter awhile I come on him lyin' dere guardin' dat piece of bread. He
never touched it, so I gived him some of it.
"Jus' befo' de war I married a can named Chatfield from
another plantation; but he was took off to war an' I never seed him
agin. Atter awhile I married a boyan de plantation named iles Garlic.
"Yas'm, :~ssa Garlic had two boys in de war. When dey went s....v
off 4e assa an' mis~ cried, but it made us glad to see dem cry. Dey
made us cry so much.
"When we knowed we wuz tree, everybody wanted to git
out. De rule wuz dat if you steyed in yo' cabin you could keep it,
. '
• •
5
but if you lef', you los' it. iles wuz workin' at Wetumpka, an' he
slipped in an' out so us could keep on livin' in de cabin.
" y secon' baby soon come, an' raght den I made up my
min' to go to Wetpmpka where iles wuz orkin' for de railroad. I
WO
went on down dere an' settle down.
"Atter iles died, I l~ved d~e long as I could an'
den come to 'ontgomery to live wid my son. I'se eatin' white bread
now an' havin' de best time of my life. But when d~ Lawd say. 'Delia,
well done; come up higher,' I'll be glad to go."
c
. - . Alabam
S>-
Rubf,n 1<'itzpatrick,
" years old). He says:
HORN FOR HEAD!\CHE.
A'I O,A
of Eugene Street, was born Jan. 9, 1854, (83
tiLly JJarster roz 'ster Gholson frwn Bullock county. lie had
lots uv slaves 'cause he wuz a rich man. J. wuz jes a boy ten years
ole an' he wuz a squire dat tried cases, so he rode allover de country
to dif'funt places. I rode wid him to hole his horse. lie wore a high
to? black hat and had a buggy wid a top dat let back. ':Then we went
we vroz gone a long time an' when night come he rould fix it fer me to
sleep wid some uv de niggers in de quarters where we stopped. 1 shoo
lacked to go 'bout lid him.
~ mother vroz de cook. he had rule over all the cookin'. e
spinned thread an' reeled it off too.
/hen de Yankees ccone through de country I seed 'em all runnin'
so I thought it wuz jedgment day an' I runned an' hid under de chimney
an' sta,yed dere 'tel night. Dey didn't tarry long, but dey drove de
horses right up on de piazza, and throVled ever' thing out de houses,
eben knocked do m de smoke 'ouse doors. Dat's de trufe'.
One time I was taken to the Slave market and I was screwed on
the block and ;cr. Lartin bought me and r:JY ·"rona. he man that was
selling us would holler II \'ho'll bid? " 0'11 bid: tI .e wuz supposed to
be s. ry and fidgety so as to make the men lant to buY us. Y fust
arster nas . ash one s. He lan' t good to us, He would hit us wid
his cane jes' as if it had been a switch. Ben Jpnes didn't like the
way "~rse ash treated us niJgers, he bou~t us for his son.
I ,e didn't have no doctors much in de 'fS, but US had a horn us
use when a/got sick. t re had ~\e headuc e that horl ,ould 'l.gIlt
over the S ot and it ouldn't be no tL~e 'fore the ~ain'c be gone.
- - •
•
, MabiH Farrior
Lois Lynn
Sohn ~organ Smith
1 -
•
"Yassuh, I a slave," spoke Aunt Carry from her
vine-shadea porch at O. 3 oharpe otreet, ontgowery abama. ItI
wuz barned in 1849 on
road. assa \.ill had a
the t. Meigs ,
sno use to have
high, an' dey wuz fillea wid all sorts 01 niggers.
a goocll
nouses
timrlaYin'
tllO stories
'roun' down at de ,.e naa a ro of
hen 1 wuz twelve year old, I wuz made nu'sS fer my mistis~51ittle girl
d,d'/I'f 1:1'14v./
an' at de fus' I couldn't do nothin' but rock de cradle. I t
1~~hOl' de baby. Os niggers had gardeenS(~rdians~ dat look ~tter us lak
dey did atter de hosses and cows and PigS~
\1 One night atter we had all gone ~ Abed I heered a noise at
de window, an' when I look up dere wuz a man a climbin' in. He wuz a
nigger.
a,.....nigger.
a sleep too.
I could tell eben do I could scarce see him, I knowed he wuz
'I
I could hear my mistis a beeathin, an' de de baby wuz soun'
I started to yell out but I thought .... dat de nigger
~f"
would kill us so 1 j~S' ke~ quiet. He come in de lIindow, an' he ... us
t ., 1\
a sUd:en I knowed who it vmz. 'Jade,- I ~.,~lJ
a doin' here?# tle co e to my bed and put his ~-
a sleepin' dere, an' all of whispersI •••hat you
han' ober my mouf. II Jf./
C Listen you blacA: picaninny, you tell em
I'll kill you, I he say, ( I ."-.th'ow yo?,fhuide to
Now shet up.)
aat you saw me here an'
de snakes in de s amp.
.id dat he went to de dresser ... an' taken mistiJ mon~y bag •
tter dat he went to de window an' climb down de lauder an' I didn't do~'
but shake myself nearly to death fum fright
De nex' day de an' de pattyrollers went a~
• •
•- searchin' th'ough de slave quarters an' dey faun' de money bag
under Jade's cot.
minutes. e could
Dey tuk him an'
hear him hol.l.a
whupped·him for near fifteen
'- ay
way up~de big house. Jade,
he neber got ober dat whuppin'. He died three days later. He wuz a
good nigger, 'peer to me 18k, an' ae bes' blacksmith in de whole
county. I ke~ra_Onderin' whut made him want ter staal dat purse.
en I faun out later eat ne uz a gomn to pay 4 white man ter
carry him ouer de line to de ~Jtnern otates. " ade/us , had too
• J,.;
big ideas fa' a nigger. I usta see "ade's gJs~ a wa~k1n' out
in ae garden in e moonlight; sometime he sit on de fence an'
look at his a e cabin, den so etimes he stroll off down de cotton
fiel'. ~hen de La~ git th'ough a puniashin' him fa' a stealin'
dat money, I guess he won't make us no mo' visits. He Jus' go right on
J,...
in heaben. Dat's what gostes is.you kno~ peoples dat can't quite git in heaben, an' dey haed"a stroll 'rollO' little longer on de outs~do
repenti~rd
~ ~o"l'\ a )
~ my gardeen tuk me to Tallasee when de massa died. y gardeen
wuz a good man. He lwals a-makin' speeches fa' de slaves to stay
under bondage till.dey wuz~ f\one dey he wuz in front of a st~ talkin'
'bout de slaves an' a man elme up to him an' said he don't like de way
Capt. Clanton talk(dat roz my gardeen's name). Capt. Clanton ask him
whut he gain' ter do 'bout it )
an' de man tuk out a pistol an' kilt
mo'
~
Den I wuz sold to another man, a M.r. illiamson, bout.., time de
war broke loose, an' ....~assa illiamson tuk me ~<;e;~~Wi~ some
people he said he had mo' slaves dan he could ff. Dis
de Cap'n raght dere on de spot.
wuz de ~bernathy plantation. While de massa wuz a standin' in de
slave quarters a takin' to ~r. Abernathy, I noticed a boy wid a ba eye.
I didn't lak him at all an' I tal' de massa I don't wanna stay, kaze I
wid de bad eye
didn't lak de way dat boy Lum!looked at me. Den Yr. Abernathy brung
up a boy bout sebenteen year old; a big strong lookin boy named Jeff.
• I. O.
(
-2-
peaoll .1u (.clo..) 'all don. r ..en.
t... 40 111t. bu .... Jia a.. k14 u"
bocsrl
•
.. UJuu•••at
...- 4er I1U' t .11> ..... .ha.g. H,,'
abo ~ ui-d..., ".
• , t&II ....'. ~11JI0 U"
all 1111\ b.1a. one • 0 • a &II
• Iloa I 1l&1l'7 ho1a'
Jh.
..... 1 li ") .... ,.. _ .. MIld u" Ilo_(,)
_"'._..... •• aalr7"" • -pM Wll6.
o 1... II .....1d
II1t, , d141 II l' AD
_ bo,. • _ _ J'1cl>' ...~.... 111
... 1'OOk .... k1l ... ..p 1n d."
1l:l_ _ .•IlY .. -llI.addJ ._.
beah, dey' .' t 1a ••• 4 0 • r .. JIU.\1l1a'
tell 1ll.' ..-•••• IIaIl h. lu" .""7 on. u" 4 nlMD.h ehillun Jlu
.... 's ez eft deJ wua hi. 0_ chilla, 'toe wd t'. er trute, 8ho'. all' •
•t"""a' h.aIIl"
"D.''. or .hol. p....ll UI 4ea. ho l.t· ovah nlgguh••hut boea'o. UY b.l..'
laalaee-nl '.. but all. ...' t nll1r7 on.. 'uh abo ••1'."" no 7uhd nlgph
••1n w. jles ... p1D.1D. tlel' n1 all .llut plo.. • ••, an' ...d. 481'
crap. tv ha'pp t.ed 40r t 7, '4or .... UY 4 ae-l1lggah. d' thl....I"
"Speall1Jl' 'bout plo.l.., (?) ah abo aha t.,.. '.tincU" all ole
1IIll.·. "aM ~ •!lock' • Tau. • abo .... hl1h4 taU ..1' U 101lg lalg.'d •
• ariah r boaecled, lID' n& la.11 ft
"lIeb•• Bett·. pl -t..hun au.' ut .... 1:1110 tum whor h. 11 v. In 481' b...
hsh... WI' ."'" thillt' ,,4011. taw d.r •JOJlllOnt .... b.elt u" u. al.,... In 4...
111ggah qUIlt-tch•• n..... 4.....Il.. kine-d....hlt. all ah .",ah ..'41"
"Jh ...""eIl will taw it 481' capahm·. "" 111.' .r.ttab.on Oulo. coDre4J'lt
Pr."l-d... " &II .n ..lgh' 40h .., ....d hl' .14 all OWl1 "'7 aye.. De,...,. hl'
........ , eo 'bo' t 4re.. at1"a1h(? I but hlt .bo Cawd auzl Be ... ha4 81' Cal.
•
•
•-
".B.C. o -1-
Ll'm'mIlf'
)
lIlre_: L1ghblll' ••a born at old caha a, Alab_, but Ialo•• not tba dd.,
IIIOllth, nor the y.ar, but aooordllll! to hU to tba ...... Bet..... the
Stat., h a all oT.rgro.Il, S8IIll11llg boy at 1'o..-t..n or tltte.n y.ar. at ag.,
at the U at tha UIlc1Tll .ar. H.... born a ala.. on the plantatlc. ot 1Il'.
loel Matth••• at old C8hawha.
•
-D r.ot1ll. Y'ill wondah. hah ah 0.... tar be ulled 'Ughb1ll' (?)
but dat'. rlght eaaytled tar 'apla1ll, MIl 01• .u.tah K1.tah 101.,-- K1atah
101. Mathy.re .-r y'ill pl_a••, do... tole .. tar hurl')' up OIl. dar, aIld ah WWI
eo alow dat h. dOll. braok out 1Il ar great b.ec laugh at., All doll. t.lt rlght
..rry taw MIla.'t, all d h. 88y r- aho 10 slow all ah'. gw1llter oall yar aItah
d... t ..... tb1llg a t •••••aIl data Ughblll-. Mar•• 101., y•• aha 1*
thow1ll ott Oil dlo. nlggah, 0 .. ra'll !<no.. ah' ••• a10w as ar 01<!<rart. nll
'11 hat ta.. otuee ... 0 .. ab d1d1l't .....ded 11l 110 gr.at b••S burry-.
Lany ".0}', d.1I __ da.. be.' day. UT .u whole Ht. taha, all blt _!<a•
.. t.el rlght _pytled rlgbt oU.Il, tar tlnk arbout hlt. Mar•• 101. WWI 0'" UT
d.r tln••••blte IIBlla d.r Good Lan .nab dOll. brUllg8d a... dU.....t. .InY day
he o8118d tew d.r alan quattab. wid d.r taablr dootab all qulred attah .TT)" nlggah
a d plao. k... h. don. 88y'd,- 11 ted, helthr nlggah nex t ..... 11II1. 1.
d b proper.ltion ... I88Il 0aIl h1a IIDIl.r 11l. jJl'u••laT•• tared ju••••
good as t .... po••'bl. "fur .nnybuddy t.r t .....
Mara. 101. IlU8tah b. 'd be....d _ .1' .UIl.hahn)' day bee h. aho .u. allu.
bright aDd good neturd. OIL Nn, .TT)" nlggah am d.r plaoa do... lUT hlll lal< as Il•
• un dar son UT osn MUilt beok am .art tar aho. Hl. lurtll' k1ll......
Ifa. BUb ah, naTTllh ol....d ar Hot tua -" lII.tah 101. 1Il mah Ht.. jJl h.
• • -
'!'DRY
ClIol. Pet. lll.... wu born a Maooe 00...t7 a l862. Be eow 111'.. at
5ll Col ... St. (a 'II. r .... )
B••t.ted:
"I wua borned 0. 1IBr•• Bl11 11111... plllllaUaD. on .... 487. ala.., IlIl 1
bope ta but .. 1 ..... jlo a ba7 'bout 10 1 toted wahr IOD. lib d. ti... 1
h.....e talk 'bollt d. war ..... ooatDg un 00•• 1 wua oll. but 1 wua 10 .altle'
aD aurcOOIl U. R. 10.....t Caap ott up udar 011 d. , ••'. lIY b_ ra1lroad
,_t ~ 1011•• tla har.. 1 ••bar. do b.Ule at ab..... 1 _t to Rioh••
w1d .,. ba.. 1 rod. do ..... tr.a on' .. toad all 4. or.aI<II. U'f 00'" 1
warp't a _ ..... 4. tl&1aUe but I .... out at d. bor.'pltal- hU eot OIlt all do
qo .... 1I10he01l4-, &II I w. 1. 4 ar • _oh .. de t1&lahr. '0 •• d_ oonn
bull.t••truoll: all 'roIIII dar.. I dOli••• _h wuII: t.r de coated'raw. 011
OUR thll .1d out a oarateh d07 ort.r talt. br. ....... n.1I d. TaaIt••• 00... thu
40)' «ot a 'hiDd •• Bill h. tuk on •••t to La Gr •• aoorglo aad dar. h.
dled. I. broil .... U".
th r had Mba _. ho doUlbtar•• - d...... thr.. or to oldar ...".
"I dollt ha... 110 tv lit aad butter 110. 1 doll't lalt IIUth1D u'. 1ll.
oa'oo t t .... whut II ted wh.1I ...... 11..1A .1th lIar.tar. Ole a....
wo1lld po' d. I01llt la a 10 troueh w14 bra d la U, \1>. ..... aballt 2 or II
toot 4MP. all do l1Ul. 111 ar • ....u.d .tOII' r_ un oat U. eo.oU......'d
1)0' ",,'lip 111 1t 0114 ••'d oop 1t .1d br.ad.
I h.ar'lI ~t. b It 111 d_ 487. &II 111 ooee plaoa. dar ..... haIIt., but 1
....or ••ed 1 uoter &0 huata' w1d d. lIar.t r h•••7 h. ooed halite. 1
aow. CIll. do7 va...... a. hllllUII' aII4 j •• 'tor.... oro._ tha Stat. hd.r.t.
BlI04 up 111 1Ia0oa 00lld7 h••topped quiolt lu. 1 ""7: _t 70U .top tar? aa4 h.
007 dar eo a eperU oro.. d.t road aa 1 dOIl't want to I01x up w1d it. B. jawhttp://cdm17217.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/wpa/id/821 |