"Ex Slave Tales," Perry County.
Folder contains 45 pages of former slave narratives compiled for the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in the late 1930s.• DORA GoTAFF Susie R. O'Brien John Morgan Smith large A t Dora ~agstaff waddled to a/dilapidated chair and sank ith a long tired sigh into its depths. he filled it to its...
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Alabama Department of Archives and History
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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," Perry County. |
| fulltopic |
WPA Alabama Writers' Project African Americans--Alabama--Biography; Alabama Writers' Project; Perry County (Ala.); Slaves--Alabama--Biography; Slaves--Alabama--Social conditions; United States. Works Progress Administration |
| description |
Folder contains 45 pages of former slave narratives compiled for the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in the late 1930s.•
DORA GoTAFF
Susie R. O'Brien
John Morgan Smith
large
A t Dora ~agstaff waddled to a/dilapidated chair and sank
ith a long tired sigh into its depths. he filled it to its very
capacity. In fact I don't believe she could have arisen without
bringing the chair with her. They now seemed inseparablp a part of
each otner. unt Dora resides in a s",a.1.1 cabin eigHt mil"s nortp of
Oniontown where she has her own little vegatable garDen that she works hr-self,
ana fe mchoats that run squeaking arounD t e yard and
in which she takes the utmost pride:
"Now Aunt Dora," I said after she had settlea herse f sufficiently,
"I've co e a1ll a long way to get this story, and I'd like to have something
different about the slavery days; something t at no one else has tola me.
I think the people in .ashington are getting lea up with t,.e usual run
of events about slave~ , so Auntie,give
",ell, white folkS," sbe ",usea as
me something really good."
a.""t.c ,. ItfCI.;:
her eye"s""'-"' far oU
expression, "dere ain't much for
. ninety
is almos' year ola an'
an ole nigger to tell cep'n de fac' dat she
JA9.ge
as a slave to Mamma John oore, an' we livm
in a big two story house an' I played aroun' wid de hite chilluns."
"But A\Ult Dora," I broke in, "isn't there an exciting story that
you r- ember back there? Think, A\Ultie,1! I coaxed,"you must remelliber
something."
"l1ell,!hile'''she finally continued after" periOD of deep revcorie,
"I does rellielliber a litt.1e story ci"t "arn't llluch to it, but you axe for a
story so 1'1.1 te 1 it to you. It was aurin' ae tiwe of ue .ar. econl
it ve.e 'bout 1864 when de Yankees WuS a-colllin' th'ough our place at
ue sto~y tuk place. Os nig_ers had been .arned by ue
. tell nothin' bout "hut we knowed of e place aroun' ••
hite folkS to don't
..e was told not to
•
•
•
answer no questions. e be done hid de silver an' valuables When~
Yankees co e th'ough, so dere ~arn't no thin , lef' for 'em to git
cep'n de meats in de smoke house, ae wine anJ m .hiskey in de celiar
an' de lasses an' things. ,e ,1, aeill solger~ stayed aroun' dere for a f~
aays an' some of'em found out Oat "e be done had some silver hid out.
liell, oey starts a-searchin' for it, an' ..hen dey can't find it, dey 6its
powerful mad. One nignt I heeeed some voLces outsiCle •
ab' I look outen ae indow an' dere were three iankees
our cabin Illl_
a-comin' toward~
dmm do'. ~arn't nobody at ho e cep'n me, caze pappy .as at de big h0use
an' Bmmy, she out gitin' ater mn f' de spring. em solgers COilles ra~ht
but
up to 0 dO • an' wa s in. ",us' one an came in. Ithen he sa me he turn
an' call to 'e res': 'deah, one o~ Oem little black coons,' he says.
'"je'll u.ake ,er tell.' 'Now, nigger,' he~to me, , we ain't gv,inter
hurt you none iften you tells us whar dat silver is hid.'
, e ain't got no si ver 'roun' dis place, . xankee, we's po' folks.'
'Don't talk dat nonsense to me you littl~ black monkey,' he says,
'caze I kno dere is some dd out an' 1 is aimin' to make you tell. Now
I'se g ine give you one 0' chance. Is you gon.,a tell?'
'~Yankee, us ain't ..•••..•
"Bout ciJImmlllmJBm dat tu.e he grab my arm an' twist it, an' de udder
two mens com~ in de do'. 'I'll make you tell whar its at, you little black
debil,' he says, an ,id dat he twist my arm mo'. 'Bout dat ti~e I let
out a yell, an' he nearly wrench my amm f'um my mmfu shoulder. Den de do'
open an' in step my pappy. He looKed at dem men, an' de one dat had my am
arm let go. Pappy shet de do' behin' him an' th'ew de bolt. He walked over
to dat Yankee an' slam him in de face 'fo' none o~ 'em knowed whut it were
all about. All three of 'em jump on pappy an' pull him down to Cle flo'
pulls out a knife. He stobbed one raght in de
Den one of de u der two pick up a chair an 'hap
pappy in de haid. Dey was a stumblin over chairs an' tables and dey sho
•
•
ANTHONY ABERCROUBIB, EX-SLAVE ••••••
Susie R.O'Brien
W~ • '<.
Uncle Ant' ny sat dozing in the early morning sunshine on his rickety
front porch. He is a thin little old man with patches of white wool
here and there on his bald head, and an expression of kindness and gentleness
on his wrinkled old face.
As I went cautiously up the steps, which appeared none too safe, his
cane which had been lean against his chair, fell to the floor with a
clatter. Re awoke with a at.art and began f'umbling around for it with his
trembling and bony hands.
"'Uncle Ant'ny, you dont see so well, do you?" I asked as I recove:ced~
•
the stick for him. "No ma'am, I sho dont," he replied. "Ifsin't seed
none outen one 0 my eyes in near 'bout sixty years, an de doctor say
I got a catalac on de yuther onel but I knows you is white folks. I
always is been puny, but I reckon I does purty well considerin I I is a
hunderd years old.-
"Row do you know ~u are that old? " I",inquired of him. Without hesitation
he answered, IfI knows l's dat old 'cause my mistis put it down in
de bible. I was born on de fourth day a.nJ I was a full growed man when
de war come on in '61.
•
"ysssum, my mind kinder comes snD. goes, but I can always 'member 'bout
slave'y time. Hits de things what happen in dese days dS~S so easy for
me to disremember. I b'longed to ars ter Jim Abercrombie. Ris plantation
county. When his son,
o
old 'arse Jim give me to him and he f~tched me to
was 'bout sixteen miles north of Karion in Bibb
I
young Jim) ws' aied,
Perry county.
"N~m, old msrster didn' go to de war I c~e he
was def-! in bofe ears and couldn't see good nut~er.
much 'bout me 'cd I was puny like and warn't much
was corrupted; he
But he didn' care
'count in de field.
-
-2-
''Ky mistis, iss Lou, was raisin' me up to be a carriage driver,
• an' she was jis' as good to me as she could be . She useta dose me
up wid castor oil, j imson roo1;; and dogwood tea when I'd be feelin'
po'ly, an she'd always take p f r me when Marse Jim get in behind
me 'bout somep'n. I reckon lie-' I was a purty worrisome nigger in
dem days; always gettin' in some kind of mischief.
"0 yassum, I useta go to meetin'. Us niggers dido' have no meetin'
house on de plantation, but Marse Jim 'lowed us to build a bresh arbor.
Deh two years atter de surrender I took considerationfand jined up
wid de Lawd. Da~s how come I live so long. De Lawd done told me,
'Antn' y, you got a hun&l d an~ twenty miles to trabel. Dat mean you
gwine to live a hunder an twenty years, if you stay on de straight
an' narrow road. But if you dont, you gotter go jes' de same as all de
yuthers I It.
"tel.l:.me something about your master's slaves and his overseers"
• I asked o~ h1lil•
"Well" he said, arse Jim had 'bout three hunderd slaves,
had one mighty bad overseer. But he got kil1.ed down on de bank of de
creek one night. Dey never did find out who ki1.1.ed him, but Marse
Jim always b'lieved de field han's done it. 'Fore dat us niggers useta
go down to de creek to wash ourselves, but atter de overseer got killed
an'
One day he turn on
Marse Jim had some
•
on de plantation 7too.
7
trouble wid a big double-jinted nigger named Joe.
arse Jim wid a fence rail", and Karse Jim had to pUll his gun
down dar, us ,jes' leave off dat washin', 'cause some of 'em seed de
overseer's hant down dar floatin' over de creek.
1 -Dar was another hant
kill him. el1., dat happen in a skirt of woods whar I get my lightwood
what I use to start a fire. One day I went to dem seme woods to get
went
some 'simmons. Another nigger ~wid me, and he clumb de tree to shake
,. • •
-3-
de 'simmons down whilst I be pickin' 'em uP.tr/ 'Fore long I heared
another tree shakin '[)every time us shake oui tree, dat other tree
(
shake too, and down come de 'simmons from it. I say to myself, 'dats
~
Joe, 'cause he likes 'simmons too' Den I grab up my basket and holler
to de boy in de tree, 'nigger turn loose ant!.drap dOVlIl from dar, lUl<L
ketch up wid me if you c~ I's l,eavin' here right now, 'cause Old Joe
is over dar gettin' 'simmons too.
"Den another time I was in de woods choppin' lightwood. It was 'bout
sundown, an..t every time my ax go 'whack' on de lightwood knot, I hear
another whack 'sides mine. I stops and lis'ens anti-dont hear nothin'.
Den I starts choppin' eg'in, and 88'in I hears de yuther whacks. By
dat time my old houn' dog was crouchin' at my feets, wid de hair
standin' up on his back and I couldn' make him gH up nor bUdge.
"Dis time I didn' stop for nothin , • I jes' drap my ax right dar,
an' me ani. dat houn' dog tore out for home lickety split. When us
get dar arse Jim was settin' on de porch, an' he say: 'Nigger, you
been up to somep'n you got no business. You is all outen breath.
me is choppin' in yo' woods, an' I cant see him. '
ho you runnin' from?' Den I say; , Marse Jim, somebody 'sides
And. Marse Jim,
he say; 'All, dat sin' t nobody but Old Joe. Did he owe you anything?'
An' I say; 'Yasssh, he owe me two-bits for helpin' him shuck corn.'
'Well', Marse Jim say, 'dont pay him no mind; it j es' Old Joe come
back to pay you. '
-Any how, I didn' go back to
~
have de two-bits what he owe me,
dam woods no mo'. Old Joe can j es'
dont
'cause Ilwant him follerin' 'round
atter me. When be do I can't keep my mind on my bizness."
W.F.J. 7-27-37
- • • Susie
John
5" ,..~?
:,
R. O'Brien,
organ Smith
Dncle Tom Baker
>
A Slave's Story
aho
'.,/'1 I recollects about de slabery days," said Uncle ~om as he
.. itteed snavings from a soft~piece of white pine. "I lived
~
on a plantation down in Perry County an' I remembers a story bout
a 1 day ong, an' I hauda carry many a bucket
somp'n dat happen to me
" was a water boy
a way back dar."
for fifty fiel? han's da t WOr1lil!in de sun
fum de spring~dat
/
spring
cool down cJ,Q,u.
De
of de spring an' let de water trickle
mos' of dem wuz workin' .
between some willow trees an' it wuz powerful
...1
I usta lie on de moss an' let ~ my bare belly git cool
an' put my face i"n de outlet
in de shade.
over my haid. Jus' about de time I gits a little res' one of
dem \niggerS would call; .ater Boy! Bring dat bucke~~en I grab
up de bucket an' run back out in de hot sun."
"One day, on my las' trip, I uz migho/tired _ an' I flop down
on dat moss wid de sweat a drip in' from my body, an' 'fo' I knowed
~ ) it I done fell slap to sleep. ',hen I oke up It vr T almoS dark,
;.> (I
an' I couldn't hear de slaves a-singin' in de fiel's)so I knowed oat
dey had gone home. I shake my haid, an' lOOK about me, an' my eyes
came to res' on a little black bear cub a -dr1nkin' outen
made
little
- wanted
C/ He ain't :,seed me a ........ settin' dar, so I snuk
~ ~
up real cautious like, an' a~fore he knowed it I had dat litLle
dat little bear.
de spring. He sho was a cute littl~ an' I
u~ my mind right den to try an' kotch him. I wuz jus' a
nigger 'bout ten year old ~~ didn't have no sense~but I sho
. '-
()- I debil a squelin in my han's. I wuz jus' about to start home wid him,
when i hears a ru;rtli~ in de bushes an afore I went ten feets, here
come a big)black bear a-lO~Pin' along raght outen dem wil ow trees.
I drop dat little critter kaze I knowed dat dis wuz his mammy an'
she wuz'travin' mad. V,hen I let de litLle must
hurt him spmp'n awful kaze he howl mo' dan eber, an' went a limpin' v
up to his mammy. ell, suh, dat ole woman she got so mad she made
empty fiel' an'
cawn~HUrry
A
biggest nig"er
I knowed she wuz a gainin' on me so I
bear kotched me.
fo' me ~ lak two bolts of lightnin', but dese here feets of mine begin a.-...-.doin' dere stuff .
lets out a whoop for help. ~e chased ~ss aat
'bout dat time 1 seen big Jim a comin' thrf... a row of
? t '- ?Y "
Big Jim I calls a bear is atter me. Big Jim wuz de
) )
on our place. tie must have .. weighed as much as a half a bale
~ ,~ ,
of cotton. I ~ jus 'oout gittin' to de~ge of de Cawn when dat maar
1\
He give me a slap wid his paw an' I goes down wid
up
dat bear
my
~
But
my eye aroun' an' I saw big
a hot iron on
my mouf a scoopin' up de dus' • y back felt like sombody done putt
W'O-'O ~ ~t'""M I ~
it. Dat bear~ I, expectin'
r t:V Jl
...... to chf-Y> me up an' I
in a knot and IUvered my haid wid my hands an' wai ted.
C.
neber touch me agio'. I kinda snuk
~(j "
Jim havin'it out wid . Jim, he had a long knife an' dey wuz
a-tumblin' an' a-rollin' in de dust, while I sot dere wid my eyes a
poppin' outen my haid an' my back feelin' like it ~roke. Jim he
wrap his legs roun' aat bear an' fore you knowed i~he had done stuck
up an' Jim he looked like he aone mess up wid a fambly of
back
I was
~
me an' Jim a_walk1n
A
cawn fiel' an' I guess we l~okea a sight, kaze
About fifteen minutes later
critter a dozen times wid dat knife.
de
/'.
tore
ole
\
all
dat
wildeats. He wuz b eedin' fum haid to foot. ,hen we walkea into
1a811 R. O'Br1u,
Ualoll'<lwn, .u~.
un11 8.. lli4'u a t t liUll 014 IOIII!II\
bro .1 I i. 10 • ,,1\h
uUl e
.t &I
I wb10h
ot e1 t:r-tin. 8h
411 14.ted oahln wb10h n.U ln ot tl"l •
b7 thl d4e ot the raUro
ple • ot rul\:r tln ot
• root 1. patohl4 wi
• I be
11" it be a ~1.. t, u4 41,
, annll,' I .ald, 'aren't ,ou atrat4 to l1Y rl alone"
Aln't nob047 pinl bother ..
on't lie 'roI1n' llepn on ral"7
nlghh, I all:rOll t to 40 11 'Lawd haYI _n,1
want here... 4 4e, go ' • ., d le..,1 :FOU 'lonl.
• bow I'. glUin' prlU, 014 and I .on' t be here 10
ah r 10 I JII' I well Itert gittln" &lnted w14 4
J.rU•. '
, III e 10 tng about :rour 1t d, ur rami1" llannll,'
I lal4. 'Dire aln't othln' ah to till 'OIP I w born 1n alaY',
till • I •• 'bout twe1YI ,Iar 014 ln Il
,P
plantation
1;0
Jel' Q 41 al
I oJ •
or t
IIIII
4atl
In •
t I
alp tlon 00 •
rl, DI,
born.
I' Ion, t111aa I ln 41 • 014 Ill. wou14 lind
to ton all 4e I 1'1 Inti 1 I, to I;oh to I t
to dl • I 't rllU 'b t dl w '01]) 41 tlnh d de bwa
hllli I 00 la' • I I" littll 4 • u1 't do but I laited
on alii L1a'be\h, 1•• w \ted on table, tot battll
° I' doh like • 0 ..•.. I 40 It ow no\h1n' 'tall 'bout dl
pattirollir. or dl 1t1 1t1wter. bu' I know all 'bo , de 0 nJI..
o
10 ln b wn TOU'll
n ..b a -2-
4oo'or.. De1 aho' kiD tix 70U. De7);J.n hlto 10' canor or JO
.'0 ln' tap and 4rap 1t ln runnln' ...'or 0 70 run de re.'
ot 70' Uto. 7OU'll be In.. 1UT1 all de '1_. and lt 4 1 en.
hol' t .. pl.08 ot de 88'" ot 70' ar.-'. 401 epr1n1tle. a 11"18
burn. U den 70 0 "ne.or eo' 40 ln
n pe oe. Yo .le.' 11 70U ..Uln' on ooal ot ~lah "111 70U
gn.o bo4T '0 'alte 4e.-pell tton 7OU.-
- annie ere 1 gled h n ~e •• oyer 4 70U were tree'-
- 1; I er 'bou' In' treo' DUn" 014 'or YO ue
plon'1 o-pln '0 • , 010'. .oar' In ed on de pl....
, Uo 'Ull I 'led. 01 Mle el • O .. bI'ow" drI. 4 ba'.
_011 4a' drI.. pu' .. In do 0 "'1"1, lt 70
11.0 ln 40 OOWl'1"1'-
"Marr1 ln brae 70u'll Ihe ou' or 'ow,,'- I quo'ed. "Da'.
r oe &1n',
-.0 _'.., I &1n'\
WI • I ... hi. tout .ito•
I ro u.
no oh111Wl. bu' Bre4tl.14 h ploll1;7
41ed 'bod ~o rear and he done
.1 .14 a ln' ,
• 14 all 40. w1un. \0 nac hi.. Do Blblo aq
.'
n on Copr,
8/18/37•
•
L. a• •
Susie R. 0 I Brien, '
Uniontown, Ala. ;."''"\
).. ,-rv"
AUNT TILDY COLLI S, Ex-Slave. -1?
"Aunt Tildy" CoJ.lins who lives in "Rabbit Yard," a egro section
of Uniontown is black rna , a talkative old soul running over
with tales of slavery time. In front of her one-room cabin is a neat
I found her nodd-and
boiling vegetabe
of vegetables and flO~S enclosed by a fence.
her small front porc~ ~he scent of wood smoke -- ing on
garden
issued fr~ ~he cabin door where an iron pot, hanging from a hook in the
fireplace sent forth clouds of steam and a most appetizing odor. As the
. >-
ga e squ~~ed ~nt Tildy awakened with a start, "Come in/white folks, ah ... r:: wur Jes' a aetin' heah waitin' fer mah greens ter bile an ah musta drappeu
~
off t"Qo slee~.
"Yas ma'am, ah shot was bawn in slave't time an' ah wish ter Gawd
ah could git now what ah uster hab den. Dem was good times fer de black
)
ars
dey
ter Linde-~ mah
'-'~--
- I. iss L·andy. Bof'
folks. Ah was bawn on a big plantation near 'bout
marster was ole man Dick Harris an' mah mistis was
~,
sons fit in de 7ar~I'Mars Dick had a big house an' dat same house is
~tan'in' dtre rat now. Us had Plenty1:£r eat an' plenty ~ weah.
1:i> Dick was good'" his aiggers. ah mammy an' daddy bof~'longed ter him.
~ ~
Dar as a slave yahd in Uniontown an' eve'y time de specerlaters come
~ J~ A
Lars Dick bought fo' er five niggers'ff He got mah Daddy outen de slave
yahd, de spec~rlaters had drive 'em all de way lum oth C~lina Jes' ~~
~ ~C(
a pack 0' mules. ~Sometime a wo'thless, no'count nigger would take it
inter his haid to run away but de oberseer would git de houn's an track
him do~ ~ey would fotch him in nex' maunin' all tuckered out an' he'd
be glad t:P stay home fer a Spell.1f1J'n nights
fer de barkin' 0' de dawgs. .ars Dick had a good oberseer7toon
wan'tno quality like ars'l Dick an' :iss '"andy but he as a good, kin'
~a an' us didn't had no trouble on de plantation. Dey allus give us a
big Chris'mus. A Chris'mas tree wif presents on it fer sve'y body in de
'. lab •• O'II'l...
L__ ,_.
D-. A. 0..,
Ul\'I'.
1JI tbe .epoo ...Un of VJl1..town, lMal.lT b_.. b1IU YaJoA'
(ft..wd b7 th••epoo•• t ••1... " 11••• 'AuK' ~1147' 00111ft., a 1IJplea1
'blaolt ~' of orthodox tJP" Sh. 1. a talkaU.. 014 wwl, I'IIJUI1nc
0••1' with l1a.er:r tal.. &lid p.dl)' bwl...4 b1 a ride range of ao4f1&1atano..
dong both rao... AUhoqh .1ght)'-follr ._ra ha•• palled "WI'
her .now-white huA, AaIl' ~1lA7" wplr1t 1. unoonqu.red b1 '1•• and her
ph)"l..l aoUn')' 1. 'rul)' rwaarltabl. for her ag.. 1M do•• her OWR
holl.eworlt and oar•• for her h without ul1.tane.. III troRt of her OB~
ro....blR 1. a 11M' gardeR of. .table. &114 flower. oo.blRed, wi'h .1.-
«101'1•• tralRed oarwtllllT 0..1' the feno. nwarlT all he war are1lJl4.
b_ 1. a 'arlng ln the Iou'h, that ooUon will grow beU.r for a .epoo
than for an)' other rao., and Dl. alght WIll be .xtended to lnelll4e "I'lllng-
glorl•• ln Auat ~ll47" oa••; .1no. non. ln UnlO111:own are ~lt•••
fln. 111 gJ'e)fth OJ' bJ'll11ano. of ooloring.
LU. lIurlT all old .esroe" AaR' ~1147 gon to l1.ep YII')' ..a41lT.
Sh.... doslng ln • roelt.r Oft her nall ponh, while the .o.n' of woo4
• olt. and the odor of boll1nc .egetabl.. 1.ned fr_ the ..bln. All 1I'ca
pot, haIIg1ng f1'OII a oran. ln the tlnpla••, ••ft4111g fOJ'1:h 0101141 of "",
and an app.Ullng are... 1M ol1llg' to old fa.hioMel 1q\l1p...' and 4114&
ln. a .100•• tor oooltll1g. Her ~lled' "C.tabl•• 01' ••d. 1 n the hanclng
pot, rith baited potato.. and 'po... ' bnad tro. the ...n aaIt. lIP a
••&1 that le•••• 11Ule to be de.lr.d a' ..n1 'It.it0.. wbo ha•••bared
her repuh WIn bow.
AI the gat••~.aIte4, AlInt ~1l41 ." It. with a .tart and ••alle.
'Ooa. lR, whit. folb, I ... J'" a-••tt1ll' here walUR' for IQ'
pHR' to bll1, an' I ••ta dl'apped ott to l1.ep. ", down 111 dd oheer
.
• •• - 2 - •
rlght dar, an' tek ott )'our hat; )'ou lho' 11 100:t1n' Yell, .n' I' .. prouel
to I" )'ou. , , I lbo' ... born.d ln .lay.r)' t~l, an' I n.b to
Claw I oould glt no. . a uI.ter hab d.n, '0.11. d "al ood tl.1 tor
d. blaok tol:tl. Pel. trl. nlgg.rl don't 0" 1Itlat 'UI to be tult noel
k.er
a-J,
p'l1bot•
I a eplo'later
• t.r .... good to all hi n1 1'1, an' a)'
to hia. D.)' "AI a 11& -)'aJ'd 1 n Unionto./l, an' IY')' 1:1
lOa' .. I .ean. dat! I ••• born.d on a big plantatlon near 'bout
to Lind.n, an' fA)' 0,.. llarlter AI nlUle Ha1'rll, )'aleua. Dlok Harr1••m
fA)' 01. Kl1tl1 al 111 d)'. Botl dl)' bO)'1 flt ln de wah••n' I '.e.b.r.
when d.)' "Int ott nd de 10J re, ,ole II1IU. Ih. 01'7 an' el•• bo)'1 an'
1t1.1 '. goodb)'., an' dl)' I gone a 10 Uae. I ... a l ..tle gal "henet
dl)' ".nt to de wah, an' I "a. aOl' • '0 1Ib n d.)' 00 bo e, an'
'dl)' botl had 1Ih1lker.. You a..~lCbard he l1l11Pln' an' look might)'
pall, 'dl)' lay hi blln "ounded an' Ita)' ln rl.on on lIuter Johnlon'l
18land, tu UII up dl rlbber; but Karl. Wl1111, he look all rlght. 'olpln'
'1Ib1Iker.. Ole .ter had a blg hoUI•• an' dat 1&11. hou.. tand1n I dar
rlgh n w. UI d plent)' to at an' len)' to ..Iar. an' dat'. ac'n 1Itlat
4tJ~
tollt. got now.
I Ole
I ,
•
bu)' tour or fly. nlggarl,
.0'lat.r bru hi_ an' a
nel a lot or new n 199.r.. 011 arl.r hi
~ an' dat'l how hi 00 l1bu)' a)' papp)', atter de
"hole p••••l ot nigglrl rr orth C'llne.
011 Marlt.r, h.r al born hil'n • •-
)' h.re • d;y 'lone to
ISom.tl •• no 'oount n1gg.r te an' runned 61'••71 but de ob.rI.
eI'. b. p \1t d. boun'. on he traok, an' el.)' run hia up a tr ., I dl
oberl••r rotoh him baok nex' wnln', all tuck.r.d cut, an' b. glad to
It.'1 ho • for a .p.ll "hay. h••• ·t. 01. It.r had a good ob.r••er,
too. 'CO'I • wan't no qY&l1t)', la:t 01. 1.1' an' Ole 1l11tll, but bl
• - de R. 0' r1 n,
Unlont wn, .llab •
•
p" .at n th ••p. ot h.r at er aten,
the T1I a of ."01"" to her
I I
cab1n, dI.Ip11oa e of th.
Un1 ntown, and look.d
40& n. that aate w,
nted 11tU.
..-rtlr of
04 when • e
11.ld 1n I ere 4e log oa In••treto e a. far a. ,.ou oould ••e 1n dl
.1aTe qua'ter•• "
I 1t1 er .1 t,.-.'T ,. are, latherlne e., • o eTerT-on.
a. I a,· 0 e a. • ,. to her tll17 rob I her ro n 14
( e It. led r 1,. at h r InterT1 r and .eat. lelt 110w1)".
, , ne,., 1 oan tell ,.0\1 'n n)"thl you t to 'bo t
1 t1gh , 'oa'.1 1 b a 10n. t1 e,' .h. an h r .t<")r,..
"De,. atn't ,. let' to ,.11 'bou d dUI. ,. ". an' ,. wa. P t 1"
, Llnea an' u 1 elonged to ,Frank: and 11. arab Llne••
I a n on e" lantat10n the Uea le ' 150 0
4e" t.11. •
"I b n 1: l' 1 .tl11 t -1 t.etl•• an'
ha'r lef'." 1 her "h .d I o lapl .,
a hio , tI t n atl,. in ° Iq are • zen. of
11 tte pl 1t1, 4 wit of twine, Ju. a. er halr 4
a 1n the .laTe quartlr etore he ar, d rn 4 h r lead. e ..t
wlt unCOT 1" h a un I1nkl In the r1 t June un hlne, ••he ook
up the tale t er health. "I •••• rlt., 10od, to, u I'••G h
1 aln't abl. to toe _.,. 'f' n' a. p rt • 1 u.et r.
lIt w • d1tt'rant ok 1n ea dal. t 1"10 White
• 10 a In. 1n 4. quarter.
o uld • I. Mar a
•,. • n,
pl nt,. t n1
arah I
-
~. ,
ara ,t1 In e 11 r •
to •. D,. ran' .,.
Je.' a. tar a.
to • blac tol., too.
- - - -
Attar 4a war • oYar 1 • ayad on 4a Linaa' plaoa 't all attar 1 'la4,
an' 01' Kl•• gln a aT wad41n' •• an' a 10 .111 40 to •
'When u. ,b1Uun ln 41 uart r. wa 414 a _1 ht7 lot ot
playln' • U. u ta pla7 'lldl a a., ulayl a Whole 1 t. U, wou14 hol'
han', an' 'roun' ln a r1 ,gtttln' ta.tlr an' ta'tar an' de 'llhat
tall down wa' outa 4a gaml.
, 7 7 wu ad ln da Blg Bou.., a.plnnln' an' anu..ln' aa wh1ta
oallad her
laok lt .a, ya,tl44y.
w1d har al,t r, an' wh1l,t
a at Allan, bupp d -"I
oh1llun. All ot de .' Ah I blr, na tb1ng J'"
.ant to ' U, fJ)e opoU,) to n,l'
,ha • re iona dl 0 a .. r, t by da
1 0 .t har baok 'twIll dl load runned out.
111.. arab a ad aok an' tun' 1tout, tha ... da 44..
Whita la47 1 eber • • aa obar'ler, an' • .ay I 'Allan,
'llhat "Iou an by whu pl You know 1 don't aUo. "IOU to taoh ar
hou.e "rYan •• ' She Jer her drl.. down an' .t.a-, dere lookln' 11ke a
,0Jer 91d h r wh1 • 'h ldere .hin1n' laok 'a no. , ,ha ,.yl 'I
druthlr ..a d.. II&l'Q on '6! 'boulder' dan to ee, ' •• n 'e. D.,
,ouldn't hurt _I no wu.,.'
t otten plaoe. Don'
Dan 'r:t earl 'All n, teo yurt b17 an'
y 1a~lundown t, oh you hara. '0 ha lat'.
Ifa waan't notb1n' but t. rae nobow.'
., I' aat .11ant t r a t1me a' • e reoalled t a nelon or
111.. Sarah et 41
'lnal17 ba turnld
t and regal ln her 41. 1I'al ot tha oTlr..
91th an abrll t han I at aubJI t.
•
'Rona7' 11 "IOU a Chr1lt1anT' • e a. ad aarnutl,. , hop.. "IOU le,
'oa'ea you 11 to t1n. 100 n' tor to go to 11. I b'lo • to de Ba
u.' Churo , an' dey alle aMa 'ca', l' ~I 80t ar at dl churoh.
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•
Alabama. - r4usie R. O'Brien,
'- 'nionto , Alabama.
\
'FIGHTING CAUSED HIS
DEMOTION TO'!HE FIELD.
Twan' no worry 'bout
-...
allus had a S-unday
kinda' scaroe. De
flab.
Haywood Ford, a thin bent old Negro ie a familiar figure on the
streets of Uniontown, Alabama. He was born in slavery and was about ten
years old when peace was declared. 'Uncle Haywood' as he is known about
town, took his seat and]thoughtfully scratchirg his woolly gray head; began
to tell about 'ole times.' 'Lor,! 'members slavery time like it was
yistiddy. My marster was Mr. Catalin Cadem an' my mistiss was Miss
Fannie. I was bohn on a plantation 'bout twelve miles below Dayton. I
was a bad li'l nigger too. I fit de yudder ohillun in de quarters so
w'en I was 'bout eight year ole marster put me in de fiel' for to keep his
)j
eye on me. Lor' but I was a fouter, and "Uncle Haywood" ohuokled as he
thought of his fighting days.
'Marster had a overseer name Gooden, an' you sho had to step lively
or you would git a liokin' wid a leather strop. Us li'l niggers was
allus glad to see Sunday oome 'oause Miss Fannie driV' 'roun' de quarters
in her oyart wid sumpin , good to eat for de ohillun.
oloes' in dem days neitherJ 'Sides de work olo'es we
C- su~oes wid wooden soles. You see, leather was
shoes was made for uS right on de plantation.
'Dem was oitin' times w'en de blue Jaokets oome through. Karster had
,
'bout five hunnert bales of cotton stowed~ de big bahn. De blue Jaokets
broke de do' down an' sot fiab to de whols thing. Lor', but dat was a
(
'When 'manoipation come, marster tole us, --IOU is free as I is. You can eider go or stay! So we stayed on an' hope him wid his fahm. I been
had a right hard time sinoe de surrender.' 'Unole Haywood' earns his
living If!p':.id~in' 'roun' in de white folks gahdens." He does not see well
and has no t~th· for to chew de oawn-o~e" but he is glad he is ~ee and
hopes "dey won't never be no mo' slav~ time ••
• •
•
HEY"OuD FO D TELL" A TOHY
usie R.
John ",or
,
"I,hite folks," said Heywood Ford, "I'se gonna tell you a story
'bout a mean oberseer an' 'hut htp\>.meu to U.lll durin' de sllibery
days. It all co enced • hen a nigger naued Jake Williams got Ii
w uppin' for stayint out atter ae ti~e Gn his ~as3 dore
gib )ut. All ae ~ggers on e ~lace hated
ue """,.:3 so eaB a.. , ~ useta try to
de oberseer "u~ dllll
A
think up things to
izen,
hup
us for. •
•• n • .. ," '.' 1
"One ulornin' ae slaves a lined up i:eady to eat dere breakfas'
an' Jake ,i.lliams WliS a pettin' his r.le red-bone hollo'. 'Bout' aat
ti.,e de oberseer come up /ill' seed JaKe a p&.ttin' his hullO' an' he
say: 'Ni"ger you ain't got time to be NoVi ma}e
hi", git. ' Jake tried to ~ e ae ClOg gv t.e
dog dian't ,ant to leave Jake. Den de oberse r piCk up a rock an'
slam ae aog i de back. De dog he den went a-hQ ~in
,
off.
"Dat .!igl.t JaAe he COllie to my cabin an' he sa. to .ue: 'Hey 00 ,
I is gonna run a a;r to a free ;l.tate. I airtt a-gonna put u .ia dis
r,.
treatwent no Ion er. I can't stand Quch wo. ' I , !,ibs him
y han,' n' I say: 'JB..b:e, I nopes ou gits aere. a be 1'.1.1 see
you azin sOH.etiJle. 1
1\
~ 'Heywood} ne says, , I . ish Y u'd look atter houn I) B~l.l.e• J
Feed her an' K ep her de bes' you kin. She a mig t: good POSSUJJl
,
an' c on dog. I hates to ,art id her, but I kno s at you is de
S
bes' pusan I could .leave her
•
~. 0. ' . r.n' • i
r'-' "
aat Jake ~li~ out de
do' an' I seed hi", 6- alkin' to ara de . ,amp ao,n de long fu ro~s
of' en ,g,.
• •
u.s.. R. 0' Br1en
Uniont.oen. Alaooma
Hum Wa r t
'faU:aUT8 en
ldt.b rip tru.1
onaou. tig \re
of
tee ohioken••or a1t.itd t • t pJ.op of
over r1p. ut1l
oaclt 18 0 , er
led
1. Y
1 o.
iIl1Tl n t. t.o
, 'bout.
•
• 0.1 oolor olde, lt1nn1a•• l'e:rbe
riot., t.
1'1.11. 1n tUll blo • 1 t. Il'
tor 10\l.l" • •
• I don' 1.
I '1n' , t. 01.
•
1.
o 0
10U
01. auetAr. You know 1t h.
01•• "
1n • orU.•
to tolon
1 •
toIrn? '!11
Pool
1Il0111. I
uto h1Ia.'
.' lUll
bi.
Pool too .a Jatt ,
.Una Uon
oouldn' do no tn' 'boUto her.
d titt. tor ,
tbre. 11t.t.1. • a Jatt 0 d
tolon. , d 0 r • erd
h. d on our pI to.Uon. .d or ca hor d st. ole
I .peo' h. • lotos 0' bi. on ¥ OIl d..
Alab • ,. - , -
•
I gue•• It. .aa 'ewa he na ao rich••0. don't. "OU b thlnlt1n'
h••aa gun ,'oau • h 11' 't. 'h. don. hia t.oo '0 u •
he t.ook keel' 0' rlv. widd.ra 'd." ohl11un wh_ de" 8en got.
kilt. In d••ar.
"Al;T ap>J.Y let' d. nlght. da Y eea welt aa. It. .aa on
Sunday, an' I aln't. aaed hi.. &lnce.
"Att.el' d .urrender u. at.ll1d on 11'1 t.I1 Il&rse J atr • l1a dldn' t.
k ar Dothln' 'bout. be1D' rree 'oause ua had ood t.18ea on de
plan Uon. On da;T d " had corn ck1D' a 'de niggera had
••eelt at. Chrls' as Id PI' ent.& tor eve',ybodJ. at. d.
hou.e '80' t.o eat. In e da;T den I ee. now In a "e r.
"Awlt. Iren." 0 "OU lit. t.he c Jurere
1D old 4 a'"
'1 daD't. t. et.o' b" de. rOlke. De" used t.o Ive you
de h 'ao "ou could ple... yo' alat.e.. an' dey 1I'Ould ..,11 you
hush t.ar 1n a Jug. .at. r II Ju' plain .at. r what. de".
tlxed e 1t you dr1nk 1t. you 1I'Ould e qUlet. 'p t1 nt.. De
t. U. too Iv. to dey 1I'1v e t.o e'.. hu u. I
reckon a e ot de a oul4 be 4 t.o gi.t. e no '0 a
des. da;ra la ot. too • ut."
R.L.D.
8-1 37
• •
• •
"It aidn't take dat oberseer long to lin' out ~b.t J" e none run
away, an,:; ",nen
off atter hi •
he didJhe got out de blood houn's ~ '~tart.d
It warn't long afore Jake heered dem houn's a howlin'
in de aistance. e he was too tired to go sny further. He circled
clumb a tree.
comin' t%.' ogh
his tracks so as to confuse de houns an' den he
"" T'warn't long afore he seed de light of de oberseer
de oods and de dogs was a gittin' closer an' closer.
Finally dey smelled ae tree dat Kake was in an' dey started bark-in'
:tow' it. De obersee1f,lif' his lig. tea pine knot in de air so's
he could see JaKe. tie say: 'Ni~ger, come on do n fum dere. You done
asted 'nutiof our time. , But Jake, he ne er move nor maKe a souna an'
all de t e de aogs keppa ho~lin' an' de obersecr kep~a swearin'~'come
(" v
on dOWO) he say agin; iffen you don't I'se comin' up an' Knock
you outen de tree wid a stick.' Jake still he neber oved an' de
•
oberseer den began to cl(unb de tree. ',hen he got where he
on
Jake, he raised his foot
,
ouf, 6Jl' dat •.hite iliaD went a
•
could almos' reach Jake he swung at stick an' it
"tMA.' ,b(.....
Jake's leg an' hurt ~..__
J..,
an' kicked de oberscr raght in de
A
tumblin' to lie groun'. ihen he hit de earth dem houn's on
him. ~"ake he den 10were~$Self to de bottom limbs so's he
could see . t _ had hap ened. He saw de dogs a tearmn' at de man
an' he~ holla: 'HoI' '~Bellel' HoI' im ,gall'. De leader of dat
pack of houn's , white folks, warn't no blood houn' (; ~he was a plain
~ ~
old red-bone poss~m an' covn dog, an' de res' done jus' lak she done~
tearin' at de oberseer's th'oat. All de hile,Jak~e a-hollerin'
f'um de tree fer dem dogs to git 'im. 'Twarn't long afore dem
dogs to' dat man a 1 to pieces. He died taght under dat
t/
dat he run Jake up. Jake he an' datAhoun' struck of ,oods.
If
De res' of de pack come home. I seed ake a~er us Nig ers as
Ala ma
•
• 'BOU'f SOIIEPI ,.
THEY HAD A Al\
Suale R. O'Brien
Unlontown, Al" •
Pettersen r-onl
Editor
John th ls 103 but h doesn't want to b tl d down. "Etren
I's rr~e, I wants to 'jOY It,' John ssys. and he 11Tes up to hls
desire Though he ls a 'war T ter'n" wlth bUllets ln hls side and
leg and bis century or 11re bas enreebled him, he roams the countryslde
pout Unlontown contlnuall~ ·.'ttln' a spell" wlth hls ao ualntanoes.
It was only ar er seT ral trips I rlnally caught hi 'settln','
and he sbo ed no lncllnatl n to moT rrom hls adTSn ag us posltion
ne r a wate elon pat h. R was lndustrlouely war lng 0 a huge
elloe or elon, his raoe burled ln the ewret frult. a. I drove up
to the 11ttle cabln where he wae Tleltlng.
As the oar came to a stop he raleed hle head and wlpsd his
drlpplng chln on his sleeve. He called to a 11ttle H ro rl ln
the yard, 'a 1, go brlng de w~lte lady a rookln' cheer", and turnln
to e he sald, 'YOU'll 'ecuse me tor not glt ln' up 18k I aln't t
r 110 _nnera, on't you lUst s' I got a mlsPrJ ln my lel • you know
de one whar I t shot ln de wsr'
Th.. roo ln~ chair was brau ht aut and t8kln a s .. t n rby I
sald, "Uncle John, I ant you to tell 8e all about yo rs lr, were
you ln the war and are you r ally a hundr d and thr leare old?
.Y
'Glad to, glad to .1s~ss, but tust don't you want a water-ml110n1'
He polnted to a tch n"arby where the melons gllstened
in the s n. 'Dis Jull eun
ut ror mo'," and s ..archln
e de Jice so
1
th rind to se
..et you'll s c yo'
t t he had 1 tt none
ot the Julol r d eat, nol" John be n hie story.
ell, I b en liTin' 'roun' dese parts 'bout nlnety y ar. I
Alaba ,
- - 2 -
e
when I waa 'bout thlrteen 7ear ole.
was born ao ewbar ln North '1108, I don't 'lie bp.r
a 7 an' PapP7 'cauae I waa too 'wa7 trom d b7 de
to aell.
ch 'bout ~
rI apeoerlatera
-l
De speo,0(erlaters rals d Nl era
el would te~d 'em up an' lt 'em fat and alle and
r< moneT on 'em. I waa aold oft de block In'Speoerlater'a GroTe' ln
'\ •
North Oa'llna. De tUB' dal I ~as put up I dldn't B02d, h t de nex'
daT I brung a thouaand dollars. • Saddler mith tram Selma bought
e. DBT c~lled hlm Saddler S lth oauae he waB ln de Baddle buslnesB
and ade aaddlea for de • DeT fotoh UB down on boat I' ember
• an' do d
Two apec~rlat~ra
\
rater w s d b at
e lien on de boat sln e
• 7
--- "I 41dn't had no lUati... r lII&rater was a wldder. He leed
e up workln' 'roun' de aaddle ahop. I aln't neTer 11ked to work
nobow, but don't tell nobod7 dat. I waa bout twentr eeTen 7e r
ole when de war broke out. De ole uns waa oalled out f st and de
young una atllred homa and prac lced ao dar oould shoot stralght an' kill
a Yan ee. Us practloed eY~rr Frldar ev nln'. 0 urse I dIdn't know
t dey tlghtln' 'bou I Jes' . nowed dey waa .ad 'bout eo ppln'.
Attar whl1e rater'a aon Jl J'lned da " d rat so pra an' I ant
wld him or to tote hia nap o. c nt~ nand slo_11ke and to look
tter 1. Dat'a when I got deae here 11a ln -r alde and got a
de son ---hit go 1111:e cUa: bl1e Rlbb r, ,
t r one po' 111 nlg~er.·
ln dla c untr7. He dldn't had
!\
nl er, but he eho' uc good ~eer.o' dem what he did had. e
41dn't 'low nobo~ to hit 'em a 11ct.. Sometime when I would git catch
up wld ln aome d1T~rment de whlte folks would aal, 'Whose nl er ls
I
70U?' and I sar. ' arae S ddler lth.' D n d T look at e cdr
an' aay klnder low, '8 tt r not do n thln' to ole lth'a nl e
e'll ratee de debl1.' (
(
AJ..ab8!!Ul ,
•
"
- 3 -
bullet ln ., lalg, too. I waa ovln' de hawses to de baok or de
11nas out de thlok ot de tlFht when, ~lpp, a mlnlt ball ootoh e
right ln da shoulder.'
Proudl1 John 41spla1ed the balls ln hls slde and the soar on
hls le. The old wo n, at whoae oabln John was vlsltlng, lnterrupted
th star, aeveral tlme~ --(lnal11 he got tlred ot lt and sald: 'Shet 10' mout 'oman, I don't need no hope, 41s le grown tolka
t lk, 10U don't know nothin' 'bout lt, 10U wasn't sven blrthed tell
two yesI' 'to' de Sur~ender. How whar w~s I at? I slep' rlght b1
Uarsa Jlm's slde. Sometl e atter us done 1ald down and bote ot ua
be thlnkln' 'bout home, Warse Jlm sny, 'John I 16k to have some
ohlcken.' I don't say nothin' I Jea' ease up an' pull m1 hat down
over M1 eyee an' sllp out. Atter while I come baok wld a bunch
•
a' chlcltens crost my shoulder. Hex' mornln' WarRe Jlm hllve nlce
brown ohlcken floatln' ln grab1 what I done cook tor hi. Us waa
tlghtln' on Blue ountaln when MArse Jlm got kl1t. I looked and
loa ed for hlm but I nevsr did tlnd him. Atter I lost m, mareter
I 41dn't 'long to nobodJ and de Yankee's was takln' eve', thlng
( &n1ho, eo dey tuc1[ me wld de •
'1 tuck keel' ot ~en'l Wl1 on'a hawae, Gen'l .11s0~ was de head
un ln de Yankee a~. But I didn't 11k de1 waya uoh. He wanted
hie ha.,. e kep' splck and span. He auld tlllr.e his whlte poc'let
ha ercher an' rub over de hawae and lt lt waa 41rt1 he had lie
whupped. I waa wld Gen'l Wl1aon hen he tuck Selma 'glna't Gen'l
Forreat and aot tlre to all dell thiOFS. I drlv de artillery w gon
sometlme. Atter de Surrender I was klnda puny w1d de lla 1n
alde.·
10U
'John,' I aSEed,'wh1
were ehot,?'
dldn't the1 r move the balla at the tlma
Alaballa • • • • - . -
•
•How oould dey 'moye de b lls when I waB runnin' fast ae I
could pick up my tootB' I driY de Btagecoaoh twixt SelllB and ontgompry.
I 'aember my Btope. Dey w s Selma, Benton, Lown'eBboro
and Mon'gomery. I driY tour haweeB to it. Dere was a libbery
stable at Benton and I obangpd hawsee dere.·
·Now John tell bout y ur wife and children,· I id.
•Row ny children did you
d-ey runnin' 'roun' de country ~
"G wd, I don't know i.teR9
like ba g dey don' know e an' I don't kno .d", I ain't neyer ---
been i'ed. ig r didn't r y in dell dRys. I jee' tuck up wid
one likely gal atter anoder. I ain't eyen lIai'ed to de one I got
now. I jes' ain~t ine tie lIyse't down. Etten I'B free, I's
gwine to be tree.·
Unole John sat for a time in deep thought, then said, ·1 wish
I ought be back in dem dRys, 'cause Ibn eed de debil since
I been free. Atter I was tree I didn't had no marBter to 'pend
on and I WaB hongry a heap ot times. I 'long to de'Federate nation
and always will 'long to y'all. but I reckon it's jes' aB well we
is free 'cauRe I don't b'lieye de white tol B now dayl would make
(
!Cod retprB.·
lJI:Icle John bad about tal ed out and ae I ro e to leaye I eaid,
.T aok you John, thie will aa e a go d story,· to wh1h he replied
indignantly, 'Hit aln't no Btory hi '. de Gawd'e trufe
•- ete e.· R.L.n. -
7-20-37
2
" -.
'I 'members all 'bout when de Yankees oome,· she
said. "Dey wuz jes' ruineration to ds plantation. Dey tuck all de
mulss an' cows, den
could fin'. Eatin'
tell it:
sont out an' got all de chickens an' eu s dey
d ())
was k1nd~ slack wid us atter dey lef'.'
/I
Aunt 01 is's life has known romance. Let her
•
,
"I wuz 01' 'nough to be eastin' my eyes 'roun at de
young bucks, an' dere wuz a nig~er whut lived on de plantation jinin'
our'n whut tuck a shine to me. I lacked dat boy fine, too.
"He~uld coms over to ses me ever tims he git a
chanct. One night he 'low he ~vins'r ax his marster to buy me so's
me an' him could git married. Well, atter dat he didn' come no mo'.~
"I waited an' I watched, but I didn' hear n~in
of dat nig~er. Atter 'while I got worried. I wuz 'fraid de/6 ps~llers
1\
done kotch him, or maybe he done foun' some gal he 18k better dan he
C- do me. So I begin to 'quirs 'bout him an' foun' dst his marster done
sol' him to a white man whut tuck him 'way down yonder to Alabama.
W
',ell mam, I grieved fo' dat nigGer so det my heart
~
wuz heavy in my breas'. I knowed I never would see him no mo', Soon
atter dat peace was 'clared an' de ni~ ers wuz free to go whar dey
pleased.
" y folks stoyed on id ~arse Dan fer a year; den dey
'cided to go to Alabama an' farm. We hit it off to Alabama an' I
begin to go 'bout some id de young bucks. But somehow I couldn't
git my min' off dat other nigGer.
,
U,b.a
-
•
llYla • t OIl t.ba .t p. ot h.r ••11
bin, ,1' bare t.at. .tor t ad ut ln t.ba 4r:r 4u.t ot th. ".ard.
A l&rll, 1101' .t~ ••til.d upon or bro d no.. d U't.er , ent
Aunt 11Yla'. 00 o.ur. wa. dl.tur ad to ouah nt nt that eh.
.aY d lt ott .1 h.r d. On oln 00 h.r .,y.a o en. d •
W II' ap o Chin t • t'PI. a .t 1 t n.4. " a in', 1.-
UO. .JUI' ..tUn' • 00011»' ott II.Y tooie. I •• pl , t
t' 111' cott n.
," , .tt.er I bad .....d • t •• uo.U a,
"I '1" . ' t • al.YeI7 dA1 •• 'Co' .. I c 't
b l' Jua' ',aotl,y ho 014 I la, at.
, ' '. I t olllabl. S en ••ar .4.
IT... ,4'",." /(llol1t"y. 11. allY.. wa. t d.d 1
n, .lI1ael.a1 1,
to erepoon. '.PN •
erepoOl1. hi t.e t lit. 11y d 111 a
-
I ••abDon,l
to II.Y JI.. , tIr.
La , 1:17111. Wi
1Ib1ta h ... • onl)', a ,
• n••
aUa 1 .re 0
.. .... p'n 1'9''04 dat pl o. JI•••• d1 't. '1_ no 0 ra.r too
tot.. n .v 'hln. hia ere. • d.a t .. .td ood •
b t b.to' dat. I .tl7.4 in 4e q art.r.
t'
00 010 •• K. Ila.
bl1.. JI7 JO • a
ne had
o 11t1.1e
a. t. out in bo~.
tollt.'
, • wh1t./h aa.,
, nu••ed., • ..ay'a ch11luna,
10' a I ould 11)' 81 011 no inOODYeD.1 no.. I 1 e t.
GU. oaad 1» 4e tiel' a. e .ould tl. de Iaall••' on II.Y
at.
h , t a tU.. tt 4. wb.1ta t a. la
.". at.. t. •• a b..' J I 'ber • lat.l. ye a a ••
- 2 - •
t. lie 111toe oh111un. n. out.-cro.d ' I • • 4.
dr •••4-\1 ••t. n1 ,1' 1n de uar\.r.
... .b7ter1 oIIu.' ah.o 1 u. n ere
•• • b7 • t.oo. al.l .ent. t.o our 0_ cl1l'ch dat. ••
de plao. dar.
'14&.., k.p I , p'ck ot 100 ound. but. 1 't. ott.en dat. h.
be too u.. ,_ '0.' •• non. ot our n ere .b.r runn. •
da.T, « , Mger nail 4 Joe 414 I'W\ "87. B.U.,,... .U.,
... 100 • oo'ch' 't' • sot. too d. oraek g d.
It. lid.. •• t.111 71' d.. dat. n1 er J .40 in •
• 0 ulda" ew1a , Ju,'" 4_ h '. W'...,t..1'
a •• 1 b\l' 4'7 •• t.o fit. ' °
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4.
p1n t'
an't. ••• • t.o..
I' me non., '0 ' •• I
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bay. no I'.t.~ dr••• t.o It. ma'l.d In. X ."1 da' 01.
, 41J'~ • I' dr... ,.". t.". Wat b • Ju.' 11k d.y 1. now.
t18lP'e4 dat. 1ft h. 1 "I' ,h. 1ay,d • Ju.' , ••,11 in
bar, t ••,. .. ul .1d aho.. •
I •• I bell". 1n .U.., 0 loa.. I dOD It.
" w, a_ w14 a v.U 7' t • lak I W ." '. X
.. o.t.l•••• p1 a. • t. n.. I'll
, • dat. c.. • 1. t • ' 1 •
1'a1n.T n •••• 4 1 wl11t..
h1a. H' 0 1•• a blg 11 t..o
•• lock. JU.' laJt , • It. OIl" bo
4on't. 0 '1' 1t..
IX k••• , flour a1tloer "t ,.". 4 too ke.
n \0 .. t' rl41n I •• ow 0. 1 &I',u., 417 r1d.. .,
I •••0 '1.re4 1n ••• 1n' I k1n.o cal;r t. outt.
• |
| title |
"Ex Slave Tales," Perry County. |
| titleStr |
"Ex Slave Tales," Perry County. |
| url |
http://cdm17217.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/wpa/id/822 |
| id |
ADAHwpa822 |
| thumbnail |
http://cdm17217.contentdm.oclc.org/utils/getthumbnail/collection/wpa/id/822 |
| _version_ |
1743797182795874304 |
| spelling |
GSU# SG022774_00336-00381SG022774_00336_00381"Ex Slave Tales," Perry County.Folder contains 45 pages of former slave narratives compiled for the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in the late 1930s.1937 circa1930-1939African Americans--Alabama--Biography; Alabama Writers' Project; Perry 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, Perry County, #4.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•
DORA GoTAFF
Susie R. O'Brien
John Morgan Smith
large
A t Dora ~agstaff waddled to a/dilapidated chair and sank
ith a long tired sigh into its depths. he filled it to its very
capacity. In fact I don't believe she could have arisen without
bringing the chair with her. They now seemed inseparablp a part of
each otner. unt Dora resides in a s",a.1.1 cabin eigHt mil"s nortp of
Oniontown where she has her own little vegatable garDen that she works hr-self,
ana fe mchoats that run squeaking arounD t e yard and
in which she takes the utmost pride:
"Now Aunt Dora," I said after she had settlea herse f sufficiently,
"I've co e a1ll a long way to get this story, and I'd like to have something
different about the slavery days; something t at no one else has tola me.
I think the people in .ashington are getting lea up with t,.e usual run
of events about slave~ , so Auntie,give
",ell, white folkS," sbe ",usea as
me something really good."
a.""t.c ,. ItfCI.;:
her eye"s""'-"' far oU
expression, "dere ain't much for
. ninety
is almos' year ola an'
an ole nigger to tell cep'n de fac' dat she
JA9.ge
as a slave to Mamma John oore, an' we livm
in a big two story house an' I played aroun' wid de hite chilluns."
"But A\Ult Dora," I broke in, "isn't there an exciting story that
you r- ember back there? Think, A\Ultie,1! I coaxed,"you must remelliber
something."
"l1ell,!hile'''she finally continued after" periOD of deep revcorie,
"I does rellielliber a litt.1e story ci"t "arn't llluch to it, but you axe for a
story so 1'1.1 te 1 it to you. It was aurin' ae tiwe of ue .ar. econl
it ve.e 'bout 1864 when de Yankees WuS a-colllin' th'ough our place at
ue sto~y tuk place. Os nig_ers had been .arned by ue
. tell nothin' bout "hut we knowed of e place aroun' ••
hite folkS to don't
..e was told not to
•
•
•
answer no questions. e be done hid de silver an' valuables When~
Yankees co e th'ough, so dere ~arn't no thin , lef' for 'em to git
cep'n de meats in de smoke house, ae wine anJ m .hiskey in de celiar
an' de lasses an' things. ,e ,1, aeill solger~ stayed aroun' dere for a f~
aays an' some of'em found out Oat "e be done had some silver hid out.
liell, oey starts a-searchin' for it, an' ..hen dey can't find it, dey 6its
powerful mad. One nignt I heeeed some voLces outsiCle •
ab' I look outen ae indow an' dere were three iankees
our cabin Illl_
a-comin' toward~
dmm do'. ~arn't nobody at ho e cep'n me, caze pappy .as at de big h0use
an' Bmmy, she out gitin' ater mn f' de spring. em solgers COilles ra~ht
but
up to 0 dO • an' wa s in. ",us' one an came in. Ithen he sa me he turn
an' call to 'e res': 'deah, one o~ Oem little black coons,' he says.
'"je'll u.ake ,er tell.' 'Now, nigger,' he~to me, , we ain't gv,inter
hurt you none iften you tells us whar dat silver is hid.'
, e ain't got no si ver 'roun' dis place, . xankee, we's po' folks.'
'Don't talk dat nonsense to me you littl~ black monkey,' he says,
'caze I kno dere is some dd out an' 1 is aimin' to make you tell. Now
I'se g ine give you one 0' chance. Is you gon.,a tell?'
'~Yankee, us ain't ..•••..•
"Bout ciJImmlllmJBm dat tu.e he grab my arm an' twist it, an' de udder
two mens com~ in de do'. 'I'll make you tell whar its at, you little black
debil,' he says, an ,id dat he twist my arm mo'. 'Bout dat ti~e I let
out a yell, an' he nearly wrench my amm f'um my mmfu shoulder. Den de do'
open an' in step my pappy. He looKed at dem men, an' de one dat had my am
arm let go. Pappy shet de do' behin' him an' th'ew de bolt. He walked over
to dat Yankee an' slam him in de face 'fo' none o~ 'em knowed whut it were
all about. All three of 'em jump on pappy an' pull him down to Cle flo'
pulls out a knife. He stobbed one raght in de
Den one of de u der two pick up a chair an 'hap
pappy in de haid. Dey was a stumblin over chairs an' tables and dey sho
•
•
ANTHONY ABERCROUBIB, EX-SLAVE ••••••
Susie R.O'Brien
W~ • '<.
Uncle Ant' ny sat dozing in the early morning sunshine on his rickety
front porch. He is a thin little old man with patches of white wool
here and there on his bald head, and an expression of kindness and gentleness
on his wrinkled old face.
As I went cautiously up the steps, which appeared none too safe, his
cane which had been lean against his chair, fell to the floor with a
clatter. Re awoke with a at.art and began f'umbling around for it with his
trembling and bony hands.
"'Uncle Ant'ny, you dont see so well, do you?" I asked as I recove:ced~
•
the stick for him. "No ma'am, I sho dont," he replied. "Ifsin't seed
none outen one 0 my eyes in near 'bout sixty years, an de doctor say
I got a catalac on de yuther onel but I knows you is white folks. I
always is been puny, but I reckon I does purty well considerin I I is a
hunderd years old.-
"Row do you know ~u are that old? " I",inquired of him. Without hesitation
he answered, IfI knows l's dat old 'cause my mistis put it down in
de bible. I was born on de fourth day a.nJ I was a full growed man when
de war come on in '61.
•
"ysssum, my mind kinder comes snD. goes, but I can always 'member 'bout
slave'y time. Hits de things what happen in dese days dS~S so easy for
me to disremember. I b'longed to ars ter Jim Abercrombie. Ris plantation
county. When his son,
o
old 'arse Jim give me to him and he f~tched me to
was 'bout sixteen miles north of Karion in Bibb
I
young Jim) ws' aied,
Perry county.
"N~m, old msrster didn' go to de war I c~e he
was def-! in bofe ears and couldn't see good nut~er.
much 'bout me 'cd I was puny like and warn't much
was corrupted; he
But he didn' care
'count in de field.
-
-2-
''Ky mistis, iss Lou, was raisin' me up to be a carriage driver,
• an' she was jis' as good to me as she could be . She useta dose me
up wid castor oil, j imson roo1;; and dogwood tea when I'd be feelin'
po'ly, an she'd always take p f r me when Marse Jim get in behind
me 'bout somep'n. I reckon lie-' I was a purty worrisome nigger in
dem days; always gettin' in some kind of mischief.
"0 yassum, I useta go to meetin'. Us niggers dido' have no meetin'
house on de plantation, but Marse Jim 'lowed us to build a bresh arbor.
Deh two years atter de surrender I took considerationfand jined up
wid de Lawd. Da~s how come I live so long. De Lawd done told me,
'Antn' y, you got a hun&l d an~ twenty miles to trabel. Dat mean you
gwine to live a hunder an twenty years, if you stay on de straight
an' narrow road. But if you dont, you gotter go jes' de same as all de
yuthers I It.
"tel.l:.me something about your master's slaves and his overseers"
• I asked o~ h1lil•
"Well" he said, arse Jim had 'bout three hunderd slaves,
had one mighty bad overseer. But he got kil1.ed down on de bank of de
creek one night. Dey never did find out who ki1.1.ed him, but Marse
Jim always b'lieved de field han's done it. 'Fore dat us niggers useta
go down to de creek to wash ourselves, but atter de overseer got killed
an'
One day he turn on
Marse Jim had some
•
on de plantation 7too.
7
trouble wid a big double-jinted nigger named Joe.
arse Jim wid a fence rail", and Karse Jim had to pUll his gun
down dar, us ,jes' leave off dat washin', 'cause some of 'em seed de
overseer's hant down dar floatin' over de creek.
1 -Dar was another hant
kill him. el1., dat happen in a skirt of woods whar I get my lightwood
what I use to start a fire. One day I went to dem seme woods to get
went
some 'simmons. Another nigger ~wid me, and he clumb de tree to shake
,. • •
-3-
de 'simmons down whilst I be pickin' 'em uP.tr/ 'Fore long I heared
another tree shakin '[)every time us shake oui tree, dat other tree
(
shake too, and down come de 'simmons from it. I say to myself, 'dats
~
Joe, 'cause he likes 'simmons too' Den I grab up my basket and holler
to de boy in de tree, 'nigger turn loose ant!.drap dOVlIl from dar, lUl<L
ketch up wid me if you c~ I's l,eavin' here right now, 'cause Old Joe
is over dar gettin' 'simmons too.
"Den another time I was in de woods choppin' lightwood. It was 'bout
sundown, an..t every time my ax go 'whack' on de lightwood knot, I hear
another whack 'sides mine. I stops and lis'ens anti-dont hear nothin'.
Den I starts choppin' eg'in, and 88'in I hears de yuther whacks. By
dat time my old houn' dog was crouchin' at my feets, wid de hair
standin' up on his back and I couldn' make him gH up nor bUdge.
"Dis time I didn' stop for nothin , • I jes' drap my ax right dar,
an' me ani. dat houn' dog tore out for home lickety split. When us
get dar arse Jim was settin' on de porch, an' he say: 'Nigger, you
been up to somep'n you got no business. You is all outen breath.
me is choppin' in yo' woods, an' I cant see him. '
ho you runnin' from?' Den I say; , Marse Jim, somebody 'sides
And. Marse Jim,
he say; 'All, dat sin' t nobody but Old Joe. Did he owe you anything?'
An' I say; 'Yasssh, he owe me two-bits for helpin' him shuck corn.'
'Well', Marse Jim say, 'dont pay him no mind; it j es' Old Joe come
back to pay you. '
-Any how, I didn' go back to
~
have de two-bits what he owe me,
dam woods no mo'. Old Joe can j es'
dont
'cause Ilwant him follerin' 'round
atter me. When be do I can't keep my mind on my bizness."
W.F.J. 7-27-37
- • • Susie
John
5" ,..~?
:,
R. O'Brien,
organ Smith
Dncle Tom Baker
>
A Slave's Story
aho
'.,/'1 I recollects about de slabery days," said Uncle ~om as he
.. itteed snavings from a soft~piece of white pine. "I lived
~
on a plantation down in Perry County an' I remembers a story bout
a 1 day ong, an' I hauda carry many a bucket
somp'n dat happen to me
" was a water boy
a way back dar."
for fifty fiel? han's da t WOr1lil!in de sun
fum de spring~dat
/
spring
cool down cJ,Q,u.
De
of de spring an' let de water trickle
mos' of dem wuz workin' .
between some willow trees an' it wuz powerful
...1
I usta lie on de moss an' let ~ my bare belly git cool
an' put my face i"n de outlet
in de shade.
over my haid. Jus' about de time I gits a little res' one of
dem \niggerS would call; .ater Boy! Bring dat bucke~~en I grab
up de bucket an' run back out in de hot sun."
"One day, on my las' trip, I uz migho/tired _ an' I flop down
on dat moss wid de sweat a drip in' from my body, an' 'fo' I knowed
~ ) it I done fell slap to sleep. ',hen I oke up It vr T almoS dark,
;.> (I
an' I couldn't hear de slaves a-singin' in de fiel's)so I knowed oat
dey had gone home. I shake my haid, an' lOOK about me, an' my eyes
came to res' on a little black bear cub a -dr1nkin' outen
made
little
- wanted
C/ He ain't :,seed me a ........ settin' dar, so I snuk
~ ~
up real cautious like, an' a~fore he knowed it I had dat litLle
dat little bear.
de spring. He sho was a cute littl~ an' I
u~ my mind right den to try an' kotch him. I wuz jus' a
nigger 'bout ten year old ~~ didn't have no sense~but I sho
. '-
()- I debil a squelin in my han's. I wuz jus' about to start home wid him,
when i hears a ru;rtli~ in de bushes an afore I went ten feets, here
come a big)black bear a-lO~Pin' along raght outen dem wil ow trees.
I drop dat little critter kaze I knowed dat dis wuz his mammy an'
she wuz'travin' mad. V,hen I let de litLle must
hurt him spmp'n awful kaze he howl mo' dan eber, an' went a limpin' v
up to his mammy. ell, suh, dat ole woman she got so mad she made
empty fiel' an'
cawn~HUrry
A
biggest nig"er
I knowed she wuz a gainin' on me so I
bear kotched me.
fo' me ~ lak two bolts of lightnin', but dese here feets of mine begin a.-...-.doin' dere stuff .
lets out a whoop for help. ~e chased ~ss aat
'bout dat time 1 seen big Jim a comin' thrf... a row of
? t '- ?Y "
Big Jim I calls a bear is atter me. Big Jim wuz de
) )
on our place. tie must have .. weighed as much as a half a bale
~ ,~ ,
of cotton. I ~ jus 'oout gittin' to de~ge of de Cawn when dat maar
1\
He give me a slap wid his paw an' I goes down wid
up
dat bear
my
~
But
my eye aroun' an' I saw big
a hot iron on
my mouf a scoopin' up de dus' • y back felt like sombody done putt
W'O-'O ~ ~t'""M I ~
it. Dat bear~ I, expectin'
r t:V Jl
...... to chf-Y> me up an' I
in a knot and IUvered my haid wid my hands an' wai ted.
C.
neber touch me agio'. I kinda snuk
~(j "
Jim havin'it out wid . Jim, he had a long knife an' dey wuz
a-tumblin' an' a-rollin' in de dust, while I sot dere wid my eyes a
poppin' outen my haid an' my back feelin' like it ~roke. Jim he
wrap his legs roun' aat bear an' fore you knowed i~he had done stuck
up an' Jim he looked like he aone mess up wid a fambly of
back
I was
~
me an' Jim a_walk1n
A
cawn fiel' an' I guess we l~okea a sight, kaze
About fifteen minutes later
critter a dozen times wid dat knife.
de
/'.
tore
ole
\
all
dat
wildeats. He wuz b eedin' fum haid to foot. ,hen we walkea into
1a811 R. O'Br1u,
Ualoll'<lwn, .u~.
un11 8.. lli4'u a t t liUll 014 IOIII!II\
bro .1 I i. 10 • ,,1\h
uUl e
.t &I
I wb10h
ot e1 t:r-tin. 8h
411 14.ted oahln wb10h n.U ln ot tl"l •
b7 thl d4e ot the raUro
ple • ot rul\:r tln ot
• root 1. patohl4 wi
• I be
11" it be a ~1.. t, u4 41,
, annll,' I .ald, 'aren't ,ou atrat4 to l1Y rl alone"
Aln't nob047 pinl bother ..
on't lie 'roI1n' llepn on ral"7
nlghh, I all:rOll t to 40 11 'Lawd haYI _n,1
want here... 4 4e, go ' • ., d le..,1 :FOU 'lonl.
• bow I'. glUin' prlU, 014 and I .on' t be here 10
ah r 10 I JII' I well Itert gittln" &lnted w14 4
J.rU•. '
, III e 10 tng about :rour 1t d, ur rami1" llannll,'
I lal4. 'Dire aln't othln' ah to till 'OIP I w born 1n alaY',
till • I •• 'bout twe1YI ,Iar 014 ln Il
,P
plantation
1;0
Jel' Q 41 al
I oJ •
or t
IIIII
4atl
In •
t I
alp tlon 00 •
rl, DI,
born.
I' Ion, t111aa I ln 41 • 014 Ill. wou14 lind
to ton all 4e I 1'1 Inti 1 I, to I;oh to I t
to dl • I 't rllU 'b t dl w '01]) 41 tlnh d de bwa
hllli I 00 la' • I I" littll 4 • u1 't do but I laited
on alii L1a'be\h, 1•• w \ted on table, tot battll
° I' doh like • 0 ..•.. I 40 It ow no\h1n' 'tall 'bout dl
pattirollir. or dl 1t1 1t1wter. bu' I know all 'bo , de 0 nJI..
o
10 ln b wn TOU'll
n ..b a -2-
4oo'or.. De1 aho' kiD tix 70U. De7);J.n hlto 10' canor or JO
.'0 ln' tap and 4rap 1t ln runnln' ...'or 0 70 run de re.'
ot 70' Uto. 7OU'll be In.. 1UT1 all de '1_. and lt 4 1 en.
hol' t .. pl.08 ot de 88'" ot 70' ar.-'. 401 epr1n1tle. a 11"18
burn. U den 70 0 "ne.or eo' 40 ln
n pe oe. Yo .le.' 11 70U ..Uln' on ooal ot ~lah "111 70U
gn.o bo4T '0 'alte 4e.-pell tton 7OU.-
- annie ere 1 gled h n ~e •• oyer 4 70U were tree'-
- 1; I er 'bou' In' treo' DUn" 014 'or YO ue
plon'1 o-pln '0 • , 010'. .oar' In ed on de pl....
, Uo 'Ull I 'led. 01 Mle el • O .. bI'ow" drI. 4 ba'.
_011 4a' drI.. pu' .. In do 0 "'1"1, lt 70
11.0 ln 40 OOWl'1"1'-
"Marr1 ln brae 70u'll Ihe ou' or 'ow,,'- I quo'ed. "Da'.
r oe &1n',
-.0 _'.., I &1n'\
WI • I ... hi. tout .ito•
I ro u.
no oh111Wl. bu' Bre4tl.14 h ploll1;7
41ed 'bod ~o rear and he done
.1 .14 a ln' ,
• 14 all 40. w1un. \0 nac hi.. Do Blblo aq
.'
n on Copr,
8/18/37•
•
L. a• •
Susie R. 0 I Brien, '
Uniontown, Ala. ;."''"\
).. ,-rv"
AUNT TILDY COLLI S, Ex-Slave. -1?
"Aunt Tildy" CoJ.lins who lives in "Rabbit Yard," a egro section
of Uniontown is black rna , a talkative old soul running over
with tales of slavery time. In front of her one-room cabin is a neat
I found her nodd-and
boiling vegetabe
of vegetables and flO~S enclosed by a fence.
her small front porc~ ~he scent of wood smoke -- ing on
garden
issued fr~ ~he cabin door where an iron pot, hanging from a hook in the
fireplace sent forth clouds of steam and a most appetizing odor. As the
. >-
ga e squ~~ed ~nt Tildy awakened with a start, "Come in/white folks, ah ... r:: wur Jes' a aetin' heah waitin' fer mah greens ter bile an ah musta drappeu
~
off t"Qo slee~.
"Yas ma'am, ah shot was bawn in slave't time an' ah wish ter Gawd
ah could git now what ah uster hab den. Dem was good times fer de black
)
ars
dey
ter Linde-~ mah
'-'~--
- I. iss L·andy. Bof'
folks. Ah was bawn on a big plantation near 'bout
marster was ole man Dick Harris an' mah mistis was
~,
sons fit in de 7ar~I'Mars Dick had a big house an' dat same house is
~tan'in' dtre rat now. Us had Plenty1:£r eat an' plenty ~ weah.
1:i> Dick was good'" his aiggers. ah mammy an' daddy bof~'longed ter him.
~ ~
Dar as a slave yahd in Uniontown an' eve'y time de specerlaters come
~ J~ A
Lars Dick bought fo' er five niggers'ff He got mah Daddy outen de slave
yahd, de spec~rlaters had drive 'em all de way lum oth C~lina Jes' ~~
~ ~C(
a pack 0' mules. ~Sometime a wo'thless, no'count nigger would take it
inter his haid to run away but de oberseer would git de houn's an track
him do~ ~ey would fotch him in nex' maunin' all tuckered out an' he'd
be glad t:P stay home fer a Spell.1f1J'n nights
fer de barkin' 0' de dawgs. .ars Dick had a good oberseer7toon
wan'tno quality like ars'l Dick an' :iss '"andy but he as a good, kin'
~a an' us didn't had no trouble on de plantation. Dey allus give us a
big Chris'mus. A Chris'mas tree wif presents on it fer sve'y body in de
'. lab •• O'II'l...
L__ ,_.
D-. A. 0..,
Ul\'I'.
1JI tbe .epoo ...Un of VJl1..town, lMal.lT b_.. b1IU YaJoA'
(ft..wd b7 th••epoo•• t ••1... " 11••• 'AuK' ~1147' 00111ft., a 1IJplea1
'blaolt ~' of orthodox tJP" Sh. 1. a talkaU.. 014 wwl, I'IIJUI1nc
0••1' with l1a.er:r tal.. &lid p.dl)' bwl...4 b1 a ride range of ao4f1&1atano..
dong both rao... AUhoqh .1ght)'-follr ._ra ha•• palled "WI'
her .now-white huA, AaIl' ~1lA7" wplr1t 1. unoonqu.red b1 '1•• and her
ph)"l..l aoUn')' 1. 'rul)' rwaarltabl. for her ag.. 1M do•• her OWR
holl.eworlt and oar•• for her h without ul1.tane.. III troRt of her OB~
ro....blR 1. a 11M' gardeR of. .table. &114 flower. oo.blRed, wi'h .1.-
«101'1•• tralRed oarwtllllT 0..1' the feno. nwarlT all he war are1lJl4.
b_ 1. a 'arlng ln the Iou'h, that ooUon will grow beU.r for a .epoo
than for an)' other rao., and Dl. alght WIll be .xtended to lnelll4e "I'lllng-
glorl•• ln Auat ~ll47" oa••; .1no. non. ln UnlO111:own are ~lt•••
fln. 111 gJ'e)fth OJ' bJ'll11ano. of ooloring.
LU. lIurlT all old .esroe" AaR' ~1147 gon to l1.ep YII')' ..a41lT.
Sh.... doslng ln • roelt.r Oft her nall ponh, while the .o.n' of woo4
• olt. and the odor of boll1nc .egetabl.. 1.ned fr_ the ..bln. All 1I'ca
pot, haIIg1ng f1'OII a oran. ln the tlnpla••, ••ft4111g fOJ'1:h 0101141 of "",
and an app.Ullng are... 1M ol1llg' to old fa.hioMel 1q\l1p...' and 4114&
ln. a .100•• tor oooltll1g. Her ~lled' "C.tabl•• 01' ••d. 1 n the hanclng
pot, rith baited potato.. and 'po... ' bnad tro. the ...n aaIt. lIP a
••&1 that le•••• 11Ule to be de.lr.d a' ..n1 'It.it0.. wbo ha•••bared
her repuh WIn bow.
AI the gat••~.aIte4, AlInt ~1l41 ." It. with a .tart and ••alle.
'Ooa. lR, whit. folb, I ... J'" a-••tt1ll' here walUR' for IQ'
pHR' to bll1, an' I ••ta dl'apped ott to l1.ep. ", down 111 dd oheer
.
• •• - 2 - •
rlght dar, an' tek ott )'our hat; )'ou lho' 11 100:t1n' Yell, .n' I' .. prouel
to I" )'ou. , , I lbo' ... born.d ln .lay.r)' t~l, an' I n.b to
Claw I oould glt no. . a uI.ter hab d.n, '0.11. d "al ood tl.1 tor
d. blaok tol:tl. Pel. trl. nlgg.rl don't 0" 1Itlat 'UI to be tult noel
k.er
a-J,
p'l1bot•
I a eplo'later
• t.r .... good to all hi n1 1'1, an' a)'
to hia. D.)' "AI a 11& -)'aJ'd 1 n Unionto./l, an' IY')' 1:1
lOa' .. I .ean. dat! I ••• born.d on a big plantatlon near 'bout
to Lind.n, an' fA)' 0,.. llarlter AI nlUle Ha1'rll, )'aleua. Dlok Harr1••m
fA)' 01. Kl1tl1 al 111 d)'. Botl dl)' bO)'1 flt ln de wah••n' I '.e.b.r.
when d.)' "Int ott nd de 10J re, ,ole II1IU. Ih. 01'7 an' el•• bo)'1 an'
1t1.1 '. goodb)'., an' dl)' I gone a 10 Uae. I ... a l ..tle gal "henet
dl)' ".nt to de wah, an' I "a. aOl' • '0 1Ib n d.)' 00 bo e, an'
'dl)' botl had 1Ih1lker.. You a..~lCbard he l1l11Pln' an' look might)'
pall, 'dl)' lay hi blln "ounded an' Ita)' ln rl.on on lIuter Johnlon'l
18land, tu UII up dl rlbber; but Karl. Wl1111, he look all rlght. 'olpln'
'1Ib1Iker.. Ole .ter had a blg hoUI•• an' dat 1&11. hou.. tand1n I dar
rlgh n w. UI d plent)' to at an' len)' to ..Iar. an' dat'. ac'n 1Itlat
4tJ~
tollt. got now.
I Ole
I ,
•
bu)' tour or fly. nlggarl,
.0'lat.r bru hi_ an' a
nel a lot or new n 199.r.. 011 arl.r hi
~ an' dat'l how hi 00 l1bu)' a)' papp)', atter de
"hole p••••l ot nigglrl rr orth C'llne.
011 Marlt.r, h.r al born hil'n • •-
)' h.re • d;y 'lone to
ISom.tl •• no 'oount n1gg.r te an' runned 61'••71 but de ob.rI.
eI'. b. p \1t d. boun'. on he traok, an' el.)' run hia up a tr ., I dl
oberl••r rotoh him baok nex' wnln', all tuck.r.d cut, an' b. glad to
It.'1 ho • for a .p.ll "hay. h••• ·t. 01. It.r had a good ob.r••er,
too. 'CO'I • wan't no qY&l1t)', la:t 01. 1.1' an' Ole 1l11tll, but bl
• - de R. 0' r1 n,
Unlont wn, .llab •
•
p" .at n th ••p. ot h.r at er aten,
the T1I a of ."01"" to her
I I
cab1n, dI.Ip11oa e of th.
Un1 ntown, and look.d
40& n. that aate w,
nted 11tU.
..-rtlr of
04 when • e
11.ld 1n I ere 4e log oa In••treto e a. far a. ,.ou oould ••e 1n dl
.1aTe qua'ter•• "
I 1t1 er .1 t,.-.'T ,. are, latherlne e., • o eTerT-on.
a. I a,· 0 e a. • ,. to her tll17 rob I her ro n 14
( e It. led r 1,. at h r InterT1 r and .eat. lelt 110w1)".
, , ne,., 1 oan tell ,.0\1 'n n)"thl you t to 'bo t
1 t1gh , 'oa'.1 1 b a 10n. t1 e,' .h. an h r .t<")r,..
"De,. atn't ,. let' to ,.11 'bou d dUI. ,. ". an' ,. wa. P t 1"
, Llnea an' u 1 elonged to ,Frank: and 11. arab Llne••
I a n on e" lantat10n the Uea le ' 150 0
4e" t.11. •
"I b n 1: l' 1 .tl11 t -1 t.etl•• an'
ha'r lef'." 1 her "h .d I o lapl .,
a hio , tI t n atl,. in ° Iq are • zen. of
11 tte pl 1t1, 4 wit of twine, Ju. a. er halr 4
a 1n the .laTe quartlr etore he ar, d rn 4 h r lead. e ..t
wlt unCOT 1" h a un I1nkl In the r1 t June un hlne, ••he ook
up the tale t er health. "I •••• rlt., 10od, to, u I'••G h
1 aln't abl. to toe _.,. 'f' n' a. p rt • 1 u.et r.
lIt w • d1tt'rant ok 1n ea dal. t 1"10 White
• 10 a In. 1n 4. quarter.
o uld • I. Mar a
•,. • n,
pl nt,. t n1
arah I
-
~. ,
ara ,t1 In e 11 r •
to •. D,. ran' .,.
Je.' a. tar a.
to • blac tol., too.
- - - -
Attar 4a war • oYar 1 • ayad on 4a Linaa' plaoa 't all attar 1 'la4,
an' 01' Kl•• gln a aT wad41n' •• an' a 10 .111 40 to •
'When u. ,b1Uun ln 41 uart r. wa 414 a _1 ht7 lot ot
playln' • U. u ta pla7 'lldl a a., ulayl a Whole 1 t. U, wou14 hol'
han', an' 'roun' ln a r1 ,gtttln' ta.tlr an' ta'tar an' de 'llhat
tall down wa' outa 4a gaml.
, 7 7 wu ad ln da Blg Bou.., a.plnnln' an' anu..ln' aa wh1ta
oallad her
laok lt .a, ya,tl44y.
w1d har al,t r, an' wh1l,t
a at Allan, bupp d -"I
oh1llun. All ot de .' Ah I blr, na tb1ng J'"
.ant to ' U, fJ)e opoU,) to n,l'
,ha • re iona dl 0 a .. r, t by da
1 0 .t har baok 'twIll dl load runned out.
111.. arab a ad aok an' tun' 1tout, tha ... da 44..
Whita la47 1 eber • • aa obar'ler, an' • .ay I 'Allan,
'llhat "Iou an by whu pl You know 1 don't aUo. "IOU to taoh ar
hou.e "rYan •• ' She Jer her drl.. down an' .t.a-, dere lookln' 11ke a
,0Jer 91d h r wh1 • 'h ldere .hin1n' laok 'a no. , ,ha ,.yl 'I
druthlr ..a d.. II&l'Q on '6! 'boulder' dan to ee, ' •• n 'e. D.,
,ouldn't hurt _I no wu.,.'
t otten plaoe. Don'
Dan 'r:t earl 'All n, teo yurt b17 an'
y 1a~lundown t, oh you hara. '0 ha lat'.
Ifa waan't notb1n' but t. rae nobow.'
., I' aat .11ant t r a t1me a' • e reoalled t a nelon or
111.. Sarah et 41
'lnal17 ba turnld
t and regal ln her 41. 1I'al ot tha oTlr..
91th an abrll t han I at aubJI t.
•
'Rona7' 11 "IOU a Chr1lt1anT' • e a. ad aarnutl,. , hop.. "IOU le,
'oa'ea you 11 to t1n. 100 n' tor to go to 11. I b'lo • to de Ba
u.' Churo , an' dey alle aMa 'ca', l' ~I 80t ar at dl churoh.
I 10... to el da ..' •
a ,1 ln ab1 , or a ad .0101, ar bod7 ayl 91t
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•
Alabama. - r4usie R. O'Brien,
'- 'nionto , Alabama.
\
'FIGHTING CAUSED HIS
DEMOTION TO'!HE FIELD.
Twan' no worry 'bout
-...
allus had a S-unday
kinda' scaroe. De
flab.
Haywood Ford, a thin bent old Negro ie a familiar figure on the
streets of Uniontown, Alabama. He was born in slavery and was about ten
years old when peace was declared. 'Uncle Haywood' as he is known about
town, took his seat and]thoughtfully scratchirg his woolly gray head; began
to tell about 'ole times.' 'Lor,! 'members slavery time like it was
yistiddy. My marster was Mr. Catalin Cadem an' my mistiss was Miss
Fannie. I was bohn on a plantation 'bout twelve miles below Dayton. I
was a bad li'l nigger too. I fit de yudder ohillun in de quarters so
w'en I was 'bout eight year ole marster put me in de fiel' for to keep his
)j
eye on me. Lor' but I was a fouter, and "Uncle Haywood" ohuokled as he
thought of his fighting days.
'Marster had a overseer name Gooden, an' you sho had to step lively
or you would git a liokin' wid a leather strop. Us li'l niggers was
allus glad to see Sunday oome 'oause Miss Fannie driV' 'roun' de quarters
in her oyart wid sumpin , good to eat for de ohillun.
oloes' in dem days neitherJ 'Sides de work olo'es we
C- su~oes wid wooden soles. You see, leather was
shoes was made for uS right on de plantation.
'Dem was oitin' times w'en de blue Jaokets oome through. Karster had
,
'bout five hunnert bales of cotton stowed~ de big bahn. De blue Jaokets
broke de do' down an' sot fiab to de whols thing. Lor', but dat was a
(
'When 'manoipation come, marster tole us, --IOU is free as I is. You can eider go or stay! So we stayed on an' hope him wid his fahm. I been
had a right hard time sinoe de surrender.' 'Unole Haywood' earns his
living If!p':.id~in' 'roun' in de white folks gahdens." He does not see well
and has no t~th· for to chew de oawn-o~e" but he is glad he is ~ee and
hopes "dey won't never be no mo' slav~ time ••
• •
•
HEY"OuD FO D TELL" A TOHY
usie R.
John ",or
,
"I,hite folks," said Heywood Ford, "I'se gonna tell you a story
'bout a mean oberseer an' 'hut htp\>.meu to U.lll durin' de sllibery
days. It all co enced • hen a nigger naued Jake Williams got Ii
w uppin' for stayint out atter ae ti~e Gn his ~as3 dore
gib )ut. All ae ~ggers on e ~lace hated
ue """,.:3 so eaB a.. , ~ useta try to
de oberseer "u~ dllll
A
think up things to
izen,
hup
us for. •
•• n • .. ," '.' 1
"One ulornin' ae slaves a lined up i:eady to eat dere breakfas'
an' Jake ,i.lliams WliS a pettin' his r.le red-bone hollo'. 'Bout' aat
ti.,e de oberseer come up /ill' seed JaKe a p&.ttin' his hullO' an' he
say: 'Ni"ger you ain't got time to be NoVi ma}e
hi", git. ' Jake tried to ~ e ae ClOg gv t.e
dog dian't ,ant to leave Jake. Den de oberse r piCk up a rock an'
slam ae aog i de back. De dog he den went a-hQ ~in
,
off.
"Dat .!igl.t JaAe he COllie to my cabin an' he sa. to .ue: 'Hey 00 ,
I is gonna run a a;r to a free ;l.tate. I airtt a-gonna put u .ia dis
r,.
treatwent no Ion er. I can't stand Quch wo. ' I , !,ibs him
y han,' n' I say: 'JB..b:e, I nopes ou gits aere. a be 1'.1.1 see
you azin sOH.etiJle. 1
1\
~ 'Heywood} ne says, , I . ish Y u'd look atter houn I) B~l.l.e• J
Feed her an' K ep her de bes' you kin. She a mig t: good POSSUJJl
,
an' c on dog. I hates to ,art id her, but I kno s at you is de
S
bes' pusan I could .leave her
•
~. 0. ' . r.n' • i
r'-' "
aat Jake ~li~ out de
do' an' I seed hi", 6- alkin' to ara de . ,amp ao,n de long fu ro~s
of' en ,g,.
• •
u.s.. R. 0' Br1en
Uniont.oen. Alaooma
Hum Wa r t
'faU:aUT8 en
ldt.b rip tru.1
onaou. tig \re
of
tee ohioken••or a1t.itd t • t pJ.op of
over r1p. ut1l
oaclt 18 0 , er
led
1. Y
1 o.
iIl1Tl n t. t.o
, 'bout.
•
• 0.1 oolor olde, lt1nn1a•• l'e:rbe
riot., t.
1'1.11. 1n tUll blo • 1 t. Il'
tor 10\l.l" • •
• I don' 1.
I '1n' , t. 01.
•
1.
o 0
10U
01. auetAr. You know 1t h.
01•• "
1n • orU.•
to tolon
1 •
toIrn? '!11
Pool
1Il0111. I
uto h1Ia.'
.' lUll
bi.
Pool too .a Jatt ,
.Una Uon
oouldn' do no tn' 'boUto her.
d titt. tor ,
tbre. 11t.t.1. • a Jatt 0 d
tolon. , d 0 r • erd
h. d on our pI to.Uon. .d or ca hor d st. ole
I .peo' h. • lotos 0' bi. on ¥ OIl d..
Alab • ,. - , -
•
I gue•• It. .aa 'ewa he na ao rich••0. don't. "OU b thlnlt1n'
h••aa gun ,'oau • h 11' 't. 'h. don. hia t.oo '0 u •
he t.ook keel' 0' rlv. widd.ra 'd." ohl11un wh_ de" 8en got.
kilt. In d••ar.
"Al;T ap>J.Y let' d. nlght. da Y eea welt aa. It. .aa on
Sunday, an' I aln't. aaed hi.. &lnce.
"Att.el' d .urrender u. at.ll1d on 11'1 t.I1 Il&rse J atr • l1a dldn' t.
k ar Dothln' 'bout. be1D' rree 'oause ua had ood t.18ea on de
plan Uon. On da;T d " had corn ck1D' a 'de niggera had
••eelt at. Chrls' as Id PI' ent.& tor eve',ybodJ. at. d.
hou.e '80' t.o eat. In e da;T den I ee. now In a "e r.
"Awlt. Iren." 0 "OU lit. t.he c Jurere
1D old 4 a'"
'1 daD't. t. et.o' b" de. rOlke. De" used t.o Ive you
de h 'ao "ou could ple... yo' alat.e.. an' dey 1I'Ould ..,11 you
hush t.ar 1n a Jug. .at. r II Ju' plain .at. r what. de".
tlxed e 1t you dr1nk 1t. you 1I'Ould e qUlet. 'p t1 nt.. De
t. U. too Iv. to dey 1I'1v e t.o e'.. hu u. I
reckon a e ot de a oul4 be 4 t.o gi.t. e no '0 a
des. da;ra la ot. too • ut."
R.L.D.
8-1 37
• •
• •
"It aidn't take dat oberseer long to lin' out ~b.t J" e none run
away, an,:; ",nen
off atter hi •
he didJhe got out de blood houn's ~ '~tart.d
It warn't long afore Jake heered dem houn's a howlin'
in de aistance. e he was too tired to go sny further. He circled
clumb a tree.
comin' t%.' ogh
his tracks so as to confuse de houns an' den he
"" T'warn't long afore he seed de light of de oberseer
de oods and de dogs was a gittin' closer an' closer.
Finally dey smelled ae tree dat Kake was in an' dey started bark-in'
:tow' it. De obersee1f,lif' his lig. tea pine knot in de air so's
he could see JaKe. tie say: 'Ni~ger, come on do n fum dere. You done
asted 'nutiof our time. , But Jake, he ne er move nor maKe a souna an'
all de t e de aogs keppa ho~lin' an' de obersecr kep~a swearin'~'come
(" v
on dOWO) he say agin; iffen you don't I'se comin' up an' Knock
you outen de tree wid a stick.' Jake still he neber oved an' de
•
oberseer den began to cl(unb de tree. ',hen he got where he
on
Jake, he raised his foot
,
ouf, 6Jl' dat •.hite iliaD went a
•
could almos' reach Jake he swung at stick an' it
"tMA.' ,b(.....
Jake's leg an' hurt ~..__
J..,
an' kicked de oberscr raght in de
A
tumblin' to lie groun'. ihen he hit de earth dem houn's on
him. ~"ake he den 10were~$Self to de bottom limbs so's he
could see . t _ had hap ened. He saw de dogs a tearmn' at de man
an' he~ holla: 'HoI' '~Bellel' HoI' im ,gall'. De leader of dat
pack of houn's , white folks, warn't no blood houn' (; ~he was a plain
~ ~
old red-bone poss~m an' covn dog, an' de res' done jus' lak she done~
tearin' at de oberseer's th'oat. All de hile,Jak~e a-hollerin'
f'um de tree fer dem dogs to git 'im. 'Twarn't long afore dem
dogs to' dat man a 1 to pieces. He died taght under dat
t/
dat he run Jake up. Jake he an' datAhoun' struck of ,oods.
If
De res' of de pack come home. I seed ake a~er us Nig ers as
Ala ma
•
• 'BOU'f SOIIEPI ,.
THEY HAD A Al\
Suale R. O'Brien
Unlontown, Al" •
Pettersen r-onl
Editor
John th ls 103 but h doesn't want to b tl d down. "Etren
I's rr~e, I wants to 'jOY It,' John ssys. and he 11Tes up to hls
desire Though he ls a 'war T ter'n" wlth bUllets ln hls side and
leg and bis century or 11re bas enreebled him, he roams the countryslde
pout Unlontown contlnuall~ ·.'ttln' a spell" wlth hls ao ualntanoes.
It was only ar er seT ral trips I rlnally caught hi 'settln','
and he sbo ed no lncllnatl n to moT rrom hls adTSn ag us posltion
ne r a wate elon pat h. R was lndustrlouely war lng 0 a huge
elloe or elon, his raoe burled ln the ewret frult. a. I drove up
to the 11ttle cabln where he wae Tleltlng.
As the oar came to a stop he raleed hle head and wlpsd his
drlpplng chln on his sleeve. He called to a 11ttle H ro rl ln
the yard, 'a 1, go brlng de w~lte lady a rookln' cheer", and turnln
to e he sald, 'YOU'll 'ecuse me tor not glt ln' up 18k I aln't t
r 110 _nnera, on't you lUst s' I got a mlsPrJ ln my lel • you know
de one whar I t shot ln de wsr'
Th.. roo ln~ chair was brau ht aut and t8kln a s .. t n rby I
sald, "Uncle John, I ant you to tell 8e all about yo rs lr, were
you ln the war and are you r ally a hundr d and thr leare old?
.Y
'Glad to, glad to .1s~ss, but tust don't you want a water-ml110n1'
He polnted to a tch n"arby where the melons gllstened
in the s n. 'Dis Jull eun
ut ror mo'," and s ..archln
e de Jice so
1
th rind to se
..et you'll s c yo'
t t he had 1 tt none
ot the Julol r d eat, nol" John be n hie story.
ell, I b en liTin' 'roun' dese parts 'bout nlnety y ar. I
Alaba ,
- - 2 -
e
when I waa 'bout thlrteen 7ear ole.
was born ao ewbar ln North '1108, I don't 'lie bp.r
a 7 an' PapP7 'cauae I waa too 'wa7 trom d b7 de
to aell.
ch 'bout ~
rI apeoerlatera
-l
De speo,0(erlaters rals d Nl era
el would te~d 'em up an' lt 'em fat and alle and
r< moneT on 'em. I waa aold oft de block In'Speoerlater'a GroTe' ln
'\ •
North Oa'llna. De tUB' dal I ~as put up I dldn't B02d, h t de nex'
daT I brung a thouaand dollars. • Saddler mith tram Selma bought
e. DBT c~lled hlm Saddler S lth oauae he waB ln de Baddle buslnesB
and ade aaddlea for de • DeT fotoh UB down on boat I' ember
• an' do d
Two apec~rlat~ra
\
rater w s d b at
e lien on de boat sln e
• 7
--- "I 41dn't had no lUati... r lII&rater was a wldder. He leed
e up workln' 'roun' de aaddle ahop. I aln't neTer 11ked to work
nobow, but don't tell nobod7 dat. I waa bout twentr eeTen 7e r
ole when de war broke out. De ole uns waa oalled out f st and de
young una atllred homa and prac lced ao dar oould shoot stralght an' kill
a Yan ee. Us practloed eY~rr Frldar ev nln'. 0 urse I dIdn't know
t dey tlghtln' 'bou I Jes' . nowed dey waa .ad 'bout eo ppln'.
Attar whl1e rater'a aon Jl J'lned da " d rat so pra an' I ant
wld him or to tote hia nap o. c nt~ nand slo_11ke and to look
tter 1. Dat'a when I got deae here 11a ln -r alde and got a
de son ---hit go 1111:e cUa: bl1e Rlbb r, ,
t r one po' 111 nlg~er.·
ln dla c untr7. He dldn't had
!\
nl er, but he eho' uc good ~eer.o' dem what he did had. e
41dn't 'low nobo~ to hit 'em a 11ct.. Sometime when I would git catch
up wld ln aome d1T~rment de whlte folks would aal, 'Whose nl er ls
I
70U?' and I sar. ' arae S ddler lth.' D n d T look at e cdr
an' aay klnder low, '8 tt r not do n thln' to ole lth'a nl e
e'll ratee de debl1.' (
(
AJ..ab8!!Ul ,
•
"
- 3 -
bullet ln ., lalg, too. I waa ovln' de hawses to de baok or de
11nas out de thlok ot de tlFht when, ~lpp, a mlnlt ball ootoh e
right ln da shoulder.'
Proudl1 John 41spla1ed the balls ln hls slde and the soar on
hls le. The old wo n, at whoae oabln John was vlsltlng, lnterrupted
th star, aeveral tlme~ --(lnal11 he got tlred ot lt and sald: 'Shet 10' mout 'oman, I don't need no hope, 41s le grown tolka
t lk, 10U don't know nothin' 'bout lt, 10U wasn't sven blrthed tell
two yesI' 'to' de Sur~ender. How whar w~s I at? I slep' rlght b1
Uarsa Jlm's slde. Sometl e atter us done 1ald down and bote ot ua
be thlnkln' 'bout home, Warse Jlm sny, 'John I 16k to have some
ohlcken.' I don't say nothin' I Jea' ease up an' pull m1 hat down
over M1 eyee an' sllp out. Atter while I come baok wld a bunch
•
a' chlcltens crost my shoulder. Hex' mornln' WarRe Jlm hllve nlce
brown ohlcken floatln' ln grab1 what I done cook tor hi. Us waa
tlghtln' on Blue ountaln when MArse Jlm got kl1t. I looked and
loa ed for hlm but I nevsr did tlnd him. Atter I lost m, mareter
I 41dn't 'long to nobodJ and de Yankee's was takln' eve', thlng
( &n1ho, eo dey tuc1[ me wld de •
'1 tuck keel' ot ~en'l Wl1 on'a hawae, Gen'l .11s0~ was de head
un ln de Yankee a~. But I didn't 11k de1 waya uoh. He wanted
hie ha.,. e kep' splck and span. He auld tlllr.e his whlte poc'let
ha ercher an' rub over de hawae and lt lt waa 41rt1 he had lie
whupped. I waa wld Gen'l Wl1aon hen he tuck Selma 'glna't Gen'l
Forreat and aot tlre to all dell thiOFS. I drlv de artillery w gon
sometlme. Atter de Surrender I was klnda puny w1d de lla 1n
alde.·
10U
'John,' I aSEed,'wh1
were ehot,?'
dldn't the1 r move the balla at the tlma
Alaballa • • • • - . -
•
•How oould dey 'moye de b lls when I waB runnin' fast ae I
could pick up my tootB' I driY de Btagecoaoh twixt SelllB and ontgompry.
I 'aember my Btope. Dey w s Selma, Benton, Lown'eBboro
and Mon'gomery. I driY tour haweeB to it. Dere was a libbery
stable at Benton and I obangpd hawsee dere.·
·Now John tell bout y ur wife and children,· I id.
•Row ny children did you
d-ey runnin' 'roun' de country ~
"G wd, I don't know i.teR9
like ba g dey don' know e an' I don't kno .d", I ain't neyer ---
been i'ed. ig r didn't r y in dell dRys. I jee' tuck up wid
one likely gal atter anoder. I ain't eyen lIai'ed to de one I got
now. I jes' ain~t ine tie lIyse't down. Etten I'B free, I's
gwine to be tree.·
Unole John sat for a time in deep thought, then said, ·1 wish
I ought be back in dem dRys, 'cause Ibn eed de debil since
I been free. Atter I was tree I didn't had no marBter to 'pend
on and I WaB hongry a heap ot times. I 'long to de'Federate nation
and always will 'long to y'all. but I reckon it's jes' aB well we
is free 'cauRe I don't b'lieye de white tol B now dayl would make
(
!Cod retprB.·
lJI:Icle John bad about tal ed out and ae I ro e to leaye I eaid,
.T aok you John, thie will aa e a go d story,· to wh1h he replied
indignantly, 'Hit aln't no Btory hi '. de Gawd'e trufe
•- ete e.· R.L.n. -
7-20-37
2
" -.
'I 'members all 'bout when de Yankees oome,· she
said. "Dey wuz jes' ruineration to ds plantation. Dey tuck all de
mulss an' cows, den
could fin'. Eatin'
tell it:
sont out an' got all de chickens an' eu s dey
d ())
was k1nd~ slack wid us atter dey lef'.'
/I
Aunt 01 is's life has known romance. Let her
•
,
"I wuz 01' 'nough to be eastin' my eyes 'roun at de
young bucks, an' dere wuz a nig~er whut lived on de plantation jinin'
our'n whut tuck a shine to me. I lacked dat boy fine, too.
"He~uld coms over to ses me ever tims he git a
chanct. One night he 'low he ~vins'r ax his marster to buy me so's
me an' him could git married. Well, atter dat he didn' come no mo'.~
"I waited an' I watched, but I didn' hear n~in
of dat nig~er. Atter 'while I got worried. I wuz 'fraid de/6 ps~llers
1\
done kotch him, or maybe he done foun' some gal he 18k better dan he
C- do me. So I begin to 'quirs 'bout him an' foun' dst his marster done
sol' him to a white man whut tuck him 'way down yonder to Alabama.
W
',ell mam, I grieved fo' dat nigGer so det my heart
~
wuz heavy in my breas'. I knowed I never would see him no mo', Soon
atter dat peace was 'clared an' de ni~ ers wuz free to go whar dey
pleased.
" y folks stoyed on id ~arse Dan fer a year; den dey
'cided to go to Alabama an' farm. We hit it off to Alabama an' I
begin to go 'bout some id de young bucks. But somehow I couldn't
git my min' off dat other nigGer.
,
U,b.a
-
•
llYla • t OIl t.ba .t p. ot h.r ••11
bin, ,1' bare t.at. .tor t ad ut ln t.ba 4r:r 4u.t ot th. ".ard.
A l&rll, 1101' .t~ ••til.d upon or bro d no.. d U't.er , ent
Aunt 11Yla'. 00 o.ur. wa. dl.tur ad to ouah nt nt that eh.
.aY d lt ott .1 h.r d. On oln 00 h.r .,y.a o en. d •
W II' ap o Chin t • t'PI. a .t 1 t n.4. " a in', 1.-
UO. .JUI' ..tUn' • 00011»' ott II.Y tooie. I •• pl , t
t' 111' cott n.
," , .tt.er I bad .....d • t •• uo.U a,
"I '1" . ' t • al.YeI7 dA1 •• 'Co' .. I c 't
b l' Jua' ',aotl,y ho 014 I la, at.
, ' '. I t olllabl. S en ••ar .4.
IT... ,4'",." /(llol1t"y. 11. allY.. wa. t d.d 1
n, .lI1ael.a1 1,
to erepoon. '.PN •
erepoOl1. hi t.e t lit. 11y d 111 a
-
I ••abDon,l
to II.Y JI.. , tIr.
La , 1:17111. Wi
1Ib1ta h ... • onl)', a ,
• n••
aUa 1 .re 0
.. .... p'n 1'9''04 dat pl o. JI•••• d1 't. '1_ no 0 ra.r too
tot.. n .v 'hln. hia ere. • d.a t .. .td ood •
b t b.to' dat. I .tl7.4 in 4e q art.r.
t'
00 010 •• K. Ila.
bl1.. JI7 JO • a
ne had
o 11t1.1e
a. t. out in bo~.
tollt.'
, • wh1t./h aa.,
, nu••ed., • ..ay'a ch11luna,
10' a I ould 11)' 81 011 no inOODYeD.1 no.. I 1 e t.
GU. oaad 1» 4e tiel' a. e .ould tl. de Iaall••' on II.Y
at.
h , t a tU.. tt 4. wb.1ta t a. la
.". at.. t. •• a b..' J I 'ber • lat.l. ye a a ••
- 2 - •
t. lie 111toe oh111un. n. out.-cro.d ' I • • 4.
dr •••4-\1 ••t. n1 ,1' 1n de uar\.r.
... .b7ter1 oIIu.' ah.o 1 u. n ere
•• • b7 • t.oo. al.l .ent. t.o our 0_ cl1l'ch dat. ••
de plao. dar.
'14&.., k.p I , p'ck ot 100 ound. but. 1 't. ott.en dat. h.
be too u.. ,_ '0.' •• non. ot our n ere .b.r runn. •
da.T, « , Mger nail 4 Joe 414 I'W\ "87. B.U.,,... .U.,
... 100 • oo'ch' 't' • sot. too d. oraek g d.
It. lid.. •• t.111 71' d.. dat. n1 er J .40 in •
• 0 ulda" ew1a , Ju,'" 4_ h '. W'...,t..1'
a •• 1 b\l' 4'7 •• t.o fit. ' °
••
0 ..
•
,11 7
1n
I
,
,
4.
p1n t'
an't. ••• • t.o..
I' me non., '0 ' •• I
'I '1. t. ,,,a ,t.',r 4. I .U., I
bay. no I'.t.~ dr••• t.o It. ma'l.d In. X ."1 da' 01.
, 41J'~ • I' dr... ,.". t.". Wat b • Ju.' 11k d.y 1. now.
t18lP'e4 dat. 1ft h. 1 "I' ,h. 1ay,d • Ju.' , ••,11 in
bar, t ••,. .. ul .1d aho.. •
I •• I bell". 1n .U.., 0 loa.. I dOD It.
" w, a_ w14 a v.U 7' t • lak I W ." '. X
.. o.t.l•••• p1 a. • t. n.. I'll
, • dat. c.. • 1. t • ' 1 •
1'a1n.T n •••• 4 1 wl11t..
h1a. H' 0 1•• a blg 11 t..o
•• lock. JU.' laJt , • It. OIl" bo
4on't. 0 '1' 1t..
IX k••• , flour a1tloer "t ,.". 4 too ke.
n \0 .. t' rl41n I •• ow 0. 1 &I',u., 417 r1d.. .,
I •••0 '1.re4 1n ••• 1n' I k1n.o cal;r t. outt.
•http://cdm17217.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/wpa/id/822 |