Slave Life in Georgia - African American History

Slave Life in Georgia 5
24.03.2006
to twelve years of age. I have seen them as old as twelve, going about in this
state, or with only an old shirt, which they would put on when they had to go
anywhere very particular for their mistress, or up to the great house.
The clothing of the men consists of a pair of thin cotton pantaloons, and a shirt
of the same material, two of each being allowed them every year. The women
wear a shirt similar to the men's, and a cotton petticoat, which is kept on by
means of braces passing over their shoulders. But when they are in the field, the
shirt is thrown aside. They also have two suits allowed them
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every year. These, however, are not enough. They are made of the lowest
quality of material, and get torn in the bush, so that the garments soon become
useless, even for purposes of the barest decency. We slaves feel that this is not
right, and we grow up with very little sense of shame; but immorality amongst
ourselves is not common, for all that.
Betty Moore had three daughters. The eldest was married to one Burrell
Williams, who acted as Betty's overseer. The second was the wife of one James
Davis; and the third was unmarried, when I first began to notice the persons
about us. At last the third got married to one Billy Bell, and then I experienced
my first serious tribulation.
According to the will left by old Moore, the slave-property was to be equally
divided amongst the mother and the three daughters, when the youngest
married. About a month after this event, it began to be talked about that the
distribution was soon going to take place. I remember well the grief this caused
us to feel, and how the women and the men used to whisper to one another
when they thought nobody was by, and meet at night, or get together in the field
when
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they had an opportunity, to talk about what was coming. They would speculate,
too, on the prospects they had of being separated; to whose lot they and their
children were likely to fall, and whether the husbands would go with their
wives. The women who had young children cried very much. My mother did,
and took to kissing us a good deal oftener. This uneasiness increased as the time
wore on, for though we did not know when the great trouble would fall upon us,
we all knew it would come, and were looking forward to it with very sorrowful