<strong>Slave</strong> <strong>Narratives</strong>: a <strong>Folk</strong> <strong>History</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Slave</strong>ry by Various 130I was born <strong>in</strong> New Bern on July 9, 1850. My fa<strong>the</strong>r and mo<strong>the</strong>r belonged to Mr. L. B. Hugg<strong>in</strong>s. My fa<strong>the</strong>r wasa carpenter and ship builder an' <strong>the</strong> first th<strong>in</strong>gs I remember was down on Myrtle Grove Sound, where Mr.Hugg<strong>in</strong>s had a place. I was a sort <strong>of</strong> bad boy an' liked to roam 'round. When I was about twelve years old I ranaway. It was <strong>in</strong> 1863 when <strong>the</strong> war was go<strong>in</strong>' on.Nobody was be<strong>in</strong>' mean to me. No, I was'nt be<strong>in</strong>' whipped. Don't you know all that story 'bout slaves be<strong>in</strong>'whipped is all Bunk, (with scornful emphasis). What pusson with any sense is go<strong>in</strong>' to take his horse or hiscow an' beat it up. It's prope'ty. We was prope'ty. Val'able prope'ty. No, <strong>in</strong>deed, Mr. Luke give <strong>the</strong> bes' <strong>of</strong>attention to his colored people, an' Mis' Hugg<strong>in</strong>s was like a mo<strong>the</strong>r to my mo<strong>the</strong>r. Twa'nt anyth<strong>in</strong>' wrong abouthome that made me run away. I'd heard so much talk 'bout freedom I reckon I jus' wanted to try it, an' Ithought I had to get away from home to have it.Well, I coaxed two o<strong>the</strong>r boys to go with me, an' a grown man he got <strong>the</strong> boat an' we slipped <strong>of</strong>f to <strong>the</strong> beachan' put out to sea. Yes'm, we sho' was after adventure. But, we did'n get very far out from sho', an' I saw <strong>the</strong>lan' get dimmer an' dimmer, when I got skeered, an' <strong>the</strong>n I got seasick, an' we was hav<strong>in</strong>' more k<strong>in</strong>ds <strong>of</strong>adventure than we wanted, an' <strong>the</strong>n we saw some ships. There was two <strong>of</strong> 'em, an' <strong>the</strong>y took us on board.They was <strong>the</strong> North Star an' <strong>the</strong> Eastern Star <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Asp<strong>in</strong>wal L<strong>in</strong>e, a mail an' freighter runn<strong>in</strong>' betweenAsp<strong>in</strong>wal near <strong>the</strong> Isthmus <strong>of</strong> Panama and New York. We used to put <strong>in</strong> <strong>of</strong>f Charleston.Then, <strong>in</strong> 1864 I jo<strong>in</strong>ed <strong>the</strong> Union Navy. Went on board our convoy, <strong>the</strong> Nereus. We convoyed to keep <strong>the</strong>Alabama, a Confederate privateer, away. The Commander <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Nereus asked me how's I like to be his cab<strong>in</strong>boy. So I was 2nd class cab<strong>in</strong> boy an' waited on <strong>the</strong> Capta<strong>in</strong>. He was Five Stripe Commander J. C. Howell. Hewas Commander <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> whole fleet <strong>of</strong>f Fort Fisher. When <strong>the</strong> Capta<strong>in</strong> wanted someth<strong>in</strong>' good to eat he used tosend me ashore for provisions. He liked me. He was an old man. He didn't take much stock <strong>in</strong> fun, but he wasa real man. I was young an' was'nt serious. I jus' wanted a good time. I don't know much about <strong>the</strong> war, but Ido know two men <strong>of</strong> our boat was killed on shore while we was at Fort Fisher.After <strong>the</strong> battle <strong>of</strong> Fort Fisher, we was on our way to Asp<strong>in</strong>wal. Lay<strong>in</strong>' <strong>of</strong>f one day at Navassa Island, <strong>the</strong> MastHead reported a strange sail. 'Where away?' 'Just ahead'. 'She seems to be a three mast steamer!' 'Which wayheaded?' We decided it was <strong>the</strong> Alabama go<strong>in</strong>g to St. Nicholas Mole, West Indies.Our Capta<strong>in</strong> called <strong>the</strong> <strong>of</strong>ficers toge<strong>the</strong>r an' held a meet<strong>in</strong>'. Says he: 'We'll go under one bell (slow). Lieutenantwill go ashore an' get some <strong>in</strong>formation.' When we got <strong>the</strong>re she had a coal schooner alongside tak<strong>in</strong>g on coal.Our Capta<strong>in</strong> prepared to capture her when she came out. But she did'n come out 'til night. She dodged. Goodth<strong>in</strong>g too. She'd a knocked hells pete out o' us. She was close to <strong>the</strong> water and could have fought us so muchbetter than we could her. We didn't want to fight 'cause we knowed enough to jest natu'ally be skeered. Shewas a one decker man o' war. We was a two decker with six guns on berth deck, an' five guns on spar deck. Inever saw her after that, but I heard she was contacted by <strong>the</strong> Kearsage which sunk her <strong>of</strong>f some island.I stayed <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> navy eighteen months. Was discharged at <strong>the</strong> Brooklyn Navy Yard. Admiral Porter wasAdmiral <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> U. S. Navy at that time.I stayed <strong>in</strong> New York five or six years, <strong>the</strong>n I cane home to my mo<strong>the</strong>r. I was <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> crude drug bus<strong>in</strong>ess <strong>in</strong>Wilm<strong>in</strong>gton for twenty years.Yes'm I went to church and Sunday school when I was a child, when <strong>the</strong>y could ketch me. Whilst I was <strong>in</strong>New York I went to church regular.I married after awhile. My wife died about ten years ago. We had one son. I b'lieve he's <strong>in</strong> Baltimore, but Ia<strong>in</strong>'t heard from him <strong>in</strong> a long time. He don't keer noth<strong>in</strong>' about me. Of co'se I'm comfortable. I gits mypension, $75 a month. I give $10 <strong>of</strong> it to my nephew who's a cripple.
<strong>Slave</strong> <strong>Narratives</strong>: a <strong>Folk</strong> <strong>History</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Slave</strong>ry by Various 131N. C. District: No. 2 [320124] Worker: T. Pat Mat<strong>the</strong>ws No. Words: 645 Subject: CHARLIE H. HUNTERStory Teller: C. H. Hunter Editor: Geo. L. Andrews[TR: Date Stamp "AUG 4 1937"]CHARLIE H. HUNTER, 80 years old, 2213 Barker Street West RaleighMy full name is Charlie H. Hunter. I wus borned an' reared <strong>in</strong> Wake County, N. C., born May, 1857. Mymo<strong>the</strong>r wus Rosa Hunter an' my fa<strong>the</strong>r wus named Jones. I never saw my fa<strong>the</strong>r. We belonged to a familynamed Jones first, an' <strong>the</strong>n we wus sold to a slave owner seven miles Northwest by <strong>the</strong> name Joe Hayes an' aterrible man he wus. He would get mad 'bout most anyth<strong>in</strong>g, take my mo<strong>the</strong>r, cha<strong>in</strong> her down to a log andwhup her unmercifully while I, a little boy, could do noth<strong>in</strong>g but stan' <strong>the</strong>re an' cry, an' see her whupped. Wehad fairly good food an' common cloth<strong>in</strong>g. We had good sleep<strong>in</strong>g places. My mo<strong>the</strong>r wus sold to a mannamed Smith. I married first Annie Hayes who lived sixteen months.No prayer meet<strong>in</strong>gs wus allowed on de plantations an' no books <strong>of</strong> any k<strong>in</strong>d. I can read an' write, learned <strong>in</strong> aschool taught by Nor<strong>the</strong>rn folks after <strong>the</strong> surrender, Mr. an' Mrs. Graves who taught <strong>in</strong> Raleigh <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> rear <strong>of</strong><strong>the</strong> African Methodist Episcopal church. The school house wus owned by <strong>the</strong> church. We played no games <strong>in</strong>slavery times. I saw slaves sold on <strong>the</strong> block once <strong>in</strong> Raleigh.I wus to be sold but <strong>the</strong> surrender stopped it. When <strong>the</strong> Yankees come <strong>the</strong>y asked me where wus my marster. Itold <strong>the</strong>m I didn't know. Marster told me not to tell where he wus. He had gone <strong>of</strong>f <strong>in</strong>to <strong>the</strong> woods to hide hissilver. In a few m<strong>in</strong>utes <strong>the</strong> ground wus covered with Yankees. The Yankees stole my pen knife. I thought alot <strong>of</strong> it. Knives wus scarce and hard to get. I cried about <strong>the</strong>y tak<strong>in</strong>g it. They got my marster's carriage horses,two f<strong>in</strong>e gray horses. His wife had lost a bro<strong>the</strong>r, who had been <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> army but died at home. He wus buried<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> yard. The Yankees thought <strong>the</strong> grave wus a place where valuables wus buried and <strong>the</strong>y had to get aguard to keep <strong>the</strong>m from digg<strong>in</strong>' him up. They would shoot hogs, cut <strong>the</strong> hams and shoulders <strong>of</strong>f, stick <strong>the</strong>mon <strong>the</strong>ir bayonetts, throw <strong>the</strong>m over <strong>the</strong>'r shoulders an' go on.We called our houses shanties <strong>in</strong> slavery time. I never saw any patterollers. I don't remember how manyslaves on <strong>the</strong> plantation wus taken to Richmond an' sold. My mo<strong>the</strong>r looked after us when we wus sick. I hadfour bro<strong>the</strong>rs an' no sisters. They are all dead. I did house work an' errands <strong>in</strong> slavery time. I have seen onegang <strong>of</strong> Ku Klux. They wus under arrest at Raleigh <strong>in</strong> Governor Holden's time. I don't remember <strong>the</strong> overseer.We moved to Raleigh at <strong>the</strong> surrender. Marster give us a old mule when we left him, an' I rode him <strong>in</strong>toRaleigh. We rented a house on Wilm<strong>in</strong>gton Street, an' lived on hard tack <strong>the</strong> Yankees give us 'til we could gitwork.Mo<strong>the</strong>r went to cook<strong>in</strong>g for <strong>the</strong> white folks, but I worked for Mr. Jeff Fisher. I held a job thirty-five yearsdriv<strong>in</strong>g a laundry truck for L. R. Wyatt. The laundry wus on <strong>the</strong> corner <strong>of</strong> Jones an' Salisbury Street.I married Cenoro Freeman. We lived toge<strong>the</strong>r fifty-six years. She wus a good devoted wife. We wus marriedDec. 9, 1878. She died <strong>in</strong> May 1934. [HW: bracket] Booker T. Wash<strong>in</strong>gton wus a good man. I have seen him.Abraham L<strong>in</strong>coln wus one <strong>of</strong> my best friends. He set me free. The Lawd is my best friend. I don't know much'bout Jefferson Davis. Jim Young an' myself wus pals.My object <strong>in</strong> jo<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> church wus to help myself an' o<strong>the</strong>rs to live a decent life, a life for good to humanityan' for God.N. C. District: No. 2 [320154] Worker: Mary A. Hicks No. Words: 670 Subject: EX-SLAVE STORY StoryTeller: Elbert Hunter Editor: Daisy Bailey Waitt