Slave Narratives: a Folk History of Slavery in the United States

Slave Narratives: a Folk History of Slavery by Various 57De Klu Klux Klan sprung right up out of de earth, but de Yankees put a stop ter dat by puttin' so many of demin jail. Dey do say dat dat's what de State Prison wus built fer.I never believed in witches an' I ain't put much stock in hain'ts but I'se seed a few things durin' my life dat Ican't 'splain, like de thing wid de red eyes dat mocked me one night; but shucks I ain't believin' in dem thingsmuch. I'se plowed my lan', tended it year atter year, lived by myself an' all, an' I ain't got hurted yet, but I ain'tnever rid in a automobile yet, an' I got one tooth left.B. N.N. C. District: No. 2 [320159] Worker: T. Pat Matthews No. Words: 1453 Subject: HANNAH CRASSONStory Teller: Hannah Crasson Editor: Daisy Bailey Waitt[TR: HW notes at bottom of page illegible]HANNAH CRASSONMy name is Hannah Crasson. I wuz born on John William Walton's plantation 4 miles from Garner and 13miles from Raleigh, N. C. in the County of Wake. I am 84 years ole the 2nd day uv dis las' gone March. Ibelonged to Mr. John William Walton in slavery time. My missus wuz named Miss Martha.My father wuz named Frank Walton. My mother wuz named Flora Walton. Grandma wuz 104 years when shedied. She died down at de old plantation. My brothers were named Johnnie and Lang. My sisters wereAdeline, Violet, Mary, Sarah, Ellen, and Annie. Four of us are livin', Ellen, Mary, Sarah and me.De old boss man wuz good to us. I wuz talkin' about him the udder night. He didn't whup us and he said, hedidn't want nobody else to whup us. It is jis like I tell you; he wuz never cruel to us. One uv his sons wuz cruelto us. We had a plenty to eat, we shore did, plenty to eat. We had nice houses to live in too. Grandma had alarge room to live in, and we had one to live in. Daddy stayed at home with mother. They worked theirpatches by moonlight; and worked for the white folks in the day time.They sold what they made. Marster bought it and paid for it. He made a barrel o' rice every year, my daddydid.Mr. Bell Allen owned slaves too. He had a plenty o' niggers. His plantation wuz 5 miles from ourn. We wentto church at the white folks church. When Mr. Bell Allen seed us cummin' he would say, 'Yonder comes JohnWalton's free niggers.'Our marster would not sell his slaves. He give dem to his children when they married off do'. I swept yards,churned, fed the chickens. In de ebening I would go with my missus a fishin'. We eat collards, peas, cornbread, milk, and rice. We got biskit and butter twice a week. I thought dat de best things I ever et wuz butterspread on biskit. We had a corn mill and a flour mill on the plantation. There wuz about 24 slaves on de place.Dey had brandy made on de plantation, and de marster gib all his slaves some for dere own uses.My grandmother and mother wove our clothes. Dey were called homespun. Dey made de shoes on deplantation too. I wuz not married til atter de surrender. I did not dress de finest in the world; but I had niceclothes. My wedding dress wuz made of cream silk, made princess with pink and cream bows. I wore a pair ofmorocco store bought shoes. My husband was dressed in a store bought suit of clothes, the coat wuz madepigen [HW correction: pigeon] tail. He had on a velvet vest and a white collar and tie. Somebody stole de ves'atter dat.