<strong>Slave</strong> <strong>Narratives</strong>: a <strong>Folk</strong> <strong>History</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Slave</strong>ry by Various 58One <strong>of</strong> our master's daughters wuz cruel. Sometimes she would go out and rare on us, but old marster didn'twant us whupped.Our great grand mo<strong>the</strong>r wuz named granny Flora. Dey stole her frum Africa wid a red pocket handkerchief.Old man John William got my great grandmo<strong>the</strong>r. De people <strong>in</strong> New England got scured <strong>of</strong> we niggers. Deywere afrid me would rise ag<strong>in</strong>st em and dey pushed us on down South. Lawd, why didn't dey let us stay whurwe wuz, dey nebber wouldn't a been so menny half white niggers, but <strong>the</strong> old marster wuz to blame for that.We never saw any slaves sold. They carried <strong>the</strong>m <strong>of</strong>f to sell 'em. The slaves travelled <strong>in</strong> droves. Fa<strong>the</strong>rs andmo<strong>the</strong>rs were sold from <strong>the</strong>ir chilluns. Chilluns wuz sold from <strong>the</strong>ir parents on de plantations close to us.Where we went to church, we sat <strong>in</strong> a place away from de white folks. The slaves never did run away frommarster, because he wuz good to 'em; but <strong>the</strong>y run away from o<strong>the</strong>r plantations.Yes, we seed <strong>the</strong> patterollers, we called 'em pore white trash, we also called patterollers pore white pecks.They had ropes around <strong>the</strong>ir necks. They came to our house one night when we were s<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>' and pray<strong>in</strong>'. Itwuz jist before <strong>the</strong> surrender. Dey were hired by de slave owner. My daddy told us to show 'em de brandy ourmarster gib us, den dey went on a way, kase dey knowed John Walton wuz a funny man about his slaves. Deygave us Christmas and o<strong>the</strong>r holidays. Den dey, de men, would go to see dere wives. Some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> men's wivesbelong to o<strong>the</strong>r marsters on o<strong>the</strong>r plantations. We had corn shuck<strong>in</strong>'s at night, and candy pull<strong>in</strong>'s. Sometimeswe had quilt<strong>in</strong>gs and dances.One <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> slaves, my a<strong>in</strong>t, she wuz a royal slave. She could dance all over de place wid a tumbler <strong>of</strong> water onher head, widout spill<strong>in</strong>g it. She sho could tote herself. I always luved to see her come to church. She shocould tote herself.My oldest sister Violet died <strong>in</strong> slavery time. She wuz ten years old when she died. Her uncles were her pallbearers. Uncle Hyman and Uncle Handy carried her to <strong>the</strong> grave yard. If I makes no mistake my daddy madeher c<strong>of</strong>f<strong>in</strong>. Dere wuz no s<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>'. There were seven <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> family dere, dat wuz all. Dey had no funeral. Derewere no white folks dere.Dey baptized people <strong>in</strong> creeks and ponds.We rode corn stalks, bent down small p<strong>in</strong>e trees and rode' em for horses. We also played prison base. Coloredand white played, yes sir, whites and colored. We played at night but we had a certa<strong>in</strong> time to go to bed. Datwuz n<strong>in</strong>e o'clock. [HW: New paragraph <strong>in</strong>dicated]De boss man looked atter us when we wuz sick. He got doctors. I had <strong>the</strong> typhoid fever. All my hair came out.Dey called it de "mittent fever." Dr. Thomas Banks doctored me. He been dead a long time. Oh! I don't knowhow long he been dead. Near all my white folks were found dead. Mr. John died outside.Walton died <strong>in</strong> bed. Marster Joe Walton died sitt<strong>in</strong>g under a tree side de path. Miss Hancey died <strong>in</strong> bed.I 'member <strong>the</strong> day de war commenced. My marster called my fa<strong>the</strong>r and my two uncles Handy and Hyman,our marster called 'em. Dey had started back to <strong>the</strong> field to work <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> afternoon. He said, 'Cum here boys,'that wuz our young marster, Ben Walton, says 'cum here boys. I got sumpt<strong>in</strong>' to tell you.' Uncle Hyman said, 'Ican't. I got to go to work.' He said 'Come here and set down, I got sumpt<strong>in</strong>' to tell you.'The niggers went to him and set down. He told <strong>the</strong>m; 'There is a war commenced between <strong>the</strong> North and <strong>the</strong>South. If <strong>the</strong> North whups you will be as free a man as I is. If <strong>the</strong> South whups you will be a slave all yourdays.'Mr. Joe Walton said when he went to war dat dey could eat breakfast at home, go and whup <strong>the</strong> North, and be
<strong>Slave</strong> <strong>Narratives</strong>: a <strong>Folk</strong> <strong>History</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Slave</strong>ry by Various 59back far d<strong>in</strong>ner. He went away, and it wuz four long years before he cum back to d<strong>in</strong>ner. De table wuz shoreset a long time for him. A lot <strong>of</strong> de white folks said dey wouldn't be much war, dey could whup dem so easy.Many <strong>of</strong> dem never did come back to d<strong>in</strong>ner. I wuz afraid <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Yankees because Missus had told us <strong>the</strong>Yankees were go<strong>in</strong>g to kill every nigger <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> South. I hung to my mammy when dey come through.I thought Abraham L<strong>in</strong>coln wuz <strong>the</strong> Medic<strong>in</strong>e man, with grip <strong>in</strong> his han', cause he said every borned man mustbe free.I did not th<strong>in</strong>k anyth<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> Jeff Davis. I thank de will <strong>of</strong> God for sett<strong>in</strong>g us free. He got <strong>in</strong>to Abraham L<strong>in</strong>colnand <strong>the</strong> Yankees. We are thankful to <strong>the</strong> Great Marster dat got <strong>in</strong>to L<strong>in</strong>coln and <strong>the</strong> Yankees. Dey say BookerWash<strong>in</strong>gton wuz f<strong>in</strong>e, I don't know.The white folks did not allow us to have nuth<strong>in</strong>g to do wid books. You better not be found, try<strong>in</strong>' to learn toread. Our marster wuz harder down on dat den anyth<strong>in</strong>g else. You better not be ketched wid a book. Day read<strong>the</strong> Bible and told us to obey our marster for de Bible said obey your marster.The first band <strong>of</strong> music I ever herd play <strong>the</strong> Yankees wuz play<strong>in</strong>' it. They were play<strong>in</strong>' a song. 'I am tired <strong>of</strong>see<strong>in</strong>g de homespun dresses <strong>the</strong> sou<strong>the</strong>rn women wear'.I th<strong>in</strong>ks Mr. Roosevelt is a f<strong>in</strong>e man. Jus' what we need.N. C. District: No. 2 [320169] Worker: Mary A. Hicks No. Words: 130 Subject: EX-SLAVE STORY StoryTeller: Julia Crenshaw Editor: Daisy Bailey Waitt[TR: HW circled "I"][TR: No Date Stamp]EX-SLAVE STORYAs Julia Crenshaw recalled her mo<strong>the</strong>r's story.My mammy wuz named Jane an' my pappy wuz named Richard. Dey belonged ter Lawyer R. J. Lewis <strong>in</strong>Raleigh, dar whar Peace Institute am ter day. Mammy said dat de white folkses wuz good ter dem an' gib 'emgood food an' clo<strong>the</strong>s. She wuz de cook, an' fer thirty years atter de war she cooked at Peace.Before de Yankees come Mr. Lewis said, dat he dreamed dat de yard wuz full uv dem an' he wuz deef. Whendey comed he played deef so dat he won't have ter talk ter 'em. Him he am dat proud.Mammy said dat she a<strong>in</strong>'t cared 'bout been' free case she had a good home, but atter all slavery wusn't de th<strong>in</strong>gfer America.N. C. District: No. 2 [320239] Worker: T. Pat Mat<strong>the</strong>ws No. Words: 1,414 Subject: ZEB CROWDER StoryTeller: Zeb Crowder Editor: Daisy Bailey Waitt[TR: Date Stamp "JUN 30 1937"]ZEB CROWDER 323 E. Cabarrus StreetI wont nuth<strong>in</strong>' <strong>in</strong> slavery time and I a<strong>in</strong>t nuth<strong>in</strong>' now. All de work I am able ter do now is a little work <strong>in</strong> degarden. Dey say I is too ole ter work, so charity gives me a little ter go upon every week. For one weeks'lowance o' sumpt<strong>in</strong>' ter eat dey gives me, hold on, I will show you, dat beats guess<strong>in</strong>'. Here it is: 1/2 peck