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

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Slave Narratives: a Folk History of Slavery by Various 76We lived in log houses and we had bunks in 'em. Master died, but I 'member missus wuz mighty good to us.We had tolerable fair food, and as fur as I know she wuz good to us in every way. We had good clothing madein a loom, that is de cloth wuz made in de loom. My father lived in Franklin County. My mother lived inWake County. I 'member hearin' father talk about walkin' so fur to see us. There wuz about one dozen slaveson de plantation. Dere were no hired overseers. Missus done her own bossing. I have heard my father speakabout de patterollers, but I never seed none. I heard him say he could not leave the plantation without a strip o'something.No, sir, the white folks did not teach us to read and write. My mother and father, no sir, they didn't have anybooks of any kind. We went to white folk's church. My father split slats and made baskets to sell. He said hismaster let him have all de money he made sellin' de things he made. He learned a trade. He wuz a carpenter.One of the young masters got after father, so he told me, and he went under de house to keep him fromwhuppin' him. When missus come home she wouldn't let young master whup him. She jist wouldn't 'low it.I 'members de Yankees comin' through. When mother heard they were comin', she took us chillun and carriedus down into an ole field, and after that she carried us back to the house. Missus lived in a two-story house.We lived in a little log house in front of missus' house. My mother had a shoulder of meat and she hid it undera mattress in the house. When the Yankees lef, she looked for it; they had stole the meat and gone. Yes, theystole from us slaves. The road the Yankees wuz travellin' wuz as thick wid' em as your fingers. I 'membertheir blue clothes, their blue caps. De chickens they were carrying on their horses wuz crowing. Dey wuzdriving cows, hogs, and things. Yes sir, ahead of 'em they come first. The barns and lots were on one side deroad dey were trabellin' on and de houses on de other. Atter many Yankees had passed dey put a bodyguard atde door of de great house, and didn't 'low no one to go in dere. I looked down at de Yankees and spit at 'em.Mother snatched me back, and said, 'Come back here chile, dey will kill you.'Dey carried de horses off de plantation and de meat from missus' smokehouse and buried it. My uncle, LouisScarborough, stayed wid de horses. He is livin' yet, he is over a hundred years old. He lives down at MooresMill, Wake County, near Youngsville. Before de surrender one of de boys and my uncle got to fightin', one ofde Scarborough boys and him. My uncle threw him down. The young Master Scarborough jumped up, and gothis knife and cut uncle's entrails out so uncle had to carry 'em to de house in his hands. About a year after dewar my father carried us to Franklin County. He carried us on a steer cart. Dat's about all I 'member about dewar.Abraham Lincoln wuz de man who set us free. I think he wuz a mighty good man. He done so much for decolored race, but what he done was intended through de higher power. I don't think slavery wuz right.I think Mr. Roosevelt is a fine man, one of the best presidents in the world. I voted for him, and I would votefor him ag'in. He has done a lot for de people, and is still doin'. He got a lot of sympathy for 'em. Yas sir, a lotof sympathy for de people.MMN. C. District: No. 2 [320184] Worker: T. Pat Matthews No. Words: 655 Subject: MARGARET E. DICKENSStory Teller: Margaret E. Dickens Editor: Daisy Bailey Waitt[TR: Date Stamp "JUN 11 1937"]MARGARET E. DICKENS 1115 E. Lenoir St.My name is Margaret E. Dickens and I was born on the 5th of June 1861. My mother wuz free born; her namewuz Mary Ann Hews, but my mother wuz colored. I don't remember anything about Marster and Missus. Myfather was named Henry Byrd. Here is some of father's writing. My mother's father was dark. He had no
Slave Narratives: a Folk History of Slavery by Various 77protection. If he did any work for a white man and the white man didn't like it, he could take him up and whuphim. My father was like a stray dog.My name was Margaret E. Byrd before I got married. Here is some of father's writing--"Margaret Elvira Byrdthe daughter of Henry and Mary Ann Byrd was born on the 5th June 1861." My grandfather, my mother'sfather was a cabinet maker. He made coffins and tables and furniture. If he made one, and it didn't suit theman he would beat him and kick him around and let him go. Dis was told to me. My father was a carpenter.He built houses.I can read and write. My father could read and write. My mother could read, but couldn't write very much.I have heerd my mother say when she heerd the Yankees were commin' she had a brand new counterpane, myfather owned a place before he married my mother, the counterpane was a woolen woven counterpane. Shetook it off and hid it. The Yankees took anything they wanted, but failed to find it. We were living in Raleigh,at the time, on the very premises we are living on now. The old house has been torn down, but some of thewood is in this very house. I kin show you part of the old house now. My mother used to pass this place whenshe wuz a girl and she told me she never expected to live here. She was twenty years younger than my father.My mother, she lived here most of the time except twenty-four years she lived in the North. She died in 1916.My father bought the lan' in 1848 from a man named Henry Morgan. Here is the deed.[6]When we left Raleigh, and went North we first stopped in Cambridge, Mass. This was with my first husband.His name was Samuel E. Reynolds. He was a preacher. He had a church and preached there. The East windswere so strong and cold we couldn't stan' it. It was too cold for us. We then went to Providence, R. I. Fromthere to Elmira, N. Y. From there we went to Brooklyn, N. Y. He preached in the State of New York; wefinally came back South, and he died right here in this house. I like the North very well, but there is nothinglike home, the South. Another thing I don't have so many white kin folks up North. I don't like to be calledAuntie by anyone, unless they admit bein' kin to me. I was not a fool when I went to the North, and it made nochange in me. I was raised to respect everybody and I tries to keep it up. Some things in the North are allright, I like them, but I like the South better. Yes, I guess I like the South better. I was married to Charles W.Dickens in 1920. He is my second husband.I inherited this place from my father Henry Byrd. I like well water. There is my well, right out here in theyard. This well was dug here when they were building the first house here. I believe in havin' your own home,so I have held on to my home, and I am goin' to try to keep holdin' on to it.[Footnote 6: An interesting feature of the deed is the fact that Henry Morgan made his mark while HenryByrd's signature is his own.]N. C. District: No. 2 [320156] Worker: T. Pat Matthews No. Words: 1369 Subject: REV. SQUIRE DOWDStory Teller: Rev. Squire Dowd Editor: Daisy Bailey Waitt[HW: Minister--Interesting][TR: Date Stamp "JUN 1 1937"][HW: language not negro, very senternous & interesting.] [TR: The above comment is crossed out.]REVEREND SQUIRE DOWD 202 Battle Street Raleigh, N. C.My name is Squire Dowd, and I was born April 3, 1855. My mother's name was Jennie Dowd. My father'sname was Elias Kennedy. My mother died in Georgia at the age of 70, and my father died in Moore County atthe age of 82. I attended his funeral. My sister and her husband had carried my mother to Georgia, when my
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