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

Slave Narratives: a Folk History of Slavery by Various 87We had a han' thrashing machine. It was roun' like a stove pipe, only bigger. We fed de wheat to it an' shookit' til de wheat was loose from de straw an' when it come out at de other end it fell on a big cloth, bigger dende sheets. We had big curtains all roun' de cloth on de floor, like a tent, so de wheat wouldn' get scattered.Den we took de pitchfork an' lifted de straw up an' down so de wheat would go on de cloth. Den we moved destraw when de wheat was all loose Den we fanned de wheat wid big pieces of cloth to get de dust an' dirtouten it, so it could be taken to de mill an' groun' when it was wanted.When de fall come we had a regular place to do different work. We had han' looms an' wove our cotton an'yarn an' made de cloth what was to make de clothes for us to wear.We had a shop whare our shoes was made. De cobbler would make our shoes wid wooden soles. After desoles was cut out dey would be taken down to de blacksmiyh an' he would put a thin rim of iron aroun' desoles to keep dem from splitting. Dese soles was made from maple an' ash wood.We didn' have any horses to haul wid. We used oxen an' ox-carts. De horse and mules was used to do deplowin'.When de Yankees come dey didn' do so much harm, only dey tole us we was free niggers. But I always feellike I belong to Marse Paul, an' i still live at Staggville on de ole plantation. I has a little garden an' does whatI can to earn a little somethin'. De law done fixed it so now dat I will get a little pension, an' I'll stay right onin dat little house 'til de good Lawd calls me home, den I will see Marse Paul once more.N. C. District: No. 11 [320001] Worker: Mrs. W. N. Harriss No. Words: 658 Subject: John Evans Born inSlavery Editor: Mrs. W. N. HarrissInterviewedJohn Evans on the street and in this Office. Residence changes frequently.[TR: Date Stamp "SEP--1937"]Story of John Evans Born in Slavery.I was born August 15th, 1859. I am 78 years old. Dat comes out right, don't it? My mother's name was HattieNewbury. I don't never remember seein' my Pa. We lived on Middle Sound an' dat's where I was born. Iknows de room, 'twas upstairs, an' when I knowed it, underneath, downstairs dat is, was bags of seed an' horsefeed, harness an' things, but it was slave quarters when I come heah.Me an' my mother stayed right on with Mis' Newberry after freedom, an' never knowed no diffunce. They wasjus' like sisters an' I never knowed nothin' but takin' keer of Mistus Newberry. She taught me my letters an' theBible, an' was mighty perticler 'bout my manners. An' I'm tellin' you my manners is brought me a heap moremoney than my readin'--or de Bible. I'm gwine tell you how dat is, but fust I want to say the most I learned onMiddle Sound was' bout fishin' an' huntin'. An' dawgs.My! But there sho' was birds an' possums on de Sound in dem days. Pa'tridges all over de place. Why, evenme an' my Mammy et pa'tridges fer bre'kfust. Think of dat now! But when I growed up my job was fishin'. Imade enough sellin' fish to the summer folks all along Wrightsville and Greenville Sounds to keep me allwinter.My Mammy cooked fer Mis' Newberry. After a while they both died. I never did'nt git married.