*A.M. Moore, aged preacher and school teacher of Harrison Co., Texas,
was born in 1846, a slave of W.R. Sherrad who, in the 1830's, settled a
large plantation eight miles northeast of Marshall. Moore worked as a
farmhand for several years after he left home, but later attended Bishop
and Wiley Colleges, in Marshall, and obtained a teacher's certificate.
He taught and preached until age forced him to retire to his farm, which
is on land that was once a part of his master's plantation.*
"My name is Almont M. Moore and I was born right here in Harrison
County, in 1846, and belonged to Master W.R. Sherrad. My master was one
of the first settlers in these parts and owned a big plantation, eight
miles northeast of Marshall. My father was Jiles D. Moore and he was
born in Alabama, and my mother, Anna, was born in Mississippi. They came
to Texas as slaves. My grandmother on my mother's side was Cherry and
she belonged to the Sherrads, too. She said the Indians gave them a hot
time when they first came to Texas. Finally they became friendly to the
white people.
"My mistress was Lucinda Sherrad and she had a world of children. They
lived in a big, log house, but you wouldn't know it was a log house
unless you went up in the attic where it wasn't ceiled. The slaves
helped master build the house. The quarters looked like a little town,
with the houses all in lines.
"They had rules for the slaves to be governed by and they were whipped
when they disobeyed. Master didn't have to whip his slaves much, because
he was fair to them, more than most of the slaveowners. Lots of masters
wouldn't let the slaves have anything and wouldn't let them read or even
look at a book. I've known courts in this county to fine slaveowners for
not clothing and feeding their slaves right. I thought that was right,
because lots of them were too stingy to treat the slaves right unless
they made them do it.
"Corn shucking was a big sport for the Negroes and whites, too, in
slavery time. Sometimes they gave a big dance when they finished
shucking, but my master's folks always had a religious service. I went
to a Methodist church and it had too floors, one for the slaves and one
for the whites. Just before the war they began to let the Negroes preach
and have some books, a hymn book and a Bible.
"After the war they treated the slaves fine in this part of the country.
The industrious ones could work and save money. Down in Louisiana lots
of owners divided syrup, meat and other things with the slaves. My
brother and I saved enough to buy five hundred acres of land. Lots of
white men took one or more slaves to wait on them when they joined the
army, but my master left me at home to help there.
"Some owners didn't free their slaves and they soon put soldiers at
Marshall and Shreveport and arrested the ones who refused to let the
slaves go. My father died during the war and my mother stayed with
Master Sherrad three years after surrender. I stayed with her till I was
big enough and then hired out on a farm. They paid farmhands $10.00 to
$15.00 a month then.
[Illustration: _A.M. Moore_]
"Then I went to school at Wiley and Bishop Colleges here for four years
and I hold a county teacher's certificate. I have taught school in
Harrison and Gregg Counties and in Caddo Parish, in Louisiana. I started
preaching in 1880 and for several years was District Missionary for the
Texas-Louisiana Missionary Baptist Association. I have preached in and
organized churches all over East Texas.
"We raised six children and two boys and two girls are still living. The
girls live in Longview and one boy farms. The other boy is a preacher
here in Harrison County.
"I have voted in county and other elections. I think they should
instruct the Negroes so they can vote like white folks. The young
Negroes now have a better chance than most of us had. They have their
schools and churches, but I don't think they try as hard as we did. We
learned lots from the white folks and their teaching was genuine and had
a great effect on us. I attribute the Christian beliefs of our people to
the earnest, faithful teaching of white people, and today we have many
educated Negro teachers and preachers and leaders that we are not
ashamed of."