*Ben Simpson, 90, was born in Norcross, Georgia, a slave of the
Stielszen family. He had a cruel master, and was afraid to tell the
truth about his life as a slave, until assured that no harm would come
to him. Ben now lives in Madisonville, Texas, and receives a small old
age pension.*
"Boss, I's born in Georgia, in Norcross, and I's ninety years old. My
father's name was Roger Stielszen and my mother's name was Betty. Massa
Earl Stielszen captures them in Africa and brung them to Georgia. He got
kilt and my sister and me went to his son. His son was a killer. He got
in trouble there in Georgia and got him two good-stepping hosses and the
covered wagon. Then he chains all he slaves round the necks and fastens
the chains to the hosses and makes then walk all the way to Texas. My
mother and my sister had to walk. Emma was my sister. Somewhere on the
road it went to snowin' and massa wouldn't let us wrap anything round
our feet. We had to sleep on the ground, too, in all that snow.
"Massa have a great, long whip platted out of rawhide and when one the
niggers fall behind or give out, he hit him with that whip. It take the
hide every time he hit a nigger. Mother, she give out on the way, 'bout
the line of Texas. Her feet got raw and bleedin' and her legs swoll
plumb out of shape. Then massa, he jus' take out he gun and shot her,
and whilst she lay dyin' he kicks her two, three times and say, 'Damn a
nigger what can't stand nothin'.' Boss, you know that man, he wouldn't
bury mother, jus' leave her layin' where he shot her at. You know, then
there wasn't no law 'gainst killin' nigger slaves.
"He come plumb to Austin through that snow. He taken up farmin' and
changes he name to Alex Simpson, and changes our names, too. He cut logs
and builded he home on the side of them mountains. We never had no
quarters. When night-time come he locks the chain round our necks and
then locks it round a tree. Boss, our bed were the ground. All he feed
us was raw meat and green corn. Boss, I et many a green weed. I was
hongry. He never let us eat at noon, he worked us all day without
stoppin'. We went naked, that the way he worked us. We never had any
clothes.
"He brands us. He brand my mother befo' us left Georgia. Boss, that
nearly kilt her. He brand her in the breast, then between the shoulders.
He brand all us.
"My sister, Emma, was the only woman he have till he marries. Emma was
wife of all seven Negro slaves. He sold her when she's 'bout fifteen,
jus' befo' her baby was born. I never seen her since.
"Boss, massa was a outlaw. He come to Texas and deal in stolen hosses.
Jus' befo' he's hung for stealin' hosses, he marries a young Spanish
gal. He sho' mean to her. Whips her 'cause she want him to leave he
slaves alone and live right. Bless her heart, she's the best gal in the
world. She was the best thing God ever put life in the world. She cry
and cry every time massa go off. She let us a-loose and she feed us good
one time while he's gone. Missy Selena, she turn us a-loose and we wash
in the creek clost by. She jus' fasten the chain on us and give us great
big pot cooked meat and corn, and up he rides. Never says a word but
come to see what us eatin'. He pick up he whip and whip her till she
falls. If I could have got a-loose I'd kilt him. I swore if I ever got
a-loose I'd kill him. But befo' long after that he fails to come home,
and some people finds him hangin' to a tree. Boss, that long after war
time he got hung. He didn't let us free. We wore chains all the time.
When we work, we drug them chains with us. At night he lock us to a tree
to keep us from runnin' off. He didn't have to do that. We were 'fraid
to run. We knew he'd kill us. Besides, he brands us and they no way to
get it off. It's put there with a hot iron. You can't git it off.
"If a slave die, massa made the rest of us tie a rope round he feet and
drug him off. Never buried one, it was too much trouble.
"Massa allus say he be rich after the war. He stealin' all the time. He
have a whole mountain side where he keep he stock. Missy Selena tell us
one day we sposed to be free, but he didn't turn us a-loose. It was
'bout three years after the war they hung him. Missy turned us a-loose.
"I had a hard time then. All I had to eat was what I could find and
steal. I was 'fraid of everybody. I jus' went wild and to the woods,
but, thank God, a bunch of men taken they dogs and run me down. They
carry me to they place. Gen. Houston had some niggers and he made them
feed me. He made them keep me till I git well and able to work. Then he
give me a job. I marry one the gals befo' I leaves them. I'm plumb out
of place there at my own weddin'. Yes, suh, boss, it wasn't one year
befo' that I'm the wild nigger. We had thirteen chillen.
"I farms all my life after that. I didn't know nothin' else to do. I
made plenty cotton, but now I'm too old. Me and my wife is alone now.
This old nigger gits the li'l pension from the gov'ment. I not got much
longer to stay here. I's ready to see God but I hope my old massa ain't
there to torment me again."