*Rosa Washington is 90 years old and lives in her own little adobe house
at 3911 Manzana St., El Paso, Texas. She was born a slave of the Watson
family, on a large plantation seven miles from St. Joe, Louisiana. Her
parents came from Georgia. After the Civil War she left her former
owners, but later returned and was with them until they died. She came
to Texas in 1921, and her three children provide for her. Her son, Le
Roy, has been in the U.S. Emigration service in El Paso for 27 years.*
"My name's Rosa Washington and my husban' was Joe Washington. He's been
dead a long time. I was bo'n on a big plantation, white man's name Bill
Watson, wife Ann Watson, seven miles from St. Joe. Mama had four chillen
and I had seven. Marster had a fine house and plenty of slaves. I dunno
how many.
"'Fore we was free we was in the fiel' workin' and they come out and got
us. Everybody threw up their hands and started to run. The Yanks busted
open a sugar hogshead and give everybody all they wanted. Dey threw all
de milk away and dey carried our marster away by force and tuk him to
jail in Vicksburg. Our missus wept. When the Yankees got us, dey tuk us
about three miles from whar we live, put us in a fine house, give us
plenty to eat until war's ended. Me and my chillen and my father and
mother were together there.
"We had a good cabin on the plantation, made out-a planks, ole rip-rap
plunder. Dey treated us good. I worked in water garden, worked in fiel's
when 10 years old. Hoe'd my row every day. Dey didn' whop me, though. My
mistress wouldn' let 'em. Marsa and missus good to me. I not tell lie on
'em. Tell truf. Truf shines.
"I seed niggers put in stocks, put 'em in stocks head in fust. Tear
their clothes off backs, whop till sores come, den dey pour coal oil and
turpentine in sores. I see dat with my own eyes. My dad druv the
carriage, carried 'em 'round all time. My mother worked in the fiel'
like I do. Work every day. Dey give us everything to eat. Marster and
missus, too, give plenty, but if ole cow died with cholera, they give to
us niggers. I got good shoes once a year. When marster went to New
Orleans, mama had to tie my feet up in rags. I had to work with the rest
of 'em. Got up at 4 o'clock. We he'ped on other plantations when dey'd
git behind. Go he'p 'em out.
"I waited on overseers table, Joe Crusa. He was mean. He stuck a fork in
my head. Ole Aunt Clarissie cooked for us. She cook in cabin for us, had
big fireplace. She cook for all niggers on the place. She was mean to
me, never married. She had two rooms, all she do was cook, tell lies on
me to white overseer. That woman told a lie on me 'cause said I lef' a
fork dirty. He look at it, says, 'Who rubbed dis fork?' Woman says,
'Rosa,' and he stuck the fork in my head. Missus turn him off nex' day.
"We had co'nbread, no sugar, plenty okra and coffee; plenty milk, 'cause
they had 17 cows. They give us clabber and peaches. Every day overseer
blow horn in yard to wake us up, a bugle at four o'clock Sundays. We
take cotton outta fiel' and put it up on scaffold to dry iffen it rain.
Overseer sit in dry, big overcoat on; we work in mud and rain. One
mornin' they carried us to stockhouse to whip us. My missus and marster
never let 'em whip me, but no white folks he'p me to read and write.
He'p me to do nothin' but work.
"White folks had church. I couldn' go. I hadda mind the white chillen
every Sunday. Cullud people had to go way back in woods to have church.
Never let white folks see 'em. Had to slip and hide to have our church,
run like deer if foun' out. Marster never know a bit more'n this chair
whar we was gwine. He couldn' ask us on Sunday, it be against the law.
Iffen niggers run away, dogs 'ud catch 'em.
"Dey had doctor right dere. Kep' us well. Kep' us well so's we could
work. Brother-in-law to marster.
"When the niggers was married, dey put a broom down and dey jump over
the broom, same time missus and marster'd marry 'em. He'd marry 'em and
she as witness. Sometimes celebrate. She'd cook 'em some cake, give 'em
a fine dress. We'd take meat and skillets down to the bar on Sundays.
Had fish frys. Wouldn' take no fussy chillen to the bar. We chillen
would have fish fry whar dey couldn't watch us.
"Had to go to gin at four o'clock in evenin'. Couldn' play week-days,
had to go in cabin and be still. Never got to play much till Yankees
come and got us, but we had a big ball and dance in yard Christmas. Had
candy, dey give us dresses and socks and a good feast for Christmas.
Give us things for 4th of July. Dey give us dat day. No, dey wouldn'
whip us dat day. We had a big quiltin' Christmas day. We'd piece de
quilts outta scraps. Some couldn' quilt. Dey'd dance in de yard all day.
"We niggers got wool clothes in winter, good clothes woven on de place.
Marster had black sheep and white sheep. He bought our summer clothes in
New Orleans--linsey, calicy, plaid, some white ones. Dey'd give us color
what we like.
[Illustration: _Rosa Washington_]
"Sure, I seed ghosts. Dey come with no head, come outta de fiel' one
night so late, 'bout eight, nine o'clock. I was scared, yes, suh, I sure
was scared, but my mammy say, 'Dey ain' goin' to hurt you, baby.' Dey
scare me. My mammy give me beads for my neck, china-berry beads to keep
me well. They's pretty. I never had no other kind.
"We never git no money befo' freedom. I stay away from Marster and
missus de first year, den go back. Dey give us 50c a day after war. Had
to pay for rations. Better since war, though. No whippin's goin' on like
they did 'fore.
"I'se a full Baptist--been ever since '67. I'se happy. Sometimes I gits
too happy. I don' move till de spirit move me. I goes to church when
I'se able. But I'se gittin' too old to go now--I'se just waitin' to go
home."