*Teshan Young, 86, was born a slave to Buckner Scott, who owned a
plantation in Harrison County, Texas, and had over one hundred slaves.
Teshan married Moses Young in 1867 and lived near her old home until
1915, when she moved to Fort Worth. She lives in a negro settlement on
the outskirts of Stop Six, a suburb of Fort Worth.*
"I'se 86 years ole. Bo'n in Harrison County, Texas. Marster Scott owned
me and my parents, one brudder and three sisters. Marster never sold any
of we'uns, so dere was no separation of de family long's we lived on de
Marster's place. He had awful big plantation, 'bout seven miles long.
"On dat plantation de Marster have everything. Hims have de gin and de
mill for to grind de meal and feed, de big blacksmith shop and dere was
a house whar dey spins de yarn and makes de cloth, de shoes and sich. He
have 'bout 30 quarters for de cullud folks back of him's house, and dere
am a house for de nursery, wid a big yard dat have swings and sich for
de cullud chillens.
"Each cullud family have de cabin for themself. De cabins have bunks for
sleeping', fireplace for to cook, bench for to set on--but dat's all de
furniture. Marster Scott feeds all us niggers good. We'uns have beans,
peas, milk, vegetables, 'lasses and plenty of meat. De marster have
hawgs on top of hawgs on dat place, for to make de meat.
"We'uns have all de clothes dat we'uns need for to keep warm. De marster
says, 'De nigger mus' have plenty of food and keep wan for to work good.
How many hours we'uns work? Dat depen's on de time of de year it am.
When its time for de hoein' or de pickin' of de cotton, dey work late.
'Twarn't sich long hours udder times. But de marster makes de cullud
folks work and whips 'em when dey don'. I'se 'member one slave dat gits
whipped so bad hims never gits up, hims died. We'uns chillens would go
roun' whar hims was and look at 'im. De Marster lets we'uns do dat.
"Yes, suh, dey whupped pow'ful hard sometimes. My mammy gits whupped one
time 'cause she come from de fiel' for to nuss her baby, and once for de
cause she don' keep up her row in de fiel'. My pappy gits shoot in de
shoulder by de overseer, 'cause hims runs from de whuppin.' 'Twas dis
way, de overseer says, 'Come here, I'se gwine whup you for not workin'
like I says.' Dere was a fence dere and my pappy runs for dat and am
crawlin' over it when de overseer shoots.
"I'se 'bout 10 year ole when de war starts. It makes no diff'rence, dat
I'se 'members, 'cept de Marster jines de army. I'se tend to all de
cullud chillen while dey mammies workin' in de fiel'. De Marster am sho'
particular 'bout dem chillen. He feeds 'em well, mush, milk, bread,
'lasses, vegetables and sich. De food am put in de long bowl, like de
trough. De chillen have wooden spoons and we'uns line dem 'long de bowl.
Den de fun starts. I'se have de long switch and keeps walkin' back and
forth to make dem debils behave. De Marster comes in sometimes and hims
laugh at dem, dey so funny.
"After I'se gits married, I'se has 13 chillen of my own. I'se never
calls de doctor for my chillen. I'se goes in de woods and gits de plants
and de herbs. For de stomach misery I'se uses de red petals, boils dat
and takes de juice. For de cold I'se takes de Kalemas Root, boils dat
and takes de juice.
[Illustration: _Teshan Young_]
"When de chores am done on Sunday or Christmas, we'uns can have de
music, dance and singin'. We'uns have some good ole times. De songs am
de ole timers, sich as Swannee River, Ole Black Joe and dere am de
fiddles and banjos dat dey play. We'uns sho' cel'brate on Christmas. De
women all cooks cakes and cookies and sich. De men saves all de bladders
from de hawgs dey kill, blows 'em full of air and lets 'em dry. De
young'uns puts dem on sticks and holds 'em over a fire in de yard. Dat
makes 'em bust and dey goes 'bang' jus' like a gun. Dat was de
fireworks.
"Marster comes back from de war widout gettin' hurt. At de time freedom
comes, some cullud folks stays on and works for money. 'Twas de fust
money dey ever had, and dey don' know what to do wid it and what its
worth. Some of dem are still on dat lan'! Dey rents or have bought. My
brudder lives dere, jus' a few yards from de ole quarters. My pappy
worked for ole Marster till he died. I'se stays wid him till I marries.
"I'se married in a cullud church and I'se have a pretty pink dress and
hat. My husban' have hims own farm, part of de ole plantation. We
finally buys it from de Marster. In 1902 my husban' dies and I'se stays
dere till 1915. Den I'se comes to Fort Worth. I'se still missin' some
but I'se gettin' de pension of nine dollars a month. Dat sho' helps
out."