*Interview with W.C. Parson Allen,*
*aged 78, Fredericktown, Mo.*
*Interviewed by J. Tom Miles.*
"I's born in Harrison County, in 1859 and was raised in Georgetown,
Scott County. Yes, I was born a slave. My boss was John McWiggin, a
Scotch-Irishman, who raised hogs, sheep, hemp, and darkies. He had 'bout
230 darkies on de place. We lived in log cabins. Dey had slip doors for
de windows. Man, what you talkin' 'bout? We never saw a window glass.
Had 'bout fourteen cabins and dey was placed so dat de old master could
sit on his porch and see every one of dem. My mistress was Alice
McWiggin.
"I was kep' busy shooin' flies off de table with a pea-fowl brush,
watching de chickens, and gettin' de maple sugar from de root of de
trees. We made a pocket at de base of de tree and dipped out de sugar
water with a bucket. Had 'bout 40 or 50 trees along de road. Had all
kinds of berries. We never got no whippin', only a little boxin'. In
church we sat on one side and de whites on de other. De white preacher
always read a special text to de darkies, and it was this, 'Servants,
obey your master.'
"John McWiggin was a son of a Federal. His brother, Keenie, was a
Confederate. When de Confederate army come Keenie took de silver goblets
down to de creek and gave de soldiers water to drink. Den when de other
soldiers come Johnie would help his crowd. De soldiers took Mac's
iron-gray saddle hosses to Lexington, and de boss had to pay $500 to get
de hosses back. He got some of his mules back. De bushwackers and
nightriders were here. But de boss got 'round it this way. He had de
slaves dig trenches 'cross de road and tie grape vines over it. Den have
de darkies go up on de hill and sing corn songs. Den de nightriders come
a-rushing and sometimes dey would get four or five whites in these
raids. It would kill de men and horses too, when dey fell into de
trench. On Saturday night we had a shindig. We would eat chicken and
pound cake and of course whiskey made in Kentucky. De jail was called de
watch-house.
"After de war de government instituted religious trainin' 'mong de
colored people and gave dem white teachers. I was in Lexington, Ky.,
when I learned my letters. Just how dese latter-day children learn to
read without de letters is a mystery to me.
"I's one of de preachers of de church here and am a deacon, too. I
studied at de University of Louisville, where I was a theological
student, and was one of de main orators in de school.
"I've married a lot of 'em, in Poplar Bluff, Kennett, Farmington, and
Fredericktown, and have preached quite a few funerals. Have preached
some brush arbor sermons and stood under a arbor when we was married. I
baptized 42 in Pennsylvania.
"I ain't eligible enough to express 'bout slavery. I ain't sayin'
nothing."