*Interview with Mrs. Lou Griffin,*
*St. Louis, Missouri.*
Mrs. Lou Griffin, a daughter of Minnie and William Gibson, is something
over ninety years old. She does not know her exact age. She tells the
writer she is one of a family of thirteen children and that her
grandmother had twenty-one children. She lives with a great nephew at
2935 Easton Avenue, St. Louis. She tells her story as follows:
"People tells me not to tell nothing 'bout myself to folks like you what
asks me, 'cause you ain't going to give me nothing for it nohow, but
somebody somewhere pays you to gather up this stuff. So I's just gonna
tell you dis much, sister. Sure 'nough I was slave born. 'Fore I was big
enough to do nothing us chillun used to run about in de woods while de
old folks was working on de plantation. We git stole away by white folks
what wasn't our owners and sold I reckon, nobody knowed where de chillun
gone nor who got 'em. We know dis much, we didn't never see 'em any
more.
"We just be out in de woods picking fruit and flowers. I know this
though, sister, after while, de Rebels got a heap of us. I heard 'em say
dey some times get fifty dollars for some of de black folks dey sold and
some big healthy ones brought one-hundred dollars. Course I don't know
how much money dey brought, I just know 'bout it. We use to go to de
church house. If we suited de overseer he let us go. If we didn't we got
lashed plenty. Dey lash you till you was forced to pray den dey whip you
like anything for prayin'. But God done stopped all that now. Dis heah
old Abe Lincoln come through our town. I guess you done heard 'bout him,
is you, honey? If you ain't, I'll tell you. He just come 'round to see
how de Rebs do de slaves. I gets so full thinkin' how de good Lawd fix
it for us. He come 'round when nobody's lookin' for him. Bye and bye he
says, fight for your freedom in de Yankee army instead of standing
'round here being sold and treated like beasts.
"Ole Jeff Davis was a Rebel and he rode a fine horse. Abe Lincoln come
there, wid a mule. De slaves made up a song 'bout how old Abe Lincoln
got hold of Jeff Davis in de army and Abe Lincoln took and rode Jeff
Davis' big fine horse and Jeff Davis had to ride de mule. Abe Lincoln
was United States president and Jeff Davis was de fool. We often hear
tell of dem Yankees coming to our town a long time 'fore dey get there.
We know when dey reached us, 'cause dey run dem Rebs way from their own
place and take 'em themselves. I been all down in Arkansas, Louisiana,
Mississippi, North Carolina and everywhere, being hiked around by dem
Valentines, dat's de name of my mother's owners and mine too, for that.
I 'haved so I didn't git licked like some more did, yes indeed I did. De
bells would ring for day, sissy, and we had to get up and start right in
working, yes mam. I use to love to see 'em drill dem soldiers. Sure did.
I thank God it is all over now. I ain't going to tell you no more. Like
to have you stay awhile, but if you want just come back."