*Interview with Emma Knight,*
*Hannibal, Missouri.*
_Emma Was Really Rough_
Emma Knight, living at 924 North Street, Hannibal, Missouri, was born in
slavery on the farm of Will and Emily Ely, near Florida, Monroe County.
The following is her story as she told it:
"We lived on a Creek near Florida. We belonged to Will Ely. He had only
five slaves, my father and mother and three of us girls. I was only
eight or nine years old. De Elys had eight children. Dere was Paula,
Ann, Sarah, Becky, Emily, Lizzie, Will, Ike, and Frank. Lizzie was de
oldest girl and I was to belong to her when she was married.
"De master of de house was better to us dan de mistress. We didn't have
to work none too hard, 'cause we was so young, I guess. We cut weeds
along de fences, pulled weeds in de garden and helped de mistress with
de hoeing. We had to feed de stock, sheep, hogs, and calves, because de
young masters wouldn't do de work. In de evenings we was made to knit a
finger width and if we missed a stitch would have to pull all the yarn
out and do it over. De master's girls learned us to read and write. We
didn't have hardly no clothes and most of de time dey was just rags. We
went barefoot until it got real cold. Our feet would crack open from de
cold and bleed. We would sit down and bawl and cry because it hurt so.
Mother made moccasins for our feet from old pants. Late in de fall
master would go to Hannibal or Palmyra and bring us shoes and clothes.
We got dem things only once a year. I had to wear de young master's
overalls for underwear and linseys for a dress.
"My father was took away. My mother said he was put on a block and sold
'cause de master wanted money to buy something for de house. My mother
told me she come from Virginia or down south some place. Dey brought her
in a box car with lots of other colored people. Dere was several cars
full, with men in one car, women in another, and de younger ones in
another, and de babies in another with some of the women to care for
dem. Dey brought dem to Palmyra and sold dem. Master Ely bought my
mother. I don't know where my father come from.
"Mistress always told us dat if we run away somebody would catch us and
kill us. We was always scared when somebody strange come. De first we
knew dere was a war was when some soldiers come through. We was sure
scared den. Once a man come and we thought he was a patroller but he
asked for something to eat. Mother took him to de mistress. She gave him
something to eat wrapped in a paper and told him to get off de place.
"Some Union soldiers come and told us that we was free like dey was and
told us not to be afraid, dey wouldn't hurt us. Dey told us de war was
over. De master told mother not to go away, dat if she stayed a while he
would give her a couple hundred dollars. We stayed a while but she never
got no money.
"We come to Hannibal in an ox wagon. We put up at de barracks and den
mother went to live with Hiram Titchner. He lived right where de
postoffice is now. I hired out to Mrs. James across de street for my
clothes and schooling. Mrs. James had two girls. One of dem learned me
not to be such a tomboy and not to be so rough. I tell you I was a bad
girl when I was young. I could climb every tree on de master's farm and
my clothes was always in rags from being so rough. My mother used to
whip me most every day with a broom stick and even hit me with chairs. I
guess I was bad. If I had a dollar for every broom handle that was laid
across my back I would have lots of money. I tell you we was raised
plenty tuff dem days.
"De young folks can't stand such raising dese days. Dey just couldn't go
through what we was through. The young folks now just couldn't do it at
all. We never was 'lowed on the street after nine o'clock. We sure run
for home when the church bell done rung on de hill at nine o'clock.
Now-a-days de young folks stays out half de night and dey steal and even
kill each other over triflin' things. I know it 'cause I see them do
dese things. I 'spose dere parents are a lot to blame.
"I was married when I was young, less dan twenty I reckon. I had one
girl but she is dead now. Her boy lives with me. I gets a pension, seven
dollars a month, for about a year now. This little old shack belongs to
me. I go to de Baptist Church over on Center Street when ever I can. We
used to go to church on de corner 'cross from de postoffice. Dere is a
big store dere now."