*Interview with Ellaine Wright,*
*Springfield, Missouri.*
Ellaine Wright was born March 1, 1840 and is 97 years of age. Was born
of slave parents just outside of Springfield, Missouri, and lived there
at the beginning of the Civil War.
Her father and mother's name was Evanson taken after "Marse Tom" Evanson
who owned both Ellaine's mother and father and sixty other slaves. Tom
Evanson was a wealthy farmer and ran a big hog and cattle stock ranch.
Ellaine Wright, whose name was Evanson in slavery was married after the
war in 1866 to Pete Wright. She remembers the "Wilson's Creek" fight
between the Union and Confederacy and only a short time after that she,
with all the other Evanson slaves, was hurriedly taken south. The
Evanson slaves with many other of the district were shipped as far south
as possible to hide them from the Unionists. Ellaine Wright told of a
heartbreaking meeting between she and her slave mother when Ellaine was
just four years of age. Her mother had been sold to a slave trader and
was to be taken to another state.
They permitted the slaves to say good-bye to their children and Ellaine
said she would never forget the few words her mother spoke to her just
before they were separated. "Ellaine, honey mamma's gwan way off and
ain't never goin to see her baby agin". "An I can see myself holdin onto
my mamma and both of us crying--and then, she was gone and I never seed
her since. I hopes I goin to see my good mamma some day, I do. Yes' I'se
goin to do it son, I sure is, yes indeed."
Ellaine doesn't seem to remember anything concerning the Civil War. Just
this one important thing clings to her memory--her parting with her
mammy.