Mrs. Bowman was given the Twyman family bible where her birth is
recorded with the rest of the Twyman family. She shows it with pride.
Mrs. Bowman said she never knew want in slave times, as she has known it
in these times of depression.
Submitted January 10, 1938
Indianapolis, Indiana
Wm. R. Mays
Dist 4
Johnson Co.
ANGIE BOYCE
BORN IN SLAVERY, Mar. 14, 1861 on the
Breeding Plantation, Adair Co. Ky.
Mrs. Angie Boyce here makes mention of facts as outlined to her by her
mother, Mrs. Margaret King, deceased.
Mrs. Angie Boyce was born in slavery, Mar. 14, 1861, on the Breeding
Plantation, Adair County, Kentucky. Her parents were Henry and Margaret
King who belonged to James Breeding, a Methodist minister who was kind
to all his slaves and no remembrance of his having ever struck one of
them.
It is said that the slaves were in constant dread of the Rebel soldiers
and when they would hear of their coming they would hide the baby
"Angie" and cover her over with leaves.
The mother of Angie was married twice; the name of her first husband was
Stines and that of her second husband was Henry King. It was Henry King
who bought his and his wife's freedom. He sent his wife and baby Angie
to Indiana, but upon their arrival they were arrested and returned to
Kentucky. They were placed in the Louisville jail and lodged in the same
cell with large Brutal and drunken Irish woman. The jail was so infested
with bugs and fleas that the baby Angie cryed all night. The white woman
crazed with drink became enraged at the cries of the child and
threatened to "bash its brains out against the wall if it did not stop
crying". The mother, Mrs. King was forced to stay awake all night to
keep the white woman from carrying out her threat.
The next morning the Negro mother was tried in court and when she
produced her free papers she was asked why she did not show these papers
to the arresting officers. She replied that she was afraid that they
would steal them from her. She was exonerated from all charges and sent
back to Indiana with her baby.
Mrs. Angie Boyce now resides at 498 W. Madison St., Franklin, Ind.
Special Assignment
Walter R. Harris
District #3
Clay County
LIFE STORY OF EX-SLAVE
MRS. EDNA BOYSAW
Mrs. Boysaw has been a citizen of this community about sixty-five years.
She resides on a small farm, two miles east of Brazil on what is known
as the Pinkley Street Road. This has been her home for the past forty
years. Her youngest son and the son of one of her daughters lives with
her. She is still very active, doing her housework and other chores
about the farm. She is very intelligent and according to statements made
by other citizens has always been a respected citizen in the community,
as also has her entire family. She is the mother of twelve children.
Mrs. Boysaw has always been an active church worker, spending much time
in missionary work for the colored people. Her work was so outstanding
that she has been often called upon to speak, not only in the colored
churches, but also in white churches, where she was always well
received. Many of the most prominent people of the community number Mrs.
Boysaw as one of their friends and her home is visited almost daily by
citizens in all walks of life. Her many acts of kindness towards her
neighbors and friends have endeared her to the people of Brazil, and
because of her long residence in the community, she is looked upon as
one of the pioneers.
Mrs. Boysaw's husband has been dead for thirty-five years. Her children
are located in various cities throughout the country. She has a daughter
who is a talented singer, and has appeared on programs with her daughter
in many churches. She is not certain about her age, but according to her
memory of events, she is about eighty-seven.
Her story as told to the writer follows:
"When the Civil War ended, I was living near Richmond, Virginia. I am
not sure just how old I was, but I was a big, flat-footed woman, and had
worked as a slave on a plantation. My master was a good one, but many of
them were not. In a way, we were happy and contented, working from sun
up to sun down. But when Lincoln freed us, we rejoiced, yet we knew we
had to seek employment now and make our own way. Wages were low. You
worked from morning until night for a dollar, but we did not complain.
About 1870 a Mr. Masten, who was a coal operator, came to Richmond
seeking laborers for his mines in Clay County. He told us that men could
make four to five dollars a day working in the mines, going to work at
seven and quitting at 3:30 each day. That sounded like a Paradise to our
men folks. Big money and you could get rich in little time. But he did
not tell all, because he wanted the men folk to come with him to
Indiana. Three or four hundred came with Mr. Masten. They were brought
in box cars. Mr. Masten paid their transportation, but was to keep it
out of their wages. My husband was in that bunch, and the women folk
stayed behind until their men could earn enough for their transportation
to Indiana."
"When they arrived about four miles east of Brazil, or what was known as
Harmony, the train was stopped and a crowd of white miners ordered them
not to come any nearer Brazil. Then the trouble began. Our men did not
know of the labor trouble, as they were not told of that part. Here they
were fifteen hundred miles from home, no money. It was terrible. Many
walked back to Virginia. Some went on foot to Illinois. Mr. Masten took
some of them South of Brazil about three miles, where he had a number of
company houses, and they tried to work in his mine there. But many were
shot at from the bushes and killed. Guards were placed about the mine by
the owner, but still there was trouble all the time. The men did not
make what Mr. Masten told them they could make, yet they had to stay for
they had no place to go. After about six months, my husband who had been
working in that mine, fell into the shaft and was injured. He was unable
to work for over a year. I came with my two children to take care of
him. We had only a little furniture, slept in what was called box beds.
I walked to Brazil each morning and worked at whatever I could get to
do. Often did three washings a day and then walked home each evening, a
distance of two miles, and got a dollar a day.
"Many of the white folks I worked for were well to do and often I would
ask the Mistress for small amounts of food which they would throw out if
left over from a meal. They did not know what a hard time we were
having, but they told me to take home any of such food that I cared to.
I was sure glad to get it, for it helped to feed our family. Often the
white folks would give me other articles which I appreciated. I managed
in this way to get the children enough to eat and later when my husband
was able to work, we got along very well, and were thankful. After the
strike was settled, things were better. My husband was not afraid to go
out after dark. But the coal operators did not treat the colored folks
very good. We had to trade at the Company store and often pay a big
price for it. But I worked hard and am still alive today, while all the
others are gone, who lived around here about that time. There has sure
been a change in the country. The country was almost a wilderness, and
where my home is today, there were very few roads, just what we called a
pig path through the woods. We used lots of corn meal, cooked beans and
raised all the food we could during them days. But we had many white
friends and sure was thankful for them. Here I am, and still thankful
for the many friends I have."
Federal Writers' Project
of the W.P.A.
District #6
Marion County
Anna Pritchett
1200 Kentucky Avenue, Indianapolis, Indiana
FOLKLORE
MRS. CALLIE BRACEY--DAUGHTER [of Louise Terrell]
414 Blake Street
Mrs. Callie Bracey's mother, Louise Terrell, was bought, when a child,
by Andy Ramblet, a farmer, near Jackson, Miss. She had to work very hard
in the fields from early morning until as late in the evening, as they
could possibly see.
No matter how hard she had worked all day after coming in from the
field, she would have to cook for the next day, packing the lunch
buckets for the field hands. It made no difference how tired she was,
when the horn was blown at 4 a.m., she had to go into the field for
another day of hard work.
The women had to split rails all day long, just like the men. Once she
got so cold, her feet seemed to be frozen; when they warmed a little,
they had swollen so, she could not wear her shoes. She had to wrap her
foot in burlap, so she would be able to go into the field the next day.
The Ramblets were known for their good butter. They always had more than
they could use. The master wanted the slaves to have some, but the
mistress wanted to sell it, she did not believe in giving good butter to
slaves and always let it get strong before she would let them have any.
No slaves from neighboring farms were allowed on the Ramblet farm, they
would get whipped off as Mr. Ramblet did not want anyone to put ideas in
his slave's heads.
On special occasions, the older slaves were allowed to go to the church
of their master, they had to sit in the back of the church, and take no
part in the service.
Louise was given two dresses a year; her old dress from last year, she
wore as an underskirt. She never had a hat, always wore a rag tied over
her head.