Mrs. Bracey is a widow and has a grandchild living with her. She feels
she is doing very well, her parents had so little, and she does own her
own home.
Submitted December 10, 1937
Indianapolis, Indiana
Ex-Slave Stories
District #5
Vanderburgh County
Lauana Creel
A SLAVE, AMBASSADOR AND CITY DOCTOR
[DR. GEORGE WASHINGTON BUCKNER]
This paper was prepared after several interviews had been obtained with
the subject of this sketch.
Dr. George Washingtin [TR: Washington] Buckner, tall, lean, whitehaired,
genial and alert, answered the call of his door bell. Although anxious
to oblige the writer and willing to grant an interview, the life of a
city doctor is filled with anxious solicitation for others and he is
always expecting a summons to the bedside of a patient or a professional
interview has been slated.
Dr. Buckner is no exception and our interviews were often disturbed by
the jingle of the door bell or a telephone call.
Dr. Buckner's conversation lead in ever widening circles, away from the
topic under discussion when the events of his own life were discussed,
but he is a fluent speaker and a student of psychology. Psychology as
that philosophy relates to the mental and bodily tendencies of the
African race has long since become one of the major subjects with which
this unusual man struggles. "Why is the negro?" is one of his deepest
concerns.
Dr. Buckner's first recollections center within a slave cabin in
Kentucky. The cabin was the home of his step-father, his invalid mother
and several children. The cabin was of the crudest construction, its
only windows being merely holes in the cabin wall with crude bark
shutters arranged to keep out snow and rain. The furnishings of this
home consisted of a wood bedstead upon which a rough straw bed and
patchwork quilts provided meager comforts for the invalid mother. A
straw bed that could be pushed under the bed-stead through the day was
pulled into the middle of the cabin at night and the wearied children
were put to bed by the impatient step-father.
The parents were slaves and served a master not wealthy enough to
provide adaquately for their comforts. The mother had become invalidate
through the task of bearing children each year and being deprived of
medical and surgical attention.
The master, Mr. Buckner, along with several of his relatives had
purchased a large tract of land in Green County, Kentucky and by a
custom or tradition as Dr. Buckner remembers; land owners that owned no
slaves were considered "Po' White Trash" and were scarcely recognized as
citizens within the state of Kentucky.
Another tradition prevailed, that slave children should be presented to
the master's young sons and daughters and become their special property
even in childhood. Adherring to that tradition the child, George
Washington Buckner became the slave of young "Mars" Dickie Buckner, and
although the two children were nearly the same age the little mulatto
boy was obedient to the wishes of the little master. Indeed, the slave
child cared for the Caucasian boy's clothing, polished his boots, put
away his toys and was his playmate and companion as well as his slave.
Sickness and suffering and even death visits alike the just and the
unjust, and the loving sympathetic slave boy witnessed the suffering and
death of his little white friend. Then grief took possession of the
little slave, he could not bear the sight of little Dick's toys nor
books not [TR: nor?] clothing. He recalls one harrowing experience after
the death of little Dick Buckner. George's grandmother was a housekeeper
and kitchen maid for the white family. She was in the kitchen one late
afternoon preparing the evening meal. The master had taken his family
for a visit in the neighborhood and the mulatto child sat on the veranda
and recalled pleasanter days. A sudden desire seized him to look into
the bed room where little Mars Dickie had lain in the bed. The evening
shadows had fallen, exagerated by the influence of trees, and vines, and
when he placed his pale face near the window pane he thought it was the
face of little Dickie looking out at him. His nerves gave away and he
ran around the house screaming to his grandmother that he had seen
Dickie's ghost. The old colored woman was sympathetic, dried his tears,
then with tears coursing down her own cheeks she went about her duties.
George firmly believed he had seen a ghost and never really convinced
himself against the idea until he had reached the years of manhood. He
remembers how the story reached the ears of the other slaves and they
were terrorized at the suggestion of a ghost being in the master's home.
"That is the way superstitions always started" said the Doctor, "Some
nervous persons received a wrong impression and there were always others
ready to embrace the error."
Dr. Buckner remembers that when a young daughter of his master married,
his sister was given to her for a bridal gift and went away from her own
mother to live in the young mistress' new home. "It always filled us
with sorrow when we were separated either by circumstances of marriage
or death. Although we were not properly housed, properly nourished nor
properly clothed we loved each other and loved our cabin homes and were
unhappy when compelled to part."
"There are many beautiful spots near the Green River and our home was
situated near Greensburgh, the county seat of Dreen [TR: Green?]
County." The area occupied by Mr. Buckner and his relatives is located
near the river and the meanderings of the stream almost formed a
peninsula covered with rich soil. Buckner's hill relieved the landscape
and clear springs bubled through crevices affording much water for
household use and near those springs white and negro children met to
enjoy themselves.
"Forty years after I left Greensburg I went back to visit the springs
and try to meet my old friends. The friends had passed away, only a few
merchants and salespeople remembered my ancestors."
A story told by Dr. Buckner relates an evening at the beginning of the
Civil War. "I had heard my parents talk of the war but it did not seem
real to me until one night when mother came to the pallet where we slept
and called to us to 'Get up and tell our uncles good-bye.' Then four
startled little children arose. Mother was standing in the room with a
candle or a sort of torch made from grease drippings and old pieces of
cloth, (these rude candles were in common use and afforded but poor
light) and there stood her four brothers, Jacob, John, Bill, and Isaac
all with the light of adventure shining upon their mulatto countenances.
They were starting away to fight for their liberties and we were greatly
impressed."
Dr. Buckner stated that officials thought Jacob entirely too aged to
enter the service as he had a few scattered white hairs but he remembers
he was brawny and unafraid. Isaac was too young but the other two uncles
were accepted. One never returned because he was killed in battle but
one fought throughout the war and was never wounded. He remembers how
the white men were indignant because the negroes were allowed to enlist
and how Mars Stanton Buckner was forced to hide out in the woods for
many months because he had met slave Frank Buckner and had tried to kill
him. Frank returned to Greensburg, forgave his master and procurred a
paper stating that he was at fault, after which Stanton returned to
active service. "Yes, the road has been long. Memory brings back those
days and the love of my mother is still real to me, God bless her!"
Relating to the value of an education Dr. Buckner hopes every Caucassian
and Afro-American youth and maiden will strive to attain great heights.
His first efforts to procure knowledge consisted of reciting A.B.S.s
[TR: A.B.C.s?] from the McGuffy's [HW: ?] Blue backed speller with his
unlettered sister for a teacher. In later years he attended a school
conducted by the Freemen's Association. He bought a grammar from a white
school boy and studied it at home. When sixteen years of age he was
employed to teach negro children and grieves to recall how limited his
ability was bound to have been. "When a father considers sending his son
or daughter to school, today, he orders catalogues, consults his friends
and considers the location and surroundings and the advice of those who
have patronized the different schools. He finally decides upon the
school that promises the boy or girl the most attractive and comfortable
surroundings. When I taught the African children I boarded with an old
man whose cabin was filled with his own family. I climbed a ladder
leading from the cabin into a dark uncomfortable loft where a comfort
and a straw bed were my only conveniences."
Leaving Greensburg the young mulatto made his way to Indianapolis where
he became acquainted with the first educated Negro he had ever met. The
Negro was Robert Bruce Bagby, then principal of the only school for
Negroes in Indianapolis. "The same old building is standing there today
that housed Bagby's institution then," he declares.
Dr. Buckner recalls that when he left Bagby's school he was so low
financially he had to procure a position in a private residence as house
boy. This position was followed by many jobs of serving tables at hotels
and eating houses, of any and all kinds. While engaged in that work he
met Colonel Albert Johnson and his lovely wife, both natives of Arkansas
and he remembers their congratulations when they learned that he was
striving for an education. They advised his entering an educational
institution at Terre Haute. His desire had been to enter that
institution of Normal Training but felt doubtful of succeeding in the
advanced courses taught because his advantages had been so limited, but
Mrs. Johnson told him that "God gives his talents to the different
species and he would love and protect the negro boy."
After studying several years at the Terre Haute State Normal George W.
Buckner felt assured that he was reasonably prepared to teach the negro
youths and accepted the professorship of schools at Vincennes,
Washington and other Indiana Villages. "I was interested in the young
people and anxious for their advancement but the suffering endured by my
invalid mother, who had passed into the great beyond, and the memory of
little Master Dickie's lingering illness and untimely death would not
desert my consciousness. I determined to take up the study of medical
practice and surgery which I did."
Dr. Buckner graduated from the Indiana Electic Medical College in 1890.
His services were needed at Indianapolis so he practiced medicine in
that city for a year, then located at Evansville where he has enjoyed an
ever increasing popularity on account of his sympathetic attitude among
his people.
"When I came to Evansville," says Dr. Buckner, "there were seventy white
physicians practicing in the area, they are now among the departed.
Their task was streneous, roads were almost impossible to travel and
those brave men soon sacrificed their lives for the good of suffering
humanity." Dr. Buckner described several of the old doctors as "Striding
[TR: illegible handwritten word above 'striding'] a horse and setting
out through all kinds of weather."
Dr. Buckner is a veritable encyclopedia of negro lore. He stops at many
points during an interview to relate stories he has gleaned here and
there. He has forgotten where he first heard this one or that one but it
helps to illustrate a point. One he heard near the end of the war
follows, and although it has recently been retold it holds the interest
of the listener. "Andrew Jackson owned an old negro slave, who stayed
on at the old home when his beloved master went into politics, became an
American soldier and statesman and finally the 7th president of the
United States. The good slave still remained through the several years
of the quiet uneventful last years of his master and witnessed his
death, which occurred at his home near Nashville, Tennessee. After the
master had been placed under the sod, Uncle Sammy was seen each day
visiting Jackson's grave.
"Do you think President Jackson is in heaven?" an acquaintance asked
Uncle Sammy.
"If-n he wanted to go dar, he dar now," said the old man. "If-n Mars
Andy wanted to do any thing all Hell couldn't keep him from doin' it."
Dr. Buckner believes each Negro is confident that he will take himself
with all his peculiarities to the land of promise. Each physical feature
and habitual idiosyncrasy will abide in his redeemed personality. Old
Joe will be there in person with the wrinkle crossing the bridge of his
nose and little stephen will wear his wool pulled back from his eyes and
each will recognize his fellow man. "What fools we all are," declared
Dr. Buckner.
Asked his views concerning the different books embraced in the Holy
Bible, Dr. Buckner, who is a student of the Bible said, "I believe
almost every story in the Bible is an allegory, composed to illustrate
some fundemental truth that could otherwise never have been clearly
presented only through the medium of an allegory."
"The most treacherous impulse of the human nature and the one to be most
dreaded is jealousy." With these words the aged Negro doctor launched
into the expression of his political views. "I'm a Democrat." He then
explained how he voted for the man but had confidence that his chosen
party possesses ability in choosing proper candidates. He is an ardent
follower of Franklin D. Roosevelt and speaks of Woodrow Wilson with
bated breath.
Through the influence of John W. Boehne, Sr., and the friendly advice of
other influential citizens of Evansville Dr. Buckner was appointed
minister to Liberia, on Woodrow Wilson's cabinet, in the year 1913. Dr.
Buckner appreciated the confidence of his friends in appointing him and
cherishes the experineces gained while abroad. He noted the expressions
of gratitude toward cabinet members by the citizens of that African
coast. One Albino youth brought an offering of luscious mangoes and
desired to see the minister from the United States of America. Some
natives presented palm oils. "The natives have been made to understand
that the United States has given aid to Liberia in a financial way and
the customs-service of the republic is temporarily administered headed
by an American." "A thoroughly civilized Negro state does not exist in
Liberia nor do I believe in any part of West Africa. Superstition is the
interpretation of their religion, their political views are a hodgepodge
of unconnected ideas. Strength over rules knowledge and jealousy crowds
out almost all hope of sympathetic achievement and adjustment." Dr.
Buckner recounted incidents where jealousy was apparent in the behavior
of men and women of higher civilizations than the African natives. While
voyaging to Spain on board a Spanish vessel, he witnessed a very
refined, polite Jewish woman being reduced to tears by the taunts of a
Spanish officer, on account of her nationality. "Jealousy," he said,
"protrudes itself into politics, religion and prevents educational
achievement."
During a political campaign I was compelled to pay a robust Negro man to
follow me about my professional visits and my social evenings with my
friends and family, to prevent meeting physical violence to myself or
family when political factions were virtually at war within the area of
Evansville. The influence of political captains had brought about the
dreadful condition and ignorant Negroes responded to their political
graft, without realizing who had befriended them in need."
"The negro youths are especially subject to propoganda of the
four-flusher for their home influence is, to say the least, negative.
Their opportunities limited, their education neglected and they are
easily aroused by the meddling influence of the vote-getter and the
traitor. I would to God that their eyes might be opened to the light."
Dr. Buckner's influence is mostly exhibited in the sick room, where his
presence is introduced in the effort to relieve pain.
The gradual rise from slavery to prominence, the many trials encountered
along the road has ripened the always sympathetic nature of Dr. Buckner
into a responsive suffer among a suffering people. He has hope that
proper influences and sympathetic advice will mould the plastic
character of the Afro-American youths of the United States into proper
citizens and that their immortal souls inherit the promised reward of
the redeemed through grace.
"Receivers of emancipation from slavery and enjoyers of emancipation
from sin through the sacrifice of Abraham Lincoln and Jesus Christ; Why
should not the negroes be exalted and happy?" are the words of Dr.
Buckner.
Note: G.W. Buckner was born December 1st, 1852. The negroes in Kentucky
expressed it, "In fox huntin' time" one brother was born in "Simmon
time", one in "Sweet tater time," and another in "Plantin' time."
--Negro lore.
Ex-Slave Stories
District #5
Vanderburgh County
Lauana Creel
THE LIFE STORY OF GEORGE TAYLOR BURNS
[HW: Personal Interview]
Ox-carts and flat boats, and pioneer surroundings; crowds of men and
women crowding to the rails of river steamboats; gay ladies in holiday
attire and gentleman in tall hats, low cut vests and silk mufflers; for
the excursion boats carried the gentry of every area.
A little negro boy clung to the ragged skirts of a slave mother, both
were engrossed in watching the great wheels that ploughed the
Mississippi river into foaming billows. Many boats stopped at Gregery's
Landing, Missouri to stow away wood, for many engines were fired with
wood in the early days.
The Burns brothers operated a wood yard at the Landing and the work of
cutting, hewing and piling wood for the commerce was performed by slaves
of the Burns plantation.
George Taylor Burns was five years of age and helped his mother all day
as she toiled in the wood yards. "The colder the weather, the more hard
work we had to do," declares Uncle George.
George Taylor Burns, the child of Missouri slave parents, recalls the
scenes enacted at the Burns' wood yards so long ago. He is a resident of
Evansville, Indiana and his snow white hair and beard bear testimony
that his days have been already long upon the earth.
Uncle George remembers the time when his infant hands reached in vain
for his mother, the kind and gentle Lucy Burns: Remembers a long cold
winter of snow and ice when boats were tied up to their moorings. Old
master died that winter and many slaves were sold by the heirs, among
them was Lucy Burns. Little George clung to his mother but strong hands
tore away his clasp. Then he watched her cross a distant hill, chained
to a long line of departing slaves. George never saw his parents again
and although the memory of his mother is vivid he scarcely remembers his
father's face. He said, "Father was black but my mother was a bright
mulatto."
Nothing impressed the little boy with such unforgettable imagery as the
cold which descended upon Greogery's Landing one winter. Motherless,
hungry, desolate and unloved, he often cried himself to sleep at night
while each day he was compelled to carry wood. One morning he failed to
come when the horn was sounded to call the slaves to breakfast. "Old
Missus went to the Negro quarters to see what was wrong" and "She was
horrified when she found I was frozen to the bed."
She carried the small bundle of suffering humanity to the kitchen of her
home and placed him near the big oven. When the warmth thawed the frozen
child the toes fell from his feet. "Old Missus told me I would never be
strong enough to do hard work, and she had the neighborhood shoemaker
fashion shoes too short for any body's feet but mine," said Uncle
George.
Uncle George doesn't remember why he left Missouri but the sister of
Greene Taylor brought him to Troy, Indiana. Here she learned that she
could not own a slave within the State of Indiana so she indentured the
child to a flat boat captain to wash dishes and wait on the crew of
workers.
George was so small of stature that the captain had a low table and
stool made that he might work in comfort. George's mistress received
$15,00 [TR: $15.00?] per month for the service of the boy for several
years.
From working on the flat boats George became accustomed to the river and
soon received employment as a cabin boy on a steam boat and from that
time through out the most active days of his life George Taylor Burns
was a steam-boat man. In fact he declares, "I know steamboats from wood
box to stern wheel."
"The life of a riverman is a good life and interesting things happen on
the river," says Uncle George.
Uncle George has been imprisoned in the big jail at New Orleans. He has
seen his fellow slaves beaten into insensibility while chained to the
whipping post in Congo Square at New Orleans.
He was badly treated while a slave but he has witnessed even more cruel
treatment administered to his fellow slaves.
Among other exciting occurrences remembered by the old negro man when he
recalls early river adventures is one in which a flat boat sunk near New
Orleans. After clinging for many hours to the drifting wreckage he was
rescued, half dead from exhaustion.
In memory, George Taylor Burns stands in the slave mart at New Orleans
and hears the Auctioneers' hammer, for he was sold like a beast of
burden by Greene Taylor, brother of his mistress. Greene Taylor,
however, had to refund the money and return the slave to his mistress
when his crippled feet were discovered.
"Greene Taylor was like many other people I have known. He was always
ready to make life unhappy for a negro."
Uncle George, although possessing an unusual amount of intelligence and
ability to learn, has a very limited education. "The Negroes were not
allowed an education," he relates. "It was dangerous for any person to
be caught teaching a Negro and several Negroes were put to death because
they could read."
Uncle George recalls a few superstitions entertained by the rivermen.
"It was bad luck for a white cat to come aboard the boat." "Horse shoes
were carried for good luck." "If rats left the boat the crew was uneasy,
for fear of a wreck." Uncle George has very little faith in any
superstition but remembers some of the crews had.
Among other boats on which this old river man was employed are "The
Atlantic" on which he was cabin boy. The "Big Gray Eagle" on which he
assisted in many ways. He worked where boats were being constructed
while he lived at New Albany.
Many soldiers were returned to their homes by means of flat boats and
steam boats when the Civil War had ended and many recruits were sent by
water during the war. Just after peace was declared George met
Elizabeth Slye, a young slave girl who had just been set free. "Liza
would come to see her mother who was working on a boat." "People used to
come down to the landings to see boats come in," said Uncle George.
George and Liza were free, they married and made New Albany their home,
until 1881 when they came to Evansville.
Uncle George said the Eclipse was a beautiful boat, he remembers the
lettering in gold and the bright lights and polished rails of the
longest steam boat ever built in the West. Measuring 365 feet in length
and Uncle George declares, "For speed she just up and hustled."
"Louisville was one of the busiest towns in the Ohio Valley," says Uncle
George, but he remembers New Orleans as the market place where almost
all the surplus products were marketed.
Uncle George has many friends along the water-front towns. He admires
the Felker family of Tell City, Indiana. He is proud of his own race and
rejoices in their opportunities. He remembers his fear of the Ku Klux,
his horror of the patrol and other clans united to make life dangerous
for newly emancipated Negroes.
George Taylor Burns draws no old age pension. He owns a building located
at Canal and Evans Streets that houses a number of Negro families. He is
glad to say his credit is good in every market in the city. Although
lamed by rheumatic pains and hobbling on feet toeless from his young
childhood he has led a useful life. "Don't forget I knew Pilot Tom
Ballard, and Aaron Ballard on the Big Eagle in 1858," warns Uncle
George. "We Negroes carried passes so we could save our skins if we were
caught off the boats but we had plenty of good food on the boats."
Uncle George said the roustabouts sang gay songs while loading boats
with heavy freight and provisions but on account of his crippled feet he
could not be a roustabout.
Federal Writers' Project
of the W.P.A.
District #6
Marion County
Anna Pritchett
1200 Kentucky Avenue
FOLKLORE
MRS. BELLE BUTLER--DAUGHTER [of Chaney Mayer]
829 North Capitol Avenue