Among the interesting stories connected with former slaves one of the
most outstanding ones is the life story of Adah Isabelle Suggs, indeed
her escape from slavery planned and executed by her anxious mother,
Harriott McClain, bears the earmarks of fiction, but the truth of all
related occurences has been established by the aged negro woman and her
daughter Mrs. Harriott Holloway, both citizens of Evansville, Indiana.
Born in slavery before January the twenty-second, 1862 the child Adah
McClain was the property of Colonel Jackson McClain and Louisa, his
wife.
According to the customary practice of raising slave children, Adah was
left at the negro quarters of the McClain plantation, a large estate
located in Henderson county, three and one half miles from the village
of Henderson, Kentucky. There she was cared for by her mother. She
retains many impressions gained in early childhood of the slave
quarters; she remembers the slaves singing and dancing together after
the day of toil. Their voices were strong and their songs were sweet.
"Master was good to his slaves and never beat them" were her words
concerning her master.
When Adah was not yet five years of age the mistress, Louisa McClain,
made a trip to the slave quarters to review conditions of the negroes.
It was there she discovered that one little girl there had been
developing ideas and ideals; the mother had taught the little one to
knit tiny stockings, using wheat straws for knitting needles.
Mrs. McClain at once took charge of the child taking her from her
mother's care and establishing her room at the residence of the McClain
family.
Today the aged Negro woman recalls the words of praise and encouragement
accorded her accomplishments, for the child was apt, active, responsive
to influence and soon learned to fetch any needed volume from the
library shelves of the McClain home.
She was contented and happy but the mother knew that much unhappiness
was in store for her young daughter if she remained as she was situated.
A custom prevailed throughout the southern states that the first born
of each slave maiden should be the son or daughter of her master and the
girls were forced into maternity at puberty. The mothers naturally
resisted this terrible practice and Harriott was determined to prevent
her child being victimized.
One planned escape was thwarted; when the girl was about twelve years of
age the mother tried to take her to a place of safety but they were
overtaken on the road to the ferry where they hoped to be put across the
Ohio river. They were carried back to the plantation and the mother was
mildly punished and imprisoned in an upstair room.
The little girl knew her mother was imprisoned and often climbed up to a
window where the two could talk together.
One night the mother received directions through a dream in which her
escape was planned. She told the child about the dream and instructed
her to carry out orders that they might escape together.
The girl brought a large knife from Mrs. McClain's pantry and by the aid
of that tool the lock was pried from the prison door and the mother made
her way into the open world about midnight.
A large tobacco barn became her refuge where she waited for her child.
The girl had some trouble making her escape; she had become a useful and
necessary member of her mistress' household and her services were hourly
in demand. The Daughter "young missus" Annie McClain was afflicted from
birth having a cleft palate and later developing heart dropsy which made
regular surgery imperative. The negro girl had learned to care for the
young white woman and could draw the bandages for the surgeon whey
"Young Missus" underwent surgical treatment.
The memory of one trip to Louisville is vivid in the mind of the old
negress today for she was taken to the city and the party stopped at the
Gault House and [TR: line not completed]
"It was a grand place," she declares, as she describes the surroundings;
the handsome draperies and the winding stairway and other artistic
objects seen at the grand hotel.
The child loved her young mistress and the young mistress desired the
good slave should be always near her; so, patient waiting was required
by the negro mother before her daughter finally reached their
rendezvous.
Under cover of night the two fugitives traveled the three miles to
Henderson, there they secreted themselves under the house of Mrs.
Margaret Bentley until darkness fell over the world to cover their
retreat. Imagine the frightened negroes stealthily creeping through the
woods in constant fear of being recaptured. Federal soldiers put them
across the river at Henderson and from that point they cautiously
advanced toward Evansville. The husband of Harriott, Milton McClain and
her son Jerome were volunteers in a negro regiment. The operation of the
Federal Statute providing for the enlistment of slaves made enlisted
negroes free as well as their wives and children, so, by that statute
Harriott McClain and her daughter should have been given their freedom.
When the refugees arrived in Evansville they were befriended by free
negroes of the area. Harriott obtained a position as maid with the
Parvine family, "Miss Hallie and Miss Genevieve Parvine were real good
folks," declares the aged negro Adah when repeating her story. After
working for the Misses Parvine for about two years, the negro mother had
saved enough money to place her child in "pay school" there she learned
rapidly.
Adah McClain was married to Thomas Suggs January 18, 1872. Thomas was a
slave of Bill McClain and it is believed he adopted the name Suggs
because a Mr. Suggs had befriended him in time of trouble. Of this fact
neither the wife nor daughter have positive proof. The father has
departed this life but Adah Suggs lives on with her memories.
Varied experiences have attended her way. Wifehood and devotion;
motherhood and care she has known for she has given fifteen children to
the world. Among them were one set of twins, daughters and triplets, two
sons and a daughter. She is a beloved mother to those of her children
who remain near her and says she is happy in her belief in God and
Christ and hopes for a glorious hereafter where she can serve the Lord
Jesus Christ and praise him eternally.
What greater hope can be given to the mortal than the hope cherished by
Adah Isabelle Suggs?
Folklore
District #5
Vanderburgh County
Lauana Creel
"A TRADITION FROM PRE-CIVIL WAR DAYS"
KATIE SUTTON, AGED EX-SLAVE
Oak street, Evansville, Ind.
"White folks 'jes naturally different from darkies," said Aunt Katie
Sutton, ex-slave, as she tightened her bonnet strings under her wrinkled
chin.
"We's different in color, in talk and in ligion and beliefs. We's
different in every way and can never be spected to think oe [TR: or?] to
live alike."
"When I was a little gal I lived with my mother in an old log cabin. My
mammy was good to me but she had to spend so much of her time at
humoring the white babies and taking care of them that she hardly ever
got to even sing her own babies to sleep."
"Ole Missus and Young Missus told the little slave children that the
stork brought the white babies to their mothers but that the slave
children were all hatched out from buzzards eggs and we believed it was
true."
"Yes, Maam, I believes in evil spirits and that there are many folks
that can put spells on you, and if'n you dont believe it you had better
be careful for there are folks right here in this town that have the
power to bewitch you and then you will never be happy again."
Aunt Katie declared that the seventh son of a seventh son, or the
seventh daughter of a seventh daughter possesses the power to heal
diseases and that a child born after the death of its father possesses a
strange and unknown power.
While Aunt Katie was talking, a neighbor came in to borrow a shovel from
her.
"No, no, indeed I never lends anything to nobody," she declared. After
the new neighbor left, Aunt Katie said, "She jes erbout wanted dat
shovel so she could 'hax' me. A woman borrowed a poker from my mammy and
hexed mammy by bending the poker and mammy got all twisted up wid
rhumatis 'twill her uncle straightened de poker and den mammy got as
straight as anybody."
"No, Maam, nobody wginter take anything of mine out'n this house." Aunt
Katie Sutton's voice was thin and her tune uncertain but she remembered
some of the songs she heard in slavery days. One was a lullaby sung by
her mother and the song is given on separate pages of this artical.
Three years ago Aunt Katie was called away on her last journey although
she had always emmerced the back and front steps of her cottage with
chamber lye daily to keep away evil spirits death crept in and demanded
the price each of us must pay and Katie answered the call.
Aunt Katie sprinkled salt in the foot prints of departing guests "Dat's
so dey kain leave no illwill behind em and can never come agin 'thout an
invitation," she explained.
She said she one time planted a tree with a curse and that her worst
enemy died that same year.
"Evil spirits creeps around all night long and evil people's always able
to hex you, So, you had best be careful how you talks to strangers.
Always spit on a coin before You gives it to a begger and dont pass too
close to a hunchbacked person unless you can rub the hump or you will
have bad luck as sure as anything."
Aunt Katie declared a rabbit's foot only brought good luck if the rabbit
had been killed by a cross eyed negro in a country grave yard in the
dark of the moon and she said that she believed one of that description
could be found only once in a lifetime or possibly a hundred years.
"A Slave Mammy's Lullaby."
Sung by Katie Sutton, Ex-slave of Evansville, Indiana.
"A snow white stork flew down from the sky.
Rock a bye, my baby bye,
To take a baby gal so fair,
To young missus, waitin there;
When all was quiet as a mouse,
In ole massa's big fine house.
Refrain:
Dat little gal was borned rich and free,
She's de sap from out a sugah tree;
But you are jes as sweet to me;
My little colored chile,
Jes lay yo head upon my bres;
An res, and res, and res, an res,
My little colored chile.
To a cabin in a woodland drear,
You've come by a mammy's heart to cheer;
In this ole slave's cabin,
Your hands my heart strings grabbin;
Jes lay your head upon my bres,
Jes snuggle close an res an res;
My little colored chile.
Repeat Refrain.
Yo daddy ploughs ole massa's corn,
Yo mammy does the cooking;
She'll give dinner to her hungry chile,
When nobody is a lookin;
Don't be ashamed, my chile, I beg,
Case you was hatched from a buzzard's egg;
My little colored chile."
Repeat Refrain.
Dist. No. 4
Johnson Co.
William R. Mays
Aug. 2, 1937