farmed the little farm. My steppapa didn't like me. I was light. He and
me couldn't get along. So when I had 20 years I left there and hired
myself out. I saved till I bought a little piece of land for myself.
Then I married and raised the family. Me and my wife and the children
farmed that place up to ten years ago and then she died. My son farms
the place now and I came to Beaumont. I live with my girl.
"I remember me in time of war we danced. Round dances. We sang and
danced La Boulangere in time of war. De song go:
"'La Boulangere ait ta victoire
Et nous, qui sont en guerre,
Voici le jour que je dois partir.
"'Mon cher ami, tu pars,
Tu me laisses un enfant dans les bras
et prend tes armes.
Et moi, je vais dans le moment
verser des larmes.
"'Quand je serai en le guerre, [Handwritten Note: à la guerre?]
Tu serais de garnison,
Et tu m'oublirais moi,
Qui serai en les haillons.
"'J'entends le tombour qui m'appelle
A les points de jour.
Mon cher Armande, si tu m'aimes
Tu penserais à moi, quand tu serais,
Dans tes plaisir.
Moi--que serai au bout du fusil!'
"I got one real scare. I was with M'sieur Arceneaux in Lafayette. There
was the battle. Lots of fighting. Lots of killing. The Yankees came
right inside the house. I stayed hid.
"I don't know whether it's been better since the war. At all times one
has his miseries. We managed to get along on the farm. But now I have
nothing. Oh, I don't mean slavery was better than to be free. I mean
times were better.
"The reason I'm so light is, my mama was half-white. My papa was Neville
Broussard and he was all white.
420233
[Illustration: Fannie Brown]
FANNIE BROWN, aged Negro of Waco, Texas, does not know her age. She
was born near Richmond, Virginia, a slave of the Koonce family.
They sold her to Mrs. Margaret Taylor, of Belton, Texas, when
Fannie was only five years old, and she never saw her mother again.
"I was borned near Richmond, over in Virginy, but Massa Koonce sold me.
When I was five year old he brung me to Belton and sold me to Missy
Margaret Taylor, and she kep' me till she died. I was growed den and
sold to Massa Jim Fletcher and dere I stayed till I was freed.
"Dere no spring near Massa Fletcher's place and us have to git water out
de well, what dey call de sweep well. Dey cut down a young saplin' and
weight it on one end with rocks and tie de bucket on a rope on de other
end and brace de pole over de well.
"While de big house bein' built dey slep' in a big wagon and cook over a
fireplace make out of rock what us niggers pick up in de woods. Us cook
lots of good eatin' out on dat fireplace, dem wild turkeys and wild meat
sho' tasted good.
"Massa trades ten yards of red calico and two hatchets to de Indians for
some skins and take de skins to Austin and traded dem fer de spinnin'
wheel and loom, and hauls dem to Belton in de ox carts.
"My missy larnt me to spin and weave and did dis child git many a
whuppin' 'fore I could do it good. Den she larnt me to cook and start me
cookin' two or three days 'fore company come. Dat when us have de good
old pound cake. De li'l chillen stand round when I bake, so as to git to
lick de spoons and pans, and how dey pop dere lips when dey lickin' dat
good dough!
"Massa have garden seed he brung to Texas, but he didn't think it would
grow, so he kep' it several months, but den he plants it and up it come,
jus' like in de old states. Us used dem tomatoes for flowers, 'cause us
thunk dem pretty red things would kill us or put de spell on us. But de
white folks et dem and us larn to.
"I was growed and have chillen 'fore de freedom war. I never did have no
special husban' 'fore de war. I marries after de war.
"My, how dem niggers could play de fiddle back in de good old days. On
de moonlight nights, us dance by de light of de moon under a big oak
tree, till most time to go to work next mornin'.
"De fus' barb wire us ever seen, us scairt of it. Us thunk lightnin' be
sho' to strike it. It sho' keep de stock in, though.
"I seed men ridin' hosses with dead men tied 'cross dey hoss, endurin'
de freedom war. But I can't tell much 'bout dat war, 'cause I couldn't
read and I never git any place 'cept home at my work. I love dem days
better dan I do dese times now, but I'm too old to 'member much.
420086
[Illustration: Fred Brown]
FRED BROWN, 84, 1414 Jones St., Fort Worth, Texas, was born a slave
to Mr. John Brown, who owned a plantation along the Mississippi
River, in Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana. Fred was eight years old
when the Civil War started. During the War, he and a number of
other slaves were taken to Kaufman Co., Texas, as refugees, by
Henry Bidder, an overseer. He worked five years as a laborer after
he was freed, then worked as a cook until 1933.
"Sho', I has time to talk to you 'bout my life, 'cause I can't work any
more and I has nothin' but time. It am de rhumatis' in de leg, it ketch
me dat way, from de hip to de knee,--zip--dat pain goes!
"I's bo'n in ole Louisiana, in Baton Rouge Parish, on de 16th of
November, in 1853. I knows, 'cause massa give dis nigger a statement.
You see, dey don' larn de niggers to read in dem days, nor figger, but I
can read figgers. See dem on dat car? Dat am 713. Dat am bad figgers, I
never has any truck with sich numbers as de 7 or de 13.
"Massa have quite pert a plantation in Louisiana, dis side de
Mississippi River. De slaves him own am from 40 to 50 sometimes. In our
family am pappy, mammy and three brudders and one sister, Julia, and six
cousins. Dat am 13 and dat's why massa had so much trouble with niggers
runnin' 'way!
"Everyone have dere certain wo'k and duties for to do. Mammy am de
family cook and she he'p at de loom, makin' de cloth. My daddy am de
blacksmith and shoemaker and de tanner. I 'spains how he do tannin.' He
puts de hides in de water with black-oak bark and purty soon de hair
come off and den he rolls and poun's de hides for to make dem soft.
"When I's 'bout 8 years old, or sich, dey starts me to he'pin' in de
yard and as I grows older I he'ps in de fields. Massa, him raises cane
and co'n mostly, no cotton.
"De buildings on de place am de resident of de massa and de quarters for
de niggers. Dey am built from logs and de quarters has no floors and no
windows, jus' square holes whar de windows ought to be. Dey have bunks
for sleepin' and a table and benches, and cooks in de fireplace.
"We allus have plenty for to eat, plenty co'nmeal, 'lasses and heavy,
brown sugar. We gits flour bread once de week, but lots of butter and
milk. For de coffee, we roasts meal bran and for de tea, de sassafras.
Den we has veg'tables and fruit dat am raised on de place. De meat
mostly am de wil' game, deer and de turkey, but sometimes hawg meat.
"Massa have overseer and overlooker. De overseer am in charge of wo'k
and de overlooker am in charge of de cullud women. De overseer give all
de whippin's. Sometimes when de nigger gits late, 'stead of comin' home
and takin' de whippin' him goes to de caves of de river and stays and
jus' comes in night time for food. When dey do dat, de dawgs is put
after dem and den it am de fight 'tween de nigger and de dawg. Jus' once
a nigger kills de dawg with de knife, dat was close to freedom and it
come 'fore dey ketches him. When dey whips for runnin' off, de nigger am
tied down over a barrel and whipped ha'd, till dey draws blood,
sometimes.
"Dem fool niggers what sneak off without de pass, have two things for to
watch, one is not to be ketched by de overseer and de other am de
patter-rollers. De nigger sho' am skeert of de patters. One time my
pappy and my mammy goes out without de pass and de patters takes after
dem. I'se home, 'cause I's too young to be pesterin' roun'. I sees dem
comin,' and you couldn' catched dem with a jackrabbit. One time anoudder
nigger am runnin' from de patters and hides under de house. Dey fin' him
and make him come out. You's seen de dawg quaver when him's col'? Well,
dat nigger have de quaverment jus' like dat. De patters hits him five or
six licks and lets him go. Dat nigger have lots of power--him gits to de
quarters ahead of his shadow.
"Now, I tell 'bout some good times. We is 'lowed to have parties and de
dance and we has for music, sich as de banjo and de jew's harp and a
'cordian. Dey dance de promenade and de jeg. Sometimes day
have de jiggin' contest and two niggers puts a glass of water on dere
heads and den see who can dance de longes' without spillin' any water.
Den we has log-rollin'. Dere was two teams, 'bout three to de team, and
dey see which can roll de log de fastes'. Den sometimes a couple am
'lowed to git married and dere am extry fixed for supper. De couple
steps over de broom laid en de floor, dey's married den.
"Sometimes de overlooker don' let dem git married. I 'splains it dis
way. He am used for to father de chillun. Him picks de portly, and de
healthy women dat am to rear de portly chillen. De overlooker, he am
portly man. Dem dat him picks he overlooks, and not 'low dem to marry or
to go round with other nigger men. If dey do, its whippin' sho.' De
massa raises some fine, portly chillen, and dey sel' some, after dey's
half-grown, for $500 and sometimes more.
"De war didn' make no diff'runce, dat I notices, 'cept massa and one
overseer jines de army. Massa come back, but de overseer am captured by
de Yankees, so massa says, and we never hears 'bout him after dat. De
soldiers passes by lots of times, both de 'federates and de 'blue
bellies', but we's never bothered with dem. De fightin' was not close
enough to make trouble. Jus' 'fore freedom come, de new overseer am
'structed to take us to Texas and takes us to Kaufman County and we is
refugees dere. De Yankee mans tells us we am free and can do sich as we
pleases. Dat lef' us in charge of no one and we'uns, jus' like cattle,
wen' wanderin'.
"Pappy, him goes back to Lousiana to massa's place. Dat am de las' we
hears from him. Mammy and I goes to Henderson and I works at dis and dat
and cares for my mammy ten years, till she dies. Den I gits jobs as cook
in Dallas and Houston and lots of other places.
"I gits married in 1901 to Ellen Tilles and I cooks till 'bout four
years ago, till I gits de rhumatis'. Dat's all I can tell you 'bout de
ole days.
420096
[Illustration: James Brown]
JAMES BROWN, 84, blind for the last 12 years and now living alone
in a shack at 408 W. Belknap, Fort Worth, Texas, was born a slave
of Mr. Berney in Bell Co., Texas, in 1853. While still an infant,
he and his mother were sold to Mr. John Blair, who farmed four
miles south of Waco, Texas. JAMES has no known living relatives and
a pension of $14.00 a month is his sole support.
"My fust Marster was named Marster Berney. I'se don' 'member hims fust
name nor nothin' 'bout him. I'se don' know nothin' 'bout my pappy, but
Marster Blair told me hims name was John Brown.
"Marster Blair have hims farm four miles south of Waco. We'uns lived in
de cabins and have de fiddle and de banjoes. We'uns sing and have music
on Sundays. Marster never whups we'uns and him was allus good to us. Him
gives us plenty to eat, and meat, too. Hims keeps 'bout 20 hawgs dere
all de time. De women makes de clothes and we'uns have all we need.
"De fust work I does is drivin' de Marster to town. Marster have fine
hosses. Marster have hims office in Waco and we drive dere every day.
I'se stays all day ready to drive him home. Mos' every day hims give me
five cents or maybe de dime. Hims was a big law man and went to de
legislature down in Austin. His picture am in Austin, 'cause I'se down
dere years ago and seen his picture in a case wid Gov'ner Ross' picture.
"Anudder thing dat Marster does powe'ful good am trade de niggers. He
buys and sells 'em all de time. You see, dere was traders dat traveled
from place to place dem days and dey takes sometimes as much as 100
niggers for to trade. Dere was sheds outside of town, whar dey keeps de
niggers when dey comes to town.
"De Marster and de trader talks dis away: 'How you trade?' 'I'se gives
you even trade.' 'No, I'se wants $25.00 for de diff'runce.' 'I'se gives
you $5.00.' Dat's de way dey talks on and on. Maybe dey makes de trade
and maybe dey don'.
"Dey have auction sometime and Marster allus tend 'em. At de auction
I'se seen dem sell a family. Maybe one man buy de mammy, anudder buy de
pappy and anudder buy all de chillens or maybe jus' one, like dat. I'se
see dem cry like dey at de funeral when dey am parted. Dey has to drag
'em away.
"When de auction begin, he says: 'Dis nigger is so and so ole, he never
'bused, he soun' as a dollar. Jus' look at de muscle and de big
shoulders. He's worth a thousan' of any man's money. How much am I
offered?' Den de biddin' starts. It goes like dis: '$200 I'se hear, does
I'se hear $250, does I hear $300.' Den de nigger takes hims clothes--dey
have one extry suit--and goes wid de man dat buys him.
"De day befo' Marster gives we'uns freedom, he says to we'uns, 'I'se
wants all you niggers to come to de front of de house Sunday mornin!'
We'uns was dere and he was standin' on de gallery, holdin' a paper in
hims han' and readin'. Dere was tears in hims eyes and some drap on de
paper. I'se have tears in my eyes, too; mos' of 'em have. When hims done
readin', hims says: 'You darkies is as free as I'se is. You can go or
you can stay. Those dat stay till de crops laid by, I'se will give $5.00
a month.'
"Den he takes de little niggers and says, 'De little fellows who I'se
have sold dere mammies will stay wid me till dey am 21 years ole. You
little fellows, I'se know you's age and I'se give yous de statement.'
"Mos' of de niggers stays wid him, but dey lef' fust one and den tudder.
I'se stays on wid him for many years and works as coachman. When I lef'
de Marster, 'twas to work for a farmer for one year, den I'se comes to
Fort Worth. I'se works in lumberya'd for long time.
"For de las' 12 years I'se been blin'. I'se had hard time after dat till
de las' year but I'se gits de pension each month, dat am a heap of help.
Dis nigger am thankful for what de Lawd have blessed me wid.
420104
[Illustration: Josie Brown]
JOSIE BROWN was born about 1859, in Victoria, Texas. She belonged
to George Heard. Her mother was born free, a member of the Choctaw
Nation, but she was stolen and sold as a slave. Josie now lives in
Woodville, Texas.
"I's bo'n on Christmas day, in Victoria. Got here jus' in time for de
eggnog! Dat 'bout 1859, 'cause I's six year ole de Christmas 'fore
freedom. My mudder was a free bo'n Injun woman. Jus' like any ole,
demmed Choctaw down in de woods. She was stole and sol' by a
spec'lator's gang. Us move to Tyler when I one mont' ole.
"We lib on a big farm and my mudder suckle her thirteen chillun and ole
mistus seven. Bob, my brudder, he go to Mansfiel' and we never hear of
him no more. He wen' with young marster, Wesley Heard. I 'member de
mornin' dey lef', dey had to wait for him, 'cause he'd been out seein'
his gal.
"De marstar hab a big log house close to de road. De quarters was
'cordin' to de family what live dere. De stage line through Woodville
pass close by. I 'member sittin' on de rail fence to see de stage go by.
Dat was a fine sight! De stage was big, rough carriage and dey was four
or five hosses on de line. De bugle blow when dey go by, with de dus'
behin' dem. Dey was comin' from Jasper, in Louisian', and everywhere.
"When us little dey hab to keep us in de house 'cause de bald eagle pick
up chillen jus' like de hawk pick up chicken. Dey was lots of catamoun'
and bears and deer in de woods. Us never 'llowed play 'lone in de
woods.
"I didn' do nothin' 'cep' eat and sleep and foller ole mistus 'round.
She giv me good clothes 'cause my mudder was de weaver. De clothes jus'
cut out straight down and dyed with all kinds of bark. I hab to keep de
head comb and grease with lard. De lil' white chillun play with me but
not de udder nigger chilluns much. Us pull de long, leaf grass and plait
it and us make rag doll and playhouse and grapevine swing. Dere's plenty
grapes, scudlong, sour blue grape and sweet, white grape. Dey make jelly
and wine outta dem. Dey squeeze de grapes and put de juice in a
jimmijohn(demijohn) to fo'men'.
"My mudder name was Keyia. Dat Injun. Daddy's name was Reuben. I 'member
when I's lil' us goes visit my uncle, Major Scott. He lib in Polk County
and he wore earring in he ears and beads and everyt'ing. He's a Injun.
He dead now, many year.
"My daddy work in de fiel'. He sow de rice and raise t'baccy. Dey have
fiel's of it. Dey put it in de crack of de fence to press, den dey dry
it on de barn roof. Dat was smokin' t'baccy! For de chewin' t'baccy, dey
soak it in sugar and honey. Us never see snuff den.
"On Sunday us didn' work. We has chu'ch meetin'. But dey has to have it
in de ya'd, so de white folks could see de kin' of religion 'spounded.
"I seed some bad sight in slavery, but ain' never been 'bused myself. I
seed chillun too lil' to walk from dey mammies sol' right off de block
in Woodville. Dey was sol' jus' like calfs. I seed niggers in han'
locks.
"After freedom dey wuk a whole year and den Major Sangers, he finally
come and make de white folks tu'n us loose. I stay on for years, 'till
ole mistus die. She larn me to knit and spin and sich like.
"In de early day, us hab to be keerful. Dey say witches ride dey hosses
on de da'k nights. Us allus put hossshoes over de door to keep de witch
out. Iffen us go out at night, us go roun' de house three time so de
witch not come in while us gone.
"I's fifteen year ole when I marry. Giles Paul was from de Wes'. He was
de fus' husban'. Us hab a real weddin' with a bride veil. My weddin'
dress hang 'way back on de flo', and shine like silver. Dey hab big
dance and eat supper.
"My second husban' name' Robert Brown and I's mudder of ten chillun.
'Sides dat, I raises six or seven day I pick up on de street 'cause dey
orfums and hab nobody to care for dem. Some dem chillun drif' 'bout now
and I wouldn' know 'em if I seed 'em!
420211
[Illustration: Zek Brown]
ZEK BROWN, 80, was born a slave of Green Brown, owner of six slave
families, in Warren County, Tennessee. Zek came to Texas in 1868,
with Sam Bragg. Zek now lives at 407 W. Bluff St., in Fort Worth,
Texas.
"My name am Zek Brown and Massa Green Brown owned me. He have a
plantation in Tennessee and own all my folks, what was my pappy and
mammy and two sisters. I never seed any of dem since I ran 'way from
there, when I's ten years old.
"I sometimes wishes I's back on de plantation. I's took good care of
dere and massa am awful good. Each fam'ly have dere own cabin and it
warn't so much for niceness but we lives comfor'ble and has plenty to
eat and wear. My mammy work de loom, makin' cloth, and us chillen wears
linsey cloth shirts till dey gives us pants. Massa buy he fam'ly nice
clothes but dey wears linsey clothes everyday. Same with shoes, dey am
made on de plantation and de first store shoes I has am after surrender.
My mammy buys me a pair with brass tips on de toe, and am I dress up
den!
"De food am bester dan what I's had since dem days. Dey raises it all
but de salt and sich. You wouldn't 'lieve how us et den. It am ham and
bacon, 'cause dey raises all de hawgs. It am cornmeal and some white
flour and fruit and honey and 'lasses and brown sugar. De 'lasses am
black as I is and dat am some black. I wishes I was dere and mammy call
me, and I can smell dat ham fryin' right now.
"Not once does I know of de massa whippin' and him don't talk rough
even. Jus' so de work am done we does as we pleases, long as us
reas'ble. Us have parties and dancin' and singin'. De music am de banjo
and de fiddle.
"I don't 'member when de war start but I 'member when it stop and massa
call all us together and tell us we's no more slaves. Him talk lots
'bout what it mean and how it am diff'rent and we'uns have to make our
own way and can't 'pend on him like. He say if us stay dere'll be wages
or we can share crop and everybody stay. My folks stays one year and den
moves to 'nother he farms. Pappy keep de farm and mammy teach school.
Her missie done larnt her to read and sich from time she a young'un, so
she have eddication so good dey puts her to teachin'.
"De way I leaves home am dis. One day mammy teachin' school and me and
my sister am home, and I 'cides she need de haircut. She want it, too.
So I gits de shears and goes to work and after I works a while de job
don't look so good, so I cuts some more and den it look worse and I
tries to fix it and first thing I knows dere ain't no hair left to cut.
When mammy come home she pays me for de work with de rawhide whip and
dat hurts my feelin's so bad I 'cides to git even by runnin' 'way a few
days. It am 'bout sundown and I starts to go and comes to Massa Sam
Bragg's place. I's tired den and not so strong 'bout de idea and 'cides
to rest. I walks into he yard and dere am a covered wagon standin' and
loaded with lots of stuff and de front end open. I finds de soft place
in de back and goes to sleep, and when I wakes up it am jus' gittin'
daylight and dat wagon am a-movin'.'
"I don't say nothin'. I's skeert and waits for dat wagon to stop, so's I
can crawl out. I jus' sits and sits and when it stop I crawls out and
Massa Bragg say, 'Good gosh, look what am crawlin' out de wagon! He look
at me a while and den he say, 'You's too far from home for me to take
you back and you'll git lost if you tries to walk home. I guesses I'll
have to take you with me.' I thinks him am goin' some place and comin'
back, but it am to Texas him come and stop at Birdville. Dat am how dis
nigger come to Texas.
"I's often wish my mammy done whip me so hard I couldn't walk off de
place, 'cause from den on I has mighty hard times. I stays with Massa
Bragg four years and then I hunts for a job where I can git some wages.
I gits it with Massa Joe Henderson, workin' on he farm and I's been
round these parts ever since and farmed most my life.
"I gits into a picklement once years ago. I's 'rested on de street. I's
not done a thing, jus' walkin' 'long de street with 'nother fellow and
dey claim he stole somethin'. I didn't know nothin' 'bout since. Did dey
turn me a-loose? Dey turn me loose after six months on de chain gang. I
works on de road three months with a ball and chain on de legs. After
dat trouble, I sho' picks my comp'ny.
"I marries onct, 'bout forty years ago, and after four years she drops
dead with de heart mis'ry. Us have no chillen so I's alone in de world.
It am all right long as I could work, but five years ago dis right arm
gits to shakin' so bad I can' work no more. For a year now dey pays me
$9.00 pension. It am hard to live on dat for a whole month, but I's glad
to git it.
4210129
MADISON BRUIN, 92, spent his early days as a slave on the Curtis
farm in the blue grass region of Kentucky, where he had some
experience with some of the fine horses for which the state is
famous. Here, too, he had certain contacts with soldiers of John
Morgan, of Confederate fame. His eyes are keen and his voice mellow
and low. His years have not taken a heavy toll of his vitality.
"I's a old Kentucky man. I's born in Fayette County, 'bout five miles
from Lexington, right where dere lots of fine hosses. My old massa was
name Jack Curtis and de old missus was Miss Addie. My mother name Mary
and she die in 1863 and never did see freedom. I don't 'member my daddy
a-tall.
"De place was jis' a farm, 'cause dey didn't know nothin' 'bout
plantations up dere in Kentucky. Dey raise corn and wheat and garlic and
fast hosses. Dey used to have big hoss races and dey had big tracks and
I's stood in de middle of dat big track in Lexington and watch dem
ex'cise de hosses. Sometimes I got to help dem groom some dem grand
hosses and dat was de big day for me. I don't 'member dem hosses names,
no, suh, but I knowed one big bay hoss what won de race nearly every
time.
"I had two sisters name Jeanette and Fanny and a brother, Henry, and
after my daddy die, my mother marries a man name Paris and I had one
half-brother call Alfred Paris.
"Old massa was good to us and give us plenty food. He never beat us
hard. He had a son what jis' one month older'n me and we run 'round and
play lots. Old massa, he whip me and he own son jis' de same when we
bad. He didn't whip us no more'n he ought to, though. Dey was good
massas and some mean ones, and some worthless cullud folks, too.
"Durin' de war de cholera broke out 'mongst de people and everybody
scairt dey gwine cotch it. Dey say it start with de hurtin' in de
stomach and every time us hurt in de stomach, missus make us come quick
to de big house. Dat suit us jis' right and when dey sends Will and me
to hoe or do somethin' us didn't want to do, pretty soon I say, 'Willie,
I think my stomach 'ginnin to hurt. I think dis mis'ry a sign I gittin'
de cholera.' Den him say, 'Us better go to de big house like ma say,'
and with dat, us quit workin'. Us git out lots of work dat way, but us
ain't ever took de cholera yit.
"Durin' de war John Morgan's men come and took all de hosses. Dey left
two and Willie and me took dem to hide in de plum thicket, but us jis'
git out de gate when de sojers come 'gain and dey head us off and take
de last two hosses.