gal. My white folks was rich and fed us good. Dey raised lots of hogs
and give us plenty of bread and meat wid milk and butter and all sorts
of vegetables. Marster had one big garden and dere warn't nobody had
more good vegetables den he fed to his slaves. De cookin' was done in
open fireplaces and most all de victuals was biled or fried. Us had all
de 'possums, squirrels, rabbits, and fish us wanted cause our marster
let de mens go huntin' and fishin' lots.
"Us jus' wore common clothes. Winter time dey give us dresses made out
of thick homespun cloth. De skirts was gathered on to tight fittin'
waisties. Us wore brass toed brogan shoes in winter, but in summer
Niggers went bar'foots. Us jus' wore what us could ketch in summer. By
dat time our winter dresses had done wore thin and us used 'em right on
through de hot weather.
"Marse Daniel Miller, he was some kinder good to Mammy, and Miss Susan
was good to us too. Now Honey, somehow I jus' cain't 'member deir
chilluns names no more. And I played in de sand piles all day long wid
'em too.
"Oh-h-h! Dat was a great big old plantation, and when all dem Niggers
got out in de fields wid horses and wagons, it looked lak a picnic
ground; only dem Niggers was in dat field to wuk and dey sho' did have
to wuk.
"Marster had a carriage driver to drive him and Ole Miss 'round and to
take de chillun to school. De overseer, he got de Niggers up 'fore day
and dey had done et deir breakfast, 'tended to de stock, and was in de
field by sunup and he wuked 'em 'til sundown. De mens didn't do no wuk
atter dey got through tendin' to de stock at night, but Mammy and lots
of de other 'omans sot up and spun and wove 'til 'leven or twelve
o'clock lots of nights.
"My pappy was a man what b'lieved in havin' his fun and he would run off
to see de gals widout no pass. Once when he slipped off dat way de
patterollers sicked dem nigger hounds on him and when dey cotched him
dey most beat him to death; he couldn't lay on his back for a long time.
"If dey had jails, I didn't know nothin' 'bout 'em. De patterollers wid
deir nigger hounds made slaves b'have deirselfs widout puttin' 'em in no
jails. I never seed no Niggers sold, but Mammy said her and her whole
fambly was sold on de block to de highes' bidder and dat was when Ole
Marster got us.
"Mammy, she was de cook up at de big house, and when de white chillun
come back from school in de atternoon she would ax 'em to show her how
to read a little book what she carried 'round in her bosom all de time,
and to tell her de other things dey had larn't in school dat day. Dey
larned her how to read and write, and atter de War was over Mammy
teached school and was a granny 'oman (midwife) too.
"Dey made us go to church on Sundays at de white folks church 'cause
dere warn't no church for slaves on de plantation. Us went to Sunday
School too. Mammy jined de white folks church and was baptized by de
white preacher. He larnt us to read de Bible, but on some of de
plantations slaves warn't 'lowed to larn how to read and write. I didn't
have no favorite preacher nor song neither, but Mammy had one song what
she sung lots. It was 'bout 'Hark from de Tombs a Doleful Sound.' I
never seed nobody die and I never went to no buryin' durin' slav'ry
time, so I cain't tell nothin' 'bout things lak dat.
"Lordy Honey! How could dem Niggers run off to de North when dem
patterollers and deir hounds was waitin' to run 'em down and beat 'em
up? Now some of de slaves on other places might have found some way to
pass news 'round but not on Ole Marster's place. You sho' had to have a
pass 'fore you could leave dat plantation and he warn't goin' to give
you no pass jus' for foolishment. I never heared tell of no uprisin's
twixt white folks and Niggers but dey fussed a-plenty. Now days when
folks gits mad, dey jus' hauls off and kills one another.
"Atter slaves got through deir wuk at night, dey was so tired dey jus'
went right off to bed and to sleep. Dey didn't have to wuk on Sadday
atter dinner, and dat night dey would pull candy, dance, and frolic 'til
late in de night. Dey had big times at cornshuckin's and log rollin's.
My pappy, he was a go-gitter; he used to stand up on de corn and whoop
and holler, and when he got a drink of whiskey in him he went hog wild.
Dere was allus big eatin's when de corn was all shucked.
"Christmas warn't much diffunt from other times. Us chillun had a heap
of fun a-lookin' for Santa Claus. De old folks danced, quilted, and
pulled candy durin' de Christmastime. Come New Year's Day, dey all had
to go back to wuk.
"What for you wants to know what I played when I was a little gal? Dat
was a powerful long time ago. Us played in de sand piles, jumped rope,
played hide and seek and Old Mother Hubbard."
At this time a little girl, who lives with Alice, asked for a piece of
bread. She got up and fed the child, then said: "Come in dis here room.
I wants to show you whar I burned my bed last night tryin' to kill de
chinches: dey most eats me up evvy night." In the bedroom an oil lamp
was burning. The bed and mattress showed signs of fire. The mattress
tick was split from head to foot and cotton spilling out on the floor.
"Dat's whar I sleep," declared Alice. The atmosphere of the bedroom was
heavy with nauseous odors and the interviewer hastened to return to the
front of the house desiring to get out of range of the chinch-ridden
bed. Before there was time to resume conversation the terrier grabbed
the bread from the child's hand and in retaliation the child bit the dog
on the jaw and attempted to retrieve the bread. Alice snatched off her
stocking cap and beat at the dog with it. "Git out of here, Biddy. I
done told you and told you 'bout eatin' dat chile's somepin t'eat. I
don't know why Miz. Woods gimme dis here dog no how, 'cause she knows I
can't feed it and it's jus' plum starvin'. Go on out, I say.
"Lordy! Lady, dar's one of dem chinches from my bed a-crawlin' over your
pretty white dress. Ketch him quick, 'fore he bites you." Soon the
excitement was over and Alice resumed her story.
"Dey tuk mighty good care of slaves when dey got sick. Dey had to,
'cause slaves was propity and to let a slave die was to lose money. Ole
Miss, she looked atter de 'omans and Ole Marster, he had de doctor for
de mens. I done forgot most of what dey made us take. I know dey made us
wear assfiddy (asafetida) sacks 'round our necks, and eat gumgoo wax.
Dey rubbed our heads wid camphor what was mixed wid whiskey. Old folks
used to conjure folks when dey got mad at 'em. Dey went in de woods and
got certain kinds of roots and biled 'em wid spider webs, and give 'em
de tea to drink.
"One day us chillun was playin' in de sand pile and us looked up and
seed a passel of yankees comin'. Dere was so many of 'em it was lak a
flock of bluebirds. 'Fore dey left some folks thought dey was more lak
blue devils. My mammy was in de kitchen and Ole Miss said: 'Look out of
dat window, Milly; de yankees is comin' for sho' and dey's goin' to free
you and take you and your chillun 'way from me. Don't leave me! Please
don't leave me, Milly!' Dem yankees swarmed into de yard. Dey opened de
smokehouse, chicken yard, corncrib, and evvything on de place. Dey tuk
what dey wanted and told us de rest was ours to do what us pleased wid.
Dey said us was free and dat what was on de plantation b'longed to us,
den dey went on off and us never seed 'em no more.
"When de War was over Ole Miss cried and cried and begged us not to
leave her, but us did. Us went to wuk for a man on halves. I had to wuk
in de field 'til I was a big gal, den I went to wuk for rich white
folks. I ain't never wuked for no pore white folks in my whole life.
"It was a long time 'fore Niggers could buy land for deirselfs 'cause
dey had to make de money to buy it wid. I couldn't rightly say when
schools was set up for de Niggers. It was all such a long time ago, and
I never tuk it in nohow.
"I don't recollect when I married George Huff or what I wore dat day.
Didn't live wid him long nohow. I warn't goin' to live wid no man what
sot 'round and watched me wuk. Mammy had done larnt me how to wuk, and I
didn't know nothin' else but to go ahead and wuk for a livin'. I don't
know whar George is. He might be dead for all I know; if he ain't, he
ought to be. I got three chillun. Two of 'em is gals, Lizzie and Lila,
and one is a boy. My oldest gal, she lives in Atlanta." She ignored the
question as to where her other daughter lives. "My son wuks at de
Georgian Hotel. But understand now, dem ain't George Huff's chillun.
Deir pappy was my sweetheart what got into trouble and runned away. I
ain't gwine to tell his name.
"Honey, I jus' tell you de truth; de reason why I jined de church was
'cause I was a wild gal, and dere warn't nothin' too mean for me to do
for a long time. Mammy and my sisters kept on beggin' me to change my
way of livin', but I didn't 'til four years ago. I got sick and thought
I was goin' to die, and den I begged de good Lord to forgive me and
promised Him if He would let me git well 'nough to git out of dat bed, I
would change and do good de rest of my life. When I was able to git up,
I jined de church. I didn't mean to burn in hell lak de preachers said I
would. I thinks evvybody ought to jine de church and live right.
"Oh-h-h! Lady, I sho' do thank you for dis here dime. I'm gwine to buy
me some meat wid it. I ain't had none dis week. My white folks is mighty
good to me, but Niggers don't pay me no mind.
"Has you axed me all you wants to? I sho' is glad 'cause I ain't had
nothin' t'eat yit." She pulled down her stocking to tie the coin in its
top and revealed an expanse of sores from ankle to knee. A string was
tied above each knee. "A white lady told me dem strings soaked in
kerosene would drive out de misery from my laigs," Alice explained.
"Goodbye Honey, and God bless you."
AN OPINION OF SLAVERY
BY ISAIAH GREEN--EX SLAVE
Submitted by Minnie B. Ross
Typed by
J.C. Russell
1-25-37
An opinion of Slavery
By
Isaiah Green--Ex-Slave
AN EX-SLAVES OPINION OF SLAVERY
Isaiah Green, an ex-slave, still has a clear, agile mind and an
intelligent manner. With his reddish brown complexion, straight hair,
and high cheek bones, he reminds you of an old Indian Chief, and he
verifies the impression by telling you that his grandfather was a full
blooded Indian.
Isaiah Green was born in 1856 at Greensboro, Ga. Cleary Mallory Willis
and Bob Henderson were his parents, but he did not grow up knowing the
love and care of a father, for his father was sold from his mother when
he was only two years. Years later, his mother lost track of his father
and married again. There were eleven children and Isaiah was next to the
youngest.
His master was Colonel Dick Willis, who with his wife "Miss Sally"
managed a plantation of 3,000 acres of land and 150 slaves. Col. Willis
had seven children, all by a previous marriage. Throughout the State he
was known for his wealth and culture. His plantation extended up and
down the Oconee River.
His slave quarters were made up of rows of 2-room log cabins with a
different family occupying each room. The fireplaces were built three
and four feet in length purposely for cooking. The furniture, consisting
of a bed, table, and chair, was made from pine wood and kept clean by
scouring with sand. New mattresses and pillows were made each spring
from wheat straw.
Old Uncle Peter, one of the Willis slaves, was a skilled carpenter and
would go about building homes for other plantation owners. Sometimes he
was gone as long as four or five months.
Every two weeks, rations of meal, molasses and bacon were given each
slave family in sufficient quantity. The slaves prepared their own
meals, but were not allowed to leave the fields until noon. A nursing
mother, however, could leave between times.
Large families were the aim and pride of a slave owner, and he quickly
learned which of the slave women were breeders and which were not. A
slave trader could always sell a breeding woman for twice the usual
amount. A greedy owner got rid of those who didn't breed. First,
however, he would wait until he had accumulated a number of
undesirables, including the aged and unruly.
There was an old slave trader in Louisiana by the name of Riley who
always bought this type of slave, and re-sold them. When ready to sell,
a slave owner notified him by telegram. When Riley arrived, the slaves
were lined up, undressed and closely inspected. Too many scars on the
body meant a "bad slave" and no one would be anxious to purchase him.
Green related the story of his grand mother Betsy Willis. "My
grandmother was half white, since the master of the plantation on which
she lived was her father." He wished to sell her, and when she was
placed on the block he made the following statement: "I wish to sell a
slave who is also my daughter. Before anyone can purchase her, he must
agree not to treat her as a slave but as a free person. She is a good
midwife and can be of great service to you." Col. Dick Willis was there,
and in front of everyone signed the papers.
The Willis plantation was very large and required many workers. There
were 75 plow hands alone, excluding those who were required to do the
hoeing. Women as well as men worked in the fields. Isaiah Green declares
that his mother could plow as well as any man. He also says that his
work was very easy in the spring. He dropped peas into the soft earth
between the cornstalks, and planted them with his heel. Cotton, wheat,
corn, and all kinds of vegetables made up the crops. A special group of
women did the carding and spinning, and made the cloth on two looms. All
garments were made from this homespun cloth. Dyes from roots and berries
were used to produce the various colors. Red elm berries and a certain
tree bark made one kind of dye.
Besides acting as midwife, Green's grandmother Betsy Willis, was also a
skilled seamstress and able to show the other women different points in
the art of sewing. Shoes were given to the slaves as often as they were
needed. Green's step-father was afflicted and could not help with the
work in the field. Since he was a skilled shoe maker his job was to make
shoes in the winter. In summer, however, he was required to sit in the
large garden ringing a bell to scare away the birds.
Col. Willis was a very kind man, who would not tolerate cruel treatment
to any of his slaves by overseers. If a slave reported that he had been
whipped for no reason and showed scars on his body as proof, the
overseer was discharged. On the Willis Plantation were 2 colored men
known as "Nigger Drivers." One particularly, known as "Uncle Jarrett,"
was very mean and enjoyed exceeding the authority given by the master.
Green remarked, "I was the master's pet. He never allowed anyone to whip
me and he didn't whip me himself. He was 7-ft. 9 in. tall and often as I
walked with him, he would ask, "Isaiah, do you love your old master?' Of
course I would answer, yes, for I did love him."
Col. Willis did not allow the "patterrollers" to interfere with any of
his slaves. He never gave them passes, and if any were caught out
without one the "patterrollers" were afraid to whip them.
Mr. John Branch was considered one of the meanest slave owners in Green
County, and the Negroes on his plantation were always running away.
Another slave owner known for his cruelty was Colonel Calloway, who had
a slave named Jesse who ran away and stayed 7 years. He dug a cave in
the ground and made fairly comfortable living quarters. Other slaves who
no longer could stand Col. Calloway's cruelty, would join him. Jesse
visited his wife, Lettie, two and three times a week at night. Col.
Calloway could never verify this, but became suspicious when Jesse's
wife gave birth to two children who were the exact duplicate of Jesse.
When he openly accused her of knowing Jesse's whereabouts, she denied
the charges, pretending she had not seen him since the day he left.
When the war ended, Jesse came to his old master and told him he had
been living right on the plantation for the past 7 years. Col. Calloway
was astonished; he showed no anger toward Jesse, however, but loaned him
a horse and wagon to move his goods from the cave to his home.
There were some owners who made their slaves steal goods from other
plantations and hide it on theirs. They were punished by their master,
however, if they were caught.
Frolics were held on the Willis plantation as often as desired. It was
customary to invite slaves from adjoining plantations, but if they
attended without securing a pass from their master, the "patterrollers"
could not bother them so long as they were on the Willis plantation. On
the way home, however, they were often caught and beaten.
In those days there were many Negro musicians who were always ready to
furnish music from their banjo and fiddle for the frolics. If a white
family was entertaining, and needed a musician but didn't own one, they
would hire a slave from another plantation to play for them.
Col. Willis always allowed his slaves to keep whatever money they
earned. There were two stills on the Willis plantation, but the slaves
were never allowed to drink whiskey at their frolics. Sometimes they
managed to "take a little" without the master knowing it.
On Sunday afternoons, slaves were required to attend white churches for
religious services, and over and over again the one sermon drummed into
their heads was, "Servants obey your mistress and master; you live for
them. Now go home and obey, and your master will treat you right." If a
slave wished to join the church, he was baptized by a white minister.
The consent of both slave owners was necessary to unite a couple in
matrimony. No other ceremony was required. If either master wished to
sell the slave who married, he would name the price and if it was
agreeable to the other, the deal was settled so that one owner became
master of both. The larger and stronger the man, the more valuable he
was considered.
Slaves did not lack medical treatment and were given the best of
attention by the owner's family doctor. Sometimes slaves would pretend
illness to escape work in the field. A quick examination, however,
revealed the truth. Home remedies such as turpentine, castor oil, etc.,
were always kept on hand for minor ailments.
Green remembers hearing talk of the war before he actually saw signs of
it. It was not long before the Yankees visited Greensboro, Ga., and the
Willis plantation. On one occasion, they took all the best horses and
mules and left theirs which were broken down and worn from travel. They
also searched for money and other valuables. During this period a mail
wagon broke down in the creek and water soon covered it. When the water
fell, Negroes from the Willis plantation found sacks of money and hid
it. One unscrupulous Negro betrayed the others; rather than give back
the money, many ran away from the vicinity. Isaiah's Uncle managed to
keep his money but the Ku Klux Klan learned that he was one of the
group. One night they kidnaped and carried him to the woods where they
pinned him to the ground, set the dry leaves on fire, and left him. In
the group he recognized his master's son Jimmie. As fate would have it
the leaves burned in places and went out. By twisting a little he
managed to get loose, but found that his feet were badly burned. Later,
when he confronted the master with the facts, Col. Willis offered to pay
him if he would not mention the fact that his son Jimmie was mixed up in
it, and he sent the man to a hospital to have his burns treated. In the
end, all of his toes had to be amputated.
Another time, the Yankees visited the Willis plantation and offered
Green a stick of candy if he would tell them where the master hid his
whiskey. Isaiah ignorantly gave the information. The leader of the
troops then blew his trumpet and his men came from every direction. He
gave orders that they search for an underground cellar. Very soon they
found the well-stocked hiding place. The troops drank as much as they
wanted and invited the slaves to help themselves. Later, when Col.
Willis arrived and the mistress, who was furious, told him, she said,
"If it hadn't been for that little villain, the Yankees would never have
found your whiskey." The master understood, however, that Isaiah hadn't
known what he was doing, and refused to punish him.
The Yankees came to the Willis plantation to notify the Negroes of their
freedom. One thing they said stands out in Green's memory. "If your
mistress calls you 'John,' call her 'Sally.' You are as free as she is
and she can't whip you any more. If you remain, sign a paper so that you
will receive pay for your work." Mrs. Willis looked on with tears in her
eyes and shook her head sadly. The next day the master notified each
slave family that they could remain on his plantation if they desired
and he would give each $75.00 at Christmas. Looking at Isaiah's
step-father, he told him that since he was afflicted he would pay him
only $50.00, but this amount was refused. Wishing to keep the man, Col.
Willis finally offered him as much as he promised the ablebodied men.
Some slave owners did not let their slaves know of their freedom, and
kept them in ignorance as long as six months; some even longer.
Green's family remained on the Willis plantation until they were forced
to move, due to their ex-master's extravagance. As Isaiah remarked, "He
ran through with 3,000 acres of land and died on rented land in Morgan
County."
Directly after the war, Col. Willis was nominated for the office of
legislator of Georgia. Realizing that the vote of the ex-slaves would
probably mean election for him, he rode through his plantation trying to
get them to vote for him. He was not successful, however, and some
families were asked to move off his plantation, especially those whom
he didn't particularly like.
Years later, Green's family moved to Atlanta. Isaiah is now living in
the shelter provided by the Dept. of Public Welfare. He appears to be
fairly contented.
[HW: Isaac (Isaiah) Green]
Edwin Driskell
THE EXPERIENCES OF AN EX-SLAVE
Following is the account of slavery as told by Mr. Isaac Green, who
spent a part of his childhood as a slave.
"I wus born in Greene County, Georgia, eighty-one years ago. My marster
wus named Colonel Willis. He wus a rich man an' he had a whole lots o'
slaves--'bout seventy-five or more. Besides my mother an' me I had nine
sisters. I wus de younges' chile. I didn't know 'bout my father 'till
after surrender, 'cause ol' marster sold him 'way fum my mother when I
wus two years old.
"When I wus big enuff I had to go to de fiel' wid de res' o' de chillun
an' drap corn an' peas. We'd take our heels an' dent a place in de
groun' an' in every dent we had to drap two peas. Sometimes we'd make a
mistake an' drap three seeds instead o' two an' if we did dis too often
it meant de strap fum de overseer. On our plantation we had a colored
an' a white overseer.
"My ol' marster never did whup me an' he didn't 'low none o' de
overseers to whup me either. He always say: 'Dat's my nigger--I sol' his
father when I coulda saved him--he wus de bes' man I had on de
plantation.' De rest o' de slaves uster git whuppins sometimes fer not
workin' like dey should. When dey didn't work or some other little thing
like dat dey would git twenty-five or fifty lashes but de marster would
tell de overseer: 'Don't you cut my nigger's hide or scar him.' You see
if a slave wus scarred he wouldn't bring as much as one with a smooth
hide in case de marster wanted to sell 'im, 'cause de buyers would see
de scars an' say dat he wus a bad nigger.
"Sometimes de women uster git whuppins fer fightin'. Ol' marster uster
tell my mother all de time dat he wus goin' to give her one-hundred
lashes if she didn't stop fightin', but he never did do it though. My
grandmother never did git whupped. Colonel Black, her first marster,
wus her father an' when he went broke he had to sell her. When he went
broke he put her on de block--in dem days dey put slaves on de block to
sell 'em jes' like dey do horses an' mules now--he say to de gentlemen
gathered 'roun: 'Dis is my nigger an' my chile; she is a midwife an' a
extraordinary weaver an' whoever buys her has got to promise to treat
her like a white chile.' My marster bought her an' he treated her like
she wus white, too. He never did try to hit her an' he wouldn't let
nobody else hit her.