spend whole days in the woods; but first I want to tell you about a
story concerning cows; and this is the trufe too. Every New Years night
when the whistles begin to blow, cows get down on their knees lift up
their front legs and make a mumbling noise. This is true cause one night
I made it my business to be around some cows when the whistles begin to
blow and sho nuff they got down on their hind legs and started making
that noise. I was so fraid I ran all the way home.
"I also remember we had a cow that would eat clothes. My grandmother took
in a lot of washings and one day after she had hung out Mrs.
Richardson's clothes she (the cow) ate up most all of the clothes.
Grandma whipped her and had to pay the white lady for the clothes but
that cow kept on eating clothes. A lady told us to sprinkle red pepper
on the clothes and that would break her up. Sho nuff we did it and she
kicked her heels over her head; but we never had any more trouble with
that cow.
"Maybe, you don't know it but cows are funny about the water they drink
especially cows raised at a dairy. If water is placed in a tub for a cow
and you stick your hand in the water they will not drink it. I have done
it and I know it to be true. The cow don't have to see you but the
scent from your hand is in the water".
=Birds=
"If a bird leaves her nest and flies away and you take her eggs out of
the nest and put them back the bird can tell it the minute she returns
to her nest; and she will not have the nest on the eggs again. I tried
this once to see if it was true. I moved the eggs from a birds' nest and
placed them back and then I hid behind a tree to watch sho nuff the bird
came back to her nest she looked at the nest and the eggs a long time
and flew away. Every day I would watch; but she never returned to that
nest."
"Once a little red bird got hurt and I caught it and nursed it back to
health and this bird began to act just like a pet. When I saw the bird
was well enough to leave I tied a red string around it's leg so that I
would know it if I saw it again. After that for three years my little
bird used to fly back and sit on the steps until I would feed him and
then he would fly away. My bird came back until it was caught by a cat.
I was so sorry when my bird died I cried and buried it in the back
yard."
=Snakes=
"I have walked through the woods and almost stepped on different kinds
of snakes. I wouldn't be afraid cause I would know that unless the snake
is in a quirl, that is, in a pose to bite you, he wouldn't bite you. If
you smell a water mellon scent in the woods you know right then that a
black snake is around. If the scent is like a honey suckle a highland
moccasin is around somewhere. A rattlesnake smells like a billy goat.
Always remember a snake can't bite until it gets posed neither can a
snake bite you in the water. Some snakes lay eggs and hatch their young.
A mother snake always protects her baby snakes by swallowing them if
danger comes around." Grandma told me once that they were cleaning out a
large hole for a baptizing pool; and saw a mother snake swallow about
ten baby snakes. After they killed the mother snake they pulled out the
10 babies.
=Fowls=
We had a rooster that was raised from a biddie and for 5 years this
rooster practically lived in the house and would not sleep any place but
on the foot of the bed.
"Chickens get used to certain people feeding them and you can't get them
used to others, that is, it was true concerning my cousin. He had a lot
of chickens and he used to feed them every day. My cousin took sick and
died and after that his chickens would not eat anything given them by
any one else. One by one the chickens died. My Aunt said his spirit came
back for the chickens".
=Bees=.
"This is a true story concerning bees that belonged to my aunt Caroline
Hooper. Aunt Caroline died and left 10 hives of bees. We noticed they
kept going away and would not return. One day a lady named Mrs. Jordan
asked if anyone had told the bees that Caroline was dead; and we told
her no, "Well" she said, "go out to the hive and say to the bees
Caroline is dead and that they will have a new owner." My uncle told the
bees that they belonged to him now that Caroline was dead. After that
none others left the hive."
Mildred Heard continued giving short facts concerning different
animals.--"If you run a rabbit out of his bed and shoot at him I don't
care if you run him five or more miles he will come right back to the
same place." "Buzzards are born as white as snow but turn darker as they
grow older. Another fact concerning buzzards is that they will eat any
carcass except that of a mad dog, he will walk around the body of a dead
mad dog and then fly away."
"I remember once we had a cat that was the pet of every one in our house
so when she gave birth to kittens she went in the chifforobe and when we
let her out we didn't know she had left kittens in there. Naturally they
died and we buried them in the back yard. Everyday this mother cat would
go to their grave and whine, finally she left home."
The following stories relate to
=Birthmarks=
As previously mentioned Mildred Heard has two small daughters and the
story of birthmarks begins with her own experience concerning them. "My
oldest Child Tina is marked by crying. I don't care how much you whip or
beg her to stop crying she will not stop until she gets ready. During
the time I was pregnant my aunt died and I went to the funeral and
before I knew it I found myself crying and unable to stop.
"My youngest child Georgia is marked by a monkey. This mark is the
result of a visit to Grants Park during the time I was pregnant. As I
stood with the white baby I was nursing at the time a monkey fell and
when he got up he started scratching his back. It all looked so funny I
began to laugh. When Gloria was born her bead resembled a monkeys in
shape and on the lower part of her back she had red marks and was very
hairy. I was afraid she would never change but as she grew older the
marks and the hair disappeared." note--I glanced at the child and it is
quite true that the shape of her head slightly resembles that of a
monkey.
The next stories were related by Mrs. Heard. Mildred's grandmother. "I
know a white 'oman that lives in Thomasville now that marked her child
by a horse. This 'oman got tickled at a horse with his tongue hanging
out. When her baby was born he had feet and hands jest lak a horse and
she nebber would let any one see this child's feet.
"Another 'oman, Alberta Turner, got scared of a turtle while she wuz
fishing and right now her child got feet that spreads out just like a
turtles and he walks with his feet straight out that way.
"Aunt Eattie Coffee who lives in Macedonia, Ga., had a baby born with 4
teeth that looked jest like pearls. The doctor told her that the baby
would shed those teeth and if she lost 'em the baby would die.
"He told her to be sure and watch the baby and to give him the teeth
when they came out. Sho nuff them teeth came out but they never knowed
where they went and that baby she died".
ROBERT HEARD--PORTRAIT OF AN EX-SLAVE
[HW: J. Jaffee]
As we approached the little dilapidated, one-room cabin on the Jackson
County hilltop, the aroma of frying bacon smote our nostrils.
Uncle Robert Heard welcomed us and stopped tending his ash-cake, peas,
and fat back long enough to squint over the top of the "specks dat Ole
Mis had give him back in '70", then he took a long look at the mahogany
clock that had "sot on her parlor fish boa'd". In spite of his
ninety-six years his memory of the old days is still fresh and his body
surprisingly active for a person of his age.
"Course I 'members all 'bout Marster and Mistis," he asserted with an
indignant air. "I wuz grown an' big nuff to pick out a 'oman fer myse'f
in de fust year ov de war. Dey wuz 120 niggers on de place whar I wuz
borned. Hit belonged to ole Gen'l Heard an' hit wuz clost to
Washin'ton."
"My mammy died when I warn't nothin' but a little trot-about. She wuz
name' Susan, an' my pa wuz name' John. De Gen'l went to Virginny an'
bought 'em an' had 'em sont home in boxes wid cracks big nuff to feed
'em through. Mistis give us our fust names an' us tuck dey las' un."
"Us didn't have no overseer on our plantation. Gen'l Heard allus looked
arter his niggers hisssef til he got too old an' den his son, Mars Tom,
seed arter 'em. I ain't never see'd 'em beat but one slave an' dat wuz
caze he got rowdy drunk. Dey allus gite us a note to de patty rollers
(patrollers) when us wanted to go somewheres".
"Us went to work 'bout a half hour by sun an' quit at dusty dark. De
mens done fiel' wuk an' de wimmins mostly hepped Mistis 'bout de house.
Dey washed, milked, made candles, an' worked in de spinnin' room. Us
didn't have to buy nothin' caze dey wuz evathing us needed on the
plantation."
"On some places de bosses kep' nigger mens at stud but Gen'l Heard an'
Mars Tom didn't low nobody to live in sin on dey plantation. Us wuz all
married by a white preacher, just lak white folks. Us 'tended de white
folk's church ever Sundey an' sot in de gal'ry. Dey warn't no dancin' or
cyard playin' in Gen'l Heard's house. He said: 'If you serve the Lord
you have no time to fiddle and dance.'"
"Old Marster wuz too old to go to de war but Mars Tom went an' I hyeard
Mistis say he got kilt at de second Manassas. My Uncle Chris went to de
war wid Mars Tom an' he come back wid only one arm. He say de blood on
some uv dem battle fiel's come up to de top uv his boots.
"Gen'l Heard died whiles de war wuz ragin' an' Ole Mistis come out on de
po'ch an' tolt us we wuz all free. Most all de niggers stayed on wid
Mistis arter de war an' worked fer fo'ths. Us used her mules an' tools
an' she give us rations just lak Marster had been a doin' afore dey wuz
any war. She would uv been powerful rich ef Confederacy money hadn't uv
been so wuthless. She had four loads uv it hauled outen de house an'
dumped in a ditch.
"At Christmus time, us allus had a BIG frolic wid music an' dancin'. Us
danced de cotillion an' beat on buckets wid gourds fer music. Marster
give us a little toddy now an' den an' us had plenty uv it at Christmas.
De frolic allus had to bust up at midnight caze Marster would git out
his horse pistols an' start shootin' ef it didn't. Sometimes us ud have
a Satidy off an' us ud all go fishin' or have a frolic. Candy pullin's
wuz allus de bestes kind of fun.
"I ain't lak mos' ob dese yere flibberty-gibbet niggers. I don' believe
in hants an' ghostes, but they's some things which I does think is signs
of death. Ef somebody brings a axe in de house hits a sho sign. Yer
better watch when a cow lows arter dark, or a dog barks at de moon in
front uv yer do', or ef yer sneezes whiles eatin', caze hit mout mean
dat de death angel is hangin' roun'. Ef somebody in de house dies yer
better stop de tickin' uv de clock an' kiver all de lookin'-glasses wid
white cloth or else dey's liable to be another death in de fam'ly.
"Yer can take dis or leave it, but whutever yer does, don' never take
ashes out doors arter dark, caze hits sho to bring yer bad luck. Now I
done tol' yer all I knows so let me finish cookin' dis yere mess of
vittals so I kin git back to de cotton patch."
Thus dismissed, we took our departure, gingerly picking our way down the
rickety steps. The last we heard of Uncle Robert was a snatch of Negro
ballad sung in a high-pitched, nasal voice.
Whitley,
1-22-37
M.B. Ross.
Ex-Slave
Benjamin Henderson.
After acquainting Mr. Benjamin Henderson with the facts of the interview
he informed the writer that he would be very glad to give as much
information as he could concerning the period of "I was only seven years
old when freedom was declared, but I can remember a few facts," he said.
His speech is well chosen and after a short talk one is much impressed
with his intelligence and youthful appearance.
Benjamin Henderson was born September 8, 1858 in Jasper County,
Monticello, Ga., the youngest of three children. His father was Mr. Sam
Henderson, master and owner of the Henderson plantation, and his mother
was Mandy Henderson, a slave. Mr. Sam Henderson never married but
operated his farm with the help of his mother, Mrs. Allie Henderson.
The Henderson plantation comprised 250 acres and Mr. Henderson owned
only five slaves to carry the necessary work. Besides Benjamin's
immediate family there was one other man slave, named Aaron. Cotton,
cattle and vegetables were the chief products of the farm. The work was
divided as follows: Benjamin's job was to keep the yards clean and bring
up the calves at night; his older sister and brother, together with
Aaron, did the field work; and his mother worked in the house as general
servant.
The same routine continued from day to day, each person going about his
or her particular job. Plenty of flour was raised on the plantation and
the master had to buy very little.
The Henderson slave houses were of the one-room log type, with one
window and one door; each cabin was furnished with a bed, chair, and
table. Large fireplaces took the place of stoves for cooking. These were
constructed four or five feet in width so that one or two pots or a side
of meat could be suspended from a hook which was fastened on a rack in
the stick and dirt chimney.
Each family was given a spinning wheel and loom. After the day's work
each slave home was the scene of spinning and weaving cloth for the
occupant's clothes and bedding.
The master gave each slave a pair of shoes; Benjamin received his first
pair of shoes when he was five years old. All slaves went barefoot in
summer months.
Summer rations on the Henderson plantations never varied from bacon and
corn bread. In the fall each family was free to eat as many of the
different vegetables as they wanted.
Wooden spoons, bowls, and trays, were kept clean by scouring regularly
with sand. At Christmas those who asked for whiskey were given an ample
amount; and occasionally each family was given a cake baked by Mr.
Henderson's mother.
The master of the Henderson plantation, as well as other plantation
owners', allowed their slaves to work individual cotton patches; when
the cotton was picked he paid them their price for the amount they had
raised. Slaves often earned money, too, by splitting rails at night and
selling them to different plantation owners.
Although Mr. Sam Henderson was a kind master and hardly ever punished
his slaves, there were some masters who were known for their cruelty.
One in particular was an old man by the name of Shirley, who would pick
up anything from a stick to a brush broom to punish his slaves.
Benjamin heard from his elders that some masters constructed stocks like
those of old, and sometimes slaves were whipped while fastened in the
stocks. One slave owner named Gay kept wristbands of iron, and also a
gag made to fit into the mouth and fasten around the neck, which
prevented rolling while being whipped. Besides being punished for
disobedience, a slave was often punished because he failed to complete
the required amount of work. There were certain amounts of work
specified for each slave: 150 rails had to be split a day by the rail
splitters; cotton pickers were supposed to pick 150 pounds of cotton a
day. Should anyone fail to complete his daily task, a sound whipping was
given. Slaves were punished by "patter rollers" or the government
patrol, if caught off of their plantations without a pass. Often slaves
outran the "patter rollers" and escaped the 75 lashes which were in
store for them if they were caught. "Patter rollers" carried a
crooked-handle stick which they would try to fasten around the slaves'
necks or arms. However, the slaves soon learned that the
"patter-rollers" stick would slide off their bare arms and backs, so
they left their shirts if planning to make a visit without a pass.
The second Sunday of each month the slaves attended religious services.
Since there were no separate churches provided, they were allowed to use
the white churches with the white minister in charge. Benjamin Henderson
remarked: "It was my job to ride behind the mistress to church and while
the services were going on I took care of her riding skirt and tended
the horse."
A slave desiring marriage with a slave on another plantation must get
his master's consent after which he went to see the master of his
prospective mate. If both agreed, the marriage was set for the following
Saturday night. All marriages usually took place on Saturday nights. The
master of the bridegroom would then pick a straw broom or a pole and
give two slaves the job of holding the ends of it. To be devilish they
often held the stick too high and would not lower it until the master
asked them to. After the bridegroom made the jump over the stick, the
knot of matrimony was considered tied. Without any more ceremony the
bride became his legal wife. If it so happened that the bride and groom
lived on different plantations the groom would be given two passes a
week, one to visit her on Wednesday nights and another which permitted
him to remain over the weekend, from Saturday until Monday morning.
Following the marriage there would take place the usual "frolic" ending
up with several members drunk. These were thrown into the seed house
where they remained all night.
Slave owners guarded carefully against illness among their slaves. Home
remedies such as certain oil, turpentine, teas of all sorts were used.
If these did no good the doctor was called in; he usually brought along
all varieties of medicine in his saddle bags and gave what was needed.
Benjamin Henderson considers that people were much healthier in those
days and did not need doctors often.
He tells this story: "My mistress had a daughter who was married and had
three sons who were Confederate soldiers. I remember the day they rode
up on their grey horses to take dinner and say goodbye to the family.
When they were ready to leave their grandmother gave them an old
testament and told them to take it and read it and make good soldiers of
themselves. One son replied, 'Oh grandma it won't last long, we're going
to bring old Lincoln's head back and set it on the gate post for a
target.' But they didn't come back: all three were killed. The master of
the plantation also enlisted in the army; he was able to come home every
week or two".
After the war Benjamin's mother married and moved with her husband to
another farm, where she spent the rest of her life. Some families moved
to other plantations, and during the first year after the war they were
forced to work for one-sixth of the crop raised. The next year
plantation owners realized this amount was unfair and agreed to let the
ex-slaves work for one-third of the crops raised. Finally they worked on
halves. Even now, working on halves is common in rural villages.
Benjamin Henderson believes he has lived long because he has lived a
clean, useful life filled with plenty of hard work. He married at the
age of 28 years and was the father of five children, none of whom are
living.
His physical condition prevents him from working at present, but he has
not given up hope that he will soon be able to take care of himself
again.
PLANTATION LIFE, AS VIEWED BY AN EX-SLAVE
Written By: Mrs. Sadie B. Hornsby
Athens --
Edited By: Mrs. Sarah. H. Hall
Athens --
and
John N. Booth
District Supervisor
Federal Writers' Project
Residencies 6 & 7
Augusta, Georgia
September 23, 1938.
JEFFERSON FRANKLIN HENRY
Ex-Slave--Age 78
Athens, Georgia
The widespread branches of a white mulberry tree formed a canopy for the
entire yard before Jefferson Henry's gray-painted cottage. Luxuriant
hydrangeas in wooden tubs, August lilies in other containers on the
old-fashioned flower steps, and a carefully pruned privet hedge gave the
place an air of distinction in this shabby neighborhood, and it was not
surprising to learn that a preacher, a man highly respected by his race,
lived there.
A rap on the door brought quick response from a rumbling bass voice
inside the house. "George, is you here already?" In another moment a
short, stocky Negro man appeared in the doorway, a collar clutched in
one hand, and a slightly embarrassed look on his face. "Good mornin',"
he said. "Yes, mam, this is Jeff Henry. I thought you was George done
come to take me to Atlanta. One of my good church members is to be
buried thar today, and I'se got to preside over the funeral. I can talk
to you a few minutes if you ain't got too much to ax me about."
Though Jeff used some dialect, it was not so noticeable as in the speech
of most southern Negroes. A scant fringe of kinky gray hair framed his
almost bald head, and he was dressed in his Sunday-best clothes; a gray
suit, white shirt, and black shoes, worn but carefully polished.
"This old Negro has been here many a day," he began. "I 'members when
all this side of town was in farms and woods with just a few houses
scattered about." Just then George drove up and Jeff suggested that the
interview be postponed.
At the appointed hour Jeff was waiting to resume his narrative. "I sho
is done been wukin' this old brain of mine to bring back them old times
'fore freedom come," he announced. "Anyhow, I was born in Paulding
County. Sam and Phyllis Henry was my pa and ma, and they was field
hands. Me and James, William, John, Mittie, and Mary was all the chillun
they had. Us just played 'round the yard mostly, 'cause thar warn't none
of us big enough to do no field wuk wuth talkin' 'bout 'fore the end of
the war.
"Slave quarters was off from the big house a piece, and they was built
in rows lak streets. Most of the log cabins had one room; some had two,
but all of them had plain old stack chimblies made of sticks and red
mud. Our beds was just home-made makeshifts, but us didn't know no
diffunce 'cause us never had seed no better ones. They sawed pine posts
the right height and bored holes through them and through the slabs they
had cut for the railin's, or side pieces. They jined the bed together
with cords that they wove back and forth and twisted tight with a stout
stick. Them cords served two purposes; they held the bed together and
was our springs too, but if us warn't mighty keerful to keep 'em twisted
tight our beds would fall down. Lak them old beds, the mattresses us had
them days warn't much compared with what we sleeps on now. Them ticks
was made of coarse home-wove cloth, called 'osnaburg,' and they was
filled with straw. My! How that straw did squeak and cry out when us
moved, but the Blessed Lord changed all that when he gave us freedom and
let schools be sot up for us. With freedom Negroes soon got more
knowledge of how a home ought to be.
"Grandma Ca'line is the onliest one of my grandparents I can 'member.
When she got too old for field wuk, they tuk and used her as a cook up
at the big house, and she done the weavin', spinnin', and milkin' too,
and kept a eye on the slave chillun whilst the mammies was off in the
field.
"No, mam, slaves warn't paid no money them days, and it's mightly little
I'se got holt of since. Anyhow I warn't big enough then to do no wuk,
even if folks had been payin' wages to slaves. The most I ever done
'fore the war ended was to fetch water to the kitchen and pick up chips
to kindle up the fire when it got low. Matches was so scarce then that
fires warn't 'lowed to go slap out, but they did burn mighty low
sometimes in summer and us had to use fat lightwood splinters to git 'em
started up again.
"Us et home produce them days. Folks didn't know nothin' 'bout livin'
out of cans and paper sacks lak they does now. Thar was allus plenty of
hog meat, syrup, milk and butter, cornbread, and sometimes us chillun
got a biscuit. Thar was one big old garden on the place that had
evvything in the way of vegetables growin' in it, besides the patches of
beans, peas, 'taters, and the lak that was scattered 'round in the
fields. The orchards was full of good fruit sich as apples, peaches,
pears, and plums, and don't forgit them blackberries, currants, and figs
what growed 'round the aidge of the back yard, in fence corners, and off
places. Sho, us had 'possums, plenty of 'em, 'cause they let us use the
dogs to trail 'em down with. 'Possums was biled 'til they was tender,
then baked with sweet 'taters, and thar ain't no better way been found
to fix 'em to this good day, not even if they's barbecued. Sho, sho, us
had rabbits and squirrels by the wholesale, and fish too if us tuk time
to do our fishin' at night. They never did lak to see slaves settin'
'round fishin' in the daytime.