down most to de ankles. By de time hot weather come de shirt was done
wore thin and swunk up and 'sides dat, us had growed enough for 'em to
be short on us, so us jus' wore dem same shirts right on thoo' de
summer. On our place you went bar foots 'til you was a great big
yearlin' 'fore you got no shoes. What you wore on yo' haid was a cap
made out of scraps of cloth dey wove in de looms right dar on our
plantation to make pants for de grown folks.
"Mr. David Bell, our Marster, was born clubfooted. His hands and foots
was drawed up evvy which a way long as he lived. He was jus' lak a old
tom cat, he was such a cusser. All he done was jus' set dar and cuss,
and a heap of times you couldn't see nothin' for him to cuss 'bout. He
tuk his crook-handled walkin' stick and cotch you and drug you up to him
and den jus' helt you tight and cussed you to yo' face, but he didn't
never whup nobody. Our Mist'ess, Miss Betsey, was allus moughty kind at
times lak dat, and she used to give us chillun a heap of ginger cakes.
Deir seben chilluns was Dr. Bynam, Marse David and little Misses
Ad'line, Elizabeth, Mary and Mildred. Dey lived in a big old two-story
house, but I done forgot how it looked.
"Dat overseer, he was a clever man, but I can't ricollect his name. He
never paid no heed to what sort of clothes slaves wore, but he used to
raise merry cain if dey didn't have good shoes to ditch in. Marse David
was de cussin' boss, but de overseer called hisself de whuppin' boss. He
had whuppin's all time saved up special for de 'omans. He made 'em take
off deir waistes and den he whupped 'em on deir bar backs 'til he was
satisfied. He done all de whuppin' atter supper by candle light. I don't
'member dat he ever whupped a man. He jus' whupped 'omans.
"Evvybody was up early so dat by sunrise dey was out in de fields, jus'
a whoopin' and hollerin'. At sundown dey stopped and come back to de
cabins. In wheat harvestin' time dey wukked so hard dey jus' fell out
f'um gittin' overhet. Other times dey jus' wukked 'long steady lak.
"Marse David never had no sho' 'nough car'iage so he never needed no
car'iage driver. He had what dey called a ground sleigh. In de spring
Marse David sont a man to de woods to pick out a lakly lookin' young
white oak saplin' and bent it down a certain way. Hit stayed bent dat
way 'til it growed big enough, den dey sawed it lengthways and put a
mortise hole in each front piece to put de round thoo' to hold de
singletrees. Holes was bored at de back to fasten de plank seat to. Dey
put a quilt on de seat for a cushion and hitched a pair of oxen to de
sleigh. Come winter, come summer, snow or rain, dey went right on in de
old sleigh jus' de same!
"Now, Miss, dis sho' is right! Many times as I is done been over dat
plantation f'um one side to de other I couldn't tell you to save my life
how many acres was in it. I would be 'fraid to say, how many slaves
Marse David owned, but I'm here to tell you dere was a bunch of 'em
'round dar.
"Dey didn't have no jail house or nothin' lak dat 'round dat plantation,
'cause if slaves didn't please Marster dey was jus' made to come up to
de yard at de big house and take deir beatin's. I seed dem traders come
thoo' f'um Virginny wid two wagon loads of slaves at one time, gwine
down on Broad River to a place called Lisbon whar dey already had orders
for 'em. I ain't never seed no slaves bein' sold or auctioned off on de
block.
"Wunst a white man named Bill Rowsey, come and begged Marse David to let
him teach his Niggers. Marse David had de grown mens go sweep up de
cottonseed in de ginhouse on Sunday mornin', and for three Sundays us
went to school. When us went on de fourth Sunday night riders had done
made a shape lak a coffin in de sand out in front, and painted a sign on
de ginhouse what read: 'No Niggers 'lowed to be taught in dis ginhouse.'
Dat made Marse David so mad he jus' cussed and cussed. He 'lowed dat
nobody warn't gwine tell him what to do. But us was too skeered to go
back to de ginhouse to school. Next week Marse David had 'em build a
brush arbor down by de crick, but when us went down dar on Sunday for
school, us found de night riders had done 'stroyed de brush arbor, and
dat was de end of my gwine to school.
"Dere warn't no church for slaves whar us was. Marse David give us a
pass so us wouldn't be 'sturbed and let us go 'round from one plantation
to another on Sundays for prayer meetin's in de cabins and under trees
if de weather was warm and nice. Sometimes when dere was a jubilee
comin' off, slaves was 'lowed to go to deir Marsters' church. Me? I used
to ride 'hind Miss Betsey on her hoss what she called Puss, and away us
went jiggin' down de road to jubilees at Millstone and Elam churches. I
was a rich feelin' little Nigger den.
"De chillun had to take a back seat whilst de old folks done all de
singin', so I never larned none of dem songs good 'nough to 'member what
de words was, or de tunes neither. Now and den us went to a fun'ral, not
often, but if dere was a baptizin' inside of 10 miles 'round f'um whar
us lived, us didn't miss it. Us knowed how to walk, and went to git de
pleasure.
"Atter slaves got in f'um de fields at night, de 'omans cooked supper
whilst de mens chopped wood. Lessen de crops was in de grass moughty bad
or somepin' else awful urgent, dere warn't no wuk done atter dinner on
Saddays. De old folks ironed, cleant house, and de lak, and de young
folks went out Sadday nights and danced to de music what dey made
beatin' on tin pans. Sundays, youngsters went to de woods and hunted
hickernuts and muscadines. De old folks stayed home and looked one
anothers haids over for nits and lice. Whenever dey found anything, dey
mashed it twixt dey finger and thumb and went ahead searchin'. Den de
'omans wropt each others hair de way it was to stay fixed 'til de next
Sunday.
"Chris'mas us went f'um house to house lookin' for locust and persimmon
beer. Chillun went to all de houses huntin' gingerbread. Ma used to roll
it thin, cut it out wid a thimble, and give a dozen of dem little balls
to each chile. Persimmon beer and gingerbread! What big times us did
have at Chris'mas. New Year's Day, dey raked up de hoss and cow lots if
de weather was good. Marster jus' made us wuk enough on New Year's Day
to call it wukkin', so he could say he made us start de New Year right.
"Marse David had cornshuckin's what lasted two or three weeks at a time.
Dey had a gen'ral to keep dem brash boys straight. De number of gen'rals
'pended on how much corn us had and how many slaves was shuckin' corn.
Atter it was all shucked, dere was a big celebration in store for de
slaves. Dey cooked up washpots full of lamb, kid, pork, and beef, and
had collard greens dat was wu'th lookin' at. Dey had water buckets full
of whiskey. When dem Niggers danced atter all dat eatin' and drinkin',
it warn't rightly dancin'; it was wrastlin'.
"Dem moonlight cotton pickin's was big old times. Dey give prizes to de
ones pickin' de most cotton. De prizes was apt to be a quart of whiskey
for de man what picked de most and a dress for de 'oman what was ahead.
Dem Niggers wouldn't take no time to empty cotton in baskets--jus'
dumped it out quick on baggin' in de field.
"Day went f'um one plantation to another to quiltin's. Atter de 'omans
got thoo' quiltin' and et a big dinner, den dey axed de mens to come in
and dance wid 'em.
"Whenever any of our white folks' gals got married dere was two or three
weeks of celebratin'. What a time us did have if it was one of our own
little misses gittin' married! When de day 'rived, it was somepin' else.
De white folks was dressed up to beat de band and all de slaves was up
on deir toes to do evvything jus' right and to see all dey could. Atter
de preacher done finished his words to de young couple, den dey had de
sho' 'nough weddin' feast. Dere was all sorts of meat to choose f'um at
weddin' dinners--turkeys, geese, chickens, peafowls, and guineas, not to
mention good old ham and other meats.
"Pitchin' hoss shoes and playin' marbles was heaps and lots of fun when
I was growin' up. Atter while, de old folks 'cided dem games was
gamblin' and wouldn't let us play no more. I don't know nothin' t'all
'bout no ghosties. Us had 'nough to be skeered of widout takin' up no
time wid dat sort of thing.
"When Marse David changed me f'um calf shepherd to cowboy, he sont three
or four of us boys to drive de cows to a good place to graze 'cause de
male beast was so mean and bad 'bout gittin' atter chillun, he thought
if he sont enough of us dere wouldn't be no trouble. Dem days, dere
warn't no fence law, and calves was jus' turned loose in de pastur to
graze. Da fust time I went by myself to drive de cows off to graze and
come back wid 'em, Aunt Vinnie 'ported a bunch of de cows was missin',
'bout 20 of em, when she done de milkin' dat night, and I had to go back
huntin' dem cows. De moon come out, bright and clear, but I couldn't see
dem cows nowhar--didn't even hear de bell cow. Atter while I was
standin' in de mayberry field a-lookin' crost Dry Fork Crick and dere
was dem cows. De bell was pulled so clost on de bell cow's neck whar she
was caught in de bushes, dat it couldn't ring. I looked at dem cows--den
I looked at de crick whar I could see snakes as thick as de fingers on
your hand, but I knowed I had to git dem cows back home, so I jus' lit
out and loped 'cross dat crick so fast dem snakes never had no chanct to
bite me. Dat was de wust racket I ever got in.
"Marse David and Miss Betsey tuk moughty good keer of deir Niggers,
'specially when dey was sick. Dr. Bynam Bell, deir oldest son, was a
doctor but Miss Betsey was a powerful good hand at doctoring herself.
She looked atter all da slave 'omans. For medicines dey give us asafiddy
(asafetida), calomel, and castor oil more dan anything else for our
diff'unt ailments.
"Marse David's nephew, Mr. Henry Bell, visited at de big house durin' de
war, and he was cut down jus' a few days atter he left us and went back
to de battlefield.
"Us had been hearin' fust one thing and another 'bout freedom might
come, when one mornin' Mr. Will Bell, a patteroller, come ridin' on his
hoss at top speed thoo' de rye field whar us was at wuk. Us made sho' he
was atter some pore slave, 'til he yelled out: 'What you Niggers wukkin'
for? Don't you know you is free as jay birds?' 'Bout dat time de trumpet
blowed for dinner and us fell in line a-marchin' up to de big house.
Marse David said: 'You all might jus' as well be free as anybody else.'
Den he promised to give us somepin' to eat and wear if us would stay on
wid him, and dere us did stay for 'bout three years atter de war. I was
burnt up den, 'cause I didn't have de privilege of ridin' 'hind Miss
Betsey on old Puss no more when she went to meetin'.
"Whar us lived, Ku Kluxers was called 'night thiefs.' Dey stole money
and weepons (weapons) f'um Niggers atter de war. Dey tuk $50 in gold
f'um me and $50 in Jeff Davis' shimplasters f'um my brother. Pa and Ma
had left dat money for us to use when us got big enough. A few Niggers
managed somehow to buy a little land. I couldn't rightly say when de
school was set up.
"Me and Carrie Rucker, us ain't been married long. I thinks big weddin's
is a foolish waste of time and money. Yessum, I'm moughty proud of all
of Carrie's grandchillun and I'm fond of evvyone of dem 24
great-grandchillun of hers.
"Well, it was a God-sent method Mr. Lincoln used to give us our freedom.
Mr. Davis didn't want no war, and he 'posed it all he knowed how, but if
he hadn't a gone ahead and fit, dere never would have been nothin' done
for us. Far as I knows, Booker Washin'ton done some good things in his
day and time, but I don't know much 'bout him.
"In a way, I'm satisfied wid what confronts me. A pusson in jail or on
de chaingang would ruther be outside and free dan in captivity. Dat's
how I feels.
"When dey read dis passage of de Bible to me, I 'cided to jine up wid de
church. 'Come ye out f'um amongst dem, and ye shall be my people.' I
think evvybody ought to read dat verse, jine de church, and den live
'ligious lifes. I done been changed f'um darkness to light. 'Oh, for a
closer walk wid God.'
"Yes Ma'am, Miss, I done been here a long time I done seed many come
and go. Lots of changes has tuk place. I done told you 'bout f'um de
cradle to de grave, and I enjoyed doin' it. All dat ricollectin' sho'
tuk me back over many a rocky road, but dem was de days what ain't never
gwine to be no more."
Person Interviewed: ANNIE HUFF, EX-SLAVE,
of near Macon, Georgia
Jul 28 1937
A large windmill beside the highway, on the Houston Road near Seven
Bridges, draws the attention of a traveler to a two-story house,
recently remodeled, which was the colonial home of Mr. Travis Huff, now
occupied by Mrs. Rosa Melton, his grand-daughter. During the days of
slavery the master and an indulgent mistress with their twelve slaves
lived on this property. Mr. Huff's family was a large one, all of whom
were well educated and very religious. Several of his daughters became
teachers after the close of the Civil War.
Among the "quarter" families were Annie Huff and her daughters, Mary
being the elder. The mother cooked and the small children learned to
sweep the yard and to do minor jobs in the field at a very early age. At
the age of twelve, the girls were taught to card and spin as well as to
knit and were required to do a certain task each day until they were
large enough to assist with the heavier work. The adult females did this
type of work after sunset, when their labor in the field was over. On
rainy days they shucked and shelled corn or did some other kind of
indoor labor.
Generally, this group was humanely treated, but occasionally one was
unmercifully beaten. In spite of the fact that there was only one male
among his slaves, Mr. Huff's outbursts of temper caused him to be so
cruel that his daughters would frequently beg him to end his
punishment.
Frolics were mostly given at corn shuckings, cane grindings, hog
killings, or quiltings. At hog killing time, huge containers of water
were heated in the yard. When it reached the desired temperature, the
hogs were driven to a certain spot where they were struck a hard blow on
the head. When they fell, they were stuck with a very sharp knife, then
scalded in the boiling water. The hair and dirt were then scrubbed off
and they were a pretty light color as they hung from a rack to be
dressed. When the work was completed, the guests cooked chitterlings and
made barbecue to be served with the usual gingercake and persimmon beer.
They then dressed in their colorful "Sunday" garments, dyed with maple
and dogwood bark, to engage in promenades, cotillions, etc., to the time
of a quill instrument.
On Sunday, church services were held at Old Liberty Church where seats
in the rear were provided for all adult slaves. The small children were
not allowed to attend these services, but they frequently sneaked away
from home and attended in spite of the restriction. It was expedient
that they also leave before the close of the service, but often lingered
on the roadside and waited for Mr. Huff to pass. He'd stop and ask them
where they's been, and as they danced up and down they replied in
chorus: "We've been to church, Master; we've been to church."
The presence of slave visitors was not encouraged, for Mr. Huff usually
purchased women with children and there were no married couples living
on his place. However, young Negro men would often sneak in the cabins
at night--usually coming through the windows--and visit with their
sweethearts.
Gifts of handkerchiefs and earrings were smuggled in strictly against
the rules of the Master.
Children tattlers kept Mr. Huff informed regarding the happenings in the
quarters, but their silence could be bought with a few shin plasters.
This "hush" money and that made from running errands were enough to keep
the children supplied with spending change. Often, when their childish
prattle had caused some adult to be punished, Mrs. Huff would keep them
in the house for a night to escape the wrath of the offender.
All food was raised on the plantation and cooked in the family kitchen.
Every one had the same kind of food and the game caught or killed by the
elder sons was a delicacy relished by all. When the family meal was
served, a mischievous collection of black children would sometimes crawl
under the table and meddle with each person seated there. Instead of
being scolded, they would receive luscious morsels from the hands of the
diners. Mrs. Huff often laughingly stated that she knew not which was
more annoying--"the children or the chickens, as neither were disciplined."
Probably because of the absence of male slaves, no shoe-maker was
maintained. Footwear for the entire group was purchased at Strong's Shoe
Store in Macon.
Superstition was usually a part of the life of a slave. Those seeking to
escape from a cruel Master used to rub turpentine on the soles of their
feet to prevent capture. Others collected quantities of soil from a
graveyard and sprinkled it in their tracks for a certain distance. Both
of these precautions were used to throw the dogs off scent. Refugee
slaves often found shelter on Mr. Huff' estate, where they were
assisted in further flight by the Huff Negroes. Those who remained in
the woods were fed regularly.
Mr. Huff was not in favor of emancipating the slaves. One of his sons,
Ramsey Huff, fought in the Confederate Army.
The slaves rejoiced at every bit of news which they heard regarding the
probability of their being freed by the Yankees. During the latter part
of the war, people from Macon journeyed to the outlying swampy sections
to hide their valuables, many of which were never recovered.
Mr. Huff owned a place in Houston County where he hid most of his
provisions, but these were stolen before the close of the war. A few
Yankees who visited his home did little damage beyond the destruction of
a turnip patch.
When the war ended, Mr. Huff would not tell his slaves they were free,
for, it was said, that he hated the thought of a Negro being able to
wear a starched shirt. Slaves from neighboring plantations spread the
news. A few days later Mrs. Huff returned from a trip to Macon and
called all the children together to tell them that, even though they
were free, they would have to remain with her until they were
twenty-one. Little Mary exclaimed loudly--"I'm free! I won't stay here
at all!"
When the Emancipation Proclamation was made public, the Yankee soldiers
gave a dinner in Macon for all Negroes and poor Whites who cared to
come. A line was formed on the outside of the building in which the
dinner was served and no one was allowed to enter unless he was in poor
circumstances. Food of every description was served in abundance and
all admitted were allowed to eat as much as they desired.
Annie Huff moved to Macon when she was freed and her daughter, Mary, now
eighty-seven years old, was reared here. She attributed her long life to
the excellent care she has always taken of herself.
Huff, Mary, 561 Cotton Avenue, Macon, Georgia
Adella S. Dixon
District 7
May 8 1937
Bryant Huff
Old Slave Story
Bryant Huff was the son of Janie and Daniel Huff who were born on
neighboring plantations between Camack and Augusta. They were married
while they still belonged to separate owners, but when "Marse" Jesse
Rigerson, to whom Janie belonged, decided to move, he bought Daniel in
order that he might live with his wife and family. They moved to Warren
County and it was here that Bryant was born. He was one of twelve
children.
Bryant's early life was not one to inspire pleasant memories for his
master, a highly educated man; ardent church worker, had a cruel nature
and a temper that knew no bounds. Owning 800 acres of land in a fairly
level section, he ruled his small kingdom with an iron hand. Bryant's
father, Daniel, was the only man who did not fear "Marse" Rigerson.
The quarters consisted of poorly constructed cabins with worse
interiors. There were no beds, only bunks made of two poles balancing
sides nailed to the walls. Rags and old clothing served as a mattress
and the other furniture was equally bad. Food was cooked on an open
fireplace and the frying pan was the most important utensil; vegetables
were boiled in a swinging kettle. The griddle stood several inches from
the floor, on three small pegs. Through the middle a "pin" was placed so
that the griddle might revolve as the bread etc., cooked on the side
near the hottest part of the fire. Matches, a luxury, were then sold in
small boxes the size of the average snuff box at ten cents per box.
All the slaves worked from sunrise to sunset; the majority did field
work. Women, as well as men, shared farm work. Small boys not old enough
to be sent to the field, minded horses, drove cows to and from the
pasture, and did chores around the "big house". A few women prepared
meals and supervised a group of younger girls who did general work in
the big house.
Sunday was the only day of rest and usually all the adults attended
church. On this plantation a church with a colored Minister was provided
and services, while conducted on the same order as those of the white
churches, were much longer. Generally children were not allowed to
attend church, but occasionally this privilege was granted to one. Huff
recalls vividly his first visit to Sunday services. Being very small and
eager to attend he sat quietly by his mother's side and gazed with
wonder at the minister and congregation. An emotional outburst was part
of the services and so many of the "sisters" got "happy" that the child,
not having witnessed such a scene before, was frightened; as the number
of shouters increased, he ran from the building screaming in terror.
Of the 12 children in his family, 2 were sold. The eldest child,
Harriet, owned by a Judge who lived on a neighboring plantation,
returned to the family after Emancipation. The father left home in a fit
of anger because one of his children had been whipped. The master,
knowing how devoted he was to his wife, placed her and her infant child
in jail. Shortly afterward, the father returned and was allowed to visit
his wife and to go unmolested. A few weeks later he came back to the
jail, and was allowed to enter, as before, but when ready to leave, was
told that he was there for safe keeping. The next day, he and his son,
Johnie, were sold to some speculators who promised to carry them so far
away that they could not return. As Daniel left, he told his wife to
wait for him to return, whether it be months or years. She grieved over
his departure and refused, although urged, to marry again. A few months
before the close of the Civil War, her husband appeared and remained on
the plantation until emancipation. Johnie was accidently killed shortly
after his departure.
While most of the punishment was given by the "patty-roller" and the
Master, in some instances overseers were allowed to administer it. Some
of these overseers were Negroes and occasionally there was trouble when
they attempted to punish another slave. Huff recalls having seen one of
these "bosses" approach his mother as she toiled in the field and
questioned her regarding her whereabouts on the previous evening. She
refused to answer and as he approached her in a threatening manner, she
threw piles of twigs upon him. (She was loading a wagon with small limbs
cut from trees on "new ground"). He fled in terror. That night, as the
mother and her children were seated in their cabin, the same man
accompanied by their Master entered, tied her hands and led her from the
home. She was carried quite a distance down the road and severely
beaten.
Food was provided by the Master who gave it out in regular weekly
allotments. Collard greens, peas, smoked meat and corn bread were the
chief items on all menus. On Sundays a small amount of flour for
biscuits and some coffee was given; buttermilk was always plentiful.
Holidays were usually synonymous with barbecue when large hogs and
beeves were killed and an ample supply of fresh meat was given each
person. As all food was raised on the plantation, everyone had plenty.
Cloth spun from cotton produced at home was woven into the material
under the watchful eye of the mistress, afterwards being cut into
dresses for the women, shirts and trousers for men. Winter garments were
made of wool from home raised sheep. Some of this home-spun material was
colored with dye made from powdered red rocks. With a shoe hammer, last,
pegs (instead of nails) and a standard pattern slave cobblers fashioned
shoes from the hides of their master's cattle. They were no models of
beauty, but strong, durable shoes designed for hard wear.