c'n recollect, it wuz in June. De Yankees come t'rough dere en to my
knowin', dey 'haved very well. Jes ax my Massa fa sumptin to eat en dat
wuz aw dey done. Dere sho' wuz uh rejoicing 'mongest some uv de colored
peoples when dey tell em dey wuz free uz de white folks wuz. Some uv dem
leab dey Massa plantation jes uz soon uz dey know'd dey wuz free, but we
ne'er do dat. Jes stayed right on dere wid Mr. Gregg en work fa
one-third uv wha' dey make. Coase de white folks furnish aw de wear en
tear uv eve't'ing."
"Dey ain' ne'er hab no schools fa de colored peoples no whey 'bout whey
I stay 'fore freedom come heah. Won' long a'ter de war dat free schools
wuz open up dere. It jes lak dis, I ain' bother wid dem schools mucha
den, but I c'n read right smart. Jes ketch it uz I come 'long en wha' I
kotch, I put dat to work. I is went to one uv dese night schools dey hab
'bout heah not long gone."
"Mr. Abraham Lincoln, I ain' ne'er see him, but I know he wuz de
President uv de United States. Ain' ne'er see Mr. Jefferson Davis
neither. Dey wus oppositionalist den, I sho' know dat."
"It jes lak dis, I t'ink dis uh better day we lib in dese times. When we
b'long to de white folks, we lib, en a'ter we wuz free we lib right on.
I t'ink being free de best time to lib. Better to be loose den tied
cause don' care how good yo' owner, yuh hadder be under dey
jurisdiction. Ain' dat right?"
Source: Washington Dozier, age 90, colored, Pee Dee, Marion
Co. (Personal interview, June 1937).
Project 1885-1
Spartanburg Dist. 4
Sept. 22, 1937
Edited by:
Elmer Turnage
STORIES FROM EX-SLAVES
[~HW: Duk~]
"Vinie Wilkins is my daughter's name dat live wid me. My son owns dis
house and he keeps it up fer me and his sister. I's born on de bank of
Cherokee Creek, but I jest 'members how many years I stayed dar. Atter
Freedom had been a long time, we moved to Mr. Chesterfield Scruggs'
plantation whar we share cropped. It was on de old Spartanburg road from
here to Spartanburg.
"I was purtty good-size chile when de Ku Klux come and tried to git my
daddy. Dey whipped him; den he run off and stayed off fer over seven
years. Dem Ku Klux was in all kinds of shapes, wid horns and things on
dere heads. Dey was so scary looking dat I ain't never fergot dem. Dem's
de awfulest 'boogers' I is ever see'd befo' or since. I was in de bed
and so was Pa, but dey broke in our do' and got him. I kivvered up my
head and did not make narry a sound. Dat's all dat I can recollect now."
Source: Alice Duke (72), 401 Woods St., Gaffney, S. C.
Interviewer: Caldwell Sims, Union, S. C. 9/16/37
Project, 1885-(1)
Prepared by Annie Ruth Davis
Place, Marion, S. C.
Date, June 9, 1937
AUNT SILVA DURANT
Ex-Slave
"I don' know 'xactly when I wuz born but I hear my white folks say dat I
wuz born de fust (first) year uv freedom. I I c'n tell yuh dis much dat
I wuz uh grown 'oman when de shake wuz. Aw de older peoples wuz at de
chu'ch en ha' left us home to take care uv aw dem little chillun. Fust
t'ing we is know de house 'gin to quiver lak. We ne'er know wha' been to
matter en den de house 'gin to rock en rock en rock. We wuz so scare we
run outer in de yard en eve't'ing outer dere wuz jes uh shaking jes lak
de house wuz. We ne'er know wha' to do. Den we heared de peoples comin'
from de chu'ch jes uh runnin' en uh hollerin'. Didn't nobody know wha'
make dat. I tellin yuh jes lak dat wuz, de jedgment ain' ne'er been no
closer come heah den when dat shake was."
"My mudder wuz name Clorrie en she b'long to Miss Millie Gasque up de
road dere. I born in Miss Millie yard en I stay dere till I wuz six year
old. My pa say I wuz six year old. He been ole man Vidger Hanes en
b'long to Mr. Wesley White o'er dere 'bout laughin 'fore freedom 'clare.
A'ter dat we move on de hill en my pa hire me dere to Colonel Durant to
wash dishes en help 'bout de kitchen. Den dey put me to do de washin' en
I been uh washin' en uh washin' mos' e'er since. Dats de way I done till
I ge' so I ne'er couldn't make it en den I hadder quit offen. Dat how
come I hab aw dese pretty flowers. Miss Durant gi'e me aw dem dahlia
wha' yuh see in dat yard right dere. Dat how I ge' wha' little bit uv
money I hab dese day en time. Dem white folks up dere in town comes down
heah en begs em from me."
"Dey tell me some uv de peoples ge' 'long good en den some uv dem ge'
'long bad back dere in slavery day. Don' care how good peoples is dere
sho' be uh odd'un de crowd some uv de time. Dey say some uv de colored
peoples'ud run 'way from dey Massa en hide in de woods. Den dey slip
back to de plantation in de night en ge' green corn outer de white folks
field en carry em back in de woods en cook em dere. I hear Tom Bostick
tell 'bout when he run 'way one time. Say he use'er run 'way en hide in
de woods aw de time. Den de o'erseer ketch him one time when he been
come back en wuz grabblin' 'bout de tatoe patch. Say he gwinna make Tom
Bostick stay outer de woods ur kill him 'fore sun up dat day. Tom say
dey take him down 'side de woods en strip he clothes offen him. (I hear
em say dere plenty people bury down 'side dem woods dat dere ain' nobody
know 'bout). Den he say dey tie him to uh tree en take uh fat light'ud
torch en le' de juice drap outer it right on he naked body. He say he
holler en he beg en he ax em hab mercy but dat ne'er didn't do no good.
He mock how de tar make uh racket when it drap on he skin. Yuh know it
gwinna make uh racke't. Dat t'ing gwinna make uh racket when it drap on
anyt'ing wha' fresh. Ain' yuh ne'er hear no hot grease sizzle lak?
Yas'um, hear Tom Bostick tell dat more times den I got fingers en toe."
"Den dey'ud hab sale en sell some uv de colored peoples offen to annuder
plantation hundred mile 'way some uv de time. 'Vide man en he wife. Dey
sho' done it. I hear pa tell 'bout dat. Make em stand up on uh stump en
bid em offen dere jes lak dey wuz hoss. Pa say dey sell he brother Elic
wife 'way wid de onlyest child dey hab. Ne'er didn't see dat wife en
child no more."
"Coase de le' de colored peoples visit 'round from one plantation to
annuder but dey hadder hab uh ticke' wid em. Effen dey meet em in de
road en dey ne'er hab dat ticke' somewhey 'bout on em, dey hadder take
wha' follow. Ne'er 'low em to hab no udder paper 'bout em no whey. Effen
dey see em wid uh paper, dey ax em 'bout it en effen it ne'er been uh
ticke', dey mighty apt to gi'e em uh good t'rashin'."
"Dey tell me some uv de colored peoples use'er take t'ing from dey
Massa, but I ain' ne'er see em do none uv dat on my white folks
plantation. Ne'er hadder take nuthin dere. Ge' 'nough meal en meat dere
to de big house eve'y Friday to las' em aw t'rough de week. Reckon de
ration wuz more wholesome den in dat day en time cause dey take time en
cook dey t'ing done. Hadder cook in de fireplace. Dat how dey done. I
'member wha' good t'ings my ole mammy use'er cook in dat spider. Jes set
it on de coals en keep uh turnin' it 'bout wid de handle. Dere ain'
ne'er nuthin eat no better den dat ash cake she use'er make fa we
chillun. Yuh ain' ne'er hear tell 'bout dat. Jes ster (stir) up uh nice
hoecake en wrap it up in oak leaves wha' right sorta wet. Den yuh rake
uh heap uv ash togedder en lay yuh hoecake on dat en kiver it up wid
some more ash. Yuh le' it cook right done en den yuh take it up en wash
it offen en it ready to eat. Us chillun lub dat den."
"Annuder t'ing dat eat right smart in dem days wuz dat t'ing call big
hominy. Dey jes ge' some whole grain corn en put it in de pot en boil it
long time. Den dey take it offen de fire en pour lye water aw o'er it.
Dey do dat to ge' de husk offen it. Soak ash outer de fire en ge' dat
lye water. Den dey hadder take it to de well outer in de yard en wash it
uh heap uv time to ge' dat lye outer it. A'ter dat dey season it wid
salt en pepper en cook it annuder time. No 'mam, dey ne'er eat it wid no
butter. Jes drap it in de grease wha' left in de pan a'ter dey fry de
meat en make it right brown lak. Dat de way dey cook dey big hominy."
"Folks don' hab time to do t'ings in de right way lak dey use'er cause
de world gwine too fas' dese day en time. Dese people comin' up 'bout
heah dese days ain' gwinna ne'er quit habin' so mucha belly ache long uz
dey ain' stop eatin' aw dem half done ration dey is eat. Coase de
peoples wiser now but dey weaker. De peoples wuz more humble in dem
days. When dey didn't hab no rain, dey ge' togedder en pray fa rain en
dey ge' it too. I tellin' yuh peoples gotta work effen dey gwinna ge' to
de right place when dey leab heah. Effen de peoples ne'er didn't go to
chu'ch in dem days, dey stay home. Ne'er see chillun in de road on
Sunday eve'y which uh way lak yunnah see em dese days. My pa say yuh
mus' train up uh child in de way he oughta go en den effen dey stray
'way, dey sho' come back a'ter while. I tellin' yuh de peoples ain' lak
dey use'er wuz. Dey sho' wickeder en worser in dis day en time den when
I raise up. Dey wuz more friendly den en do more favor fa peoples. It
jes lak dis, I ain' gwinna do nobody no harm. Effen I can' do em no
good, ain' gwinna do no harm en ain' gwinna 'buse em neither."
Source: Aunt Silva Durant, colored, Marion, S. C.
Personal interview, May 1937.
Project, 1885-(1)
Prepared by Annie Ruth Davis
Place, Marion, S. C.
Date, October 21, 1937
SYLVIA DURANT
Ex-Slave, 72 Years
"Well, I tell you just like it been. Dat was an unexpectin trip when you
come here dat day en I wasn' thinkin bout much dat I had know to tell
you. It been kind o' put me on a wonder."
"You see, child, I never didn' see my grandfather cause when I was born,
dey had done sold him away. I hear tell dat sometimes dey would take de
wife from dey husband en another time dey would take de husband from dey
wife en sell dem off yonder somewhe' en never didn' see dem no more
neither. Yes, I sho know dat cause I hear my father speak bout dat
plenty times. Yes, mam, dey sold my uncle's wife away en he never didn'
see her no more till after freedom come en he done been married again
den. Speculators carried my mother's first husband off en den she
married again. Cose I was born of de second husband en dat ain' been
yesterday."
"I hear talk bout dat didn' none of de colored people have nothin in
slavery time en heap of dem wasn' allowed to pick up a paper or nothin
no time. Often hear dem talk dat some of de niggers was freed long time
fore dey know bout it. Hear dem say some white folks hold dem long time
till dey could make out to get somethin for demselves. Don' think so.
Don' think so. No, mam, don' think so. Dey might been intended for dem
to get somethin when dey was freed, but I never learn of nobody gettin
nothin. Cose I often heard my father say some white folks thought more
bout dey colored people den others en hope dem out more. Hear tell dat
didn' none of dem have no clothes much den. No, mam, colored people won'
bless wid no clothes much in dem days. I remember dey had to wear dese
old big shoes, call brogans, wid brass all cross de toes here. Nobody
don' wear nothin like dat now. Dey was coarse shoes. Some say plenty of
de people had to go barefooted all de time in dem days. Reckon dat would
kill de people in dis day en time. Couldn' stand nothin like dat. Yes,
mam, see Tom Bostick walk right cross dat field many a day just as
barefooted as he come in de world en all de ground would be covered over
wid ice en snow. De people get after him en he say, 'Well, I had worser
den dis to go through wid in slavery time.' Say he come up dat way en he
never know no difference den dat he had thick shoe on his foot."
"Well, you see, some of de white folks would spare dey colored people so
much ration when dey knock off work on a Saturday to last dem till de
next Saturday come. Hear tell dey give dem a peck of meal en a little
molasses en a hog jowl en dat had to last dem all de week. Dem what use
a little tobacco, give dem a plug of dat en give dem a little flour for
Sunday. Didn' nobody have to work on Sunday en den dey would allow dem
two days off for Christmas too. I tellin you bout how my white folks
would do, but dem what had a rough Massa, dey just got one day. I hear
dem say dey always had a little flour on Christmas. Don' know what else
dey give dem, but won' nothin much. I know dat. Sho know dat."
"I hear say two intelligent people didn' live so far apart en one never
treat dey colored people right en being as dey wasn' allowed to go from
one place to another widout dey had a ticket wid dem, dey would steal
somethin en run away. Say de just man tell dat other man dat if he would
feed his niggers right, dey wouldn' have no need to be stealin so much
things. No'um, I does hate to tell dat. Cose dey say dey done it. Say de
overseer would beat dem up dat never do what he tell dem to do mighty
bad en wouldn' be particular bout whe' dey was buried neither. Hear talk
dat dey bury heap of dem in a big hole down side de woods somewhe'. Cose
I don' know whe' dat word true or not, but dat what dey tell me."
"Oo--oo--yes, mam, dey sho whip de colored women in dem days. Yes, mam,
de overseer done it cause I hear dem say dat myself. Tell dat dey take
de wives en whip de blood out dem en de husband never didn' dare to say
nothin. Hear dey whip some so bad dey had to grease dem. If de colored
people didn' do to suit de white folks, dey sho whip dem. No, mam, if
dey put you out to work, ain' nobody think dey gwine lay down under de
bresh (brush) en stay dere widout doin dey portion of work. Yes, child,
hear bout dat more times, den I got fingers en toes."
"Oh, de times be worser in a way dese days. Yes, mam, dey sho worser in
a way. De people be wiser now den what dey used to be, but dere so much
gwine on, dey ain' thinkin bout dey welfare no time en dat'll shorten
anybody days. Oh, honey, we livin in a fast world dese days. Peoples
used to help one another out more en didn' somebody be tryin to pull you
down all de time. When you is found a wicked one in dat day en time, it
been a wicked one. Cose de people be more intelligent in learnin dese
days, but I'm tellin you dere a lot of other things got to build you up
'sides learnin. Dere one can get up to make a speech what ain' got no
learnin en dey can just preach de finest kind of speech. Say dey ain'
know one thing dey gwine say fore dey get up dere. Folks claim dem kind
of people been bless wid plenty good mother wit. Den another time one
dat have de learnin widout de mother wit can get up en seem like dey
just don' know whe' to place de next word. Yes, mam, I hear dat often."
"What I meant by what I say bout de wicked one? I meant when you found a
wild one, it been a wild one for true. I mean you better not meddle wid
one like dat cause dey don' never care what dey do. People look like dey
used to care more for dey lives den dey do dese days. Dat what I meant,
but you can weigh dat like you want to. You see, dere be different ways
for people to hurt demselves."
"Oh, my soul, hear talk bout dere be ghosts en hants, but I never didn'
experience nothin like dat. Yes, mam, I hear too much of dat. Been
hearin bout dat ever since I been in a manner grown, you may say. I hear
people say dey see dem, but I ain' take up no time wid nothin like dat.
I have a mind like dis, if such a thing be true, it ain' intended for
everybody to see dem. I gwine tell you far as I know bout it. I hear
dese old people say when anybody child born wid a caul over dey face,
dey can always see dem things en dem what ain' born dat way, dey don'
see dem. Cose I don' know nothin bout what dat is en I is hate to tell
it, but I hear lot of people say dey can see hants en ghosts all time of
a night. Yes'um, I hear de older people say dat, but I don' know whe' it
true or no. I know I don' see nothin myself, but de wind. Don' see dat,
but I feels it."
"Oh, my God, some people believe in dat thing call conjurin, but I didn'
never believe in nothin like dat. Never didn' understand nothin like
dat. Hear say people could make you leave home en all dat, but I never
couldn' see into it. Never didn' believe in it."
"Yes, mam, I see plenty people wear dem dimes round dey ankle en all
kind of things on dey body, but never didn' see my mother do nothin like
dat. I gwine tell you it just like I got it. Hear talk dat some would
wear dem for luck en some tote dem to keep people from hurtin dem. I got
a silver dime in de house dere in my trunk right to dis same day dat I
used to wear on a string of beads, but I took it off. No, mam, couldn'
stand nothin like dat. Den some peoples keeps a bag of asafetida tied
round dey neck to keep off sickness. Folks put it on dey chillun to keep
dem from havin worms. I never didn' wear none in my life, but I know it
been a good thing for people, especially chillun. Let me see, dere a
heap of other things dat I learn bout been good for people to wear for
sickness. Dere been nutmeg dat some people make a hole in en wear it
round dey neck. I forget whether it been good for neuralgia or some of
dem other body ailments, but I know it won' for no conjurin."
"Honey, pa always say dat you couldn' expect no more from a child den
you puts in dey raisin. Pa say, 'Sylvia, raise up your chillun in de
right way en dey'll smile on you in your old age.' Honey, I don' see
what dese people gwine expect dey chillun to turn out to be nohow dese
days cause dey ain' got no raisin en dey ain' got no manners. I say, I
got a feelin for de chillun cause dey parents ain' stay home enough of
time to learn dem nothin en dey ain' been know no better. Remember when
my parents went off en tell us to stay home, we never didn' darsen to go
off de place. Den when dey would send us off, we know we had to be back
in de yard fore sunup in de evenin. Yes, child, we all had to be
obedient to our parents in dat day en time. I always was sub-obedient
myself en I never had no trouble nowhe'. Yes, mam, when we went off
anywhe', we ax to go en we been back de hour dey expect to see us. Yes,
mam, chillun was more obedient den. None of us didn' sass us parents.
Won' raise dat way. I remember when I was young, I used to tote water en
make fire to de pot for my mother to wash plenty times. Den dey learn me
how to use a hoe en when I was married en left home, won' nothin strange
to me."
"No, mam, I didn' have no weddin when I was married, but everything was
pleasant en turned out all right. Yes, mam, everybody don' feel so good
leavin home, but I felt all right, I was married over dere in Bethel M.
E. Church en served a little cake en wine dere home afterwards en dat
ain' no weddin. Didn' have nothin but pound cake en wine. Had three
plain cakes. Two was cut up dere home en I remember I carried one wid me
over Catfish dere to de Reaves place."
Source: Sylvia Durant, ex-slave, age about 72, Marion, S. C.
Personal interview by Annie Ruth Davis, Oct., 1937.