*I*
*Interview with Ephriam Lawrence*
*Edisto Island, S.C.*
--_C.S. Murray_
"I don't 'member much 'bout slavery time 'cause I been lee (little) boy
when war declare. I raise up under de Murray--all my generation belong
to de Murray. Dey know how to treat slave. Ain't lick um much, hardly
any. Chillun hab easy time. All I been require to do was tote coal to
Mosser when he ready fer light. Adam Mack and me, we been de fire boy.
Mosser gib Adam to Mister Eberson. I ain't gib to nobody--'specially.
"All white people ain't treat slave good. Some make um wuk haa'd all
day, and 'cuss um plenty. De slave who been live near Steamboat Landing
had rough time when dere old Miss git in tantrum. She been 'nuse to
trabbel all over de world, and when she come back, she call all de slave
together, and say: 'When I come, de debbil come.'
"We family ain't had all dat to worry 'bout. Behave yourself and you all
right. Plenty to eat, plenty to drink. Run 'round and enjoy yourself if
you got uh mind to. Wuk when you wuk, play when you play. Ole Miss 'nuse
to 'tend all de sick nigger. Go from house to house, wid lee pair of
scale and bottle ram jam pack of calomel. Give lee nigger big dose of
castor oil, and dey git well quick, mighty quick.
"Old Mosser 'nuse to keep all de likker in de world on hand. Had to keep
plenty, 'cause he friend drink lot and nigger drink lot too. He ain't
drink so much heself. Old nigger been live on de place call John Fraser,
same one I tell you 'bout, dat cut all dem tree down. John sure been
slick. When Mosser call fer he fine likker to hand 'round, John come
back and tell him all gone. Mosser want to know why. John make reply:
'Why, Mosser you know you hab Mister Binyard to supper last night and he
finish all dat good stuff. You know how Mr. Binyard drink. Sometime he
drink when your back t'un (turned). How you 'speck um to last?' Mosser
scratch he haid, and say, yes he know how Mr. Binyard drink, and mebbe
dats why de last bottle empty. He ain't satisfy, but he can't prove dat
John drink um.
"Mosser 'nuse to keep de whiskey down in de cellar by de barrel, and he
draw um off in bottle when he need um and take um upstair to de wine
room. De nigger dat wuk 'round de house and de yaa'd, help dem self out
de barrel when dey feel tired. Mosser 'spect dem to do dat--dey 'title
(entitle) to um. Whiskey been kinder ration in dem day.
"Nigger jest know haa'd time now. Ain't been dat way when I been lee
boy. You ain't lacking fer nutting den dat you really need. No tussling
'bout fer yourself and knock 'round from pillar to post. If we need
anything slavery time we ax (ask) fer um--make we want known. Any
feeling ably white man who hab slave, gib we what we need. No puzzling
'tall (at all).
"Ain't I tell you 'bout dat time when John Fraser take overcoat from
Mosser right on Meeting Street? No. Well, it been uh cold day, and
Mosser tell John Fraser to meet him on de corner Meeting and Broad wid
de overcoat, 'cause he going out dat night and he want 'um. John been
wid Abel Wright, and de two of dem walk down de street to meet de Major.
John say to Abel: 'I cold as de debbil, and I going to ax Mosser fer he
coat.' Abel say: 'You crazy. He send for um and he sure ain't going, to
gib you he good new coat anyhow.' John say: 'You wait and see.'
"Soon Mosser come in sight. When he see John he git mad right off 'cause
John hab on he overcoat. Before he kin say uh wud (word) John speak up
fast. He say: 'Yes, Mosser I got on your coat 'cause it mighty cold. Got
to excuse old nigger. You hab 'nother coat. I ain't got nutting but dis
here jumper. Go on home Mosser and git torrer (the other) coat. I going
to keep dis. He jest fit me. Go on home.'
"Mosser study fer uh while, den he laugh. He see how keen de coat fit
John, and he know it been cold sure 'nough. John look sekker (just like)
dress up monkey in dat long tail overcoat, and dat make de Major laugh
all de more. So he tu'n round and go home, and John hab dat coat till he
die.
"Old Mosser scarcely going to deny you nutting, if he like you."
*II*
*Interview with Ephriam (Mike) Lawrence, about 80, farmer and
laborer*
*Edisto Island, S.C.*
--_C.S. Murray_
Mike Lawrence belonged to what he calls "de Murray state" in slavery
times. He was one of Major William Meggett Murray's "fire boys", who was
charged with the specific duty of bringing live coals to the master
whenever he wanted to light his pipe. Mike was only a small lad when war
was declared, but he remembers numerous stories relating to "Maussa's
niggers", some of which are worth recording. He speaks from first hand
knowledge, he says, for the things that he tells about happened during
his childhood and still stand out clearly in his mind.
Here is one of Mike's stories:
"Old John Drayton was de smaa'test of all de nigger de Maussa place. He
wuk so haa'd some time dat Maussa jest got to stop him, or he kill
heself. I nebber see sech uh man fer wuk in all my life. Maussa t'ink uh
lot ob um, 'cause he been uh good field hand, beside know lot 'bout
cutting 'ood (wood) and building fence. What been more old John play fer
all de dance on de plantation. He fair (really) mek fiddle talk. When
Maussa gib uh dance he always call 'pon John.
"Yas, suh dat man sure could play. W'en he saw down on de fiddle and
pull out dat june (tune) 'Oh, de Monkey Marry to de Babboon Sister,' he
mek paa'son (parson) dance.
"One day more dan all, Maussa Murray send wud (word) to John dat de cow
der break out ob de pasture, and he got to mend de fence quick. But John
done promise some nigger on Fenwick Island to play fer uh dance, and he
steal paa't (path) and go. (This expression means to go away by
stealth). Dat been Friday night and Maussa say John got to finish de
fence by sundown the next day.
"W'en Old John ain't show up Saturday morning, Maussa ax eberybody where
he been and de nigger all band togedder (together) and tell Maussa dat
dey see him leabe in uh boat to go fish and he ain't seen since. Maussa
been worry sure 'nough den 'cause he t'ink John might be drown'. He
'gage (engage) four man to shoot gun all ober creek to mek John body
rise. Atter dat day drag all 'bout in de gutter.
"Maussa gone bed wid heaby haa't (heart) 'cause he been very fond ob Old
John.
"John come back from Fenwick Island early Monday morning and 'fore day
clean he in de 'odd der cut fence rail. Now, one hundred rail been call
uh good day wuk, but Old John decide he going to do better den dat. He
find fibe (five) tree grow close togedder, and he cut piece out ob every
one. Den he chop at the biggest tree till he fall, and dat tree knock
all de rest ober wid um.
"W'en all dem tree fall togedder, it make sech uh noise, dat ole Maussa
hear um in he bed, and hasten to dress so he kin see w'at der go on in
de woods.
"Maussa saddle de horse and ride 'till he git to de center ob de noise
and dere he see Old John cutting 'way like he crazy. Maussa been mad
sure 'nough, but den he glad to see John ain't drown'. He staa't to say
some t'ing but Old John interrupt, and sing out: 'Go 'way Maussa, I
ain't got time to talk wid you now.'
"Old John den gather up five ax, and go to de five tree laying down on
de ground. He dribe uh ax in ebery tree and den grab uh neaby maul. W'en
Maussa look on, he tek de maul and run from one tree to torrer (one to
the other) and quick as he hit de ax, de tree split wide open. Maussa
staa't to say some t'ing 'gain but John ain't let him talk. He say: 'Go
on home to Missus, Maussa, I too 'shame, great God I too 'shame! Go on
home.'
"Maussa tun (turn) 'round in he track and go home widout uh wud, 'cause
he see de old nigger ain't going to gib him any satisfaction 'bout
Saturday. W'en he go back in de 'ood dat evening he check up and find
dat Old John done cut five hundred rail. Oh, dem been man in dose day, I
tell you."