He answer me back: "They been in de army 'long time. They don't study
hell anymore."
De train still rumble by. One gang of soldier on de top been playing
card. I see um hold up de card as plain as day, when de luck fall right.
They going to face bullet, but yet they play card, and sing and laugh
like they in their own house ... All going down to die.
De train pull 'cross de trestle. I stand up and watch um till he go out
of sight 'round de bend. De last thing I hear is de soldier laugh and
sing ... All going down to die.
SOURCE: Interview with William Rose, 80, ex-slave of Edisto Island,
S.C., in 1936.
=Project #1655=
=W.W. Dixon=
=Winnsboro, S.C.=
=BENJAMIN RUSSELL=
=_EX-SLAVE 88 YEARS._=
"I was born fourteen miles north of Chester, S.C. the property of Mrs.
Rebecca Nance. After eighty-eight years, I have a vivid recollection of
her sympathy and the ideal relations she maintained with her slaves.
"My father was just Baker, my mother just Mary. My father was bought out
of a drove of slaves from Virginia. I have been told my mother was born
on the Youngblood place. (Youngblood name of my mistress' people in York
County.) My father was a slave of a Mr. Russell and lived two or three
miles from the Nance place, where mother lived. He could only visit her
on a written pass. As he was religiously inclined, dutiful and faithful
as a slave, my mother encouraged the relation that included a slave
marriage between my father and mother. My mother in time, had a log
house for herself and children. We had beds made by the plantation's
carpenter. As a boy I remember plowing from sun to sun, with an hour's
intermission for dinner, and feeding the horses.
"Money? Yes, sometimes white folks and visitors would give me coppers,
3-cent pieces, and once or twice dimes. Used them to buy extra clothing
for Sundays and fire crackers and candy, at Christmas. We had good food.
In the busy seasons on the farm the mistress saw to it that the slaves
were properly fed, the food cooked right and served from the big
kitchen. We were given plenty of milk and sometimes butter. We were
permitted to have a fowl-house for chickens, separate from the white
folks. We wore warm clothes and stout brogan shoes in winter; went
barefooted from April until November and wore cotton clothes in summer.
The master and some of the women slaves spun the thread, wove the cloth
and made the clothes. My mother lived in a two-story farm house. Her
children were: William, Mattie and Thomas. We never had an overseer on
the place. Sometimes she'd whip the colored children, but only when it
was needed for correction.
"Yes, sir, I went with my young master, William, to Chester Court House,
and saw slaves put on a block and auctioned off to the highest bidder,
just like land or mules and cattle. Did we learn to read and write? We
were taught to read, but it was against the law to teach a slave to
write. The Legislature passed an act to that effect. A number of cases
in which slaves could write, the slave would forge a pass and thereby
get away to free territory. They had a time getting them back. On one
occasion I run in on my young master, William, teaching my Uncle Reuben
how to write. They showed their confusion.
"All slaves were compelled to attend church on Sunday. A gallery around
the interior of the church, contained the blacks. They were permitted to
join in the singing. Favorite preacher? Well, I guess my favorite
preacher was Robert Russell. He was allowed sometimes to use the white
folks school, which wasn't much in those days, just a little log house
to hold forth in winter. In summer he got permission to have a brush
arbor of pine tops, where large numbers came. Here they sang Negro
spirituals. I remember one was called: 'Steal away to Jesus.'
"Runaway slaves? Yes, we had one woman who was contrary enough to run
away: Addie, she run off in the woods. My mistress hired her out to the
McDonald family. She came back and we had to pelt and drive her away.
"How did we get news? Many plantations were strict about this, but the
greater the precaution the alerter became the slaves, the wider they
opened their ears and the more eager they became for outside
information. The sources were: Girls that waited on the tables, the
ladies' maids and the drivers; they would pick up everything they heard
and pass it on to the other slaves.
"Saturday afternoons? These were given to women to do the family
washing, ironing, etc., and the men cut fire wood, or worked in the
garden, and special truck crops. Christmas? Christmas was a holiday, but
the fourth of July meant very little to the slave people. Dances? There
was lots of dancing. It was the pastime of the slave race. The children
played shimmy and other games, imitating the white children, sometimes
with the white folks.
"The master and mistress were very particular about the slave girls. For
instance, they would be driving along and pass a girl walking with a
boy. When she came to the house she would be sent for and questioned
something like this: 'Who was that young man? How come you with him?
Don't you ever let me see you with that ape again. If you cannot pick a
mate better than that I'll do the picking for you.' The explanation: The
girl must breed good strong serviceable children.
"No, I never saw a ghost, but there was a general belief among the race
in ghosts, spirits, haunts and conjuration. Many believe in them yet. I
can never forget the fright of the time my young master, William was
going off to the war. The evening before he went, a whippoorwill lighted
on the window sill and uttered the plaintive 'whip-poor-will.' All the
slaves on the place were frightened and awed and predicted bad luck to
Master Will. He took sick in war and died, just wasted away. He was
brought back in rags toward the end of the struggle.
"Mistress always gave the slaves a big dinner on New Year's Day and
talked to us out of the catechism. She impressed on us after dinner that
time, that we were free. Some were sorry, some hurt, but a few were
silent and glad. I and many of the others had been well treated. When we
were sick she visited us and summoned a doctor the first thing, but the
remedies those days were castor oil, quinine, turpentine, mustard
plaster and bleeding."
=Project 1885 -1-=
=District #4=
=Spartanburg, S.C.=
=May 29, 1937=
=FOLK-LORE: EX-SLAVE=
"I was born about 1846, 'cause I was in de war and was 19 years old when
de war was over. I went to Charleston with my master, Ros Atwood, my
mistress's brother. My mistress was Mrs. Laura Rutherford and my master
at home was Dr. Thomas Rutherford. We was on Morris Island.
"My father was Allen Rutherford and my mother Barbara Rutherford. My
daddy had come from Chili to this country, was a harness maker, and
belonged awhile to Nichols. We had a good house or hut to live in, and
my work was to drive cows till I was old 'nough to work in de fields,
when I was 13. Then I plowed, hoed cotton, and hoed corn 'till last year
of war and den went to Charleston.
"Master paid us no money for work. We could hunt and fish, and got lots
of game around there. We had dogs but our master didn't like hounds.
"Col. Daryton Rutherford, doct's son, had me for a 'pet' on the place.
They had overseers who was sometimes bossy but they wouldn't allow dem
to whip me. One old nigger named 'Isom', who come from Africa, was
whipped mighty bad one day. The padderollers whip me one night when I
went off to git a pair of shoes for an old lady and didn't git a pass. I
was 16 years old then.
"Doctor Rutherford had several farms--I reckon around 2,000 acres of
land. We didn't have church nor school but sometimes we had to go to de
white folks church and set in the gallery. We didn't learn to read and
write. The mistress learnt some of de nigger chaps to read and write a
little.
"We had Saturday afternoons off to wash up and clean up. When Christmas
come the doctor would give us good things to eat. When we was sick he
give us medicine, but some of de old folks would make hot teas from root
herbs.
"We had old time corn-shuckings before and after freedom. We made sure
enough corn den and lots of it--had four cribs full. When freedom come,
the old man had fallen off a block and was hurt, so one of de overseers
told us we was free and could go if we wanted to. Some of dem stayed on
and some got in the big road and never stopped walking. Then we worked
for 1/3 share of the crops; had our little patch to work, too.
"I was 31 years old when I married first time. Was living in Mollohon.
Her name was Leana and she belonged to Madison Brooks's family, as
waiting girl. I was married twice, but had 13 children all by my first
wife. I have 14 grandchildren, and so many great-grandchildren I can't
count them.
"When de Ku Klux was in dat country I lived wid a man who was one of
them. The first I knew about it was when I went down to de mill, de mule
throwed me and de meal, and down de road I went to running and met a Ku
Klux. It was him.
"I think Abe Lincoln and Jeff Davis good men, but don't know much about
dem.
"I join de church when I was 68 years old 'cause God sent me to do it. I
believe all ought to join church."
SOURCE: Joe Rutherford (92), Newberry, S.C.; Interviewer: G. Leland
Summer, Newberry, S.C.
=Project 1885 -1-=
=District #4=
=Spartanburg, S.C.=
=June 7, 1937=
=FOLK-LORE: EX-SLAVE=
"I was born about 1849 in the Dutch Fork section of Newberry County,
S.C. I was slave of Ivey Suber and his good wife. My daddy was Bill
Suber and my mammy was Mary Suber. I was hired by Marse Suber as a nurse
in the big house, and I waited on my mistress when she was sick, and was
at her bed when she died. I had two sisters and a brother and when we
was sold they went to Mr. Suber's sister and I stayed with him.
"My master was good to his slaves. He give them plenty to eat, good
place to sleep and plenty of clothes. The young men would hunt lots,
rabbits, possums, and birds. My white folks had a big garden and we had
eats from it. They was good cooks, too, and lived good. We card and spin
and weave our own clothes on mistress's spinning wheels.
"Marse Suber had one overseer who was good to us. We went to work at
sun-up and worked 'till sun-down, none of us worked at night. We
sometimes got a whipping when we wouldn't work or do wrong, but it
wasn't bad.
"We never learned to read and write. We had no church and no school on
the plantation, but we could go to the white folk's church and sit in
the gallery. Some of us was made to go, and had to walk 10 miles. Of
course, we never thought much about walking that far. I joined the
church because I was converted; I think everybody ought to join the
church.
"The patrollers rode 'round and ketched slaves who ran away without
passes. They never bothered us. When our work was over at night, we
stayed home, talked and went to sleep. On Saturday afternoons white
folks sometimes give us patches of ground to work, and we could wash up
then, too. We raised corn on the patches and some vegetables. On Sunday
we just rested and went to neighbor's house or to church. On Christmas
we had big eats.
"Corn-shuckings and cotton-pickings always had suppers when work was
done. Master made whiskey up at his sister's place, and at these suppers
he had whiskey to give us.
"When we was sick we had a doctor--didn't believe much in root teas.
"I married when I was 15 years old at a white man's place, Mr. Sam
Cannon's. A negro man named Jake Cannon married us. Supper was give us
by Mr. Sam Cannon after it was over.
"When freedom came, my mother moved away, but I stayed on.
"I think Abraham Lincoln was a good man, and Jeff Davis was a good man.
I don't know anything about Booker Washington."
SOURCE: Lila Rutherford (86), Newberry, S.C., RFD
Interviewer: G. Leland Summer, 1707 Lindsey St.,
Newberry, S.C.
=Project #-1655=
=Mrs. Genevieve W. Chandler=
=Murrells Inlet, S.C.=
=Georgetown County=
=FOLKLORE=
=Uncle Sabe Rutledge=
(=Testimony given by old man born 1861, The Ark Plantation.
Horry County--owned by Mr. John Tillman=)
"Fust thing I realize to remember, I nuster cry to go to the old
boss--old Massa--for sugar. Massa say:
"'Martha, what Newman (he call me that) crying for?' Ma say, 'Wanter
come to you for sugar!'
"'Bring the boy here, Martha!'
"He gi'e me sugar.
"Boil salt? Pump! Pump! Pump it! Had a tank. Run from hill to sea. Had a
platform similar to wharf. And pump on platform. Fetch good high. Go out
there on platform. Force pump. My Grandmother boil salt way after
Freedom. We tote water. Tote in pidgin and keeler--make out of cedar and
cypress. No 'ting to crove 'em (groove 'em) compass. Dog-wood and oak
rim. Give it a lap. (This was his description, with pantomime, of the
way pidgin and keelers were made by plantation carpenters)
"My Grandmother had two pots going. Boil all day and all night. Biling.
Boil till he ticken (thicken) Cedar paddles stir with. Chillun eat with
wooden spoons. Clay pot? Just broken piece. Indian had big camping
ground on beach near the Ark. After big blow you can find big piece of
pot there. I see Indian. Didn't see wild one; see tame one.
"Indigo? Old man Lashie Tillman nuster plant indigo. Seed lak a flax.
Put myrtle seed in with indigo to boil. Gather and boil for the traffic.
All the big folkses plant that fore the rice. Rice come in circulation,
do way with indigo. Nuster (used to) farm indigo just like we work our
corn. Didn't have nothing but ox. And the colored folks--they came next
to the ox--Hill keep advancing out. Reckon you wouldn't blieve it, but I
ken cummember (Uncle Sabe stutters a bit) when all that beach been
cultivate field. Must be nature for sand hill to move. Time most got too
fast now for the people to live.
"Storm? Oh my Lord! Flagg Storm? Sea naturally climb right over that
hill like it wasn't nothing. Water come to King Road. Reckon it would a
come further if the wind didn't shift.
"Calls this 'The Ridge.' Why? I first man settle here. Oak Ridge. (It is
the highest land between the Waccamaw river and the ocean.) Just name it
so.
"Member the shipwreck. Two men and lady come to the Ark. Stormy time.
Massa take them to town. Old anchor there now. Come a blow you kin see
it. Water rise over it high tide.
"Ma tell me bout they had the to-do. Blockade at Inlet. Had 'em out to
drill (The Yankees came to shore to drill.) Old man John Tillman lose
all he China-a-way! (chinaware.) Every bit of his china and paints
(panes of glass) out the window. Yankee gun boat sojer (soldier) to
Magnolia to drill. They tack 'em (attacked 'em) to cut 'em off. When
Rebs tack 'em, small boats gone back. She had to brace 'em. Shoot dem
shell to brace. (Gun boat fired to frighten Rebs who were cutting
Yankees off from escape) I hear old man Frank Norris--lived right beyond
Vettrill Deas--I hear him (nuster come home to the Ark and trap)--I hear
him say lot of 'em bog. (Ella, Agnes and Johnnie Johnson fadder been
there) Bomb shell hit the hill and bury them in the sand. Had to dig
out.
"Old man John Tillman my boss. Sho treat his people good. Don't see why
his folks (slaves) went to blockade (tried to escape and join Yankee
gun-boats). Sho treat his colored folks good. My Grandfather, Rodrick
Rutledge, driver from a boy. Time he big nuff to handle it till Freedom.
"Couldn't marry widout consent of boss." (Remark from Uncle Sabe's
sister, Mom Jane, who is quite acid. All her information inherited--she
Freedom child) Mom Jane: "Been to devil and come back now!"
(Comparing slavery to the lower regions)
Uncle Sabe--continuing:
"Have sick house; have chillun house." (All in this section tell great
tales of the 'chillun house.' Sounds a lot like the nurse houses in
Russia today. All the babies were in this day nursery in care of the
older women, too old for field work.) "Corn. Meat--pig, beef,
fish--plenty milk." (Some cow 'coffee cow'--that is give just enough
milk for the coffee.)
"Any rice?"
Aunt Jane: (interrupting) "Pick you teet (teeth) to find the rice! Great
God! Now I can buy my rice!"
Uncle Sabe: "Could plant up-land rice to Ark. (This on coast away from
fresh water)
"Ash cake? Meal, salt, water. Not a grease! Not a grease! See Mudder
cook it many a hundred day!"