BOB MOBLEY, Ex-Slave, Aged about 90
Pulaski County, Georgia
(1937)
[Date Stamp: JUL 20 1937]
When recently interviewed, this aged colored man--the soul of humbleness
and politeness--and long a resident of Pulaski County, sketched his life
as follows (his language reconstructed):
"I was the seventh child of the eleven children born to Robert and
Violet Hammock, slaves of Mr. Henry Mobley of Crawford County. My
parents were also born in Crawford County.
My master was well-to-do: he owned a great deal of land and many
Negroes.
Macon was our nearest trading town--and Mr. Mobley sold his cotton and
did his trading there, though he sent his children to school at
Knoxville (Crawford County).
My mother was the family cook, and also superintended the cooking for
many of the slaves.
We slaves had a good time, and none of us were abused or mistreated,
though young Negroes were sometimes whipped--when they deserved it.
Grown Negro men, in those days, wore their hair long and, as a
punishment to them for misconduct (etc.), the master cut their hair off.
I was raised in my master's house--slept in his room when I was a small
boy, just to be handy to wait on him when he needed anything.
If a slave became sick, a doctor was promptly called to attend him. My
mother was also a kind of doctor and often rode all over the plantation
to dose ailing Negroes with herb teas and home medicines which she was
an adept in compounding. In cases of [HW: minor] illness, she could
straighten up the sick in no time.
Before the war started, I took my young master to get married, and we
were certainly dressed up. You have never seen a Nigger and a white man
as dressed up as we were on that occasion.
An aunt of mine was head weaver on our plantation, and she bossed the
other women weavers and spinners. Two or three seamstresses did all the
sewing.
In winter time we slaves wore wool, which had been dyed before the cloth
was cut. In summer we wore light goods.
We raised nearly every thing that we ate, except sugar and coffee, and
made all the shoes and clothes worn on the place, except the white
ladies' silks, fine shawls, and slippers, and the men's broadcloths and
dress boots.
My young master went to the war, but his father was too old to go. When
we heard that the Yankees were coming, old mister refugeed to Dooly
County--where he bought a new farm, and took his Negroes with him. But
the new place was so poor that, right after the war closed, he moved
back to his old plantation. I stayed with Mr. Henry for a long time
after freedom, then came to Hawkinsville to work at the carpenter's
trade. And I did pretty well here until I fell off a house several years
ago, since which time I haven't been much good--not able to do hardly
any work at all."
Now old, feeble, and physically incapacitated, "Uncle" Bob lives with a
stepdaughter--a woman of 72--who, herself, is failing fast. Both are
supported mainly by Pulaski County and the Federal Government.
[HW: Dist. 6
Ex-Slave #79]
Folklore
Mary A. Crawford
Re-Search Worker
FANNY NIX--Ex-Slave
Interviewed
[Date Stamp: MAY 8 1937]
Fanny was born in slavery and was "a great big girl" when the slaves
were freed but does not know her exact age, however, she thinks that she
was "at least twelve when the War broke out." According to this method
of estimating her age, Fanny is about eighty-seven.
The old woman's parents were John Arnold and Rosetta Green, who were
married 'away befo de wah' by steppin' over the broom' in the presence
of "old Marse," and a lot of colored friends.
Fanny does not know where her parents were born, but thinks that they
were born in Upson County near Thomaston, Georgia, and knows that she
and her two brothers and other sister were.
Fanny and her family were owned by Judge Jim Green. Judge Green had a
hundred or so acres of land Fanny 'reckon', and between twenty-five and
seventy-five slaves.
"The Marster was just as good as he could be to all the slaves, and
especially to the little chillun." "The Judge did not 'whup' much--and
used a peach tree limb and done it hisself. There wuzn't no strop at
Marse Green's big house."
Rosetta Green, the mother of Fanny, "cooked and washed for Judge Green
for yeahs and yeahs." Fanny "found her mammy a cookin' at the big house
the fust thing she knowed."
As Fanny grew up, she was trained by "ole Miss" to be a house girl, and
did "sech wuk" as churning, minding the flies "offen de table when de
white folks et, gwine backards and forads to de smoke-house for my
mammy."
She recalls that when she "minded the flies offen the table she allus
got plenty of biscuits and scraps o' fried chicken the white folks left
on their plates." "But," Fanny added with a satisfied smile, "Marse
Green's darkies never wanted for sumpin t'eat, case he give 'em a
plenty, even molasses all dey wanted." Fanny and her mammy always ate in
"de Missis kitchen."
"Yes," said Fanny, "I remembers when de Yankees come through, it tickled
us chillun and skeered us too! Dey wuz mo'n a hundred, Miss, riding
mighty po' ole wore out hosses. All de men wanted wuz sumpin' t'eat and
some good hosses. De men poured into de smokehouse and de kitchen (here
Fanny had to laugh again) an how dem Yankee mens did cut and hack "Ole
Marse's" best hams! After dey et all dey could hol' dey saddled up "ole
Marse's" fine hosses an' away dey rid!"
When asked why the white folks did not hide the horses out in the swamps
or woods, Fanny replied, "case, dey didn't have time. Dem Yankees
pounced down like hawks after chickens!" "Ole Marse jost did have time
to 'scape to de woods hisself." The Judge was too old to go to the war.
John Arnold, Fanny's daddy, was owned by Mr. John Arnold on an adjoining
plantation to Judge Greene, and when he and Fanny's mother were married,
John was allowed to visit Rosetta each week-end. Of course he had to
carry a pass from his "Marster."
John and Rosetta "never lived together year in and year out," according
to Fanny's statement, "till long after freedom."
Fanny relates that Judge Green's slaves all went to "meetin" every
Sunday in the white folks church. The darkies going in the after-noon
and the white people going in the forenoon.
The white preacher ministered to both the white and colored people.
If the Negroes were sick and needed mo [HW: den] "old Marse" knowed what
to give em, he "sont the white folk's doctor." "You see, Miss," said old
Fanny with pride, "I wuz owned by big white folks."
She tells that Judge Green had two young sons (not old enough to fight)
and three daughters, 'jest little shavers, so high', (here Fanny
indicated from three, to four or five feet at intervals, to indicate
small children's height,) then added, "We allus said, 'Little Miss
Peggy', 'Little Miss Nancy', and 'Little Missz Jane', and 'Young Marse
Jim' and 'Little Marster Bob'". "Did you ever forget to speak to the
children in that way?" the interviewer asked. "No, Miss, we sho didn't,
we knowed better dan to fergit!"
Fanny is very feeble in every way, voice is weak and her step most
uncertain, but she is straight of figure, and was ripping up smoking
tobacco sacks with which her daughter is to make 'a purty bed spread'.
Fanny and her husband, another ex-slave, live with Fanny's daughter. The
daughter supports her mother.
[HW: Dist. 6
Ex-Slave #80]
Mary A. Crawford
Re-Search Worker
HENRY NIX--Ex-Slave
808 E. Slaton Ave.
Griffin, Georgia
Interviewed
September 24, 1936
[Date Stamp: MAY 8 1937]
[TR: Numerous handwritten changes were made in this interview. Where a
word appears in brackets after a HW entry, it was replaced by that
handwritten entry. All numbers were originally spelled out.]
Henry Nix was born March 15, 1848 in Upson County, about 5 miles from
Barnesville, Georgia.
[HW: His] [Henry's] parents were John Nix and Catherine Willis, who were
not married, because as Henry reports, John Nix was an overseer on the
plantation of Mr. Jasper Willis, "and when Marster found out what kind
of man John Nix was he (Nix) had to skip out."
When Henry "was a good sized boy, his mother married a darky man", and 3
other children were born, 2 boys and a girl. Henry loved his mother very
much and [HW: says] relates that on her death bed she told him who his
father was, and [TR: "also told him" crossed out] how to live so as not
to get into trouble, and, [HW: due to her advice] that he has never been
in jail nor in any meanness of any kind [TR: "due to what she told him"
crossed out].
Mr. Jasper Willis, [TR: "who was" crossed out] Henry's owner, lived on a
large plantation of about 300 three hundred acres in Upson County, [HW:
and] [Mr. Willis] owned only about 50 or 60 slaves as well as Henry can
remember. The old man considers Mr. Willis "the best marster that a
darky ever had," saying that he "sho" made his darkies work and mind,
but he never beat them or let the patter-role do it, though sometimes he
did use a switch on 'em". Henry recalls that he received "a sound
whuppin onct, 'case he throwed a rock at one o' Marse Jasper's fine cows
and broke her laig!"
When asked if Mr. Willis had the slaves taught to read and write, Henry
hooted at the idea, saying emphatically, "No, Mam, 'Ole Marse' wuz sho
hard about dat. He said 'Niggers' wuz made by de good Lawd to work, and
onct when my Uncle stole a book and wuz a trying to learn how to read
and write, Marse Jasper had the white doctor take off my Uncle's fo'
finger right down to de 'fust jint'. Marstar said he fixed dat darky as
a sign fo de res uv 'em! No, Miss, we wuzn't larned!"
Mr. Willis allowed his slaves from Saturday at noon till Monday morning
as a holiday, and then they always had a week for Christmas. All of the
Negroes went to meeting on Sunday afternoon in the white people's church
and were served by the white minister.
Henry says that they had a "circuit doctor" on his Marster's place and
the doctor came around regularly at least every two weeks, "case Marster
paid him to do so and [HW: he] 'xamined evah darky big and little on dat
plantation."
One time Henry recalls that he "had a turrible cowbunkle" on the back of
his neck and 'marse' had the doctor to cut it open. Henry knowed better
den to holler and cut up, too, when it was done.
The old man remembers going to war with his young master and remaining
with him for the two years he was in service. They were in Richmond when
the city surrendered to Grant and soon after that the young master was
killed in the fight at Tumlin Gap. Henry hardly knows how he got back to
"Ole Marster" but is thankful he did.
After freedom, [HW: al]most all of Mr. Willis' darkies stayed on with
him but Henry "had to act smart and run away." He went over into Alabama
and managed "to keep [TR: "his" crossed out] body and soul together
somehow, for several years and then [TR: "he" crossed out] went back to
"Ole Marster."
Henry is well and rather active for his 87 or 88 years and likes to
work. He has a job now cleaning off the graves at the white cemetery but
he and his wife depend mainly [HW: for support] on their son [TR: "for
support" crossed out], who lives just across the street from them.
[HW: Dist. 6]
Mary A. Crawford
Re-Search Worker
LEWIS OGLETREE--Ex-Slave
501 E. Tinsley Street
Griffin, Georgia
August 21, 1936
[Date Stamp: MAY 8 1937]
[TR: Numerous handwritten changes were made in this interview. Where a
word appears in brackets after a HW entry, it was replaced by that
handwritten entry.]
Lewis Ogletree was born on the plantation of Mr. Fred Crowder of
Spalding County, Georgia [HW: Ga], near Griffin. [HW: He] [Lewis] does
not know exactly when he was born, but says that [TR: "he knows that"
crossed out] he was maybe 17 years old at the end of the war in '65.
This would make him 88 now.
Mr. Crowder was the owner of a large number of slaves and among them
was Lettie Crowder, [TR: "(married an Ogletree) the" crossed out]
housekeeper and head servant in the home of Mr. Fred Crowder. Lettie was
Lewis' mother.
Lewis remembers standing inside the picket fence with a lot of other
little pick-a-ninnies watching for Sherman's Army, and when the Yankees
got close enough to be heard plainly, they hid in the bushes or under
the house.
The Yankees poured into the yard and into the house, making Lettie open
the smoke-house and get them Mr. Crowder's best whiskey and oftentimes
they made her cook them a meal of ham and eggs.
Mr. Crowder, Lettie's master, was ill during the war, having a cancer on
his left hand.
Lewis reports that Mr. Crowder was a very hard master but a good one
saying, "That it wasn't any use for the "patty-role" (the Patrol) to
come to Marse Crowder's, 'cause he would not permit him to "tech one of
his darkies."
Mrs. Crowder, the "ole mistis", had died just before the war broke out
and Mr. Crowder lived alone with his house servants.
There were two young sons in the war. The oldest son, Col. Crowder, was
in Virginia.
Lewis said that his Master whipped him only once and that was for
stealing. One day when the old master was taking a nap, Lewis "minding
off the flies" and thinking his "marster" asleep slipped over to the big
table and snatched some candy. Just as he picked up a lump, (it was
"rock candy,") "Wham! Old [HW: Marster] [mastah] had me, and when he got
through, well, Lewis, didn't steal anymore candy nor nothin'." "Mastah
nevah took no foolishness from his darkies."
Lewis remembers very clearly when Mr. Crowder gave his darkies their
freedom. "Mastah sont me and my mammy out to the cabin to tell all de
darkies to come up to de "big house". When they got there, there were so
many that [HW: they] [some] were up on the porch, on the steps and all
over the yard."
"Mr. Crowder stood up on the porch and said, "You darkies are all free
now. You don't belong to me no more. Now pack up your things and go on
off." My Lord! How them darkies did bawl! And most of them did not leave
ole mastah."
[RICHARD ORFORD, Age around 85]
The following version of slavery was told by Mr. Richard Orford of 54
Brown Avenue in South Atlanta. Mr. Orford is large in statue and
although 85 years of age he has a very active mind as well as a good
sense of humor.
Mr. Orford was born in Pike County, Georgia (near the present site of
Griffin) in 1842. His master's name was Jeff Orford. Mr. Orford
describes him as follows: "Marster wus a rich man an' he had 'bout 250
slaves--'course dat was'nt so many 'cause some of de folks 'round dere
had 400 and 500. He had plenty of land too--I don't know how many acres.
He raised everything he needed on de plantation an' never had to buy
nothing. I 'members when de Yankees come through--ol' marster had 'bout
200 barrels of whiskey hid in de smokehouse--dat wus de fust time I ever
got drunk."
"Besides hisself an' his wife ol' marster had two boys an' nine girls".
Continuing, Mr. Orford said: "My Ma did'nt have many chillun--jus' ten
boys an' nine girls. I went to work in marster's house when I wus five
years old an' I stayed dere 'till I wus thirty-five. De fust work I had
to do wus to pick up chips, feed chickens, an' keep de yard clean. By de
time I wus eight years old I wus drivin' my missus in de carriage."
"All de rest of de slaves wus fiel' hands. Dey spent dere time plowing
an' takin' care of de plantation in general. Dere wus some who split
rails an' others who took care of de stock an' made de harness--de
slaves did everything dat needed to be done on de plantation. Everybody
had to git up 'fore daybreak an' even 'fore it wus light enuff to see
dey wus in de fiel' waitin' to see how to run a furrow. 'Long 'bout nine
o'clock breakfus' wus sent to de fiel' in a wagon an' all of 'em stopped
to eat. At twelve o'clock dey stopped again to eat dinner. After dat dey
worked 'till it wus to dark to see. Women in dem days could pick
five-hundred pounds of cotton a day wid a child in a sack on dere
backs."
"When de weather wus too bad to work in de fiel' de hands cribed an'
shucked corn. If dey had any work of dere own to do dey had to do it at
night".
According to Mr. Orford there was always sufficient food on the Orford
plantation for the slaves. All cooking was done by one cook at the cook
house. In front of the cook house were a number of long tables where the
slaves ate their meals when they came in from the fields. Those children
who were too young to work in the fields were also fed at this house but
instead of eating from the tables as did the grown-ups they were fed
from long troughs much the same as little pigs. Each was given a spoon
at meal time and then all of the food was dumped into the trough at the
same time.
The week day diet for the most part consisted of meats and
vegetables--"sometimes we even got chicken an' turkey"--says Mr. Orford.
Coffee was made by parching meal or corn and then boiling it in water.
None of the slaves ever had to steal anything to eat on the Orford
plantation.
All of the clothing worn on this plantation was made there. Some of the
women who were too old to work in the fields did the spinning and the
weaving as well as the sewing of the garments. Indigo was used to dye
the cloth. The women wore callico dresses and the men wore ansenberg
pants and shirts. The children wore a one piece garment not unlike a
slightly lengthened dress. This was kept in place by a string tied
around their waists. There were at least ten shoemakers on the
plantation and they were always kept bust [TR: busy?] making shoes
although no slave ever got but one pair of shoes a year. These shoes
were made of very hard leather and were called brogans.
In the rear of the master's house was located the slave's quarters. Each
house was made of logs and was of the double type so that two families
could be accommodated. The holes and chinks in the walls were daubed
with mud to keep the weather out. At one end of the structure was a
large fireplace about six feet in width. The chimney was made of dirt.
As for furniture Mr. Orford says: "You could make your own furniture if
you wanted to but ol' marster would give you a rope bed an' two or three
chairs an' dat wus all. De mattress wus made out of a big bag or a
tickin' stuffed wid straw--dat wus all de furniture in any of de
houses."
"In dem days folks did'nt git sick much like dey do now, but when dey
did de fust thing did fer 'em wus to give 'em blue mass. If dey had a
cold den dey give 'em blue mass pills. When dey wus very sick de marster
sent fer de doctor."
"Our ol' marster wus'nt like some of de other marsters in de
community--he never did do much whuppin of his slaves. One time I hit a
white man an' ol' marster said he was goin' to cut my arm off an' dat
wus de las' I heard of it. Some of de other slaves useter git whuppins
fer not workin' an' fer fightin'. My mother got a whuppin once fer not
workin'. When dey got so bad ol' marster did'nt bother 'bout whuppin'
'em--he jes' put 'em on de block an' en' sold 'em like he would a
chicken or somethin'. Slaves also got whuppins when dey wus caught off
the plantation wid out a pass--de Paddie-Rollers whupped you den. I have
knowed slaves to run away an' hide in de woods--some of 'em even raised
families dere."
"None of us wus allowed to learn to read or to write but we could go to
church along wid de white folks. When de preacher talked to de slaves he
tol' 'em not to steal fum de marster an' de missus 'cause dey would be
stealing fum dere selves--he tol' 'em to ask fer what dey wanted an' it
would be givven to 'em."
When Sherman marched through Georgia a number of the slaves on the
Orford plantation joined his army. However, a large number remained on
the plantation even after freedom was declared. Mr. Orford was one of
those who remained. While the Yankee soldiers were in the vicinity of
the Orford plantation Mr. Orford, the owner of the plantation, hid in
the woods and had some of the slaves bring his food, etc. to him.
Mr. Orford was thirty-five years of age when he left the plantation and
at that time he married a twelve year old girl. Since that time he has
been the father of twenty-three children, some of whom are dead and some
of whom are still alive.