N.C. District: 2
Worker: T. Pat Matthews
No. Words: 448
Subject: A SLAVE STORY
Reference: AMY PENNY
Editor: George L. Andrews
[TR: Date stamp: AUG 17 1937]
AMY PENNY
811 Cannister Street, Raleigh, North Carolina.
"I do not know my age. I wus borned in Mecklenburg [HW: County],
Virginia. My marster give my age in a Bible but I lost it by lendin' it
out. My mother died 'fore I 'membered her. She wus named Dinah Epps. My
grandmother wus named Eliza Epps. She lived to be 107 years old. My
father wus named Jerry Epps. Marster's name wus Victor Epps, an' my
missus wus named Martha. I married Bob Penny.
"De plantation wus at Mecklenburg, Virginia, near Boylan, [HW: Boydton,
in Mecklenburg Co., Va.] Virginia. I don't 'member how many slaves but
dere wus a good number. I never heard 'em numbered out as I knows of. I
never saw a slave sold. I never saw one whupped. I heard 'em talk about
paterollers but I never saw one.
"I don't 'member when I come to Raleigh. I have been here so long. My
grandmother an' grandfather come here an' I come too.
"I plowed in Virginia, an' I cooked too. Dey did not pick any work fur
me. We lived in log houses. Yes, indeed, we had plenty to eat. I never
suffered for sumptin' to eat till I come to Raleigh. On de plantation
we got plenty allowance. We had good clothes on de plantation.
"I am more naked now den I ever been before in my life.
"We went to both de white an' colored churches in Virginia. I never
could learn to read an' write. I never could learn to make a number
correct. I just can't learn. I tried my bes' to write. I went to four
sessions of school but couldn't learn. I wus raised by some mighty good
white people. I wanted to learn so bad I slept wid my books under my
head but I couldn't learn.
"I am well thought of at my home in Virginia. Dey have sent me rations
since I been here. I had de worse time of my life since de surrender. I
don't know nothin' 'bout de Yankees comin' through only what I heard
others say. I heard 'em talkin' 'bout freedom an' de war but I didn't
know or care nothin' 'bout it. My father went to Manassas Gap to de
war. I heard him talk 'bout de breastworks but I don't know nothin'
'bout 'em.
"I wus my father's only chile. He didn't have any chillun by his las'
wife. I fergot de name of his las' wife.
"I heard 'em say Abraham Lincoln come through de south an' just learned
ever'thing 'bout de folks. He wus 'guised so nobody knowed who he wus.
Yes, I heard 'bout dat an' when dey foun' out he been here he done come
through an' gone back.
"Slavery wus better den it is now. Shore it wus. I don't know much
'bout de war but my first life in Virginia wus better den it is now. I
never did have any mean white folks. De Lord made me lucky in dat way.
De Yankees took, stole, an' carried off a lot of things an' dere wus a
lot of talk 'bout 'em, but I never saw 'em 'cept when dey wus paradin'.
I never seed any of 'em down dere at my marster's plantation.
"My grandfather died in Raleigh. Grandmother wus de mother of thirteen
chilluns but none of 'em 'cept two ever seed Raleigh. Dey wus so
scattered 'bout 'cept de two younges', a boy an' a girl. Dey come to
Raleigh atter de surrender when grandmother an' me come. We lived
worser in Raleigh den we did in Virginia, an' if I wus back home wid my
white folks I would git plenty to eat but I don't git it here. Dey
sends me a little money now an' den. Here is some of dere letters where
dey sent me money. You can see by dese letters dat my Virginia white
folks loves me an' I love dem.
"I wus 'bout ten years ole when de war wus goin' on. I think slavery
wus not such a bad thing 'pared wid de hard times now."