An interview with Sarah Ann Smith of 623 West Lenoir Street, Raleigh,
North Carolina.
"I wus borned January 22, 1858 ter Martha an' Green Womble in Chatham
County, near Lockville. My father 'longed ter Mr. John Womble an' mammy
'longed ter Captain Elias Bryant. Dey had six chilluns, I bein' nex'
ter de oldes'.
"Father wus a carpenter an' by his havin' a trade he got along better
before an' atter de war dan de other niggers. Mammy wus housekeeper an'
cook an' she always wus neat as a pin an' as quick as lightnin'. Both
families wus good ter dere slaves, givin' dem plenty ter eat an' enough
ter wear.
"I stayed wid mammy on Captain Bryant's plantation, an' I doan 'member
doin' any wurk at all 'cept lookin' atter de babies onct in a long
while.
"When de Yankees come Marse wus off ter de war so dey tuck de place wid
out any trouble at all. Dey wusn't as good ter us as our white folkses
wus an' somehow we doan feel right 'bout 'em takin' Marse's stuff, but
we knows hit ain't no use ter say nothin' 'bout hit.
"At last de war wus ober, de Captain wus too busted ter hire us ter
stay on, so we moved over ter Mr. Womble's place den.
"Life wus a heap different from what hit wus 'fore de surrender. We
ain't had no fun now case when we has time we is too tired an' when we
do have time is soldom. No mo' dances an' parties fer us. We ain't eben
got de 'lasses ter have a candy pullin'. We ain't got de 'ligion we had
'fore de war, so prayer meetin' am not hilt often. De Yankees gived us
a school but dey ain't give us nothin' ter eat so we's got ter wurk, we
ain't got no time fer edgercation.
"I growed up in dis han' mouth way an' when I wus thirteen I seed Henry
Smith who wus rentin' a little farm dar near us. He wus young an' slim
an' yaller. My folks wanted me ter marry Bill Bunn but he wus
thirty-odd, black an' heavy, an' I ain't laked him.
"Me an' Henry we cou'ted jist as we pleased case dey warn't strict on
us an' when I tol' him dat I reckin dat I is got ter marry Bill Bunn he
gits mad an' he sez dat I ain't nother, case I is gwine ter marry him.
Well I did an' I ain't never been sorry yet.
"Henry has been dead now fo'teen years an' de five chilluns what we had
am dead too an' I is hopin' ter git my pension soon. I does need hit,
bein' all alone in de worl'."