[Footnote 10: Dabney Cosby, a practical architect and contractor, came
to Raleigh from Halifax County, Virginia, and did a good deal of
building in the city between 1850 and 1860. The original Yarborough
House (1852) was built by him. The Heart house, corner Hargett and
Dawson Streets, Cosby's home, and another stucco house, corner Hargett
and Harrington Streets are still standing in the locality mentioned in
the story.]
N.C. District: No. 2
Worker: T. Pat Matthews
No. Words: 755
Subject: REV. HANDY WILLIAMS
Person Interviewed: Rev. Handy Williams
Editor: Daisy Bailey Waitt
REV. HANDY WILLIAMS
Dunn, North Carolina.
"My name is Handy H. Williams. When de war went up I wus twelve years
old, 12th of March. I belonged to Blaney Williams, and his wife wus
named Polly. My mother wus named Margaret Williams, and my father wus
named Sam Williams. I do not remember my grandmother and grandfather;
can't remember 'em.
"My father lived in Greene County. De plantation wus in Greene County.
Dere were about 190 acres in de farm and dere wus about 25 slaves on
it.
"We lived in Greene County till the war went up. We had plenty to eat,
good clothes and a nice place to sleep. Marster wus not good to us, but
he gave us plenty to eat and wear. He worked us from light till dark
and then my mother had to do house work after workin' in de fields all
day, an' father had to do de feedin' or pick cotton at night.
"We had no holidays. Prayer meetings were not allowed in de quarters
and a slave darsent to be caught wid a book in his han'.
"De patterollers come by often an' dey caught and whupped de slaves
many times. Marster whupped slaves for mos' anything. Sometimes he
would get mad, an' whup us when he hardly had an excuse. Yes sir, he
would get drunk and whup somebody jest 'cause he was mad. Some of de
slaves run away. My Uncle Needham Williams run away. When he come back
he wus whupped an' then put up and sold. Aunt Chaney, my mother's
sister, wus put up and sold. She wus sold away from her children. When
de war went up, she come back home. My Aunt Beadie wus sold on de block
in Fayetteville. I remember her well, but we have never heard from her
since. She never come back after the surrender. God only knows what
become o' her.
"When de war went up we went to Harnett County to Mr. Jim Surles'
place, about three miles from whur this town now stands. Dunn wus not
here then.
"We stayed there five years, and then moved to Mingo in what is now
Sampson County on the Louis Martin Tew Place, and my father bought a
place. The deed called for 199 acres more or less. Dat's what de deed
called for. We paid for de place, but my father mortgaged de place. He
didn't lose it, cause it wus fixed so dat no one could sell or mortgage
it while any of de heirs wus livin'. All are dead 'cept Pink Williams
and myself, and de lan' fell back to us. Mammy and daddy are both dead
long time ago, 'bout twenty-five years.
"Dey had overseers on marster's farm in Greene County and dey were
mean to de slaves. I wus not big enough to work much, but dey had me
feedin' stock and helpin' around de house.
"We children didn't play any games we wus afraid to play around de
white folks. Marster wus a rip snorter and he would get you if you got
in his way. He lived in de great house not far distant from de
quarters, but we did not go dere unless we had to go dere to work.
"Yes sir, you know how children is when dey hear wagins coomin', and a
big crowd marchin' together. Yes sir, I remember de Yankees. Dey rode
dere horses against de fences and tore em down. Dey comed in de yard
and turned over de bee gums. Dey shot de chickens. Dey would say 'Dere
he goes, shoot him, shoot him', and den de guns would go 'bam, bam,
bam, an' de chickens would fall dead'. Dey shot de dogs in de yard.
Course, to Heben, I am tellin' de truth. Dey took de meat and destroyed
mos' everything at Marster's. After dey lef', if you could get a few
beans or peas dey wus mighty good. People et tater peelings an' some
come near starvin'.
"I wus mighty lucky an' what I got I got it from de Southern white
folks; dey been mighty good to me since de war. I have worked for de
town 'bout 35 years and I work for it now. I ain't able to do much now,
but I have a section of de Courthouse. I keeps it might clean.
"I know nothin' much bout de great men you ax me 'bout; don't remember
much about 'em. I think slavery wus a bad thing, yes sir, I shore
does."