*Interview with Hannah Irwin*
--_Gertha Couric, [HW: Eufaula?]_
_KU KLUX RIDES WHEN DE NIGGERS STARTS TROUBLE_
On a high knoll overlooking the winding Chewalla Creek is a little one
room shack. Its rusty hinges and weather-beaten boards have seen many a
glowing sunset; have stood against many high winds and rains; they have
for many years sheltered Aunt Hannah Irwin, ex-slave. Now the old Negro
woman is too old and feeble to venture very often from her small home.
She lives almost in solitude with her memories of the past, and an
occasional visit from one of her old friends who perhaps brings her some
fruit or a little money.
"Yas'm, I'll be pleased to tell you 'bout whut I remembers aroun' de
time of de War." Aunt Hannah sat stolidly in a chair that virtually
groaned under her weight; and gave utterance to this sentiment through a
large thick mouth, while her gold ear rings shook with every turn of her
head, and her dim eyes glowed with memory's fires. "Dere ain't much I
can tell you, dough," she went on, "kaze I was only twelve years old
when de war ended.
"I was bawn on Marse Bennett's plantation near Louisville, Alabama. Ma
Mammy's name was Hester an' my pappy was named Sam.
"I remembers one night raght atter de war when de re'struction was
a-goin' on. Dere was some niggers not far fum our place dat said dey was
agoin' to take some lan' dat warn't deres. Dere massa had been kilt in
de war an' warn't nobody 'ceptin' de mistis an' some chilluns. Well,
Honey, dem niggers, mo' dan one hundred of 'em, commenced a riot an' was
a-takin' things dat don't belong to 'em. Dat night de white lady she
come ober to our place wid a wild look on her face. She tell Massa
Bennett, whut dem niggers is up to, an' widout sayin' a word, Massa
Bennett putt his hat on an lef' out de do'. Twarn't long atter dat when
some hosses was heered down de road, an' I look out my cabin window
which was raght by de road, an' I saw acomin' up through de trees a
whole pack of ghosties; I thought dey was, anyways. Dey was all dressed
in white, an' dere hosses was white an' dey galloped faster dan de win'
raght past my cabin. Den I heered a nigger say: 'De Ku Klux is atter
somebody.'
"Dem Ku Klux went ober to dat lady's plantation an' told dem niggers dat
iffen dey ever heered of 'em startin' anything mo' dat dey was a-goin'
to tie 'em all to trees in de fores' till dey all died f'um being
hongry. Atter dat dese niggers all 'roun' Louisville, dey kept mighty
quiet.
"No m'am, I don't believe in no conjurin'. Dese conjure women say dat
dey will make my hip well iffen I gives 'em half my rations I gits fum
de gover'ment, but I knows dey ain't nothin' but low-down, no-count
niggers."
"Speaking of the Ku Klux, Aunt Hannah. Were you afraid of them?"
"Naw'm, I warn't afeered of no Ku Klux. At fu'st I though dat dey was
ghosties and den I was afeered of 'em, but atter I found out dat Massa
Bennett was one of dem things, I was always proud of 'em."
[Illustration: _Hannah Irwin, [TR: Eufaula?], Alabama_]
"Well, what about the Yankees?" she was asked. "Did you ever see any
Yankees; and what did you think of the ones that came through your
place? Were you glad that they set you free?"
"I suppose dem Yankees was all right in dere place," she continued, "but
dey neber belong in de South. Why, Miss, one of 'em axe me what was dem
white flowers in de fiel'? You'd think dat a gent'men wid all dem
decorations on hisself woulda knowed a fiel' of cotton. An' as for dey
a-settin' me free! Miss, us niggers on de Bennett place was free as soon
as we was bawn. I always been free."