"We lived in a log house during the Ku Klux days. Dey would watch you
just like a chicken rooster watching fer a worm. At night, we was
skeered to have a light. Dey would come around wid de 'dough faces' on
and peer in de winders and open de do'. Iffen you didn't look out, dey
would skeer you half to death. John Good, a darkey blacksmith, used to
shoe de horses fer de Ku Klux. He would mark de horse shoes with a bent
nail or something like that; then atter a raid, he could go out in the
road and see if a certain horse had been rode; so he began to tell on de
Ku Klux. As soon as de Ku Klux found out dey was being give away, dey
suspicioned John. Dey went to him and made him tell how he knew who dey
was. Dey kept him in hiding, and when he told his tricks, dey killed
him.
"When I was a boy on de 'Gilmore place', de Ku Klux would come along at
night a riding de niggers like dey was goats. Yes sir, dey had 'em down
on all-fours a crawling, and dey would be on dere backs. Dey would carry
de niggers to Turk Creek bridge and make dem set up on de bannisters of
de bridge; den dey would shoot 'em offen de bannisters into de water. I
'clare dem was de awfulest days I ever is seed. A darky name Sam Scaife
drifted a hundred yards in de water down stream. His folks took and got
him outen dat bloody water and buried him on de bank of de creek. De Ku
Klux would not let dem take him to no graveyard. Fact is, dey would not
let many of de niggers take de dead bodies of de folks no whars. Dey
just throwed dem in a big hole right dar and pulled some dirt over dem.
Fer weeks atter dat, you could not go near dat place, kaise it stink so
fer and bad. Sam's folks, dey throwed a lot of 'Indian-head' rocks all
over his grave, kaise it was so shallah, and dem rocks kept de wild
animals from a bothering Sam. You can still see dem rocks, I could carry
you dere right now.
"Another darky, Eli McCollum, floated about three and a half miles down
de creek. His folks went dere and took him out and buried him on de
banks of de stream right by de side of a Indian mound. You can see dat
Indian mound to dis very day. It is big as my house is, over dere on de
Chester side.
"De Ku Klux and de niggers fit at New Hope Church. A big rock marks de
spot today. De church, it done burnt down. De big rock sets about seven
miles east of Lockhart on de road to Chester. De darkies killed some of
de Ku Klux and dey took dere dead and put dem in Pilgrims Church. Den
dey sot fire to dat church and it burnt everything up to de very bones
of de white folks. And ever since den, dat spot has been known as 'Burnt
Pilgrim'. De darkies left most of de folks right dar fer de buzzards and
other wild things to eat up. Kaise dem niggers had to git away from dar;
and dey didn't have no time fer to fetch no word or nothing to no folks
at home. Dey had a hiding place not fer from 'Burnt Pilgrim'. A darky
name Austin Sanders, he was carring some victuals to his son. De Ku Klux
cotch him and dey axed him whar he was a gwine. He lowed dat he was a
setting some bait fer coons. De Ku Klux took and shot him and left him
lying right in de middle of de road wid a biscuit in his dead mouth.
"Doctor McCollum was one of dem Ku Klux, and de Yankees sot out fer to
ketch him. Doc., he rid a white pony called 'Fannie'. All de darkies,
dey love Doc, so dey would help him fer to git away from de Yankees,
even though he was a Ku Klux. It's one road what forks, atter you
crosses Wood's Ferry. Don't nobody go over dat old road now. One fork go
to Leeds and one to Chester. Well, right in dis fork, Mr. Buck Worthy
had done built him a grave in de 'Woods Ferry Graveyard'. Mr. Worthy had
done built his grave hisself. It was built out of marble and it was
kivered up wid a marble slab. Mr. Worthy, he would take and go dar and
open it up and git in it on pretty days. So old Doc., he knowed about
dat grave. He was going to see a sick lady one night when dey got atter
him. He was on old Fannie. Dey was about to ketch de old Doc. when he
reached in sight of dat graveyard. It was dark. So Doc., he drive de
horse on pass de fork, and den he stop and hitch her in front of some
dense pines. Den he took and went to dat grave and slip dat top slab
back and got in dar and pulled it over him, just leaving a little crack.
Doc. lowed he wrapped up hisself in his horse blanket, and when de
Yankees left, he went to sleep in dat grave and never even woke up till
de sun, it was a shinning in his face.
"Soon atter dat, my sister took down sick wid de misery. Doc., he come
to see her at night. He would hide in de woods in daytime. We would
fetch him his victuals. My sister was sick three weeks 'fore she died.
Doc, he would take some blankets and go and sleep in dat grave, kaise he
know'd dey would look in our house fer him. Dey kept on a coming to our
house. Course we never know'd nothing 'bout no doctor at all. Dar was a
nigger wid wooden bottom shoes, dat stuck to dem Yankees and other po'
white trash 'round dar. He lowed wid his big mough dat he gwine to find
de doctor. He told it dat he had seed Fannie in de graveyard at night.
Us heard it and told de doctor. Us did not want him to go near dat
graveyard any more. But Doc, he just laugh and he lowed dat no nigger
was a gwine to look in no grave, kaise he had tried to git me to go over
dar wid him at night and I was skeer'd.
"One night, just as Doc was a covering up, he heard dem wooden shoes a
coming; so he sot up in de grave and took his white shirt and put it
over his head. He seed three shadows a coming. Just as dey got near de
doc, de moon come out from 'hind a cloud and Doc, he wave dat white
shirt and he say dem niggers just fell over grave-stones a gitting outen
dat graveyard. Doc lowed dat he heard dem wooden shoes a gwine up de
road fer three miles. Well, dey never did bother the doctor any more.
"Doc, he liked to fiddle. Old Fannie, she would git up on her hind legs
when de doc would play his fiddle."
=Source:= Brawley Gilmore (col), 34 Hamlet St., Union, S.C.
Interviewer: Caldwell Sims, Union, S.C. (12/3/36)
Project 1885-1
Ex-slave--(Pick Gladdeny, Pomaria, Rt. 3, S.C.
Interviewer: Caldwell Sims, Union, S.C.
EARLY RECOLLECTIONS.
Typist: Louise Dawkins, Rt. 4, Union, S.C.
"Ah sees all through 'im now. Naw, sir, Ah doesn't know whar Ah wuz
bawn, maybe in Fairfield, maybe in the Dutch Fork, Ah doesn't know, Ah
won't dar. It wuz on May 15, 1856. Ah 'spec Ah could've been born on Mr.
Joe Hellar's place, you knows dat down on Hellar Creek.
"Ah'se old enough to go to de speechin' dat Dan White made on "Maybinton
Day" (emancipation speech at Maybinton, S.C.). You axes me more than I
can answer, Site of folks dar all day, settin' aroun. Us clam trees, so
us could see and hear. I sho did listen but I don't 'member nothin' what
de man say. I knows dis dat I still hears dat band music ringing in my
ears. At dat time I was so young dat all I cared about on dat day, was
the brass band what let out so much music. Niggers being free never
meant nothing to us chaps, cause we never had no mind fer all such as
that nohow. Dat de first band dat I ever seed, and to tell you de truf I
never seed no more till the World War fotch de soldiers all through
here. Bands charms me so much dat dey just plumb tickles the tips of my
toes on both feets.
"Squire William Hardy was de man dat I worked for when I had done turned
five. Dey teach me to bring in chips, kindling wood, fire wood and
water. I learnt to make Marse's fire ever morning. Dat won't no trouble,
cause all I had to do was rake back de ashes from the coals and throw on
some chips and lightwood and de fire come right up. Won't long 'fore I
was big enough to draw water and bring in big wood. You knows what big
fire places they got down dar cause Squire Hardy--Mr. Dick's Pa, and Pa
and Heyward and Frank's grandpa.
"Squire Hardy was a good man so was Mr. Dick. Mr. Dick was dat smart
till he just naturally never forgot nothing that was told to him. If he
was a-living, he could tell you way back before de Squire's time. I was
right dar at Squire Hardy's dat day Freedom come and de band come to
Maybinton.
"Going farther back than this, droves of niggers used to come down the
road by Squire Hardy's front gate. Yes, sir, a overseer used to come
through here driving niggers; just like us drives cows and hogs up
around this big road these days and times. One day Squire Hardy went out
and stopped a drove coming down de road in the dust. He pick him out a
good natured looking darky and give the overseer one eye contrary
niggers, what nobody didn't like for the good-natured ones. Ain't got no
more to say. I does not remember but I has heared about the time when
my ma moved from Hellar's Plantation in the Dutch Fork to the Tom Lyles
quarter in Fairfield. My ma's name Sally Murphy. Her master was Dave
Murphy. He stayed at Tom Lyles. Mistus Betsy (Dave Murphy) cared for
her. Mr. Dave Murphy overseed for Capt. Tom Lyles who lived about two
miles from Lyles' Ford on Broad River.
"I don't know what things has gone to. So much diffence in everthing now
than it was back in dem days. Don't know nothing about no Booker T.
Washington. I sees much but hears little 'bout dat what I doesn't see,
Yes, siree boy, all such little 'muck' go in one ear and come out
tother'n wid me. Dat's de talk fer dese young niggers dats eddicated,
and I ain't dat bad off.
"Winnsboro fust town I ever seed, but it don't favor itself now.
"Maybinton the place I love best in all the world. Most my life is right
here. I'll be buried in Hardy graveyard, whar my white folks dat was so
good to me lie sleeping, and dat's whar my ma and pa and others that I
loves lies too.
"Post office at Maybinton is whar Miss Bessie Oxner stay. Bill Oxner,
her pa kept de post office from de time it started till they stopped it,
fur as I knows. It look better then than it does now. Mr. Bill Oxner
pretty good man.
"He was a settled man. His wife was a good-looking lady who before her
marriage was a Bethune.
"Dar was a big store at the end of Mr. W. B. Whitney's plantation. Dis
along to'd first of Freedom. Mr. Slattery lived twixt the Maybins and
the Whitney's house. The store upon the end was kept by Mr. Pettus Chick
and Mr. Bill Oxner. It was a good store. Didn't have to go to Newber'y
to git no candy and 'Bacco. And Dr. Jim Ruff was de doctor what tended
to folks in dem parts when dey got sick.
"De old Buck when I first knowed it was run fer a dwelling house by Mr.
Jeff Stewart. I been knowed Maybinton all my life. But when I come along
stages had done gone out but that's where dey stopped when they come
from Spring Hill. I'se heared dat de Buck had large stables and a lots
of folks stop there and rested overnight on their way to the Springs.
(Glenn's, Chick's, and West Springs.)
"Used to rather dance than to eat. Started out at sundown and git back
to the Whitney's at daybreak, den from dar run all de way to Squire
Hardy's to git dar by sunup. Pats our feets and knocks tin pans was the
music dat us niggers danced to all night long. Put on my clean clothes
dat was made right on the plantation and wear them to the dance. Gals
wore their homespun stockings. Wore the dresses so long dat they
kivered their shoes. My britches were copperus colored and I had on a
home wove shirt with a pleated bosom. It was dyed red and had
wristbands. I wore that shirt for five years.
"Didn't have no nigger churches down dar den. We went to Chapman's
stand. It had a brush top and log seats. The darkies from the Hardy
Plantation walked five miles to hear a nigger from Union preach. He driv
a one horse waggin and course he stayed around from place to place and
the folks take care of him and his mule. Big Jim Henderson owned
Chapman's stand which was in the Glymp quarter. The Glymp quarter still
got the best land in our settlement yet. All my 'quaintances done left
me, fac' is, most of them done crossed over de river. Folks meets me and
speaks familiar. I axes, "Who is that?" I used to deal with Mr. Bee
Thompson in Union.
"I'se got some business to tend to in Union soon and I spec I be up
there in short to see is it anything familiar dar."
Project #1655
W.W. Dixon
Winnsboro, S.C.
HENRY GLADNEY
EX-SLAVE 82 YEARS OLD.
Henry Gladney lives with his wife, his son, Murdock, his
daughter-in-law, Rose, and seven grandchildren. They live near White
Oak, S.C., in a two-room frame house with a one-room box board annex. He
works a one-horse farm for Mr. Cathcart and piddles a little at the
planing mills at Adgers. His son does the ploughing. The daughter-in-law
and grandchildren hoe and pick cotton and assist in the farm work. Henry
is of medium height, dark brown complexion, and is healthy but not
vigorous.
"I lives out on de John H. Cathcart place, close to White Oak. In
slavery time my mammy b'long to old Marse Johnnie Mobley, and us lived
in de quarter 'bout three miles to de west of Woodward station, tho'
dere was no station dere when I was a boy. De station was down de
railroad from dere and then it was called Yonguesville. My mammy name
Lucy, my pappy name William, my sisters was Louise, Elsie, and Adeline.
My brudders name Tim and Curtis.
"I wasn't a very big boy in slavery time, tho' I 'member choppin'
cotton, and pickin' cotton and peas 'long 'side mammy in de field. Pappy
was called 'Bill de Giant', 'cause him was so big and strong. They have
mighty bad plantation roads in them days. I see my pappy git under de
wagon once when it was bogged up to de hub and lift and heft dat wagon
and set it outside de ruts it was bogged down in. Him stayed at de
blacksmith shop, work on de wagons, shoe de mules and hosses, make
hinges, sharpen de plow points and fix de iron rings in de wagon wheels.
"My pappy didn't 'low other slave men to look at my mammy. I see him
grab Uncle Phil once, throw him down on de floor, and when him quit
stompin' Uncle Phil, they have to send for Dr. Newton, 'cause pappy done
broke Uncle Phil's right leg. My old marster no lak dat way one of his
slaves was crippled up. Him 'low to whip pappy for it. Pappy tell mammy
to go tell Marse John if he whip him, he would run off and go to de
North. She beg for pappy so, dat nothin' was done 'bout it. 'Spect Marse
John fear to lose a good blacksmith wid two good legs, just 'bout a
small nigger man wid one good leg and one bad leg.
"It come to de time old marster have so many slaves he don't know what
to do wid them all. He give some of them off to his chillun. He give
them mostly to his daughters, Miss Marion, Miss Nancy, and Miss
Lucretia. I was give to his grandson, Marse John Mobley McCrorey, just
to wait on him and play wid him. Little Marse John treat me good
sometime and kick me 'round sometime. I see now dat I was just a little
dog or monkey, in his heart and mind, dat 'mused him to pet or kick as
it pleased him. Him give me de only money I ever have befo' freedom, a
big copper two-cent piece wid a hole in it. I run a string thru dat hole
and tied it 'round my neck and felt rich all de time. Little niggers
always wanted to see dat money and I was proud to show it to them every
time.
"Little Marse John's mother was another daughter of old Marster John.
Her name was Dorcas. They live in Florida. I was took 'way down dere,
cried pow'ful to leave my mammy, but I soon got happy down dere playin'
in de sand wid Marse John and his little brudder, Charlie. Don't 'member
nothin' 'bout de war or de Yankees. Freedom come, I come back to de
Mobley quarters to mammy. I work for old Marster John up 'til after
Hampton was 'lected. I marry Florie Williams, a pretty black gal on de
Mobley quarters. Us is had seventeen chillun. So far as I know they is
all livin'. Some in Florida, some in Sparrows Point, Virginia, some in
Charlotte, N.C., and some in Columbia, S.C. Murdock and his wife, Katie,
and deir six chillun live in de same house wid me.
"My old marster have two daughters dat marry McCroreys. Miss Lucretia
marry James McCrorey and Miss Dorcas marry John McCrorey. Miss Lucretia
have a son name John. Miss Dorcas have a son name John. In talkin' wid
old mistress, 'fusion would come 'bout which John of de grandsons was
bein' meant and talked 'bout. Old Marster John settle dat.
"Old Marster John and old mistress (her name Katie) had de same
birthday, March de 27th, tho' old Marster John was two years older than
old Mistress Kate. They celebrate dat day every year. All de
chillun-in-laws and grandchillun come to de mansion, have a big dinner
and a big time. After dinner one day, all de men folks 'semble at de
woodpile. De sun was shinin' and old marster have me bring out a chair
for him but de balance of them set on de logs or lay 'round on de chips.
Then they begun to swap tales. Marse Ed P. Mobley hold up his hand and
say: 'See dis stiff finger? It'll never be straight agin. I got out of
ammunition at de secon' battle of Bull Run, was runnin' after a Yankee
to ketch him, threw my gun 'way to run faster, ketch him as he was 'bout
to git over a fence and choked his stiff neck so hard in de scuffle dat
I broke dat finger. General Lee hearin' 'bout it, changed me from de
infancy (infantry) to de calvary (cavalry) dat I might not run de danger
any more.' Old marster laugh and say: 'Jim, can you beat dat?' Marse Jim
Mobley say: 'Well, you all know what I done at Gettysburg? If all had
done lak me dat day, us would have won de war. Whenever I see a bullet
comin' my way, I took good aim at de bullet wid a double charge of
powder in my musket. My aim was so good dat it drove de enemy ball back
to kill a Yankee and glanced aside at de right time to kill another
Yankee. I shot a thousand times de fust day of de battle and two
thousand times de secon' day and kilt six thousand Yankees at
Gettysburg!' Old marster slap his sides and fell out de chair a
laughin'! When him git back in de chair, him say: 'Zebulon, what you
got to say?' Marse Zeb, p'intin' to his empty pants leg, say: 'Me and
some officers 'tended a chicken fight on de banks of de Chickenhominy
River de day befo' de battle of Shilo. De cocks fight wid gaves on deir
heels. Dere was five hundred fights and two hundred and fifty roosters
was kilt. Us have big pots of chicken and big pots of hominy on de banks
of de Chickenhominy Creek dat night and then de battle of Cold Harbor
come de nex' day. I had eat so much chicken and hominy my belly couldn't
hold it all. Some had run down my right leg. Us double quicked and run
so fast thru swamps nex' day, after Yankees, my right leg couldn't keep
up wid my left leg. After de battle I went back to look for dat leg but
never could find it. Governor Zeb Vance tell me afterwards, dat leg of
mine run on to Washington, went up de White House steps, and slushed
some of dat chicken and hominy on de carpet right befo' President
Lincoln's chair.'
"Everybody laugh so loud dat old mistress come out and want to know what
for they was laughin' 'bout. All dat had to be gone over agin. Then her
laugh and laugh and laugh. She turnt 'round to my young Marster John and
say: 'John, can you beat dat?' He say: 'Henry, go git grandma a chair.'
I done dat. Then my young marster start. Him say: 'One day down in
Florida, I saddle my pony, took Henry dere up behind me and went a
fishin' on de St. John River. I had some trouble a gittin' thru de
everglades when I want to fish but us got dere. Big trees on de banks
and 'round, wid long moss hangin' from de limbs. I baited my hook wid a
small, wigglin', live, minnow and throwed out into de water. Nothin'
happen. In de warm sunshine I must have gone to sleep, when I was
startle out my doze by Henry a shoutin': 'Marse Johnnie, Marse Johnnie,
your cork done gone down out of sight!' I made a pull but felt at once
it would take both hands to land dat fish. I took both hands, put my
foot 'ginst de roots of a great live oak and h'isted dat fish in de sky.
It was so big it shut out de light of de sun. When it come down, dat
fish strip off de limbs of de trees it hit while comin' to de ground. I
sent Henry back to de house on de pony, for de four-hoss wagon and all
de men on de place, to git de fish home. When us got it home and cut it
open, dere was 119 fishes varyin' from de size of de minnow up to de big
fish. Marse Ed P. say: 'Was de little minnow dead or 'live when you
found him in de belly of de 119th fish? 'He was still wigglin', say my
young marster. Old marster say: 'It was a whale of a fish, wasn't it,
grandson?' Young marster say: 'It was, grandpa. De river bank show dat
de water went down two inches after I pulled him out.' 'Maybe it was a
whale', said Marse Ed P. 'In fact, it was', said Marse Johnnie,' 'cause
on one of de ribs under de belly was some tatooin'.' 'What was de
tatooin'?' ask old mistress, just as innocent as a baby. 'De word
Nenivah', say Marse little John. 'Why it might have been de whale dat
swallowed Jonah', say Miss Katie. 'It was', say my young marster, 'for
just under Nenivah was de name Jonah.' After a good laugh old marster
say: 'Your name is changed from John Mobley McCrorey to John Munchawsome
McCrorey.' Kin folks call him Barron after dat. Him lak dat but when
they got to callin' him, lyin' John McCrorey him git red in de face and
want to fight.
"Poor Marse Johnnie! Wonder if him still livin'. Him marry a rich woman
in Florida but her soon 'vorce him. What her 'vorce him for?
'Pattybility and temper, they say. What I means by pattybility? I 'spect
dat mean de time they was gittin' up in de mornin' and her lam him
'cross de head wid de hairbrush and him take dat same hairbrush, push
her down 'cross de bed and give her a good spankin'. Now you're laughin'
agin but it was no laughin' wid her dat mornin', de way I hear them tell
it."
Project 1885-1
FOLKLORE
Spartanburg Dist 4
July 15, 1937
Edited by:
Elmer Turnage