Stories from Ex-slaves
Lucretia Heyward
Ex-slave Age - 96
W'en gun fust shoot on Hilton Head Islandt, I been 22 year old. Muh Pa
name Tony MacKnight and he b'long to Mr. Stephen Elliott. My Ma name
Venus MacKnight and she b'long to Mr. Joe Eddings, who had uh plantation
on Parri (Parris) Islandt. De overseer been Edward Blunt. He been poor
white trash, but he wuk haa'd and save he money and buy slave. He buy my
Ma and bring she to Beaufort to wuk in he house by de Baptist chu'ch. I
been born den. I hab seven brudder name Jacob, Tony, Robert, Moses--I
can't 'member de odders, it been so long ago. I hab one sister
Eliza--she die de odder day.
W'en I been little gal, I wuk in de house. Wuk all day. I polish knife
and fork, mek bed, sweep floor, nebber hab time for play game. W'en I
git bigger, dey send me to school to Miss Crocker to learn to be
seamstruss.
W'en I small, I sleep on floor in Miss Blunt room. I eat food left ober
from table. Dey nebber learn me to read and write. I ain't hab time for
sech t'ing. I go to chu'ch in white Baptis' chu'ch. Nigger hab for sit
up stair, white folks sit down stair. If nigger git sick, dey send for
doctor to 'tend um. Mr. Blunt nebber lick me, but Miss Blunt cut my back
w'en I don't do to suit her. Nigger git back cut w'en dey don't do wuk
or w'en dey fight. Dey hab uh jail in town, run by Mr. McGraw. If nigger
be too bad, run street and t'ing, he git in jail and Mr. McGraw lick um.
I been lock in jail one time. Dey hang me up by wrist and beat me
twenty-five lick wid uh cowhide. I forgit w'at I don't to git dat.
W'en Yankee been come de Blunts leab Beaufort, and I walk out house and
go back to Parri Islandt. De Yankee tell we to go en Buckra corn house
and git w'at we want for eat. Den I come back to Beaufort and go to wuk
in cotton house (gin.) De Yankee pay we for wuk and I tek my money and
buy twenty acre ob land on Parri Islandt. I ain't had dat land now
'cause de Government tek em for he self and mek me move. (This was when
the Government bought Parris Island for a naval station.)
I been hab two husband. De fust name Sephus Brown. How I 'member w'en he
die, it been de year ob de ninety-tree storm. My odder husband been
Cupid Heyward--he daid (dead) too.
I hear tell ob de Ku Klux, but I nebber shum (see them). I don't know
nuting 'bout no night rider.
See um sell slabe? I see um. Dey put um on banjo table and sell um just
lak chicken. Nigger ain't no more den chicken and animal, enty? (isn't
it so?)
Abraham Lincoln? Sho' I 'members him. He de one w'at gib us freedom,
enty? He come to Beaufort. He come 'fo de war. He sho been one fine man.
He come to Beaufort on uh ship and go all 'round here, but I nebber
shum.
Jefferson Davis? No I nebber hear ob him. Booker T. Washington. I
'members him. I hear him mek speech in Beaufort. It been uh beautiful
speech. Dat been one smaa't colored man.
W'at I t'ink 'bout slabery? Huh--nigger git back cut in slabery time,
enty?
Does I hate Mr. Blunt? No, I ain't hate um. He poor white trash but he
daid now. He hab he self to look out for, enty? He wuk, he sabe he money
for buy slabe and land. He git some slabe, but he nebber git any
land--de war cum.
Project #-1655
Mrs. Genevieve W. Chandler
Murrells Inlet, S.C.
Georgetown County