De culored peeples useter hab camp meetin's, en dey'd last fer two
weeks. Lawd hab mercy did we hab a time at dem meetin's, preachin',
singin', en shoutin'. En ovuh sum whar neah dey would be cookin'
mutton en diff'ent good things ter eat. Sum ob dem would shout 'til
dere throats would be sore en hit seemed dat sum ob dem niggahs didn't
keer ef dey got home ter wuk er not.
I sumtimes wish fer de good ole days. Deze days folks don't hab time
fer 'ligion. De dog-gone ole radio en udder things ez takin' hits
place.
Oh Lawdie how dey did baptize down at de wha'f! De Baptist peeple
would gather at de wha'f on de fust Sunday in May. Dey would kum fum
all de Baptist Chuches. Would leave de chuch singin' en shoutin' en
keep dat up 'til dey got ter de river. Hab seen dem wid new clothes on
git down on de groun en roll en git covered wid dirt. Sum ob dem would
almos' luze dere clothes, en dey'd fall down lak dey wuz dying.
Deze last few y'ars dey hab got ter stylish ter shout.
INTERVIEW
Precilla Gray
807 Ewing Ave.
Nashville, Tenn.
I think I'se 107 Y'ars ole. Wuz bawn in Williamson County 'fore de
Civil wah. Guess de reason I hab libed so long wuz cose I tuk good
keer ob mahself en wore warm clo'es en still do, w'ar mah yarn
pettycoats now. Hab had good health all mah life. Hab tuk very lettle
medicine en de wust sickness I eber had wuz small-pox. I'se bin a
widah 'bout 70 y'ars.
Mah mammy d'ed w'en I wuz young but mah daddy libed ter be 103 y'ars
ole. I nebber went ter schul a day in mah life, ma'ied 'fore freedum
en w'en I got free, had ter wuk all de time ter mek a libin' fer mah
two chillen. One libes in California en I lives wid de uther,
tergedder wid mah great, great, grandson, five y'ars ole, in
Nashville.
Mah fust marster en missis wuz Amos en Sophia Holland en he made a
will dat we slaves wuz all ter be kep' among de fam'ly en I wuz heired
fum one fam'ly ter 'nother. Wuz owned under de "will" by Haddas
Holland, Missis Mary Haddock en den Missis Synthia Ma'ied Sam Pointer
en I libed wid her 'til freedum wuz 'clared.
Mah fust mistress had three looms en we had ter mek clothes fer ev'ery
one on de plan'ashun. I wuz taught ter weav', card, spin en 'nit en
ter wuk in de fiel's. I wuz 'feared ob de terbacker wums at fust but
Aunt Frankie went 'long by me en showed me how ter pull de wum's head
off. Hab housed terbacker till 9 o'clock at nite. Our marster whupped
us w'en we needed hit. I got menny a whuppin'.
Marster Amos wuz a great hunter en had lots ob dogs en me en mah
cousin had de job ob cookin' dog food en feedin' de dogs. One day de
marster went huntin' en lef three dogs in de pen fer us ter feed. One
ob de dogs licked out ob de pan en we got a bunch ob switches en
started wearin' de dogs out. We thought de marster wuz miles 'way w'en
he walked up on us. He finished wearin' de bunch ob switches out on
us. Dat wuz a whuppin' I'll nebber fergit.
W'en I wuz heired ter Missis Synthis, I wuked in de fiel's 'til she
started ter raise chillens en den I wuz kep in de house ter see atter
dem. Missis had a lot ob cradles en dey kep two 'omen in dat room
takin' keer ob de babies en lettle chillens 'longin' ter dere slaves.
Soon as de chillens, wuz seven y'ars ole, dey started dem ter
'nittin'.
Marster Sam Pointer, husband of Missis Synthis, wus a good man en he
wuz good ter us en he fed en clothed us good. We wore yarn hoods,
sha'ls, en pantletts which wuz 'nit things dat kum fum yo shoe tops
ter 'bove yo knees.
De marster wuz also a 'ligious man en he let us go ter chuch. He
willed land fer a culled chuch at Thompson Station. I 'longs ter de
foot washin' Baptist, called de Free Will Baptist. De marster bought
mah husband William Gray en I ma'ied 'im dere.
W'en de Civil wah wuz startin' dere wuz soldiers an tents eve'ywhar. I
had ter 'nit socks en he'ps mek soldiers coats en durin' de wah, de
marster sent 100 ob us down in Georgia ter keep de Yankees fum gittin'
us en we camped out durin' de whole three y'ars.
I member de Klu Klux. One nite a bunch ob us went out, dey got atter
us. We waded a big crik en hid in de bushes ter keep dem fum gittin'
us.
Hab gon' ter lots ob camp-meetin's. Dey'd hab lots ob good things ter
eat en fed eberbody. Dey'd hab big baptizin's down at de Cumberland
Riber and menny things.
W'en freed, our white folks didn't gib us nuthin'. We got 'way en
hired out fer an'thin' we could git. Nebber knowed ob any plantashuns
[TR: illegible, possibly "men"] be divided. D'ant member 'bout slave
'risings en niggers voting en wuz not ole er'nuff ter member de
sta'rs fallin'. Songs we use'ter sing wuz, "On Jordan's Bank I Stand
en Cast a Wistful Eye en Lak Drops ob Sweat, Lak Blood Run Down, I
Shed mah Tears."
I try not ter think 'bout de ole times. Hit's bin so long ago so I
don' member any tales now.
I'se had a lot ob good times in mah day. Our white folks would let us
hab "bran dances" an we'd hab a big time. I has nebber voted en I
think dat ez a man's wuk. Don't b'leeve in signs, I hab allus tho't
whut ez gwine ter be will be, en de only way ter be ez de rite way.
Eber since slavery I'se cooked fer peeple. I cooked fer Mr. Lea Dillon
fifteen y'ars. Wuked at de Union Depot fer y'ars. Five y'ars fer Dr.
Douglas at his Infirmary en I cooked fer en raised Mrs Grady's baby.
Hab wuked fer diff'ent folks ovuh town ter mek mah livin'. I ain't bin
able ter wuk fer eight y'ars. Dunno how much I weigh now, I hab lost
so much. (she weighs now at least 250 pounds). All de ex-slaves I know
hab wuked at diff'ent jobs lak I has.
INTERVIEW
EX-SLAVES
JENNY GREER
706 Overton, Street.
Nashville, Tennessee
"Am 84 y'ars ole en wuz bawn in Florence, Alabama, 'bout seben miles
fum town. Wuz bawn on de Collier plantashun en Marster en Missis wuz
James en Jeanette Collier. Mah daddy en mammy wuz named Nelson en Jane
Collier. I wuz named atter one ob mah Missis' daughters. Our family
wuz neber sold er divided."
"I'se bin ma'ied once. Ma'ied Neeley Greer. Thank de Lawd I aint got
no chilluns. Chilluns ez so bad now I can't stand dem ter save mah
life."
"Useter go ter de bap'isin's en dey would start shoutin' en singin'
w'en we lef' de chuch. Went ter deze bap'isin's in Alabama, Memphis,
en 'yer in Nashville. Lawdy hab mercy, how we useter sing. Only song I
members ez 'De Ole Time 'ligion.' I useter go ter camp meetin's.
Eve'rbody had a jolly time, preachin', shoutin' en eatin' good
things."
"We didn't git a thing w'en we wuz freed. W'en dey said we wuz free
mah people had ter look out fer demselves."
"Don' member now 'bout K.K.K. er 'structshun days. Mah mammy useter
tell us a lot ob stories but I'se fergot dem. I'se neber voted en
dunno ob any frens bein' in office."
"No mam, no mam, don't b'leeve in diff'ent colurs ma'rin. I member one
ole sign--'bad luck ter empty ashes atter dark.'"
"I'se hired out wuk'n in white folks house since freedum. I'se a widow
now en live 'yer wid mah neice en mah sistah."
INTERVIEW
EMMA GRISHAM
1118 Jefferson St.
Nashville, Tennessee
"I wuz bawn in Nashville. I'se up in 90 y'ars, but I tell dem I'se
still young. I lived on Gallatin Pike long 'fore de war, an uster se'd
de soldiers ride by."
"Mah marsters name wuz Wm. Penn Harding. Mah daddy wuz sold at Sparta,
Tennessee 'fore I wuz bawn en Marster Harding bought 'im. Mah mammy
erready 'longed ter de Hardings."
"I don' member much 'bout slavery I wuz small, but I know I wore a
leetle ole slip wid two er three bottons in frunt. Mammy would wash me
en I'd go out frunt en play wid de white chilluns."
"W'en de fightin' got so heavy mah white peeple got sum Irish peeple
ter live on de plantation, en dey went south, leavin' us wid de Irish
peeple."
"I wuz leetle en I guess I didn't think much 'bout freedum, I'd allus
had plenty ter eat en w'ar."
"Dunno ob any slaves gittin' nuthin at freedum."
"Our white folks didn't whup mah peeple; but de oberseers whup'd de
slaves on uther plantations."
"De Yankees had camps on de Capitol hill. En dere wuz soldier camps in
east Nashville en you had ter hab a pass ter git thro?"
"I member w'en de pen wuz on 15th en Chuch, en de convicts wuk'd
'round de Capitol."
"I went ter schul at Fisk a short time, w'en hit wuz neah 12th en
Cedar, en a w'ile down on Chuch St. Mah teacher allus bragged on me
fer bein' clean en neat. I didn't git much schuling, mah daddy wuz lak
mos' ole folks, he though ef'n you knowd yo a, b, c's en could read a
line, dat wuz 'nuff. En he hired me out. Dunno w'at dey paid me, fer
hit wuz paid ter mah daddy."
"I wuz hired ter a Mrs. Ryne fer y'ars, whar de Loveman store ez now.
Dere wuz a theatre whar Montgomery Ward store ez, a lot ob de theatre
peeple roomed en bo'ded wid Mrs. Ryne, en dey would gib me passes ter
de sho' en I'd slip up in de gall'ry en watch de sho'. I couldn't read
a wud but I 'joy'd goin'. Mah daddy wuz a driver fer Mr. Ryan."
"I nussed fer a Mrs. Mitchell en she had a boy in schul. One summer
she went 'way. A Mrs. Smith wid 10 boys wanted me ter stay wid her
'til Mrs. Mitchell got back en I staid en laked dem so well dat I
wouldin go back ter Mrs. Mitchell's."
"I went ter Memphis en ma'ied George Grisham in 1870. He jinned de
army, as ban' leader, went ter San Antonio, Texas en I kum back ter
Mrs. Smith's en stayed 'til her mammy lost her mind. Mah husband d'ed
in Texas, fum heart truble. All his things wuz sent back ter me, en
eve'y month I got a $30.00 pension fer me en mah daughter. W'en she
wuz 16 dey cut hit down en I only git $12.00 now."
"I edj'cated mah daughter at Fisk; en she's bin teachin' schul since
1893. She buy dis place en we live tergedder. We hab good health en
both ez happy. I hab a 'oman kum eve'y Monday en wash fer us."
"De ole songs I member ez:
"Harp fum de Tomb dis Mournful Sound."
"Am I a soldier ob de Cross."
"Ole signs ez: Dream ob snakes, sign ob de'th.--Ef a hen crows a sign
ob de'th.--Sneeze wid food in mouth means de'th.--Ef a black cat
crosses de road, walk backwards 'til you git pas' whar hit crossed.
Mah parents useter tell lots ob tales but I can't think ob dem."
"Oh honey, I dunno w'at dis young peeples ez kum'n ter. Dey ez so
diff'ent fum de way I wuz raised. I don't think much ob dis white en
black mar'ages. Hit shouldn't be 'lowed."
"I 'long ter de Missionary Baptist."
INTERVIEW
MEASY HUDSON
1209 Jefferson St.
Nashville, Tennessee
"Wuz bawn' in North Carolina en I'se 90 y'ars ole in November. W'en
war broke out we kum ter Tennessee en hab bin 'yer eber since. Wuz
'yer w'en old Hood fi'rd de cannons. He said he wuz kum'n 'yer ter
Christmas dinnah, but he didn't do hit."
"Mah white folks wuz named Harshaw. Marster Aaron Harshaw d'ed en we
wuz willed ter his chilluns en dat we wuz not ter be whup'd er 'bused
in anyway. We wuz sold, but long 'fore de war mah daddy wuz freed en
mah manny wuz not freed, but kep' a slave."
"De marster's chilluns wuz small en eber New Y'ar Day, we wuz put on a
block en hired out ter de high bidduh, en de money spent ter school de
marster's chilluns."
"I wuz tole dat sum ob de white peeples wuz so mean ter dere slaves
dat de slaves would tek a pot en turn hit down in a hollow ter keep
dere whites fum yearin' dem singin' en prayin'. De Ku Klux wuz bad on
de ex-slaves at fust."
"De white folks 'fore de war had w'at dey called "Muster" en I would
go down wid dem. I would dance en de folks would gib me money er gib
me candy en durin' de war de soldiers wuz de prettiest things."
"Got nuthin' at freedum en wuz not lookin' fuh nuthin'. Ef marster had
lived he might hab gib us sump'in. He wuz a good man en good ter us.
Eber since mah freedum, I'se wuk'd as a laundress. Wuk'd fer one
fam'ly ober 21 y'ars. 'Bout two y'ars ago I lefted a tub, en hurt
mahself. I'se not able ter wuk now. I hab bin ma'ied twice en I'se
voted three times."
"I went ter schul at Fisk, a short time, w'en hit wuz on 12th Avenue,
but I diden' git ter go long 'nuff ter git en edj'cation."
"Jis 'fore de Civil War I members de comet. Hit wuz lak a big sta'r
wid a long tail. Eve'body said hit wuz a sign ob Judgement Day."
"Bad luck signs: Ef'n a picture falls, hit's a sign ob de'th--bad luck
ter step ovuh a broom--ef a clock stop runnin' en later hit strike,
dat means de'th."
"Sum ob de young peeple terday ez good but sum ob dem don't wan'ter be
nuthin'. De last war ruined mos' ob de white en de black."
"I b'leeves in de Baptist 'ligion en 'longs ter de Baptist Church, 9th
Avenue N. on Cedar Street. De white 'oman I wuk'd fuh wan'ed me ter
join de Christian (colored) chuch. Only song I now members ez "On
Jordans Banks I Stand." "Don't think dis marrin' ob whites wid blacks
should be 'lowed en think eve'y culor should stay ter hits-sef."
"I don't member now 'bout any stories tole back in ole times. Our
white folks wuz Christians en tried ter teach us right en dey diden'
tek up much time tellin' stories."
INTERVIEW
PATSY HYDE
504 9th Avenue N.
Nashville, Tennessee
"Dunno how ole I ez. I wuz bawn in slavery en b'longs ter de Brown
family. Mah Missis wuz Missis Jean R. Brown en she wuz kin ter Abraham
Lincoln en I useter y'ar dem talkin' 'bout 'im livin' in a log cabin
en w'en he d'ed she had her house draped in black. Marster Brown wuz
also good ter his slaves. De Missis promus Marster Brown on his de'th
bed nebber ter let us be whup'd en she kep her wud. Sum ob de
oberseers on urthur plantations would tie de slaves ter a stake en gib
dem a good whup'in fer sump'in dey ought not ter done."
"All cul'ed people wore cotton goods en de younger boys run 'round in
der shurt tails. Mah Missis nit all de white chilluns stockin' en she
made me sum. I had ter hold de yarn on mah hans w'en she wuz nittin'.
I members one time I wuz keepin' flies off de table usin' a bunch ob
peacock feathers en I went ter sleep standin' up en she tole me ter go
back ter de kitchen." "I went en finish mah nap."
"One day ole Uncle Elick woke Marster Brown fum his atter-noon nap
tellin' 'im dat de prettiest men dat I ever seed wuz passin' by on de
road. He went ter de winder en said, "Good Gawd, hit's dem damn
Yankees." Mah white folks had a pretty yard en gyarden. Soldiers kum
en camped dere. I'd slip ter de winder en lissen ter dem." "W'en dey
wuz fightin' at Fort Negley de cannons would jar our house. De
soldier's ban' play on Capitol Hill, en play "Rally 'roun' de Flag
Boys, Rally 'roun de Flag."
"De slaves would tek dere ole iron cookin' pots en turn dem upside
down on de groun' neah dere cabins ter keep dere white folks fum
hearin' w'at dey wuz sayin'. "Dey claimed dat hit showed dat Gawd wuz
wid dem."
"In slavery time peeples b'leeved in dreams. I members one nite I
dreamed dat a big white thing wuz on de gatepost wida haid. I tole mah
mammy en she said, "Gawd wuz warning us." De ma'rige cer'mony in de
days ob slavery wuz by de man en 'oman jumpin' ovuh a broom handle
tergedder."
"I don' member much 'boud de Ku Klux Klan, but I does member seein'
dem parade one time in Nashville." (She evidently refers to the Klan's
last parade in 1869 in Nashville, immediately preceeding the
disbandment of the Klan at Fort Negley.)
"I members dat de northern soldier's ban' would play Union Ferever,
Rally 'roun de Flag, en Down Wid de Traitors en up Wid de Sta's en
Stripes."
"De songs I members ez:
I'se a Soldier ob de Cross.
Follow de Lamb.
I would not Live Allus.
I Axs not ter Stay."
"I member w'en de stars fell. Hit wuz so dark en eberbody wuz skeered,
en I member a comet dat looked lak a big red ball en had sump'in lak a
tail on hit. Eber one wuz skeered en wuz 'feard hit would hit de
groun' en burn de worl' up. I member de fust street lites in
Nashville. W'en de lamp mans would kum 'round en lite de lamps dey
would yell out "all ez well" en I also members de Southern money goin'
out en Yankee money kum'n in, en also w'en dere wuzn't any coal 'yer
en eve'ythin' wuz wood en mos' ob dis town wuz in de woods."
"De slaves wuz tole dey would git forty ak'rs ob groun' en a mule w'en
dey wuz freed but dey nebber got hit. W'en we wuz free we wuz tuned
out widout a thing. Mah grandmammy wuz an "Ole mammie" en de Missis
kep her. Atter freedum a lot ob Yankee niggah gals kum down 'yer en
hire out."
"W'en I wuz a young girl hund'eds ob people went ter de wharf at de
foot ob Broadway on de fust Sunday in May ob eber'y year fer de annual
baptizin' ob new members inter de Baptist (culored) churches ob de
city. Thousands ob white people would crowd both sides ob de
Cumberland Riber, Broadway en de Sparkman Street Bridge ter witnus de
doin's. On leavin' de chuches de pastor would lead de parade ter de
wharf. Dey would sing en chant all de way fum de chuch ter de river en
sum ob de members would be ovuhkum wid 'ligious feelin' en dey would
hop up en down, singin' en shoutin' all de time, or may be dey would
start ter runnin' down de street en de brethern would hab ter run dem
down en bring dem back."
"We useter hav' dem champ meetin's en dey wuz "honeys," en I enjoy dem
too. We wore bandanna handkerchiefs on our haids en long shawls ovuh
our shoulders. At deze meetin's dey had all kinds ob good things ter
eat en drink."
"Atter mah freedum I dun washin' en Ironin' fer white families. Neber
ma'ried but I neber worries no matter w'at happens en dat's may be
cause ob mah livin' so long."
"Things ter day ez mighty bad. Not lak de ole days. Worl' ez gwin ter
end soon."
"Atter I got ter feeble ter do washin' en ironin' fer mah livin', I
went ter de Relief Office ter git dem ter he'ps me, but dey wouldn't
do a thing. I had no place ter go er no money ter do wid. Dis culid
'oman tuk me in en does all she can fer me but now she ez disable ter
wuk en I dunno w'at ter do. Ef'n I could git a small grocer order each
week til I git de ole Age Pension hit would he'p lots."
INTERVIEW
ELLIS KEN KANNON
328 5th Avenue N.
St. Mary's Church
Nashville, Tennessee
"I dunno jes how ole I ez. I wuz bawn in Tennessee as a slave. Mah
mammy kum frum Virginia. Our marster wuz Ken Kannon."
"Our Mistress wouldn't let us slaves be whup'd but I member mah daddy
tellin' 'bout de Overseer whuppin' 'im en he run 'way en hid in a log.
He tho't de blood hounds, he heered 'bout a half mile 'way, on his
trail could heer 'im breathe but de hounds nebber fin' 'im. Atter de
hounds pas' on, mah daddy lef' de log hidin' place en w'en he got ter
a blacksmith shop, he se'ed a white man wid a nigger who had handcuffs
on en w'en de white man tuk off de handcuffs, de nigger axed mah daddy
whar he wuz gwine en he tole 'im back ter mah Mistress en de nigger
sezs I ez too. Mah daddy slipped 'way fum 'im en went home."
"W'en I wuz a young boy, I didn't wear nothin' but a shirt lak all
urthur boys en hit wuz a long thing lak a slip dat kum ter our knees.
Our Mistress had a big fier place en w'en we would kum in cole she
would say ain't you all cole. (You all was always used in the plural
and not singular as some writers have it). W'ile we wuz warmin' she
often played de organ fer us ter heer."
"I waited on mah Marster 'til he d'ed. Dey let me stay rite wid de
body. Mah Mistress, Mammy ob de Marster, wuz in bad health at dat
time, en 'fore we sta'ted ter de graveyard, I put a feather bed in de
car'age en got a pitcher ob water ready en 'fore we git dere she got
awful sick."
"Durin' slavery de slaves hadder keep quiet en dey would turn a kittle
upside down ter keep de white folks 'yearin dere prayers en chants.
W'en a slave wanted ter go ter 'nother plantation he had ter hab a
pass. Ef' dey disobeyed dey got a whuppin, en ef dey had a pass widout
de Marsters signature dey got a whuppin. _Ef'n dey had ter hab passes
now dere wouldin' be no meaness_."
"I member de Klu Klux Klan kumin ter mah daddy's home axin fer water
en dey would keep us totin' water ter dem fer fifteen ter twenty
minutes. Dey didn't whup er hurt any ob us. I also member 'yearin mah
mammy en daddy tellin' us 'bout de sta'rs fallin'. I member de comet.
Hit wuz a big ball en had a long tail."
"I hab 'yerd dem tell 'bout Mr. Robertson. He wuz mean ter his slaves
en dey sezs dey could see a ball ob fier rollin' on de fence en w'en
dey would git ter de spring, a big white thing lak a dog would crawl
under de rock. De slaves wuz natur'ally superstitious en b'leeved in
dreams, ole sayings en signs. I hab mahse'f se'ed things dat I ain't
onderstan'. Hab almost seen de things dat (apostle) John seed."
"Dunno nuthin 'bout any ob de ex-slaves voting er de Nat Turner
'Bellion."
"Atter freedum mos' ob de slaves wuk'd fer dere livin' jes as I ez. De
men in de fiel's, de 'omen in de house. I wuk'd at a hotel in
McMinnville en one day, I wuz keepin' de flies off de table wid a
brush made frum fine strips ob papah en de string broke en hit fell
on de table. One man jumped up grabbed a cheer sayin' ah'll knock you
down wid dis cheer."
"De slave 'pected ter git 40 akers ob land en a mule but nobody eber
got hit as fur as I know. We didn't git nuthin. Our white peeple
wuzzent able ter gib us anyting. Eve'ythin' dey had wuz tuk durin' de
wah. Dey wuz good ter us an stuck wid us en mah peeple stayed wid mah
Mistress."
"Dis young gineratshun ob niggers, I 'clare dey ez jes 'bout gon'. Dey
won't wuk, all's stealin' en mabe wuk long 'nuff ter git a few clothes
ter strut 'round in. I may be wrong but dat ez mah hones' pinion."
"De songs--I member ez:
De Ole Ship ob Zion.
Do You Think You'll be Able ter tek me Home."
"I has bin 'yer fifteen y'ars en hab wuked onder two Priests en now
wukin under de third. Dey hab all bin nice ter me. Hab neber had any
trubble wid white peeple en you'd be sprized how good dey ez ter me.
Dey don't treat me lak a nigger."
"Eber since I got mah freedum en 'fore I got dis chuch job, I dun all
kinds ob odd jobs, waited on tables, pressin' clothes en anyting else
dat kum 'long, but sum jobs wuz small pay but hit kep me 'live."
"Don't member any slave uprisin's. Our peeple wuz good ter us."
INTERVIEW
SCOTT MARTIN
438 Fifth Ave., No.
"I'se 90 y'ars ole and wuz bawn in slavery in Sumner County, Tennessee
and I b'long to Marster Dr. Madison Martin an' mah Misses Mary. And I
wuk'd wid de stock an' wuz de houseman."
"I hab neber been in any truble, neber 'rested en neber bin in jail. I
knows how ter behave, but de young peeples ob terday ain' dun rite en
dey don' 'mounts ter much. Dar am a few dat am all rite. In de ole
days dey wer' bettuh dan dey ez terday. De white and black ougher not
ma'rie."
"I has voted two times, but I disremembers who I voted fer. Neber
hadney frens in office en I nebr met any of de Klu Klux men. I didn'
go out much en I neber wuz kotched w'en I did git out. I heered lots
'bout nigger uprisin' but dey wuz away off."
"I b'long ter de Missionary Baptist chuch an' I useter preach in mah
chuch 'ouse en udders w'en called. Once a y'ar I wud be at de
Cumberland Riber wha'f en' baptiz' culled peeples all da'. We useter
hab camp meetin' in de ole days en hab good things ter eat en I would
preach all day. I went ter schul two sessions en den I went to wuk."
"I member de fust street kar line that run on East side of Cumberland
Riber ter East end ob de ole wood bridge dat de 'arly settlers build.
De kars wer' pulled by hosses en' mules. De whites en blacks mixed
tergedder en den de law made de whites rid' in frunt en the blacks in
de rearuh. I think dat wuz rite, but sum ob mah race wuz mad 'bout
hit. I wuz on a kar one day and mules run'd 'way en de ole red mule
got loose frum de kar en run'd ober a mile 'fore dey ketched him en
dey brot 'im ba'k en de kar' pas' on. I members de ole L & N Railroad
on de East side. W'en my folks wud ride de train dey had 'ter hold me
tite or I wuld git 'way frum dem en run en hide 'hind sum logs. I wuz
scar'et ter ride on de kars."
"Atter freedum de slaves had'n no truble ter go whar dey wan'. Menny
lef' but menny stay wid der ole marsters. I stay wid my marster tell
he d'ed. I den kum an' lib wid mah daddy on Lebanon Road. Atter dat I
libed on Gallatin Road an' den I kum ter Nashville, an' wuk wid pic'
and shovel on streets, sewers an' udder jobs. I heered dem sez dat de
slaves wud git lan', hoss, money er sumpin' but I neber heerd ob
nobody gittin nuthin'. Dere wuz not slave 'raisings eroun' whar I
wuz."
"De fallin' st'ars wuz 'fore mah time, but I'se heer'd mah daddy tole
'bout hit. I se'd de comet wid hit shinnin' tail an' I fust b'leevd
sumbody put hit up dere."
"Good luck sign wuz w'en a stray cat kum ter yo' house an' stay dere.
Bad luck sign wuz a black kat crossin' yo' path in frunt ob yer. Ter
ke'p frum havin' de bad luck yo' back up pas' whar hit crossed yer
path en den spit an' yer hab no bad luck."
"Dem air ships luk nice but dey ez spoke 'boud in de Holy Bible, dat
sum day dere wud be flyin' things in de air'h an' I think dat dese
things am it. De otomobeels kiver nuder passag' in de Bible which seze
de peeple 'll rid' on de streets widout hosses en mules."
"Mah fav'rite songs am "I Gwine to Jine de Gideon Band," and "Keep Yo'
Lits Bunnin'."
"Ter ole now ter wuk an' mah haid don' se'm ter be tergedder an' I'se
gits he'ps frum de Welfare."
INTERVIEW
ANN MATTHEWS
719 9th Ave. South
Nashville, Tennessee
"I wuz bawn in Murfreesboro on Stones River. I dunno how ole I ez en
hit meks me 'shamed ter tell peeple dat, but mah mammy would hit me in
de mouth w'en I'd ax how ole I wuz. She say I wuz jes' tryin' ter be
grown."
"Mah mammy's name wuz Frankie en mah daddy wuz Henry Ken Kannon. Don'
member much 'bout mah mammy 'cept she wuz a sho't fat Indian 'oman wid
a turrible tempah. She d'ed, durin' de war, wid black measles."
"Mah daddy wuz part Indian en couldn't talk plain. W'en he go ter de
store he'd hab ter put his han' on w'at he want ter buy. He d'ed eight
months 'fore de Centennial."
"Our marster en missis wuz Landon en Sweenie Ken Kannon. Dey wuz good
ter us, en we had'n good things ter eat."
"I member de Yankee en Southern soldiers. One day me en mah young
missis, en sum chilluns went up ter de road en we se'ed sum Yankee
soldiers kumin', I clum'ed on de fence, de urthurs run 'way en hid.
One ob de soldiers sezs ter me, 'Lettle girl who wuz dat wid you,' en
I sezs, 'Hit wuz Miss Puss en sum chilluns.' He laughed en sezs, 'You
ez brave ain' you?'"
"Our missis let us go ter chuch. I 'long ter de chuch ob Christ."
"I dunno ob but one slave dat got lan' er nothin' w'en freedum wuz
'clared. We didn't git nuthin at freedum. Mah daddy went back in de
woods en built us a saplin house en dobbed hit wid mud. Atter freedum
mah daddy went 'way, en we chilluns staid in dat house in de woods by
oursel's. Dere wuz two weeks we didn't see a bit ob bre'd. I went up
w'at ez called de nine mile cut neah Tullahoma, en axed a 'oman ef she
would let us hab sum bre'd. She gib me sum meat en bre'd, en tole me
ter kum back. I went back home en we et sump'in, en I went back ter de
'oman's house, she gib me a sack ob flour en a big piece ob midlin'
meat. We wuz skeered, bein' dere 'lone so I would set up wile mah
br'ers slep', den I'd sleep in de daytime. One nite sumbody knocked at
de do'er en hit wuz mah daddy en he had two sacks ob food, en de
urthur chilluns got up en we et a big meal."
"I useter 'yer de folks talk 'bout de sta'rs fallin', but dat happen'
'fore I wuz bawn."
"I didn't go ter schul, mah daddy wouldin' let me. Said he needed me
in de fiel wors den I needed schul. I wuz allus sassy en stubbun. I
run 'way fum mah daddy en kum ter Nashville. I stayed at a schul on
Franklin Pike, run by Mrs. McGathey. I wuz de only cul'ed person dere.
Dey wuz good ter me en eve'y Chrismus I would git a big box ob clothes
en things."
"In Manchester de Klu Klux Klan wore big high hats, red handkerchiefs
on dere faces en red covers on dere hosses. Dey tuk two niggers out ob
jail en hung dem ter a chestnut tree."
"One nite w'en I wuz gwine wid mah daddy fum de fiel' home, we met sum
ob de K.K.K. en dey said, 'Ain't you out late Henry? En who ez dat gal
wid you?' Mah daddy said, 'We ez gwine home fum wuk, en dis ez mah
daughter.' Dey said, 'Whar has she bin, we ain't nebber se'ed her.' He
told dem, 'I'd bin in Nashville.' Dey said dey'd be back dat nite but
we didn't see dem."
"W'en I wuz in Manchester I promus de Lawd I wouldin' dance. But one
nite I wuz on de ball floor, dancin' fum one end ob de room ter de
urthur en sump'in sezs go ter de do'er. I didn't go right den en 'gin
hit sezs you ez not keepin' yo promus. I went ter de do'er en you
could pick a pin off de groun' hit wuz so light. In de sky wuz de
prettiest thing you ebber se'ed, so many culors, blue, white, green,
red en yellow."
"Since freedum I'se wuked wid diff'ent peeple, cookin' en keepin'
house. I'se de mammy ob three chilluns. Two ob dem ez 'way fum 'yer,
en I live 'yer wid mah daughter."
"Old songs, I member ez:
Dark wuz de Nite.
I'll Live wid Gawd Forever, Bye en Bye.
Fum dis Earth I go, Oh Lawd, W'at Will 'kum ob Me."
"So yer wan't me ter tell you de truf? I think de young peeple ez
nothin'. Dey think dey ez smaht. Most ob de ex-slaves I'se knowed has
cooked en nussed, done laundry wuk; wuked in fiel's en diff'ent
things."
"I'se neber voted en hab neber paid any 'tention ter de niggers
gittin' ter vote. Don't hab any frens in political office. Can't
member any tales er signs."
"I don't b'leeve in dese mixed white and black families en hit
shouldn't be 'lowed."
"Durin' slavery de white folks didn't want de niggahs ter sing en
pray, but dey would turn a pot down en meet at de pot in de nite en
sing en pray en de white folks wouldn't 'yer dem."
"Ef a slave died de white folks wouldn't let nobody set up wid de body
'cept de niggers ob dat plantation, but urthur slaves would slip in
atter dark, set up en den slip back ter dere plantation 'fore day."
"W'en I useter go ter camp meetin' dey had big dinnahs en spread hit
on de groun'. Dey preached, sung, shouted en eve'ybody had a good
time."
"Fum de camp meetin's dey would go ter de wharf en baptize. Dey would
tie handkerchiefs 'roun dere haids. W'en dey wuz dipped under de water
sum ob dem would kum up shoutin'."