Shyer bought bones an iron en rags. Once us chilluns found some bones on
de creek bank en took dem things and wanted ter sell dem to Mr. Shyer en
he said 'take dem things way dey stink, dey aint cured up yet. Bury dem
things den bring dem back to me. Us Chilluns bed a hard time gittin home
cause we stunk so bad.'
"I remember wen we uster hev big time quilting on dem days we sho had a
big time fore we start in de morning wid a water melon feast, den weuns
quilt erwhile den a big dinner war spread out den after dinner we'd
quilt in the evening den supper and a big dance dat night, wid de banjo
a humming en us niggers a dancing, "Oh, Lawdy wat good days dem war."
"Wen we were young we uster hev parties called "Dideoos", de banjo
would play en den de girls would line up on one side of de cabin en de
boys on de tother side while the folks war a clappin en er playing why
de boys en girls wuld choose dar parrners den weuns sing:
"Ole Brer Rabbit,
Shake it, shake it,
How I love you,
Shake it, shake it.
I'd ruther play dat game dan to eat."
"We uster tap maple trees en hev big gathering foh ter make maple sugar
dat war while I lived at Gracey.
"De stage coach day war big days, wen de stage coach war a comin thru
why us little niggers would try ter keep up wid de horses en run erlong
side de coach en sometimes a man or woman would drop us a penny den dar
was sho a scramble."
"I remember wen we uster wash cloes wid a paddle. You wet dese cloes en
put soft soap in dem, the soap war made outer ash lye en grease den dese
cloes war spread on a smooth stump an beat wid paddles till dey war
clean. Den come de wooden wash board, hit war jes a piece of wood wid
rough places or ridges chiseled in hit. Wen we uster wash quilts we
uster cyt a nikasses varrek ubter eb dat made de tub deb my Mammy would
put water in dese tubs den soft soap de quilts den us chilluns would git
in de tubs in our Bare foots en tromp de dirt out."
"We uster use grease lamps, dese war made outer iron, wid a piece of
cotton rope down in de grease on dis jes send out a puny smelly light.
Dem de brass lamp came erlong hit war a little lamp wid a wich wid a
handle in er stem, no burner or nuthin hit burned coaloil but had no
chimney."
"Hee, Hee, Hee, I remember arbout a story Mary Beard told ter me erbout
a slave woman dat war foolish. Her Massa couldn't git no body ter buy
her, hee, hee, hee, so he dresses her up nice en buys her a thimble en
gives her a piece of cloth ter sew on. It war right here in Hopkinsville
in front of de court house dat de block war en he sold dis woman as a
"sewing slave", en her war foolish en couldn't take er right stitch en
she sho brought a good price en wen her new Massa found out she war
foolish he sho war mad. He tried ter sell her but pshaw he bought
something he couldn't git rid of, Hee, Hee."
"Dese ole nigger slave traders uster so my Mammy said, steal de niggers
from one Massa and dey would leave at night en stay in "Campbells Cave"
den dey would take dese niggers wid a promise of freedom to Clarksville,
Tenn., sell dem again on "Mr. Dunk Morr's" slave market. Sometimes dese
niggers if dey got a new Massa dat war mean would run erway en come back
tar dar ole Massas."
"Yes I believe you can be hauted, I aint neber seed one tho but I'se
heard dem en I jest git creepy en I no's dey is around."
"Cos dreams come tru, I dont remember one now but if I'se had one ergin
I will try ter remember en tells you."
"No I aint neber seed a ghost. I feels dem sometimes en I jis shot my
eyes en pray de "Good Lawd" ter send dat ghost away."
"If youse find a horse shoe er put eber de door you will sho has good
luck."
"Thirteen has always been my lucky number. Dats follish ter thing
'Thirteen is unlucky'. Seben is lucky ter me ter. I always win when I
think of a seben."
"Of cos now if youse breakes a mirror you cant keep from having bad
luck. Nuthin you do will keep you from hit."
"Sho is bad luck ter meet a cross-eyed pusson er blue gummed niggers is
pizen cause if one bites you youse will sho ter die."
"My Mammy sho did hev a big wedding my Pappys Massa ask my Mammy Massa
foh her en den my Mammy Massa give her a big infair dat cost him $200.00
wid de bridal supper en all."
"Dey uster do niggers pretty bad erbout dat funerals. Wen a nigger did
die why de rest of de niggers hed ter work en one nigger made de box
whiler ernother nigger dug de grave en the nigger war jes civered up en
den on de Fourth Sunday in August ebery year all de colored folks would
take a basket dinner ter de church en each family dat had buried a
nigger would pay de preacher ter preach the sermon foh dat darkie dat
died. We ate dinner en supper at de church en sometimes the funeral foh
some fo de darkies wouldn't git preached till next August. We went to
dis funeral why we had big time talking wid our neighbors en of de
dead."
"Dogs howling meand bad luck if he howls under de house why someone is
goin ter die."
"If er owl come around de house on holler a death will happen in de
family fore de next day."
"I remembers I wat a sitting in de house en er peckerwood war a pecking
on de house 'Pure bad luck.'"
"I was working once foh Mrs. Shelton wen a little wren kept trying ter
git in de house an I kep a shosin hit arway wen he got in somehow jes as
soon as hit did Mrs. Shelton called me en I had a telegram from Chicago
my neice war dead. She by dat I nos dat am bad luck. I dont like wrens
any how."
"Wenn a cow loses hits cud, jes giv hit an old dirty dish rag en den de
cow will ding her cud again."
"Sometimes a cow gits sich en lay down en if you will fell her tail on
de end it is all soft, 'Dat cow hot holler tail, en less you split dat
tail en fill de holler wid salt den bind hit up dat cow will sholy
die.'"
"I asked Mary if she was superstitious and she said 'no, cos niggers are
edicatted dese days en dey don believe in all dat tom-foolery. Dey neber
would benn so foolish if de white folks did not tell us all dat rot.'"
Mary neither reads or writes and is not superstitious according to her
admission. What do you think of it. I am afraid that I do not agree
with. M.D.H.)
CLAY CO.
(Pearl House)
Sophia Word:
The following story of slave days is the exact words of one who had the
bitter experience of slavery. Sophia Word, who is now ninety-nine years
of age, born February 2, 1837. She tells me she was in bondage for
nineteen years and nine months. I shall repeat just as she told the
story:
"I wuz here in time of Mexican War and seed 'em get up volunteers to go.
They wuz dressed in brown and band played 'Our Hunting Shirts are
Fringed with Doe and away We march to Mexico'.
"My grandmother came straight from Africa and wuz auctioned off and
bought by William Reide Father. When he died William Reides inherited my
mother. Mother married a Bates and had ten of us children.
"Our Master didn't auction off his slaves as the other masters would for
he was a better master than most of them. When he started to sale one of
us he would go out and talk to the old slave trader like he wuz g'wine
to sale a cow or sometin and then he would come back to git the slave he
wanted. This wuz the way my mothers' brother and sister wuz sold. When
the other masters at other places sold a slave they put the slave on the
auction block and the slave trader had a long whop that he hit them with
to see if they could jump around and wuz strong. The largest and brought
the money.
"I wuz a slave nineteen yeahs and nine months but somehow or nuther I
didn't belong to a real mean pet of people. The white folks said I was
the meanest nigger that ever wuz. One day my Mistress Lyndia called fer
me to come in the house, but no, I wouldn't go. She walks out and says
she is Gwine make me go. So she takes and drags me in the house. Then I
grabs that white woman, when she turned her back, and shook her until
she begged for mercy. When the master comes in, I wuz given a terrible
beating with a whip but I did'nt care fer I give the mistress a good'un
too.
"We lived off to the back of the masters house in a little log cabin,
that had one winder in the side. We lived tobly well and didn't starve
fer we had enough to eat but we didn't have as good as the master and
mistress had. We would slip in the house after the master and mistress
wuz sleeping and cook to suit ourselves and cook what we wanted.
"The Mistress had an old parrot and one day I wuz in the kitchen making
cookies, and I decided I wanted some of them so I tooks me out some and
put them on a chair and when I did this the mistress entered the door, I
picks up a cushion and throws over the pile of cookies on the chair and
mistress cane near the chair and the old parrot cries out, Mistress
burn, Mistress burn, then the mistress looks under the cushion and she
had me whupped but the next day I killed the parrot, and she often
wondered who or what killed the bird.
"I've seen whole pigs roasted before open fire place and when it wuz
done we would put a nice red apple in its mouth and the big white folks
company that come would eat of this delicious dish. Sometimes we had to
bake pies for a week to supply the company that wuz invited to our
masters and mistresses house. They served elaborate dinners and hundreds
of guest were invited.
"My master wuzn't as mean as most masters. Hugh White was so mean to his
slaves that I know of two gals that killt themselfs. One nigger gal
sudie wuz found across the bed with a pen knife in her hand. He whipped
another nigger gal most to death fer fergiting to put onions in the
stew. The next day she went down to the river and fer nine days they
searched fer her and her body finally washed upon the shore. The master
could never live in that house again as when he would go to sleep he
would see the nigger standing over his bed. Then he moved to Richmond
and there he stayed until a little later when he hung himself.
"Our clothes wuz made from cotton and linsey. Cotton wuz used in the
summer and linsey fer the winter. Sometimes our clothes wuz yeller
checked and most time red. Our stockings wuz made of coarse yarn fer
winter to wear with coarse shoes. We had high topped shoes fer Sunday.
"I've seed ten thousand of the Union Soldiers and a great many of the
rebel soldiers. The Rebel soldiers would take everything they could get
their hands on but I never did know of the Union Soldier taking
anything. The rebels have stole my masters cows and horses and we would
have to hide the meat in a box and bury it in the ground."
BOYD CO.
(Carl F. Hall)
The Commonwealth of Kentucky, having for a northern boundary the Ohio
River--the dividing line between the northern free states and the
southern slave states has always been regarded as a southern state. As
in the other states of the old south, slavery was an institution until
the Thirteenth Ammendment to the Constitution of the United States gave
the negro freedom in 1865.
Kentucky did not, as other southern states, secede from the Union, but
attempted to be neutral during the Civil War. The people, however, were
divided in their allegience, furnishing recruits for both the Federal
and Confederate armies. The president of the Union, Abraham Lincoln, and
the president of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis, both were born in
this state.
Boyd County was formed in 1860 from parts of Lawrence, Greenup and
Carter Counties, and we are unable to find any records, in Boyd County,
as to slave holders and their slaves, though it is known that many well
to do families the Catletts, Davis, Poages, Williams and others were
slave holders.
Slaves were not regarded as persons, had no civil rights and were owned
just as any other chattel property, were bought and sold like horses and
cattle, and knew no law but the will of their white masters and like
other domestic animals could be, and were, acquired and disposed of
without regard to family ties or other consideration.
Usually, as each slave represented a large investment of money, they
were well cared for, being adequately fed, clothed and sheltered, having
medical attention when sick.
As, along the border in Kentucky, there were no large plantations where
field workers could be used, most of the slaves in this region were
house servants, who were housed in wings of the master's house, where
the plantations were large enough to need many slaves, they were
furnished one, or two, rooms cabins close by the mansion on the master's
estate.
As educated people are apt to be able to figure out ways to improve
their lot, learning among the negroes was not encouraged, in fact it was
illegal to teach them. In some instances an enlighted and humane master
would teach a servant, and often they could find some one who would
teach them secretly. As a race, however, they were, at the time they
were set free, without any education at all.
Tales are told of cruel masters who overworked, flogged and otherwise
mistreated their helpers and slaves; these masters, however, seem to
have been an exception to the rule and considering that they were
generally well provided for, many slaves were better off economically
than the laborer of today who is a victim of misfortunes such as
sickness, disability and old age.
One reason why slaves were better treated here than further south, was
that Kentucky was a border state, and throughout Ohio and other northern
states, was an organization known as the "Underground Railroad." This
was a sort of secret society whose members were sworn to assist escaped
slaves to run away to Canada where they would be free. When a run-away
slave crossed the Ohio River he would be met by some one of this
organization and taken where he could remain in hiding by day, then by
traveling by night, could reach another place of concealment by morning,
where he would be fed and hidden until darkness permitted him to reach
the next haven. By this means many were successful in reaching freedom,
though they were hunted by officers, armed with guns, and assisted by
fierce dogs especially trained for this work.
Negroes who were unruly, or were caught attempting to escape, were
usually sold to planters in the far south where they could not hope to
escape, and were forced to end their days in unremitting toil in the
cotton and cane fields, forever separated from relatives and friends.
It was the barbarism practiced by cruel masters, so vividly portrayed in
such books as "Uncle Tom's Cabin" and songs like "Nellie Gray," that
awakened the nation's conscience and brought about the bloody "Civil
War" which resulted in the race being set free.
Just before the war, George Davis, a mulatto, son of his master and a
black servant girl, was in Cincinnati and was accosted by two white men
who offered to use the good offices of the "Underground Railroad" to
help him to get away to Canada. Being well treated, as a trusted servant
of his white father and master, he did not avail himself of this
opportunity to escape and stayed on as a slave until Freed by the war,
after which he went to Ohio and settled and prospered until his death.
Another slave, Asberry Parker, did escape, and traveling by night hiding
by day, reached safety in Canada where he worked and saved until he
became wealthy. After the war, when he could safely return to the United
States, he moved to Ironton, Ohio, where he made his home for the rest
of his life. He belonged in his days of slavery, to a Williams family,
in Carter County, Kentucky.
Another slave, George McVodie, belonging to the Poage family, of Boyd
Co., escaped and went to Canada, no [TR: missing word?] as to whether he
ever came back later.
A sister of George Davis was sold to a planter in Louisiana where she
lived until 1877, when she returned to Boyd County as a free woman.
As negroes, in slavery days, were regarded as beasts of burden not much
interest was taken in the welfare of their souls. Some kind hearted
masters would allow them the privilege of meeting in religious service,
where some one of their race in spite of the conditions of the times,
could read and explain the Bible, would preach. Other masters would not
allow this to be done. A negro would become, in character much like the
family who owned him, i.e., an honest, moral and kindly master would
have slaves of like qualities, while a cruel, dishonest master would
usually affect his slaves so that they would be tricky and unreliable.
Where the master did not personally supervise his slaves and left them
to the mercies of a hired "over-seer," their lot was usually much worse,
as these task-masters were almost always tyranical and were not
restrained by a sense of ownership from abusing the helpless creatures
under their authority as were the master's, whose money was invested in
them.
On one occasion, a young negro saw his own sister stripped naked and
unmercifully whipped by one of these over-seers. He gathered up all of
his small belongings and tied them in a bundle and securing a club of
wood, laid in wait for the cruel 'boss' until dark, when he killed him
with the club. He then escaped, via the "Underground Railroad."
One thing he was careful to do, was to avoid all telegraph poles, as
that he thought the wires could detect and betray him, the telegraph was
a mystery to his ignorant mind. He succeeded in making his way to
Canada and freedom where he stayed until after the war, when it was
safe to return.
The slave trade of importing slaves into the United States, being
forbidden after about 1820, cut off the supply to such an extent that
strong, healthy negroes became very high in price. Many Kentucky slave
owners raised slaves for this market just as we today raise live stock
on our farms.
Only the strong healthy slave women were allowed to have children, and
often were not allowed to mate with their own husbands, but were bred
like live stock to some male negro who was kept for that purpose because
of his strong phisique, which the master wished to reproduce, in order
to get a good price for his progeny, just like horses, cattle, dogs and
other animals are managed today in order to improve the stock. Often the
father of a comely black woman's child, would be the master himself, who
would heartlessly sell his own offspring to some other master, without
regard for his welfare.
Many of the aristocratic women of the master class, to keep from the
burdensome task of caring for their own children, and to assure
themselves a life of leisure would delegate to one of the negro slave
women the care of their own children.
Many of the upper class white children were cared for by these faithful
black "Mammies" fed by the milk from their breasts. Countless stories
are told of the love and devotion of the black "Mammy" for the white
child who was brought to their 'grown up' years by her care.
A marriage between negroes, before freedom, had no legal standing; a
negro couple, wishing to marry, had to get a permit from each master and
were united in marriage by a ceremony with a preacher of their own race
officiating. After the war, when they were made citizens with civil
rights, many former slaves who had been married in this way, hastened to
legalize their union by obtaining licenses and having a legal ceremony
performed.
While the four years of Civil War, between the North and South resulted
in the freedom of the slaves, the negro is yet restricted in many ways
in the south. In many states, separate schools are maintained, the negro
churches are separate, social equality is not recognized.
In Kentucky, intermarriages between the races are not allowed. Separate
coaches are provided on railway trains, hotels, restaurants, theaters
and other places of amusement, which cater to white customers, do not
permit negro patrons. Many towns and cities have zoning ordinances
forbidding negroes to live in white localities. In many southern states
the negroes is prevented from voting by local regulations, in Boyd
County colored people go to the polls and vote just like anyone else.
Negroes make good house servants, and are extensively used for that
purpose today. White families employ them as chauffeurs, butlers, house
boys, child nurses, maids and cooks, preferring them to white servants
who are not so adaptable to such subordinate positions in life.
Colored men work in barber shops, in restaurants as waiters, and are
largely employed as porters in hotels and on railway coaches. Colored
women work in hotels as cooks, chamber maids, and are commonly employed
as elevator operator in hotels and office buildings.
Not many negroes are in business locally, as race prejudice prevents
white folks from trading at colored stores, and the local colored
population is too small to provide many customers of their own race.
Many ambitious colored folks have left here and gone to the large cities
of the north, and made conspicious successes in business. Some have
succeeded in the professions as doctors, lawyers, actors, and writers
and other vocations.
All in all, the race has progressed to an astonishing degree since being
set free a generation ago.
Politics: Formerly, the negro, attributing his freedom to the efforts
of Abraham Lincoln in his behalf, voted almost solidly for the
Republican Party. Now, however, the Democrats have, by remembering the
race when passing out jobs, gained recruits among the colored people,
and some negro Democrats are found here. The negro has been accused of
voting for money, but it is doubtful if as a race, he is any more prone
to this practice than his white fellow citizens among whom this abuse
seems to be growing.
BELL CO.
(Nelle Shumate)
Mandy Gibson:
There were auction-blocks near the court houses where the slaves were
sold to the highest bidders. A slave would be placed on a platform and
his merits as a speciman of human power and ability to work was
enomerated the bidding began. Young slave girls brought high prices
because the more slave children that were born on one's plantation the
richer he would be in the future. Some slaves were kept just for this
purpose, the same as prize thorough-bred stock is kept. In many
instances slaves were treated like brutes and their places to sleep were
like barn sheds with only a little straw, on which to sleep. Mrs.
Neikirk's mother said that she distinctly remembered that the slaves she
knew of had only the roughest of food such as: corn bread molasses, and
scraps from their owner's table. Their clothing was such as their owners
saw fit to give them and the cheapest.
An old negro woman, Aunt Mandy Gibson by name, died last month, Sep. in
Middlesboro and I have heard her tell about coming here from Alabama
when the town of Middlesboro was first founded. When asked about her old
home people she would go to great lengths to explain about her people
having been slaves, but she would always add that they did not mind
slavery as they at that time knew nothing of the outdoor life and
therefore desired nothing better. She also said that the family that
owned her was a kind nature and was good to slaves.
Some of the citizens of Middlesboro today can recall stories that their
parents told them about the days when slaves were bought and sold in the
United States. Among these is one Mrs. Martha Neikirk, a daughter of an
old Union soldier now deceased. Mrs. Rhuben Gilbert, Mrs. Neikirk's
mother said that: "Once my mother and I were out in the woods picking
huckle-berries and heard a noise as of someone moaning in pain. We kept
going toward the sound and finally came to a little brook. Near the
water was a negro woman with her head bent over to the ground and
weeping as if her heart was broken. Upon asking her what had caused her
agony she finally managed to control her emotions enough to sob out her
story. The negro woman said then that her master had just sold her to a
man that was to take her far away from her present owner and incidently
her children. She said this couldn't be helped but she could ask the
good Lord to let her die and get out of the misery she was in.