Nobody but Jesus."
Second, religion is the best thing in the world. It enables you, though
a slave, to have joy of the soul, to endure the trials. Future life is
happy and eternal:
"We'll walk dem golden streets,
We'll walk dem golden streets,
We'll walk dem golden streets,
Wear pleasure nebber dies."
or:
"Oh! I'se a-gwine to lib always,
Oh! I'se a-gwine to lib always,
Oh! I'se a-gwine to lib always,
Wen I git in de kingdom."
Annie Morgan:
Story of Annie Morgan: (age 65, 207 W. 2nd St., Hopkinsville, Ky.) Annie
was born of slave parents. Her mother and father were slaves of the
Payne family.
Ques: Annie can you give me or rather tell me of some of your earlier
life with your parents, or what your mother and father has told you of
things before and after the Civil War.
Ans: Wal, wal, I do declare it has ben so long I'se jes don't remember.
I'se seem to remember de big days we uster hav on Proclamation Day wen
we used ter go to Grandmums who lived in Trigg County. Foh days befur
weuns would git redy ter go in a wagon and as dar was a heap of chilluns
it tuk quite a time an weuns would start by day break and dem wen we got
dar why all de rest of the daughters en sons of dar chilluns was alredy
that, den weun's hev a big time wid watermullins and ebything good to
eat. Some times Uncle Ben brot hid bajo and us chilluns would dance.
Ques: Annie did you ever have a dream to come true? Or do you believe in
dreams?
Ans: Sho does, sho does, why chile all my dream come true. I recollect
one wen my son was sick, I felt he wont gwine to git well. I asked him,
"Was he right with God", he says, "Dar is nuthin between me and de
Lawd". Den afterwards, I begin to worry gin about dis boy, I prays "De
Lawd" and ax him ter let me drem a drem bout him an nite time I did, I
could see dis boy jist as plaincrossing "Judgment Stream" and I says to
him in my drem, I say, "You come my son, he's crossin Judgment Stream, I
says ter ole man go in and hep him" and my son says to me, "I'm crossing
Judgment Stream, Mammy, and I got to cross it myself". I says "I no you
are cold now". I dreamed I spread a rug round him den he disappeared,
inter de building, by dat time I woke up so happy. Oh, Lawd, ter no my
boy was in Heben. I am sho I would not dremed dat drem unless "De Lawd"
tended me ter no my boy was saved. I sho nos dis boy is in Heben.
"Wen me an my man was married all de colored folks in the neighborhood
come to ma's and weums my husband and me jumped o'er the broom stick an
we was been married, ebery since. In dese days hit were too far ter go
git a preacher an most colored folks married dat way."
Story of Cora Torian: (217 W. 2nd St., Hopkinsville, Ky.--Age 71.)
Bell Childress, Cora's Mother, was a slave of Andrew Owen. He purchased
Belle Childress in the Purchase and brought her to Christian County.
Cora was born in Christian County on Mr. Owen's farm and considered
herself three years old at the end of the Civil War. She told me as
follows:
"I has dreamed of fish and dat is a sure sign dat I would git a piece of
money, an I always did. Dreamed of buggy and horse an it was a sign of
death in family and I no's hits tru. Dream of de ded hit always rains.
My Mistus and Marster fed and clothed us good and we lived in a little
log cabin of one room and cooked on an open fire. Some Marsters wud
whoop ther slaves til the blood would run down daw backs dese slaves
would run away sometimes den sum would come to Ise Marse and would have
to send dem back to dar own marsters and how my ole marster hated to see
dem go.
"I hang horse shoes oer my door to keep the Evil Spirits away. My Mammy
always wore and ole petticoat full gather at de waist band wid long
pockets in dem and den to keep peace in de house she would turn de
pocket wrong side out jes as she would go to somebodys elses house.
"I sho do no dar is ghosts, I seed one oncet hit was a man wid no head
on standin in my house and pullin the crammin out of de house and puttin
hit on de table. Oooh I no's dat is so cause I seed hit wid my own eyes.
"My Mammy had a woman dat lived wid us and she died, and sometimes
afterwards, she called me and I looked in de room and dis woman was
sitting on de side of de bed and wen i spoke to her she slowly ris up
and went thru a crack about two inches wide. now dats a fak!
"Humph, no I'se not gwine ter go near no hainted house, much less stay
in one. I'se scairt.
"Hee, hee, sho you can find things by spitting in yer han and de way the
spit goes if youse will go dar you will be sho to find hit.
"Aint got no time for fortune tellers, don believe in dem, day don't do
nuthin.
"Wen de moon changes if youse see hit thru de bresh you sho will have
bad luck, but if youse sees hit and nuthin to hinder youse from lookin
at hit straight and make a wish it who will come true. I'se no's cause
my son was way down South an I woant to seed him and I looks at de moon
and hit was changing and I wished de would come home and looked up de
road and "Lawd daw he were.
"Youse plants de pertatoes by de moon. Irish pertatoes planted on de
light of de moon will go ter vine and der neber will be a tater on de
vine. If youse plant dem by de dark of de moon yourall's pertatoes will
be plentiful.
"If youse maks soap it must be made by de light of de moon or de soap
will all turn to grease.
"If youse sneeze wen you eats you will shorely die.
"If youse see a blue gummed negro be shore one don bite you foh dey are
shore pizenous.
"If youse have yer year to ring, sho sing of death.
"Move on Friday, "Good Lawd No", youse would sho have bad luck.
"One tru sign of death, if a dog howls at midnight, you will sho to die.
If you dreams of you teeth falling out is a tru sign of death and if
youse dreams of a marriage is nuther tru sign of death.
"If I dream of a naked purson I'se is sho to die. No cat mus come in wen
dar is a ded body for de cat will sho eat de body.
"If a cat crosses youse path to de left some kind of bad luck is sho to
overtake on yer journey.
"If a peckerwood pecks on de roof of youse house you will sho lose some
member of youse family. Dey is pizen.
"No I'se jes ter scairt ter go whar day call up Spirits."
Tale of Mary Wooldridge: (Clarksville Pike--Age about 103.)
"Mary and her twin sister were slaves born in Washington County,
Kentucky, near Lexington, belonging to Bob Eaglin. When Mary was about
fourteen years old she and her sister was brought to the Lexington slave
market and sold and a Mr. Lewis Burns of the same County purchased her.
Mary doesn't know what became of her sister. Five or six years later she
was again put on the block and sold to a Negro Trader but Mary does not
remember this traders name. While here she was kept in a stockade and it
was several years before she again was bought by a white man. Mr. Thomas
McElroy near Lexington bought her and she remained his slave until the
slaves were freed. Mary looks her age. She is a tall gaunt black Negro
with white hair about one inch long and very kinky, and still she
dresses as the older slave woman dressed in the past days. She wears an
old bodice with a very full skirt that comes to her ankles and this
skirt has very long deep pockets and when I asked her why she had such
pockets in her skirt her answer was, "Wal you sees honey I jes am used
ter dis dress and thar is no way foh youse to had me git shud of hit,
dese pockets is powerful venient foh weh I goes inter some ones house
why I turns dose pockets wrong side out and dat always brings me good
luck.
Mary contends that she always wears three petticoats.
"Marse Thamos lived in a big log house wid a big plantation all around
hit. He had three hundred slaves on de two plantations. Marse Thamos sho
was good ter us niggers. No nigger mus whoop his stock wid a switch.
"I'se heared him say many time don't youse niggers whoop dese mules. How
would you like to have me whoop you det way?" And he sho would whoop dem
dem niggers if he cotched dem. Lawd have mercy who whould haw thot I'd
be here all dis time. I'd thot I'd be ded and gone. All dese ole niggers
try to be so uppity by jes bein raised in de house and cause dey was why
dey think is Quality. Some of dese nigger gals was raised in de house
but most of dem was made work ebery whar on de plantation. My Massa has
his nigger gals to lay fence worms, mak fences, shuck corn, hoe corn en
terbacco, wash, iron, and de missus try to teach de nigger gals to sew
and knit. But shucks niggers aint got no sense nuf ter do fancy things.
Sometimes I tended de chilluns.
"Yah, yah, I sho do member Abraham Lincoln. My Missus and Massa did not
like Mr. Lincoln, but pshaw, all de niggers did. I member him, I seed
him once, soon after I was freed.
"Pshaw, dey was hard times durin de war, my Missus and sum of de nigger
gals and de chilluns hae to stay in the woods several days ter keep way
from de soldiers. Dey eat all de chickens and kilt the cows and tuk de
horses and we sho scairt out dar wid dem varmints roving roun.
"Nigger aint got no business being sot free, niggers still oughter be
slaves. Us niggers did not hev to bother bout de victuals sor nuthin.
"Wen my Missis called us niggers gether and told us we was free I was as
happy as a skinned frog but you seed I didn't have any sense. All
niggers are fools. Now she says, she did, you can all stay here en work
en we will pay you foh your work, or you can work foh some body else,
but I hev raised you hones, and don't you steal, and work foh nuf money
so you wont hev to steal it if youse gits hongry and haint got no money
to buy vittals jus you ask de white folks foh hit and dey will giv hit
to youse. Oh how I miss my Missis and Massa so much. Wish I hed dem now.
"Shucks on dese niggers and dar ways now. I lef de plantation my old
Missus and Massa home and got on a steam boat on de Ohio Ribber and
nursed de chillun foh de Captain and he's wife on dat boat foh about two
year. An den He, He, He, a nigger don got much sense, Miss Fannie an Mr.
Harry Campbell whot paid me foh my work on de boat gives Five Dollars
foh de work en I'se didn't hev sense nuf ter know what ter do wid dis
money. So I goes ter de store en buys me a cedar tub and filled hit wid
candy. Miss Fannie gave me back de money foh de tub an den I ate nuf
candy ter git sick and den Miss Fannie took de candy back to de store
and she got my money back, she did.
"But shucks, I did not no whot ter do wid de money. Wen I lef Miss
Fannie I rode to Henderson on a log raft en wen I got dar dey was a big
circus and sum one was sayin, "de perade be here directly, He, He, He, I
didn't no whot dey meant, big ignorant fool dat I was and still is, en
wen I seed de elephants and de uther varmints I ran like a big pop-eyed
fool nigger cause I never seed such things. Dat day on de road in town I
met my ole Missus McElroy en she had me ter help her wid de chilluns and
tuk me ter de circus and wen I got in de tent and saw all de cages and
things I was sho scairt of ebery thing till I seed dem babboons dem I
felt all right and at home cause I jes knowed dey was my first cousins.
I stayed in Henderson foh sometime working foh furst one and tother en
den Mr. Henry Shackleford hired me en brung me to Christian County. Not
long fore I was married ter Albert Wooldridge we sho had a big wedding.
Zack Major a nigger preacher of de Baptist faith did de ceremony right
here in Hopkinsville.
"Yes, sho I has ben a mid-wife or granny. All dese high falutin things
dey is doin now in child birth is tommy-rot dey oughter hev jes grannies
now. I livered more babies den most doctors sometimes de white folks had
doctors but I don't take no stock in dese doctors. De furst thing you
does wen a new baby is born is ter let hit lay twenty minutes den cut de
cord and dan grease a scortched rag wid lard jes hog lard en den put de
belly band on den grease de baby all over. Neber wash de baby till tis
over a week ole. Wen de babies had colic I'd take dirt dobber nest and
make a tea, den giv did ter de baby. Sometimes If I couldn't fin no dirt
dobber nes I would git a spider web and make a tea den giv dis or else
jes shake de baby by de heels. If folks would tend ter babies like dey
uster why dese people now wouldn't hev heart trouble.
"Sho I seed a ghost once, I soed Miss Annie Wooldridge after she died up
here on Main St. I was jes settin on de back porch steps jes a lookin
while da white folks was er eatin supper. Miss Annie allways got de eggs
en I seed her dat day. She jes come thru de hen house door en hit was
locked en den thru de pantry door and hit was locked en I jes called her
daughter and I knowed I seed her, sho, I did, it who was Miss Annie.
"Of course dar is hanted houses. De ole Sharp house were dat er way and
all de Sharps were ded but dis house were empty. You neber did see
anything but I sho had heared de doors slam en de silver rattle en at
night in my cabin near to hit I'd sees lights bob up en down. Any body
in dis town can tell you dats so foh dey tore dis house down ter run de
hants eraway.
"People don bother bout de moon much now but if dey would lissen ter de
ole niters dey would always hev good crops. Now if you plant pertatoes
by de dark of de moon you will always hev good crops en if you plant dem
on de light of de moon den you hes all vine. Corn planted on de light de
moon den you has a good crop. I'se knows cause I ken member fore de
niggers wore freed you could jes plant by de moon and plant anything in
God's ground en by de moon en de crops would grow. Now dey jes buther up
God's ground en put ole stinky messy fertilizer on hit en de crops jes
burn up. Nobody oughter mess wid God's ground.
"I'se a Publican who ever heared of a Democrat nigger. Nigger neber did
own enything so dey cant be Democrats en if dey vote a Democrat ticket
dey is jes votin a lie. Cause no nigger neber did own slaves only the
old nigger slave traders and dey werent nuthin but varmints anyway. Ye
jes has to hev owned slaves to vote a Democrat ticket en den no nigger
eber did own slaves er hed nothing."
(Mary lives in Clarksville, Pike R.R. #1, Hopkinsville, Kentucky)
CALDWELL CO.
(Mary E. O'Malley) [HW: Ky 6]
Coal Mine Slaves: In 1836 large numbers of slaves were brought into
Caldwell and worked by the owners of the ore mines, which necessitated
extra patrols, interfered with local workmen, and so on. The taxpayers
complained to the Legislature and an extra tax was allowed to be levied
for the benefit of the county. In other books we find that the owners of
the slaves who worked in these mines was President Andrew Jackson who
brought his slaves from Nashville to the iron and lead mines in Caldwell
and Crittenden counties; he is said to have made several trips himself
to these mines.
The Missing Man:
"In 1860 Mr. Jess Stevens owned a negro slave, and his wife. Jess
Williams, who lived in the north end of the county, bought the old
slave, but did not buy his wife.
"One day one of Jess William's boys went to Edward Stevens and an
argument followed, causing Mr. Stevens to shoot him in the arm. Later
Jess Williams took the old negro and went to the field where Edward
Stevens and the boy were planting corn. They hid behind a tree and the
negro was given the gun and was told to shoot when Stevens came down the
road by them.
"He came by slowly covering corn but the negro did not shoot. Williams
said, "Why didn't you shoot?" and the negro replied, "Massie, I just
didn't have da heart." Williams said, "If you don't shoot next time, I'm
going to shoot you." When Stevens started by the negro shot and killed
him, tearing his hoe handle into splinters.
One day a salesman, who rode a fine horse and had a beautiful saddle
came to Princeton and later went to the Williams home. Several days
later his people got anxious about him, and after checking up they found
that he was last seen going into the Williams home. Several days later
his people found his hat floating upon a pond near the house, and a few
weeks later one of the Williams boys came to town riding the saddle that
the salesman had ridden a few months before.
The old negro slave went to Mr. Stevens to visit his wife, and while he
and Mr. Stevens were in the field a spy was hidden in the ambush
listening to the conversation about the salesman. When the old slave
returned home he was tied to the tail of a young mule, which was turned
loose in a new ground and was dragged, bruised and almost killed. Edward
Williams, son of Jess Williams, found the old slave and cut him loose.
His father and brother found it out and started out to hunt him,
intending to kill him, but he managed to dodge them.
Mr. Jess Stevens was walking along a path the next morning and heard a
mournful groan, and after looking for awhile found the old slave. The
worms had eaten his face[HW:?] and he was almost dead. The people
brought him to the courthouse and began ringing the bell to let the
people know that some injustice had been done. When one became tired
another took his place. The bell rang both night and day until most of
the citizens of the county came to see what was wrong. A number of men
went in daytime, without mask or disguise, to the Williams home and hung
Jess Williams. They intended to hang the two boys but they got away.
BALLARD CO.
(J.R. Wilkerson) [HW: Ky 7]
[Tinie Force and Elvira Lewis:]
During the period of slavery in the Purchase Region, buying and selling
slaves was carried on at irregular intervals. The trading usually took
place at the home of the slave owner. The prices paid for slaves was
dependent upon certain conditions. In case of a full grown, robust negro
boy the price was sometimes as much as one thousand dollars. The prices
paid was varied according to the age, the general health and other
conditions of the individual.
At times pathetic scenes prevailed in the selling of slaves; namely, the
separation of mother and child. Often, a boy or girl would be sold and
taken away from his or her mother. In many cases the parting would be
permanent and the child and its mother would never see each other again.
The slave owner maintained separate housing quarters for his slaves. In
some cases the living quarters of slaves was comfortable and agreeable;
in other cases, living conditions of slaves was anything but agreeable;
Some masters were reasonably gentle to their slaves, while others were
cruel.
One of the saddest, darkest and most pathetic conditions that existed
during the period of slavery was the intimate mingling of slave owners,
in fact many white men, with negro women. It has become known that very
often a slave was sold who was the direct offspring of his or her owner.
This practice prevailed to some extent in the Purchase Region, but was
not universal. When the emancipation proclamation became effective and
the slaves were given freedom, some of them prefered to remain with
their masters, while others started out into the world for themselves.
Very often, some of the slaves, who had anticipated that liberty meant
more to them than anything else, and who went out into the cold world of
indifference, soon returned to their old masters. They found that their
former home was a much better place to abode than anything outside of
it.
Recreations of slaves:
The following is an old fashion ballad that was sung during the period
of slavery and which was very common throughout the Purchase Region:
"Jeff Davis rode a big white horse, but Lincoln rode a mule--Jeff Davis
was a fine, smart man, and Lincoln was a fool. Jeff Davis had a fine
white; Lincoln only had a mule--Jeff Davis was a wonderful man and
Lincoln was a fool".
Ring dancing was largely practiced during the slavery period. Especially
was this participated in throughout the Purchase Region. This was a
rather primative kind of dancing and was performed mostly by negro
children. The general procedure was to draw a ring on the ground,
ranging from 15 to 30 feet in diameter. The size of the ring to be used
was determined by the number of persons who were engaged in the dancing
ring. The youngsters would congregate within the ring and dance to the
rhythmic hand clapping and rhythm of the tambourine, which was performed
by the white people in the community.
Sometimes large congregations witnessed these primitive affairs, and
they became a great Saturday evening entertainment for the community at
large. During the periods of intermission, the youngsters, who had
engaged in the dancing would be given a kind of feast on barbecued meat
and cider drinking. At the conclusion of this brief festivity, they
would continue in their dancing, and very often this hilarity would be
carried on well into the evening.
Another kind of entertainment, which was practiced during the period of
slavery, was the singing of negro folk songs and spirituals. The darkies
would hold gatherings of this kind at the homes of individuals or
members, and engage in singing their favorite songs. These singings were
generally held during the evenings, especially on Saturdays and Sundays,
and not only afforded a favorite pass time for the darkies; but also for
white people. Most always, the singings were attended by a large
audience of white people, men, women and children. Those gatherings grew
with increasing popularity, until they became one of the most favorite
classes of amusement.
Also, the darkies were very fond of sports, such as were common to the
period, and many of them were very dexterous in the leading sports of
the day. One of the most common of those was hurdle racing. Here, the
contestants would leap over hurdles that were placed at regular
intervals apart. At time, numerous participants would engage in these
races, and the sport would extend over the entire day. There was a kind
of jumping too, which was called hurtling. In the sport, the contestants
made use of a hurtling pole, which was a small rigid-pole about 12 feet
in length. The jumper would take a long running start, which would
enable him to take on additional momentum; and with the assistance of
the hurtling pole, would leap over a hurdle that was placed a
considerable elevation above the ground. The chief object in this kind
of jumping was leaping over a high hurdle. The contestant, who made the
highest leap, was awarded the highest honors of the contest. A second,
third and fourth honors were awarded too.
Another kind of contest was called "A free for all". Here a ring was
drawn on the ground which ranged from about 15 ft. to 30 ft. in diameter
depending on the number of contestants who engaged in the combat. Each
participant was given a kind of bag that was stuffed with cotton and
rags into a very compact mass. When so stuffed, the bags would weigh on
an average of 10 pounds, and was used by the contestants in striking
their antagonist. Each combatant picked whichever opponent he desired
and attempted to subdue him by pounding him over the head with the bag,
which he used as his weapon of defense. And which was used as an
offending weapon. The contest was continued in this manner till every
combatant was counted out, and a hero of the contest proclaimed. Some
times two contestants were adjudged heroes, and it was necessary to run
a contest between the two combatants before a final hero could be
proclaimed. Then the two antagonist would stage a battle royal and would
continue in the conflict till one was proclaimed victorious.
Sometimes these Free-For-All battles were carried on with a kind of
improvised boxing gloves, and the contests were carried on in the same
manner as previously described. Very often, as many as 30 darkies of the
most husky type were engaged in these battles, and the contests were
generally attended by large audiences. Being staged during the period of
favorable weather, and mostly on Saturday afternoon; these physical
exhibitions were the scenes of much controversial conflict, gambling,
excessive inebriation and hilarity.
Banjo and guitar playing were practiced by the many darkies of the
slavery period also. These were on the order of concerts; and many
darkies although they had no scientific training, became rather
accomplished musicians in this respect. Melodious music might be heard
at these old fashion contests, as most darkies, who acquired knowledge
in the playing of these instruments were familiar with nearly all the
melodies and folks songs that were common to the period.
(The foregoing is copied verbatim from conversation with Tinie Force,
and Elvira Lewis, LaCenter, Ky. These 2 negro women are very familiar
with the slavery period, as they were both slaves, and many of the facts
common to that time were witnessed by them.)
LAWRENCE CO.
(Edna Lane Carter)