Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves

lave

DINK I

mbus News-Recor

She was loyal to the families she worked for and was, to all practical intents, a member of the family circle. She was 94 or 95 when she passed away-Mammy was about to lose track of mere age, she was so b

ughter of her original employer. She was first in service in the home of Dr. M.W. Peters, in Talbot county, and later was the cook in the family of

T. Davis, just as she had been cook in the home of her

at the Sixteenth street school, and watch the wor

ght-the old body had given out. The funeral service was conducted yesterday afternoon from St. Philips colored church in Girard. She was buried in a churc

eward, Mammy Dink, whose

ied Saturday nigh

ED INT

Dis

lave

WRITERS'

sta-

r: Miss V

amp: MAY

ROM SLAVE

ELI

y is, in her own words, "my love for my mother. I loved her so! I would cry when I couldn't be with her.

woman. "My mother was one of the best dyers anywhere around. I was too. I made colors by mixing up all kinds of bark and leaves. I made the prettiest sort of lilac color with maple bark and pine bark-not the outside pine bark, but that little thin skin that grows right

s of candy!" Tin cups hold a special niche in her memory. But there were punishments, too. "Good or bad, w

doctors, Ade

ad sixteen children and never had no

twood tea, made by pouring boiling water over split kindling. "'Cause lightwood got turpentine in it," explained Adeline. She said that a springtime t

recountal of folklore with the dark prediction: "Every gloomy

UG

r children. The jeweler paid Eugene's father fifty cents a week and was angry when his mother refused to allow her children to work for him. Eugene's mother supported her children by laundry work. "Free colored folks had to pay taxes," said Eugene, "And in Au

oes. Ned, said Eugene, was put in jail but the punishment of stocks and lashes was not intended to be executed. The sympathetic jailor told the old man: "Ned,

t they had been separated when they were children," he said. "When freedom was declared, they called the colored people down to the parade ground. They had built a big stand, and the Yankees and some o

u see the

hear the

t the l

t the t

he but

gro un

AR

she said, smiling and showing a set of strong new teeth. "We had school on our plantation, a

e, include tomato rice, chickens, baked, fried and stewed. "And chicken pies!" Mary closed her eyes.

the men, and they'd be caught and twirled around. They said I was like a kildee bird, I was so little and could run so fast! They said I was married when I was 17 years old. I know it was after freedom. I h

AC

not Negroes or slaves. "He de bes' marster i

ambassador's baby. "Marster bin somewheh in de back part o' de worl'." explained the old woman, "You see, he wuz de guv'nor. He knowed all de big people, senetras an

AU

e. My mother, her brother and her aunt was give to young Mistis when she marry de Baptis' preacher and come to Augusta. When dey brought us to Augusta, I wuz de baby. Round wheh de barracks is now, was de Baptis' parsonage. My mother was a cook. I kin remember de Yankees comin' down Broad Street. Dey put up wheh de barracks is on Reyn

where slaves were herded and kept for market day. "Dey would line 'em up like horses or cows," she said, "and

TIL

lda gave a vivid picture of the worst phase of plantation life on a Geor

y give us, mos'ly black 'lasses in a great big ole hogshead. When de war gwine on, we had to live on rice, mos'ly, what dey raise. We had a hard time. Didn't know we wuz free for a long time. All give overseer so mean, de slaves run away. Dey gits de blood-houn' to fin' 'em. Dey done dug cave in de wood, down in de ground, and hide dere.

friends, listening, nod

rible stories," she said. "It makes all the rest

mumbling e

wuz run out o' de country. Some white ladies in d

AS

collections are not quite so appalling as

n and clean up house. 'Tend day boy, ch

required to go to Churc

to church, but all dey talk about wuz obeyin' Massa and obeyin' Missus. Be

e day Lee surrendered. "Dey

AR

aid, "My folks didn't mistreet de slaves. When freedom come, de niggers come 'long wid dere babies

LIN

to have plantation days back again. She owns her home and has a

sn't fiel' han's, dey wuz all house servants. Marster wouldn't sell none o' his slaves

s to de Blue Ridge Mountings and sometimes over de big water." Malinda said the slaves danced to "quills," a home-made reed instrument. "My mammy wuz de

ME

ld slaves in Augusta to-da

church wid a hoop on. I such a lil' gal, all de chillun laug

tiny wais'. Dey put corsets on me and lace me up tight, and then dey take off all dey medallion and jewelry and hang 'em roun' my neck and

AVES IN

ITH BELL LOVE, RUB

Brayton Street, Aug

d her glasses as she talked to us. Her manner is alert, her mind is very keen and her memory of the old days very clear. Though the temperature was in the high ninet

e which had been bought for her long ago by a grandson who drove a "hack." When she took us into the crowded, but clean room, she showed us proudly the portrait of this big grandson,

e now but one niece. I deeded de place to her. She live out north now, but

out a framed picture of h

were certainly ni

became more sprightly as she said,

ou remember abou

om come. I 'longed to Mr. William Eve. De plantachun was right

er a lot about

to Miss Eva Eve. My missus married Colonel

l Jones, the one

e House. My missus was Mrs. Carpenter's

he was her

ks on de hill sometime. Dey good to

rk did you do on

n account de war, so she brought me to town and rented me out to a lady runnin' a boarding house. De rent was paid to my missus. One day I wus takin' a tray from de out-door kitchen to de house when I stumbled and dropped it. De food spill all over de ground. De lady got so mad she picked up a butcher knife and chop me in

d during slavery t

whut wus. Jedge Robinson he kept de

ember the old

n dey brung 'em over to de market and put 'em up fer sale. Anybody fixin' to buy

master good to

would feed 'em well. He wus killin' hogs stidy fum Jinury to March. He had two smoke-houses. Dere wus four cows. At night de fol

e plenty of othe

up. Dey give us white flour at Christmas. Every slave family had de gyrden

er whip the slaves or

e bare skin. My boss had a white overseer and two colored men dey call

e a house on the

plantachun, and everybody drive fru it had to pay toll. Dat toll gate wus on de D'Laigle plantachun. Dey built a ho

ops were around Waynesboro orders were sent to all the masters of the nearby plantatio

about the good times or we

d he have a cake fix. Den when Sunday come, atter dey be married, she put on de wh

lace, Eve place, Clayton place, D'Laigle place all git togedder fer big dance and frolic. A lot o

ave from one plantation wanted

oman to come to de plantachun. He say, 'Whut's fair fer de goose is fair fer de gander.' When dey couldn't come to no 'greement de man he run away to de woods

down dere and plenty o' grub dey take 'im, but de white folks neber find

he woman went

had to lie hidin' in de ditch all night, cross from de nigger hospital. Den somebody crep' up and shot

? Did you go to ch

nd you couldn't go off de plantachun widout a pass. So my boss he build a

they caught you of

u to de Cote House, and your ma

about the Yankees coming t

ree on Dead River, den dey come on here to sot us free. Dey march straight up Broad Street to de Planters' Hotel, den dey camped on Dead River, den dey camped on de river. Dey stayed here six months till dey sot dis place free. When dey campin' on de river bank we go down

Reynolds Street, Aug

Street. She is a large, fleshy woman. Her handmade yellow homespun was baggy

d you were one of the slaves who used to live

field road. No'm you can't see it fum de road. You has to cross de creek. Old

u do on the plan

rom Russia wid de Marster's wife-nu'sed dat baby fum de breas's I mean. All de white ladies had wet nusses in dem da

to look after you

d 'em in de big ground wi

Governor Pickens' sec

wus,

n on the plantati

second place. Oh, he had plantachuns everywhere, clear

ers whip you or

achun. Oh Lord, when de Governor would come-dey brung in all de sarvants. Marster call us 'sarvants', not 'niggers.' He say 'niggers wuk down in de lagoons.' So when de Governor come dey brung in all de sarv

manuel and Mr. DeLoach. He gib 'em a charg

s did your Mast

uns clear over to Alabama. Marster wus a world manager! Lordy, I luv my Ma

sell any of the slav

Whitefield, and Marster put 'em on de block. No ma'm he wouldn't tolerate

d he do to t

he sont him down

lenty to eat in th

-dey's kill a

d of houses d

rows facin' each odder,

have only

drap a shed room down if

a good time

end us a barrel o' apples, and chestnuts-dey had chestnuts in dem days-

ould sometimes be

o' de world. You see he wus gov'nur. He knowed all d

r seeing any of the so

s off. De niggers took all de mules and put 'em down in de sand field. Den dey took all de wimmens and put 'em in de chillun's house. And dey l

k did some of the

was de seamster. She sew fum one year end

did you go

go to chu'ch. We sit on one side-so-and dey sit over dere. Dey wus Method

untie? Did they have

oys had to git a pass when dey

happy time in

ouldn't be in such a mess. I gwine on eighty-five, but I wish de youn

children

" Then she laughed. "But I wus

days all dey hadder do to git

't your master have the pr

d. "Jus' say you wanner be married and de couple gi

mber when fr

sont Jo and Jim down to all de fields to tell all de hands to come up. Dey unhitch de mules fum de plows and come wid de chains rattlin', and de cotton hoers put dey hoes on dey shoulders-wid de blad

1105 Robert Street, A

His legs showing over white socks are scaly. His hands are palsied, but his mind is intelligent. He shows evidences of associ

His grandmother came from Pennsylvania with her white owners. In accordance with the laws of the state they had left, she was freed when she came of ag

n Crump was our guardian. Guardians protect

hers' owners, he added that his uncle went to Columbia County and m

him 50￠ a week, and was angry when Louisa r

me masters were cruel to the colored people,

ored folks had to pay taxes. Mother had to pay taxes. Then when they came of age, they had to pay taxes again. Even in Augusta you had to have a pass to go from house to house. They had frolics. Sometimes the white people came and looked

t school,

n in his back yard. They caught him and put him in jail. He was to be put in stocks and get so many lashes every day for a month. I heard him tell many times how the man said: 'Ned, I won't whip yo

Dey was two men. I kin rekellect. I know one was called Mr. Tom Heckle. He used to buy slaves, speculating. The other was named Wilson. They would sell your mother from the children. That was the reason so many colored people

from North Carolina with apples in. Dey had big covers on them. The speculators had plantations where they ke

o marry me. 'Yes,' she said, 'when I get grown!' I said, 'I am not quite grown myself.' I was sixteen years old. When I was twenty-one y

it, and I went to work on dat, for $1.25 a day. They got in some Chinese when it was near finished, but they wasn't any good. The Irishmen wouldn't

ace. He 'lowed me to have chickens, a little fence, and a garden. He was very good to us. That was Mr. P.J. Berckmans. I potted plants all day long. I used to work at night. I wouldn't draw no money, just let them keep it for me. After they found out I could read and write and was an honest fellow, they let me take my work home, and my children helped me make the apple grass a

answered that she was but a painful effor

to mind the children. They had a little seat on the back, and they'd tie her up there to keep her from falling off. Once when they got to a big gate, they told her to get down and open it for the driver to go through, not know

riends of mine were together. Those soldiers caught us and made us put our

They was having fun with us, kept us tied up about a half hour. There was a mulatto boy with us, but they thought he was whi

t church,

the Sand Hill out in the woods.

ns were vivid as to

use first, and told them the darkies was free. Then on a certain day they called all the colored people down to the parade gr

ving. Do honest work, make an honest living to support

he colored troops

u see the

hear the

t the l

t the t

the bu

gro un

ment houses, great big ole barns. They would all get free provisions from the Freedmen's Bureau, but people like us, Augusta citizens, didn't g

LD, HEPHZIBAH,

lis" in individ

74 years old. "I his baby," said Rena, "all dead but me, a

was, Rena looked out over the

otton and come in awhile. Dey'

lean blue overalls, obviously new. His small, regular features had high cheekbones. There

sick. So I thought I mig

o Dr. Balding Miller, who lived on Rock Creek plantation. Dr. Miller had three or four plantations, W

y school, but I tuk de doctor's sons fo' miles ev'y day to school. Guess he had so much business in hand he thought the chillun could walk. I u

r duties were, Willis

I had a regular saddle horse, two pairs for cay'age. Doctor were a rich man. Richest man in Burke County. He made his money on his farm. When summertime come, I went wid him to Ba

itions on Rock Creek pl

ny, a woman that tended de chillun and had charge of de yard when we went to Bath," Willis gestured behind him, "and back yonder was de qua

ch and Bible stu

e I was a regular dancer" Willis chuckled. "I cut de pigeon wing high enough! Not many cullud people know de Bible in slavery time. W

arriages?" h

t to the preacher, and he marry 'em. Then de men on our planta

presents when you were

nd never give her nut

were whipped as they needed it, and as a g

he had to cay'y dem to de boss; and if we needed any brushin'

e how slaves earned money f

t to you, and whatever dat land make, it belong to you. You could take dat money and spend it any you wanted to. Still

it badly wounded," he said. "Dey tell me dere ain't nobody

free. De soldiers tuk Dr. Millers horses and carry 'em off. Got in de crib and tuk de corn. Got in de smoke'ouse and tuk de meat out. Old Marssa bury his money and silver in a iron chist.

o after freedom

straigh

ople dere. The man got up and stated to de people, "you is jus' as free as I am. You ain't got no mistis and no marst

r. If I was working for you, and doing for you befo' I got free, I can do it still, if you want me to stay wid yo'.' My father and mother tried to git me to sign, but I wouldn't sign. My mother said: 'You oughter sign. How you know Marster gwine pay?' I said: 'Den I kin go somewhere else.' Marster pay first class hands $15.00 a month, other hands $10.00, and den on down to five and six dollars. He give rations like dey always. When Christmas come, all come up to be paid off. Den he call me. Ask whar is me? I w

chilluns, five-six years old. De chillun had disagreement. Mistis slap my girl. My wife sass de Mistis. But my marster,

hen you told him you were go

ey, boy, wheh you gwine?' I say; 'I 'cided to go.' I was de fo'man of de plow-han' den. I saw to all de locking up, and things like dat. He say: 'Hold on dere.' He com

, thinking back on tha

and busted out crying. 'I didn't tho't I could raise up a darky that would talk thataway,' he said to me. Well, I went on off. I got de wa

ly for a few minutes, spat into the

said: 'Please ma'am, don't do dat.' I thought maybe he kill me 'cause I lef' him. She say: 'Well, I gwine send fo' him.'

you is. 'yeh.' Lady say: 'Doctor, what you think of him?' 'Mistis, it mos' too late,' he

. Den two men, John and Charles, come in. Lady say: 'Get dis med'cine in Uncle Will.' One of de men hold my hand, one hold my head, and dey gagged

anudder lady. I stay dere three years. Got along all right. When I lef' from there, I lef' dere w

ncle Willis looked back on that sum of money as a small fo

de John Fryer place on Rock Creek. I

id you ever see

t fifteen miles from him and be de time I hear of

uperstitions, and answer

what follow 'em roun' and dey kin see d

d Aunt Rena from her post in the doorway, a

de ground, a long tail. He had hair on both sides of him, laying down on de road. He crep' up. I pull de horse dis way, he move too. I pull him dat way, he move too. I yell out: 'What in de name o' God is dat?' And it turn right straight 'round de graveyard

he had ever seen a person

anybody, but nobuddy ever conjur me. I year 'um say if a perso

g, healthy life, he raised his head

I bin trying to serve de Lawd 79 years, and I live by precepts of de word. Until today nobuddy can turn me awa

llis was found standi

to-day?" he was asked. His vitality was a

said in a feeble voice. "I

ed. "Do you think she would mind

on de bus, to see

?" His weak appearance

ffee, but I ai

t, and then we'll take you to the plantation and take you

took up his stout stick and tottered down the steps. He wore a frayed sweater, with several layers of shi

all 'mazed to see dat train flyin' long '

planes before you sa

t gimme dis car full of money to fly, they's t

"brekkus," while his kidnappers sought over hill and field for "the big house," but on

nd brick end chimney, and took great pleasure in the ceremony,

for the old man, for several times on the way back he wiped tears from his eyes. Once again at his cabin in the c

s bred and born. I do

well wor

pes you all gi

LK

ws obtai

E HEARD, 239

LEGAN, 231 Ch

LLEGAN, 231 C

nta,

amp: MAY

MMALINE

is a firm believer in the practice of conjure. To back up her belief in conjure is her appearance. She is a dark brown-skinned woman of medium

t was made to her home and the f

offered the house and $1,000 to anyone who could stay there over night. Uncle Joe said he decided to try it so sho nuff he got ready one night and went ter this house to stay. After while, says he, something come in the room and started over ter the bed, but fore it got there, he said, "What in the name of the Lord you want with me." It said, 'follow me. There is a pot of gol

and go ter old Marse Daniel's farm, which wuz 4 miles from Marse Harper's farm, and steal a few peas for his wife. Well, between midnight and day he got a sack and started off down the road. Long after while a owl started hootin, sho-o-o are-e-e, who-o-o-o-, and it wounded jest lak someone saying 'who are you.' Jimson got scared, pulled off his cap and r

ebody got up ter let 'em in. Chile, jest as they opened the door that 'oman set straight up on that bed; and sech another runnin and getting out of that house you never heard; but some folks realized she wuzn't dead so they got the casket out der way so she wouldn't see it, cause they wuz fraid she would pass out sho nuff; jest the same they wuz fraid of her, too. The man went off and come back with postols, guns, sticks, and everything; and when this 'oman saw 'em she said, 'don't run, I won't bothe

up with this dead gal, the boy comes long there in his buggy with anudder gal, and do you know that horse stopped right in front uv that house and wouldn't budge one inch. No matter how hard he whip that horse it wouldn't move; instid he rared and kicked and jumped about and almost turned the buggy over. The

s legs ter his thighs. Old Dr. Geech told him that he had snakes in his body and they wuz put there by the lady he had been going wid. Dr. Geech give him some medicine ter take and told him that on the 7th day from then that 'oman would come and take the medicine off the shelf and throw it away. Course Rev. Dennis didn't believe a thing he said, so sho nuff she come jest lak Dr. Geech said and took the medicine away. Dr. Geech told hi

og. Well, I come home and went ter see a old conjure doctor. He says ter me, 'that boy is hurt and when you go home you look in the corner of the mattress and you will find it. 'Sho nuff I went home and looked in the corner of the mattress and there the package wuz. It wuz a mixture of his hair and bluestone wrapped up in red flannel with new needles running all through it. When I went back he says ter me, 'Emmaline, have you got 8 dimes?' No, I said, but I got a dollar. 'Well, get that dollar c

by Mrs. Heard concerning an old conjure doctor known

ter pick 'em for sun-up; I don't know why. If you wuz sick all you had ter do wuz go ter see Aunt Darkas and tell her. She had a well and after listening to your complaint she would go out there and draw a bucket of water and set it on the floor, and then she would wave her hand over it and say something. She called this healing the water. After this she would give you a drink of water. As she hand it ter yo

ffin in the box, placed the label on the box, then brought it ter Atlanta. Folkes are always buried so that they head faces the east. They say when Judgment Day come and Gabriel blow that trumpet everybody will rise up facing the east. Well, as I wuz saying, they came here. Sid Heard met 'em out yonder and instructed his men fer arrangements fer the grave and everything. A few weeks later the 'oman called Sid Heard up long distance. She said, 'Mr. Heard.' Yesmam, he said. 'I call you ter t

opened it, they found the baby had been buried wrong; the head was facing the west instead of the east. They turned the box around and covered it up. The folks then went on back to Macon. A week later the 'omen c

LEGAN AND MR.

, signs, conjure, etc. Mrs. Rosa Millegan studied awhile after the facts of the interview were made clear to her. Finally she s

m Durham. They say he is good and I go find out. Chile, folks done give me up ter die. I use ter lay in bed and hear 'em say, she won't never get up. Well, I went ter Sam Durham and he looked at me and said: 'You is hurt in the mouth.' He carried me in a small room, put some medicine around my face, and told me ter sit down a while. After while my mouth and face begin ter feel lak it wuz paralyzed, and he begin ter talk. 'That man that give you that medicine is mad wid you about his wife and he fixed you. Now do what I tell you and you will overcome it. He is coming ter your door and is gwine want ter shake your hand. Don't let him touch you, but speak ter him in the name of the Lord and throw your han

told to the writer b

never they would crawl under his skin he would nearly go crazy, and it looked lak his eyes would jest pop out. He waited so long ter go ter the conjure doctors they couldn't do hi

ouldn't travel from her bed ter a chair. Well, she got a old conjure doctor ter come treat her and he rubbed her feet with medicine and after he done that a

use against conjure; also a few hom

Always get up soon in the morning so nobody can see you and sprink

ke a bitter gourd and remove the seeds, then beat 'e

em and lay on all of them, and believe me, it will start your blood circulating and preven

eet in salt water and take a littl

her sprinkling her salt and pepper, cause she knows what it means ter be fixed.

LK

eg

ie B

AMILLA

ex-slave, is about 80 years of age and although advanced in years she is unusually intelligent in her speech an

the writer the followi

your house and an owl lights in it and begi

a cat comes in the room, or the ho

some one is going to die. My daughter and I were ironing one day and a bird flew in the window right over her head. She looked up and s

r cabin and read the Bible to her. Well sir, she died and do you know the horses balked and would go every way but the right way to the grave. They rared and k

es emphatically stated her belief in seeing the dead

. Tanner came to me in a dream. The old lady came in my room and stood over my bed. Her hair was done up on the top of her head just like she always wore it. She was di

at she had often heard of people wearing money around their legs to keep from being

et back Jack O'lantern would grab you and carry you to the swamps. If you hollowed and some one bring a torch to the

and sister Blakely there, paid him 10￠ for one of the plants, bu

ANNA

ter that if she didn't mind she would relate to her a ghost story that was

t there the 'oman built a fire, cooked supper and fed 'em all. Her husband and children went ter bed. The husband wanted to know why his wife wanted him to go to bed and she wanted ter stay up. The wife didn't say nothin', just told him ter go to bed, then she laid the Bible on the table bottom side up and kept looking behind her. The house wuz two story and after while something came ter the top steps and said, "Can I throw down," she said "throw down in the name of the father, son and Holy Ghost." Two thighs and a foot came down. Later the same voice sed, "Can I throw down," and she said, "throw down in the name of the father, son and the Holy Ghost," and then a who

MMALINE

erning superstitious signs, ghost tales, conjure etc., Mrs. Heard's face became lit with interest and quickly assured the writer that she believed in conjuring, ghosts, and signs. It was not long before our interview be

y son Wylie and one other boy and Wylie sneezed and said "Mama I'm so sorry I jist coundn't help it the sneeze came on me so quick." I jist sat the

f the wall some one i

h, if one falls out tha

son naked. I dreamed my son was naked but his body was covered with

l receive money. If fire pops on you from th

a man is coming to the house. If it i

ur nose itches a woman

took place during the period of slavery. They are supposed to

y to the plantation walking on the middle of the road and the moon was shining very bright. When she reached this cut she heard a noise, Clack! Clack! Clack!, and this noise reminded a person of a lot of machines moving. All at once a big thing as large as a house came down the side of the road. She said it looked like a lot of chains, wheels, posts all mangled together, and it seemed that there were more wheels and chains than anything else. It kept on by making that noise, clack! clack! clack!.

s. Heard by her father, who e

use they wuz tired from running from the Pader rollers. Soon they heard something say tap! tap! tap!, down the stairs it came, a loud noise and then "Oh Lordy Master, I aint goin' do it no more; let me off this time." After a while they heard this same noise like a house falling in and the same words "Oh Lordy Master,

f the Jack O'lantern

could hardly see your hand before your face. Way up the creek he saw a little bright light, so he followed it thinking he wuz on his way. All night long he sed he followed this light up and down the swamp, but never got near ter it. When day came he was still in the creek and had not gone any distance at all. He went home and to

es of conjure. She definitely states that they are true stories; and

tch old uncle Ned to see what he wuz going ter do. After a while uncle Ned would take a broom and sweep the fireplace clean, then he would get a basket and take out of it a whole lot of little bundles wrapped in white cloth. As he lay out a package he would say "grass hoppers," "spiders", "scorpian," "snake heads", etc., then he, would take the tongs and turn 'em around before the blaze so that they would parch. Night after night he would do this same thing until they had parched enough, then he would beat all of it together and make a powder; then put it up in little bags. My daddy wuz afraid ter ask old uncle Ned what he did with these bags, but heard he conjured folks w

le she wuz at other folks house she would feel all right, but the minute she passed under this limb, she would begin ter feel bad. One day she sent fer a conjurer, and he looked under the house, and sho nuff, he found it stuck in the sill. It looked like a bundle of rags, red flannel all stuck up with needles and eve

a later date and she would probably be

LK

eg

n Dr

GEORGE LEONARD, MR.

R. SAM STEVEN

e address is 148 Chestnut Avenue N.E.; and Mr. Henry Holmes (an ex-slave); Mr. Ellis Strickland; Mr. Sam Stevens and a young boy known only as Joe. The latter named people can be found at the address of 257

AND C

ke dat. Dey b'lieved dat an old person could punish anybody by taking a piece of chip and spitting

de meat off de cat dey took one of his bones (I don't know which one of 'em) and put it crossways in their front teeth while dey mumbled somethin' under their breath an' den dey took dis bone an' throwed it 'cr

and told the following story which he says

ats up de creek is de one to use. You takes dis bone an' draws it through your teech an' gits all de meat off an' den you can take dat bone an' do all kinds of majic. You can talk to folks an' dey can't see you. You can even disappear

wid wuz Rattle-Snake Marster, and John de Conquerer. John de Conquerer is supposed to conquer any ki

ut 'em back together again. She say dat she had killed so many folks (by the use of conjure and majic etc.) dat she

s stomach. He thought somebody had "tricked" him by puttin' a snake in 'im. Joe stayed wid 'im fer two days an' he did'nt git no better an' so he went out de nex' day an' bought a rubber snake an den he come back an' give de man some medecine to make 'im vomit. When he comited Joe throwed de snake in

lored at her de sweat broke out on her face. By dis time I had stayed away fum de field too long an' I knowed I wus goin' to git a whippin' but Candis gimme some of de roots she had in her mouth an'in her pockets. She tol' me to put piece of it in my mouth an' chew it. When I got near de overseer I was to spit some of de juice towars him an' I would'nt git a whippin'. I tied a piece of it 'roun my waist an' put some in my trunk too. I did'nt g

d a fuss. I woke up one mornin' an' looked out by my back fence an' dere wus a lotsa salt

son to be conjured and then sprinkle a small amount of salt on his back. From that instant on he will lose money. Joe has also seen a woman use the following method to make her male friend remain at home: "She

to make 'em move you go out to de grave yard an' stick your hand down in de middle of a grave an' git a handful of dat red graveyard dirt an' den you comes back an

remains must be put in something that the person is to eat and when the food is eaten the individual will

e you or not just take a silver coin and place it in your mouth. If it turns black somebody is working conjure on you. "I knowed a man who went to Newnan to see his mother who wus sic

dere, when dey leaves you take some salt an' throw it at 'em when dey

gs that used to be sun

O

make my

freely

make my

freely

TH

, what did she

what did she g

O

ched lizard) a

down I will fr

(poison) you, I'm

an' tired of

rinkle spider l

up in de mornin' an

you kick me an' y

utcher knife an' hew

words, my

t I say, I'm goi

CURES AND

e cured by rubbing a hot iron up a

ound the neck wil

bbing them with a poultice

creek to the other on a log, place a small stick cr

ile peeling onions and the onio

to do is to take some of her hair, tie it up, and then throw it in r

ve with him by letting her drink whiskey i

found in the back of a man's cap on the sweatband, or the bow usually found on the band of the ma

H RI

ith someone they usually come back after death in the form of a witch and th

treet, when a witch rides anyone it is a sign tha

some kind of sperrits (spirits) an' dey would ride anybody. My gran

hrough de key hole. Somebody foun' de skin an' sprinkled salt on it an' when de witch come o

on's spirit was a witch dat would come back at night. They used to put a pan of salt on de corpse to keep it fum purgin' an' to keep de witches away.

n sleeps with his or her shoes under the

that person can say any three words of the Bible such as: "Lo

IONS AN

re fellows followed de Jack O'Lantern. It looked like a light in a house or sumpin. We did'nt know where we wus until de nex' mornin' a

olks also used to think that the vapor seen rising out of the swamps at night were ghosts. One night he and his grandfather were walking down the railroad tracks when su

people who are born with cauls (a kind of a

RNING COURTSH

the following manner: "Dear kind Miss, if you have no objection of my being your protection, I'm

e custom for the bride and the groom to jump over the

ING

y night just before the break of day. All of

KLORE INTERVIEW

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the few surviving ex-slaves, are outspoken in their fir

was always a 'big me,' and her chillun was better than anybody elses. Well her oldest child got pregnant and that worried Lucinda nearly to death. She thought everybody she seed was talkin' 'bout her child. One day she passed my sister and another 'oman standin' on the street laughin' and

aid he had been there three or four times. She 'membered it when he come back after she took sick and offered to do somethin' for her. The doctors hadn't done her no good and she was just 'bout to let him doctor on her when this 'oman that was with her the day Lucinda cussed 'em out told her he was Lucinda's great uncle. She said that everybody called him the greatest root worker in So

did she keep wipin' from my sister's mouth. She told me it wasn't nothin' but spit. But I had got very anxious to know so I stood by her head myself. Fi

head and stood straight up and stuck his tongue out at us. A old man who was sittin' there

r to doctor on her. He got her up and she stayed up for nearly a year before Lucinda doubled the dose. That time pore Mamie couldn't git up. She suffered and suffered before she died. But Lucinda go

nobody couldn't even go in her house. Everybody said she was reapin' what she sowed. She wouldn't even let her own chillun come in the house. After she got so sick she cou

th her. Her daughter was 'fraid to go by herself. When she died you could stand in the street and hear her cussin' and yellin'. She kept sayin' 'take 'em off of me, I ain't done nothin' to 'em.

e was would be places that looked like fish scales. Then these places would turn into sores. I went to three doctors and every one of 'em said it was poison grease on my face. I knowed I hadn't put no kind of grease on it, so I couldn't see where it was comin' from. Every

le thing, right or wrong. Then one day he brought me a black hen for dinner. My mind told me not to eat the chicken so I told him I wanted to keep the hen and he got mad 'bout that. 'Bout two or three days late

some medicine from the doctor myself and put it in the bottom of the sideboard. I took 'bout three doses out of it and it was doing me good, but when I started to take the fourth dose it had lye in it and I had to throw it away. I went and had the doctor to give me another bottle and I called myself hidin' it, but after I took 'bout six d

'cause he seed he couldn't do just what he wanted to, he told me to get out. I went 'cause I thought that might help me to git out of my misery. But it didn't 'cause he come where I was every night. He never did try to come in, but us would hear somebody stumblin' in the yard and whenever us looked out to see who it was us always found it was him. Us told him that

the devilment he puts out for me. A man who can do that kind of work give me somethin' to help me, but

elin' sick and walkin' as if she was drunk. My sister tried to make her go back home but she wouldn't. When they got to church she couldn't hardly get up the steps and they warn't in church over fifteen minutes 'fore she had a stroke. Somebody took a car and carried her home. She couldn't even speak for more than a week. The doctor come and 'xamined her, b

in 'bout a week or ten days. He didn't give her no medicine, and he never come back 'til after she was up and walkin' 'round. She got up in 'bout seven da

the door. When he come home he told her he had not been back since he left that mornin'. She knowed she didn't forget to lock it, so she guessed somebody h

this time 'cause the person had made a good job of it by puttin' somethin' in her water and t'eat. He treated her, and she got

the doctors called consumption, and yet they didn't have it. I have seed people die with heart trouble, and they didn't have it. Folks is havin' more strokes now than ever but they ain't

don't kill you like they used to kill you. They used to put most anythin' in you, but now they go

d to conjure Willie. He went to the spring and planted somethin' in the mouth of it, and when Willie went there the next day to get a drink he got the stuff in

he couldn't eat nothin' or drink nothin'. Finally he got so bad off he claimed somethin' was chokin' him to death, and so his wife sont off and got a fortune teller. This fortune teller said it was a turtle in his throat. H

s, frogs, turtles, spiders, or most anythin' that you couldn't live with crawlin' and eatin' on the inside of you. He said these things was killed and put up to dry and then beat up into

he started studyin' some way to stop it. So he went to a root worker and got somethin' and then went to this girl's house one night

try a root worker who lived on Jones Street. This man came and told us what was wrong, but said us had waited too long to send for him. He give us some thin' to 'lieve the boy of his misery. Us kept givin' this to him 'til he finally got up. Course he warn'

could hear 'em holler everytime he opened his mouth. He got to the place where he wouldn't tal

'bout three weeks, and 'fore he died you could see the

pore pusson they has in the 'sylum is just natchelly crazy. Some was run crazy on account of people not likin' 'em, some 'cause they was gettin' 'long a

o much and this friend was single and in love with my daughter's husband. Diff'unt people told Liza 'bout this girl, but she just didn't believe 'em. Every day this girl

d be crazy 'bout her. People can make you love 'em, even marry 'em when if you was in your right mind you wouldn't give 'em a thought. Anyhow Liza went on with the girl 'til one afternoon while she was comin' from the stor

m and asked her to please let Lewis alone. Edna made up some kind of s'cuse but she never let him alone, and she kept goin' to Liza's house. When things finally went too far, Liza spoke

for you and everybody else can eat or drink it, but it won't hurt nobody but the one it's put there for. When Liza drunk water, she said it tasted like it had salt-peter in it. When she went to bed that night, she never got out 'til she was

HMOND COUNTY-EX

IES AND SU

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Negroes. Signs and omens also play an important part in their lives, as do r

a fresh grave, sew it up in a sack, and ti

is tracks, sew it up in a sack, and throw it in running wa

t it in a live fishes mouth will make the pe

you, nail some new lumber into your ho

ain limp, some other member of the

ur house, you may expect a visit

ire is a si

r house it's a sign of g

, it is a sign that you will r

eath. To dream of caskets is also a sign of death. You may exp

lood is a sig

ish is a sign

unless the eggs are broken. If the e

enemies. If you kill the snakes,

fire is a si

uneral is a sig

edding is a sig

ney is a sign of bad

ead folk is a

tied in nine knots around

iccoughs cross two str

nd swallow nine times withou

rue is good fo

ood for measles; fo

is good for ch

ea is good fo

g shells or green coffee

mphor, and red vaseline mixed to

ith a mixture of castor oil and kerosi

ith lard is goo

will give relief when applied to

he mouth and drink water beh

and fever; boneset tea wi

good for mea

, someone is saying good things

visitor is coming. If the chunk is short and

sick person; if you do he w

nd it by going to his grave three nights in succession and throwing stones on it. On th

d he will have to count the holes in the sifter bef

t's handkerchief and

heart a knife. It wil

sun is shining the dev

le talking is a sign th

etween their front

ils on Monday, you

sday, get a new

nesday, you cut

rsday, you cut

iday, you cut

day, see your swe

unday, its sa

ll have you the

't turn around without making a cross mark and s

stump your left foot is bad luck. To prevent

cross you to the left, but good lu

on falls off the wall

rying is a si

ncing is a sig

ling a load of hay, a red ha

hing when you are about to put i

s his father he will

th fall out is a sign

's death is a sign

death is the sign of

in the morning a hawk wil

for it to yield a good crop. If planted on the gro

up anything you want and make a

really someone, don't answer because it may be your sp

r women, but cross eyed men are good

nd your ankle will

you have been bewitched. If the dime turns black, someone has b

's hair and nail it in a tre

your back steps you ma

are good for

ee placed over a large coal of fire, just enough

HMOND COUNTY EX

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y bound to those of their masters. These people have a past rich in tradition and sentiment, and their memories of customs, habits of wo

nty of white folk mistreated they slaves, but ours never mistreated us. They was a man lived in callin' distance, on the next plantation, who worked his slaves day and night and on Sunday for a rarety. You could hear 'em coming from the field about 12 o'clock at night, and they had to b

'em whip his slaves unmerciful. They always

t in the road. He was so mean 'til God let him freeze to death. He come to town and got drunk and when he was

followin' this child and followin' this child until she almost went crazy. Way afterwhile she run away and come to our house and stayed 'bout three days. When my marster found out she was there, he told her she would have to go back, or at least she would have to leave his place. He didn't want no trouble with nobody. When that child left us she stayed in the woods until she got so hungry she just had to go back.

it. Not only the men, but the women went with colored men too. That's why so many women slave owners wouldn't marry, 'cause they was goin' with one of their slaves.

ything wrong. He didn't 'low us to eat plums before breakfus, but all the chil

u always suffered for comfort. Us warn't even 'lowed to have fire. If you had a fireplace in your house, it was took out and the place closed up. I

be whipped for fightin' him. They had stocks there where most people would send their slaves to be whipped. These stocks was in the shape of a cross, and they would strap your clothes up around your waist and have nothin' but your naked part out to whip. They didn't care about who saw your nakedness. Anyway they beat me

w mean he was and they said his wife was still meaner. She was jealous of me because I was light; said she didn't know what her husband wanted to bring that half white nigger there for, and if he didn't get rid of me p

n order to be sold right away. If you didn't praise yourself you got a beatin'. I didn't stay in the market long. A dissipated woman

sometimes they never saw you again. They didn't even know who you was sold

f so they would buy you at your word, but if you had already had too many chillun, they would say you warn't much good. If you hadn't ever had any chillun, your marster would tell 'em you was strong, healthy, and a fast worker. You had to have somethin' about you to be sold. Now sometimes, if you was a real pretty young gal, somebody would buy you

n off 'cause it belonged to her husband. He beat her 'bout it and started to kill her, but she begged so

ves take her to the jail. She suffered in jail all night, and the jailer heard her moanin' and groanin', so the next mornin' he made marster come and get her. He was so mad 'cause he had to take her out of jail that he had water pumped into h

t up and scrubbed another room and while she was carryin' the water out she fainted. The mistress had some of the men carry her home and got another slave to finish the scrubbin' so the marster wouldn't beat the pore nigger. She was a good woman but her husband was mean as the devil. He would even beat her. When he got home that night he didn't say nothin' 'cause the house had been scrubbed, but the next mornin' one of the chillun told him about the woman faintin' and the other girl finishin' the scrubbin'. He got mad and said his wife

else mean enough to do. He would put you in this barrel and roll it down a hill. When you got out you wou

se and fooled him into readin' and writin', told him he had somethin' he wanted him to do if he could read and write good enough. My brother read everythin' marster give him and wrote with a pencil and ink pen. Marster was so mad that he could read and write better than his own boy that he beat him, took him away from the academy, and put him to work in the bla

blisters. After that he would throw salty water on the raw places. I mean it almost gave you spasms. Whenever they sent you to the courthouse to be whipped the jail keeper's daughter give you a kick after the

father. But she was just good to all of us. She did keep me in the house with her. She knowed I was her son's child all right. When I marrie

buy me. So his marster bought me and give me and my husband to his son. I kept house and washed for his son as long as he was single. When he married his wife changed me from the house and put me in the field and she put one of the slaves her mother give her when she married, in the kitchen. My marster's wife was very mea

e wouldn't have let her done that. She took herself a chair and sit down and made one of the slaves she brought there with her whip those chillun so 'til all of the slaves on the place was cryin'. One of the slaves run all the way where our marster was and got him. He come back as quick as he could and tried to make her open the door, but she wouldn't do it so he had to break the door in to make her stop whippi

ave if he hadn't been scared of his father. You see his father give me to him. He told me if the legislature set in his behalf he would make me know a nigger's place. You know it was near freedom. I told him if he made my husband get out of bed as sick as he was and go to

illun they would give you a teacup of meal for two chillun. By day light the next mornin' the overseer was at your house to see if you was out, and if you had

ld and this overseer beat him with that bull hide all across the head and everywhere. He beat him until he fell down on his knees and couldn't even say a word. And do you know he woul

ld one of the slaves they was goin' to beat him a

use for pore Josh. 'Bout 'leven o'clock at night, when everybody was sleep, Josh would come to the side window and get what us had for him. It's really a shame the way that pore man had to hide about just to keep from bein' beat to death 'bout nothin'. Josh said the first day he left he went in the woods and looked and looked for a place to hide. Later he saw a tree that the wind had blowed the top off and left 'bout ten feet standin'. This was rather a big tree and all of the insides had rotted out. I reckon you have seen trees like that. Well that's the way this one was. So Josh climbed up this tree and got down inside of it. He didn't know there was nothin' down in that tree, but there was some little baby bears in there. Then there he was down there with no way to come out, and knowin' all the time that the mama bear was comin' back. So he thought and thought and thought. After while he thought 'bout a knife he had in his pocket. Yo

ht this finger got broke, she hit me on it. I have two more fingers she broke beatin' me at diff'unt times. She made me break this leg too. You see they would put the women in stocks and beat 'em whenever they done somethin' wrong. That's the way my leg was broke. You see us had to call all of our marster's chillun 'mistess' or 'marster.' One day I forgot to call one of my young mistesses, 'miss.' She was about eight or nine months old. My mistess heard me and put m

ould hide away in the cemetery where I stayed all night layin' in gullies between graves prayin'. All night long I could see little light

the bottom of the post. They would begin whippin' 'em at sundown, and sometimes they would be whippin' 'em as late as 'leven o'clock at night. You could hear 'em c

ey. On one end was a device, similiar to the modern handcuff-the other end was used to draw the hand to an upward position, thereby,

and they wouldn't put you in jail like they do now. Your marster or mistess would send you to the courthouse with a note and they would put you in them stocks and beat you, then they would give you a

in' machine and beat you 'til they had given you the number of lashes your boss had on the note.

. Whenever their pa or ma caught them tryin' to teach us they always whipped them. I learned to read and write from 'em and I'll never forget how hard it was for

ter come not to own it either. Well his master kept askin' him over and over 'bout the head and pluck, but they denied having it. The marster told 'em if they didn't give it to him and that quick he was goin' to give 'em a thousand lashes each, if less didn't kill 'em. This woman's husband told her not to own it. He told her to t

their pass. If you didn't have a pass they would take you out and beat you, then make you go home and when you got home, your marster would take you to the barn, strip you buck naked, tie you to a post and

here us got mos' of our light from. Well these men danced with the girls a good while and after a while they started goin' out one by one. Way after while they all came back in together, they had washed the blackenin' off their faces, and us seen they was white. This man had a song he would always sing. 'Fooled my marster seven years-expect to fool him seven more.' So when these men came in they went to him and told him maybe he had fooled 'em for seven years, but he wouldn't fool 'em seven more. When they started to grab him he just reached in the fire and got a piece of

walk in snow knee deep, barefooted. Their hee

ld him to somebody way off, and they promised to bring him back to see us, but they never did. We always wishe

only thin' they ever had on their feet would be somethin' made out of home-spun. You don't hardly hear of chilblain feet now, but then most every child you

Dis

Slav

AV

RRAINE

TION MA

WS WITH

MATION FR

OLD NEWSP

amp: MAY

AV

ith much feeling and gratitude of the good old days when they were so well cared for by their masters. Without exception the manners of these old men and women were gentle and courteous. The y

tightly wrapped wool. Most of the women were small and thin. We found one who had a strain of Indian blood, a woman named Mary, who belo

s admittedly half-white. Although now wrinkled and weazened with age she has no definite Negroid features. Her eye

de overseer," said Sarah. "L

little house in the quarters. "De ve'y fust thing I kin remember is ridin' down de road in de ox cart wid my mammy," she said. "Ole man Eli w

G COND

d. Some of them were built of logs, but many were of planks. Most of them were large, one-room, unceiled, with open fireplaces at one end for cooking. When families grew too large a shed room would be "drap down on de back." Another type

cities strict rules were made. Among the ordinances of the City Council of Augusta, dated from A

must first be made for permission to take it out. If granted the applicant shall give bond with approved security, not exceeding the sum of $100.00 for his or her good behavior. On execution

, and de overseer's house at de end, wid a wide hall right through it. (Fannie was evidently referring to the breezeway or dogtrot, down the middle of many small plantation houses). We cook on de fireplace in de house. We used to have pots hanging right up in de chimbley. When dere wus l

is street." She indicated the unpaved street with its rows of unpainted shacks. "Some of dem wus plank houses and some wus

bins were of logs. Large families had two o

wus made outer logs. We didn't have nothin' much nohow, but my mammy she had plenty o' room fe

Another said, "Yas'm, we had good cotton mattresses. Marste

de flo' and old folks had beds. Dey wus made out o' boards nailed togedder wid

O

Rations of meal, bacon and syrup were given out once a week by the overseer. Vegetables, e

llin' hogs stidy fum Jinuary to March. He had two smokehouses. Dere wus four cows. At night de folks on one side

nty of other good thi

up. Dey give us white flour at Christmas. Every slave family had de gyarden

ask the nursing mothers to bring them back hoe-cake when they went to nurse the ba

was the cook for the owner, her chi

oked corn dodgers," one ex-slave recalled, "the hearth would be swept clean, t

S OF

s trained blacksmiths, coopers, carpenters, tanners, shoemakers, seamstresses, laundresses, weavers, spinners, cooks and house servants; all employed in the interest of the community life of the plantation. Those who could not learn to d

er wus de butler, and he weighed out de rations fer de slaves. My mammy wus de house 'oman and her mother and sister wus de cooks.

"I wus given to Miss Nettie," Melinda said, "Our young Mistresses visited, too, and wherever dey went my sister and me

z trained to make shoes. I don't think us had carpenters. I toted water in de field, hoed some. I wuz quite young. I spun but I didn't

unty was too little to do any hard work during slavery times. "I jus' stayed at home

ut of homespun. We had purple dyed checks. They was pretty. I had to s

orse'n anything was wipin' dishes. Dey'd make me take de dish out de scaldin' water, den if I drap it dey whip me. Dey whip you so hard your back

marry Colonel Jones. My young Mistus was fixin' to git married, but she couldn't on account de war, so she brought me to town and rented me out to a lady runnin' a boarding house. De rent wus paid to my Mistus. One day I was takin' a tray from de out-door kitchen to de house when I stumbled and dropped it. De food spill all over de ground. Da lady got so mad she

and a buggy, too. My father driv de ca'iage. I driv de doctor. Sometimes I was fixin' to go to bed and had to hitch up my horse and go five or six miles. He had regular s

s, but dey bought de res' deyselves. Some raise pumpkins, squashes, potatoes, all sich things like dat in dey patches; sell 'em to different stores. Jus' like somebody want ground clear up, de

CAT

of Georgia for 1845 concerning educating

erson, shall teach any other slave, negro or free person of color, to read or write either written or printed characters, the

ffective between August 10th, 1820 and July 8th, 1829

e taught within the limits of the City, nor shall any person suffer a school fo

eld, who used to accompany his young master to school, said he "larned something then. I

tion and a Negro teacher named, Mathis, but they c

asked if she had been to school, "Chillun didn't know whut a book wus in dem days-dey didn't teach 'em nothin' but

LI

s. Many churches which have slave sections in this district are still standing. Sometimes the slaves sat

private entrance of this kind. Sunday Schools wer

usta, February 7, 1862, was section forty-seve

or religious instruction in this city, but except at funerals or sitting up with the dead, without a license in writing from the Inferior Court of Ri

each, until he has produced his license granted under the Act aforesaid, and had the sa

time during the Sabbath day, and on Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday nights. No other meetings of sla

the ministers in charge of their respective denominations, and approved by the Mayor. All slaves or free persons of color attending such meetings, after that hour, shall be arrested, and punished, under the Se

be punished by whipping, not exceeding 3

y hadder stretch dey neck to see de preacher, and den day hadder jine de Master's chu'ch-de Methodis' Chu'ch. De spirit done tole my father to jine da Baptis' Chu'ch-dat d

we used to go to town. But de Padderolas wus ridin' in dem days, and you couldn' go off de plantachun wido

m. When my Maw got 'ligion dey wouldn' let her be baptise till she was married." She stated that her mother had seven children then. Aunt Susie had had eight children hers

ce. We went to the white people's church at Hale's Gate. Then after they stopped the colored people going there to church, they ha

had a ole lady stay in de quarters who tuk care o' de chillun whilst de mother wus in de fiel'. Den dey met at her house at dark, and a man name, Hickman, h

" and that "white folks baptise 'em at Farmer's Bridge

CIP

district, between the ages of 16 and 45 were eligible for this service. The better class of people paid fines to avoid this duty. Members of the patrol group

point the patrol. Every member of the patrol was required to carry a pistol while on duty. They were required to arrest all slaves found outside their master's domain without a pass, or who was not in company with some white

rs for their own plantations there were many city and state laws. Severe punishment, such as whipping on the bare

n passed in Georgia, the violation

or: insurrection or an attempt to excite it; committing a rape, or attempting it on a free white female; murder of a free white person, or murde

rculating documents to incite insurrection, conspiracy or resistance of slaves. It was against the law for slave

of the City of Augusta, passed on Feb. 7

pass, the name of the negro to whom it is given, the place or places to which he or she is going, how long he or she is to be absent, and in the case of a slave, that such

, and funeral processions, shall be allowed to ride or drive within the limits of the city, on the Sabbath, without written permis

r owner or employer shall be arrested and taken to Recorder's Court; and if such slave or free person of color was actually engaged in the business of said owner or em

e and vehicle, or horses and vehicles, so used by such slave or free person of color, which property may be redeemed by the owner, if white, upon the pa

public sale days under the penalty of receiving not exceeding 15 lashes, for each and every offense, to be inflicted by the Chief of Po

olor be blind or infirm; nor smoke a pipe or cigar in any street, lane, alley or other public place, under a pe

N FORT

olor shall be absent from his or her house 15 minutes after the bell shall have been rung, without a sufficient pass, under the penalty of 25 lashes, to be inflicted by the Chief of Police, or any officer of the City, and b

N FORT

orderly manner, under the penalty of chastisement by any officer of the city, not exceeding 25 lashes, and in all

nt or for the benefit of any other person whomsoever. Any slave or slaves, or free person of color, found keeping a shop and selling, bartering, or trading in any wa

enced any of the more cruel punishments, though some remembered hearing tales of bruta

e fer wus usin' snuff. And when he go to whup me, Mistis beg him to stop, and he only gib me a lick or two. And if Mistis try to whup me, he make her stop. N

Oh yes, ma'm, I seed da Patterolas, but I never heard no song about 'em. Dey wus all white mens. Jus' like now you want to go off your Mar

ad a big deep voice. When the niggers was at the feed lot, the place where they carried the dinner they brou

ant off and stayed too long, when they came back, he'd strip them stark, mother nekked, tie 'em to a tree, and whip 'e

but when they did the ma

verseer, 'If you whup dem, I whup you.' No ma'm, he wouldn't keep a overseer dat wus mean to us-Cap'n Ward wus good to us. He wouldn't let de little ones cal

man anywhere round here on any dese plantachuns. Dey all own slaves. Sometimes de overseer whup 'em-make 'em strip off dey shirt and whup 'em o

ke whippings were generally negroes of A

. Once, when he wanted to punish him, he give him a horse and bridle and fifty dollars. 'Go on off somewhere and get somebody to buy you.' My father stayed away a month. One day he come home, he had been off about 100 miles. He brought with him a man who wanted to buy him. Marste

ut him up to be sold. If he was a bad man, they handcuffed him, put him o

over a stump in a field with her head hangin' down on one side, her feet on the other, and tied to the stum

nees and fastened to a stick run beneath them. This was called the "Spanish Buck" punishment. They stripped the slave, who was unable to stand up, and rolled him o

RSE

hard lot, and consequently this position was generally filled by men of inferior grade. However, he was supposed to have an education so that he could handle the finances of the plantation accurately, and to be possessed of a good moral character in orde

river blew the horn or rang the plantation bell to summon slaves to their work. Next to him was some trust

y. Often strict rules and regulations had to be made to hold them in check. Overse

nd Monthly Journal published the

F THE P

with the hands, when not otherwise engaged in the employer's business, and will be req

tion unless actual necessity compels him, Sundays excepted, and the

night, at the stable, and see that the mul

the first horn will be blown half an hour before day. He will also visit the negro cabins at least once or twice a wee

s the negroes are allowed to visit will be specified by the employer; also those allowed to visit the p

gro, unless he has a witness to his statements, nor are they allowed, in any instance, to quarrel and fight. But the employer will question any negro, if confidence can be

r for his time and attention, it is not to

respectfully listened to, but it is required they be given in a polite and respectful manner, and not urged, or insisted upon; and if not adopted, he must carry into effect the views of the employer, and with a sincere desire to produc

his personal attention to it, and will accompany the hog feeder once a week and feed them, and count an

ttentive manager. He must never, on any occasion, unless in self-defense, kick a negro, or strike him with his fist, or butt end of his whip. No unusual punishment must be resorted to without the employer's co

nd to them in person, or send for a physician if necessary. Suckling and pregnant women must be indulged more than others. Sucklers are to be allowed time to visit their children, morning, noon and evening, unt

nly clad. To carry out said rule they are to be allowed time (say one hou

red to keep the negroes as much as possible o

he daily work of the negroes, so that no negro may wait to know what to go to doing

e weather and have all collected after they are done using them. The wagon and c

nsils and place the same in his care, and he is to return them at the years'

mployer's approbation-and dogs kept for the purpose of ca

blowing of the horn. It is not expected he will leav

usiness, his domestic affairs, or his arrangements to any one. He will be expe

r's domestic affairs; nor to take any privileges in the way o

, such as spitting on the floor, wearing his hat in the house, sitting at the table with his coat off, or whistling or singing in the house (Such habits are frequently indulged

s home in that state he will be immediately discharged. He will also be immediatel

e from the other whenever dissatisfied-without giving his reasons for so doing; in said event the employer, upon settlement, is not expected to pay the cash nor

SEM

about there were many good times on the plantation. Old

they'd be caught and twirled around. They said I was like a kildee bird, I was so little and could run so fast. When we growed up we walked the boys to death! They used to say we walked the heels off their boots. We would

rees in the back yard and the people from the big house came

to the Childs plantation. I had the finest kind of marrying dress, my father bought it for me. It had great big grapes hanging down from the sleev

ina said, "When cullud people wus married, white people giv

nah stuck out her legs, covered with long-ribbed pink stockings. "My legs got de misery in 'em now, and my voice gone. In my mother's house

play banjos and guitars at night, if de Patterolas didn' interfere. At home de owners wouldn' 'low de Patterolas to tech their folks. We used to run mighty fast

e laughed delightedly and said, "When anybody gwine be married dey tell de boss and he have a cake fix. Den when Sunday come

ammond's place and Phinizy place, Eve place, Clayton place, D'Laigle place, all git together fer a big dance and

tation in Burke County. "No white folks-jus' de overseer come round to see how dey git erlong. I

ter, a Baptist preacher, condoning dancing Melinda replied with the simple statement, "He wasn't only a preacher, he was a religious man. De slaves danced at de house of a man who 'tended de stack, way off in de fiel' away fum de big house." The

dance so sturdy she could balance a glass o' water on her head an never spill a d

ladies' fortunes. Everything was satisfactory until he told Miss Nettie she would marry a one-armed man. At this the young belle was so indignant that the man was driven off and the dogs set on him. "But de fortune teller told true-true," Melinda said. A faint ominous note cre

VE

Market at the corner of Broad and Marbury Streets. The old slave quarters are still standing in Hamburg, S.C., directly across the S

t most slave sales were the results of the death of the master, and the co

of the City of Augusta, August 10, 1820-July 8,

due Masters for this city. They shall be appointed by ballot, and their license shall expire on the day proceeding the 1st Saturday in October of every year. No license shall be issued to a Vendue Mas

ried advertisements concerning the sale

ly country born, among them a very good bricklayer, and driver, and two sawyers,

avannah on Thursday the 15th. inst. a cargo of 140 Prime Slaves, chiefly men. Just arrived in the Scow Gamb

his age and the type of work he could do. They were generally a

on December 23rd, 1864: "Negro Sales. At an auction in Columbu

ned: a girl 14 years old $5,400; a girl 22 years old, $4,85

. Janie Satterwhite, who was born on a Carolina plantation, and was about thirteen years

s sold when I was a little tot," she said

ted from your fa

he die and we wus all sold at one time. Atter dat nobody could do nothin' on de ole plantachun

s he all

Hidin', I reckon,

ike your n

a buggy to take me off. I kin see it all right now, and I say to Mama and Papa, 'Good-bye, I'll

r see your f

en Christmas come de Marster say I

ion near Waynesboro, said, when asked if she was ever sold into slavery, "Dey had me

ay dey put him on de block down here. De gemmen whut bought him name Mr. Tom Crew. But when dey tryin' to sell him-dat right durin' de war, one man say, 'No, I don' want him-h

mond County said, "No'm, I wasn't never sold, but my Mama was sold fum me. See, I belonged

your mother afte

' know my Mammy no

happy on the

face as she replied, "I'd be a heap

times she replied, "No'm. I wa'n't sold, but I know dem whut wu

ember-the old b

n dey brung 'em over to de market and put 'em up fer sale. Anybody fixin' to buy

of what white ladies say." She stated that there was a long house with porches on Ellis between 7th and 8th, where a garage now stands. In this building slaves were herded for

son-in-law to buy us in. You had to get up on what they called the block, but we just stood on some steps. The bidder stood on the ground and called out the prices. There was always a speculator at the sales. We wus bought all right and move

s said, 'No! You don' sell my chillun for no mules!' And he didn't sell us neider. They never sold anybody off our plantation. But people did sell women, old like

le, bid 'em off just like you would do horses or cows. Dere wus two men. I kin recollect. I know one was call Mr. Tom Heckle. He used to buy slaves, speculatin'. The other was name Wilson. They would sell a mother from her children. That's why so

MEMO

emembered that the best slaves were picked and sent from each plantation to help build breastworks for the defen

mules and de horses and ca'y 'em wid 'em. Dey didn't bother de smoke house where de food wuz, and dey didn't tek no hogs. But dey did go to de long dairy and thowed out all de milk and cream and butter and stuff. Dey didn' bother us none. Some o' de cullard folks went wid de Yankees. De whit

nville, and how frightened the negroes were at the sound of the cannon. "They c

e to our place." It seems that some of the other slaves were jealous of Eliza because of her being so favored by her master. "Some of the niggers told the soldiers that my mother had hidden the silver, but she wouldn' tell the hidin' place. The others were always jealous of my mother, and now they tried to made the Yan

other do after t

s. Dr. Madden in Jacksonville. She was Cap'n Bill's daughter. Th

ter live thro

the plantation; others followed the Yankees off. Long time aft

d. "And them that he couldn' hire

rison somewhere. He died atter he come back, it done him so bad. I 'member my brudder was born dat S

as valet for his master, said, "Master was killed at Chickamauga. When the war ceased they br

sked for protection from gunfire. Because of school association

h enthusiasm, "She was a mighty pretty woman-a big lady, very beautiful. She seemed to be real

ers, and nearabouts some sich place. After freedom my Ma didn't go 'way. She stayed on de plantation till she could make more money cookin' some udder place

unty, was asked if she remembered anything about the Yan

come on here and sot us free. Dey march straight up Broad Street to de Planters Hotel, den dey camped on de river. Dey stayed here six months till dey sot dis place free. When dey campin' on de river bank we go down dere and wash dey clo'se

EE

e negroes knew they were free. The Freedman's Bureau in Augusta gave out the news officially to the negroes, but in most cases t

went when freedom came, "Me? I didn't went nowhere. Da niggers come 'long wid de babies and dey ba

ue him. I walk myself to death! Den I found I couldn't sue him over here in Georgia! I had to go back. He was jus' nachally mad 'cause we was free. Soon as I

n us down south. I went to a place whut they call 'Butler' in Georgia, then they sent me on down to the Chattahoochee, where they were cuttin' a piece of railroad, then to Quincy, then to Tallahassee. When the war ended I weren'

rade ground. They had a big stand," explained Eugene Wesley Smith, whose father was a slave in Augusta. "All the Yankees and some of our leading colored men got up there and spoke, and t

troops came in, th

u see the

hear the

t the l

't the

ons on the N

nd carried on when the

ing it back to me he tho'wed it down and hollered, 'I'm free as a frog!' He ran away. I tuk the paper to Mistis. She read it and went to cryin'. I didn't say no more. That was during the week. On Sunday morning I was talking to my brother's w

, but I'se free a

ir, I'll mas

y called me Doc, 'cause I was the seventh son). 'You

r the truth, that I

ou are free from me, but you aren't of age yet,

ankees coming down the road. The lea

! Trabble a

bel's Happy L

mind the

r double

bel's Happy L

, July or August after freedom, and he made a speech. Lawsy! I can see that cr

over the South. Today you are

and my father and mother shouted along

na go home and see Papa?' But old Mars say, 'Son, I don' know you and you don' know me. You better let Jane stay here a while.' So he went off,

I got dere, wus I dirty? And my sister say, 'How come you here all by yourself?' Den she took off my clo'es and put me to bed. A

K L

ng as they were repeated with many variations by several old women. One of these stories may be a relic of race memory, dating back to the dawn of the race in Africa. Several negroes

derin' whut she do here. One night he saw her go thu' de bushes, and he crep' behin' her. He saw her step out o' her skin. Da skin jus' roll up and lay down on de groun', and den de Mistis disappear. De driver wus too skeered to move. In a little while he yeared her

a slave in Virginia, gives t

n. Dey said while she was out ridin' wid de ole witch she lef' her skin behind her, and when she come back, de other woman had put salt

called to her, "tell the ladies

ger. She make a sound like 'Shs' like her bref comin' out, and de man got skeered. He run off. She got up

STING

at a certain time of the year and left

heat bran put in soak. The bran was squeezed out and use

middle, and a lever put inside, which would crush the apples. As Mary put it, "you put th

R

older negroes of this district wear head clothes. Most of them wear their wooly hair "wropped" with string. The women often wear men's discarde

d up with cord, and on his coat nails are used where buttons used to be. In the edges of his "salt and pepper" hair are stuck matches, convenient for lighting his pipe. His beard is bushy and his low

R OF

overnor Pickens of South Carolina was said to have had about four hundred on his various

IOGR

s, Ralp

Slavery i

University Press

. 1933, pp

ss, Wil

of Georgia an

. Cooper, pub., 990 p

817, 838,

rford

al Assembly of th

amuel T. Chapman

. 1854, c. 1

J.W.,

rn Cul

and W.S. Jones, p

the City Counc

0; July 8, 182

Chronicle

VIII. N

Ga., Dec.

ppi

HMOND COUNTY EX

OD, CLOTHING,

tte

e Oli

Writers'

sta,

ted

N.

ct Sup

Writers'

sta,

stories. One said: "I didn't start workin' 'til I was 'bout nine years old. Before that I had watched chickens, carried in wood, gathered eggs and such

de everythin' us needed. The old women, who couldn't work in the field, would make cloth on the looms and the spinnin' wheels. Us did

of flour, twelve pounds of meal, and one quart of syrup. This was to last a week. Us always had plenty to eat 'til the war started, th

em mules to plow another foot. They just wouldn't do it. Us always et dinner out in the yard, in the summer time, at a long bench. In cold weather us alw

en I got big enough I hoed and later plowed. Us didn't wait 'til sun up to start workin', us started as soon as it was light enough. When it come to field work, you couldn't tell the wome

themselves. Whenever anybody was caught in the rain they had to go to the marster's house and take some medicine. They had somethin' that looks like black draught looks now, and they would put it in a gallon jug, fil

. I wouldn't believe it now if I hadn't looked at snakes come out of my own sister's daughter. She married a man that had been goin' 'round with a old woman who wasn't nothin'. Well one day this woman and

asked to speak to me alone. So I went in the front room and told him to come on in there. When he got there he said just like this: 'You have sickness don't you?' I said, 'yes.' Then he said: 'I know it, and I come by here to tell you I could cure her. All I want is a chance, and you don't have

n in bed for more than five weeks without puttin' her feet on the floor. Well three days after she took the first medicine, she told us she felt like she wanted to heave. So we gave her the bucket and that's what come out of her. I know they was snakes because I know snakes when I see 'em. One was about six inches long, but the others was smaller.

ind of box for 'em to be buried in. They would have the funeral and then put the body on a wagon and all the family and friends would walk to t

any in the country; so when a person died he was bathed and dressed by friend

nally somebody caught a cat in the very act. Most people didn't believe a cat would do this, but everybody started watchin' and later

your groceries and washed and ironed on Saturday evenin' and on Saturday night everybody used that for frolicin'. Us would have quiltin's, candy pullin's, play, or dance. Us done whatever us wanted to. On these nights our mist'ess would give us chickens or somethin' else so us could have somethin'

ad them fast. My ma had nineteen chillun, and it looked like she had one every ten months. My marster said he didn't care if she n

to sleep on the floor, but they had plenty of cover. Us didn't have anythin' in this house but what was made by some of us. There warn't but one room to this house with one fire place in it. Us never et in this room, us had another house where everybody from this house and from the house for the men who warn't married, et. Our beds was diff'unt from these

. The house you lived in with your family was small. It had a fire place and was only big enough to hold two beds and a bench and maybe a chair. Sometimes, if you had chillun fast enough, five and six had to sleep in that other bed togethe

hen us went in to eat all the victuals was on the table and the plates was stacked on the table. You got your plate and fork, then got your dinner. Some would sit on the floor, some in chairs, and some would sit on the steps, but mos' everybody held their plates in their laps. Whenever any of the slaves had company for dinner, us was allowed to set the tabl

un 'til Monday mornin'. If he was smart enough to have a little garden or to make little things like little chairs for his chillun to sit in or tables for 'em to eat on and wanted you to have 'em 'fore he cou

now. Shoes lasted two and three years, and clothes didn't tear or wear out as easy as they do now. Us mad

ached one year later. The slaves made your coffin and painted it with any ki

preachers would preach. They only had two kinds of song books: Baptist Cluster, and Methodist Cluster. I kept one of these 'til a few years ago. Our preachers could read some, but only a very few other slaves could read and write. If you found one that could yo