Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States from Interviews with Former Slaves, Volume XI, North Carolina Narratives, Part 1United States. Work Projects Administration
History
Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States from Interviews with Former Slaves, Volume XI, North Carolina Narratives, Part 1
United States. Work Projects Administration
African Americans -- North Carolina -- Biography; Enslaved persons -- North Carolina -- Biography; Enslaved persons -- North Carolina -- Social conditions; North Carolina -- History -- 1775-1865 -- Biography; Slave narratives -- North Carolina; Slavery -- North Carolina
Many of the things we used were made on the place. There was a grist
mill, tannery, shoe shop, blacksmith shop, and looms for weaving cloth.
There were about one hundred, and sixty-two slaves on the plantation
and every Sunday morning all the children had to be bathed, dressed, and
their hair combed and carried down to marster's for breakfast. It was a
rule that all the little colored children eat at the great house every
Sunday morning in order that marster and missus could watch them eat so
they could know which ones were sickly and have them doctored.
The slave children all carried a mussel shell in their hands to eat
with. The food was put on large trays and the children all gathered
around and ate, dipping up their food with their mussel shells which
they used for spoons. Those who refused to eat or those who were ailing
in any way had to come back to the great house for their meals and
medicine until they were well.
Marster had a large apple orchard in the Tar River low grounds and up
on higher ground and nearer the plantation house there was on one side
of the road a large plum orchard and on the other side was an orchard of
peaches, cherries, quinces and grapes. We picked the quinces in August
and used them for preserving. Marster and missus believed in giving the
slaves plenty of fruit, especially the children.
Marster had three children, one boy named Dallas, and two girls, Bettie
and Carrie. He would not allow slave children to call his children
marster and missus unless the slave said little marster or little
missus. He had four white overseers but they were not allowed to whip a
slave. If there was any whipping to be done he always said he would do
it. He didn't believe in whipping so when a slave got so bad he could
not manage him he sold him.
Marster didn't quarrel with anybody, missus would not speak short to a
slave, but both missus and marster taught slaves to be obedient in a
nice quiet way. The slaves were taught to take their hats and bonnets
off before going into the house, and to bow and say, 'Good morning
Marster Sam and Missus Evaline'. Some of the little negroes would go
down to the great house and ask them when it wus going to rain, and when
marster or missus walked in the grove the little Negroes would follow
along after them like a gang of kiddies. Some of the slave children
wanted to stay with them at the great house all the time. They knew no
better of course and seemed to love marster and missus as much as they
did their own mother and father. Marster and missus always used gentle
means to get the children out of their way when they bothered them and
the way the children loved and trusted them wus a beautiful sight to
see.
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