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
Patterollers were not allowed on the place unless they came peacefully
and I never knew of them whipping any slaves on marster's place. Slaves
were carried off on two horse wagons to be sold. I have seen several
loads leave. They were the unruly ones. Sometimes he would bring back
slaves, once he brought back two boys and three girls from the slave
market.
Sunday wus a great day on the plantation. Everybody got biscuits
Sundays. The slave women went down to marsters for their Sunday
allowance of flour. All the children ate breakfast at the great house
and marster and missus gave out fruit to all. The slaves looked forward
to Sunday as they labored through the week. It was a great day. Slaves
received good treatment from marster and all his family.
We were allowed to have prayer meetings in our homes and we also went
to the white folks church.
They would not teach any of us to read and write. Books and papers were
forbidden. Marster's children and the slave children played together. I
went around with the baby girl Carrie to other plantations visiting. She
taught me how to talk low and how to act in company. My association with
white folks and my training while I was a slave is why I talk like white
folks.
Bettie Brodie married a Dr. Webb from Boylan, Virginia. Carrie married
a Mr. Joe Green of Franklin County. He was a big southern planter.
The war was begun and there were stories of fights and freedom. The
news went from plantation to plantation and while the slaves acted
natural and some even more polite than usual, they prayed for freedom.
Then one day I heard something that sounded like thunder and missus and
marster began to walk around and act queer. The grown slaves were
whispering to each other. Sometimes they gathered in little gangs in the
grove. Next day I heard it again, boom, boom, boom. I went and asked
missus 'is it going to rain?' She said, 'Mary go to the ice house and
bring me some pickles and preserves.' I went and got them. She ate a
little and gave me some. Then she said, 'You run along and play.' In a
day or two everybody on the plantation seemed to be disturbed and
marster and missus were crying. Marster ordered all the slaves to come
to the great house at nine o'clock. Nobody was working and slaves were
walking over the grove in every direction. At nine o'clock all the
slaves gathered at the great house and marster and missus came out on
the porch and stood side by side. You could hear a pin drap everything
was so quiet. Then marster said, 'Good morning,' and missus said, 'Good
morning, children'. They were both crying. Then marster said, 'Men,
women and children, you are free. You are no longer my slaves. The
Yankees will soon be here.'
Marster and missus then went into the house got two large arm chairs
put them on the porch facing the avenue and sat down side by side and
remained there watching.
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