Alabama Narratives

441 Pages·2006·24.18 MB·English

VOLUME I
ALABAMA NARRATIVES
Prepared by
the Federal Writers1 Project of
the Works Progress Administration
for the State of Alabama
INFORMANTS
Aarons, Charlie 1 Garry, Esnry 137
Abercrombie, Anthony 6 Georgia 144
Ammond (Ammonds), Molly- 9 Gibson, Fannie 145
Anderson, Charity 12 Gill, Frank 148
Askew, Gus 15 Gillard, Jim 154
Grandberry, Mary Ella 157
Baker, Tom 17 Green, Esther 165
Barnes, Henry 20 Green, Jake 168
Beauchamp, Nathan 25 Grigsby, Charity 171
Bell, Oliver 27
Birdsong, Nelson 33 Hayes, Charles 174
Bishop, Ank 35 Hill, Lizzie 176
Bonner, Siney 39 Hines, Gabe 178
Bowen, Jennie 42 Hodges, Adeline 181
Bradfield, Nannie 44 Holland, Caroline 185
Bradley, Martha 46 Holloway, Jane 188
Brown, Allen 48 Holmes, Joseph 190,195
Brown, Gus 49 Horn, Josh 201
Howard, Emma L. 211
Calloway, Walter 51
Casey, Esther King 55 Ingram, Everett 215
Chapman, Amy 58 Irwin, Hannah 218
Chapman, Emma 62
Gheatam, Henry 66 Jackson, Martha 220
Clark, Laura 72 Jane 224
Clayton, Hattie 76 Johnson, Hilliard 227
demons, Wadley (Shorty) 78 Johnson, Randolph 231
Colbert, William 81 Jones, Abraham 233
Collins, Tildy 83 Jones, Tftnrnft 236
Colquitt, Sara 87 Jones, Hannah 238
Cosby, Mandy McCullough 90 Josephine, Aunt 241
Crockett, Emma 92 Jurdon, Lucindy Lawrence 242
Cross, Cheney 95
Kiaball, Lucy 244
Daniel, Matilda Pugh 103 King, Ellen 248
Davis, Carrie 105
Davis, Clara 109 Leslie, Mandy 251
Dillard, George 111 Lewis, Dellie 255
Billiard, Ella 113 Lightnin' 258
Dirt, Rufus 117 Longslaughter, Billy
Abraham 260
Eppes, Katherine 119 Louis, Uncle 263
Fitzpatrick, Reuben 122 McAlpin, Tom 268
Ford, Heyvtood 123 Maddox, Anne 272
Frederick, Bert 126 Mandy 275
Menefee, Frank 278
Garlic, Delia 129 Morgan, Isaam 282
Garrett, Angie 133 Morgan, Tony 286
Mose, Uncle 289 Stewart, Theodore Fontaine 356
Murphy, Sally- 294 Strickland, George 359
Nettles, Hattie Anne 297 Taylor, Cull 363
Northcross, Rev. W. E. 299 Taylor, Daniel 367
Taylor, George 370
Owens, Rev. Wade 306 Tellis, Amanda 374
Thomas, Ellen 376
Parker, Molly 309 Thomas, Elizabeth 380
Patton, Lindy 311 Tillman, Mollie 381
Phillips, Simon 312 Toombs, Alonza Fantroy 383
Pitts, Roxy 316 Towns, William Henry 385
Pollard, Carrie 318
Poole, Irene 320 Underwood, Stepney 394
Pugh, Nicey 323
Van Dyke, Charlie 397
Reynolds, Sallie 326
Rice, Mary 329 Walker, Lilah 401
Robinson, Cornelia 331 Walker, Simon 404
Rogers, Gus (Jabbo) 334 Washington, Cindy 407
White, Eliza 411
Scott, Janie 337 White, Mingo 413
Shepherd, Maugan 340 Whitess, Abe 423
Siins, Allen 342 Williams, Callie 425
Smith, Frank 345 Witherspoon, Silvia 429
Smith, John 349
Stanton, Annie 353 Young, George 432
ILLUSTRATIONS
Facing page
A Slave Cabin in Barbour County near Eufaula Frontispiece
Molly Ammond (Ammonds) 9
Charity Anderson 12
Gus Askew 15
Nathan Beauchamp 25
Oliver Bell 27
Ank Bishop 35
Siney Bonner 39
Jennie Bowen 42
Martha Bradley 46
Allen Brovm 48
Gus Brown 49
Walter Calloway 51
Esther King Casey 55
Amy Chapman 58
Henry Cheatam 66
Laura Clark 72
Laura Clark's House 72
Wadley (Shorty) Clemons 78
William Colbert 81
Sara Colcpitt 87
Emma Crockett 92
Emma Crockettfs House 92
Facing page
Matilda Pugh Daniel 103
Carrie Davis 105
George Dillard HI
Bert Frederick 126
Delia Garlic 129
Angie Garrett 133
Henry Garry- 137
Jake Green 168
Charity Grigsby 171
Charity Grigsby's House 171
Lizzie Hill 176
Gabe Hines 178
Jane Holloway 188
Emma L. Howard 211
Everett Ingram 215
Hannah Irwin 218
Martha Jackson 220
Abraham Jones 233
Abraham Jones' Back Yard 233
Abraham Jones' House 233
Lucindy Lawrence Jurdon 242
Tom McAlpin 268
Anne R'addox 272
Frank lusnef ee 278
Isaam Morgan 282
Facing page
Hattie Anne Nettles 297
Rev* Wade Owens 306
Molly Parker 309
Lindy Patton 311
Simon Phillips 312
Carrie Pollard 318
Nicey Pugh 323
Mary Rice 329
Cornelia Robinson 331
Maugan Shepherd 340
Allen Sims 342
Frank Smith 345
Theodore Fontaine Stewart 356
George Strickland 359
Daniel Taylor 367
Ellen Thomas 376
Alonza Fantroy Toombs 383
William Henry Towns 385
Stepney Underwood 394
Simon Walker 404
Cindy Washington 407
Abe Whitess 423
George Young 432
Week ending Aug.6, 19JJ» Mary A. Poole, j[i
S-260 * \ Identification N0.OI49-4366
S-200 Federal Writers1 Project,Dist.2.
WPA Project 3609, Mobile, Ala.
CHARLH AAROHS, EX-SLATE, SATS HE LOVED
YOUNG MAESTER JOHH.
(Written by Mary A. Poole.)
Some friends driving to Oak Grove, Ala., gave the
writer the opportunity on August 4"&h to interview an old ex-slave,
Charlie Aarons, who is quite venerable in appearance, and who, when
asked his age, replied:
"Madam I dont know but I sure been * round here long
time*, and when asked how old he was at the time of the Surrender
he answered:
"I was a man able to do a man* s work so I 'spects I was
eighteen or twenty years old."
Uncle Charlie as he is known among his own color and the
mhite people who knows him, told the writer he was born at Peters-
burg 7a., and his parents, Aaron and Louisa, were owned by a Mr.
J.H.White, who had a store in the city, but no plantation. His
parents had three children, two boys and one girl, and when Uncle
Charlie was about ten years of age, he waa sold by Mr. White to a
speculator named Jones who brought him to Mobile* He recalled being
placed on the block, at the slave mart on Royal and State streets,
and the anxiety of hearing the different people bidding for him,
and being finally sold to a Mr. Jason Harris, who lived near
Newton Station in Jasper County, Miss.
Uncle Charlie never saw or heard of his parents or
brother and sister again and never knew what became of them.
Uncle Charlie said Mr. Harris was a pretty rough master,
and somewhat close* All rations were weighed out and limited. He
Week ending Aug. 6, 1937* Mary A* Poole, 2 2
S-260 Identification N0.OI49-4366
S-200 Federal Writers* Pro ject,Dist»2«
WPA projeot 3609, Mobile, Ala.
CHARLIE AARONS, EX-CLAVE, SAYS HE LOVED
YOUNG MARSTSR JOHN.
(Written by Mary A. Poole •)
had a white overseer and a negro driver, who was the meanest of all,
Mr* Jason Harris had about sixty slaves, and a large
plantation of a hundred acres, the men and warnsn worked in the
fields from six to six, except on Saturday, vken they had half day
holiday to clean up generally•
The hone of the Harris family was a large two story
house and the quarters were the regular log cabins with clay
chimneys. They cooked in their cabins, but during the busy season
in the fields their dinners were sent out to them each slave
having his own tin pail marked with his name. Water would be sent
out in a barrel mounted on an ox cart.
The old men and women looked after the children of the
slaves while their parents worked in the fields*
When the writer asked Uncle Charlie, if his master or
mistress ever taught him to read or write he aniled and said:
y
"No, Madam, only to work11,
?&en asked if they had any special festivities at
Christmas or any other holiday, he replied:
nNo, we had no special jolifieations".
Saturday nights they could sing and dance in the quarters
and have prayer meetings, then on some Sundays, they could2hitch
up the mules to a big wagon and all go to the white folks church:
and again there would be camp meetings held and the slaves from
all the surrounding plantations would attend, going to same in
Week ending Aug.6, 1937• ^^ <&•• Poole, 3. 3
S-260 Identification No.0149-4366
S=200 Federal Writers' Project,Dist*2«
WPA Project 3609, Mobile, Ala,
CHARLIE AARONS, EX-CLAVE, SiYS BE
LOVED YOUNG MARSTER JOHN.
(Compiled by Mary A. Poole.)
these large wagons, sometimes having four mules to a wagon. They then
would have a jolly time along the way, singing and calling to one
another, and making friends.
Uncle Charlie, said, he drove many a load of cotton in
the large mule wagons from Newton Station to Enterprise, Mississippi*
Iffihen asked if that wasn't a chance to run away, he
replied:
"Git away, why Madam, those nigger dogs would track you
and all you got was a beating.*
Uncle Charlie seemed to look off in the distance and
said, you know, Madam, I never saw a slave rebuked until I came to
Mississippi, and I just couldn't understand at first, but he grinned
and said: "Lordy, Madam, some of those niggers were onery, too, and
a nigger driver was a driver sure anough."
When the Master's son John Harris went to war, Charlie
went with his as his body guard, and when asked what his duties were,
he replied:
"I looked after Marster John, tended the horses and
the tents. I recalls well, Madam the siege of Vicksburg."
The writer then asked him if he wasn't afraid of the
shot and shell all around him.
"No, Madam" he replied, "I kept way in the back where
the camp was, for I didn't like to feel the earth trembling 'neath
my feet, but you see, Madam, I loved young Marster John, and he loved
4.
Week ending Aug.6, 1937. Mary A. Poole, 4
S-260 Identification N0.OI49-4366
S-200 federal Writers* Pro ject,Dist»2.
WA Project 3609, Mobile, Ala.
CHARLIE AAROKS, EX-SIAVE, SAYS BE
LOTTED YOUNG MARSIER JOHN.
(Compiled by Mary A. Foole.)
me, and I just had to watch over that boy, and he came through all
right."
Uncle Charlie said when they were told the Yankees were
coming through from their headquarters in Meridian, Mississippi, and
warned of their raids, they all made to the swamps and staid until
they had passed on, but that the Yankees did not disturb the Jason
Harris plantation.
After the Surrender Charlie came to Mobile and worked
at the Yankee Camp, living in the quarters located in Hollyls Garden.
He drove their wagons and was paid #14.00 a month and his keep,
i-fter his discharge he worked on steamboats and followed different
lines of work, being employed for several years at Mr, M.L.Davis*
saw mill, and is at present living on the Davis.place at Oak Grove,
Ala,, an old Southern home, with quarters originally built for the
employees of the mill and still known as the "quarters", and like
other ante-bellu, homes they have their private burying ground on
the place.
Uncle Charlie was married four times, but now a widomn?.
He had four children, two boys who are dead, and two girls, one
Carrie Johnson, a widow, living in Kushla, Ala., and the other, Ella
Aarons, a gr«ps widow, living in Mobile , Ala.
Uncle Charlie says he saw Jeff* Davis as an old man,
after the war at Mississippi City Miss. , and then his face lit up,
end lie said; "Wait a minute, Madam I saw another president, leme