3 - interview

Work Projects Administration

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3 - interview

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• Publié par: uqefydix
• Publié le: 08 décembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 123
• Langue: Français

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The Project Gutenberg EBook of Slave Narratives: a Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves, by Work Projects Administration This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org Title: Slave Narratives: a Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves Arkansas Narratives Part 3 Author: Work Projects Administration Release Date: October 3, 2006 [EBook #19446] Language: English Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SLAVE NARRATIVS *** Produced by Laura Wisewell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by the Library of Congress, Manuscript Division) Transcriber’s Note The original of this text had some handwritten annotations. Where these corrected typographical errors, the correction has simply been made. Where they queried certain words or phrases, the phrase has been marked by red underlining and a mouse-hover. Larger handwritten insertions to the text have been rendered in italics. (The only other use of italics was on the title page, since the main text was typewritten.) The date marked at the beginning of some of the accounts was a stamp mark. Where this was partially missing or illegible, the omissions are marked as —. Page numbers in body text refer to the page of the current interview, unlike those in the table of contents which refer to the numbering of the whole document. They have been hyperlinked to the correct place. Some typographical errors have been corrected; they are marked by grey underlining and a mouse-hover. In addition, punctuation and formatting have been made consistent, particularly the use of quotation marks. illegible; illegible, Fayetteville, Ark. Uncle Willie, Uncle Sam, Uncle Charlie, Squire Sabagen, Uncle Hick. “The Old South” S L A V E A Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves TYPEWRITTEN RECORDS PREPARED BY THE FEDERAL WRITERS’ PROJECT 1936–1938 ASSEMBLED BY THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS PROJECT WORK PROJECTS ADMINISTRATION FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA SPONSORED BY THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS Illustrated with Photographs WASHINGTON 1941 VOLUME II ARKANSAS NARRATIVES PART 3 Prepared by the Federal Writers’ Project of the Works Progress Administration for the State of Arkansas INFORMANTS Gadson, Charlie Gaines, Dr. D. B. Gaines, Mary Gant, William Genes, Mike Gibson, Jennie Wormly Gill, James Gillam, Cora Gillespie, J. N. Glass, Will Glenn, Frank William Glespie, Ella Golden, Joe Goodridge, Jake Goodson (Goodrum), John Govan, George Grace, Julia Graham, Charles Graham, James Grant, Marthala Graves, Wesley Gray, Ambus Gray, Green Gray, Neely (Nely) Green, Henry (Happy Day) Greene, Frank Greene, George Gregory, Andrew Griegg, Annie Guess, William and Charlotte Guidon, Lee Hadley, Linley Hall, Anna Hamilton, Ellie Hamilton, Josephine Hamilton, Peter Hampton, Lawrence Hancock, Hannah Haney, Julia E. Hankins, Rachel Hardridge, Mary Jane Hardy, O. C. Hardy, Rosa Harper, Eda Harris, Abram Harris, Betty Harris, Mary Harris, Rachel Harris, William Harrison, William 1 2 7 11 15 17 19 27 34 38 42 44 47 53 56 63 65 67 70 71 73 77 80 82, 84 87, 90 102 104 112 113 117 119 127 129 131 133, 136 137 139 142, 147 149 154 157, 160 161 163 164, 166, 167 168 176 177 179, 181 183 185 Hart, Laura Haskell, Hetty Hatchett, Matilda Hawkens, John G. Hawkens, Lizzie Hawkins, Becky Hawkins, G. W. Hays, Eliza Haynes, Tom Haywood, Joe Hervey, Marie E. Hicks, Phillis Hicks, Will Higgins, Bert Hill, Annie Hill, Clark Hill, Elmira Hill, Gillie Hill, Harriett Hill, Hattie Hill, Oliver Hill, Rebecca Brown Hill, Tanny Hines, Elizabeth Hinton, Charles Hite, Ben Hodge, Betty Hollomon, Minnie Holloway, H. B. (Dad or Pappy) Holly, Pink Holmes, Dora Hopkins, Elijah Henry Hopson, Nettie Horn, Molly Horton, Cora L. House, Laura Howard, Pinkey (Pinkie) Howell, Josephine Howell, Pauline (Pearl) Hudgens, Molly Huff, Charlie Huff, Louvenia Huggins, Anne Hulm, Margret Hunter, John Hunter, William Hutchinson, Ida Blackshear Ishmon, Cornelia Island, Jack and Talitha Island, Mary Isom, Henrietta 190 193 195 202 205 209 212 221 227 229 231 235 237 238 241 247, 249, 250, 251 252 256 258 262 264 267 272 273 276, 279 281 282 285 287 306 307 308 317 318 321 325 326, 337 339 341 345 347 349 351 357 359 367 369 379 380, 382 389 391 ILLUSTRATIONS The Old South Frontispiece — — 1937 Interviewer: Miss Irene Robertson Person interviewed: Charlie Gadson Brinkley, Arkansas Age: 67 “I was born in Barnwell County, South Carolina. My parents’ name was Jane Gadson, Aaron Gadson. My mother master was Mr. Owens. That is all I ever knowed bout him. My father’s master was Rivers and Harley Gadson. “They said they was to get something but they moved on. At the ending of that war the President of the United States got killed. They wouldn’t knowed they was free if they hadn’t made some change. I don’t know what made them think they would get something at freedom less somebody told them they would. “I work at the oil mill and at sawmilling. I been farmin’ mostly since I been here. I got kidney trouble and rheumatism till I ain’t no count. I own a house and lot in Brinkley.” [Page 1] #771 Interviewer: Samuel S. Taylor Person interviewed: Dr. D. B. Gaines 1720 Izard Street, Little Rock, Arkansas Age: 75 “I was born in 1863 and am now seventy-five years old. You see, therefore, that I know nothing experimentally and practically about slavery. “I was born in South Carolina in Lawrence County, and my father moved away from the old place before I had any recollection. I remember nothing about it. My father said his master’s name was Matthew Hunter. “I was named for my father’s master’s brother, Dr. Bluford Gaines. My name is Doctor Bluford Gaines. Of course, I am a doctor but my name is Doctor. “My father’s family moved to Arkansas, in 1882. Settled near Morrilton, Arkansas. I myself come to Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1885, October eighth. Worked in the homes of white families for my board and entered Philander Smith College October 8, 1885. Continued to work with Judge Smith of the Arkansas Supreme Court until I graduated from Philander Smith College. After graduating I taught school and was elected Assistant Principal of the Little Rock Negro High School in 1891. Served three years. Accumulated sufficient money and went to Meharry Medical College, Nashville, Tennessee. Graduated there in 1896. Practiced for five years in the city of Little Rock. Entered permanently upon the ministry in 1900. Was called to the Mount Pleasant Baptist Church where I have been pastoring for thirty-nine years the first Sunday in next May. “The first real thing that made me switch from the medicine to the ministry was the deep call of the ministry gave me more interest in the Gospel than the profession of medicine furnished to me. In other words, I discovered that I was a real preacher and not a real doctor. “Touching slavery, the white people to whom my parents belonged were tolerant and did not allow their slaves to be abused by patrollers and outsiders. “My mother’s people, however, were sold from her in very early life and sent to Alabama. My mother’s maiden name was Harriet Smith. She came from South Carolina too. Her old master was a Smith. My mother and father lived on adjoining plantations and by permission of both overseers, my father was permitted to visit her and to marry her even before freedom. Out of regard for my father, his master bought my mother from her master. I think my father told me that the old master called them all together and announced that they were free [Page 2] [Page 3] at the close of the War. Right after freedom, the first year, he remained on the farm with the old master. After that he moved away to Greenville County, South Carolina, and settled on a farm, with the brother-in-law of his old master, a man named Squire Bennett. He didn’t go to war. “There was an exodus of colored people from South Carolina beginning about 1880, largely due to the Ku Klux or Red Shirts. They created a reign of terror for colored people in that state. He joined the exodus in 1882 and came to Arkansas where from reports, the outlook seemed better for him and his family. He had no trouble with the Ku Klux in Arkansas. He maintained himself here by farming.” Opinions “It is my opinion that from a racial standpoint, the lines are being drawn tighter due to the advancement of the Negro people and to the increased prejudice of the dominant race. These lines will continue to tighten until they somehow under God are broken. We believe that the Christian church is slowly but surely creating a helpful sentiment that will in time prevail among all men. “It appears from a governmental standpoint that the nation is doomed sooner or later to crash. Possibly a changed form of government is not far ahead. This is due to two reasons: (1) greed, avarice, and dishonesty on the part of public people; (2) race prejudice. We believe that the heads of the national government have a far vision. The policies had they been carried out in keeping with the mind of the President, would have worked wonders in behalf of humanity generally. But dishonesty and greed of those who had the carrying out of these policies has destroyed their good effect and the fine intentions of the President who created them. It looks clear that neither the Democratic nor the Republican party will ever become sufficiently morally righteous to establish and maintain a first-class humanitarian and unselfish government. “It is my opinion that the younger generation is headed in the wrong direction both morally and spiritually. This applies to all races. And this fact must work