Confessions of Black Mothers

By Sharon Kaye Hunt

In the book-Confessions of Black Mothers Representing 16 States -the platform is designed to give voice to black women to document four major contributions to the building of the United States of America. Even though mistreated the same as common stock cattle or horses, during slavery, the black mothers s

• Language: English
• Publisher: Global Summit House
• Release date: Apr 14, 2021
• ISBN: 9781638210153

Sharon Kaye Hunt

Sharon Hunt, born in Nobletown and is a 1965 graduate of Wewoka High School. She graduated with B.S. and M.S Degrees from Oklahoma State University. She did further study at Kansas State University. Ms. Hunt is a retired registered dietitian and worked as a dietitian at St. Luke’s and Texas Children’s Hospitals in Houston, Texas. Ms. Hunt taught food and nutrition for more than forty years at Langston University and Fort Valley State University, Fort Valley, Georgia. While at Fort Valley, Ms. Hunt wrote a cookbook Bread from Heaven and appeared on QVC Home Shopping Network three times. Ms. Hunt wrote the original recipe for the World Largest Peach Cobbler for Peach County, Georgia. Ms. Hunt co-founded the undergraduate chapter of Delta Sigma Theta at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma and served as the charter president of the Warner Robins Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority in Warner Robins, Georgia. Currently, Ms. Hunt is retired from teaching and has begun a new career in African-American History. She has self-published 35 books on different aspects of history. She mainly writes about Oklahoma and Georgia. She hopes to be on the move to write 11th grade Black history books and to include more history about the slaves in eleventh grade history in the United States. Ms. Hunt promoted a Community Pride Sign to be placed in her hometown of Wewoka, Okla. On the African leader -Lawyer James Coody Johnson who assisted slaves and Native Americans. To get an understanding of slaves’ survival food, Ms. Hunt submitted a proposal to the Oklahoma Legislature to vote in the “Cornmeal-hoecake Bread” as Oklahoma’s official bread. Ms. Hunt is writing a series of books to show how the slaves may have celebrated Thanksgiving and Christmas Dinners during their harsh times.The former slaves gave ideas about how they celebrated different holidays.

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Copyright © 2021 Sharon Kaye Hunt.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by reviewers, who may quote brief passages in a review.

ISBN: 978-1-63821-020-7 (Paperback Edition)

ISBN: 978-1-63821-021-4 (Hardcover Edition)

ISBN: 978-1-63821-015-3 (E-book Edition)

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, King James Version (Authorized Version). First published in 1611. Quoted from the KJV Classic Reference Bible, Copyright © 1983 by The Zondervan Corporation.

Book Ordering Information

Phone Number: 315 288-7939 ext. 1000 or 347-901-4920

Email: [e-mail]

Global Summit House

www.globalsummithouse.com

Disclaimer

The author is not responsible for the content of the language of the former slave women. The slave narratives are in the public domain by the Library of Congress. The slave narratives are important so that people will be able to read about what the slaves endured in the making of each state and the thanks the receive.

The recipes for the desserts are the author’s opinion.

Contents

Dedication 

Acknowledgements

History of Slavery in the United States 

Chapter 1  Confessions of Twenty-Six Black Mothers Representing the State of Alabama

Chapter 2  Confessions of Eleven Black Mothers Representing the State of Arkansas

Chapter 3  Five Black Mothers Representing the State of Florida

Chapter 4  Black Mothers Representing the State of Georgia

Chapter 5  Ten Black Mothers Representing the State of Indiana

Chapter 6  Ten Black Mothers Representing State of Kentucky

Chapter 7  Confessions of Five Black Mothers Representing State of Maryland

Chapter 8  Seven Black Mothers Representing the State of Mississippi

Chapter 9  Fourteen Black Mothers Representing the State of Missouri

Chapter 10  Three Black Mothers Representing the State of North Carolina

Chapter 11  Fourteen Black Mothers Representing the State of Ohio

Chapter 12  Sixteen Black Mothers Representing the State of Oklahoma

Chapter 13  Ten Black Mothers Representing the State of South Carolina

Chapter 14  Ten Black Mothers Representing the State of Tennessee

Chapter 15  Sixteen Black Mothers Representing the State of Texas

Chapter 16  Eight Black Mothers Representing the State of Virginia

Chapter 17  Inventions and Patents by African Americans

Chapter 18  20 Black Inventions

Dedication

The author is thankful for the favor of Jesus Christ in giving her ideas and she dedicates all her work to Him. Also, she dedicates all her work to descendants of slaves and to the world as a whole.

The author always use this scripture for her Commit thy works to the Lord and thy thoughts will be established. Proverbs 16:3

The author is especially thankful to her parents

Thankful to her parents, Dewey and Repol B. Hunt for their wealth of teaching about slavery.

The author’s father always stated to his family that his mother was a ‘Geechee" and she owned a Hebrew Bible.

He also said that he was a Black Hebrew or Black Israelite. He said he was a member of the tribe of Benjamin. There are twelve(12) tribes of Israel mentioned in chapter 7 in the Book of Revelation.

The book is dedicated to all Black Mothers.

In writing the book -the author wishes to acknowledge the poem:

Mother to Son

By Langston Hughes

"Well, son I’ll tell you

Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.

It’s had tacks in it,

And splinters.

And boards torn up.

And places with no carpet on the floor--

Bare.

But all the time

*The Mother to Son is a twenty-line poem.

The poem was published in December 1922 in the Magazine Crisis. It was included in Hughes Collection, the Weary Blues;

Acknowledgements

The Book -Confessions of Black Mothers Representing 16 States - W.O.W.Y.I.S.A.F. (Women of Weary Years in Slavery and Freedom), Children of God, was selected from interviews of former slave women, who were children during slavery.

The black mothers , selected for this book, were part of the Federal Writers Work Project,

Done to interview both men and women who were ex-slaves.

The slave narratives are in the public domain. Permission to use the slave narratives was granted by the Library of Congress-Federal Writers’ Project: Slave Narrative Project, Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers Project:1936-1938.

A standard questionnaire was developed to administered to all of the participants.

Ex-slaves were interviewed in seventeen states:

Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.

History of Slavery in the United States

The slaves, known as human cargo, were bought an brought from Africa to North America to clear land, plant and harvest crops to make white men and women rich. The slave women duties on the plantation were very vast.

Especially cooked, spun cloth and nursed children to name a few.

Beginning in 1619, Virginia recorded its first slaves arrival. The southern planters were dependent on the slave labor to work in the fields of tobacco, cotton, rice, and other duties across the plantation. The slave labor was free for more than three hundred years.

Constitution and Slavery

When the Constitution was written, the slave holders did not want Congress to be given the power to stop slave trade. The original Constitution was written in 1787. As a compromise the writers of the Constitution agree that Congress wanted not stop the slave trade for 20 years.

After 1808, how slaves could be brought into the country? Some states allegedly imported slaves. However, slaves in some states were bought, sold and kept in slavery until the end of the Civil War in 1865.

Civil War

The Civil War started in Sumpter, South Carolina in 1861. The Civil War fought from 1861-1865.

The troops, were divided up into two sides-the Union Side, fought for America and Confederate fought for secession.

The Union had 596,6700 killed, wounded, captured or went missing in action. The Confederates had 490,409 Confederates soldiers were killed, wounded, captured or went missing in action.

Slavery was one of the causes why the Civil War broke out fer the Emancipation was written by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863 two years after the war began.

It stated in the Emancipation Proclamation that all slaves in the antebellum states, the confederate states were free.

Amendments

The 13th, 14th 15 th Amendments are known As the Civil War Amendments. The 13th Amendment slaves freed. The Amendment was approved in 1865. Not all slaves were freed at the end of the Civil War.

The 13th Amendment made all slavery illegal.

The 14th Amendment

The 14th Amendment was approved in 1868 to protect the right of the freed slaves. It along with the Bill of Rights protects the rights of all citizens. The amendment in part says nor shall any state deprive(deny) any person of life, liberty an property without due process of law(the right to be treated fairly) nor deny

To any person within the jurisdiction(boundaries) the equal protection of the law.

The 15th Amendment

The 15th Amendment guaranteed black male citizens the right to vote. Neither black nor white women had the right to vote until 1920. Black women were not given the right to vote until later.

WHY ARE THE CONFESSIONS IMPORTANT?

The Black Mothers tell of their experiences toward one another toward their masters, mistress and overseers, toward poor whites, North and South, the Civil War, Emancipation, Reconstruction, religion, education, child rearing, marriage and virtually every phase of Negro life in the South.

The Federal Writers of Kentucky in Ballard and Bell Counties of Kentucky evaluated the cruelties and Negro Women as follows:

"One of the saddest, darkest and most pathetic conditions that existed during the period of slavery was the intimate mingling of slave owners, in fact, many white men, with negro women. It has become known that very often a slave was sold when was the direct offspring of his or her owner. This practice prevail to some extent in the Purchase Region, but was not universal.

"When the emancipation proclamation became effective and the slaves given freedom, some of them preferred to remain with their masters, while others started out into the world for themselves. Very often, some of the slaves who had anticipated that liberty meant more to them, than anything else, and who went into the cold world of indifference, some returned to their old masters. They found that their former home was a much better place to abode than anything outside of it.

Servants

Negroes make good house servants, and are extensively used for that purpose today. White families, employ them as chauffeurs, butlers, houseboys, child nurses, maids, and cooks, preferring them to white servants, who are not adaptable to subordinated positions in life.

"Colored women worked in hotels as cooks, chamber maids, and are commonly employed as elevator operators in hotel and office buildings.

Freedom

"Politics. Formerly, the negro, attributive his freedom to the efforts of Abraham Lincoln on his behalf, voted almost solidly for the Republican Party. Now, the Democratic have, by remembering the race when passing out justice gained recruits among the colored people and some negroes Democrats are found here. The Negro has been accused of voting for money, but it doubtful.

Bell County

"There were auction blocks near the court house where the slaves were sold to the highest bidder. A slave would be placed on a platform and his merits as a specimen of human power and ability to work was enumerated the bidding began.

Young slave girls bought higher prizes because the more slaves children that were born on one’s plantation the richer he would be in the future. Some slaves were kept just for this purpose.

Some slaves were kept just for this purpose the same as prize thorough bred stock is kept. In many instances, slaves were treated like brutes and these places to sleep were like barn sheds with only a little straw to on which to sleep.

The slaves had only roughest food such as corn bread, molasses and scraps from their owners tables.

Pages 117-119 Reference: State of Kentucky, Volume 7, Slave Narratives: 1936-1938.

Outline for each chapter of the book.

1. Name and Address of Each Black Mo ther

2. Confession Statement of each Black Mo ther

3. Summary of Evidence of Each Black Mother’s Confes sion

4. Biblical Scripture for the Black Mot hers

5. Bonus: Old-Fashioned Mother’s Day Des sert

Chapter 1

Confessions of Twenty-Six Black Mothers Representing the State of Alabama

(The state of Alabama practiced slavery from December 14, 1819 until 1865.)

1.  Jennie Bowen

Mobile, Alabama

Confession: DUTIES OF A GIRL ON A PLANTATION

Background

I had ten chilluns, but seven of dem is daid. I’s even got fo’ great gran’chilluns

"Yassum, us had po’white trash back in dem days of de war. Dey lived near our place, an’ some of ‘em didn’t have no niggers at all. Dey worked deyse’f in de fiel’s. Us didn’t fool ‘long wid dem kinds of people dough white folks. Us kep’ mostly to ourselves.

House Servants

"Yassums, us house niggers et in de kitchens, dat was separated f’um de main buildin’ by a walking, kivved at de top but not at de sides. All de slave chilluns had a grown nigger woman.

And a young gal ‘bout sixteen to look atter dem.

"We alls has a good time an’ us was happy an’ secure.

Duties as a Child

"I was bawn in 1847on Massa Fishers and Mistus Fisher’s plantation near Camden, Alabama. Us slaves lived in a row of white washed cabins in de rear of de big house. We useta have a mean oberseer, white folks, an’ all de time dere was slaves on our place runnin’ away.

"I acted as nuss fer massa’s three chilluns, an’ dey learn’t me read or write.

De Fishers was Pres’terians an’ dey had dere own church on de place. Eve’ybody had to go on Sunday de white folks sittin in de front, de colored folks on de back. De onlies’ holiday us niggers had was Chris’mas an’ New Years’ on der days us all exchanged gif’s."

Jennie Bowen Page 48: Vol 1 December 6//4/1937

Interviewer: Mary A. Poole

Biblical Scripture

PSALM 23:1

The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want.

2.  Nannie Bradfield

Alabama

Confession: RESULTS OF MARRYING IN BROWN

Background

"I was born in slav’y times and I was ‘bout twelve year old in May when emancipation come. My Pa and Ma b’longed to Mars James and Miss Rebecca Chambers. Dey plantation was jes’ on de aige of town and dats where I was born.

Mas James’son, William was in de war and Old Miss would send me to town whar all de sojers tents was to tote sompin good to eat to dem. I don’t ‘member much ‘bout de war ‘up de tents and e burn shells shootin’. I was little and couldn’t do much but I waited on Mistis Liz’beth, my young Miss and waited on table, toted batter cakes and sech like.

No ma’am I don’t know nothin’ tell ‘bout d patterollers or de klu kluxers, but I know all ‘bout de conjer doctors.

Dey sho’ kin fix you. Dey kin take yo’ garter or yo stockin’ top and drap it in runnin’ water, and make you run de res of yo’ life, you’ll be a hurry ll de time, and if dey gets hold of a piece of de seat of yo’ draws dey sprinkles a little conjer powder on it and burns it den you can’t never set down on no peace. You jes’ like you sittin’ on a coal of fish till you git somebody to take de spell offen you.

Freedom and Marriage

Nannie are you glad when the war was over and you were free?

What I keer ‘bout bein free? Didn’t old Marster give us plenty good somepin’to eat and clo’s to wear? I stayed on de plantation ‘till I mah’ied(married). My Old Miss give me a brown dress and hat. Well dat dress put me in de country, if you mahie (marry) in brown you’ll live in de country.

Step-Mother

No ma’am, I ain’t got no chillum, but Bradfield had plenty uh ‘em. I was his toug wife. He died ‘bout three years ago and he done well to live dat long wid all dem widen to nag him. De Bible say to better to climb on top of the house and set, den to live inside wid a naggin’ ‘oman."

Nannie Bradfield Page 50, Vol 1

Investigator: Susie R. O’Brien

Biblical Scripture

PSALM 1:6

For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

3.  Esther King Casey

Birmingham, Alabama

Confession: SHE TAUGHT SCHOOL AFTER SLAVERY

Background

Interviewer’s notes on Ex-Slave: (Her manner the marks of culture an’refinement, and her speech was surprisingly said of the usual Negro dialect. She is an example of the former slave who was educated along with the white children in the family.)

"Living with her grandchildren at 801 Washington Avenue, Birmingham. Alabama. Esther King Casey former slave of Capt. Henry King of Americus, Georgia, recalls from fading memory a few vivid scenes of the days when men in gray moved horridly about the town, suddenly disappeared for a while and then returned, one by one, with weary, halting trend wid hollered faces, white gloom and despair hovered over the town like a pail of desolation.

Less vivid in her memory are the stories told her by her grandmother of a long voyage across the ocean of the arrival in a new land called Mobile, and of slaves being said at public auction.

Less vivid, too, are the memories of her own journey to Georgia, where she, with her parents and brothers were to be the slaves of Captain King.

There were eight or ten slaves in all. Ester continued. We lived in a house in the backyard of Captain King’s Big House. My mamma was the cook. Papa was a mechanic. He built houses and made tools over machinery. Captain King gave me to the ‘white lady’ that was Miss, the Captain’s wife. Captain King were a fine man. He treated all of us just like his own family. The white lady taught us to be respectable and truthful.

When asked if she had ever been punished for misbehavior the old woman, smiled and said: once the white lady whipped me for playing with the jailers children. She had told me not to play with them because they were not good company for me. She said that she wanted to raise me to be good and truthful and that the jailer’s little white children told lies and talked bad."

Civil War

Esther remembers well the mobilization of gray uniformed troops at the courthouse which stood only a block from the King residence.

The town was filled with soldiers for several days she said. "They assembled about the courthouse and had speaking. One day I passed there with my paper and saw Abraham Lincoln hanging from a noose in the courthouse square. Of course, it was only in effigy of Abraham Lincoln which was used to ship what the soldiers thought of him.

Papa told me that the soldiers shot the effigy full of bullets holes before they left town.

Before Captain King left, he brought a man with him from the courthouse to value his property. The slaves were valued, too. I remember Captain King lifting me on high above his head and saying in the man: "I wouldn’t take a thousand dollars for the little gem.

"She paused a moment. The light in here eyes showed that she was slavery. The thrill of that childhood incident.

Then Captain King left with the other soldiers. Papa stayed and took care of the ‘white lady’ and the house. After a while, my brother ran away and formed the troops to fight for the captain King."

After the War

At eighteen years of age the girl had acquired sufficient education to qualify to teach in the public school for Negroes. After three years teaching, she married Jim Casey, an ex-slave, who took her to his three -plow" farm on south Georgia.

After her only daughter death in 1919, Esther was brought to Birmingham by her grandson who kept her comfortably ever since. The little briar pipe, which she endeavors to conceal from strangers, is the only evidence that she has in common with others of her generations ."

Esther King Casey Page 49,Vol 1, 6/4/1937

Interviewer: Edward F. Harper

Biblical Scripture

PSALM 2:8

Ask of me and I shall give thee thy heathen for thine inheritance; and the uttermost part of the earth for thy possession.

4.  Amy Chapman

Livingston, Alabama

Confession: PARENTS WERE SOLD FROM VIRGINIA TO ALABAMA

Background

"I was born on Governor Reuben Chapman’s place five miles north of Livingston in May 14, 1843. My name is Amy Chapman. My mother was Clary Chapman. De both come from Virgininy; my mammy from Petersburg; pappy from

Richmond. Dey was drov’ down to Alabamy lak cattle an’ Marse Reuben brought ‘em. He had a lot of slaves caze he had a heap of plantations, but him an’ his wife stay most of de time in Huntsville dey had a heap of white oberseers

I had a plenty of chilluns but not as many as my mammy.

‘Who was my husban’? Law, Chile, I ain’t never had no special husban’ I even fergits who was de pappy of some of dese chillum of mine.’

Overseers

"Dat oberseer was de fus’ one dat ever put us in de fiel’,

An he whupped us wid de cat er nine tails (cat-o-nine tails) when I was stark naked.

"Den dere was annuder mean man named who wa a be atin’ bigger woman case dey wouldn’t mind him.

Yassum, I kin tell you things about slavery times dat would

Make yo’ blood bile, but deys’ too trouble I jus’ tries to forgit.

I could tell you ‘bout bein’ run myself wid dem nigger dogs but I ain’t gwinster done."

Amy Chapman Page 66: Vol 1 6/17/37

Interviewer: Ruby P. Tartt

Biblical Scripture

PSALM 6:2

Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am weak: O Lord heal me for my bones are vexed.

5.  Laura Clark

Livingston, Alabama

Confession: MOTHER WAS A BREEDING WOMAN

Background

"I was born in Mt. Pleasant Powell’s place in North Ca’lina and when I was ‘bout six or seven years old, I reckon hit ‘twas, Mr. Garret from right up yonder in de bend ‘bout eight miles from Livingston gwine no’th on de Livingston and Epes road, bought ten of us chillun to North Ca’lina and sent two white men, and one was Mr. Skinner to fetch us back in waggins. En he fotch ole Julie Powell and Henry to look atter us. Wa’n’t none of dem ten chillum no kin to me, and he never bought my mammy, so I had to leave her behind..

Her Mother

And effen I never sees her no mo raise her for God. Den she fell off de waggin where us was all sittin and and roll over in de yard jus a dry

A cryin’. But us was eatin’ candy what dey done give us for to keep us quite, and I didn’t have sense ‘nuff fer to know how and I never seed her no mo’ in de life.

When I heered from her atter S’render. She done dead and buried. Her name was Rachel Powell. My pappy’s name, I don’t know ca’se he done been sold to somewhere else when I was too little to recollect. But my mammy was de mother of twenty-two chilluns and she had twins on her lap when us driv’ off.

Her mother was a breeding woman. I recollect mammy said to ole Julie, Take keer my baby chile (dat was me.)

My gran mammy said when I lef’ ‘Pray, Laura and be er good gal.

And mine bofe white and black. Ev’body will lack you and effen we never see me no mo’ pray to meet me in heaven. Den she cried.

Us all started den for Mr. Garrett’s plantation down yonder in de bend, ten chillum and two ole uns, and two white men, and us was travelin’ solid a month. First thing ole Marsa say was Now be good ter des motherless chilluns."

Den he went to war, and de overseer forgot all about dey promise. When Ole Marsa come back he done got his arm shot off, but he let befo dem overseers go, ca’se dey done whupped dat ol’ ‘oman what come wid us to deaf. She bought her two little boys, Colvin and ‘Lias, but Joe, dey pappy didn’t come he was sold ‘fo Lias was bawn. Joe never seed ‘Lias.

Old Age

I sets across de road here from dat church over yonder and can’t go ‘ca’se I’s cripple and blin’ but I heers us singin;

"A motherless chile sees a hard time.

Oh, Lord, he’p on de road. En sister well do de bes’ she kin

Dis is a hard world, Lord, for a motherless chile.

"I ain’t never read no verse

In no Bible in my life,

Ca’se I can’t read some my chillum kin, though."

Funerals and Spades

Den de pens would dig a hole wid de spades and throw ‘em in right ere in de fiel’ jes’ lack dey were cows didn’t have no funerals nor nothin.

Laura Clark Pages 79-80 Vol 1, 7/15/1937

Interviewer: Ruby Pickens Tartt

Biblical Scripture

PSALM 25:15

Mine eyes are ever toward the Lord: for he shall pluck up my feet out of the net.

6.  Hattie Clayton

Opelika, Alabama

Confession: PURCHASED AS A CHILD

Background

Aunt Clayton said-I’se gittin’ aroun’ de ninety notch, honey, an’ I reckin’ de kingdom ain’t far away.

Childhood and the Yankees

’Twas a long time ago, honey she was brought up, but I ‘members as if ‘twas yestidy. My ol’ mistis wuz de Widder Day. She owned a plantation clos’t to LaFayette an’ she was mighty good to us niggers. ‘Ol’ Misters bought me when I was jus’ a little tyke, so I don’t remember ‘bought pappy or mammy.

Aunt Hattie, she was asked do you remember anything about the War Between the States?

You mean de Yankees, honey?

Yes, the Yankees.

Her coal black face clouded. (Interviewer’s comment.)

Dey skeered us nearly to death. She began-"Dey drop right outer de sky. Ol’ mistresss keep hearin’ dey was comin’, but dey didn’t nebber show up. Den, all ter once dey was swarming all about de place old deir black coals a shinin’ an deir horses a rearin’.

Us chilluns run and hid on fence corners an behin’ quilts dat was hangin’ on de line. An’ honey, dem Yankees rid deir horses rat unto de flower beds. Dey hunted de silver, too, but us done hid dat.

I ‘member dey wuz mad. Dey sot de house a-fire an’ tak all de victuals dey could fin. I run away an’ got los’ an’ when I come back all de folks was gone."

Aunt Hattie said she went down de big road and come to a lady’s house where she remain until she married.

Us moved to Lafayette an’ den to Opelika. She included an I bin her eber since."

Hattie Clayton Page 83, Vol 1 7/15/1937

Interviewer: Ruby Pickens Tart

Biblical Scripture

PSALM 25:9

The meek will be guide in judgement: and the meek will he teach his way.

7.  Sara Colquitt Opelika

Confession: WORKED IN THE FIELDS AND THE BIG HOUSE

Background

Sold twice and worked in the fields. Us lived in log cabins wid dirt floors and dey was built in two long rows. Us beds was nailed to de wall at one end and us used corn shucks and pure straw for mattresses.

Miss Mary was good to us, but us had to work hard and late. I worked de fields every day from ‘fore daylight to almost plum to dark. I used take my little baby wid me. I had two chilluns, and I’d tie hit up to a tree limb to keep off de ants and bugs whilst I hoed and worked de furrow.

All in niggers was fed from de big kitchen and wasn’t hungry, but sometimes us would steal more food den was give us anyhow.

"I was one of de spinners, too and had to do six cuts to de reel at the time and de hit at night plenty time. Us clothes was homespun or orasanburg what us would dye, sometimes solid and sometimes cheked.

"’Sides working in de fields I’d hope wid de cooking up at de Big House when de real cook was sick or had a passel of company. Us cooked on a great big fireplace what had armes hanging out over de aves to hang pot on to bile. Den us had three-legged skillets what set right over de coals for frying and sech like.

"Us cooked sho’ ‘nuff bread in dem days, ash cakes, de est things you ever et. Dey ain’t nothing like dat dese days.

Sold to Alabama

"I was sold oncet before I left Virginnin’. Den I was brung down to Alabama and sold from de block for $600 to Mr. Sam Rainey, at Camp Hill, Ala. I still worked in de fields, but I would cook for de whites and hope around de Big House on special ‘casions.

Overseer

"Our overseer was Mr.