Slave Narratives: a Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves Florida Narratives   By: United States. Work Projects Administration

SLAVE NARRATIVES

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

WASHINGTON 1941

VOLUME III

FLORIDA NARRATIVES

Prepared by the Federal Writers' Project of the Works Progress Administration for the State of Florida

INFORMANTS

Anderson, Josephine Andrews, Samuel Simeon Austin, Bill

Berry, Frank Biddie, Mary Minus Boyd, Rev. Eli Boynton, Rivana Brooks, Matilda Bynes, Titus

Campbell, Patience Clayton, Florida Coates, Charles Coates, Irene Coker, Neil

Davis, Rev. Young Winston Dorsey, Douglas Douglass, Ambrose Duck, Mama Dukes, Willis

Everett, Sam and Louisa

Gaines, Duncan Gantling, Clayborn Gragston, Arnold Gresham, Harriett

Hall, Bolden Hooks, Rebecca

Jackson, Rev. Squires

Kemp, John Henry (Prophet) Kinsey, Cindy

Lee, Randall Lycurgas, Edward

McCray, Amanda Maxwell, Henry Mitchell, Christine Moore, Lindsey Mullen, Mack

Napoleon, Louis Nickerson, Margrett

Parish, Douglas Pretty, George

Scott, Anna Sherman, William Smalls, Samuel

Taswell, Salena Taylor, Dave Thomas, Acie Thomas, Shack Towns, Luke

Williams, Willis Wilson, Claude Augusta

COMBINED INTERVIEWS [TR: County names added]

DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, EX SLAVE STORIES Charley Roberts Jennie Colder Banana Williams Frank Bates William Neighten Rivana Boynton [TR: Riviana in text] Salena Taswell

DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, FOLKLORE Annie Trip Millie Sampson Annie Gail Jessie Rowell Margaret White Priscilla Mitchell Fannie McCay Hattie Thomas David Lee

FOLK STUFF, FLORIDA Jules A. Frost Tampa, Florida October 20, 1937

JOSEPHINE ANDERSON

HANTS

"I kaint tell nothin bout slavery times cept what I heared folks talk about. I was too young to remember much but I recleck seein my granma milk de cows an do de washin. Granpa was old, an dey let him do light work, mosly fish an hunt.

"I doan member nothin bout my daddy. He died when I was a baby. My stepfather was Stephen Anderson, an my mammy's name was Dorcas. He come fum Vajinny, but my mammy was borned an raised in Wilmington. My name was Josephine Anderson fore I married Willie Jones. I had two half brothers youngern me, John Henry an Ed, an a half sister, Elsie. De boys had to mind de calves an sheeps, an Elsie nursed de missus' baby. I done de cookin, mosly, an helped my mammy spin.

"I was ony five year old when dey brung me to Sanderson, in Baker County, Florida. My stepfather went to work for a turpentine man, makin barrels, an he work at dat job till he drop dead in de camp. I reckon he musta had heart disease.

"I doan recleck ever seein my mammy wear shoes. Even in de winter she go barefoot, an I reckon cold didn't hurt her feet no moran her hands an face. We all wore dresses made o' homespun. De thread was spun an de cloth wove right in our own home. My mamy an granmamy an me done it in spare time.

"My weddin dress was blue blue for true. I thought it was de prettiest dress I ever see. We was married in de court house, an dat be a mighty happy day for me. Mos folks dem days got married by layin a broom on de floor an jumpin over it. Dat seals de marriage, an at de same time brings em good luck.

"Ya see brooms keeps hants away. When mean folks dies, de old debbil sometimes doan want em down dere in da bad place, so he makes witches out of em, an sends em back. One thing bout witches, dey gotta count everthing fore dey can git acrosst it. You put a broom acrosst your door at night an old witches gotta count ever straw in dat broom fore she can come in.