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Slave Narratives Volume X: Missouri 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
Illustrated with Photographs
WASHINGTON 1941
VOLUME X
MISSOURI NARRATIVES
Prepared by the Federal Writers' Project of
the Works Progress Administration
for the State of Missouri
[HW:] Handwritten note
[TR:] Transcriber's note
INFORMANTS
James Monroe Abbot Betty Abernathy Hannah Allen W.C. Parson Allen Charles Gabriel Anderson Jane Baker Mary A. Bell William Black George Bollinger Annie Bridges Betty Brown Steve Brown Richard Bruner Robert Bryant Alex Bufford Harriet Casey Joe Casey Lula Chambers Emmaline Cope Peter Corn Ed Craddock Isabelle Daniel [TR: Mrs. Eli Daniel] Henry Dant Lucy Davis Mary Divine Mary Douthit John Estell Smoky Eulenberg Ann Ulrich Evans James Goings Rachael Goings Sarah Frances Shaw Graves (Aunt Sally) Emily Camster Green Lou Griffin Louis Hamilton Fil Hancock Dave Harper Clara McNeely Harrell Joe Higgerson Delia Hill Louis Hill Rhody Holsell Henry Johnson Hannah Jones Emma Knight Harriet Lee Mattie Lee [HW: Head] Wes Lee Perry McGee John McGuire Eliza Madison Drucilla and Richard Martin Hattie Matthews Letha Taylor Meeks Wylie Miller Lewis Mundy Malinda Murphy Margaret Nickens Eliza Overton Delicia Ann Wiley Patterson (Lucinda) Marilda Pethy Susan Rhodes Charlie Richardson Madison Frederick Ross Alice Sewell Perry Sheppard Frank Sides Mollie Renfro Sides Jane Simpson Clay Smith Gus Smith Ann Stokes Edward Taylor Tishey Taylor Louis Thomas Jane Thompson Sarah Waggoner Minksie (Minksy) Walker James Wilson Mintie Gilbert Wood Ellaine Wright Sim Younger
ILLUSTRATIONS
Sarah Frances Shaw Graves Drucilla and Richard Martin
James Monroe Abbot
Interview with James Monroe Abbot, Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
"I's born on December 25, 1854. My muthuh wuz Allie Ann Lane. Aftuh 'mancipation I tuk my daddies name Abbot he wuz Anthony Abbot, an' belonged to Ole' Joe Abbot, a neighbor. Our Mastuh wuz Joe Lane an' our Missus wuz Jane Knox Lane. Dey had a girl, Barbara Ellen, an' two boys, Tom en' Ed. Latuh years dey had more boys but I nevuh knowd dem.
"De white folks house wuz big, wid porches, an flowers all aroun', an sweet locust trees in de do' yard. Dis wuz up in Perry County, a few miles fum Seventy Six Landing.
"When Ole Mastuh died, dat wuz de fathuh ob young Mastuh Joe he war sick a long time. Dar he lay fum openin' o' spring, 'bout de time flies cum, 'til wheat sowin' time in de fall. An' it's de God's trufe, all dat time he made me stan' side o' his bed keepin' de flies offen him, I wuz jes seben year ole but dere I had tuh stan, day en night, night en day. Co'se I'd sleep sumtimes wen he wuz sleepin'. Sumtimes when I'd doze, my bresh ud fall on he's face, den he'd take he's stick an' whack me a few across de haid an' he'd say, 'Now I dare you to cry.' I cried, but he didden see me do it.
"But at las' he died. Jane came in an' said, 'He's daid. You can go out to play now James.' She ustah come in to Ole Mastuh an say, 'Why don' you let him go out tuh play an' let someone else stan' here?' But Ole Mastuh say, 'No! I want James.' So now I runs outside I meets ma sister an I says: 'By God, he's daid... Continue reading book >>
