Texas Slave Narratives

Texas Slave Narrative

  Manuel Armstrong

Manuel Armstrong is a rather tall, well-proportioned negro. Large, expressive black eyes glean kindly from a pleasant countenance. His dignity of bearing is strengthened by his short gray hair and whiskers. He seems to think carefully on the account he is narrating of his slavery days in Magnolia Springs, as a slave of Johnnie Armstrong . He shows the results of a recent attack of pneumonia, from which he is convalescing. "Manuel Armstrong is my name, an' I lib close by Peach Tree, eight mile' nort-wes' of Jasper. I was bo'n not fur from Magnolia Spring 'bout eighty year' ago. My father was name' Jack Armstrong . He come from Arkansas, an' he lib an' die in slav'ry. My mother's name Zilpah Armstrong , an' my gran'father' name was Dennis Armstrong . We's all pyore (pure) blood niggers." "Marster's name was Johnnie Armstrong , an' he was tol'ably good to his slaves, but he didn' give dem no shoes for de chillen. Some of de neighbors was wusser. One day I seed a w'ite man on a gray hoss over in de nex' fiel' whippin' de slaves w'ile dey was wukkin', so mek dem wuk harder an' fas'er. He'd ride 'roun' wid a black-snake whip an' give each one a cut wid it. Den he watch' 'em for a w'ile. I's seed others drive dem like dey was a herd of cattle." "Mother went to wuk in Cherokee county. She was give to de marster' daughter. Dey let father go to see her onct in a w'ile. But w'en freedom broke dey brung her down here. De w'ite folks didn' teach us to read an' write. Us ol' mistess, Aunt Polly Armstrong , she read de Bible to de chillen. Mother was de cook, an' father wuk on de farm." "De darkies hab prayer meetin's in dere homes an' other bresh arbors. A few of dem could read de Bible a li'l. Rev. Poole Hall was de fus' preacher I hear preach. He was a Mef'dis, an' I's a Mef'dis'." W'en I was twenty year' ol' I git marry to Tempie Byerly . De young marster, Everett Armstrong , he marry us. De weddin' tuk place at her home on de Neyland place. Us hab eight chillen but on'y t'ree is libin' now. Tempie , my fus' wife, die' w'en she's 'bout forty." "Atter some time I git marry 'gin. I marry a widder, name was Nora Campbell . Her name uster be Nora Brumley . We's been married 'bout thutty-six year', but I ain' got no chillen 'sep'n' dem by my fus' wife. Mose Fenel marry us at de chu'ch an' we hab a li'l supper at home atter chu'ch." "I seed de Union sojers passin' fer t'ree days atter de war close, an' dey was startin' back home. Befo' dat it was dangerous fer de chillen to go to de woods by deyse'fs. Dey was deserters hidin' in de woods, an' I 'spose dey thought de chillen would tell on 'em. So dey ketch dem an' whip dem an' scare dem an' sen' dem home so dey wouldn' come back no mo!" "After freedom, father stay wid marster an' I rent lan' from him, an' farm' as long as he live. After I was freed I went to school an' learn' to read an' write an' spell an' figger a li'l." "I neber seed no g'oses, but my wife, Nora , an' another gal say w'en dey was young dey did. It was dis way. De slaves war'n' 'lowed to go 'way from de place, 'less'n' dey hab a pass. Iffen dey run off dey trace dem all night. Dey tek de dogs wid dem iffen dey hafter. W'en dey ketch dem dey bring dem back an' beat dem. After de ol' marster die' de gals slip off at night an' go to parties, or visit wid de neighbors. One night w'en dey come back dey see de ol' marster's sperit settin' under a tree not fur from de house, watchin' dem. Den dey sho' did run. Eb'ry night w'at dey go off, w'en dey come back dey see dat sperit dere watchin' 'em." "I's farm' all my life. We's got a big cullud ch'uch close by home. De preacher' Rev. Jee Johnson .  I's jis' gittin' over a spell of 'numony an' I can't wuk no mo' like I uster."

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