Harriet Barrett

The story of Harriet Barrett , owned by Steve Glass , fathers name Alex Glass , mother's name, Lucille Glass . My father was born in Africa, mother in Virginia, and brought to Texas before the war. I'se born in Walker County in 1851. Master, he owned mother, father and me until the war freed us. I'se heard them say grandfather was wild and mother too. Boss, we didnt know what marriage was in Africa. I had brother named Steve Glass . I dunno what I had any sisters or not.We had log quarters with bed or forked stick for post with deer skin stretched over it then we pulled moss and throwed over that. We pulled moss green and it would grow all the year and made us good bed. I'se never worked any in slave time except cook boss. They put me to cooking when I was little kid. Yes, people say now dat old Aunt Harriet is de best cook in Madisonville to dis day. No sir, I never saw any money until after we was free. I'se always had plenty to eat. Yessir, Master he have great big garden and he had plenty to eat. I'se cooked big skillet plum full of corn at de time, and we all have plenty of meat. Master he step out and kill big deer and we put it in great big pot and cook it. Then we have lot corn bread, dar wasnt no flour dem days. Yessir, I'se like plenty meat and corn bread and syrup. We slaves wore cotton clothes dress. It opened down de front so us could take it off ourselves. In cold weather we wore woolen clothes. Yessir, we have shoes, old brogans. On Sunday we have extra white dress we wore. I had a good master, bless his soul. Mistress she plum good. She was sick all de time. Dey never had any white children. Dey lived great big log house, four rooms in it and great hall went both ways through it. Master, he have big bunch slaves. He worked dem long as he could see how in de day time. Then he would lock dem up in de quarters at night to keep dem from running off, and so dey would be ready to work de next day.O yes sir, de master would make us go to church every Sunday and he taught us to always tell de truth, then the Saviour he save us. Be said we would go to negro heaven. I'se remembers one old man, he always tell us negro all about de Bible. I'se forgot his name. I'se members, we take mistress to de creek when she baptized. Master he make us negro slaves take her in de water and hold her in our arm while the white preacher baptized her. Bless her soulYessir, I'se members when some slave run off. Dey was going to the north. Master he catch them and he give them 39 licks a piece with rawhide, then he kept them locked up at night. In the day time he kept chain on them. We didn't go from one plantation to another unless Master he give us pass.No sir, we have holiday on Saturday evening. Master he make us clean up on Saturday evenin so we could go to church on Sunday. On Saturday night, master he let all de negro dat work good all de week go to negro dance if it was on another plantation where the two masters gets long good. Boy, oh boy, de tin pan beating and the banjo picking, negro dance all night long. When dere was death, master he would have preacher for de white mistress died when de war started. Us slaves, we all sad cause mistress she was good bless her soul. She was white angel. Master he married Miss Alice Long . She made us slaves get round cause she bad woman with slaves. We tried to rest after we went to our quarters at night and the patter rollers would come and go all through our quarters to see if all negroes were there. On Saturdays even we were given rest periods to wash and clean up. Yessir, I'se doctor or mid wife. I gives lots of remedies for the sick. I'se use charcoal, onions and honey fer little baby. And I'se use chanphor for chills, fever and teeth cutting in small sack tied around their neck. I's cut red oak bark and boiled and made tea for fevers and I'se used cactus weeds root made tea for fever chills colic and so on in them days as we never had any doctors close where he could see after us. The best remedy for chills and fever is to get rabbit foot tie on string and fasten it around the neck. I'se remember lots about the war. Master he gather all the young, both white and black to go to the war. I'se cook. Master he carries me with him to de war cause I'se good cook. I have nursed the sick and wounded clean through the war. I have seen other soldiers on both side sick and dying. They said when the big gun were popping that men wasnt dying but da was. Them big guns mowed them down. The little gun they kill men too, but not like the big gun would.In the battle at New Orleans, master he was wounded and the gun roaring every where. They bring master in. I'se just white as he was then. Them Yankees had done shot the roof off the house. Master he ask me what if I'se shot cause I was so white. I'se almost soared to death when the war end. We was still in New Orleans, and all the shouting it took place among both white and black, cause we was free. They was crowded on the streets and they was in a stir just thick as flies on dog. Master he called Harriet to his bed and told me I was free just like he was. I grab him round the neck cause he was good master. He told me if I wanted to stay and cook for him end mistress he would give $2.50 per month and I cook for him tils I married to another slave Armstead Barret then we farm for living. We had big church wedding. I'se have on white loyal dress and black brogan shoes. We have four children, 2 boys and 2 girls and 17 grandchildren. They are all farming save one. He is working on that WPA. We have been married 51 years. I didn't exactly expect a farm bed, I didnt expect to be put out or turned out like cattle, and they did not give us anything until long after we were freed. Then what they gave us wasnt much just some cast off clothes. We were not forced to stay on with our masters. We were rented places on the halves and our white land lords help us, to see after the financial end of our business. We were taken real good care of. They furnished us good milk cows and got a big supply of groceries, and seen that we had plenty to eat, but I'se seem to think that we was under more freedom when I'se were slaves than I am now, cause we did not have responsibility of sick. We have to take care of all that now and the white man he beats negro out what he makes. Yes sir, I have seen the KKK, but they never did bother me no sir, but I'se known them going to see negro when they look like ghost, and take negro that wasnt doing right out and gives him a good talking to and tell him what he must do to better his race. Get along with the white man, then some time they would give negro whipping and feather and tar him if he wouldn't do right. No sir, we have always had vote, but they did not influence us then like they do now. They now tell us negroes what we got to do and if we don't do like the white man tell us we couldnt get anything. Back in reconstruction days the white man was honest and the negro they were like cattle they didn't know anything about voting so they didn't vote much. All the negro knowed was hard work. Yessir, I think the negro ought to be allowed more priviliges in voting cause they have the same responsibility as the white man and then the negro has been more and more educated, and they are briter and briter. I never did anything but farm and it got to where the white men he wouldnt allow the negro anything but jest a get by. He made us plant everything in cotton and then he would figure us out all we make. I didn't have as hard time way back when I was slave as I do now. I have to shoulder the hold thing now. I get a pension from the governsent but I have to do odd jobs to get by. I think our young people are pretty sorry. They wont do right nox work but I believe if they could get fair wages they would do better. They get beat out of what they do anyway. No sir, when we were slave I remember that another owner had several slaves, but the overseer had it in for two of them. He would whip them every day and they was doing all they could to please the overseer. One day be came to the field and called one of the slaves and the slave dropped his hoe and went walking straight to the overseer and grabbed him. And the other slave he cut his head slap off and throwed it down one of the tows, and the owner he fooled round and sold these two slaves for $800.00 each. That was all the punishsant these slaves got.