Texas Slave Narratives

Texas Slave Narrative

  Frank Bell

Frank Bell . 86, was a slave of Johnson Bell , who ran a saloon in New Orleans. Frank lives in Madisonville, Texas. "I was owned by Johnson Bell and born in New Orleans, in Louisiana. 'Cordin' to the bill of sale, I'm eighty-six years old, and my master was a Frenchman and was real mean to me. He run saloon and kept bad women. I don't know nothing 'bout my folks, if I even had any, 'cept mama. They done tell me she was a bad woman and a French Creole. "I worked 'round master's saloon, kep' everything cleaned up after they'd have all night drinkin' parties, men and women. I earned nickels to tip off where to go, so's they could sow wild oats. I buried the nickels under rocks. If master done cotch me with money, he'd take it and beat me nearly to death. All I had to eat was old stuff those people left, all scraps what was left. "One time some bad men come to master's and gits in a shootin' scraps and they was two men kilt. I sho' did run. But master cotch me and make me take them men to the river and tie a weight on them, so they'd sink and the law wouldn't git him. "The clothes I wore was some master's old ones. They allus had holes in them. Master he stay drunk nearly all time and was mean to his slave. I'm the only one he had, and didn't cost him nothing. He have bill of sale made, 'cause the law say he done stole me when I'm small child. Master kept me in chains sometimes. He shot several men. "I didn't have no quarters but stays 'round the place and throw old sack down and lay there and sleep. I'm 'fraid to run, 'cause master say he'd hunt me and kill nigger. "When I'm 'bout seventeen I marries a gal while master on drunk spell. Master he run her off, and I slips off at night to see her, but he finds it out. He takes a big, long knife and cuts her head plumb off, and ties a great, heavy weight to her and makes me throw her in the river. Then he puts me in chains and every night he come give me a whippin', for long time."When war come, master swear he not gwine fight, but the Yankees they captures New Orleans and throws master in a pen and guards him. He gets a chance and 'scapes."When war am over he won't free me, says I'm valuable to him in his trade. He say, 'Nigger, you's suppose to be free but I'll pay you a dollar a week and iffen you runs off I'll kill you.' So he makes me do like befo' the war, but give me 'bout a dollar a month, 'stead week."He say I cost more'n I'm worth, but he won't let me go. Times I don't know why I didn't die befo' I'm growed, sleepin' on the ground. winter and summer, rain and snow. But not much snow there. "Master helt me long years after the war. If anybody git after him, he told them I stay 'cause I wants to stay, but told me if I left he'd kill him 'nother nigger. I stayed till he gits in a drunk brawl one night with men and women and they gits to shootin' and some kilt. Master got kilt. Then I'm left to live or die, so I wanders from place to place. I nearly starved to death befo' I'd leave New Orleans, 'cause I couldn't think master am dead and I'm 'fraid. Finally I gits up nerve to leave town, and stays the first night in white man's barn. I never slep'. Every time I hears something. I jumps up and master be standin' there, lookin' at me, but soon's I git up he'd leave. Next night I slep' out in a hay field, and master he git right top of a tree and start hollerin' at me. I never stays in that place. I gits gone from that place. I gits back to town fast as my legs carry me. "Then I gits locked up in jail. I don't know what for, never did know. One the men says to me to come with him and takes me to the woods and gives me an ax. I cuts rails till I nearly falls, all with chain locked 'round feet, so I couldn't run off. He turns me loose and I wanders 'gain. Never had a home. Works for men long 'nough to git fifty, sixty cents, then starts roamin' 'gain. like a stray dog like. "After long time I marries Feline Graham . Then I has a home and we has a white preacher marry us. We has one boy and he farms and I lives with him. I worked at sawmill and farms all my life. but never could make much money. "You know, the nigger was wild till 'the white man made what he has out of the nigger. He done ed'cate them real smart.I was owned by Johnson Bell , and born in New Orleans Louisiana. According to the bill of sale, I am 86 years old. My master was a noted Frenchman, who was real mean to me.My master he run saloon, and kept bad woman. I don't know anything about my people if I even had any except mama. They told me she was bad woman and that she was french creole. I worked around masters saloon. Kept everything cleaned up after they would have all night drinking party men and women. Both, yessir. I earned several nickles at times as I would tip off bad women and men where to go so is they could sow wild oats. I would get me some rock and buried the money I got cause if master caught me with money, he would take it away from me and nearly beat me to death. Boss, what I had to eat was old stuff that those people left that come to masters place all the scraps that was left is what I eats. I'se remember one time when some bad men come to masters and they's jest gets in shooting scrape and they was two men kilt. Boss, I'se sure did run. Boss, I'se seen them men lots times they come to my room and hollered several times after I'se come to Texas. Master he make me take them men to the river and tie weight on to them so is they would sink and the law couldnt get him. The clothes I wore was some of the masters. They have holes in them and he give them to me cause I'se have to work where everybody that comes to masters could see me. Master he stay drunk nearly all time and he was mean to his slave. I'se the only one he had, boss and I'se didnt cost him anything. Master he have bill sale sade to me cause the law say he stole me when I'se small child. Yessir, I'se seen several slaves sold. Boy oh boy they would shout and holler and laugh cause they say if master on the farm bought them they have good master. Yessir, master he have kept me in chains cause I'se didnt do like he want me every time. Master he stay drunk and he was mean. He shoot several men. Boss, I didnt have any quarters. I stay around the place, throw old sack down and lay there and sleep. I'se afraid to run of course, master told me he hunt me and kill negro. No sir, I'se didnt know they was church until long time after the war was over.


When I'se about 17 years old I'se married girl while master was on drunk spell. We have home wedding bless my sole and master he run her off and I'se slipping off late at night to see her and master he finds it out some how and he take great long knife and cuts her head plum off, ties great heavy weight to her and makes me throw her in the river. Then he puts me in chains and every night he come give me whipping for long time. I dont remember the exact time. I'se still see the men master he killed and made me bury some time at night they come to see me. I'se still run plum off and leave them, they will come in the room at night and go to calling, Frank , Frank, but boss, when I'se get out of bed to see what they want they leaves. I'se leaves there too, I'se goes to someone else home the rest of the night, then they don't come to see me until about another year. Boss, I'se remembers plenty about the war between the states cause master he swears he not going to fight, but the Yankees they captures New Orleans, throws master in pen and they guards him cause they tells him he's gone have to draw beans to see if he be stood against tree and shot. Master he gets contrary he wants do anything they tells him to but he gets chance and escapes from them and he get gun so is he gets behind building and he kills and kills, and when the war was over he would not free me cause I'se valuable to him in his trade. He say to me, negro the war is over and you suppose to be free, but I'll pay you $1.00 week and iffen you run off I'll kill you. Boss he do that too. So he makes me do like before the war only he pays me $1.00 a week. Some times boss I'se really gets about $1.00 month that what he really pay me. When I'se get sick master he want to run me off but they some of masters woman they looks after me. Master he say I cost more than I'se worth to him so is he don't care if negro die so he say, but he wouldnt let negro run off. I'se had them to give me tea and tie string around my neck for the sickness. I'se had the ways I'se had to do I'se wondered lots times why I'se didnt die before I'se grown, sleeping on the ground winter and summer rain or snow. I been married once since master he kill my first wife. She and I had a home wedding. I'se marry Feline Graham this last time. We have church wedding and preacher to marry us. She is dead now, had been dead ten or eleven years. I'se getting to be old negro now. Wese have only one child, he boy and farms. I'se Live with him here at Midway Texas. We thought sure the Yankees would make way to take care of ex-slaves after they freed us instead they turned us out like bunch of hogs. We could root hog or die, for all they cared but Master he held me long years after the war. If they would get after him he would tell them I was staying cause I wanted to stay, but he told me if I left he would kill him another negro. I stay with master until he got in a drunken brawl one night with some men and womans and they was several killed. Master he got his head cut plun off. Then I was left to live or die so I'se began to wander from place to place. I never left New Orleans for several months. I nearly starved to death before I left there cause I couldnt believe master was dead cause boss I'se afraid to leave. I'se afraid master he would come back and get me. Finally I gets up nerve enough to leave town. And the first night away from town I'se stayed all night in white man barn. I never slept a tall cause ever time I hear some thing I'se jump up and the master he would be standing there looking at me but soon I get up he would leave then I lay back down, and he come again. Then next night I'se sleep out in the field on a man's hay, where he had been cutting hay and master he get right in top of tree and began hollering at me. I never stay there that night. I'se gets gone from that place. I'se gets back to town jest as fast as there here legs would carry me, cause I jest knew master he had come back. And I knew he would kills this negro. When I'se gets back, I'se hunts ever where for master but I'se couldnt find him so is I believe I'se run off and left master out in the woods. I'se kept looking for him to come back, and whip negro, then after I'se stays around nearly week master didnt come back I'se began to ask if and when master would come back. Then the law they gets negro locks him in jail. Yessir, boss that is the only time this here negro was ever locked up by the law. They calls me up and they were several men there and they talked but I'se didnt know what they were talking about, then one of the men say to me, negro you come and go with me. Boss, that white man he took me to the woods and gives me axe. Boss, I'se cut rails until I'se nearly fall out with chain locked around my feet so is I couldn't run off. Time when he turned me loose, I'se about forgets about master coming after me, so I'se starts out again. I'se began to wonder round again. I'se jest stays a day never had a home, sometime I work for man long enought to get 50 or 60 cents then I'se start to roaming again jest like stray dog. Boss, I'se remember the KKK getting after me. I'se living in Arkansas. They come to the house where I was staying and says Frank go get that big bucket and bring me some water. I thought they wanted to water hosses but lo boss, that old leader jest turns that buckett to his lips and drank every drop of that water, and he hand me the bucket again and says Frank go get me another bucket of water. Boss, I done like he told me and he did the same. One drank every drop of that bucket plum full of water then he says to me, Frank, that sure is good water, go get me another buckett full of water. I'se kind of thirsty. Boss that one shore could drink lots of water. I'se went to the well to get that there KKK some more water but I'se gets scared of that thing cause he was going to drink the well dry and boss I'se left there I says, Captain iffen you wants some more water you half to come get it cause I'se leaving here. I left there too jest as fast as I could.Us negroes never voted unless our master made us then we have to vote like our land lord tell us. If we dont they make it so hard on the poor negro race until they couldnt live after that. They want let us vote here in the south only one time every two years. I don't think that is right, cause they make us pay taxes that white man has to pay. Boss you might say the negro have no say only in helping elect president, thank god, for this one he try to help poor negro. He gave us pension and help feed us when we couldnt get no other way. I'se worked at big saw mill and farmed all me life. After master died just here yonder and every where to get by. I never did make any money. I think we have the best bunch of young folks, they are educated and can talk with plenty sense. They teach school, preach and can do most anything. The outlook for the negro race is better than it has ever b cause you know the negro was wild until the white man made he has out of the negro. He has educated them until they a real smart.


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