Fannie Brown

Fannie Brown , aged Negro of Waco, Texas, does not knew her age. She was born near Richmond. Virginia, a slave of the Koonce family. They sold her to Mrs. Margaret Taylor , of Belton, Texas, when Fannie was only five years old, and she never saw her mother again., Fannie "I was borned near Richmond, over in Virginy, but Massa Koonce sold me. When I was five year old he brung me to Belton and sold me to Missy Margaret Taylor , and she kep' me till she died. I was growed dem and sold to Massa Jim Fletcher and dere I stayed till I was freed. "Dere no spring near Massa Fletcher's place and us have to git water out de well, what dey call de sweep well. Dey cut down a young saplin' and weight it on one end with rocks and tie de bucket on a rope on de other end and brace de pole over de well"While de big house bein' built dey slep' in a big wagon and cook over a fireplace make out of rock what us niggers pick up in de woods. Us cook lots of good eatin' out on dat fireplace. dem wild turkeys and wild meat sho' tasted good. "Massa trades ten yards of red calico and two hatchets to de Indians for some skins and take de skins to Austin and traced dam for de spinnin' wheel and loom, and hauls dem to Belton in de ox carts. "My missy larnt me to spin and weave and did dis child git many a whippin' 'fore I could do it good. Den she larnt me to cook and start me cookin' two or three days 'fore company come. Dat when us have de good old pound cake. De li'l chillen stand round when I bake, so as to git to lick de spoons and pans, and how dey pop dere lips when dey lickin' dat good dough "Massa have garden seed he brung to Texas, but he didn't think it would grow, so he kep' it several months, but den he plants it and up it come. jus' like in de old states. Us used dem tomatoes for flowers, 'cause us thunk dem pretty red things would kill us or put de spell on us. But de white folks et dem and us larn to.  "I was growed and have chillen 'fore de freedom war. I never did have no special husban' 'fore de war. I marries after de war.  "My, how dem niggers could play de fiddle back in de good old days. On de moonlight nights, us dance by de light of de moon under a big oak tree, till most time to go to work next mornin'.  "De fus' barb wire us ever seen, us scairt of it. Us thunk lightnin' be sho' to strike it. It sho' keep de stock in, though. "I seed men ridin' hosses with dead men tied 'cross dey hoss, endurin' de freedom war. But I can't tell much 'bout dat war. 'Course I couldn't read and I never git any place 'cept home at my work. I love dem days better dan I do dese times now, but I'm too old to 'member much.

"I was born near Richmond, Virginia out on a fa'am. I was sol' from my mudder w'en I was 'bout five years ole, as near as I kin 'member w'at my marster tole me. My marster was name Marse Koonce an' he bringed me to Belton, Texas an' sole me to Missus Margaret Taylor an' she kep' me 'till she died. I was gro'n den an' den I was sole to Marster Jim Fletcher an dere I staid 'till I was freed. Hab seen men ridin' on horses wid dead men tied 'cross dere horse endurin' de war; but I cayn't tell very much 'bout what was goin' on durin' de war, 'cause I couldn't read, an' I nebber got eny place 'cept home at my work. I'd be glad to tell enythin' I could 'member fer I lob dose days better dan I do de times now. I wish I could come to de office an' talk 'bout de ole times but I'ze too ole to walk now. I was owned by good marsters an' did my work good "Dere was no spring near our plantation, so us had to git water outen ob de well; it was what dey called a sweep well. Dey cut down a young saplin' an' weighted it on one end wid rocks an' tied a bucket on a rope on de odder end an' braced de pole over de well so dey could work it. Dey put de en' wid de bucket on it down in de well an' den de end wid de rock would pull up de bucket full ob water; an' dey would swing it 'roun to pour in de bucket fer de house an dat was why dey call it a sweep well, 'cause dey would sweep de pole 'roun from ober de well to pour de water outen de well-bucket.  "While de big house was bein' built, dey slep' in a big kunesogy (Cunestoga) wagin an' cooked ober a fire place made out ob rock what us niggers picked up in de woods. Dis fire-place was built under a tree to keep off de rain an' de sun. We cooked lots ob good eatin' out on dose fire-places. Dere was wild turkeys an' some odder wild meat, an' berries an sech.  "Our marster traded ten yards of red kaliker an' two hatchets to de Indians fer some skins, an' den he took de skins to Austin an' traded dem fer a spinnin' wheel an' loom an' hauled dem back from Austin in de ox waggins to Belton. "My how dem niggers could play a fiddle back in de good ole days. On de moon-light nights, us uset to dance by de light ob de moon under a big oak tree 'till mos' time to go to work de nex' mornin'. One time de bes' fiddler in de country was playin' fer us to dance, an' he broke a string. It was too fur to go to Austin to git anodder, so he jus' played on widout de string what broke an' de tune sounded more like a squeech owl dan eny thing, but us danced jus de same.  "My fav'rite song is "Glory Hallelyjah! I'm Going Home To-Morrow." I sho is pow'ful fond ob pound cake, de kin' w'en you take a pound ob eberything an' make de cake---an' a whole dozen eggs too. Us didn' git much ob dat 'fore Freedom less'n us wiz a cook, but it sho was good w'en us did git it. I loke good fat, baked possum an sweet 'taters, 'specially w'en de cole weader is here.  "My mistis learned me to spin an' weave an' dis chile got meny un whuppen befo' I got to whar I could do it good, but it warn't long 'till she was makin' a show ob my work an' braggin' 'bout what a good job I could do; I knowed I had to do it or git whupped. I allus got whupped 'cause I couldn't handle de distaff. My mistis allus thought I was 'bout de bes' cook in de country. She allus had me start cookin' two or three days befo' she was goin' to hab big company an' dat is w'en we had de good ole poun' cake. De little chillun would stan' 'roun' w'en I was bakin' so as to git to lick de spoons an' pans. My, how dey would pop dere lips w'en dey was lickin' dat good dough. "I was grown an' had chillun befo' de Freedom War. I nebber did hab no special husban' befo' de war. I married atter de war. "Dem days dey didn' hab no horses 'cept w'en dey broke a wild Texas mustang; dey was good workers atter dey was broke but what a time de men folks had to git dem outlaws broke. Dey would pitch an' buck an' run all ober de country befo' a man could catch one ob dem. "W'en we come to dis country, us brought garden seed wid us, but us didn't think dey would gro, so us kep' dem several months befo' we planted dem; but dey come up an' growed jes like dey did back in de ole states. Us uset tomatos fer flowers; us thought dem pretty red things would kill us or put a spell on us sho as we et dem. But de w'ite folks et dem, so us 'cided to try dem too, effen dey didn' make dem sick dey would not hurt us. "I allus had to milk de cows, an' dere was one ole mulie cow dat could shore butt you down. W'en I would go in de cow-lot atter dark, I guess dat ole hellion could smell me, or else she had powerful good eyes 'cause she could allus fin' me an butt me down. Som'times I would hab de bucket full ob milk an' I would spill it all, an' den you know what happen'd w'en I got to de big house. Dey would whup me 'cause dere wuzn't no milk. "W'en I was a girl my arms wus not strong. I don' guess 'cause I would allus drop de skillet ob biscuits. Us cooked in a big ole heavy iron skillit wid a hevy cover on top ob it an' w'en I would go to take it out ob de fire-place, I could not lift it, an' mos' ob de time, I would drop it in de fire. Atter I got whupped so meny times, fer dat, I got off an' thinks to myself how can I do dat an' not drap dem biscuits. So, I gits a wire an' puts it in de loop or hole in de handle ob de skillit an' pull dat skillit out ob de fire an' den I could pick it up an' not drop dem. "De fus' barbed wire us ebber seen us was skairt ob it, 'cause us thought lightnin' would be sho to strike it. It was after Freedom, an' us had rented a fa'am from a w'ite man an' he put dat ar stuff 'roun' de whole fa'am. But one thing, it sho did keep de stock in.