Ellen Butler

Ellen Butler was born a slave to Richmond Butler, near Whiska Chitte, in the northern part of Calacasieu Parish (now a part of Beau Regard Parish), in Louisiana. Ellen is about 78 years old. She now lives in Beaumont, Texas.

"My old massa was name Richmond Butler and he used to have a big plantation over on Whiska Chitte, in Louisiana, and that's where I was born. They used to call the place Bagdad. I was his slave till I six year old and then freedom come. "I don't 'member my daddy, but my mammy was name Dicey Ann Butler . I have seven sister and three brudder, and they was Anderson and Charlie and Willie , and the girls was Laura and Rosa and Rachel and Tannie and Adeline and Bettie and Norse . "Us used to live in a li'l log house with one room. The floor was dirt and the house was make jus' like they used to make 'tater house. They was a little window in the back. When I was a baby they wrap me up in cotton and put me in a coffee pot  that how li'l I was. But I grown to be more sizable. "The plantation were a good, big place and they have 'bout 200 head of niggers. When I gets big enough they start me to totin' water to the field. I gits the water out the spring and totes it in gourds. They put the gourds so that a strip was left round and cross the top and that the handle. They was about a foot 'cross and a foot deep. Us used to have one good hoard us kep' lard in and li'l gourds to drink out of. "Massa never 'lowed us slaves go to church but they have big holes in the fields they gits down in and prays. They done that way 'cause the white folks didn't want them to pray. They used to pray for freedom. "When the white folks go off they writes on the meal and flour with they fingers. That the way they know if us steal meal. Sometime they take a stick and write in front of the door so if anybody go out they step on that writin' and the massa know. That the way us larn how to write. "Old massa didn't give 'em much to eat. When they comes in out of the field they goes work for other folks for something to eat They jus' have a old frame with planks to sleep on and no mattress or nothin'. In winter they have to keep the fire goin' all night to keep from freezin'. They put a old quilt down on the floor for the li'l folks. They have a li'l trough us used to eat out of with a li'l wooden paddle. Us didn't know nothin' 'bout knives and forks. "I never did git nothin' much to eat. My sister she de cook and sometime when the white folks gone us go up to the big house and she give us somethin'. But she make us wash the mouth after us finish eatin', so they won't be no crumbs in our mouth. "Massa used to beat 'em all the time. My brudder tell old massa sometime he git hongry and gwine have to come ask de niggers for somethin' to eat. He say he never do that, but he did, 'cause after freedom he go to West Texas and some niggers with him and he los' everything and, sho' 'nough, old massa have to go to my brudder and ask him for food and a shelter to sleep under. Then he say if he had it to do over, he wouldn't treat the hands so bad.One time my brudder slip off de plantation and they almost beat him to death. He told 'em he had to de somethin' to git somethin' to eat. They used to put 'em 'acres a log or barrel to beat 'em. My mammy had a strop 'bout eight inch wide they weed to beat 'em with.Most clothes what we git is from the Iles, what was rich folks and lives close by. They folks lives in DeRidder, in Louisiana, I bears. They treated the slaves like white folks.On Christmas tire they give us a meal. I 'member that. I don't 'member no other holidays.When us git sick us go to the woods and git herbs androots and make ton and medicine. We used to git Blackhew root and cherry bark and dogwood and chinquin bark, what make good tonic. Black snakeroot and swamproot make goodmedicine, too. My mammy told us we was free and we starts right off and walks to Sugartown, 'bout 8 mile away. I 'member my brudder wades 'cross a pool totin' me."I used to muss Dr. Frasier . He used to be the high sheriff in DeBidder. Seated on a box in the Nancy Tevis Market in Beaumont, busily engaged in shelling beans,  Ellen Butler told the interesting story of days long past. Her head was enclosed in a turban of white cloth, her plump form clothed in blue print calico. A kindly face seems naturally inclined to smile pleasantly. She was reared near Whiska Chitto in the northern part of old Calcasieu (now a part of Beauregard) parish, Louisiana. Her marster was Richmond Butler , and a nearby plantation was owned by the Iles family, now prominent in DeRidder, Louisiana.

My ol' marster was name' Richmond Butler . He uster hab a big plantation over on Whiskey Chitto in Louisiana and dats w'er I was bo'n. Dey uster call de place Bagdad. I was his slave 'til I was six year' ol' and den freedom come. I don' 'member my daddy but my mammy was name' Dicey Ann Butler . Lemme see w'er my mammy come from. I heerd her say but I forgit. "I don' 'member ol' mistis' name. She hab a boy name' Johnnie and a gal name' Nora , and dey name' wonner (one of) my mammy' chillen atter dat Nora . I hab seben sister' and t'ree brudder'. Dey was Laura , and Rosa and Rachel and Fannie dat fo' (four) and den dey was t'ree mo' gal, Ad'line , and Sottie and dat Nora . De boys was Anderson and Charlie and Willie . "Us uster lib in a li'l log house wid jis' one room. De flo' was dut (dirt). De house was mek jes like dey uster mek 'tater house. I b'leebe dey was a li'l winder in de back of de house 'bout like dat one yonder (small window about 18 inches square). W'en I was a baby dey wrop me up in cotton and put me in a coffee pot. Dat how li'l I was. But I uster be mo' sizable dan I is now. "I dunno how big de plantation was but it was a good big place. Dey hab 'bout 200 head of niggers on de place. W'en I start' to git some size on me dey start' me to totin' water to de fiel'. Dey git de water outen de spring and tote it in go'ds (gourds). Dey cut de go'ds so dat dey lef' a strip 'roun' 'cross de top and dat were de handle. Dey didn' had no buckets. De go'ds was 'bout like dat basket dere (diameter 15 inches, and about 12 inches deep). Us uster hab one go'd bucket us kep' lard in. Dey had li'l go'ds w'at dey drink outen.' "Marster nebber 'low he slaves go to chu'ch. Dey hab big holes out in de fiel's dey git down in and pray. Dey done dat way 'cuase de w'ite folks didn' want 'em to pray. Dey uster pray for freedom. I dunno how dey l'arn to pray 'cause dey warn't no preachers come 'roun' to teach 'em. I reckon de Lawd jis' mek 'em know how to pray."W'en de w'ite folks go off dey write on de meal and flour wid dey fingers. Dat de way dey know if us steal de meal. Sometime' dey tek a stick and write in front of de do' (door) so if anybudy go out dey step on de writin' and de marster know. Dat de way us l'arn how to write. De chillen up at de big house teach Nora how to write too and she tell us. "Ol' marster didn' give 'em nuffin' to eat. W'en dey come in outen de fiel' dey go wuk for other folks for sumpin' to eat. Sometime' dey give 'em chickens and t'ings and dey hide 'em in a box under de bed. If dey ain't hide 'em somebudy else come 'long and steal 'em. "Dey jis' hab a ol' frame wid planks to sleep on. Dey didn' had no mattress nor nuffin'. In de winter time dey hatter keep de fire goin' all night to keep from freezin'. I 'member dey uster git up in de night and put mo' wood on de fire. Dey put a ol' quilt down on de flo' for de li'l folks. De chim'ly was li'l. Sometimes' w'en dey cut de wood dey hatter tek it out and cut it 'gin so it li'l 'nuff to go in de fireplace. Dey had a li'l trough us uster eat outen. Us eat wid li'l ol' wooden paddle. Us didn' know nuffin' 'bout knives and forks.I was too li'l to do anyt'ing but tote water and wood. Dey uster try to teach me to weave and spin, but I too li'l. But I l'arn how atter freedom come. Back in slav'ry time' though, de ol'er ones mek money by wukkin' at night."I nebber git nuffin' much to eat. My sister she de cook and sometime' w'en de ol' folks gone off us go up to de big house and she give us sumpin' to eat. But she mek us wash us mouf (mouth) atter us finish eatin' so dey won't be no crum's in our mouf."Dey give us de ol' clo's atter de w'ite folks done wo' 'em out. Us hatter wuk for other people to git clo's to wear. Dey didn' issher (issue) us out no rations."Marster uster beat 'em all de time. My brudder tell de ol' marster one time he gwine hatter come to him for sumpin' to eat. He say no he nebber do dat, but he did. Atter freedom he go to Wes' Texas and got some of de niggers to go wid him. He los' eb'ryt'ing he hab out dere and sho' 'nuff he had to go to my brudder and ax him for sumpin' to eat and a shelter to sleep under. He say if he had it all to go over wid, he wouldn' treat he han's so bad. "Us uster hatter scratch peanuts wid a stick, but dey didn' call 'em peanuts, dey call' 'em goober'."Dey was two overseers. One of 'em was pretty good but de other was rough. Sometime' he mek a 'roun' of de fiel'. De niggers hatter cover dey prayer holes wid bresh den, so he wouldn't fin' 'em. "Us uster mek pen' to ketch tukkey in. Dey uster bait 'em wid peas and co'n. De tukkey dey go in but dey ain't got sense 'nuff to come out same way dey go in. Den us go ketch 'em and sell 'em. Us cover de pen wid bresh."Marster lib in a great big house. I t'ink it was mek outen plank. It moughter been log though. Dey didn't 'low us in it but sometime' w'en dey go out us go up to see sister and git li'l sumpin' to eat. Dey went off mos' eb'ry Sunday. I dunno wedder dey go to chu'ch or no. "Sometime' us cook bamboo berries for peas. One time my brudder slip off. Somebudy tol' on 'em and dey like to beat 'em to deat'. He tol' 'em he had to do sumpin' to git sumpin' to eat. Dey allus beat 'em iffen dey slip off. Dey uster put 'em 'cross a log or a bar'l to beat 'em. I nebber hear of puttin' 'em in jail. Mammy say dey uster tie dey han's behin' 'em sometime'. My mammy had a strop 'bout eight inch' wide w'at dey uster beat 'em wid. Mos' clo's w'at we git, we git from de Iles. Dey was rich w'ite folks and dey lib close by. Dey treat' dere slaves like w'ite folks. I 'member my mammy tellin' 'bout savin' chillen from drownin' w'en dey sen' boatloads of slaves 'cross de Mississippi River. She say dey go 'long 'side de big boat in a li'l boat and pick up any dat fall overboard.Sometime' dey uster give de han's Sadday atternoon and Sunday off.My ol'es' sister was Nora . She l'arn't de mos' she could in de big house. One time she and mammy was wukkin in de fiel'. She warn't doin' it jis' right and mammy pick' up a ear of co'n and trowed it at her and hit her on de knee. Dat cripple' her and she nebber could walk right atter dat." "On Crissmus time dey uster give us a big dinner. I 'member us hab chicken den. I don' 'member no other hol'days. I uster jis play 'roun' de yard under a big mulberry tree.I didn' know nuffin' 'bout ha'nts in slav'ry time, but I see some atter freedom. I see 'em two or t'ree time' in DeRidder. One time us gwine from chu'ch up on de h'ights. Dey was two peoplea-follerin' us. We t'ink dey was people. Dey foller us to Pine Street den all a sudden us ain't see 'em. Dey muster been ha'nts."Den one time I was pickin' berry on Bundy (Bundick) Creek and seen a li'l gal stan'in' on a san' bank in de creek. Dat was in de day time. Us watch her a long time den all a sudden she go down in de san' bank. She jis' vanish 'way. Dat was way a chile git drown' in Bundy."W'en de slaves git sick dey uster go to de woods and git 'erbs and roots and mek tea and med'cin'. Dey uster git blackhaw root and cherry bark, and dogwood and chinquapin bark.Chinquapin bark mek good tonic. Black snakeroot and swamproot mek good med'cin'. Dey uster sell snakeroot for tonic."I didn' see no sojers nor no fightin'. Dey uster be a place dey said dey uster fight. It was mek outen dirt and was all growed up wid grass and weeds. Us uster play 'roun' dere. I seen lotser people. I guess dey was sojers. I dunno wedder dey hab guns or not."My mammy tol'me w'en us free. We start' right off and walk to Sugartown. Dat 'bout eight mile' 'way. I 'member my brudder wade 'cross a pon'. He was totin' me. De res' cross' de pon' on a log. "I uster nuss (nurse) Dr. Frazier . He uster be de high sheriff in De Ridder." I seen 'em hang a man one time and he live' to tell 'bout it. Dat was in Lake Charles and atter freedom come. Dey hab him stan'in' dere wid de rope 'roun' he neck. Dey ax him w'at he want 'em to tell he ma and he tell 'em. Den a man come up and say, 'dat ain't de man dat done de t'ing,' he de man.' But de sheriff say he gwine hang 'im anyhow, and he knock' de trap out. Dey done dat to scare 'im. I go to meetin' wid my sister in Lake Charles. She say to me, 'You 'member dat man you see git hang' dat time?' I say, 'Yes.' She say, 'I p'int 'im out to you.' 'Dere he is,' and sho' 'nuff dat was him."