Dave L. Byrd

Dave L. Byrd was a half-brother to William Byrd . His Father's name was George Byrd , Mother, Elsie Byrd . He had one brother, Jess , and half brother, William , one sister named, Tommie Vaughn . When quite small he was traded to A. J. Vaughn and went by his father's name as he owned his father when he was set free. Dave's Mother and Father told him of his grand parents in Africa. They lived in caves and were scared of the white people as they were catching all the young healthy people and bringing them over here for slaves. His Master took good care of his slaves and gave them plenty to eat. He tells of driving for his Master and he would give him a little spending money for which he would buy candy and tobacco. If his Master caught him with tobacco though, he would punish him. He also tells of breaking and riding wild horses.John Calhoun was Dave's last Master, and his Mistress was Eva Calhoun . They had 2 sons, Edell and Odell . He owned about 1000 acres and cultivated around 60 acres. He owned 30 slaves. Their house is still standing near the Calhoun Ferry which was named for his Master. Dave married Sarah Braddock the first time. They had one girl and later she and her mother ran away and he never did see them again. His second wife was Josie Young of Madison County. They had 4 girls and 3 boys. Josie died in 1913.

Dave was a half-brother to William Byrd . I was owned by my last Maser who I was traded to for land, and according to bill of sale I am 85 years old. My Father's name was George Byrd , Mother, Elsie Byrd . I had one brother name Jess , one half brother William , and one sister name Tommie Vaughn . I was traded to A. J. Vaughn when I was small but went by my father's name cause he owned father when he was free. Sis married one of Maser Vaughn's slaves before freedom when she was only 13 years old. I'se heard Father and Mother talk about my Grandparent's back there in Africa. They had caves for homes in that country. They was wild and was afraid of the white people, cause they were coming to that country catching all the young and healthy people bringing them over here to this country and putting them into slavery. I'se heard them say that back there the people never did work. They got their living by weaving baskets and chair bottoms, and gathering wild things to eat. We had a good home after we came to Texas as Maser took good care of his slaves. In our quarters our beds were built in one corner of our log room down on the ground. We cut logs or poles and lay them on the ground. Then we gathered moss and took our dry shucks from corn and lay over the poles, and we had a plum warm bed. We did farm work of all kinds such as chop cotton, corn, and plowed. I'se cut lots of rails, cause that was all the kinds of fence we had them days Yes, I drove lots for Maser. He would give me money and I would spend it for candy and tobacco, but if Maser had caught me with tobacco he would have tore me up good and plenty. We had plenty to eat, cornbread, pork and beef. Then Maser he would have big garden and grow everything that he could to eat. I'se like 'possum and tatters around it. Put him in the stove and bake that 'possum good and brown. Yes we had rabbit, deer meat and lots of fish, but Boss, I'se funny negro, I don't like fish much. Most negroes go crazy 'bout fish, but here is one negro don' like it. In them days we did not know anything about flour dough, that was for the rich, poor people couldn't eat that, no sir. In hot weather we had royal clothes, shirts made to open all the way down the front. We used thorns for pins or buttons to keep them fastened. In cold weather or in hot weather we wore wool clothes. Maser always made us a white royal shirt for Sunday for us to put on. Yes, we had what they called brogan shoes. My wedding clothes, Mister, was what they now call overalls, then I had royal white shirt with great big old handkerchief or rag tied around my neck. My last Maser was John Calhoun , and Mister, he wasn't big as a minute, but he was such a good man. Lord! Oh! my God, negroes sho' knew to hop when he spoke, but he was a real white man. As good as God ever put breath in. Then Mistress Eva , she was tall and a large women, but plum good, yes sir, just a plum good angel. They had two son's, Edell and Odell . One of them Mister, he was sure mischievous. He would tie two cat's tails together and bring them to the lot where his father was harnessing his mules and throw them on the mule. Boss, them cat's clawing and mule pitching. That mule couldn't get that cat off his back and would just lie down and roll. After that his son Edell , killed himself a man. Them was one more pair of bad boys. The house they lived in is still partly standing near the Ferry on the river. The ferry was named Calhoun Ferry for Maser. It was a big log house with 6 rooms, Maser took a bunch of slaves and cut out boards 3 feet long and covered it. It never had windows, 'cept some slide windows and had one door in each room with cow-hides stretched over them to keep out the rain and cold. Then Maser took slaves and hawled rocks and they beat up the rocks until they crushed them all to pieces, and sprinkled clean sand over them and spread this on the floor and was real dry and warm floor for winter time. There was about 1000 acres which Maser owned. He worked 60 acres and had 30 slaves. He woke us up every morning about 4:30 on days that we had to work, that was every day 'cept Sunday and Saturday evening. We would always be in the field by the time it was light enough to work and stayed until dark run us in. He always give us one hour in the middle of the day for feed time. Yes, Maser would whip the slaves if he got contrary or stubborn. I saw him whip several negroes, although he never spoke a cross word to this here negro. He would tie rope to them negroes hand, tie both hands together and pull their hands high above the head and back of them and take that cat-o-nine tails and hit that negro 25 licks for the first licks, then 50 the next time and so on. Every time he had to whip one he just increased the licks every time. No sir, Maser he never had to whip very many negroes. They knew what that whipping meant. There was not very many negroes that liked that whipping. Sometimes he would send the negroes to their quarters after working all day without anything to eat, and when they got up in the morning he would send them to the field still without anything to eat. That would hurt him worse than whipping, because all negroes like to eat plenty good things, but of course the poor negroes they don't get it just like the poor white folks. No sir, he did not exactly have a jail for the slaves, but Maser had a place built that he could lock negro in it if he wanted to. The way they did the slaves when one of them buyers wanted to buy one, Maser, would have me grease my face and hands and all parts of my body that showed so I would look fat and slick and make me trot to and fro in front of the bidders so they could look me over real good. If I did not look my best the bidders would not offer good price for me or any other negro. You know how these here cattle buyers do? All the fat cows and calves they want, but a poor long-haired cow or calf, they did not want them. That is just the way they done the slaves. Then when one of them buyers bought a slave you never did hear such bawling and hollering in your life that would take place because they did not want to leave each other as probably would not see them again. Slaves traveled like a bunch of cattle. The owners or Masers would bunch them up and start them in front of them the way they wanted them to go and their owner's or Maser's would follow in wagons or horseback. We were not allowed to go from one plantation to another without a pass. If we did the Patter Roller would get Mr. Negro, and what they did to him was plenty. The first time they would get hold of the negro it would be 39 licks. Of course, lots of the negroes would slip off and prowl around and they would never catch them. I was one of them, and like to have been caught one time, but just out run them Patter RollersNo sir, the white Maser or Mistress they say negro is not worth trying to learn how to read or write, cause they say all negroes is too thick skull and never could learn them anything. There was a church on plantation next to Maser's and he made us negroes go once a month. Mistress would read the bible to us every Sunday morning. Yes, old Brother Cullen preached over there for us, the white folks had church and had a place fixed for the slaves. He was always teaching us to tell the truth. He said Jesus was our Shepherd and that if we obeyed him we would never want, but Lord, Son, it looks like Jesus has forgot this old sinful World. Yes sir, it do. And they was always baptizing some one. I'se like that old song that goes like this - "On the Bank of The Stormy River of Jordan".

Yes sir, I'se seen few negroes what tried to run away and go to the North, but they never got very far. When some white man would stop and ask for something to eat, he would capture him and fasten him up until his Maser could come after that negro. If Maser had to go get that negro he would whip him nearly all the way back, or everytime he would get tired or holler for his Maser to stop and camp so he could rest, why that Maser would tap him up good with that cat-o-nine tails. Them negroes they were glad when they would get back home. After the war started between the States all that tried to run over to the North the white soldiers would shoot them like shooting rattle snakes. There was never a negro got away by trying to go over to the North. Then the North they would not help them if they happen to get away and get that far North.They had to have a pass before they could carry news from one plantation to another. Cause the Padder Rollers was out them nights trying to get them negroes. Generally we just fell in the door at night cause we was always so tired. Sometimes some of the negroes would just try to put on though cause they wanted to prowl at night, and if made out like they was so tired Maser he wouldn't watch him so close, and the Padder Roller they would go on and leave the negro alone.We nearly always had Saturday evening off unless Maser was in a real tight with his crop, and hardly ever was, cause all we had to fight against was weeds and bushes, no grass much to bother with. On Saturday night negro he have banjo picking, tin pan beating and negro dance. That was about all the fun the negro had them days as they would have to get together someway. We did not have any picture shows or picnics to go to. Sometime the white folks gave a picnic, and Captain you know how the negro is, he couldn't have the fun like he wanted to 'cept on Sunday. If it wasn't preaching day Maser would call us all to his back door and Mistress she would read to us out of the Bible. Then the rest of the day the negro he would just lay around and sleep, dreading the next day for it would be old blue              Monday and that meant work day. On Christmas Maser would give the negroes a great feast, cause that was celebrating day, also would give us some kind of fire works and plenty nuts and candy. Boss we didn't know anything 'bout any other holiday 'cept Sunday, and that was the greatest day of all. Mister, when a slave died Maser just dug a hole in the ground and rolled negro in that hole and covered him up. That was about all there was to a funeral among the slaves. He would let the negroes form a ring around that negro grave and we would all bow our heads whilest Maser would pray. He wouldn't make any of the negroes work on that day. I think it hurt him worse as he would be losing a valuable piece of property. Mister, there was very few games that this here negro every played, cause I was traded off when I was real small. All of my playmates were white children of my new Maser. Yes, one time I'se use to be a horse rider and Maser he had a plum good horse, I'se broke him to ride. One morning I'se put the saddle on him and that horse he just pitched right up in the fence and broke his neck plum clean. Boss, you know all the fences we had them days was log or split rails. After that horse broke his neck that broke me of wanting to ride for a long time, but finally I went back to riding and another one throwed me and knocked four teeth out of the front of my mouth. Boss, it never even hurt that tree he throwed me 'gainst. But I never did want to ride another horse.Maser took awful good care of us when we was sick. If we was real sick he would get the Dr. but most generally he had negro Mama come and doctor on us. She would go to the woods and gather all kinds of herbs and give us tea made of sasfras, cami, redoak bark and then she had another weed that she used call potato weed. It has quinine in it and most time would brake up the chills and fevers of all kinds. When kids was cutting teeth she used camphor strings tied around their neck. Boss I believes if slavery would lasted much longer the negro race would have been depopulated cause all the negro womens they had become wise to this here cotton root. They would chew that and they would not give birth to a baby. All of their Masers sho' did have to watch them, but sometimes they would slip out at night and get them a lot of cotton roots and bury them under their quarters, if they could just get enough that root to get one flower that was enough to do what they wanted it to do. They finally made a law against it here in Texas, but that never done any good. I'se remembers plenty 'cause Maser he was Government man. Over there at Crockett they give big dance and supper to tell the men and boys good-bye. About 700 went from Houston County. He traveled all over the county gathering up clothes, grub and the like to send them boys what was fighting. Maser carried me with him to do all the driving and to take care of his horses, but Captain he gave nearly as much to white womens that he found here that their men was gone to fight. They didn't have anything to eat or wear. He was in Crockett one day when he had a great load of stuff to send the soldier boys and he got news that the South had lost and the war was over. He comes back to the wagon where I was and said, "you black devil you are free, now you can do just as you please." I wanted to get down off that wagon and holler, but I was 'fraid to, cause Maser he was standing there looking at me sad like. He drove his team where everybody could see it and gave all that there stuff he had away right there. Them negroes they begins to holler, jump, etc., there on the streets, but Mister that never lasted very long 'cause here comes them there Patter Rollers and they whipped near about 100 negroes that night so that sorter quieted down them negroes 'cause they sure was 'fraid of them Patter Rollers. I'se go on home with Maser but he turns me loose in about a week. Then I go'es over to Crockett and gets a place from Mr. Will McLean and makes a crop on the halves with him for several years. All this time the South was having lots of trouble 'cause them there Federals they run lots of soldiers in here and would not let the white man of the South do anything for the negroes. Then finally them there KKK's they comes along and begin to make the negroes hunt their holes or go to work 'cause they was lots of these here negroes just went to roving around, stealing, begging, and would not work. But son, bless your soul, them KKK they straighten out these here negroes and them Federals they couldn't do anything with them KKK's at all, so they finally left the country alone and the white man of the South they begins to get the negro in hand again. Them negroes what they couldn't get to behave they just kilt him, that was all. Of course, they didn't have to kill but one or two then the negro he would see that they meant business so they begins to hunt homes and places to go to work. Then the South begins to build them schools and give jobs to all that wanted to work. Well, Mister, it looks like the Government would have done better by us than they did. They just turned us foot loose, no homes or anything. There was plenty of land here, but no they wouldn't let us have anything 'cept what our white people here in the South gave us. That was very little, no money or clothes or anything 'cept a kick if we never worked or done just like they wanted us to do. You talk about slavery, it never begin until after we was supposed to be free. We had to work farms on the halves, very little to eat, and no olothes 'cept what we begged. Then after we got a crop made it would take every bit of it to pay our debts. We had no money to have Doctor's when we got sick, and from the day we was turned loose we had to shoulder the whole load. Taxes to pay, groceries to buy and what did we get? Nothing.No sir, while I was a slave I had lots better time. Had no responsibilities to shoulder. When we got sick Maser always took good care of us. Boss, since I was freed it has been about all I could do to live. Back yonder if I wanted to vote and help regulate this here country the KKK they was there and said no. For a long time after freedom when they would let us vote, it was too late to help the old slave negro. And if he was able to get a job, wages was so small we couldn't hardly get by on them. Up until the World War the negro of the South couldn't get more than 15 or 30 cents per day for his work.Course things wasn't as high as they are now. Now I gets a small pension of $7.00 per month from the Government, but that won't buy much. It helps some, and that is about all the Southern negroes ever had given to him. That was most too late to do the old slave negro much good.This here young generation of negroes is sorry in some ways, and others they are pretty good. They have become more educated than we was and know better how to get by and make a living than we did when we was freed. I believes the negro has went pretty far since he was turned loose without anything. They can read and write, vote and hold pretty good jobs, when they will let them. Course, these here young negroes they will not tell the truth, and they will steal everything they can get their hands on. Back yonder we was taught better than that. I believes if this here Government would quit feeding so many of these young people and that times would ever get better, they would have to go back to work. Course, they has to be fed some way, but all these old farms is wore out and they can't make a living on them. The Government won't let them plant much cotton. Then they hire white folk, and they get all the crop checks. The Government pays for not planting cotton, and there is nothing left for the poor old negro. He has to get it some way, if he has to steal it 'cause this day and time most of the negroes have large families to feed and clothe.Mister, I married Sarah Braddock the first time. We just had a home wedding. We had one child, a girl, and she run off with another man. I'se never seen that child nor Sarah either cause they wentNorth. Then I married Josie Young here in Madison County. We have 4 girls 3 boys. Josie , she has went to her reward in 1913. All of the children live here close and are trying to farm 'cept 2, they works on that WPA Government work. I don' know how many grand children I got. After they passed 40 I lost count of them. I has 7 great grand children, and 1 great granchild.