Louis Cain

Louis Cain 88, was born in North Carolina, a slave of Samuel Cain ., After Louis was freed, he came to Texas, and has farmed near Madisonville over sixty years.
 

"I knows I's birthed in 1849, 'cause I had a bill of sale. It say that. My master traded me to Massa Joe Cutt for a hundred acres of land. That's in 1861, and I 'members it well. My daddy was Sam Cain , name after old Massa Cain , and mammy was Josie Jones , 'cause she owned by 'nother master. Mammy was birthed in North Carolina, but daddy allus say he come from Africy. He say they didn't work hard over there, 'cause all they et come out the jungle, and they had all the wives they wanted. That was the 'ligion over there. Our quarters was made of logs, in a long shed six rooms long, like cowsheds or chicken houses. and one door to each room. The bed was a hole dug in a corner and poles around and shucks and straw. We'd sleep warm all night long, but it wouldn't do in this country in summertime. Massa give us plenty to eat. Our cornbread was what you calls water pone bread and cooked in the ashes. We didn't have no stove. Massa was a great hunter and allus had venison and game. They was plenty fish, too. Massa Cain was purty good to his slaves and mean to them if they didn't behave. Missy was a good woman. They lived in a two-story rock house with plenty trees all 'round. We worked long as we could see, from four o'clock in the mornin', and them milked twenty cows and fed the work stock. They was fifty acres and not 'nough niggers to work it easy. If some niggers was mean they'd git it. Massa tied they hands to they feet and tied them to a tree and hit 'bout twenty-five or fifty licks with a rawhide belt. Hide and blood flew then. Next mornin' he'd turn them loose and they'd have to work all day without nothin' to eat. He had a cabin called jail for the nigger women, and chain then in with cornbread and one glass of water. One nigger run to the woods to be a jungle nigger. but massa cotched his with the dogs and took a hot iron and brands him. Then he put a bell on his, in a wooden frame what slip over the shoulders and under the arms. He made that nigger wear the bell a year and took it off on Christmas for a present to him. It sho' did make a good nigger out of him. In the summer the they had camp meetin' and baptized in the creek, white folks first while the old nigger names abouts, and then the niggers. On Saturday mornin' us man grated corn for bread the next week and the women washed massa's clothes and our'n. On Saturday night we'd have a dance all night long. and Sunday the men went to see they wives or sweethearts and us young'uns went swimmin' in the creek. Every night but Saturday we had to go to bed at nine o'clock. Massa hit the big steel piece and we knowed it was time to put out the torches and pile in. On Christmas I'd stand by the gate, to open it for the company, and they'd throw nuts and candy to me. That night all the slaves what could brung they banjoes and fiddles and played for the white frolics to dance all night. Then great old days are done gone. Mout the men be full that good, old eggnog. After war come they ain't no more dances and fun, and not mud, to eat or nothin'. Massa git kilt in a big battle and missy took four slaves and brung him home and buried him under a big shade tree in the yard. That the saddes' time I ever seen, nobody there to do anythin' but missy and neighbor women and same real young niggers like me. She was cryin' and all as slaves takin' on. It's a wonder we ever did git massa buried. We carried him on our backs to the grave. After that we had to carry missy to the mountains and hide her. 'cause everything, house and sheds and all, was burnt. and all her stock kilt by sojers and outlaws. When she come out of hidin' she didn't have a thing, not even a bed. But she was a brave woman, and said, 'Louis , we'll fix some kind of quarters for you.' She went to work to rebuild the place. She said, 'You niggers is free, but I need you and I'll pay you $2.00 a month.' She did, too. She cut some logs and builded her one room and then we all build us a room and that was the best we could do. I 'lieve the Lawd blessed that woman. After freedom, that's how I lived the first year. and she paid me every cent she promised. I stayed with her three years Then I heared of a railroad job in Texas, and married Josie Sewel in a big weddin' and we had a great time. I gits a job on that railroad for fifty cents a day and it never lasted more'n a year. so I goes to farmin'.
We had fourteen chillun, four dead now. and the rest farmin' all over Texas. I has more'n a hundred grandchillun. Josie , she done die twenty years ago. I don't know as I 'spected massa's lend to be 'vided and give us, out they was plenty of land for everybody, and missy allus treated us right. Wages was terrible small for a long time after I married and sometimes they wouldn't pay as, and we had to beg or steal. I's went a whole two days without nothin' to eat. If it hadn't been for them there Klu Klux, sometimes the niggers would have want on the warpath for starvin'. But the Klu Kluxers wouldn't let 'em roan none. If they tried they stretch them out over a log end hit then with rawhide. but never say a word. That was got the niggers  they was so silent. not a sound out of them, and the nigger he can't stand that. I gits a pension and works when I can and gits by. Some the young niggers is party sorry. they's had no much and can't 'preciate none of it. I's glad for what I can git, 'cause I 'members them old times after the war when it was worsen now.

I was born in Boiligut, North Carolina in 1849. According to bill of sale from my last Maser, Joe Fevors Cutt , I go by the name of my oldest Maser Johnson Cain . In 1861 he traded me for 100 acres of land to Joe Fevors Cutt . My father name, Sam Cain , and Mother name Josie Jones . My mother was owned by one Maser and Father another. I have one half brother, Alvin Jones , one sister, Johnnie Cain . My mother was born in North Carolina and Father was captured in Africa. I have often heard father say they did not have to work hard over in Africa, because they could gather their living out of the jungles. Each time he became more able to support another wife they would just bring her over. That is the kind of religion they had in that country, and he said he was a direct descendant of old Jobe a Prophet in the Bible. Father said he had 100 or more brothers and sisters. I married Josie Sewall and we had a big time dancing, drinking and eating at the wedding for about a week. I heard of a railroad coming through Texas and we came here and I went to work for the company for 50 cents per day. It only lasted one year and I got a farm and started farming. We had 14 children, but lost 4 when small. The children are scattered over Texas and all farming. I have over 100 grandchildren and 17 great grandchildren. Josie died about 20 years ago.

I was born in Boiligut, North Carolina in 1849. According to bill of sale from my last Maser, Joe Fevors Cutt , I go by the name of my oldest Maser Johnson Cain . He traded me to Joe Fevor Cutt for 100 acres of land in 1861. My Fathers name is Sam Cain, and Mothers name was Josie Jones . She was owned by one Maser and Father another. I had one half brother, Alvin Jones , one sister, Johnnie Cain . Father was captured in Africa, and Mother was born in North Carolina. I'se often heard Father talk about his home country. They never did have to work very hard over there cause he said they could gather all their living out of the jungles, and everytime he became more and more able to support another wife they would just bring her over. That was the kind of religion they belong to in that country. I'se heard him say he was a direct descendant of old Jobe , a Prophet in the Bible. I'se heard Father say he had 100 or more brothers and sisters.When we were kids we were separated from our brothers and sisters and we would play with the white children. Our quarters were built out of logs in a long shed like 6 rooms long, and facing the South. Boss you have seen chicken houses or cow sheds? That is the way our quarters were built with one door to the room. We built our bed in one corner of the room by first digging out a hole and took a pole and lay around that hole so when we put shucks and straw and moss in there to sleep on we would be down to the air couldn't strike us. We would sleep just as warm as could be all night long. We couldn't take here now in the summer time as it is hot as blue blazes. We did such work as plow, hoe and split rails. Then Maser he built some rock fences and we would beat up the rock for him. We cut tobacco and tied grass to the butt end and hung it up on a pole so it could dry out, then we would twist this day in and day out making cigars and this oldtime home twisted pipe and cigarette tobacco. No, we never did earn any money. Maser use to give us a nickel or dime once and awhile and we bought candy and such things as that. Yes, we always had plenty to eat in slavery time. Maser believed in having plenty to eat all the time. Our cornbread was what you calls water pone bread. We cooked it in the ashes as we had no stove to bake it in. And we had no salt or these fancy things you puts in bread today such as baking powder, etc., Maser was a great hunter, and always had plenty meat such as pork and venison. We use to cook whole hog at the time, and deer meat was on the table nearly all the time. Then we had plenty of fish too, and Boss, I'se sure do likes fish. I had rather have fish than all the other kinds of meat. Of course, negroes they all likes fish. When you sees them that don't like fish they is something wrong with that negro. Maser always had a big garden and he made the slaves work it and then he gives them what he wanted them to have. In fact we would eat just what Maser and his folks did, cause Mistress she had a negro cook and would see after what she cooked all the time. Mistress had two tables, one was where Maser and his folks would eat and the other was in a shed room where the negro slaves would eat.

 We wore royal shirts in warm weather and cold weather we wore woolen clothes. On Sunday we wore our white royal shirts opened all the way down the front, and if we would gets married we wore our white royal shirts. There was not many weddings during slavery time. About all there was to it, we asked our Maser if we could sleep with such and such a woman and that woman was supposed to be our wifes, but then still when Maser took notion to trade or sell either the woman or man then he would have to find us another husband or wife cause we were not bound in wedded life like we are now. No sir, them kind of weddings we called home weddings and would last just as long as Maser wanted them to last. If slave man and wife lived together so long and did not have a child he would separate them and put another man with her or woman with the man. No sir, I'se never did have any shoes or see any until long time after freedom. In cold weather if we had to get out we wrapped our feet in woolen rags to keep them warm. Maser was a pretty good man, he was good to his slaves and was mean to them also, if they didn't behave. Mistress was a plum good woman, she was real good to her slaves. They had one child Maser John Cain . That boy he sure was mischievous-always into something. He would even steal. I can remember one night when he made all the slaves haul all the corn and cotton seed his father had, and sell it, was about 40 loads. Then he got on a terrible drunk. He had a gallon of whiskey on each side of his horse and when he left town he stopped at every house he came to and woke the man of the house up and gave him a drink of whiskey. If he would not drink it he would cuss him out. Therefore, the next day his father had to pay 6 or 7 fines for him by cussing out these people the night before. Finally he stole a bunch of cattle and his father could not pay him out and they sent him over the road for about 2 years. When he got out he just completely disappeared and his people never did know what become of him as he never did come home. The house they lived in was a two-story house built of rock and they were sawed like brick. It had 4 rooms downstairs and 2 upstairs. They had plenty of shade trees all around the house.

No sir, we did not have an overse'er. Maser he done all the work himself with the help of the slaves. He had about 50 acres in his plantation and 12 slaves, besides 3 little negroes. Every work morning he would wake us about 4 o'clock so we could tend to the stock and be in the field by the time we could see how to work. People now don't work like they did in them days. We worked just as long as we could see, then we come in and have 15 or 20 cows to feed and milk that night and 20 to 30 head of work stock to feed. By the time we would get in bed at night it would be about 9 or 10 o'clock. We didn't get very much rest or sleep. Yes, we very often got whipped or had to do without anything to eat. I'se seen Maser tie them slaves hands to their feet and tie them to a tree and hit them about 25 or 50 licks with a rawhide belt. Everytime he hit that negro, hide and blood both would just fly. Then I'se seen him tie their feet to their hands and tie them to a tree and leave them all night cause they would be stubborn. Next morning he would turn them loose and make them work without anything to eat all that day. They would be so tired and hungry when he turned them loose. He had what he called jail for the negro women and girl slaves. Of course he would whip them too, but be would have better luck by chaining and locking them in jail with nothing to eat but cornbread and one glass of water 3 times a day. Maser was pretty rough with some of his slaves. Once he had a slave that tried to run away from him and go to the woods. He was going to be a jungle negro, but Maser found him with some dogs he had. When he brought that negro home he took a hot iron and branded that negro; after he branded him he made a bell and put on him. It was made in a wooden frame so it would slip down over his shoulders and under his arm so it would not come off. The bell was high enough above his head so he could not reach it, and keep it from clapping when he moved. You know Mister, Maser made that negro wear that bell almost a year, finally he took it off one Christmas Day as a present to him. It sure did make a good negro out of him. He never did give Maser anymore trouble, no sir, as long as he was a slave. Yes I have seen slaves sold and auctioned off. I was traded for land myself. Maser would make us clean ourselves up real good and grease our faces. Then we would trot back and forth in front of our Maser to be turned round and round so he could look us over real good, whoever wanted us, then when we was sold of all the howling and bawling and taking on they would do it. Most of the ones sold or traded for would be young and would never expect to see their people again. Lots of times they would take them plum out of the State and they couldn't get back to see their Father or Mother anymore. When Maser traded me for that land my new Maser took me to the far side of the State, but it was not long after Maser traded me until we was set free. Then when I was free I walked back to my former Maser.

No sir, the white folks they didn't learn us how to read or write. Maser had a church on his plantation but Maser never bothered himself with church. Mistress did, she was real religious woman, and we went to church once a month during time there was not a camp meeting going on there in North Carolina. Old Samuel he taught us about the good book and that Babe that was born in the horse trough. No sir, the slaves never read the Bible cause they could not read, but Mistress read to us, always teaching us to tell the truth. In the summer time when we was not rushed with the farm work they had what they called days of camp meeting, and when it was over they went to the creek and baptized the white folks first, while the old negro mama's were shouting, and then next they baptized the negroes. When they finished the white preacher he always had 3 or 4 couples of white folks he would marry and everybody went home happy. The young couples would be given one negro slave man and woman for wedding present. That night they would have big wedding supper and all them couples would be together and dance to the music of the bango. You know them single boys would take that new bride away from her husband and not let him have her at all that night-not even let him dance with his wife. If they tried, they would ride him on a rail. We had to have a pass if we went from one plantation to another. Our Maser would give it to us if he wanted us to have it. If we did not have a pass them Patter Rollers would get that negro, and Lord! what they would do was plenty. They would give them 39 licks with a rawhide and believe me we was tore up good. I'se slipped off and them Patter Rollers failed to catch me, but they would catch lots of negroes slipping off. At night we generally fell in at our quarters as we would be so tired we could hardly move until next morning. Every Saturday morning the men slaves grated corn for our bread the next week and our women slaves washed Maser's clothes and ours too so'es we would have clean clothes the next week. On Saturday evening we would be off until Monday morning. Every Saturday night we would have negro dance with that bango picking and tin pan beating. We danced all night long and sure did have a good time. The old negroes would go to see their wives or sweethearts and the young slaves would go swimming in the swimming hole or play with the white children. On Sunday evening they would come in early and set around that night and talk about what good times they had this week end. Maser he made them put out the light and go to bed at 9 o'clock. He would walk to his back door and hit a piece of steel and every negro would scamper off to bed and get quiet cause he knew the next day was work day. On Christmas Day the slaves would all be expecting some sort of present from Maser. The negro slaves would barbecue meat to serve for dinner and the women slaves would help Mistress cook for that great day dinner. The younger slaves would be at their Masers front gate opening and closing the gate for the young white couples to pass receiving nuts and candy throwed there, and also taking care of the young folks horses. The young slave girls would open and close the doors and take the white couples coats and wraps on that great day. That night all the slaves that was large enough would gather all the bangos and tin pans they could find and make merry music for the white folks to dance all night. Some would get married in the midst of all that dancing, just stop the music long enough for them to get married. I'se seen them young lovers steal a kiss, the girl would think she was slighted if her lover didn't kiss her there before everyone. Them great old days are gone, but not forgotten, and never to be anymore. They will live in memory as long as any of them old people live. Most of the men they would be full of that good old egg-nog. The negroes were turned loose all that week to go anywhere and do as they pleased. But when Christmas was over it was work, work again. On New Year's Day every negro and white people too, would all make some kind of resoultion about what they was going to do that year. And in them days all people was full of superstitions. If we cut wood that day, we would cut wood all that year, or if we were good and Maser good to us that day he would be good all that year-that is what we thought anyway. No black cat crossed our path or trail that day either.

 During slavery I never did see anyone die except Maser. He was killed during the war in a great battle there in his home town. His wife, and our Mistress, she took 3 or 4 slaves and went to that battle field and brought Maser home and buried him under a big shade tree in her yard. Boss, that was the saddest times I'se ever seen, nobody there to do anything except Mistress and some of her neighbor women, and some of the younger slaves like myself that was not old enough to go to war. She was crying and all the slaves taking on. It was a wonder we ever got Maser buried. We did not have a preacher. We carried Maser 10 or 12 miles on our backs taking it time about in carrying him. When we got sick we had the best of care. Maser looked after us real good. He had an old negro mama on the plantation, about all she done was piddle around and gather herbs such as cami, sasafras root, redoak bark and make tea out of that for the prevention of getting sick. She would take peach tree leaves and boil them together and make tea. That was terrible, but she would give it to us as often as she thought we needed it to keep off the malaria, chills and fever. About all the sickness we had in them days was fever cramp, colic, and if we got real sick old black mama would doctor us all she knew how and if she couldn't help us Maser would have the white Doctor with us. He could not afford to let us die, as we were too valuable to him, but now if negro dies they just get another one. The white people tells you that now, if a mule dies-get another one.  Boss that war was terrible, nearly 2,000 men went to the war from that county. And after maser got killed we had to carry mistress to the mountains and hide her, everything she had was burned, all her stock was killed by them soilders and outlaws. Them outlaws was worse than the soilders because they was not any law to make them be have their selves. They had nearly stole everything mistress had before she went to the mountains. When she came out of hiding she didn't have anything left, and you could hear them cannons and big guns popping from our home. The negroes could hardly stay there, they sounded just they was coming our way all the time.
 
When the war was over mistress said, "Louis we will fix some kind of temporary quarters for you, we will have to rebuild everything." Son, that was one of the bravest white woman I ever saw. She took a mans place and went to work to restore her place back to where she could live. She said of course, you negroes are free but I need some hands and I will pay you $2.00 per month, and she did too Mister. Just as regular as it came due she payed us. She cut some logs and build her one room and then build us a room about 100 yards from hers' and there she lived until she could do better, and I believed the Lord blessed that woman because she never did have any trouble. She could have married again, but she did not. After freedom that was how I lived the first year, working for mistress and she paid us every cent she owed us. I worked for mistress about 3 years, then I married Josie Sewel in a big wedding. We had great big time, about week of dancing and drinking and plenty to eat. We went to town and the white preacher married us. And I'se hear of railroad job that was coming to Texas, so we comes to Texas and I'se gets a job on that railroad which paid 50 cents a day. It never lasted more than a year, so I'se hunts me a far job.We have 14 children, 4 dead though, and the rest are scattered around over Texas farming. I'se has over 100 grand-children. Josie she left me about 20 years ago and we buried her in San Jacinto County where I was living at that time. Yes sir, the government ought not to have treated us that way like they did. I don't knows as I exactly expected our maser's land to be divided and give us, but at that time they was plenty of land here for everybody. It looks like they could have give us enough land to make living on and let us have some money to build us a house and get us some mules to work the land. Instead of that, they turned us out and turned us loose just like a stray bunch of cattle to starve. That is what we came very near doing. We never got nothing but a kick and cursing if we didn't do just like the white man told us to do. No sir, our masers or mistress never gave us anything, all we got we had to work hard for it, and then lots times we got beat out what we had worked for. Not, we was not forced to stay on as servants only one way, we had to stay and work for what our maser or mistress wanted to give us or starve.  After the war I done what I could get to do, but that was mostly farm work helping to rebuild our county after the war. Our wages was terribly small, just barely enough to get by on. Then when our white people failed to pay us we had to beg or steal. Sometimes I'se went a whole day and half without a bite to eat, and this here time after the war between the States had been hell on the poor negro race. They have had to do just as the white man told them or make them do and still is that way yet, because the negro is classed below the white people. If white man don't treat him fair and square the negro cannot say anything, if he does they white people will hang him, so there you are son.

Yes Son, if it had not been for them there ghost or what they call the Klu Klux Klan the negro would have gone on the war path, several times since the negro has been freed, but you know the negro is superstitious and they have always been afraid of them white sheets cause they look too much like dead people. They have influenced the negro more than anything in his life and ways here in his new country. Them Klu Klux Klan would not let the negro roam from plantation to plantation. If they tried these things they would take the negro out and stretch him over a log, hit him about 50 to 100 licks with rawhide, then tar and feather him, yes and they would do all this and we would never hear them speak a word. That was the thing that got the negroes because they were so silent, never a sound out of them, and the negro he cannot stand that. No sir, I'se never voted here in the south, not yet. They discriminate too much now against the negro. I'se do believe they ought to be allowed more priviledges in voting because the negro he has become more and more educated and he has the same load on his shoulders that the white man has. He pays taxes and every responsibility that comes the way of the white. There was about as many negro boys as white boys went to the world war and was fighting for his country, and now they will not allow us to vote only in fall election.   We don't have any say in electing our county officals whatsoever, and that is the reason most negroes vote a republican ticket when he does vote here in Texas. There will come a time in Texas, the negroes will have a friend in office and allow them his rights. All this time since he have been free we have'nt done anything much but farm, of course we have tried to improve the negro race. We have had a hard struggle ever since we was free to find clothes and support our families, without any help from the government, when we was turned loose like a bunch of stray dogs. I am now getting a small pension from the government and that helps us some, but still we can't get by without some other work. I think these her young negroes are pretty sorry, they will not tell the truth or work. This here government feeding them has ruined lots of negroes. Right after the civil war we had lots harder time and the government did not feed us. These her young negroes they just didn't have the stuff in them that they old slave fore-father and mothers had, you put them through what we went through and it would kill every last one of them. Still I'se believes if times would get better they would do some better. The white people will never be able to control them like they did us, and I feels sorry for this race of negroes that we have now. Of course they have become better educated, some of them have got to where they can hold pretty good jobs when they will work and they have learned better about the ways of the world than we ever knew. But still that do not excuse them for being sorry. When all the slaves pass out these young bucks will be sorry sure enough then.