Simpson Campbell

Simpson Campbell , a native Negro of Harrison County, was born January 1860, as a slave of W. L. Sloan . Simp's parents remained with the Sloans until 1906, however, he left them in 1883, married and entered public work in Marshall. Simp has always earned a livelihood as a day laborer on public work. He married when he was 23 and reared four children, all of whom are now living in Harrison County. Simp and his wife now live in Gregg Addition in northwest Marshall and he is employed as a porter of a loan and investment company. My name is Simpson Campbell , but all the white fo'ks and darkies too calls me 'Simp '. I was bo'n right here in Harrison County in January 1860 on Bill Sloan's place, nine miles northwest of Marshall. I got in on the last five years of slavery.

My father was Lewis Campbell . He was sold by the Campbells of Flordia to W. L. Sloan and fotched (brought) to Texas. He kept the name of Campbell for his fo'ks old Master. My mother was named Mariah . The Sloans bought her out of South Carolina. I never seed any of my grandparents. I 'members my father saying they stayed in Flordia with the Campbells when he come to Texas. My mother raised a pacel of chil'ren. Besides me there was Flint , Albert , and Clinton of the boys, and  let me count  Dinah , Clandy , Mary , Lula , Liza , Hannah , Matilda and Millie of the girls. My Mistress was named Bessie . She was a Taylor 'fore she married. In her family there was two boys and two girls: Willie , Shady , Anna and Bessie . The Sloans lived in a big log house, but it warn't no shanty. They was fixed 'bout as good as anybody in the country, and driv' (drove) as good hosses and rigs as anybody. There warn't a mean streak in the whole Sloan family. The slave qua'ters sot (set) in rows rit (right) down in the field from Master's house. They had beds made to the wall. All the cooking was done on the fire place. We raised all our meat, corn, and rice and garden truck rit there on the place. Master bought his wheat and other rations from Shreveport. The wimmen spun all the cloth and made all our clothes. My daddy was the shoe maker. They killed cattle and tanned the hides and he made all the shoes by hand. The beef was dryed and 'jetted' (smoked) and hung in the smoke house. Fo'ks warn't smart enuff to can beef them days. I'se heard my daddy say there was plenty of deer and bear round here when he come to Texas. Sloan's place was on Little Cypress and that was one of the main fishing places in the county when I was a boy. W. L. Sloan's place civered (covered) 'bout a thousand acres and he owned 'bout 150 head of slaves. The overseer was named Johnson and there was a "Nigger-Driver". The Sloan darkies was treated well. The overseer had orders to have them whipped for fighting 'mong one another. The "Driver" done all the whipping, but the overseer was standing rit there to see that he didn't hit more licks than what he was told. If the overseer said, "Give him ten licks", and the "Driver" hit him more than that he was let out of authority and sold off the place. The hands woke up at four o'clock and worked till six. At night each one done his task, then they sot (set) round the qua'ters and talked till 9 o'clock, then they had to go to bed. On Saturday night you'd hear them fiddles, banjoes and guitars playing and the darkies singing. All the music gadgets was homemade. The banjoes was made of round pieces of wood, civered (covered) with sheep skin and strung with cat-gut strings. One of the oldest fiddlers of slavery time teached my brother Flint to play the fiddle. The only ring play I 'members is: Ellen yards, seven stars Dolls going to fall Ellen yards, seven stars

The "Pattyrollers" come round the parties looking for strays, but they had to slip on our place cause W. L. Sloan didn't low them. He say he was "Pattyroller" enuff 'mong his Negroes. There warn't no school on our place, but Master Bill teached certain of his darkies to read and write and figure so he could use them booking cotton in the field and sich like. There was a church on the Sloan place. White preachers done most of the 'zorting, but they had colored preachers too. I'se heard my mother say that in slavery time the colored preachers had to preach what they was told to preach , obey your Master and Mistress, but don't pay no attention to obedience to Christ. The Sloan darkies was 'lowed to have prayer meetings and sing anywhere on the place. My favorite church song is one they sung in slavery time. "Little Chil'ren, I am going home Going away to another brighter world Little Chil'ren, I am going home I have fought the battle and won the crown Little Chil'ren, I am going home."

I 'members 'bout the close of the war. They fought the last battle at Mansfield and I seed the Yankee" soldiers and wagons come through Marshall returning home. W. L. Sloan sot his darkies free rit after surrender, but my fo'ks stayed on with him until he died in 1906. I left them when I was 23 years old and married. I'se always lived in Harrison County and made a living from public work. I'se raised four chil'ren  two boys and two girls. They is all living. The boys is farming here in Harrison County, and the girls is married. I'se voted in the President election, but not in the primary 'cause they cut the Negroes out of that. When I was a boy, they run politics different from what they do now. Then they all had to come to Marshall to vote. There warn't no primary and precincts. Then a man in the county stayed in office four years just like the President. When I was about 18 years old they got up a amendment to the constitution and got out a "People's Party Ticket". It was a Democratic ticket and controlled by the Southerners. They got it up to off set the "Loyal League" that was controlled by the Northerners. Old man Humblestock and Judge Williams was big men in the "Loyal League" and W. L. Sloan and Bill Nesbit and Milton Prothro was head of the People's Party Ticket. The Southerners told the darkies if they would vote their ticket that they would be recognized as white people, but I didn't believe a word of it. I told the darkies they was crazy to think they would be recognized as white people. Old man Sloan told all his darkies that and they all voted the People's Party Ticket but two  that was Simp Campbell and Charley Tang . The "Loyal League Ticket" was a long ticket and the People's Party Ticket was just a small piece of paper. They had just one election and the tickets had just the names of the President and Federal candidates. If a man was wanting a office in the county, they wrote his name on the bottom of the ticket. Darkies and whites both voted till they cut the county offices down to two years and made two elections. They called the first the Primary and nobody but a lily white man could vote in it. The colored people sent representatives to Austin to help make laws for the colored people, but 'stead of making laws they sold the country out to the primary and precincts. I believe that the young race of our people is progressing fine. If they had the privileges to use their education, I think they would make more progress. The color line holds them back from politics and law.

Simp Campbell was born January 1860. in Harrison County, Texas. He belonged to W. L. Sloan and stayed with him until 1883, when Simp married and moved to Marshall. He and his wife live in Gregg Addition, Marshall, Texas, and Simp works as porter for a loan company. My name is Simpson Campbell , but everybody, white and black, calls me Simp . I's born right here in Harrison County, on Bill Sloan's place, nine miles northwest of Marshall. I got in on the last five years of slavery.

Pappy was Lewis Campbell , and he was sold by the Florida Campbells to Marse Sloan and fetched to Texas, but he allus kep' the Campbell name. Mammy was Mariah and the Sloans brung her out of South Carolina. She raised a passel of chillen. Besides me there was Clint , Albert and Clinton of the boys, and  let me count  Dinah , Clandy , Mary , Lula , Liza , Hannah , Matilda and Millie of the girls.

The Sloans lived in a big house, but it wasn't no shanty. They was fixed 'bout as good as anybody in the county and driv as good hosses and rigs as anybody. They wasn't a mean streak in the whole Sloan family. "The slave quarters sot in rows right down in the field from the big house. They had beds made to the wall, and all the cookin' was on the fireplace. We raised all our meat and corn and garden truck right there on the place and Marse Sloan brung wheat and other rations from Shreveport. The nigger women spinned all the cloth and pappy made shoes by hand, when they kilt a beef. The beef was dried and jetted and hung in the smokehouse. "Marse's place covered a thousand acres and he had over a hunderd slaves, with a over seer, Johnson, and a nigger driver. Us niggers was treated well but the overseer had order to whip us for fightin'. If the nigger driver hit too many licks, the overseer sold him off the place. "We worked from four till six and done a task after that, and sot round and talked till nine and then had to go to bed. On Saturday night you'd near them fiddles and banjoes playin' and the niggers singin'. All them music gadgets was homemade. The banjoes was made of round pieces of wood, covered with sheepskin and strung with catgut strings. "They wasn't no school but Marse Bill larnt some his niggers readin' and writin' so we could use then bookin' cotton in the field and sich like. They was a church on the Sloan place and white preachers done most the 'xhorting. Mammy allus say the cullud preachers had to preach what they's told - obey you master and missus. I seed Yankee sojers and wagons comin' home from Mansfield. Marse Tom sot us free right after surrender, but my folks stayed on with him till he died, in 1906. I lef' when I's twenty-three end marries and made a livin' from public work in Marshall all my life. I work-d as day laborer and raised two boys and two girls and the boys is farmin' right here in the county and doin' well. "Then I's eighteen they got up a 'mendment to the Constitution and got out a "People's Party Ticket." It was a Democratic ticked and control by South men. They told us niggers if we'd vote that ticket we'd be rec'nized as white folks, but I didn't 'lieve a word of it. Old Man Sloan told all his niggers that and they all voted that ticket but two - that was Charley Tang and Simp Campbell . I 'lieve the young race of our people is progressin' fine. If they had priv'lege to use they educations, they'd make more progress, but the color line holds them back.