Texas Slave Narratives

 

 

 

 

Texas Slave Narrative

  James Cape

James Cape , centenarian, now living in a dilapitated little shack in the rear of the stockyards in Fort Worth, Texas, was born a slave to Mr. Bob Houston , who owned a large ranch in southeast Texas. James ' parents came direct from Africa into slavery. James spent his youth as a cowboy, fought in the Confederate army, was wounded and has an ugly shoulder scar. After the war, James unknowingly took a job with the outlaw, Jesse James , for whom he worked three years, in Missouri. He then came back to Texas, and worked in the stockyards until 1928. Documentary proof of James ' age is lacking, but various facts told him by his parents and others lead him to think he must be over 100 years old.

"I's bo'n in yonder southeast Texas and I don' know what month or de year for sho'. but 'twas more dan 100 years ago. My mammy and pappy was bo'n in Africa, dats what dey's tol' me. Dey was owned by Marster Bob Houston and him had de ranch down dere, whar dey have cattle and hosses. "When I's old 'nough to set on de hoss, dey larned me to ride, tendin' hosses. 'Cause I's good hoss rider, dey uses me all de time gwine after hosses. I goes with dem to Mexico. We crosses de river lots of times. I 'members once when we was a drivin' 'bout 200 hosses north'ards. Dey was a bad hail storm comes into de face of de herd and dat herd turns and starts de other way. Dere was five of us riders and we had to keep dem hosses from scatterment. I was de leader and do you know what happens to dis nigger if my hoss stumbles? Right dere's whar I'd still be! Marster give me a new saddle for savin' de bosses. One day Marster Bob comes to me and says, 'Jim , how you like to jine de army?' You see, de war and started. I says to him, 'What does I have to do?' And he says, 'Tend hosses and ride 'em.' I was young den and thought it would be lots of fun, so I says I'd go, So de first thing I knows, I's in de army away off east from here, somewhar dis side of St. Louis and in Tennessee and Arkansas and other places. I goes in de army 'stead of Dr. Garroll . After I gits in de army, it wasn' so much fun, 'cause tendin' hosses and ridin' wasn' all I does. No, sar, I has to do shootin' and git shooted at! One time we stops de train, takes Yankee money and lots of other things off dat train. Dat was way up de other side of Tennessee. You's heard of de battle of Independence? Dat's whar dey fights for three days and nights. I's not tendin' hosses dat time. Dey gives me a rifle and sends me up front fightin', when we wasn' runnin'. We does a heap of runnin' and dat suits die nigger. I could do dat better'n advance. When de order comes to 'treat. I's all ready. I gits shot in de shoulder in dat fight and lots of our soldiers gits killed and we loses our supply, jus' leaves it and runs. 'Nother time we fights two days and nights and de Yankees was bad dat time, too, and we had to run through de river. I sho' thought I's gwine git drowned den. Dat's de time we tries to git in St. Louis, but de Yankee mans stop us. I's free after de war and goes back to Texas, to Gonsala County, and gits a job doin' cowboy work for Marster Ross herdin' cattle. And right dere's whar I's lucky for not gittin' in jail or hanged. It was dis way: I's in town and dat man, Ross , says to me, 'I unnerstan' you's a good cowhand,' and he hires me and takes me way out. No house for miles 'fore we comes to de ranch with cattle and I goes to work. After I's workin' a while, I wonders how come dey brings in sich fine steers so often and I says to myself, 'Marster Rose mus' have heaps of money for to buy all dem steers.' Dey pays no 'tention to de raisin' of cattle, jus' brings 'em in and drives dem 'way. One time Marster Rose and six mens was gone a week and when dey comes back, one of 'em was missin'. Dey had no steers dat time and dey talks 'bout gittin' frusterated and how one man gits shot. I says to myself, 'What for was dey chased and shot at?' Den I 'members Marster Bob Houston done tol' me 'bout rustlers and how dey's hanged when dey's caught, and I knows den dat's how come all dem fine steers is driv in and out all de time. But how to git 'way, dere's de puzzlement. I not know which way to go and dere's no houses anywhere near. I keeps gittin scarcer, and ever' time somebody comes, I thinks its de law. But Marster Ross drives de cattle north and I says to him, 'I's good hand at de drive. Kin I go with you nex' time you goes northy' And not long after dat we starts and we gits to Kansas City. After Marster Ross gets shut a de critters, he says, 'We'll res' for couple days, den starts back.' I says to me. 'Not dis nigger.' I sneaks (way and was settin' on a bench when 'long comes a white man and he's tall, had dark hair and was fine lookin'. He says to me, 'Is you a cowhand?' So I tells him I is, and he says he wants a hand on his farm in Missouri and he says, 'Come with me.' He tells me his name wasJames and takes me to his farm whar I tends cattle and hosses for three years and he pays as wall. He gives me more'n I earns. After three years I leaves, but not 'cause I larned he was outlaw, 'cause I larned dat long time afterwards. I's lonesome for Texas and dat's how I come to Fort Worth and here's whar I's stayed ever' since. I's married 'bout 40 years ago to a woman dat had eight chillens. We sep'rated 'cause dem chillens cause arg'ments. I can fight one, but not de army.


James Cape , centenarian, now living in a dilapidated, streetless shack, located in the rear of the stock yards, was born a slave to Mr. Bob Houston , large ranch owner in S. E. Texas. His has been a colorful life, with his parents coming direct from Africa into slavery. He spent his youth as a cowboy, fought as a Confederate soldier, was wounded in one of the battles and still carries an ugly shoulder scar. He hired as a cowboy to a Mr. Ross , who later proved to be a cattle rustler from whom he escaped after a long cattle drive to Kansas City. Later he unknowingly took a job with an infamous outlaw, Jesse James , for whom he worked three years in Missouri on the James farm. Homesickness caused him to come back to Texas. He went to work in the Ft. Worth Stock Yards, working until his health forced him to retire in 1928. Lacking documentary proof, we assume that Cape must be about 100 because he should have been 20 or more to have participated in the Civil War which began in 1861. His story

Ise bo'n in yonder Southeast Texas. Ise don' knows w'at month or de yeah fo' sho, but 'twas mo' dan 100 yeahs ago. My mammy an' pappy was bo'n in Af'ica, dats w'at deys tol' me. Dey was owned by Marster Bob Houston . Him owned de ranch down dere whar deys have cattle an' hosses. Dere's whar Ise bo'n. W'en Ise ol' 'nough to set on de hoss, deys larned me to ride, tendin' hosses. 'Twas de fust wo'k dat Ise do dat Ise can 'membahs. W'en Ise ol' hough Ise wo'ks herdin' hosses an' he'ps drives dem, here, dere an' ever'whars. 'Cause Ise good hoss rider, deys uses me all de time gwine aftah hosses. Ise goes wid 'em to Mexico. Yas sar, we crosses de river lots ob times gwine aftah hosses. Ise never been th'own off de hoss aftah Ise larned to ride an' Ise have gone lickity split over de rough groun' chasin' critters. De worst time fo' trouble am w'en dere am a storm an' de critters am in de open an' dey wants to stampede. Dats w'en de rider had to ride to keeps de critter's minds off ob de storm. Yous had to sorta keeps dem movin' hidder an' yondah, sorta keeps dem fussed up. Ise 'membahs once w'en we was a drivin' 'bouts 200 hosses no'th'ards, dey was a bad hail storm comes into de face ob dat herd. Well, dat herd turns an' stahts de udder way. Dere was five ob us ridahs, two goes on one side, two on de udder side an' Ise goes in de lead. We had to keeps dem f'om scatterment. Ise have to ride lak lightnin' fo' to keeps 'head ob 'em. Do yous knows w'at happens to dis nigger ifs my hoss stumbles? Right dere's whar Ise would still be. Ise stays in de lead an' gives 'em de leader. Yous knows de critters had to have dere leader. De udder mens keeps 'em f'om scatterment an' we saves all dem hosses. Marster gives me a new saddle fo' givin' dem a leader. Ise wants to tells yous 'bout my hoss. He has much sense as de man 'cause he knows w'at to does. All Ise do am set on him. Ise warnt 'fraid to ride any place with him. De worster 'twas de bettah Ise laks it. Yas sar, Ise rides dat hoss over all kinds ob country an' we never gits hurt. One day hims an' some udder hosses am loose an' playin' 'roun', he was a runnin' an' steps in de hole an' breaks his leg. We had to shoots him. Ise cries lak de baby 'bout dat. One day Marster Bob comes to me an' says "Jim, how would yous lak to j'in de ahmy?" Yous see de wah had stahted. Ise says to him, "W'at does Ise have to do? An' he says, "Ten's hosses, an' rides dem." Ise young den an' thought 'twould be lots ob fun, an' Ise says, "Ise would lak to go." So de fust thing Ise knows, Ise in de ahmy aways off east f'om here, some whar dis side ob St. Louis in Ten'see, A'kansas, an' udder places. Ise goes fo' Doctah Carrol . Aftah Ise gits in de ahmy, 'twarnt so much fun. Tendin' hosses an' ridin' an' ridin' 'twarnt all Ise does. No sar, Ise have to does shootin' an' gits shoots at. One time we stops de train, takes Yankee money an' lots ob udder things an' goes on. Dat was 'way up de udder side ob Ten'see. Yous heard ob de battle ob Inpen'ence (Independence)? Dats whar we fights fo' three days an' nights. Ise not 'tendin' hosses dat time. Deys gives me a rifle an' sen's me up f'ont fightin' w'en we warnt runnin'. We does a heap ob runnin' an' dat suits dis nigger. Ise could do dat bettah dan a'vance. W'en de o'dah comes fo' 'treat, Ise all time ready. Ise could does dat bettah dan any ob 'em. Ise gits shots in de shouldah in dat fight an de Yankee mans kills lots ob our soldiers, takes lots ob 'em, an' we lose lots ob our supply, jus' leave it an' runs. Dere was 'nother time we fights two days an' nights. De Yankee mans was bad dat time too, dey kills lots an' we had to runs th'ough de river. Ise sho thought Ise gwine to git drowned. If Ise had to goes 'nother foot, Ise would not be here now. Dats de time we tries to gits in St. Louis, but de Yankee mans stops us. Ise free aftah de wah an' Ise goes back to Texas. Ise goes to Gonzales County an' gits a job doin' cowboy wo'k fo' Marster Ross a herdin' cattle. Dere's whar Ise lucky fo' not gittin' in jail or gits hanged. 'Twas dis away, Ise in de town an' de man Ross comes to me an' says, "Ise unde'stan' dat yous am a good cow han'." Ise said "yes." He hires me an' takes me 'ways out. 'Twarnt no house fo' miles. We comes to de ranch wid cattle an' Ise goes to wo'k. Aftah Ise wo'kin' a w'ile, Ise wondah hows come deys bring in sich fine steers so often. Mos' ob de critters on dat ranch was steers. Ise says to myse'f, "Marster Ross mus' have heaps ob money fo' to buys all dem steers." Dey pays no 'tention to de raisin' ob cattle, jus' bring 'em in an' drives dem away aftah deys gits lots at de ranch. One time Marster Ross an' six mens had been gone a week an' w'en dey comes back, one ob dem was missin'. Dey had no steers dat time. Ise heahs dem ta'kin' an' dey says 'bout gittin' fusterated an' how de one man gits shot by de peoples dat chases dem. Ise says to myse'f, "W'at fo' deys been chased? W'ats dey been doin'?" Ise 'membahs Marster Bob Houston tells 'bout cattle rustlahs an' hows deys gits hanged w'en dey gits caught. Ise says, "Ho Ho, dats how comes dem fine steers an' dats w'y deys gits chased." Ise knows den dat Ise have to leave dat place, 'cause if de owner ob dem fine steers finds whar dis place am, we's all gits hanged sho. Hows to gits away, dere's a puzzlement. Ise away out whar dere's no house fo' I don' know how fah. Ise not know which way to goes. Ise keeps gittin' skeeter. Ever' times Ise sees somebody a comin', Ise sho it's de law. Marster Ross often drives de cattle no'th, an' Ise says, "Dat's de way Ise gits outer here." Nex' time Ise meets him Ise says, "Marster Ross , Ise good han' at de drive. Ol' Marster Bob says Ise de bes' han' he's has. Ise lak to goes wid yous nex' time yous goes no'th. Ise lak to see dat country." He says,  Jim, yous can go, we needs good han's on de drive. Twarnt long aftah dat 'til we stahts de drive no'th. We drives an' drives dem critters. Den we gits to Kansas City. Aftah Marster Ross gits shut of de critters, he says to us, "We will res' fo' coupla days, have a good time, den we stahts back." Ise says to me, "Not dis nigger." Ise sneaks away an' was a settin' on de bench f'ont ob a place w'en 'long comes a w'ite man. He's tall, had dahk hair an' was a fine lookin' man. He says to me, "Are you a cow han'? Ise tells him, "Ise is," an' tol' him how Ise wo'ked fo' Marster Bob .He says "Ise wants a han' on my fahm in Missou'i." Ise tells him, "Ise wants de job powe'ful bad." He says, "Come wid me." Dat man tells me his name was James an' he takes me to his fahm whar Ise 'ten' to cattle an' hosses fo' th'ee yeahs. He pays me well. He gives me mo' money dan Ise earns. Ise larned aftahwards his name was Jesse James an' dat he was de outlaw. Aftah th'ee yeahs Ise leaves, not 'cause Ise larned he outlaws, but 'cause Ise lonesome fo' Texas. Dats how Ise comes to Fort Worth an' here's whar Ise stayed ever since. Ise gits job wo'kin' fo' de cattle mans. Dere warnt any stock yards den. Aftah deys built, Ise gits wo'k dere an' wo'ks dere 'til 'bout fifteen yeahs ago. Since dat time Ise wo'ks fust one place an' den anudder, doin' little wo'k fo' de w'ite fo'ks 'til five yeahs ago Ise not able to wo'ks. Ise now gits pension f'om de state. Dey pays me $15.00 ever month. Ise ma'ied 'bout 40 yeahs ago to a woman dat had eight chilluns. We sep'rated 'cause dem chilluns cause a'guments. Ise can fight one, but not de ahmy. Ise not seen dem since, an' have no livin' rel'tives dat Ise knows of. The following is a newspaper article about an ex-slave, Jim Cape .

GUN-TOTING NEGRO CLAIMING TO BE 115, PROVED TO BE 117, HAS FORT WORTH POLICE UP IN AIR.
FORT WORTH, Texas, July 16. (UP) Jim Cape , negro who said he is 115 years old and has records proving he is at least two years older, furnished a problem for police today after his second arrest in as many days on charges of carrying a gun. The aged negro was released Thursday when he promised to take his pistol to his shanty and leave it. He carried the gun, he said, to keep "bad negroes" from robbing him. When he returned home, Old Jim related, he found that somebody had taken his $15 old age assistant check so he pocketed the rusty revolver again and went forth for a search. Frightened neighbors called police. Police said that Jim also proved he was with the James gang in their lawless efforts "to help the poor folks. More amazing, however, was an ancient record book which showed that Jim came to America from Africa on a slave ship in 1820. How old he was at that time was not revealed, but that was 117 years ago. I was a naked little boy when de white folks caught me and put me on that ship," Jim said. He remembers fishing in Africa which he refuses to believe is a separate continent. Africa is one of the best fishing places in America," he added. Jim became the property of a Dr. Carroll when he came to the United States. After emancipation, which Jim did not favor, he stayed with his master until the latter died. The negro became ill a year ago, and hospital attendants gave him only a few hours to live. A few days later, Jim left his bed and walk He believes he has several years more to live.


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