Sally Banks Chambers

Sally Banks Chambers , wife of Ben Chambers of Liberty, is a wiry little negress, who looks much younger than her years. She is exceptionally dark, and her hair is thick and dark, showing few traces of gray. Heavy gold earrings hang from her ears, and she dresses, even in midsummer, in a long sleeved calico jumper shirt, heavy sox and shoes, and a sweeping skirt of many folds. Born in Oakland, Louisiana, she was brought to Liberty when small, by her master, Jim Moore . She has been married three times, and to the best of her remembrance has had seven children, about 54 grandchildren, and 13 great grandchildren."Befo' I marry de fus' time my name was Sally Banks . I's bo'n in de ol' states in Lou'sana, 'roun' Oaklum. I ain' 'member nuthin' 'bout dat place 'cause I's so small when dey brung me to Texas De ol' marster was name' Jim Moore . He was a fair ol' gentleman, wid a big bald place on he head, nice skin and coal black hair. He was good to de slaves. He wasn' even as strick as de ol' mistus. I 'member de onlies' time he ever whip us chillen was for eatin' green peaches. He was 'fraid dey would give us a spell wid de stomachache, and stomachache fever wasn' no fun. He done tol' us to keep outen dem peaches, but we sneak in de orchard anyway. He didn' whip us hard but he sho' skeer us. "De ol' mistus Sarah Moore was a big stout woman. I reckillect her 'cause she was so strick. She want us to be good. She ain' want no bad talk or rough play. She whip de li'l w'ite chillen jes' like de black."My daddy' name was John Moore and my mama name' Ca'line Moore . Dey was bofe bo'n in Lou'sana. De gran'parents was Lewis Moore and Polly . Dey wasn' reg'lar Africy people. My gran'ma she have right smart good blood in her. Dey wuk on de same place wid us."W'en de ol' marster decide to come to Texas he brung two men, two wimmen, my mudder and her chillen fus'. He leave mos' de slaves back in de ol' state. Dey come by wagon, a mule wagon wid a kivver over de top. Dere wasn' no house buil' so he hafter rent one for a year. Dat was close to Liberty. Dey wasn' so much 'roun' dere den though, and he look 'roun' for anudder place."De nex' year he find a place on de river bottom near Gran' Cane. It jes' suit him for de quantity of slaves he have. So he come and brung us all dere and go back to Lou'sana and brung de res' of dem too."My mama she have four chillen w'en us come to Texas. Two of dem was younger dan me and one ol'er. She have two more atter freedom. W'en de war broke she have six chillen but she multiply atter that. Mama was de milker and washwoman and did de spinnin'. She mek all de clo's for de place and dey was good strong clo's too."Dey have li'l sep'rate houses mek outen logs for de slaves. Dey didn' put much furn'chure in dem. De w'ite folks house was one dese big old double pen house, wid a hall down de middle. Dey have right nice t'ings in it." "De w'ite folks 'lowance out de food ev'ry Sattiday night. Dat was s'pose to las' a week. De cullud folks dey cook for deyse'fs all 'cep'n' de single mens and dey eat up in de big kitchen. Dey have lots of syrup, co'n bread, sweet 'taters and home-cure' meat w'at dey salt down and hang in de smokehouse to dry."De ol' mistus she ain' 'low no dancin' or huzzawin' 'roun' de place 'cause she was Christian. Us w'ite folks was Baptis', and I's a Baptis' too, but dey didn' 'low us to jine chu'ch w'en we was small. De growed up cullud folks was let go to chu'ch wid de w'ite folks but dey ain' boddered wid de chillen. Dey jes' try teach us to be good on de place"Dey 'low de cullud folks Sattiday and Sunday off from de fiel'. De wimmen folks was s'pose to do dey own washin' 'cause dey ain' got so many diff'rent clo's. De menfolks dey ten' to de gyardens 'roun' dey own house. Dat was more back in Lou'sana than Texas, though. De menfolks raise cotton and sol' it to de marster for dey spen'in money. De w'ite folks give off Crissmus and holidays, too. Dey ain' give presents but dey give eatments mos'ly."Us li'l chillen spen' mos' de time amusin usse'fs. Us jump de rope and play dolls wid dolls mek wid weeds tie togedder. Den dere was de ring games like 'Chase de Squirrel' and dem like dat. We sing a li'l song wid dem but I done forgit dem. Us chillen wasn' so bad 'bout playing mud pie as some. Chillen love to eat clay and dey tell us not to play wid it. De ol' folks say dat clay fill you wid worms."My young marsters bofe go to de war. Dey was John Calhoun Moore and William Moore . De ol'es' went crazy. It was shell-shock like. Dey brung him back from de war dat way and as fur as I ever knowed he ain' never git no better. Young William he come back widout no scratch and so did de ol' man but he ain' serve very long. Dey all t'ree enlis' by deyse'fs. Dey didn' have no truck wid de conscrip'ers."One of my uncles, Levy Moore , he go to de war to wait on de marsters. He was struck wid de fever at Sabine Pass and die right dere. Us never saw no outside sojers, jes' Levy and de marster. Dey wo' sorter yeller unifo'ms. "Atter freedom riz up de ol' marster he come home. Den he call up all de growed folks and tol' dem dey was free. A heap lef'; dey jes' broke ranks and lef'. My mammy and daddy bofe stay. Dey was de fav'rites. De ol' mistus mek my mama a present of a heap of things she stood in need of."De w'ite folks didn' own de place. Dey was jes' rentin'. So atter dey didn' have no slaves to help dem wuk de groun' dey couldn' keep de big place. So dey give it up and move to Trakington Prairie. Us los' track of dem and ain' never see dem no mo'."My daddy come back to Liberty den and wuk in a woodyard for a man name' Joe Baldwin. He was a w'ite man. Mama she teach me to wuk, to mek beds and sweep and cook and sich. She hire me out to nuss a li'l w'ite baby. I ain' knowed how much dey pay me 'cause my mama killect' it. Den atter dat she hire me out to hoe and pick cotton in de fiel'."I was 19 year' ol' when de fus' time I marry. You know I got two dead men, dat Dick Owens and Nero Williams , bofe of Liberty. I have two gals, Alice and Airy for Dick and five chillen, Jesse , Arthur , Adlawyer , Melindy and Mamie , for Nero . Dey's all dead but Adlawyer and Mamie , who live right yere in Liberty. I been marry some 30 odd year' to Ben Chambers , but us ain' never have no chillen."Goodness, I dunno how many gran'chillen I has. Lessee, Alice die' wid 12 chillen, and den dey was some de others die' wid as many as 10 and 11 apiece. Oh, I jedge dey's 'bout 54 gran'chillen in all, and 13 great-gran'chillen."Dat's stayin' in de worl'. I can't tek dem on on'y a li'l at a time. I done spent mos' my life nussin' chillen, mine and other folks I love to wuk. I won't steal and I ain' gwineter beg, though I has got too ol' to do much. All through my marry' life I done belong to de Trininty Valley Chu'ch, dat's a Baptis' chu'ch yere in Liberty."

Sally Banks Chambers , wife of Ben Chambers of Liberty, does not know her age. She was born a slave of Jim Moore , in Oakland, Louisiana. Sally has been married three times and has had seven children, about 54 grandchildren and 13  great-grandchildren. Heavy gold earrings hang from her ears and she dresses, even in midsummer, in a longsleeved calico shirt, heavy socks and shoes, and a sweeping skirt many yards wide."Befo' I marry de first time my name am Sally Banks , and I's borned in de old states, over in Louisiana, round Oakland. I ain't 'member nothin' 'bout dat place, 'cause I's so small when dey brung me to Texas."Old massa name Jim Moore . He a fair old gen'man, with a big bald place on he head, and he an good to de slaves. Not even as stric' as old missus, what was de big, stout woman. She am terrible stric', but she whip de li'l white chillen too, so dey be good."My daddy name John Moore and mama name Car'line , and dey borned in Louisiana. My grandpa was Lewis Moore and grandma name Polly , but dey wasn't reg'lar Africy people. My grandma, she have right smart good blood in her."When old massa come to Texas he brung us over first by wagon, a mule wagon with a cover over de top, and he rent de house close to Liberty. But de nex' year he find a place on de river bottom near Grand Cane and it jes' suit him for de slaves he have, so he brung all de rest over from Louisiana."My mama have four chillen when us come to Texas, but she have eleven more after freedom. When war broke out she have six, but she multiply after dat. She de milker and washwoman and spinner, and make de good, strong clothes."Dey have li'l separate houses make outten logs for us slaves. De white folks house was one dese big, old double-pen house, with de hall down de middle. Dey have right nice things in it."De white folks 'lowance out de food every Saturday night and dat spose last de week. All de cullud folks cook for deyself 'cept'n de single mens, and dey eats up in de big kitchen. Us have syrup and cornbread and lots of sweet 'taters and homecure' meat what dey salt down and hang in de smokehouse."De old missus, she ain't 'low no dancin' or huzzawin' round dat place, 'cause she Christian. Dey 'low us Saturday and Sunday off, and de women do dey own washin den'. De menfolks tend to de gardens round dey own house. Dey mite some cotton and sell it to massa and git li'l money dat way. Us don't never have no presents, but dey give eatments mostly "De young massas both go to war. Dey John Calhoun Moore and William . De oldes' goes crazy, kind of shellshock like. As far as I knowed, he ain't never git no more better. Young William and de old man comes back without no scratch, but dey ain't serve long. All dey three 'lists by deyselfs, 'cause dey didn't have no truck with dem conscrip'ers. One my uncles, Levy Moore . he go to war to wait on de massas, and he struck with de fever at Sabine Pass and die right dere. "After freedom riz up, old massa come home. Den he call all de growed folks and tell dem dey's free. A heap left, dey jes' broke ranks and left. My daddy and mama both stay. Dey de fav'rites. Old missus make present to my mama of a heap of things she need. But de white folks was jus' rentin'. and when dey have no slaves no more dey give it up and move to Tarkington Prairie. Us lost track of dem and ain't never seed dem no more. My daddy come back to Liberty den and work in de woodyard. Mama she larn me to work and cook and sich and hire me out to nuss a white baby. I ain't knowed how much dey pay, 'cause mama she collec' de money. "I's 19 year old when I marry de first time. You know I got two dead men, dat Dick Owens and Nero Williams , both of Liberty. I has two gals, Alice and Airy , for Dick , and five chillen for Nero . Dey all dead but Adlqwyer and Mamie , and dey lives right here. I been marry some thirty odd year to Ben Chambers but us ain't never have no chillen."Goodness, I dunno how many grandchillen I has. I jedge 'bout 54 in all and 13 great ones.  I loves to work and I ain't gwineter beg. though I's got too old to do much. I can't take it but a li'l at a time, but I gits by somehow.