Clara Chappell

Clara Chappel was born Clara Williams , and is now residing at the rear of 803 Beaver Street, Brownwood, Texas and when interviewed was in prayer. I was born on de plantation of Colonel Grose , May 9, 1843. I remember much before de war, my father was Albert Williams, and he was a good slave 'cause my marster made him a nigger driver. Now den a driver is one who set de pace and all de rest must keep up. My mammy's name was Lizzie , she was cook for marster and missus. I had three brothers, William , Johnny and James , and I had four sisters, Betty , Frances , Cora and Lucy . We had a shack in de quarters. Marster had two quarters, one west and one south. I don't know how many slaves marster had but he had ten or twelve with large families

I had a easy time myself, 'cause I was maid to missus, I had to keep her dress and wait on her jes' like dey do now. Some of de niggers sho' did have to work 'cause marster's place was big. I don't know how many acres he had, but he had a league of land, 'course it wasn't all plowed but he didn't have enough niggers so some of 'em sho' did have to work.I may have earned lots of money, but I never did have any 'til after I's free. I had plenty to eat and plenty to wear but I sho' 'nough never had any money. Anyway, I didn't need any 'cause I never went to town nohow. We had plenty to eat 'cause marster had a whole field dat he planted taters and turnips and onions and corn and such, and we always had something good to eat. We had butter and 'lasses and bread and milk, too. We had 'possum and rabbit and fish, but I eat 'possum best. Oh man, I want to tell you dat nothin' can beat 'possum and sweet taters. De slaves had no garden of dere own, 'cause marster furnished us everything. Who sho' had too much sometimes. We had de same dat marster had. We wore lowells in winter and striped cotton goods in summer and linen on Sunday. When we was big, marster furnished us shoes for winter and Sunday, but in summer we went barefoot. I was married after de war in a striped dress; I didn't have no weddin', jes' dress up and went to de judge and got hitched. Mr. J.M. Keys he done married me to my man at Hempstead, Texas.

My marster was good to us, but de over-seer sho' 'nough was mean and some of marster's chilluns married to other folks and dey brought a change. We was woke up every morning before daylight, by a man dat de over-seer sent around over de quarters. He went from house to house and yelled, "Roll out." We worked in de fields from sun-up to sun-down. De slaves was not punished 'cept for dis'bedience. When a nigger didn't do what he was told, he was genteelly whipped with a whip. Dey was not chained 'cept when dey was expected to run a-way. 'Course dey had no jails on marster's place, 'cause marster was good and de niggers all loved him. Niggers den didn't care much what happened. I seen some sold for thirty and forty dollars a piece but dey don't care. Dey jes' stan' on de block and when de man say thirty dollars and dere marster say all right, den dey jes' step down off de block by de new marster. Dey was sold to neighbors and dey knowed dey could see dere folks, I'spect is de reason dey did not care. We could go some places if we would get a pass, but if we went without a pass the patarolas would get us and we would be whipped. The patarolas was policemen. We had no church of our own, but we went to church with missus. We never learned to read, so every Sunday morning missus would read the Bible to us an 'splain it. I 'member she told me I had a soul and de Bible was food for de soul. Den we would go to church. I 'member two songs, "Amazin' Grace" and "Soldier ob de Cross." My mammy told me once dat if I was bad a ghost would sho' get me, and sho' 'nough one time I saw one. I know he was a ghost 'cause he come and went like de wind. I wasn't scared, but if he had ever spoke I would have keeled over. Some of dem, dey carried rabbits' feet for luck, but dey is no good 'less you is going to steal something, but if you is going to be a thief den you sho' better hunt you a rabbit foot and cat bone, 'cause if you have dem you sho' won't get catched. We was sorry for marster and missus when we was freed, dey rang a big bell dat told all de niggers dey was wanted, and when we all got to marsters house he told us we was done free. Some niggers say, "What do dat mean?" and marster say, "If I slap you, you slap me. If you work for me, I have to pay you. If you eat here, you have to pay me. You can do what you please. You can go when you want to go and you don't have to ask anyone, you is your own. I hates to see you go, but I can't help it. I can use you all, and as many as want to stay can. As many as want to go can go." Missus, she was cryin' and I didn' want to go, 'cause I loved her and I knows she loved us niggers. We have never had as good times as when we was with marster. The old negro then stated she had four children, all dead now, and six grand children. She came to Brownwood to care for her daughter who was ill and had never been able to get away, and as she now had no place elsewhere, she was contented to remain here and expected to meet "De Lawd" from here.

Brownwood, Texas. She was born a slave of Colonel Grose , but does not seem to recall the location of his plantation, except that it was in Texas. Clara is ninety-four. I was born on de plantation of Colonel Grose , and it was in 1843, my mammy done say. Pappy was Albert Williams and a good slave, 'cause Marse Grose done make him nigger driver. De driver allus sot de pace and all de rest kep' up. Mammy's name was Lizzie, she was cook for de big house. My brothers was William and Johnny and James and my sisters was Betty and Frances and Cora and Lucy , and we had a shack in de quarters. Dere was two quarters, one west and one south, and ten or twelve slave families in dem. I had a easy time, 'cause I was maid to missus, and had to keep her dress and wait on her jes' like dey do now. Some de niggers sho' had to work, 'cause Marse Grose' s place was big. He had a league of land, not all plowed, but he didn't have 'nough niggers, so dey sho' had to work. I had plenty to eat and wear but sho' didn't have no money. I didn't need one, 'cause I never went to town, nohow. Marse had a whole field planted in 'taters and turnips and onions and corn and sech, and we allus had somethin' good to eat. We had butter and 'lasses and bread and milk, too. We had possum and rabbit and fish, but I eats possum best. Oh, man, I want to tell you nothin' can beat possum and sweet 'taters. We wore lowells in winter and strip cotton goods in summer, and I had linen on Sunday. When we was big, we had shoes winter and Sundays. Marse was good to us, but de overseer was sho' mean. He worked de slaves too hard, from sun-up to sundown. He went round to every cabin and yelled 'roll out' 'fore daylight. But dey didn't punish 'cept for dis'bedience. When a nigger didn't do what he told, he was genteelly whipped with a whip. Dey wasn't chained 'cept when dey 'spected to run away. Mos' de niggers loved Marse Grose. Niggers den didn't care much what happened. I seed some sold for thirty and forty dollars but dey didn't care, 'cause dey sold to neighbors and can see they folks. Some of us carried rabbits foots for luck, but dey no good lessen you goin' steal. If you is tryin' to be a thief, you'd better have a rabbit foot and a black cat bone, or you'll git cotched. We was sorry for marse and missus when we was freed. Dey rang a big bell what told all de niggers dey's wanted. Den marse say we was done freed. He say, 'I hates to see you go, but I can't help it. If you wants to work for me, I'll pay you. Missus, she was cryin' and I didn't want to go, 'cause I loved her, so I stayed a while. Den I marries in 'bout a year, in a striped dress, jes' dress up and go to de jedge and git hitched. Mr. Keys , he done marry me to my man at Hempstead, Texas. We had four chillun, all dead now, and I has six grandchillen. I come here to take care my gal what was sick, and has stayed here. I has no place else to go, and I'll stay and meet de Lawd from here.