Texas Slave Narratives

 

 

 

 

Texas Slave Narrative

  Anne Clark

Mother Anne Clark , 112 years old, lives at 3602 Alameda Ave., El Paso, Texas. She is too crippled to walk, but a smile lights up the tired old eyes that still see to sew without glasses. One tooth of a third set is in her upper gum. She is deaf, but can hear if you speak close to her ear. She says, "Lemme git my ears open, bofe of 'em," wets her finger, then pulls so hard on the ex lobes it seems they would be injured.

I'll be 112 years old, come first day of June(1937). Bo'n in Mississippi. I had two marsters, but I've been free nearly 80 years. I was freed in Memphis. "My marster was a Yankee. He took me to Louisiana and made a slave outta me. But he had to go to war. He got in a quarrel one day and grabbed two six-shooters, but a old white man got him down and nearly kilt him. Our men got him and gave him to the Yankees. "Capt. Clark , my second marster, took a shot at him and he couldn' come south no more. You don' know what a time I seen! I don' wanna see no more war. Why, we made the United States rich but the Yankees come and tuk it. They buried money and when you bury money it goes fu'ther down, down, down, and then you cain't fin' it. You know, the white folks hated to give us up worse thing in the world. I ploughed, hood, split rails. I done the hardest work ever a man ever did. I was so strong, iffen he needed me I'd pull them down so the marster could handcuff 'em. They'd whop us with a bullwhip. We got up at 3 o'clock, at 4 we done et and hitched up the mules and went to the fiel's. We worked all day pullin' fodder and choppin' cotton. Marster'd say, 'I wan' you to lead dat fiel' today, and if you don' do it I'll put you in de stocks.' Then he'd whop me iffen I didn' know he was talkin' to me. "My poppa was strong. He never had a lick in his life. He helped the marster, but one day the marster says. 'Si , you got to have a whoppin',' and my poppa says, 'I never had a whoppin' and you cain't whop me.' An' the marster says, 'But I kin kill you,' an' he shot my poppa down. My mama tuk him in the cabin and put him on a pallet. He died.  "My mama did the washin' for the big house. She tuk a big tub on her head and a bucket of water in her hand. My mama had two white chillen by marster and they were sold as slaves. I had two chillen, too. I never married. They allus said we'd steal, but I didn' take a thing. Why, they'd put me on a hose with money to take into town and I'd take it to the store in town, and when I'd git back, marster'd say, 'Anne , you didn' take a thing.' "When women was with child they'd dig a hole in the groun' and put their stomach in the hole, and then beat 'em. They'd allus whop us "Don' bring me anything fine to wear for my birthday. I jus' van' some candy. I'm lookin' for Him to take me away from here."

 


Mother Anne Clark , 112 years old: Mother Anne's kinky hair lies like hoar frost on her old head. She is too crippled to walk, but a kindly smile wrinkles her face and lights up the tired old eyes that still see to sew without glasses. Her lower lip is full and heavy, nose almost flat and one tooth of the third set is plain in her upper gum. She is neat and clean, and the caress she bestowed upon the visitor was not objectionable, for she delights in those for whom she has affection, and, will talk of the old days of slavery for them; but her mind does not long remain on the topic, but reverts to Heaven, and the promise her Master has given her to take her home soon. She knows it won't be many days and dreams of the home over there where all are equal and one in the sight of God. She says, "Eight of Adam's chillun went down yander. It was terrible, and Jesus is going to come to take those who love him before long." Mother Anne's crippled hands lay quiet in her lap. Arms, wrists, and fingers have a forceful build and prove her statements that "she led the field" when she was a slave. She is deaf, but can hear certain voices, if they speak close to her ear. She says, "Lem-me git my ears open, bofe of em": She wets her finger then pulls so hard on the ear lobes it seems they would be injured. Then in answer to the question, "Where was she born", she began: I'll be one hundred and twelve years old, come first day of June. Born in Mississippi. I had two marsters, but I've been free eighty years. I was freed in Memphis" - (where she stayed as a nurse until she was fifty-five years old). Both "marsters" lived near Memphis.

Anne said "I told my marster. I want to see my mother. He was a Yankee. He took me to Louisiana and made a slave outta me. But he was a Yankee, and had to go to war. He got awful mad. One day he got in a quarrel and grabbed two six shooters, but old white man got him down and nearly killed him. Our men (meaning the Confederates) got him and give him to the Yankees. He give the old man One Thousand dollars. Captain Clark , my second marster, took a shot at him, he cain't come South any more. You don know what a time I seen. I don want to see no mo war. "A man lived right close to us and the man was going to die. We nus (nurse) him till he's about well, then one day, I says: 'Ah-shoot! Where's dat niggah you killed. He says, 'He's in Heben (Heaven) and dats where I'm goin fast and he got worse right off and died". Mother Anne says: "Why we made the United States rich, but the Yankees came and tuk it. Yankees buried money and when you bury money, it goes further down, down, down, and then you can't have it". And the old negress shook with merriment as she thought of the Yankee's discomfiture. "You know", says she, "they white folks hate to give us up worse thing in the world. I ploughed, hoed, split rails. I done the hardest wok (work) ever a man ever did. I was so strong, that iffen he needed me I'd pull the men down so the marster could hand-cuff 'em. They'd whop (whip) us with a bull whip. We got up at 3 o'clock, at 4 we done eat and hitched up the mules and went to the fields. We woked (worked) all day pullin fodder and chafing cotton. Marster'd say, "I want you to lead dat field today and if you don't do it I'll put you in the stocks, and then he'd whop (whip) me iffen I didn't know he was talking to me. My poppa was a strong. My father never had a lick in his life. He helped the marster, but one day the marster says: - "Si, you got to have a 'whoppin' (whipping), and my father says: - "I never had a whoppin and you caint whop me," and the marster he says: "But I can kill you". And he shot my father down. My momma tuk him in the cabin and put him on a pallet. He died. She went on to say: "My mother did the washing for the big house. She was strong. She tuk a big tub on her head and a bucket of water in her hand. My momma had two white chillen by marster. They were sold later as slaves. I had two chillen too. I neva married. They allus said we'd steal, but I won't take a thing. Why, they'd put me on a hoss with money to take into the town and when I'd get back, marster would say, "Anne , you didn't take a thing". I'd not steal, they'd tried me.When women were with child they'd dig a hole in the ground and put their stomach in the hole and then beat em. They'd allus whop us". She remembers Abe Lincoln as a name. "He done set us free". Mother Anne Clark has been on the charity roles of El Paso for many years, living sometimes alone and sometimes with one of the negro families in the city. She washes her own clothing, and pieces quilt tops from scraps of material furnished by friends. For her birthday she wants some candy. She says: - "Doan bring me anything fine to wear. I just want some candy. I'm looking for Him to take me away from here".


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