Valmar Cormier & His Sister: Mary Moses

Soft of speech but brisk in manner,Valmar Cormier , of the Pear Orchard settlement near Beaumont, tells his story in English with many French expressions intermingled. He and his sister, Mary Moses , interviewed together, were slaves of Duplissent Dugat , a small slaveholder of Lafayette, Louisiana, and are both past 85. Although Valmar is considerably older his mind is alert; while Mary , a huge woman weighing over 175 pounds, shows her age and has an erratic memory and a very poor command of English. On the second call, only Valmar could be interviewed and posed for a photograph.

I 'member de day my ol' marster go to de war. I kin 'member dat jes' like yestidday. He uster like to play de fiddle an' mek me dance w'en I was li'l. He went to de war an' got kilt. He name' Duplissent Dugat . Mary , my sister, she don' 'member de ol' marster. De slaves did de wuk on de farm. Dey was two growed-ups, my mother Colaste , an' my Uncle, an' two chillen. My father was a w'ite man, a w'ite Creole man. I nebber carry he name 'til atter freedom. De ol' marster he whip my uncle onct for slippin' off from de farm 'thout a pass. Den he lef' to go to de war an' lef' my uncle to tek care of de place. It war'n' long though befo' my uncle tuk off to de Yankees an' nebber come back." "Dat lef' de place wid my mother an' de ol' mistus. Her name' Mire . Dey's Mary an' dey's me an' some li'l w'ite chillen. De place was'n' so bery (very) big. Marster was jes' a po' man. He jes' hab a od'inary house. De slave house was jes' a li'l ol' plank house 'bout step off like dat (12 x 20 feet), on'y it hab a dirt flo'. Dey didn' hab no fine furn' chure, Law no. Us cook in a big fireplace. Tek a log 'bout fo' (four) foot long an' you couldn' git too close to it. Dey hab a big i'on pot wid a i'on lid. Dey put red hot coals under de pot an' on top de lid. Dey hab a big i'on poker wid a hook on it w'at dey tek de lid off wid." "Befo' dey hab coal oil lamp dey uster use ho-mek candles. Dey would kill de brutes an' kep' an' save all de taller. One day was set off to mek de candles. All de neighbors come an' dey have kinder party an' eat an' t'ings. Sometime' dey mek t'ree or fo' hunnerd in one day an' lay dem in a big box so dey won' (will not) git bre'k. "Us mek soap on de plantation too. Dey melt de taller an' cracklin' an' git de lye outn' de fireplace ash. Dey raise cotton an' co'n an' potat'. Us hab coosh-coosh, co'n bread an' meat an' some fish to eat. We nebber did eat eel cause it look too much like snake. Snails us jes' go'd through de woods an' pick dem up an' eat dem jes' like dat. Us eat plenty of crawfish. De chillen would git string an' ol' piece of fat meat an' tie on de end of it. Den us go to de bog an' drap de string down de crawfish hold. W'en de ol' man grab de meat wid he pincher' den us j'uk (jerk) him up, Dem crawfish' bile dem in salt water, de tail meat, an' mek a gumbo wid it. Us drink French coffee befo' de war but endurin' de war us couldn' git de good kind. Us mek coffee outn' coffee weed. Dey parch dem weed in a i'on oven, grine it an' put it in a pot mek outn' i'on." "Yes'm an' sir, I seed de sojers. I run under de house I was so scare'. Mary she hide under de bed in de house. I seed bofe de Yankee an' de w'ite people an' de Yankees come tek de cattle an' went 'way wid dem. I kin sho' reckillec' w'en de sojers come. De road was full of sojers comin' an' goin' night an' day. De Yenkee fin' a lot of Confed'rate sojers close to Duson, de other side of Rayne from here. Dey capture lots of de w'ite sojers at dat place an' brung dem back by dere. Den atter w'ile us seed dem comin' back from de war. It was all ober den. Dey tol' us we's free. Mother kep' wukkin' for de ol' mistus atter freedom. It war'n' long befo' de mistus die. She lef' t'ree li'l chillen but I dunno w'at happen to dem. Us go den to anudder farm, an' I plow an' Mary she he'p me pick cotton.

I git marry at 20 w'en I still libin' in Lou'sana. My fus' wife was a French gal. We was marry by de pries' in de chu'ch. Us hab so many chillen us hab to hab a map to account for all dem. I's de fadder of 19 chillen but some of dem dead. My secon' wife name'. Louise she still lib wid me. Mos' eb'ry chile I hab was fermers. I like to wuk in de fiel's too. I's a good co'n shucker but allus been a slow cotton picker. I's unable to tell how many gran' chillen I has."I nebber did git but one bad whippin' in my life. D' law in slav'ry time was dat you couldn' go now'er 'thout a permit. I slip off one time 'thout one an' dey ketch me an' whip me. Some of de niggers was well treated an' some was treated like animals. To my mem'ry de ol' place we stay in was in de country close to La'fayette. But I's been in Texas a good many year' an' mos' of my chillen here. Dem w'at hab slav'ry tol' dey slav'ry dey's free an' mos' of dem jes' scatter all ober de country. Dat's why dey's so many Lou'sana niggers here'bouts."

Vaimar Cumier was born a slave to Dupliscent Eagat , a small slaveholder of Lafayette, Louisiana. He tolls his story in a mixture of English and French. He now lives with his sister, Mary Moses , in the Pear Orchard Settlement, in Beaumont, Texas.

I 'member de day my old marster go to do war. I kin 'member dat jes' like yesterday. He used to like to play de fiddle and make me dance when I was li'l, but he went to do war and got kilt. He name Duplissent Duget . Mary , my sister, she don't 'member de old marster. "De slaves did de work on dat farm. Day was two growed-ups, my mamma, Colaste , and my uncle, and dere was us two chillen. My father was a white man, a white Croole man. I never carry he name till after freedom.

Marster was jes' a poor man and he have jes' a ordinary house. De slave house was jes' a old plank house 'bout twelve feet by twenty feet and have dirt floor. Us cook in de big fireplace and take a leg 'bout four foot long and have a big iron pot with a iron lid. Dey put red hot coals under de pot and on top de lid and dey have a big iron poker with a hook on it what dey took de lid off with. Defe' dey have coal oil lamp dey used to use homemade candles. Dey'd kill de brutes and keep and save all de tallow and one day was set off to make de candles. All de neighbors come and dey have kind of party and eat and things. Sometime dey make three, four hunnerd candles in one day and lay dem in a big box, so dey won't git break. Us make soap on de plantation, too. Dey molt de tallow and cracklin's and git lye out de fireplace ash. We have cotton and corn and pot growin', so we has plenty to eat. Us have coosh-coosh, dat cornbread and meat, and some fish to eat. Snails us jes' go through de woods and pick dem up and eat dem jes' like dat. Us eat plenty crawfish. De chillen git string and old piece fat neat and tie on do and, and us go to de bog and drap de string down dat crawfish hole. When de old men grab do most with he pincher, don us jerk us up a crawfish, and bile him in hot water, or make de soup. Us drink French coffee befo' de war, but durin' de war us couldn't git do good kind. Don us make coffee out of coffee wood. Dey parch dat weed in do iron ovens, grind it and put it in de iron pot. "I seed do sojers and I run under de house. I was so scared, Mary, sho hide under de bed in de house. Do Yankees come take de cattle and wont 'way with dem. I kin sho' rec'lec when dose sojers case and de read was full goin' day and night. De Yankees find a let of Confed'rate sojers close to Eason, de other side of Dayne and dey captures lots and brung dem back by dere. After while it all over and dey told us we free, but my mama keep' working for old missus after freedom, 'cause old marster. he kilt in dat war. Dem old missus die and left three li'l chillen, but I don't know what happen to them, 'comes us go to another place and I plow and Mary she he'p pick cotton. "I git marry at 20 and my first wife do French gal. We marry by de priest in de church. Us have so many chillen us have to keep a map to account for all dem, dere was 19 in all. We stays in Louisiana long time, den come to Texas.