Julia Francis Daniels

Daniels Julia Frances

Julia Frances Daniels , born in 1848, somewhere in Georgia lives with her daughter at 2523 Spring St. Dallas, Texas. She is the mother of seventeen children and has no account of her grandchildren but knows some of her great-grandchildren. She is of robust appearance. She is known at the church and in the neighborhood as Mother Daniels . She has recently started to learn reading and writing.

Theys lots I disremembers and theys lots I remembers. I remembers very well the year the war was over and the fighting all done with 'cause that was the year I learned to plow and that was the time I got married. That was the very year they learned me to plow. I learnt alright 'cause I wasnt one slow to learn anything. Afore to that time they ain't never had no hoe in the field for me atall. I jest toted water mos' of the time for the ones in the field. I never hardly had nothing to do when I lived with Old Man Denman . He was the one that owned my mother and father and all of us until he 'vided some of us with Miss Lizzie and she married Mr. Cramer . I jest played around and picked up chunkwood and gathered hay for the beds and pulled shucks offen the burr-ends to make mattresses. I was a skittish little youngun and me and my sisters and brothers liked to play around in the woods by the spring. I had plenty brothers and sisters. I remembers Tom , Harrison , George , Martha , Emmaline , Mandy , Elissa , Sophia , Savannah and Neeley . They was all named Denman 'cause my mother and father was Lottie and Boyd Denman and they came from Georgia to Cherokee County and then to Houston County near by to Crockett with Old Man Denman . My father worked in the fields with Uncle Lot and Dan and Corry and Sam and my brothers and some of the womens and Uncle Joe . Uncle Joe , he was the driver. He is the one who is 'sponsible to get us up. He gets us up afore day for the workin'. He whups us chilluns when we disbehaves. But Briscoe is the overseer. We used to call him old Briscoe . He is a white man. He can't never whup the grown mens like he is 'spose to 'cause they don't let him unless he goes to Old Man Denman and I believe he is 'shamed to go very much. I seen them whup them though. Briscoe make them take off their shirt and he whups them with a strap. Sometimes they have to buckle them to the ground. They don't like to get no whuppins but they dont stay mad very long. Now my mother was the cook in the Denman house and she cooked for the Denmans and our fambly and Uncle Joe's fambly. She didn't have much time for anything but cookin' all the time. But she was the bestes' cook. We had fine green gardens and fine hogs and beef. We used to eat collard greens and pork. We et the pork until we got skittish of it and when they quit the pork and killed the beefs they was just pourin' water on our wheels. 'cause we liked best of anything the beef and I do to this day, only I can't never get it. Mr. Denman had a boy that killed squirrels and throwed them in the kitchen. The white folks et them. You ain't never seen no white folks then that would eat rabbit. But I had a brother who hunted every time he gets the chance. Mostly on Sundays. He would leave for the swamps afore daybreak and we would know when we hear him callin', 'OooOooo-da-dah-ske-e-e-e-t-t-tttt, that he had sumpin'. That was just a make-up of his own, but we knowed they was rabbits for the pot. All the mens don't hunt on Sundays. 'Cause Uncle Joe used to hold meetin' out in front of his house on Sundays and lots of other times too. When we looked out the door and seen Uncle Joe settin' the benches straight and settin' his table out under the trees and sweepin' clean the leaves, then we used to say: Going to be meetin'. Sometime my mother don't hardly have no time to wash us to go, but sometime she let us go and everything was so sweet and fine and lovely. They was the lovliest days that ever they was. Night times too, they'd make it between them whether it would be at our house or Uncle Joe's . Uncle Joe was the only one could do any preachin'. We'd ask the Niggers from other farms to come to the meetin's and I used to say: I likes a meetin' just as good as I likes a party. We used to sing: Children of the Heavenly King As we join and let us sing Sing our Savior, worthy of praise. Glory in His works and ways. We are traveling home to God In the way our fathers trod. Christ our advocate is made.

When the crops is laid by is when we have the most parties. We used to dance and sing and have play-games. The reels was what I used to like but I done quit that foolishness many years ago. I used to cut a step or two. I remembers a reel called the Devil's Dream. It was a fast song. Oh! de devil dreampt a dream He dreampt it on a Friday- He dreampt he caught a sinner. Then somebody would call out real loud: Oh! de devil he dreampt a dream Old Man Denman was a great one for 'viding his property, and when Miss Lizzie marries with Mr. Creame Cramer which is her dead sister's husband, Old Man Denman gives me and two of my sisters to Miss Lizzie and he gives two more sisters to his son. We went with Miss Lizzie to the Cramer place and we lived in the back yard in a little room by the back door. Everything is fine and nice there until one day Miss Lizzie says to me, Julia go down to the well and bring me some water. I go down to the well and I see in the road a heap of men all in gray and ridin' horses coming our way. I runs back to the house and I'm a-calling Miss Lizzie . She says, Where is my water? I say, Miss Lizzie I'se ascared. She says, What are you ascared for? I tell her about the mens and she says, Go on back and get the water Julia , they ain't going to hurt you none. They just wants some water. I went back to the well and I heard them make talk about a fight. Then I went back to the house some of the mens come up to the gate and they say to Mr. Cramer , How're you Creame ? And Mr. Cramer says, I'm alright in my health but I ain't so good in mind. They say, What is the matter Creame ? And he says, I want to be in the fight so bad. When the mens were gone I axed Miss Lizzie , What they fightin' about? She says, They is fightin' about money. I say, Whar is they fightin' She says, Over yonder somewhars. And that is all I know. Right after that Mr. Cramer went away and we don't never see him no more. The word come back from the fightin' that he makes some of the big high mens mad by something he done and so they put chains around his ankles and made him dig a stump in the hot sun. He wasn't used to that 'cause he aint never done no work in the sun and it gives him the fever to the brain and he dies. When Mr. Cramer goes away Miss Lizzie takes us all and goes back to Old Man Denman's . The sojers used to pass and all the whoopin' and hollerin' and carryin' on you ain't never heard the likes. They hollers, Who-oo-oo, Old Man Denman , hows' your chickens? And they chunks and throws at them til' they cripples them up and can put them in they bags for cookin'. Old Man Denman cusses at them something powerful. Just like chaps like to do, my sister Mandy and I was down in the woods a good fur piece from the house and from the field where Pa and the other mens are hoeing in the fields. We keep hearing a noise but we thinks it is the men singin' in the fields . Mandy goes to the house to get her vittles and is going to bring me some. She don't never come back and I waits and waits and finally my brother comes down in the woods and finds me and he says, Come over to the gate and git your dinner. When I gits there the dinner is on top of the gate post and he says they is sojers in the woods atwixt here and the house and they has been persecutin' a old woman on a mule. She was a Nigger woman. I gets so scared I cant eat my dinner. I aint got no heart for vittles. My brother says, Wait for pa, he is coming with the mule. I gits on the mule in front of pa and we passes through the sojers. They grabs at us and say, Gimme the gal, Gimme the gal. Pa says I fainted plumb away. We heard guns shootin' round and abouts all the time. Seems like they fit every time they git a chance. Afore the war is over the boy of Old Man Denman's gits killed. Two of my sisters were his property and now they dont know what is to be done 'cause they has to be somebody's property and they aint no one to 'heritance them. They has to go to the auction but Old Man Denman says not to worry and not to fret. At the auction the man says, Going high, going low, going mighty slow, a little while to go. Bid 'em in, bid 'em in. The sun is high, the sun is hot and we got to get home tonight. When my sisters is put on the block an old frien' of Old Man Denman's hollers out that he buys for William Blackstone . We all comes home and Old Man Denman laughs big and says, My name is always been William Blackstone Denman .

I was a woman growned when the war was to an end. I had my first baby when I was fourteen. One day my sister was in the house and she calls me and she says, Theys fit out and theys been a surrenderin' and they aint going to fight no more. That dusk Old Man Denman calls all the Niggers together and he stands on the steps and makes a speechin'. He says, Men and womens, you is free. You is as free as I am. You is free to go where you wants but I is beggin' you to stay by me til we gets the crops laid by. Steddy it over afore you gives me your answer. I is always tried as my duty to be fair with you. The men talked it atwixt themselves and they included to stay-They said we might as well stay here as to go somewheres else and we ain't got no money and no place to go onless we go a-seekin' a place. Miss Lizzie married with Mr. Joe McMahon and I went with her to where she lives not so far by. Mr. McMahon says he is going to learn me how to plow. Miss Lizzie says, Now Julia dont go to the field and make no fool of yourself and act like you aint never seen no plow afore. 'Cause you is seen plenty plowin' afore. He learns me and I learns to hold the handles like this instid of like dat right down the middle of the furrow and we made a corn crop. We goes on about the same 'cept they dont never seem to be no money like when my pa used to take a chicken to the town and bring back sweets and little bright things for us chilluns. I got married later on that very year and I had a little fixin' for the weddin', baked some cakes and I had a dress with buttons and a preacher married us. I aint used to wearin' nothing but lorins (a simple one piece garment made from sacking). Underwear? I ain't never wore no underwear then.After a little while my husband rents a little piece of land. We move to it and raise a corn crop and that is the way we do. We raises our own vittles on the farm. I had seventeen chilluns through the years. 'Cose all of them don't live past being babies and little chilluns. They done scattered to the four winds. Some of them is dead.I aint what I used to be for workin'; I cant do much these days but set around. I know I aint so long for this world. I done plenty work in my primer days.

Julia Francis Daniels , born in 1848, in Georgia, a slave of the Denman family, who moved to Texas before the Civil War. Julia's memory fails her when she tries to recall names and dates. She still tries to take part in church activities and has recently started to learn reading and writing. She lives with a daughter at 523 Spring St. Dallas, Texas.

They's lots I disremembers and they's lots I remembers, like the year the war's over and the fightin' all done with, 'cause that the year I larned to plow and that the time I got married. That's the very year they larned me to plow. I larnt all right, 'cause I wasn't one slow to larn anything. Afore to that time. they ain't never had no hoe in the field for me a-tall. I jos' toted water for the ones in the field.  I had plenty brothers and sisters, 'bout ten of 'em, but I remembers some they names. There was Tom and George and Marthy and Mandy , and they's all name' Denman , 'cause my mammy and daddy was Lottie and Boyd Denman end they come from Georgia to Cherokee County and then to Houston County, near by to Crockett, with Old Man Denman . He was the one owned all us till he 'vided some with Miss Lizzie when she marries Mr. Cramer . My daddy worked in the fields with Uncle Lot and my brothers, and my Uncle Joe , he's driver. But Briscoe am overseer and he a white man. Is can't never whup the growed mens like he wants, 'cause they don't let him unless he ask Old Man Denman . I seed him whup 'em, though. He make 'em take off the shirt and whup with the strap.  Now, my mammy was cook in the Denmen house and for our family end Uncle Joe' s family. She didn't have much time for anythin' but cookin' all the time. But she's the bestes' cook. Us had fine greens and hawgs and beef, Us et collard greens and pork till us got skittish of it and then they quit the pork and kilt a beef. When they done that, they's jus' pourin' water on our wheels, 'cause us liked best of anythin' the beef, and I do to this day, only I can't never git it. "Old Man Denman had a boy what kilt squirrels and throwed 'em in the kitchen. The white folks et them. You ain't never seen no white folks then would eat rabbit. I had a brother who hunted. Mostly on Sundays. He'd leave for the swamps 'fore daybreak and we'd know when we'd hear his callin'. 'O - o -o-o-da-ske-e-e-t.' he had somethin'. That jus' a make-up of he own, but we knowed they's rabbits for the pot.  All the mens don't hunt on Sunday, 'cause Uncle Joe helt meetin' in front he house. Us look out the door and seed Uncle Joe settin' the benches straight and settin' he table out under the trees and sweepin' clean the leaves and us know they's gwine be meetin'. They's the loveliest days that ever they was. Night times, too, they'd make it 'tween 'en whether it'd be at our house or Uncle Joe's . We'd ask niggers from other farms and I used to say, 'I likes meetin' jus' as good as I likes a party.' When crops is laid by us have the most parties and dance and sing and have play games. The reels is what I used to like but I done quit that foolishness many a year ago. I used to cut a step or two. I remembers one reel call the 'Devil's Dream.' It's a fast song "'Oh, de Devil drempt a dream,

He drempt it on a Friday - He drempt he cotch a sinner.'  Old Man Denman am the great one for 'viding he property and when Miss Lizzie marries with Mr. Creams Cramer , which am her dead sister's husband, Old Man Denman give me and two my sisters to Miss Lizzie and he gives two more my sisters to he son. Us goes with Miss Lizzie to the Cramer place and lives in the back yard in a little room by the back door. "Everything fine and nice there till one day Miss Lizzie say to me, 'Julia , go down to the well and fetch me some water,' and I goes and I seed in the road a heap of men all in gray and ridin' hosses, comin' our way. I runs back to the house and calls Miss Lizzie . She say, 'What you scairt for?' I tells her 'bout them men and she say they ain't gwine hurt me none, they jus' wants some water. I goes back to the well and heered 'em talk 'bout a fight. I goes back to the house and some of the mens comes to the gate and says to Mr. Cramer . 'How're you, Creame ?' He say. 'I's all right in my health but I ain't so good in my mind.' They says, 'What the matter, Creame ?' He say, 'I want to be in the fight so bad.' "When they goes I asks Miss Lizzie what they fightin' 'bout and she say it am 'bout money. That all I knows. Right after that Mr. Cramer goes and we don't never see his no more. Word come back from the fightin' he makes some the big. high mens mad and they puts chains 'round he ankles and make him dig a stump in the hot sun. He ain't used to that and it give him fever to the brain and he dies. "When Mr. Cramer goes 'way, Miss Lizzie takes us all and goes back to Old Man Denman's . The sojers used to pass and all the whoopin' and hollerin' and carryin' on, you ain't never heered the likes! They hollers, 'Who-o-o-o, Old Man Denman , how's your chickens?' And they chunks and throws at 'em till they cripples 'em up and puts 'em in they bags, fo cookin'. Old Man Denman cusses at 'em somethin' powerful. "My sister Mandy and me am down in the woods a good, fur piece from the house and us keeps hearin' a noise. My brother comes down and finds me and say, 'Come git your dinner.' When I gits there dinner am top the gate post and he say they's sojers in the woods and they has been persecutin' a old woman on a mule. She was a nigger woman. I gits so scairt I can't eat my dinner. I ain't got no heart for victuals. My brother say, 'Wait for pa, he comin' with the mule and he'll hide you out.' I gits on the mule front of pa and us pass through the sojers and they grabs at us and says, 'Gimme the gal, gimme the gal.' Pa say I faints plumb 'way. "Us heered guns shootin' round and 'bout all the time. Seems like they fit every time they git a chance. Old Man Denman's boy gits kilt and two my sisters he property and they don't know what to do, 'cause they has to be somebody's property and they ain't no one to 'heritance 'em. They has to go to the auction but Old Man Denman say not to fret. At the suction the man say, 'Goin' high, goin' low, goin' mighty slow, a little while to go. Bid 'em in, bid 'em in. The sun am high, the sun am hot, us got to git home tonight.' An old friend of Old Man Denman's hollers out he buys for William Blackstone . Us all come home and my sisters too and Old Man Denman laugh big and say, 'My name allus been William Blackstone Denman .' "I's a woman growed when the war was to a end. I had my first baby when I's fourteen. One day my sister call me and say, 'They's fit out, and they's been surrenderin' and ain't gwine fight no more.' That dusk Old man Denman call all us niggers together and stand on he steps and make he speech, 'Mens and womans, you is free as I am. You is free to go where you wants but I is beggin' yous to stay by me till us git the crops laid by.' Then he say, 'Study it over 'fore you gives me you answer. I is always try as my duty to be fair to you.' "The mens talks it over a-twixt theyselves and includes to stay. They says us might as well stay there as go somewhere else, and us got no money and no place to go.