Parilee Daniels

Parilee Daniels was born in Red River County, Texas in 1846. My mother's name Mary Daniels , Father's name unknown. Mother was never married and goes by the name of her stepfather who her mother married soon after she was born. She was a slave owned by Joseph Daniels . Her Master place a young man with her mother for a week so'es could raise him another young negro boy, but was disappointed when her offspring turned out to be a girl. So he finally gave consent for my mother to marry Joe Daniels who he owned after they married.

I was the oldest child, I had one half brother, Seth Daniel and two sisters, Eva and Jennie . Mother was borned in North Carolina and my stepfather, I don't know where he was born. My life as a child was full of sorrow and hate. I fairly hated Maser cause time I was walking good he never would let me play with the other negro kids - always had me doing something. I had to carry in wood and water and my life at home was miserable. My stepfather he landed on me all time with switch - Mother she was good to me, she protected me all she could, but that was not much. My home and quarters was just rude pole-penn I would call it, poles stood on end and tied together at the top, then straw brush throwed on that, then dirt. It was pretty warm in the winter but hot in the summer and we was afraid to step outside for the Indians were bad them days. I have known of them killing whole families and their slaves too. We built our beds where it would be warm in the winter, we made them out of moss and grass piled on the ground, but the way our quarters was built we kept warm as if we had good home and beds to sleep in, lots warmer than have been at times since. My mother's parents talk about their freedom back in their home county. I often prayed that some day I would be like my grandparents free to roam and go where I pleased and did'nt have to hop over ever time my Maser said jump. My abuse was because I was a girl slave and Maser wanted men slaves. He was slave crazy, trying to get more and more slaves to work. Said some day they would make him rich and they did, because he had several when they was freed. I'se done plenty hard work such as cut wood, chop cotton, hoe corn, hauled wood and Mistress made me help her with the cooking, sewing and washing and a little bit of all kinds of hard work. No, I never did earn any money, if I did I never did get it, so what was the difference.

We had plenty to eat such as it was, had cornbread grated by hand cooked in open skillet or in the ashes mixed with water and a little salt. In them early days we did not know what flour bread was. Maser he would not buy it if he could. Yes we had plenty of meat, pork, beef and so on. Yes, possum and rabbit when we wanted them. Most of our meat we cooked by taking forked stick and stick our meat in that and cooked it over the open fire on the rock fireplace. No the slaves did not have gardens of their own, but Maser always planted a big garden and he let the slaves have what he wanted them to have out of his garden. We had fat possum and potatoes, also fish, that is what I likes best of all meat. I could live on fish and never get tired of it, but that is something we do not get these days as there is not any possums in the woods or fish in the creek like they use to be and we have to do without them now. We wear home-spun clothes, such royal clothes made in open shirt or dress in hot weather. In cold weather we had heavy wool clothes, no shoes but we always wrapped our feet to keep them warm. On Sunday we had clean white clothes to put on. Maser was pretty good to us especially when he did not have one of his spells. He always took his spite out on me, he was rather a large man too. Never did talk much but when he did everyone knew to hop both black and white as he wore a gun all the time. Maser had killed several men in his day. Mistress she was a jolly god woman, always was real nice to her black people, but she was afraid of her husband because he was mean to her at times, he drink whiskey. They had 3 boys and they was like their father, real rough but was always good to their black people. I'se remembers one time when their oldest son Mr. Jason comes to where I was and told me that his father was raving mad and wanted to see me and was going to give me dam good beating so he says that he sent for me and I had better go at once. I started begging him not to let his father tare me up with that old stick. He went with me nearly there then he said he had to go to the barn and feed his horse. When I'se gets there Maser he was reading. I walked up to him and said, "Maser here I am. What do you want? He said who in hell sent you in here and I told him. He said that was some of Jason's lies to go on back to my quarters there was Mr. Jason laughing at me cause I was so scared he told me Maser wanted me.

Maser had a real good home built there among all them shade trees. It had 4 rooms built out of pine logs with boards riveted out by my old stepfather. Just had one door to the room, no windows at all, and all the floor was old mother earth. Them doors had cowhides over them to keep out the rain and cold. The overseer Maser John Tarleton , he was real good to the slaves and I don't think Maser liked that much cause he was hard on his slaves. The overseer never did whip, curse or abuse one of the slaves but Maser always done that for him. Maser had about 100 acres there in the plantation and putting in more every year. He owned about 40 slaves. Maser Tarleton always rung great big bell with a hammer around 4: o, clock every morning except Sunday, he never bothers us on that day. Yes we was in the field every morning waiting for it to get light enough so we could see how to work and he worked us just as long as we could see. He had two old negro women to cook and bring us a few bites along in the middle of the day. We ate that standing and went right on to work. If the slaves was stubborn or contrary Maser would whip them, or if they refused or lagged behind in their work he would whip them. The overseer had great long rawhide whip twisted together, when one fell behind he would tap him or her two or three licks with that whip. It generally brought him or her up with the rest. I saw my Maser get hold of one real mean negro that he had to whip nearly every day. That negro he killed one of Maser's best slaves just because Maser was good to the slave. Believe me Maser sure did a plenty to that negro, he tied his hands together and made him stand that way all night and if he got any sleep he would have to sleep standing, so his punishment was very severe but Maser had to control him some way. No sir, there was not any jail for us in our county but I have seen several slaves sold.

The way they did was to make us clean up and then they greased our face, hands and feet so that we would look fat and greasy, just like you would, if you went to buy a hog you would want it to look fat and greasy, then they would parade us out before the would-be buyer and auction us off. After Maser got the highest price he could get he would sell, all the hollering and crying would take place. Son you have heard cows bawl when you take or sell their calves, that is the way the slaves did. Yes I have seen a few slaves in chains, they was put there because they would be unruly or misbehave. I'se seen one negro that got to fighting with another slave and broke his arm and Maser put him in chains and every night he could not prowl around, and on Sunday he would want to go and have good time like the rest of the slaves but he would be chained to a post and have to stay there all day. No the white people did not learn me how to read, said a dam negro was not worth that much trouble. No we did not have a church on our plantation, but the white people did in center of the small settlement and they had room built to one side where they carried us to church. Yes I like to go to church. Old Bro. Berry preached to us there and everybody just loved that old man of God. He was all time telling us slaves about that poor Baby that was born in a horse trough, and some day he would save the people of this old sinful world. We had what they called them old time camp meetings and everybody got happy and shouted, then we would all go down on the nearest creek and while they baptised the white people first, we negroes sang "On the Stormy Banks of Jordan" then the white people they sang while the preacher was baptising the slaves. The white people was proud to see us join the church cause that would make better slaves out of us, we minded our Masers better, work better and everything. Yes I seen few slaves that tried to run off and go north after the war started but they never did go very far cause the white folks and the patterrollers would catch them and bring them back to their Masers and when their Masers got through with them, they would not be likely to try that any more, because their Maser would use a rawhide on them until it would be a plum shame, they would nearly kill them before they would quit, because if one slave got away they would he more trying to run off and go to the north.

In that day it was not any crime to kill a negro, if a white should kill one, they never was anything done or said here in the south and is still that way. You hardly ever hear of a white man being tried in the courts here in the old south for killing a negro, then too they are not considered a citizen because they do not let the negro have any say in the court. Never is a negro jury on a negro's case of any kind. I do not think that is right the way they do the negro here, but I guess we ought to be thankful that we can live here after the people finely freed us from slavery.

'se remembers one time there was another white man there that had a large bunch of slaves and he had an overse'er to look after his slaves. He was a real man to them. One day he was working them in the field and some of the slaves who had it in for him pulled him off his horse, choked that man slap to-death, then took him down in the woods and covered him with grass and brush, then them dam negroes scattered in every direction. They got mad cause he rode by and did not think they were working like they should so he rides close enough to hit them across the shoulders with that rawhide and then the whole gang lit in on him. When they scattered in all directions their Maser had a time getting them together again. He had to kill one or two of them cause they thought they could get by with their Maser like they did the Overse'er, but they got fooled. Maser he begins to shoot them, not to kill, and they finally begins to crawl to him. They liked never to have found that overse'er- none of the negroes would tell Maser where they put him, but the white people keeps hunting till they found him. Believe me that man sure did give them negroes hell. He put them in chains and worked them just like a bunch of convicts. At night he took all their privileges away from them and chained them in their quarters. Them negroes got in bad lots worse by killing that overse'er than if they had gone on and behaved themselves. When the war was over that overse'ers than if they had gone on and behaved themselves. When the war was over that overse'ers children killed every last one of them negroes, that was one way they got even with them.

If we went from one plantation to another we had to have [pass] before we could travel as them patterrollers they would get us, and when they got hold of us they would hit us 39 licks with rawhides. One time them patterrollers got hold of me, I'se had been slipping off to see my man under great big tree one night, and when I had started back to my quarters they was on the trail and got me before I saw them, Oh child, they sure did are me up good, but no that never stopped me I kept right on seeing my man and they never did catch me no more, and we just mostly fell in at the door when we went to our quarters at night we would so tired. Them patterrollers they would come and walk all over us laying there on the floor and I'se be so scared I wouldn't move until they would leave. No sir, we never worked on Saturday unless Maser would be in tight with his work. Most of the time on Saturday morning he would make us women wash all the slaves clothes for the next week and Saturday evening he would make us clean up good and cook for the next day, cause that would be Sunday for all. On Saturday nights we had great negro dance somewhere on the plantation. We danced out under big tree somewhere, as the houses did not have floor them days and only dirt and we would be crowded. Oh boy, the slaves they sure did have good time at them dances, not a worry in the world to bother them at all. We had lots better time then than we do now. On Christmas morning we all was happy the men drinking eggnog and the women making them and helping drink them. The young they would be out holding open the front gate so the young white couples could pass through receiving gifts that was throwed their way by the white children. The negro girls they be where they could open the doors and take their wraps and receive this and that gift. Then when they would all get there they would set a great long table with nearly everything that was good to eat, with Mistress at front of the table and Maser by her side, then we would all eat and by the time we got everything cleaned up it would be night, and the young they would be getting ready for that all night dance. They would gather all the slaves that could play and begin their music, the young white children and old, also were in there dancing and last all night long. They would throw rice and they would kiss the bride and the music would start up again and before anyone knew anything they would be another couple getting married, and the same over and over all during the night. When it would begin to get day light everyone would be getting ready to go home. The young couples they would get some slaves for a wedding present, one man and woman slave. The neighbors would all get together and build the young people a house to live in. On New Years Day everyone would pass resolutions for the next year.

Boss, there was never a death among the white family of Maser's while we was slaves, but they was one death among the slaves. We went and dug a hole in the ground 3 1/2 feet deep and hauled logs and built a pen, floored and then covered it over with them logs, then piled the dirt over that. Maser he never even quit work, just long enough to bury that negro. He made us carry that negro and pile him in that hole and when we got him covered with dirt he would pray and all us slaves would bow our heads, then we would go back to work. I believe Maser would hate more to see negro die than we would, because he would lose some valuable property and we all just knew that negro would go right on to that glory land like they had taught us, because that negro was a good slave. We played ring games such as, wolf over the river and hide-and-seek. We used to ring up both young and old and play drop the handkerchief. You know son, them were the happiest days of our life. All the white children they would play with us and we had the greatest time ever. The young folks now don't have good times like we had then. Yes sir, I'se seen a ghost. One evening I was setting on my porch and ghost came there in my garden and went to setting out cabbage plants, he never had no head at all. I'se begin to try to talk to that ghost and he would not say a word, just kept on putting out them cabbage plants, then I'se gets up and starts out there where that ghost was and when I opened the garden gate and turned around that ghost was gone. Boss scared, yes sir, I was scared, I went running over to one of my neighbor's house to tell them about that ghost, they just made fun of me. Sure enough when I gets back home there was not anything in the garden bothered so I don't know what I saw. Yes, sir I'se believes in warning. One time Maser started preaching and we got half mile from his house and he had forgot his money and told me to go back and get it, I told him that he would have bad luck. Sure enough before we gets to church them mules run away with that wagon and tore it all to pieces. Son, if Maser had not forgot his purse them mules never would have run awy, I'se just funny that way. If black cat comes to my house, I'se not going to stay at that house, no sir, because I'se going to have some kind of trouble. We had the best of care when we got sick. Maser would see that we were taken good care of, if we was not very sick Maser he let old black mama doctor us, but if we got very sick he had the white doctor to come and see us. Old black mama then would get her sack and hoe and would go to the woods and get herbs to make our medicine out of. She used cami-weed sasfras-root, mayflower roots, red oak bark, peach tree leaves, rabbit foot leaves and so on; when she did make our medicine and give us it was a terrible dose. She used these remedies to keep off fever, chills, malaria, colic and so on. It was very seldom that Maser ever had to call the white doctor unless we got arm or leg broke. Mammy could not do anything with a broken limb or something of that kind. Yes, I'se remembers plenty about the war cause Maser he went to that terrible war and was wounded, and they brought him home dirty, ragged and bloody, the blood on his clothes was done dried. The first thing they did was to give a big dance and farewell party for the men and boys. There was something like 350 white boys and about 250 negroes that went to the war from that county some of them never come back alive. I remembers one time when that northern army tried to come to Texas there in Red River county, they met a crew of these Texas soldiers and said these dam Texans had horns, that was the out-fightnest thing they ever saw. Them there northern soldiers was just taking everything as they come, but they did not get very far I know, cause I helped nurse them wounded soldiers that got hurt there in that fight, both of the south and north and that is what they told me. We could hear them guns popping and we put cotton in our ears so'es we wouldn't be so scared. Them there guns sounded like they was gone to get you every minute. When that war was over Maser heard that the south had lost and we was freed, he called us all to his back door and told us that we was free. We all begin to cry and ask Maser what we was going to do and he said he did not know, they had freed us and he did not have any more to do with us, but he said this much, I still have the teams, tolls and the quarters and we could go on living there in the quarters and he would pay us fo the work that we did. So we made a trade with Maser to work for him there for 20 cents a day. The year after the war he was to furnish our groceries and clothes but no sir, he would not get us a doctor when we got sick, we then had to depend all together on old black mammy as we did not have the money to get a doctor with, and Maser he would not get us a doctor, if we died then Maser would not lose anything because we was free and was not worth anything to him.

We sure did live hard after we went to work for Maser because he would not let us get in debt to him at all, the clothes we wore old cast off clothes of the white people, as it took everything we could make to get something to eat with and nothing left to buy clothes with, so we had to do the hest we could. Then when I had worked there about 3 years I'se married to John Daniels , a negro that was raised there on the plantation. We had a big wedding, plenty to eat, drink and dancing about a week. I'se never did get so tired of anything in my life cause I wanted to be with my husband, and all them people there all the time, I sure was glad when they went and left us alone.  We had 4 boys and 5 girls, and they are all living here close by and trying to farm and they is just gradually starving during this hard time. I have something over 40 grandchildren and 1 great grandchild. If times don't get better I don't know what these children are going to do. Captain, I don't know exactly what I did expect from freedom. Yes, I believes if the Government was going to divide Maser's land they would have given us some mules to work with, but instead of that they never gave us anything, just turned us loose like a bunch of wild goats to starve to-death. No sir, there was not any of the plantation divided or Maser did not give us any money. All our Maser ever gave us was a hard kick if we looked like we wanted anything. We were not forced to stay, but we had to stay where we could get some work as we could not go where we wanted to go and get work then. We just done about what we were forced to under the circumstances. We split rails, cut wood and done farm work. We generally would get from 15 to 30 cents per day when they paid us, some paid us and some did not.

Son I think them times was just hell on the negro race cause they was turned loose without any money, clothes or anything to eat- no place to go, and the worst part of it we could not read or write or hold any kind of a job except farm work. If we left our people and tried to get work the KKK's said no, they would not let us prowl around and hunt anything to do to try and better ourselves. If we went to the little town on Saturday evening the KKK's were there to make us go home and work. Son, I am telling you, them KKK's was terrible on the negro, but I guess it was for the best as some of them would not have tried to work or do anything, just roam around the country and steal everything they could get their hands on. If we had tried to vote them KKK's would have hung us, so none of the negro race would try. Yes, I'se had a friend to hold an office among the white people, but that never did help me one bit. Of course, I believes the negro race should be allowed more privileges than we have now in voting cause we have to pay taxes and send our boys to wars just like the white people do, then we have to pay pole taxes and not use it only one time every 2 years. Son I don't think that is right do you? We have no say so in who is elected in office here in the county and they just do the negro any old way- tax them just as they please, just because they want to and can get by with it. I have farmed every since they freed me and raised children, and lived or tried to live on starvation wages. You talk about freedom we had more freedom during slavery time than we have now. We were worth something then and someone took care of us. We had plenty to eat, clothes us good and seen that we had a doctor if we needed one, but now we do not have any of those things, Son, I am telling you, I would rather be under slavery time than freedom. Since freedom the negro race have become more educated since we were turned loose like a bunch of wild hogs. They can hold good jobs, but these young people are terrible sometimes they will not tell the truth and have no respect for the old negro or white people either so I don't know what will become of them they are doing so bad. It looks like the people will have to kill them out or thin them out in some way. I believes that if times ever gets better the young negroes will do some better as times is sure hard now. If the Government ever quit feeding the good for nothing negroes they will do lots better. This Government had caused them to be as sorry as they really are, feeding them and this relief they gets. They think now the Government owes them a living and will not work. If you try to hire one of them to do some work they will say, "I'se on relief, I can't, and they will not let me work, if I works they will turn me off of relief- so there you are.

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Parilee Daniels was born in Red River County, Texas in 1846.  My mother's name Mary Daniels , Father's name unknown. Mother was born in North Carolina and do not know where Father was born. Parilee goes by by her step-father's name, who her mother married soon after she was born. I had one half-brother, Seth Daniels and two sister's, Eva and Jennie Daniels . I was the oldest child. I was a slave owned by Joseph Daniels . My child life was very unhappy, as I fairly hated Master, he abused me as he was disappointed when I was born because I was not a boy. I often prayed that some day I would be free to roam and go where I pleased. Mistress was a jolly good woman and good to her black people. She was afraid of her husband as he would drink whiskey. They had 3 boys and they were like their father, real rough, but good to black folks. Maser owned about 100 acres of land and had about 40 slaves. In those days it was no crime to kill a negro. If a white man killed a negro there was nothing done about it and is still that way today. You never hear of a white man being tried in court here in the south for killing a negro. I worked for Maser about 3 years and married John Daniels . He was raised there on the plantation where I was. We had a big wedding, plenty to eat and drink and dancing about a week. We had 9 children, 4 boys and 5 girls. They all live on a farm close by just gradually starving during this depression. I have 40 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren.