Campbell Davis

Campbell Davis , 85, was born in Harrison Co., Texas, a slave of Henry Hood . He remained on the Hood place about three years after he was freed, then farmed in Louisiana. In 1873 he married and moved back to Harrison Co., where he farmed until old age forced him to stop. He now lives with his nephew, Billie Jenkins , near Karnack. Campbell receives a $12.00 per month old age pension.

I's big 'nough in slavery time to hear dem tell de darkies to get up and go in the mornin', and to hear the whistlin' of dem whips and howlin' of de dogs. I's birthed up in the northeast part of this county right on the line of Louisiana and Texas, and 'longed to old man Henry Hood . My mammy and daddy was Campbell and Judy Davis and dey both come from Alabama, and was brung here by de traders and sold to Massa Hood . They was nine of us chillen, name Ellis and Hildaman and Henderson and Henrietta and Georgia and Harriet and Patsy .  Massa Henry didn't have de fine house but it a big one. Us quarters sot off 'cross de field in de edge of a skit of woods. Dey have dirt floors and a fireplace and old pole and plank bunks nail to de walls.  Dey fed us beef and veg'tables  any kind, jus' name it  and 'low us sop bread in potlicker till de world look level. Dat good satin' and all my life I ain't have no better.  Massa didn't 'low no overseer on he place. One my uncles de driver, and massa blow de old conk shell long 'fore day, and if de darkies didn't git goin' you'd hear dem whips cracklin'. "I seed one my sisters whip 'cause she didn't spin 'nough. Dey pull de clothes down to her waist and laid her down on de stomach and lash her with de rawhide quirt. I's in de field when dey whips my Uncle Lewis for not pickin' 'nough cotton. De driver pull he clothes down and make him lay on de groun'. He wasn't tied down, but he say he scart to move.  De women am off Friday afternoon to wash clothes and all de hands git Saturday afternoon and mos' de man go huntin' or fishin'. Sometimes dey have parties Saturday night and couples git on de floor and have music of de fiddle and banjo. I only 'members one ring play: 

If de young generation would study dey could make something out deyselves, but dey wont do it. Dey am too wild. Jus' last week, I hears de young cullud preacher at Karnack say, 'Brudders and sisters, style and brightness am what we needs today.' I looks at him and says to myself. 'Thank de Lawd I knows better'n dat.' When I's comin' up it am dark, but I knows better things am ahead for us people and us trusts in de Lawd and was hones' with our white folks and profits by what dey tells us. Dey wasn't no niggers sent to jail when I's comin' up. It dis 'style and brightness' what gits de young niggers in trouble. Dey got de dark way 'head of dem, less dey stops and studies and make somethin' out deyselves.

Campbell Davis , a retired Harrison County farmer, was born in the northeastern part of Harrison County, in 1852, as a slave of Henry Hood . He remained on the Hood place with his mother until about three years after Emancipation, when they moved to a farm in Louisiana. Leaving his mother at the age of 21, he married and moved to Harrison County. His entire life, since reaching manhood, has been devoted to farming in Harrison County. Campbell now resides with his nephew, Billie Jenkins , three miles east of Karnack, Texas, on the Long Point Road. He receives a $12.00 per month old age pension.

I was big enough in slavery time to hear them tell the darkies to  Get up and go in the mo'ning, and to hear the crying of them whips and the howling of the dogs. I was bo'n in the northeast part of Harrison County on the state line of Texas and Louisiana, and belonged to old man Henry Hood . My mother and father was Campbell and Judy Davis , and both of them come from Alabama. They was brought here by the traders and sold to Master Hood under the name of Davis . There was nine of us chil'ren. Besides me and a sister that died a baby, there was Ellis , Hildaman , Henderson , Heneretta , Georgia , Harriet and Patsy . Master Henry didn't have a fine house, but it was a large one. The quarters sot (set) off across the field in the edge of a skit of woods. The houses had dirt floors, a chimney, fireplace and old pole and plank bunks nailed to the wall. They fed us milk, butter, beef, vegetables  any kind, just name it  and let us sop bread in pot licker till the world look level. Master Henry didn't low no overseer on the place. One of my uncles was the "Driver". Master blowed that old conk-shell long 'fore day and if the darkies didn't get going you'd hear the whips cracking. I saw one of my sisters whipped because she didn't spin enough. They pulled her clothes down to her waist, layed her down on her stomack and lashed her with a raw-hide quirt. I was in the field when they whipped my Uncle Lewis for not picking enough cotton. The "Driver" pulled his clothes down and made him lay on the ground. He warn't tied down. He say he was scared to move cause old Master was standing right there. The wimmen was off Friday afternoon to wash clothes and clean up for Sunday. All the hands got Saturday afternoon. Most of the men would go fishing or hunting. There was plenty of game and fish then. Sometimes they had parties on Saturday night. The couples got on the floor and go to turning round and round to the music of fiddles and banjoes.

I only 'members one ring play: "Hop Light little lady The cakes all dough, I don't mind the weather, Just so the wind don't blow". The biggest day to the blacks and whites was the Fourth of July. The hands was off all day. Master gave all the darkies a big dinner out under a grove of trees. He allus barbecue a sheep or beef and have cakes and pies and other fancy cooking. We had one of the best bosses round in that country. He believed in making them work. When they needed whipping, he had it done so they warn't going to ferget it soon. When it come to feeding his darkies or giving them a dinner, he done that right too. We had a time Christmas. He give us clothes, shoes, nuts and things and a big dinner. The boss' chil'ren and relations allus come home and Master had Santa Claus for the young ones. On Christmas night the darkies sung songs for them. All the book learning we got was mostly among ourselves round in the quarters. Master Henry and Mistress had eight chil'ren. My young Mistress Nannie helped us some to get our A,B,C's and to write. We went to church over on Mr. Taylor's place. I 'member in slavery time playing round the church during preaching. The colored people had their own preacher. He was from the Hugh Perry place. Its been so long I don't 'member the names of the church songs they sung, but I knows one thing, they songs they sing now is sho different from the ones they sung then. The old people didn't tell us many stories when we was chil'ren. We was too busy for that, playing. Our biggest play was making frog holes in the sand, and playing down at the branch making mud people, horses and things. My mother told me some 'bout my grandmother Minervia . She say she was mean and allus fighting and running away from the overseer when he go to whip her. She told me she didn't want me to grow up that way cause I might get killed.

There was lots of talk 'bout 'ghosts and 'haunts, but I don't believe in them. I seed something one time I thought was one. I was coming home from a neighbors one night, walking down the road in the moonlight. Directly I saw something white by the side of the road. The closer I got to it the bigger it got. I stopped then I say to myself, "I'se got to go by it to get home, ain't no use stopping". I was scared and ain't no use saying I warn't, but I walked up to it. It was a big spider web on a bush. I say to myself, "That shows there ain't nothing to this ghost business". My Master had one son go to the war. He took an old colored man on the place with him. All I members 'bout the war was seeing the soldiers on horseback and in wagons coming and going the big road, when it first started. We lived close to Port Caddo and lots of soldiers come in there on boats. The prettiest sight if ever seed was a soldier band all dressed in uniforms with brass buttons. They come to Mr. Hugh Perry's place. The darkies on our place went over and listen to them play. When the soldiers was coming back from the war, they throwed cannon balls along the road close to our place. The chil'ren got them and built a big log heap and throwed them in to hear them shoot. When the war was over, Master called his hands all up and say they was free, but they could stay on and work for their vitals and clothes or they could leave. A bunch from our place left and went to Shreveport to the Progoe Marshal and asked him what to do. He told them to go back to the houses they moved out of and stay right on there till they could find places. My mother and two of my uncles went with them in ox-wagons. I was 'bout thirteen years old. We come back from Shreveport and camped at Marshall 'bout a week, there close to where the oilmill is now. Cross the road from our camp there was a Niggerman that my mother say was a prisoner. He had to walk a beat and toat (carry) a big log on his shoulder while a white man set under the shade of a tree and guarded him with a gun. We went on back to the Hood place and I lived there with my mother 'bout three years. Then I married and moved to myself. My mother didn't want me to marry, but I married anyhow. I got my wife at Port Caddo and took her to Leigh on preaching day to get married. We wanted Reverend J.J. Lively , a white Methodist preacher, to marry us, but he didn't come to his appointment that day, so a colored preacher married us. We married under a big oak tree there in front of the Leigh church. A big bunch went with us from Port Caddo. We was just common fo'ks and didn't have no "infair" or big to do when we was married. I'se voted in the Presidential election, but now its got to where we can't vote. I think that is alright cause our people won't pull together. I voted the Republican ticket a long time but the last time I voted I pulled over and voted the Democratic. I decided I just as well go with the braves as stay with the scared. If this young generation of the colored people would stop and study they could make something out of themselves, but they won't do it. They is too wild. Just last week, I hear a young colored preacher at Karnack say, "Brudders and Sisters, style and brightness is what we needs today". I looked at him and say to myself, "I thank the Lord I know better than that". When I was coming up it was dark, but I knowed better things was ahead for our people. We trusted in the Lord, and was honest with our white folks and let them tell us what to do and profited by it. There warn't no sending Niggers to jail, the penitentiary and burning them when I was coming up. It's this "style and brightness" that gets the young Niggers into trouble. They is got a dark way ahead of them if they don't stop and study and make something out of themselves. I'se been married twice and raised three boys and one girl. I'se allus worked hard and never been in trouble. Now I is too old to work, and they give me $12.00 a month pension. That shows that the white fo'ks will do right by them that does right by themselves.