Eli Davison

Eli Davison was born in Dunbar, West Virginia, a slave of Will Davison . Eli has a bill of sale that states he was born in 1844. His master moved to Texas in 1858, and settled in Madison County. Eli lives in Madisonville, with one of his sons.

My first Old Marse was Will Davison . My father's name was Everett Lee and mama was Susan , and he come to see her twict a month, 'cause he was owned by 'nother master.  Marse Davison had a good home in West Virginia, where I's born, in Dunbar, but most of it 'longed to he wife and she was the boss of him. He had a great many slaves, and one mornin' he got up and 'vided all he had and told his wife she could have half the slaves. Then we loaded two wagons and he turned to his oldest son and the next son and said, 'You's gwine with me. Crawl on.' Then he said to he wife. 'Elsie , you can have everything here, but I'm takin' Eli and Alex and these here two chillen.' The other two gals and two boys he left, and pulled out for Texas. It taken us mos' two years to git here, and Marse Will never sot eyes on the rest of his family no more, long as he lived.  Marse never married any more. He'd say. 'They ain't 'nother woman under the sun I'd let wear my name.' He never said his wife's name no more. but was allus talkin' of them chillun he done left behind.  We gits here and starts to build a one room log house for Marse Will and his two boys. My quarters was one then covered wagons, till he trades me off. He cried like a baby, but he said, 'I hate to do this, but its the only way I'll have anything to leave for my two boys.' Looks like everything done go 'gainst him when he come to Texas, and he took sick and died. The boys put his away nice and loaded up and went back to Virginia, but the home was nailed up and farm lying out, and it took them mos' a year to find they folks. The mother and one gal was dead, so they come back and lived and died here in Texas. Marse Will was one more good man back in Virginia. He never got mad or whipped a slave. He allus had plenty to eat, with 1,200 acres, but after we come here all we had to eat was what we kilt in the woods and cornbread. He planted seven acres in corn, but all he did was hunt deer and squirrels. They was never a nigger what tried to run off in Texas, 'cause this was a good country, plenty to eat by huntin' and not so cold like in Virginia.  After I was traded off, my new master wasn't so good to me. He thunk all the time the South would win that war and he treated us mean. His name was Thomas Greer .

He kept tellin' us a black nigger never would be free. When it come, he said to us. 'Well, you black , you are just as free as I am.' He turnt us loose with nothin' to eat and nos' no clothes. He said if he got up nex' mornin' and found a nigger on his place, he'd horsewhip him.  I don't know what I'd done, but one my old Marse Will's chillun done settle close by and they let me work for them, and built me a log house and I farmed on halves. They stood good for all the groceries I buyed that year. It took all I made that year to pay my debts and that's the way its been ever since.  I married Sarah Keys . We had a home weddin' and 'greed to live together as man and wife. I jus' goes by her home one day and captures her like. I puts her on my saddle behind me and tells her she's my wife then. That's all they was to my weddin'. We had six chillun and they's all farmin' round here. Sarah , she dies seventeen years ago and I jus' lives round with my chillen, 'cause I's too old to do any work.  All I ever done was to farm. That's all this here nigger knew what to do. O, I's seed the time when I never had nothin' to eat and my big bunch of chillun cryin' for bread. I could go to the woods then, but you can't git wild game no more. In them days it was five or ten mile to your nearest neighbor, but now they's so close you can stand in your yard and talk to them. I never done no votin', 'cause them Klu Kluxers was allus at the votin' places for a long time after the niggers was freed. The niggers has got on since them old days. They has gone from nothin' to a fair educated folks. We has been kind of slow, 'cause we was turnt loose without nothin', and couldn't read and write "I's worked for fifteen and thirty cents a day, but Lawd, blessed to our president, we gits a li'l pension now and that's kep' me from plumb starvin' to death. Times is hard and folks had to do away with everything when they had that Hoover for president, but they will be straightened out by and by if they'll listen to the president now. 'Course, some wants to kill him, 'cause he helps the poor, but it do look like we ought to have a li'l bread and salt bacon without upsettin' 'em, when they has so much.

He was born in Dunbar, West Virginia. He did not have any brothers or sisters. His Father's name was Everett Lee Davison , and Mother's name was Susan Davison . His Master's name was Will Davison who came to Texas in 1858, and settled near Madison County. His Master had a good home, but most of it belonged to his wife. He had a great many slaves and boasted that he married his wife for her slaves. His Master and wife made the trip to Texas, carrying their slaves with them, in a covered wagon, from West Virginia. The trip required almost two years. According to a Bill of Sale he holds from his last owner Thomas Greer , he was born in 1844. He goes by the name of his first Master Will Davison . Two of Will Davison's nephews still live in Leon County both of whom are Doctors. His Master Will Davison traded him to Thomas Greer in 1860 for 500 acres of land. This is the bill of sale Eli still has.

I was born in Dunbar, West Virginia. Came to Texas with my Master in 1858. He settled near Madison County line over on the Leon County side. I had no brothers or sisters. My Father's name was Everett Lee , and Mothers name was Susan Davison . Father was allowed to come to see my mother twice a month. Maser he had a good home in West Virginia, but most of it belonged to his wife. She was the boss of him. He had a great many slaves so one morning he got up and divided everything that he had on the farm, for the last year. He told her that she could have half of the slaves. They had about 34 and she selected the ones she wanted. When we had the two wagons loaded the next morning he turned to his eldest son and the one next to him, and said, you are going with me, crawl on. Then he turned to his wife and said - Elsie you can have everything here, but you see I am taking Eli and Alex as my slaves, and these here two children. The other 4 children, two girls and 2 boys, then he pulled out for Texas. But I was the only slave he ever got to Texas with. Alex took fever and died on the way. It took us nearly two years to get here. Maser had two brother's here, but he never set eyes on the rest of his family no more as long as he lived. Maser never married anymore. He would often say, there is not another woman under the sun that I would let wear my name, but he was so silent at times you could not get one word out of that man. When he took one of those spells. I never heard him call his wife's name as long as he lived, but he was always talking of the children that he left back in Virginia.

When we got to Texas and he settled he and the boy's began to build. He built one long room log house for he and the two boy's. The only quarters that I had was to stay in one of the covered wagons, until he traded me off. When Maser traded me off he cried like a baby, but said to me, I hate to do this but this is the only way I will ever have anything to leave for my two boy's, but said Eli you will have a better home than I can give you as looks like everything he did after he came to Texas went against him. The boy's would cry to see their mother and brothers and sisters. Maser took sick just before freedom and died. The boys put him away nice and stayed long enough to file claim or get deed from the Government to their land and then loaded up and went back to Virginia. When they got there the home was nailed up and farm lying out and it took them nearly a year to find their folks. When they found them the mother and youngest sister was dead. They came back to Texas and lived and died here. I never have laid eyes on Father or Mother no more after Maser took that spell and come to Texas. His boys said they found out when they went back that father was killed in the war. Maser he was one more good man back there in West Virginia. He never got mad or whipped one of his slaves. He always handled them by talking to them in a good and kind way. Every negro he had cried when he left. He always had plenty to eat because he had about 12 hundred acres in his plantation, but after he come to Texas all we had to eat was what we killed in the woods, and cornbread. He cleared about 6 or 7 acres of land and planted that in corn. I liked deer meat that he killed better than all the wild game that he killed before he died. After he came to Texas that is all he did was to hunt squirrels. He would kill them by the loads. We planted corn and could hardly grow any for them. No sir, there never was a negro was brought to Texas in them days that ever tried to run off because this was a good country. They could get plenty to eat and it was not so cold like it was back in Virginia. We farmed, hoed corn, cotton, cut wood, milked cows etc., when Marser would go on business sometime I would ride behind horse and hold the horse while he was busy. Sometime he would give me a nickle or dime, and I would buy candy with it to pass away the time while he was busy. The war was over soon after my new Maser traded for me. All I did for him was to clear land as he only owned me 6 or 7 months before we came to Texas. We wore royal clothes made into long shirt opened all the way down the front. In cold weather we had woolen clothes. Yes sir, we had brogan shoes on Sunday. We had white royal shirts to wear. When I married I had breeches made out of ducking cloth. That was something similar to what we call khaki cloth. Maser traded me and is about all the slave I ever saw traded. I saw one slave in chains onetime. A negro girl tried to run off from her new Maser and go back to her people and her former Maser. She a rope around her neck, then a chain tied to that. He stopped and stayed all night with my former Maser, and had her fastened to his saddle leading her just like you would a dog. He never turned her loose that night either. He chained her to the wagon wheel where she could get in the wagon and sleep that night. He told Maser he traveled about a hundred miles with her that way. She asked me to get her some water so she could take a bath and soak her feet as they were blistered. I got it for her and she took the bath, but was too tired to eat any supper. I fixed her a good supper, but she just fell over in the wagon asleep. That was the only time I ever saw a slave in chains. No sire, I never did learn how to read and write. Every time I sign my name I just hold to the end of the pencil so the white man can sign my name. Back there in Virginia the white folks had church on our plantation. They had one side fixed so the slaves could go to church. Our Maser made us go to church regular. Old Brother Cochran was our white preacher. I sho' did like to hear him. He could make cold chills run all over you and your hair stand on end when he got to talking about that bad place. Well, sir, Boss, after we come to Texas Maser never went to church or would have anything to do with church people until just before he died. He told his son to go bring him the bible and see if you can find me a preacher. That boy was gone and gone and finally he came with a young man and they run everybody out but Maser and that preacher. They stayed nearly all day before they let anybody back in the house. When that young man came out of the room he says "boys your father will die sometime tonight", and sure enough he did. That preacher he stayed and preached Maser's funeral. All he done was to cut some poles. I got pass so I could go help bury my former Maser. We dug a hole or what they called a grave and fixed them in there like hog pen only he floored it and then covered it over like a mound with dirt. Then he say something like this- When we live a true and christian life and our work is finished here our Saviour will receive us with open arms.  Bos, I'se done forgot how that preacher did say that now.

After Maser traded me off I most always just fell in at the door cause my new Maser he was not so good to us. He thought all the time that the South was going to win that war, and he never would have to pay for the way he treated his slaves. On Saturday afternoon he turned us loose, as this was his custom of doing, until Monday morning, and we had a negro dance somewhere on the plantation just out in the open. Most of the quarters in them days didn't have floors in them. All Maser cared for was just so we didn't leave the plantation because he always come every night and early every morning to see if we were all there. If we were our New Maser would do plenty to us. On Sunday we mostly would lay around and sleep and tell tales among the slaves. After being up on Saturday nights we would be tired out. Dancing on Saturday nights and making merry was about all the negro had then to get together and have good times. Corn shucking we use to have lots of them, and the one that shucked the most corn Maser always gave him something. Then we had cotton picking contests and the negro that picked the most cotton Maser would get her a new dress or him a new shirt. We was always so proud of them, cause we could laugh at the rest and say-see how good Maser was to me. We use to play Wolf over the River, Hide and Seek and ring games, such as drop the handkerchief or rag, so both old and young could play.

Yes sir, I saw a ghost one night just after Maser died. One night when I'se goes to bed that white man he come to see me and he never had no head or hands. He come right in the room where I was asleep and begins to talk to me calling Eli . I jumps right out of bed and looked everywhere for that man and I couldn't find him. One time Boss I go out West to pick cotton and the man told me he never had no place for me to stay except in an old house he had, but everybody who had tried to stay in it said it was haunted. Then he said, back in early days before the war they had given a dance there and there was a beautiful young maiden staying there and that night at the dance two young men sparking her got into a fight. She ran in front of them when they had guns in their hands and all three of them were killed. That night after I'se camped there and gone to bed, that haunt wake me up moaning like some one dying, then started rolling around over the floor in the loft. I didn't stay there to see what it was, I just tore out from that house and left all of my things. I went after the owner of that house and his gun, to go with me to get my things next day cause that was the most peculiar noise that I'se ever heard in all me life. I never want's to see or hear another haunt in my life cause that would turn a man gray headed over night. When a slave was sick Maser would always see that he was taken care of cause we was too valuable to let die or stay sick, they wanted us to work. They used all kinds of herbs and roots out of the woods, such as cami weed roots and red oak bark to make tea out of for chills and fever. An old black mama would tie rabbits foot around our necks to keep chills and fever off. Those old remedies will still beat anything those white Doctors can give you yet Boss.I 'se remembers plenty about that war cause Maser said the South was going to win. He was a big man and was afraid he wouldn't go. He keeps telling us a black negro will never be free. I say, Yes sir, Maser cause that was not right for one man to own another if the other was black. When that war was over Maser called all his negroes to his back door and said, well you black *** you are just as free as I am and you can do just what you want to and boss that man; he just turned us loose and never give us anything. He made us work one whole week so'es we could keep the clothes we had on, then he called us to his door one evening late and told us as soon as we finished eating that he wanted us to get going. We had no money, no clothes except what we had on, and nothing to eat. He said if he got up next morning and found a negro on his place that he would horse whip him. Boss I don't know what I would done if my former Maser's children had not been close by. All us negroes went to their camp and they found work for us. I stayed with them until the next year and made a crop on the halves. They built me a one-room house of logs, and let me have teams and tools. They stood good for all the groceries that I bought that year. When the crop was gathered they got half of the wheat I made and I paid them for my groceries and what few clothes I wore that year. Mister, it took all I made that year to pay my debts, and that is the way it has been ever since that year it would take all I made to pay my debtsI married Sarah A. Keys . We just had a home wedding and agreed to live together as man and wife. I just went by her home one day and captured her like. I put her behind my saddle on the horse and carried her to my one-room log house and told her she was my wife. That was all there was to my wedding. We had 6 children, 4 boy's and 2 girl's. They are all farming and I don't know Mister how many grand-children, I'se have.  I'se have 3 great-grand-children. Sarah she died about 17 years ago and I'se just lived around my children ever since. I'se no account and too old to do any work.Mister we never got anything from freedom but a curse kick and beat out of what we made. It looks like the Government would give us something more than they did. We did not expect our Masers land to be divided but we thought the Yankee's ought to give us a small place and let us have a team as there was plenty of side land laying out. Instead, they just turned us out like a stray bunch of cattle to graze or starve to-death. No land, clothes or anything to eat. Captain I would have been in a terrible fix if my former Maser's children hadn't been in this county, cause My Maser, he forced me to stay long enough to work out the clothes I had. He couldn't hardly have turned me out without any clothes on cause I would have scared all the white women's to-death, and I have to depend on the white people to get something to eat. All I'se ever did after the war was to farm, that is all this here negro knew what to do. The negro he has made great progress since the war cause the time has been hard. When they freed us we didn't have anything and didn't know how to do anything except what the white man made us do. Now there is lots of these old negroes that has cattle, and nearly all of them has chickens. Mister, I'se have seen the time when I never had anything to eat, and my big bunch of children crying for bread. When they got that way I would get my gun and ax and go to the woods. Use to, we could live in this country if we did not have money as the woods was full of wild game, but we can't do that anymore. All the game has been killed out and the people thicker than they used to be. In those days it was 5 or 10 miles to your nearest neighbor, but now they are so close you can stand in your yard and talk to them.Yes sir, the KKK use to make the negro hop cause them there ghosts would never let the negro vote, and if he hired a man he better stay right there and work. If he didn't, the KKK would come to see him the first time and take him out and stretch him over a log, hit him fifty times with red poker, and put tar and feathers all over him. The tar was hot and would take all the hide off that negro.

 Boss I members one time they rode up to the house where I was staying with another negro, to see him, and all of them had on robes and horses robed up, they looked like ghosts. They called that negro out to the road where they was and told him to go bring them a drink of water. Boss, that KKK he turned that whole bucket of water up to his lips and drank all of it. Then he handed the bucket back to the negro and told him to bring him another bucket full. That negro brought 6 or 7 buckets full and that same KKK drank every bucket full. The negro saw he was going to drink his well dry and he set the bucket on the well the last time and he kept going. That negro never was heard of anymore in the country. Boss, you guess them KKK got that negro? His wife never did hear of that negro again. I'se believes they hung him. No sir, I'se never did vote cause them KKK was always at the voting places for a long time after the negro was freed. Yes sir, I had friends to hold office cause all these white folks by the name of Davison are kin to me. I thinks the negro ought to be allowed more voting rights than he has cause the negro race ** have for such freedom. They has gone from nothing to pretty well educated race of people. Course, there is lots of them in the uneducated class, but some of them have held office and they can hold most any kind of office job. They have the same responsibility that the white man has in the way of paying taxes, Dr. bills, school taxes. The negro has been limited in some ways cause he was turned loose without anything, not even an education. But since the negro has progressed like they have I think the negro ought to be allowed more privileges in voting. I'se never done anything except farm and work as farm laborer since I been free until the World War. Often the negro worked for 15 and 30 cents per day, but Lord! Son, blessed to our President we get a small pension now and that keeps us from plum starving to-death. Times is hard in this country. People never got anything for their crops this year, and havin' to eat what few chickens and peas they have to keep from starving. People had to do away with everything they had when we had that Hoover for President. Lord! son, this one we have now is a God send to this here country.
This bunch of young people the way they is doing now-both white and black they will not tell the truth, and will not work. Of course, they have become more educated and has learned more the way the world is. They have plum forgot there is a God. Boss, when this here world forgets him it will be in a terrible fix. I'se believes this here time is cause of lots of young people doing like they are cause they can't get nothing to do, and Boss you know an idle brain is the devils workshop. They will be straightened out in the by and by if the people will listen to the President. Of course some would like to kill him cause he helps the poor people.