Texas Slave Narratives

 

 

 

 

Texas Slave Narrative

  Albert Hill

Albert Hill , 81, was born a slave of Carter Hill , who owned a plantation and about 50 slaves, in Walton Co., Georgia, Albert remained on the Hill place until he was 21, when he went to Robinson Co., Texas. He now lives at 1305 E. 12th St., Fort Wroth, Texas, in a well-kept five-room house, on a slope above the Trinity River. I was born on Massa Carter Hill's plantation, in Georgia, and my name am Albert Hill . My papa's name was Dillion , 'cause he taken dat name from he owner, Massa Tom Dillion . He owned de plantation next to Massa Hill's , and he owned my mammy and us 13 chillen. I don't know how old I is, but I 'members de start of de war, and I was a sizeable chile den. De plantation wasn't so big and wasn't so small, jus' fair size, but it an fixed first class and everything am good. We has good quarters made out of logs and lots of tables and benches, what was made of split logs. We has de rations and massa give plenty of de cornmeal and beans and 'lasses and honey. Sometimes we has tea, and once in a while we gits coffee. And does we have de tasty and tender hawg meat! I'd like to see some of dat hawg meat now. Massa an good but he don't 'low de parties. But we kin go to Massa Dillion's place next to us and dey has lots of parties and de dances. We dances near all night Saturday night, but we has to stay way in de back where de white folks can't hear us. Sometimes we has de fiddle and de banjo and does we cut dat chicken wing and de shuffle! We sho' does. I druv de ox, and drivin' dat ox an agitation work in de summer time when it am hot, 'cause dey runs for water every time. But de worst trouble I ever has is with one hoss. I fotches de dinner to de workers out in de field and I use dat hoss, hitched to de two-wheel cart. One day him an halfway and dat hoss stop. He look back at me, a-rollin' de eye, and I knows what dat mean - 'here I stays, nigger.' But I heered to tie de rope on de balky hosses tail and run it 'twixt he legs and tie to de shaft. I done dat and puts some cockleburs on de rope, too. Den I tech him with de whip and he gives de rear back'ards. Dat he best rear. When he do dat it pull de rope and de rope pull de tail and de burrs gits busy. Dat hose moves for 'ard faster and herder den what he ever done 'fore, and he keep on gwine. You see, he am trying git 'way from he tail, but de tail an too fast. Course, it stay right behin' him, Den I's in de picklement. Dat hose an runnin' away and I can't stop him. De workers lines up to stop him but de cart give de shove and dat pull he tail and, lawdy whoo, dat hose jump for'ard like de jackrabbit and go through dat line of workers. So I steers him into de fence row, and dere's no more runnin', but an awful mix-up with de hoss and de cart and de rations. Dat hoss so sceered him have de quavers. Massa say, 'What you doin'?' I says, 'Break de balk.' He say, 'Well, yous got everything else broke. We'll see 'bout de balk later. Massa has de daughter, Mary , and she want to marry Bud Jackson , but massa am 'gainst it, Bud am gwine to de army and dat give dis boy work, 'cause I de messenger boy for him and Missy Mary . Dey keeps company unbeknownst and I carry de notes. I puts de paper in de hollow stump. Once I's she' I's kotched. Dere an de massa and he say, 'Where you been, nigger?' I's sho' skeert and I says, 'I's lookin' for de squirrels.' So massa goes 'way and when I tells you I's left, it ain't de proper word for to 'splain, 'cause I's flew from here.' I tells Missy Mary and she say, 'You sho' an de Lawd's chosen nigger.' De 'federate soldiers comes and dey takes de rations, but de massa has dug de pit in de pasture and buried lots of de rations, so de soldiers don't find so much. De clostest battle was Atlanta, more dan 25 mile 'way. When de war come over, Bud Jackson he come home. De massa welcome him, to de sprise of everybody, and when Bud say he want to marry Missy Mary , massa say, 'I guesses you has earnt her.'

When freedom an here, massa call all us together and tells us 'bout is difference 'tween freedom and hustlin' for ourselves and dependin' on someone else. Most of de slaves stays, and massa pays them for de work, and I stays till I's 21 year old, and I gits $7,00 de month and de clothes and de house and all I kin eat. De massa have died 'fore dat, and dere an powerful sorrow. Missy Mary and Massa Bud has de plantation den, and dey don't want on to go to Texas. But dey goes on de visit and while day gone I takes de train for Robinson County, what an in Texas. I works at de pavin' work and at de hustlin' work and I works on de hosses. Den I works for de Santa Fe railroad, handlin' freight, and I works till 'beat three year ago, when I gits too old for to work no more. But I tells you 'bout de visit back to de old plantation. I been gone near 40 year and I 'cides to go back, so I reaches de house and dere an Missy Mary peelin' apples on de back gallery. She looks at me, and she say, 'I get whippin' waiting for yous, 'cause you run off without tellin' us.' Dare wasn't no more peelin' dat day. 'cause we sits and talks 'bout de old times and de old massa. Dere she' am de tears in dis nigger's eyes. Den we talks 'bout de nigger messenger I was, and we laughs a little. All day long we talks a little, and laughs and cries and talks. I stays 'bout two weeks and seed lots of de folks I knowed when I was young, de white folks and de niggers, too. I's too old to make any more visits, but I would like to go back to Old Georgia once more. If Missy Mary was 'live, I'd stay, but she am dead, so I tries to wait for old Gabriel blow he horn. When he blow he horn, dis nigger say, 'Louder, Gabriel, louder!'


Albert Hill , 81, was born a slave to Mr. Carter Hill , who owned about 50 slaves and a plantation in Walton Co., Ga. Mr. Hill also owned Albert's mother with her 13 children. Albert's father was owned by Mr. Tom Dillion , an adjacent plantation owner who allowed him to visit his family often. Albert remained on the Hill plantation until he was 21 years old. Then he went to Robinson Co., Tex. 14 years later, he moved to Ft. Worth, Tex., where he has lived ever since. Albert married Mollie Washington in 1883. They had two boys, Dalton and Oscar , before her death in 1892. Their whereabouts are unknown to Albert . His second marriage was to Mollie Ross in 1903. Three children were born to them and are now living in Chicago, Ill. He and his wife now live at 1305 E. 12th St., Ft. Worth, Tex., in a modern, well built, well kept, five room home on a slope overlooking the Trinity River with its green meadows and groves of trees.

I's bo'n on de plantation ob Marster Carter Hill , in Walton County, Georgia. My name am Albert Hill . My father's name am Dillion . In de days befo' surrendah, de cullud fo'ks takes de name ob de Marster dat owns dem. Dat's how come my father's name am diffe'nt f'om mine. My father am owned by Marster Tom Dillion . Him own' de plantation nex' to weuns too My age am not certain, but I's bo'n in slavery. I's 'membahs w'en de wah stahts. At dat time, I's a youngun, fustin' 'roun'. I's reckon I's 'bout five yeahs ol'. Marster Hill own' 'bout 15 wo'kin' niggers an' I's reckon dere was 'bout dat many younguns. Some am babies, an' some lak me, jus' ol' 'nough to do erran's an' piddle 'roun'. De plantation warnt so big an' 'twarnt so small. Jus' fair size, but it am fixed fust class. Ever'thing am good. De quatahs fo' de cullud fo'ks am built ob logs wid de fiah place dat am used fo' cookin' an' fo' de heat. Fo' sleepin' pu'pose, deys have de bunks. Fo' de sattin' an' de eatin', dere am tables an' benches. In de summah, de niggers sleeps outside 'cept w'en it rains or sich. Each fam'ly have a cabin fo' demse'ves. Dem dat am not mai'ied, or have no relative dere, deys live wid some fam'ly deys lak. Each fam'ly does dere own cookin'. De Marster gives de rations to each fam'ly, 'cordin' to de size, an' him gives plenty. Dere was co'n meal, w'ite flouah, veg'tables in season sich as p'taters. Den weuns had beans, peas, 'lasses, honey, milk, an' some tea. Sometimes coffee fo' de treat. Dere was plenty ob fruit, an' plenty ob meat. De Marster had a big pasture fo' de hawgs an' raise a big herd. Weuns sometimes have beef an' mutton, so you see, weuns had lots ob good eats. Now, sich as de ham an' de bacon, I's wish dere was some lak dat now dat I's could git. Deys home cured, an' deys tasty an' tender. De Marster am good in ever' way. I's don' 'membahs ever heahin' 'bout him givin' a whuppin' an' I's sho never see him give one. I's heah him give a scoldin', an' I's gits a slap sometimes 'cause I's gits into some devilments. So do de udder chilluns. De whuppin's dat am given, am given by de mammies. Co'se, deys whups dere younguns.

Marster 'lows de pahties an' 'lows de cullud fo'ks to go to udder plantations. Mos'ly, to Marster Dillion's place w'en his niggers have de doin's dere. Ever'time dere am a cullud couple dat gits mai'ied, de Marster 'lows de pahty. Dere am no ce'emony. De couple jus' gits de Marster's p'mission an' he always tells dem,  Now, you mus' live togedder as man an' wife, an' you can't fool 'roun' wid udder fo'ks.  Dat's de way 'twas befo' surrendah. Aftah surrendah, w'en a couple gits mai'ied, de Marster has de pahty an' de ce'emony fo' dem. De Marster don' ovah wo'k his slaves an' 'twarnt any wo'k on Satid'y aftahnoon an' on a Sund'y, 'cept w'en dat am necessary. W'en I's big 'nough, my wo'k am drivin' de oxen an' de hosses, mos'ly. Drivin' de ox am agitation wo'k wi de summah time w'en its hot, 'cause w'en deys gits thirsty, deys gwine fo' wautah. Yous can holler gee an' haw, an' yous can pray gee an' haw. No matter how you says it, deys pays you no min'. In col' weddah, weuns don' have sich trouble wid dem. Den, dey am slow. Yous gits tired, waitin' fo' dem to git somewhar, but Lawd a Massie! How dey can pull de load. De worst trouble I's have am wid one hoss de Marster had. Dat hoss have de col' shouldah. If he am not wo'ked fo' a spell, den w'en you fust hitch him up, he m'ybe will balk. He will fo' sho if him am hitched to a heavy load. I's tell you one 'sperience I's had wid dat hoss. De Marster always have me fetch de dinnah to de wo'kahs in de field an' I's gen'ally use dat hoss, hitched to a two w'eel caht. De load am light an' he never balked wid a light load. Well, dis pa'ticulah day, him stahts allright. 'Twas neah two miles to whar dey am ahoein', an' w'en weuns am ha'fway, dat hoss stops. He tu'ns his head fust to one side, den de udder side, an' den he looks back, arollin' his eyes. Co'se I's knows w'at he means. 'Tis, "heah I's stay nigger". Well, I's says, "Giddap", an touched him wid de whup. Den he rear back. Dat's de way he does if yous touch him wid de whup, jus' rears back. De hahdah yous whup him, de hahdah he rears. Some ob de niggers am ta'kin' 'bout balky hosses befo' dat, an' ol' Sam says de way to fix de balky hoss am to tie a rope on his tail an' put de rope 'twix' his legs, run it to de f'ont an' tie to de shaft. Den if he rears back, de rope will pull his tail. De hahdah he rears, de hahdah de pull. On dat pa'ticulah day, I's took de 'vice ob ol' Sam an' fix de rope de way he says. Dere am some cuckleburrs 'side de trail. I's looked at dem an' 'cided to put a few ob dem on his tail fo a treat fo' him. W'en I's gits ever'thing all fixed, I's crawls on de caht, picks up de lines an' says, "Giddap", an' gives him a good lick wid de whup. Dat hoss gives a rear back'ards dat was his bes' rear, an' w'en de tail wid de burrs hit 'twix' his hin' legs, dere am some movement an' it am fo'ward. He moved fo'ward fastah an' hahdah dan he ever did befo', an' him keeps on gwine. You see, he am tryin' to git away f'om his tail but de tail am too fas'. Co'se it stays right behin' him. Well, I's den in a picklement. De hoss am arunnin' away wid me. I's can't stop him, an' de beans, de peas, de co'nbread, an' de milk am amixin' up all over de bottom ob de caht. De wo'kahs see weuns acomin', so deys fo'm de line in f'ont ob him fo' to stop dat hoss. He stahts to stop, but de caht gives a shove an' dat pulls de tail. Lawdy Whoo! Dat hoss jumps fo'ward lak a jackrabbit, an' goes right through dat line. He sho am atryin' to git away f'om his tail. Well, de way I's stop him am by steerin' him into de fence row. W'en he hit de fence row, 'twarnt any mo' runnin' but it am an awful mixup wid de hoss, caht, hahness an' de rations. Dat hoss am so skeert dat him have de quivers. Dat am de las' time he balked. De Marster come an' ask' me w'at I's adoin'. I's says, "Break de balk". He says, "Well, yous got ever'thing else broke. We'll see 'bout de balk latah.  De wah am stahtin' at dat time. I's 'membahs 'cause w'en I's gits back to de house, Bud an' Ben Franklin am dere. Deys am de Marster's nephews, an' had come to say farewell befo' dey stahts to de wah. De Marster had 10 chilluns, but dem's all girls so dere am no one f'om de Marster's place dat goes to de wah. Dere was five unmai'ied girls at home. De youngest am Mary , an' she wants to marry Bud Jackson . De fo'ks am 'gainst it an' don' want her even to see Bud . He am afixin' to j'in de ahmy an' dat gives dis nigger lots ob wo'k, 'cause I's de messengah boy fo' Bud an' Mary . You see, dey keeps comp'ny unbeknownst an' I's carry de notes f'om Mary to Bud , an' f'om Bud to Mary . It am dis away, I's sneak wid de notes so Marster Hill or Marster Jackson don' catch me. I's carry de papah to de edge ob de field, 'bout ha'f a mile f'om Bud's place an' puts it in de hollow stump, an' takes de one dat am dere. If I's wants to call Bud fo' something special, I's w'istle wid my fingahs. Once, I's sho dis nigger am caught. I's acomin' home f'om de stump, jus' wa'kin' 'long, w'istlin' an' payin' no min', w'en all ob a sudden, I's looks up an' dere am de Marster, right dere in f'ont ob me. It am on a Sund'y, an' he was alookin' de pasture over. De Marster says, "Whar yous been, nigger?". I's sho am skeert an' don' know w'at to says but I's knows dat I's bettah says something good. "I's alookin' fo' squirrels", I's says. Dere am no squirrels in de woods dere, deys in de River bottom", de Marster says an' den goes on. W'en I's tell yous dat I's lef', 'taint de propah wo'd fo' to 'splain, 'cause I's flew f'om dere. I's tell Mary an' she says, "You sho am de Lawd's chosen nigger". W'en de oppo'tunity am right, sich as w'en de Marster am away, Bud an' Mary meet fo' de visit. Sich goes on 'til Bud goes to de wah.

Durin' de wah, dere am sev'al raids by de 'Federate soldiers an' deys takes rations sich as co'n, an' hawgs dat dey could fin'. De Marster had dug a pit in de pasture an' buried lots ob de rations, so dey don' find much, jus' de extry. 'Cause ob dat, weuns have plenty ob food. Weuns see lots ob soldiers passin', but dere was no battles neah our place. De clostest was neah Atlanta, 'twas mo' dan 25 miles away. W'en de wah am over, Bud Jackson comes home. He made a good record an' was some kind ob an officah. Ever'body am proud ob him an' de fust thing he does aftah he gits home am to call at de Marster's place. Well, to de s'prise ob ever'body, de Marster welcomes Bud an' tells him how proud he am ob him. Den Bud says, "I's wants to marry yous daughtah, Mary .  I's guess yous have earnt her, an' yous can have her if she wants yous", de Marster tells Bud . Den, 'twarnt long 'til dere am a weddin'. W'en freedom am heah, de Marster calls all us cullud fo'ks togedder an' tells weuns all 'bout freedom an' de diffe'nce 'twix' hus'lin' fo' ourse'ves an' d'pendin' on somebody else. He says dat dem who wants to stay, can stay an' he will 'range fo' de wages. Mos' ob de slaves stay. Some wo'k fo' wages an' some wo'k de lan' on shares. I's stay on wid de Marster 'til I's 21 yeahs ol'. I's den gittin' $7.00 a month wages. Dat included de clothes an' de boa'd. Five or six yeahs befo' I's 21, de Marster dies. All his daughtahs am mai'ied an' gone 'cept Missy Mary . She an' her husban', Marster Bud , have de plantation. Dere am powe'ful sorrow w'en de Marster dies, an' 'twas a lot diffe'nt aftah. You see, de Marster am so good, ever'body lak him an' he always he'p wid de pahties an' sich.

He am a fiddler so he always play fo' de dances an' at his daughtahs weddin's, de cullud fo'ks weddin's, too. So aftah his death, 'twas no big pahties an' dere was not as much 'joyment on de place Aftah I's 21, I's 'cides to go to Texas an' I's tells Missy Mary an' Marster Bud . I's says, Well, I's gwine to Texas.  No, yous am not. Yous am gwine to stay right heah. Yous can't leave us", deys says. Well, I's see 'twarnt any use to says mo', so I's stays on. W'en Christmas come, deys call me an' says,  Albert , weuns am gwine on de visit over Christmas, an' weuns d'pends on yous to 'tend to ever'thing 'cause yous know w'at weuns wants done an' how".  Yas Missy, Yas Sar", I's says. So deys goes an' I's says, "'tis my chance". I's stays 'til de day befo' deys am to come home. I's fix ever'thing, an' den leaves. I's took de train fo' Robinson County, Texas. I's wo'ked on de fahm an' stayed dere 14 yeahs. Den I's come to Fort Worth. Dey am puttin' pavement on Houston Street at de time, an' I's gits de job doin' pavin' wo'k fo' two yeahs. Aftah dat, I's wo'k fo' Marster Joe Kuhen, Senior , as a hosslah. He ran a bottlin' wo'ks neah de ol' Fort Worth Brewery. His boy, young Joe , am a man now an' runs de pahkin' lot an' auto repair at fo'th an' Calhoun Streets. Joe was 10 or 12 yeahs ol' den. Him was de same age as my boy, Albert . Deys play togedder 'roun' de bahn an' de wo'ks all de time. Joe laks de hosses an' wants to go wid me all de time w'en I's goes on d'livery. He am full ob devilment. I's never see a boy lak him. I's try to make him stay home but I's can't mos' ob de time. Dat boy gits me into de picklement all de time. I's sho have to watch him, 'cause him am always tryin' something. One time his father buys him a pony. Well. coupla days aftah dat, weuns am a wo'kin' in de bottlin' wo'ks an' all ob a sudden, weuns heah an awful racket in de boilah house. Weuns all run in dere, an' dere weuns fin's dat pony wid some contraption on fo' a hahness, hitched to a slide. Dat pony am afightin' fo' to git loose, but 'twarnt any boys 'roun'. W'at dey had done, am make a hahness an' slide, an' hitch dat pony up. Co'se him am not broke to it an' he gits skeert an' runs, so does de boys.

Aftah I's quit Marster Kuhen's place, I's goes to wo'k fo de San' Fe Railway, as a freight handlah. I's wo'ked dere 'til three yeahs ago, w'en I's gits too ol' fo' de job. Now, I's wo'ks at dis an' dat. Bout de visit back to de ol' plantation. I's don' want to fo'git dat. 'Twas aftah I's had been gone mo' dan 40 yeahs, w'en I's make de visit. 'Twas 'bout 15 yeahs ago. I's always thinks ob de ol' place an' de Marster an' Missy Mary an' sich. Aftah all dat time, I's 'cides to write. I's writes de lettah an' address it to de ol' place 'cause I's don' know who am dere. Well, I's git de answer. Who do yous think its f'om? It am f'om Missy Mary , sho 'nough. She tells in her lettah, how glad she am to heah f'om me an' sich. I's took de nex' train back to Georgia, an' am dat a slow train, It sho am fo' dis nigger. No Sar! 'Twarnt fas' 'nough fo' me but I's finally gits dere. W'en I's 'proachin' de house, I's see de lady at de back apeelin' peaches an' dat am Missy Mary . As I's wa'k up to whar she am, she stop peelin'. Now, she don' know dat I's comin', 'cause I's don' write. She looked at me stead'ly fo' de moment, den she puts her han's on her hips. Albert she says, I's got dat whuppin' waitin' fo' yous, 'cause yous lef' de place widout tellin' weuns". Den she slap me on de back an' says, "Dere am de whuppin'". Den she laugh an' says, W'at did yous come all de way back heah fo' ? come to see de ol' plantation, to see yous, an' all de udder fo'ks dat am 'live", I's says. De Lawd bless yous, an' welcome yous is, an' stay long as yous lak. Come, let us sat on de po'ch. Bud will soon be heah", she says. Dere warnt any mo' peelin' dat aftahnoon. Weuns sat on de po'ch an' ta'k, an' ta'k, an' ta'k. Weuns ta'k 'bout de ol' Marster, den cry a little. Dere sho am tears in dis ol' nigger's eyes. Den weuns ta'k 'bout de young nigger Messengah, an' laugh a little. 'Twas dat way all de day long. Ta'k a little, laugh, ta'k, cry a little Marster Bud come an' he j'ins weuns, an' weuns sho had a good visit, right dere on de po'ch de Marster use to sat on, an' whar he tol' weuns, we am free. I's stay 'bout two weeks. Dere am lots ob cullud fo'ks on de place an' neah dere dat I's know befo' I's lef'. Deys all glad to see me, an' I's glad to see dem. Now, 'bout my mai'ied life. I's mai'ied twice. De fust time in 1883, to Mollie Washington . She died in 1892. Weuns had two chilluns, Dalton an' Oscar , but I's don' know whar dey am now. I's mai'ied Mollie Ross in 1903, an' weuns had three chilluns. Albert , George an' Lucia . Deys live in Chicago. My wife an' I's live heah by weuns se'ves. I's own de home, cleah ob all debts. I's able to do light wo'k, an' wo'ks mos' ob de time at little jobs my ol' w'ite friends gives me. Dat way, weuns gits on. W'at few yeahs dat am lef' fo' wuens, I's spen' right heah. I's too ol' to make any mo' visits. I's would lak to go back to ol' Georgia once mo'. If Missy Mary was 'live, I's would try to go, but she am dead so I's try to stay heah an' wait fo' ol' Gabriel to blow his ho'n. W'en Gabriel blows his ho'n, dis nigger wont says, "Loudah, Gabriel, Loudah!


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