Texas Slave Narratives

Texas Slave Narrative

  Steve Jones

I'se born in Charleston, South Carolina, November 11, 1849. My father was name, Jim Jones , and mother name Mariah . My folks come from Georgia. I'se don't remembers what place. I'se had four brothers, Sam , Henry , John and Allen , three sisters, Martha , May and Ann . Maser's name, Irving Jones , and when he comes to Texas he brought 600 slaves in the year 1856. He had 80 wagons and we traveled by mule team, but sometimes we just went in droves like cattle. When I'se 51 years of age I'se married Bessie on February 25, 1907. We lived together till the past 3 years and she left me and went to Houston as our children live there, and some in Galveston. We had 2 boys and 7 girls. 

I'se born in Charleston, South Carolina on November 11, 1849. My father name, Jim Jones , my mother name, Mariah . My folks they comes from Georgia, but I'se don't members what place. I'se had four brothers, Sam , Henry , John and Allen , and three sisters, Martha , May and Ann . My Maser was name Irving Jones , and he comes from South Carolina and he brings 600 slaves with him in the year 1856. We traveled by mule team and wagons, he had 80 wagons, sometimes we would go in droves like cattle. Our "quarters" was fixed like shot gun houses is now- 25 and 30 in a row. They was made of rough plank and cedar logs. We filled ticks with shucks and gathered hay out the fields and made our beds. Our beds was made out of poles 'bout six feet long and would bore holes in them to hold sides up and when we gets them fixed up they looks like cow hay racks does today. No, I'se don't 'members anything about my grandparents or any stories told me about them. They told us the last time they saw my grandparents was in Atlanta, Georgia. In slavery days we cleared new ground, burned grass and dropped corn. No ma'am we didn't earn any money, did'nt know what that was then. Maser just give us what he wanted us to have. Things to eat we such as turnip greens, peas, pumpkins and all things like that. We didn't know what possum and rabbits was then either. Maser would kill hogs and divide to the slaves in the quarters. He would only let us have ten pounds each. Sometimes slaves had their own gardens after he would live with Maser 2 or 3 years.

In hot weather we wore white lowell shirts open down the front, and same in winter and on Sunday. Young folks went barefooted and old folks wore shoes what they called red russett. An old colored man name Damon would make the shoes out of hides. I'se never married till was 51 years old, and was Feb. 25, 1907, cause I'se traveled around too much. Bessie lived with me until the past 3 years when she took a notion to go to live with the children. I didn't want to go there so she left me. We had 9 children, 2 boys and 7 girls. They is living in Houston and Galveston. Maser and Mistress was good to us. After we was sold we got some rough Masers. Maser and Mistress had 3 children. They lived in a big two-story house. Yes, we had an overseer, his name was Mr. Kolstad . The driver, was name Fields . That overseer would call us up and whip us with a cowhide if we got stubborn, or with a leather strap bout 3 inches wide. Maser had about 600 acres of land in his plantation and had 600 slaves. That overseer would hit the big bell to wake us up every morning at 4 o'clock and we had to be in the field before daylight. We had to work from sun to sun. If I'se could be with mistress right now I'se would be happy again. Some of the slaves would get subborn and lazy-some didn't want to do right and would have to be punished or whipped. If we'se wanted to go anywhere Maser or Mistress give us a pass and if you didn't has that pass the padder-rollers sho' whipped us. Sometimes they shoots them and kills them. No, we didn't knows what jails was. Sometimes them padder-rollers would chain a slave to a tree or whoever caught them and leave that slave there for several days.

I'se been auctioned off three times right here in front of the courthouse. Maser Jones sold me the first time to Mr. John H. Reagan for $500. They would take sulphur and grease and shine me up and put me on that auction block so I would bring a good price. Mr. Reagan was a good man. He was gone to Washington so much and I'se done lots of work for Mistress. She was good too, gives me plenty to eat. We worked in the garden and kept the yards clean for Mistress Beckie . I'se stayed with them for two years. Mr. Dave McCallahan bought me the second time for $500. He was pretty good to me and lived with him 3 years. I'se worked in the fields mostley. Mr. Dud Tucker bought me the last time for $500. I'se/with him 3 years and he didn't want me to leave but that was when we is sot free. We didn't have anything and Maser Tucker told us we could have a horse and stay there and farm, so we stayed on with him 3 more years. Yes, slaves traveled in groups like horses or stock today, and I'se seen slaves in chains when would has to be punished. White folks would not let us learn to read and write. Mistress little girl 8 years old would go to school and I'se had to take her and go for her after school, the school was 3 miles away. Sometimes us kids would slip out behind the mule lot or somewhere and she would try to teach us to read and write, but if Maser caught us he sho' whipped that whole bunch good. But I'se learned to read and write when I'se went to Huntsville Prison. In 1868 I'se living about 6 miles on the Rusk Road with a man name Mr. B.F.Gilbert . He and one of the Quisenberry boys, Rucker , DuPree , Fate Bowen and Douthitt , all got drunk. They would call them the Ku Klux Klan. I'se plowing one day and they all come down in the field and talked amongst themselves. Mr. Gilbert told me when the horses get through eating, you saddle and hitch them to the wagon. I done this, and when I got to the kitchen somebody yelled to me Hello! I'se answered him, but never did knows who it was. At that time the Grayson murder was committed and they tracked the horses from this place. Two or three days after that a man swore he saw me with the horses and they sent me to Huntsville Prison and I'se served 25 years -4 years they had me behind the walls. Mr. Gilbert never did comes back after he tells me to hitch horses to the wagon, and that's cause they tried me and sends me to prison. Mr. Gilbert keeps dodging the law for several years and he had a brother living in Grossbeck and finally he goes there. Later he gets so sick and finally just before he died he writes to Mr. Mont Lasey , Assistant Superintendent at Rusk Asylum, that I was not guilty of the crime. They called me up on the phone at Huntsvelle and Mr. Wadley , the Warden and Mr. T.J. Gorse , assistant keeper, talks to me bout an hour and right after that they pardons me.

I got home on December 25, 1902, and went to work January 7th at Mr. Ruckers ' saw mill close to town-Mr. Davenport owns the mill now. When they has me in the prison I'se worked in the blacksmith shop, foundry and different things, so as not be behind the walls. We'se had to go to Sunday School and Church every Sunday. That's when I'se learns to read and write. After that I'se goes to work for the railroad as a laborer. Since then I'se been working at different jobs. No Ma'am, slaves did not have a church. Master and Mistress had us gather under a tree in a circle and we would sing. She reads the Bible to us. Old man Amos , he done all the preaching cause he was a good christian man, he would sing and prays too. We'se didn't know about baptising. When they had funerals Marse had blacksmith or the carpenter on plantation make a box and puts the dead one in that and carry it to the back of the field and puts him in that hole 3 or 4 feet deep that he had one of the slaves dig. Any news, Maser or Mistress would go and carry that from one plantation to the other. They sho' would not let us do that. After our work was done the slaves would sit around and talk, but when Maser hit that bell at 9 o'clock you has to go to bed. Yes, we worked on Saturday same as any other day. Saturday night every slaves he has to take a bath. Maser would see that this was done. Sunday morning he blows a horn to see if every man or woman was there. If he wasn't there he starts looking and would get his dog and trail them slaves till he done found them. When he done finds them, that slave he gets punished. One man, I member, Maser found hanging to a tree back of the field cause he didn't wants to be punished. He had been stubborn and his wife had been sold two or three times and I'se guess that slave stood it long as he could.

On Christmas morning we kept quiet till Maser comes along and gives us a little something extra, like apples or candy. We shucked corn and would puts the shucks in big mattress to sleep on. Yes, we picked lots of cotton. We made 140 or 150 bales most every year. When we was little we generally played hidin'-seek or jumping the rope or some of them games likes that. Maser and Mistress had 2 boys and one girl. One of the boys was a Dr. after he gets grown. He died in Galveston and they brings him home to be buried. We'se heard about it later. David , was the baby boy, and he got killed near Mound Prairie while he was out hunting-accidentally killed from his own gun. We'se happened to be there that morning and went to his funeral. It was sad I'm telling you Miss. A wedding mongst the slaves would be this way-if a man or woman slave was in good health and big and stout, if Maser liked them, he puts this slave man and woman together and just say they is married. Them slaves that produced the most young slaves is what Maser wanted cause more slaves they owned the richer he was. We'se had play songs such as" "The Old Gray Horse Came Tearing Through The Wilderness", and "When Sherman was Marching Through Georgia He Was Fought a Thousand Strong". I'se memorized this too: Our Captain was a braver lad as ever a commission bore and brightly he showed his new tin sword, a paper cap he wore. We marched upon a flock of geese, and put them all to blight, except one old steady gander-he thought sho' he would fight. Whenever he knew a thing or two, my captain, wheel and brain we routed him, and scouted him and never lost a single man. We use to sing, Way Down Upon the Old Swanee River, and "When chopping cotton and corn, Maser stayed at home.

Mistress had a servant slave would goes round and look after the sick. She would goes with Mistress and get weeds and herbs such as catnip weeds, comi and boneset and make tea out of it and gives us when we is sick. Mistress would make us wear hog hoof round our neck to keep off fever and all kinds of itch. I'se member one day when I was with Maser feeding the mules we was going to a place out close to Chattnooga and we heard the canons roaring. Maser says: did I'se knows what that racket was- and I'se says no. He say that is them blue bellies coming after you, that's what they called them Yankees. I'se so scared he couldn't get me way from his coat-tail. When the Civil War ended I'se in Richmond, Virgina, when Vicksburg surrendered. The day we is sot free it was bout 8 o'clock in the morning. Maser told my papa we could go anywhere where now we wants to go cause we is freed. We'se had nothing to go on so mother wanted to stay, and my papa too, so Maser he took care of us till we could get a start. We stayed on with Maser for 3 years and then we settled about 6 miles east of Palestine. The first and second year after the war we farmed. When I'se married we didn't have big wedding. Bessie , my wife, was working at a restaurant as a cook. I'se janitor of the Penn Baptist church when it was here on Avenue A. Awhile after that we went on Judge Garner's farm and farmed for bout a year. I'se members the first jail in Palestine, it was a log house. I'se members when Mr. Chris Rogers was City Marshall. Later on Mr. Dee Durham was City Marshall and he auctioned us off. I'se the first colored man that ever worked in the I-GN Sandhouse. The would dry the sand out by steam and put on the railroad tracks when the weather was wet. I'se lives at 617 South Magnolia Street in Mrs. Wetenkamp's servant house and gets a small pension from the Government. I'se still able to do yard work and helps some of the white folks with housework to make a little extra money.


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