Texas Slave Narratives

Texas Slave Narrative

  Alex Lacy

Alex Lacy was born in Kentucky, July 10, 1857 and brought to Texas in infancy by his Master, George Keys , who settled in Rusk County, near Lawsonville. He was freed six months after surrender and resided in Rusk County until 1880. Since 1880 he has always resided in Harrison County, earning a livelihood from farming and public work. He now resides with his son-in-law, Grant Jackson , at 1204 S. Garrett Street, in Marshall.

I was bo'n in Kentucky, but was brought to Texas when just a baby by my ole Master, George Keys . He settled on the line of Shelby and Rusk Counties, near Lawsonville.
My daddy was Abner Roberts and my mother was Seely Roberts . I was the only boy, but had six sisters: Maria , Betty , Nanny , Fanny , Crittie and Mollie . All the chil'ren lived to be grown and married. Three of my sisters is still living in Longview.  Keys run a big "Nigger-Trader" Yard in Kentucky. He was buying, selling and swapping Niggers all the time. He fetched a big drove with him to Texas and hired most of them out, and used a few his-self. He didn't do much farming and only wo'ked 'bout 150 acres. Master George was a pretty fair man, and Mistress Anna , his wife, was a mother to me. I'se seed Niggers whipped in the fiel' and in the house too. Master nearly whipped my mother to death cause she was so bad 'bout fighting. Generally he didn't tie his Niggers to whip them, but he had to tie her. The hans' eat bread and meat strictly, but I wouldn't eat meat. I liked fried meat skins best. There was plenty of deer in the country. They cotched (caught) them by building a rail fence and fixing a forked sharp pointed stop on the inside of the fence. The deers jump the fence and stob themselves. Master George giv' his darkies mos' anything he had to eat. We wore home spun clothes. They giv' us two suits at a time. We had good warm clothes for winter. I didn't wear shoes till I was twelve years old. There warn't no chu'ch on the plantation. Master George's fo'ks warn't religious and I didn't hear preaching till after surrender. We had parties there round the house on Saturday night, and parties in the woods during the week when we could give the Pattyrollers the slip. One man on the place stayed in the woods all the time. He made a mistake and the dogs got him, but he got loose and went back to the woods. Master took good care of us when we was sick. Had a white doctor for us all the time; there warn't no black doctors then. Master George didn't have no old wimmen on his place cause he got shed of them just like old mules. I 'members hearing the rumblings of the guns during the war. Master George moved to get away from the racket. I 'members surrender. Master used us six months after it come. He tell all his hans' they was free but he didn't want them to leave till the crop was made,and that he'd giv' them part of the crop. He kept his word. I heard some of them was promised forty acres of land and a mule, but I don't knows any that got it.

I married in 1879 in Rusk County on a Sunday evening. Noah Bell , a colored preacher, married us. We didn't have no infair at our wedding and I didn't jump the broom handle. I knowed 'bout the Ku Klux. I never seed them, but hear 'bout them getting somebody. There was a pretty big tear up in Rusk County between the blacks and whites, over the election right after surrender. I never voted till I come to Harrison County.T he fast going of the young generation of the blacks warn't justify me saying what I think 'bout them not being 'lowed to vote. There is so many foolish people among our race, it would be hard to say if it is the best for them to vote. I don't think that the young set of our fo'ks is using education right. There ain't anything as good for them as religion, but they don't seem to be interested in that much. I'se allus divided my time between farming and public work since I was big enough to work for myself. As long as I was able to work I generally made 'bout $2.50 a day. Since my wife died and I can't work I just live round with my chil'ren.


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