Texas Slave Narratives

Texas Slave Narrative

  John Moore Moore

John Moore , 84, was born a slave to Duncan Gregg , in Vermillionville, La., where he lived until he was freed. In 1876 he came to Texas and now lives in Beaumont. I was twelve year old when freedom broke up. I lives 'tween Vermillionville and Lafayette in Louisiana and my massa's name Duncan Greggs and he have purty big farm and lots of cullud people. His house was two, three hun'erd yard from de nigger quarters. De old grammas, dey took care of de chillen when dere mothers was in de fields and took dem up to de big house so de white folks could see 'em play. We chillens was dress in a shirt and we was barefoot. Sometime day make what dey call moccasin out of rawhide. Shoes was scarce. Day raise de food and have grits ground in de grits mill. Dey raise hawgs and make syrup and farm and raise chickens. Marster didn' 'low de niggers to have big garden patch but sometime he 'low 'em have place raise watermillion. Marster have purty good house, a box-house, and have good furniture in it. De cullud folks have house with chimbly in de middle of two rooms and one fambly live on one side de chimbly and 'nother fambly on de other side de chimbly. De chillen have pallets on de floor. After freedom my daddy die with cholera. I don' know how many chillen in us fambly. My daddy's name Valmore Moore and mamma's name Silliman . Dey have niggers in de fields in different squads, a hoe squad and a plow squad, and de overseer was pretty rapid. Iffen dey don' do de work dey buck dem down and whip dem. Day tie day hands and feet togedder and make 'em put de hands 'tween de knees, and put a long stick 'tween de hands to dey can't pull 'em out, and den dey whip dem in good fashion. When war starts, dey have a fight at Penock Bridge, not far from a place dey call La'fette. Dey burn de bridge and keep de Yankees from takin' de town. But de Yankees gits floatin' bridges and gits 'cross de bayou dat way. De Yankees comes to our place and dey go to de sugarhouse and takes barrels of sugar and syrup, and corn and meat and de white folks hides de chickens under de bed, but de old rooster crow and den de Yankees hear dem. Young marster say he gwine to war to kill a Yankee and bring he head back and he take a servant 'long. He didn' bring no Yankee head back but he brung a shot up arm. but dat purty soon git well.

Iffen us sick dey make med'cine out of weeds, mos' bitter weed, boneset dey calls it. Dey bile Jerusalem oak and give it to us. We has dances sometimes and sings Run, nigger, run. De patterroles git you; Run, nigger run, It almos' day.' Or we sings 'My old missus promise me Shoo a la a day, When she die she set me free Shoo a la a day. She live so long her head git bald, Shoo a la a day. She give up de idea of dyin' a-tall, Shoo a la a day.' Sometimes we hollers de corn hollers. One was somethin' like this; 'Rabbit gittin' up in a holler for niggers kotch for breakfast.' Sometimes my mudder jump up in de air and sing. 'Sugar in de gourd. Sugar in de gourd, Iffen you wanter git De sugar out R oll de gourd over.' And all de time she shoutin' dat, she jumpin' right straight up in de air. I heared lots about de Klu Klux. Sometimes dey want a nigger's place and dey put up notice he better sell out and leave. Iffen he go see a lawyer, de lawyer wouldn' take de case, 'cause mos' dem in with de Klux. He tell de nigger he better sell. I come to Texas in '76 and been here ever since. I's had 13 chillen. I owns eight acres in dis place now and I got de purties' corn in de country but de insecks give it de blues.


A typical slave darky, some six feet tall and broad in proportion, John Moore , of Anahuac, is well preserved for his 84 years. Scarcely a trace of white is found in his close cropped hair and thin mustache, and his manner is still youthful. Barefooted, he sat on the porch of his home to tell of life on the plantation of his master, Duncan Greggs , in Vermilionville, Louisiana, where he was born and lived until freed. I was twel' year' ol' w'en freedom broke up.

I lib 'tween Vermilionville 'n' La'fette. My marster' name was Mister Duncan Greggs . He hab a purty big farm 'n' lots 'r' culled people. Marster' house was two 'r' t'ree (three) hunnerd yard from d' nigger quarter'. D' ol' grammas dey tuk care 'r' d' little chillen w'en d' ol' folks was out in d' fiel's at wuk. Dey tuk care 'r' dem jis' like school chillen. Dey tuk dem up t' d' w'ite folks house cause d' w'ite folks like t' see d' li'l niggers play. Dey hab a big wash pot cookin' peach' r' 'serves (preserves) 'n' d' like. We chillens was dress' in a shu't (shirt) like a slip. In col' wedder we hab two pieces. We was barefoot. Sometime' dey mek w'at dey call' moccasin' outn' rawhide. Dey was home mek 'n' dey sew dem up d' side' so dey could wear dem. Shoe' was skeerce. Dey raise' dey food 'n' hab grits meal t' grin' (grind) in d' grits mill. Dey raise' hogs 'n' mek syrup 'n' farm. Dey raise' chicken too. Marster gib out ration' from Saddy (Saturday) t' Saddy. D' marster didn' 'low d' niggers t' hab big garden patch but sometime' he 'low dem t' hab a place t' raise watermillion. My marster treat' us purty good. I war'n' (was not) big 'nuf t' wuk in d' fiel'. Us 'bout dat size uster hafter stay 'roun' 'n' keep d' gate open 'n' keep out d' hogs w'en dey wukkin' in d' fiel' 'r' w'en dey drive d' wagon outn' d' fiel' dey don' hafter git down outn' d' wagon 'n' open d' gate. Marster hab a purty good house 'n' a purty fair box house. D' culled folks hab purty good house too. Dey was a chimbly in d' middle 'r' d' two rooms. One fambly lib in one room on one side 'r' d' chimbly 'n' anuder fambly in d' room on d' uder side. D' chillen hab pallets on d' flo' (floor). Atter freedom my daddy die wid d' col'ra (cholera). My mudder hire me 'n' some 'r' d' uder chillen out t' wuk 'n' she draw us money. I don' eben know how many chillen in us fambly. My popper's name was Valmore Moore 'n' my mommer' name was Silliman . W'en us was sot free d' fambly was altogedder. Dey didn' 'vide (divide) us famblies, not's I knowed of. Dey hab niggers in d' fiel' in dif'rent squads. Dey was a hoe squad 'n' a plow squad. D' oberseer was purty rapid. Dey hab a cullud re-man'ger t' see t' dem 'n' repote (report) t' d' oberseer. Offen dey ain' do dey wuk he buck dem down 'n' whip dem. I seed dem tek dem 'n' tie dey han's t'gedder dis way 'n' den tie dey foots t'gedder. Den he mek dem put dey han's 'tween dey knees. Den he tek a long stick 'n' put 'tween dey han's 'n' dey can't pull dem out 'n' den dey whip dem in good fashion. One 'r' my young marsters went t' d' war. He come back shot in d' arm but he git well. Dey hab a fight at Penock bridge not far from La'fette. Dey come from New Yawlins (New Orleans). Dey bu'n (burn) d' bridge ober d' bayou t' keep d' Yankee' from takin' d' town. D' men on dis side try keep dem from comin' but dey hafter 'treat (retreat) back. Dey bu'n all d' bridges but d' Yankee' carry floatin' bridges. Dey fit (fought) 'n' whip dem 'n' den dey takin' d' town. Dey come ober t' our place. Our place lay by d' side 'r' d' road. Dey go t' d' sugar house 'n' tek bahr'ls 'r' sugar 'n' syrup. Dey tek co'n 'n' meat. D' w'ite folks hide d' chickens under d' bed but d' ol' rooster crow 'n' den d' Yankees hear dem. D' sargent tell dem t' tek w'at dey want. My mudder was at d' big house. She sont me 'n' a gal t' go t' d' kitchin. Us went t' git a bucket 'r' milk. I clumb t'roo (through) a winder t' git d' bucket 'n' han' it t' d' gal. W'en I han' in t'roo d' winder a sojer dere 'n' he tek d' bucket 'n' drink up all d' milk. Dey was two Yankees dere. W'en one drink d' milk outn' d' bucket d' uder one stoop ober 'n' put his head on d' uder feller' stomach 'n' lissen t' him drink. Dey jis' pass dere dat day. Dey come in d' mawnin' 'n' res' (rest) 'roun' dere dat day 'n' gone on in d' atternoon. Dey didn' tek no hosses 'n' not many teams. W'en dey lef' dey gwine t' Baton Rouge. Dey was uders dat done went anuder way. Dey all knowed w'er dey gwine t' meet. None 'r' d' marster's culled people went wid d' Yankees but I hear tell dat some 'r' d' uder culled people went wid dem from uder plantations. Young marster say he gwine t' war 'n' kill a dam Yankee 'n' bring he head back. He tek a servant 'long wid him. He didn' bring no Yankee head back wid him but he brung a shot up arm but dat purty soon git well. I don' 'member how d' marster to' d' slaves w'en freedom come I reckon he call up d' heads t' d' house 'n' tell dem. Marster he let all d' slaves go free. He gib dem a team 'n' 'low dem t' wuk on d' share. Dey wuk d' lan' 'n' gib ha'f. D' fus' wuk I eber done was t' pick cotton. Mommer wash 'n' cook 'n' iron 'n' do sich wuk 'roun' d' big house. Mommer wuk in d' fiel' some too w'en dey short 'r' han's. Lots 'r' nights she come in 'n' pick us little ones offn' d' flo' (floor) 'n' put us t' bed. D' ol' granny w'at too ol' t' wuk in d' fiel' tek care 'r' us in d' day time. Iffen us sick dey mek med'cine outn' weeds. Mos' bitter weed, Boneset. Dey bile 'n' mek tea 'n' mek dem heab (heave-vomit). Dey bile J'rus'lem oak 'n' mek candy 'n' gib t' d' chillen fo' d' worms. O, yes, dat sho' mek d' worms pass. 'Spite how good d' ol' marster treat' d' slaves one 'r' two d' niggers run off. Dey hab houn's. I hear d' dogs in d' wood. I see one dat d' dogs kotch. He run 'way from he marster dere. I seed one chain' up t' a pos'. Dey hab him bucked; he han's tie 'n' a stick 'tween he arms. He could roll ober but dat 'bout all. Dey tek us li'l ones up t' see him t' caution d' li'l ones. Some run 'way t' d' woods 'n' was in d' woods w'en freedom come. Dey come up t' d' quarters at night sometime' 'n' d' culled folks feed dem. Sometime dey tek dem in d' house aw'ile fo' dey comp'ny. Some 'r' dem come up t' see dey wimmen. Some 'r' dem fin' out 'bout freedom dat way. Dey hab marriage by 'greement. D' nigger 'n' he gal 'gree t' git marry. Den he ax d' marster. Iffen d' gal on anuder plantation d' marster see d' gal' marster 'n' iffen dey all 'gree den d' niggers git marry. Dey hafter git pass' do' (though) t' see dey wife 'n' chillen. D' marster he know d' man comin' t' see he wife 'n' hab permit 'n' it allright. D' chillen belong t' dey mommer's marster. W'en dey was marry d' marsters 'low dem t' go togedder w'en dey wanter. Dat cause dey t'ink d' mo' li'l niggers d' mo' money dey worth. I neber seed, but I hear people say dat dey seed, men a-comin' 'long d' road 'thout no heads like dey been shot offn' 'n' d' war. I hear dem sat day grabeyard's 'hanted too but I neber beleabe all dat. I libs right 'cross d' road from d' cem'tery now 'n' I ain' neber see no ghos' 'twill dis day. I hear lots 'bout d' Klu Klux. Dey whip niggers 'n' mek dem leabe dey place. Sometime a Klu Klux want d' nigger's place. Dey put up notice dat he better sell out 'n' leabe. Iffen he go see a lawyer d' lawyer wouldn' tek d' case cause mos' dem in wid d' Klu Klux. He tell d' nigger he better sell on, dat he sell d' place fol' him. So d' lawyer charge in so much fo' t' sell d' place. Den he tu'n (turn) 'roun' 'n' sell it ag'in fo' profit. Dat way he mek money bofe ways. I don' recall seein' anybudy 'r' dem w'at was beat out dey lan'. In slav'ry time us hab home mek furniture. D' bedstead was buil' in d' wall. D' chairs 'n' tables dey mek dem deyse'f. Dey hab candles in d' slave quarters too. Dey hab some matches 'n' some use flints. Dey mek d' candles in candle molds, mek dem outn' taller (tallow).

Dey mek soap on d' farm too. Dey tek dat fat grease 'n' put in a pot 'r' water wid lye. Some use dey own ash lye 'n' some use boughten lye. Dey put d' ashes from d' fireplace in a big bahr'l 'n' let water run t'roo (through) 'n' kotch d' drip syrup. Den dey put it in d' pot wid d' grease. Dey mek it in a big iron pot. Some 'r' d' culled folks hab guns 'n' go huntin' on Sunday. Dey knock off hafter day on Sattiday. Dat was a great fishin' country too 'roun' dere. In d' winter time w'en dey ain' wuk in d' fiel' some days dey cut wood. Two 'n' a ha'f (half) cord a piece was a task fo' a day's wuk. Dey sont two men out t' wuk togedder.Dey didn' neber wuk on Crissmus day. Dey hab a hallelujah time. Dey git whiskey somew'er. Crissmus time dey go t' town in d' wagon 'n' bring t'ings home fo' d' chillen. D' marster buy big bandanna han'kerchiefs, red 'r' blue. Marster allus gib sumthin' t' d' nigger chillen. Dey hab a wagon dey go up t' d' big house t' git Sandy Claus. Marster uster go t' town right fo' Crissmus 'n' gib d' merchant a order fo' each nigger. He tell d' merchant w'en such-an-such a nigger come in he got so much creddick wuth (worth) for him. Say like he say, "W'en Johnney Mo', come let him git say two dollar' wuth 'r' goods 'r' five dollar' wuth.' (Dat was 'lowed 'cordin' t' d' size 'r' d' fambly). Den w'en d' nigger go t' d' sto' (store) d' merchant he say, 'You name' Johnny Mo', you git order fo' two dollar', 'n' den he gib nigger anyt'ing he want up t' dat much.D' chillen go t' bed early Crissmus eve. Dey hab a little sack dey hang up like a stockin' 'roun' d' wall. Ol' folks say, 'Git t' bed soon so Sandy Claus come.' Us sho' git up soon befo' day in d' mawnin'. Ev'ry budy git a li'l sack wid sumthin' in it.I speak li'l French. I belong t' 'Merican folks 'n' learn li'l French atter freedom. I come yere t' Texas from my country in '76 'n' been yere eber since. I libs wid my daughter. I's had thu'teen (13) chillen. Some 'r' dem lib in Galveston, 'n' some in Houston, 'n' some in Dayton, 'n' some 'roun' yere. I owns eight acres in dis place now. I been own' it fo' 'bout thu'teen (13) 'r' fo'teen (14) year'.' I got d' purties' co'n in d' country but d' insecks gib it d' blues. I hab rhoomytism at time'. Yessir.


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