Texas Slave Narratives

Texas Slave Narrative

  Fannie Norman

Fannie Norman , 78, 1318 Crawford St., Ft. Worth, born a slave to James Jackson at Austin, Travis County, Texas. Jackson , a professional gambler, owned Fannie's mother and her. He purchased the mother from a negro trader at the slave market in New Orleans. The sale separated the negress from her family. Fannie married twice, first to James Hester in 1879, (they had two children); Hester died in 1886; second to A. C. Norman in 1900, he died in 1910. There were no children.

Thar am not much to de story of my slave life. Ise bo'n in 1859 so dat makes me jus' six yeahs old w'en freedom come to weuns an' my age am now 78. Ise bo'n in Austin, Travis County, Texas. Marster James Jackson owned my mammy an' me. Weuns am de only slaves dat Marster owned. He bought my mammy at de slave market in New O'leans f'om a nigger driver. What am a nigger driver? De nigger driver am a party dat goes 'round de country buyin' an' sellin' slaves. W'en my mammy am sold dat parts her f'om all her fouah chulluns. 'Bout her husband, 'twas de rule on many plantations in slave times dat de women can't have any regular husband. Dey am fo'ced to live wid de one de Marster tells dem to an' m'ybe dey live first wid one an' tudder man. Ise bo'n six months after Marster Jackson buys mammy, so youse see how 'twas wid my family. Bout weuns life as de slave. Weuns had easy time. 'Course Ise not old nuff to git wo'ked much; at de last befo' surrendah Ise am used to do little errands an' de last yeahs Ise always have de job to chase flies w'en de Marster an' de Misse eat meals. Ise stand thar wid a big fan an' shoo de flies dat come 'round dem an' de table. Thar whar only two in de family an' a small house, so mammy does not have a hard job. Weuns am not lak lots of de slaves 'bout de wo'k an' de food. De wo'k am light an' weuns had all de food weuns wanted an' 'twas lak de Marster eats an' he lived good. Mammy tells me many times how lucky weuns am to be owned by Marster Jackson . She often tell me how 'twas wid her befo' she am sold. Her fust Marster measured all de rations an' what am measured out has to do. She am den owned by Marster Tolbert dat lived in Rankin County, Miss'sippi. Mammy often prays thankin' de Lawd fo' bein' sold to Marster Jackson . Marster am in de gamblin' business. He ran de card an' dice games an' sich. He am a liberal man wid weuns an' keeps weuns in good clothes an' Ise am always gettin' candy an' de lak sich as de younguns lak. Facts am de Marster treats weuns lak weuns am hired people. W'en surrendah comes de Marster sez to Mammy,  Slavery am over and now Ise gwine to pay youse wages. Ise wants youse to stay wid me.  Dat am jus' what my mammy wanted to do so she sez,  Dis jus' w'at Ise want to do. Weuns stayed wid de Marster fo' three months, den leaves 'cause him gets killed an' de Missie goes to wa'r her fo'ks lived. All Ise knows 'bout de tru'ble am dat de Marster gets killed in an arg'ment in a card game. De man pulls de pistol an' shoots de Marster. De funeral an' seremony am held at his house. 'Cause he am a gambler youse think 'twarnt many come to de funeral but he had lots of friends an' 'twas lots of fo'ks at de funeral. De death of de marster am my fust big sorrow. Both mammy an' me mou'n over de Marster gettin' killed. After de killin' mammy does de cookin' fo' Marster J. J. Reynolds . Ise six yeahs old den so am still living wid mammy in de new place. She's in de Gov'nor's Mansion in Austin. Weuns had qua'ters fo' weunself. Mammy am 'sidered de best cook in Austin so after Marster Jackson am killed thar am several parties dat asked her to cook fo' dem. She tuk de job fo' Marster Reynold 'cause he is a sojer. He am called General Reynolds . He had charge of de Capital an' lived in de Governors Mansion aftah Gov'nor Murray goes to Mexico. Mammy 'plains dat Gov'nor Murray an' lots of tudder fo'ks dat whar leaders in de Confed'rate Gov'ment am skeert dat de President in Washington am gwine to punish dem fo' 'sistin' de Pres'dent. 'Twas Johnson dat am Pres'dent den 'ca'se Lincoln am dead. Gov'nor Murrah leaves so dat leaves de State widout a Gov'nor. Marster Reynolds am head of de Union sojers an' am under General Gordon , de man dat give de ordah fo' to free de cullud fo'ks in Texas on June 19, 1865. He come to Galveston an' thar he gives de ordah. Dats how marster Reynolds am in de Gov'nor Mansion. Weuns lived thar till Marster A. J. Hamilton am made de Gov'nor. De marster Reynolds moved to a house 'side de river, he moved sometime durin' de summer. If Ise could 'membah some of de dishes mammy cooked Ise be glad to tell youse but Ise so young den Ise can't 'membahs. 'Couse I 'membahs somethin' sich as what Ise lak awful well. Did youse ever eat light co'nmeal bread. 'T's raised jus' lak light wheat bread. De way makes it 'tis de bestest eatin' youse can get. Ise never made it an' don' know how she does. Ise never made de chicken stew an' dumplin's wid thick gravy. De dumplin's am 'bout de size of a baseball an' light lak a feather an' good Ise sez dey whar.

Mammy never mai'ied an' made her livin' cookin till she am too old fo' wo'k, den she came an lived wid me. She died in 1930. Dat am seven yeahs 'go an' she am 'round 90 yeahs old. Ise mai'ied to James Kester in 1879 w'en Ise 20 yeahs old. He was a drayman in Calvert, Texas. Thar am whar weuns lived till he died in 1886. Weuns had two chulluns. Ise never mai'ied again till 1910 w'en Ise mai'ied A. C. Norman . After weuns mai'ied weuns moved heyah to Fort Worth an' my husband wo'ked in de lumber yard till he died in 1932. Ise mighty thankful dat Ise had de luck Ise had an' not have to do lak lots of de old slaves had to do dat Ise have talked to. Ise always had plenty to eat and a good place to live. Ise wo'ked hard sometimes cookin'. 'Course while Ise mai'ied Ise do no cookin 'cept fo' de family. What Ise know 'bout de Ku Klux Klan am jus' what Ise heah fo'ks talk. W'en de Klux am a gwine 'round weuns am living on Marster Reynolds place. Ise undah mammy's care so am not out whar Ise could get mussed up wid sich. Dem days de chulluns am raised diffe'ent dan 'tis now. Gosh fo' mighty weuns chulluns warnt 'llowed to stand 'round an' listen to de old fo'ks talk. If weuns would run into whar de old fo'ks am talkin' weuns sho would git smacked down. De young unmai'ied fo'ks had thar balls den but 'twas decent fo'ks. Ise had some schoolin'. Mammy starts me to school w'en Ise 10 yeahs old an' Ise go on an' off till Ise 17 yeahs old. Weuns had a teacher come fom de no'th.


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