Texas Slave Narratives

 

 

 

 

Texas Slave Narrative

  Mary Anna Patterson

Mary Anna Patterson , who now lives with her daughter, Elisabeth Lee , in Austin, Texas, was born in Louisiana, but she does not know exactly where. She is between 97 and 102 years old. Mary and her mother belonged to Col. Aaron Burleson of Rogers' Hill, Travis County, Texas. 

Way back yonder my name was Mary Anne Burleson and I's born in Louisiana somewhere. I knows I's told dey brung me and my mammy to Texas when I's eighteen months old, and dat Massa Turner what brung us, sold us to Col. Aaron Burleson . Massa Burleson buy both of us, 'cause he a good man and didn't 'lieve in separatin' a chile from de mammy. I do think dat man gone to Heaven.  When I growed up it was my job to wet nuss Rufe Burleson , 'cause he mammy didn't have 'nough milk for him. Beside dat. I helped in de loom room and have to spin five cuts de day, but I's fast 'nough to make eight cuts.  Durin' cotton pickin' time I larns to count a little, 'cause I picks de cotton, brung it to de wagon and listen to 'em countin' on does scales. Purty soon I could of counted my own cotton.  Massa Burleson good to we'uns and when a woman have a chile and no husband to take care of her, he make a man go out and chop wood for her, and dat slave had better act like he wants to. Massa so good to us he have lumber hauled clear from de Bastrop pineries and builds us good wood dwellin's. He have de plantation on Rogers' Hill what am oust of Austin. Now, let me tell you 'bout de cooks. Massa Burleson have de cook for de big house and de cook for de slaves. Dere a kitchen in de big house for de white folks and dere a kitchen with a long table for de hands. We had purty good victuals and I 'member we have so much hawg meat we'd throw de hog's head and feet 'way. Massa raised he own hawgs and everythin' he et, we had it, too. Sometimes we et deer meat and dere times we had bear meat and honey, 'cause Massa Burleson have he own bees, too. 

I 'member how at sweet 'tater time my mammy'd sneak out to de patch and scratch up some sweet 'taters. When Massa Burleson finds de 'taters gone, he jes' say, 'Now, I know nobody done dis but de Lawd!' I seed many a Injun and seed 'em in droves. Dem Injuns never bothered us. A old Injun call Placedo and he son come on down to massa's place and he give 'em plenty food. When de Injuns come near de cattle'd bellow and cut up. 'cause dey knowed it was Injuns 'round.  When I's 'bout 20 years old I marries Alex Patterson and he was brung from Tennessee to Texas and owned by Massa Joshua Patterson . After freedom we rents land from Massa Patterson and lives dere and farms 'bout seven years. Me and Alex has 15 chillen and six of dem is still livin'. Dere is two here in Texas and two in California and one in Oklahoma and one in Kansas. My husband am dead now and I's alone.  I owns a little farm of 36 acres out near Rogers' Hill and I gits sixty dollars de year for de rentin' of dat land and now de folks wants me to sell it, But my husband bought dat place and I wants to keep rents don't git no pension. I know dis much. I's worked harder since after freedom dan I ever worked befo' freedom.


Mrs. Mary Anne Patterson , 97, was born somewhere in Louisiana. She doesn't know her exact age but says she is between 97 and 102 years old. She was brought to Texas by a Mr. Turner when she was only eighteen months old. She and her mother were purchased by Colonel Aaron Burleson of Rogers' Hill, Travis County, where they remained until emancipation. She says Colonel Burleson gave his slaves a fair deal and was kind to them. When she was twenty years old she married Alexander Patterson . After emancipation she and her husband rented land from Joshua Patterson . They had fifteen children, six of whom are living. She had had no education and says she can neither read nor write. Mrs. Patterson owns a farm of thirty-six acres near Rogers' Hill and gets about sixty dollars a year in rent. She lives with her daughter, Mrs. Elizabeth Lee , at 1304 Red River Street, Austin, Texas. Her story:

Way back yonder my name was Mary Anne Burleson . I was bawn in Louisiana, but I don' know jes' where. I'se anywhere f'om 97 to 102 years old. I know it was tol' dat I was brought to Texas when I was eighteen months old. A Mr. Turner sold me and mama to Colonel Aaron Burleson . Mawster Burleson bought both of us, 'cause he was a good man and he didn't believe in separatin' a chile f'om its mammy. I do think dat man has gone to hebben. I don' know nothin' about my papa. We was jes' brought f'om Louisiana, me and mama, out here to Texas. All I remembah is dat mama's name was Lucy Burleson . When I growed up it was my job to wet nuss Rufe Burleson . Dah was nothin' de matter wid him, but his mama jes' didn't have enough milk fo' him. I helped wid de work in de "loom room". I had to do "five cuts a day", but I was fast enough to make eight cuts a day. I made five cuts fo' de white folks and three fo' myself. It was durin' cotton pickin' dat I learned to count a little. I picked my cotton, brought it to the wagon and listened to 'em countin' on de scales. Putty soon I could of counted my own cotton.

Sometimes Mawster Burleson would come to de field and weigh cotton fo' us. He was good to us, and he never did lak fo' de wimmen to lift too much. When a woman had a chile and no husband to take care of her, Mawster Burleson would make a man go out and chop wood fo' her and dat slave had better act lak he wanted to. Mawster Burleson was so good to us, dat he never had jes' plain cabins fo' us. He had lumber hauled f'om de Bastrop pineries and he built us slaves good wood dwellin's. Mawster Burleson had his plantation on Rogers' Hill, east of Austin. I know dat mama said how she had to help grub de new land on which Mawster Burleson had his plantation. Now, let me tell you about de cooks. Mawster Burleson had a cook fo' de big house and he had a cook fo' de slaves. Dah was a kitchen in de big house fo' de white folks, and dah was a kitchen and long table fo' de hands. We had putty good vittles. I remembah we had so much hog meat dat we'd throw de hogs' head and feet away. Mawster Burleson raised his own hogs. Everythin' dat ole mawster et, we had it too. Sometimes we et deer meat and dah was times when we had bear meat and honey. Mawster Burleson had his own bees. I remembah how at sweet potato time mama would sneak out to de patch and scratch up some sweet potatoes. When Mawster Burleson found de potatoes gone, he'd jes' say, "now, I know nobody done dis but ole Lucy . I seen many a Injun. I seen 'em in droves. Dem Injuns never bothered us. Dah was one Injun whose name was Placedo . Ole Placedo and his son would come on down to Mawster Burleson's place, and ole mawster would give 'em plenty of food. When de Injuns come near, de cattle would 'low and cut-up, 'cause day knowed when Injuns was around.

I was about twenty years old when I married Alex Patterson . Alex was brought f'om Tennessee to Texas and he was owned by Mawster Joshua Patterson . He had a fahm at Rogers' Hill. After freedom, we rented land f'om Mawster Joshua Patterson and lived on de place fo' about seben years. Me and Alex had fifteen chillun. Six of de chillun is still livin'. Dah is two in Texas, two in California, one in Oklahoma, and one in Kansas. I got my pension fo' six months, and got only seben dollars a month. I don' git no pension now. I owns a little fahm of thutty six acres out near Rogers' hill. I gits sixty dollahs a year fo' de rentin' out of de land. And now de folks wants me to sell it. But, my husband bought dat place, and I wants to keep it. I know dis much: I'se worked harder since after freedom dan I ever worked befo' freedom.


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