Texas Slave Narrative
Fannie Robinson
Fannie Robinson , 1602 N. Hughes Street, Amarillo, Texas, living with her grand daughter and family. Mrs. Robinson was born near Brenham, Texas, on a plantation belonging to a Hunt family in 1855. Her mind is quite bright, although she says she has forgotten nearly everything she ever knew in the past two years on account of having a stroke. She is a small, sweet-faced old woman, jolly and affectionate to her relatives and very gracious to visitors. Her memories are all of happy things, 'possum dinners, evenings of songs and music for "Ole Missus".
I was ten-year-old when 'Mancipation come; I know dat. My father's name was Frank Blue , and my mother's name was Mary Blue . Hunts have a big place in Washington county, close to 'Burnham'. (Brenham) Hunts never sold no slaves. Somebody come through de country huntin' niggahs to buy, an' Massa he say, 'What he come here for? We ain' got no niggahs to sell.' My Missus's young daughter, she try to teach cullud chillun to read 'n write. I wouldn' let 'em teach me. We went to chu'ch wid de white folks. When dey was a camp meetin', we could go on Sat'day night an' Sunday. 'Paterols' (Patrols) would catch cullud folks an' whip 'em if dey left the plantations at night. My Massa an' Missus was good. Dey treat dey slaves good. People use' to call us 'Hunt's ole free niggahs' 'cause dey treat us so good. Missus, she was old an' feeble--couldn' walk 'less she push a chair along in front of her. When 'Mancipation come, old Missus push herself out on de front po'ch an' call all the slaves up an tell 'em, 'You free, but aint nary one of you gonna leave me 'fo' I die. You gonna stay with ole Missus till she die.' She use' to call de cullud folks in to sing an' play for her. She say some day when we git ole, we be ugly too. Christmas? Oh, yes! We have fine times Christmas! Thanksgivin'! Doctor Randall , white doctor from Independence, took care of the sick folks, slaves, too. Yes Ma'am. Dey took good care of de slaves. I have three chillun. Grand chillun? Now you done ask' me sump'n I don' know--how many grand chillun I got. Yes Ma'am, we used to hunt 'possums. 'Possum sho is mighty good eatin' when he cooked right. You never et 'possum? Lawd, you et 'possum and didn't know it! I can't remember no songs. Yes Ma'am, I remembers 'Run, Niggah, Run'. I aint had no mem'ry since I had a stroke. It just been too long 'go! When I was little, I have lots of play time. I never did work till I got big then I work in de house and in de fiel' too. I've plowed lots o' times, sweepstock an' turning plow. I have a stroke two years ago, an' my grand daughter come get me an' bring me from Rosebud, Texas, up here.
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