Texas Slave Narratives

Texas Slave Narrative

  Annie Row

Annie Row , 86, was born a slave to Mr. Charles Finnely , who owned a plantation in Nacogdoches Co., near Rusk, Texas. She has lived at 920 Frank St., Fort Worth, since 1933.

I was sho' born in slavery and as near as I knows, I mus' be 'bout 86 year old, from what my mammy tells me. I figgers that, 'cause I was old enough to clean de wool when de war starts and dey didn't generally put de chilluns to work 'fore theys ten year old. Marster Charley owned my mammy and my four sisters and two brothers but my pappy was owned by Marster John Kluck , and his place was 'bout five mile from Marster Charley's plantation. My pappy was 'lowed a pass every two weeks for to come and see him's family, but him sees us more often than that, 'cause him sneak off every time him have de chance Allus cullud folks lived in de cullud quarters. De cabins was built with logs and dey have no floor. Day have bunks for to sleep on and de fireplace. In de summer time mos' de cullud folks sleeps outside, and we'uns had to fight mosquitoes in de night and flies in de day. They was flies and then some more flies, with all dere relations, in them cabins. De food am mostly cornmeal and 'lasses and meat that am weighed out has to last you de week. De truth am, lots of time we'uns goes hungry. Everything dat am worn and eat was raised on de place, 'cept salt and pepper and stuff like that. Dey raise de cotton and de wheat, and de corn and de cane, 'sides de fruit and sich. and de chickens and de sheep and de cows and de hawgs. De marster has two overseers what tends to de work and 'signs each nigger to do de certain work and keep de order. Shoes was made by a snowmaker what am also de tanner. Cloth for de clothes was made by de spinners and weavers and that what they larned me to do. My first work was teasin' de wool. I bets you don't know what tensin' de wool am. It am pickin' de burrs end trash and sign out of de wool for to git it ready for de carnin'. Now for de treatment, does yous want to know 'bout that? Well, 'twarnt good. When dis nigger am five year old, de marster give me to him's son, Marster Billy. That am luck for me, 'cruse Marster Billy am real good to me, but Marster Charley am powerful cruel to hims slaves. It de work, him have de overseers drive 'em from daylight 'til dark, and whups 'em for every little thing what goes wrong. When dey whups dey ties de nigger over de barrel and gives so many licks with de rawhide whup. I seed slaves what couldn't git up after de whuppin's, Some near died 'cause of de punishment. Dey never give de cullud folks de pass for to go a-visitin', nor 'lows parties on de place. As for to go to church, shunt that from yous head. Why, we'uns, wasn' even 'lowed to pray. Once my mammy slips off to de woods near de house to pray 2nd she prays powerful loud 2nd she am heared, and when she come back, she whupped. My mammy and me not have it so hard, 'cause she de cook and I 'longs to Marster Billy . Him won't let 'em whup me iffen he knows 'bout it. But one time, when I's 'bout six year, I stumbles and breaks a plats and de missy whups me for that. Here am de scar on my arm from that whuppin! After dey has argument dey never whups me when Marster Billy 'round. Lots of time him say, 'Come here, Bunch ,' - dey calls me Bunch , 'cause I's portly - and him have something good for me to eat. After that, it wasn't long 'fore de war starts and de marster's two boys. Billy and John , jines de army. I's powerful grieved and cries two days and all de time Marster Billy gone I worries 'bout him gittin' shoot. De soldiers comes and goes in de crib and takes all de corn, and makes my mammy cook a meal. Marster Charley cuss everything and everybody and us watch out and keep out of his way. After two years him gits a letter from Marster Billy and him say him be home soon and that John am kilt. Missy starts cryin' and de Marster jumps up and starts cussin' de war and him picks up de hot poker and say, 'Free de nigger, will dey? I. free dem.' And he hit my mammy on de neck and she starts moanin' and cryin' and draps to de floor. Dere 'twas, de Missy a-mornin', my mammy a-mournin' and de marster a-cussin' loud as him can. Him takes de gun offen de rack and starts for de field what, de niggers am a-workin'. My sister and I sees that and we'uns starts runnin' and screamin', 'cause we'uns has brothers and sisters in de field. But de good Lawd took e Mand in that mess and de marster ain't gone far in de field when him draps all of a sudden. De death sets on de marster and de niggers comes runnin' to him. Him can't talk or move and dey tote him in de house. De doctor comes and de nex' day de marster dies. Den Marster Billy comes home and de break up took place with freedom for de niggers. Mos' of 'em left as soon's dey could. De missy gits very con'scending after-freedom. De women was in de spinnin' house and we'uns 'spects another whuppin' or scolding', 'cause that de usual doin's when she comes. She comes in and says, 'Good mornin', womens,' and she never said sich 'fore. She say she pay wages to all what stays and how good she treat 'em. But my pappy comes and takes us over to de Widow Perry's land to work for share. After that, de missy found Marster Billy in de shed, dead, with him throat out and de razor side him. Dere a piece of paper say he not care for to live, 'cause de nigger free and dey's all broke up.

After five years I marries George Summers and we lives in Rusk. We'uns has seven chillens. He goes and I marries Rufus Jackson and on Saturday we marries and on Monday we walks down de street and Rufus accident'ly steps on a white man's foot and de white man kills him with a pistol. I marries 'gain after two years to Charles Row . Dat nigger, I plum quits after one year, 'cause him was too rough. Him jealous and tote de razor with him all de time and sleep with it under him pillow. Shucks, him says he carry on dat way 'cause him likes me. I don't want any nigger to snow his 'fection for me dat way, so I transports myself from him. I makes a livin' workin' for de white folks 'til four year ago and now I lives with my daughter, Minnie Row . Guess I'll live here de balance of my life - 'twon't be long.


Annie Row , 86, was born a slave to Mr. Charles Finnely , who owned a plantation in Nacogdoches Co., near Rusk, Texas. Annie's father was owned and kept on Mr. John Kluck's plantation located about five miles from the Finnely place. During slavery, her mother gave birth to five girls and two boys. Annie is the only child alive now. She was five years old when given by Mr. Finnely to his son, William Finnely , who lived on the place. The first work she did was cleaning wool. She has been married three times, first in 1870 to George Summers and they had seven children before his death in 1877. She married Robert Jackson in 1880, who was murdered the second day after the wedding. The third marriage was in 1883, and ended by separation the same year. Since then, she has worked at all sorts of labor until 1933, when she came to Fort Worth and is now residing with her only surviving child, Minnie Row . Their present address is 920 Frank St., Ft. Worth, Texas. Her story:

Ise sho bo'n in slavery 'cause my age am 'bout 86. F'om w'at my mammy tells me, an' my age w'en de Civil Wah stahts, 86 am de right age. Ise figgers dis away, Ise ol' 'nough fo' to tease wool w'en de wah begins. Deys don' gen'ally puts de chilluns to wo'k 'til deys am at least ten yeahs ol', 'cept piddelin' 'roun'. Ise bo'n in Nacogdoches County, neah Rusk, Texas, on de plantation ob Marster Cholly Finnely . Marster Cholly owne' a big place wid 'bout 50 slaves, 'sides 'bout 25 chilluns. Him owne' my mammy an' her five girls an' two boys. My pappy was owne' by Marster John Kluck . Marster Kluck's plantation was 'bout five miles f'om my Marster's place. My pappy was 'lowed de pass ever' two weeks fo' to come an' see him's fam'ly, but him sees weuns mo' often dan dat, 'cause him sneak off f'om de Kluck's ever' time him have de chance. Weddin's on dat place, mos'ly, was lak de weddin' 'tween de cows an' de bull. You see, dey wants bigger niggers an' dey mates 'em to suits demse'ves. Dat's de way deys 'spect mai'iage on dat place. Dem poor niggers warnt 'lowed to larn any thing nor 'lowed to do right. Allus cullud fo'ks lived in de cullud qua'tahs. De cabins was built wid logs. Let me 'splain dem. Deys have no flooah, an' no windahs, jus' holes whar de windahs ought to be. Deys have bunks wid straw on dem fo' to sleep on an' weuns cooked in de fiah place. In de summah time, mos' ob de cullud fo'ks sleep outside, 'cause 'tis coolah an' de mosquitoes warnt so bad as dey was inside. Weuns had to fight de mosquitoes in de night, an' de flies in de day. 'Twas flies, an' den some mo' flies, wid all dere relations in dem cabins. De food am mos'ly dis; co'n meal dat de bran am not sifted out, wheat shorts, 'lasses, meat dat am weighed out an' have to last yous a week. De truth am, lots ob times weuns am hongry. Once w'en Ise jus' a chil', Ise was hongry, so Ise takes some ob de food f'om de dawg. Deys catched me adoin' dat, an' 'stead ob givin' me some food, deys give me de whuppin's. In de days befo' de break up, 'twas diffe'nt f'om now. Ever' thing dat am worn an' eat, was raised on de place, 'cept jus' a few things sich as salt, pepper, an' stuff lak dat. Deys raise de cotton, wheat, co'n an' cane, 'sides de fruit, veg'tables an' sich. Den dere am de chickens, sheep, cows an' de hawgs. De Marster had two overseers dat 'ten's to de wo'k, an' 'signs each nigger to do de certain wo'k an' keep de o'dah. De shoes was made by a shoemakah dat am also de tannah. De cloth fo' de clothes dat am worn was made by de spinnahs an' de weavahs. De weavin' an' spinnin' was w'at dey larnt me to do. My fust wo'k was teasin' de wool. Ise bet yous don' know w'at teasin' de wool am. Well, Ise tells you w'at it am. It am pickin' de burrs an' trash an' sich outer de wool fo' to git it ready fo' cardin'. My mammy does de cookin' fo' de Marster's fam'ly. My sistah Ella , was her helpah an' de res' ob my sistahs an' brudders wo'ked in de field.

Now fo' de treatment, does yous want to know 'bout dat? Well, 'twarnt good. W'en dis nigger am five yeahs ol', de Marster gives me to him's son, Marster Billy . Dat was luck fo' me 'cause Marster Billy am real good to me an' Marster Cholly am powe'ful cruel to hims slaves. At de wo'k, him have de overseers drive 'em f'om day light 'til da'k, an' whups 'em fo' ever' little thing dat goes wrong. W'ens dey whups, mos' ob de time deys ties de nigger ovah de barrel an' gives so many licks wid de raw hide whup. Ise see de slaves dat can't git up aftah de whuppin's. Once a nigger dies 'cause ob de de punishment, him could never git up. Deys never gives de cullud fo'ks de pass fo' to go avisitin', nor, 'lows parties on de place. As fo' to go to chu'ch, shunt dat f'om yous head. W'y, weuns warnt even 'lowed to pray. W'at do yous think ob dis? Once my mammy slipped off to de woods neah de house, to pray. She prays powe'ful loud an' she am heard. W'en she comes back, she am whupped. W'en deys don't 'lows parties, or chu'ch, or prayahs, den yous know dere am no music. De Marster says dat w'en de nigger am not wo'kin', den tis time fo' de rest, 'stead of fustin' 'roun' an' not be able fo' to wo'k next day. My mammy an' me does not have it so hahd, 'cause she was de cook, an' Ise b'long to Marster Billy . Aftah Marster Billy owns me, him won't let dem whup me if he knows 'bout it. Ise 'splain 'bout one whuppin' dat Ise gits. Dat will give yous good idea 'bout de treatment. W'en Ise 'bout six yeahs ol', Ise carryin' a ol' plate an' Ise gits skeert ob de dawg an' stahts to run. Ise stumbled, an' ob course de plate had to break w'en it hits de groun'. De Missy whups me fo' dat. Heah am de scah on my ahm, 'tis f'om dat whuppin'. Anudder time Marster Billy was a feedin' me some extry bread an' meat. His mammy seen him an' hit him over de head wid a stick to make him stop. Den 'twas a big a'gument sho 'nough. Marster Billy tells 'em dat him won' stan' fo' me bein' 'bused. He says to Marster Cholly an' de Missy, "Yous give me dat nigger an' Ise gwine to raise her wid out bein' 'bused." Marster Cholly says, "An' Ise still boss ob my place." "Ise boss ob my nigger, yous boss ob yous place an' Ise boss ob my nigger", says Marster Billy to his pappy. "'Tis a fine come to pass w'en de son goes 'ginst his father", de Marster tells his boy. "Jus' to protec' my property", Billy answers him. De Missy stahts acryin' an' den de Marster says, "Weuns will settle dis matter later', an' hims takes de Missy away. Aftah de day deys have de a'gument, deys never whups me w'en Marster Billy am 'roun'. Lots ob times Marster Billy would say, "Come heah, Bunch ", dey calls me Bunch 'cause Ise po'tly, an' hims would have something good fo' me to eat. He would take me 'tween his knees an' feed me. Aftah de big a'gument, 'twarnt long 'til de wah stahts. De Marster's two boys, Billy an' John, j'ins de ahmy.

Was Ise sorry w'en Marster Billy j'ins de ahmy? Sorry, 'tis no name fo' it. Ise powe'ful grieved an' cries fo' two days. 'Twas jus' lak him had died. All de time him am gone, Ise worry 'bout him gittin' shoot. De las' thing him says to him's father was, "Take good care ob Bunch ." Dere warnt any diffe'nce 'bout de wo'k or de food durin' de wah. De nigger gits 'bout de same, 'twarnt 'nough befo' de wah an' dere was no change. Durin' de wah, soldiers come to de place an' goes in de smoke house, takes de meat, goes in de crib, takes de co'n, all deys want, A numbah ob times de soldiers come an' de Missy give mammy de o'dahs fo' to cook dem a meal, W'en deys go, Marster Cholly cuss ever'thing an' ever'body. Al us watch out den an' keep out ob his way. One day aftah de wah am fightin' fo' mo' dan two yeahs, de Marster gits a letter f'om Marster Billy . Dat letter says, "De nigger sho am gwine to be free, de wah am 'bout over, dat hims will be home soon, an' dat John am killed. W'en de Missy heahs dat letter read, she stahts a cryin' an' says, "My poor boy, my poor boy, my Johnny . Ise not see him any mo'". She keeps dat up 'til she am 'zausted. Den she lay down an' was mo'nin'. De Marster says nothin', jus' sits an' stares. Den suddenly him jumps up an' stahts cussin' de wah, de nigger, Abe Lincoln an' ever'body. He goes to de fish place, picks up de hot pokah an' says, "Free de nigger, will dey? Ise free dem." Den he hit my mammy on de neck. Dat lick bu'ns a scah dat mammy carries to her grave. My mammy stahts mo'nin' an' screamin' an' draps on de flooah. Dere 'twas, de Missy a mo'nin', my mammy a mo'nin', an' de Marster am a cussin' loud as him can. He was a sayin', "Ise free de nigger f'om slavery." Den him takes his gun off de rack an' stahts fo' de field whar de niggers am a wo'kin'. My sistah an' Ise in de house an' w'en weuns see dat, weuns stahts runnin' an' screamin', 'cause weuns have sistahs an' brudders in de field an' weuns don' wants 'em shoot. Lawd a Massie! Dat was a crazy place an' nobody knows w'at to do. It looks lak dem niggers in de field sho will be killed. De good Lawd took a han' in dat mess den. De Marster aint gone far in de field w'en he draps all ob a sudden. De death sets on de Marster an' w'en de niggers in de field sees him drap, deys come a runnin' to him. Dey fin' dat de Marster can' ta'k nor move. De niggers picks him up an' tote him in de house. Den my brudder rides fo' de doctah. W'en de doctah comes, he 'zamines de Marster an' says, Well, 'tis a question if he lives." Befo' de doctah leaves, him fix my mammy's neck. De nex' day, de Marster dies. W'en deys have de Marster fune'al, 'twarnt any sorry niggers. 'Bout de on'y mo'nah am de Missy. Aftah de fune'al, twarnt long 'til Marster Billy comes home an' de break up took place wid freedom fo' de niggers. Mos' ob de cullud fo'ks lef' soon's dey could. Dey sho wants to git f'om dat place. De Missy gits very condensin' (condescending) aftah freedom. De mo'nin' dat she tells weuns 'bout freedom, all us women was a wo'kin' in de spinnin' house. W'en weuns seen her a comin', weuns could feel it sho, dat it am anudder scoldin', or some one was due fo' a whuppin', 'cause dat was de usual doin's w'en she comes. Well, weuns was 'sprised. De Missy come in an' says, "Good mo'nin', womens." She never said sich befo'. Den she says, "Yous am all free now, yous can go or stay. To dem dat stay, Ise will pay de wages." Den she tells how good she will treat de wo'kahs. She tu'ns to my mammy an' says, "Lucie , yous have your husban' come heah an' wo'k de lan' on ha'ves." My mammy tells her 'tis w'at pappy wants. De nex' day, pappy comes an' he tells dat he had made 'greement wid de Widow Parry to wo'k her lan'. Weuns all move to her place.

Aftah weuns moved, 'twarnt long 'til Missy Finnely had some mo' sorrow. She foun' Marster Billy in de shed, dead, wid his throat cut an' de razor 'side him. Dere was a piece ob paper dat him wrote on. He said dat him not care fo' to live, 'cause de nigger am free an' deys all broke up. Ise stay wid my fo'ks fo' five yeahs an' den Ise mai'ied to George Summers , ob Rusk, Texas. Him wo'k fo' wages. George died seven yeahs aftah weuns was mai'ied. Weuns have seven chilluns. Dat am all de chilluns Ise ever had. 'Bout three yeahs aftah dat, Ise mai'ied Rufus Jackson , at Rusk. Weuns was mai'ied on Satiday, an' on Monday w'en weuns was a wa'kin' on de street, Rufus accidently steps on a w'ite man's foot. Dat w'ite man kills him wid a pistol right dere on de spot. Ise mai'ied 'gain 'bout two yeahs latah to Charles Row . Dat nigger, Ise plum quit aftah one yeah 'cause him was too rough. Dat nigger was so jealous, him makes me mis'able all de time. W'en weuns goes to de chu'ch, Ise can't look at any one but de preachah. If Ise did, dat fool would pinch me. W'en Ise says pinch, Ise mean it was a pinch dat was so hahd dat it was hahd fo' me to keep f'om hollerin' right out in de chu'ch. Many times de tears comes in my eyes. Ever' night w'en he comes home, he says, "Who been heah? Don' lie to me!" Dat nigger tote de razor all de time an' take it wid him to bed, sleeps wid it undah his pillow. Shucks, him says dat he carry on dat way 'cause him laks me. Well, Ise don' want any nigger to show his 'fection fo' me dat way, so Ise transported myse'f f'om him. Ise makes my livin', wo'kin' fo' de white fo'ks ever'since, 'til 'bout fouah yeahs 'go. Den Ise come heah to live wid my daughtar in her home. Her name am Minnie Row . Her name is s'posed to be Minni Summers but w'en Ise change my name to Row , she jus' nachuly did, too. Ise guess Ise will live heah de balance ob my life, 'twont be long.


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