Texas Slave Narratives

 

 

 

 

Texas Slave Narrative

  James W. Smith

James W. Smith , 77, was born a slave of the Hellman family, in Palestine, Texas. James became a Baptist minister in 1895, and preached until 1931, when poor health forced him to retire. He and his wife live at 1306 E. Fourth St., Fort Worth, Texas.

Yes, suh, I'm birthed a slave, but never worked as sich, 'cause I's too young. But I 'members hearin' my mother tell all about her slave days and our master. He was John Hallman and owned a place in Palestine, with my mother and father and fifty other slaves. My folks was house servants and lived a little better'n the field hands. De cabins was built cheap, though, no money, only time for buildin' am de cost. Day didn't use nails and helt de logs in place by dovetailin'. Day closed de space between de logs with wedges covered with mud and straw. De framework for de door was helt by wooden pegs and so am de benches and tables. Master Hallman always had some niggers trained for carpenter work, and one to be blacksmith and one to make shoes and harness. We was lucky to have de kind master, what give us plenty to eat. If all de people now could have jus' so good food what we had, there wouldn't be no beggin' by hungry folks or need for milk funds for starved babies. We didn't have purty clothes sich as now, with all de dif'rent colors mixed up, but dey was warm and lastin', dyed brown and black. De black oak and cherry made de dyes. Our shoes wasn't purty, either. I has to laugh when I think of de shoes. There wasn't no careful work put on dem, but dey covered do feets and lasted near forever. Master always wanted to help his cullud folks live right and my folks always said do best time of they lives was on de old plantation. He always 'ranged for parties and sich. Yes, suh, he wanted dem to have a good time, but no foolishment, jus' good, clean fun. There am dancin' and singin' mostest every Saturday night. He had a little platform built for de jiggin' contests. Cullud folks comes from all round, to see who could jig de best. Sometimes two niggers each put a cup of water on de head and see who could jig de hardest without spillin' any. It was lots of fun. I must toll you 'bout do best contest we ever had. One nigger on our place was de jigginest follow ever was. Everyone round tries to git somebody to best him. He could put de glass of water on his head and make his feet go like triphammers and sound like de snaredrum. He could whirl round and sich, all do movement from his hips down. Now it gits noised round a fellow been found to beat Tom and a contest am 'ranged for Saturday evenin'. There was a big crowd and money am bet, but master bets on Tom , of course. So dey starts jiggin'. Tom starts easy and a little faster and faster. The other follow doin' de same. Dey gits faster and faster and dat crowd am a-yellin'. Gosh! There am 'citement. Dey jus' keep a-gwine. It look like Tom done found his match, but there am one thing yet he ain't done - he ain't made de whirl. Now he does it. Everyone holds he breath, and de other follow starts to make de whirl and he makes it, but jus' a spoonful of water sloughs out his cup, so Tom am de winner.

When freedom come, the master tells his slaves and says, 'What you gwine do?' Well, such, not one of dem knows dat. De fact am, day's scared day gwine be put off de place. But master says dey can stay and work for money or share crop. He says they might be trouble 'twixt de whites and niggers and likely it be best to stay and not git nixed in dis and dat org'ization. Mostest stays, only one or two goes away. My folks stays for five years after de war. Den my father moves to Bertha Crock, where he done 'range for a farm of his own. They hated to leave master's plantation, he's so good and kind. Some the cullud folks thinks they's to take charge and run the gov'ment. They asks my father to jine their org'ization. He goes once and some eggs an served. Day am served by de crowd and dem eggs ain't fresh yard eggs. Father 'cides he wants his eggs served dif'rent, and he likes dem fresh, so he takes master's advice and don't jine nothing. When de Klux come, de cullud org'ization made their scatterment. Plenty gits whipped round our place and some what wasn't 'titled to it. Den soldiers comes and puts order in de section. Day has trouble about votin'. De cullud folks in dem days was non-knowledge, so how could dey vote 'telligent? Dat am foolishment to 'sist on de right to vote. It de non-knowledge what hurts. Myself, I never voted and am too far down de road now to start. I worked at farmin' till 1895 when I starts preachin' in de Baptist church. I kept that up till 1931, but my health got too bad and I had to quit. I has de pressure bad. When I preaches, I preaches hard, and do doctor says dat am danger for me. The way I learns to preach am dis: after surrender, I 'tends do school two terms and den I studies de Bible and I's a nat'ral talker and gifted for de Lawd's work, so I starts preachin'. Jennie Goodman and me marries in 1885 and de Lawd never blessed us with any chillen. We gits de pension, me $16.00 and her $14,00, and gits by on dat. It am for de rations and de eats, but de clothes an a question!


James W. Smith , 77, was born a slave to Mr. Hallman , who owned James ' parents with 48 other slaves and a large plantation near Palestine, Anderson Co., Tex. The family left the place, five years after freedom, when they moved to a tract of land the father had purchased. James worked as a common laborer until 1895, when he entered the Baptist Ministry. This proffession he followed until 1931, when his health forced him to retire. He married Jannie Goodman at Greenville, Tex., in 1885. No children were born to them. They now reside at 1306 E. 4th St., Ft. Worth. Tex. His story:

I's bo'n a slave, but never wo'ks as sich, 'cause I's too young. I's five yeahs old w'en surrendah tooks place, so I's don't 'membahs de slave days. Co'se, I's 'membahs how 'twas w'en surrendah comes. 'Twarnt much change wid de wo'k. My Marster was John Hallman . Him owned a place neah Palestine, Texas. Thar whar 50 slaves on de place, an' both my parents am thar. I's 'membahs de qua'tahs de cullud fo'ks lived in, an' how deys do. My fo'ks am house servants, an' lived in de servant qua'tahs. Dey am little bit bettah dan de reg'lar cullud qua'tahs. De cabins am cheap built. 'Twarnt any money spent on dem, only time fo' buildin' am de cost. 'Twarnt any nails used in de buildin'. De logs am held in place by dovetailin' dem at de corners. De space 'twix de logs am closed by wedges dat am driven in, an' covered wid mud mixed wid straw. De straw held de mud together. De frame wo'k fo' de dooah am held together by wooden pegs, an' so am de benches an' tables. De bunks, dat am de place fo' sleepin', am put together wid wooden pegs, too. De Marster always sees dat he have certain slaves trained to do de carpenter an' cabinet wo'k, an' one fo' de blacksmith, an' one fo' to make de shoes, de harness, an' so on. Dat away, ever'thing am made on de place, clothes an' all. De food am de same way. Weuns raised what weuns eat, an' 'twas always plenty. 'Twas meat, veg'tables, milk, fruit, co'n meal, an' white flouah. Weuns have to tooks de wheat to de grist mill fo' to git de flouah, but weuns fix de co'n meal on de plantation. I's lucky to have de good kind Marster. Him always 'lows weuns all de rations weuns needs. Thar am no complaint 'bout de feed. I's says dis: all de people now, if deys could have jus' so good food dat weuns have, 'twould be no beggin' by de hongry fo'ks, or de need fo' de milk fund fo' starved babies. De clothes am not as purtty as sich dat can be bought now, wid all de diffe'nt colors all mixed up, but deys am wahm an' lastin'. Deys am cullud, too. Deys am dyed brown, an' black. De dyes am made f'om Black Oak, Cherry, an' tudder tree bark. Now, our shoes am not purtty either. I's have to laugh w'en I's thinks ob de shoes dat am made fo' de cullud fo'ks. Thar am not much careful wo'k put on dem, but deys covers de feet an' lasts. Our Marster gives weuns reasonable priviledge to go off de place. 'Twas de rule dat de cullud fo'ks must have de pass fo' to go off de plantation. Dat am fo' de reason to keep o'dah, an' to hold de cullud fo'ks on de place. If dey tries to run away, de Patrollers would catch dem. De Patrollers, deys ride over de country, an' demand de pass be shown by de niggers dat am on de road, or whar deys finds dem off dere plantation. If dey finds de cullud person widout de pass, dey whups him, an' tooks him home. 'Cause ob de Patrollers, de sensible nigger stays home 'less him have de pass. Yas, thar am foolish cullud dat tries to go places widout de pass. Some gits catched, an' some don't. Some ob de Marsters am at fault, 'cause deys am not reasonable 'bout de pass, an' wants to hold de slaves on de plantation all de time. Well, 'tis nature fo' de fo'ks to want to visit once in de while, an' some ob de cullud fo'ks am unreasonable. Dey wants to be gone all de time. 'Twarnt much sich trouble at Marster Hallman's place.

Thar am some young bucks dat wants to run to de neighbahs fo' to see de gals, but dey sneaks through de woods whar de Patrollers don't watch. I's don't 'membahs much 'bout de wah time. If thar am any diffe'nce wid de rations an' sich, I's don't 'membahs it. Fah as I's knows, 'twas de same as befo'. I's 'membahs w'en de Marster tells de cullud fo'ks dat deys am free fo'ks. He calls allus together, an' him says, Now, fo'ks, yous am no mo' slaves. Yous am free, jus' lak de white fo'ks. What am yous gwine to do?  Well Sar, 'twarnt one ob dem dat knows. De fact am, deys skeert deys am gwine to be put off de place. Den de Marster says, De o'dah f'om de Gov'ment am dat yous can go whar yous wants, does what yous wants, wo'k fo' who yous wants, but, if yous wants to stay heah, weuns can 'range fo' de wages, or weuns can sharecrop." Co'se, thar am lots mo' him says. Him 'splain 'bout de trouble 'twould be 'twix de white an' de cullud fo'ks, an' he tells dem 'twould be best dey stay close to home, an' not mix in wid dis an' dat o'gnation. Mostest ob de cullud fo'ks stays wid de Marster. Jus' one or two goes 'way. My fo'ks stayed on de Marster's place fo' five yeahs aftah de wah. Den deys moved to Bertha Creek, dat am close by, whar father 'ranged fo' a fahm ob his own. My fo'ks hated to leave de Marster's plantation, 'cause him am so good an' kind. Him always wants to he'p his cullud fo'ks live right. My fo'ks always says 'tis de best time ob thar lives w'en deys am on de old plantation. Him always he'ps dem 'range fo' pahties an' sich. Yas Sar, him wants dem to have de good time, but no foolishment, jus' good, clean fun. Thar am dancin', an' singin', mostest ever' Saturday night. Marster had a small platform built, an' on dat, de jiggin' contest am held. Cullud fo'ks f'om 'roun' thar would come, an' dey sees who could jig de best. Sometimes, de two persons would put a cup ob wautah on thar head, an' see who could jig de hahdest widout spillin' any. De whites 'tend de contest, too. 'Twas lots ob fun. Thar am one cullud fellow on weuns' place, dat am de jigginest fellow dat ever was. All de neighbahs 'roun' tries to git someone to best him. Well Sar, dat fellow could put a glass ob wautah on his head, an' make his feet go lak triphammahs, an' sound lak a snaredrum. He could whirl 'roun', an' sich, an' all de movement am f'om his hip down. One time, 'twas noised 'roun' dat a fellow am found dat could best Tom , an' 'twas 'ranged fo' a contest. De contest tooks place on Saturday evening. Thar am a big crowd thar to see Tom bested, an' 'twas some money bet. De Marster bets on Tom , co'se. Deys stahts wid a cup ob wautah on thar head. Tom stahts easy, an' den goes little fastah, an' fastah. De tudder fellow am doin' de same. Dey gits fastah, an' fastah, an' de crowd am yellin'. Gosh!, thar am 'citement. Deys jus' keeps a-gwine. De fastah Tom goes, an' de mo' fancy steps him makes, de mo' de tudder fellow do. It look lak Tom have found his match. Thar am one thing dat Tom aint done yet, an' dat am make de whirl. Now he does it. Ever'one holds his breath, 'cause de tudder fellow stahts, an' him make it lak Tom, but thar am jus' spoonful ob wautah dat sloughes out ob de cup. Tom am 'clared de winnah.

Sho, I's 'membahs 'bout de Ku Klux Klan. What cullud person dat can't 'membahs dem, if he lived dat day? Deys o'gnized fo' to keep ordah, an' it caused lots ob trouble fo' cullud fo'ks dat am in'cent ob wrong doin'. Thar whar lots ob trouble dat away. Thar whar some cullud fo'ks dat thinks deys took charge an' am gwine to run de Gov'ment. Say Sar, deys gwine to put de white fo'ks to wo'k, an' deys be de boss. Thar whar some dat come to my father, an' s'gest to him he j'in deys o'gnation dat am fixin' to tooks charge ob de country. Deys 'vited him to come an' see de p'rade deys havin'. Well, he goes an' he sees some eggs served. Deys come f'om de crowd dat am watchin' an' dem eggs am not fresh yahd eggs. Father 'cides he wants his eggs served diffe'nt, an' he laks dem fresh. Father 'membahs what de Marster says, an' tooks his 'vice. W'en de Klux come, de cullud o'gnation made thar scatterment. Thar whar plenty dat gits whupped 'roun' our places, an' some dat warnt 'titled to it. 'Twas heard dat some gits killed. Anyway, sojers come, an' puts o'dah in de section. I's 'membahs thar whar trouble 'bout de cullud fo'ks votin'. Yous see, de cullud fo'ks in dem days am non-knowledge, so how could deys vote 'telligent. Dat am foolishment fo' to 'sist on de right to vote. 'Tis de non-knowledge dat hurts. I's never tries to vote, an' I's too fah down de road now to staht. I's wo'ked at fahmin' all my life 'til 1895, an' den I's stahts preachin' in de Baptist chu'ch. I's preached 'til 1931, w'en I's have to quit 'cause my health am poor. Yas, I's have de blood pressure. I's have de pressure bad. W'en I's preach, I's preach hahd, an' de doctah says dat am dangah fo' me to do so. W'en I's larnt to preach? Well, it am dis away: Aftah surrendah, thar am a school fo' de cullud fo'ks neah whar weuns lived. I's 'tend de school two terms, so I's larnt to read. Den I's studied de Bible, an' I's a natural talker, an' gifted fo' de Lawd's wo'k, so' I's stahted preachin'. 'Twas six yeahs ago dat I's stopped. I's mai'ied Jannie Goodman in 1885. De Lawd never blessed weuns wid any chilluns. How I's live now, am on de pension. I's gits $16.00, an' my wife gits $14.00 ever' month f'om de State, an' weuns gits by on dat. Dat am jus' 'nough to buy rations, an' 'tis not too much fo' dat. De clothes am a question.


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