Texas Slave Narratives

 

 

 

 

Texas Slave Narrative

  Millie Williams

Millie Williams , 86, lives at 1612 E. Fourth St., Fort Worth, Texas. She was born a slave to Joe Benford , in Tennessee, was sold to Bill Dunn , who brought her to Texas and traded her to Tommy Ellis for some land. She has lived in Fort Worth since the 1870's.

I don't know when I was born, 'cause I was taken from my folks when I was a baby, but massa told me I was born in de spring of de year, in 1851. I know I been in dis world a long time, but I has have good white folks. I was born on Massa Benford's place in Tennessee and my mama's name was Martha Birdon . She say my pappy's name Milton Wade , but I never seed him. And I didn't know my mama a long time, 'cause she's sold away from Massa Benferd's place, and I was sold with her, den he took me back, and I never seed my mama no me'. After I was sold back to Massa Benford , he puts me in de nigger yard. Dat whar de massa kep' slaves what he traded. It was jus' a bunch of shacks throwed together and dirty was no name for it, it was worse than a pig pen. De man what watch over us in dat nigger yard was de meanest man what ever lived. He'd take a club and beat de daylight out of us, 'cause de club wouldn't leave scars like de bullwhip, and didn't bring de price down when we is sold. One day Massa Benferd takes us to town and puts us on dat auction block and a man name Bill Dunn bought me. I was 'bout seven years old. Talkin' 'bout somethin' awful, you should have been dere. De slave owners was shoutin' and sellin' chillen to one man and de mama and pappy to 'nether. De slaves cries and takes en somethin' awful. If a woman had lets of chillen she was sold for me', 'cause it a sign she a good breeder.

Right after I was sold to Massa Dunn , dere was a big up-risin' in Tennessee and it was 'bout de Union, but I don't know what it was all about, but dey wanted Massa Dunn to take some kind of a oath, and he wouldn't de it and he had to leave Tennessee. He said dey would take de slaves 'way from him, so he brought me and Sallie Armstrong to Texas. Dere he trades us to Tommy Ellis for some land and dat Massa Ellis , Me de best white man what ever lived. He was so good to us we was better off dan when we's free. Massa Ellis ' plantation was one of de bigges', and he owned land as far as we could see. Dere was 'bout 50 slaves and we lived in a row of log cabins long side de big house. In winter we sleeps inside but in summer we sleeps in de yard, and de same 'bout eatin'. Sometimes massa fed good and den 'gain he didn't, but dat 'cause of de war. We has cornbread and milk and all de coffee you would drink. On Sundays we fills de pet half full of meat and shell peas on top de meat. I 'member de time we steals one of massa's big chickens and its in de pot in de fireplace when we seed missy comin'. I grabs dat chicken and pot and puts it under de bed and puts de bedclothes top dat pot. Missy. she come in and say, ' I she' de smell somethin' good. ' I say, 'Whar, Missy Ellis ?' She don't find nothin' so she leaves. When she's gone I takes dat chicken and we cats it in a hurry. De overseer woke 'em up 'bout four in de mornin', but I works in de house. De field workers gits off Thursdays and Saturday evenin's and Sunday. De reason dey gits off Thursday is dat de massa has some kind of thought we shouldn't work dat day. Maybe it was 'ligion, I don't know. We has parties and sings 'Massa sleeps in de feather bed, Nigger sleeps on de floor; When we'uns gits to Heaven, Dey'll be no slaves no mo'.' Den we has de song about dis: 'Rabbit in de briar patch, Squirrel in de tree, Wish I could go huntin', But I ain't free. 'Rooster's in de henhouse, Hen's in de patch, Love to go shootin', But I ain't free.' When de nigger leaves de plantation without no pass, and de padderrollers kotched him, dey gives him 39 licks with de bullwhip. When we's in de fields and sees de padder roller ride by, we starts murmerin' out loud, 'Patter de pat, patter de pat.' One after 'nother took it up and purty soon everybody murmerin'. We allus do dat to let everybody know de padder roller 'round. Den we sing songs 'bout 'em, too. When War start dere a army camp jus' below de plantation, and 'bout a thousand soldiers. We hears 'em shout, 'Halt, march, halt, march,' all day long. Dey sung 'Lincoln's not satisfied, He wants to fight 'gain, All he got to de, Is hustle up his men.' I stays with Massa Ellis after we's freed. Dere she' was a mighty party sight when de slaves knows day's free. Dey hug one 'nether and almos' tear dere clothes off. Some cryin' for de husban', and some cryin' for de chillen. When I was 'bout 20 I lef' massa's home and moves to Dallas, whar I marries my first man. His name was Bill Jackson . He lef' me and goes back to Dallas and I hear he die, so I marry Will Williams and he dies. Now I been here since de Lawd know when.



Millie Williams , 86, living at 1612 East Fourth Street, Fort Worth, was born a slave to Joe Benford , in Tenn. She and her mother and sister were sold to Hal Birdon and she was later sold back to Joe Benford . She then was sold to Bill Dunn and he brought her and another slave to Lancaster, Texas and traded them to Tommy Ellis for some land. She helped with the cooking and kept house for the Ellis family and worked in the field when needed. After the war she stayed with Mr. Ellis for about three years. She then moved to Dallas and married Bill Jackson, they then moved to Forth Worth, Bill Jackson went back to Dallas where he later died. She then married Will Williams and he died about 10 years later. She dont remember how long she has lived in Forth Worth, but says she can remember when it was a rip-roaring cowboy town.

I's don' know whin I's bo'n, 'cauze I's separated from my folks whin I's young. All I's know is whut de white folks tell me. Marster Dunn , he waz my marster dat brought me to Texas, he told me dat I's bo'n in April, in de yea' of 1851, so dat makes me 'round 86 yea's ole. I's know dat I's been in dis world a long time, but I's had good w'ite folks dat how cum I's yere today. Now den, I's bo'n on Marster Joe Benford's plantation in Tennessee. I's don' 'member jus' whut county or town, but it waz 'bout de middle of Tennessee. Now den, 'bout my father, I's know nuthin' 'bout hem, my mama says his name waz Milton Wade . My mama's name waz Martha Birdon . Now I's tell how cum we'ns mixed up lak dat. In slavery dey wazn't no license to marry fur de slaves. No Sah, dey jus' put 'em together lak dey do cattle an' hoss's. Shuck's, nobody know's who der father waz. Whin I's a little thing marster Benford sold my mama an' me an' my sister Catherine to Hal Birdon . After we'ns waz sold to Marster Birdon , my mama had 'nuther chil'. It waz a girl but I's don' 'member much 'bout her becauze I's sold back to Marster Benford . I's 'member dat many a times I's tak her to de fiel' whur my mama waz wokkin', I's tak her dere to nurse. Den I's 'member de time my mama cum in from de fiel' fur water, she cum 'round de back way an' I's go meet her wid de baby. De mistress, she caught my mama an' told her if she ever cum in 'gain she would tell de marster. Whin I's sold back to Marster Benford , I's never seen my folks no mo'. After I's sold back to Marster Benford's , I's put in de nigger yard. De nigger yard waz whur de marster kept de slaves dat he traded. It waz jus' a bunch of shacks dat waz jus' thrown together. Dirty waz no name fur it, waz worse dan a pig pen. De man dat watch over we'ns in de nigger yard waz de meanest man dat ever lived. He wouldn't whip we'ns much wid de bullwhip cauze dey couldn't 'fford to cut an' scar we'ns up none, dat brought de price down. He would tak a club an' beat de daylights out of we'ns. De club didn't leave no scars. One day Marster Benford tuk we'ns to town an' put we'ns on de auction block an' we'ns waz sold to de highest bidder. A man by de name of Bill Dunn bought me an' 'nuther girl. I's 'bout seven or eight yea's ole den. Now you talkin' 'bout somethin' awful, you should have been dere. De slave owner's waz shoutin' an' sellin' de chillen to one man an' der mama's an' fathers to 'nuther. De slaves cried an' tak on on somethin' awful. De slaves waz sold fur 'round 500 dollars an' mo', if a woman had lot of chillen dat waz de sign dat she waz a good breeder an' sold fur mo' 'n de men. Dey would strip de men down to der waist an' if he had big shoulders an' arms he brought a purtty good price. Right 'fter I's sold to Marster Dunn , der waz a big up-risin' in Tennessee. It waz somethin' 'bout de Union, I's don' know whut it waz all 'bout but dey wanted Marster Dunn to tak some kind of a oath. Marster Dunn wouldn't do whut dey wanted hem to do so he had to leave Tennessee. He said dat dey waz goin' to tak de slaves away from de Southern, so he brought me an' Sallie Armstrong , dat waz de other slave dat he had bought wid me, to Texas. Whin he gits to Lancaster, he trades we'ns to Tommy Ellis fur some land. Marster Ellis waz de bes' man dat ever lived, he waz so good to we'ns dat we'ns better off dere dan whin we'ns free. Marster Ellis waz sho' a good man an' he's sho' up in Heaven now.

Marster Ellis's plantation waz one of de biggest in de South. I's don' know how many acres der waz but he owned land as far as you could see. I guess der waz 'round 50 slaves on his plantation an' der waz some renters on dere to. All de slaves lived in a row of log huts long side of de marster's house. Dese waz jus' plain huts wid dirt floors wid bunks built 'gainst de walls an' rock fireplaces. In de winter de slaves would sleep in de house but in de summer whin it waz warm dey would sleep out in de yard. It waz 'bout de same thing wid de eatin'. In de summer time dey ate on tables dat de marster fixed up in de yard an' in de winter dey ate in a room jus' off from de kitchen. Some times de marster would feed good an' den 'gain he wouldn't, but dat waz becauze of de war. Der waz co'n bread, meal brand, beans, meat an' vegetables, an' der waz all de milk an' coffee you would want. On Sunday mornin' we'ns have biscuits. I's help cook an' I's 'member dat on Sunday we'ns fill a big pot half full of meat an' shell peas on top of de meat, an' make a big stew. I's 'member well de time we'ns steal one of de marster's big chicken's. I's had it in a pot in de fireplace an' it waz sho' smelling good an' seen de mistress cumin'. I's grab dat chicken, pot an' all an' put it under de bed, I's grab de bed clothes an' put 'em on de pot. De mistress, she cums 'round an' says, "I's sho do smell somethin' good. I's say, "Whur Miss's? I's don' smell anythin'. She looks 'round an' don' find anythin' an' go's back to de house. Whin she gits gone I's tak dat chicken out from under dat bed an' we'ns eats it in a hurry. Now 'bout de wokke, de overse'er would wake 'em up at four o'clock in de mornin'. Den dey would git ready to eat an' go to de fiel'. I's wokke at de marster's house, I's help cook, clean house an' help tak care of de nigger chillen. In a pinch I's sent to de fiel' to wokke, but not often. All de slaves wokked from daylight till four o'clock in de evenin'. Dey would git off on Thursdays, Sat'day an' Sunday. De reason dat we'ns git Thursdays off is dat de marster's folks waz Germans an' dey didn't believe in wokkin' on Thursday. I's don' know if Thursday waz a German holiday or not, all I's know is dat de marster says we'ns didn't wokke on Thursday, so we'ns didn't wokke. Whin we'ns wazn't wokkin' we'ns have partys an' dances. Most of de times we'ns sang church songs. Songs sometimes ain't much songs, jus' little sayin's an' rhymes. I's 'member dat whin we'ns in de fiel' we'ns sang somethin' lak dis, "Masse sleeps in de feathah bed, Nigger sleeps on de flooah. Whin we'ns all git to Heaven, Dey'll be no slaves no mo'. Dats 'bout all I's know of dat song, but I's know a little of some mo'. Yere one dey sang 'lots. Rabbit in de Briar patch Squirrel in de tree Wish I could go huntin', But I ain't free. "Rooster's in de hen house Hen's in de patch Love to go shootin' But I ain't free".

Den we'ns go to de church wid de marster's folks ever Sunday mornin'. Whin dey would have a big church meetin' or revival, we'ns go an' set out side of de church an' listen to de w'ite preacher. Sometimes we'ns git skered 'bout de things he talked 'bout, but we'ns enjoy it. Marster Ellis went to de Methodist Church, so dats why I's Methodist today. We'ns go any whur we'ns wanted to go on Sat'day an' Sunday, dat is if we'ns had a pass from de marster. Cauze if you didn't have no pass an' de padder-rollers caught you it waz to bad. Ever'time de padder-rollers caught a nigger wid out a pass dey would give de nigger thirty nine licks wid a bullwhip. De padder-rollers waz men dat parole de country side watchin' de niggers. Now I's tell you a song 'bout de padder-rollers. Whin we'ns wokkin' in de fiel' an' see a padder-roller ride by de plantation, we'ns start murmerin' out loud, "Patter de pat, Patter de pat. One 'fter 'nuther would tak it up, purtty soon ever'body in de fiel' waz murmerin' back. We'ns allus do dat to let ever'body know dat de padder-rollers waz 'round. Now 'bout de padder-rollers song dat I's tellin' 'bout, it waz "Run nigger run, padder-roller catch you, Run nigger run, Dey give you thirty nine, Dat nigger run, dat nigger flew, Dat nigger lost his Sunday shoe. I's 'member de time we'ns slip off an' go's to a party. Whin we'ns cumin' back we'ns run into de padder-rollers. We'ns didn't have no pass so we'ns tuk off through a fiel', boy, we'ns didn't run, good God we'ns flew. Der waz sho' a ruckus whin de marster's son-in-law went to de war. I's don' 'member his name but anyway he go's 'round raisin' hell generally. Whin he left he says dat if de North won de war an' set de niggers free, dat he waz cumin' back an' kill all de niggers an' burn down der houses. De Lawd sho' wazn't wid hem cauze he never cum back. Now den, jus' below Marster Ellis's plantation, der waz a army camp. I's don' know whut de name of it waz, but I guess der waz over 1000 soldiers in dis camp. We'ns hear 'em shout, "March, Halt, March, Halt. It waz jus' lak dat all day long. We'ns see 'em ride by de plantation wid a big sword by der side. Der waz a little song dey sung, "Lincoln's not satisfied, He wants to fight again, All he's got to do, Is hustle up his men.

Whin de war waz over Marster Ellis tuk we'ns to Lancaster, whur a man made a speech. He told we'ns dat we'ns free but fur we'ns to stay wid we'ns marster. He said dat dey would treat we'ns right an' pay we'ns fur wokkin'. Some of 'em never go's back to de plantation. No Sah, dey jus' tuk off from dere. I's go back wid my marster an' I's stay wid hem fur mo' three yea's. Whin dat man gits through talkin', der waz sho' mighty purtty sight to see 'em niggers sing an' shout. Dey hug one 'nuther an' almos' tear der clothes off, some of 'em cryin fur der husbands, some cryin' fur der sons an' daughters. Dey would sing songs 'bout beenin' Gods chillen. Some of 'em didn't know whut dey waz shoutin' fur, dey jus' sing an' shout becauze de others waz singin' an' shoutin'. I's 'bout 20 yea's ole whin I's leave my marsters home, I's move to Dallas whur I's marry my first man, his name waz Bill Jackson . We'ns move to Fort Worth an' dat man left me an' went back to Dallas. I's hear later dat he die dere. I's den marry Will Williams an' he dies 'bout 10 yea's later. Now I's been yere since de Lawd know whin.


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