Texas Slave Narratives

 

 

 

 

Texas Slave Narrative

  Willie Williams

Willie Williams , 78, was born a slave to Mr. William Maddox , who owned about 90 slaves, including Willie's parents, five brothers and a sister. The plantation was in Vermillion Parish, la., near Sparta. In 1867 Mr. Maddox took Willie , who was still working for him, to Texas. Willie now lives in Fort Worth.

Dis nigger am 78 years old, and I's born in slavery, down in old Louisiana. Marster William owned me, and he am de father of Marster Ed Maddox what now rune do Maddox Milk and Ice Company here in Fort North. I knowed him when him and dis nigger am tiny chiles. I goes and visits with him often and we talks 'bout old times and sich. We laughs 'bout some things and de tears come in de eyes 'bout some things. Him allus give dis nigger de quarter or de half dollar for old times sake. Marster William owns sich a big plantation dat it was miles and miles 'round and had 'bout 90 grown nigger slaves. I 'members it well end sho' am glad for to tell yous 'bout it and how dey does. De marster have a two-story house for his family and de place look like a town with all de buildings. Dere was de nigger quarters with 30 cabins and de nursery for de young niggers, de sheds and de smokehouse for de meat. Den dey have de gin and de mill for to grin' de grist, de spinning house and de shoe shop. Marster have a nigger what make de shoes out of hides tanned dere off de cattle what am killed for meat. Him makes good shoes, they last a long time, but they sure is tough on de feets. Marster William raises de corn and rice and wheat and barley and vegetables and honey, and lots of cotton. Dey works animals, de mules and de oxen, but I seed de niggers hitched to de plow sometimes. But de marster allus took good care of his niggers and him feeds plenty good victuals. Every Sunday dey measures out de rations, 'cept de vegetables. But if what dey give am not 'nough, we'uns calls for more. De marster wants for we'uns to have plenty. All us am given de pass for to go to de church or to de party and dere's a place near de quarters for de dance and sich. Some fool niggers Sneaks off without de pass sometimes and gits catched by de patter rollers and gits couple passes from de whup. One time de niggers puts one on dem patter rollers. Dere am de dance and some niggers has no pass and de patter rollers am a-comin'. De niggers 'cide to best 'em and one gits de pan of hot ashes and when dem patter rollers comes to do door de ashes am thrown in de face. De niggers all rush out and knocks de rollers down, and de niggers am gone. Dats once de niggers 'prise de rollers. On dat plantation dere am sort or hospital fix for to care for de sick. Dey uses herbs and sich and sometimes calls de doctor. De small chillens is kep' dere and de marster she' am 'ticular 'bout dem. Lots of times he look dem over and say. 'Dat one be worth a t'ousand dollars,' or 'Dat one be a whopper.' You see, 'twas jus' like raisin' young mules. On dat plantation, dere am no weddin' 'lowed for to git married. Dey jus' gits married, but some not 'lowed to git married, 'cause de marster anxious to raise good, big niggers, de kind what am able to do lots of work and sell for a heap or money. Him have 'bout ten wenches him not 'low to git married and dey am big, strong women and de doctor 'xamine dem for de health. Den de marster picks out de big nigger and de doctor 'xamine him, too. Dat nigger do no work but watch dem womens and he am de husban' for dem all. De marster sho' was a-raisin' some fine niggers dat way. As for de whippin', dey gives dat punishment. Dey straps de nigger over de barrel but de marster don't 'low for to draw de blood. Durin' de War, dere am de shortage of food and one time we is 'bliged out all de chickens, and 'twarnt hard to do. We hunts de wild hawg and wild turkey and de dear and sich. When freedom come, dey tell all us niggers we's free and we can stay or leave and work for wages if we stay. Three year after freedom de marster sells de plantation and comes to Fort Worth and I and five other niggers still with him. I works for him 'til he dies, 'bout 50 year age.



Willie Williams , 78, was born a slave to Mr. William Maddox , who then owned about ninety slaves including Willie's parents, five brothers, and a large plantation located near the town of Sparta, in Vermillion Parish, Louisiana. Mr. Maddox went to Texas in 1867, taking Willie and five other former slaves with him. He bought a tract of land east of Fort Worth and established a stock farm devoted to the breeding of horses. Willie worked for Mr. Maddox until the latter's death in 1887. From that time on, Willie's employment has been varied. He never married. His story:

Dis nigger am 78 yeahs old', an' I's bo'n in slavery, down in ol' Weziana, a few miles f'om Sparta, in Vermillion Parish. Marster William Maddox was my Marster an' he am de father ob Marster Ed Maddox dat now runs de Maddox Milk an' Ice Comp'ny heah in Fo't Wo'th. I's know him w'en him an' dis nigger am a tiny chil's. I's goes an' visits wid him often. Weuns ta'ks 'bout ol' times an' sich. I's 'joys dem ta'ks, so does he. Weuns laugh 'bout some things an' tears come in de eyes 'bout some things. Him always give dis nigger de quatah or de ha'f dollah ever' time I's visit him. He do dat fo' ol' times sake. Marster William owned sich a big plantation dat it was miles an' miles 'roun' an' had 'bout ninety grown nigger slaves 'long wid my mammy an' pappy an' five brudder. Yas Sar! I's 'membahs it well, an' sho glad fo' to tell yous all 'bout it an' how deys does. De Marster had a two story house fo' his fam'ly. De place look lak a small town wid all de buildin's 'roun' it. Dere was de nigger quatahs wid 'bout thirty cabins an' de nu'se'y fo' de young nigger, de sheds, blacksmith shop, smokehouse fo' de meat, de gin an' de mill fo' to grin' de g'ist, de spinnin' house an' de shoe shop. Neahly ever'thing dat was used on de place was made or growed dere. On dat place, deys have de ovahseer an' de 'sistant ovahseer, 'sides de Marster an' deys all keeps de o'der. Ever'body has dere certain duty. W'en dey am rushed wid some certain wo'k, one he'ps de udder. Marster had a nigger dat was de shoemakah. De shoes was made f'om de hides dat was tanned dere an' de hides was off de cattle dat was killed fo' de meat weuns used. De tannah 'ten's to de tannin' ob de hides. Dere was a vat dat him puts de hides in. Him leaves dem soak in wautah dat had oak bahk an' udder stuff in it. Aftah a certain time, de hair comes off de hides. Den deys poun' dem fo' to git 'em limbah. Did yous ever see anybody cahd de wool or spin de yarn? Dere was certain women dat spin de yarn f'om de wool dat come off de sheep dat was raised on de place. Den dey makes de cloth, an' den de clothes, all dat was used dere. To cahd, deys use two flat boa'ds, 'bout three by five inches wide, an' had sho't teeth on one side. Deys place small 'mount ob wool 'tween de cahds, an' den pulls back an' fo'th. Dat rolls de wool together in de roll. Den deys takes de rolls an' sticks dem end to end. Dat deys puts on de spinnin' w'eel fo' to spin dem. Dat makes de rolls into thread. I's watch dat done lots ob times w'en I's jus' a chil's. Wid dat thread, deys make cloth on de loom. Den de seamstress, she makes de clothes. Marster raises de co'n, rice, wheat, ba'ley, rice millet, an' veg'tables, de honey, an' 'bout ever'thing weuns eats or wears. Wid de cotton, de pickin' an' sich, tis 'bout de same lak now. De cuttin' ob de grain in dem days sho am de job. Dere am no binder an' de grain am cut by han' wid de cradle. M'ybe yous don' know w'at de cradle am? I's 'splain dat to yous. Well, now yous know w'at de scythe am, dat am used fo' to cut de grass. Well, de cradle am lak dat, but 'bove de blade dere am wooden fingahs dat catch de grain an' keeps it f'om fallin' on de groun' an' scatterin' w'en de cutter cuts de swathe. Dere am 'bout six fingahs an', lak de blade, am 'bout three feet long. De cradle weighs 'bout ten poun's. W'en deys cuts de grain, de man stahts de cradle f'om de right an' swings it to de lef', through de grain close to de groun'. W'at am catched on de fingahs am laid in de pile. De cutter jus' sort ob tips de cradle an' de grain slides off. It takes st'ong ahms fo' to swing dat cradle all day. De cutters am followed by de bundlers. Deys make de tie f'om de han' full ob de grain, ties de pile in de bundle an' puts de bundles in de shock. De wo'k animals am de mules an' oxen, but I's seen de niggers hitched to de plow some times. Dat am 'cause deys am sho't ob de mules an' need fo' to git de wo'k done. Marster Maddox always took good care of his niggers. Hims feed plenty good victuals. Ever' Sund'y, deys measure out rations, 'cept de veg'tables. Dat deys give ever' day w'en dere am sich fresh in de gahden. If w'at dey give am not 'nough, weuns can call fo' mo'. De Marster wants fo' weuns to have plenty but don' wants weuns to waste de victuals. All us cullud fo'ks am given de pass fo' to go to de chu'ch on Sund'y or de pahty, so 'twarnt any need fo' de niggers to sneak off. Weuns have de place neah de qua'tahs fo' de dance, pahties an' sich, an' whars weuns have de music. Sho, some ob de fool niggers sneak off wid out de pass, but w'en dey does an' gits catched by de Patter Rollers, deys gits couple ob de passes f'om de whup. De Patter Rollers am fo' to watch de nigger dat sneak off. If 'twarnt fo' de Patter Rollers, de Marster have trouble keepin' track ob de niggers. One time de niggers puts one on de Patter Rollers; 'twas lak dis. Dere am de dance an' some ob de niggers have no pass. Fust thing deys know, de Patter Rollers am a comin'. De niggers 'cide to best dem. One nigger gits de pan ob hot ashes, anudder one stan's at de doah, de res' close 'hind 'em. W'en de Patter Rollers come to de doah, de doah am opened quick an' de ashes am th'own in dere face. Den de niggers all rush out, knocks de Rollers down, an' de niggers am gone. Dats once de niggers 'sprise de Rollers. On dat plantation dere am de hospital dat am vixed fo' to care fo' de sick. Mos' ob de sickness am treated by de cullud women nu'ses. Deys use mos'ly herbs an' sich. Some time deys calls de doctah.

Dere am two womens dat have cha'ge ob de nu'se'y. All de small chilluns am kep' dere w'ile de mothers am wo'kin' in de fiel'. Deys leaves dem in de mo'nin' an' gits dem at night. De Marster sho am pa'ticulah 'bout dem younguns. Dem nu'ses have to 'ten' to dem right, 'bout de feed an' de sleep an' de play an' sich. De Marster lots ob times looks dem over an' points one out an' says, "Dat one will be wo'th a thousan' dollahs," an' he points to anudder an' says, "Dat one will be a whopper." Yous see, 'twas jus' lak raisin' de mules. If yous don' hurts dem w'en deys am young, yous gits good strong niggers w'en deys am big. On dat plantation, dere am no weddin' 'lowed fo' to git mai'ied. Deys jus' gits mai'ied. Some am not 'lowed fo' to git mai'ied 'tall. Yous see, de Marster am anxious fo' to raise good big niggers, de kin' dat am able to do lots ob wo'k, an' sell fo' a heap ob money if hims wants to sell. Hims have 'bout ten wenches dat hims not 'lows to gits mai'ied. Deys am big st'ong womens dat de doctah zamin fo' de health. Den de Marster selects de big nigger an' de doctah zamines him, too. Dat nigger do no wo'k, but watch dem womens, an' he am de husban' fo' dem all. De Marster who was a raisin' some fine niggers. As fo' de whuppin' deys give dat punishment. W'en de niggers gits stubbo'n an' 'fuses to obey de rules or de o'dahs. W'en deys give de whuppin', deys strap de nigger over de barrel. De Marster have one nigger dat does de whuppin', but de Marster stan's dere an' counts de licks, an' hims won't 'low fo' to draw de blood.

Marster Maddox an' his boy, Walter , jines de ahmy. Deys both come back well an' died heah in Fo't Wo'th 'bout fifty yeahs 'go. De soldier never come to de place. Weuns see long lines ob dem pass, but deys never stops. Durin' de wah, 'twarnt much diffe'ent 'cept fo' de food. I's don' know w'y, but dere am de sho'tage. One time, de sho'tage ob food am so great dat weuns am fo'ced to eat all de chickens, 'twarnt hahd to do. W'at weuns had to do was to have some ob de niggers rus'le w'ile de udders wo'k. Deys hunt de wild hawg, turkey, deer an' sich. Marster have de pet parrot dat flys all over de place. Ol' nigger John wants to eat him, but de hawk beats him. I's am goin' to tell yous dat sto'y. One day w'en de food am sho't, ol' John says, "I's eat dat parrot if I's gits mo' hongry." Yous see, mos' ob de niggers don' lak dat parrot, 'specially ol' John, 'cause de parrot am larned to says, "I'll tell Marster on yous." Hims sits i de trees sayin' dat all day. Den w'en yous picks him up, he says, "I's go ridin', Bill ." So one day, de parrot am a sittin' in de tree a sayin', "I'll tell Marster on yous." De niggers am a hoein' Fu'st thing deys heah de parrot say, "I's go ridin', Bill." De nigger John looks up fo' to see who had dat parrot, 'twas a hawk. John says, "Ride, drat yous, ride. I's sorry dat I's didn't git yous fu'st. W'en freedom comes, deys call all us niggers an' tells weuns 'bout freedom. Deys tells de niggers dat deys could leave or could stay on an' wo'k fo' wages. At fu'st all de niggers stayed, but den one an' de udder would leave. I's guess 'twas 'bout three yeahs aftah freedom w'en Marster sold his plantation, an' come to Fo't Wo'th. I's an' five udder niggers come wid him. De Marster stahts de stock fahm east ob Fo't Wo'th on de Trinity River. I's wo'k fo' him til him died, dat am 'bout fifty yeahs 'go. Since den I's wo'k fu'st one place an' den de udder Now 'bout de Klux, I's can't tell yous anything 'cause I's jus' heah 'bout dem lak yous have. "I's never mai'ied. I's been single all my life, jus' lives by myse'f. My mammy an' pappy died back in Weziana w'ile deys still wo'kin' fo' Marster Maddox . My brudders stays in de ol' place, so dat leaves me heah 'lone. Dat 'min's me, I's not see de Marster's boy fo' long time. I's gwine outter hims place tomorrow. 'Tis 'bout time weuns have de visit.


BACK TO TEXAS "W" SLAVE NARRATIVE INDEX