Slave Narratives Vol. XIV | Page 6

more pants.
"De grown-up slaves was punished sometime too. When they didn't
feel like taking a whippin' they went off in de woods and stay 'til
massa's hounds track them down; then they'd bring them out and whip

them. They might as well not run away. Some of them never come
back a-tall, don't know what become of them. We ain't had no jail for
slaves; never ain't see none in chains neither. There was a guard-house
right in de town but us niggers never was carried to it. You ask me if I
ever see a slave auctioned off? Yes ma'am, one time. I see a little girl
'bout ten years old sold to a soldier man. Dis soldier man was married
and didn't had no chillun and he buy dis little girl to be company for his
wife and to help her wid de house work.
"White folks never teach us to read nor write much. They learned us
our A, B, C's, and teach us to read some in de testament. De reason
they wouldn't teach us to read and write, was 'cause they was afraid de
slaves would write their own pass and go over to a free county. One old
nigger did learn enough to write his pass and got 'way wid it and went
up North.
"Missus Martha sho' did look after de slaves good when they was sick.
Us had medicine made from herbs, leaves and roots; some of them was
cat-nip, garlic root, tansy, and roots of burdock. De roots of burdock
soaked in whiskey was mighty good medicine. We dipped asafetida in
turpentine and hung it 'round our necks to keep off disease.
"Befo' de Yankees come thru, our peoples had let loose a lot of our
hosses and de hosses strayed over to de Yankee side, and de Yankee
men rode de hosses back over to our plantation. De Yankees asked us if
we want to be free. I never say I did; I tell them I want to stay wid my
missus and they went on and let me alone. They 'stroyed most
everything we had 'cept a little vittles; took all de stock and take them
wid them. They burned all de buildings 'cept de one de massa and
missus was livin' in.
"It wasn't long after de Yankees went thru dat our missus told us dat we
don't b'long to her and de massa no more. None of us left dat season. I
got married de next year and left her. I like being free more better. Any
niggers what like slavery time better, is lazy people dat don't want to do
nothing.
"I married Fredrick Adams; he used to b'long to Miss Tenny Graddick

but after he was freed he had to take another name. Mr. Jess Adams, a
good fiddler dat my husband like to hang 'round, told him he could take
his name if he wanted to and dats how he got de name of Adams. Us
had four chillun; only one livin', dat Lula. She married John
Entzminger and got several chillun. My gran'chillun a heap of comfort
to me."
Home Address: Colonial Heights, Columbia, S. C.

Project #1655 W. W. Dixon Winnsboro, S. C.
FRANK ADAMSON EX-SLAVE 82 YEARS OLD.
"I 'members when you was barefoot at de bottom; now I see you a
settin' dere, gittin' bare at de top, as bare as de palm of my hand.
"I's been 'possum huntin' wid your pappy, when he lived on de Wateree,
just after de war. One night us got into tribulation, I tells you! 'Twas
'bout midnight when de dogs make a tree. Your pappy climb up de tree,
git 'bout halfway up, heard sumpin' dat once you hears it you never
forgits, and dats de rattlin' of de rattles on a rattle snake's tail. Us both
'stinctly hear dat sound! What us do? Me on de ground, him up de tree,
but where de snake? Dat was de misery, us didn't know. Dat snake give
us fair warnin' though! Marster Sam (dats your pa) 'low: 'Frank, ease
down on de ground; I'll just stay up here for a while.' I lay on them
leaves, skeered to make a russle. Your pa up de tree skeered to go up or
down! Broad daylight didn't move us. Sun come up, he look all 'round
from his vantage up de tree, then come down, not 'til then, do I gits on
my foots.
"Then I laugh and laugh and laugh, and ask Marster Sam how he felt.
Marster Sam kinda frown and say: 'Damn I feels like hell! Git up dat
tree! Don't you see dat 'possum up dere?' I say: 'But where de snake,
Marster?' He say: 'Dat rattler done gone home, where