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Berry, Fannie
NAT TURNER
Back 'fore the sixties, I can 'member my Mistress, Miss Sara Ann, comin' to de window an' hollerin', "De niggers is arisin'! De niggers is arisin'! De niggers is killin' all de white folks, killin' all de babies in de cradle!" It must have been Kat Turner's Insurrections which was sometime 'fo de breakin' of de Civil War.
I was waitin' on table in dinin' room an' dis day dey had finished eatin' early an' I was cleanin' off table. Don't you know I must have been a good size gal.
JOHN BROWN
Yes, I 'member something 'bout him too. I know my Master same home an' said, dat on his way to de gallows ole John stopped an' kissed a little nigger child. "How son' I don't 'member? Don't tell me I don't 'cause I do. I don't care if its done bin a thousand years." I know what Master said an' it is as fresh in my mind as it was dat day. Dis is de song I herd my Master sings
Old John Brown came to Harpers Ferry Town,
Purpose to raise an insurrection;
Old Governor Wise put the speaks upon his eyes
An' showed him the happy land of Canaan.
INVENTION
My Master tole us dat de niggers started the railroad, an' dat a nigger lookin' at a boilin' coffee pot on a stove one day got the idea dat he could cause it to run by putting wheels on it. Dis nigger being a blacksmith put his thoughts into action by makin' wheels an' put coffee on it, an' by some kinder means he made it run an' the idea was stole from him an' day built de steam engine.
RELATIONSHIP
I was one slave dat de poor white man had his match. See Miss Suel Dese here ol' white men said, "what I can't do by fair means I'll do by foul." One tried to throw me but he couldn't. We tasseled an' knocked over chairs an' when I got a grip I scratched his face all to pieces; an dar was no more bothering Funnie from him; but oh, honey, some slaves would be beat up so, when dey resisted, an' sometimes if you'll 'bolled de overseer would kill yo'. Us Colored women had to go through a plenty, I tell you.
MARRIAGE
Elder Williams married me in Miss Delia Mann's (white) parlor on de crater road. The house still stands. The house was full of Colored people. Miss Sue Jones an' Miss Molley Clark (white), waited on me. Day took de lamps an' we walked up to de preacher. One waiter joined my han' an' one my husband's han'. After marriage de white folks give me a 'ception; an', honey, talkin' 'bout a table-- hit was stretched clean 'cross de dinin' room. We had everythin' to eat you could call for. Me, didn't have no common eats. We could sing in dar, an' dance ol' squar' dance all us choosed, ha!ha!ha!Lord! Lord! I can see dem gals now on dat flo', jes skippin' an' a trottin'. An' honey, dar was no white folks to set down an' eat 'fo you.
Now, Miss Sue, take up. I jes' like to talk to you, honey 'bout dem days ob slavery: 'cause you look like you wan'ta hear all 'bout 'em. All 'bout de ol' rebels: an' dem niggers who loft wid de Yankees an' were sat free, but, poor things, day had no place to go after dey got freed. Baby, all us was helpless an' ain't had nothin'.
I was free a long time 'fo' I knew it. My Mistess still hired me out, 'til one day in talkin' to de women she hired mo to, she, "God bless her soul", she told me, "Fannie yo' are free, an' I don't have to pay your Master for you now." You stay with me. She didn't give me no money, but let me stay there an' work for vitals an' clothes 'cause I ain't had no where to go. Jesus, Jesus, God help us! Um, Um, Um! You Chillun don't know. I didn't say nothin' when she was tellin' me, but done 'cided to leave her an' go back to the white folks dat fus own me.
I. plan' to 'tend a big dance. Lot me see, I think it was on a Thursday night. Some how it tooken got out, you know how gals will talk sh' it got to ol' Bil Duffeys cars (ol' dog) an', baby do you know, mind you 'twont slavery tire, but de 'oman got so mad cause I runned away from her dat she get a whole passel of 'em out looking for mess Dar was a boy, who heard 'em talkin' an' sayin' dey was goin' to kill me if I were found. I will never forget dis boy com' up to me while I was dancin' wid another man an' sed, "nobody knows where you ar', Miss Moore, day is lookin' far you, an' is gwine kill you, so yo' some on wid me." Have mercy, have mercy my Lord, honey, you kin jes 'magin' my feelin' far a minute. I couldn't move. You know de gals an' boys all got 'round me an' told me to go wid Squreball, dat he would show me de way to my old Mistess house. Out we tack, an' we ran one straight mile up de road, den through de woods, den we had to go through a straw field. Dat field seem' like three miles.
After den, we met another skit of woods. Miss Sue, baby my eyes, (ha!ha!ha!) was bucked an' too if it is setch a thin' as being so scared yo' hair stand on yo' head, I know, mine did. An' dat wasn't all, dat boy an' me puffed an' sweated like bulls. Was feared to stop, cause we might have been tracked.
At last we neared de house an' I started throwin' rooks on de porch. Child I look an' heard dat white 'oman when she hit dat floor, bouncin' out dat bed she mus' felt dat I was comin' back to her. She called all de men an' had 'em throw a rope to me an' day drawed me up a piece to is window, den I hold my arms up an' dey snatched me in. Honey, Sqaureball fled to de woods. I ain't never heard nothin' 'bout him. An' do you know, I didn't leave day 'omen's house no more for fifteen years?
Lord! Lord! Honey, Sqaureball an' I use to sing die song.
"Twas 1861, the Yankees made de Rebels run
We'll all go stone blin'
When de Johhy's come a marchin' home.
Child an' here's another one we use to sing. 'Member do war done bin when we would sing dese songs. Listen now:
Ain't no more blowin' of dat fo?? day horn I will sing, brethern, I will sing.
A col' frosty mornin' de nigger's mighty good
Take your ax upon your shoulder.
Nigger talk to de woods.
Ain't no mor' blowin' of dat fo day horn.
I will sing brethern, I will sing.
SONG
Kimo, Kimo, dar you are
Hoh, ho rump to pume did'dle.
Set back pinkey wink,
Come Tom Nippceat
Sing song Kitty cat, can't
You carry me o'ert
Up de darkies head so bold
Sing song, Kitty, can't you
Carry me O'or?
Sing Song, Kitty, can't yo'
Carry me home?
I was at Pamelin an' de Yankees an' Rebels were fightin' an' day were wavin' the bloody flag an' a confederate soldier was upon a post an' they wore shootin' terribly. Guns were firin' everywhere.
All a sudden dey struck up Yankee Doodle Song. A soldier dame along and called to me, "Now far is it to the Rebels", an I honey, was feered to tell hims So, I said, "I don't know". He called me again. Scared to death I was. I recollect gittin' behind the house an' pointed in the direction. You ace, of de Rebels knew dat I told the soldier, they would have killed me.
These were the Union men goin' after Lee's army which had don' bin 'fore dem to Appomattox.
The Colored regiment came up behind an' when they saw the Colored regiment they put up the white flag. (Yo' 'member 'fo' dis red or bloody flag was up). Now, do you know why dey raised dat white flag! Well, honey, dat white flag was a token dat Los, had surrendered.
Glory! Glory! yes, child the Negroes are free, an' when they knew dat dey were free dey, Oh! Baby! began to sing:
Many don't yo' cook no mo',
Yo' ar' free, yo' ar' free.
Rooster don't yo' crow no, mo',
Yo' ar' free, yo' ar' free.
Ol' hen, don't yo' lay no no' eggs,
Yo' free, yo' free.
Sech rejoicing an' shout In', you never he'rd in you' life.
Yes, I can recollect de blowin' up of the Crater. We had fled, but I do know 'bout the shellin' of Petersburg. We left Petersburg when de shellin' commenced an' went to Pamplin in box cars, gettin' out of de way. Dem were seared times too, cause you looked to be kilt any minute by stray bullets. Just before the shollin' of Petersburg, dey were sellin' niggers for little nothin' hardly.
Junius Broadie, a white man bought some niggers, but dey didn't stay slave long, cause de Yankees came an' set 'em free.
