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Ingram, Mary
[Mary Ingram, 86, was born a slave of Mr. Nathan Burvick, who owned a plantation in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana. He also owned Mary's mother, brothers and sisters. Mary's father was owned by Mr. Geo. Woods, who owned an adjacent plantation with a similar set of slaves. She was 10 years old when the Civil War began. At that time, she was working as the Burvick housemaid, and continued on until she married Wash Morgan, a preacher, in 1868. They lived in Brazos Co., Tex. Three children were born to them, one still alive and now resides in Calvert, Tex. She divorced Wash Morgan in 1875. Her second marriage was to Edward Ingram, who farmed in Robinson Co., Tex. Seven children were born to them before his death in 1930, in Ft. Worth, Tex. where they had moved to in 1917. Mary has been blind now for three years, is decrepit, and resides with Kate Steptoe, one of her three children, who are still alive, at 1415 E. 12th St., Fort Worth, Tex.]
"I's will tell yous 'bout my life, w'at yous ask, as bes' as I's can, an' dat my 'collection will 'low. I's bo'n in slavery an' am 'bout 10 yeahs ol' w'en de wah stahts. I'se reckon my age am 86.
I's bo'n in Saint Mary Parish, Weziana, on de plantation ob Marster Nathan Burvick. Marster owned my mammy an' 'bout 40 udder grown slaves. My pappy was owned by Marster George Woods. He had de plantation nex' to weuns, an' him owned 'bout de same 'mount ob slaves as my Marster. I's have brudders an' sistahs, but deys heah, dere, an' ever'whars. I's don' see dem much. 'Twas de same wid my pappy. I's don' 'membahs much 'bout him, jus' 'membahs seein' him. W'y don' I's see dem? Well, I's don' care fo' to ta'k 'bout dat. My daughtah says, "Don' ta'k ob sich", but if you says it's alright an' should be tol', I's tell yous.
"It am dis away, 'twarnt any mai'iage 'lowed on de plantation 'twix' some. De Marster, he tell who can git mai'ied, an' who can't. Him select de po'tly an' p'lific womens, an' de po'tly man, an' use sich fo' de breeder an' de father ob de womens chilluns. De womens dat am selected am not 'lowed to marry. De chilluns dat am bo'n dat way don' know any father. De womens have nothing' to says 'bout de 'rangement. If she am po'tly an' well formed, deys fo'ced her wid de breeder. My mammy had de sperience.
"Freedom come in time to save dis nigger f'om much ob sich sperience. I's been selected. W'y don' weuns refus? Shucks, man! Yous don' know w'at yous says. De rawhide whup keeps you f'om refusin' I's know 'cause I'se see de young girls cryin', an' deys gits whupped 'cause deys stubbo'n. De ol' nigger women 'vise de girls dat 'twarnt no use to refuse. Dat it jus' makes it wo'se fo' dem. Dat deys git de whuppin' an' have to do de same. Now, warnt dat awful to treat humans dat way?
"De treatment, 'cept fo' de way some ob de womens am used, am not bad. De Marster never 'buse weuns 'cept w'en some niggers git de foolishments in de head, sich as tries to run away or something lak dat. Fo' to run off gits de Marster powe'ful mad. Den de whup am used fo' sho. I's don' know w'y, but de Marster had lots ob trouble wid de nigger, 'cause deys run off.
"Dere am ol' mammy, she am teched in de head a little. She wo'ks in de field, an' w'en she gits tired, away she goes. Dere am a big tree, wid a hole at de bottom, in de woods neah de creek. It was 'bout a mile f'om de plantation. Dere's whar she goes ever'time she run off. Dat fool nigger puts her head in de hole ob de tree, an' dere's whar deys fin' her ever'time. Dat sho' am funny to look at. Dat big body a-stickin' out, an' de head stickin' in, an' dat way she think she am hided. Well, deys whups her an' whups her fo' dat but 'twarnt any use. Every'time she git it in de head fo' to run away, to dat tree she goes an' in goes de head an' out stays de body. De ovahseer, him goes up to her an' hits her a couple licks wid de rawhide, den out she comes an' runs fo' de house. De fust time she does dat, deys tie her an' whups her hahd. 'Twas de same de second time. Aftah dat, de Marster says not to whup her hahd. 'Twarnt any use an' jus' put up wid her.
"One ol' man run off twice. Aftah de second time, de ovahseer tell him dat if he run off again, dat him gits shot. Dat nigger runs off again, an' sho 'nough, he git shot.
"Dis nigger don' have much trouble 'cause I's de house girl an' don' gits mixed wid de udder niggers 'cept 'roun' de quatahs at night. De quatahs am one room log cabins wid one doah an' one windah hole. Dirt flooah an' de fiah place fo' de cookin'.
"Aftah de wah stahts, 'twas numbah ob times dat de soldiers comes an' takes de food an' w'at deys want. Den weuns have to go on sho't rations. W'en de rations am sho' de Marster have de niggers catch de wil' hawg an' de wil' tu'key an' sich. Dat he'ps weuns wid rations. If 'twarnt fo' sich, weuns goes hongry.
"Befo' freedom am heah, de Marster takes three wag'n loads ob us niggers to Brazos County, Texas. Weuns am de refugee f'om de soldiers. Aftah de wah am ended, de soldiers comes an' tells weuns am free. Dey says, "Yous can goes whar yous want." Weuns does not want freedom, 'cause weuns don' know w'at to do, an' tells sich to de Marster. De Marster says dat weuns can stay, 'till weuns fin' de place. I's stay wid de Marster fo' three yeahs.
"I's gits mai'ied in 'bout 1868 to Wash Morgan. He was a preachah. Him's behavioh am not lak him preaches. No Sar! I's compelled to desert him 'cause him strick at me an' sweah at me. He sho could says pretty wo'ds in chu'ch. Weuns have three chilluns an' soon's deys big 'nough, I's go. 'Twas seven yeahs dat I's stood dat man. On'y one ob de chilluns am now 'live. Dat am my son, Edward Morgan. Him live at Calvert, Texas.
"Bout 10 yeahs aftah dat, I's mai'ied Edward Ingram. Him had a fahm in Robinson County, Texas. Him was a good fahmah an' a good husban'. Weuns have seven chilluns. On'y three am now livin! Minnie an' Forest, deys am in Omaha. I's live wid Kate Steptoe heah in Fort Worth.
"I's go blin' 'bout three yeahs ago. Since den, I's jus' sits. My daughtah an' de gran' chilluns waits on me. I's no use any mo', but I's lak to live an' be wid my chilluns.
