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(Barbour County, AL. Gertha Courie, Federal Writers Project)
Aunt Etta Booth, claims to be ninety-four years of age. She is very feeble, can hardly take a step. She lives with her grandaughter, a woman about sixty. Her Marster was "Marse John", John P. Booth, born 1806, the son of Col. David Booth, His father served under General Jackson and died in Eufaula many, many years ago.
November 22, 1836, he made Eufaula his home, and in 1837 was elected Major-General of militia. He died in Eufaula May 23, 1851.
General Booth was liberally endowed by nature. He gave up his public life and practiced law. Aunt Etta said her "Ma" was de head house nigger, she curled her Mistis hair, Mistis Dewitt, morning and evening, and she had over sixty curls." She said when "Marse John" died she and her "Ma" and her four brothers were sold to Prof. John McIntosh in 1858, President of Union Female College, (First President) at Eufaula. Prof. McIntosh was forced by reverses of the War Between the States, to give up his labors here and removed to Columbus, GA.
"My Ma died soon 'atter us moved to de college. I liked de country, whar I was born, Mount Level, lots more den de city. De yong misseys at de college sho was good to me. I washed and pressed dey clothes, and dey sho paid me good." She continued to reminisce: "When my mammy died, dey sho give her a fine funeral, "marse Fessor" read de ceremony and all dem little missey gals brung flowers. Hit sho was a grand funeral and I and my bruvvers sot on de front seat. My mammy made de best beaten biscuit and de best pound cake of air nigger in "New-faller," den my mammy was so good, she luf everybody, every body, cept "po white trash."
Aunt Etta's days are numbered.
