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(Mobile, AL. Mary A. Poole, Federal Writers' Project, Dist. 2. May 28, 1937. John Morgan Smith, Editor.)
Passing along North Ann Street, in Mobile, Alabama, the writer noticed an old negro woman sitting on the front porch of a small cottage, surrounded by a group of playing children. Entering, the writer was soon the center of attention, as she inquired the name and age of the old woman who merely looked up and smiled, blinking her little brown eyes, with their muddy whites, behind spectacles that were sitting all crooked across her face. Her little great granddaughter had to repeat most of her answers, as the aged woman had no teeth, which added a defect to her speech; and then she had an usually small mouth, particularly for a member of the negro race. These defects made her mumble her words inaudibly, but after talking a while with her the writer learned she was Jennie Bowen, and her age 90 years. She said she was born on the Fisher plantation six miles from Camden, Alabama, and that her Master was known as Captain Fisher, and his wife was Mrs. Ella Fisher, that they had three children, one boy and two girls, and the family lived in a large white house. The slave quarters were a row of white washed cabins, back of the "big house", as the slaves called the family home.
"Yassum, I remembers lots of things dat happened back in de days of de Civil War," she said. "I remembers de place whar I lived. It were prettiest house you ever seed. It were on a high hill overlooking a l'll creek and de flowers 'roun' in de yard was somp'n to see, sho' 'nuff. We useta have a mean overseer, white folks, an' all de time dere was slaves on our place a-runnin' away.
"I acted as nuss for massa's three chilluns, an' dey learnt me to read an' write. My pappy was named Burl Fisher an' he come f'um Virginny when Cap'n Fisher brung him. My mammy was named Grace Fisher, an' she was 'roun' de big house mos' of de time a weavin' an' a cardin' wool for de slaves, who wo' calico spun in de summer an' wool in de winter.
"An ole nigger man rung a bell for us to git up by, an' to call de fiel' han's in de evenin's. Atter Surrender, dis ole nigger stayed on de plantation an' was a workin' in de fiel's one day when de water boy rung de bell for de niggers to come in. All of 'em came out'n dis ole man an' later on dey ax him why he don't come when dey ring de bell. He answer: 'Tain't no mo' bell ringin' for dis nigger. 'cause I is free.'
"De Fishers was Pres'terians an' dey had dere own church on de place. Eve'ybody had to go on Sunday; de white folks sittin' in de front, de colored folks in de back. De onlyes' holidays us niggers had was Chris'mas an' New Years. On dese days us all exchanged gif's.
"My pappy an' mammy atter de war farmed on shares wid Cap'n Fisher. I was ma'ied 'bout dis time, white folks, to Sam Bowen, who long been daid. Us had a big weddin' an' de two Mistis Fishers (Massa's daughters) baked us a cake an' I sent a piece to all my white frien's for dem to dream on. Atter I come to Mobile, I changed my 'ligion to bein' a Babtist.
"I had ten chilluns, but seven of dem is daid. I is even got some great gran' chilluns.
"Yassum, us had po' white trash back in dem days of de war. Dey lived near our place, an' some of 'em didn't have no niggers at all. Dey worked deyse'f in de fiel's. Us didn't fool 'long wid dem kinds of people,dough, white folks. Us kep' mostly to ourselves.
"Yassum, us house niggers et in de kitchens dat was separated from de main buildin' by a walkway, kivered at de top but not at de sides. All de slave chilluns had a grown nigger woman and a young gal about sixteen to look atter dem. We-alls had a good time an' us was happy an' secure."
(Wash. Copy, 4/4/37, L. H.)
[Note: The following excerpts were taken from another interview conducted with the preceding person. All repeated information has been omitted.]
Her parents stayed on the Fisher place after the Surrender and farmed on shares with Captain Fisher. Jennie was married there to Sam Bowen, now dead. They had a big wedding, the Fisher girls baked her a large wedding cake, and she in turn sent a slice to all the white folks to dream on.
She had ten children, seven of whom are dead, all are married; she also has four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Jennie could not recall past events so well, her mind seemed to wander and one had to be patient and wait for the question to sink in. She said all the slaves worked hard but had enough to eat, that they cooked in their cabins in the fire places, except the house servants, who ate in the "big house" kitchen, which was always in a separate building, away from the house proper; an old negro woman or half grown girl looked after the slave children, who didn't need or get much "tension, but was happy jes' de same an had sum gud ole times."
