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(Mobile, AL. Mary A. Poole, Federal Writers' Project, August 27, 1937)
Living in a one-room cabin at 812 Church St, NE corner of Jefferson St, the writer located an old ex-slave, Annie Davis by name, who claims she was six or eight years of age at the time of the Surrender, making her now about seventy-eight or eighty years of age.
The little house she lives in would not be noticed in passing, as it is surrounded by a board fence, but Annie has a unique arrangement in order to see over the fence and keep in touch with those who pass by. On a raised platform built on the gallery sits an arm chair with a box for a foot rest, and here Annie can sit and rest and view the outside world. It was here she sat while the writer occupied an old wooden rocker on the gallery during the interview.
Annie told the writer she was born within five miles of Eutaw, AL, on the plantation of William and Henrietta Pettigrew, who had five children, two boys and three girls. Annie's parents were Jessie Edward and Nellie Jones and they had seven children, one boy and six girls. Her father Jessie Edward was the butler and coachman for the Pettigrew family and her mother Nellie washed and ironed for them, so both were employed in and around the house, which Annie said was a large two story white house.
Annie said she played with and helped to look after the younger Pettigrew children, and sometimes she and the other slave children would be playing, and they were always mischievous and would get to cutting up, and the white folks would sit on the gallery and laugh at their antics. The only whipping she remembers receiving from the Master was when, as a little girl, she was wading in the branch and kept going in further than she was supposed to go, and wouldn't come back when called, and Mr. Pettigrew took a bunch of willow switches and gave her a tanning. Annie laughed and said, "they sure stung but every chance I got and no one around I went in the water as far as I dares."
Annie said there were no whipping of slaves on the Pettigrew plantation, that "her white folks were real quality and didn't knock and beat their slaves." They also would not allow slave parents to beat their children (if they knew it), "because, Annie said, "some of those colored folks when they got mad didn't know when to stop beating."
The slave quarters were two room log cabins, with clay chimneys and open fire places and each had a little vegetable garden of their own. Annie spoke of what good masters the Pettigrews were and the abundance for every one to eat and plenty to wear. Every special holiday they had feasting and merrymaking and each slave received a special gift at Christmas.
The wore homespun usually, but they had calico dresses to wear to Church on Sundays. The oldest Pettigrew girl taught Sunday school in a one room building on the plantation, and sometimes the slaves went to church at Eutaw, walking the five miles and thinking nothing of it, as they started early taking lunch with them to eat on the way. The white folks had their service in the morning and the colored folks in the afternoon.
Sometimes they held prayer meetings in the quarters but they had to close the doors and moderate their voices, but sometimes they forgot all about that, when they got excited or someone really got religion, then they would shout and sing with all their might, and the Master would have to come out and quiet them.
When asked about hunting and fishing Annie said they could hunt and fish on the plantation all they wanted, but had to get a pass to go outside and if they slipped off and the "patrollers" caught them, they sure were in for a good beating.
Annie recalled as a little girl plaiting palmetto to make hats and seeing the women also making fans from the palmetto. She also said the Pettigrew's had a salt well on the plantation and were able to make all the salt needed, so did not have to worry about the scarcity of salt during the war.
They had a Doctor for the slaves, but only when they had typhoid fever, pneumonia or some contagious disease. They used old home remedies made from different herbs and bark. Annie still uses tea made out of mullen and hoarhound, cherry bark and golden rod.
During the busy season on the plantation they blew a horn at sunup for the slaves to go to work and at noon for them to come to dinner. They did not blow it in the evening for when the sun went down they quit work. The dinner for the slaves was cooked in the main kitchen which in those days on plantations was always separated from the house. Each slave came with his tin plate and received his or her portion. On clear days they ate out in the yard under the trees and they had a room attached to the kitchen for the slaves to eat in on rainy days, and in cold weather.
Saturday was general cleaning day in the quarters; they washed their clothes in the branch and hung them to dry on the bushes. They had full and plenty bed clothes, made from cloth woven and spun by the women and blankets were bought in Mobile.
Annie said, "Those days we had nothing to worry 'bout, everything was prepared for you; we had to work but we had security. Now we have our freedom to go and come as we please but nothing secure; still, freedom is nice to have. Well, lady", added Annie, "I have always noticed you have to lose something to gain something."
Annie recalled her oldest sister being married in the white folks' parlor. The Master married the couple, then gave them a big feast out in the yard with "all the fixings and every body having a good time."
When asked about slave funerals Annie said they had a regular funeral procession singing hymns along the way. She smiled and said: "You know, lady, they carried the coffin in a wagon, and if you hadn't been dead, it sure would have woke you up, going up and down hill and bumping over the road."
When asked about the war, she said they didn't know the war was going on, and when they heard the Yankees were coming and saw them riding up the road on their horses, dressed in blue, with bayonets and brass buttons shining, they were all scared, and when they marched in the yard with their guns on their shoulders they thought the Yankees had come to kill them and the children run under the big house to hide, while the big folks made for the woods, "but the soldiers didn't disturb anything and anyhow," she added, "the Pettigrews had buried all their beautiful silver and other treasures so that was safe."
After that she said she remembers the Master calling all the slaves together and telling them they were free, and asking those who wished to remain with him to stand on one side and those who wanted to leave to take the other side.
Her father stayed on a while and then took his family and went to Eutaw to work for a Mr. Conning, who about two years later moved to Mobile bringing her father and his family with him.
Annie's father worked for Mr. Conning's brother for years out at his place on Davis Avenue, or as it was then called, Stone street. Today this location is a Public Park and Community Center for the colored people of Mobile, with all up to date and modern equipment.
Annie married when she was about 23 years old, Calvin Henry Davis. They had a family of eleven children, all dead, but one son who is married. A grandson now looks after Annie.
Annie said when they moved to Mobile from Eutaw they found the city negroes different and that the city ones would laugh at them and call them "Country."
Annie told the writer the first school she attended was in the basement of the Big Zion Church located at northwest Bayou and Church street, (next door to her present home), and her father paid $1.00 a month for her tuition. The teachers of this school were colored. Next she attended what was known as the Hall School on Augusta street. Annie said she always impressed on her children and her grandchildren the value of an education.
Annie has attended Big Zion Church, "Methodist" ever since she was a little girl. Annie thinks that the older generations must have had better religion than folks have now-a-days, at least they lived a better religion, more like real christians, and didn't talk as they do now before children. They didn't raise them to be so wise, and when you heard big folks talking you might ponder over it, but you didn't know what they meant. Annie said she was taught as a child on the plantation by her Sunday school teacher, Miss Pettigrew, to say the "Our Father" every night, which she still continues to say.
Annie thinks Abraham Lincoln was a good man, if it hadn't been for him and God they would still be slaves. Lincoln said freedom and God was in the plan, and that is why they are free today. Her only comment on Booker Washington, was that he was wise enough to plan and work his way.
