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(Lee County, Alabama)
There is something impressive about the presence of persons of quality or real merit; be it the king on his throne, the priest in his functions or the judge on the bench, but around none of these is that atmosphere more evident than around one of the old-time slaves whose early associations were in intimate contact with the flower of the white race in the South. Particularly is this true of those Negroes who were brought up as house servants in those mansions where culture and good breeding were in such thorough evidence. It was but natural that manners and customs of the refined white people should be acquired and absorbed as their own by those slaves so fortunate as to be wondered that the few remaining members of that race should carry throughout lives now nearing the century mark, the impressions and lessions of that truly "golden era."
Typical of that era and its customs, we find "Aunt" Georgia Flourney, now in her ninetieth year, alert in mind and fairly active - only her snow-white hair testifying to her advanced age. "Aunt Georgia", as she is affectionately called by a legion of friends, lives on Orange Street in Eufaula, and readily gave me this account of her early life and surroundings: "Honey, my Old Marster was Americus Mitchel, and I was born at 'Elmoreland', near Glenville. My mother died when I was born, and my Old Mistis, Mary Mitchell, raised me in de 'big house' (and it is a big house - Elmoreland is one of the finest examples of ante-bellum homes in Alabama), and I was named atter Old Marster's sister, Miss Georgia Mitchell. I was raised a house girl and slept in Miss Georgia's room and wore good clean clothes all de time, cause I was a nurse maid and did not associate wid de common niggers. I nussed de white babies, en lubbed em much as dey own folks did. When freedom come I stayed right on wid Old Mistis, tell Old Marster died en she moved to Eufaula to live with her son, "Marse Merry."
I asked Aunt Georgia if she remembered much about the war:
"Honey, dey say de Yankees is comin, de Yankees is comin' en us sho was scared." (It was General Grieson marching from Mobile to Eufaula.) We driv all de horses, en cows en hogs to de swamp on de north creek (Chewalla) en dey took de feather beds down dar too en hid em under bresh (brush) en leaves. My Mistis tied her trinkets (jewels) in sacks en put em in sacks en put em in de most "outlandish" places - in de top if de gat-loft; in de hen house, she put her gold watch under er settin-hen. I disremember all de funny places she did put thing.
"Aunt Georgia, where did they hide their silver?"
"Law, Honey, dey planted it in de fields lak it was corn, en de Yankees never did find it, neither.
And over Aunt Georgia' face came a smile of satisfaction that her "white folks" had got the best of the "yankees".
Can one imagine a race problem associated with people like Aunt Georgia and her legions of white friends?
A peculiarity of "Aunt Georgia's" speech, is use of perfect English as used by her Master's family, for a sentence or two and then she will drop into something like the vernacular of the Negroes among whom she now lives. She even detects the difference herself and plainly tries to use her early training in speech, when talking to white people.
[Note: The following excerpts were taken from another interview conducted with the preceding person. All repeated information has been omitted.]
Hattie's grandfather was a preacher, George Benson, and his wife Mary was a cook; they cooked on the large fireplaces on the griddle hoe.
"Our dresses wus homespun cloth dyed with indigo. Master was a good christian hearted man and had good children cept two boys that just would fight. Master sho did love to sing, "I'm gwine home to die no more." The women folks had good times at quiltings and spinning frolics and us most always had a Saturday night supper and dance, and did dey cut de high step.
"Xmas mornings us had to go to morning prayer and den had some foolishness up at de big house.
"I married Bill Lockhart and had fifteen children and eight granchillun. Niggers asked the white Master for the bride and no license needed but if de left they plantation the other Master bought her so she could go with her man. Our Master looked after his slaves too when dey got sick and got de doctor, de would bleed you in dem days ef you got sick and would draw nearly a quart of blood from de body and you'd get well too.
"You'd see people leaving, drums beating and fifes blowing all leaving for de war and wus sad times, my brother wus sold as a substitute for Master's son.
"The K.K.Ks. broke up prayer meeting one night and beat up lots of the niggers," she said. "If a nigger didn't behave, dey'd nigh 'bout kill him."
Hattie lives in Opelika with a daughter. Flowers dot her clean yard and her old days are full of happiness.
(Washington Copy, /10/37, R H.)
