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412 1/2 Pullen Street, Pine Bluff, Arkansas
Age 86
"I was born 1852, they tell me, on the fifteenth of March. I was workin" a good while 'fore surrender.
"Bill Jimmerson was my old master. He was a captain in Marmaduke's army. Come home on thirty days furlough
once and he and Daniel Cammack got into some kind of a argument 'bout some whisky and Daniel Cammack
stabbed him with a penknife. Stabbed him three times. He was black as tar when they brought him home. The blood
had done settled. Oh Lawd, that was a time.
"My eyes been goin' blind 'bout six years till I got so I can't excern (discern) anything.
"Old miss used to box me over the head mightily and the colored folks used to hit me over the head till seem like I
could hear a bell for two or three days. Niggers ain't got no sense. Put 'em in authority and they gits so uppity.
"My brother brought me here and left me here with a colored woman named Rachael Ross. And oh Lawd, she was
hard on me. Never had to do in slavery times what I had to do then.
"But the devil got her and all her chillun now I reckom. They tell me when death struck her, they asked if the Lawd
called her, and they say she just turned over and over in the bed like a worm in hot ashes."
Interviewer Mrs, Bernice Bowden"
Page, Annie -- Additional Interview
400 Block West Pullen, Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Age 85
"Yes'm I 'member the war. I never knowed why they called it the Civil War though.
"I was born in Union County, Arkansas, 'bout a mile from Bear Creek, in 1852. That's what my old mistress tole me
the morning we was sot free.
"My mistress was a Democrat. Old master was a captain in Marmaduke's army.
"I used to hope (help) spin the thread to make the soldiers' clothes. Old mistress card for me. Iney Jimmerson --- the
the onliest mistress I ever had. She wanted to send us away to Texas but old master may it want no use. Cause if the
Yankees won, they have to bring us back, so we didn't go.
"Did they whip us? Why I bet I can show you scars now. Old Miss whip me when she feel like fightin'. Her
granddaughter, Mary Jane, tried to learn me my ABC's out of the old Blue Back Speller. We'd be out on the seesaw,
but old Miss didn't know what we doin'. Law, she pull our hair. Directly she see us and say 'What you doin'? Bring
that book here!'
"One day old master come home on a thirty-day furlough. He was awful hot-headed and he got into a argumant with
Daniel Carmack and old Daniel stobbed him right in the heart. Fore he die he say to bury him by the side of the road
so he can see the niggers goin' to work.
"I never seen no Ku Klux but I heard of 'em 'rectly after the war.
"I'se blind. I jest can see enough to get around. The Welfare gives me eight dollars a mouth.
"My mother died soon after the war ended and after that I was jest knocked over the head. I went to Camblin and
worked for Mrs. Peters. Then I runned away and married my first husband Mike Samson. I been married twice and
had two children but they all dead now.
"Law, I jest scared of these young ones as I can be. I don't have no dealins with 'em."
Name of interviewer Mrs. Bernice Bowden
Subject Apparitions
"I told 'bout old master's death. Mama had done sent me out to feed the chickans soon of a morning.
"Here was the smokehouse and there was a turkey in a coop. And when I throwed it the feed I heard somethin'
sounded just like you was draggin' a brush over leaves. It come around the corner of the smokehouse and look like a
tall woman. It kept on goin' toward the house till it got to the hickory nut tree and still sound like draggin' a brush.
When it got to the hickory nut tree it changed and look like a man. I looked and I said, 'It's old master.' And the next
day he got killed. I run to the house and told mama, 'Look at that man.' She said, 'Shut your mouth, you don't see no
man.' Old miss heard and said, 'Who do you s'pose it could be?' But mana wouldn't let me talk.
"But I know it was a sign that old master was goin' to die."
This information given by Annie Page ( )
Place of residence 412 1/2 Pullen Street, Pine Hluff, Arkansas
Occupation None Age 86
Name of interviewer Mrs. Bernice Bowden
Subject Superstitions
"I was born with a caul over my face. Old miss said it hung from the top of my head half way to my waist.
"She kept it and when I got big enough she said, 'Now that's your veil, you play with it.'
"But I lost it out in the orchard one day.
"They said it would keep you from seein' ha'nts."
This information given by Annie Page ( )
Place of residence 412 1/2 Pullen Street, Pine Hluff, Arkansas
Occupation None Age 86
Name of interviewer Mrs. Bernice Bowden
Subject Birthmarks
"William Jimmerson's wife had a daughter was born blind, and she said it was her husband's fault. She was delicate,
you know, end one afternoon she was layin' down and I was sittin' there fannin' her with a peafowl fan. Her husband
was layin' there too and I guess I must a nodded and let the fan drop down in his face. He jumped up and pressed his
thumbs on my eyes till they was all bloodshot and when he let loose I fell down on the floor. Miss Phenie said, 'Oh,
William, don't do that.' I can remember it just as well.
"My eyes like to went out and do you know, when her baby was born it was blind. It's eyes just looked like two
balls of blood. It died though, just lived 'bout two weeks."
This information given by Annie Page ( )
Place of residence 412 1/2 W. Pullen, Pine Bluff, Arkansas
Occupation None, blind Age 86
Interviewer Mrs. Bernice Bowden"
