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Clarksville, Arkansas
Age 82
"We lived in Greenbrier, Faulkner County, Arkansas. All staid at home and got along very well. We had enough to
eat and wear. Mistress was awful mean to us but we stald with them until after the war. After the war master moved
us off to another place he had and my father farmed for his self, master and his pa and ma, and mistress' pa and ma.
They awful good to us, but mistress was so high tampered she would get mad and whip some of the slaves but she
never whipped any of us. She worried so over the lose of her slaves after the war she went crazy. We had two white
grand pas and grand mas. We colored children called tham grandpa and ma and uncle and aunt like the white
children did and we didn't know the difference. The slaves was only allowed bisquit on Christmas and sometimes on
Sundays but we had beefand plenty of honey and everything after we moved from the big house. Mistress used to
come down to see us an' my mother would cook dinner for her and master. He was such a good man and the best
doctor in the State. He would come in and take the babies up (mother had nine children) and get them to sleep for
my mother. His nother would come to the kitchen and ask for a good cup of coffee and mother would make it for
her. The master and his family were Northern people and my mother was given to the mistress by her father and
mother when she married.
"After my father bought his own farm about ten miles from the big house, father would put us all in an ox wagon
and take us back to see our white folks.
"The mistress claimed to be a christian and church member but I don't see how she could have been she was so
mean.
"I think the present day generation mighty wicked. Seems like they get worse instead of better, even the members of
the church are not as good as they used to be. They don't raise the children like they used to. They used to go to
Sunday School and church and take the children, now the children do as they please, roam the streets. It is sad to see
how the parents are raising the children, just feed them and let them go. The children rule the parents now.
"We sang the old hymns and 'Dixie', 'Carry Me Back to Old Virginia', 'When You and I Were Young, Maggie'."
STATE--- Arkansas
NAME OF WORKER--- Miss Hazel Horn
ADDDRESS--- Little Rock, Arkansas
DATE--- Last of April, 1936
