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R.F.D., DeValls Bluff, Arkansas
Age 90
"I was born at Granville, Georgia in Franklin County. I don't know my age cept I was big enough to plow when
young master lef and went to war. My mother died bout time the war started. We belonged to Miss Eliza and Master
Jim Hardy. He had two boys bout grown, Jim and John. My father belong to the Linzys. I don't know nuthin much
bout them nor him neither. When the war was done he come and got me and we went to Barton County, Georgia.
When I lef they give me my feather bed, two good coverlets and my clothes. White folks hated fo me to leave. We
all oried but I never seen em no more. They said he take me off and let me suffer or die or something. I was all the
child my father had but my mother had ten children I knowed of. We all lived on the place. They lived in a little log
house and I stayed wid em some an up at white folks house mostly. No I never seed my folks no more. We had
plenty to eat. Had meat and garden stuff. We had pot full of lye hominy. It last several days. It was good. I seed em
open up a pot full of boiled corn-on-the-cob. Plenty milk and butter. We had wash pot full of collards or turnip
salad. Maybe a few turnips on top and a big piece of fresh meat. We had plenty to eat and wear long as I lived wid
the white folks. We had goobers, molasses candy to pull and pop corn every now and then. They fill all the pockets,
set around the fire an eat at night. Sometimes we bake eggs and sweet potatoes, cracklin hoe cake covered up in the
ashes.
Bake apples in front of the fire on de hearth. Everybody did work an we sho had plenty to eat an wear.
"I had plenty when I stayed at my father's an we worked together all the time. When he died I married. I've had a
hard time not able to work. There ain't no hard time if yous able to get bout. I pieces quilts an sells en now. Sells em
if I can. For $150 piece (has no idea of money value). Some woman promissed to come git 'em but they ain't come
yet. I wanter buy me some shoes. I could do a heap if they send fo me. I can surse. I kept a woman's children when
she teached last year (Negro woman's children).
"I brought four or five when I come to Arkansas of my own. They all dead but my one girl I lives wid.
"Seemed lack so many colored folks coming out West to do better. We thought we come too. We come on
immigrate ticket on the train. All the people I worked for was Captain Williams, Dr. Givens. Mr. Richardson right
where Mesa is now but they called it 88 then (88 miles from Memphis). Mr. Gates. I farmed, washed and ironed. I
nursed some since I'm not able to get about in the field. I never owned nothing. They run us from one year till the
next and at the and of the year they say we owe it bout all. If we did have a good crop we never could get ahead. We
couldn't get ahead nuff not to have to be furnished the next year. We did work but we never could get ahead. If a
darky sass a white land owner he would be whooped bout his account or bout anything else. Yes sires right here in
dis here county. Darky have to take what the white folks leave fo em and be glad he's livin.
"I say I ain't never voted. Whut in de would I would want er vote for? Let em vote if they think it do em good.
"I seen a whole gang of Kn Kluxes heap of times when I was little back in Georgia. I seed paddyrollers and then
they quit and at night the Ku Kluxes rode by. They would whoop or shoot you either if you didn't tend to yo own
business and stay at home at night. They kept black and white doing right I tell you. I sho was afraid of them but
they didn't bother us. If you be good whose ever place you lives on would keep 'em from harmin you. They soon got
all the bad Yankies run back North from Georgia. They whip the black men and woman too but it was mostly the
men they watched and heap of it was for stealing. Folks was hungry. Couldn't help stealin if they seed anything. I
seed heap of folks having a mighty hard time after the war in them restruction (Reconstruction) days. I was lucky.
"My daughter would do mo than she do fo me but she is a large woman and had both her legs broke. They hurt her
so bad it is hard fo her to do much. She good as she can be to everybody. The Welfare give three of us $10.00 a
month (daughter, husband, and Mollie). We mighty glad to get that. We sho is. I am willin to work if I could get
work I could do. That's my worst trouble. Like I tell you, I can nurse and wash dishes if I could get the jobs.
"I don't see much of the real young folks. I don't know what they are doing much. If a fellow is able he ought to be
able to do good now if he can get out and go hunt up work fo himself. That the way it look like. I don't know."
Interviewer Thomas Elmore Lucy"
Scroggins, Cora
Clarendon, Arkansas
Age 48 or 50
"My mother was born in Spring Hill, Tennessee and brought to Arkansas by her master. Her name was Margaret.
Dr. and Mrs. Porter brought my mother to Batesville, Arkansas when she was eight years old and raised her. She
was very light. She had long straight hair but was mixed with white. She never knew much about her parents or
people.
"Mr. William Brock (white) came to De Valls Bluff from Tennessee and brought her sister soon after the War. She
was a very black woman.
"Dr. Porter had a family. One of their daughters was Mrs. Mattie Long, another Mrs. Willie Bowens. There were
others. They were all fine to my mother. She married in Dr. Porter's home. Mrs. Porter had learnt her to saw. My
father was a mechanic. My mother sewed for both black and white. She was a fine dressmaker. She had eight
children and raised six of us up groun.
"My father was a tall rawbony brown man. His mother was an Indian squaw. She lived to be one hundred seven
years old. She lived about with her children. The white folks all called her 'Aunt Matildy' Tucker. She was a small
woman, long hair and high check bones. She wore a shawl big as a sheet purty nigh all time and smoked a pipe. I
was born in Batesville.
"My mother spoke of her one long journey on the steamboat and stagecoach. That was when she was brought to
Arkansas. It made a memorable picture in her mind.
"Dr. and Mrs. Porter told her she was free and she could go or stay. And she had nowheres to go and she had always
lived with them white folks. Se never did like black folks' ways and she raised us near like she was raised as she
could.
"She used to tell us how funny they dressed and how they rode at night all through the country. She seen them and
she could name men acted as Ku Kluxes but they never bothered her and she wasn't afraid of them.
"I cooked all my life till I got disabled. I never had a child. I wish I had a girl. I've been considered a fine cook all of
my life."
STATE--- Arkansas
NAME OF WORKER--- Bernice Bowdan
ADDRESS--- 1006 Oak Street, Pine Bluff, Arkansas
DATE--- November 4, 1958
1. Name and address of informant--- Sarah Sexton, Route 4, Box 685, Pine Bluff
2. Date and time of interview--- November 3, 1938, 10:00 a.m.
3. Place of interview--- Route 4, Box 685, Pine Bluff, Arkansas
4. Name and address of person, if any, who put you in touch with informant--- Georgia Caldwell, Route 6, Box 128,
Pine Bluff, Arkansas.
5. Name and address of person, if any, accompanying you--- None.
6. Description of room, house, surroundings, etc.---Frame house, front porch with two swings. Fence around yard.
Chinaberry tree and Tree of Paradise, Coxcomb in yard. Southeast of Norton-Wheeler Stave Mill just off Highway
65.
"Prewitt Tiller bought my mother and I belonged to young master. In slavery I was a good-sized-young girl, mama
said. Big enough to put the table cloths on the best I could. After freedom I did all the cookin' and milkin' and
washin'.
"Now listen, this young master was Prewitt's son.
"Grandpa's name was Ned Peeples and grandma was Sally Peeples. My mother was Dorcas. Well, my papa, I ain't
never seed him but his name was Josh Allen. You see, they just sold 'em around. That's what I'm talkin' about---they
went by the name of their owners.
"I'm seventy-eight or seventy-nine or eighty. That's what the insurance man got me up.
"I been in a car wreck and I had high blood pressure and a stroke all at once. And that wreck, the doctor said it
cracked my skull. Till now, I ain't got no remembrance.
"You know how long I went to school? Three days. No ma'm I had to work, darlin'.
"I was born down here on Saline River at Selma. I done forgot what month."
"What kinda work have I done? Oh, honey, I done farmed myself to death, darlin'. You know Buck Couch down
here at Noble Lake? Well, I hoped pick out eight bales of cotton for him.
"I wish I had the dollars I had workin' for R. A. Pickens down here at Walnut Lake. Yes, honey, I farmed for him
bout fifteen or twenty years steady. And he sure was nice and he was mischievous. He called all of us his chillun.
He use to say, 'Now you must mind your papa! And we'd say 'Now Mr. Pickens, you know you ain't got no nigger
chillun!. He use to say to me 'Sallie, you is a good woman but you ain't got no sense'. Them was fine white folks.
"Honey, these white folks round here what knows me, knows they ain't a lazy bone in my body.
"I'se cooked and washed and ironed and I'se housecleaned. Yes'm, I certainly was a good cook.
"I belongs to the Palestine Baptist Church. Yes ma'm, I don't know what I'd do if twasn't for the good Master. I talks
to Him all the time.
"I goes to this here government school. A man teaches it. I don't know what his name is, we just calls him Professor.
"Well, chile, I'll tell you the truf. These young folks is done gone. And some o' these white headed women goes up
here truckin'. It's a sin and a shame. I don't know what's gwine come of 'em.
This woman lives with her daughter Angeline Moore who owns her home.
Mother and daughter both attend government school. Both were neatly dressed. The day was warm so we sat on the
front porch during the interview.
STATE--- Arkansas
NAME OF WORKER--- Bernice Bowden
ADDRESS--- 1006 Oak Street, Pine Bluff
DATE--- November 4, 1938
NAME AND ADDRESS OF INFORMANT--- Sarah Sexton, Route 4, Box 685, Pine Bluff, Ark.
1. Ancestry---Grandfather, Ned Peeples; grandmother, Sally Peeples; Mother, Dorcas Peeples; Father, Josh Allen.
2. Place and date of birth---On Saline River, Selma, Arkansas. No date.
3. Family---Two daughters and granddaughter.
4. Places lived in, with dates---Desha County, Walnut Lake, Noble Lake, (Arkansas) Poplar Bluff, Missouri. No
dates.
5. Education, with dates---Three days, "after freedom". Attends government school now.
6. Occupations and accomplishments, with dates---Farmwork, cooking, laundry work until 1936.
7. Special skills and interests---Cooking.
8. Community and religious activities---Member of Palestine Baptist Church.
9. Description of informant---Medium height, plump, light complexion and gray hair.
10. Other points gained in interview---Injured in auto wreck seven years ago.
Interviewer Miss Irene Robertson"
