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Clarendon, Arkansas
Age Born 1872 Light color
"My father was a slavery man two and one-half miles from Somerville, Tennessee. Colonel Rivers owned him.
Argile Rivers was papa's name.
"He went to war. His job was hauling food to the soldiers. He lay out in the woods getting to his soldiers with
provisions. He'd run hide under the feed wagon from the shot. Him and old master would be together sometimes.
His master died, or was hurt and died after the War a long while.
"He said his master was good to him all time. They had to work hard. He raised one boy and me."
(Little Rock District)
Name of Interviewer Irene Robertson
Subject Ex-Slave - Herbs "Hent" experiences
Mary Williams mother's name was Mariah and before she married her master forced her to go wrong and she had a
son by him. They all called him Jim Rob. He was a mulatte. Then Mariah married Williams on General Garretts
farm. The Rob Roy farm and the Garrett farm joined. Mary was born at Rob Roy, Arkansas near Humphrey. Mary
said the master married her mother and father after her mother was stood up on a stump and suctioned off. Her
mother was a house girl. Soon there were rumors of freedom but their family lived on where they were. Her father
said when he was a boy he attended the draw bars and met the old master to get a ride up behind him.
Once when her father was real small he was eating biscuit with a hole in it made by a grown person sticking finger
down in it, then fill the hole with molasses. That was a rarity they had just cooked molasses. He was sitting in front
of the fire place. Big White Bobby stuck his nose and mouth to take a bite of his bread. He picked the cat up and
threw it in the fire. The cat ran out, smutty, just flying. The old mistress came in there and got after him about
throwing the cat in the fire.
This information given by Mary Williams
Place of residence Hazen, Arkansas
Occupation Field WorkerAge 69
One time when my father was going to see my mother. Before they got married, across the field. He had a bag of
potatoes. He felt something, felt like some one had saught his bag and was pulling him back. He was much off a
man and thought he could whip nearly every body around but he was too scared to run and couldn't hardly get sway.
Mary's mother, Hariah two children had been gone off. They were coming in on the boat some time in the night.
The master sent two of the big boys down to build a fire and sit at the landing till they came, They went in the
wagon. There was an old empty house up on the hill. So they went up there and built a fire and put their quilts down
for pallets by the fire place. They heard hants outside, they peeped out the log cracks. They saw something white
out there all the doors were buttoned and propped. When the boat came it blew and blew. The master wondered
what in the world was the matter down there. The captain said he hated to put them out and nobody to meet them. It
was after midnight. So some of the boat crew built them a fire and next morning when they got up on the hill they
noticed somebody asleep as they peeped through the cracks and called them. Saw their wagon and knew it too. They
said they was afraid of them hants around the house, too afraid to go down to the boat landing if they did hear the
boat. Hants can't be seen in daytime only by people "what born with veils over their faces."
Her father was going to mill to have corn ground. It was before day light. He was driving en ox wagon.
In front of him he saw a sweet maple limb moving up and down over the road in front of him. He went on and the
ox butted and kicked at it and it followed them nearly to the mill. It sounded like somebody crying. It turned and
went back still crying. Her father said there were hants up in the tree and cut the limb off and followed him carrying
it between themselves so he couldn't see what they looked like.
It is a sign of death for a hoot owl to come hollow in your yard.
Interviewer Mrs. Bernice Bowden"
Williams, Mary -- Additional Interview
409 North Hickory, Pine Bluff, Arkansas
Age 82
"Yes man, I sure would be glad to talk to you 'bout slavery times. I can sure tell about it -- I certainly can, lady.
"I am so proud 'bout my white folks 'cause they learned me how to work and tell the truth. I had a good master and
mistress. Yes'm, I sure did.
"I was borned in middle Georgia and I just love the name of Georgie. I was the second born of 'leven children and
they is all dead 'cept me -- I'm the only one left to tell the tale.
"When the ginnin' started I was always glad 'cause I could ride the crank they had the mules hitched to. And then
after the cotton was ginned they took it to the press and you could hear that screw go z-m-m-m and dreckly that
'block and tickle' come down. Yes man, I sure did have good times.
"You ain't never seen a spinnin' wheel has you? Well, I used to card and spin. I never did weave but I hope dye the
hanks. They weaved it into cloth and called it muslin.
"I can 'member all I want to 'bout the war. I 'member when the Yankees come through Georgia. I walked cut in the
yard with 'em and my white people just as scared of 'em as they could be. I heered the horses feet, then the drums,
and then 'bout twenty-five or thirty bugles. I was so amazed when the Yankees come. I heered their songs but I
couldn't 'member 'em.
"One thing I 'member jest as well as if 'twas this mornin'. That was the day young master Henry Les went off to war.
Elisha Pearman hired him to go and told him that when the war ceasted he would give him two or three darkies and
let him marry his daughter. Young master Henry (he was just eighteen) he say he goin' to take old Lincoln the first
thing and swing him to a limb end let him play around awhile and then shoot his head off. But I 'member the
morning old mistress got a letter that told how young master Henry was in a pit with the soldiers and they begged
him not to stick his head up but he did anyway and they shot it off. Old mistress jest cry so.
"One thing I know, the Yankees took a lot of things. I 'member they took Mrs. Fuller to the well and said they goin'
hang her by the thumbs -- but they just done it for mischievus you know. They didn't take nothin' from my white
people 'cept some chickens and a hog, and cut down the hams. They put the old rooster in the sack and he went to
squawkin' so they took him out and wrung his neck.
"My white people used to carry me with 'em anywhere they go. That's how come I learn so much. I sure did learn a
heap when I was small. I 'member the first time my old mistress and my young mistress carried me to church. When
the preacher got through preachin' (he was a big fine lookin' man with white grey hair) he come down from the
pulpit and say 'Come to me, you sinners, poor and needy.' And he told what Jesus said to Nicodem, how he must be
born again. I wanted to go to the mourners' bench so bad, but old mistress wouldn't let me. When I got home I told
my mother to borned me again. You see I was jest little and didn't know no better.
"I never seen no Ku Klux but I could have. They never bothered us but they whipped the shirttails off some of 'em.
Some darkies is the meanest things God ever put breath in.
"Most generally the white folks was good to their darkies. My young master used to sneak out his Blue Back Speller
and learned my father how to read, and after the war he taught school. He started me off and then a teacher from the
North come down and taught us.
"I've done pitty near every kind a work there is to do. There is some few white people here can identify me. I most
always work for 'ristocratic people. It seems that was just my luck.
"I don't think nothin' of this here younger generation. They ain't nothin' to 'em. They say to me 'Why don't you have
your hair straightened' but I say 'I've got along this far without painted jaws and straight hair.' And I ain't goin' wear
my dresses up to my kneas or trail 'am in the mud, either.
"I been married four times and every one of 'em is dead and buried. My las' husband was in the Spanish-American
War and now I gets a pension. Yes'm it sure does help.
"I only had two children is all I is had. They is both dead and when God took my last one, I thought he wasn't jest
but I see now God knows what's best cause if I had my grandchildren now I'd sure beat 'em. I'd love 'em, but I sure
wouldn't let 'em run around.
"The biggest part of these niggers puts their mistakes on the white folks. It's easier to do right than wrong cause
right whips wrong every time into a frazzle.
"I don't read much now since my eyes ain't so good but tell me whatever become of Teddy Roosevelt?
"I'm sorry I can't offer you no dinner but I'm just cookin' myself some peas.
"Well, lady, I sure am glad you come. I jest knew the Lord was goin' send somebody for me to talk to. I loves to talk
so well. Good bye and come back again sometime."
Interviewer Mrs. Bernice Bowden
409 Hickory, Pine Bluff, Arkansas
Age 84
"Yes ma'am, I know all about slavery. I'll be eighty-four the twenty fifth of this month. I was born in 1855.
"My mother had eleven children and they all said I could remember the best of all. I'm the second oldest. And they
all dead but me.
"I used to spin and on Friday I'd set aside my wheel and on Saturday morning we'd sweep yards. And Saturday
evening was our holiday.
"I belonged to the Lees and my white folks was good to me. I was the eptest one among 'em, so they'd give me a
basket and a ginger cake end I'd go to the Presly's after squabs. They'd be just nine days old 'cause they said if they
was any older they'd be tough.
"How, when the Yankees come through ever'body was up in the house 'cept me. I was out in the yard with the
Yankees. No, I wasn't scared of 'em--I had better sense.
"This is all the 'joywent I have now is to think back in slavery times.
"In slavery times white folks used to carry me to church. They'd carry me to church in preference to anybody else.
When they'd sing I'd be so happy I'd hop and skip. I'm one of the stewardess sisters of St. John's Methodist Church.
We takes care of the sacrament table.
"I believe in visions. I'm a great revisionist. I don't have to be asleep either. How if I see a vision of a black snake,
it's a sign I got a black enemy. And if it's a light colored snake, it's a sign I got a white enemy. And if it's a kinda of
a yellow snake, I got a enemy is a yellow nigger.
"Now, here's a true sign of death. If you dream of seein' nakedness, somebody sure goin' to die in your family or
maybe your neighbors'.
"In slavery times they mostly wove their own dresses. Wove goods called mislin.
"And they wore bonnets in slavery times made out of bull rush grass. Called 'em bull rush bonnets. I knowed how to
weave but they had me spinnin' all the time.
"I've always worked for the 'ristocrat white people--Lawyers, doctors, and bankers. Mr. Frank Head was cashier of
that old Merchant and Planters Hank. He was a northern man. Oh, from away up North.
"When I cooked, the greatest trouble I had was gettin' away. Nobody wanted me to leave. And I tell you those
northern ladies wanted to call me Mrs, Williams. I'd say, 'Don't do that. You know these southern people don't like
that--don't believe in that.' But you know she would call me Miss Mary. But I said, 'Don't do that.'
"I'm just an old darky and can't 'spress myself but I try to do what's right and I think that's the reason the Lord has let
me live so long."
Husband was a soldier in the Spanish-American War and she receives a pension.
Interviewer Miss Irene Robertson"
