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Name of Interviewer Velma Sample
Subject Slavery Days
Aunt Elcie Brown (a negro girl age nine years old) was living in the clay hills of Arkansas close to Centerville, and
Clinton in Amid County on Johnnie Reeves Place. Johnnie Reavos was old and had a son named Henry L. Reevos
who was married. Young Reeves got the news that they were to be attacked by the Yankees at a certain time and he
took his family and all the best stock such as horses, cattle, and sheep to a cave in a bluff which was hid from the
spy-glasses of the Yankees, by woods all around it. Johnnie Reeves was left to be attacked by the soldiers. He was
blind and almost paralyzed. He had to eat dried beef shaved real fine and the negro children fed him. They ate as
much of it as he did. Aunt Elcie and her brother fed him most of the time. They would get on each side of him and
lead him for a walk most every day. The natives thought they would bluff the soldiers and out the bridge into and
thought that the soldiers would be unable to cross Beevers Creek, but the Yankees was prepared. They had made a
long bridge for the soldiers to come marching right over. This bridge was just a mile from Reevos farm. Then the
soldiers came they were so mamy that they could not all come up the big road but part of them came over the hill by
the sheeps spring and through the pasture.
All the negroes came out of their shacks and watched them march toward their houses. Elcie and her brother got
scared and ran in the house, crawled in bed and thought they were hid, as they had scrutched down in the middle of
the bed with the door locked. But the soldiers bursted in and moved the bed from the corner. One stood over the bed
and laughed, then asked the other man to look, then threw the covers off of them. He first took her brother by one
arm and one leg and stood him on his feet, patted his head and told him not to be afraid, that they would not hurt
them. Then took Elcie and stood her up. He reached in a bag lined with fur which was strapped on them and gave
them both a stick of candy. Elcie says she thinks that is why she has always liked stick candy. She also says that that
day has stood out to her and she can see everything just like it was yesterday. All the negro homes were close
together and the soldiers raided them in small bumches. They were kind to the negro children. When they started to
the big house where Johnnie Reeves lived all the negro children followed them. When they entered the house Mr.
Reeves was sitting by the side of the fire-place and every one that passed him kicked him brutely. They ransacked
the place all over and when they got up stairs they kicked out all the window pains and tore off all the
window-shutters. They took all the things they wanted out of the house, such as silver-ware, and jewelry. The
smoke-house, milk-house and store-house was three separate buildings in a row. The first one they entered was the
milk-house. It had seven shelves of milk, cream and butter in it. There was eleven crocks of sweet milk larger than a
waterbucket. They had forty gallons of butter milk, and over three gallons of butter in a large flat crock. They also
had over five gallons of cream. The Yankee soldiers ate all the butter and cream and set the milk in the yard and ask
the negro kids to finish the milk.
They drank it like pigs without a cup, just stuck their heads down and drank like pigs. When they were full the
balance of the milk was so dirty it looked like pigs had been in it.
The soldiers entered the next building which was the store-room where they stored rice, flour, sugar, coffee, and
such like, and they took what they wanted, then destroyed the rest. Mr. Reeves had just been to town and bought a
hogshead of sugar and they took it out and burst it and invited the negro children to help themselves. Elcie says that
when the kids all got full there was not a half bushel left. The last raid was the smoke-house where stuffed sausage
was hanging by the hundred and hams by the dozens. They didn't leave a thing, took lard and everything. It took
over two wagons to hold everything. Then they crossed over to the next place owned by Bill Gunley.
Dr. Levy tells me of his father being partial to the southerners although he lived in Evansville, Indiana, and fought
as a Yankee. He was accused of being partial and they would turn over his wagons and cause him trouble. He had
fine wagons and sometimes when he would be turning his wagons back up after them being turned over to contrary
him, he would curse Gen. Grant and call him that G. D. Old Tobacco spitter. Although Benry Levy seldom did
swear as he was French, sometimes they would make him mad and he would do so.
Interviewer Samuel S. Taylor"
