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Born in Dodge County, of parents that were born in Pulaski County, Easter Reed was, until she was thirteen years old (in 1865), owned by a Mr. Alfred Burnham.
Mr. Burnham lived in an "unpainted house", but did lots of entertaining. He also owned 50 or 75 slaves, whom he treated humanely, fed well, clothed properly, and allowed spending money.
Easter married when she was about 17 or 18 years of age. How old and without property or funds, she lives with a grandson. White and colored friends contribute to her upkeep.
Old Slave Stories - Wilcox County
Easter Reid*, an eighty-four year old negro, came into the court house at Abbeville. She looked like an old fashioned picture in her purple dress made in the style of long ago. The blouse and skirt were very full and sewed on a tight belt at the waist line. Though the day was warm, she wore several heavy under garments, making her naturally slim figure seem almost fat. Her steps were unsteady as she walked into the room where we were sitting. Taking a chair nearby, she began her story in a quiet voice, with her hands folded in her lap.
Her father and mother, Donson and Martha Burnham, were both born in Pulaski County. Easter was born in Dodge County and was the youngest of fourteen children.
The large plantation on which they lived covered several hundred acres of land and was owned by Mr. Alfred Burnham. His family was large, but he gave his children the best advantages that were offered in that day. He also was a kind master. Easter, speaking of her master, said, "If he'd a' been unkind to us he woulda had the hounds after us, but he didn't. He'd make us work, 'cause that's what we were there for, but he and ole Miss was mighty good to all of us."
"Ole Marster didn't have his house painted, 'cause they didn't uster paint houses much, but he lived in a nice big one an' had plenty carpenters there all the time; so, if anything needed fixin', they'd be there. An' white fokes would come a 'visitin' all the time. Marster had lots o' girls an' they'd have parties when they had comp'ny. It was fun to me, 'cause I'd peep in through the winder at the pretty girls in their pretty dresses. They was mighty pretty in there a'danoin'."
There were from fifty to seventy-five slaves on the plantation, each with his separate job. Easter sat erect in her chair and began again, "My mother was the chief cook; she cooked for the marster right on down to the slaves. An', she could cook anything they gave her. She didn't just mess things up, she had 'em lookin' fresh an' nice on the dishes."
Easter's father worked the crops. Her sisters spun cloth and acted as house maids. Other slaves worked in the fields or helped with the house work. The first work that Easter remembers was helping her mistress. The mistress was a large stout woman who did not like to stoop. Easter was then a little girl about ten years old and would stay close to the mistress and pick up handkerchiefs and fans that she often dropped. A year or two later she began to spin.
"I was a fast spinner," she said. "One day Ole Miss tole me that if I'd spin twelve yards that day she'd make me a 'shimmy'. I wanted one so bad that I got busy an' spun those twelve yards so she made it for me. Miss Jane, Ole Miss's daughter, learned me to spin. At first, she'd just let me pedal and that was as good as I wanted. Then she let me spin by myself."
As the plantation was located near Rhine, the crops were hauled to the river and shipped from there to Savannah. Such crops as cotton, corn, wheat, potatoes and cane were raised.
"No mam, my marster never did whip me," said Easter. "But the mistress would if she caught us tellin' a lie. She'd whip her chillun as well as us. My sisters were whipped for leavin' the cows out in the pasture when they were s'posed to be shut up."
Often the slaves would have dances and candy pullings after the work was done. The candy was cooked in the master's kitchen and the ingredients were furnished by him. On the nights that dances were held the slaves invited their friends from neighboring plantations. Often, the white people would come and watch the fun which lasted until nearly dawn. Easter's mother would bake great pans of ginger cakes to serve on these occasions. On Christmas and the Fourth of July big celebrations were held for the slaves. They either visited other plantations or had guests of their own on those days. Games and dances lasted all day. One of the most interesting events of the day was the feast served about one o'clock. Generally, on the Fourth of July, they enjoyed a fish fry. At Christmas time a pig was barbecued; chicken pie, cakes, ham and all sorts of fine pies were also served.
Easter told us about going to church.
"The marster would take us to church with him, but he'd always tell us to behave an' be nice. When we walked into the church all the white fokes sat on the left and us niggers went to the right. The white preacher baptized us just like he did the others."
If a slave ever left the plantation he was required to have a pass. Without this written permission, if caught, he would be whipped by the white men of the community. As Easter had a kind master, she had no trouble in securing a pass.
Easter married a few years after the War had ended. She had been "keepin' comp'ny" with one of the slaves her master had bought, so when they were freed, they married. She had known him about two years before he asked her to become his wife, but he told her that he had wanted her from the first time he saw her.
The master never allowed the slaves spending money. He furnished them food, clothing, and the necessary materials for their frolics which he thought was sufficient.
When a slave was sick the master and mistress took care of him unless the case was serious. If a slave was seriously ill, a doctor was called. Easter told us that once when she was ill, three doctors were called to see her.
The master and mistress, as a rule, named the babies. However, Easter's mother named her own children.
The slaves were given the same kind of food that the master's family had. They ate in the kitchen after the family had finished their meals.
"Ours came out of the same oven an' pots that the white fokes used," said Easter. "Ole Miss would go to the kitchen and say, 'Marthy, here are some eggs, so make custards to-day.' Then we'd have the finest kind of custards. If we had ham, we'd have to use a whole one for dinner. We always had all the vegetables we could eat and when winter time came, sausage an' backbone. I
gits hungry talkin' 'bout it. On Sundays, we didn't have no better'n any other time, 'cause we had good all the time."
The slaves were allowed to hunt and fish at night. Generally the master's sons went with them and what ever they caught or killed the slaves were given half.
The mistress superintended all the sewing. Sometimes, they would have a " sewing frolic" at the plantation. Good seamstresses would come and spend the day and make the clothes for the family and slaves. Then the mistress would go to the other plantations and help her neighbors sew. The dresses were made very full and with hoop skirts.
Easter seemed to be very superstitious. She especially believes that the screeching of an owl means death. She also believes that the bellowing of a cow and the howling of a dog after dark are the signs of death. If there is a death in the house she believes that the clock should be stopped and a cloth should cover the mirrors. She laughed as she said that someone would come hungry if the dish cloth fell to the floor. She tries not to see the new moon through the trees for the first time as she thinks that is the sign of bad luck. If a rooster crows in the door it is the sign of a stranger coming and if the bottom of her foot itches she believes she will walk on strange land. She knows all the signs and believes in them.*
"When the War started, white or colored, rich or po', all of us was scared," Easter told us. "The niggers didn't know why they was gonna fight, but we knew that four of Marster's sons had gone to the War. We was scared they'd be killed, an' they did git hurt. When they come home they was sick an' I had to fan the flies off'n 'em. They died soon after they got back home."
The Confederate and Yankee soldiers came to the plantation often. They always wanted food for themselves and feed for the horses. Easter told us about a big celebration that was given on the plantation for the Confederate sojers soon after the War began.
"We was havin' a big celebration for the soldiers," she said. "I never had heard such noises in my life. I hadn't never heard a fife or a drum, so when the band started playin' I got under Ole Miss's skirt an' stayed there. That was the only time I disobeyed her, but I did that time 'cause she tried to make me git away an' I wouldn't budge."
When the War was over the Yankee soldiers came to the plantation and had the master to call the slaves together. Then the master told them they were free to go where they liked. But most of the slaves remained with the master for many years. Easter's family worked for him about two years and then moved to a plantation in the same vicinity. Easter would often go back to visit her "white fokes" and help them with their work.
Easter now lives with her grandson in Abbeville, who "does the best he kin by her." Her white and colored friends help her, too, so she manages to have enough to eat.
She feels that God has blessed her by granting her a long life. She goes to church to learn the gospel and takes heed of what the preacher says.
Bill Reese (Written by: Mrs. Sadie B. Hornsby, Area 6, Athens Edited by: Mrs. Sarah H. Hall Area 6 - Athens and John N. Booth Field Supervisor Federal Writers' Project Areas 6 and 7 Augusta, Georgia July 13, 1939)
