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Dora Roberts was born in 1849 and was a slave of Joseph Maxwell of Liberty County. The latter owned a large number of slaves and plantations in both Liberty and Marly Counties. During the war "Salem" the plantation in Liberty County was sold and the women moved to Early County where he owned two plantations known as "Nisdell" and "Rosedhu".
Today, at 88 years of age, Aunt Dorn is a fine specimen of the fast disappearing type of ante- ??, Negro. Her shrewd dark eyes glowing, a ?? paper sack perched cauoily em her white cottony hair, and puffing contentedly on am old corn cob pipe, the old woman began her recital what happened during plantation days.
"Dey is powerful much to tell ob de days ob slabry, chile, an' it come to me in pieces. Dis story isn't in no rotation 'cause my mind it don't de dat kinda function, but I tell it as it come to me. De colored folks had dey fun as well as dey trials and tribulations, 'couse dat Sat'day nigh dance at de plantation was jist de finest ting we wanted in dem days. All de slabes fun de udder plantation dey cum to our barn an' jine in an' if dey had a gal on dis plantation dey lob, den dat was de time dey would court. Dey would swing to de band dat made de musie. My brother was de captain ob de quill band an' dey sure could make you shout am' dance til you quz nigh 'bout exhausted. Atta findin' ya gal ta dat dance dan you gite passes to come courtin' on Sundays. Den de most ob dem dey wants git married an' dey must den git de congent fun de massa ceremonies was read ober dem and de man git passes fe' de week-end must wid his wife. But de slabes dey get togedder em' have dem jump over de brom stick em' have a big celebration em' dance em' make marry 'til morning' and' its time fe' work agin.
"We worked de fields an' kep' up de plantation 'Til freedem, Kbry wednesday de massa come visit us an look eber de plantation ta see dat all is well. He takl ta de oberseer an' fird out how good de work is. We lub de massa an' work ha'd fe' him.
"Ah kin 'member dat Wednesday night plain as it was yesterday. It seems lak de air 'round de quarters am' de big house filled wid excitement; eben de wind seem lak it was waitin' fo' son'ting. De dogs an' de pickaninnies dey sleep lazy like 'gainst de big gate waitin' fo' de crack ob dat whip which was de signal dat Julius was bringin' de master doun de long dribe under de ouks. Chile, us all was happy knowin' date de fus would start.
"All of a sudden you hear dem chilluns whoop, an' de dogs bark, dem de car'age roll up wid a flourish, an' de coachman dressed in de fines' git out an' place de cookie try on de groun'. Den day all gadder in de circle an' fo' dey git day supply, dey got ta do de pigeon wing.
"Chile, you ain't neber seen sich flingin' ob de arns an' legs in yo' time. Dem pickaninnies dey had de natural born art ob twistin' dey body any way dey wish. Dat dere ting dey calls truckin' now an' use to be chimmy, ain't had no time wid de dancin' dem chilluns do. Dey claps dey hands and keep de time, while dat old brudder ob mine he blews do quills. Massa he would allus bring de big tray ob 'leases cookies fo' all de chilluns. Fast as de tray would empty, Massa send ta do barrel fo' more. De niggers do no work dat day, but dey jist celebrate.
"Atta de war broke out we was all ca'yhed up to de plantation in Early County to stay 'til atta de war. De day de mancipation was read dey was sadness an' gladness. De ale Massa he call us all togedder am' wid tears in his eyes he say --- 'You is all free new an' you can go jist wher you please. I hab no more jurisdiction ober you. All who stay will be well cared for.' But de most ob us wanted to some back to de place whar we libed bafe' --- Libarty County.
"So he outfitted de wagons wid horses an' mules an' gib us what dey was ob privisions on de plantation an' sent us on our way ta de ole plantation in Liberty County. Dare was six horses ta de wagons. 'Long de way de wagons broke down 'cause de mules ain't had nothin' ta eat an' most ob dem died. We git in sich a bad fix some ob de people died. When it seem lak we was all gwine die, a planter come along de road an' he stopped ta find out what was de matter. Wen he heard our story on' who our master was he git a message to him 'bout us.
"It seek lak de good Lord musta answered de prayers ob his chillun fo' 'long way down de road we seed our Massa comin' an' he brung men an' horses to git us safely ta de ole home. When he got us dere, I neber see him no more 'cause he went back up in Early County an' atta I work dere at de plantation a long time den I come ta de city Whyah my sister be wid one ob my master's oldest daughters --- a Mrs. Dunwodies, who she was nursin' fo'.
"An' dat's 'bout all dey is ta tell. When I sits an' rocks here on de porch it all comes back ta me. Seems sometimes lak I was still dere on de plantation. An' it seem lak it's mos' time fo' de massa ta be comin' ta see how tings are goin'."
(Written by Ruth Chitty, Research Worker, District #2, Re-written by Velma Bell)
