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Mrs. Julia Rush was born in 1828 on Saint Simons Island, Georgia. Mrs. Rush, her mother, and three sisters were the property of a Franchman named Colonel De Binion, a very wealthy land owner. Mrs. Rush does not remember her father as he was sold away from his family when she was a baby.
As a child Mrs. Rush served as playmate to one of the Colonel's daughters and so all that she had to do was to play from morning till night. When she grew older she started working in the kitchen in the master's house. Later she was sent to the fields where she worked side by side with her mother and three sisters from sunup until sundown. Mrs. Rush says that she has plowed so much that she believes she can "out plow" any man.
Instead of the usual white overseer usually found on plantations the Colonel used one of the slaves to act as foreman of the field hands. He was known to the other slaves as the "Nigger Driver" and it was he who awakened all every morning. It was so dark until torch lights had to be used to see by. These women who had babies took them along to the field in a basket which they placed on their heads. All of the hands were given a certain amount of work to perform each day and if the work was not completed a whipping might be forthcoming. Breakfast was sent to the field to the hands and if at dinner time they were not too far away from their cabins they were permitted to go home. At night they prepared their own meals in their individual cabins.
All food on the colonel's plantation was issued daily from the corn house. Each person was given enough corn to make a sufficient amount of bread for the day when ground. When they went out and dug their potatoes from the Colonel's garden. No meat whatsoever was issued. It was up to the slaves to catch fish, oystors and other sea food for their meat supply. All those who desired to were permitted to raise chickens, watermelons and vegetables. There was no restriction on any as/to what must be done with the produce so raised. It could be sold or kept for pereonal consumption.
Colonel Do Binion always saw that his slaves had sufficient clothing. In the summer months the men were given two shirts, two pairs of pants, and two pairs of underwear. All of these clothes were made of cotton and all were sowed on the plantation. He shoes were worn in the summer. The women were given two dresses, two underskirts, and two pairs of underwear. When the winter season approached another issue of clothes was given. At this time shoes were given. They were made of heavy red leather and were known as "brogane".
The slave quarters on the plantation were located behind the colonel's mansion. All were made of legs. The chinks in the walls were filled with and to keep the weather out. The floors were of wood in order to protect the occupants from the dampness. The only furnishings were a crude bed and several benches. All cooking was done at the large fireplace in the rear of the one room.
When Colonel De Binion's wife died he divided his slaves among the children. Mrs. Rush was given to her former playmate who was at the time married and living in Carrolton, Georgia. She was very mean and often panished her by beating her on her forearns for the slightest offense. At other times she made her husband whip her (Mrs. Rush) on her bare back with a cowhide whip. Mrs. Rush says that her young mistress thought that her husband was being intimate with her and so she constantly beat and mistreated her. On one occasion all of the hair on her head(which was long and straight was cut from her head by the young mistress.
For a while Mrs. Rush worked in the fields where she plowed and head the crops along with the other slaves. Later she worked in the master's house where she served as maid and where she helped with the cooking. She was often hired cut to the other planters in the vicinity. She says that she liked this because she always received better treatment than she did at her own home. These persons who hired her often gave her clothes as she never received a sufficient amount from her own master.
The food was almost the same here as it had been at the other plantation. At the end of each week she and her fellow slaves were given a"little bacon, vegatables, and home corn real."(?) This had to last for a certain length of time. If it was all eaton before the time for the next issue that particular slave had to live as best he or she could. In such an emergency the other slaves usually shared with the unfortunate one.
There was very little illness on the plantation where Mrs. Rush lived. Practically the only medicine over used was castor oil and turpentine. Some of the slaves went to the woods and gathered roots and herbs from which they made their own tonics and medicines.
According to Mrs. Rush the the first of the month was always sale day for slaves and horses. She was sold on one of these days from her master in Carrollton to one Mr. Morris, who lived in Newnan; Ga. Mr. Morris paid $1160.00 for her. She remained with him for a short while and was later sold to one Mr. Ray who paid the price of $1200.00. Both of these masters were very kind to her ,but she was finally sold back to her former master, Mr. Archilald Burke of Carrolleton, Ga.
Mrs. Rush remembers that none of the slaves were allowed away from their plantation unless they held a pass from their master. Once when she was going to town to visit some friends she was accosted by a group of "Paddle-Rellers" who gave her a sound whipping when she was unable to show a pass from her master.
Mrs. Rush always slept in her masters' houses after leaving Colonel De Binion. When she was in Carrollton her young mistress often made her sleep under the house when she was angry with her.
After the war was over with and freedom was declared Mr. Burke continned to hold Mrs. Rush. After several unsuccessful attempts she was finally able to escape. she went to another part of the state where she married and started a family of her own.
Because of the cruel treatment that she received at the hands of some of her owners Mrs. Rush says that the more thought of slavery made her blood boil. Then there are those, under whom she served, who treated her with kindness whom she holds no malice against.
As far as Mrs. Rush knows the war did very little de say to Mr. Durke. He did not enlist as a soldier.
"revolution daummer" parts very good,
