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Laura was born in Griffin December 23, 1830 on Mr. Henry Bank's place. Her mother, Sylvia Backs (called "goly Ann" by the darkies) married her father, Joe Dramner, a carpenter, who was owned by Mr. Henry Brawner.
Joe and Sylvia were married in Mr. Henry Bank's parlor by the white preacher.
Mr. Banks, Laura's master, owned a tannery in Griffin and had "around fifty slaves" according to Laura's memory. Most of the slaves worked at the tannery, the others at Mr. Bank's home. Laura's mother was the cock in the Bank's home for over forty years. Joe, Laura's father, was a carpenter and the four little darkies of the family helped about the house and yard doing such work as feeding the chickens, sweeping the yards and waiting on the Mistress. Laura, herself was a "house girl". that is, she made the beds, swept the floors and sowed and helped the Mistress do the mending for the family.
When asked if the Master and Mistress were good to the slaves. Laura replied that they certainly were, adding, "Marse Henry was as good a man as ever put a pair of pants on his legs."
As to the punishments used by the Banks, Laura was almost indigent at such a question, saying that Marse Henry never whipped or punished his darkies in any way, that he did not believe in it. The only whipping that Laura herself over had was one lick across the shoulders with a small switch used by her Mistress to keep her mother, Colie Ann, from whipping her.
Laura relates that the darkies worked all the time except Sunday. On Sunday they could do as they pleased so long as they went to church. All the Bank's darkies attended service in the "cellar" (basement) of the First Baptist Church and had a colored preacher.
When any of the darkies were sick if 'ole Marster' and'ole Miss' could not "set them straight" they called in "ole Marse's" white doctor.
Mr. Banks, himself, was too old "to fight the Yankees" bat young 'Marse Henry' fought bat did not "got a seratsh" and when he same home all of them were sure glad to son him.
"After freedom, when 'ole Mars' was gone, 'young Marster' was as good as gold to all the darkies." Laura can remember when no gave her $3.00 to $20.00 at a time."
She also recalls that when the slaves were freed that her ole
(CARRIE HUDSON, Ex-Slave - Age 75.)
