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It was during the height of slavery days that Frances Wilkerson and one child came to make their home in Troup County, having been bought by Mr. Tom Dix from a Mr. Snow, of Virginia. Frances, being an unusually intelligent slave, able to weave, spin, and do all kinds of sewing. cost Mr. Dix $1500.00. She received excellent care. never once being allowed to do any field work, and was kept at the "Big House" to do the sewing for the household.
Frances' husband, Silas Wilkerson, was bought by the Wilkerson Family, who were neighbors.
It was here on the Dix plantation, located about one mile from what is now the Court Square. that another child, Easter, was born, a few years before the Civil War. It is with a smile of tenderness that she described her life on the old plantation.
"Yes, chile, I can see Mistus now a-ridin' up on her grey horse, "Pat". wid er basket on her arm plum full of biscuit! Yes. chile, white biscuits! and ain't no short cake ever been made what could hold a light to dem biscuits.
"Mistus would say, 'Where's dem chillun, Mammy?' "Lawdy, you never seed so many little niggers pop up in all yo' life - just 'peared lak de come right out o' de groun'. Sometimes dere 'ud be so many chillun, she'd have to break de biscuits to make 'em go 'roun' and sometimes when she's have an extry big basket, she'd say, 'Bring on de milk, and less feed dese chullun.' A big bucket o' milk would be brung and po'd in little troughs and de'd lay down on dey little stommacks, and eat jest lak pigs! But de was jest as slick and fat as yer please --- lots fatter an us is now! And clean too. Old Mustus would say. 'Mammy, you scrub dese chillun and use dat "Jim-Crow." Lawd, chile! I done fergot you doan know what a "Jim-Crow" wus--dat's a little fine com' what'll jest natchully take the skin plum off yo' haid 'long wid de dirt.
Dem was good old days, plenty ter eat and a cabin o' sticks and dirt to call yo' own. Had good times too. 'specially on de 4th of July and Christmas, when old Marster Tom allus let de niggers have pigs to kill for de feas' why chile, you should er seen de pot we cooked dem pigs in, it wus so big an' heavy, it took two to put the i'on led on. And sech music! [Music played on harps, saws, and blowin' quills.] Ever'body had a good time; even de "white folks" turned out for de dance which went 'way into de night.
"Den dere wus de prayer meetin's, once a week, first on one of the plantations den a nother; when all de niggers would meet and worshup, singin' praises unto the Lord; I can hear 'em now, dere voices soundin' fur away. Yes sir! Folks had religun in dem days, the "Old Time Religun." Our white folks belonged to the First Baptis' Church in LaGrange, and all de slaves went to de same church. Our services wus in de basement.
"But t'wasn' long 'fore de war broke out, and den things was turrible; de niggers would huddle 'roun' de "Big House" scared ter death o' de offal tales that wus told er bout de war! It wusn't but er bout a year til young Marster Tom, John, and Bee wus called to de war. Albert and Scott Dix. two young slaves, went with Marster Tom and John and stayed by them 's close as de could, cookin' and gettin' good for de camp. But t'was a sad day when de word come dat Marster Tom wus dyin'. Old Mistus left right straight, all us slaves goin' down to de train wid her. an' when she got on, she wave her han' an' said, 'I want all o' you, white and black, to take keer o' my baby.'
"When she got dere 'twuz a two-story house where they had Marster Tom--the blood had run down de stairs.
Ole Mistus had stood so much she couldn't stan' no mo'. - the next mornin' she wus dead in de bed! One o' de slaves, Albert, and her son, John, carried her on dere shoulders for five miles, but the war bein' so bad dey couldn't carry her no further, so dey buried her by de road and after de war wus over. de took her to de family graveyard.
"Den de word spread lak wild fire: "The Niggers was free". That night all the slaves went up to the "Big House", wurried an' askin' 'Young Marster Tom, where is we goin'? Weat is we goin' to do?' Young Marster Tom said, "Go on back to your cabins and go to bed, dey are your homes and you can stay on here as long as you want to."
According to Aunt Easter's statement, life for the slaves on the Dix plantation changed very little after the war. She later was married to John Henry Jackson, whose mother also came from Virginia. Aunt Easter had fourteen children, six of them are now living in Troup County and have good jobs. She has made her home with her children and has the respect of all the "white folks", and she often boasts that "her white folks" will care for her till she dies. She now lives on West Haralson Street, LaGrange, Troup County, Georgia.
(DIST. 2, Ex-slave)
SLAVERY DAYS AS RELATED BY:"
