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Reference (A) Mr. Ira Jones, son of a slave.
Mr. Jones' father Ben Franklin Jones was a slave on the Tandy farm in Kentucky almost directly across the river from the son's home. He remained here for eight years.
This family was not very fortunate in the treatment they received from the white people. An aunt of my informant was punished by having her hands placed on a barrel, palms down, nails were then driven into them, which developed into lockjaw which caused her death.
Another aunt was told she was to be shipped West. She was placed on a boat and with her small baby was sent to Mississippi. On the long misleading journey her prayer was always, "Don't take my baby away from me." She did not lose her child and later found her relatives in Kentucky by writing to her former church.
When the Union soldiers were marching through Kentucky, Mr. Tandy was so frightened that he hid in a dense thicket, no one knowing what had become of him. A few days after his disappearance Ben was working on a neighboring field when he reached the end of the row, he thought he'd heard a voice saying "Ben, Oh! Ben". But Ben continued his plowing again and again the call in a stage whisper of "Ben, Ben". Finally he decided to investigate the sound and peering into the thicket saw his master. He was request to go to his mistress and report Mr. Tandy's predicament and ask for food. A large package was prepared and concealing it within his shirt he returned to his master who was eagerly awaiting it.
His cousin Eliza Hotchkiss was whipped until she carried a deep scar across her chest all her life, while another cousin Bill Hotchkiss had such a good master that he was never much good at shifting for himself after he received his freedom.
At one time some of the slaves were to be taken away to join the rebel army. Ben Jones was among the group he made his escape and ran barefooted over the frozen ground. When he reached his home his feet were so sore he could hardly move.
When freedom was declared Mr. Jones crossed the Ohio and settled near Brooksburg Indiana where he worked for some time, later moving to Hanover Township where his son still resides.
Mr. Ira Jones still mentions the prejudices some of the white people hold against the black race, he feels that they should receive much more consideration, as an example of this he mentioned a ball game in which he was called safe by a close decision. The baseman objected to a "damn black" getting a break in preference to a white person.
Some instances were mentioned where slaves were married with different owners, and were forced to remain with their original owners. When his father was freed he was turned out with nothing to start on, but proved himself a good friend and neighbor both to the white and black people in the community.
There was one young slave who had always had an easy job as a barber for his master, but the plantation failed and this man was forced to do heavy farm work.
A friend Ike Williams was so badly cowed by mistreatment that he was almost afraid to speak. At one time many of the slaves were having a tussle with heavy logs, when Ike after watching awhile offered to place the log in position with a team of oxen. The log seemed to go in place as if by magic when his master said "Ike, you should speak up when you know something."
Kates, Ralph Evansville, Indiana (Lauana Creel Vanderburgh County, Indiana)
