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(Note: Since Eliza Overton, an ex-slave is now with her daughter, Mrs. Mamic Robinson, in Dotroit, the following information was gained from interviews with Mrs. Overton's children now living in Farmington. They are; Mrs. Maggis Kennedy, age 66; John Franks, ago 56; and Mrs. Emma Body, age 71. The oldest of the three children can recall life during these days and the others rocall stories told them by their parents.)
"Our muthuh; Eliza, was born a slave in 1849, on da farm of her bees; Mr. Maddon, in New Tennessee, Ste. Geneviove County, Missouri. Elisa's muthuh was also a slave. Muthuh was sol' with our grandmuthuh to John -Coffman of near Coffman, Missouri, in Ste. Genevieve County. Mr. Coffman had thousands of aores. He had three plantations an' one was at Libertyville, Missouri. He had 'bout two hundred slaves. The negroes war tak'n frum one plantashun ta the other, and our grandmuthuh work'd at all three places. ';Ole man Coffman' was a mean ola' slave hol'er. He war afraid of his slaves an' had some one else ta do da whippin'. They war rougher on ma aunt; Eleanor, cuase she war stubborn. They wud punish da slaves soverely fur 'membrance. They whoop'd with a rawhide whop an' trace chains. Wilson Harris was whooped at a tree one't an' when dey got thro' he say he wud fight. They whop him some mon' 'til he was weak an' bleedin'. The other slaves had to grease his shirt ta take it off his back ta kppp frum tearin' off de flesh. We can go down thar now and pick out trees whar the slaves war tied an' whipp'd. The trees died on de side whar de slaves war tied. There are three trees on de Ceffman farm that I seen dead on one side, an' sum' war in the yard. Thar is one clos' to the Houck Failroad Station that.
"When John Coffman was sick he say he was goin' ta ride 'Jap', a Pean hoss, into heaben. So he ack us to take good care of 'Jap'.
I know Coffman didn't go ta henben 'cause he died an' lef' 'Jap' here.
"Mr. Coffman had a whole now of slave cabins. Our cabins war small an' we had a corded bed, trundle bed ta slip unde' the big bed ta save room, home made split bottom chairs, tin plates, Wodd'n boxes, an' a firs-place. John Coffman gave us a 'lowance of food. We had hogs-heads an' jouls. Many that time we ran short on food so's one night muthuh went out to whar the hogs wer. Mr. Coffman had so many hogs he didn't know how many he had. She had da watorrhot an' the hogs war a long ways frum Mr. Coffman's house. So she hit a hoe in de head with the ax an' kill'd it. Afta' Killin' it she went to the cabin ta get the water an' when she kum' bak one of the other slaves had stole de dead hog. So she hit anuther one in de head an' after fixin' it hid the hog under de punchson flot of the cab'n. This was done offen. Mr. Coffman use ta kill 'bout one handred hogs at one time an' den put dem in de smoke-house. We muthuh ud get the key to the smoke-house an' load up an' carry some neet home.
"Mo Aunt Comfort tole de white boy ta thro' a knife at ma muthuh. The boy hit ma mathuh jus' 'bove de eye an' den grandmuthuh whop'd Aunt Come fort fur telliu' the shite boy to do this.
"In ever cab'n thar war fiddles an' on Sunday we could have a good tise. One of de games we wud play o t in frunt of the cab'n was 'Suing-Ole Liza Singla'. This here game was play'd by havia' two rows line up an' a man wud dance up or Joun the line an' swing each one. We wud all sing an' pat our hans an' feet ta keep time for the dance.
"Thar was some prachin' goin' on in the cab'ns an' out under the arbors on Saturday nights an' Sunday. The preacher was a slave too. Two songs that we 'member they sung war: 'We'll Bow Around the Altar - Whil'st My Lord Answers Pmayer', and 'Git in the Chariot and Ride Right - Along'.
"Our fauthur was also a slave of a Mr. Patterson but he was treat'd well When Mr. Patterson died our fauther was will'd ta Mr. Patterson's daughter. Our fauthur; Jacob Franks, was a trusted negro an' a teamster who drove frum Ste. Genevieve ta the plantashum. He used ta swim the river ';Aux Vases with his team. He'ud bring bak things frum Ste. Genevieve that war hard ta git. Salt was hard ta git at this time.
"Our muthuh; Eliza, married Jacobs Franks wen she was 16 years ole' jus' after she was free. She was always rather puny an' was worth very littls as a slave. One't she was sold with three others an' brot' only $50. Our muthuh has 5 children livin'; 19 great grandchildren, and two great grandchildren; Paul Evans; 6, and Andres; 3. Our fauthur died 43 years ago an' our muthuh married a Mr. Cverton an' he is also dead now.
"A Mr. Jones bought our aunt an' tok' her ta Shelby County, Missoura. Our aunt had two children by Mr. Jones. One of 'em was so white dat Mr. Jones couldn't sell him fur a slave.
"When de slaves war freed, we war tole ta go anywhat we pleas'd. For'nately muthuh married at one't, but others did not care ta leave thar way of livin' cause they had no money, no homes, and did not know how ta do thar own work. But Jim Blackwell; who had been a slave fur John Coffman, saved up a lot of fond in his cab'n an' then when he was freed, he went out in de woods an' built him a home of his own. He cut down de trees an' made his cab'n thar an' liv'd.
"I hear a woman stan' up an' say we would be bettah off today in slavery. I say;'Why?' She say: 'You would hab ta look aftah nothin' of your wblfare'. 'If that's what she was talkin' 'bout', I said, 'ma fauthuh was ten years ols' fore he put on a pair of pants. He had ta wear wooden shoes an' a tow-shirt. I wud not liv' twenty-four hours, bein' a slave now. I wud' not habe stood it with ma temper."
Overton, Eliza -- Additional Interview
Note: Since Eliza Overton, an ex-slave, is now with her daughter, Mrs. Mammie Robinson, in Detroit, the following information was gained from an interview with Mrs. Overton's children now living in Farmington. They are, Mrs. Maggie Kennedy, age 66; John Franks, age 56; and Mrs. Emma Body, age 71. The oldest of the three children can recall life during these days and the others recall stories told them by their parents.
Our mother, Eliza, was born a slave in 1849 on the farm of her boss, Mr. Madden, in New Tennessee, Ste. Genevieve County, Mo. Eliza's mother was also a slave. Mother was sold with our grandmother to John Coffman of near Coffman, Mo., in Ste. Genevieve County. Mr. Coffman had thousands of acres. He had three plantations, and one plantation was at Libertyville, Mo. He had possibly two hundred slaves. The negroes were transferred from one plantation to the other and our grandmother worked at all three places. Old man Coffman was a mean old slave holder. He was afraid of his slaves and had some one else to do the whipping. They were rougher on my aunt, Eleanor, because she was stubborn. They would punish the slaves severely for remembrance. They whipped with a rawhide whip and trace chains. Wilson Harris was whipped at a tree once and when they got through he said he would fight. They whipped him some more until he was weak and bleeding. The other slaves had to grease his shirt to take it off his back to keep from tearing off the flesh. We can go down there and pick out trees where the slaves were tied and whipped. The trees died on the side where the slaves were tied. There are three trees on the Coffman farm that I saw dead on one side and there is one close to the Houck Railroad Station there. Some of them were in the yard.
When John Coffman was sick he said he was going to ride Jap, a roan horse, into heaven. So he asked us to take good care of Jap. I know Coffman didn't go to heaven cause he died and left Jap here.
Mr. Coffman had a whole row of slave cabins. Our cabins were small and we had a corded bed, trundle bed to slip under the big bed to save room, home made split bottom chairs, tin-plates, wooden boxes and a fire-place. John Coffman gave us an allowance of food. We had hog heads and jowls. Many times we ran short on food so one night mother went out to where the hogs were. Mr. Coffman had so many hogs he didn't know how many he had. She had the water hot and the hogs were a long way from Mr. Coffman's house. So she hit a hog in the head with the ax and killed it. After killing it she went to the cabin to get the water and when she came back one of the other slaves had stolen her dead hog. So she hit another one in the head and after fixing it hid the hog under the puncheon floor of the cabin. This was done quite a bit. Mr. Coffman used to kill about one hundred hogs at one time and then put them in the smoke house. My mother would get the key to the smoke-house and load up and carry some meat home.
My Aunt Comfort told the white boy to throw a knife at my mother. The boy hit my mother just above the eye and then my grandmother whipped Aunt Comfort for telling the white boy to do this.
In every cabin there were fiddles and on Sunday we would have a good time. One of the games we would play out in front of the cabins was
"Swing Ole Liza Single."
This game was played by having two rows line up and a man would dance up or down the line and swing each one. We would all sing and pat our hands and feet to keep time for the dance.
There was some preaching going on in the cabins and out under the arbors on Saturday nights and Sundays. The preacher was a slave too. Two songs that we remember they sung were "We'll Bow Around the Altar Whilst My Lord Answers Prayer" and "Git in the Chariot and Ride Right Along."
Our father was also a slave of a Mr. Patterson but he was well treated. When Mr. Patterson died our father was willed to Mr. Patterson's daughter. Our father, Jacob Franks, was a trusted negro and a teamster who drove from Ste. Genevieve to the plantation. He used to swim the River Aux Vases with his team. He would bring back things from Ste. Genevieve that were hard to get. Salt was very hard to get at this time.
Our mother, Eliza, married Jacob Franks when she was 16 years old just after she was free. She was always rather puny and was not worth much as a slave. Once she was sold with three others and brought only $50.00. Our mother has 5 children living, 19 grandchildren and two great grandchildren, Paul Evans, 6 and Aldrew, 3. Our father died 43 years ago and our mother married a Mr. Overton and he is also dead.
A Mr. Jones bought our aunt and took her to Shelby County, Missouri. Our aunt had two children by Mr. Jones. One of them was so white that Mr. Jones couldn't sell him for a slave.
When the slaves were freed we were told to go anywhere we pleased. fortunately, mother married at once but others did not care to leave their way of living cause they had no money, no homes and did not know now to do their own work. But Jim Blackwell, who had been a slave for John Coffman, saved up a lot of food in his cabin and then when he was freed, he went out in the woods and built him a home of his own. He out down the trees and made his cabin there and lived.
I heard a woman stand up and say that we would be better off today in slavery. I say, "Why?" she said, "You would have to look after nothin! of your welfare." "If that's what she was talkin' about" I said "my father was ten years old before he put on a pair of pants. He had to wear wooden shoes and a tow-shirt. I would not live twenty-four hours being a slave now. I would not have stood it with my temper."
Simpson, George Jackson Rolla, Missouri Note: Mr. Simpson uses no dialect (Mabel E. Mueller Western Historical Manuscripts Collection University of Missouri Columbia, Missouri)
