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"I was ten years ole when Freedom come. My folks was owned by a fam'ly named Tutts. Father's name was Sam, and my mother's name was Minerva. Dey was five uv us chillun: Bill, Minerva, Henry, Patsy, an me." "Ole man Tutts' plantation was right little en dey was'nt many slaves."
"De cabin was het by er big fire place. De beds was kivered so us kept good en warm. But de diden' feed us half; us on'y got er peck er meal, three pounds er fat meat, en er quart er syrup, fer one week's feedin'. Seems like mos' slave owners in Lincum County, Georgia, was mean ter dey slaves, 'cordin' ter whut my folks done tole me."
"Atterwuds, father en mother dey is gone ter live with Ole Miss Elliott who was some kin ter de Tutts. Ole Miss done de cookin', en us fared better in gittin' nuff ter eat. But mother had to wuk en de fiel' en plow jus' like er man, en de res' us chilluns big nuff ter pull weeds er swing er hoe, was out en er fiel' wukin', fum daylight till too dark ter see."
"Ole Miss Elliott's house was all on one floor, but it had lots er rooms, en it was set up on er hill."
"Us nebber had no 'musement whilst us was slaves, en when prayer meetin' was hol' en de cabins dey sot er tub er water en de center en all sot roun' it. Den de tub er water ketch de soun'
en kep' it fum goin' out de cabin.
"Slaves nebber got ter visit on other plantations; if dey did so de patrollers ketched em en whipped em. I seed em put slaves en big hogs-heads stuck plum full er ten-penny nails, en roll em so de nails done stuck em en tored dey flesh."
"Dem Tutts was mean, but de bes' treatment was far fum bein' good. Dey nebber care effen us was tired, en dey doan treat us slaves like humans. De Elliot plantation wuzn't as big as de Tutt's place, en Ole Miss Elliot done give us better food en treatment."
"I seen sojer trains pass by, so full dey was hangin' on de outside er some of de cars."
"When freedom come Miss Elliot let us stay on er while Father was er blacksmith, en he had his money when he finish er job; so us soon gets money nuff ter buy us er little place over en Columbia County. Us nebber doctored with yarbs en roots like udder folks; us ullus had er doctor. I neber heerd of no sceery tales when I was a chile, kaze us nebber got ter play with no udder chillun; en right now, I doan b'lieve en lots of fogie stuff."
"I married Thomas Lyons, en had twelve chillun. My husband he been daid fo' thirty years, en on'y two my chilluns livin' now."
"Atter my husband died, I wuked our little farm en kep' my chillun en school. Us lived now en Springfield fo' seventeen years."
"I fergits de names of de songs us uster sing, en I jes'
simply cant think of none of em now. But I guess I been mightily blessed."
Interviewed by Naoimi Taylor at her residence, 622 So. Lowry Ave.
Editor's note:
Phoebe Lyons is 83, small and bent. Her color is light brown. Age infirmities prevent her from keeping her own home, and she lived with her daughter and son.
