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"I jes' cant say how long I been livin', but I was er young woman when de war was goin' on."
"My grandmother en grandfather, en my mother en five of us chillun was owned by Cap'n en Miss Tea Kelly, ofCo'win, Tennessee.""Mother was one o' de cooks; grandfather was er overseer, en grandmother she was er weaver. Dey was er weaver
fer sure, en right pretty too.""I was raised in de house with de kids of de Kellys. Cap'n Kelly give me ter Miss Tea when she was er little girl and
I was jes' er baby. Dey kep' me in de house, en I slep' unner Miss Tea's bed, en er trunnel bed. When Miss Teamarried en her chillun come along, I was de nurse fer em.""Kellys done teach mos' all dey slaves ter read en write, cept dem what diden' wanna learn.""I was stole once en sol' down en Gawgia, ter Alex Hannah. He was er slave trader en mean as de debbil he'self. En
he had overseers dat ud soon as not kill a man fe he diden' let em whip him."
"I run off fum Hannah's place en got back ter Marse Kelly's safe. I follered er star what I uster watch come downover MissTea's window, en I kin point it out yet. Kelly's slaves nebber was whipped by none o' dem patrollers, kaze he diden'
'low none of em whipped."
"I went to de Hardshell Baptist Church with Miss Tea Kelly en Marse Kelly. Dey uster sing er song I nebber ain'tforgot yet:'Oh, de Hardshell ship is er moughty good ship;She is safe en sound.Who woan go on de Hardshell ship?For de Glory Land she's bound.'"I kin do er lot o' doctorin', but I woan tell nobuddy what I use; kaze dat is my en God's secret. Folks is sho' b'lievin
en all kin's o' conjurs en hoodooin', but dey aint nothin' ter dat debbilment. I b'lieve en carryin' one of Doctor J.C.'s lucky pieces, t'ough, en I'se agent fer em. De doctor he's a Jew, en dem luck pieces who' will bring you luck. I knows dat, kaze I done had seven law suits, en I win all of em."
"When de war was goin' on, us cud hear de roar of de cannons, en Lord! Chile, it sho was awful. I hate ter talk
erbout it." "Atter freedom, Marse Kelly give all us what stayed on de plantation, ten acres of land en timber ter build us er house. Mother en em stayed on fer five years atter freedom, en den went ter Owensboro', Tennessee. En now here I am en Springfiel', fer 24 years. All six er my chillun en my husban', dey is all daid, en I am still here, ter tell you all tales o' de times I'se come t'rough."
"Uncle Marion fum Kelly's place went ter Jasper, Tennessee, atter freedom, en de done open er school. Uncle Marion had er fair eddycation en he got erlong well 'nough teachin'. Schools dey jus' sprung up, all t'rough de south atter freedom; fer so many nawth'n folks come down en open up schools. I'se tellin' you, dem poor, cullud folks dey needed it too kaze dey's allus been kep' back so, en nebber was give no chance."
Interviewed at her residence; 822 Perrin Ave.Editor's note:Sallah White is one of Springfield's oldest Negroes, and grew to young womanhood in slavery. By her
reminiscences of slavery days she is adjudged to be in her late 90's; she, herself, does not know the date of her birth. Her skin is black and deeply lined. Her left eye is sightless. She is about five feet tall and weighs about 150 pounds. Still able to work, she engages in the occupation of gathering and selling junk, and cultivates her vegetable garden, living along with her cat Sin in a small habitation which is one of several she owns in this section.
