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The negroes refer to their emancipation as "when peace declare". The freedom of the slaves led to the creation of the song, "Ain't I glad I got out the wilderness."
There are surprisingly few references to servitude of the black people in their folk-songs which can be traced to the ante-bellum days. The text of "Mother, is Massa gwine to sell us tomorrow?" would seem to be one of these.
Another,
"Didn't my Lord deliver Daniel, Daniel,
So why not deliver me now?"
These songs came as cries from within, depicting wounded experiences.
The confederates were coming one day and the mother of several slave children gathered them all together and ran under the house for safety, and while she and the children waited an opportunity to come out, the mother composed the song,
"Hold out true believer, hold out 'till the last day,
Hold out 'till Jesus call me;
Take up my cross, I'm a-goin' home."
The masters and mistresses used to beat the slaves, Affie Singleton says, so that at night they would resort to singing spirituals. Rough treatment says an ex-slave, made them put greater expression into their songs. They would often go out into the forest and would come out singing:
"Didn't my soul feel happy when I come out the wilderness leaning on the Lord"
An ex-slave relates the story that one night the spirit came to her and told her to sew the seed, and put into her mouth the song, "I got a home in the rock, don't you see" She believes she gave this song to the world of negro spirituals. (A)
Source: A. Interview with Affie Singleton, 87, 179 Fishburne St. Charleston, S. C. Illiterate, recalls with clear memory.
(Singleton, Cato, Murrells Inlet, S. C., Georgetown County, Mrs. Genevieve W. Chandler)
