|
|
Ex-Slave, 78 years.
"I born on raise up dere in Colonel Darant yard en I in my 78th year now. Dat seem lak I ole, don' it? Coase Colonel Darant hab plenty udder colored peoples 'sides us, but dey ne'er lib dere in de yard lak we. Dey lib up in de quarters on de plantation. My pappy name Bon Thompson en he hadder stay dere close to de big house cause he was de Colonel driver. De Colonel hab uh big ole carriage who' to ride in don. It hab uh little seat in de front fa my pappy to set in on den it hab two seat 'hind de driver whey de Colonel on he family is ride. I kin see dat carriage jes us good right now dat my white folks hab to carry on whey dey is wanna go."
"Don my mammy come from de udder side uv Pee Dee en she name, Lidia Bass. She was de servant 'round de yard dere on dat count fa we to ne'er stay in de quarters wid de udder colored peoples 'fore freedom deelare. I ne'er hadder do no work long us I lib dere in de yard cause I ain' been but five year ole when freedom declare. My grandmammy lib right dere close us on Colonel Durant hab she jes to lock a'ter aw de plantation chillun when dey parents was workin'. Aw uv de plantation peoples did take dey chillun dere fa my grandmammy to nu'se."
"I 'member one day dere come uh crowd uv peoples dere dat dey tell us chillun was de Yankees. Dey come right dere t'rough de Colonel yard on when I see en, I was 'fraid uv em. I run en hide under my grandmammy bed. Don' know wha' dey say cause I ain' go' clase 'neagh to hear mathin wha' dey talk 'bout. Do white folks hadder herry (harry) en pat t'ings in pots on bury em or hide em somewhey when dey hear dat de Yankees was comin' cause dey scare den Yankees might take dey t'ings lak dey is carry 'way udder folks t'ings. I hear on say dey ne'er take nothin from de Colonel but some uv he wood."
"My white folks was well-off peoples en dey ain' ne'er use no harsh treatment on dey plantation peoples. De Colonel own aw die land 'bout here den on he see dat he overseer on do plantation provide plenty uv eve't'ing us need aw de time. I hear tell 'bout some uv de white folks'ud beat dey colored peoples mos' to death, but I ain' ne'er see none uv dat no whey. I is 'member when dey'ud sell some uv de colored peoples way offen to anunder plantation somewhey.
Jes been bid em offen jem lak dey was cattle. Some uv de time dey'ud sell uh man wife 'way en den he hadder go' anunder wife."
"A'ter freedom declare, we ne'er lib dere at de big house no more. Hove in de colored settlement en den we ain' eat at de big house no more neither. Dey le' us hab uh garden uv we own den en raise us own chicken on aw dat. I 'member de Colonel gi'e us so nucha t'ing eve'y week on it hadder las' us from one Saturday to de next. My mammy'ud go to de Colonel barn eve'y week on ge' she portion uv meal en meat. Dat do way dey pay de hand fa dey work den. Ne'er gi'e em no money den."
"Peoples wha' lib on Colonel Darant plantation ain' know nothin but to lib on do fat uv de land. Dey hab plenty come don on dey gi'o as plenty uv milk eve'y day. I 'member we chillun use'er take we tin oup on go up to do big house en ge' us milk to drink on den some uv de cows'ud be so gentle lak dat we chillun is follow on right down side do path. Don when dere ne'er was nobedy lak de Colonel overmoor 'bout to see us, we is ketch do cow en ge' some mere milk. I al'ays'ud lub to drink me milk dat way. We is eat plenty green peas on 'tatoes en fich in dem days too on dey is use 'tatoo pie right smart den."
"Aw de colored peoples on Colonel Darant plantation hab good bed wha' to sleep on good clothes to put on dey back. Coame we ne'er hab no bought fn'niture in dem days, but we hab bedstead wha' dey make right dere en benohes on some uv de time dey is make wha' dey call 'way back chair. Den we is make us own bed outer hay cause de white folks ne'er spare de colored peoples no cotton den. Hadder out de hay in de fall uv de year en dry it jes lak dey dries it fa to feed de cattle on. Den dey haddor take sack on sew em up togedder on put de hay in dese. Dey sleep right smart in dem days. Don' nucha people sleep on straw bed dese day en time en dey don' dress lak dey use'er noither. I 'member de long dress dey is wear den. Hadder hold em up when dey walk so dey won' tetch de floor 'bout em. Den some uv dem is wear wha' dey call loggens. Dey'ud gather em 'round de knee en le' em show 'bout de ankle. Dey was pretty, dat dey was. De white folks'ud make de plantation clothes outer calico on jeanes cloth en dat time. De jeanes cloth be wha' dey make de boy clothes outer. Dey is weave aw dey cloth right dere on de plantation en den dey use'er dye de thread on weave aw sorta check outer de different color thread. Wha' dey make de dye outer? Dey ge' bark outer de woods en boil de color outer it en den dey boil de thread an dat. Dat how dey is make dey dye. Ne'er see de peoples hab no hat lak dey hab now neither. Aw de colored peoples wear wha' dey call shuck hat den cause dey been make outer shuck. Dat aw de kinder hat we is hab."
"Peoples use'er ge' aw kinder useful t'ing outer de woods in dem days 'way back dere. Ne'er hadder buy no me'icine tall den. Ain' ne'er been no better cough oure no whey den de one my ole mammy use'er make fa we chillun. She larnt 'bout how it made when she stay 'round de Missus on dat how come I know wha' in it. Jes hadder go in de woods en ge' some cherry, call dat wild cherry, on out some uv de wild cherry bark fust (first) t'ing. A'ter dat yuh hadder find some uv dese long-leaf pine en ge' de bud outer dat. Den yuh hadder go to whey dere some sweet gum grow en go' de top outer dem en ge' some mellon to put wid it. Ain' ne'er no cough stand aw dat mix up togodder in no day en time. Dey gi'e dat to de peoples fa dat t'ing wha' dey use'er call de grip cough. Den dey use'er make uh t'ing dat dey call "bone set" tea. I forge' how dey make it but dey gi'e it to de peoples when dey hab de fevers. It been so bitter dat it'ud lift yuh up 'fore yuh is go' it aw down de t'roat. Ain' see no fever me'icine lak dat nowadays."
"Yas'um, I 'members when dey hab plenty uv dem cornshucking to one annuder barn. De peoples'ud come from aw de plantation 'bout dere. Dem cornshuckings was big times, dat dey was. Gi'e eve 'body aw de "hopping-john" dey kin eat. Jes cook it aw in uh big pot dere in de yard to de big house. Ain' nothin ne'er eat no better den dat "hopping-john" is eat."
"Den de peoples use'er come from aw de plantation 'bout en hab big dancing dere. Dat when I lub to be 'bout. Dey hab uh big fire build up outer in de yard en dat wha' dey dance 'round 'bout. Call dat uh torch fire. Dey'ud hab fiddle en dey dance wha' dey call de reel dance den. I 'member I use'er lub to watch dey feet when dat fiddle'ud go' to playing. I jes crawl right down on me knees dere whey I'ud see dey feet jes uh going."
"I ne'er hab mucha schooling 'fore freedom declare cause I been raise up on de plantation. Dis child (her daughter) pappy was de house boy to de big house on he ge' more schooling den I is. De Missus larnt he how to read en write she self. A'ter freedom declare, I go to school to uh white man up dere to do ole Academy en den I is go to annuder school down dere to uh blacksmith shop. I go to uh white man dere too. Ne'er hab no colored teacher den cause dey ain' hab 'nough schooling den. Dese chillun don' know nothin 'bout dem times. I tell dese chillun I don' know wha' dey wanna run 'bout so mucha cause dere plenty t'ing to see dat pass right dere by us house eve'y day. I t'ink die uh better day on time to lib en cause dis uh brighter day now dat we hab."
Source: Mom Loaisa Collier, age 78, colored, Marion, S.C. Personal interview, May 1937.
(Project #1655, W. W. Dixon, Winnsboro, S. C.)
