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Ex-slave Age - 96
W'en gun fust shoot on Hilton Head Islant, I been 22 year old. Muh Pa name Tony MacKnight and he b'long to Mr. Stephen Elliott. My Ma name Venus MacKnight and she b'long to Mr. Joe Eddings, who had uh plantation on Parri (Parris) Islandt. De overseer been Edward Blunt. He been poor white trash, but he wuk haa'd and save he money and buy slave. He buy my Ma and bring she to Beaufort to wuk in he house by de Baptist chu'ch. I been born den. I hab seven brudder name Jacob, Tony, Robert, Moses - I can't 'member de odders, it been so long ago. I hab one sister Eliza - she die de odder day.
W'en I been little gal, I wuk in de house. Wuk all day. I polish knife and fork, mek bed, sweep floor, nebber hab time for play game. W'en I git bigger, dey send me to school to Miss Crocker to learn to be seamstruss.
W'en I small, I sleep on floor in Miss Blunt room. I eat food left ober from table. Dey nebber learn me to read and write. I ain't hab time for sech t'ing. I go to chu'ch in white Baptis' chu'ch. Nigger hab for sit up stair, white folks sit down stair. If nigger git sick, dey send for doctor to 'tend um. Mr. Blunt nebber lick me, but Miss Blunt cut my back w'en I don't do to suit her. Nigger git back cut w'en dey don't do wuk or w'en dey fight. Dey hab uh jail in town, run by Mr. McGraw. If nigger be too bad, run street and t'ing, he git in jail and Mr. McGraw lick um. I been lock in jail one time. Dey hang me up by wrist and beat me twenty-five lick wid uh cownide. I forgit w'at I don't to git dat.
W'en Yankee been come de Blunts leab Beaufort, and I walk out house and go back to Parri Islandt. De Yankee tell we to go en Buckra corn house and git w'at we want for eat. Den I come back to Beaufort and go to wuk in cotton house (gin.) De Yankee pay we for wuk and I tek my money and buy twenty acre ob land on Parri Islandt. I ain't had dat land now 'cause de Government tek em for he self and me me move. (This was when the Government bought Parris Island for a naval station.)
I been hab two husband. De fust name Sephus Brown. How I 'member w'en he die, it been de year ob de ninety-tree storm. My odder husband been Cupid Heyward - he daid (dead) too.
I hear tell ob de Ku Klux, but I nebber shum (see them). I don't know nuting 'bout no night rider.
See um sell slabe? I see um. Dey put um on banjo table and sell um just lak chicken. Nigger ain't no more den chicken and animal, enty? (isn't it so?)
Abraham Lincoln? Sho' I 'members him. He de one w'at gib us freedom, enty? He come to Beaufort. He come 'fo de war. He sho been one fine man. He come to Beaufort on uh ship and go all 'round here, but I nebber shum.
Jefferson Davis? No I nebber hear ob him. Booker T. Washington. I 'members him. I hear him mek speech in Beaufort. It been uh beautiful speech. Dat been one smaa't colored man.
W'at I t'ink 'bout slabery? Huh - nigger git back cut in slabery time, enty?
Does I hate Mr. Blunt? No, I ain't hate um. He poor white trash but he daid now. He hab he self to look out for, enty? He wuk, he sabe he money for buy slabe and land. He git some slabe, but he nebber git any land - de war cum.
(Project #-1655, Mrs. Genevieve W. Chandler, Murrells Inlet, S. C., Georgetown County, FOLKLORE)
Heywood, Maria -- Additional Interview
(Waccamaw Neck, SC, Georgetown County. W. Chandler, Mrs. Genevieve, Oct 1938)
"Money sent here to help the poor, needy, destiny (destitute) people. If my blind girl not need help and I not need help, WHO DO?
"We goin' trust God and suffer together. I know when Lincoln shoot the chain of slavery off my neck. And I hear the gun. I hear SHOOT and the house shake and water shake out the glass. The gun shoot to Georgetown! "Joe gone. Zack gone. The same God there and I trust God and live on. Both Hess and Matt sick with high blood.
Soon as I bury, we don't know WHAT comin'. I see the hint of it now. My God tell me to tell (till) the earth! I can't sign 'gainst my land! The lady talk. She tell me I needy. I tell her 'YES'M'. But I can't sign 'gainst my land. If I just can hold on to my land! I a BURN CHILD. I BURN! I'faid! I'faid!
"A 'nother one come. A man come tell me I give $24 they'll rush that pension through. I have two white friend tell me not to sign NOTHIN'." Source: Aunt Maria Heywood Born before freedom Waccamaw Neck, Georgetown County Lived Sunnyside Plantation. October, 1938. (Holman, Gillam, Columbia, S.C., Stiles M. Scruggs, Columbia, S.C.)
