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Lucy Barnes, aged Negress, eighty-four years of age was born in Houston, Texas, a slave to the A. J. Burt's family.
She spent a large portion of her life in Columbus, Texas, coming to Abilene a few years ago. She is able to perform
her household tasks and gets about without the aid of a cane. She lives all alone in a shack in the "flat".
"I was bo'n on A. J. Burt's place at Houston, Texas. My marster didn't hab no plantation, jest a big house on a big
tract o' lan' an' lots ob cows an' kept a store. I 'members I milked nine cows ebery day. I min's the chillun fo' my
missie. Dat's my job. Wherever those chillun go, I go --- sleep with 'em at night an' keep de cover on 'em. We
played rag dolls an' stayed inside most the time. I nevah knew my mama, my grandma took care ob me an' my
brother. She was the cook an' was an ole woman an' died 'bout time ob freedom. I'se washin' my quilts dis mornin'
--- guess you neber see nobody wash with ashes. Back in slavery times we'd take our clothes down to de creek; we'd
wet 'em an' use ashes an' a battlin' stick. We didn't know nothin' 'bout no soap or washboards.
"I knows all about how hard dey were on de niggers. I'se seen 'em staked out in the boiling sun an' whipped with
cows' hides. My white fo'ks were hard on me! No'm, dey didn't treat me good. Didn't gib me nothin' to eat but co'n
pone an' so'ghum 'lasses. I was nevah 'lowed to be with other niggers 'ceptin' my grandma.
"I 'members well when ol' Genr'l McGrudder got shot down by de Yankees. Dey shot 'im cause he was keepin' us
niggers in slavery and said we couldn't be freed. Ole McGrudder had de finest house in Houston, an' a big coach an'
gol'en hosses; my, he was high an' fine, but de Yankees brought him down. I 'members when de word came to
prepah de groun' fo' his co'pse. Den me an' grandma was in de kitchen. She whispahs to me, 'Ole McGrudder kain't
hol' us slaves no more.' I 'members the fu'nrul --- I went 'long to take care ob de chillun. It was clear 'cross town de
line ob ca'ages an' coaches. Den dey put de co'pse in de grabe an' shots a cannon right into it an' bust de coffin.
(Perhaps this means the military service at the grave.) And his wife screams so loud an' den a soldier step to her side
an' say iffen she don't hush screamin' he puts her in de grabe too. (Possibly vivid imagination of old Negress.) Dat
night all de niggers slip out to de creek in de thicket. We take a big wash pot an' turn it fo' a sign to throw our voices
'way from town an' we shouted --- we prayed fo' our deliver.
"When de war was ovah --- I was 'bout fo'teen --- all de white fo'ks went to a gatherin' in de church. Den w'en dey
comed back, a white man came with a paper, he read it out to us, call us in de yard --- we didn't know --- even know
what he was readin' an'
grandsa say. 'Marster, what he say?' Den ol' Marster sez, 'You free, ever one, as I am.' I was standin' thar with my
milk pail an' I jest drap it on the groun' an' begin gettin' 'way. Missie hollar, 'Lucy come back he'ah, and milk de
cows.' I kept runnin' an' hollar back, 'Milk de cows yo'self!' I didn't like it dere an' now I could go an' I did! Yes,
ma'm. I went to Columbus an' begin cookin' in white fo'ks' homes an' cooks 'til I gits too ol'.
"I 'members how my ole grandma had to git up in de dead hours ob de night an' put on de skillet an' cooks up food
fo' de patterolers when dey was out searchin' fo' run-'way niggers an' come to our house an' make her fix 'em
sumpin' to eat. I'se seen patterolers whup niggers 'til dey'd fall on de groun' an' beg fo' dey Life."
Alfred E. Menn Travis County District 19 (November 20, 1937 (no))
