NANCY KING, 93, was born in Upshur County. Texas, a slave of William Jackson. She and her husband noved to
Marshall. Texas, in 1866. Nancy now lives with her daughter, Lucy Staples.
"I was borned and raised on William Jackson's place, jus' twelve miles east of Gilmer. I was growed and had one
child at surrender, and my mother told me I was a woman of my own when Old Missie not us free, jus' after
surrender, so you can figurate my age from that.
"My first child was borned the January befo' surrender in June, and I 'nembers hosing in the field befo' the war come
on. Massa William raised lots of cotton and corn and tobacco and most everything we et. I never worked in the
field, 'cept to chase the calves in, till I was most growed. Massa was good to us. Course, I never went to school, but
Old Missie sent my brother, Alex, two years after the war, with her own chillen.
"I was married durin' the war and it was at church, with a white preacher. Old Missie give me the cloth and dye for
my weddin' dress and my mother spun and dyed the cloth, and I made it. It was homespun but nothin' cheap 'bout it
for them days. After the weddin' massa give us a big dinner and we had a time.
"Massa done all the bossin' his own self. He never whipped me, but Old Missie had to switch me a little for piddlin'
round, 'stead of doin' what she said. Every Sat'day night we had a candy pullin' and played games, and allus had
plenty of clothes and shoes.
"I seed the soldiers comin' and gwine to the war, and 'members when Massa William left to go fight for the South.
His boy, Billie, was sixteen,
and tended the place while massa's away. Massa done say he'd let the niggers go without fightin'. He didn't think
war was right, but he had to go. He 'serts and comes home befo' the war gits goin' good and the soldiers come after
his. He run off to the bottoms, but they was on hosses and overtook him. I was there in the room when they brung
him back. One of them says, 'Jackson, we ain't gwine take you with us now, but we'll fix you so you can't run off till
we git back.' They put red pepper in his syee and left. Missie cried. They come back for him in a day or two and
made my father saddle up Hawk-eye, massa' best hoss. Then they rode away and we never seed massa 'gain. One
day my brother, Alex, hollers out, 'Oh, Missie, yonder is the hoss, at the gate, and ain't nobody ridin' him.' Missie
throwed up her hands and says. 'O, Lawdy, my husban' am dead!' She knowed somohow when he left he wasn't
comin' back.
"Old Missie frood us but said we had a home as long as she did. Me and my husban' stays 'bout a year, but my folks
stays till she marries 'gain.
"My brother-in-law, Sam Pitman, tells us how he put one by the En Kluxers. Him and some niggers was out one
night and the Kluxers chases than on hosses. They run down a narrow road and tied four strands of grapevine 'cross
the road, 'bout breast high to a hoss. The Kluxers come gallopin' down that road and when the hosses hit that
grapevine, it throwed them every which way and broke soae their arms. Sam used to laugh and tell how them
Kluxers cussed them niggers.
"He and my husban' come to Marshil the year after surrender, and I is lived here every since. My man works on
farms till he got on the railroad. I's been married four times and raised six chillen. The young people is diff'rent from
what we was, but diff'rent times calls for diff'rent ways, I 'spect. My chillen cllus done the best they could by me.
King, Nancy -- Additional Interview
Nancy King, an aged Negro woman of Marshall was born in 1844, in what is now Upshur County, Texas, as a slave
of William Jackson. Nancy was married and had one child at Emancipation. She and her husband left the Jackson's
in 1866, moving to Marshall, where she still resides. Nancy has been married four times and reared six children to
be grown. She now lives with Lucy Staples, a married daughter, in Gregg Addition and received a $9.00 per month
old age pension.
I was bo'n and raised in Upshur County on William Jackson's place, twelve miles east of Gilmer. I don't know just
how old I is, but I was grown, married and had one child at surrender. My mother told me I was a woman of my
own when Mistress sot (set) us free. That was just after surrender, so you can "figurate" my age from that.
My first child was bo'n in January 'fore surrender in June. I 'members hoeing and working in the fiel' 'fore the war
come on. I was married at church two miles off the place by a white preacher. My Mistress give me the cloth and
dye for my wedding dress. My mother weaved and dyed the cloth, and I made my own dress. It was home spun, but
warn't anything cheap 'bout it. It was a fine dress for them days. After the wedding, my Master give us a big dinner
there on the place and we had a time. We didn't dance, cause I never danced a foot in my life. My Mistress was
religious and didn't 'low dancing on the place. She give the girls a candy pulling on Saturday night, and we played
games. Master William had a right big place, but few slaves. My father's family was all the hands he had. He didn't
have no overseer or Driver. He done all the bossing his self, I'se never been whipped by a slave. My Master and
Mistress done all the whipping. They didn't disfigure their darkies like some of the owners. We was allus whipped
standing up. Master William never whipped me, but Mistress put it on me lots of times for piddling round stead of
doing what she say do.
I never went to school in my life, but I used to take dinner to school to Mistress' chil'ren. My brother, Alex, had two
years of schooling after the war. Mistress sent him with her chil'ren.
Master William raised lots of cotton and co'n and tobacco. Most everything we et was raised on the place. My
mother said that we was "Pure" slaves, and old Master and Mistress was good to us and led us up to be honest and
religious. I 'fessed religion when I was quite a young girl, and has been living by it ever since.
We allus had plenty of clothes and shoes. I didn't like them brogan shoes. They was devilish things to wear. I never
worked in the fiel', only to chase the calves in, till I was most a grown woman. Then I worked in the house and the
fiel' too. I'se weaved many yard of cloth, and was seamstress for Mistress. Dr.
Taylor's wife, here in Marshall, was my young Mistress. I help nuss (nurse) her and played with her and Mistress'
other chil'ren many a day. It's been so long I most forgot the games we played. I know there was "stealing sticks",
"hiding switches", and "Ellen Yard, Seven Stars".
I 'members seeing the soldiers coming and gwying (going) to the war. I 'members when Master William left to go
fight for the South. His boy, little "Billie", was 'bout sixteen years old when he left, and tended to the farm while
Master William was away. I knowed that they was fighting to free the darkies. I heard that from Master telling
Mistress that he'd set his slaves free without fighting. He didn't think war was right, but had to go. He deserted and
come home 'fore the war had got gwying good. I 'members when the soldiers come after him. He was watching for
them and run off to the bottoms, but they was on hosses and overtook him. I was there in the room when they got
back to the house with him. The General man of the soldiers say, "Jackson, we ain't gwying to take you now, but we
is gwying to fix you so you can't see to run off till we get back". They put red pepper in his eyes and left. Mistress
cried all the time they was gone. They come back for him in a day or two and made my father saddle up "Black
Hawk", his best hoss (horse) for him. Then they rode away and we never seed him agin (again). I was there in the
room with Mistress when my brother, Alex, come and hollered, "Oh, Missus,
yonder is "Black Hawk" at the gate and ain't nobody ridin' him". Mistress throwed up her hands and say, "Oh,
Lordy, my husband is dead". She knowed somehow when he left he warn't coming back.
After surrender, Mistress told us we was free to go if we wanted to, but had a home as long as she had a home. Me
and my husband stayed with her 'bout a year, but my fo'ks stayed till she married agin. (again).
I'll say, I'se seed the Ku Klux. They was everywhere. I'se heard my brother-in-law, Sam Pitman, tell 'bout how he
put one by the Ku Kluxers. Him and some more Niggers was out one night and the Ku Kluxers got after them and
chased them on horses. They run down a narrow road and tied four strands of grape vine across the road, 'bout
breast high to a hoss (horse) and then hid off in the bushes. The Ku Klux come galloping down the road, and when
the hosses run into the grapevine, it throwed them every which way and broke some of their arms. Sam used to
laugh and tell how them Ku Klux cussed him and the other Niggers.
Me and my husband come to Marshall a year after surrender, and I is lived here ever since. My man worked round
on farms till the railroads come through, then he railroaded till he died. I'se been married four times and raised six
chil'ren of my own, and four for my third husband.
I 'members when they had Progoe law here. There was more Niggers than white people. I'se heard my first husband
say that what the Progoe Marshal said was the gospel. I'se heard the men fo'ks speak of the stir-up at election, but
the wimmen didn't meddle with politics then like they do now.
I think the young race of our people is alright. They is got ways different from what I was used to when I was a girl.
I come up in a different generation. Different generations calls for different ways I spect. My grandchildren know
more now when they start to school than I knowed when I was a grown woman. My chil'ren is allus done the best
they could by me, so that's why I say I think the young race is alright.
Davis, Mrs. Wade (P. W.) Falls County, Texas ((Yes))