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ANNIE LITTLE, 81, was born a slave of Bill Gooden, in Springfield, Missouri. Her master owned a plantation in
Mississippi, and sent Annie's family there while she was a baby. Annie now lives in Mart, Texas.
"I's first a baby in Springfield. Dat in Missouri and dere am where I's birthed in January, 1856. My daddy and
mammy was Howard and Annie and dey 'longed to Massa Bill Gooden. He have de plantation in Missipp' and send
us dere while I's still de li'l baby. Dat am what day call de Delta now, and de cotton so high I clumb up in de trees to
reach de top of de stalks, and de corn so high a man on he mule only have de top he hat showin'.
"If us mind massa and missus, dey good to us, but if de hands lazy and not work don de overseer whop dem. When
dey run 'way he sot de bloodhounds on dem and dey clumb de tree. I's heared dem hounds bayin' de nigger up a tree
jes' lots of times. Massa never sold none my family and we stays with him till he wife die and he die, too.
"In de cold days de women spin and weave de cloth on looms. I stands by and pick up de shuttle when dey fall. Us
niggers all wore de clothes make on de spinnin' wheel, but de white folks wore dresses from de store. Dey have to
pay fifty and seventy-five cents de yard for calico den.
"Den de war come. I 'member how massa come home on de furlough and when word come he on de way, us all git
ready for de big cel'bration. Dey kilt de yearlin' or hawg and all us niggers cook for de big feast. Sometimes iffen he
stay a week, we jes' do nothin' but eat and cook.
"Dem de good old days, but dey didn't last, for de war am over to sot de slaves free and old massa ask if we'll stay
or go. My folks jes' stays till I's a growed gal and gits married and has a home of my own. Den my old man tell me
how de Yankees stoled him from de fields. Dey some cavalry sojers and dey make him take care of de hosses. He's
'bout twict as old as me, and he say he was in de Bull Bun Battle. He's capture in one battle and run 'way and 'scape
by de help of a Southern regiment and fin'ly come back to Mississip'. He like de war songs like 'Marchin' Through
Georgia,' but bes' of all he like dis song:
"'I ain't gwine study war no more, I gwine lay down my burden, Down by de river side, Down by de river side.
"'Gwine lay down my sword and shield Down by de riverside, Down by de riverside.
"'I ain't gwine study war no more, Gwine try on my starry crown, Down by de river side, Down by de river side.'
"Well, he done lay he burden down and quit dis world in 1916.
"Do I 'member any hant stories? Well, we'd sit round de fire in de wintertime and tell ghos' stories till us chillen
'fraid to go to bed at night. Iffen I can 'lect, I'll tell you one. Dis story am 'tout a old. haunted house, a big, old house
with two front rooms down and two front rooms up and a hall runnin' from back to front. In back am de li'l house
where Alex, massa's boy what kep' he hoss, stay.
"Dis big house face de river. Old Massa go to war and never come back no more. Old missy jos' wait and wait, till
fin'ly dey all say she as weak in de head. Every day she tell de niggers to kill de pig, dat massa be home today.
Every day she fix up in de Sunday best and wait for him. It go on like dat for years and years, till old miss am gone
to be with old massa, and de niggers all left and dere am jes' de old house left.
"One day long time after freedom Alex come back, and he hair turned white. He go up de river to de old plantation
no tell Old Miss dat Old Massa gone to he Heavenly Home, and won't be back to de old place. He come up to de old
house and de front gate am offen de hinges and de grass high as he head, and de blinds all hangin' sideways and
rattle with de wind. Dey ain't no lightnin' bug and no crickets on de fireplace, jes' de old house and de wind
a-blowin' through de window blinds and moanin' through de trees.
"Old Alex so broke up he jes' sot down on de steps and 'fore he knowed it he's asleep. He saw Old Massa and hisself
gwine to war and Old Massa an on he white hoss and he new gray uniform what de women make for him, and de
band am playin' Dixie. Old Alex seed hisself ridin' he li'l roan pony by Old Massa's side. Den he dream o after de
battle when he look for Old Massa and finds him and he hoss lyin' side by side, done gone to where dare ain't no
more war. He buries him, and ---den de thunder and lightnin' make Alex wake up and he look in Old Miss' room
and dere she am, jes' sittin' in her chair, waitin' for Old Massa. Old Alex go o talk with her and she fade 'way. Alex
stay in he li'l old cabin waitin' to tell Old Miss, and every time it come rain and lightnin' she allus sot in her chair
and go 'way 'fore he git in her room. So On Alex fin'ly goes to sleep forever, but he never left he place of watchin'
for Old Miss.
"De white folks and niggers what live in dem days wouldn't live in dat big, old house, so it am call de 'hanted house
by de river.' It stands all 'lone for years and years, till de new folks from up North come and tore it down." (See
picture of house at end of story.)
"I well 'lect my old man sayin' how de steamboat come whistlin' up de river and all de darkies go to singin',
'Steamboat Comin' Round de Bend.' Dis am in de cotton patch jes' 'yond de hanted house and de steamboat whistle
mean time to go to dinner. Dat am de Little Red River up in Arkansas, where my old man, Dolphus Little, am
birthed, right near de hanted house.
"Dolphus and me marries in Missipp' but come to Texas and lives at Hillsboro on Massa John Willoughby's farm.
We has ten chillen and I'm livin' with my baby boy right now. I'll tell you de song I gits all dem chillen to sleep
with:
"Mammy went 'way - she tell me to stay. And take good care of de baby. She tell me to stay and sing disaway, O, go
to sleepy, li'l baby.
"O, shut you eye and don't you cry, Go to sleepy, li'l baby, 'Cause mammy's boun' to come by, O, go to sleepy, li'l
baby.
"We'll stop up de crack sand sew up de seams, De booger man never shall cotch you. O, go to sleep and dream
sweet dreams, De booger man never shall cotch you.
"De river run wide, de river run deep, O, bye-o, sweet li'l baby. Dat boat rock slow, she'll rock you to sleep, O,
bye-o, sweet li'l baby.
Chorus
"O, go to sleepy, sleepy, li'l baby, 'Cause when you wake, you'll git some cake. And ride a li'l white hossy. O, de li'l
butterfly, he stole some pie, Go to sleepy, li'l baby. And flew so high till he put out his eye, O, go to sleepy, li'l
baby.
Little, Annie -- Additional Interview Interview with, Annie Little, Mart Texas.
"I was fust a baby in Springfield Mo. In January 1856. My manny an' Daddy was Howard an' Annie Gooden an'
belonged to Bill Gooden. Bill Gooden had a plantashun in Missipp whar he sent us wen I was a small chile.
"I was des a gal befo' de war was over but I kin member lots of de things dat happen in dose days. Fust dat I tink of
was how de ole Massa an' de udder men dat liv clos by would cum home on dere furlo's, de niggers would be in de
fiels a cuttin de wood fur de winter, or cuttin de trees offen de lan fur to be ready to go to plowin wen spring come's.
Den de word would come dat Ole Massa is home an' for us all to git ready for a big celebrashun. Dey would kill a
yearlin or hog or sheep an' den we niggers would all go to cookin for de big feas'. Sometimes effen he stayed for a
week we would jes do nuttin but eat an' cook.
"In de cold winter we women would spin on de ole spinnin wheel, an' weave de cloth on de looms. I members how I
would stand by de looms an' pick up de shuttles wen dey fell to de flo. We niggers all wore de clos' dat dey make on
de spinnin wheel, but de white folks wear dresses bot from de sto' sometime. Dey had to pay fifty an' seventy-five
cents a yard fur calico.
"I lived in de Missippi valley, dat dey call de Delta now. De cotton was so hi dat I clum up in de trees to reach de
top of de stalks, de cawn was so high dat a man on his mule only de tops of dere hats would show. We mos always
had plenty of rain an' did not have de worms like dey do now. What do I member bes? De ole white preacher wen
he comes preach fur us, we sang de ole songs dat go like dis. "Deres room enuf in Hebben fur us all, sinner don stay
away. Deres room enuf in Hebben fur us all, sinner don stay away, etc," udder songs would go like dis,
"Burden down, Burden down, Lawd since I laid my burden down, Yes, Lawd, burden down, burden down, O Lawd
since I laid my burden down, weepin Mary weep no mo, Since I laid my burden down."
"De song leader would sway fus dis way an' den dat a way, clos his eyes, swing in of his arms an pattin of his feet,
fust sing soft an low, Den way up high, an we'uns all did jes follow him and sway an swing an sing soft an low, den
loud an strong an bimby ole sister ober in de corner would start to shoutin, "praise de Lawd, Ise gwine home to de
Lawds house," an dey all starts to singing dis old song, "Ise gwine home, to die no mo, to die no mo, Ise gwine
home to Hebben, to die no mo." Den we'uns get so happy a thinkin of dat Hebbenly home we all gets to shoutin an
singins, "Halleujah," an we's so happy we furgits wat time it is an finally de rooster crows an its time to go home an
go to wuk, don feel much like wurkin, but it in de summer time wen we have de camp meetins an so we don hab to
do much wuk.
"Yes dem wa de good ole days, but dey dinna last, fur de war was over fur to set de slaves free an den ole Massa
axes us if we wants to stay wid him or go an wuk fur some one else, an my folks jes stay wid de ole Massa until I
was a gron gal an gets married an has a home of my own. I has offen heard my ole man tell about how wen he was
jes a boy in his teens, de Yankees stole him from de fiels. Dey was some Cavalry Soljers, an dey made him take ker
ob de horses. He say he was in de Battle of Bull Run, he was 'bout twice as ole as me, he was captured in one battle
an' he run away an made his escape with the help of a Southern Regiment, he finally kum back to us in Missipp. He
used to tell us how his ole Massa made him grind de corn an how he planted de cotton wid de oxen. I has hoped him
to plow and has driven as many as four oxen at a time.
"I don member any very mean things dat de white foks done to us, if de niggers minded de Massa an Missus dey
was good to dem mo's ob de time but if dey wus lazy and would not wuk, den dey let de overseer whip dem and
make dem work, dat was when some of dem run away. Den de overseer would set de blood houns on de nigger who
ran away an offen dey would katch dem dey would mos always clim' a tree and could not come down till de head
man in de hunt would come an call de dogs off. I has heard de hounds baying when dey had a nigger up a tree jes
lots of times.
"When de Massa decided he had more slaves den he needed he would have an auction an put dem up on de block an
sell to de highest bidder. But he never sold any of my folks, kase he said we did de way he tol' us to do. We stayed
wif him until he died an his wife went back to Missourri to live.
"My ole man liked the lo war songs like "Marching thro' Georgia," and Blow de Bugle boys," but bes of all he like
dis song.
"I aint gwine study war no more" I gwine to lay down my burden, Down by the riverside Down by the riverside,
Down by the riverside, Gwine to lay down my burden, Down by the riverside, Gwine to lay down my burden,
Down by the riverside, to study war no more. "I aint gwine study war no more, Aint gwine study war no more, Aint
gwine study war no more, Aint gwine study war no more, Aint gwine study war no more. "Gwine to lay down my
sword and sheil, Down by the riverside, Down by the riverside, Down by the riverside, Down by the riverside,
Gwine lay down my sword and sheil, Down by the riverside, To study war no more. Chorus: "I aint gwine study
war no more, I ain gwine study war no more, I aint gwine study war no more, I aint gwine study war no mo "Gwine
try on my starry crown, Down by the riverside, Down by the riverside, Down by the riverside, Gwine try on my
starry crown, Down by the riverside, Down by the riverside. "I aint gwine study war no more, I aint gwine study
war no more, etc,"
"Well he done lay his burden down and quit dis world in 1916. Do I member any hant stories? Well we used to sit
roun' the fire in de winter time and tell ghos stories until we chilluns would be fraid to go to bed at night. Effen I kin
recollict, I will try to tell you one ob dem. Dis Ghost story is 'bout an ole Hanted house, It was a big ole house wif
two front rooms down stairs an two front rooms upstairs. Bof' floors had a hall between de rooms an de back had an
ell run out wif a dinin' room an kitchen an back of dat de house dat Alec, de Massa's boy who kep his hoss stayed.
"De big house faced de ribber an jes a road twixt it an de ribber. De ole Massa dat lived dar never come back from
de war an ole Missus jes waited an waited, 'till finally dey all say dat she is des weak in de head. Ebery day she tells
de niggers to kill de pig dat "de Massa be home today," an ebery day she fixes up in her Sunday best an wait's fur
him. Hit went on like dis 'till de ole Miss is gone to be wif ole Massa an de niggers all lef' an dar was jes de ole
house lef'.
"One day long time after Freedom Alec come back, he is an ole lookin man now, his hair has turned white, he goes
up de ribber to de old plantashun to tell ole Miss dat ole Massa gone to his Hebbenly home an wont be back to de
ole place, an dar was jes de ole house lef'. De front gate was offen its hinges, de grass in de yard was as high as his
head, de winder blin's des hangin all sideways an rattled when de wind blew, dey want no lightnin bugs an dey want
no crickets on de fireplace. Jes de ole house an de wind ablowin thro' de winder blinds, an des moanin thro de trees.
"Ole Alec was so broke up, he jes set down on de steps an fore he knowed it he was asleep. He saw once more ole
Massa an hisself going to de war, Ole Massa on his white horse an in his new gray uniform what de wimmen made
fur him an de band a playin "Dixie". An all de foks in de country dar to see dem go to de war to whip de Yankees.
Ole Alec could see hissef riding his little roan pony by ole Massa's side. How happy he was 'n den he dreamed ob de
days after de battle wen he looked for ole Massa until he found him an his hoss lyin side by side done gone to where
de aint no more war. How he buried him an den went back to tell ole Miss, as he lay dare on de steps a dreamin de
thunda woke him up, an den de rain came, and de lightnin made de light in ole Miss room. Ole Alec looked in and
dar she was, jes a sittin in her cheer waitin fer de Massa.
"Ole Alec went to de door to tell her bout it all an she jes faded away, dar war de cheer, but ole Miss done gone
back to her hebbenly home, For year's Alec stayed in his little cabin waitin to tell Ole Missus, but when de rain an
de lightning would come she allus would come sit in her cheer an go away befo' he could get in de room. So ole
Alec finally went to sleep forever but he never left his place of watching for ole Miss.
"De white foks an de niggers who lived in dose days would not live in de house an so it was called, "De hanted
house by de ribber." It stood all alone for years an years until de new folks from up Nawth come an tore it down.
"I well recollict my ole man saying how de Steamboat would whistle up de ribber an how de darkies would go to
singing, "Steamboat Comin Roun' de Bend," Dis was in de cotton patch jes beyon' de hanted house an de whistle ob
de Steamboat meant time to go to dinner. My ole man Dolphus Little, was born in Arkansas on de Little Red Ribber
near whar de old hanted house stood. His gran-pappy was Dolphus Williams an he took his name from Massa who
was a plantashun owner on de ribber. I married Dolphus in Missipp an came to Texas an lived at Hillsboro on a big
farm, It belonged to Mr. John Williby. Dere was only two stores an a blacksmif shop. A Dr. Horne was our doctor
wen we suz sick. We had ten chulluns, six are still livin. I am livin with my baby boy now. I raised my babies by my
self an we did not have much sickness when dey was little. "Yes'm I remember de songs dat I sang to dem, one went
liken dis,
"Mammy went away---she tol' me to stay, An take good keer of de baby,
She tol' me ter stay an sing dis away, O, go ter sleepy, little baby; Chorus, O, go to sleep; Sleepy little babe, Oh, go
ter sleepy little baby, Kase when you wake, you'll git some cake, An ride a little white horsey; "O, de little butterfly,
he stole some pie--- Go ter sleepy, little baby; An he flew so high twel he put out his eye--- O, go to sleepy, littly
baby. Chorus, Oh, shut your eye, an don you cry--- Go to sleepy, little baby, Kase mamays boun' fur to cum bineby,
Oh, go to sleep, Little baby.
"We'll stop up the cracks and sew up the seams--- De booger man never shill ketch you, Oh, go to sleep an dream
sweet dreams--- De Booger man never shill ketch you. Chorus, You shall hear dem silver bells ring--- Bye-oh,
sweet little baby, You shill hear sweet angels sing--- Oh go ter sleepy, little baby.
De ribber run wide, de ribber run deep--- Oh Bye-oh, sweet little baby, Dat boat rock slow---she'll rock you to
sleep, Oh bye-oh sweet little baby."
"Den I used to sing bout de birds an de trees to de little chillun.
"Little brown birdies, fyin aroun', Up in de tree tops, an down on de groun' Come to my winder, Little birdies come,
See I will give you, Many a crum'.
"All de birdies, fly away, Chirpin an singin, I cannot stay, For in de tree tops, dar is a nest, Would'nt you likes, to
come here an rest?"
"What did we do when de chillun was little fur dar good times? Well dey had parties when dey was a growin up, an
den when dey was grown dey had dances. We had a good little school in de country near Hillsboro whar dey went
to school.
At de parties dey played de ole games. One was "De one I likes de bes". It was played by dancin in a ring holding
hans an singing dis song.
"Now while we dance an sing, Oh choose your partner from de ring, Oh choose a lady you like de bes, O pick er out
from de res'.
Fur er hansem' face an figure neat, O pick er out to kiss er sweet. O walk wid er round an roun, an kneel wid er
upon de groun.
O kiss er once an one time mo', O, kiss er sweet an let er go. O lif er up from offen de groun', an all jine hans roun
an roun,
An while we dance an sing, O choose er partner from de ring. With this ole song dey choose dar partners and dance
roun de ring, Dey walks aroun, an den dey kneels an when dey say, Kiss er once, he kisses er an at the word one
time mo' de kiss is over again, an so it goes on with de song."
When de chillun gets grown dey goes to de big meetings in de summer an dances in de winter. When de fall comes
dey goes to de fields and picks cotton, an when de cotton crop is over where we lived, den dey goes to other places,
Sometimes East Texas and sometimes West Texas. Dey has a good time den, for dey mets de niggers from all over
de state and dey have races just befor' de sun goes down to see who gits through fust, an den dey sing de cotton
pickin songs, like dis, What did dey sing as dey picked? Jes' songs like Old Black Joe, Like dis,
"Gone are de days when my heart was young an gay, Gone are my frien's from de cotton fiel's away, Gone from de
earth to a better lan' I know, I hear dar gentle voices calling, Old Black Joe."
And dis, "Weep no more my lady, Oh weep no more today We will sing one song for de Old Kaintucky home For
de old Kaintucky home, far away."
And it was far away in dose days, why it took mos a month or two to go in our wagons, when we went back to ole
Mississipp. "How did dey sing? Well mos' like dey do now, only dey sang more in de cotton patch dan now, an dey
would all sing togedder as dey picked de cotton an keep time to de song with the motion of dere bodies bending low
ober de stalks wen de song went low den up high, wen de song would go high. Dey don' do dat way no more. When
we comes home den we would take de money an buy us some new clo's, fur our boss man would buy what we eat.
"De song I like de bes' It was, "Way down upon de Swanee ribber, Far, Far, Away, Der's where my heart am turning
eber, Dere's where de ole folks stay All up an down de whole creation, Sadly I roam, Still longing for de ole
Plantation an for de ole folks at home, Chorus, All de world am sad an dreary, every where I roam, Oh darkies how
my heart grows weary, far from de ole folks at home.
"Yes'm dem was de good ole days, I am jes a waitin for de Lawd to take me whar I hopes to meet my ole man an ole
Massa an ole Missus and de chillun dat have done gone on, an all de ole folks when we was all togedder an so
happy an so gay.
Dis is a good country but it never can be like de ole days to me. I read de Bible an I aims to be ready when de time
comes to go on, What do I like to read de bes? De twenty third Psalm.
"De Lawd is my shepherd, I shall not want,
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; he leadeth me besides still waters. He restoreth my soul; he leadeth me
in the paths of rightiousness for his names sake.
Yea tho I walk thro the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod an they staff
they comfort me.
Thou preparest a place for me in the presence of mine enemies, Thou annoinest my head with oil; my cup runneth
over, Surely goodness an mercy shall follow me all de days of my life; an I will dwell in de house of de Lawd
forever;"
Dat Psalm says it all, for what I am looking forward to an for what he has been my shepherd all de days of my life."
Dibble, F.W. Grey, Bernice, P.W. Beaumont, Jefferson, Dist. #3 (September 12, 1937 (Yes))
