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BETTY POWERS, 80, was born a slave of Dr. Howard Perry, who owned Betty's family, several hundred other
slaves and a large plantation in Harrison Co., Texas. Betty married Boss Powers when she was only thirteen. She
now lives at 5237 Fletcher St., Fort Worth, Texas.
"What for you wants dis old nigger's story 'bout do old slavery days? 'Tain't worth anythin'. I's jus' a hard workin'
person all my life and raised de fam'ly and done right by 'em as hest I knowed. To tell the truf 'bout my age, I don't
know 'zactly. I 'members de war time and de surrender time. O's old 'nough to fan flies off de white folks and de
tables when surrender come. If you come 'bout five year ago, I could telt you lots more, but I's had de head mis'ry.
"I's born in Harrison County, 'bout twenty-five miles from Marshall. Mass's name am Dr. Howard Perry and next he
house am a li'l buildin' for he office. De plantation an awful big one, and miles long, end more'n two hundred slaves
was dere. Each cabin have one family and dere am three rows of cabins 'bout half a mile long.
"Mammy and pappy and us twelve chillen lives in one cabin, so mammy has to cook for fourteen people, 'sides her
field work, She am up way befo' daylight fixin' breakfast and supper after dark, with de pine knot torch to make
delight. She cook on de fireplace in winter and in de yard in summer. All de rations measure out Sunday mornin'
and it have to do for de week. It am not 'nough for heavy eaters and we has to be real careful or we goes hungry. We
has meat and cornmeal and 'lasses and 'taters and pees end beans and milk. Dem short rations causes plenty trouble,
'cause de niggers has to steal food end it am de whippin' if dey gits cotched, Bey am in a fix if dey can't work for
bein' hongry. 'cause it am de whippin' den, sho', so dey has to steal, and most of 'em did and takes de whippin'. Dey
has de full stomach, anyway.
"De babies has plenty food, so dey grow up into strong, portly men and women. Dey stays in de nursery whilst dey
mammies works in de fields, and has plenty milk with cornbread crumble up in it, and potlicker, too, and honey and
'lasses on bread.
"De massa and he wife am fine, but de overseer am tough. and he wife, too. Dat woman have no mercy. You see
dem long ears I has? Dat's from de pullin' dey gits from her. De field hands works early and late and often all night.
Pappy makes de shoes and mammy weaves, and you could hear de bump, bump of dat loom at night, when she done
work in de field all day.
"Missy know everything what go on, 'cause she have de spies 'mongst de slaves. She purty good, though.
Sometimes de overseer tie de nigger to a log and lash him with de whip. If de lash cut de skin, day puts salt on it.
We ain't 'low to go to church and has 'bout two parties a year, so dere ain't much fun. Lawd, Lawd, most dem slaves
too tired to have fun noway. When all dat work em finish, dey's glad to git in de bed and sleep.
"Did we'uns have weddin's? White man, you knows better'n dat. Dem times, cullud folks em jus' put together. De
massa say, 'Jim and Nancy, you go live together.' and when dat order give, it better be done. Dey thinks nothin' on
de plantation 'bout de feelin's of de women and dere ain't no 'spect for dem. De overseer and white mens took
'vantage of de women like dey wants to.
De woman better not make no fuss 'bout sich. If she do, it am de whippin' for her. I sho' thanks de Lawd surrender
done come befo' I's old 'nough to have to stand for sich. Yes, sir, surrender saves dis nigger from sich.
"When de war am over, thousands of sojers passes our place. Some camps nearby, and massa doctors dem. When
massa call us to say we's free, dere am a yardful of niggers. He give every nigger de age statement and say dey
could work on halves or for wages. He 'vises dem to stay till dey git de foothold and larn how to do. Lots stays and
lots goes. My folks stays 'bout four years and works on shares. Den pappy buys de piece of land 'bout five miles
from dere.
"De land ain't clear, so we'uns all pitches in and clears it and builds de cabin. Was we'uns proud? There 'twas, our
place to do as we pleases, after bein' slaves. Dat sho' am de good feelin'. We works like beavers puttin' de crop in,
and my folks stays dere till dey dies. I leaves to git married de next year and I's only thirteen years old, and marries
Boss Powers.
"We'uns lives on rent land nearby for six years and has three chillen and den he dies. After two years I marries
Henry Ruffins and has three more chillen, and he dies in 1911. I's livin' with two of dem now. I never took de name
of Ruffins, 'cause I's dearly love Powers and can't stand to give up he name. Powers done make de will and wrote on
de paper, 'To my beloved wife, I gives all I has.' Wasn't dat sweet of him?
"I comes to Fort Worth after Ruffin dies and does housework till I's too old. Now I gits de $12,00 pension every
month and dat help me git by.
Powers, Betty -- Additional Interview
Betty Powers. 80, 5217 Fletcher St., Ft. Worth, Tex., was born a slave to Dr. Howard Perry, who owned Betty's
parents, their 12 childrea. several hundred other slaves, and a large plantation in Harrison Co., Tex. Betty's family
remained three Yrs. on the place after they were Beancipated, then moved to a tract of land her father parchased.
She married Boss powers when she was but 13 Yrs. old. Three children were born to them before his death in 1876.
She married Henry Ruffins two Yrs. later. Three children were born to the second union before his death in 1911.
She now has three children living. One in Cal., and she resides with one of the two children residing in Ft. worth.
Her story:
"What fo' yous wants dis old nigger's story 'bout de old Slaver'y days? 'Taint worth anything. Ise jus' hard wo'kin'
person all my life. Raised de fam'ly, an' does right as best as Ise can by den.
"Now, to tell de truth 'bout my age, Ise don't know 'zactly. Ise 'meabahs de wah time. an' de surrendah time. Ise old
'nough to fan flies off de white fo'ks an' off de tables w'en dey eats, w'en surrendah comes. Ise 'membahs 'cause 'tis
de fust whuppin's Ise gits. 'Twas once w'en Ise failed to see some flies on de table, an' de Marster had comp'ny fo'
dinnah. De daughter tooks me up-stairs, an' use de whup on me. Mary am her name.
"Yas sar, Ise do de bestest Ise can to 'membahs fo' yous. If yous come 'bout five yeahs ago, Ise could tell lots mo',
but de last five yeahs, Ise had de head misery. My brain goes to wautah, so dat 'fects de mind.
"Ise bo'n in Harrison County, Texas. 'Twas 'bout 25 miles f'om Marshall. Ise 'membahs dat 'cause de Marster says
'twas dat, an' co'se, Ise lives in dat country 'til Ise grows up. Weuns warnt far f'om 'Weziana.
"Marster's name am Doctah Howard Perry. He am a doctah, so his wife an' de overseer looks after de place, an' sees
'bout de wo'k while he am 'way. Next to de Marster's house, am a small buildin' dat am used fo' de office. De Missy
am in thar mostest of de time. De cullud fo'ks warnt 'lowed to go to de house. If weuns wants to see de Marster, or
his wife, weuns have to go to de office.
"De plantation am awful big one. How many acres? Gosh fo' Mighty! why, 'twas mo' dan Ise could count. If yous
ask how many miles 'twas long, den m'ybe miles could be told, but Ise fo'gits de miles. De wautah on my brain
spoils my 'collection. De numbah of slaves am something 'gain. Ise fo'gits. Ise never 'membahs heahin'. M'ybe none
knows. 'Twas a whole lot, Ise knows 'twas mo' dan 200.
"De cullud fo'ks lives in de cabins. 'Twas called de "Quatahs". Now, in each cabin lives one fam'ly. 'Twas de
father, mother, an' de chilluns. Thar am 'bout as many chilluns as thar am grown-ups. Ise can shut my eyes now. an'
see dem rows of cabins. Thar an three rows. an' de rows am 'bout ha'f a mile long. Ever' fam'ly does its own cookin'.
Mammy, pappy, an' their 12 chilluns lives in our cabin, so mammy have to cook fo' 14 people, 'sides her field wo'k.
She am up 'way befo' daylight in de mo'nin' an' fixin' de breakfast, an' de suppah am fixed after dark. Day have to
use de pine-knot torch fo' to make de light so day can see. De cookin' an done in de fireplace in de wintah time. an'
in de yard, mostest of de summah time.
"All de rations an measured out on Sunday mo'nin'. What was given, have to do 'til next Sunday. Thar am plenty
diffe'nt rations, but 'twarnt 'nough fo' de heavy eaters. Weuns all have to be real careful, an' den some of de fo'ks
goes hongry sometimes. De Marster gives weuns meat, co'n meal. 'lasses, p'taters, peas, beans, milk, an' weuns gits
white flouah on Sunday no'nin'. Jus' 'nough fo' to make one batch of biscuits.
"De short rations caused lots of trouble, 'cause de niggers have to steal food. 'Twas a whuppin' if dey gits catched.
De cullud fo'ks am in a hell of a fix if dey can't do de wo'k 'cause dey am weak, even if dey an hongry. 'Twas a
whuppin' den fo' sho. If dey steals de food so dey stays strong an' can do de task, 'twas a whuppin'. So, thar 'twas,
mostest of dem
steals an' tooks a whuppin' if dey am catched, an' on a full stomach. My fo'ks don't have to steal food, but weuns am
careful, yous can jus' bet 'twarnt nothin' wasted.
"None of de infants suffers fo' de want of food, 'cause dey am fed twice a day in de nursery. Dat am de place whar
de younguns am left by de mothers while dey am at wo'k. De infants gits plenty of food. 'Twas mostly milk wid co'n
bread crumbled up in it, an' potliquor wid co'n bread fixed de same way. Den 'twas little honey an' lots 'lasses on
bread. 'Twas good rations 'cause all de kids am fat lak little pigs. Ise can shut my eyes now, an' see all dem
younguns a-sattin' 'round de big pans wid de wooden spoons, eatin' potliquor an' co'n bread.
"De cullud fo'ks on de Marster's place had it hard. Dey have to wo'k early an' late. Ever'body has de task laid out fo'
dem, an' dat deys have to do if it tooks dem all day an' night. Many's de time de fo'ks have to wo'k all night. 'Twas
de whuppin's if dey fails.
"De Marster am a sweet, fine man. 'Twas his wife an' de overseer dat am tough. Dat womens had no mercy. She am
a devil. Gosh fo' mighty!, how Ise hates her. Yous see dem long ears Ise have? Well, dat's f'om de pullin' dey gits
f'om her. Ise am wo'kin' 'round de house, keepin' flies off de fo'ks, gittin' wautah an' sich. Fo' ever'thing she don't
lak, 'twas a earpullin' Ise gits. 'Twas pull, pull, an' some mo' pull ever'
time she comes neah me.
"She gives de ordah to de overseer dat so much must be done. She says, "Ise want so an' so many pairs of shoes
made by sich an' sich time, an' it bettah be made if de wo'kers wants to keep f'om qittin' whupped. Yas sar, dey
makes all de shoes right dere. 'Twas my pappy's wo'k. Mammy wo'ked in de weavin' room. Many nights, yous could
heah de, "Bump, Bump", of de loom w'en nammy an wo'kin' to finish de task.
"She, 'twas a busy place. 'Twas lak a town wid de diffe'nt businesses. Thar am de blacksmith shop, shoeshop,
carpenter shop, de milk house, de Marster had 'bout 100 milk cows, de weavin' room, de gin, an' de feed mill. Did
yous ever see a hoss-powah machine? Well, 'tis fixed wid long sweeps, an' dey goes 'round an' 'round. Dat away, de
powah fo' to run de gin an' grind de grist am made.
"De Missy knows ever'thing dat am gwine on. She have de spies 'mong de cullud fo'ks. She tries to git me to report
to her, but she finds Ise not 'pendable fo' sich, den stops. Once, she sends me to de sewin' room to see if de womens
am wo'kin'. Some of dem am, an' some of dem aint. W'en Ise returns, Ise says, "Deys all wo'kin'". Yous see, Ise
raised by my mammy to tell nothin' Ise sees. Dat means to mind my own business.
"Now, 'bout de whuppin's, dey sometimes ties de nigger to a log an' den lash wid de whup. If de lash cuts de skin,
den
salt am put in de cut. De Marster says de salt am fo' to p'otect de cut, but Ise see de squirmin' dat it causes. If deys
have human feelin', 'twould be something else dat am used fo' to p'otect de cuts.
"If someone asks 'bout de good times weuns have, jus' tell den dat 'twarnt much. Weuns not 'lowed to go to church,
an' once in a while durin' de wintah, de Marster would 'lows de party. Weuns had couple fiddles fo' de music.
"Do weuns have de weddin's? White man, yous knows bettah dan dat. Dem times, de cullud fo'ks am jus' put
together. 'Twas as de Marster says. Him says, "Jim an' Nancy, yous go live together", an' w'en de ordah am given, it
bettah be done lak given. Dey thinks nothin' on de plantation 'bout de feelin's of de womens. No sar, thar warnt no
'spect fo' de womens. De overseer an' tudder white mens tooks 'vantage of de womens lak dey wants to. De women
bettah not make any fuss 'bout sich. If she does, 'twas a whuppin' fo' her. Ise sho thank de Lawd surrendah comes
befo' Ise old 'nough to have to stand fo' sich. Yas sar, surrendah saves dis nigger f'om sich.
"Ise don't 'membahs much 'bout de wah days. De wautah on my brain hurts my 'membrance. Befo' Ise have de
wautah, Ise could 'membahs mo'. Ise 'membahs Earl an' Jim, dat am de Marster's sons. Dey goes to wah, an' never
comes back 'cause both am killed.
"Ise have de good 'collection w'en de wah am over, an' de sojers comes home. 'Twas thousands passed weuns's
place. 'Twas as far as yous could see down de road. Dey am marchin' home f'om de wah. Some of den camps neah
de Marster's place one night, an' some gits sick. Marster brings two of dem to de house fo' to doctah dem.
"W'en weuns an put free. de Narster calls weuns to de qua'tahs. Ise never see so many cullud fo'ks in one crowd. De
yard am full. Deys fixed de table. Marster stands on dat, an' made a talk to weuns. He tells weuns dat weuns am
free, an' calls all de grown fo'ks, one by one. an' gives dem de statement 'bout de age an' sich. He tells dem dey
could wo'k land on half, or wo'k fo' wages if dey wants to stay. He 'vised dem to stay awhile, so deys could git a
foot-hold, an' larn how to do.
"Thar am lots dat stayed, an' some dat goes 'way. My fo'ks stayed fo' 'bout fouah yeahs. Father wo'ked land on
shares 'til he gits a foot-hold, an' den buys a piece of land 'bout five miles f'om thar.
"De land father buys aint cleared, an' 'twarnt any buildin's on it, so weuns all pitches in an' fixed a cabin. Was weuns
proud? Was weuns proud? Ise says weuns was w'en de cabins was done. Thar 'twas, our own home to do as weuns
please after bein' slaves. Dat am sho a good feelin'. After de cabin am built, weuns pitches in an' clears de land.
'Twarnt long 'til weuns am
fixed to put in a crop. Weuns wo'ked lak beavers puttin' de crop in, an' 'tendin' to it. Weuns watched it grow lak
'twas little chil's, 'cause it all b'longed to weuns. 'Twas ours. Ise de youngest, 'bout 12 yeahs old den. Ise tooks care
of de house while mammy wo'ks wid de tudders, doin' de outside wo'k. My fo'ks stays thar 'til dey dies. Ise don't
know what comes of de place, 'cause Ise left after Ise mai'ied. Ise mai'ied de next yeah after weuns moved. Sho, dat
am right. Ise jus' 13 yeahs old w'en Ise mai'ied de fust time. Ise mai'ied to Boss Powers. Weuns lives on rented land
'bout five miles f'om my fo'ks. Weuns lives together six yeahs, an' had three chilluns befo' he dies. 'Bout two yeahs
later, Ise mai'ied Henry Ruffins. He died 26 yeahs ago. Ise have three chulluns by Ruffins. One am livin' in
California, an' tudder two lives heah. Dey am de ones Ise lives wid now.
"Sho, my name am Powers. Ise never tooks de name of Ruffins, 'cause Ise dearly loved Powers. Co'se, Ise loved
Ruffins, but Ise loved Powers so Ise can't stand to give up de name. Powers made a will, an' he has wrote on de
paper, "To my beloved wife, Ise gives all Ise have". Warnt dat sweet of him? Well, Ise loved him, oh so much, Ise
could not give up his name. Dat's why Ise keeps it.
"Ise come heah to Fort Worth to live after my second husband dies. Co'se, Ise wo'ked. Ise do housewo'k 'til few
yeahs ago.
Now, Ise gits 512.00 pension ever' month. Dat helps me to git by, an' Ise sho needs it. Wid dis brain wautah. Ise sho
need it.
"Now, 'bout de klux. dem am devils. Ise don't have any fuss wid dem myself, but Ise knows tudder fo'ks dat does.
Weuns never sleeps in de house after de Klux gits so bad. 'Twas so bad all de cullud fo'ks 'round thar sleeps out in
de woods, or in ditches an' sich. Dey hides out ever'whar soon's dark comes, 'cause de Klux always comes in de
dark time. Dey whups de cullud fo'ks fo' nothin'. Jus' fo' de fun dey gits outer it. Dat's de kind of fo'ks de Klux whar,
'twas fun fo' dem to injure fo'ks. Dey burn some houses, an' destroyed property. Twice deys hung cullud fo'ks up by
de thuzbs. After awhile, de sojers comes an' puts a stop to it.
"Ise can't think of anymo' to tell. Dis wautah on my brain sakes it hard fo' me to think. Ise never votes. 'Twas
follishment to ask dis old cullud person to does sich. Why does Ise want to bother wid sich? De Lawd am gwine to
took care of sich, an' Ise jus' leave it wid Him. De Lawd tooks care of slavery widout dem votin', an' Him will lead
de way now fo' de cullud fo'ks.
(Gauthier, Sheldon F., Tarrant Co., Dist. #7, 9-12-37, (Yes))
