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SUSAN ROSS was born at Magnolia Springs, Texas, about 1862, a slave of Cheater Horn. Her features and the
color of her skin, together with a secretive manner, would point to Indian blood. She lives with a daughter in the
east part of Worth Quarters, a Negro settlement in Jasper, Texas, and is still active enough to help her daughter in
their little cafe.
"Susan Ross my name and I's born at Magnolia Springs durin' de war, sometime befo' freedom come, I guess 'bout
1862. Pappy's name Bob Horn and he come from Georgia, and mammy name Hallie Horn, and she think she part
Indian, but she ain't sho'. Cheater Horn our massa and he have big plantation at Magnolia Springs, and he kep' one
big family connection of slaves. Sometime he sold some of 'em and he sold my brother. Jack, and my aunt, too. My
other brother name Jim and Sam and Aaron and Bill Horn, and my sisters name Mandy and Sarah and Emily.
"Masse have li'l houses all over de plantation for he slaves. Massa and he folks punish dey slaves awful hard, and he
used to tie 'em up and whip 'em, too. Once he told my mammy do somethin' and she didn't and he tis and whip her,
and I skeert and cry. Mammy cook and work in de field.
"I jes' 'member I used to see sojers dress in blue uniforms walkin' all over de country watchin' how things goin'.
Massa want one my brothers go to war, but he wouldn't, so I seed him buckle my brother down on a log and whip
him with whips, den with hand saws, till when he turn him loose you couldn't tell what he look like. My brother lef'
but I don't know whether he went to war or not.
"I 'members when de men was goin' to war, somebody allus come git 'em. Lots of 'em didn't want to go, but dey has
to.
"Me go to school after us free. When my oldes' brother hear us is free he give a whoop, run and jump a high fence,
and told mammy goodbye. Den he grab me up and hug and kiss me and say, 'Brother gone, don't 'spect you over see
me no more.' I don't know where he go, but I never did see him 'gain.
"After freedom, pappy and mammy moves off to deyselfs and farms. I marry when I's fourteen and de Rev. George
Hammonds, he perform de ceremony. We marry quiet at home and I wore blue dress and my husband gran' black
suit. I have four chillen and five gran'chillen. My husban. he work here and yonder, on de farm and what he kin git.
"I's de widow now and gits $11.00 pension, but have only git it four times. I lives here with my daughter and us
make a li'l in dis yere rest'ran'.
"I never did see but one ghost, but I sho' see one. I cookin' at de hotel in town and have to git up and go down de
railroad track to my work befo' it git light, One mornin' a great, tall somethin'. tall and slender as a porch post, come
walkin' 'long. He step to one side, but he didn't have no feets. I reckon he have a head, but I couldn't see it. As I pass
him I didn't say nothin' and he didn't either. He didn't have time to, befo' I broke and run for my life. Dat's de onliest
ghost I ever see, but I often feel de spirits close by me.
Ross, Susan -- Additional Interview
Susan Ross is a slender old negress with bronze skin. Her thin lips and small features, together with the color of her
skin, and a quiet, secretive manner, indicate Indian. She was sure she did now know anything to tell, but after much
questioning, told an interesting story. She lives with a daughter in the east part of North Quarters, Jasper, is still
active, and helps about their little restaurant.
"Susan Ross is my name. I was bo'n at Magnolia Springs durin' de war, sometime befo' freedom come, I guess 'bout
1862. Fadder name was Bob Horn, and he come from Geo'gia. Mudder name was Hallie Horn. Chester Horn was
our marster. He hab big plantation at Magnolia Springs, and he kep' one big fambly connection of slaves. Sometime'
he sol' some of dem. He sol' my brudder, Jack, and my aunt to he brudder, Wes Horn. My other brudder' name was
Jim, Sam, Aaron and Bill Horn. My sister' name was Mandy, Sarah and Emily. Marster hab little houses all over de
plantation for de slaves."
"Marster and he folks uster punish de slaves awful hard. He want one of my brudder to go to de war, but he
wouldn', so I see 'im buckle my brudder down on a log and whip' 'im wid whips, den wid han' saws, 'til w'en he tu'n
'im loose, you couldn' tell w'at he look like. My brudder lef' but I don' know wedder he went to de war or not."
"I jes' do 'member my gran'parents. Don' 'member who dey b'long to. Marster usen to tie de res' and whip 'em, too.
Once, he tol' my mudder to do sumpin' and she wouldn', so he tie' and whip her. I skeert
and cry. Mudder cook' and wuk in de fiel'."
"I jes' 'member I uster see sojers dress in blue uniforms walkin' all over de country watchin' how t'ings goin'."
"Me go to school atter us free. W'en my ol'es' brudder dat at home, hear us is free, he give a whoop, run and jump a
high fence, and tol' mudder goodbye. Den he grab' me up and hug' and kiss me, and say, 'Brudder gone. Don' spec'
you ebber see me no mo'.' I don' know w'ere he go, but I nebber did see 'im ag'in."
"Our marster' w'ite folks didn' nebber go to chu'ch or read de Bible as I 'members."
"I 'members w'en de men was goin' to war, somebody would allus come and git 'em. Atter freedom, fadder and
mudder move' off to deyse'fs and farm. I marry w'en I's fo'teen. Rev. Geo'ge Hammonds, he perform de cer'mony.
We was marry quiet at my home. I wo' a blue dress, and my husban' wo' a dark suit. I hab fo' chillen and five gran'
chillen. I's a widow and gits 'leben dollars pension, but hab only git it fo' times. Us is Baptis'. My mudder' fav'rite
song, and de one she sing mos', run like dis:
'At dark of midnight w'en I rise, give me Jesus.
In de mawnin' w'en I rise, give me Jesus.'
Her fav'rite lull'by song was, 'Rock-a-Bye, Baby, on de tree top.'"
"I nebber seed but one ghos' but I sho' did see one. I was cookin' at de hotel in town, and hab to git up and go down
de railroad track to my wuk befo' it git light. One mawnin' a great tall sumpin', tall and slender as a porch pos', come
walkin' 'long. He step to one side, but
he didn' hab no feet. I reckon he had a head, but I couldn' see it. As I pass 'im, I didn' say nuffin', and he didn' eder,
He didn' hab time to, befo' I broke and run for my life. Dats de onlies' ghos' dat I ebber see, but I offen FEEL de
spirits close by me."
(Gauthier, Sheldon F., Tarrant County, Texas, District #7, 6 May 1937, (Yes)) "
