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"I was borned down in Austin County, Texas, August 10, 1857. Mammy was Lucindy Whitley an' she was de slave
ob Marse Tom Whitley an' Mis' Flora Whitley. Deir chillun was Marse Nath, Randolph an' Mis' Sarah, she was de
ol'est one ob de Whitley chillun. My two olest brudders was Peter McDade an' Monroe Washington. Atter slavery,
Mammy married George Washington. John McDade died 'fore de Freedom War. Dare was me, I was born a
Whitley 'fore Mammy married McDade. Ob de odder Washington chillun dare was Douglas, Harriet, Will, Ellen an'
Sarah Washington.
"Mammy was sont from Virginia to de South. W'en she was sixteen, she was sold on de block in Virginia fer debts
to a Marster Elliott. He sold her to anodder man an' dat man sold her to Marse Whitley. Marse Whitley had er big
frame house an' four or five house sarbants. He plantation had three or four hundred acres in it an' he owned
between seventy-five an' er hundred slaves w'en dey was freed. Some ob 'em had gone ter de war an' been kilt an' he
had sold some durin' de war. He made he slaves wukk hard but he did not cut 'em up wid de whip. His oberseer was
John Jackson.
"All de wimmin on de Whitley plantation but one er two had ter wukk in de fiel', in de house, de dairy, er whar dey
was needed. Mammy hauled wood, ploughed, wukked 'roun' de house, spun thread an' wove clothe, cooked, dyed
cloth an' whar ever Mis' Flora wanted her to wukk. Marse Tom had lots ob cattle an' hosses, mules an' sech on de
open range.
Some ob de men slaves was good cattle hands an' could rope an' brand wid de bes' ob 'em.
"Mammy was trained ter be a doctor. In dem days dey git deir medecine from de woods an' made deir salves,
liniment an' sech. Mammy larned me what she knowed 'bout doctorin'. Ole Mis' was mighty good ter de sick an' she
went far an' wide ter see ter de sick folks. Ebery night, come ebery boddy in bed an' she gwine slip outten de big
house an' make de 'rouns ob de quarters ter see effen eny body be sick an' she think Mammy got ter go erlong too.
"De slave quarters was erbout two hundred yards from de big house. Hit was er lot ob log cabins wid one room, er
gallery an' er stick an' dirt chimbley. De floors was dirt till by me by ole Mis' she git dem ter split de logs an' habe
plank floors. 'Tween de Marster's house an' de quarters was de oberseer's house, John Jackson. Hit was er four room
log house, er double log house wid a big hall clean through hit an' two lean to rooms ter cook an' eat in. Den dere
was a white washed log house not quite so large as Mr. Jackson's an' nearer ter de quarters an' de black oberseer
libed dar. Dar was barns, smoke houses, wash houses, de loom-house, whar dey spun an' wove an' made de clothes,
an' de shoe shop, an' de carpenter shop, an' de milk house, an' de harness room, whar dey mended de harness an'
gear an' on rainy days de men folks 'ud wukk dar an' swap yarns an' whittle er making different kinds ob things ter
use erbout de place. Dey whittled spoons, bowls, an' traps ter kotch de wild things, an' made nets an' things ter fish
wid an' sech. Marse jes raised er little cotton an' dat was picked from de seed by hand an' spun inter thread an' wove
inter clothes.
"Ole Mis' allers had er woman ter carry de eggs an' sot dem effen she wanted er lot ob pullets ter be hatched out; but
effen she wanted er lot ob friars an' roaster, den she had us take de eggs in a man's hat ter de nest ter sot dem. She
allers set de hens in de morning fer roosters and in de afternoon fer pullets.
"W'en I was er growin' up, de flocks ob wild turkeys nestin' in de trees close ter our cabin hab woke me up meny er
time. Dar was lots ob snakes in dat country in de early days an' still is. One time er black racer mos' run Mammy ter
deaf. She was er huntin' de calves, an' she heard er funny noise, an' looked behime her. Dar was er black racer, he
looked like he was six foot long. He took atter her, an' she run fas' ez she could 'till she git ter a stake an' rider fence
an' she clumb up on hit, de snake, he was er runnin' so fas' he jes slid under dat fence 'fore he knowed hit. Mammy
she clumb er tree dat was close ter de fence, an' she stay dar 'till she couldn't see nor hear dat snake. Den she ease
down an' jes fly home.
"Us made hoar hound tea an' hoar hound candy fer colds an' coughs. An' de mullein tea am good fer swellins in de
foots. De chilluns used ter hab de worms real bad an' Mammy an' me us git de jerusalem weed an cook hit in lasses
candy an' hit is good. Fer de toof ake, I gits de toof ache bark an' make a poultice outten hit an' some turpentine an'
put dat on de jaw, an' dat ole toof gwine quit hits hollerin'. Castor ile an' turpentime is ole time remedy. Effen you
put erbout ten drops ob turpentine in de castor ile hit won't gripe you, an' hit will take de soreness outten your body.
Effen you git de indigestion, jes' take about fifteen drops ob turpentine. You don' rub de turpentine on you, but jes'
pat hit on de jints, an' hit will run de rheumatism out.
"Us raised mos' all dat dar was ter eat. I allers had good luck wid er garden but den I plants wid de moon an' I
knows de signs. Effen you wants de pepper ter make good, be shore ter git de pusson good an' mad jes' befo' dey
plant hit er else git er redheaded pusson ter plant hit. Effen chillun plant de garden seed de plants will grow as de
chillun grow.
"Effen you take butter made on de furst day ob May an' mix hit wid de yolk ob an egg an' saltpeter, den roll hit inter
small pills an' eat dem, dat will cure conjurin'. Dis is de pow'ful stuff case de cow done bit off de top an' bottom ob
ebbery herb dat grows in de woods, so in dis May butter, you gits de bes' ob ebery plant, so dar ain't no conjurer kin
git de better ob hit.
"W'en you see er bad cloud an' hit jes' seems lak dat er bad storm is boun' ter come, git de axe and chop de groun' an
dis will cut de storm in two an' stop de storm. Effen you will kill de furst snake you see in de spring den you gwine
prevail ober you enemies. Mammy say dat de milk from de lef' side ob a mare an' oil from er hog's lef' jaw is er
shore cure fer de brown cheatom (consumption). I uses dat w'en de chillun hab de whoopin' cough an' hit cures dem.
Tea from de red oak bark will cure hiccoughs. Ter git rid ob warts, jes pick de wart wif er needle 'til hit bleeds den
put some ob dat blood on er leaf from er bean vine, den hide hit under a stone whar no one kin step ober hit, an' you
walk away backwards. De wart gwine go away.
"Pepper grass er poke berry am good ter open your system up (laxative). I makes er good salve by boilin' jimson
weed ter a pulp. Er good poultice ter draw out de aches an' pains is pure, fresh clay. Take an' mix hit wid water an'
make er poultice. Put dis on de place dat hurts an' as hit dries, hit will draw out de pain. W'en dars er dizeas dat
catchin' goin' 'roun' I gits some asafoetida an' put hit in er little bag an' wear hit 'roun' my neck. Some say dat ter
carry a red onion in de pocket will do de same thing. Effen you keep a sliced onion in de sick room it will keep
odders from gittin' sick.
"Dar jes' ain't nuffin' gwine be ez good ez ten drops ob turpentine in a glass ob hot water fer indigestion; Samson
snake root tea is shore good too. Marse Nath's an' Marse Randolph's lettle boys was sho' bad erbout gittin' bunged
up an' dey'd run ter Aunt Cindy an' effen she buzy, dey'd hunt Annie up, dat's me, an' want me ter fix up deir hurt
places. W'en dey git er black eye, I jes' mash er raw Irish tater up an' make a poultice outten hit an' bind dat on dey
eye, hit git all right soon. Dar was lots ob red bugs and ticks on de weeds, an' grass an' in de woods. De chillun on
de yard, allers er goin' bird er squirrel er rabbit huntin' an' w'en dey gits back home, dey come runnin' ter me er
hollerin' 'Sop us up good, Annie, I'ze jes' kivvered wid red bugs!' or mebby hit 'ud be ticks dey had. I allers make er
salve fer dis outten stewed elderberry flowers; stew them in real hog lard, none ob dis new-fangled cottonseed
compound, and let hit git cool. Dat gwine kill de bug an' he pizen an' cure dat spot. W'en young Marsters git grown
dey gwine wanter go see deir gals. An' effen dey had bad breaf' an' wanter sweeten hit up, dey gwine beg ole Annie
fer some ob her dollar-leaf tea, kase dat make de baddes' bref' smell like de new mown hay. Mammy allers say ter
wash yer face in dew fer nine mornins ter git rid ob de tetter, an' hit's de truf', hit'll cure tetter. I allers keep some red
sassafras tea on hand an' in de spring I gibs hit ter purify de blood an' fer mos' eny ailment. An my bes' liniment is
made from Samson snake root an' red coonroot mixed wid camphor or whiskey. Jes' rub dat on yer jints an' yer
gwine feel lak dancin' er jig. In dat lettle shaller pan is some barb-iron dat's er kinder moss, an' yer finds hit at de
foot ob de oak trees out in de woods. Hit's short, not long lak de gray moss. I keeps hit in a leetle water, kase too
much water gwine drown hit out. W'en er pusson am in eny kind ob trubble, I jes' 'nint dem wid dis an' hit will drive
de trubble erway. Dat's cross vine in dat odder pan an' hit's fer de same thing, only hit am bes' fer de fambly trubble.
"De folks down in Texas didn't seem ter hear 'bout de war bein' ober w'en de odder states up nearer de North did, er
else dat's what I hear folks say, dat us gits freed 'bout er year later dan de slaves in de ole states. De soljers comin'
home tolt Marster, an he calls all de slaves togedder an' tells dem dey's free. 'But you black nigger ain't gwine git my
land an' my things, an' yer ain't need ter make no sech motions. Effen yer want ter stay an' wukk fer me, all right, ef
not, git out an' do hit quick.' Some dem fool niggers, dey think dey gwine be big officers, an' go ter de legislature,
an' git de w'ite folkses' big houses an' some ob 'em say dey gwine hab dem er white woman. Well, dat cause trubble.
So de thing dey calls de Klan hit gits buzy an' dem niggers settle down ter wukk an' tend ter deir bizness. Ole Marse
had er lot ob he niggers dat want ter stay wid him. He say he can't take care ob all ob 'em an' he keep de olest an de
best wukkers. Marse Whitley gibe Mammy two cows, a horse, a mule, two wukk oxen, some chickens an' hogs an'
us stayed an' wukked fer him several years. Us kep' movin' erway an' er movin' back on his place till I was married.
Us fa'amed, share croppers.
"I'ze bin in Waco twenty six years er wukkin' 'roun' fer de w'ite folks. Dar bin er lot ob changes in de town since
den. All my w'ite folks er daid. De younger boys dey died in France an' de girls, dey grow up an' married. All my
brudders an' sisters am daid too. My chillun scattered an' I guess dey all daid now. I gits de gov'ment pension er I
jes' don' know how I'd lib nohow.
"W'en us libed in Rosebud, Texas, dar was one house dat us libed in dat sho' had queer thing goin' on eroun' hit. De
kitchen window 'ud slip up an' down. At night I'd shut hit up good an' tight an' long 'bout midnight, hit'd wake me
up er makin' er soun' lak someboddy er raising hit. Effen I'd light de lamp an' go in dar, hit would jes'
be lak hit was w'en I lef' hit ter go ter bed. One evenin' erbout sundown, me an' my little gran'son was er settin' on de
front steps er waitin' fer he mammy ter come from wukk. I looks down de road an' I seed er queer dark lookin' shape
er tippin' down de road torreds us. Hit was shaped lak er dog an' had er head lak er pusson. Hit was erbout de size
ob er middle sized dog. Hit come er tippin' 'long an' come on down de road an'went past us an' den 'roun de house
torred de kitchen. I sont de little boy to see what hit was doin'. An' jes' ez he git 'roun' de house, dat thing, hit went
up torreds de sky wid er big noise an' de little boy, he fell backward jes' lak he bin pushed hard. He fell backward,
lak someboddy had pushed him on de stommick. He fell back erbout four er five feet from de corner ob de house. I
was er settin' on de steps lak he lef' me, an' my body hit feel lak lead an' I couldn't move fer some time.
"I 'members dat dey cooked on fireplaces an' out door fireplaces fer a long time atter de Freedom war. Us had home
made fernichure. De cheers some was made ob willow limbs dat you git w'en dey young an' limber, an' some was
made ob tree trunks, cut out. De benches an' tables was ob split logs, jes' split dem in half. But us had all us could
eat. Marse Tom allers had two er three smoke houses an' dey was full ob side meat an' hog bones an' sech fer de
sarbants an' smoked bacon an' hams fer de big house. In us smokehouses dar was plenty lard an' cracklins an' barrels
ob 'lasses. An' bushels ob onions, apples, an nuts. De hikry nuts an' pecans was plentiful in de creek an' ribber
bottoms. De tater houses was allers full an' three er four ob dem. Ole Marse he er good liver an' he say he want he
cattle, hogs, niggers an' chilluns fat, no pore stuff 'roun' he place. Us git what we want outten de smokehous eny
time us want jes' so us don' waste noddin'. Dar was allers er big churn er buttermilk handy in de milk house an' de
cook gibe us chillun all us want.
"Everyboddy on de yard wear a long tail shirt till 'bout twelve er fo'teen, you couldn't tell de boy f'om de gal, cep'n
de w'ite folks. De lettle w'ite gurls, dey wore de splits in dey sunbonnet an' dis bonnet come 'roun' dey shoulders ter
keep dem w'ite. Der splits was strips ob paste board er thin shingle run in slits sewed in de crown ob de bonnet ter
make it stiff. Us chillun, w'ite an' cullud had our tasks ter do. Us'd bring in wood, an' tote water, an' help feed an'
tend ter de cattle an' hosses an' hogs, dat is de cullud one did, de w'ite one had lighter jobs in an' 'roun' de house. De
cullud chillun w'en dey git up purty good size 'ud pick er chop cotton, an' pull cane.
"Atter freedom, I cooks an' helps de w'ite wimmin. At furst I gits 'bout two dollars er week, but I has made as high
as seven dollars er week in my time. Since de depression, us sho' has had a hard time. Ain't noboddy whup us, an'
ain't noboddy house an' feed us neidder. In slavery time effen you behave an' do your wukk right was very few
slaves git whipped, but de las' few years ole man starvation he gwine kill you effen you don' watch out. No wukk,
an' no noddin'. De goberment pension helps dough.
"I married Jo Ware. He was er hard wukkin' nigger man an' he does right well. He died 'fore us git our home quite
paid out an' times I gits de bills fer medicine, doctors an' sech paid off dar ain't nuff' ter pay de home out an' I lost
hit. I'ze wukked fer de bes' families in Waco er nussin' an' cookin', washin' an' ironin' an' sech. De folkses hab bin
good ter an ole woman an' thanks my Lawd fer livin' so long.
(Liberato, Mary E. PW, Galveston, Texas. Dist. 6, 13 April 1937, (Yes))
