SLAVE NARRATIVES
A Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves
TYPEWRITTEN RECORDS PREPARED BY THE FEDERAL WRITERS' PROJECT 1936-1938 ASSEMBLED BY THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS PROJECT WORK PROJECTS ADMINISTRATION FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA SPONSORED BY THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
Illustrated with Photographs
WASHINGTON 1941
VOLUME XIV SOUTH CAROLINA NARRATIVES PART 2
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INFORMANTS
Eddington, Harriet 1 Edwards, Mary 2 Elliott, Rev. John B. 3 Elmore, Emanuel 10 Emmanuel, Ryer 11, 17, 22 Eubanks, Pen 27 Evans, Lewis 30 Evans, Phillip 34
Fair, Eugenia 38 Farrow, Caroline 39, 42 Feaster, Gus 43, 48, 54 Ferguson, Ann 72 Ford, Aaron 74 Foster, Charlotte 80 Franklin, John 84 Fraser, Emma 87 Frost, Adele 88
Gadsden, Amos 91 Gallman, Janie 97 Gallman, Lucy 100 Gallman, Simon 103, 104 Gary, Laurence 106 Gause, Louisa 107 Gibson, Gracie 113 Giles, Charlie 115 Gillison, Willis 117 Gilmore, Brawley 120 Gladdeny, Pick 124 Gladney, Henry 129 Glasgow, Emoline 134 Glenn, Silas 136 Glover, John 138 Godbold, Hector 143 Goddard, Daniel 149 Godfrey, Ellen 153, 159, 161, 164 Goodwater, Thomas 166 Grant, Charlie 171 Grant, Rebecca Jane 177, 183 Graves, John (Uncle Brack) 187 Greely, Sim 190 Green, Elijah 195 Green, W. M. 200 Grey, Adeline 203 Griffin, Fannie 209 Griffin, Madison 212 Grigsby, Peggy 215 Guntharpe, Violet 216
Hamilton, John 221 Hamlin, (Hamilton) Susan 223, 226, 233 Harp, Anson 237 Harper, Thomas 240 Harris, Abe 242 Harrison, Eli 244 Harvey, Charlie Jeff 247 Hasty, Eliza 252 Haynes, Dolly 258 Henderson, Liney 261 Henry, Jim 266 Herndon, Zack 271 Heyward, Lavinia 276 Heyward, Lucretia 279 Heywood, Mariah 282 Hill, Jerry 289 Hollins, Jane 291 Holmes, Cornelius 294 Horry, Ben 298, 308, 316, 323 Hughes, Margaret 327 Hunter, Hester 331, 335, 341
ILLUSTRATIONS =Facing page=
Ben Horry 298
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Project 1885-1 FOLKLORE Spartanburg Dist. 4 May 25, 1937
Edited by: Elmer Turnage
STORIES OF EX-SLAVES
"I was born in the town of Newberry, and was a servant of Major John P. Kinard. I married Sam Eddington. I was a Baker, daughter of Mike and Patience Baker. My mother was a free woman. She had her freedom before the war started; so I was not a slave. I worked on the farm with my mother when she moved back from town. Mama worked in town at hotels; then went back to the country and died. In war time and slavery time, we didn't go to school, 'cause there was no schools for the negroes. After the war was over and everything was settled, negro schools was started. We had a church after the war. I used to go to the white folks' Lutheran church and set in the gallery. On Saturday afternoons we was off, and could do anything we wanted to do, but some of the negroes had to work on Saturdays. In the country, my mother would card, spin, and weave, and I learned it. I could do lots of it."
=Source:= Harriet Eddington (86), Newberry, S.C. Interviewer: G.L. Summer, Newberry, S.C. May 20, 1937.
Project 1885-1 FOLKLORE Spartanburg Dist. 4 June 16, 1937
Edited by: Elmer Turnage
STORIES FROM EX-SLAVES
"I was born in the section of Greenwood County called 'the promised land'. My parents were Henry and Julis Watkins. I married Frank Edwards when I was young. Our master, Marshall Jordon, was not so mean. He had lots o' slaves and he give 'em good quarters and plenty to eat. He had big gardens, lots of hogs and cattle and a big farm. My master had two children.
"Sometimes dey hunted rabbits, squirrels, possums and doves.
"De master had two overseers, but we never worked at night. We made our own clothes which we done sometimes late in evening.
"We had no school, and didn't learn to read and write, not 'till freedom come when a school started there by a Yankee named Backinstore. Later, our church and Sunday school was in de yard.
"We had cotton pickings, cornshuckings and big suppers. We didn't have to work on Christmas.
"One of de old-time cures was boiling fever-grass and drinking de tea. Pokeberry salad was cooked, too. A cure for rheumatism was to carry a raw potato in the pocket until it dried up.
"I had 11 children and 8 grandchildren.
"I think Abe Lincoln was a great man. Don't know much about Jeff Davis. Booker Washington is all right.
"I joined church in Flordia, the Methodist church. I was 50 years old. I joined because they had meetings and my daughter had already joined. I think all ought to join de church."
=Source:= Mary Edwards (79), Greenwood, S.C. Interviewed by: G.L. Summer, Newberry, S.C. (6/10/37)
Project #1655 Stiles M. Scruggs Columbia, S.C.
A SON OF SLAVES CLIMBS UP.
The Rev. John B. Elliott, A.B.A. A.M., D.D., 1315 Liberty Hill Avenue, Columbia, S.C., is the son of slaves. He was born at Mount Olive, N.C., in 1869, and missed being a slave by only four years. His college degrees were won at Shaw University, Raleigh, N.C., and the degree of Doctor of Divinity was conferred on him by Allen University of Columbia, S.C.