Black Genealogy

Slave Narrative of Mattie Hariman

Person Interviewed: Mattie Hariman Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Place of Birth: Gunalis, Texas Date of Birth: January 2, 1859 Age: 78 I was born January 2, 1859, at Gunalis, Texas. My father’s name was William Tensley and my mother’s name Mildred Howard. They was brought from Virginia. I did have 8 brothers and sisters but all of them are dead. My Master was name William Henry Edward. Since I was too young to work I nursed my sisters’ children while they worked. The cooking was done all up to the general kitchen at Masters house and when slaves come from … Read more

Slave Narrative of Mary Grayson

Person Interviewed: Mary Grayson Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma Age: 83 I am what we colored people call a “native.” That means that I didn’t come into the Indian country from somewhere in the Old South, after the war, like so many Negroes did, but I was born here in the old Creek Nation, and my master was a Creek Indian. That was eighty three years ago, so I am told. My mammy belonged to white people back in Alabama when she was born, down in the southern part I think, for she told me that after she was a sizeable girl … Read more

Slave Narrative of Henry F. Pyles

Person Interviewed: Henry F. Pyles Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma Date of Birth: August 15, 1856 Age: 81 That’s how the niggers say old Bab Russ used to make the hoodoo “hands” he made for the young bucks and wenches, but I don’t know. ’cause I was too trusting to look inside de one he make for me, and anyways I lose it, and it no good nohow! Old Bab Russ live about two mile from me, and I went to him one night at midnight and ask him to make me de hand. I was a young strapper about sixteen years … Read more

Slave Narrative of Doc Daniel Dowdy

Person Interviewed: Doc Daniel Dowdy Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Place of Birth: Madison County, Georgia Date of Birth: June 6, 1856 Age: 81 I was born June 6, 1856 in Madison County, Georgia. Father was named Joe Dowdy and mother was named Mary Dowdy. There was 9 of us boys, George, Smith, Lewis, Henry, William, myself, Newt, James and Jeff. There was one girl and she was my twin, and her name was Sarah. My mother and father come from Richmond, Va., to Georgia. Father lived on one side of the river and my mother on the other wide. My … Read more

Slave Narrative of Hannah McFarland

Person Interviewed: Hannah McFarland Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Place of Birth: Georgetown, South Carolina Date of Birth: February 29, 1853 Age: 85 I was born in Georgetown, South Carolina, February 29, 1853. My father was name James Gainey and my mother was name Katie Gainey. There was three chillun born to my folks doing slavery. My father was a free man, but my mother was do slave of the Sampsons, some Jews. My father was do richest Negro in South Carolina doing this time. He bought all three of we chillun for $1,000 apiece, but dem Jews jest wouldn’t sell … Read more

Slave Narrative of Anthony Dawson

Person Interviewed: Anthony DawsonLocation: 1008 E. Owen St., Tulsa, OklahomaAge: 105 “Run nigger, run,De Patteroll git you!Run nigger, run,De Patteroll come! “Watch nigger, Watch-De Patteroll trick you!Watch nigger, watch,He got a big gun!” Dat one of the songs de slaves all knowed, and de children down on de “twenty acres” used to sing it when dey playing in de moonlight ’round de cabins in de quarters. Sometime I wonder iffen de white folks didn’t make dat song up so us niggers would keep in line. None of my old Master’s boys tried to git away ‘cepting two. and dey met … Read more

Slave Narrative of Stephen McCray

Person Interviewed: Stephen McCray Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Place of Birth: Huntsville County, Alabama Date of Birth: 1850 Age: 88 Occupation: Fisherman I was born in Huntsville County, Alabama, right where the Scottsboro boys was in jail, in 1850. My parents was Wash and Winnie McCray. They was the mother and father of 22 chillun. Jest five lived to be grown and the rest died at baby age. My father’s mother and father was named Mandy and Peter McCray, and my mother’s mother and father was Ruthie and Charlie McCray. They all had the same Master, Mister McCray, all the … Read more

Slave Narrative of Lucinda Davis

Person Interviewed: Davis Lucinda Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma Age: 89 “What yo’ gwine do when de meat give out? “What yo’ gwine do when de meat give out? Set in de corner wid my lips pooched out! Laway! “What yo’ gwine do when de meat give out? “What yo’ gwine do when de meat give out? Set in de corner wid my lips pooched out! Laway! Dat’s about de only little nigger song I know, less’n it be de one about: “Great big nigger, laying ‘hind de log- Finger on de trigger and eye on the hawg! Click go de trigger … Read more

Slave Narrative of George Conrad, Jr.

Person Interviewed: George Conrad, Jr. Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Place of Birth: Connersville, Harrison County, Kentucky Date of Birth: February 23, 1860 Age: 77 I was born February 23, 1860 at Connersville, Harrison County, Kentucky. I was born and lived just 13 miles from Pariah. My mother’s name is Rachel Conrad, born at Bourbon County, Kentucky. My father, George Conrad, was born at Bourbon County Kentucky. My grandmother’s name is Sallie Amos, and grandfather’s name is Peter Amos. My grandfather, his old Master freed his and he bought my grandmother, Aunt Liza and Uncle Cy. He made the money by … Read more

Slave Narrative of Polly Colbert

Person Interviewed: Polly Colbert Location: Colbert, Oklahoma Age: 83 I am now living on de forty-acre farm dat de Government give me and it is just about three miles from my old home on Master Holmes Colbert’s plantation where I lived when I was a slave. Lawsy me, times sure has changed since slavery times Maybe I notice it more since I been living here all de time, but dere’s farms ’round here dat I’ve seen grown timber cleared off of twice during my lifetime. Dis land was first cleared up and worked by niggers when dey was slaves. After … Read more

Slave Narrative of Nellie Johnson

Person Interviewed: Nellie Johnson Location: Oklahoma I don’t know how old I is, but I is a great big half grown gal when the time of the war come, and I can remember how everything look at that time, and what all the people do, too. I’m pretty nigh to blind right now, and all I can do is set on this little old front porch and maybe try to keep the things picked up behind my grandchild and his wife, because she has to work and he is out selling wood most of the time. But I didn’t have … Read more

Slave Narrative of Betty Foreman Chessier

Person Interviewed: Betty Foreman Chessier Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Place of Birth: Raleigh, North Carolina Date of Birth: July 11, 1843 Age: 94 I was born July 11, 1843 in Raleigh, N. C. My mother was named Melinda Manley, the slave of Governor Manley of North Carolina, and my father was named Arnold Foreman, slave of Bob and John Foreman, two young masters. They come over from Arkansas to visit my master and my pappy and mammy met and got married, ‘though my pappy only seen my mammy in the summer when his masters come to visit our master and … Read more

Slave Narrative of Octavia George

Person Interviewed: Octavia George Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Place of Birth: Mansieur, Louisiana Date of Birth: 1852 Age: 85 I was born in Mansieur, Louisiana, 1852, Avoir Parish. I am the daughter of Alfred and Clementine Joseph. I don’t know much about my grandparents other than my mother told me my grandfather’s name was Fransuai, and was one time a king in Africa. Most of the slaves lived in log cabins, and the beds were home-made. The mattresses were made out of moss gathered from trees, and we used to have lots of fun gathering that moss to make those … Read more

Slave Narrative of Katie Rowe

Person Interviewed: Katie RoweLocation: Tulsa, OklahomaAge: 88 I can set on de gallery, what de sunlight shine bright, and sew a powerful fine seam when my grandchillun wants a special purty dress for de school doings, but I ain’t worth much for nothing else I reckon. These same old eyes seen powerful lot of tribulations in my time, and when I shets ’em now I can see lots of l’ll chillun jest lak my grand-chillun, toting hoes bigger dan dey is, and dey pore little black hands and legs bleeding whar dey scratched by de brambledy weeds, and whar dey … Read more

Slave Narrative of Sallie Carder

Person Interviewed: Sallie Carder Location: Burwin, Oklahoma Age: 83 I was born in Jackson, Tennessee, and I’m going on 83 years. My mother was Harriott Noel and father Jeff Bills, both of them named after their masters. I has one brother, J. B. Bills, but all de rest of my brothers and daters is dead. No sir, we never had no money while I was a slave. We jest didn’t have nothing a toll! We ate greens, corn bread, and ash cake. Do only time I ever got a biscuit would be when a misdemeanor was did, and my Mistress … Read more

Slave Narrative of Marshall Mack

Person Interviewed: Marshall Mack Date of Birth: September 10, 1854 Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Age: 83 I was born September 10, 1854. I am the second child of five. My mother was named Sylveston Mack and my father Booker Huddleston. I do not remember my mother’s master, ‘came he died before I was born. My Mistress was named Mancy Mack. She was the mother of six children, four boys and two girls. Three of dem boys went to the war and one packed and went off sons what and nobody beard from him doing of the whole war. But soon … Read more

Slave Narrative of Nancy Gardner

Person Interviewed: Nancy Gardner Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Place of Birth: Franklin, Tennessee Date of Birth: 1858 Age: 79 Well, to tell you de truth I don’t know my age, but I was born in 1858, in Franklin, Tennessee. How, you can figger for yourself and tell how old I is. I is de daughter of Prophet and Callie Isaiah, and dey was natives of Tennessee. Dere was three of us children, two boys and myself. I’m de only girl. My brothers names was Prophet and Billie Isaiah. I don’t ‘member much about dem as we was separated when I … Read more