Black Genealogy

Slave Narrative of Addy Gill

Interviewer: T. Pat Matthews Person Interviewed: Addy Gill Location: 1614 “B” St., Lincoln Park, Raleigh, North Carolina Place of Birth: Millburnie, Wake County, NC Date of Birth: Jan. 6, 1863 Age: 74 Occupation: Butler I am seventy four years of age. I wus born a slave Jan. 6, 1863 on a plantation near Millburnie, Wake County, owned by Major Wilder, who hired my father’s time. His wife wus named Sarah Wilder. I don’t know anything ’bout slavery ‘cept what wus tole me by father and mother but I do know that if it had not been for what de southern … Read more

Slave Narrative of Doc Edwards

Interviewer: Daisy Whaley Person Interviewed: Doc Edwards Location: Staggville, North Carolina Date of Birth: 1853 Age: 84 Ex-Slave, 84 Yrs. I was bawn at Staggville, N. C., in 1853. I belonged to Marse Paul Cameron. My pappy was Murphy McCullers. Mammy’s name was Judy. Dat would make me a McCullers, but I was always knowed as Doc Edwards an’ dat is what I am called to dis day. I growed up to be de houseman an’ I cooked for Marse Benehan,–Marse Paul’s son. Marse Benehan was good to me. My health failed from doing so much work in de house … Read more

Slave Narrative of Lucy Ann Dunn

Interviewer: Mary A. Hicks Person Interviewed: Lucy Ann Dunn Location: 220 Cannon Street, Raleigh, North Carolina Age: 90 Occupation: House girl Aunt Lucy’s Love Story An interview with 90 years old, 220 Cannon Street, Raleigh, N. C. My pappy, Dempsey, my mammy, Rachel an’ my brothers an’ sisters an’ me all belonged ter Marse Peterson Dunn of Neuse, here in Wake County. Dar wus five of us chilluns, Allen, Charles, Corina, Madora an’ me, all borned before de war. My mammy wus de cook, an’ fur back as I ‘members almost, I wus a house girl. I fanned flies offen … Read more

Slave Narrative of Elbert Hunter

Interviewer: Mary A. Hicks Person Interviewed: Elbert Hunter Date of Interview: May 19, 1937 Location: Method, North Carolina Date of Birth: 1844 Age: 93 I wuz borned eight miles from Raleigh on de plantation of Mr. Jacob Hunter in 1844. My parents were Stroud and Lucy an’ my brothers wuz Tom, Jeems an’ Henderson. I had three sisters who wuz named Caroline, Emiline an’ Ann. Massa Hunter wuz good to us, an’ young Massa Knox wuz good too. My mammy wuz de cook an’ my pappy wuz a field hand. Massa ain’t ‘lowed no patterollers on his place, but one … Read more

Slave Narrative of Jennylin Dunn

Interviewer: Mary A. Hicks Person Interviewed: Jennylin Dunn Location: 315 Bledsoe Avenue, Raleigh, North Carolina Place of Birth: Wake County NC Age: 87 Ex-Slave Story An interview with Jennylin Dunn 87, of 315 Bledsoe Avenue, Raleigh, N. C. I wuz borned hyar in Wake County eighty-seben years ago. Me an’ my folks an’ bout six others belonged ter Mis’ Betsy Lassiter who wuz right good ter us, do’ she sho’ did know dat chilluns needs a little brushin’ now an’ den. My papa wuz named Isaac, my mammy wuz named Liza, an’ my sisters wuz named Lucy, Candice an’ Harriet. … Read more

Slave Narrative of Charlie H. Hunter

Interviewer: T. Pat Matthews Person Interviewed: Charlie H. Hunter Location: 2213 Barker Street, West Raleigh, North Carolina Date of Birth: May, 1857 Place of Birth: Wake County NC Age: 80 My full name is Charlie H. Hunter. I wus borned an’ reared in Wake County, N. C., born May, 1857. My mother wus Rosa Hunter an’ my father wus named Jones. I never saw my father. We belonged to a family named Jones first, an’ then we wus sold to a slave owner seven miles Northwest by the name Joe Hayes an’ a terrible man he wus. He would get … Read more

Slave Narrative of Jerry Davis

Interviewer: Mary A. Hicks Person Interviewed: Jerry Davis Location: 228 E. South Street, Raleigh, North Carolina Place of Birth: Warren County NC Age: 74 Jerry Davis Ex-Slave Story and Folk Tale An interview with Jerry Davis 74 of 228 E. South Street, Raleigh, North Carolina. I wus borned in Warren County ter Mataldia an’ Jordan Davis. Dere wus twenty-two o’ us chilluns, an’ natu’ally Marster Sam Davis laked my mammy an’ daddy. He owned two hundert an’ sebenty slaves, an’ three, four, or five scopes o’ lan’. Marster wus good ter us, he gibe us plenty ter eat, an’ w’ar, … Read more

Slave Narrative of Susan High

Interviewer: T. Pat Matthews Person Interviewed: Susan High Location: 519 Haywood Street, Raleigh, North Carolina Age: 70 My name is Susan High. I wus born in June. I am 70 years old. My mother wus named Piety an’ she belonged to de ole man Giles Underhill before de surrender. My father he wus George Merritt an’ he belonged to Ben Merritt, Ivan Proctor’s grandfather. Dey lived on a plantation near Eagle Rock, Wake County. Dey called de creek near by Mark’s Creek. My parents said dat dey had a mighty hard time, an’ dat durin’ slavery time, de rules wus … Read more

Slave Narrative of Harriet Ann Daves

Interviewer: T. Pat Matthews Person Interviewed: Harriet Ann Daves Location: 601 E. Cabarrus Street, Raleigh, North Carolina Date of Birth: June 6, 1856 My full name is Harriet Ann Daves, I like to be called Harriet Ann. If my mother called me when she was living, I didn’t want to answer her unless she called me Harriet Ann. I was born June 6, 1856. Milton Waddell, my mother’s marster was my father, and he never denied me to anybody. My mother was a slave but she was white. I do not know who my mother’s father was. My mother was … Read more

Slave Narrative of Essex Henry

Interviewer: Mary A. Hicks Person Interviewed: Essex Henry Location: 713 S. East Street, Raleigh, North Carolina Age: 83 Ex-Slave Story An interview with Essex Henry 83 of 713 S. East Street, Raleigh, N. C. I wus borned five miles north of Raleigh on de Wendell Road, 83 years ago. My mammy wus Nancy an’ my pappy wus Louis. I had one sister, Mary, an’ one bruder, Louis. We ‘longed ter Mr. Jake Mordecai, an’ we lived on his six hundert acres plantation ’bout a mile from Millbrook. Right atter de war he sold dis lan’ ter Doctor Miller an’ bought … Read more

Slave Narrative of Charles Lee Dalton

Interviewer: Miss Nancy Woodburn Watkins Person Interviewed: Charles Lee Dalton Location: Madison, North Carolina Age: 93 Ex-Slave Biography–Charles Lee Dalton, 93. In July, 1934, the census taker went to the home of Unka Challilee Dalton and found that soft talking old darky on the porch of his several roomed house, a few hundred feet south of the dirt road locally called the Ayersville road because it branches from the hard surfaced highway to Mayodan at Anderson Scales’ store, a short distance from Unka Challilie’s. Black got its meaning from his face, even his lips were black, but his hair was … Read more

Slave Narrative of Alonzo Haywood

Interviewer: Mary A. Hicks Person Interviewed: Alonzo Haywood Location: 1217 Oberlin Road, Raleigh, North Carolina Age: 67 Occupation: Blacksmith The Blacksmith An interview with Alonzo Haywood, 67 years old of 1217 Oberlin Road. On East Cabarrus Street is a blacksmith shop which is a survival of horse and buggy days, and the smiling blacksmith, a Negro, although he has hazel eyes, recounts the story of his father’s life and his own. My father was Willis Haywood and in slavery days he belonged to Mr. William R. Pool. Mr. Pool liked father because he was quick and obedient so he determined … Read more

Slave Narrative of Charlie Crump

Interviewer: Mary A. Hicks Person Interviewed: Charlie Crump Location: Cary, North Carolina Place of Birth: Evan’s Ferry, Lee or Chatham County, North Carolina Age: 82 Occupation: Farmer An interview with Charlie Crump 82 of Cary (near) I wuz borned at Evan’s Ferry in Lee or Chatham County, an’ I belonged ter Mr. Davis Abernathy an’ his wife Mis’ Vick. My pappy wuz named Ridge, an’ my mammy wuz named Marthy. My brothers wuz Stokes an’ Tucker, an’ my sisters wuz Lula an’ Liddy Ann. Dar wuz nine o’ us in all, but some o’ dem wuz sold, an’ some o’ … Read more

Slave Narrative of Sarah Gudger

Interviewer: Marjorie Jones Person Interviewed: Sarah Gudger Date of Interview: May 5, 1937 Location: Asheville, North Carolina Date of Birth: Sept. 15. 1816 Age: 121 Investigation of the almost incredible claim of Aunt Sarah Gudger, ex-slave living in Asheville, that she was born on Sept. 15, 1816, discloses some factual information corroborating her statements. Aunt Sarah’s father, Smart Gudger, belonged to and took his family name from Joe Gudger, who lived near Oteen, about six miles east of Asheville in the Swannanoa valley, prior to the War Between the States. Family records show that Joe Gudger married a Miss McRae … Read more

Slave Narrative of Aunt Betty Cofer

Interviewer: Esther S. Pinnix Person Interviewed: Betty Cofer Location: North Carolina Date of Birth: 1856 Age: 81 Negro Folk Lore Of The Piedmont. Sources of Information: Aunt Betty Cofer–ex-slave of Dr. Beverly Jones The ranks of negro ex-slaves are rapidly thinning out, but, scattered here and there among the ante-bellum families of the South, may be found a few of these picturesque old characters. Three miles north of Bethania, the second oldest settlement of the “Unitas Fratrum” in Wachovia, lies the 1500 acre Jones plantation. It has been owned for several generations by the one family, descendants of Abraham Conrad. … Read more

Slave Narrative of Sarah Anne Green

Interviewer: Travis Jordan Person Interviewed: Sarah Anne Green Location: Durham County, North Carolina Age: 78 My mammy an’ pappy wuz Anderson an’ Hannah Watson. We fus’ belonged to Marse Billy an’ Mis Roby Watson, but when Marse Billy’s daughter, Mis’ Susie ma’ied young Marse Billy Headen, Ole Marse give her me, an’ my mammy an’ my pappy for er weddin’ gif’. So, I growed up as Sarah Anne Headen. My pappy had blue eyes. Dey wuz jus’ like Marse Billy’s eyes, kaze Ole Marse wuz pappy’s marster an’ his pappy too. Ole Marse wuz called Hickory Billy, dey called him … Read more

Slave Narrative of Kitty Hill

Interviewer: T. Pat Matthews Person Interviewed: Kitty Hill Location: 329 West South Street, Raleigh, North Carolina Age: 76-77 I tole you yisterday dat my age wus 76 years old, but my daughter come home, an’ I axed her’ bout it an’ she say I is 77 years old. I don’t know exactly the date but I wus born in April. I wus a little girl ’bout five years ole when de surrender come, but I don’t’ member anything much’ bout de Yankees. I wus born in Virginia, near Petersburg, an’ mother said de Yankees had been hanging’ round dere so … Read more

Slave Narrative of Midge Burnett

Interviewer: Mary A. Hicks Person Interviewed: Midge Burnett Location: 1300 S. Bloodworth Street, Raleigh, North Carolina Age: 80 Plantation Life In Georgia An interview with Midge Burnett, 80 years old, of 1300 S. Bloodworth Street, Raleigh, North Carolina. I wus borned in Georgia eighty years ago, de son of Jim an’ Henretta Burnett an’ de slave of Marse William Joyner. I wurked on de farm durin’ slavery times, among de cotton, corn, an’ sugar cane. De wurk wusn’t so hard an’ we had plenty of time ter have fun an’ ter git inter meanness, dat’s why Marse William had ter … Read more

Slave Narrative of Lindsey Faucette

Interviewer: Daisy Whaley Person Interviewed: Lindsey Faucette Location: Church Street, Durham, North Carolina Date of Birth: November 16, 1851 Place of Birth: Occoneachee Plantaion Age: 86 Yes, Mis’, I wuz bawn in 1851, de 16th of November, on de Occoneechee Plantation, owned by Marse John Norwood an’ his good wife, Mis’ Annie. An’ when I say ‘good’ I mean jus dat, for no better people ever lived den my Marse John an’ Mis’ Annie. One thing dat made our Marse an’ Mistis so good wuz de way dey brought up us niggers. We wuz called to de big house an’ … Read more

Slave Narrative of William George Hinton

Interviewer: T. Pat Matthews Person Interviewed: William George Hinton Location: North Carolina Date of Birth: August 28th, 1859 Place of Birth: Wake County NC Star Street, R. F. D. #2, Box 171 I was born in Wake County in de year 1859, August 28th. I ‘members seeing de Yankees, it seems like a dream. One come along ridin’ a mule. Dey sed he wus a Yankee bummer, a man dat went out raging on peoples things. He found out whur the things wus located an’ carried the rest there. The bummers stole for de army, chickens, hogs, an’ anything they … Read more