Black Genealogy

Slave Narrative of Fanny Cannady

Interviewer: Travis Jordan Person Interviewed: Fanny Cannady Location: Durham County, North Carolina Age: 79 I don’ ‘member much ’bout de sojers an’ de fightin’ in de war kaze I wuzn’ much more den six years ole at de surrender, but I do ‘member how Marse Jordan Moss shot Leonard Allen, one of his slaves. I ain’t never forgot dat. My mammy an’ pappy, Silo an’ Fanny Moss belonged to Marse Jordan an’ Mis’ Sally Moss. Dey had ’bout three hundred niggahs an’ mos’ of dem worked in de cotton fields. Marse Jordan wuz hard on his niggahs. He worked dem … Read more

Slave Narrative of George Eatman

Interviewer: Mary A. Hicks Person Interviewed: George Eatman Date of Interview: May 18, 1937 Location: Cary, North Carolina, R. #1 Age: 93 I belonged ter Mr. Gus Eatman who lived at de ole Templeton place on de Durham highway back as fer as I can ‘member. I doan r’member my mammy an’ pappy case dey wuz sold ‘fore I knowed anything. I raised myself an’ I reckon dat I done a fair job uv it. De marster an’ missus wuz good to dere twenty-five slaves an’ we ain’t neber got no bad whuppin’s. I doan ‘member much playin’ an’ such … Read more

Slave Narrative of Lucy Brown

Interviewer: Mary A. Hicks Person Interviewed: Lucy Brown Date of Interview: May 20, 1937 Location: Durham, North Carolina An interview with Lucy Brown of Hecktown, Durham, Durham County, May 20, 1937. She does not know her age. I wuz jist a little thing when de war wuz over an’ I doan ‘member much ter tell yo’. Mostly what I does know I hyard my mammy tell it. We belonged to John Neal of Person County. I doan know who my pappy wuz, but my mammy wuz named Rosseta an’ her mammy’s name ‘fore her wuz Rosseta. I had one sister … Read more

Slave Narrative of Isabell Henderson

Interviewer: Mrs. Edith S. Hibbs Person Interviewed: Isabell Henderson Location: 1121 Rankin St., Wilmington, North Carolina Age: 83-84 Story Of Isabell Henderson, Negro I’ll be 84 years old come August 9. My gran’-daughter can tell you what year it was I was born I don’ ‘member but we has it down in the Bible. I lived near the “Clock Church” (Jewish Synagogue)[8], 4th and Market. We had a big place there. My gran’mother did the cookin’. My mother did the sewin’. I was jus five years old when the men went away. I guess to the war, I don’ know. … Read more

Slave Narrative of John Daniels

Interviewer: Mary A. Hicks Person Interviewed: John Daniels Location: North Carolina I’se named fer my pappy’s ole massa down in Spartanburg, South Carolina, course I doan know nothin’ ’bout no war, case I warn’t borned. I does ‘member seein’ de ole ‘big house’ do’, maybe you want me ter tell you how hit looked? It wuz a big white two-story house at de end uv a magnolia lane an’ a-settin’ in a big level fiel’. Back o’ de big house wuz de ole slave cabins whar my folks uster live. Dey said dat de massa wuz good ter ’em, but … Read more

Slave Narrative of Eustace Hodges

Interviewer: Mary A. HicksPerson Interviewed: Eustace HodgesLocation: 625 W. Lenoir Street, Raleigh, North CarolinaAge: 76 I doan know when I wus borned, ner where but at fust my mammy an’ me ‘longed ter a McGee here in Wake County. My mammy wurked in de fiel’s den, ditchin’ an’ such, even plowin’ while we ‘longed ter McGee, but he sold us ter Mr. Rufus Jones. My daddy still ‘longed ter him but at de close of de war he comed ter Mr. Jones’ plantation an’ he tuck de name of Jones ‘long wid us. Marse Rufus wus gooder dan Marse McGee, … Read more

Slave Narrative of Robert Glenn

Interviewer: T. Pat. Matthews Person Interviewed: Robert Glenn Location: 207 Idlewild Avenue, Raleigh, North Carolina Date of Birth: Sept. 16, 1850 Location of Birth: Orange County NC Age: 87 I was a slave before and during the Civil War. I am 87 years old. I was born Sept. 16, 1850. I was born in Orange County, North Carolina near Hillsboro. At that time Durham was just a platform at the station and no house there whatever. The platform was lighted with a contraption shaped like a basket and burning coal that gave off a blaze. There were holes in this … Read more

Slave Narrative of Analiza Foster

Interviewer: Mary A. Hicks Person Interviewed: Analiza Foster Location: 1120 Sound Blount Street, Raleigh, North Carolina Location of Birth: Person County NC Age: 68 An interview with Analiza Foster, 68 of 1120 South Blount Street, Raleigh, North Carolina. I wuz borned in Person County ter Tom Line an’ Harriet Cash. My mammy belonged ter a Mr. Cash an’ pappy belonged ter Miss Betsy Woods. Both of dese owners wuz mean ter dere slaves an’ dey ain’t carin’ much if’en dey kills one, case dey’s got plenty. Dar wuz one woman dat I hyard mammy tell of bein’ beat clean ter … Read more

Slave Narrative of Mattie Curtis

Interviewer: Mary A. Hicks Person Interviewed: Mattie Curtis Location: Raleigh, North Carolina Location of Birth: Orange County NC Age: 98 Occupation: Sewing Before And After The War An interview with Mattie Curtis, 98 years old, of Raleigh, North Carolina, Route # 4. I wus borned on de plantation of Mr. John Hayes in Orange County ninety-eight years ago. Seberal of de chilluns had been sold ‘fore de speculator come an’ buyed mammy, pappy an’ we three chilluns. De speculator wus named Bebus an’ he lived in Henderson, but he meant to sell us in de tobacco country. We come through … Read more

Slave Narrative of Chaney Hews

Interviewer: T. Pat Matthews Person Interviewed: Chaney Hews Location: 104 Cotton Street, Raleigh, North Carolina Age: 60 My age, best of my recollection, is about eighty years. I was ’bout eight years ole when de Yankees come through. Chillun in dem days wus not paid much mind like dey is now. White chillun nor nigger chillun wus not spiled by tenshun. I got enough to eat to live on an’ dat wus ’bout all I keered ’bout. Des so I could git a little to eat and could play all de time. I stayed outen de way of de grown … Read more

Slave Narrative of John Evans

Interviewer: Mrs. W. N. Harris Person Interviewed: John Evans Location: North Carolina Date of Birth: August 15, 1859 Age: 78 Story of John Evans. Born in Slavery. I was born August 15th, 1859. I am 78 years old. Dat comes out right, don’t it? My mother’s name was Hattie Newbury. I don’t never remember seein’ my Pa. We lived on Middle Sound an’ dat’s where I was born. I knows de room, ’twas upstairs, an’ when I knowed it, underneath, downstairs dat is, was bags of seed an’ horse feed, harness an’ things, but it was slave quarters when I … Read more

Slave Narrative of Adeline Crump

Interviewer: T. Pat Matthews Person Interviewed: Adeline Crump Location: 526 Cannon Street, Raleigh, North Carolina Age: 73 My name is Adeline Crump, and I am 73 years old. My husband’s name wus James Crump. My mother’s wus Marie Cotton and my father’s name wus Cotton. My mother belonged to the Faucetts; Rich Faucett wus her marster. Father belonged to the Cottons; Wright Cotton wus his marster. My maiden name wus Cotton. Mother and father said they were treated all right and that they loved their white folks. They gave them patches, clothed them tolerably well, and seed that they got … Read more

Slave Narrative of Cy Hart

Interviewer: Daisy Whaley Person Interviewed: Cy Hart Location: Durham, North Carolina Age: 78 Ephram Hart was my pappy and my mammy’s name was Nellie. He belonged to Marse Ephram Hart. One day Marse Hart took some of his niggers to de slave market an’ my pappy was took along too. When he was put on de block an’ sold Marse Paul Cameron bought him. Den Marse Hart felt so sorry to think he done let my pappy be sold dat he tried to buy him back from Marse Paul, an’ offered him more den Marse Paul paid for him. But … Read more

Slave Narrative of Alex Huggins

Interviewer: Mrs. Edith S. Hibbs Person Interviewed: Alex Huggins Location: 920 Dawson St., Wilmington, North Carolina Date of Birth: July 9, 1850 Location of Birth: New Bern North Carolina Story Of Alex Huggins, Ex-Slave I was born in New Bern on July 9, 1850. My father and mother belonged to Mr. L. B. Huggins. My father was a carpenter and ship builder an’ the first things I remember was down on Myrtle Grove Sound, where Mr. Huggins had a place. I was a sort of bad boy an’ liked to roam ’round. When I was about twelve years old I ran … Read more

Slave Narrative of Julia Crenshaw

Interviewer: Mary A. Hicks Person Interviewed: Julia Crenshaw Location: North Carolina As Julia Crenshaw recalled her mother’s story. My mammy wuz named Jane an’ my pappy wuz named Richard. Dey belonged ter Lawyer R. J. Lewis in Raleigh, dar whar Peace Institute am ter day. Mammy said dat de white folkses wuz good ter dem an’ gib ’em good food an’ clothes. She wuz de cook, an’ fer thirty years atter de war she cooked at Peace. Before de Yankees come Mr. Lewis said, dat he dreamed dat de yard wuz full uv dem an’ he wuz deef. When dey … Read more

Slave Narrative of George W. Harris

Interviewer: T. Pat Matthews Person Interviewed: George W. Harris Location: 604 E Cabarrus Street, Raleigh, North Carolina Date of Birth: November 25, 1855 Age: 82 Hey, don’t go ‘roun’ dat post gitting it ‘tween you and me, it’s bad luck. Don’t you know it’s bad luck? Don’t want no more bad luck den what I’se already got. My name is George Harris. I wuz born November 25, 82 years ago. I have been living in the City of Raleigh onto 52 years. I belonged to John Andrews. He died about de time I wuz born. His wife Betsy wuz my … Read more

Slave Narrative of Robert Hinton

Interviewer: T. Pat Matthews Person Interviewed: Robert Hinton Location: 420 Smith Street, Raleigh, North Carolina Date of Birth: 1856 My name is Robert Hinton. I ain’t able to work, ain’t been able to do any work in five years. My wife, Mary Hinton, supports me by workin’ with the WPA. She was cut off las’ May. Since she has had no job, we have to live on what she makes with what little washin’ she gets from de white folks; an’ a little help from charity; dis ain’t much. Dey give you for one week, one half peck meal, one … Read more

Slave Narrative of Hannah Crasson

Interviewer: T. Pat Matthews Person Interviewed: Hannah Crasson Location: North Carolina Location of Birth: Wake County NC Age: 84 My name is Hannah Crasson. I wuz born on John William Walton’s plantation 4 miles from Garner and 13 miles from Raleigh, N. C. in the County of Wake. I am 84 years ole the 2nd day uv dis las’ gone March. I belonged to Mr. John William Walton in slavery time. My missus wuz named Miss Martha. My father wuz named Frank Walton. My mother wuz named Flora Walton. Grandma wuz 104 years when she died. She died down at … Read more

Slave Narrative of Thomas Hall

Interviewer: T. Pat Matthews Person Interviewed: Thomas Hall Location: 316 Tarboro Road, Raleigh, North Carolina Location of Birth: Orange County NC Age: 81 My name is Thomas Hall and I was born in Orange County, N. C. on a plantation belonging to Jim Woods whose wife, our missus, was named Polly. I am eighty one years of age as I was born Feb. 14, 1856. My father Daniel Hall and my mother Becke Hall and me all belonged to the same man but it was often the case that this wus not true as one man, perhaps a Johnson, would … Read more

Slave Narrative of Mandy Coverson

Interviewer: Mary A. Hicks Person Interviewed: Mandy Coverson Location: 103 South Wilmington Street, Raleigh, North Carolina Location of Birth: Union County NC Age: 78 Ex-Slave Story An interview with Mandy Coverson, 78, of 103 South Wilmington Street, Raleigh. I wuz borned in Union County to Sarah an’ Henderson Tomberlin. My mother belonged to Mr. Moses Coverson, an’ my pappy belonged to Mr. Jackie Tom Tomberlin. I stayed wid my mammy, of course, an’ Marster Moses wuz good ter me. Dey warn’t so good ter my mammy, case dey makes her wuck frum sunup till sundown in de hot summertime, an’ … Read more