Black Genealogy

Slave Narrative of Josephine Ann Barnett

Interviewer: Miss Irene Robertson Location: De Valls Bluff, Arkansas Age: 75 or 80 “I do not knows my exact age. I judge I somewhere between 75 and 80 years old. I was born close to Germantown, Tennessee. We belong, that is my mother, to Phillip McNeill and Sally McNeill. My mother was a milker. He had a whole heap of hogs, cattle and stock. That not all my mother done. She plowed. Children done the churnin’. “The way it all come bout I was the onliest chile my mother had. Him and Miss Sallie left her to help gather the … Read more

Slave Narrative of John W. H. Barnett

Interviewer: Miss Irene Robertson Location: Marianna, Arkansas Age: 81 “I was born at Clinton Parish, Louisiana. I’m eighty-one years old. My parents and four children was sold and left six children behind. They kept the oldest children. In that way I was sold but never alone. Our family was divided and that brought grief to my parents. We was sold on a block at New Orleans. J.J. Gambol (Gamble?) in north Louisiana bought us. After freedom I seen all but one of our family. I don’t recollect why that was. “For three weeks steady after the surrender people was passing … Read more

Slave Narrative of Sophie D. Belle

Interviewer: Miss Irene Robertson Location: Forrest City, Arkansas Age: 77 “I was born near Knoxville, Georgia. My mother was a professional pastry cook. She was a house woman during slavery. She was owned by Lewis Hicks and Ann Hicks. They had Saluda, Mary, Lewis, and Oscar. “Mother was never sold. Mr. Hicks reared her. She was three-fourths Indian. Her father was George Hicks. Gordon carried him to Texas. Mr. Bob Gordon was mean. He asked Mr. Hicks to keep mother and auntie while he went to Texas, Mr. Gordon was so mean. My mother had two little girls but my … Read more

Slave Narrative of Emmett Beal

Interviewer: Miss Irene Robertson Person Interviewed: Emmett Beal Age: 78 Location: Biscoe, Arkansas “I was born in Holloman County, Bolivar, Tennessee. Master Dr. Jim May owned my set er folks. He had two girls and two boys. I reckon he had a wife but I don’t recollect seeing her. Ma suckled me; William May with me. Ely and Seley and Susie was his children. “I churned for mama in slavery. She tied a cloth around the top so no flies get in. I better hadn’t let no fly get in the churn. She take me out to a peach tree … Read more

Slave Narrative of Dina Beard

Interviewer: Pernella Anderson, colored Person Interviewed: Dina Beard Age: b. 1862 Yes I was born in slavery time. I was born September 2, 1862 in the field under a tree. I don’t know nothing about slavery. I was too young to remember anything about slavery. But I tell you this much, times ain’t like they used to be. There was easy living back in the 18 hundred years. People wore homemade clothes, what I mean homespun and lowell clothes. My ma spun and weaved all of her cloth. We wore our dresses down to our ankles in length and my … Read more

Slave Narrative of Annie Beck

Interviewer: Miss Irene Robertson Person Interviewed: Annie Beck Age: 50 Location: West Memphis, Arkansas “I was born in Mississippi. Mama was born in Alabama and sold to Holcomb, Mississippi. Her owner was Master Beard. She was a field woman. They took her in a stage-coach. Their owner wanted to keep it a secret about freedom. But he had a brother that fussed with him all the time and he told the slaves they was all free. Mama said they was pretty good always to her for it to be slavery, but papa said his owners wasn’t so good to him. … Read more

Slave Narrative of J. H. Beckwith

Interviewer: Bernice Bowden Person Interviewed: J. H. Beckwith Age: 68 Location: 619 North Spruce Street, Pine Bluff, Arkansas “No ma’m I was not born in the time of slavery. I was sixty-eight last Friday. I was born November 18, 1870 in Johnson County, North Carolina. “My mother was born in Georgia and her name was Gracie Barum. Father was born in North Carolina. His name was Rufus Beckwith. He belonged to Doctor Beckwith and mother, I think, belonged to Tom Barum. Barum was just an ordinary farmer. He was just a second or third class farmer—just poor white folks. I … Read more

Slave Narrative of Enoch Beel

Interviewer: Miss Irene Robertson Person Interviewed: Enoch Beel Age: 79 Location: Green Grove, Hazen, Arkansas “Yes maam I was born a slave, born in slavery times. I wer born in Hardman County, Tennessee. My own daddy was a Union soldier and my mama was a cook fer the mistress. We belonged to Miss Viney and Dr. Jim Mass. My daddy drawed a pension fer bein a soldier till he die. He went off to wait on some men he know. Then he met some men wanted him to join the army. They said then he get paid and get a … Read more

Slave Narrative of James Bertrand

Interviewer: Samuel S. Taylor Person Interviewed: James Bertrand Age: 68 Location: 1501 Maple Street, Little Rock, Arkansas [HW: “Pateroles” Botlund Father] “I have heard my father tell about slavery and about the Ku Klux Klan bunch and about the paterole bunch and things like that. I am sixty-eight years old now. Sixty-eight years old! That would be about five years after the War that I was born. That would be about 1870, wouldn’t it? I was born in Jefferson County, Arkansas, near Pine Bluff. “My father’s name was Mack Bertrand. My mother’s name was Lucretia. Her name before she married … Read more

Slave Narrative of Kato Benton

Interviewer: Mrs. Bernice Bowden Person Interviewed: Kato Benton Age: 78 Location: Creed Taylor Place, Tamo Pike, Pine Bluff, Arkansas “I was born in South Carolina before the War. I ain’t no baby. I wasn’t raised here. No ma’am. “My daddy’s name was Chance Ayers and my mammy’s name was Mary Ayers. So I guess the white folks was named Ayers. “White folks was good to us. Had plenty to eat, plenty to wear, plenty to drink. That was water. Didn’t have no whisky. Might a had some but they didn’t give us none. “Oh, yes ma’am, I got plenty kin … Read more

Slave Narrative of George Benson

Interviewer: Mrs. Bernice Bowden Person Interviewed: George Benson Age: 80 Location: Ezell Quarters, Pine Bluff, Arkansas Occupation: Cotton Farmer “I was here in slavery days—yes ma’m, I was here. When I come here, colored people didn’t have their ages. The boss man had it. After surrender, boss man told me I ought to keep up with my age, it’d be a use to me some day, but I didn’t do it. “I member the soldiers would play with me when they wasn’t on duty. That was the Yankees. “I was born down here on Dr. Waters’ place. Born right here … Read more

Slave Narrative of Carrie Bradley Logan Bennett

Interviewer: Miss Irene Robertson Person Interviewed: Carrie Bradley Logan Bennett Age: 79 plus Location: Helena, Arkansas “I was born not a great piece from Mobile but it was in Mississippi in the country. My mother b’long to Massa Tom Logan. He was a horse trader. He got drowned in 1863—durin’ of the War, the old war. His wife was Miss Liza Jane. They had several children and some gone from home I jus’ seed when they be on visits home. The ones at home I can recollect was Tiney, John, Bill, and Alex. I played wid Tiney and nursed Bill … Read more

Slave Narrative of Bob Benford

Interviewer: Mrs. Bernice Bowden Person Interviewed: Bob Benford Age: 79 Location: 209 N. Maple Street, Pine Bluff, Arkansas “Slavery-time folks? Here’s one of em. Near as I can get at it, I’se seventy-nine. I was born in Alabama. My white folks said I come from Perry County, Alabama, but I come here to this Arkansas country when I was small. “My old master was Jim Ad Benford. He was good to us. I’m goin’ to tell you we was better off then than now. Yes ma’am, they treated us right. We didn’t have to worry bout payin’ the doctor and … Read more

Slave Narrative of Cyrus Bellus

Interviewer: Samuel S. Taylor Person Interviewed: Cyrus Bellus Age: 73 Location: 1380 pulaski Street, Little Rock, Arkansas [HW: Made Own Cloth] “I was born in Mississippi in 1865 in Jefferson County. It was on the tenth of March. My father’s name was Cyrus Bellus, the same as mine. My mother’s name was Matilda Bellus. “My father’s master was David Hunt. My father and mother both belonged to him. They had the same master. I don’t know the names of my grandfather and mother. I think they were Jordons. No, I know my grandmother’s name was Annie Hall, and my grandfather’s … Read more

Slave Narrative of Henry Blake

Interviewer: Samuel S. Taylor Person Interviewed: Henry Blake Age: 80, or more Location: Rear of 1500 Scott Street, Little Rock, Arkansas Occupation: Farming and junk, when able [HW: Drove a “Horsepower Gin Wagon”] “I was born March 16, 1863, they tell me. I was born in Arkansas right down here on Tenth and Spring Streets in Little Rock. That was all woods then. We children had to go in at night. You could hear the wolves and the bears and things. We had to make a big fire at night to keep the wolves and varmints away. “My father was … Read more

Slave Narrative of Boston Blackwell

Interviewer: Beaulah Sherwood Hagg Person Interviewed: Boston Blackwell Age: 98 Location: 320 Plum, North Little Rock, Arkansas Make yourself comfoble, miss. I can’t see you much ’cause my eyes, they is dim. My voice, it kinder dim too. I knows my age, good. Old Miss, she told me when I got sold—”Boss, you is 13—borned Christmas. Be sure to tell your new misses and she put you down in her book.” My borned name was Pruitt ’cause I got borned on Robert Pruitt’s plantation in Georgia,—Franklin County, Georgia. But Blackwell, it my freed name. You see, miss, after my mammy … Read more

Slave Narrative of Beatrice Black

Interviewer: Irene Robertson Person Interviewed: Beatrice Black Age: 48 Location: Biscoe, Arkansas Occupation: Store and “eating joint” “I was born below the city pump here in Biscoe. My husband is a twin and the youngest of thirteen children. His twin brother is living. They are fifty years old today (August 6, 1938). His mother lived back and forth with the twins. She died year before last. She was so good. She was sure good to me. She helped me raise my three children. I misses her till this very day. Her name was Dedonia Black when she died. “She said … Read more

Slave Narrative of Jane Birch

Interviewer: Irene Robertson Person Interviewed: Jane Birch Age: 74 Location: Brinkley, Arkansas “I was three years old when the Yankees come through. I can’t recollect a thing about them. Ma told us children if we don’t be quiet the Ku Kluck come take us clean off but I never seed none. When we be working she say if we don’t work the grass out pretty soon the Ku Kluck be taking us out whooping us. So many of us she have to scare us up to get us to do right. There was fifteen children, nearly all girls. Ma said … Read more

Slave Narrative of Mandy Billings

Interviewer: Mrs. Bernice Bowden Person Interviewed: Mandy Billings Age: 84 Location: 3101 W. 14th Highland Add., Pine Bluff, Arkansas “Now I was born in 1854. That was in slavery times. That wasn’t yistiday was it? Born in Louisiana, in Sparta—that was the county seat. “Bill Otts was my last owner. You see, how come me sold my mother was my grandfather’s baby chile and his owner promised not to separate him nary time again. It was in the time of the Old War. Charles McLaughlin—that was my old master—he was my father and Bill Otts, he bought my mother, and … Read more

Slave Narrative of Alice Biggs

Interviewer: Miss Irene Robertson Person Interviewed: Alice Biggs Age: “Bout 70” Location: Holly Grove, Arkansas “My mother come from Kentucky and my father from Virginia. That where they born and I born close to Byhalia, Mississippi. My father was Louis Anthony and mama name Charlotte Anthony. “Grandma and her children was sold in a lump. They wasn’t separated. Grandpa was a waiter on the Confederate side. He never come back. He died in Pennsylvania; another man come back reported that. He was a colored waitin’ man too. Grandma been dead 49 years now. “Mama was a wash woman and a … Read more