Black Genealogy

Slave Narrative of Sarah H. Locke

Interviewer: Anna Pritchett Person Interviewed: Sarah H. Locke Location: Indiana Place of Birth: Woodford County, Kentucky Date of Birth: 1859 Federal Writers’ Project of the W.P.A. District #6 Marion County Anna Pritchett 1200 Kentucky Avenue FOLKLORE MRS. SARAH H. LOCKE-DAUGHTER [of Wm. A. and Priscilla Taylor] Mrs. Locke, the daughter of Wm. A. and Priscilla Taylor, was born in Woodford County, Kentucky in 1859. She went over her early days with great interest. Jacob Keephart, her master, was very kind to his slaves, would never sell them to “nigger traders.” His family was very large, so they bought and sold … Read more

Slave Narrative of Adah I. Suggs

Interviewer: Lauana Creel Person Interviewed: Adah Isabelle Suggs Location: Evansville, Indiana Date of Birth: 1862 Stories from Ex-Slaves 5th District Vanderburgh County Lauana Creel 1415 S. Barker Avenue, Evansville, Indiana ESCAPE FROM BONDAGE OF ADAH ISABELLE SUGGS Among the interesting stories connected with former slaves one of the most outstanding ones is the life story of Adah Isabelle Suggs, indeed her escape from slavery planned and executed by her anxious mother, Harriott McClain, bears the earmarks of fiction, but the truth of all related occurences has been established by the aged negro woman and her daughter Mrs. Harriott Holloway, both … Read more

Slave Narrative of Mrs. Hockaday

Interviewer: Archie Koritz Person Interviewed: Mrs. Hockaday Location: Gary, Indiana Place of Residence: 2591 Madison Street, Gary, Indiana Archie Koritz, Field Worker Federal Writers’ Project Porter County-District #1 Valparaiso, Indiana EX-SLAVES MRS. HOCKADAY 2581 Madison Street Gary, Indiana Mrs. Hockaday is the daughter of an ex-slave and like so many others does not care to discuss the dark side of slavery and the cruel treatment that some of them received. After the Civil War the slaves who for the most part were unskilled and ignorant, found it very difficult to adjust themselves to their new life as free persons. Formerly, … Read more

Slave Narrative of George Taylor Burns

Interviewer: Lauana Creel Person Interviewed: George Taylor Burns Location: Evansville, Indiana Ex-Slave Stories District #5 Vanderburgh County Lauana Creel THE LIFE STORY OF GEORGE TAYLOR BURNS [HW: Personal Interview] Ox-carts and flat boats, and pioneer surroundings; crowds of men and women crowding to the rails of river steamboats; gay ladies in holiday attire and gentleman in tall hats, low cut vests and silk mufflers; for the excursion boats carried the gentry of every area. A little negro boy clung to the ragged skirts of a slave mother, both were engrossed in watching the great wheels that ploughed the Mississippi river … Read more

Slave Narrative of Betty Guwn

Interviewer: William Webb Tuttle Person Interviewed: Betty Guwn Location: Muncie, Indiana Place of Birth: Kentucky Date of Birth: March 25, 1832 Place of Residence: 1101 East Second Street Muncie, Indiana Submitted by: William Webb Tuttle District No. 2 Muncie, Indiana NEGRO SLAVES IN DELAWARE COUNTY MRS. BETTY GUWN MRS. HATTIE CASH, DAUGHTER, residing at 1101 East Second Street Muncie, Indiana Mrs. Betty Guwn was born March 25, 1832, as a slave on a tobacco plantation, near Canton, Kentucky. It was a large plantation whose second largest product was corn. She was married while quite young by the slave method which … Read more

Slave Narrative of Billy Slaughter

Interviewer: Beulah Van Meter Person Interviewed: Billy Slaughter Location: Jeffersonville, Indiana Place of Birth: Kentucky Date of Birth: Sept. 15, 1858 Beulah Van Meter District 4 Clark County BILLY SLAUGHTER 1123 Watt St. Jeffersonville Billy Slaughter was born Sept. 15, 1858, on the Lincoln Farm near Hodgenville, Ky. The Slaughters who now live between the Dixie Highway and Hodgenville on the right of the road driving toward Hodgenville about four miles off the state highway are the descendants of the old slave’s master. This old slave was sold once and was given away once before he was given his freedom. … Read more

Slave Narrative of George Washington Buckner

Interviewer: Lauana Creel Person Interviewed: Dr. George Washington Buckner Location: Evansville, Indiana Date of Birth: December 1st, 1852 Ex-Slave Stories District #5 Vanderburgh County Lauana Creel A SLAVE, AMBASSADOR AND CITY DOCTOR [DR. GEORGE WASHINGTON BUCKNER] This paper was prepared after several interviews had been obtained with the subject of this sketch. Dr. George Washingtin [TR: Washington] Buckner, tall, lean, whitehaired, genial and alert, answered the call of his door bell. Although anxious to oblige the writer and willing to grant an interview, the life of a city doctor is filled with anxious solicitation for others and he is always … Read more

Slave Narrative of Joe Robinson

Interviewer: Anna Pritchett Person Interviewed: Joe Robinson Location: Indiana Place of Birth: Mason County, Kentucky Date of Birth: 1854 Place of Residence: 1132 Cornell Avenue Federal Writers’ Project of the W.P.A. District #6 Marion County Anna Pritchett 1200 Kentucky Avenue FOLKLORE JOE ROBINSON-EX-SLAVE 1132 Cornell Avenue Joe Robinson was born in Mason County, Kentucky in 1854. His master, Gus Hargill, was very kind to him and all his slaves. He owned a large farm and raised every kind of vegetation. He always gave his slaves plenty to eat. They never had to steal food. He said his slaves had worked … Read more

Slave Narrative of John Fields

Interviewer: Cecil Miller Person Interviewed: John W. Fields Location: Lafayette, Indiana Place of Residence: 2120 N. 20th Street, Lafayette, Indiana Cecil Miller Dist. #3 Tipp. Co. [TR: Tippecanoe Co.] NEGRO FOLKLORE MR. JOHN FIELDS, EX-SLAVE 2120 N. 20th St. Lafayette, Indiana Mr. Fields says that all negro slaves were ardent believers in ghosts, supernatual powers, tokens and “signs.” The following story illustrates the point. “A turkey gobbler had mysteriously disappeared from one of the neighboring plantations and the local slaves were accused of commeting the fowl to a boiling pot. A slave convicted of theft was punished severly. As all … Read more

Slave Narrative of Nancy Whallen

Interviewer: Iris L. Cook Person Interviewed: Nancy Whallen Location: New Albany, Indiana Age: 81 Place of Residence: 924 Pearl St., New Albany, Indiana Iris L Cook District #4 Floyd County SLAVE STORY STORY OF NANCY WHALLEN 924 Pearl St. New Albany, Ind. Nancy Whallen is now about 81 years of age. She doesn’t know exactly. She was about 5 year of age when Freedom was declared. Nancy was born and raised in Hart County near Hardinsburg, Kentucky. She is very hard to talk to as her memory is failing and she can not hear very well. The little negro girl … Read more

Slave Narrative of William M. Quinn

Interviewer: Henry Jackson Person Interviewed: William M. Quinn Location: Indianapolis, Indiana Place of Birth: Hardin County, Kentucky Place of Residence: 431 Bright Street, Indianapolis, Indiana Federal Writers’ Project of the W.P.A. District #6 Marion County Harry Jackson WILLIAM M. QUINN (EX-SLAVE) 431 Bright Street, Indianapolis, Ind. William M. Quinn, 431 Bright street, was a slave up to ten years of age-“when the soldiers come back home, and the war was over, and we wasn’t slaves anymore”. Mr. Quinn was born in Hardin County, Kentucky, on a farm belonging to Steve Stone. He and a brother and his mother were slaves … Read more

Slave Narrative of Callie Bracey

Interviewer: Anna Pritchett Person Interviewed: Callie Bracey Location: Indianapolis, Indiana Place of Residence: 414 Blake Street Federal Writers’ Project of the W.P.A. District #6 Marion County Anna Pritchett 1200 Kentucky Avenue, Indianapolis, Indiana FOLKLORE MRS. CALLIE BRACEY-DAUGHTER [of Louise Terrell] 414 Blake Street Mrs. Callie Bracey’s mother, Louise Terrell, was bought, when a child, by Andy Ramblet, a farmer, near Jackson, Miss. She had to work very hard in the fields from early morning until as late in the evening, as they could possibly see. No matter how hard she had worked all day after coming in from the field, … Read more

Slave Narrative of George Morrison

Interviewer: Iris Cook Person Interviewed: George Morrison Location: New Albany, Indiana Place of Residence: 25 East 5t., New Albany, Indiana Place of Birth: Union County, Kentucky Iris Cook District 4 Floyd County STORY OF GEORGE MORRISON 25 East 5th St., New Albany, Ind. Observation of the writer (This old negro, known as “Uncle George” by the neighbors, is very particular about propriety. He allows no woman in his house unless accompanied by a man. He says “It jest a’nt the proper thing to do”, but he came to a neighbors for a little talk.) “I was bawn in Union County, … Read more

Slave Narrative of John Eubanks

Interviewer: Archie Koritz Person Interviewed: John Eubanks Location: Gary, Indiana Age: 98 Place of Residence: 2713 Harrison Boulevard, Gary, Indiana Archie Koritz, Field Worker 816 Mound Street, Valparaiso, Indiana Federal Writers’ Project Lake County, District #1 Gary, Indiana EX-SLAVES INTERVIEW WITH JOHN EUBANKS, EX-SLAVE John Eubanks, Gary’s only negro Civil War survivor has lived to see the ninety-eighth anniversary of his birth and despite his advanced age, recalls with surprising clarity many interesting and sad events of his boyhood days when a slave on the Everett plantation. He was born in Glasgow, Barron County, Kentucky, June 6, 1839, one of … Read more

Slave Narrative of Alex & Elizabeth Smith

Interviewer: Henrietta Karwowski Person Interviewed: Mr. and Mrs. Alex Smith Location: South Bend, Indiana Age: 83 Place of Residence: 127 North Lake Street, South Bend, Indiana Henrietta Karwowski, Field Worker Federal Writers’ Project St. Joseph County-District #1 South Bend, Indiana EX-SLAVES MR. AND MRS. ALEX SMITH 127 North Lake Street South Bend, Indiana Mr. and Mrs. Alex Smith, an eighty-three year old negro couple were slaves in Kentucky near Paris, Tennessee, as children. They now reside at 127 North Lake Street, on the western limits of South Bend. This couple lives in a little shack patched up with tar paper, … Read more

Slave Narrative of America Morgan

Interviewer: Anna Pritchett Person Interviewed: America Morgan Location: Indiana Place of Birth: Ballard County, Kentucky Date of Birth: 1852 Place of Residence: 816 Camp Street Federal Writers’ Project of the W.P.A. District #6 Marion County Anna Pritchett 1200 Kentucky Avenue FOLKLORE MRS. AMERICA MORGAN-EX-SLAVE 816 Camp Street America Morgan was born in a log house, daubed with dirt, in Ballard County, Kentucky, in 1852, the daughter of Manda and Jordon Rudd. She remembers very clearly the happenings of her early life. Her mother, Manda Rudd, was owned by Clark Rudd, and the “devil has sure got him.” Her father was … Read more

Slave Narrative of Edna Boysaw

Interviewer: Walter R. Harris Person Interviewed: Edna Boysaw Location: Brazil, Indiana Age: (about) 87 Special Assignment Walter R. Harris District #3 Clay County LIFE STORY OF EX-SLAVE MRS. EDNA BOYSAW Mrs. Boysaw has been a citizen of this community about sixty-five years. She resides on a small farm, two miles east of Brazil on what is known as the Pinkley Street Road. This has been her home for the past forty years. Her youngest son and the son of one of her daughters lives with her. She is still very active, doing her housework and other chores about the farm. … Read more

Slave Narrative of Richard Miller

Interviewer: Anna Pritchett Person Interviewed: Richard Miller Location: Indiana Place of Birth: Danville, Kentucky Date of Birth: January 12, 1843 Place of Residence: 1109 North West Street Federal Writers’ Project of the W.P.A. District #6 Marion County Anna Pritchett 1200 Kentucky Avenue FOLKLORE RICHARD MILLER-AN OLD SOLDIER 1109 North West Street Richard Miller was born January 12, 1843 in Danville, Kentucky. His mother was an English subject, born in Bombay, India and was brought into America by a group of people who did not want to be under the English government. They landed in Canada, came on to Detroit, stayed … Read more

Slave Narrative of John Rudd

Interviewer: Lauana Creel Person Interviewed: John Rudd Location: Evansville, Indiana Place of Birth: Springfield, Kentucky Date of Birth: December 25, 1854 Age: 83 Ex-Slave Stories District #5 Vanderburgh County Lauana Creel TOLD BY JOHN RUDD, AN EX-SLAVE “Yes, I was a slave,” said John Rudd, “And I’ll say this to the whole world, Slavery was the worst curse ever visited on the people of the United States.” John Rudd is a negro, dark and swarthy as to complexion but his nose is straight and aqualine, for his mother-was half Indian. The memory of his mother, Liza Rudd, is sacred to … Read more

Slave Narrative of Robert McKinley

Interviewer: Anna Pritchett Person Interviewed: Robert McKinley Location: Indianapolis, Indiana Place of Birth: Stanley County, N.C. Date of Birth: 1849 Place of Residence: 1664 Columbia Avenue, Indianapolis, Indiana Occupation: “herb doctor” Federal Writers’ Project of the W.P.A. District #6 Marion County Anna Pritchett 1200 Kentucky Avenue, Indianapolis, Indiana FOLKLORE ROBERT MCKINLEY-EX-SLAVE 1664 Columbia Avenue, Indianapolis, Indiana Robert McKinley was born in Stanley County, N.C., in 1849, a slave of Arnold Parker. His master was a very cruel man, but was always kind to him, because he had given him (Bob) as a present to his favorite daughter, Jane Alice, and … Read more