Slave Narratives

Federal Writers’ Project. WPA Slave Narratives. Web. 2007-2024. The WPA Slave Narratives must be used with care. There is, of course, the problem of confusion in memory resulting from (73+ years) of the participants. In addition, inexperienced interviewers sometimes pursued question lines related to their own interests and perspectives and attempted to capture the colloquialism of the informant’s speech. The interviews provide fascinating insight and surprisingly candid information, however.

Slave Narrative of Mary Smith

Interviewer: Caldwell Sims Person Interviewed: Mary Smith Date of Interview: September 14, 1937 Location: Union, South Carolina “I liked to went crazy when my brother, Bob, went to Arkansas. Den Marse George Young wrote our names in a book and give it to my ma. It was jes’ a small mem’randum book. We kept it till Miss Addie, dat is Mrs. Billy, give ma de Bible storybook, and den she copied our names in dat one. De little book was about wore out den; so it was burned up when Miss Addie had done finished writing our names in de … Read more

Slave Narrative of Mary Scott

Interviewer: Mrs. Lucile Young & H. Grady Davis Person Interviewed: Mary Scott Location: Gourdin, South Carolina Age: 90 Ex-Slave, About 90 years old “Where and when were you born?” “On Gaston Gamble place, between here and Greeleville. In da Gamble’s Bible is my age. Don’t know my age. Pretty much know how old, I bout 90. I wuz little girl when freedom come.” “Give the names of your father and mother.” “Father, John Davis. Mother, Tina Davis. Belonged to last mausa. Darby Fulton. Gamble sold mama and three children to Fulton. Belonged to Davis after freedom. Father belonged to Davis. … Read more

Slave Narrative of Mary Raines

Interviewer: W. W. Dixon Person Interviewed: Mary Raines Location: South Carolina Age: 99 Ex-Slave 99 Years Old. Mary Raines is the oldest living person, white or black, in Fairfield County. If she survives until next December, she will have attained her century of years. She lives with her widowed daughter, Fannie McCollough, fifty-seven years old, and a son, Joe Raines, aged 76 years. They rent a two-room frame house, on lands of Mrs. Sallie Wylie, Chester County, S.C. Joe, the son, is a day laborer on nearby farms. Fannie cooks for Mrs. W.T. Raines. Old Mother Mary has been receiving … Read more

Slave Narrative of Mary Moriah Anne Susanna James

Interviewer: Rogers Person Interviewed: Mary James Date of Interview: Sept. 23, 1937 Location: Baltimore, Maryland Place of Residence: 618 Haw St., Baltimore, MD Reference: Personal interview with Mary James, ex-slave, Sept. 23, 1937, at her home, 618 Haw St., Baltimore, Md. “My father’s name was Caleb Harris James, and my mother’s name was Mary Moriah. Both of them were owned by Silas Thornton Randolph, a distant relative of Patrick Henry. I have seen the picture of Patrick Henry many a time in the home place on the library wall. I had three sisters and two brothers. Two of my sisters … Read more

Slave Narrative of Mary Minus Biddie

Person Interviewed: Mary Minus Biddie Location: Eatonville, Florida Age: 100 Slave Customs Mary Minus Biddie, age one hundred five was born in Pensacola, Florida, 1833 and raised in Columbia County. She is married, and has several children. For her age she is exceptionally active, being able to wash and do her house work. With optimism she looks forward to many more years of life. Her health is excellent. Having spent thirty-two years of her life as a slave she relates vividly some of her experiences. Her master Lancaster Jamison was a very kind man and never mistreated his slaves. He … Read more

Slave Narrative of Mary Lindsay

Person Interviewed: Mary Lindsay Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma Date of Birth: September 20, 1845 Age: 91 My slavery, days wasn’t like most people tell you about. ’cause I was two to my young Mistress and cont away to have when I was jest a little girl. and I didn’t live on a big plantation a very long time. I got an old family Bible what ray I war born on September 20, in 1845 but I don’t know who yut he writing in it unclear it was my mammy’s witness. My mammy had de book when she die. My mammy come … 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 Mary Frances Webb

Location: McAlester, Oklahoma Age: 92 (deceased) Occupation: Field Hand Mary Frances Webb, grand daughter of Sarah Vest, aged 92, (deceased) McAlester, Okla. I’ve heard my grandmother tell a lot of her experiences during slavery. She remembered things well as she was a grown woman at the time of the war of the Rebellion. Her home was at Sedalia, Mo., and her owner was Baxter West, a prominent farmer and politician. He was very kind and good to his slaves. He provided them with plenty of food and good clothes. He would go to town and buy six or eight bolts … Read more

Slave Narrative of Mary Ferguson

Person Interviewed: Mary Ferguson Location: 1928 Oak Avenue, Columbus, Georgia “Aunt” Mary Ferguson, née Mary Little, née Mary Shorter, was born somewhere in Maryland; the exact locality being designated by her simply as “the eastern shore” of that state. She was born the chattel of a planter named Shorter, so her first name, of course, was Mary Shorter. For many years she has resided with a daughter and a granddaughter, at 1928 Oak Avenue, Columbus, Georgia. “Aunt” Mary was about thirteen years old when, in 1860, she was sold and brought South. The story of which, as told in her … Read more

Slave Narrative of Mary Crane

Interviewer: Emery Turner Person Interviewed: Mrs. Mary Crane Location: Mitchell, Indiana Place of Residence: Warren St., Mitchell, Ind. Date of Birth: 1855 Mrs. Mary Crane I was born on the farm of Wattie Williams, in 1855 and am eighty-two years old. I came to Mitchell, Indiana, about fifty years ago with my husband, who is now dead and four children and have lived here ever since. I was only a girl, about five or six years old when the Civil War broke out but I can remember very well, happenings of that time. My mother was owned by Wattie Williams, … Read more

Slave Narrative of Mary Colbert

Interviewer: Sadie B. Hornsby Person Interviewed: Mary Colbert Location: Athens, Georgia (NOTE: This is the first story we have had in which the client did not use any dialect. Mary Colbert’s grammar was excellent. Her skin was almost white, and her hair was quite straight. None of us know what a “deep” slave was. It may have the same meaning as outlandish Negro. The “outlandish Negroes” were those newly arrived Negroes who had just come in from any country outside of the United States of America, and were untrained. They were usually just from Africa. Sarah H. Hall) With the … Read more

Slave Narrative of Mary Barbour

Interviewer: Mary A. Hicks Person Interviewed: Mary Barbour Location: 801 S. Bloodworth Street, Raleigh, North Carolina Place of Birth: McDowell County NC Age: 81 Ex-Slave Story An interview with Mary Barbour 81 of 801 S. Bloodworth Street, Raleigh, N. C. I reckon dat I wuz borned in McDowell County, case dat’s whar my mammy, Edith, lived. She ‘longed ter Mr. Jefferson Mitchel dar, an’ my pappy ‘longed ter er Mr. Jordan in Avery County, so he said. ‘Fore de war, I doan know nothin’ much ‘cept dat we lived on a big plantation an’ dat my mammy wucked hard, but … Read more

Slave Narrative of Mary B. Dempsey

Interviewer: Betty Lugabell Person Interviewed: Mary Belle Dempsey Location: Ohio Age: 87 Folklore: Ex-Slaves Paulding Co., District 10 MARY BELLE DEMPSEY Ex-Slave, 87 years “I was only two years old when my family moved here, from Wilford county, Kentucky. ‘Course I don’t remember anything of our slave days, but my mother told me all about it.” “My mother and father were named Sidney Jane and William Booker. I had one brother named George William Booker.” “The man who owned my father and mother was a good man.” He was good to them and never ‘bused them. He had quite a … Read more

Slave Narrative of Mary Anngady

Interviewer: T. Pat Matthews Person Interviewed: Mary Anngady Location: 1110 Oakwood Avenue, Raleigh, North Carolina Age: 80 (Princess Quango Hennadonah Perceriah) 1110 Oakwood Avenue, Raleigh, North Carolina. I was eighteen years old in 1875 but I wanted to get married so I gave my age as nineteen. I wish I could recall some of the ole days when I was with my missus in Orange County, playing with my brothers and other slave children. I was owned by Mr. Franklin Davis and my madam was Mrs. Bettie Davis. I and my brother used to scratch her feet and rub them … Read more

Slave Narrative of Mary Anderson

Interviewer: T. Pat Matthews Person Interviewed: Mary Anderson Location: 17 Poole Road, R.F.D. #2, Raleigh, North Carolina Place of Birth: Wake County NC Date of Birth: May 10, 1851 Age: 86 My name is Mary Anderson. I was born on a plantation near Franklinton, Wake County, N. C. May 10, 1851. I was a slave belonging to Sam Brodie, who owned the plantation at this place. My missus’ name was Evaline. My father was Alfred Brodie and my mother was Bertha Brodie. We had good food, plenty of warm homemade clothes and comfortable houses. The slave houses were called the … Read more

Slave Narrative of Martha Richardson

Interviewer: Stiles M. Scruggs Person Interviewed: Martha Richardson Location: Columbia, South Carolina Place of Residence: 924 Senate Street, Columbia, SC Date of Birth: 1860 Martha Richardson, who tells this story, lives at 924 Senate Street, Columbia, S.C. Her father was an Indian and her mother a mulatto. She was born in Columbia in 1860 and was five years old, when General W.T. Sherman’s Federal troops captured and burned the city in 1865. “When I gits big ‘nough to pick up chips for de cook stove, we was livin’ in de rear of Daniel Gardner’s home, on Main Street, and my … Read more

Slave Narrative of Martha King

Person Interviewed: Martha King Location: McAlester, Oklahoma Age: 85 They hung Jeff Davis to a sour apple tree! They hung Jeff Davis to a sour apple tree! They hung Jeff Davis to a sour apple tree! While we go marching on!” Dat was de song de Yankees sang when they marched by our house. They didn’t harm us in any way. I guess de war was over then ’cause a few days after dat old Master say, “Matt”. and I say. “Suh?” He say, “Come here. You go tall Henry I say come out here and to bring the rest … Read more

Slave Narrative of Martha J. Jones

Interviewer: Byers York Person Interviewed: Martha J. Jones Location: Louisville, Kentucky Place of Birth: Buckingham County, Virginia Date of Birth: 1847 Age: 90 In an interview with Mrs. Martha J. Jones, she reminisced of the old Civil War days as follows: “I was born in Buckingham County, Virginia, and later during the Civil War, I lived in Gilmer County, W. Va. My fathers name was Robert R. Turner; he was born in 1818 and my mother’s name was Susan; she was born in 1821. My parents had six children and we lived on a big farm. My father was in … Read more

Slave Narrative of Martha Everette

Interviewer: Elizabeth Watson Person Interviewed: Martha Everette Location: Hawkinsville, Georgia Age: 88 Born in Pulaski County about 1848, the daughter of Isaac and Amanda Lathrop, Martha Everette has lived all her life near where she was born. Prior to freedom, her first job was “toting in wood”, from which she was soon “promoted” to waiting on the table, house cleaning, etc. She make no claims to have ever “graduated” as a cook, as so many old before-the-war Negresses do. “Aunt” Martha’s owner was a kind man: he never whipped the slaves, but the overseer “burnt ’em up sometimes.” And her … Read more

Slave Narrative of Martha Colquitt

Interviewer: Sarah H. Hall Person Interviewed: Martha Colquitt Location: Athens, Georgia The aged Negress leaned heavily on her cane as she shuffled about her tiny porch in the waning sunlight of a cold January day. An airplane writing an advertising slogan in letters of smoke high in the sky was receiving but indifferent attention from Aunt Martha. Sha shivered and occasionally leaned against a post until a paroxysm of coughing subsided. “What would you have thought of that if it had suddenly appeared in the sky when you were a child?” she was asked. “It would have scared me plum … Read more