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 William Rose

Interviewer: C. S. Murray Person Interviewed: William Rose Location: Edisto Island, South Carolina Going Down To Die (Folklore) Story Told By Ex-Slave Boss Man, you talk about de brave soldier who been in de last big war and how dey look death in de eye and spit on him. I ain’t see dat war. It been ‘cross de water. But I know sump’en ’bout de Civil War. I been young lad when de big gun shoot and de Yankee pile down from de north. Talk ’bout being brave. De bravest thing I ever see was one day at Ashepoo junction. … Read more

Slave Narrative of William Nelson

Interviewer: Sarah Probst Person Interviewed: William Nelson Location: Ohio Place of Birth: Belmont, Missouri Date of Birth: 1848 Age: 88 Sarah Probst, Reporter Audrey Meighen, Author-Editor Folklore: Ex-Slaves Meigs County, District Three MR. WILLIAM NELSON Aged 88 “Whar’s I bawned? ‘Way down Belmont Missouri, jes’ cross frum C’lumbus Kentucky on de Mississippi. Oh, I ‘lows ‘twuz about 1848, caise I wuz fo’teen when Marse Ben done brung me up to de North home with him in 1862.” “My Pappy, he wuz ‘Kaintuck’, John Nelson an’ my mammy wuz Junis Nelson. No suh, I don’t know whar dey wuz bawned, first … Read more

Slave Narrative of William Neightgen

Person Interviewed: William Neighten Location: Dade County, Florida William Neighten gave his address as 60th Street, Liberty City. He was only a baby when freedom came, but he too, “stayed on” a long time afterward. He did not know his real name, but he was given his Massy’s name. “Don’t ask me how much work I had to do. Gracious! I used to plow and hoed a lot and everything else and then did’nt do enough. I got too many whippings besides.”

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 William Hutson

Person Interviewed: William Hutson Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma Age: 98 When a feller gets as old as me it’s a keep easier to forget things than it is to remember, but I ain’t never forget that old plantation where good old Doctor Allison lived back there in Georgia long before the war that brought us slaves the freedom. I hear the slaves talking about noon maters when I was a boy. They wasn’t talking about Master Allison though, ’cause he was a good man and took part for the slaves when any trouble come up with the overseer. The Mistress’ name … 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

Slave Narrative of William Curtis

Person Interviewed: William Curtis Location: McAlester, Oklahoma Age: 93 “Run Nigger, run, De Patteroll git ye! Run Nigger, run, He’s almost here!” Please Mr. Pateroll, Don’t ketch me! Jest take dat nigger What’s behind dat tree.” Lawsy, I done heard dat song all my life and it warn’t no joke wither. Do Patrol would git ye too if he caught ye off the plantation thout a pass from your Master, and he’d whey ye too. None of we doesn’t save without a pass. We chillen sung lots of songs and me played marbles, mumble pog, my town call. In de … Read more

Slave Narrative of William Black of Hannibal, Missouri

Black, William919 South Arch StreetHannibal, MissouriMarion County, Missouri William Black of 919 South Arch Street, Hannibal, Missouri, is one of the few ex-slaves living in Marion County. He is now about eighty-five years old, and has lived his entire life in Marion, Monroe, and Ralls Counties. The following story is related by William Black: “My mother and father came from Virginia. I don’t know how old I am, but I have had one birthday and the rest aniversities. I think I am about eighty-five years old. I was born in slavery and when I was eight years old was bonded out … Read more

Slave Narrative of Will Oats

Interviewer: Hazel Cinnamon Person Interviewed: Will Oats Location: Mercer County, Kentucky Place of Birth: Wayne County KY Date of Birth: 1854 Age: 84 Mercer County. Ex-Slave Stories. (Hazel Cinnamon) Interview with Will Oats-Ex-Slave: Will Oats, 84 years of age, was born in Wayne County, up Spring Valley in 1854. He was the son of Betty Oats and Will Garddard of North Carolina. He has three sisters: Lucy Wilson, Frances Phillips that live in Ohio, and Alice Branton of Mercer County, Kentucky. He has two brothers; Jim Coffey and Lige Coffey of Harrodsburg. As a child he lived with his mother, … Read more

Slave Narrative of Wiley Childress

Person Interviewed: Wiley Childress Location: Nashville, Tennessee Age: 83 Place of Birth: 808 Gay St., Nashville, Tennessee “I’se 83 Y’ars ole en wuz bawn a slave. Mah mammy b’longed ter de Bosley’s en mah daddy b’longed ter de Scales.” “W’en Miss Jane Boxley ma’ried Marster Jerry Scales, me en mah mammy, br’er en sistah wuz gib ter Miss Jane.” “Durin’ de war mah Missis tuk mah mammy en us chilluns wid her ter de mount’ins ’till de war wuz gon’. Did’nt see no soldiers. Don’t member now nuthin’ ’bout dem Klu Klux men en don’t member de ole songs er … Read more

Slave Narrative of Wes Woods

Interviewer: Eliza Ison Person Interviewed: Wes Woods Location: Duncantown, Kentucky Place of Birth: Garrard County, KY Date of Birth: May 21, 1864 Interview with Ex-Slave Uncle Wes Woods: My first visit to Uncle Wes Wood, and his wife Aunt Lizzie Wood, found them in their own comfortable little home in Duncantown, a nice urban section of the town, where most of the inhabitants are of the better class of colored people. A small yard with a picket fence and gate surround the yard, which had tall hollyhocks, rearing their heads high above the fence. A knock on the front door … Read more

Slave Narrative of Wayne Holliday

Interviewer: Mrs. Richard KolbPerson Interviewed: Wayne HollidayLocation: Aberdeen, MississippiPlace of Birth: Aberdeen, MississippiDate of Birth: 1853Age: 84 “I was born an’ raised in Aberdeen an’ I’se been a railroad nigger fo’ mos’ of my days. I’se retired now ’cause dey say I too old to work any longer, but shucks, I ain’t half dead yet. I was born in 1853 right here close to whar I live now. My folks b’longed to de Hollidays—you know de grand folks of Miss Maria Evans? An’ we stayed right dere in de lot whar de white folks lived. “My pa an’ my ma … Read more

Slave Narrative of Washington Allen

Person Interviewed: Washington Allen Interviewed: December 18, 1936 Location: Columbus, Georgia Residence: 1932-Fifth Avenue, Columbus, Georgia Born: December –, 1854 Place of birth: “Some where” in South Carolina Present [MAY 8 1937] [TR: Original index refers to “Allen, Rev. W.B. (Uncle Wash)”; however, this informant is different from the next informant, Rev. W.B. Allen.] The story of “Uncle Wash”, as he is familiarly known, is condensed as follows: He was born on the plantation of a Mr. Washington Allen of South Carolina, for whom he was named. This Mr. Allen had several sons and daughters, and of these, one son—George … Read more

Slave Narrative of Walter Calloway

Walter Calloway

Walter Calloway was born in Richmond, Virginia, in 1848. Calloway and his mother and brother were purchased by John Calloway, who owned a plantation ten miles south of Montgomery, Alabama. By the time he was ten years old, Walter Calloway was doing a grown man’s work. The white overseer used a black hand to administer the whippings; Calloway recalls seeing one thirteen-year-old girl whipped almost to death. Calloway also tells of worshipping in a brush arbor, the outbreak of the Civil War, and federal troops ransacking the plantation at war’s end. He is pictured sitting on the front steps of his home in Birmingham, Alabama, where he worked for the city street department for twenty-five years.

Slave Narrative of Wade Glenn

Interviewer: Miriam Logan Person Interviewed: Wade Glenn Location: Lebanon, Ohio Date of Birth: October 30th Miriam Logan, Reporter Lebanon, Ohio Warren County, District 21 Story of WADE GLENN from Winston-Salem North Carolina: (doesn’t know his age) “Yes Madam, I were a slave-I’m old enough to have been born into slavery, but I was only a baby slave, for I do not remember about slavery, I’ve just heard them tell about it. My Mammy were Lydia Glenn, and father were Caesar Glenn, for they belonged to old Glenn. I’ve heard tell he were a mean man too. My birthday is October … Read more

Slave Narrative of W. Solomon Debnam

Interviewer: T. Pat Matthews Person Interviewed: W. S. Debnam Location: 701 Smith Street, Raleigh, North Carolina Age: 78 Yes, I remember the Yankees coming to Raleigh. I don’t know very much about those times, I was so young, but I remember the Yankees all right in their blue clothes; their horses, and so on. I’ll be 78 years old the 8th of this comin’ September an’ I’ve heard mother an’ father talk about slavery time a whole lot. We belonged to T. R. Debnam at Eagle Rock, Wake County. His wife was named Priscilla Debnam. My father was named Daniel … Read more

Slave Narrative of W. B. Morgan

ANDERSON CO. (Mildred Roberts) Many of the following stories were related by Mr. W.B. Morgan who at one time owned and operated a livery barn. He hired several negroes to look after the horses and hacks, and remembers many funny tales about them and others: “Kie Coleman, one of my employees, was standing without the livery stable smoking a two-fer cigar that some one had given him. Another negro walked up to chat with him, and he reared back and said “Get away nigger, nothing but the rich can endure life.” “I was hauling grain for the distillery. One morning … Read more

Slave Narrative of W. A. Anderson

Interviewer: Samuel S. Taylor Person Interviewed: W. A. Anderson (dark brown) Location: 3200 W. 18th Street, Little Rock, Arkansas Age: 78 Occupation: House and yard man [HW: Serves the “Lawd”] “I don’t know nothin’ about slavery. You know I wouldn’t know nothin’ bout it cause I was only four years old when the war ended. All I know is I was born in slavery; but I don’t know nothin’ bout it. “I don’t remember nothin’ of my parents. Times was all confused and old folks didn’t talk before chilun. They didn’t have time. Besides, my mother and father were separated. … Read more

Slave Narrative of Viney Baker

Interviewer: Mary A. Hicks Person Interviewed: Viney Baker Location: S. Harrington Street, Raleigh, North Carolina Age: 78 An interview with Viney Baker 78 of S. Harrington Street, Raleigh. My mammy wuz Hannah Murry an’ so fur as I know I ain’t got no father, do’ I reckon dat he wuz de plantation stock nigger. I wuz borned in Virginia as yo’ mought say ter my marster Mr. S. L. Allen. We moved when I wuz little ter Durham County whar we fared bad. We ain’t had nothin’ much ter eat an’ ter w’ar. He had a hundert slaves an’ I … Read more

Slave Narrative of Victoria Taylor Thompson

Person Interviewed: Victoria Taylor Thompson Age: 80 My mother, Judy Taylor, named for her mistress, told me that I was born about three year before the war; that make me about 80 year old so they say down at the Indian Agency where my name is on the Cherokee rolls since all the land was give to the Indian families a long time ago. Father kept the name of ‘Doc’ Hayes, and my brother Coose was a Hayes too, but mother, Jude, Patsy, Bonaparte (Boney, we always called him), Lewis and me was always Taylors. Daddy was bought by the … Read more