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 Charlie Moses

Interviewer: Esther de Sola Person Interviewed: Charlie Moses Location: Brookhaven, Mississippi Age: 84 Charlie Moses, 84 year old ex-slave, lives at Brookhaven. He possesses the eloquence and the abundant vocabulary of all Negro preachers. He is now confined to his bed because of the many ailments of old age. His weight appears to be about 140 pounds, height 6 feet 1 inch high. “When I gits to thinkin’ back on them slavery days I feels like risin’ out o’ this here bed an’ tellin’ ever’body ’bout the harsh treatment us colored folks was given when we was owned by poor … Read more

Slave Narrative of Charlie H. Hunter

Interviewer: T. Pat Matthews Person Interviewed: Charlie H. Hunter Location: 2213 Barker Street, West Raleigh, North Carolina Date of Birth: May, 1857 Place of Birth: Wake County NC Age: 80 My full name is Charlie H. Hunter. I wus borned an’ reared in Wake County, N. C., born May, 1857. My mother wus Rosa Hunter an’ my father wus named Jones. I never saw my father. We belonged to a family named Jones first, an’ then we wus sold to a slave owner seven miles Northwest by the name Joe Hayes an’ a terrible man he wus. He would get … Read more

Slave Narrative of Charlie Davenport

Interviewer: Edith Wyatt Moore Person Interviewed: Charlie Davenport Location: Natchez, Mississippi “I was named Charlie Davenport an’ encordin'[FN: according] to de way I figgers I ought to be nearly a hund’ed years old. Nobody knows my birthday, ’cause all my white folks is gone. “I was born one night an’ de very nex’ mornin’ my po’ little mammy died. Her name was Lucindy. My pa was William Davenport. “When I was a little mite dey turnt me over to de granny nurse on de plantation. She was de one dat ‘tended to de little pickaninnies. She got a woman to … Read more

Slave Narrative of Charlie Crump

Interviewer: Mary A. Hicks Person Interviewed: Charlie Crump Location: Cary, North Carolina Place of Birth: Evan’s Ferry, Lee or Chatham County, North Carolina Age: 82 Occupation: Farmer An interview with Charlie Crump 82 of Cary (near) I wuz borned at Evan’s Ferry in Lee or Chatham County, an’ I belonged ter Mr. Davis Abernathy an’ his wife Mis’ Vick. My pappy wuz named Ridge, an’ my mammy wuz named Marthy. My brothers wuz Stokes an’ Tucker, an’ my sisters wuz Lula an’ Liddy Ann. Dar wuz nine o’ us in all, but some o’ dem wuz sold, an’ some o’ … Read more

Slave Narrative of Charlie Barbour

Interviewer: Mary A. Hicks Person Interviewed: Charlie Barbour Date of Interview: May 20, 1937 Location: Smithfield, North Carolina Age: 86 I belonged ter Mr. Bob Lumsford hyar in Smithfield from de time of my birth. My mammy wuz named Candice an’ my pappy’s name wuz Seth. My brothers wuz Rufus, William an’ George, an’ my sisters wuz Mary an’ Laura. I ‘minds me of de days when as a youngin’ [HW correction: youngun’] I played marbles an’ hide an’ seek. Dar wuzn’t many games den, case nobody ain’t had no time fer ’em. De grown folkses had dances an’ sometimes … Read more

Slave Narrative of Charley Williams

Person Interviewed: Charley Williams Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma Date of Birth: Jan. 11, 1843 Age: 94 Iffen I could see better out’n my old eyes, and I had me something to work with and de feebleness in my back and head would let me ‘lone, I would have me plenty to eat in de kitchen all de time, and plenty tobaccy in my pipe, too, bless God! And dey wouldn’t be no rain trickling through de holes in de roof, and no planks all fell out’n de flo’ on de gallery neither, ’cause dis one old nigger knows everything about making … Read more

Slave Narrative of Charley Watson

Interviewer: W. W. Dixon Person Interviewed: Charley Watson Location: South Carolina Age: 87 “Dis is a mighty hot day I tells you, and after climbing them steps I just got to fan myself befo’ I give answer to your questions. You got any ‘bacco I could chaw and a place to spit? Dis old darkie maybe answer more better if he be allowed to be placed lak dat at de beginnin’ of de ‘sperience. “Where was I born? Why right dere on de Hog Fork Place, thought everybody knowed dat! It was de home place of my old Marster Daniel … Read more

Slave Narrative of Charley Roberts

Person Interviewed: Charley Roberts Location: Dade County, Florida Charley Roberys of Perrine, Florida, was born on the Hogg plantation near Allendale, S. C. “Yes, sah, I’ members de vary day when we first heard that we was free. I was mindin’ the little calf, keepin’ it away from the cow while my mother was milkin’. “We have to milk the cows and carry the milk to the Confederate soldiers quartered near us. “At that time, I can ‘member of the soldiers comin’ ‘cross the Savannah River. They would go to the plantations and take all the cows, hogs, sheep, or … Read more

Slave Narrative of Charles Willis

Person Interviewed: Charles Willis Place of Birth: Lawrence County, Mississippi I found Mr. Willis seated on the front porch eating lemon drops out of a bag. He consumed the whole bag during the interview which lasted about 3 hours. He talked slowly and between his sucks on the lemon drops. He is hard of hearing and is losing his eyesight. He possesses a good sense of humor. Talked incessantly of matrimony and pretty gals. I was born in Lawrence County, Mississippi on the Sharp Plantation. My missus was name Sang Sharp and my mastah was name John Sharp. My mastah … Read more

Slave Narrative of Charles W. Dickens

Interviewer: T. Pat Matthews Person Interviewed: Charles W. Dickens Location: Raleigh, North Carolina (1115 East Lenoir Street) My name is Charles W. Dickens. I lives at 1115 East Lenoir Street, Raleigh, North Carolina, Wake County. I wuz born August 16, 1861, de year de war started. My mother wuz named Ferebee Dickens. My father wuz named John Dickens. I had nine sisters and brothers. My brothers were named Allen, Douglas, my name [HW: question mark above “my name”], Jake, Johnnie and Jonas. The girls Katie, Matilda Francis, and Emily Dickens. My grandmother wuz named Charity Dickens. My grandfather wuz Dudley … Read more

Slave Narrative of Charles Lee Dalton

Interviewer: Miss Nancy Woodburn Watkins Person Interviewed: Charles Lee Dalton Location: Madison, North Carolina Age: 93 Ex-Slave Biography–Charles Lee Dalton, 93. In July, 1934, the census taker went to the home of Unka Challilee Dalton and found that soft talking old darky on the porch of his several roomed house, a few hundred feet south of the dirt road locally called the Ayersville road because it branches from the hard surfaced highway to Mayodan at Anderson Scales’ store, a short distance from Unka Challilie’s. Black got its meaning from his face, even his lips were black, but his hair was … Read more

Slave Narrative of Charles H. Anderson

Interviewer: Ruth Thompson Person Interviewed: Charles H. Anderson Location: Cincinnati, Ohio Place of Birth: Richmond, Virginia Date of Birth: December 23, 1845 Place of Residence: 3122 Fredonia St., Cincinnati, Ohio Occupation: Handy man “Life experience excels all reading. Every place you go, you learn something from every class of people. Books are just for a memory, to keep history and the like, but I don’t have to go huntin’ in libraries, I got one in my own head, for you can’t forget what you learn from experience.” The old man speaking is a living example of his theory, and, judging … Read more

Slave Narrative of Charles Coles

Interviewer: Rogers Person Interviewed: Charles Coles Location: Baltimore, Maryland Date of Birth: 1851 Place of Birth: Charles County MD Place of Residence: 1106 Sterling St., Baltimore, Maryland Reference: Personal interview with Charles Coles at his home, 1106 Sterling St., Baltimore, Md. “I was born near Pisgah, a small village in the western part of Charles County, about 1851. I do not know who my parents were nor my relatives. I was reared on a large farm owned by a man by the name of Silas Dorsey, a fine Christian gentleman and a member of the Catholic Church. “Mr. Dorsey was a … Read more

Slave Narrative of Charles Anderson

Interviewer: Miss Irene Robertson Person Interviewed: Charles Anderson Location: Helena, Arkansas Age: 77 or 78, not sure “I was born in Bloomfield, Kentucky. My parents had the same owners. Mary and Elgin Anderson was their names. They was owned by Isaac Stone. Davis Stone was their son. They belong to the Stones as far back as they could remember. Mama was darker than I am. My father was brighter than I am. He likely had a white father. I never inquired. Mama had colored parents. Master Stone walked with a big crooked stick. He nor his son never went to … Read more

Slave Narrative of Charity Austin

Interviewer: T. Pat Matthews Person Interviewed: Charity Austin Location: 507 South Bloodworth Street, Raleigh, North Carolina Date of Birth: July 27, 1852 Place of Birth: Granville County NC I wus borned in the year 1852, July 27. I wus born in Granville County, sold to a slave speculator at ten years old and carried to Southwest, Georgia. I belonged to Samuel Howard. His daughter took me to Kinston, North Carolina and I stayed there until I wus sold. She married a man named Bill Brown, and her name wus Julia Howard Brown. My father wus named Paul Howard and my … Read more

Slave Narrative of Charity Anderson

Charity Anderson, age 101

Charity Anderson, 101 years old, lived near Mobile, Alabama at the time she was interviewed. She was born at Belle’s Landing, in Monroe County, Alabama. Her master operated a wood yard that supplied fuel to river boats. Anderson was a house slave. She recalls that her master treated all his slaves well, but she also remembered seeing slaves torn up by dogs and whipped unmercifully.

Slave Narrative of Chaney Richardson

Person Interviewed: Chaney Richardson Location: Fort Gibson, Oklahoma Age: 90 I was born in the old Caney settlement southeast of Tahlequah on the banks of Caney Creek. Off to the north we could see the big old ridge of Sugar Mountain when the sun shine on him first thing in the morning when we all getting up. I didn’t know nothing else but some kind of war until I was a grown woman, because when I first can remember my old Master, Charley Rogers, was always on the lookout for somebody or other he was lined up against in the … Read more

Slave Narrative of Chaney Mayer

Interviewer: Anna Pritchett Person Interviewed: Belle Butler Location: Indiana Federal Writers’ Project of the W.P.A. District #6 Marion County Anna Pritchett 1200 Kentucky Avenue FOLKLORE MRS. BELLE BUTLER-DAUGHTER [of Chaney Mayer] 829 North Capitol Avenue Interviewer’s Comment Belle Butler, the daughter of Chaney Mayer, tells of the hardships her mother endured during her days of slavery. Interview Chaney was owned by Jesse Coffer, “a mean old devil.” He would whip his slaves for the slightest misdemeanor, and many times for nothing at all-just enjoyed seeing them suffer. Many a time Jesse would whip a slave, throw him down, and gouge … 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 Celia Henderson

Interviewer: Miriam Logan Person Interviewed: Celia Henderson Location: Ohio Place of Birth: Hardin County, Kentucky Date of Birth: 1849 Age: 88 Miriam Logan Lebanon, Ohio MRS. CELIA HENDERSON, aged 88 Born Hardin County, Kentucky in 1849 (drawing of Celia Henderson) [TR: no drawing found] “Mah mammy were Julia Dittoe, an pappy, he were name Willis Dittoe. Dey live at Louieville till mammy were sold fo’ her marster’s debt. She were a powerful good cook, mammy were-an she were sol’ fo to pay dat debt.” “She tuk us four chillen ‘long wid her, an pappy an th’ others staid back in … Read more