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.
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. […]
Interviewer: Mary A. Hicks Person Interviewed: Alice Baugh Date of Interview: May 18, 1937 Location: North Carolina Age: 64 Plantation Times An Interview on May 18, 1937 with Baugh, 64, who remembers hearing her mother tell of slavery days. My mammy Ferbie, an’ her brother Darson belonged ter Mr. David Hinnant in Edgecombe County till
Interviewer: Elizabeth Watson Person Interviewed: Alice Battle Date of Interview: 1936 Location: Hawkinsville, Georgia During the 1840’s, Emanuel Caldwell—born in North Carolina, and Neal Anne Caldwell—born in South Carolina, were brought to Macon by “speculators” and sold to Mr. Ed Marshal of Bibb County. Some time thereafter, this couple married on Mr. Marshal’s plantation, and
Person Interviewed: Alice Alexander Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Place of Birth: Jackson Parish, Louisiana Date of Birth: 1849 Age: 88 I was 88 years old the 15th of March. I was born in 1849, at Jackson Parish, Louisiana. My mother’s name was Mary Marlow , and father’s Henry Marlow. I can’t remember very much ’bout
Person Interviewed: Alfred Smith Place of Birth: Calhoon, Georgia Occupation: Farmer I was born in Calhoon, Georgia. I don’t know the date of birth, but as near as I can get at, my age is 80 years old. My mother’s name is Mary Johnson and my father’s name is Alexandra Hamilton. He was named for
Interviewer: Stiles M. Scruggs Person Interviewed: Alfred Sligh Location: Columbia, South Carolina Place of Birth: Newberry County, South Carolina Date of Birth: 1837 Age: 100 Place of Residence: 1317 Gregg Street Ex-Slave 100 Years Old Alfred Sligh, who lives in a rented house at 1317 Gregg Street, says he was born in Newberry County, South
Interviewer: Caldwell Sims Person Interviewed: Alexander Scaife Location: Pacolet, South Carolina “Marster Charner Scaife a-laying on his bed of death is ’bout de first thing dat stuck in my mind. I felt sorry fer everybody den. Miss Mary Rice Scaife, his wife, was mean. She died a year atter. Never felt sad nor glad den;
Interviewer: W. W. Dixon Person Interviewed: Alexander Robertson Location: White Oak, South Carolina Age: 84 Ex-Slave 84 Years Old Alexander Robertson lives as a member of the household of his son, Charley, on the General Bratton plantation, four miles southeast of White Oak, S.C. It is a box-like house, chimney in the center, four rooms,
Interviewer: Iris Cook Person Interviewed: Alex Woodson Location: New Albany, Indiana Place of Birth: Woodsonville, Hart County, Kentucky, Age: 80-85 Place of ResidenceL 905 E. 4th St., New Albany, Indiana Iris Cook Dist 4 Floyd Co. SLAVE STORY THE STORY OF ALEX WOODSON 905 E. 4th St. New Albany, Ind. Observation of Writer Alex Woodson
Interviewer: Mrs. Edith S. Hibbs Person Interviewed: Alex Huggins Location: 920 Dawson St., Wilmington, North Carolina Date of Birth: July 9, 1850 Location of Birth: New Bern North Carolina Story Of Alex Huggins, Ex-Slave I was born in New Bern on July 9, 1850. My father and mother belonged to Mr. L. B. Huggins. My father
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
Interviewer: W. W. Dixon Person Interviewed: Aleck Woodward Location: South Carolina Age: 83 “You knows de Simonton place, Mr. Wood? Well, dats just where I was born back yonder befo’ de war, a slave of old Marster Johnnie Simonton. Five miles sorter south sunset side of Woodward Station where you was born, ain’t it so?
Person Interviewed: Alec Bostwick Location: Georgia All of Uncle Alec Bostwick’s people are dead and he lives in his tiny home with a young Negress named Emma Vergal. It was a beautiful April morning when his visitor arrived and while he was cordial enough he seemed very reluctant about talking. However, as one question followed
Interviewer: W. W. Dixon Person Interviewed: Al Rosboro Location: Woodward, South Carolina Age: 90 Ex-Slave 90 Years Old Al Rosboro, with his second wife, Julia, a daughter, and six small grandchildren, lives in a three-room frame house, three hundred yards east of the Southern Railway track and US #21, about two miles south of Woodward,
Interviewer: Albert Strope Person Interviewed: Adeline Rose Lennox Location: Elkhart, Indiana Place of Birth: Middle / Paris, Tennessee Date of Birth: October 25, 1849 Place of Residence: 1400 South Sixth Street, Elkhart, Indiana Albert Strope, Field Worker Federal Writers’ Project St. Joseph County-District #1 Mishawaka, Indiana ADELINE ROSE LENNOX-EX-SLAVE 1400 South Sixth Street, Elkhart, Indiana
Interviewer: T. Pat Matthews Person Interviewed: Adeline Crump Location: 526 Cannon Street, Raleigh, North Carolina Age: 73 My name is Adeline Crump, and I am 73 years old. My husband’s name wus James Crump. My mother’s wus Marie Cotton and my father’s name wus Cotton. My mother belonged to the Faucetts; Rich Faucett wus her
Interviewer: T. Pat Matthews Person Interviewed: Addy Gill Location: 1614 “B” St., Lincoln Park, Raleigh, North Carolina Place of Birth: Millburnie, Wake County, NC Date of Birth: Jan. 6, 1863 Age: 74 Occupation: Butler I am seventy four years of age. I wus born a slave Jan. 6, 1863 on a plantation near Millburnie, Wake
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
Interviewer: Pearl Randolph Person Interviewed: Acie Thomas Location: Jacksonville, Florida Age: 79 Mr. Thomas was at home today. There are many days when one might pass and repass the shabby lean-to that is his home without seeing any signs of life. That is because he spends much of his time foraging about the streets of
Person Interviewed: Acemey Wofford Date of Birth: June 13 Age: 100 (about) The folks say I’m about 100 years old but there’s no way of me telling about that. I remember the master told me I was born on June 13, but I don’t know what was the year. Maybe I know once, but not
