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 Sarah Ross

Interviewer: Alfred Farrell Person Interviewed: Sarah Ross Location: Live Oak, Florida Born in Benton County, Mississippi nearly eighty years ago, Sarah is the daughter of Harriet Elmore and William Donaldson, her white owner. Donaldson was a very cruel man and frequently beat Sarah’s mother because she would not have sexual relations with the overseer, a colored man by the name of Randall. Sarah relates that the slaves did not marry, but were forced – in many cases against their will – to live together as man and wife. It was not until after slavery that they learned about the holy … Read more

Slave Narrative of Sarah Mann

Interviewer: George Conn Person Interviewed: Sarah Mann Location: Akron, Ohio Date of Birth: 1861 Wilbur Ammon, Editor George Conn, Writer C.R. McLean, District Supervisor June 16, 1937 Folklore Summit County, District #9 SARAH MANN Mrs. Mann places her birth sometime in 1861 during the first year of the Civil War, on a plantation owned by Dick Belcher, about thirty miles southwest of Richmond, Virginia. Her father, Frederick Green, was owned by Belcher and her mother, Mandy Booker, by Race Booker on an adjoining plantation. Her grandparents were slaves of Race Booker. After the slaves were freed she went with her … Read more

Slave Narrative of Sarah Louise Augustus

Interviewer: T. Pat Matthews Person Interviewed: Sarah Louise Augustus Location: 1424 Lane Street, Raleigh, North Carolina Age: 80 Age 80 years 1424 Lane Street Raleigh, North Carolina I wus born on a plantation near Fayetteville, N. C., and I belonged to J. B. Smith. His wife wus named Henrietta. He owned about thirty slaves. When a slave was no good he wus put on the auction block in Fayetteville and sold. My father wus named Romeo Harden and my mother wus named Alice Smith. The little cabin where I wus born is still standing. There wus seven children in marster’s … Read more

Slave Narrative of Sarah Harris

Interviewer: Mary A. Hicks Person Interviewed: Sarah Harris Date of Interview: May 19, 1937 Location: North Carolina Date of Birth: April 1861 Interviewed May 19, 1937. Sarah Harris is my name. I wuz borned April 1861, on the plantation of Master John William Walton. My father wuz name Frank Walton and my mother wuz name Flora Walton. My brothers wuz name Lang and Johnny. My sisters: Hannah, Mary, Ellen, Violet and Annie. My grandmother wuz name Ellen Walton. She wuz 104 years old when she died. My mother wuz 103 years old when she died; she has been dead 3 … Read more

Slave Narrative of Sarah Harris

Interviewer: Mary A. Hicks Person Interviewed: Sarah Harris Date of Interview: May 19, 1937 Location: North Carolina Date of Birth: April 1861 Age: 76 Sarah Harris is my name. I wuz borned April 1861, on the plantation of Master John William Walton. My father wuz name Frank Walton and my mother wuz name Flora Walton. My brothers wuz name Lang and Johnny. My sisters: Hannah, Mary, Ellen, Violet and Annie. My grandmother wuz name Ellen Walton. She wuz 104 years old when she died. My mother wuz 103 years old when she died; she has been dead 3 years. She … Read more

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 Sarah Gudger

Interviewer: Marjorie Jones Person Interviewed: Sarah Gudger Date of Interview: May 5, 1937 Location: Asheville, North Carolina Date of Birth: Sept. 15. 1816 Age: 121 Investigation of the almost incredible claim of Aunt Sarah Gudger, ex-slave living in Asheville, that she was born on Sept. 15, 1816, discloses some factual information corroborating her statements. Aunt Sarah’s father, Smart Gudger, belonged to and took his family name from Joe Gudger, who lived near Oteen, about six miles east of Asheville in the Swannanoa valley, prior to the War Between the States. Family records show that Joe Gudger married a Miss McRae … Read more

Slave Narrative of Sarah Debro

Interviewer: Travis Jordan Person Interviewed: Sarah Debro Location: Durham, North Carolina Age: 90 Years I was bawn in Orange County way back some time in de fifties. Mis Polly White Cain an’ Marse Docter Cain was my white folks. Marse Cain’s plantation joined Mistah Paul Cameron’s land. Marse Cain owned so many niggers dat he didn’ know his own slaves when he met dem in de road. Sometimes he would stop dem an’ say: ‘Whose niggers am you?’ Dey’d say, ‘We’s Marse Cain’s niggers.’ Den he would say, ‘I’se Marse Cain,’ and drive on. Marse Cain was good to his … Read more

Slave Narrative of Sarah C. Colbert

Interviewer: Anna Pritchett Person Interviewed: Sarah Colbert Location: Indianapolis, Indiana Place of Birth: Allen County, Kentucky Date of Birth: 1855 Place of Residence: 1505 North Capitol Avenue, Indianapolis, Indiana Federal Writers’ Project of the W.P.A. District #6 Marion County Anna Pritchett 1200 Kentucky Avenue FOLKLORE MRS. SARAH COLBERT-EX-SLAVE 1505 North Capitol Avenue, Indianapolis, Indiana Mrs. Sarah Carpenter Colbert was born in Allen County, Kentucky in 1855. She was owned by Leige Carpenter, a farmer. Her father, Isaac Carpenter was the grandson of his master, Leige Carpenter, who was very kind to him. Isaac worked on the farm until the old … Read more

Slave Narrative of Sarah Anne Green

Interviewer: Travis Jordan Person Interviewed: Sarah Anne Green Location: Durham County, North Carolina Age: 78 My mammy an’ pappy wuz Anderson an’ Hannah Watson. We fus’ belonged to Marse Billy an’ Mis Roby Watson, but when Marse Billy’s daughter, Mis’ Susie ma’ied young Marse Billy Headen, Ole Marse give her me, an’ my mammy an’ my pappy for er weddin’ gif’. So, I growed up as Sarah Anne Headen. My pappy had blue eyes. Dey wuz jus’ like Marse Billy’s eyes, kaze Ole Marse wuz pappy’s marster an’ his pappy too. Ole Marse wuz called Hickory Billy, dey called him … Read more

Slave Narrative of Sarah Anderson

Interviewer: Mrs. Bernice Bowden Person Interviewed: Sarah Anderson Location: 3815 W. Second Avenue, Pine Bluff, Arkansas Age: 78? “I don’t know when I was born. When the Civil War ended, I was bout four or five years old. “I jes’ remember when the people come back—the soldiers—when the War ended. We chillun run under the house. That was the Yankees. “I was born in Bibb County, Georgia. That’s where I was bred and born. “I been in Arkansas ever since I was fourteen. That was shortly after the Civil War, I reckon. We come here when they was emigratin’ to … Read more

Slave Narrative of Samuel Watson

Interviewer: Lauana Creel Person Interviewed: Samuel Watson Location: Evansville, Indiana Place of Birth: Webster County, Kentucky Date of Birth: February 14, 1862 Ex-Slave Stories 5th District Vanderburgh County Lauana Creel 1415 S. Barker Avenue, Evansville, Indiana THE BIOGRAPHY OF A CHILD BORN IN SLAVERY SAMUEL WATSON [HW: Personal Interview] Samuel Watson, a citizen of Evansville, Indiana, was born in Webster County, Kentucky, February 14, 1862. His master’s home was located two and one half miles from Clay, Kentucky on Craborchard Creek. “Uncle Sammy” as the negro children living near his home on South East Fifth Street call the old man, … Read more

Slave Narrative of Samuel Sutton

Interviewer: Miriam Logan Person Interviewed: Samuel Sutton Location: Lebanon, Ohio Place of Birth: Garrett County Kentucky Date of Birth: 1854 Miriam Logan, Lebanon, Ohio Warren County, Dist. 2 July 2, 1937 Interview with SAMUEL SUTTON, Ex Slave. Born in Garrett County, Kentucky, in 1854 (drawing of Sutton) [TR: no drawing found] “Yes’em, I sho were bo’n into slavery. Mah mothah were a cook-(they was none betteah)-an she were sold four times to my knownin’. She were part white, for her fathah were a white man. She live to be seventy-nine yeahs an nine months old.” “Ah was bo’n in Garrett … Read more

Slave Narrative of Samuel Smalls

Interviewer: Martin D. Richardson Person Interviewed: Samuel Smalls Location: Jacksonville, Florida Age: 85 A voluntary slave for seven years. The story of a free Negro of Connecticut, who came south to observe conditions of slavery, found them very distasteful, then voluntarily entered that slavery for seven years is the interesting tale that Samuel Smalls, 84 year old ex-slave of 1704 Johnson Street, Jacksonville, tells of his father Cato Smith. Smith had been born in Connecticut, son of domestic slaves who were freed while he was still a child. He grew to young manhood in the northern state, making a living … Read more

Slave Narrative of Samuel Simeon Andrews

Interviewer: Rachel A. Austin Person Interviewed: Samuel Simeon Andrews Location: Jacksonville, Florida Age: 86 For almost 30 years Edward Waters College, an African Methodist Episcopal School, located on the north side of Kings Road in the western section of Jacksonville, has employed as watchman, Samuel Simeon Andrews (affectionately called “Parson”), a former slave of A.J. Lane of Georgia, Lewis Ripley of Beaufort, South Carolina, Ed Tillman of Dallas, Texas, and John Troy of Union Springs, Alabama. “Parson” was born November 18, 1850 in Macon, Georgia, at a place called Tatum Square, where slaves were held, housed and sold. “Speculators” (persons … Read more

Slave Narrative of Sam Rawls

Interviewer: G. Leland Summer Person Interviewed: Sam Rawls Date of Interview: June 9, 1937 Location: Newberry, South Carolina Place of Birth: Lexington County, SC Date of Birth: 1835 Stories From Ex-Slaves “I was born in 1835 in Lexington County, S.C. I know I was 12 years old de last year of de war. I belonged to John Hiller in Lexington County, near Columbia, S.C. Old Marse Hiller was strict to his slaves, wasn’t mean, but often whipped ’em. I thought it was all right then. When de Yankees come through burning, killing and stealing stock, I was in marse’s yard. … Read more

Slave Narrative of Sam McAllum

Interviewer: Marjorie Woods Austin Person Interviewed: Sam McAllum Location: Meridian, Mississippi Date of Birth: September 2, 1842 Age: 95 Place of Residence: Meridian, Lauderdale County To those familiar with the history of “Bloody Kemper” as recorded, the following narrative from the lips of an eye-witness will be heresy. But the subject of this autobiography, carrying his ninety-five years more trimly than many a man of sixty, is declared sound of mind as well as of body by the Hector Currie family, prominent in Mississippi, for whom he has worked in a position of great trust and responsibility for fifty years … Read more

Slave Narrative of Sam and Louisa Everett

Sam and Louisa Everett, 86 and 90 years of age respectively, have weathered together some of the worst experiences of slavery, and as they look back over the years, can relate these experiences as clearly as if they had happened only yesterday. Both were born near Norfolk, Virginia and sold as slaves several times on nearby plantations. It was on the plantation of “Big Jim” McClain that they met as slave-children and departed after Emancipation to live the lives of free people. Sam was the son of Peter and Betsy Everett, field hands who spent long back-breaking hours in the … Read more

Slave Narrative of Sallie Carder

Person Interviewed: Sallie Carder Location: Burwin, Oklahoma Age: 83 I was born in Jackson, Tennessee, and I’m going on 83 years. My mother was Harriott Noel and father Jeff Bills, both of them named after their masters. I has one brother, J. B. Bills, but all de rest of my brothers and daters is dead. No sir, we never had no money while I was a slave. We jest didn’t have nothing a toll! We ate greens, corn bread, and ash cake. Do only time I ever got a biscuit would be when a misdemeanor was did, and my Mistress … Read more

Slave Narrative of Salena Taswell

Interviewer: Cora M. Taylor Person Interviewed: Salena Taswell Location: Miami, Florida 1. Where, and about when, were you born? (Answer) In Perry, Ga. in 1844. 2. If you were born on a plantation or farm, what sort of farming section was it in? (Answer) Ole Dr. Jameson’s plantation near Perry, Ga. north of Macon. 3. How did you pass the time as a child? What sort of chores did you do and what did you play? (Answer) I worked around the table in my Massy’s dining room. I didn’t play. I sometimes pulled threads for mother. She was a fine … Read more