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 Polly Colbert

Person Interviewed: Polly Colbert Location: Colbert, Oklahoma Age: 83 I am now living on de forty-acre farm dat de Government give me and it is just about three miles from my old home on Master Holmes Colbert’s plantation where I lived when I was a slave. Lawsy me, times sure has changed since slavery times Maybe I notice it more since I been living here all de time, but dere’s farms ’round here dat I’ve seen grown timber cleared off of twice during my lifetime. Dis land was first cleared up and worked by niggers when dey was slaves. After … Read more

Slave Narrative of Pierce Cody

Interviewer: Adella S. Dixon Person Interviewed: Pierce Cody Location: Georgia Pierce Cody was the eldest son of Elbert and Dorothy Cody. His father was born in Richmond, Virginia, his mother in Warren County. When the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, he, the eldest child in a large family, was in his early teens. This group lived on the place owned by Mr. Bob Cody, [HW: whose] family was a group of ardent believers in the Hardshell Baptist faith. So firm was their faith that a church of this denomination was provided for the slaves and each one required to become a … Read more

Slave Narrative of Phyllis Petite

Person Interviewed: Phyllis Petite Location: Fort Gibson, Oklahoma Place of Birth: Rusk County, Texas Age: 83 I was born in Rusk County, Texas, on a plantation about eight miles east of Belleview. There wasn’t no town where I was born, but they had a church. My mammy and pappy belonged to a part Cherokee named W. P. Thompson when I was born. He had kinfolks in the Cherokee Nation, and we all moved up here to a place on Fourteen-Mile Creek close to where Hulbert now is. ‘way before I was big enough to remember anything. Then, so I been … Read more

Slave Narrative of Phoebe Banks

Person Interviewed: Phoebe Banks Location: Muskogee, Oklahoma Date of Birth: October 17, 1860 Age: 78 In 1860, there was a little Creek Indian town of Sodom on the north bank of the Arkansas River, in a section the Indians called Chocka Bottoms, where Hose Perryman had a big farm or ranch for a long time before the Civil War. That same year, on October 17, I was born on the Perryman place, which was northwest of where I lived now in Muskogee; only in them days Fort Gibson and Okmulgee was the biggest towns around and Muskogee hadn’t shaped up … Read more

Slave Narrative of Phillip Rice

Interviewer: Caldwell Sims Person Interviewed: Philip Rice Date of Interview: May 7, 1937 Location: Kelton, South Carolina Occupation: Drove cattle “I’m living on Mr. Russel Emmitt’s place. I never did nothing but drive cows when I was a little boy growing up. Miss Cum and Miss Lizzie Rice was Marse Alex’s sisters. Marse Alex done died, and dey was my mistress. Dey tuck and sold de plantation afo dey died, here ’bout twenty years ago. Dat whar my ma found me and den she died. “My grandparents, Jane and Peter Stevens, brung me up. I was a little farm boy … Read more

Slave Narrative of Phillip Johnson

Interviewer: Guthrie Person Interviewed: Phillip Johnson Location: Poolesville, Maryland Ref: Phillip Johnson, R.F.D. Poolesville, Md. The subject of this sketch is a pure blooded Negro, whose kinky hair is now white, likewise his scraggy beard. He is of medium size and somewhat stooped with age, but still active enough to plant and tend a patch of corn and the chores about his little place at Sugarlands. His home is a small cabin with one or two rooms upstairs and three down, including the kitchen which is a leanto. The cabin is in great disrepair. Phillip John is above the average … Read more

Slave Narrative of Peter Bruner

Interviewer: Evelyn McLemore Person Interviewed: Peter Bruner Date of Interview: 1936 Location: Kentucky Place of Birth: Winchester, Kentucky, Clark Co. Date of Birth: 1845 ESTILL CO. (Evelyn McLemore) Story of Peter Bruner, a former slave: Peter Bruner, was born in Winchester, Kentucky, Clark Co., in 1845. His master was John Bell Bruner, who at that time treated him fairly well. When Peter was 10 years of age his master brought him and his sister to Irvine. After arriving in Irvine, Peter’s master was very cruel to him. They got only cornbread, fat meat and water to eat. If his master’s … Read more

Slave Narrative of Pet Franks

Interviewer: Mrs. Richard Kolb Person Interviewed: Pet Franks Location: Aberdeen, Mississippi Age: 92 Uncle Pet, 92 year old ex-slave, is the favorite of Ackers’ Fishing Lodge which is situated 14 miles north of Aberdeen, Monroe County. He is low and stockily built. His ancestry is pure African. Scarcely topping five feet one inch, he weighs about 150 pounds. Though he walks with the slightest limp, he is still very active and thinks nothing of cooking for the large groups who frequent the lodge. He has his own little garden and chickens which he tends with great care. “I knows all … Read more

Slave Narrative of Perry Sid Jemison

Interviewer: Bishop & Taleman Person Interviewed: Perry Sid Jemison Location: Steubenville, Ohio Place of Birth: Perry County, Alabama Age: 79 Place of Residence: 422 South Sixth Street, Steubenville, Ohio WPA in Ohio Federal Writers’ Project Written by Bishop & Isleman Edited by Albert I. Dugen [TR: also reported as Dugan] Ex-Slaves Jefferson County, District #2 PERRY SID JEMISON [TR: also reported as Jamison] Ex-Slave, 79 years (Perry Sid Jemison lives with his married daughter and some of his grand-children at 422 South Sixth Street, Steubenville, O.) “I wuz borned in Perry County, Alabama! De way I remember my age is, … Read more

Slave Narrative of Perry Lewis

Interviewer: Rogers Person Interviewed: Perry Lewis Location: Baltimore, Maryland Place of Birth: Kent Island, MD Age: 86 Place of Residence: 1124 E. Lexington St., Baltimore, Maryland Reference: Personal interview with Perry Lewis, ex-slave, at his home, 1124 E. Lexington St., Baltimore. “I was born on Kent Island, Md. about 86 years ago. My father’s name was Henry and mother’s Louise. I had one brother John, who was killed in the Civil War at the Deep Bottom, one sister as I can remember. My father was a freeman and my mother a slave, owned by Thomas Tolson, who owned a small … Read more

Slave Narrative of Pauline Worth

Interviewer: Annie Ruth Davis Person Interviewed: Pauline Worth Date of Interview: September 1937 Location: Marion, South Carolina Date of Birth: November 1 Age: 79 “Yes’um, I know I been here in slavery time, but wasn’ large enough to do nothin in dat day en time. I reach 79 de first day of November. To be certain dat how old I is, Miss Betty Evans give me my direct age here de other day. She know who I am cause I was raise near bout in de same yard dat she was raise in. Mr. Telathy Henry family was my white … Read more

Slave Narrative of Patsy Hyde

Person Interviewed: Patsy Hyde Location: Nashville, Tennessee Place of Residence: 504 9th Avenue N., Nashville, Tennessee “Dunno how ole I ez. I wuz bawn in slavery en b’longs ter de Brown family. Mah Missis wuz Missis Jean R. Brown en she wuz kin ter Abraham Lincoln en I useter y’ar dem talkin’ ’bout ‘im livin’ in a log cabin en w’en he d’ed she had her house draped in black. Marster Brown wuz also good ter his slaves. De Missis promus Marster Brown on his de’th bed nebber ter let us be whup’d en she kep her wud. Sum ob … Read more

Slave Narrative of Patience Campbell

Interviewer: James Johnson Person Interviewed: Patience Campbell Location: Monticello, Florida Patience Campbell, blind for 26 years, was-born in Jackson County, near Marianna, Florida about 1883 (sic) on a farm of George Bullock. Her mother Tempy, belonged to Bullock, while her father Arnold Merritt, belonged to Edward Merritt, a large plantation owner. According to Patience, her mother’s owner was very kind, her father’s very cruel. Bullock had very few slaves, but Merritt had a great many of them, not a few of whom he sold at the slave markets. Patience spent most of her time playing in the sand when she … Read more

Slave Narrative of Parthena Rollins

Interviewer: Anna Pritchett Person Interviewed: Parthena Rollins Location: Indiana Place of Birth: Scott County, Kentucky Date of Birth: 1853 Place of Residence: 848 Camp Street (Rear) Federal writers’ Project of the W.P.A. District #6 Marion County Anna Pritchett 1200 Kentucky Avenue FOLKLORE MRS. PARTHENA ROLLINS 848 Camp Street (Rear) Mrs. Parthena Rollins was born in Scott County, Kentucky, in 1853, a slave of Ed Duvalle, who was always very kind to all of his slaves, never whipping any of the adults, but often whipped the children to correct them, never beating them. They all had to work, but never overwork, … Read more

Slave Narrative of Page Harris

Interviewer: Rogers Person Interviewed: Page Harris Location: Camp Parole, Maryland Place of Birth: Charles County MD Date of Birth: 1858 Place of Residence: Campe Parole, A. A. C. Co., MD Reference: Personal interview with Page Harris at his home, Camp Parole, A.A.C. Co., Md. “I was born in 1858 about 3 miles west of Chicamuxen near the Potomac River in Charles County on the farm of Burton Stafford, better known as Blood Hound Manor. This name was applied because Mr. Stafford raised and trained blood hounds to track runaway slaves and to sell to slaveholders of Maryland, Virginia and other … Read more

Slave Narrative of Ora M. Flagg

Interviewer: T. Pat Matthews Person Interviewed: Ora M. Flagg Location: 811 Oberlin Road, Raleigh, North Carolina Place of Birth: Raleigh, North Carolina Date of Birth: October 16, 1860 My name is Ora M. Flagg. I wus born in Raleigh near the Professional Building, in the year 1860, October 16. My mother wus named Jane Busbee. Her marster wus Quent Busbee, a lawyer. Her missus wus Julia Busbee. She wus a Taylor before she married Mr. Busbee. Now I tell you, I can’t tell you exactly, but the old heads died. The old heads were the Scurlocks who lived in Chatham County. … Read more

Slave Narrative of Octavia George

Person Interviewed: Octavia George Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Place of Birth: Mansieur, Louisiana Date of Birth: 1852 Age: 85 I was born in Mansieur, Louisiana, 1852, Avoir Parish. I am the daughter of Alfred and Clementine Joseph. I don’t know much about my grandparents other than my mother told me my grandfather’s name was Fransuai, and was one time a king in Africa. Most of the slaves lived in log cabins, and the beds were home-made. The mattresses were made out of moss gathered from trees, and we used to have lots of fun gathering that moss to make those … Read more

Slave Narrative of Nettie Henry

Person Interviewed: Nettie Henry Location: Meridian, Mississippi Place of Birth: Livingston, Alabama Age: 82 Place of Residence: 19th Street, Meridian, Lauderdale County, Mississippi Nettie Henry, ex-slave, 19th Street, Meridian, Lauderdale County, is 82 years old. She is five feet tall and weighs one hundred pounds. “De Chil’s place was at Livingston, Alabama, on Alamucha Creek. Dat’s where I was born, but I jus’ did git borned good when Miss Lizzie—she was Marse Chil’s girl—married Marse John C. Higgins an’ moved to Mer-ree-dian. Me an’ my mammy an’ my two sisters, Liza an’ Tempe, was give to Miss Lizzie. “I aint … Read more

Slave Narrative of Nellie Johnson

Person Interviewed: Nellie Johnson Location: Oklahoma I don’t know how old I is, but I is a great big half grown gal when the time of the war come, and I can remember how everything look at that time, and what all the people do, too. I’m pretty nigh to blind right now, and all I can do is set on this little old front porch and maybe try to keep the things picked up behind my grandchild and his wife, because she has to work and he is out selling wood most of the time. But I didn’t have … Read more

Slave Narrative of Neil Coker

Interviewer: Martin D. Richardson Person Interviewed: Neil Coker Location: Grandin, Florida Interesting tales of the changes that came to the section of Florida that is situated along the Putnam-Clay County lines are told by Neil Coker, old former slave who lives two miles south of McRae on the road Grandin. Coker is the son of a slave mother and a half-Negro. His father, he states, was Senator John Wall, who held a seat in the senate for sixteen years. He was born in Virginia, and received his family name from an old family bearing the same in that state. He … Read more