Durham North Carolina

Slave Narrative of Doc Edwards

Interviewer: Daisy Whaley Person Interviewed: Doc Edwards Location: Staggville, North Carolina Date of Birth: 1853 Age: 84 Ex-Slave, 84 Yrs. I was bawn at Staggville, N. C., in 1853. I belonged to Marse Paul Cameron. My pappy was Murphy McCullers. Mammy’s name was Judy. Dat would make me a McCullers, but I was always knowed as Doc Edwards an’ dat is what I am called to dis day. I growed up to be de houseman an’ I cooked for Marse Benehan,–Marse Paul’s son. Marse Benehan was good to me. My health failed from doing so much work in de house … 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 Mary Wallace Bowe

Interviewer: Travis Jordan Person Interviewed: Mary Wallace Bowe Location: Durham, North Carolina Age: 81 My name is Mary Wallace Bowe. I was nine years ole at de surrender. My mammy an’ pappy, Susan an’ Lillman Graves, first belonged to Marse Fountain an’ Mis’ Fanny Tu’berville, but Marse Fountain sold me, my mammy an’ my brother George to Mis’ Fanny’s sister, Mis’ Virginia Graves. Mis’ Virginia’s husban’ was Marse Doctor Graves. Dey lived on de ole Elijah Graves estate not far from Marse Fountain’s plantation here in Durham county, an’ Mis’ Virginia an’ Mis’ Fanny seed each other near ’bout every … Read more

Robert E. Averitt

Headquarters Cook, 1st Corps Artillery Park, Depot Co. Born in Durham, N.C.; the son of Mr. and Mrs. G. W. Averitt. Entered the service Sept. 17, 1917, at Durham, N.C. Was sent to Camp Jackson, S. C. Sailed for France May 30, 1918. Fought at Champagne, Aisne, Marne, Chateau Thierry, Verdun Sector, Meuse-Argonne. Sailed from Brest July 15, 1919. Landed in USA August 1, 1919 at Newport News, Va. Mustered out at Camp Lee, Va., August 10, 1919.

Robert C. White

Sergt., M. P., 30th Co., 30th Div.; of Durham, N.C.; son of Mr. and Mrs. C. C. White. Entered service June 30, 1917, at Durham, N.C. Sent to Camp Sevier, Greenville, S. C., transferred to Camp Mills. Sailed for France May 11, 1918. Fought at Hindenburg Line and Voormizelle. Was Sergt. in Btry. C, 113th F. A., and was transferred to 105th M. P., which was later called the 30th M. P. Co. Returned to USA April 11, 1919. Mustered out at Camp Jackson, S. C., April 14, 1919.

Slave Narrative of Milly Henry

Interviewer: Mary A. Hicks Person Interviewed: Milly Henry Location: 713 South East Street, Raleigh, North Carolina Location of Birth: Yazoo City, Mississippi Age: 82 Ex-Slave Story An interview with Milly Henry 82 of 713 South East Street, Raleigh, N. C. I wus borned a slave ter Mr. Buck Boylan in Yazoo City, Mississippi. I doan know nothin’ ’bout my family ‘cept my gran’maw an’ she died in Mississippi durin’ de war. Marster Buck owned three plantations dar, de Mosley place, Middle place, an’ de Hill place. Me an’ gran’maw lived at de Mosley place. One day Marster Buck comes in, … Read more

Charles L. Andrews

Sergt., Field Artillery, 30th Div., 113th Reg. Born in Durham, N.C., the son of Mr. and Mrs. L. J. Andrews. Entered the service at Durham, N.C., June 19, 1917, and was sent to Camp Sevier, S. C., from there to Camp Merritt. Sailed for France May 8, 1918. Date of promotion, Dec. 18, 1919. Fought at St. Mihiel, Argonne and Woevre. Returned to USA March 18, 1919. Landed at Newport News, Va., and was mustered out at Camp Jackson, S. C., March 28, 1919.

Slave Narrative of Cy Hart

Interviewer: Daisy Whaley Person Interviewed: Cy Hart Location: Durham, North Carolina Age: 78 Ephram Hart was my pappy and my mammy’s name was Nellie. He belonged to Marse Ephram Hart. One day Marse Hart took some of his niggers to de slave market an’ my pappy was took along too. When he was put on de block an’ sold Marse Paul Cameron bought him. Den Marse Hart felt so sorry to think he done let my pappy be sold dat he tried to buy him back from Marse Paul, an’ offered him more den Marse Paul paid for him. But … Read more

Joseph J. Adams

Sergt. F. A., Battery C, 140th Reg., 39th Div. Born in Durham, N. C.; son of Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Adams. Husband of Mrs. H. C. Adams. Entered the service May 23, 1918, at Durham, N. C. Was sent to Camp Jackson, S. C., and from there to Sevier, S. C. Transferred to Jackson Barracks, New Orleans, La. Mustered out at Camp Beauregard, May 29, 1919.

Slave Narrative of Tempie Herndon Durham

Interviewer: Travis Jordan Person Interviewed: Tempie Herndon Durham Location: 1312 Pine St., Durham, North Carolina Age: 103 I was thirty-one years ole when de surrender come. Dat makes me sho nuff ole. Near ’bout a hundred an’ three years done passed over dis here white head of mine. I’se been here, I mean I’se been here. ‘Spects I’se de olest nigger in Durham. I’se been here so long dat I done forgot near ’bout as much as dese here new generation niggers knows or ever gwine know. My white fo’ks lived in Chatham County. Dey was Marse George an’ Mis’ … Read more

Slave Narrative of Ida Adkins

Interviewer: Travis Jordan Person Interviewed: Ida Adkins Location: Durham, North Carolina Age: 79 Ex-slave 79 years. [TR note: Numerous hand written notations and additions in the following interview (i.e. wuz to was; er to a; adding t to the contractions.) Made changes where obvious without comment. Additions and comments were left as notation, in order to preserve the flow of the dialect.] I wuz bawn befo’ de war. I wuz about eight years ole when de Yankee mens come through. My mammy an’ pappy, Hattie an’ Jim Jeffries belonged to Marse Frank Jeffries. Marse Frank come from Mississippi, but when … Read more

Slave Narrative of Lucy Brown

Interviewer: Mary A. Hicks Person Interviewed: Lucy Brown Date of Interview: May 20, 1937 Location: Durham, North Carolina An interview with Lucy Brown of Hecktown, Durham, Durham County, May 20, 1937. She does not know her age. I wuz jist a little thing when de war wuz over an’ I doan ‘member much ter tell yo’. Mostly what I does know I hyard my mammy tell it. We belonged to John Neal of Person County. I doan know who my pappy wuz, but my mammy wuz named Rosseta an’ her mammy’s name ‘fore her wuz Rosseta. I had one sister … Read more

Slave Narrative of Lindsey Faucette

Interviewer: Daisy Whaley Person Interviewed: Lindsey Faucette Location: Church Street, Durham, North Carolina Date of Birth: November 16, 1851 Place of Birth: Occoneachee Plantaion Age: 86 Yes, Mis’, I wuz bawn in 1851, de 16th of November, on de Occoneechee Plantation, owned by Marse John Norwood an’ his good wife, Mis’ Annie. An’ when I say ‘good’ I mean jus dat, for no better people ever lived den my Marse John an’ Mis’ Annie. One thing dat made our Marse an’ Mistis so good wuz de way dey brought up us niggers. We wuz called to de big house an’ … Read more

Joseph A. White

Corpl., F. A., Btry. C, 30th Div., 113th Regt.; of Durham, N.C.; son of Mr. and Mrs. C. C. White. Entered service June 19, 1917, at Durham, N.C. Sent to Camp Sevier, Greenville, S. C., transferred to Camp Mills. Sailed for France May 26, 1918. Fought at St. Mihiel offensive Sept. 12 to Sept. 15, 1918; Meuse-Argonne offensive Sept. 26 to Oct. 7, 1918; Woevre offensive Nov. 8 to Nov. 11, 1918; Toul defensive Aug. 27th to Sept. 11th; Woevre defensive Oct. 11 to Nov. 7th. Returned to USA March 19, 1919. Mustered out at Camp Jackson, S. C., March … Read more