Newberry South Carolina

Slave Narrative of Joe Rutherford

Interviewer: G. Leland Summer Person Interviewed: Joe Rutherford Location: Newberry, South Carolina “I was born about 1846, ’cause I was in de war and was 19 years old when de war was over. I went to Charleston with my master, Ros Atwood, my mistress’s brother. My mistress was Mrs. Laura Rutherford and my master at home was Dr. Thomas Rutherford. We was on Morris Island. “My father was Allen Rutherford and my mother Barbara Rutherford. My daddy had come from Chili to this country, was a harness maker, and belonged awhile to Nichols. We had a good house or hut … Read more

Biography of Holmes Dysinger, Rev.

Rev. Holmes Dysinger has for the past twelve years been connected with the Western Theological Seminary of the Lutheran Church at Atchison, and since 1910 had been dean of the seminary. He had spent more than thirty years in the work of the church as a minister and as an educator, and had been connected with prominent schools and pastorates in nearly all parts of the country. Mr. Dysinger is of an old Pennsylvania family and was born at Mifflin, that state, March 26, 1853. The Dysingers’ original home was in Southern Germany. They came across the ocean and settled … Read more

Slave Narrative of Morgan Scurry

Interviewer: G. Leland Summer Person Interviewed: Morgan Scurry Date of Interview: May 19, 1937 Location: Newberry, South Carolina Place of Birth: Newberry County SC “I was born in Newberry County, near the Laurens County line, above Chappells Depot. My father and mother were Tom and Francis Scurry and belonged as slaves to the Drury Scurry family. Dr. Drury Scurry bought them from Col. Cooper of Laurens County. He was a fine man and mighty good to his slaves. I worked around the house as a boy, and in the fields when I got old enough. Some of the nigger boys … Read more

Slave Narrative of Ellen Swindler

Interviewer: G. Leland Summer Person Interviewed: Ellen Swindler Date of Interview: May 20, 1937 Location: Newberry, South Carolina Place of Birth: Newberry County SC “I was born on the Enoree River in Newberry County. Tom Price was my master. I married Nathan Swindler when I was about grown. My father and mother was Dave and Lucy Coleman. I had a brother and several sisters. We children had to work around the home of our master ’till we was old enough to work in de fields, den we would hoe and pick cotton, and do any kinds of field work. We … Read more

Slave Narrative of Mary Veals

Interviewer: G. Leland Summer Person Interviewed: Mary Veals Date of Interview: May 20, 1937 Location: Newberry, South Carolina Place of Birth: Newberry South Carolina “I was born in the town of Newberry, S.C. I do not remember slavery time, but I have heard my father and mother talk about it. They were Washington and Polly Holloway, and belonged to Judge J.B. O’Neall. They lived about 3 miles west of town, near Bush River. An old colored man lived nearby. His name was Harry O’Neall, and everybody said he was a miser and saved up his money and buried it near … Read more

Slave Narrative of Lila Rutherford

Interviewer: G. Leland Summer Person Interviewed: Lila Rutherford Location: Newberry, South Carolina Place of Birth: Dutch Fork, Newberry County, SC Date of Birth: about 1849 “I was born about 1849 in the Dutch Fork section of Newberry County, S.C. I was slave of Ivey Suber and his good wife. My daddy was Bill Suber and my mammy was Mary Suber. I was hired by Marse Suber as a nurse in the big house, and I waited on my mistress when she was sick, and was at her bed when she died. I had two sisters and a brother and when … Read more

Slave Narrative of Ellen Renwick

Interviewer: Mr. G. Leland Summer Person Interviewed: Ellen Renwick Location: Newberry, South Carolina Folk-Lore: Ex-Slaves “I was born on Capt. John P. Kinard’s place. My mammy and pa was Lucy and Eph Kinard who belonged to Marse Kinard. Marse Kinard was good to his slaves—didn’t whip them much. He whipped me a little. When I was a little girl I slept in the big house in the room with my mistress and her husband, and waited on them. I worked when I got old enough, in the field, and anywhere around. When I wouldn’t work good, my mammy whipped me … Read more

Slave Narrative of Henry Ryan

Interviewer: G. Leland Summer Person Interviewed: Henry Ryan Date of Interview: August 18, 1937 Location: Newberry, South Carolina “I live in a rented three-room house with my daughter. I am too old to do much work, but I work where I can get little jobs that I can do. “The slaves did not expect anything after Freedom, for the South was in such a bad fix. They just got jobs where they could find them. Most of them worked as share-croppers or wage hands on the farms, and have worked like this since that time. Some few have rented farms. … Read more

Slave Narrative of Mary Veals

Interviewer: G. Leland Summer Person Interviewed: Mary Veals Date of Interview: September 30, 1937 Location: Newberry, South Carolina “I don’t own no house. I live in a rented house. Yes, I work fer my living. I don’t ‘member much ’bout slavery except what I heard my daddy and mammy say. My pa was Washing Holloway and my ma was Polly Holloway. Dey belonged to Judge O’Neall, and lived at his place ’bout three miles from town, near Bush River. “Judge O’Neall’s house was real old, and dey had a store near it called Springfield, a kind of suburb at dat … Read more

Slave Narrative of Jane Wilson

Interviewer: G. Leland Summer Person Interviewed: Jane Wilson Date of Interview: June 9, 1937 Location: Newberry, South Carolina Age: 77 “I am daughter of Billy Robertson and Louisa Robertson; was born about 77 years ago in Newberry, on Marse Job Johnstone’s place. My father lived with Judge Job Johnstone as his extra man or servant. He lived in the house with him, slept in his room and waited on him when he became old; and, too, was the driver of his carriage. He drove him to other courthouses to hold court. After the war, my father was janitor at Newberry … Read more

Slave Narrative of Frank Range

Interviewer: Hattie Mobley Person Interviewed: Frank Range Location: Greenville, South Carolina Age: 103 Place of Residence: 101 Hudson St. Greenville, S.C Civil War Servant and Hero At the age of one hundred and three, Frank Range is a familiar figure on the streets of Greenville, talking freely of pre-Civil and Civil War days, and the part he played in the war. Frank, the oldest of nine children, was born of slave parents, Lenard and Elizabeth Herbert, on the plantation of Mr. Jim Boler, Newberry, South Carolina. He was sold several times, and is known by the name of one of … Read more

Slave Narrative of Henry Ryan

Interviewer: G. Leland Summer Person Interviewed: Henry Ryan Date of Interview: August 18, 1937 Location: Newberry, South Carolina Place of Birth: Edgefield County SC Date of Birth: (about) 1854 “I was born in Edgefield county, S.C., about 1854. I was the son of Larkin and Cheny Ryan who was the slaves of Judge Pickens Butler who lived at Edgefield Courthouse. I has some brothers and sisters, but don’t remember them all. We lived in a log house with but one room. We had good beds to sleep in, and always had plenty to eat. Old Judge Butler was a good … Read more

Slave Narrative of Anne Rice

Interviewer: G. Leland Summer Person Interviewed: Anne Rice Location: Newberry, South Carolina Place of Birth: Spartanburg County, SC Folk-Lore: Ex-Slaves “I was born in Spartanburg County, S.C., near Glenn Springs. I can’t ‘member slavery or de war, but my ma and pa who was Green Foster and his wife, Mary Posey Foster, always said I was a big gal when the war stopped, when freedom come. “We belonged to Seth Posey who had a big farm there. He was a good man, but sure made us work. I worked in the fields when I was small, hoed and picked cotton, … Read more

Slave Narrative of Bettie Suber

Interviewer: G. Leland Summer Person Interviewed: Bettie Suber Date of Interview: May 18, 1937 Location: Newberry, South Carolina Place of Birth: Newberry County, SC “I was born near old Bush River Baptist Church in Newberry County, S.C. This was the white folks’ church, but the colored folks have a Bush River church in that section now. I was grown when the war started. I was a slave of Bonny Floyd. He was a good man who owned several slaves and a big farm. I was the house-girl then, and waited on the table and helped around the house. I was … Read more

Slave Narrative of Emoline Wilson

Interviewer: G. Leland Summer Person Interviewed: Emoline Wilson Date of Interview: August 10, 1937 Location: Newberry, South Carolina Place of Birth: Newberry County SC “I was born in Newberry County near Cannon’s Creek section in the Dutch Fork. I was a slave of Lemuel Lane. He was killed by some slaves just after freedom. They killed him for his money but didn’t find any, it was said. When freedom come, my mistress give me some things to eat when we left. “I can’t work much any more; I am old and I can’t get about. I live with my son … Read more

Slave Narrative of Emoline Wilson

Interviewer: G. Leland Summer Person Interviewed: Emoline Wilson Date of Interview: May 21, 1937 Location: Newberry, South Carolina “I was a Garmany before I married Calvin Wilson. My father was Henry Garmany, and my mother Sidney Boozer. My husband was in the Confederate army with his master. Dey was near Charleston on de coast. I was slave of Lemuel Lane, of de Dutch Fork. He was killed after de war, some say by some of his young slaves, but we’uns did not know naything about who killed him. We had a good house to live in on Marse Lane’s plantation. … 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 Emoline Satterwhite

Interviewer: G. Leland Summer Person Interviewed: Emoline Satterwhite Date of Interview: May 19, 1937 Location: Newberry, South Carolina “I am bad-sick woman, in bed and can’t hardly talk and can’t ‘member much. I was born near Broad River in de Blair section. I belonged in slavery to de Blair family. My mudder and papa was Grace and Samuel Blair, and dey belonged to Capt. Blair. When dey was sold, I was put in de house wid a good free nigger woman to raise me and to stay ’till de war was over. Den I come to de Blair house, and … Read more

Slave Narrative of Susie Riser

Interviewer: G. Leland Summer Person Interviewed: Susie Riser Date of Interview: May 17, 1937 Location: Newberry, South Carolina Place of Birth: Dutch Fork, South Carolina “I was born near Broad River in de Dutch Fork of Newberry County. I was a slave of Cage Suber. He was a fair master, but nothing to brag about. I was small at slavery time and had to work in de white folks’ house or around the house until I was big enough to go to de field and work. “Old Marse Cage always made me fan flies off of him when he lay … Read more