Raleigh North Carolina

Slave Narrative of Bill Crump

Interviewer: Mary A. Hicks Person Interviewed: Bill Crump Location: Raleigh, North Carolina Age: 82 I reckon dat I wus borned in Davidson County on de plantation of Mr. Whitman Smith, my mammy’s marster. My daddy wus named Tom an’ he ‘longed ter Mr. Ben Murry fust an’ later ter Mr. Jimmy Crump. Daddy wus named atter his young marster. Dey lived in Randolph, de county next ter Davidson whar me mammy an’ de rest of de chilluns, Alt, George, Harriet, Sarah, Mary an’ de baby libed. Both of de marsters wus good ter us, an’ dar wus plenty ter eat … Read more

Narrative – Lunsford Lane

The small city of Raleigh, North Carolina, it is known, is the capital of the State, situated in the interior, and containing about thirty six hundred inhabitants. Here lived MR. SHERWOOD HAYWOOD, a man of considerable respectability, a planter, and the cashier of a bank. He owned three plantations, at the distances respectively of seventy-five, thirty, and three miles from his residence in Raleigh. He owned in all about two hundred and fifty slaves, among the rest my mother, who was a house servant to her master, and of course a resident in the city. My father was a slave … Read more

Slave Narrative of Reverend Squire Dowd

Interviewer: T. Pat Matthews Person Interviewed: Rev. Squire Dowd Location: 202 Battle Street, Raleigh, North Carolina Date of Birth: April 3, 1855 [HW: language not negro, very senternous & interesting.] [TR: The above comment is crossed out.] Reverend Squire Dowd 202 Battle Street Raleigh, N. C. My name is Squire Dowd, and I was born April 3, 1855. My mother’s name was Jennie Dowd. My father’s name was Elias Kennedy. My mother died in Georgia at the age of 70, and my father died in Moore County at the age of 82. I attended his funeral. My sister and her … 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 Addy Gill

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 County, owned by Major Wilder, who hired my father’s time. His wife wus named Sarah Wilder. I don’t know anything ’bout slavery ‘cept what wus tole me by father and mother but I do know that if it had not been for what de southern … Read more

Slave Narrative of Mattie Curtis

Interviewer: Mary A. Hicks Person Interviewed: Mattie Curtis Location: Raleigh, North Carolina Location of Birth: Orange County NC Age: 98 Occupation: Sewing Before And After The War An interview with Mattie Curtis, 98 years old, of Raleigh, North Carolina, Route # 4. I wus borned on de plantation of Mr. John Hayes in Orange County ninety-eight years ago. Seberal of de chilluns had been sold ‘fore de speculator come an’ buyed mammy, pappy an’ we three chilluns. De speculator wus named Bebus an’ he lived in Henderson, but he meant to sell us in de tobacco country. We come through … Read more

Slave Narrative of Georgianna Foster

Interviewer: T. Pat Matthews Person Interviewed:  Georgianna Foster Location: 1308 Poole Road, Route #2., Raleigh, North Carolina Date of Birth: 1861 I wus born in 1861. I jes’ can ‘member de Yankees comin’ through, but I ‘members dere wus a lot of ’em wearin’ blue clothes. I wus born at Kerney Upchurch’s plantation twelve miles from Raleigh. He wus my marster an’ Missus Enny wus his wife. My father wus named Axiom Wilder and my mother wus Mancy Wilder. De most I know ’bout slavery dey tole it to me. I ‘members I run when de Yankees come close to me. … Read more

Slave Narrative of Susan High

Interviewer: T. Pat Matthews Person Interviewed: Susan High Location: 519 Haywood Street, Raleigh, North Carolina Age: 70 My name is Susan High. I wus born in June. I am 70 years old. My mother wus named Piety an’ she belonged to de ole man Giles Underhill before de surrender. My father he wus George Merritt an’ he belonged to Ben Merritt, Ivan Proctor’s grandfather. Dey lived on a plantation near Eagle Rock, Wake County. Dey called de creek near by Mark’s Creek. My parents said dat dey had a mighty hard time, an’ dat durin’ slavery time, de rules wus … Read more

Slave Narrative of Herndon Bogan

Interviewer: Mary A. Hicks Person Interviewed: Herndon Bogan Location: State Prison, Raleigh, North Carolina Place of Birth: Union County, South Carolina Age: 76 (?) Occupation: Houseboy, Night Watch Railroad Tracks An interview with Herndon Bogan, 76 (?) of State Prison, Raleigh, N. C. I wus bawned in Union County, South Carolina on de plantation o’ Doctor Bogan, who owned both my mammy Issia, an’ my pap Edwin. Dar wus six o’ us chilluns; Clara, Lula, Joe, Tux, Mack an’ me. I doan’ member much ’bout slavery days ‘cept dat my white folkses wus good ter us. Dar wus a heap … Read more

Slave Narrative of Betty Foreman Chessier

Person Interviewed: Betty Foreman Chessier Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Place of Birth: Raleigh, North Carolina Date of Birth: July 11, 1843 Age: 94 I was born July 11, 1843 in Raleigh, N. C. My mother was named Melinda Manley, the slave of Governor Manley of North Carolina, and my father was named Arnold Foreman, slave of Bob and John Foreman, two young masters. They come over from Arkansas to visit my master and my pappy and mammy met and got married, ‘though my pappy only seen my mammy in the summer when his masters come to visit our master and … 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 Eustace Hodges

Interviewer: Mary A. HicksPerson Interviewed: Eustace HodgesLocation: 625 W. Lenoir Street, Raleigh, North CarolinaAge: 76 I doan know when I wus borned, ner where but at fust my mammy an’ me ‘longed ter a McGee here in Wake County. My mammy wurked in de fiel’s den, ditchin’ an’ such, even plowin’ while we ‘longed ter McGee, but he sold us ter Mr. Rufus Jones. My daddy still ‘longed ter him but at de close of de war he comed ter Mr. Jones’ plantation an’ he tuck de name of Jones ‘long wid us. Marse Rufus wus gooder dan Marse McGee, … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Jones, Julia, Mrs.

Mrs. Julia Jones, daughter of Judge C. C. Dyer, was born in Fort Bend County in 1839. Her father was a native of Tennessee and was born at Dyersburg January 29, 1799, and came to Texas with William Stafford in 1824. In this same year he married Sarah Stafford, who was born February 5, 1809, near Raleigh, North Carolina, Judge Dyer had twelve in family six boys and six girls. He lived to quite an old age, served as county judge of Fort Bend County, and died in 1864 on his farm on the east side of the Brazos River, … Read more

Slave Narrative of Andrew Boone

Interviewer: T. Pat Matthews Person Interviewed: Andrew Boone Location: Wake County, North Carolina. Harris Farm. Age: 90 years Occupation: Worked in show business I been living in dese backer barns fifteen years. I built this little shelter to cook under. Dey cut me off the WPA cause dey said I wus too ole to work. Dey tole us ole folks we need not put down our walkin’ sticks to git work cause dey jes’ won’t goin’ to put us on. Well, I had some tomatoes cooked widout any grease for my breakfast. I had a loaf of bread yesterday, but … Read more

Slave Narrative of Fannie Dunn

Interviewer: T. Pat Matthews Person Interviewed: Fannie Dunn Location: 222 Heck Street, Raleigh, North Carolina I don’t ‘zakly know my age, but I knows and ‘members when de Yankees come through Wake County. I wus a little girl an’ wus so skeered I run an hid under de bed. De Yankees stopped at de plantation an’ along de road fur a rest. I ‘members I had diphtheria an’ a Yankee doctor come an’ mopped my throat. Dey had to pull me outen under de bed so he could doctor me. One Yankee would come along an’ give us sumptin’ an … Read more

Slave Narrative of Charity Austin

Interviewer: T. Pat Matthews Person Interviewed: Charity Austin Location: 507 South Bloodworth Street, Raleigh, North Carolina Date of Birth: July 27, 1852 Place of Birth: Granville County NC I wus borned in the year 1852, July 27. I wus born in Granville County, sold to a slave speculator at ten years old and carried to Southwest, Georgia. I belonged to Samuel Howard. His daughter took me to Kinston, North Carolina and I stayed there until I wus sold. She married a man named Bill Brown, and her name wus Julia Howard Brown. My father wus named Paul Howard and my … Read more

Slave Narrative of Charlie H. Hunter

Interviewer: T. Pat Matthews Person Interviewed: Charlie H. Hunter Location: 2213 Barker Street, West Raleigh, North Carolina Date of Birth: May, 1857 Place of Birth: Wake County NC Age: 80 My full name is Charlie H. Hunter. I wus borned an’ reared in Wake County, N. C., born May, 1857. My mother wus Rosa Hunter an’ my father wus named Jones. I never saw my father. We belonged to a family named Jones first, an’ then we wus sold to a slave owner seven miles Northwest by the name Joe Hayes an’ a terrible man he wus. He would get … Read more

Slave Narrative of Robert Hinton

Interviewer: T. Pat Matthews Person Interviewed: Robert Hinton Location: 420 Smith Street, Raleigh, North Carolina Date of Birth: 1856 My name is Robert Hinton. I ain’t able to work, ain’t been able to do any work in five years. My wife, Mary Hinton, supports me by workin’ with the WPA. She was cut off las’ May. Since she has had no job, we have to live on what she makes with what little washin’ she gets from de white folks; an’ a little help from charity; dis ain’t much. Dey give you for one week, one half peck meal, one … Read more

Slave Narrative of Charlie Crump

Interviewer: Mary A. Hicks Person Interviewed: Charlie Crump Location: Cary, North Carolina Place of Birth: Evan’s Ferry, Lee or Chatham County, North Carolina Age: 82 Occupation: Farmer An interview with Charlie Crump 82 of Cary (near) I wuz borned at Evan’s Ferry in Lee or Chatham County, an’ I belonged ter Mr. Davis Abernathy an’ his wife Mis’ Vick. My pappy wuz named Ridge, an’ my mammy wuz named Marthy. My brothers wuz Stokes an’ Tucker, an’ my sisters wuz Lula an’ Liddy Ann. Dar wuz nine o’ us in all, but some o’ dem wuz sold, an’ some o’ … Read more

Slave Narrative of Aunt Laura Bell

Interviewer: Mary A. Hicks Person Interviewed: Laura Bell Location: 2 Bragg Street, Raleigh, North Carolina Age: 73 An interview with Laura Bell, 73 years old, of 2 Bragg Street, Raleigh, North Carolina. Being informed that Laura Bell was an old slavery Negro, I went immediately to the little two-room shack with its fallen roof and shaky steps. As I approached the shack I noticed that the storm had done great damage to the chaney-berry tree in her yard, fallen limbs litterin’ the ground, which was an inch deep in garbage and water. The porch was littered with old planks and … Read more