Raleigh North Carolina

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 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 Robert Glenn

Interviewer: T. Pat. Matthews Person Interviewed: Robert Glenn Location: 207 Idlewild Avenue, Raleigh, North Carolina Date of Birth: Sept. 16, 1850 Location of Birth: Orange County NC Age: 87 I was a slave before and during the Civil War. I am 87 years old. I was born Sept. 16, 1850. I was born in Orange County, North Carolina near Hillsboro. At that time Durham was just a platform at the station and no house there whatever. The platform was lighted with a contraption shaped like a basket and burning coal that gave off a blaze. There were holes in this … Read more

Biography of Pleasants, George W.

Austin Colonist George Washington Pleasants was born in Raleigh, North Carolina, March 30th, 1809, and came from there to Texas in 1830, and first settled at Columbia, and lived there until 1833. There was a great cholera epidemic that year at Columbia, which nearly depopulated the town. Mr. Pleasants had two sisters to die there; one, Fannie, was the wife of Kinchen Davis, and mother of Captain W. K. Davis, father of Judge J. H. P. Davis, of Richmond. Captain W. K. Davis was a Mier prisoner, as will be seen from the account elsewhere of that expedition. After the … Read more

Slave Narrative of Hannah Crasson

Interviewer: T. Pat Matthews Person Interviewed: Hannah Crasson Location: North Carolina Location of Birth: Wake County NC Age: 84 My name is Hannah Crasson. I wuz born on John William Walton’s plantation 4 miles from Garner and 13 miles from Raleigh, N. C. in the County of Wake. I am 84 years ole the 2nd day uv dis las’ gone March. I belonged to Mr. John William Walton in slavery time. My missus wuz named Miss Martha. My father wuz named Frank Walton. My mother wuz named Flora Walton. Grandma wuz 104 years when she died. She died down at … 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

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

Slave Narrative of Mary Anderson

Interviewer: T. Pat Matthews Person Interviewed: Mary Anderson Location: 17 Poole Road, R.F.D. #2, Raleigh, North Carolina Place of Birth: Wake County NC Date of Birth: May 10, 1851 Age: 86 My name is Mary Anderson. I was born on a plantation near Franklinton, Wake County, N. C. May 10, 1851. I was a slave belonging to Sam Brodie, who owned the plantation at this place. My missus’ name was Evaline. My father was Alfred Brodie and my mother was Bertha Brodie. We had good food, plenty of warm homemade clothes and comfortable houses. The slave houses were called the … 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 Jerry Hinton

Interviewer: T. Pat Matthews Person Interviewed: Jerry Hinton Location: North Carolina Date of Birth: February, 1855 Place of Birth: Wake County, NC My full name is Jerry Hinton. I wus borned in February, 1855. I am not able ter work. I work all I can. I am trying ter do de best I can ter help myself. Yes, just tryin’ ter do sumpin, ain’t able ter work much. I am ruptured, an’ old. My old house looks ’bout old as I do, it’s ’bout to fall down, ain’t able ter fix it up. It needs repairing. I ain’t able ter … 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 Kitty Hill

Interviewer: T. Pat Matthews Person Interviewed: Kitty Hill Location: 329 West South Street, Raleigh, North Carolina Age: 76-77 I tole you yisterday dat my age wus 76 years old, but my daughter come home, an’ I axed her’ bout it an’ she say I is 77 years old. I don’t know exactly the date but I wus born in April. I wus a little girl ’bout five years ole when de surrender come, but I don’t’ member anything much’ bout de Yankees. I wus born in Virginia, near Petersburg, an’ mother said de Yankees had been hanging’ round dere so … Read more

Slave Narrative of Chaney Hews

Interviewer: T. Pat Matthews Person Interviewed: Chaney Hews Location: 104 Cotton Street, Raleigh, North Carolina Age: 60 My age, best of my recollection, is about eighty years. I was ’bout eight years ole when de Yankees come through. Chillun in dem days wus not paid much mind like dey is now. White chillun nor nigger chillun wus not spiled by tenshun. I got enough to eat to live on an’ dat wus ’bout all I keered ’bout. Des so I could git a little to eat and could play all de time. I stayed outen de way of de grown … Read more

Slave Narrative of Lizzie Baker

Interviewer: T. Pat Matthews Person Interviewed: Lizzie Baker Location: 424 Smith Street, Raleigh, North Carolina I was born de las’ year o’ de surrender an’course I don’t remember seein’ any Yankee soldiers, but I knows a plenty my mother and father tole me. I have neuritis, an’ have been unable to work any fer a year and fer seven years I couldn’t do much. My mother wus named Teeny McIntire and my father William McIntire. Mammy belonged to Bryant Newkirk in Duplin County. Pap belonged to someone else, I don’t know who. Dey said dey worked from light till dark, … Read more

Slave Narrative of Aleck Woodward

Interviewer: W. W. Dixon Person Interviewed: Aleck Woodward Location: South Carolina Age: 83 “You knows de Simonton place, Mr. Wood? Well, dats just where I was born back yonder befo’ de war, a slave of old Marster Johnnie Simonton. Five miles sorter south sunset side of Woodward Station where you was born, ain’t it so? My pappy was Ike Woodward, but him just call ‘Ike’ time of slavery, and my mammy was name Dinah. My brother Charlie up north, if he ain’t dead, Ike lives in Asheville, North Carolina. Two sisters: Ollie, her marry an Aiken, last counts, and she … 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 Viney Baker

Interviewer: Mary A. Hicks Person Interviewed: Viney Baker Location: S. Harrington Street, Raleigh, North Carolina Age: 78 An interview with Viney Baker 78 of S. Harrington Street, Raleigh. My mammy wuz Hannah Murry an’ so fur as I know I ain’t got no father, do’ I reckon dat he wuz de plantation stock nigger. I wuz borned in Virginia as yo’ mought say ter my marster Mr. S. L. Allen. We moved when I wuz little ter Durham County whar we fared bad. We ain’t had nothin’ much ter eat an’ ter w’ar. He had a hundert slaves an’ I … Read more

Slave Narrative of Mary Anngady

Interviewer: T. Pat Matthews Person Interviewed: Mary Anngady Location: 1110 Oakwood Avenue, Raleigh, North Carolina Age: 80 (Princess Quango Hennadonah Perceriah) 1110 Oakwood Avenue, Raleigh, North Carolina. I was eighteen years old in 1875 but I wanted to get married so I gave my age as nineteen. I wish I could recall some of the ole days when I was with my missus in Orange County, playing with my brothers and other slave children. I was owned by Mr. Franklin Davis and my madam was Mrs. Bettie Davis. I and my brother used to scratch her feet and rub them … Read more

Slave Narrative of Joe High

Interviewer: T. Pat Matthews Person Interviewed: Joe High Location: Raleigh, North Carolina Age: 80 Occupation: Gardner Joe High interviewed May 18, 1937 has long been one of the best independent gardners in Raleigh, working variously by the hour or day. My name is Joe High. I lives at 527 So. Haywood. St. Raleigh, N. C. Now dere is one thing I want to know, is dis thing goin’ to cost me anything. Hold on a minute, and le’ me see. I want to be square, and I must be square. Now le’ me see, le’ me see sumpin’. Sometimes folks … Read more