Wake County NC

Slave Narrative of W. Solomon Debnam

Interviewer: T. Pat Matthews Person Interviewed: W. S. Debnam Location: 701 Smith Street, Raleigh, North Carolina Age: 78 Yes, I remember the Yankees coming to Raleigh. I don’t know very much about those times, I was so young, but I remember the Yankees all right in their blue clothes; their horses, and so on. I’ll be 78 years old the 8th of this comin’ September an’ I’ve heard mother an’ father talk about slavery time a whole lot. We belonged to T. R. Debnam at Eagle Rock, Wake County. His wife was named Priscilla Debnam. My father was named Daniel … 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

Neil H. Gaynus

Private, Inf., Co. M, 30th Div., 119th Regt.; of Wake County; son of David and Mrs. Katie Gaynus. Husband of Mrs. Mary Gaynus. Entered service Sept. 18, 1917, at Raleigh, N.C. Sent to Camp Jackson, S. C., then to Camp Sevier, S. C. Transferred to Camp Merritt. Sailed for France May 12, 1918. Fought at Bellicourt, Ypres, Hindenburg Line. Returned to USA April 1, 1919. Mustered out at Camp Jackson, S. C., April 8, 1919.

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 Barbara Haywood

Interviewer: Mary A. Hicks Person Interviewed: Barbara Haywood Location: 1111 Mark Street, Raleigh, North Carolina Age: 85 Aunt Barbara’s Love Story An interview with Barbara Haywood, 85 years old. Address 1111 Mark Street, Raleigh, North Carolina. Anything dat I tells you will near ’bout all be ’bout Frank Haywood, my husban’. I wus borned on de John Walton place seben miles southeast of Raleigh. My father, Handy Sturdivant, belonged to somebody in Johnston County but mother an’ her chilluns ‘longed ter Marse John Walton. Marse John had a corn shuckin’ onct an’ at dat corn shuckin’ I fust saw Frank. … 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 John Beckwith

Interviewer: Mary A. Hicks Person Interviewed: John Beckwith Location: Cary, North Carolina Age: 83 When The Yankees Came An Interview with John Beckwith 83, of Cary. I reckon dat I wuz ’bout nine years old at de surrender, but we warn’t happy an’ we stayed on dar till my parents died. My pappy wuz named Green an’ my mammy wuz named Molly, an’ we belonged ter Mr. Joe Edwards, Mr. Marion Gully, an’ Mr. Hilliard Beckwith, as de missus married all of ’em. Dar wuz twenty-one other slaves, an’ we got beat ever’ onct in a while. When dey told … Read more

Slave Narrative of Mandy Coverson

Interviewer: Mary A. Hicks Person Interviewed: Mandy Coverson Location: 103 South Wilmington Street, Raleigh, North Carolina Location of Birth: Union County NC Age: 78 Ex-Slave Story An interview with Mandy Coverson, 78, of 103 South Wilmington Street, Raleigh. I wuz borned in Union County to Sarah an’ Henderson Tomberlin. My mother belonged to Mr. Moses Coverson, an’ my pappy belonged to Mr. Jackie Tom Tomberlin. I stayed wid my mammy, of course, an’ Marster Moses wuz good ter me. Dey warn’t so good ter my mammy, case dey makes her wuck frum sunup till sundown in de hot summertime, an’ … Read more

Slave Narrative of Adeline Crump

Interviewer: T. Pat Matthews Person Interviewed: Adeline Crump Location: 526 Cannon Street, Raleigh, North Carolina Age: 73 My name is Adeline Crump, and I am 73 years old. My husband’s name wus James Crump. My mother’s wus Marie Cotton and my father’s name wus Cotton. My mother belonged to the Faucetts; Rich Faucett wus her marster. Father belonged to the Cottons; Wright Cotton wus his marster. My maiden name wus Cotton. Mother and father said they were treated all right and that they loved their white folks. They gave them patches, clothed them tolerably well, and seed that they got … 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 John Coggin

Interviewer: Mary A. Hicks Person Interviewed: John Coggin Location: Method, North Carolina Date of Birth: March 1, 1852 Location of Birth: Orange County NC Ex-Slave Story. An interview with John Coggin 85, of Method, N. C. When the interviewer first visited Uncle John he was busy cutting hay for a white family nearby, swinging the scythe with the vigor of a young man. In late afternoon he was found sitting on the doorsteps of his granddaughter’s house after a supper which certainly had onions on the menu and was followed by something stronger than water. “I was borned on March … Read more

Slave Narrative of Jerry Davis

Interviewer: Mary A. Hicks Person Interviewed: Jerry Davis Location: 228 E. South Street, Raleigh, North Carolina Place of Birth: Warren County NC Age: 74 Jerry Davis Ex-Slave Story and Folk Tale An interview with Jerry Davis 74 of 228 E. South Street, Raleigh, North Carolina. I wus borned in Warren County ter Mataldia an’ Jordan Davis. Dere wus twenty-two o’ us chilluns, an’ natu’ally Marster Sam Davis laked my mammy an’ daddy. He owned two hundert an’ sebenty slaves, an’ three, four, or five scopes o’ lan’. Marster wus good ter us, he gibe us plenty ter eat, an’ w’ar, … Read more

H. O. Clark

2nd Lt., F. A., 335 Co., 87th Div. Son of M. S. and Frances C. Clark, of Wake County. Entered service Aug. 27, 1917. Sent to Ft. Oglethorpe, Ga. Transferred to Camp Pike, Ark., then to Camp Jackson, then to Ft. Sill, Okla. Promoted to 2nd Lt. Nov. 27, 1917. Mustered out at Ft. Sill, Okla., March 26, 1919.

Curtis W. Stephenson

Wagoner, 120th Inf., Supply Co., 30th Div. Born in Wake County; the son of Mr. and Mrs. W. W. Stephenson. Entered the service June 19, 1916, at Durham, N.C. Was sent to Camp Bickett and from there to Camp Sevier, S. C. Transferred to Camp Merritt, N. J., and sailed for France May 12, 1918. Fought at Ypres, Hindenburg Line, Bellicourt, Nauroy, Sept. 29 to Oct. 1, 1918, Premont. Returned to the USA April 11, 1919. Mustered out at Camp Jackson, S. C., April 18, 1919. Served on the Mexican border for six months. Additional battles in which he fought … Read more

R. E. Lee

Entered the service June 3, 1918, at Raleigh, N.C. Was sent to St. Helena, Va. Transferred to Hampton Roads, Va., and from there to Baltimore, Md. Sailed for Bordeaux, France, Aug. 15, 1918. Seaman on U. S. S. Hattas. Made three round trips. Made two round trips on U. S. S. Cappinisleau. Transferred to receiving ship Bayridge, from there to Hampton Roads, Va., and discharged Sept. 30, 1919.

Truman G. Williams

Private 1st Class, Med. Corps, Co. Base Hospital No. 65; of Wake County; son of L. D. and Mrs. Alice Williams. Entered service March 1, 1918, at Raleigh, N.C. Sent to Ft. McPherson. Sailed for France Sept. 15, 1918. Returned to USA May 29, 1919, at New York. Mustered out at Camp Lee, Va., June 21, 1919.

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 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 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

Frank H. Kaylor

Private, Motor Transport, S. A. T. C. Born in Wake County June 30, 1897; the son of Mr. and Mrs. C. H. Kaylor. Entered the service Sept., 1918, at Raleigh, N.C. Was sent to Charlottesville, Va., and mustered out from there Dec. 18, 1918.