Alabama

Treaty of October 22, 1832

Articles supplementary to, and explanatory of, a treaty which was entered into on the 20th instant (Treaty of October 20, 1832), between General John Coffee on the part of the United States, and the whole Chickasaw nation in General Council assembled. The fourth article of the treaty to which this is a supplement, provides that each Chickasaw family, shall have a tract of land, reserved for the use of the family, to live on and occupy, so long as the nation resides in the country where they now are. And the fifth article of the treaty provides that each family … Read more

Treaty of October 20, 1832 – Chickasaw

Articles of a treaty made and entered into between Genl. John Coffee, being duly authorized thereto, by the President of the United States, and the whole Chickasaw Nation, in General Council assembled, at the council House, on Pontitock Creek on the twentieth day of October, 1832. THE Chickasaw Nation find themselves oppressed in their present situation; by being made subject to the laws of the States in which they reside. Being ignorant of the language and laws of the white man, they cannot understand or obey them. Rather than submit to this great evil, they prefer to seek a home … Read more

Agreement of March 14, 1835

Articles of a Treaty agreed upon at the City of Washington, March 14th, 1835, between J. F. Schermerhorn, on the part of the United States, and a Delegation of the Cherokee Tribe of Indians, which, by the President of the United States, is directed to be submitted to the Cherokee Nation of Indians, for their consideration and approbation. Whereas, several persons of the Cherokee Nation of Indians, east of the Mississippi river, have visited the City of Washington, as delegates from that part of their Nation, in favor of emigration, with a hope and desire of making some arrangements which … Read more

Hall’s Cemetery, Dekalb County, Alabama

LOCATION: 1 1/2 miles N of Collinsville on Hwy 11, then 1/2 mile E. Date of survey, by Peggy Lykes of Collinsville, summer of 1964 Graves: Emma Ophelia Appleton, 18 July 1872 Ames B Hall, Mar 4, 1834-June 28, 1871 Mary Hall, Dec 18, 1800-Aug 8, 1875 Van Hall, Nov 12, 1800-Nov 4, 1874 Mrs. Emely Putman, Aug 14, 1818-Dec 23, 1887 Louisa A. Putman, Sept 20, 1848 Nancy Lackey, 1857 Mrs. S Brock, Dec 7, 1800-Mar 2, 1854 J A Brock, 1858 Asa Riggs Brindley, May 21, 18_ R T Brindley, Aug 11, 1819-Aug 9, 1848 Mrs R H … Read more

Slave Narrative of Nancy East

Person Interviewed: Nancy East Location: Middletown, Ohio Place of Residence: 809 Seventeenth Ave., Middletown, Ohio Butler County, District #2 Middletown MRS. NANCY EAST 809 Seventeenth Ave., Middletown, Ohio “Mammy” East, 809 Seventeenth Ave., Middletown, Ohio, rules a four-room bungalow in the negro district set aside by the American Rolling Mill Corporation. She lives there with her sons, workers in the mill, and keeps them an immaculate home in the manner which she was taught on a Southern plantation. Her house is furnished with modern electrical appliances and furniture, but she herself is an anachronism, a personage with no faith in … Read more

Slave Narrative of George Fortman

Interviewer: Lauana Creel Person Interviewed: George Fortman Location: Evansville, Indiana Place of Residence: Cor. Bellemeade Ave. and Garvin St. Evansville, Indiana Occupation: Professor of faith in Christ, Janitor Ex-Slave Stories District 5 Vanderburgh County Lauana Creel INDIANS MADE SLAVES AMONG THE NEGROES. INTERVIEWS WITH GEORGE FORTMAN Cor. Bellemeade Ave. and Garvin St. Evansville, Indiana, and other interested citizens “The story of my life, I will tell to you with sincerest respect to all and love to many, although reviewing the dark trail of my childhood and early youth causes me great pain.” So spoke George Fortman, an aged man and … Read more

Slave Narrative of George Thompson

Interviewer: William R. Mays Person Interviewed: George Thompson Location: Franklin, Indiana Place of Birth: Monroe County, Kentucky Date of Birth: Oct. 8, 1854 Place of Residence: 651 North Young St., Franklin, Indiana William R. Mays Dist. No. 4 Johnson Co. Aug. 2, 1937 SLAVERY DAYS OF GEORGE THOMPSON My name is George Thompson, I was born in Monroe County, Kentucky near the Cumberland river Oct. 8, 1854, on the Manfred Furgeson plantation, who owned about 50 slaves. Mister Furgerson [TR: before, Furgeson] was a preacher and had three daughters and was kind to his slaves. I was quite a small … Read more

Slave Narrative of Henrietta Jackson

Interviewer: Virginia Tulley Person Interviewed: Henrietta Jackson Location: Fort Wayne, Indiana Virginia Tulley District #2 Fort Wayne, Indiana EX-SLAVE OF ALLEN COUNTY [MRS. HENRIETTA JACKSON] References: A. Ft. Wayne News Sentinel November 21, 1931 B. Personal interview [TR: There are no ‘A’ and ‘B’ annotations in the interview.] Mrs. Henrietta Jackson, Fort Wayne resident, is distinguished for two reasons; she is a centennarian and an ex-slave. Residing with her daughter, Mrs. Jackson is very active and helps her daughter, who operates a restaurant, do some of the lighter work. At the time I called, an August afternoon of over 90 … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Judge Mark W. Delahay

Judge Mark W. Delahay, of Leavenworth, a pioneer newspaper man of that place, founder of the first paper at Wyandotte, a father of the territory and the state and an honored Federal judge during the later period of his life, was a native of Maryland. Although his father was a slaveholder, his maternal ancestors were members of the Society of Friends, and he was averse to buying and selling slaves. Soon after attaining his majority he located in Illinois, where he wrote for different journals; studied law, and was admitted to the bar. In 1853 he went to Mobile, Alabama, … Read more

Slave Narrative of Mandy Gibson

Interviewer: Nelle Shumate Person Interviewed: Mandy Gibson Location: Kentucky There were auction-blocks near the court houses where the slaves were sold to the highest bidders. A slave would be placed on a platform and his merits as a speciman of human power and ability to work was enomerated the bidding began. Young slave girls brought high prices because the more slave children that were born on one’s plantation the richer he would be in the future. Some slaves were kept just for this purpose, the same as prize thorough-bred stock is kept. In many instances slaves were treated like brutes … Read more

Slave Narrative of Jenny Greer

Person Interviewed: Jenny Greer Location: Nashville, Tennessee Place of Birth: Florence, Alabama Age: 84 Place of Residence: 706 Overton Street, Nashville, Tennessee “Am 84 y’ars ole en wuz bawn in Florence, Alabama, ’bout seben miles fum town. Wuz bawn on de Collier plantashun en Marster en Missis wuz James en Jeanette Collier. Mah daddy en mammy wuz named Nelson en Jane Collier. I wuz named atter one ob mah Missis’ daughters. Our family wuz neber sold er divided.” “I’se bin ma’ied once. Ma’ied Neeley Greer. Thank de Lawd I aint got no chilluns. Chilluns ez so bad now I can’t … Read more

Slave Narrative of Sylvia Watkins

Person Interviewed: Sylvia Watkins Location: Nashville, Tennessee Place of Birth: Bedford County TN Age: 91 Place of Residence: 411 14th Avenue N., Nashville, Tennessee I’se said ter be 91 y’ars ole. I wuz young w’en de War wuz goin’ on. I wuz bawn in Bedford County. Mah mammy wuz named Mariah. She had six chillun by mah daddy en three by her fust husband. Mah missis wuz named Emily Hatchet en de young missises wuz Mittie en Bettie, dey wuz twins. We had good clothes ter w’ar en w’en we went ter de table hit wuz loaded wid good food … Read more

Slave Narrative of Aunt Mollie Moss

Person Interviewed: Mollie Moss Location: Knoxville, Tennessee Age: 82-83 Place of Residence: # 88 Auburn Street, Knoxville, Tennessee There is no street sign or a number on any of the ramshackled frame cottages that seemingly lean with the breezes, first one direction, then another, along the alley that wind’s through the city’s northernmost boundary and stops its meanderings at the doorstep of “Uncle Andrew Moss” and his wife, “Aunt Mollie.” The City Directory of Knoxville, Tennessee officially lists the Moss residence as # 88 Auburn Street. It rests upon its foundations more substantially, and is in better kept condition than … Read more

Slave Narrative of Nettie Henry

Person Interviewed: Nettie Henry Location: Meridian, Mississippi Place of Birth: Livingston, Alabama Age: 82 Place of Residence: 19th Street, Meridian, Lauderdale County, Mississippi Nettie Henry, ex-slave, 19th Street, Meridian, Lauderdale County, is 82 years old. She is five feet tall and weighs one hundred pounds. “De Chil’s place was at Livingston, Alabama, on Alamucha Creek. Dat’s where I was born, but I jus’ did git borned good when Miss Lizzie—she was Marse Chil’s girl—married Marse John C. Higgins an’ moved to Mer-ree-dian. Me an’ my mammy an’ my two sisters, Liza an’ Tempe, was give to Miss Lizzie. “I aint … Read more

Slave Narrative of Anna Baker

Interviewer: Mrs. Richard Kolb Person Interviewed: Anna Baker Location: Aberdeen, Mississippi Age: 80 Anna Baker, 80-year old ex-slave, is tall and well built. She is what the Negroes term a “high brown.” Her high forehead and prominent cheek bones indicate that there is a strain of other than the pure African in her blood. She is in fair health. “Lemme see how old I is. Well, I tells you jus’ lak I tol’ dat Home Loan man what was here las’ week. I ‘members a pow’ful lot ’bout slavery times an’ ’bout ‘fore surrender. I know I was a right … Read more

Slave Narrative of Jim Allen

Interviewer: Mrs. Ed Joiner Person Interviewed: Jim Allen Location: West Point, Mississippi Age: 87 Jim Allen, West Point, age 87, lives in a shack furnished by the city. With him lives his second wife, a much older woman. Both he and his wife have a reputation for being “queer” and do not welcome outside visitors. However, he readily gave an interview and seemed most willing to relate the story of his life. “Yas, ma’m, I ‘members lots about slav’ry time, ’cause I was old ‘nough. “I was born in Russell County, Alabamy, an’ can tell you ’bout my own mammy … Read more

Slave Narrative of Prince Johnson

Interviewer: Mrs. Carrie Campbell Person Interviewed: Prince Johnson Location: Clarksdale, Mississippi “Yes mam, I sho’ can tell you all ’bout it ’cause I was dere when it all happened. My gran’pa, Peter, gran’ma, Millie, my pa, John, an’ my ma, Frances, all come from Alabama to Yazoo County to live in de Love fam’ly. Dey names was Dennis when day come, but, after de custom o’ dem days, dey took de name of Love from dey new owner. Me an’ all o’ my brothers an’ sisters was born right dere. Dey was eleven head o’ us. I was de oldes’. … Read more

Slave Narrative of Susan Snow

Interviewer: William B. Allison Person Interviewed: Susan Snow Location: Meridian, Mississippi Place of Birth: Wilcox County, Alabama Date of Birth: 1850 Age: 87 “Aunt Sue” Snow, a rather small and profusely wrinkled 87-year-old ex-slave, lives in the Negro quarters of the South Side in Meridian. In spite of her wild escapades, her reputation for honesty and reliability is high and she carries and exhibits with pride numerous letters attesting that fact. She often finds it necessary to stand and act the story she is telling. Her memory is amazing and she turns with equal readiness to copious quotations from the … Read more

Slave Narrative of Berry Smith

Interviewer: W. B. Allen Person Interviewed: Berry Smith Location: Forest, Mississippi Place of Birth: Sumpter County, Alabama “Uncle Berry” Smith is five feet two or three inches tall. He is scrupulously neat. He is very independent for his age, which is calculated at one hundred and sixteen years. He believes the figure to be correct. His mind is amazingly clear. “I was born an’ bred in Sumpter County, Alabama, in de prairie lan’, six miles from Gainesville. Dat’s where I hauled cotton. It was close to Livingston, Alabama, where we lived. “I was twelve years old when de stars fell. … Read more

Slave Narrative of Clara C. Young

Person Interviewed: Clara C. Young Location: Mississippi Age: 95 Place of Residence: Monroe County, Mississippi Clara C. Young, ex-slave, Monroe County, is approximately 95 years old, about five feet two inches tall, and weighs 105 pounds. She is a frail, dark skinned Negro, with the typical broad nose and the large mouth of the southern Negro. Her physical condition is especially good for a woman of her age. She is very talkative at times, but her memory appears to come and go, so that she has to be prompted at intervals in her story-telling by her daughter or granddaughter, with … Read more