Federal Writers’ Project. WPA Slave Narratives. Web. 2007-2024. The WPA Slave Narratives must be used with care. There is, of course, the problem of confusion in memory resulting from (73+ years) of the participants. In addition, inexperienced interviewers sometimes pursued question lines related to their own interests and perspectives and attempted to capture the colloquialism of the informant’s speech. The interviews provide fascinating insight and surprisingly candid information, however.
Person Interviewed: Emmaline Heard Location: 239 Cain Street On December 3 and 4, 1936, Mrs. Emmaline Heard was interviewed at her home, 239 Cain Street. The writer had visited Mrs. Heard previously, and it was at her own request that another visit was made. This visit was supposed to be one to obtain information and […]
WAYNE CO. (Gertrude Vogler) [Mrs. Duncan:] “After the War was over mammie’s old man did not want us with them, so he threatened to kill us. Then my old mammie fixed us a little bundle of what few clothes we had and started us two children out to go back to the Campbell family in
Interviewer: Ross Person Interviewed: Celestia Avery Location: Georgia Place of Birth: Troupe County, LaGrange GA Age: 75 “A Few Facts Of Slavery” As Told By Celestia Avery—ex-Slave [MAY 8 1937] Mrs. Celestia Avery is a small mulatto woman about 5 ft. in height. She has a remarkably clear memory in view of the fact that
The Story of Mrs. C. Hood: Once upon a time during the Civil War my grandmother was alone with just one old faithful servant. The Union troops had just about taken everything she had, except three prize saddle horses and one coal black mare which she rode all the time. She was very fond of
LESLIE CO. (Viola Bowling) McIntosh was a very progressive farmer and had a large supply of food, being a Rebel of the Rebel Army camped at the mouth of this creek near his home where they could secure food. He had a slave called “Henry McIntosh” who was drafted into the Union Army. He did
I was born in New Orleans, but don’t remember anything about that place for I was sold to Master Jack Dunn when a little boy and moved to Paris, Texas. Master Jack and his wife, Suda, owned four pretty big farms around Paris and he was kept busy all the time going around to each
Interviewer: Edwin Driskell Person Interviewed: Mose Davis Location: Atlanta, Georgia In one of Atlanta’s many alleys lives Mose Davis, an ex-slave who was born on a very large plantation 12 miles from Perry, Georgia. His master was Colonel Davis, a very rich old man, who owned a large number of slaves in addition to his
Interviewer: Pernella M. Anderson Person Interviewed: Mose Banks Location: Douglas Addition, El Dorado, Arkansas Age: 69 “My name is Mose Banks and I am sixty-nine years old. I was born in 1869. I was born four years after freedom but still I was a slave in a way. My papa stayed with his old miss
Person Interviewed: Morris Sheppard Location: Fort Gibson, Oklahoma Date of Birth: November, 1852 Age: 85 Old Master tell me I was borned in November 1852, at de old home place about five miles east of Webbers Falls, mebbe kind of northeast, not far from de east bank of de Illinois River. Master’s name was Joe
Person Interviewed: Morris Hillyer Location: Alderson, Oklahoma Age: 84 My father was Gabe Hillyer and my mother was Clarisay Hillyer, and our home was in Rose, Georgia. Our owner was Judge Hillyer. He was de last United States senator to Washington, D. C., before de war. My mother died when I was only a few
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
Interviewer: Annie Ruth Davis Person Interviewed: Jessie Sparrow Date of Interview: May 1937 Location: Marion, South Carolina Age: 83 “Honey, my white folks been well-to-do peoples. Dey ain’ been no poor white trash. Dey hab ‘stonishing blood in dey vein. I been b’long to Massa Sam Stevenson wha’ lib right down dere ‘cross Ole Smith
Interviewer: Annie Ruth Davis Person Interviewed: Jessie Sparrow Date of Interview: May 1937 Location: Marion, South Carolina Age: 83 “I dunno, child, I don’ ‘member nuthin more den I tell yuh de udder time. Is yuh been to see Maggie Black yet? I dunno how old she, but I know she been here. No, child,
Interviewer: Annie Ruth Davis Person Interviewed: Jessie Sparrow Date of Interview: September 1937 Location: Marion, South Carolina Age: 83 “No, honey, dere ain’ not a soul live here but me. Man stay in dat other room dere just to be a little bit of company for me when night come. He ain’ not a speck
Interviewer: Annie Ruth Davis Person Interviewed: Jessie Sparrow Date of Interview: December 1937 Location: Marion, South Carolina Age: 83 “No, I ain’ cold. I settin in de sun. Miss Ida, she went by here just now en call at me bout de door been open en lettin dat cold wind blow in on my back
Interviewer: Annie Ruth Davis Person Interviewed: Genia Woodberry Date of Interview: June 1937 Location: Britton’s Neck, South Carolina Age: 89 “Glad to see yunnah. Who dese udder wid yah? Who yuh? Lawd, I glad to see yunnah. I nu’se aw Miss Susan fust chillun. Ne’er nu’se dem las’uns. Sicily been yo’ mamma nu’se. Nu’se Massa
Person Interviewed: Mollie Williams Location: Terry, Mississippi Age: 83 Mollie Williams, who lives two miles west of Terry, Miss., tells her story: “Iffen I lives’ til nex’ September 15, I’ll be eighty fo’! I was born ’bout three miles frum Utica on de Newsome place. Me an’ brudder Hamp b’longed to Marse George Newsome. Marse
Interviewer: Anna Pritchett Person Interviewed: Mittie Blakeley Location: Indianapolis, Indiana Place of Birth: Oxford, Missouri Date of Birth: 1858 Place of Residence: 2055 Columbia Avenue, Indianapolis, Indiana Federal Writers’ Project of the W.P.A. District #6 Marion County Anna Pritchett 1200 Kentucky Avenue, Indianapolis, Indiana FOLKLORE MRS. MITTIE BLAKELEY-EX-SLAVE 2055 Columbia Avenue, Indianapolis, Indiana Mrs. Blakeley
Interviewer: Mary D. Hudgins Person Interviewed: Miss Adeline Blakely Age: 87 Home: 101 Rock Street, Fayetteville, Arkansas “Honey, look in the bible to get the date when I was born. We want to have it just right. Yes, here’s the place, read it to me. July 10, 1850? Yes, I remember now, that’s what they’ve
Person Interviewed: Milton Starr Date of Birth: February 24, 1858 I was born a slave, but was not treated like other slaves and my folks never told me anything about slavery. So there is very little I can tell of those days. My birthplace was in the old Flint District of the Cherokee Nation; the
