Dowd

Reverend Squire Dowd, born April 3, 1855, reflects on his life as a slave under General W. D. Dowd in Moore County, North Carolina. He portrays slavery as a complex experience, noting that while physical abuse was uncommon, the institution itself was harsh. Dowd emphasizes a sense of community among slaves, detailing prayer meetings, social gatherings, and limited economic activities. He describes his post-war realization of freedom as gradual and complicated by societal changes, including the impact of the Freedmen’s Bureau and tensions with white communities.