Slave Narrative

Slave Narrative of Sarah Debro

Interviewer: Travis Jordan Person Interviewed: Sarah Debro Location: Durham, North Carolina Age: 90 Years I was bawn in Orange County way back some time in de fifties. Mis Polly White Cain an’ Marse Docter Cain was my white folks. Marse Cain’s plantation joined Mistah Paul Cameron’s land. Marse Cain owned so many niggers dat he didn’ know his own slaves when he met dem in de road. Sometimes he would stop dem an’ say: ‘Whose niggers am you?’ Dey’d say, ‘We’s Marse Cain’s niggers.’ Den he would say, ‘I’se Marse Cain,’ and drive on. Marse Cain was good to his … Read more

Slave Narrative of Mariah Callaway

Warning 26 March 2021. It has come to my attention that Mariah Callaway, is being mischaracterized by some articles online as having been born on the Callaway plantation in Washington, Georgia. This is incorrect. Calloway is the married name of Mariah. She was born on James (Jim) H. Willis plantation. The original opinion piece, written by Will Bunch, and published in the Philadelphia Enquirer on 26 Mar 2021, properly places Mariah’s birth on the Willis plantation. Some subsequent articles which quote the original, have since misrepresented this fact. Interviewer: RossPerson Interviewed: Mariah CallawayLocation: Georgia [TR: A significant portion of this … Read more

Slave Narrative of Hannah Austin

Interviewer: Minnie B. Ross Person Interviewed: Hannah Austin Location: Georgia Age: 70-75 When the writer was presented to Mrs. Hannah Austin she was immediately impressed with her alert youthful appearance. Mrs. Austin is well preserved for her age and speaks clearly and with much intelligence. The interview was a brief but interesting one. This was due partly to the fact that Mrs. Austin was a small child when The Civil War ended and too because her family was classed as “town slaves” so classed because of their superior intelligence. Mrs. Austin was a child of ten or twelve years when … Read more

Slave Narrative of Jack Atkinson

Interviewer: Henrietta Carlisle Person Interviewed: Jack Atkinson Interviewed: August 21, 1936 Location: Griffin, Georgia Rt. D Griffin, Georgia, Interviewed August 21, 1936 [MAY 8 1937] “Onct a man, twice a child,” quoted Jack Atkinson, grey haired darkey, when being interviewed, “and I done started in my second childhood. I useter be active as a cat, but I ain’t, no mo.” Jack acquired his surname from his white master, a Mr. Atkinson, who owned this Negro family prior to the War Between the States. He was a little boy during the war but remembers “refugeeing” to Griffin from Butts County, Georgia, … Read more

Slave Narrative of Rev. W. B. Allen

Interviewer: J. R. Jones Person Interviewed: Rev. W. B. Allen Interviewed: June 29, 1937 Location: Columbus, Georgia Residence: 425-Second Ave, Columbus, Georgia [JUL 28 1937] [TR: Original index refers to “Allen, Rev. W.B. (Uncle Wash)”; however, this informant is different from the previous informant, Washington Allen, interviewed on Dec. 18, 1936. The previous interview for Rev. Allen that is mentioned below is not found in this volume.] In a second interview, the submission of which was voluntarily sought by himself, this very interesting specimen of a rapidly vanishing type expressed a desire to amend his previous interview (of May 10, … Read more

Slave Narrative of Washington Allen

Person Interviewed: Washington Allen Interviewed: December 18, 1936 Location: Columbus, Georgia Residence: 1932-Fifth Avenue, Columbus, Georgia Born: December –, 1854 Place of birth: “Some where” in South Carolina Present [MAY 8 1937] [TR: Original index refers to “Allen, Rev. W.B. (Uncle Wash)”; however, this informant is different from the next informant, Rev. W.B. Allen.] The story of “Uncle Wash”, as he is familiarly known, is condensed as follows: He was born on the plantation of a Mr. Washington Allen of South Carolina, for whom he was named. This Mr. Allen had several sons and daughters, and of these, one son—George … Read more

Slave Narrative of Rachel Adams

Interviewer: Sadie S. Hornsby Person Interviewed: Rachel Adams Location: 300 Odd Street, Athens, Georgia Age: 78 Rachel Adams’ two-room, frame house is perched on the side of a steep hill where peach trees and bamboo form dense shade. Stalks of corn at the rear of the dwelling reach almost to the roof ridge and a portion of the front yard is enclosed for a chicken yard. Stepping gingerly around the amazing number of nondescript articles scattered about the small veranda, the visitor rapped several times on the front door, but received no response. A neighbor said the old woman might … Read more

Slave Narrative of Mary Ferguson

Person Interviewed: Mary Ferguson Location: 1928 Oak Avenue, Columbus, Georgia “Aunt” Mary Ferguson, née Mary Little, née Mary Shorter, was born somewhere in Maryland; the exact locality being designated by her simply as “the eastern shore” of that state. She was born the chattel of a planter named Shorter, so her first name, of course, was Mary Shorter. For many years she has resided with a daughter and a granddaughter, at 1928 Oak Avenue, Columbus, Georgia. “Aunt” Mary was about thirteen years old when, in 1860, she was sold and brought South. The story of which, as told in her … Read more

Slave Narrative of Mose Davis

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 vast property holdings. Mose Davis says that all the buildings on this plantation were whitewashed, the lime having been secured from a corner of the plantation known as “the lime sink”. Colonel Davis had a large family and so he had to have a large … Read more

Slave Narrative of Martha Colquitt

Interviewer: Sarah H. Hall Person Interviewed: Martha Colquitt Location: Athens, Georgia The aged Negress leaned heavily on her cane as she shuffled about her tiny porch in the waning sunlight of a cold January day. An airplane writing an advertising slogan in letters of smoke high in the sky was receiving but indifferent attention from Aunt Martha. Sha shivered and occasionally leaned against a post until a paroxysm of coughing subsided. “What would you have thought of that if it had suddenly appeared in the sky when you were a child?” she was asked. “It would have scared me plum … Read more

Slave Narrative of Mary Colbert

Interviewer: Sadie B. Hornsby Person Interviewed: Mary Colbert Location: Athens, Georgia (NOTE: This is the first story we have had in which the client did not use any dialect. Mary Colbert’s grammar was excellent. Her skin was almost white, and her hair was quite straight. None of us know what a “deep” slave was. It may have the same meaning as outlandish Negro. The “outlandish Negroes” were those newly arrived Negroes who had just come in from any country outside of the United States of America, and were untrained. They were usually just from Africa. Sarah H. Hall) With the … Read more

Slave Narrative of Susan Castle

Interviewer: Sadie B. Hornsby Person Interviewed: Susan Castle Location: Athens, Georgia On a beautiful morning in April, the interviewer found Susan sitting in the door of her cabin. When asked if she would like to talk about the old plantation days, she replied; “Yes Ma’am, I don’t mind tellin’ what I know, but for dat I done forgot I sho’ ain’t gwine make nothin’ up. For one thing, I ain’t never lived on no plantation. I was a house servant in town.” She added: “Do you mind me axin’ you one favor?” Consent was given and she continued: “Dat is, … Read more

Slave Narrative of Mrs. Sarah Byrd

Person Interviewed: Sarah Byrd Location: Georgia Age: 95 An Interview On Slavery Obtained From Mrs. Sarah Byrd—ex-Slave Mrs. Sarah Byrd claims to be 95 years of age but the first impression one receives when looking at her is that of an old lady who is very active and possessing a sweet clear voice. When she speaks you can easily understand every word and besides this, each thought is well expressed. Often during the interview she would suddenly break out in a merry laugh as if her own thoughts amused her. Mrs. Sarah Byrd was born in Orange County Virginia the … Read more

Slave Narrative of Marshal Butler

Interviewer: Joseph E. Jaffee Person Interviewed: Marshal Butler Location: Georgia Age: 88 Date of Birth: December 25 Slavery Days And After I’se Marshal Butler, [HW: 88] years old and was born on December 25. I knows it was Christmas Day for I was a gift to my folks. Anyhow, I’se the only niggah that knows exactly how old he be. I disremembers the year but you white folks can figure et out. My mammy was Harriet Butler and my pappy was John Butler and we all was raised in Washington-Wilkes. Mammy was a Frank Collar niggah and her man was … Read more

Slave Narrative of Julia Brown (Aunt Sally)

Interviewer: Geneva Tonsill Person Interviewed: Julia Brown (Aunt Sally) Date of Interview: July 25, 1930 [TR:?] Location: 710 Griffin, Place, N. W., Atlanta, Georgia Ah Always Had A Hard Time Aunt Sally rocked back and forth incessantly. She mopped her wrinkled face with a dirty rag as she talked. “Ah wuz born fo’ miles frum Commerce, Georgia, and wuz thirteen year ole at surrender. Ah belonged to the Nash fambly—three ole maid sisters. My mama belonged to the Nashes and my papa belonged to General Burns; he wuz a officer in the war. There wuz six of us chilluns, Lucy, Malvina, … Read more

Slave Narrative of Nancy Boudry

Interviewer: Barragan – Harris Person Interviewed: Nancy Boudry Location: Thomson, Georgia “If I ain’t a hunnard,” said Nancy, nodding her white-turbaned head, “I sho’ is close to it, ’cause I got a grandson 50 years old.” Nancy’s silky white hair showed long and wavy under her headband. Her gingham dress was clean, and her wrinkled skin was a reddish-yellow color, showing a large proportion of Indian and white blood. Har eyes ware a faded blue. “I speck I is mos’ white,” acknowledged Nancy, “but I ain’t never knowed who my father was. My mother was a dark color.” The cottage … Read more

Slave Narrative of Callie Elder

Interviewer: Sadie B. Hornsby Person Interviewed: Callie Elder Location: Athens, Georgia Callie lives with her daughter, Cornelia, in a 6-room house near the crest of a hill. Their abode is a short distance from the street and is reached by steep stone steps. In response to the call for Callie, a tall mulatto woman appeared. Her crudely fashioned blue dress was of a coarse cotton fabric and her dingy head rag had long lost its original color. Straight black hair, streaked with gray, and high cheek bones gave the impression that in her ancestry of mixed races, Indian characteristics predominate. … Read more

Slave Narrative of Lewis Favor

Interviewer: Edwin Driskell Person Interviewed: Lewis Favor Location: Atlanta, Georgia [TR: informant also referred to as Favors in this document.] Among Atlanta’s few remaining ex-slaves is one Lewis Favors. When he fully understood this worker’s reasons for approaching him he consented to tell what he had seen and experienced as a slave. Chewing slowly on a large wad of tobacco he began his account in the following manner: “I was born in Merriweather County in 1855 near the present location of Greenville, Georgia. Besides my mother there were eight of us children and I was elder than all of them … Read more

Slave Narrative of Alice Bradley

Interviewer: Grace McCune Person Interviewed: Alice Bradley Location: Athens, Georgia Alice Bradley, or “Aunt Alice” as she is known to everybody, “runs cards” and claims to be a seeress. Apologetic and embarrassed because she had overslept and was straightening her room, she explained that she hadn’t slept well because a dog had howled all night and she was uneasy because of this certain forerunner of disaster. “Here t’is Sunday mornin’ and what wid my back, de dog, and de rheumatics in my feets, its [TR: ‘done’ crossed out] too late to go to church, so come in honey I’se glad … Read more

Slave Narrative of Della Briscoe

Interviewer: Adella S. Dixon Person Interviewed: Della Briscoe Location: Macon, Georgia Della Briscoe, now living in Macon, is a former slave of Mr. David Ross, who owned a large plantation in Putnam County. Della, when a very tiny child, was carried there with her father and mother, Sam and Mary Ross. Soon after their arrival the mother was sent to work at the “big house” in Eatonton. This arrangement left Della, her brother and sister to the care of their grandmother, who really posed as their mother. The children grew up under the impression that their mother was an older … Read more