Freedom

“Mistress told all Master Alex’s slaves they had been freed.  The men all left.  My mother left and took me.  I got mad and went back and lived there till I married.  Master Alex come back after two weeks.  My mother soon died after the surrender.  She died at Batesville, Mississippi.  Lots of the slaves died.  Their change of living killed lots of ’em.  My father lived on Sam Bronoy’s (Branough’s) place.  Master Alex wanted to buy him but he took him on to Texas before I was born.  I never did see him.

“I been farming, cooking, wash and iron along.  I been in Arkansas twelve or fourteen years.

“How am I supported?  I’m not much supported.  My boy don’t have work much of the time.  I don’t get the pension.  I trusts in the Lord.  I belong to New Bethel Baptist Church down here.

“Times—­I don’t know what to think.  My race is the under folks and I don’t never say nothing to harm ’em.  I’m one of ’em.  Times is hardest in my life.  I have to sit.  I can’t walk a step—­creeping paralysis.”

Interviewer:  Miss Irene Robertson
Parson interviewed:  Jeff Burgess, Clarendon, Arkansas
Age:  Born in 1664 or 1865, forgot which

“I was born in Granville, Texas.  My master was Strathers Burgess and mistress Polly Burgess.  My master died ’fore I was born.  He died on the way to Texas, trying to save his slaves.  Keep them from leaving him and from going into the war.  They didn’t want to fight.  His son was killed in the war.  My folks didn’t know they was free till three years after the war was over.  They come back to Caloche Bay, the old home place.  There was a bureau at De Valls Bluff.  They had to let the slaves go and they was citizens then.  My folks wasn’t very anxious to leave the white owners because times was so funny and they didn’t have nowhere to go.  The courts was torn up powerful here in Arkansas.

“Heap of meanness going on right after the war.  One man tell you do this and another man say you better not do that you sho get in trouble.  It was hard to go straight.  They said our master was a good man but awful rough wid his slaves and the hands overseeing too.  Guess he was rough wid his family too.

“Times is hard with me, I gits $10 pension every month.  I got no home now.  I got me three hogs.  I lives three miles from here (Clarendon).

“If I wasn’t so old and no account I’d think the times the best ever.  It’s bad when you get old.  I jess sees the young folks.  I don’t know much about them.  Seems lack they talk a lot of foolish chat to me.  I got a lot and a half in town.  They tore down my house and toted it off for fire wood.  It was rented.  Then they moved out and wouldn’t pay no rent.  They kept doing that way.  I never had a farm of my own.

“I was good with a saw and axe.  I cleared land and farmed.  Once I worked on the railroad they was building.  I drove pile mostly.  Farming is the best job and the best place to make a living.  I found out that myself.”