Patrollers

“I used to hear them all talk about the patrollers.  I used to hear my mother talking about them.  My ma said my master wouldn’t let the patrollers come on his place.  They could go on anybody else’s place but he never did let them come on his place.  Some of the slaves were treated very bad.  But my ma said he didn’t allow a patroller on the place and he didn’t allow no other white man to touch his niggers.  He was a big white man—­a senator.  He didn’t know all his Negroes but he didn’t allow nobody to impose on them.  He didn’t let no patroller and nobody else beat up his niggers.

How Freedom Came

“I don’t know how freedom came.  I know the Yankees came through and they’d pat we little niggers on the head and say, ’Nigger, you are just as free as I am.’  And I would say, ‘Yes’m.’

Right After Freedom

“Right after the War my mother and father moved off the place and went on another plantation somewheres—­I don’t know where.  They share cropped.  I don’t know how long.  Old mistress didn’t want them to move at all.  I never will forget that.

Present Occupation and Opinions

“I used to cook out all the time when I got grown.  I couldn’t tell you when I married.  You got enough junk down there now.  So I ain’t giving you no more.  My husband’s been dead about seven years.  I goes to the Methodist church on Ninth and Broadway.  I ain’t able to do no work now.  I gets a little pension, and the Lord takes care of me.  I have a hard time sometime.

“I ain’t bothered about these young folks.  They is somethin’ awful.  It would be wonderful to write a book from that.  They ought to git a history of these young people.  You could git a wonderful book out of that.

“The colored folks have come a long way since freedom.  And if the white folks didn’t pin ’em down they’d go further.  Old Jeff Davis said when the niggers was turned loose, ‘Dive up your knives and forks with them.’  But they didn’t do it.

“Some niggers was sharp and got something.  And they lost it just like they got it.  Look at Bush.  I know two or three big niggers got a lot and ain’t got nothin’ left now.  Well, I ain’t got no time for no more junk.  You got enough down there.  You take that and go on.”

Interviewer’s Comment

During the interview, a little “pickaninny” came in with his mother.  His grandmother and a forlorn little dog were also along.  “Tell grandma what you want,” his mother prompted.  “Is that your grandson?” I interrupted.  “No,” she said, “He ain’t no kin to me, but he calls me ‘ma’ and acts as if I was his grandma.”  The little fellow hung back.  He was just about twenty-two months old, but large and mature for that age.