In a grove not far from the plantation home, the slaves from the nearby estates meet on Sunday for worship.  Here under the spreading branches they gathered for religious worship and to exchange news.

When President Lincoln issued his proclamation freeing the slaves, and the news reached the plantation, she went to her master to learn if she was free.  On learning it was true she returned to her parents who were living on another plantation.

She has been living with her grandchildren for the past nine years, contented but ready to go when the “Good Lord calls her.”

Sarah Probst, Reporter
Audrey Meighen, Author-Editor
Jun 9, 1937

Folklore
Meigs County, District Three
[HW:  Middeport]

NAN STEWART
Age 87

“I’se bawned Charl’stun, West Virginia in February 1850.”

“My mammy’s name?  Hur name wuz Kath’run Paine an’ she wuz bawned down Jackson County, Virginia.  My pappy wuz John James, a coopah an’ he wuz bawned at Rock Creek, West Virginia.  He cum’d ovah heah with Lightburn’s Retreat.  Dey all crossed de ribah at Buffington Island.  Yes, I had two bruthahs and three sistahs.  Deir wuz Jim, Thomas, he refugeed from Charl’stun to Pum’roy and it tuk him fo’ months, den de wuz sistah Adah, Carrie an’ Ella.  When I rite young I wurked as hous’ maid fo’ numbah quality white folks an’ latah on I wuz nurs’ fo’ de chilluns in sum homes, heah abouts.”

“Oh, de slaves quartahs, dey wuz undah de sam’ ruf with Marse Hunt’s big hous’ but in de back.  When I’se littl’ I sleeped in a trun’l bed.  My mammy wuz mighty ‘ticlar an’ clean, why she made us chilluns wash ouah feets ebry night fo’ we git into de bed.”

“When Marse Hunt muved up to Charl’stun, my mammy and pappy liv’ in log cabin.”

“My gran’ mammy, duz I ’member hur?  Honey chile, I shure duz.  She wuz my pappy’s mammy.  She wuz one hun’erd and fo’ yeahs ol’ when she die rite in hur cheer.  Dat mawhin’ she eat a big hearty brekfast.  One day I ’member she sezs to Marse Hunt, ‘I hopes you buys hun’erds an’ hun’erds ob slaves an’ neber sells a one.  Hur name wuz Erslie Kizar Chartarn.”

“Marse an’ missus, mighty kind to us slaves.  I lurned to sew, piece quilts, clean de brass an’ irons an’ dog irons.  Most time I set with de ol’ ladies, an’ light deir pipes, an’ tote ’em watah, in gourds.  I us’ tu gether de turkey eggs an’ guinea eggs an’ sell ’em.  I gits ten cents duzen fo’ de eggs.  Marse and Missus wuz English an’ de count money like dis—­fo’ pence, ha’ penny.  Whut I do with my money?  Chile I saved it to buy myself a nankeen dress.”

“Yes mam we always had plenty to eat.  What’d I like bes’ to eat, waffl’s, honey and stuffed sausage, but I spise possum and coon.  Marse Hunt had great big meat hous’ chuck full all kinds of meats.  Say, do you all know Marse used to keep stuffed sausage in his smoke hous’ fo’ yeahs an’ it wuz shure powahful good when it wuz cooked.  Ouah kitchin wuz big an’ had great big fiah place whur we’d bake ouah bread in de ashes.  We baked ouah corn pone an’ biskets in a big spidah.  I still have dat spidah an’ uses it.”