Federal Writers’ Project
of the W.P.A. 
District #6
Marion County
Anna Pritchett
1200 Kentucky Avenue, Indianapolis, Indiana

Folklore
Mrs. Julia Bowman—­ex-slave
1210 North West Street, Indianapolis, Indiana

Mrs. Bowman was born in Woodford County, Kentucky in 1859.

Her master, Joel W. Twyman was kind and generous to all of his slaves, and he had many of them.

The Twyman slaves were always spoken of, as the Twyman “Kinfolks.”

All slaves worked hard on the large farm, as every kind of vegetation was raised.  They were given some of everything that grew on the farm, therefore there was no stealing to get food.

The master had his own slaves, and the mistress had her own slaves, and all were treated very kindly.

Mrs. Bowman was taken into the Twyman “big house,” at the age of six, to help the mistress in any way she could.  She stayed in the house until slavery was abolished.

After freedom, the old master was taken very sick and some of the former slaves were sent for, as he wanted some of his “Kinfolks” around him when he died.

Interviewer’s Comment

Mrs. Bowman was given the Twyman family bible where her birth is recorded with the rest of the Twyman family.  She shows it with pride.

Mrs. Bowman said she never knew want in slave times, as she has known it in these times of depression.

Submitted January 10, 1938
Indianapolis, Indiana

Wm. R. Mays
Dist 4
Johnson Co.

Angie Boyce
born in slavery, Mar. 14, 1861 on the
Breeding Plantation, Adair Co.  Ky.

Mrs. Angie Boyce here makes mention of facts as outlined to her by her mother, Mrs. Margaret King, deceased.

Mrs. Angie Boyce was born in slavery, Mar. 14, 1861, on the Breeding Plantation, Adair County, Kentucky.  Her parents were Henry and Margaret King who belonged to James Breeding, a Methodist minister who was kind to all his slaves and no remembrance of his having ever struck one of them.

It is said that the slaves were in constant dread of the Rebel soldiers and when they would hear of their coming they would hide the baby “Angie” and cover her over with leaves.

The mother of Angie was married twice; the name of her first husband was Stines and that of her second husband was Henry King.  It was Henry King who bought his and his wife’s freedom.  He sent his wife and baby Angie to Indiana, but upon their arrival they were arrested and returned to Kentucky.  They were placed in the Louisville jail and lodged in the same cell with large Brutal and drunken Irish woman.  The jail was so infested with bugs and fleas that the baby Angie cryed all night.  The white woman crazed with drink became enraged at the cries of the child and threatened to “bash its brains out against the wall if it did not stop crying”.  The mother, Mrs. King was forced to stay awake all night to keep the white woman from carrying out her threat.