Mrs. Celestia Avery is a small mulatto woman about 5 ft. in height.  She has a remarkably clear memory in view of the fact that she is about 75 years of age.  Before the interview began she reminded the writer that the facts to be related were either told to her by her grandmother, Sylvia Heard, or were facts which she remembered herself.

Mrs. Avery was born 75 years ago in Troupe County, LaGrange, Ga. the eighth oldest child of Lenora and Silas Heard.  There were 10 other children beside herself.  She and her family were owned by Mr. & Mrs. Peter Heard.  In those days the slaves carried the surname of their master; this accounted for all slaves having the same name whether they were kin or not.

The owner Mr. Heard had a plantation of about 500 acres and was considered wealthy by all who knew him.  Mrs. Avery was unable to give the exact number of slaves on the plantation, but knew he owned a large number.  Cotton, corn, peas, potatoes, (etc.) were the main crops raised.

The homes provided for the slaves were two room log cabins which had one door and one window.  These homes were not built in a group together but were more or less scattered over the plantation.  Slave homes were very simple and only contained a home made table, chair and bed which were made of the same type of wood and could easily be cleaned by scouring with sand every Saturday.  The beds were bottomed with rope which was run backward and forward from one rail to the other.  On this framework was placed a mattress of wheat straw.  Each spring the mattresses were emptied and refilled with fresh wheat straw.

Slaves were required to prepare their own meals three times a day.  This was done in a big open fire place which was filled with hot coals.  The master did not give them much of a variety of food, but allowed each family to raise their own vegetables.  Each family was given a hand out of bacon and meal on Saturdays and through the week corn ash cakes and meat; which had been broiled on the hot coals was the usual diet found in each home.  The diet did not vary even at Christmas only a little fruit was added.

Each family was provided with a loom and in Mrs. Avery’s family, her grandmother, Sylvia Heard, did most of the carding and spinning of the thread into cloth.  The most common cloth for women clothes was homespun, and calico.  This same cloth was dyed and used to make men shirts and pants.  Dye was prepared by taking a berry known as the shumake berry and boiling them with walnut peelings.  Spring and fall were the seasons for masters to give shoes and clothing to their slaves.  Both men and women wore brogan shoes, the only difference being the piece in the side of the womens.

One woman was required to do the work around the house there was also one slave man required to work around the house doing odd jobs.  Other than these two every one else was required to do the heavy work in the fields.  Work began at “sun up” and lasted until “sun down”.  In the middle of the day the big bell was rung to summon the workers from the field, for their mid-day lunch.  After work hours slaves were then free to do work around their own cabins, such as sewing, cooking (etc.)