Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 373 pages of information about Slave Narratives.

Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 373 pages of information about Slave Narratives.

“I learned to read.  I went to Shiloah School—­and church too—­several terms.  Mr. Will Dunlap was my first teacher.  He was a white man.  He run the school a good while but I don’t know how long.  My name is Frances Christiana Fluker.  I been farming all my life, nothin’ but farmin’.  Never thought ‘bout gettin’ sick ’cause I knowed I couldn’t.

“I jus’ get $6 and that is all.  It cost more to send get the commodities than it do to buy them.  We don’t get much of them.  I needs clothes—­union suits.  ’Course I wears ’em all summer.  If they would give me yarn and needles I could knit my socks.  ’Course I can see and ain’t doing nothing else.  I needs a dress.  I ain’t got but this one dress.”

NOTE:  The two old beds were filthy with slick dirt.  They had two chairs and a short bench around the stove and a trunk in which she kept the little yellow torn to pieces Bible tied around the back with a string.  The large board door was kept wide open for light I suppose.  There were no windows to the room.

I heard the reason she gets only $6 was because her daughter lives there and keeps two of her son’s children and they try to get the young grandson work and help out and support his children and mother at least.

Interviewer:  Mrs. Bernice Bowden
Person interviewed:  Ida May Fluker
                    Route 6, Box 80, Pine Bluff, Arkansas
Age:  83

“I was born in slavery times in Clark County, Alabama.  Clover Hill was the county seat.

“Elias Campbell was old master.  I know the first time I ever saw any plums, old master brought ’em.  I ’member that same as yesterday.

“I ’member the same as if ’twas yesterday when the Yankees come.  We chillun would hide behind the door.  Had on blue suits with brass buttons.  So you see I’m no baby.

“I ’member my mother and the other folks would go up to the big house and help make molasses.  Didn’t ’low us chillun to go but we’d slip up there anyway.

“Old missis’ name Miss Annis.  She was good to us.

“I didn’t do nothin’ but play around in the yard and tote wood.  Used to tote water from the Wood Spring.  Had a spring called Wood Spring.

“My mother was the cook and my grandma was the spinner.  I used to weave after freedom.

“I know the Yankees come in there and got a lot of fodder.  They was drivin’ a lot of cows.  We chillun would be scared of ’em—­mama would be at the big house.

“Mama belonged to the Campbells and papa belonged to Davis Solomon, and I know every Christmas they let him come to see mama, and he’d bring me and my sister a red dress buttoned in the back.  I ’member it same as if ’twas yesterday ’cause I was crazy ’bout them red dresses.

“I used to hear the folks talkin’ ’bout patrollers.  Yes ma’am, I heered that song

  ’Run nigger run
   Paddyrollers will ketch you
   Jes’ ‘fore day.’

I know you’ve heered that song.

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Project Gutenberg
Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.