FLEMING CLARK AGE - 74; ;H O8#1:8. -MY FATHER'S NAME WAS FLEMING CLjRK jND-MY-MOTHnR'SNAME WAS EMMALINE CLARK. 2 O,HOF THEM WAS BORN IN SLAVERY. THEIR MASSA'S NAME WAS DAVID BOWERS. I DON' T KNOW WHERE THEY CAME FROM BUT THEY MOVED TO BAD CREEK AFTER SLAVERY DAYS. ,( EWERE THREE OF US CHILDREN. CHARLES, THE OLDEST, THEN ANTHONY NEXT AND T HEN ME, THE YOUNGEST. I WAS WORKING FOR A WHITE MAN AND WAS OLD ENOUGH TO DRIVE COWS AND WORK IN THE TOBACCO FIELDS, PICKING WORMS OFF THE LEAVE\. ,HE6O,H R 2B ROTHERS WORKED WITH MY FATHER ON ANOTHER PLANTATION. THE HOUSE WHERE I LIVED WITH THE WHITE MASSA LEWIS NORTHSINGE AND HIS MISSUS WAS A LOG HOUSE WITH JUST T WO ROOMS. I HAD JUST A LITTLE STRAW TICK AND A COT THAT THE MASSA MADE HIMSELF AND I HAD A COMMON QUILT THAT THE MISSUS MADE TO COVER ME. 9I8HER ,HAT *Y7GRANDMO,HER DIED DURI G SLAVEY AND ,HAT *YGRANDFATHER WAS IL ED [YHIS MASSA DURING SLAVERY. ON SUNDAY I WOULD GO HOME AND STAY WITH MY FATHER AND MOTHER AND TWO BROTHE RS. WE WOULD PLAY AROUND WITH BALL AND MARBLES. WE HAD NO SCHOOL OR CHURCH. W E WERE TOO FAR AWAY FOR CHURCH. 9I5E NEDN OMONEY. ALL I GOT WAS JUST MY FOOD AND CLOTHES. I WAS LEASED O UT TO MY MASSA AND MISSUS. I ATE CORN BREAD, FAT HOG MEAT AND DRANK BUTTER MILK . SOMETIMES MY FATHER WOULD CATCH POSSUM AND MY MOTHER WOULD COOK THEM, AND BRI NG ME OVER A PIECE. I USED TO EAT RABBIT AND FISH. THEY USED TO GO FISHING IN THE CREEK. I LIKED RABBIT AND GROUNDHOG. THE FOOD WASBOILED AND ROASTED IN THE OVEN. THE SLAVES HAVE A LITTLE PATCH FOR A GARDEN AND THEY WORK IT MOSTLY AT NIGHT WHEN IT WAS MOONLIGHT. 6WE RE JEANS AND SHIRTS OF YELLOW COTTO),6WE6WORE O \+OES P ILL . RSTMA S. I WORE JUST THE SAME DURING THE SUMMER EXCEPT A LITTLE COAT. WE HAD NO UNDE R SHIRT LIKE WE HAVE NOW. WE WORE THE SAME ON SUNDAY. THERE WAS NO SUNDAY SUIT . ,HE MASSA AND ISSUSHAD ONE BOY. THE BOY WAS MUCH OLDER THAT I WAS. THEY W WnRE jLLKKrND O-M(. I-RnMnMBnR-PLENTYP OOR6>H EC. l n . Ir n n RWILL AN D JOHN NATHAN. THEY WERE POOR WHITE PEOPLE. MY-MASSAHAD THREE PLANTATIONS. HE HAD FIVE sLAVES-ON -ONEjND oOuRON ANOTHER. I WORKED ON ONE WITH FOUR SLAVES. MY FATHER WORKED ON ONE WITH MY BRO THER AND MOTHER. WE WOULD WAKE UP AT FOUR AND FIVE OCLOCK AND DO CHORES IN THE BARN BY LAMPLIGHT. THE OVER WOULD RING A BELL IN THE YARD, IF IT WAS NOT TOO COLD TO GO OUT. IF IT WAS TOO COLD HE WOULD COME AND KNOCK ON THE DOOR. IT WAS EIGHT OR NINE OCLOCK BEFORE WE CAME IN AT NIGHT. THEN WE HAVE TO MILK THE C WS TOO BEFORE WE HAVE SUPPER. THE SLAVES WERE PUNISHED FOR COMING IN TOO SOON AND UNHITCHrNG THE qORS S. THEY WOULD BEND THEM ACROSS A BARREL AND SWITCH THEM AND THEN SEND THEM BACK TO THE FIELDS. I HEARD THEM SAY THEY SWITCH THE BLOOD OUT OF THEM AND SjLT THE6wO n ; THEN THEY COULD NOT WORK THE NEXT DAY. I2S W2sLAV S2 OL<. ,H(Y6wOuLD2STjNDON A BLOCK AND MEN WOULD BID FOR THEM. 3 (EHH!H ST2BIDDnR kOUGHT THE2sLAV \. I2S W ,HnM tRAVnL NGO ,NOT CHAINE D, ONE WHITE MAN IN FRONT AND ONE IN BACK. THEY LOOKED LIKE CATTLE. ,HE6>HITE6FOLKS NEV R LERNED ME O9 EADOR WRITE. THERE WERE PATROLS. THEY WERE MEAN IF THEY CATCH YOU OUT LATE AT NIGHT. IF A SLAVE WAS OUT LATE AT NIGHT HE HAD TO HAVE A NOTICE FROM HIS MASSA. THERE WAS TROUBLE IF THE SLAVES WERE OUT LATE AT NIGHT OR IF THEY RUN OFF TO ANOTHER MAN. cHE2slAV S wOkEDON SATURDAY AFTERNOON. THEY STAY IN THE CABINS ON SATURD AY NIGHTS AND SUNDAYS. WE WORKED ON NEW YEARS DAY. THE MASSA WOULD GIVE US A L ITTLE HARD CIDER ON CHRISTMAS DAY. THEY WOULD GIVE A BIG SUPPER AT CORN HUSKING OR COTTON PICKING AND GIVE A LITTLE PLAY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. I REMEMBER TWO WEDDINGS. THEY HAD CHICKEN, AND MUTTON TO EAT AND lORN2kREA D. THEY ALL GANGED ROUND THE TABLE. THERE WAS MILK AND BUTTER. I REMEMBER ONE WEDDrNG OF THE WHITE PEOPLE. I-MADE THE ICE lREjM6oOR ,Hn . &IREMEMBER PLAYIN G MARBLES AND BALL. SOMETIMES A RACER SNAKE WOULD RUN AFTER US, WRAP ROUND US AND WHIP US WITH ITS TAIL. THE FIRST ONE I REMEMBER GOT AFTER ME IN THE RRCHARD. HE WRAPPED RIG HT ROUND ME AND WHIPPED ME WITH HIS TAIL. MY MOTHER TOOK CARE OF THE SLAVES WHEN THEY WERE SICK. yOU HAD tO2BE AWFuL SICK IF THEY DIDN'T MAKE YOU GO OUT. THEY MADE THEIR OWN MEDICINE IN THOSE DAYS. WE USED ASAFETIDA AND PUT A PIECE IN A BAG AND HUNG IT ROUND OUR NECKS. IT WAS SUPPOSED TO KEEP US FROM KETCHING DISEASES FROM ANYONE ELSE. WHEN FREEDOM COME THEY WERE ALL SHOUTING AND I-RUN tO-MY-MOTHnR jND skEDHH ER WHAT IT WAS ALL ABOUT. THE WHITE MAN SAID YOU ARE ALL FREE AND CAN GO. I REMEMBER THE YANKEE SOLDIER COMING THROUGH THE WHEAT FIELD. MY PARENTS LIVED VERY LIGHT THE FIRST YEAR AFTER THE WAR. WE LIVED IN A LO G CABIN. THE WHITE MAN HELPED THEM A LITTLE. MY FATHER WENT TO WORK MAKING CHARCOAL. THERE WAS NO SCHOOL FOR NEGROES AND NO LAND THAT I REMEMBER. &IMARRIED ALICE THOMPSON. SHE WAS EIGHTEEN AND I WAS TWENTY EIGHT. WE HAD A LITTLE WEDDING DOWN IN BUSHANNON, VIRGINIA. A BAPTIST PREACHER NAMED SHIR LEY MARRIED US. THERE WERE ABOUT A DOZEN AT THE WEDDING. WE HAD A LITTLE DANCI NG AND BANJO PLAYING. I HAD TWO CHILDREN BUT THEY DIED AND MY WIFE DIED A LONG, LONG TIME AGO. I H ST HEjRD A-LITtLE kOUT AkRAHjMLINCOLN. I BELIEVE HE WAS A GOOD MAN. I-JUST HAD A SLIGHT REMEMBERANCE OF AkRAHjM-LrNlOLN jNDJEFFERSON DAVIS. I HAV E HEARD OF BOOKER T. WASHINGTON, FELT JUST THE SAME ABOUT HIM. A PRETTY GOOD MA N. I THrNK IT WAS A GREAT THrNG THAT2sLAVnRY nNDED, I6wO lDNOT LIKE TO SEE IT - O . I JOINED THE BAPTIST CHURCH BUT I HAVE BEEN-RuNNrNG OuND6OMPLACE TO PL ACE. WE ALWAYS PROSPER AND GET ALONG WITH OUR FELLOWMEN IF WE ARE RELIGIOUS. THE-OVERSEnR WAS POOR WHITE TRASH. HIS-RuL S6WnrE8 OUHHAD3 OBE OUT ON THE PLANTATION BEFORE DAYLIGHT. SOMETIMES WE HAD tO SIT-ROuNDON THE FENCE TO WAIT FoOR&D l!HT jND6WE DIDNOT GO IN BEFORE DARK. WE GO IN ABOUT ONE FOR MEALS.