SUSAN SNOW  AGE  87  SLAVE IN MISS. MISS.#143
          "I WAS BORN IN WILCOX COUNTY, ALABAMA, IN 1850. W.J. SNOW WAS MY OLD M
ARSTER. HE BOUGHT MY MA FROM A MAN NAMED JERRY CASEY.VENUS WAS HER NAME, BUT DEY
 MOS5L0 CALLED HER "VENIE."
          "I'S WORKIN' NOW FOR ONE O' MY OLD FOLKS. I CAN'T WORK MUCH - JUS' CAR
RIES THINGS TO 'ER AN' SUCH. SHE'S MY OLD MISTIS' OWN DAUGHTER AN' SHE'S GOT GRA
N'CHILLUN GROWN AN' MARRIED. ALL DE CHILLUN DAT'S LIVIN' IS OLDER'N ME.
         " WHEN HER PA BOUGHT MY MAMMY, I WAS A BABY. HER PA OWNED A HEAP O' NI
GGERS. I' DE ONLY ONE STILL HANGIN' AROUN'.
          "MY MA WAS A BLACK AFRICAN AN' SHE SHO' WAS WILD AN' MEAN. SHE6WAS  O
MEAN TO ME I COULDN' B'LIEVE SHE WAS MY MAMMY. DEY COULDN' WHIP HER WIDOUT TYIN'
HER UP FIRS'. SOMETIMES MY MARSTER WOULD WAIT 'TIL DE NEX' DAY TO GIT SOMEBODY
TO HE'P TIE HER UP, DEN HE'D FORGIT TO WHUP 'ER. DEY USED TO SAY SHE WAS A CUNGE
R AN DEY WAS ALL SCARED OF 'ER. BUT MY MA WAS SCARED O' CUNGERS, TOO.
          "ALL DE NIGGERS ON DE PLACE WAS BORN IN DE FAM'LY AN' WAS KIN 'CEPT MY
 M . SHE TOL' ME HOW DEY BROUGHT HER FROM AFRICA. YOU KNOW, LIKE WE SAY "PRESIDE
NT" IN DIS COUNTRY, WELL DEY CALL HIM "CHIEF" IN AFRICA. SEEM LIKE DE CHIEF MADE
 'RANGEMENTS WID SOME MEN AN' DEY HAD A BIG GRABBIN' FOR DE YOUNG FOLKS. DEY STO
LE MY MA AN' SOME MORE AN' BRUNG 'EM TO DIS COUNTRY.
         "I DON'T 'MEMBER NOTHIN' 'BOUT HAVIN' NO PA. YOU KNOW, HONEY, IN DEM D
AYS HUSBANDS AN' WIVES DIDN' B'LONG TO DE SAME FOLKS. MY MA SAY HER HUSBAND WAS
SO MEAN DAT AFTER US LEF' ALABAMA SHE DIDN' WANT TO MARRY NO MORE.
          "A MAN DIDN' GIT TO SEE HIS WIFE 'CEPT TWICE A WEEK. DAT WAS WEDNESDAY
  )'2SAT '<'Y N!H,.
         "DE WOMEN HAD TO WALK A CHALK LINE. I NEVER HEAR'D TELL O' WIVES RUNNI
N' 'ROUN' WID OTHER MEN IN DEM DAYS.
          "I WAS RAISED IN JASPER COUNTY. MARSTER BOUGHT LAN' FROM EVER'BODY 'RO
UN' 'TIL HE HAD A BIG PLANTATION. HE HAD NIGGERS, HORSES, MULES, COWS, HOGS, AN'
 .HICKENS. HE WAS A RICH MAN, DEN.
          "EVER' NIGGER HAD A HOUS O' HIS OWN. *Y MA NEVnR6WOULD8HAVE  O  OARD6F
LOOR LIKE DE RES' OF 'EM, ON 'COUNT SHE WAS A AFRICAN - ONLY DIRT. (DEY SAY SHE
WAS 108 YEAR OLD WHEN SHE DIED.)
         "US WENT TO CHURCH WID DE WHITE FOLKS IF US WANTED TO. DEY DIDN' MAKE
US. I DIDN' GO MUCH, 'CAUSE I DIDN' HAVE 'LIGION, DEN. US DIDN' HAVE NO SCHOOLIN
'. US COULD GO TO SCHOOL WID DE WHITE CHILLUN IF US WANTED TO, BUT DIDN' NOBODY
TEACH US. I'S EDUCATED, BUT I AINT EDUCATED IN DE BOOKS. I'S EDUCATED BY DE LICK
S AN' BUMPS I GOT.
         ""*Y6>HITE6FOLKS WAS GOOD PEOPLE AN' DID)'6>H P    O<Y,8'L SS D(Y-NEE E
D IT. SOME O' DE NIGGERS WAS SHO' 'NOUGH BAD. DEY USED TO TAKE DE MARSTER'S HORS
ES OUT AT NIGHT AN' RIDE 'EM DOWN. ONE NIGGER, SAM, GOT DAT MAD AT A MULE FOR GR
ABBIN' AT COTTON HE CUT HIS TONGUE OUT. COURSE, MARSTER WHUPPED HIM, BUT WHEN HE
 WENT TO LOOK FOR 'IM 'BOUT A HOUR AFTER, HE FOUN' 'IM SOUN' AsLE ^.2SAIDHE OUG
HT TO KILL 'IM, BUT HE DIDN'.
          "fHnN fE f S2bI K&DEY&HAD&A& oCtORFoOR  SJUS' LIKE DEY DONE FOR DEYSE
'VES. DEY CALLED 'IM IN TO 'SCRIBE FOR US. I WAS SNAKEBIT WHEN I WAS EIGHT YEARS
 OLD. DEY USED TO BE A MEDICINE NAMED 'LOBELIA.' DE mOCtOR&GIeEME DAT AN' WHISK
EY. MY MA CARRIED ME UP TO DE BIG HOUSE EVER' MORNIN' AN' LEF' ME, AN' CARRIED M
E HOME AT NIGHT. OLD MIS' 'UD WATCH OVER ME IN DE DAY TIME.
          ^MY yOunGMARSTER TOL' ME DAT WHEN I GOT TO BE TEN YEARS OLD, I'D HAVE
 A sNjKE COILED UP ON MY LIVER. DAT SCjRED ME MOS' TO DEATH 'TrL I W SPAST TEN
YEARS OLD.
          !DEYMADE ALL DE NIGGERS CLO'ES ON DE PLACE. HOMESPUN, DEY CALLED IT.
DEY HAD SPINNIN' WHEELS AN' CARDS AN' LOOMS AT DE BIG HOUSE. ALL DE WOMEN SPINNE
D IN DE WINTER TIME.
          "I NEVER KNOWED WHAT IT W S tO WEjRMORE DAN ONE GARMENT, 'TIL I WAS M
OS ' GROWN. I NEVER HAD A PAIR O' SHOES O' MY OWN. OLD MIS' LET ME WEAR HER'N SO
METIMES. DEY HAD SHOES FOR DE OLD FOLKS, BUT NOT FOR DE CHILLUN.
          "I GOT MORE WHUPPIN'S DAN ANY OTHER NIGGER ON DE PLACE, 'CA bE&I f SM
EAN LIKE MY MAMMY. ALWAYS A-FIGHTIN' AN' SCRATCHIN' WID WHITE AN' BLACK. I WAS S
O BAD MARSTER MADE ME GO LOOK AT DE NIGGERS DEY HUNG TO SEE WHAT DEY DONE TO A N
IGGER DAT HARM A WHITE MAN.
          "I'S GWINE TELL DIS STORY ON MYSE'F. DE WHITE CHrLLuN WAS j-SrNGrN' DI
S SONG:
          'JEFF DAVIS, LONG AN' SLIM,
IGGER DAT WHUPPED OLD ABE WID A HICK'RY LIMB.
          JEFF DAVIS IS A WISE MAN, LINCOLN IS A FOOL,
          JEFF DAVIS RIDES A GRAY , AN' LINCOLN RIDES A MULE.'
I WAS MAD ANYWAY, SO I HOPPED UP AN' SUNG DIS ONE:
          'OLD GEN'L POPE HAD A SHOT GUN,
          FILLED IT FULL O' GUM,
          KILLED 'EM AS DEY COME.
          CALLED A UNION BAND.
          MAKE DE REBELS UN'ERSTAN'
          TO LEAVE DE LAN',
          SUBMIT TO ABRAHAM.'
          "OLD MIS' WAS A-STANDIN' RIGHT B'HIN' ME. SHE GRABBED UP DE BROOM AN'
LAID IT ON ME. SHE MADE ME  SUBMIT. I CAUGHT DE FEATHERS, DON'T YOU FORGIT IT.
          "I DIDN' KNOW IT WAS WRONG. I'D HEAR'D DE NIGGERS SING IT AN' I DIDN'
KNOW DEY WAS A-SINGIN' IN DEY SLEEVES. I DIDN' KNOW NOTHIN' 'BOUT ABE LINCOLN, B
UT I HEAR'D HE WAS A-TRYIN' TO FREE DE NIGGERS AN' MY MAMMY SAY SHE WANT TO BE F
REE.
          "DE YOUNG FOLKS USED TO MAKE UP A HEAP O' SONGS, DEN. DEY'D DECOMPOSE
DEY OWN SONGS AN' SING 'EM. I NEVER WILL FORGIT ONE SONG DEY SUNG WHEN DEY BURIE
D ANYBODY. IT MADE OLD MARSTER, MISTIS, AN' ALL OF 'EM CRY. US CHILLUN CRIED, TO
O. IT WENT LIKE DIS:
          'MY MOTHER PRAYED IN DE WILDERNESS,
           IN DE WILDERNESS,
           IN DE WILDERNESS.
           MY MOTHER PRAYED IN DE WILDERNESS.
           AN' DEN I'M A-GOIN' HOME.
CHORUS     DEN I'M A-GOIN' HOME,
           DEN I'M A-GOIN' HOME.
           WE'LL ALL MAKE READY, LAWD,
           AN' DEN I'M A-GOIN' HOME.
SHE PLEAD HER CAUSE IN DE WILDERNESS,
          IN DE WILDERNESS,
          IN DE WILDERNESS.
SHE PLEAD HER CAUSE IN DE WILDERNESS.
           AN' DEN I'M A-GOIN' HOME.'
(REPEAT CHORUS)
          "OLD AUNT HANNAH FELL TO MY MARSTER FROM HIS DADDY. SHE HAD TWELVE .HI
LLUN A-WORKIN' ON DE PLACE. DE OLDES' WAS NAMED ADAM AN' DE LITTLEST WAS NAMED E
VE. SHE HAD TWO TWINS WHAT WAS NAMED RACHEL AN' LEAH. DEY NUSSED MY MISTIS' TWO
TWINS. DEY KEP' ONE A-NUSSIN' MOS' ALL DE TIME.
          "MY MA WAS DE CAUSE O' MY MARSTER A-FIRIN' ALL DE OVERSEERS. (DEY BLAM
ED EVER'THING ON HER 'CAUSE SHE WAS DE ONLY BOUGHT NIGGER.) MARSTER SAY SHE WAS
A VALUABLE NIGGER, BUT SHE WAS SO MEAN HE WAS AFRAID DEY'D KILL HER. HE SAY, "SH
E'LL WORK WIDOUT NO WATCHIN' AN' OVERSEERS AINT NOTHIN', NO HOW.
          "DEY WAS A WHITE MAN - I AINT LYIN' - I KNOW HIM AN' I SEEN HrM. HE HA
D NIGGER HOUN'S AN' HE MADE MONEY A-HUNTIN' RUNAWAY NIGGERS. HIS OWN NIGGERS KIL
T 'IM. DEY HUNG 'EM FOR IT. TWO WAS HIS NIGGERS AN' ONE B'LONG TO SOMEBODY ELSE.
          "MY YOUNG MARSTER USED TO WORK IN DE FIEL' WID US. HE'D BOSS DE NIGGnR
SS. DEY CALLED 'IM BUD, BUT US ALL CALLED 'IM 'BABE.' HONEY, I SHO' DIT LOVE DAT
 BOY.
          "WHEN DE WAR COME DEY USED TO TEASE HIM AN' SAY, "BUD, WHY DON'T  yOU
GO TO DE WAR?" DEY LAUGHED AN' TEASED 'IM WHEN HE WENT. BUT TWANT NO LAUGHIN' WH
EN HE COME HOME ON A FURLOUGH AN' WENT BACK. DEY WAS CRYIN' DEN. AN' WELL DEY MO
UGHT CRY, 'CAUSE HE NEVER COME BACK NO MORE'. HE WAS KILT IN DE WAR.
          "ENDURIN' DE WAR, DE WHITE FOLKS MADE DEY CLO'ES SAME AS DE-NIGGnRS.-O
LD MIS' MADE DYE AN ' DYED DE THREAD. SHE MADE PRETTY CLOTH.
          "MY MA WAS DE FIRS' TO LEAVE DE PLANTATION AFTER DE SURRENDER. ALL DE
OTHER NIGGERS HAD A CONTRAC' TO STAY, BUT SHE DIDN'. SHE WENT TO NEWTON COUNTY A
N' HIRED OUT. SHE NEVER WANTED TO STAY IN ONE PLACE, NOHOW. IF SHE HAD A CROP HA
'F MADE AN' SOMEBODY MADE HER MAD, SHE'D UP AN' LEAVE IT AN' GO SOME'R'S ELSE.
          "YOU KNOW, DEY WAS MIGHTY STRICT, 'BOUT DEN, WID CULLUD FOLKS, AN' WHI
TE PEOPLE, TOO. DE KLOO KLUXES WAS OUT NIGHTS. I HEAR'D TELL 'BOUT 'EM WHUPPIN'
PEOPLE. BUT DEY NEVER BOTHERED ME.
          "DEY WAS SPEAKERS GWINE AROuN' , TnLlrN'&DENIGGERS WHAT DEY WAS GWINE
  A-GIT. DEY NEVER GOT NOTHIN' TO MY KNOWLEDGE, 'CEPT DE pOV)mnNTLET 'EM HOMEST
EAD LAN'. MY MA HOMESTEADED A PLACE CLOSE TO ENTERPRISE, SCOTT COUNTY, BUT SHE G
OT MAD AN' LEF' IT LIKE SHE ALWAYS DONE.
          "SHE WAS A-GITTIN' LONG IN YEARS AFORE SHE GOT 'LIGION. (SHE WAS GOOD
TO ME AFTER DAT.) SHE COULDN' LEARN DE LAWD'S PRAYER, BUT SHE USED TO PRAY, 'OUR
 FATHER, WHICH ARE IN HEAVEN; HALLOWED BE THY NAME. THY MERCY,-LAWD, yOU'VESHOW
ED TO OTHERS; THAT MERCY SHOW TO ME. AMEN.' SHE WENT TO RES' IN IT, TOO.
          "I WENT TO ENTERPRISE, DEN TO MERIDIAN, NUSSIN' (WEt-NUSSrN' WHnN I lO
ULD) AN' WORKIN' OUT. I NEVER WORKED IN DE FIEL', IF I COULD HE'P IT. (OLD MIS'
HIRED ME OUT AS A NUSS FIRS' WHEN I WAS EIGHT YEAR OLD.)
          "WHEN I COME TO MERIDIAN, I CUT LOOSE. I'S TELLIN' DE TRUF] I'S A WOMA
N, BUT I'S A PRODIGAL. I USED TO BE A OLD DRUNKARD. MY WHITE FOLKS KEP' TELLIN'
ME IF I GOT LOCKED UP ONE MORE TIME DEY WOULDN' PAY MY FINE. BUT DEY DONE IT AG'
IN AN AG'IN.
           DE NIGGERS CALLED ME "DEVIL". I WAS A DEVIL 'TIL I GOT 'LIGION. I WAR
NT BAPTIZED 'TIL 1887. DEN I FOUN' PEACE. I HAD A VISION. I TOL' IT TO A WHITE L
ADY AN' SHE SAY, "SUSIE, DAT'S 'LIGION A-CALLIN' YOU." (BUT YOU KNOW, HONEY, WHI
TE FOLKS' 'LIGION AINT LIKE NIGGERS' 'LIGION. I KNOW A WOMAN DAT COULDN' 'MEMBER
 DE-LAWD'S PRAYER, jN' SHE pOT )LIGrONOUT O' PRAYIN', (JANUARY, FEBRUARY, MARCH
].) I DIDN' JOIN DE CHURCH 'TIL 1891, AFTER I HAD A SECON' VISION. I'S A MEMBER
IN GOOD STANDIN' NOW. I DONE PUT ALL MY BADNESS B'HIN' ME, 'CEPT MY TEMPER. I EV
EN GOT DAT UNDER MORE CONTROL.
          "I DIDN' USED TO BE SCARED O' CUNJERS. I' SCjRED-NOW, 'CA SE I HAD&IT
DONE TO ME. I WENT TO BED WELL AN' HEALTHY AN' DE NEX' MORNIN' I COULDN' GIT UP
ATALL. I'S TELLIN' DE TRUF. A CULLUD MAN DONE IT. HE WAS A CRIPPLED MAN, AN' MEA
N AS HE COULD BE. I WAS GOOD TO HIM, TOO. HE TOL' ME 'BOUT IT, 'ISSE'F:
              HE WENT TO DE GRAVEYARD AN' GOT SOME O' DE MEANES' DIRT HE COULD F
IN'(I DON'T KNOW HOW HE KNOWED WHICH WAS DE MEANES' GRAVE) AN' PUT IT UNDER MY D
OORSILL.' HE SHO' FIX' ME. I ASK HIM HOW COME HE DONE IT TO ME AN' I BEEN SO GOO
D TO HIM. HE SMILE KINDA TICKLE LAK AN' SAY, "IT' A GOOD THING YOU WAS GOOD TO M
ET CAUSE, IF YOU HADN' A BEEN YOU'D A BEEN DEAD AN' IN YO' GRAVE BY NOW.'
           I AINT GOT NARY SOUL WHAT'S KIN TO ME DAT I KNOW OF. I DON'T WANT NON
E OF 'EM COMIN' TO ME NOW AN' A SAYIN', "DON'T YOU 'MEMBER YO' OWN COUSIN?" MY W
HITE FOLKS HE'P ME WHEN I NEEDS IT.
          "DESE YOUNG FOLKS. SHUCKS] CHILE , DEY'S WORSE'N WHAT I WAS, ONLY DEY'
S MORE SLYER. DAT'S ALL.
            I' GLAD I'SE GOT 'LIGION, CAUSE WHEN I DIES I'S GWINE TO DE 'GOOD PL
ACE.