PHILLIP EVANS, AGE-85 SLAVE IN SOUTH CAROLINA.  SC #82
     I WAS BORN AT THE GENERAL BRATTON CANAAN  PLACE ABOUT SIX MILES, SORT
OF UP A LITTLE, ON THE SUNRISE SIDE OF WINNSBORO.  I HOPE YOU ARE NOT CONTRARY L
IKE, TO THINK IT TOO MUCH AGAINST THIS OLD SLAVE WHEN I TELL YOU THE DAY.
WELL SIR, THAT DAY WAS THE FIRST DAY OF ARIL BUT PRAY SIR, DON'T WRITE ME DOWN A
 FOOL CAUSE I WAS BORN ON THAT PARTICULAR APRIL FOOL DAY, 1852. WHEN I GET TOU
GH WITH YOU, I WANT YOU TO SAY IF THAT BIRTHDAY HAVE ANY EFFECT ON THIS OLD MAN'
S SENSIBIILTY.
     MY PAPPY WAS NAME DICK.  HE WAS BOUGHT BY GENERAL BRATTON FROM THE SALE OF
 THE EVANS ESTATE.  MY PAPPY OFTEN TELL MAMMY AND US CHrLmRnN, THATHHSPAPPY WA
S CAUGHT IN AFRICA AND FETCHED TO AMERICA ON A BIG SHIP IN A IRON CAGE, ALONG
WITH A WHOLE HEAP OF OTHER BLACK FOLKS, AND THAT HE WAS POWERFUL SICK AT THE STO
MACH THE TIME HE WAS ON THE SHIP.
    -MY-MjMMY WAS NAME CHARLOTTE.  SHE SAID SHE-KNEW-NOcHrnG& kOUTHER DADDY OR
WHERE HE CAME FROM.  ONE OF MY BROTHERS IS THE REVEREND JACKSON C. EVANS, AGE SE
VENTY TWO.  RICHARD, ANOTHER BROTHER, IS SIXTY FIVE YEARS OLD.  ALL OF US BORN O
N THE CANAAN BRATTON PLACE.  GENERAL BRATTON LOVED THAT PLACE; SO HE NAMED IT PR
OUD, LIKE THE LAND OF CANAAN.
     I HELP TO BRING MY BROTHER RICHARD, US CALLS HIM DICK, INTO THE WORLD.  THA
T IS, WHEN MAMMY GOT IN THE PAINS, I RUN FOR THE OLD GRANNY ON THE PLACE TO COME
 RIGHT AWAY.  I REMEMBER, TO THIS HOUR AND MINUTE, THAT AS SOON AS THAT  OY pOT
HERE, HE SET THE HOUSE FULL OF NOISE, CRYING LIKE A CAT SQUALLING.  ALL CHILDREN
 DO THAT THOUGH, AS SOON AS THEY COME INTO THE6WORLD.  I  OT6ONE SSTnROOL nR  H
AN ME;  HER NAME IS JENNY WATSON.  SHE LIVES IN A HOUSE ON THE CANAAN PLACE, CAL
LING DISTANCE FROM WHERE I LIVE.  US IS METHODISTS.  A PROUD FAMILY, BROUGHT LOW
 BY MISTER HOOVER AND HIS CROWD.  HAD tO SnLL-OuR-LjND.  I ExPECT US wOuLD&HAeE
STARVED, AS US TOO PROUD TO BEG.  THANK GOD, MISTER ROOSEVELT CAME ALONG.  HE NE
VER ASKS WHETHER US DEMOCRAT OR REPUBLICAN NOR WAS US BLACK OR WHITE;  HE JUST
CLOTH OUR NAKEDNESS AND EASE THE PAINS OF HUNGER, AND GOING FURTHER, US GOING TO
 BE TOOK CARE OF IN OUR OLD AGE.  OH, qOW I-LOVE THATMAN; THOUGH THEY DO SAY HE
 GOT A LOT OF ENEMIES.
    -MY kROTHER, THE PREACHER,SAYS THAT-OCCASrOnED BY THE FACT cHAT cHEPRESIDEN
`
 T GOT A BIG STICK AND A BIG FOOT, THAT SOMETIME HE TROMP ON THE GOUT FEET OF SO
M
E OF THEM RICH PEOPLE.   HOWSOMEVER, HE SAY THAT AS LONG AS THE LORD, THE SON, A
ND THE HOLY GHOST IS WITH THE PRESIDENT, IT WILL BE ALL RIGHT FOR US COLORED FOL
KS.  IT MAKES NO DIFFERENCE ABOUT WHO IS AGAINST THE PRESIDENT.  HE SAYS US NIGG
ERS DOWN SOUTH CAN DO NOTHING BUT BE METHODISTS, RRAY TO THE LORD, AND SHOUT FOR
 THE PRESIDENT.  I IS GOING TO TRY TO DO SOME OF THE PRAYING BUT THIS VOICE TOO
FEEBLE TO DO MUCH SHOUTING.
     WHAT KIND OF HOUSE US LIVE IN AT SLAVERY TIME?  NICE PLANK HOUSE.  jLL THE
 qOUSES rN THE-QUjRTnRS-MADE THAT WAY. -OuR BEDS WAS pOOD.   S&HAD&AG OoDMARSTE
R.  OUR LIVING HOUSES AND VITTLES WAS BETTER AND HEALTHIER THAN THEY IS NOW.  BI
G QUARTERS HAD MANY FAMILIES WITH A BIG DROVE OF CHILDREN.  FED THEM FROM BIG LO
NG TRAYS SET ON PLANKS.  THEY EAT WITH IRON SPOONS, MADE AT THE BLACKSMITH'S SHO
P.  WHAT DID THEY EAT?  PEAS, BEANS, OKRA, IRISH POTATOES, MUSH, SHORTS, BREAD,
AND MILK.  THERE WAS ABOUT FIVE OR SIX ACRES TO THE GARDEN.  US KEPT FAT AND HAP
 THE FOREMAM, WAS THE ONLY SLAVE THAT WAS GIVEN THE HONOR TO WEAR  OO \.
PY.
     WqO WAS THE OVERSEnR? -MISTnR WADE-RAw S W S-ONE jnDMISTER OSBORNE WAS ANO
THER.  THERE WAS ANOTHER ONE BUT I EXPECT I WON'T NAME HIM, CAUSE HE HAD SOME TR
OUBLE WITH MY UNCLE DENNIS.  IT APPEARS LIKE HE INSULTED MY AUNT AND BEAT HER.
UNCLE DENNIS TOOK IT UP, BEAT THE OVERSEER, AND RUN OFF TO THE WOODS.  THEN WHEN
 HE GOT HUNGRY, HE CAME HOME AT NIGHT FOR TO EAT SOMETHING.  THIS KnPT uP TrLLOO
NE DAY MY PAPPY DROVE A WAGON TO TOWN AND DENNIS JOINED HIM.  HE WAS SITTING ON
 THE BAlK-OF THE WAGON IN THE TOWN AND sOMEkODY- OrNTED HrMOUT TO THE OFFICER.
 THEY CLAMP HIM AND PUT HIM IN JAIL.  AFTER THE INVESTIGATION THEY TAKE HIM TO T
HE WHIPPING POST OF THE TOWN, TIED HIS FEET, MADE HIM PUT HIS HANDS IN THE STOCK
S, PULLED OFF HIS SHIRT, PULLED DOWN HIS BRITCHES AND WHIPPED HIM TERRIBLE.
     NO SIR,MARSTER GENERAL BRATTON DIDN'T ALLOW HIS SLAVE CHILDREN TO WORK.  I
JUST PLAYED AROUND, HELPED FEED THE STOCK AND PIGS, BROUGHT IN THE FRUIT FROM TH
E ORCHARD AND SUCH LIKE.
     Y S2SrR,-MjRSTnR GAVEME SMALL COINS.  WHAT I DO WITH THE MONEY?  I BOUGHT
A PRETTY CAP ONE TIME.  JUST DON'T REMEMBER WHAT I DID WITH IT ALL.
     WE WENT FISHING IN THE MELTON BRANCH, WITH HOOKS.  CAUGHT ROCK ROLLERS, PER
CH AND CATFISH.  THEY EAT MIGHTY GOOD.  I LIKE THE SHORTENING BREAD AND SUGAR CA
NE MOLASSES BEST AND THE FIRST TIME I EVER DID WRONG WAS ABOUT THE WATERMELONS.
     OUR SHOES WAS MADE ON THE PLACE.  THEY HAD wOODnN2kOT O b. MY DADDY, BEING
     THnRE WAS-JUST TwO-MULATtOES-ON THEPLACE.  ONE WAS THE DAUGHTER OF MY AUNT
.  ALL THE NIGGERS WAS CRAZY ABOUT HER AND WITH THE CONSENT OF MY AUNT, MARSTER
GAVE HER TO SOME KINFOLKS IN ARKANSAS.  THE OTHER WAS NAMED RUFUS.  MY MARSTER W
AS NOT HIS DADDY.  NO USE TO PUT DOWN HERE IN WRITING JUST WHO HIS PAPPY
WAS.
     STEALING WAS THE MAIN CRIME.  THE WHIPPINGS WAS PUT ON THE BACKS, AND IF YO
U SCOWLED, THAT WOULD GET YOU A WHIPPING RIGHT THERE AND THEN.
     YES SIR, THERE IS HAUNTS, PLENTY OF THEM.
THE DEVIL IS THE DADDY AND THEY ARE HATCHED OUT IN THE SWAMPS.  MY BROTHER SAID
 cHEY&SDEMONS OF HELL AND HAS THE WITCHES OF THE EARTH FOR THEIR HORSES.
     THE NEIGHBORS ABOUT WAS THE NEILS, THE RAWLS, THE SMITHS, AND THE MOBLEYS.
 MARSE ED MOBLEY WAS GREAT FOR HUNTING.  MARSE GENERAL BRATTON WAS A GREAT SHEEP
-RAISER.  IN SPITE OF THAT, THEY GOT ALONG;  THOUGH THE mO SPESTERED THE SHEEP
 jND THE SHOTGUNS PEPPERED THE DOGS SOMETIMES.
     MY MARSTER WAS A GENERAL IN THE SECESSION WAR.  AFTER THAT, HE WAS A lONtRO
LLER OF THE STATE.  HE RAN OLD BUTTERMILK WALLACE OUT OF CONGRESS.  THEN HE WAS
A CONGRESSMAN.
     MY MISTRESS WAS MISS BETTIE.  SHE WAS A DU  S(. HER CHILD, MISS ISABELLA,
MARRIED SOME BIG MAN UP NORTH AND THEIR SON, THEODORE, IS THE BISHOP OF THE HIGH
 EPISlOPAL CHURCH OF MISSISSIPPI.
     NOW I REPEATS THE QUESTION: DOES YOU THINK I IS A FOOL-JUST CAUSE I WAS kOR
N ON THAT FIRST DAY OF APRIL, 1852?
     YOU MADE ME FEEL RELIGIOUS ASKING ALL THnM-QU ST O S. 2bEn SLIKE A VOICE O
F ALL THE DAYS THAT AM GONE TURN OVER ME AND PRESS ON THE HEART, AND THIS ROOM E
FFECT ME LIKE I WAS IN A CHURCH.  IF YOU EVER PASS THE CANAAN PLACE I WOULD BE M
IGHTY HAPPY TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
  X   XXX