HANNAH PLUMMER - NC/#404 ^MY NAME IS HANNAH PLUMMER. I WAS BORN NEAR AUBURN, IN WAKE COUNTY, JANUjR Y 7, 1856. MY FATHER WAS ALLEN LANE AND MY MOTHER WAS NAMED BERTCHA LANE. WE B ELONGED TO GOVENOR CHARLES MANLY, THAT IS MOTHER AND MYSELF, FATHER BELONGED TO SOME MAIDEN LADIES, SUSAN AND EMMA WHITE. THE GOVENOR HAD LARGE PLANTATIONS, BU T MOTHER AND MYSELF LIVED WITH THEM ON THEIR LOT RIGHT WHERE THE REX HOSPITAL NOW STANDS ON SOUTH AND FAYETTEVILLE STREETS. GOVERNOR MANLY OWNED THE BLOCK DOWN TO THE RAILROAD, AND WE CHILLUN WENT INTO GROVE, IT WAS A GROVE THEN, TO PICK UP WALNUTS AND HICKORY NUTS. "MY FATHER WAS A STONECUTTER AND HE HIRED HIS TIME AND GAVE HIS TIME AND GA VE IT TO HIS MISSUS AND LIVED WITH US. MOTHER WAS AT GOVERNOR MANLY'S. HE SAID FATHER WAS A HIGH-HEADED FELLOW AND SAID HE WAS LIVIN' ON HIS LOT AND IN HIS HO USE AND THAT HE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING FOR HIM, AND THAT HE OUGHT TO KEEP UP HIS FAM ILY. MOTHER WAS THE WASHERWOMAN FOR THE GOVERNOR AND HIS FAMILY. MISUS MANLY, THE GOVERNOR'S WIFE, I FORGET HER FIRST NAME, DID NOT TAKE ANY PARTICULAR INTER EST IN HER SERVANTS. SHE HAD SLAVE SERVANTS FOR EVERYTHING: A WASH AND IRONER, A DRAWING ROOM AND PARLOR CLEANER, A COOK, WAITING MEN, WAITRESSES AND A-MAID W HO DID NOTHING BUT WAIT ON HER. "pOVERNOR MANLY WAS A MIGHTY RICH MAN, AND HE HAD SEVnRjL-PLjNcAcrONS&jnDA LOT O' SLAVES. I DON'T REMEMBER HOW MANY SLAVES HE OWNED. MOTHER WAS GIVEN ME AL AND MEAT AND HAD TO COOK IT JUST THE SAME AS SHE WOULD NOW. THEY DIDN' ALLOW HER FOOD FROM THE GREAT HOUSE . MOTHER HAD TEN CHILDREN, AND AT TIMES WE DID-N OT HAVE ENOUGH TO EAT. WE WENT HUNGRY A LOT. THE BOYS WERE NAMED FRED, DAVID, MATTHEW, ALLEN AND THOMAS. GIRLS, CINDERILLA, CORINNA, HANNAH, VICTORIA, AND MA RY. ALL WERE BORN SLAVES BUT TWO. THOMAS AND MARY. DAVID AND MYSELF ARE ALL T HAT ARE LEFT ALIVE. "I REMEMBER THAT WE LIVED IN A PLANK HOUSE, WITH THREE ROOMS AND A SHED POR CH. MOTHER WASHED CLOTHES UNDER THE PORCH. THE HOUSE HAD TWO ROOMS DOWNSTAIRS AND ONE UPSTAIRS. (OH] I HAVE THOUGHT OF THE GOVERNOR'S WIFE'S NAME, MISSUS NA ME, IT WAS CHARITY.) WE USED TRUNDLE BEDS OF WOOD. MOTHER MADE OUR BED CLOTHES AT NIGHT . SHE ALSO MADE BONNETS AND DRESSES. SOMETIMES SHE MADE BONNETS AND S OLD THEM . THE CHILD THAT SIT UP WITH HER SHE GAVE SOME KIND O' SWEETS. I SET UP WITH HER A LOT BECAUSE I LIKED TO EAT. MOTHER WAS ALLOWED THE LITTLE MONEY SHE MADE MAKIN' BONNETS AND DRESSES AT NIGHT. "THEY WHUPPED SLAVES ON THE PLACE. I COuLD HEAR THE kLOWS jND HEjR (nM2blR EAMIN' CRYIN' AN' BEGGIN', BUT I NEVER SAW IT. I NEVER SAW A SLAVE SOLD AN' I N EVER SAW ANY IN CHAINS. "I DO NOT REMEMBER HOW MANY CHILDREN OLD MARSTER HAD, I ONLY REMEMBER ONE; HE WAS MARSTER BASIL MANLY. HE WAS AN OFFICER IN THE CONFEDERATE ARMY. HE USED TO COME HOME WITH HIS PRETTY CLOTHES AN' HIS HAT WITH PLUMES ON IT. MOTHER TOL E ME THAT BEFORE SHE WAS MARRIED MARSTER GAVE HER TO HIS SON BASIL AS A MAID FO R HIS WIFE CAROLINE. "MISSUS CAROLINE WHUPPED H MOST EVERY DAY AND ABOUT ANYTHING. MOTHER SAI D SHE COULD NOT PLEASE HER IN ANYTHING, NO MATTER WHAT SHE DONE OR HOW HARD SHE TRIED. MISSUS WOULD GO UP TOWN AND COME BACK AND WHUP HER. MOTHER WAS A YOUNG GIRL THEN. ONE DAY MISS CAROLINE WENT UP TOWN, AN' COME BACK MAD. SHE MADE MOT HER STRIP DOWN TO HER WAIST, AND THEN TOOK A CARRIAGE WHUP AN' BEAT HER UNTIL TH E BLOOD WAS RUNNIN' DOWN HER BACK. MOTHER SAID SHE WAS AFRAID SHE WOULD KILL HE R, SO SHE RAN FOR THE WOODS AND HID THERE, AND STAYED THREE WEEKS. SHE MADE UP HER MIND SHE WASN'T COMIN' BACK. "THE OLD GOVERNOR CHARLES MANLY, WENT TO MOTHER'S FATHER,-JrMMIEMANLY AN' TOLE HIM IF HE DID NOT GET BERTCHA BACK HE WOULD WHUP HIM. HER FATHER TOLE HrM HE DID NOT KNOW WHERE SHE WAS, AN' THAT HE BELONGED TO HIM AN' HE COULD DO WITH HIM AS HE LIKED, BUT HE WAS NOT GOIN' ONE STEP TO HUNT BERTCHA, MY MOTHER. THEN THE GOVERNOR WENT TO GRANDMOTHER AN' TOLE HER SHE HAD TO FIND HER. HE TOLE HER TO LEAVE THE LOT AN' STAY AWAY UNTIL HER DAUGHTER CAME BACK. GRANmMOTHnR DIDNO KNOW WHERE SHE WAS. "THE NIGGERS ON DIFFERENT PLANTATIONS FED MOTHER BY CARRYING THINGS TO CER TAIN HIDIN' PLACES AND LEAVIN' IT. GRANDMOTHER GOT WORD TO HER, AN' SHE SAID S HE WOULD COME BACK, BUT NOT TO MIS' CAROLINE. SHE TOLD MARSTER, SO MARSTER LET HER STAY WITH GRANDMOTHER UNTIL CHRISTMAS, THEN THEY ALLOWED HER TO HIRE HERSEL F OUT. SHE HIRED HERSELF TO MISTRESS SIMPSON. SHE WAS GOOD TO HER AND ALLOWED HER TO WORK FOR HERSELF AT NIGHT, SIT UP AS LONG AS SHE WANTED TO, AND SHE STAYE D WITH HER UNTIL SHE WAS MARRIED. THEN SHE WENT BACK TO OLD MARSTER'S. WHEN TH E WAR ENDED MOTHER WENT TO OLD MARSTER AND TOLD HIM SHE WAS GOIN' TO LEAVE. HE TOLD HER SHE COULD NOT FEED ALL HER CHILDREN, PAY HOUSE RENT, AND BUY WOOD, TO S TAY ON WITH HIM . MARSTER TOLD FATHER AND MOTHER THEY COULD HAVE THE HOUSE FREE AND WOOD FREE, AN' HE WOULD HELP THEM FEED THE CHILDREN, BUT MOTHER SAID, 'NO, I AM GOIN' TO LEAVE. I HAVE NEVER BEEN FREE AND I AM GOIN' TO TRY IT. I AM GOI N' AWAY AND BY MY WORK AND THE HELP OF THE LORD I WILL LIVE SOMEHOW'. MARSTER T HEN SAID, 'WELL STAY AS LONG AS YOU WISH, AND LEAVE WHEN YOU GET READY, BUT WAIT UNTIL YOU FIND A PLACE TO GO, AND LEAVE LIKE FOLKS.' MARSTER ALLOWED HER TO TA KE ALL HER THINGS WITH HER WHEN SHE LEFT. THE WHITE FOLKS TOLD HER GOOD BYE. "WE WENT TO A COLORED METHODIST CHURCH IN SLAVERY TIME BUT WE HAD A >HITE-P ASTOR. HIS NAME WAS DOCTOR PELL. HE WAS A MIGHTY NICE MAN AND ALL THE COLORED PEOPLE LOVED HIM. AFTER THE SURRENDER IT WAS A LONG TIME THAT THE COLORED PEOP LE HAD WHITE PREACHERS IN THEIR CHURCES. IT WAS A LONG TIME AFTER THE WAR BEFOR E ANY OF THE COLORED CHURCHES HAD NEGRO PREACHERS. WILLIAM WARRICK WAS THE FIRS T COLORED PREACHER IN RALEIGH. HE PREACHED IN THE BASEMENT OF THE BAPTIST CHURC H NO STANDING ON THE CORNER OF HILLSBORO AND SALISBURY STREETS. I WENT TO CHURC H AND SUNDAY SCHOOL THERE AFTER THE SURRENDER. "I WENT TO SCHOOL IN RALEIGH AND TAUGHT SCHOOL IN RT PAYNE, ALABAMA. MY HUSBAND WAS A CARPENTER AND WENT THERE WHERE HE COULD GET GOOD WAGES. SLAVERY W AS A VERY BAD THING. ABRAHAM LINCOLN WAS ONE OF THE BEST MEN THAT EVER LIVED. "ROOSEVELT IS JUST GRAND. HE IS NO DOUBT ONE OF THE pREATEST-MnN OF jNY AG E. I LOVE TO LOOK AT HIS PICTURE. I LOVE HIM BECAUSE HE HAS DONE SO MUCH FOR H UMANITY. I PRAY TO THE LORD TO LET HIM LIVE TO SERVE HIS COUNTRY, AND HELP HIS PEOPLE.