MILLIE BATES                 205-SC_/#
     I WUZ BORN IN FAIRFIELD, DAT IS OVER YONDER ACROSS BROAD RIVER, YOU-KN S6WH
AT DAT IS, DON'T YOU?  YES SIR, IT WUZ ON MARSE JOHNSON D COLEMAN'S PLANTATION.
AND HE HAD A PLANTATION]  DESE NIGGERS HERE IN CARLISLE - - AND NIGGERS IS ALL D
EY IS TOO - - DEY DON'T KNOW WHAT NO PLANTATION IS.  WHEN I GOT BIG ENOUGH FER T
O STEP AROUND, FROM DE VERY FUS, MY MAW TOOK ME IN DE BIG HOUSE.  IT STILL DAT,
CEP IT DONE BOUT FELL DOWN NOW, TO WHAT IT WUZ THEN.  BUT SOME OF MARSE'S FOLKS,
 DEY LIBS DOWN DAR STILL.  DEN YOU SEE, DEY IS LIKE DESE WHITE FOLKS UP 'ROUND H
ERE NOW.  DEY AIN'T GOT NO BIG MONEY LIKE DEY HAD WHEN I WUZ A RINNIN' UP.  TIME
 I GOT BIG ENOUGH FER TO RUN AROUN' IN MY SHIRT TAIL, MY MAW, SHE LOWED ONE NIGH
T TO MY PAW, WHEN HE WUZ SETTIN BY DE FIRE, DAT BLACK LITTLE NIGGER OVER DAR, HE
 GOT TO GIT HISSELF SOME PANTS KAISE I'SE GWINE TO PUT HIM UP OVER DE WHITE FOLK
S TABLE.  IN DEM TIMES DE DOOS AND WINDERS, DEY NEBBER HAD NO SCREEN WIRE UP TO
DEM LIKE DEY IS NOW.  FOKES DIDN'T KNOW NITHIN BOUT NO SUCH AS DAT DEN.  MY MARS
TER AND ALL DE OTHER BIG WHITE FOKES, DEY RAISED PEA-COCKS.  IS YU EBBER SEED AN
?  WELL, EV'Y SPRING US LITTLE NIGGERS, WE COCH DEM WILD THINGS AT NIGHT.  DEY C
OULD FLY LIKE A BUZZARD.  DEY ROOSTED UP IN DE PINE TREES, RIGHT UP IN DE TIP TO
P.  SO DE MISSUS, SHE HAB US YOUNG UNS CLAM UP DAR AND GIT 'EM WHEN DEY FIRST TO
OK ROOST.  US WOULD CLAM DOWN AND MY MAW, SHE WOULD PULL DE LONG FEATHERS OUT'N
DE TAILS.  FER WEEKS DE COCKS, DEY WOULDN'T LET NOBODY SEE 'EM IF DEY COULD HELP
9I,.  DEM BIRDS IS SHO PROUD.  WHEN DEY IS GOT DE FEATHERS, DEY JUS STRUTS ON DE
 FENCES, AND DE FENCES WUZ RAIL IN DEM DAYS.  IF'N DEY COULD SEE DERESELF IN A P
UDDLE O' WATER AFTER A RAIN, DEY WOULD STAY DAR ALL DAY A STRUTTIN' AND CARRYING
 ON LIKE NOBODY'S BUSINESS.  YES SIR, DEM WUZ PURTY BIRDS.  AFTER US GOT DE FEAT
HERS, DE MISSUS, SHE'UD LOW DAT ALL DE NIGGER GALS GWINE TO COME DOWN IN DE WASH
 HOUSE AND MAKE FLY BRUSHES.  SOMETIME DE MISSUS'UD GIB SOME OF DE GALS SHORT FE
ATHERS TO PUT IN DERE SUNDAY HATS.  WHEN DEM GALS GOT DEM HATS ON, I USED TO GIT
 SO DISGUSTED WID HEM I'D LEAVE 'EM AT CHURCH AND WALK HOME BY MY SELF.  ANYWAY,
 BY DAT TIME ALL DE NEW FLY BRUSHES WUZ MADE AND DE MISSUS, SHE HAB FANS MAKE FR
OM DE SHORT FEATHERS FOR DE WHITE FOKES TO FAN DE AIR WID ON HOT DAYS.  LAWDY, I
'SE STRAYED FUR FROM WHAT I HAD STARTED OUT FER TO TELL YOU.  BUT I KNOWED DAT Y
OU YOUNG FOKES DIDN'T KNOW NOTHIN' BOUT ALL DAT.  IN DEM DAYS DE DINING ROOM WUZ
 BIG AND HAD DE WINDOWS OPEN ALL DE SUMMER LONG, AND ALL DE DOOS STAYED STRETCHE
D TOO.  QUICK AS DE MESS OF VICTUALS BEGAN TO COME ON DE TABLE, A LITTLE NIGGER
BOY WAS PUT UP IN DE SWING, I CALLS IT, OVER DE TABLE TO FAN DE FLIES AND GNATS
OFF'EN DE MISSUS' VICTUALS.  DIS SWING WUZ JUST OFF'N DE END OF DE LONG TABLE.
SOME OF DE WHITE FOKES HAD STEPS A LEADIN' UP TO IT.  SOME OF 'EM JUS HAD DE I
SOME OF DE WHITE FOKES HAD STEPS A LEADIN' UP TO IT.  SOME OF 'EM JUS HAD DE LIT
TLE BOYS MAWS TO FECH DE YOUNG'UNS UP DAR TILL DEY GOT FRU; DEN DEY WUZ FETCHED
DOWN AGAIN.
     WELL, WHEN I GOT MY PANTS, MY MAW FETCHED ME IN AND I CLUMB UP DE STEPS DAT
 MARSE JOHNSON HAD, TO GIT UP IN HIS SWING WID.  AT FUS, DEY HAD TO SHOW ME JUS
HOW TO HOLE DE BRUSH, KAISE DEM PEACOCK FEATHERS WUZ SO LONG, IFFEN YOU DIDN'T M
IND YOU BIZNESS, DE ENDS OF DEM FEATHERS WOULD SPLASH IN DE GRAVY ER SUMPIN NOTH
ER, AND DEN DE MISSUS TABLE BE ALL SPATTERED UP.  SOME O' DE MARSTERS WOULD WHOR
P DE NIGGER CHILLUNS FER DAT CARELESSNESS, BUT MARSE JOHNSON, HE ALWAYS GOOD TO
HIS NIGGERS.  MOS DE WHITE FOKES GOOD TO DE NIGGERS ROUND BOUT WHAR I COMES
FROM.
     IT TWADN'T LONG FOR I GOT USED TO IT AND I NEBBER DID SPLASH DE FEATHERS IN
 NO RATIONS.  BUT IFFEN I GOT USED TO IT, I TOOK TO AGOIN TO SLEEP UP THAR.  MAR
SE JOHNSON, HE WOULD JUS GIT UP AND WAKE ME UP.  ALL DE WHITE FOKES AT DE TABLE
JOKE ME SO BOUT BEIN' SO LAZY, I SOON STOP DAT FOOLISHNESS.  MY MAW, SHE ROLL HE
R EYES AT ME WHEN I COME DOWN ATTER DE MARSTER HAD TO WAKE ME UP.  DAT CHANGE LI
KE EVER THING ELSE.  WHEN I GOT BIGGER, I GOT TO BE HOUSE BOY.  DEY TOOK DOWN DE
 SWING AND GOT A LITTLE GAL TO STAND JUS' 'HIND MISSUS' CHAIR AND FAN DEM FLIES.
  DE MISSUS LOW TO MARSE JOHNSON DAT DE STYLE DONE CHANGE WHEN HE WANT TO KNOW H
OW COME DHE TOOK DE SWING DOWN.  SO DAT IS DE WAY IT IS NOW WID DE WIMMEN, DEY C
HANGES DE WHOLE HOUSE WID DE STYLE; BUT I TELLS MY CHILLUNS, AIN'T NO DAYS LIKE
DE OLE DAYS WHEN I WUZ A SHAVER.
     ATTER DE WAR, I COME UP TO SHELTON AND GOT TO DE P HAMILTON PLACE.  I WUZ G
ROWN DEN.  I SEED A YOUNG GIRL DAR WHAT DEY CALLED EVIE.  HER PAW, HE HAD B'LONG
ED TO DE CHICKS, SO DATS WHO SHE WUZ, EVIE CHICK.  DAR SHE SETS IN DAT ROOM BY D
E FIRE.  NOW US GOT 'LEVEN CHILLUNS.  DEY IS SCATTERED ALL ABOUT.  DEY IS GOOD T
O US IN OUR OLE AGE.  US RIZ 'EM TO OBEY DE LAWD AND MINE US.  DATS ALL DEY KNOW
S, AND IFFEN FOKES WOULD DO DAT NOW, DEY WOULDN'T HAVE NO SASSY CHILLUNS LIKE I
SEES HERE IN CARLISLE.
     EVI(, WHAT8YEAR WUZ IT WE GOT MARRIED?  YES, DAT'S RIGHT.  IT WUZ DE YEAR O
F DE SHAKE.  IS YOU HEERD BOUT DE SHAKE?  COME OUT HERE EVIE AND LES TELL HIM DA
T, KAISE DESE YOUNG FOKES DOAN KNOW NOTHIN'.  IT WUZ DARK, AND WE WUZ EATIN' SUP
PER, WHEN SUMPIN STARTED TO MAKIN' DE DISHES FALL OUT'N DE CUPBOARD.  AT FUST WE
 THOUGHT IT WUZ SOMEBODY A JUMPIN' UP AND DOWN ON DE FLO.  DEN WE KNOWED DAT IT
WUZ SUMPIN ELSE ER MAKIN' DEM DISHES FALL OUT O' DE CUPBOARD.  AT FUS WE THOUGHT
 IT WUZ JUDGEMENT DAY, KAISE EV'RY THING STARTED FALLIN' WORSER AND WORSER.  DE
DISHES FELL SO FAST YOU COULDN'T PICK'EM UP.  SOME OF US WENT DOWN TO DE SPRING.
  DE WHITE FOKES, DEY COME ALONG WID US AND DEY MADE US FETCH THINGS FROM DE BIG
 HOUSE LIKE6FINE CHINA DAT DE MISSUS DIDN'T WANT TO GIT BROKE UP.  SHE TOLE US D
AT IT WUZ ER EARTHQUAKE AND IT WASN'T NO DAY O' JUDGEMENT.  ANYWAY, WE LOWED DE
WHITE FOKES MIGHT BE WRONG, SO US NIGGERS STARTED TO A PRAYIN', AND DEN ALL DE N
IGGERS ON DE PLANTATION DAT HEERD US, WELL DE COME ALONG AND JINED WID US IN DE
PRAYIN' AND SINGIN'.  US WUZ ALL A SHAKIN' MOS AS BAD AS DE EARTH WUZ, KAISE DAT
 WUZ A AWFUL TIME DAT WE LIBBED THROUGH FER BOUT TWENTY MINUTES - DE WHITE FOKES
 LOWED IT LASTED ONLY TEN, BUT I AIN'T SHO ABOUT DAT.  WHEN WE GOT BACK TO DE BI
G HOUSE, DE CUPBOARD IN DE KITCHEN HAD DONE FELL PLUM' DOWN.  IN DE NIGGER HOUSE
S, DE CHIMBLEYS MOS ALL FELL IN.  DE CHICKEN HOUSES EV'RYWHAR WUZ SHOOK DOWN.  W
HILE WE WUZ A LOOKIN' AROUN, AND DE WIMMEN FOKES, DEY WUZ A TAKIN' ON MIGHTILY A
NOTHER SHAKE COME UP.  US ALL TOOK FER DE SPRING AGIN;  DIS ONE LASTED BOUT LONG
 AS DE FIRST ONE.  US PRAYED AND SUNG AND SHOUTED DIS TIME.  IT SHO STOPPED DE E
ARTH A SHAKIN' AND A QUIVERIN' SOME, KAISE DAT THING WENT ON FER A WHOLE WEEK; C
EPTIN DE FURS TWO WUZ DE HEAVIEST.  ALL DE OTHER ONES WUZ LIGHTER.  IFFEN IT HAD
N'T BEEN FUR US ALL A BEGGIN' DE LAWD FER TO SHOW US HIS MERCY, IT AIN'T NO TELL
IN' HOW BAD DEM SHAKES WOULD ER BEEN.  MISS BECKY LEVISTER, YOU KNOWS HER, SHE L
IVE UP YANDER IN YOUR UNCLE JOHN'S HOUSE NOW, SHE WUZ WID US.  SHE WUZ JUS A LIT
TLE GIRL DEN.  HER PAW WUZ MISTER KELLY.  HE DIED FOR EVER YOU WUZ BORN.  NOT LO
NG AGO I SEED HER.  SHE LOWED TO ME, "UNCLE HENRY, DO YOU RECOLLECT IN DE TIME O
' DE SHAKE?"  LACKEN SHE THINK 'D FERGIT SUCH AS DAT.  IT WUZ IN DE TIME O' DE
WORSEST THINGS DIS OLE NIGGER IS EBBER SEED HISSELF, AND I IS GWINE ON 82 NOW.
MISS BECKY, SHE WUZ A SETTIN' IN HER CAR WID SOME ONE DRIVIN' HER, BUT SHE AIN'T
 FERGOT DIS OLE NIGGER.  IF I IS UP TOWN AND MISS BECKY, SHE RODE BY, SHE LOOK O
UT AND LOWS' "HOWDY UNCLE HENRY", AND I ALLUS LOOKS UP AND RAISES MY HAT.  I LIK
ES MANNERABLE WHITE FOKES, MYSELF, AND DEN, I LIKES MANNERABLE NIGGERS FER AS DA
T GOES.  SOME OF DESE FOKES, NOW BOTH WHITE - I HATES TO SAY IT - AND NIGGERS, D
EY TRIES TO ACT LIKE DEY AIN'T GOT NO SENSE ER SUMPIN'.  BUT YOU KNOW ONE THING
I KNOS REAL FOKES WHEN I SEES DEM AND DEY CAN'T FOOL ME.
     AUNT EVIESAID,"*Y PA>, RUFUS CHICK, LIVED ON THE UNION SIDE OF BROAD RIVER,
 THE LATTER DAYS OF HIS LIFE.  MAJOR JAMES B STEADMAN HAD GOATS OVER ON HENDERSO
N ISLAND THAT MY PAW USED TO CARE FOR.  HE WENT OVER TO THE ISLAND IN A BATTEAU.
  ONE AFTERNOON, HE AND FOUR OTHER DARKIES WERE GOING OVER THERE WHEN THE BATTEA
U TURNED OVER.  THE FOUR MEN CAUGHT TO A WILLOW BUSH AND WERE RESCUED.  MY PAW C
OULD NOT SWIM, AND HE GOT DROWNED.  FOR THREE WEEKS THEY SEARCHED FOR HIS BODY,
BUT THEY NEVER DID FIND IT.  SOME YEARS AFTER, A BODY WAS PERFECTLY PETRIFIED.
THIS WAS MY PAW'S BODY.  THE CANAL AUTHORITIES SENT THE BODY TO A MUSEUM IN DETR
OIT.  IT WAS JANUARY 11, 1877 WHEN MY FATHER GOT DROWNED."
     WHEN I WUZ A YOUNG FELLOW I USED TO RACE WID DE HORSES.  I WUZ DE SWIFES RU
NNER ON DE PLANTATION.  A NIGGER, PETER FEASTER, HAD A WHITE HORSE OF HIS OWN, A
ND DE WHITE FOKES USED TO BET AMONGST DE SELVES AS MUCH AS $20.00 DAT I COULD OU
TRUN DAT HORSE.  SE WAY US DID, WUZ TO RUN A HUNDRED YARDS ONE WAY, TURN AROUND
AND DEN RUN BACK DE HUNDRED YARDS.  SOMEBODY WOULD HOLD DE HORSE, AND ANOTHER MA
N WOULD POP DE WHIP FER US TO START.  QUICK AS DE WHIP POPPED, I WUZ OFF.  I WOU
LD GIT SOMETIMES TEN FEET AHEAD OF DE HORSE 'FORE DEY COULD GIT HIM STARTED.  DE
N WHEN I HAD GOT DE HUNDRED YARDS, I COULD TURN AROUND QUICKER DAN DE HORSE WOUL
D, AND I WOULD GIT A LITTLE MO' AHEAD.  COURSE WID DAT, YOU HAD TO BE A SWIFT MA
N ON YER FEETS TO STAY HEAD OF A FAS HORSE.  PETER USED TO GIT SO MAD WHEN I WOU
LD BEAT HIS OLE HORSE, AND DEN ALL DE NIGGERS WOULD LAF AT HIM KAISE DE WHITE FO
KES GIVE ME SOME OF DE BETTIN MONEY.  SOMETIMES DEY WOULD BET ONLY $10.00, SOMET
IMES, $15 OR 20.  DEN I WOULD RACE WID DE WHITE HORSES TOO.  DEY NEBBER GOT MAD
WHEN I COME OUT AHEAD.  AFTER I GOT THROUGH, MY LEGS USED TO SHAKE LIKE A LEAF.
 SO NO>, I ID GIB PLUM OUT IN DEM AND I TRIBUTES IT TO DAT AFTER WE WUZ MARRIED,
 DAT I WUZ GWINE TO GIVE OUT IN MY LEGS, AND SHO NUF I IS.
   X   XXX
HENRY AND EVIE COLEMAN       0240-SC_/#333
     I SHO' MEMBERS WHEN DE SOLDIERS COME HOME FROM DE WAR.  ALL DE WOMAN FOLKS,
BOTH BLACK AS WELL AS WHITE WUZ SO GLAD TO SEE 'EM BACK DAT WE JUST JUMPED UP AN
D HOLLERED "OH, LAWDY, GOD BLESS YOU".  WHEN YOU WOULD LOOK AROUND A LITTLE, YOU
 WOULD SEE SOME WID OUT AN ARM OR MAYBE DEY WOULD BE A WALKIN' WID A CRUTCH OR A
 STIC].  DEN8YOU WOULD CRY SOME WID OUT LETTIN' YOUR >HITE FOLKS SEE YOU.  BUT J
ANE, DE WORSEST TIME OF ALL FER US DARKIES WUZ WHEN DE KU KLUX KILLED DAN BLACK.
  WE WUZ LITTLE CHILLUNS PLAYIN' IN DANS HOUSE.  WE DIDN'T KNOW HE HAD DONE NOTH
N' GINST DE WHITE FOLKS.  US WUZ A PLAYIN BY DE FIRE JUS AS NICE WHEN SOMETHING
HIT ON DE WALL.  DAN, HE JUMPED UP AND TRY TO GIT OUTTEN DE WINDER.  A WHITE SPO
OKY THING HAD DONE COME IN DE DOO' RIGHT BY ME.  I WAS SCAIRT DAT I COULD NOT GI
T UP.  I HAD DONE FELL STRAIGHT OUT ON DE FLOH.  WHEN DAN STICK HIS HEAD OUTTEN
DAT WINDER SOMETHING SAY BANG AND HE FELL RIGHT DOWN IN DE FLO'.  I CRAWLES UNDE
R DE BED.  WHEN I GOT DAR, ALL DE OTHER CHILLUNS WUZ DAR TOO, LOOKIN' AS WHITE A
S ASHED DOUGH FROM HICKORY WOOD.  US PEEPED OUT AND DEN US DUCK UNDER DE BED AGA
IN.  AIN'T NO BED EBBER DONE AS MUCH GOOD AS DAT ONE.  DEN A WHOLE LOT OF DEM CO
ME IN DE HOUSE.  DE WUZ ALL WHITE AND SCAIRY LOOKIN'.  IT STILL MAKES DE SHIVERS
 RUN DOWN MY SPINE AND8HERE I IS6OLE AND8YOU ALL A SETTI)' OUND6WID ME AND TWO
  ;'6WRS  ONE GONE SINCE DAT AWFUL TIM(.  DAN BLAC(, HE6WO'NT NO M;' KAISE D(Y
TOOK DAT NIGGER AND HUNG HIM TO A SIMMON TREE.  DEY WOULD NOT LET HIS FLOKS TAKE
8 IM  OWN EITHER.  HE JUS STAYED DAR TILL HE FELL TO PIECES.
     AFTER DAT6>HEN US .HILLUNS SEED DE KU KL X A  O I)', US6WOULD TAKE AN' RUN
BREADNECK SPEED TO DE NEAREST WOOD.  DAR WE WOULD STAY TILL DEY WUZ PLUM OUT O'
SIGHT AND YOU COULD NOT EVEN HEAR DE HORSES FEET.  DEM DAYS WUZ WORS'N DE WAR.
YES LAWD, DEY WUZ WORSE'N ANY WAR I IS EBBER HEARD OF.
     WAS NOT LONG AFTER DAT FORE DE SPOOKS WUZ A GWINE ROUND ABBER WHAR.  WHEN Y
OU WOULD GO OUT ATTER DARK, SOMETHIN' WOULD START TO A HAINTIN' YE.  YOU WOULD G
IT SO SCAIRT DAT YOU WOULD MIGHTY NI RUN EVERY TIME YOU WENT OUT ATTER DARK; EVE
N IFFEN YOU DIDN'T SEE NOTHIN'.  CHILE, DON'T AXE ME WHAT I SEED.  ATTER ALL DAT
 KILLIN' AND A BURNIN' YOU KNOW YOU WUZ BLIGED TO SEE THINGS WID ALL DEM SPIRITS
 IN DISTRESS A GWINE ALL OVER DE LAND.  YOU SEE, IT IS LIKE DIS, WHEN A MAN GITS
 KILLED BEFO HE IS DONE WHAT DE GOOD LAWD INTENDED FER HIM TO mO, HE lOMES BAlK
HERE AND TRIES TO FIND WHO DONE HIM WRONG.  I MEAN HE DON' COME BACK HISSELF, BU
T DE SPIRIT, IT IS WHAT COMES AND WANDERS AROUND.  COURSE, IT CAN'T DO NOTHIN',
DO IT JUS SCARES FOLKS AND HAINTS DEM.
   X   XXX