X XXX LUCRETIA ALEXANDER I BEEN MARRIED THREE TIMES AND MY LAST NAME WAS LUCRETIA ALEXANDER. I WAS TWLEVE YEARS OLD WHEN THE WAR BEGAN. MY MOTHER DIED AT SEVENTY THREE OR SEVENTY FIVE. THAT WAS IS AUGUST, 1865--AUGUST THE NINTH. SHE WAS BURIED AUGUST TWELF TH. THE REASON THEY KEPT HER WAS THEY HAD REFUGEED HER CHILDREN OFF TO DIFFEREN T PLACES TO KEEP THEM FROM THE YANKEES. THEY COULDN'T GET THEM BACK. MY MOTHER ANDHER CHILDREN WERE HEIR PROPERTY. HER FIRST MASTER WAS TOLLIVER. MY MOTHER WAS NAMED AGNES TOLLIVER. SHE HAD A BOY AND A GIRL BOTH OLDER THAN I WERE. MY BROTHER COME HOME IN '65. I NEVER GOT TO SEE MY SISTER TILL 1869. WHEN MY MOT HER DIED SHE LEFT FOUR LIVING CHILDREN. I WAS THE YOUNGEST. MY FATHER DIED IN 1881 AND SOME SAY HE WAS 112 AND SOME SAY 106. HIS NAME WAS BEASLEY, JOHN BEASL EY, AND HE WENT BY JOHN BEASLEY TILL HE DIED. I AIN'T GOT NARY LIVING CHILD. M Y OLDEST CHILD WOULD HAVE BEEN SIXTY FOUR IF HE WERE LIVING. THEY CLAIM MY BABY ;YIS LIVING, BUT I DON'T KNOW. I HAD FOUR CHILDREN. I GOT RELIGION IN 1865. 9I WAS B PTIZED SEVENTY THREE YEARS AGO THIS AUGUST. ,HE FIRST OVERSEER I REMEMBER WAS NAMED KURT JOHNSON. ,HE N XT6WAS NAMED M ACK MCKENZIE. THE NEXT ONE WAS NAMED PHIL WOMACK. AND THE NEXT WAS NAMED TOM P HIPPS. MEAN] LIKED MEANNESS] MEAN A MAN AS HE COULD BE] I'VE SEEN HIM TAKE ,HEM DOWN AND WHIP THEM TILL THE BLOOD RUN OUT OF THEM. 9I7 OT TEN8HEAD OF GRANDCHILDREN. AND I BEEN GRANDMOTHER TO 11 HEAD. I BEE N GREAT GRANDMOTHER TO 12 OF GREAT GRANDCHILDREN. I GOT ONE 23 AND ANOTHER 19 O R 20. HER FATHER'S FATHER WAS IN THE ARMY. SHE IS THE OLDEST. LOTAS ROBINSON, *Y GRANDDAUGHTER, HAS FOUR CHILDREN THAT ARE MY GREAT GRANDCHILDREN. GAYDEN JE NKINS, MY GRANDSON, HAS TWO GIRLS. I GOT A GRANDSON NAMED DON JENKINS. HE IS T HE FATHER OF THREE BOYS. HE LIVES IN CLEVELAND. HE GOT A GRANDSON NAMED MARK J ENKINS IN MEMPHIS WHO HAS ONE BOY. THE YOUNGEST GRANDDAUGHTER--I DON'T REMEMBER HER HUSBAND'S NAME--HAS ONE BOY. THERE ARE FOUR GENERATIONS OF US. *Y MOTHER WAS TREATED WELL IN SLAVERY TIMES. MY FATHER WAS SOLD FIVE TIMES. WOULDN'T TAKE NOTHIN'. SO THEY SOLD HIM. THEY BEAT HIM AND KNOCKED HI M ABOUT. THEY PUT HIM ON THE BLOCK AND THEY SOLD HIM ABOUT BEATIN' UP HIS MASTE R. HE WAS A NATIVE OF VIRGINIA. THE LAST TIME THEY SOLD HIM THEY SOLD HIM DOWN IN CLAIRBORNE COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI, JUST BELOW WHERE I WAS BORN AT. I WAS BORN I N COPIAH COUNTY NEAR HAZLEHURST, ABOUT FIFTEEN MILES FROM HAZLEHURST. MY MOTHER WAS BORN IN WASHINGTON COUNTY, VIRGINIA. HER FIRST MASTER WAS QUALLS TOLLIVER. QUALLS MOVED TO MISSISSIPPI AND MARRIED A WOMAN DOWN THERE AND HE HAD ONE SON, PEACH TOLLIVER. AFER HE DIED, HE WILLED HER TO PEACHY. THEN PEACHY WENT TO TH E REBEL ARMY AND GOT KILLED. MY MOTHER'S FATHER WAS A FFEE INDIAN NAMED WASHINGTON. HER MOTHER WQS A SL AVE. I DON'T KNOW MY FATHER'S FATHER. HE MOVED ABOUT SO MUCH AND WAS SOLD SO MANY TIMES HE NEVER DID TELL ME HIS FATHER. HE GOT HIS NAME FROM THE WHITE FOLK S. WHEN YOU'RE A SLAVE YOU HAVE TO GO BY YOUR OWNER'S NAME. MY MASTER'S MOTHER TOOK ME TO THE HOUSE AFTER MY MOTHER DIED. AND THE FIRS T THING I REMEMBER DOING WAS CLEANING UP. BRINGING WATER, PUTTING UP MOSQUITO B ARS, COOKING. MY MASTER'S MOTHER WAS SUSAN REED. I HAVE DONE EVERYTHING BUT SA W. I NEVER SAWED IN MY LIFE. THE HARDEST WORK I DID WAS AFTER SLAVERY. I NEVE R DID NO HARD WORK DURING SLAVERY. I USED TO PACK WATER FOR THE PLOW HANDS AND ALL SUCH AS THAT. BUT WHEN MY MOTHER DIED MY MISTRESS TOOK ME UP TO THE HOUSE. BUT LORD] I'VE SEEN SUCH BRUTISH DOIN'S--RUNNIN' NIGGERS WITH HOUNDS AND WHIPPIN' THEM TILL THEY WAS BLOODY. THEY USED TO PUT 'EM IN STOCKS, USED TO BE TWO PEOPLE WOULD WHIP 'EM--THE OVERSEER AND THE DRIVER. THE OVERSEER WOULD BE A MAN NAMED ELIJAH AT OUR HOUSE. HE WAS JUST A POOR WHITE MAN. HE HAD A WHIP T HEY CALLED THE BLACKSNAKE. I REMEMBER ONE TIME THEY CAUGHT A MAN NAMED GEORGE TINSLEY. THEY PUT THE D OGS ON HIM AND THEY BIT HIM AND TORE ALL HIS CLOTHES OFF OF HIM. THEY THEY PUT HIM IN THE STOCKS. THE STOCKS WAS A BIG PIECE OF TIMBER WITH HINGES IN IT. IT HAD A HOLE IN IT FOR YOUR HEAD. THEY WOULD LIFT IT UP AND PUT YOUR HEAD IN IT. ,HERE WAS HOLES FOR YOUR HEAD,HANDS, FEET IN IT. THEN THEY WOULD SHUT IT UP A ND THEY WOULD LAY THE WHIP ON YOU AND YOU COULDN'T DO NOTHIN' BUT WIGGLE AND HO LLER, PRAY, MASTER, PRAY] BUT WHEN THEY'D LET THAT MAN OUT, HE'D RUN AWAY AGAI N. THEY WOULD MAKE THE SLAVES WORK TILL TWELVE O'CLOCK ON SUNDAY, AND THEN THE Y WOULD LET THEM GO TO CHURCH. THE FIRST TIME I WAS SPRINKLED, A WHITE PREACHER DID IT. I THINK HIS NAME WAS WILLIAMS. THE PREACHER WOULD PREACH TO THE WHITE FOLKS IN THE FORENOON AND TO THE COLORED FOLKS IN THE EVENING. THE WHITE FOLKS HAD THEM HIRED. ONE OF THEM PREACHERS WAS NAMED HACKETT; ANOTHER WILLIAMS; A ND ANOTHER, GOWAN. THERE WAS FIVE OF THEM BUT I JUST REMEMBER THREE. ONE MAN U SED TO HOLD THE SLAVES SO LATE THAT THEY HAD TO GO TO THE CHURCH DIRTY FROM THEI R WORK. THEY WOULD BE SWEATY AND SMELLY. SO THE PREACHER REBUKED THEM ABOUT IT. THAT WAS OLD MAN BILL ROSE. THE NIGGERS DIDN'T GO TO THE CHURCH BUILDING. THE PREACHER CAME AND PREACH ED TO THEM IN THEIR QUARTERS. HE'D JUST SAY, SERVE YOUR MASTERS. DON'T STEAL Y OUR MASTER'S TURKEY. DON'T STEAL YOUR MASTER'S CHICKENS. DON'T STEAL YOUR MAS TER'S HOGS. DON'T STEAL YOUR MASTER'S MEAT. DO WHATSOMEEVER YOUR MASTER TELL Y OU TO DO. SAME OLD THING ALL DE TIME. MY FATHER WOULD HAVE CHURCH IN DWELLING HOUSES AND THEY HAD TO WHISPER. MY MOTHER WAS DEAD AND I WOULD GO WITH HIM. SOMETIMES THEY WOULD HAVE CHURCH AT H IS HOUSE. THAT WOULD BE WHEN THEY WOULD WANT A REAL MEETIN' WITH SOME REAL PREA CHIN'. IT WOULD HAVE TO BE DURIN' THE WEEK NIGHTS. YOU COULDN'T TELL THE DIFFE RENCE BETWEEN BAPTISTS AND METHODISTS THEN. THEY WAS ALL CHRISTIANS. I NEVER S AW THEM TURN NOBODY DOWN AT THE COMMUNION. BUT I HEARD OF IT. THEY USED TO SING THEIR SONGS IN A WHISPER AND PRAY IN A WHISPER. THERE WAS A PRAYER MEETING FRO M HOUSE TO HOUSE ONCE OR TWICE--ONCE OR TWICE A WEEK. OLD PHIPPS WHIPPED ME ONCE. HE AIMED TO KILL ME BUT I GOT LOOSE. HE WHIPP ED ME ABOUT A COLORED GIRL OF HIS'N THAT HE HAD BY A COLORED WOMAN. PHIPPS WENT WITH A COLORED WOMAN BEFORE HE MARRIED HIS WIFE. HE HAD A GIRL NAMED MARTHA AN N PHIPPS. I BEAT MARTHA ABOUT A PAIR OF STOCKINGS. MISTRESS BOUGHT ME A NICE P AIR OF STOCKINGS FROM THE STORE. YOU SEE, THEY USED TO KINT THE STOCKINGS. I W ORE THE STOCKINGS ONCE; THEN I WASHED THEM AND PUT THEM ON THE FENCE TO DRY. M ARTHA STOLE THEM AND PUT THEM ON. I BEAT HER AND TOOK THEM OFF HER. SHE RAN AN D TOLD HER FATHER AND HE RAN ME HOME. HE COULDN'T CATCH ME, AND HE TOLD ME HE'D GET ME. I DIDN'T RUN TO MY FATHER. I RUN TO MY MISTRESS, AND HE KNEW HE'D BET TER NOT DO NOTHIN' THEN. HE SAID, I'LL GET YOU, YOU LITTLE OLD BLACK SOMETHIN'. ONLY HE DIDN'T SAY SOMETHIN'. HE DIDN'T GET ME THEN. BUT ONE DAY HE CAUGHT ME OUT BY HIS HOUSE. I HAD GONE OVER THAT WAY ON AN ERRAND I NEEDN'T HAVE DONE. HE HAD TWO GIRLS HOLD ME. THEY WAS ANGELINE AND NA NCY. THEY DIDN'T MUCH WANT TO HOLD ME ANYHOW. SOME NIGGERS WOULD CATCH YOU AND KILL YOU FOR THE WHITE FOLKS; AND THEN THERE WAS SOME THAT WOULDN'T. I GOT LO OSE FROM THEM. HE TRIED TO HOLD ME HISSELF BUT HE COULDN'T. I GOT AWAY AND WEN T BACK TO MY OLD MISTRESS AND SHE WROTE HIM A NOTE NEVER TO LAY HIS DIRTY HANDS ON ME AGAIN. A LITTLE LATER HER BROTHER, JOHNSON CHATMAN, CAME THERE AND RAN HI M OFF THE PLACE. MY OLD MISTRESS' NAME WAS SUSAN CHATMAN BEFORE SHE MARRIED. T HEN SHE MARRIED TOLLIVER. THEN SHE MARRIED REED. SHE MARRIED REED LAST--AFTER TOLLIVER DIED. ONE OLD LADY NAMED EMILY MOOREHEAD RUNNED IN AND HELD MY MOTHER ONCE FOR PH IPPS TO WHIP HER. AND MY MOTHER WAS DOWN WITH CONSUMPTION TOO. I AIMED TO GET OLD PHIPPS FOR THAT. BUT THEN I GOT RELIGION AND I COULDN'T DO IT. RELIGION MA KES YOU FORGET A HEAP OF THINGS. SUSAN REED, MY OLD MISTRESS, BOUGHT MY FATHER AND PAID 1500 DOLLARS FOR HIM -AND SHE HADN'T EVER SEEN HIM. ADVERTISING. HE HAD RUN AWAY SO MUCH THAT THEY HAD TO ADVERTISE AND SELL HIM. HE WOULD NEVER RUN AWAY FROM MISS SUSAN. SHE WA S GOOD TO HIM TILL SHE GOT THAT OLD NIGGER BEATER--PHIPPS. HER HUSBAND, REED WA S CALLED A NIGGER SPOILER. MY FATHER WAS AN OLD MAN WHEN PHIPPS WAS AN OVERSEER AND WASN'T ABLE TO FIGHT MUCH. PHIPPS SURE WAS A BAD MAN. HE WASN'T SO BAD NEITHER; BUT THE NIGGERS WAS SCARED OF HIM. YOU KNOW IN SLAVE TIMES, SOMETIMES WHEN A MASTER WOULD GET TOO B AD, THE NIGGERS WOULD KILL HIM--TOOK HIM OFF OUT IN THE WOODS SOMEWHERES AND GET RID OF HIM. TWO OR THREE OF THEM WOULD GET TOGETHER AND SCHEME IT OUT, AND THE N TWO OR THREE OF THEM WOULD GET HIM WAY OUT AND KILL HIM. BUT THEY DIDN'T NOBO DY EVER PULL NOTHIN' LIKE THAT ON PHIPPS. THEY WAS SCARED OF HIM. ONE TIME I SAW THE YANKEES A LONG WAY OFF. THEY HAD ON BLUE UNIFORNS AND W AS ON COAL BLACK HORSES. I HOLLERED OUT, OH, I SEE SOMETHIN'. MY MISTRESS SAID , WHAT? I TOLD HER AND SHE SAID, THEM'THE YANKEES. SHE WENT ON IN THE HOUSE AND I WENT WITH HER. SHE SACKED UP ALL THE VALUABLES IN THE HOUSE. SHE SAID, H ERE, AND SHE THREW A SACK OF SILVER ON ME THAT WAS SO HEAVY THAT I WENT RIGHT ON DOWN TO THE GROUND. THEN SHE TOOK HOLD OF IT AND HELPED ME UP AND HELPED ME CA RRY IT OUT. I CARRIED IT OUT AND HID IT. SHE HAD THREE BUCKSKIN SACKS--ALL FUL L OF SILVER. THAT WASN'T NOW; THAT WAS IN SLAVERY TIMES. DURING THE WAR, JEFF DAVIS GAVE OUT CONFEDERATE MONEY. IT DIED OUT ON THE FOLKS' HANDS. BUT THERE WASN'T NOTHIN' BUT GOLD AND SILVER IN THEM SACKS. I HEARD THEM TELL THE SLAVES THEY WERE FREE. A MAN NAMED CAPTAIN BARKUS WH O HAD HIS ARM OFF AT THE ELBOW CALLED FOR THE THREE NEARBY PLANTATIONS TO MEET A T OUR PLACE. THEN HE GOT UP ON A PLATFORM WITH ANOTHER MAN BESIDE HIM AND DECLA RED PEACE AND FREEDOM. HE POINTED TO A COLORED MAN AND YELLED, YOU'RE AS FREE A S I AM. OLD COLORED FOLKS, OLD AS I AM NOW, THAT WAS ON STICKS, THROWED THEM ST ICKS AWAY AND SHOUTED. RIGHT AFTER FREEDOM I STAYED WITH THAT WHITE WOMAN I TOLD YOU ABOUT. I WAS WITH HER ABOUT FOUR YEARS. I WORKED FOR TWELVE DOLLARS A MONTH AND MY FOOD AND CLOTHES. THEN I FIGURED THAT TWELVE DOLLARS WASN'T ENOUGH AND I WENT TO WORK IN ,HE FIELD. IT WAS A MI!HTY NICE WOMAN. SHE WAS GOOD TO ME TILL SHE DIED. SHE DIED AFTER I HAD MY SECOND CHILD--A GIRL CHILD. I HAVE BEEN LIVING IN THIS CITY FIFTEEN YEARS. I COME FROM CHICOT COUNTY W HEN I COME HERE. WE CAME TO ARKANSAS IN SLAVERY TIMES. THEY BROUGHT ME FROM CO PIAH COUNTY WHEN I WAS SIX OR EIGHT YEARS OLD. WHEN MRS TOLLIVER MARRIED SHE CA ME UP HERE AND BROUGHT MY MOTHER. MY MOTHER BELONGED TO HER SON AND SHE SAID, A GNES (THAT WAS MY MOTHER'S NAME), WILL YOU FOLLOW ME IF I BUY YOUR HUSBAND? HER HUSBAND'S NAME WAS JOHN BEASLEY. SHE SAID, YES. THEN HER OLD MISTRESS BOUGHT BEASLEY AND PAID FIFTEEN HUNDRED DOLLARS TO GET MY MOTHER TO COME WITH HER. THE N PEACHY WENT TO WAR AND WAS SHOT BECAUSE HE COME HOME OF A FURLOUGH AND STAYED TOO LONG. SO WHEN HE WENT BACK THEY KILLED. MY MOTHER NURSED HIM WHEN HE WAS A BABY. -MOTHER REALLY BELONGED TO PEACHY, BUT WHEN PEACHY DIED THEN SHE FELL TO HER MISTRESS. OLD MAN TOLLIVER SAID HE DIDN'T WANT NONE OF US TO BE SOLD; SO T HEY WASN'T NONE OF US SOLD. MAYBE THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN IF SLAVERY HAD LASTED L ONGER, BUT THERE WASN'T. X XXX