rmelons and "stingy green" (home
raised tobacco). In truth, the planters and "Niggers" all used "stingy
green", there then being very little if any "menufro" (processed
tobacco) on the market.
The standard clothes of the slaves were: jeans in the winter for men and
women, cottonades and osnabergs for men in the summer, and calicos and
"light goods" for the women in the summer time. About 75% of the cloth
used for slaves' clothing was made at home.
If a "Nigger come down sick", the family doctor was promptly called to
attend him and, if he was bad off, the Major "sat up" with him, or had
one of his over-seers do so.
Never in her life was "Mammy Dink" whipped by any of the Waltons or
their over-seers. Moreover, she never knew a Negro to be whipped by a
white person on any of the dozen or more Walton plantations. She never
"seed" a pataroler in her life, though she "has heard tell dat Judge
Henry Willis, Marses Johnnie B. Jones, Ned Giddens, Gus O'Neal, Bob
Baugh, an Jedge Henry Collier rid as patarolers" when she was a girl.
When the Yankee raiders came through in '65, "Mammy Dink" was badly
frightened by them. She was also highly infuriated with them for
"stealin de white fokes' things", burning their gins, cotton and barns,
and conducting themselves generally as bandits and perverts.
In 1875, the year of the cyclone "whooch kilt sebenteen fokes twixt
Ellesli (Ellerslie) and Talbotton", including an uncle of her's. "Mammy
Dink" was living at the Dr. M.W. Peter's place near Baughville. Later,
she moved with her husband--acquired subsequent to freedom--to the Dr.
Thomas D. Ashford's place, in Harris County, near Ellerslie. There, she
lost her husband and, about thirty-five years ago, moved to Columbus to
be near Mrs. John T. Davis, Jr., an only daughter of Dr. Ashford, to
whom she long ago became very attached.
When interviewed, "Mammy Dink" was at Mrs. Davis' home, "jes piddlin
'round", as she still takes a pride in "waiting on her white fokes."
Naturally, for one of her age, the shadows are lengthening. "Mammy Dink"
has never had a child; all her kin are dead; she is 96 and has no money
and no property, but she has her memories and, "thank Gawd", Mrs.
Davis--her guardian-angel, friend and benefactress.
Whitley,
4-29-37
Ex-Slave #119
MAMMY DINK IS DEAD
[HW: (From Columbus News-Record of Dec-8-1936)]
Mammy Dink, who cooked and served and gained pure joy through faithful
service, has gone to
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