horts, middlings
of de wheat, corn bread, and all kinds of milk and vegetables.

"Got a whuppin' once. They wanted me to go after de turkeys and I didn't
want to go past de graveyard, where de turkeys was. I sho' didn't want
to go by them graves. I's scared now to go by a graveyard in de dark. I
took de whuppin' and somebody else must have got de turkeys. Sho' I
didn't drive them up!

"Slaves spun de thread, loomed de cloth, and made de clothes for de
plantation. Don't believe I had any shoes. I was just a small gal anyhow
then, didn't need them and didn't want them.

"Yes, I's seen nigger women plow. Church? I wouldn't fool you, all de
slaves big enough and not sick, had to go to church on de Sabbath.

"They give us a half Saturday, to do as we like.

"I was 'bout ten years old when de Yankees come. They was full to de
brim wid mischief. They took de frocks out de presses and put them on
and laugh and carry on powerful. Befo' they went they took everything.
They took de meat and 'visions out de smoke-house, and de 'lasses,
sugar, flour, and meal out de house. Killed de pigs and cows, burnt de
gin-house and cotton, and took off de live stock, geese, chickens and
turkeys.

"After de freedom, I stayed on wid mammy right dere, 'til I married Levi
Bell. I's had two chillun. Dis my grand-daughter, I visitin'. I never
'spects to have as good a home as I had in slavery time, 'til I gits my
title to dat mansion in de sky. Dats de reason I likes to sing dat old
plantation spiritual, 'Swing Low Sweet Chariot, Jesus Gwinter Carry me
Home'. Does I believe in 'ligion? What else good for colored folks? I
ask you if dere ain't a heaven, what's colored folks got to look forward
to? They can't git anywhere down here. De only joy they can have here,
is servin' and lovin'; us can git dat in 'ligion but dere is a limit to
de nigger in everything else. Course I knows my place in dis world; I
'umbles myself here to be 'zalted up yonder."

Project 1885-1
FOLKLORE
Spartanburg, Dist. 4
July 26, 1937
Edited by:
Elmer Turnage

SLAVERY REMINISCENCES

"I was raised in the wood across the road about 200 yards from here. I
was very mischievous. My parents were honest and were Christians. I
loved them very much. My father was William Bevis, who died at the age
of eighty. Miss Zelia Hames of Pea Ridge was my mother. My parents are
buried at Bethlehem Methodist Church. I was brought up in Methodism and
I do not know