*

Project 1885-1
FOLKLORE
Spartanburg Dist. 4
May 25, 1937

Edited by:
Elmer Turnage

STORIES OF EX-SLAVES

"I was born in the town of Newberry, and was a servant of Major John P.
Kinard. I married Sam Eddington. I was a Baker, daughter of Mike and
Patience Baker. My mother was a free woman. She had her freedom before
the war started; so I was not a slave. I worked on the farm with my
mother when she moved back from town. Mama worked in town at hotels;
then went back to the country and died. In war time and slavery time, we
didn't go to school, 'cause there was no schools for the negroes. After
the war was over and everything was settled, negro schools was started.
We had a church after the war. I used to go to the white folks' Lutheran
church and set in the gallery. On Saturday afternoons we was off, and
could do anything we wanted to do, but some of the negroes had to work
on Saturdays. In the country, my mother would card, spin, and weave, and
I learned it. I could do lots of it."

=Source:= Harriet Eddington (86), Newberry, S.C.
Interviewer: G.L. Summer, Newberry, S.C. May 20, 1937.

Project 1885-1
FOLKLORE
Spartanburg Dist. 4
June 16, 1937

Edited by:
Elmer Turnage

STORIES FROM EX-SLAVES

"I was born in the section of Greenwood County called 'the promised
land'. My parents were Henry and Julis Watkins. I married Frank Edwards
when I was young. Our master, Marshall Jordon, was not so mean. He had
lots o' slaves and he give 'em good quarters and plenty to eat. He had
big gardens, lots of hogs and cattle and a big farm. My master had two
children.

"Sometimes dey hunted rabbits, squirrels, possums and doves.

"De master had two overseers, but we never worked at night. We made our
own clothes which we done sometimes late in evening.

"We had no school, and didn't learn to read and write, not 'till freedom
come when a school started there by a Yankee named Backinstore. Later,
our church and Sunday school was in de yard.

"We had cotton pickings, cornshuckings and big suppers. We didn't have
to work on Christmas.

"One of de old-time cures was boiling fever-grass and drinking de tea.
Pokeberry salad was cooked, too. A cure for rheumatism was to carry a
raw potato in the pocket until it dried up.

"I had 11 children and 8 grandchildren.

"I think Abe Lincoln was a great man. Don't know much about Jeff Davis.
Booker Washington is all right.

"