Adeline Crump
From:
North Carolina
N. C. District: No. 2 [320243]
Worker: T. Pat Matthews
No. Words: 585
Subject: ADELINE CRUMP
Story Teller: Adeline Crump
Editor: Daisy Bailey Waitt
ADELINE CRUMP
526 Cannon Street
My name is Adeline Crump, and I am 73 years old. My husband's name wus
James Crump. My mother's wus Marie Cotton and my father's name wus
Cotton. My mother belonged to the Faucetts; Rich Faucett wus her
marster. Father belonged to the Cottons; Wright Cotton wus his marster.
My maiden name wus Cotton. Mother and father said they were treated all
right and that they loved their white folks. They gave them patches,
clothed them tolerably well, and seed that they got plenty to eat. The
hours of work wus long. Nearbout everybody worked long hours then, but
they said they wus not mistreated 'bout nothing. When they got sick
marster got a doctor, if they wus bad off sick.
They wus allowed holidays Christmas and at lay-by time, an' they wus
'lowed to hunt possums an' coons at night an' ketch rabbits in gums.
They also caught birds in traps made of splinters split from pine wood.
Mother and father had no learnin'. They would not allow them to learn
to read and write. Marster wus keerful 'bout that. I cannot read an'
write. My mother and father told me many stories 'bout the patterollers
and Ku Klux. A nigger better have a pass when he went visitin' or if
they caught him they tore up his back. The Ku Klux made the niggers
think they could drink a well full of water. They carried rubber things
under their clothes and a rubber pipe leadin' to a bucket o' water. The
water bag helt the water they did not drink it. Guess you have heard
people tell 'bout they drinking so much water.
Marster didn't have no overseers to look after his slaves. He done that
hisself with the help o' some o' his men slaves. Sometimes he made 'em
foreman and my mother and father said they all got along mighty fine.
The colored folks went to the white folk's church and had prayer meeting
in their homes.
Mother lived in the edge o' marster's yard. When the surrender come
after the war they stayed on the plantation right on and lived on
marster's land. They built log houses after de war cause marster let all
his slaves stay right on his plantation. My mother had twenty-one
chillun. She had twins five times. I was a twin and Emaline wus my
sister. She died 'bout thirty years ago. She left 11 chillun when she
died. I never had but four chillun. All my people are dead, I is de only
one left.
Marster's plantation was 'bout six miles from Merry Oaks in Chatham
County. We moved to Merry Oaks when I wus fourteen years old. I married
at seventeen. I have lived in North Carolina all my life. We moved to
Raleigh from Merry Oaks long time ago. My husband died here seventeen
years ago. I worked after my husband died, washin' and ironin' for
white folks till I am not able to work no more. Hain't worked any in fo'
years. Charity don't help me none. My chillun gives me what I gits.
Slavery wus a bad thing, cause from what mother and father tole me all
slaves didn't fare alike. Some fared good an' some bad. I don't know
enough 'bout Abraham Lincoln an' Mr. Roosevelt to talk about 'em. No, I
don't know just what to say. I sho' hopes you will quit axin' me so many
things cause I forgot a lot mother and father tole me.
Next:
Bill Crump
Previous:
Zeb Crowder
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