Amelia Jones
From:
Kentucky
LAUREL CO.
(Perry Larkey)
Amelia Jones:
Concerning slaves of this section of the country, I will quote
experiences and observation of an old negro lady who was a slave, Mrs.
Amelia Jones, living in North London, Kentucky. "Aunt Amelia" as she is
known around here is eighty-eight years of age, being sixteen years of
age at the close of the Civil War.
Mrs. Jones says, "I will tell as best I can remember, I was born
eighty-eight years ago in Manchester, Ky. under a master by the name of
Daw White. he was southern republican and was elected as congressman by
that party from Manchester, Ky. He was the son of Hugh White, the
original founder of Whitesberg, Ky. Master White was good to the slaves,
he fed us well and had good places for us to sleep, and didn't whip us
only when it was necessary, but didn't hesitate to sell any of his
slaves, he said, "You all belong to me and if you don't like it, I'll
put you in my pocket" meaning of course that he would sell that slave
and put the money in his pocket.
The day he was to sell the children from their mother he would tell that
mother to go to some other place to do some work and in her absence he
would sell the children. It was the same when he would sell a man's
wife, he also sent him to another job and when he returned his wife
would be gone. The master only said "don't worry you can get another
one".
Mrs. Jones has a sister ninety-two years of age living with her now, who
was sold from the auction block in Manchester. Her sister was only
twelve years of age when sold and her master received $1,220.00 for her,
then she was taken south to some plantation. Also her father was sold at
that place at an auction of slaves at a high price, handcuffed and taken
south. She never saw her father again. She says the day her father was
sold there was a long line of slaves to be sold and after they were sold
and a good price paid for each they were handcuffed and marched away to
the South, her father was among the number.
The Auction block at Manchester was built in the open, from rough-made
lumber, a few steps, and a platform on top of that, the slave to be
sold. He would look at the crowd as the auctioner would give a general
description of the ability and physical standing of the man. He heard
the bids as they came in wondering what his master would be like.
Mrs. Jones claims she had no privileges, but had as before stated plenty
to eat and wear, and a good place to sleep; but most masters treated
them cruel and beat them most of the time. They were also underfed at
most places, but since they had such a good master they did not want for
a thing.
Cemetery Hill as it is known to us here, being in London, Ky. was a hill
on which a Civil War battle was fought. The trenches are still here. The
hill was given to the north to bury their dead by Jarvis Jackson, a
great grand father of the Jarvis Jackson who is now city police of
London, today. By some reason, the soldiers were taken up and moved to a
different place only a few years ago. Mrs. Hoage says "the first daisies
that were brought to this contry were put on that hill" and she can
remember when the entire hill was covered with them.
The southern side had trenches on the east side of the Dixie Highway on
and surrounding the site where the Pennington Hospital is now standing,
which are very vivid today. The London City School being in the path
bears a hole today from a cannon ball. Shot no doubt from the Southern
forces. The new addition to the school hides the hole, but until recent
years it could be seen being about ten inches in diameter.
Zollie Coffer a southern general had camped at Wild Cat, Ky. but was
forced to retreat when general Garrad and Lucas and Stratton two
captains under him, all from Clay county, with a large crowd came in.
He, on his retreat came through London and had a battle with an army of
Ohioians camped on Cemetery Hill. Quoted a poem by Mrs. Hodge, which she
remembered from those days:
"Just raise your eyes to yon grassy hill,
View the bold Ohioians working with skill,
Their bombs lying around them to spew fiery flames,
Among the seceders, till they wont own their names."
Mrs. Hodge quotes another poem from memory about Gen. Coffer's retreat
from Wild Cat:
"Our tigers and bullpups to Wild Cat did go,
To fight our brave boys, tho our force they did not know.
When they come in gun shot distance, Schelf told them to halt,
We're not Murphey's honey, nor Alex Whites salt.
His orders to his men, was "go thru" or "go to hell"
But our Indiana hoosier bous, heard them too well,
In less than thirty minutes, they gave them many balls,
Wild Cat had had kittens, Oh; don't you hear them squall.
They did not stay long, before they did retreat,
Went on double quick and left all their meat,
As they went back through Barbourville, they say Zollie did say
I've lost fifteen hundred killed or run away.
Away back in Mississippi, we're forced to go
As for our loss you'll never know
Slipped back when the union fell asleep
Hauled off our dead and buried them deep.
To fight against Garrad, it never will do,
Stratton and Lucas is hard to out do,
They conquered our tigers and bull pups too,
In spite of our force and all we could do."
Coffer was killed by Colonel Frye at Mill Springs. A statue is erected
to Zollie Coffer at Somerset, Kentucky.
Both sides were cruel during the Civil War. Mrs. McDaniel who lives here
tells a story of how her father was killed in Clay County, while eating
dinner one day. Some federal soldiers drove up and asked what side he
was on and upon saying the confederate side, they took him outside and
shot him with a gun in his own yard.
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