Andrew Columbus
From:
Texas
ANDREW (Smoky) COLUMBUS was born in 1859 on the John J. Ellington
plantation, one mile south of Linden, Texas. He continued in the
service of the Ellingtons until about 1878, when he moved to
Jefferson, Texas. He carried meals to Abe Rothchild, who was in
jail, charged with the murder of Diamond Bessie Moore. Andrew was
37 years a servant of Hon. Tom Armistead, and was a porter in the
Capital at Austin when Armistead was a senator. Andrew now lives in
Marshall, Texas.
"I was bo'n a slave of Master John Ellington, who lived in Davis County
(now Cass Co.), Texas. Master John had a big house and close by was a
long, double row of slave quarters. It looked like a town. There was
four boys and two girls in Master's fam'ly and one daughter, Miss Lula,
married Lon Morris, that run the Lon Morris School.
"Master John was one white man that sho' took care of his niggers. He
give us plenty warm clothes and good shoes, and come see us and had Dr.
Hume doctor us when we was sick. The niggers et ham and middlin' and
good eats as anybody. Master John's place joined the Haggard place,
where they was lots of wild turkey and the slaves could go huntin' and
fishin' when they wanted.
"We had a church and a school for the slaves and the white folks helped
us git book learnin'. Mos' of the niggers allus went to preachin' on
Sunday.
"The hands didn't work Saturday afternoons. That's when we'd wash our
clothes and clean up for Sunday. There was parties and dances on
Saturday night for them as wanted them. But there wasn't no whiskey
drinkin' and fightin' at the parties. Mammy didn't go to them. She was
religious and didn't believe in dancin' and sech like. On Christmas
Master John allus give the slaves a big dinner and it didn't seem like
slavery time. The niggers had a sight better time than they do now.
"Master John did all the bossin' hisself. None of his niggers ever run
off 'cause he was too good for them to do that. I only got one whippin'
from him and it was for stealin' eggs from a hen's nest. My pappy was
carriage driver for Master. I didn't do much of the work when I was a
boy, jes' stayed round the house.
"Master John raised lots of cotton and after it was baled he hauled it
to Jefferson on ox wagons. I'd allus go with him, ridin' on top of the
bales. I'll never forgit how scared I was when we'd cross Black Cypress
on Roger's Ferryboat and it'd begin to rock.
"I don't remember much about the War. When it was over Master John calls
all his slaves together and says, 'You'se free now and you can go or
stay.' He told the men who wanted to leave they could have a wagon and
team, but most of them stayed. Pappy took a wagon and team and left but
mammy and us children stayed and lived with Master Ellington 'bout 15
years after the war was over.
"When I left Master John I moved to Jefferson and married Cora Benton
and we had three boys and two girls. While I was in Jefferson Sheriff
Vine goes to Cincinnati after Abe Rothchild, for killin' 'Diamond
Bessie.' Abe shot hisself in the forehead when he heared Sheriff Vine
was after him, but it didn't kill him. There was sho' some stirrin'
about when the sheriff fotch Abe back to Jefferson.
"Mr. Sam Brown was the jailer. Abe wouldn't eat the jail food and hired
me to bring his meals to him from the hotel. His cell was fixed up like
a hotel room, with a fine brussels rug and nice tables and chairs. He
kep' plenty of whiskey and beer to drink. He'd allus give me a drink
when I took his meals.
"I worked 37 years for Mr. Tom Armistead, who helped W.T. Crawford and
his brother defend Rothchild. Mr. Eppenstadt, he was mayor of Jefferson
then and acted as a go-between man in the case.
"Master Tom Armistead never married and I kep' house and cooked for him.
He give me lots of fine clothes. I bet I owned more fine shirts than any
nigger in Texas. He got me a job as porter in the Capitol at Austin
while he was senator. I was workin' there when they moved in the new
Capitol in 1888. They was gonna put on a big party and say all the
porters had to wear cutaway suits. I didn't have one, so the day 'fore
the party I goes over to Mr. Tom's room at the Bristol Hotel and git one
of his. I didn't know then it was a right new one he had made for the
party. When I goes back to the Capitol all dressed up in that cutaway
suit, I meets Mr. Templeton Houston and he recognises the suit and says.
'You sho' look fine in Mr. Tom's new suit,' 'bout that time Mr. Tom
walks up and, you know, he give me that suit and had him another one
made for the party! I wouldn't live where there wasn't no good white
folks.
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Steve Conally
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Harriet Collins
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