Billy Slaughter
From:
Indiana
Beulah Van Meter
District 4
Clark County
BILLY SLAUGHTER
1123 Watt St.
Jeffersonville
Billy Slaughter was born Sept. 15, 1858, on the Lincoln Farm near
Hodgenville, Ky. The Slaughters who now live between the Dixie Highway
and Hodgenville on the right of the road driving toward Hodgenville
about four miles off the state highway are the descendants of the old
slave's master. This old slave was sold once and was given away once
before he was given his freedom.
The spring on the Lincoln Farm that falls from a cliff was a place
associated with Indian cruelty. It was here in the pool of water below
the cliff that the Indians would throw babies of the settlers. If the
little children could swim or the settlers could rescue them they
escaped, otherwise they were drowned. The Indians would gather around
the scene of the tragedy and rejoice in their fashion. The old slave
when he was a baby was thrown in this pool but was rescued by white
people. He remembers having seen several Indians but not many.
The most interesting subject that Billy Slaughter discussed was the
Civil War. This was ordinarily believed to be fought over slavery, but
it really was not, according to his interpretation, which is unusual for
an old slave to state. The real reason was that the South withdrew from
the Union and elected Jefferson Davis President of the Confederacy. In
his own dialect he narrated these events accurately. The southerners or
Democrats were called "Rebels" and "Secess" and the Republicans were
called "Abolitionists."
Another point of interest was John Brown and Harpers Ferry. When
Harper's Ferry was fired upon, that was firing upon the United States.
It was here and through John Brown's Raid that war was virtually
declared. The old Negro explained that Brown was an Abolitionist, and
was captured here and later killed. While the old slave had the utmost
respect for the Federal Government he regarded John Brown as a martyr
for the cause of freedom and included him among the heroes he
worshipped. Among his prized possessions is an old book written about
John Brown's Raid.
The old slave's real hero was Abraham Lincoln. He plans another
pilgrimage to the Lincoln Farm to look again at the cabin in which his
Emancipator was born. He asked me if I read history very much. I assured
him that I read it to some extent. After that he asked me if I recalled
reading about Lincoln during the Civil War walking the White House floor
one night and a Negro named Douglas remained in his presence. In the
beginning of the War the Negroes who enlisted in the Union Army were
given freedom, also the wives, and the children who were not married.
Another problem that was facing the North at this time was that the men
who were taken from the farm and factory to the army could not be
replaced by the slaves and production continued in the North as was
being done in the south. Not all Negroes who wanted to join the Union
forces were able to do so because of the strict watchfulness of their
masters. The slaves were made to fight in the southern army whether they
wanted to or not. This lessened the number of free Negroes in the
Northern army. As a result Lincoln decided to free all Negroes. That was
the decision he made the night he walked the White House floor. This was
the old darkey's story of the conditions that brought about the
Emancipation Proclamation. Freeing the Negroes was brought about during
the Civil War but it was not the reason that the war was fought, was the
unusual opinion of this Negro. "Uncle Billy's" father joined the Union
army at the Taylor Barracks, near Louisville, Ky., which was the Camp
Taylor during the World War. Uncle Billy's father and mother and their
children who were not married were given freedom. The old slave has kept
the papers that were drawn up for this act.
The old darkey explained that the Negro soldiers never fought in any
decisive battles. There must always be someone to clean and polish the
harness, care for the horses, dig ditches, and construct parapets. This
slave's father was at Memphis during the battle there.
The Slaughter family migrated to Jeffersonville in '65. Billy was then
seven years old. At that time there was only one depot here--a freight
and passenger depot at Court and Wall Streets. What is now known as
Eleventh St. was then a hickory grove--a paradise for squirrel hunters.
On the ridge beginning at 7th and Mechanic Sts. were persimmon trees.
This was a splendid hunting haven for the Negroes for their favorite
wild animal--the o'possum. The ridge is known today as 'Possum Ridge.
The section east of St. Anthony's Cemetery was covered in woods. Since
there were a number of Beechnuts, pigeons frequented this place and were
sought here. One could catch them faster than he could shoot them.
At this time there were two shipyards in Jeffersonville--Barmore's and
Howard's. Barmore's shipyard location was first the location of a big
meat-packing company. The old darkey called it a "pork house".
The old slave had seen several boats launched from these yards. Great
crowds would gather for this event. After the hull was completed in the
docks the boat was ready to launch. The blocks that served as props were
knocked down one at a time. One man would knock down each prop. There
were several men employed in this work on the appointed day of the
launching of the boat. The boat would be christened with a bottle of
champagne on its way to the river.
"Uncle Billy" worked on a steamboat in his earlier days. This boat
traveled from Louisville to New Orleans. People traveled on the river
for there were few railroads. The first work the old darkey did was to
clean the decks. Later he cleaned up inside the boat, mopped up the
floors and made the berths. The next job he held was ladies' cabin man.
Later he took care of the quarters where the officials of the boat
slept. The darkey also worked as a second pantry man. This work
consisted of waiting on the tables in the dining room. The men's
clothes had to be spotless. Sometimes it would become necessary for him
to change his shirt three times a day.
The meats on the menu would include pigeon, duck, turkey, chicken,
quail, beef, pork, and mutton. Vegetables of the season were served, as
well as desserts. It was nothing unusual for a half dollar to be left
under a plate as a tip for the waiter. Those who worked in the cabins
never set a price for a shoe shine. Fifteen cents was the lowest they
ever received.
During a yellow fever epidemic before a quarantine could be declared a
boatload of three hundred people left Louisville at night to go to
Memphis, Tenn. During the same time this boat went to New Orleans where
yellow fever was raging. The captain warned them of it. In two narrow
streets the old darkey recalled how he had seen the people fall over
dead. These streets were crowded and there were no sidewalks, only room
for a wagon. Here the victims would be sitting in the doorways,
apparently asleep, only to fall over dead.
When the boat returned, one of the crew was stricken with this disease.
Uncle Billy nursed him until they reached his home at Cairo, Ill. No one
else took the yellow fever and this man recovered.
Another job "Uncle Billy" held was helping to make the brick used in the
U.S. Quarter Master Depot. Colonel James Keigwin operated a brick kiln
in what is now a colored settlement between 10th and 14th and Watt and
Spring Sts. The clay was obtained from this field. It was his task to
off-bare the brick after they were taken from the molds, and to place
them in the eyes to be burned. Wood was used as fuel.
"Uncle Billy" reads his Bible quite often. He sometimes wonders why he
is still left here--all of his friends are gone; all his brothers and
sisters are gone. But this he believes is the solution--that there must
be someone left to tell about old times.
"The Bible," he quotes, "says that two shall be working in the field
together and one shall be taken and the other left. I am the one who is
left," he concludes.
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Alex Smith
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Jack Simms
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