Doc Edwards
From:
North Carolina
District: No. 3. [320121]
Worker: Daisy Whaley
Subject: Ex-slave Story.
Interviewed: Doc Edwards,
Ex-slave. 84 Yrs
Staggville, N. C.
[HW: Capital A--circled]
[TR: Date Stamp "AUG 6 1937"]
DOC EDWARDS
EX-SLAVE, 84 Yrs.
I was bawn at Staggville, N. C., in 1853. I belonged to Marse Paul
Cameron. My pappy was Murphy McCullers. Mammy's name was Judy. Dat would
make me a McCullers, but I was always knowed as Doc Edwards an' dat is
what I am called to dis day.
I growed up to be de houseman an' I cooked for Marse Benehan,--Marse
Paul's son. Marse Benehan was good to me. My health failed from doing so
much work in de house an' so I would go for a couple of hours each day
an' work in de fiel' to be out doors an' get well again.
Marse Paul had so many niggers dat he never counted dem. When we opened
de gate for him or met him in de road he would say, "Who is you? Whare
you belong?" We would say, "We belong to Marse Paul." "Alright, run
along" he'd say den, an' he would trow us a nickel or so.
We had big work shops whare we made all de tools, an' even de shovels
was made at home. Dey was made out of wood, so was de rakes, pitchforks
an' some of de hoes. Our nails was made in de blacksmith shop by han'
an' de picks an' grubbin' hoes, too.
We had a han' thrashing machine. It was roun' like a stove pipe, only
bigger. We fed de wheat to it an' shook it' til de wheat was loose from
de straw an' when it come out at de other end it fell on a big cloth,
bigger den de sheets. We had big curtains all roun' de cloth on de
floor, like a tent, so de wheat wouldn' get scattered. Den we took de
pitchfork an' lifted de straw up an' down so de wheat would go on de
cloth. Den we moved de straw when de wheat was all loose Den we fanned
de wheat wid big pieces of cloth to get de dust an' dirt outen it, so it
could be taken to de mill an' groun' when it was wanted.
When de fall come we had a regular place to do different work. We had
han' looms an' wove our cotton an' yarn an' made de cloth what was to
make de clothes for us to wear.
We had a shop whare our shoes was made. De cobbler would make our shoes
wid wooden soles. After de soles was cut out dey would be taken down to
de blacksmiyh an' he would put a thin rim of iron aroun' de soles to
keep dem from splitting. Dese soles was made from maple an' ash wood.
We didn' have any horses to haul wid. We used oxen an' ox-carts. De
horse and mules was used to do de plowin'.
When de Yankees come dey didn' do so much harm, only dey tole us we was
free niggers. But I always feel like I belong to Marse Paul, an' i still
live at Staggville on de ole plantation. I has a little garden an' does
what I can to earn a little somethin'. De law done fixed it so now dat I
will get a little pension, an' I'll stay right on in dat little house
'til de good Lawd calls me home, den I will see Marse Paul once more.
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John Evans
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George Eatman
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