Elizabeth Hines
From:
More Arkansas
Interviewer: Samuel S. Taylor
Person interviewed: Elizabeth Hines
1117 W. Fourteenth Street, Little Rock, Arkansas
Age: 70
"I was born January 10, 1868, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I came here. I
can't read or write. My brother-in-law told me that I was born three
years after the War on January tenth.
"My mother's name was Sara Cloady. My father's name was Square Cloady. I
don't remember the names of any of my grand people. Yes I do; my
father's mother was named Bertha because I called my daughter after her.
She must have been in the Square family because that was his name.
"I had four brothers and sisters. Three of them I don't know anything
about. I have never seen them. My sister, Rachael Fortune, suckled me on
her breast. That is her married name. Before she was married her name
was Rachael Bennett. Her father and mine was not the same. We was just
half-sisters. We have the same mother though. My father was half Indian
and hers was pure-blooded Indian. They are all mean folks. People say I
am mean too, but I am not mean--unless they lie on me or something. My
mother died when I was three years old. Children three years old didn't
have as much sense then as they do now. I didn't know my mother was laid
out until I got to be a woman. I didn't have sense enough to know she
was dead. My sister was crying and we asked her what she was crying
about.
"I don't know the name of my mother's old master. Yes I do, my mother's
old master was named Laycock. He had a great big farm. He was building
a gas house so that he could have a light all night and work niggers day
and night, but peace came before he could get it finished and use it.
God took a hand in that thing. I have seen the gas house myself. I used
to tote water home from there in a bucket. It was cool as ice-water. The
gas house was as big 'round as that market there (about a half block).
"My father served in the army three years and died at the age of one
hundred ten years about twenty years ago as near as I can remember. That
is the reason I left home because he died. He served in the War three
years. He was with the Yankees. Plenty of these old white folks will
know him by the name of Square Cloady. The name of his company was
Company E. I don't know the name of his regiment. He got his pension as
long as he lived. His last pension came just before he died. I turned it
back to the courthouse because it is bad to fool with Uncle Sam. They
wrote for my name but when I told them I was married they wouldn't send
me anything. I didn't know to tell them that my husband was dead.
"I was married when I was about twenty-seven and my husband died more
than three years before my father did. My father lived to see me the
mother of my last child; my husband didn't. When my husband was dying, I
couldn't see my toes. I was pregnant. My husband died in the year of the
great tornado. The time all the churches were blown down. I think it was
about 1915. (Storm time in Louisiana.)
"I don't know what my mother did in slavery. I don't think she did
anything but cook. She was fine in children and they buys women like
that you know. My sister was a water toter. My father raised cotton and
corn and hogs and turkeys. His trade was farming before the War. I don't
know how he happened to get in the army but he was in it three years."
[HW: cf. p. 3]
House, Furniture and Food
"Laycock's farm was out in the country about four miles from Baton
Rouge, Louisiana. Some of the slaves lived in log houses and some in big
old boxed houses. Most of them had two rooms. They had nothing but four
post beds and chairs like this I am settin' down in (a little cane
chair). I reckon it is cane--looks like it is. They had homemade chairs
before the War, boxes, and benches. The boards were often bought. But
nothing else.
"They et greens and pickled pork. My father got tired of that and he
would raise hogs. Pickled pork and corn bread!
"My father never told me what his master was to him, whether he was good
or mean. He got free early because he was in the army. He didn't run
away. The soldiers came and got him and carried him off and trained him.
[HW: cf. p. 2] I just know what my father told me because I wasn't born.
He served his full time and then he was discharged. He got an honorable
discharge. He had a wound in the leg where he was shot.
"I got along all right supporting myself by planting cotton until last
year when the doctor stopped me.
"I took care of my father and the Lord is taking care of me. I am weak
and still have that giddy head but not as bad as I used to have it."
Opinions
"Some of the young people do very well but some of them ain't got no
manners and don't care what they do. I am scared for them. The Man above
ain't scared and he is going to cut them down."
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Charles Hinton
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Tanny Hill
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