Ellen Trell
From:
North Carolina
N.C. District: No. 2
Worker: T. Pat Matthews
No. Words: 740
Subject: ELLEN TRELL
Person Interviewed: Ellen Trell
Editor: G.L. Andrews
[TR: Date stamp: SEP 10 1937]
ELLEN TRELL
Age 73
20 McKee St., Raleigh, North Carolina.
"Needham Price owned about fifty slaves, and mother an' I were among
that number. He was a very rich man, and owned a large plantation in
Wake County, N.C., near the town of Knightdale.
"My father belonged to Tom Bodie way down in Edgecombe County, and
mother and I went by the name of Bodie. My father's given name was
Haywood. Mother's name was Caroline. The fare was bad in regard to food
and clothing, but the slave quarters, though small and shanty-like in
appearance, were warm an' dry. The rules were strick and the privileges
few. Mother was whipped and scarred by the lash so bad the scars were
on her when she died. I have seen them many times.
"There were no books of any kind allowed the slaves and no social
gatherings tolerated. Slaves were allowed to go to the white folks
church and at times all slaves were carried to services at the church.
The preacher told them to obey their marsters and missuses, that the
Bible said obey.
"Marster lived in a large house with fourteen rooms, which the slaves
called the big house. He had four house servants to do his and missus
bidding. They were 'specially trained as Marster did a lot of
entertaining in slavery time. Marster and missus had a lot of parties
where they served a lot of good food and various kinds of liquors to
their guests. When marster was in his cups he was mighty rough, and any
of the slaves who displeased him at these times were liable to get a
beating.
"I have heard a lot of talk about ghosts and witches among the colored
folks. I have seen a few who had spells put on them by witches. My
mother had a spell put on her and she lay in bed talking to herself and
sweating draps of sweat as big as the end of my finger. She would groan
and say, 'go away evil spirit, go away,' but the spell would not leave
her until she went to a white witch-doctor and got cured.
"After the surrender father came up from Edgecombe County and he and
mother went and worked with Mr. Ruth Dunn of Wake County. They stayed
close, never going out of the county. Mother, after a year of [HW:
circle around "of"] two at Mr. Dunn's, began to think about goin' back
home. She was free and though her ole marster had treated her rough she
loved the missus and said she rather stay with marster Price than
anyone else. Father went to see Mr. Price. He told him to tell Caroline
to come on back home and that he shure better bring her back. Mother
said when she got back home they all had a general good time cooking,
eating, and laughing. Marster tole her he never wanted her to leave him
again. Mother said she was so full of gladness she could not reply so
she just stood there and cried. Marster walked off. Mother took charge
of the house and father jist about took possession of the farm. He
looked after the stock, all the farm tools, kept plenty of wood on the
wood pile all the year roun'.
"Father and mother carried the keys and acted like the place belonged
to them. They got most of the slaves who were agreeable to come back.
Marster gave them work and he loafed and prospered. Because he trusted
the Negroes so much they felt the responsibility put upon them, and
they worked for his interests.
"Mother and father stayed there until they died. I stayed with father
and mother until I married Badger Farrell then we stayed in a cabin on
the plantation several years. Most of my life was spent near
Knightdale, Wake County, until my husband died fifteen years ago. I had
eight children, four girls and four boys. They are all dead except one,
a boy, whom I have lived with in Raleigh since my husband died.
"I think slavery was a bad thing. This story is the things my mother
and father told me of slavery and my own observations since I became
old enough to remember the general happenings. Mother said the place
which had been a place of torture in slavery days turned out to be a
haven of rest after slavery, a home where peace, plenty and contentment
reigned supreme."
LE
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Henry James Trentham
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Tillie Slave Daughter
