Ellis Jefson
From:
Arkansas
Interviewer: Miss Irene Robertson
Person interviewed: Ellis Jefson (M. E. Preacher),
Hazen, Ark.
Age: 77
"My father was a full blood African. His parents come from there and
he couldn't talk plain.
"My great grandma was an Indian squaw. Mother was crossed with a white
man. He was a Scotchman.
"My mother belong to old man John Marshall. He died before I left
Virginia.
"Old Miss Nancy Marshall and the boys and their wives, three of em was
married, and slaves set out in three covered wagons and come to Holly
Springs, Mississippi in 1867.
"Blunt Marshall was a Baptist preacher. In 1869 my grandma died at
Holly Springs.
"I had two sisters Ann and Mariah. Old Miss Nancy Marshall had kin
folks at Marshall, Texas. She took Ann with her and I have never seen
her since.
"In 1878 we immigrated to Kansas. We soon got back to Helena. Mariah
died there and in 1881 mother died.
"Old Miss Nancy's boys named Blunt, John, Bill, Harp. I don't know
where they scattered out to finally.
"All my folks ever expected was freedom. We was nicely taken care of
till the family split up. My father was suppressed. He belong to
Master Ernman. He run off and went on with the Yankees when they come
down from Virginia. We think he got killed. We never heard from him
after 1863.
"In 1882 my white folks went to Padukah, Kentucky. They was on the run
from Yellow Fever. They had kin up there. I stayed in Memphis and
nursed. They put up flags. Negroes didn't have it. They put coffins on
the porches before the people died. Carried wagons loads of dead
bodies wrapped in sheets. White folks would meet and pray the disease
be lifted. When they started vomiting black, there was no more hopes.
Had to hold them on bed when they was dying. When they have Yellow
Fever white folks turn yellow. I never heard of a case of Yellow Fever
in Memphis mong my race. Dr. Stone of New Orleans had better luck with
the disease than any other doctor. I was busy from June till October
in Memphis. They buried the dead in long trenches. Nearly all the
business houses was closed. The boats couldn't stop in towns where
Yellow Fever had broke out.
"I never seen the Ku Klux.
"I never seen no one sold. My father still held a wild animal instinct
up in Virginia; they couldn't keep him out of the woods. He would
spend two or three days back in there. Then the Patty Rollers would
run him out and back home. He was a quill blower and a banjo picker.
They had two corn piles and for prizes they give them whiskey. They
had dances and regular figure callers. This has been told to me at
night time around the hearth understand. I can recollect when round
dancing come in. It was in 1880. Here's a song they sung back in
Virginia: 'Moster and mistress both gone away. Gone down to
Charleston/ to spend the summer day. I'm off to Charleston/early in
the mornin'/ to spend nother day.'
"I used to help old Miss Nancy make candles for her little brass lamp.
We boiled down maple sap and made sugar. We made turpentine.
"I don't know about the Nat Turner Rebellion in Virginia. We had
rebellions at Helena in 1875. The white folks put the Negroes out of
office. They put J. T. White in the river at Helena but I think he got
out. Several was killed. J. T. White was a colored sheriff in Phillips
County. In Lee County it was the same way. The Republican party would
lect them and the Democratic party roust them out of office.
"In 1872 I went to school 2-1/2 miles to Arkansas Post to a white
teacher. I went four months. Her name was Mrs. Rolling. My white folks
started me and I could spell to 'Baker' in the Blue Book Speller
before I started to school. That is the only book I ever had at
school. I learned to read in the Bible next.
"In 1872 locust was numerous. We had four diseases to break out:
whooping cough, measles, smallpox; and cholera broke out again. They
vaccinated for smallpox, first I ever heard of it. They took matter
out of one persons arm and put it in two dozen peoples arms. It killed
out the smallpox.
"In 1873 I saw a big forest fire. It seemed like prairie and forest
fires broke out often.
"When I growed up and run with boys my color I got wicked. We gambled
and drunk whiskey, then I seen how I was departing from good raising.
I changed. I stopped sociating with bad company. The Lord hailed me in
wide open day time and told me my better life was pleasing in his
sight. I heard him. I didn't see nuthin'. I was called upon to teach a
Sunday School class. Three months I was Sunday School leader. Three
months more I was a licensed preacher. Ordained under Bishop Lee,
Johnson, Copeland--all colored bishops at Topeka, Kansas. Then I
attended conference at Bereah, Kentucky. Bishop Dizney presided. I
preached in Kentucky, Missouri, Kansas, Alabama, Tennessee,
Mississippi, and Arkansas. I am now what they call a superannuated
minister.
"One criticism on my color. They will never progress till they become
more harmonious in spirit with the desires of the white people in the
home land of the white man. I mean when a white person come want some
work or a favor and he not go help him without too much pay."
Next:
Absolom Jenkins
Previous:
Moses Jeffries
