Jane Montgomery
From:
Oklahoma
Oklahoma Writers' Project
Ex-Slaves
[Date stamp: AUG 19 1937]
JANE MONTGOMERY
Age 80 yrs.
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
I was born March 15, 1857, in Homer, Louisiana. I claim to be 75 years
old, but that's jest my way of counting. My mother was Sarah Strong
and my father was Edmond Beavers. We lived in a log cabin that had
jest one door. I had two sisters named Peggy and Katie. Mammy was
bought from the Strong family and my pappy was bought from Beavers by
Mister Eason.
We slept on wooden slabs which was jest make-shift beds. I didn't do
no work in slave times 'cause I was too little. You jest had to be
good and husky to work on that place. I listened and told mammy
everything I heerd. I ate right side dat old white woman on the flo'.
I was a little busy-body. I don't recollect eating in our quarters on
Sunday and no other time.
I don't remember no possums and rabbits being on our place, 'cause
when white folks killed a chicken for their selves, dey killed one for
the niggers. My pappy never ate no cornbread in all his put-together.
Meat was my favorite food. I never ate no dry bread without no meat.
We wore homespun clothes. My first pair of shoes was squirrel skin.
Mammy had 'em made. We wore clothes called linsey that was wool and
cotton mixed.
My father was the onliest overseer. It was sho' a great big old place.
My master jest seen the place on Sundays. They was jest seven Niggers
on our plantation. No working late at night but we had to git up at
daylight. When our day's work was done, we went to bed, but sometimes
they sung. Sadday was a holiday from working on the plantation. You
had Sadday to wash for yourself. We didn't do nothing on Christmas and
all holidays.
Mistress never whip us and iffen master would start, mistress would
git a gun and make him stop. She said, "Let ever bitch whip her own
chillun." I never seen no patrollers, I jest heerd of 'em. They never
come on our place. I guess they was scared to. The Klu Klux whipped
niggers when so never they could catch 'em. They rid at night mostly.
I am a Baptist. I belong to Calvary Baptist Church. I was baptized in
a creek. Our favorite hymn was "Dark Was the Night an' Cold the
Ground." Our favorite revival hymn was "Lord I'd Come to Thee, a
Sinner Undefiled." Our favorite funeral song was "Hark From the Tomb."
My family didn't believe in conjure an' all that stuff, 'though they's
a heap of it was going on and still is for that matter. They had
"hands" that was made up of all kinds of junk. You used 'em to make
folks love you more'n they did. We used asafetida to keep off smallpox
and measles. Put mole foots round a baby's neck to make him teethe
easy. We used to use nine red ants tied in a sack round they neck to
make 'em teethe easy and never had no trouble with 'em neither.
I think I seen a haunt once, 'cause when I looked the second time,
what I seen the first time was gone.
When the War was over, mistress' son come home and he cleaned his guns
on my dress tail. It sho' stunk up my dress and made me sick too. He
told old mistress that niggers was free now. I went and told mammy
that old Betsy's son told her the niggers was free and what did he
mean. She said, "Shhhhhh!" They never did jest come out and tell us we
was free. We was free in July and mammy left in September. We lived in
Jordan Saline, out from Smith County. Then my mother give me to my
father 'cause she was married to another man. Her and my step-father
moved to Gilmore, Texas. They sent for me round 'bout Christmas and we
lived on Sampers' farm.
We lived so far out, we couldn't go to school, 'though they was for
us. We didn't own no land. Didn't nobody learn me to read and write.
Abe Lincoln was a good man. It was through Mr. Lincoln that God fit to
free us. I don't know much 'bout Jeff Davis and don't care nothing
'bout him. Booker T. Washington built that school through God. He used
to live in a cabin jest lak I done. He was sho' a great man.
I married Trole Kemp in 1883. I 'mind you they didn't marry in
slavery, they jest took up. Master jest give a permit. I am the mother
of 10 chillun and 5 grandchillun. Four of my chillun died young. Them
what's living is doing different things sech as: writing policy,
working on made work, housework, government clerk and hotel maid. One
is in the pen.
Next:
Amanda Oliver
Previous:
Bob Maynard
Informational
