Laura Hood
From:
Georgia Narratives, Part 2
Mary A. Crawford
Re-search Worker
Laura Hood
Ex-Slave
Laura was born in Griffin December 23, 1850 on Mr. Henry Bank's place.
Her mother, Sylvia Banks (called "Cely Ann" by the darkies) married her
father, Joe Brawner, a carpenter, who was owned by Mr. Henry Brawner.
Joe and Sylvia were married in Mr. Henry Bank's parlor by this white
preacher.
Mr. Banks, Laura's master, owned a tannery in Griffin and had "around
fifty slaves" according to Laura's memory. Most of the slaves worked at
the tannery, the others at Mr. Bank's home. Laura's mother was the cook
in the Bank's home for over forty years. Joe, Laura's father, was a
carpenter and the four little darkies of the family helped about the
house and yard doing such work as feeding the chickens, sweeping the
yards and waiting on the Mistress. Laura, herself was a "house girl",
that is, she made the beds, swept the floors and sewed and helped the
Mistress do the mending for the family.
When asked if the Master and Mistress were good to the slaves, Laura
replied that they certainly were, adding, "Marse Henry was as good a man
as ever put a pair of pants on his legs." As to the punishments used by
the Banks, Laura was almost indignant at such a question, saying that
Marse Henry never whipped or punished his darkies in any way, that he
did not believe in it. The only whipping that Laura herself ever had was
one lick across the shoulders with a small switch used by her Mistress
to keep her mother, Celie Ann, from whipping her.
Laura relates that the darkies worked all the time except Sunday. On
Sunday they could do as they pleased so long as they went to church. All
the Bank's darkies attended service in the "cellar" (basement) of the
First Baptist Church and had a colored preacher.
When any of the darkies were sick if 'ole Marster' and 'ole Miss' could
not "set them straight" they called in "ole Marse's" white doctor.
Mr. Banks, himself, was too old "to fight the Yankees" but young 'Marse
Henry' fought but did not "get a scratch" and when he came home all of
them were sure glad to see him.
"After freedom, when 'ole Mars' was gone, 'young Marster' was as good as
gold to all the darkies." Laura can remember when he gave her $5.00 to
$20.00 at a time."
She also recalls that when the slaves were freed that her ole Marse
called all of the darkies around him out in the yard and told them that
they were as free as he was and could leave if they wanted to, but if
they would stay 'till Christmas and help him that he would pay them
wages. All of them stayed except one Negro named "Big John" who left
with a bunch of Yankees that came along soon after.
As to what happened at the Bank's home when the Yankees came through,
Laura does not remember, but she does recall that the Banks family
"refugeed to Florida to get out of the path of the Yankees."
"No, mam," said Laura in reply to the question "Did your master have his
slaves taught to read and write?" "We never had any school of any kind
on the Bank's place. 'Marse Henry did not believe we needed that."
Laura has lived in her present home since 1867 and recalls when Griffin
was "mostly a big woods full of paths here and there." She recalls the
"auction block" which was on or near the site of the present Court
House.
The old woman is very feeble, in fact, unable to walk but is cared for
by a niece.
Laura Pood
432 E. Solomon Street
Griffin, Georgia
September 23, 1936
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Carrie Hudson
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John Hill
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