Miss Georgie At Woodland
From:
South Carolina
Project 1655
Genevieve W. Chandler
Georgetown County, S.C.
FOLKLORE
(VERBATIM)
MISS GEORGIE AT WOODLAND
EX-SLAVE STORY
"He was a full-blooded man--the Cap'n. Didn't disgrace. He put goat on
Goat Island. Money was bury to Goat Island. People after people been
sent. I dinnah know wedder they find or no.
"Mack McCosky was sent by the State to fetch molasses, meal and hominy
and goat on Goat Island. He can't tell you! People can't know sumpin
when they ain't born!
"After de war 'e come back and take into big drinkin' and was 'em (waste
them) till 'e fall tru. He been fell tru wid his money (lost his
property). Didn't bury so destent (decent).
"We smaller one didn't have chance to go to war. My Daddy have for go.
Have to go ditch and all and tend his subshun. His subshun was waste and
steal. Paris! He the man control all the Buckra ting. And, by God, he go
and show Yankee all dem ting! Ole Miss git order to have him kill and
don't harm none! She ain't one to see him tru all that thousand head o'
nigger for get 'em.
"They come have big dinner. Cap'n come from Muldro. (Marlboro). Drum
beatin' little one dancin'. Gone back to Muldro. (Maham Ward and these
udder come from Muldro.) And they leave ting in Uncle William Gaillard
hand. And he carry on till everting surrender. And then the Cap'n come
home from Muldro and they try give you sumpin to make start on like cow
and ting. They ain't treat you like a beast. Ain't take no advance o'
you. What the Cap'n do he do for you good. I b'long Dr. Ward. I entitle
to bring him two string o' bird. Rice bird come like jest as tick as dat
(thick as that) Sometimes a bushel one shot.
"They put you in the flat and put you over there. When they tink Yankee
comin' you take to Sandhole Crick for hide. Mr. Carmichael sent by the
state. Go to Brookgreen, Longwood, Watsaw. Tell everting surrender. Go
to any located place. He's a Gineral. Go open the barn door and give us
all us need. He better to we nigger boy dan he Daddy been! Wouldn't beat
you 'thout the lil' boy really fightin'.
"Time o' the war the colored people hear 'bout Yankee. Not a one eber
understand to run way and go to Yankee boat from WE plantation. These
Yankee people wuz walkin' 'bout on the beach. And while they come in to
the hill, the Reb have a battery to Laurel Hill and they cut off them
Yankee from the ocean. These they cut off they carry dem to Brookgreen
barn. Hang one colored man and one white man to Oaks Seashore. White man
musser be Sergeant or big Cap'n. Just as soon as the sun go down you see
a big streak come over and they BUSS (bust) Duds. Woman in the street
killed. (Street of negro Quarters--Brookgreen) Blacksmith killed. Cut
off he brudder-in-law (Judy's) and kill Judy. Dem shell go clean to
Sandy Island. Pump make out o' brick to Brookgreen. Dat boy (shell) come
and hit the pump. De horn blow and they make for flat and gwine on to
Sandhole down that black crick. There a man for dat--dat flat. Get
everbody line up. Ain't gone there for PLAY. Gone for wuk (work). I was
big 'nouf to do diss--go wid my fadder and hold light.
"It this way. You ain't LOW to eat the whole rice you kin make money
outer. Beat dat rice. But my Daddy been a great whiskey man. Liquor.
Didn't have 'em less he go to town. Money scase. ('E wuz a kind of
musicianer for the Ward fambly). But he break he jug. He break he
whiskey jug. En when de obersheer (overseer) git out de ration and
gib'em to mah Ma and us chillun he hand mah Pa a piece o' dem break jug!
That keep him in mind o' that whiskey jug.
"Yankee come here and butt us colored people. I 'member we youngun's
just could 'tote up dem gold pitcher and bury dem in the garden. Not far
from the flowers tank. Tank have on 'em a woman head (Flowers' tank was
a fountain). All the master fine ting way down there bury! De Ward
didn't loss nothin'. They move us out the plantation. Col. Ward took 'em
in a flat to Mulbro.
"Dr. Heriot after the war took into big drinkin'. Didn't bury so decent.
Fell tru wid all he money. Not bury so decent."
=Source:= Told by Uncle Ben Horry, Age 88, April 1938, Murrells Inlet, S.C.
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Margaret Hughes
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Uncle Ben Horry
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