Mrs John Barclay
From:
Texas
MRS. JOHN BARCLAY (nee Sarah Sanders) Brownwood, Texas was born in
Komo, Mississippi, September 1, 1853. She was born a slave at the
North Slades' place. Mr. and Mrs. North Slade were the only owners
she ever had. She served as nurse-maid for her marster's children
and did general housework. She, with her mother and father and
family stayed with the Slades until the end of the year after the
Civil War. They then moved to themselves, hiring out to "White
Folks."
"My marster and mistress was good to all de slaves dat worked for dem.
But our over-seer, Jimmy Shearer, was sho' mean. One day he done git mad
at me for some little somethin' and when I take de ashes to de garden he
catches me and churns me up and down on de groun'. One day he got mad
at my brother and kicked him end over end, jes' like a stick of wood. He
would whip us 'til we was raw and then put pepper and salt in de sores.
If he thought we was too slow in doin' anything he would kick us off de
groun' and churn us up and down. Our punishment depended on de mood of
de over-seer. I never did see no slaves sold. When we was sick dey give
us medicine out of drug stores. De over-seer would git some coarse
cotton cloth to make our work clothes out of and den he would make dem
so narrow we couldn' hardly' walk.
"There was 1800 acres in Marster Slade's plantation, we got up at 5:00
o'clock in de mornin' and de field workers would quit after sun-down. We
didn' have no jails for slaves. We went to church with de white folks
and there was a place in de back of de church for us to sit.
"I was jes' a child den and us chilluns would gather in de back yard and
sing songs and play games and dance jigs. Song I 'member most is 'The
Day is Past and Gone.'
"One time marster found out the over-seer was so mean to me, so he
discharged him and released me from duty for awhile.
"We never did wear shoes through de week but on Sunday we would dress up
in our white cotton dresses and put on shoes.
"We wasn't taught to read or write. Our owner didn't think anything
about it. We had to work if there was work to be done. When we got
caught up den we could have time off. If any of us got sick our mistress
would 'tend to us herself. If she thought we was sick enough she would
call de white doctor.
"When de marster done told us we was free we jumped up and down and
slapped our hands and shouted 'Glory to God!' Lord, child dat was one
happy bunch of niggers. Awhile after dat some of de slaves told marster
dey wanted to stay on with him like dey had been but he told 'em no dey
couldn't, 'cause dey was free. He said he could use some of 'em but dey
would have to buy what dey got and he would have to pay 'em like men.
"When I was 'bout 18 years old I married John Barclay. I's had ten
chillun and four gran'-chillun and now I lives by myself."
Next:
John Barker
Previous:
Agatha Babino
Informational
