Nancy Gardner
From:
Oklahoma
Oklahoma Writers' Project
Ex-Slaves
NANCY GARDNER
Age 79 yrs.
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Well, to tell you de truth I don't know my age, but I was born in
1858, in Franklin, Tennessee. Now, you can figger for yourself and
tell how old I is. I is de daughter of Prophet and Callie Isaiah, and
dey was natives of Tennessee. Dere was three of us children, two boys
and myself. I'm de only girl. My brothers names was Prophet and Billie
Isaiah. I don't 'member much about dem as we was separated when I was
seven years old. I'll never forget when me, my ma and my auntie had to
leave my pa and brothers. It is jest as clear in my mind now as it was
den, and dat's been about seventy years ago.
Oh God! I tell you it was awful dat day when old Jeff Davis had a
bunch of us sent to Memphis to be sold. I can see old Major Clifton
now. He was a big nigger trader you know. Well, dey took us on up dere
to Memphis and we was sold jest like cattle. Dey sold me and ma
together and dey sold pa and de boys together. Dey was sent to
Mississippi and we was sent to Alabama. My pa, O how my ma was grieved
to death about him! She didn't live long after dat. She didn't live
long enough to be set free. Poor ma, she died a slave, but she is
saved though. I know she is, and I'll be wid her some day.
It was thirty years before my pa knew if we was still living. Finally
in some way he heard dat I was still alive, and he began writing me.
Course I was grown and married den and me and my husband had moved to
Missouri. Well, my pa started out to see me and on his way he was
drowned in de Missouri River, and I never saw him alive after we was
sold in Memphis.
I can't tell you much 'bout work during de slave days 'cause you see I
was jest a baby you might say when de War broke out. I do remember
our Master's name though, it was Dr. Perkins, and he was a good
Master. Ma and pa sure hated to have to leave him, he was so good to
dem. He was a rich man, and had a big fine house and thousands of
acres of land. He was good to his niggers too. We had a good house
too, better dan some of dese houses I see folks living in now. Course
Dr. Perkins niggers had to work, but dey didn't mind 'cause he would
let dem have little patches of dey own such as 'tatoes, corn, cotton
and garden. Jest a little, you know. He couldn't let dem have much,
there was so many on Dr. Perkins plantation.
I don't remember seeing anybody sick in slavery time. You see I was
jest a kid and dere's a lot of things I can't remember.
I am a Christian. I jined de church nigh on seventy years ago and when
I say dat, I don't mean I jest jined de church. I mean I gave myself
up to de Heavenly Father, and I've been gwine straight down de line
for Him ever since. You know in dem days, we didn't get religion like
young folks do now. Young folks today jest find de church and den call
theyselves Christians, but they aint.
I remember jest as well when I was converted. One day I was thinking
'bout a sermon de preacher had preached and a voice spoke to me and
said, "De Holy Ghost is over your head. Accept it!" Right den I got
down on my knees and prayed to God dat I might understand dat voice,
and God Almighty in a vision told me dat I should find de church. I
could hardly wait for de next service so I could find it, and when I
was in de water getting my baptisement, dat same voice spoke and said,
"Now you have accepted don't turn back 'cause I will be wid you
always!" O you don't know nothing 'bout dat kind of religion!
I 'member one night shortly after I jined de church I was laying in
bed and dere was a vine tied 'round my waist and dat vine extended
into de elements. O my God! I can see it now! I looked up dat vine
and away in de elements I could see my Divine Master and he spoke to
me and said, "When you get in trouble shake dis vine; I'm your Master
and I will hear your cry."
I knowed old Jeff Davis good. Why I was jest as close to him as I am
to dat table. I've talked wid him too. I reckon I do know dat
scoundrel! Why, he didn't want de niggers to be free! He was known as
a mean old rascal all over de South.
Abraham Lincoln? Now you is talking 'bout de niggers friend! Why dat
was de best man God ever let tramp de earth! Everybody was mighty sad
when poor old Abraham was 'sassinated, 'cause he did a mighty good
deed for de colored race before he left dis world.
I wasn't here long during slavery, but I saw enough of it to know it
was mighty hard going for most of de niggers den, and young folks
wouldn't stand for dat kind of treatment now. I know most of the young
folks would be killed, but they jest wouldn't stand for it. I would
hate to have to go through wid my little share of it again.
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Octavia George
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Della Fountain
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