Red Richardson
From:
Oklahoma
Oklahoma Writers' Project
Ex-Slaves
[Date stamp: AUG 16 1937]
RED RICHARDSON
Age 75 yrs.
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
I was born July 21, 1862, at Grimes County, Texas. Smith Richardson
was my father's name, and Eliza Richardson my mother's. My father came
from Virginia. My mother she was born in Texas.
We lived in so many places round there I can't tell jest what, but we
lived in a log house most of the time. We slept on the flo' on pallets
on one quilt. We ate cornbread, beans, vegetables, and got to drink
plenty milk. We ate rabbits, fish, possums and such as that but we
didn't get no chicken. I don't have no fav'rite food, I don't guess.
We wore shirts, long shirts slit up the side. I didn't know what pants
was until I was 14. In Grimes County it ain't even cold these days,
and I never wore no shoes. I married in a suit made of broad cloth. It
had a tail on the coat.
Master Ben Hadley, and Mistress Minnie Hadley, they had three sons:
Josh, Henry and Charley. Didn't have no overseer. We had to call all
white folks, poor or rich, Mr. Master and Mistress. Master Hadley
owned 'bout 2,000 acres. He had a big number of slaves. They used to
wake 'em up early in the mornings by ringing a large bell. They said
they used to whip 'em, drive 'em, and sell 'em away from their
chillun,--I'd hear my old folks talk about it. Say they wasn't no such
a thing as going to jail. The master stood good for anything his
nigger done. If the master's nigger killed 'im another nigger, the old
master stood good.
They never had no schools for the Negro chillun. I can't remember the
date of the first school--its in a book someplace--but anyway I went
to one of the first schools that was established for the education of
Negro chillun.
You know Mr. Negro always was a church man, but he don't mean nothing.
I don't have no fav'rite spiritual. All of them's good ones. Whenever
they'd baptise they'd sing:
"Harp From the Tune the Domeful Sound."
Which starts like this:
"Come live in man and view this ground
where we must sho'ly lie."
I'm a member of Tabernacle Baptist Church myself, and I think all
people should be religious 'cause Jesus died for us all.
The patrollers used to run after me but I'd jump 'em. They used to
have a permit to go from one plantation to another. You had to go to
old master and say, "I want to go to such and such a place." And if
you had a permit they didn't bother you. The pateroller would stop you
and say, "Where you going? You got a permit to go to such and such a
place?" You'd say, yes suh, and show that pass. Den he wouldn't bother
you and iffen he did old master would git on 'em.
When 10 o'clock come which was bed time the slaves would go to their
cabins and some of 'em would go stealing chickens, hogs, steal sweet
potatoes, and cook and eat 'em. Jest git in to all kind of devilment.
Old master would give 'em Sadday afternoon off, and they'd have them
Sadday night breakdowns. We played a few games such as marbles, mumble
peg, and cards--jest anything to pass off the time. Heahs one of the
games we'd play an' I sho did like it too:
She is my sweetheart as I stand,
Come and stand beside of me,
Kiss her sweet and;
Hug her near.
On Christmas they'd make egg nog, drink whiskey and kiss their girls.
Some wore charms to ward off the devil, but I don't believe in such.
I do believe in voodoo like this: People can put propositions up to
you and fool you. Don't believe in ghost. Tried to see 'em but I never
could.
Old master didn't turn my father loose and tell 'em we was free. They
didn't turn us loose 'til they got the second threat from President
Lincoln. Good old Lincoln; they wasn't nothing like 'im. Booker T.
Washington was one of the finest Negro Educators in the world, but old
Jefferson Davis was against the cullud man.
I think since slavery is all over, it has been a benefit to the cullud
man. He's got more freedom now.
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Betty Robertson
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Chaney Richardson
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