Robert Hinton
From:
North Carolina
N. C. District: No. 2 [320225]
Worker: T. Pat Matthews
No. Words: 775
Subject: ROBERT HINTON
Story Teller: Robert Hinton
Editor: Daisy Bailey Waitt
[TR: No Date Stamp]
ROBERT HINTON
420 Smith Street, Raleigh, N. C.
My name is Robert Hinton. I ain't able to work, ain't been able to do
any work in five years. My wife, Mary Hinton, supports me by workin'
with the WPA. She was cut off las' May. Since she has had no job, we
have to live on what she makes with what little washin' she gets from de
white folks; an' a little help from charity; dis ain't much. Dey give
you for one week, one half peck meal, one pound meat, one pound powdered
milk, one half pound o' coffee. Dis is what we git for one week.
I wus borned in 1856 on de Fayetteville Road three miles from Raleigh,
south. I belonged to Lawrence Hinton. My missus wus named Jane Hinton.
De Hintons had 'bout twenty slaves on de plantation out dere. Dey had
four chillun, de boy Ransom an' three girls: Belle, Annie an' Miss Mary.
All are dead but one, Miss Mary is livin' yit. My mother wus named Liza
Hinton an' my father wus named Bob Hinton. My gran'mother wus named Mary
Hinton an' gran'father Harry Hinton.
We had common food in slavery time, but it wus well fixed up, an' we
were well clothed. We had a good place to sleep, yes sir, a good place
to sleep. We worked from sunrise to sunset under overseers. Dey were
good to us. I wus small at dat time. I picked up sticks in de yard an'
done some work around de house, but when dey turned deir backs I would
be playin' most o' de time. We played shootin' marbles, an' runnin', an'
jumpin'. We called de big house de dwelling house an' de slave quarters
de slave houses. Some of 'em were in marster's yard and some were
outside. Dey give all de families patches and gardens, but dey did not
sell anything.
We had prayer meetin' in our houses when we got ready, but dere were no
churches for niggers on de plantation. We had dances and other socials
durin' Christmas times. Dey give us de Christmas holidays.
No sir, dey did not whup me. I wus mighty young. Dey didn't work chillun
much. I have seen 'em whup de grown ones do'. I never saw a slave sold
and never saw any in chains. Dey run away from our plantation but dey
come back again. William Brickell, Sidney Cook, Willis Hinton all run
away. I don't know why dey all run away but some run away to keep from
being whupped.
I have lived in North Carolina all my life, right here in Wake County.
We used to set gums and catch rabbits, set traps and caught patridges
and doves.
Yes sir, I went blindin'. I 'members gittin' a big light an' jumpin'
'round de bresh heaps, an' when a bird come out we frailed him down. We
went gigging fish too. We found 'em lying on de bottom o' de creeks an'
ponds at night, an' stuck de gig in 'em an' pulled 'em out.
De white folks, ole missus, teached us de catechism, but dey didn't want
you to learn to read and write. I can read and write now; learned since
de surrender. Sometimes we went to de white folks church. I don't know
any songs.
When we got sick our boss man sent for a doctor, Dr. Burke Haywood, Dr.
Johnson, or Dr. Hill.
I 'members when de North folks and de Southern folks wus fightin'. De
Northern soldiers come in here on de Fayetteville Road. I saw 'em by de
hundreds. Dey had colored folks soldiers in blue clothes too. In de
mornin' white soldiers, in de evenin' colored soldiers; dats de way dey
come to town.
I married first Almeta Harris. I had six children by her. Second, I
married Mary Jones. She is my wife now. We had six children. My wife is
now 65 years old and she has to support me. I am done give out too much
to work any more.
Yes sir, that I have seen de patterollers, but my old boss didn't 'low
'em to whup his niggers. Marster give his men passes.
I know when de Ku Klux was here, but I don't know much about 'em.
I thought slavery wus a bad thing' cause all slaves did not fare alike.
It wus all right for some, but bad for some, so it wus a bad thing.
I joined the church because I got religion and thought the church might
help me keep it.
I think Abraham Lincoln wus a good man, but I likes Mr. Roosevelt; he is
a good man, a good man.
AC
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William George Hinton
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Martha Adeline Hinton
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