Rosina Hoard
From:
Texas
ROSINA HOARD does not know just where she was born. The first thing
she remembers is that she and her parents were purchased by Col.
Pratt Washington, who owned a plantation near Garfield, in Travis
County, Texas. Rosina, who is a very pleasant and sincere person,
says she has had a tough life since she was free. She receives a
monthly pension of fourteen dollars, for which she expresses
gratitude. Her address is 1301 Chestnut St., Austin, Tex.
"When I's a gal, I's Rosina Slaughter, but folks call me Zina. Yes, sar.
It am Zina dat and Zina dis. I says I's born April 9, 1859, but I 'lieve
I's older. It was somewhere in Williamson County, but I don't know the
massa's name. My mammy was Lusanne Slaughter and she was stout but in
her last days she got to be a li'l bit of a woman. She died only last
spring and she was a hunerd eleven years old.
"Papa was a Baptist preacher to de day of he death. He had asthma all
his days. I 'member how he had de sorrel hoss and would ride off and
preach under some arbor bush. I rid with him on he hoss.
"First thing I 'member is us was bought by Massa Col. Pratt Washington
from Massa Lank Miner. Massa Washington was purty good man. He boys,
George and John Henry, was de only overseers. Dem boys treat us nice.
Massa allus rid up on he hoss after dinner time. He hoss was a bay, call
Sank. De fields was in de bottoms of de Colorado River. De big house was
on de hill and us could see him comin'. He weared a tall, beaver hat
allus.
"De reason us allus watch for him am dat he boy, George, try larn us our
A B C's in de field. De workers watch for massa and when dey seed him
a-ridin' down de hill dey starts singin' out, 'Ole hawg 'round de
bench--Ole hawg 'round de bench.'
"Dat de signal and den everybody starts workin' like dey have something
after dem. But I's too young to larn much in de field and I can't read
today and have to make de cross when I signs for my name.
"Each chile have he own wood tray. Dere was old Aunt Alice and she done
all de cookin' for de chillen in de depot. Dat what dey calls de place
all de chillen stays till dere mammies come home from de field. Aunt
Alice have de big pot to cook in, out in de yard. Some days we had beans
and some day peas. She put great hunks of salt bacon in de pot, and bake
plenty cornbread, and give us plenty milk.
"Some big chillen have to pick cotton. Old Junus was de cullud overseer
for de chillen and he sure mean to dem. He carry a stick and use it,
too.
"One day de blue-bellies come to de fields. Dey Yankee sojers, and tell
de slaves dey free. Some stayed and some left. Papa took us and move to
de Craft plantation, not far 'way, and farm dere.
"I been married three time. First to Peter Collinsworth. I quit him.
Second to George Hoard. We stayed togedder till he die, and have five
chillen. Den I marries he brother, Jim Hoard. I tells you de truth, Jim
never did work much. He'd go fishin' and chop wood by de days, but not
many days. He suffered with de piles. I done de housework and look after
de chillen and den go out and pick two hunerd pound cotton a day. I was
a cripple since one of my boys birthed. I git de rheumatis' and my knees
hurt so much sometime I rub wed sand and mud on dem to ease de pain.
"We had a house at Barton Springs with two rooms, one log and one box. I
never did like it up dere and I told Jim I's gwine. I did, but he come
and got me.
"Since freedom I's been through de toughs. I had to do de man's work,
chop down trees and plow de fields and pick cotton. I want to tell you
how glad I is to git my pension. It is sure nice of de folks to take
care of me in my old age. Befo' I got de pension I had a hard time. You
can sho' say I's been through de toughs.
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Tom Holland
Previous:
Albert Hill
