Sarah Colbert
From:
Indiana
Federal Writers' Project
of the W.P.A.
District #6
Marion County
Anna Pritchett
1200 Kentucky Avenue
FOLKLORE
MRS. SARAH COLBERT--EX-SLAVE
1505 North Capitol Avenue, Indianapolis, Indiana
Mrs. Sarah Carpenter Colbert was born in Allen County, Kentucky in 1855.
She was owned by Leige Carpenter, a farmer.
Her father, Isaac Carpenter was the grandson of his master, Leige
Carpenter, who was very kind to him. Isaac worked on the farm until the
old master's death. He was then sold to Jim McFarland in Frankfort
Kentucky. Jim's wife was very mean to the slaves, whipped them regularly
every morning to start the day right.
One morning after a severe beating, Isaac met an old slave, who asked
him why he let his mistress beat him so much. Isaac laughed and asked
him what he could do about it. The old man told him if he would bite her
foot, the next time she knocked him down, she would stop beating him and
perhaps sell him.
The next morning he was getting his regular beating, he willingly fell
to the floor, grabbed his mistress' foot, bit her very hard. She tried
very hard to pull away from him, he held on still biting, she ran around
in the room, Isaac still holding on. Finally, she stopped beating him
and never attempted to strike him again.
The next week he was put on the block, being a very good worker and a
very strong man, the bids were high.
His young master, Leige Jr., outbid everyone and bought him for
$1200.00.
His young mistress was very mean to him. He went again to his old friend
for advice. This time he told him to get some yellow dust, sprinkle it
around in his mistress' room and if possible, got some in her shoes.
This he did and in a short time he was sold again to Johnson Carpenter
in the same county. He was not really treated any better there. By this
time he was very tired of being mistreated. He remembered his old
master telling him to never let anyone be mean to him. He ran away to
his old mistress, told her of his many hardships, and told her what the
old master had told him, so she sent him back. At the next sale she
bought him, and he lived there until slavery was abolished.
Her grandfather, Bat Carpenter, was an ambitious slave; he dug ore and
bought his freedom, then bought his wife by paying $50.00 a year to her
master for her. She continued to work on the farm of her own master for
a very small wage.
Bat's wife, Matilda, lived on the farm not far from him, he was allowed
to visit her every Sunday. One Sunday, it looked like rain, his master
told him to gather in the oats, he refused to do this and was beaten
with a raw hide. He was so angry, he went to one of the witch-crafters
for a charm so he could fix his old master.
The witch doctor told him to get five new nails, as there were five
members in his master's family, walk to the barn, then walk backwards a
few steps, pound one nail in the ground, giving each nail the name of
each member of the family, starting with the master, then the mistress,
and so on through the family. Each time one nail was pounded down in the
ground, walk backwards and nail the next one in until all were pounded
deep in the ground. He did as instructed and was never beaten again.
Jane Garmen was the village witch. She disturbed the slaves with her
cat. Always at milking time the cat would appear, and at night would go
from one cabin to another, putting out the grease lamps with his paw. No
matter how they tried to kill the cat, it just could not be done.
An old witch doctor told them to melt a dime, form a bullet with the
silver, and shoot the cat. He said a lead bullet would never kill a
bewitched animal. The silver bullet fixed the cat.
Jane also bewitched the chickens. They were dying so fast anything they
did seemed useless. Finally a big fire was built and the dead chickens
thrown into the fire, that burned the charm, and no more chickens died.
Interviewer's Comment
Mrs. Colbert lives with her daughter in a very comfortable home. She
seems very happy and was glad to talk of her early days. How she would
laugh when telling of the experiences of her family.
She has reared a large family of her own, and feels very proud of them.
Submitted December 1, 1937
Indianapolis, Indiana
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Frank Cooper
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James Childress
