Tanner Spikes
From:
North Carolina
N.C. District: No. 2
Worker: Mary Hicks
No. Words: 432
Subject: A SLAVERY FAMILY
Reference: Tanner Spikes
Editor: George L. Andrews
[TR: Date stamp: AUG 4 1937]
A SLAVERY FAMILY
An interview with Tanner Spikes, 77 years of age, of 43 Bragg Street,
Raleigh, North Carolina.
"My mammy had fifteen chilluns which wus all borned on Doctor Fab
Haywood's plantation here in Wake County. My mammy 'longed ter him, but
my daddy 'longed ter a Mr. Wiggins in Pasquotank County. I think that
Dr. Haywood bought him just 'fore de war. Anyhow, we took de name of
Wiggins.
"Mammy's name wus Lucinda an' pappy's name wus Osburn. I doan 'member
seein' many Yankees on Dr. Haywood's place. I doan reckon many comed
dar. Anyhow, we had a gyard.
"I 'members a corn shuckin' what happened 'fore de war wus over, an'
what a time dem niggers did have. Dey kisses when dey fin' a red year
an' atter dat dey pops some popcorn an' dey dances ter de music of de
banjo which Uncle Jed am a-playin'. Dey dances all night de best I can
'member.
"I seed a few Yankees, but dey wus just lookin' fer something ter eat.
We ain't knowed nothin' 'bout freedom, but de Yankees tol' us dat we
ort ter be free, dey also said dat we ort ter have meat an' stuff in de
smokehouse. My mammy sez dat dey ain't got good sense an' she tells
marse what dey said.
"De Yankees has done tuck all de rations so dar ain't nothin' lef' fer
de niggers ter take but mammy tells Marse Haywood what dey sez anyhow.
Marse Haywood sez dat iffen he ketch any niggers in his smokehouse dat
he'll skin 'em alive. He also sez dat we ain't free an' dat we ain't
never gwine ter be free.
"De nex' year, atter de war, wus a hard year. We ain't had nothin' ter
eat but hardtack an' 'lasses an' sometimes not half enough of dat. My
pappy still farmed fer Marse Haywood, but hit ain't as good as it is in
slavery days.
"Seberal years atter dat, while we wus livin' on Davie Street, I met
Frank Spikes an' I married him. I can't tell yo' much 'bout our
love-makin' case hit warn't much, but he always called me 'honey gal'
an' he axed me ter marry him in de kitchen while I was washin' dishes.
He jist puts his arms 'round me an' he sez, 'I wants ter marry yo',
honey gal.'
"Well we gits married by de Baptist preacher in Raleigh fifty odd years
ago an' we lives tergether till dis past March, when he dies.
"Other boys comed ter see me but I ain't loved none of dem but Frank.
He ain't never whupped me but onct an' dat wus fer sassin' him, an' I
reckin dat I needed dat.
"We had five chilluns an' I'se stayin' wid my daughter since he died,
but I misses him, yes mam, I misses him purty awful."
EH
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