William Ballard
From:
South Carolina
Project 1885-1
Folklore
Spartanburg Dist. 4
June 14, 1937
Edited by: Elmer Turnage
STORIES FROM EX-SLAVES
"I was born near Winnsboro, S. C., Fairfield County. I was twelve years
old the year the Confederate war started. My father was John Ballard and
my mother was Sallie Ballard. I had several brothers and sisters. We
belonged to Jim Aiken, a large landowner at Winnsboro. He owned land on
which the town was built. He had seven plantations. He was good to us
and give us plenty to eat, and good quarters to live in. His mistress
was good, too; but one of his sons, Dr. Aiken, whipped some of de
niggers, lots. One time he whipped a slave for stealing. Some of his
land was around four churches in Winnsboro.
"We was allowed three pounds o' meat, one quart o' molasses, grits and
other things each week--plenty for us to eat.
"When freedom come, he told us we was free, and if we wanted to stay on
with him, he would do the best he could for us. Most of us stayed, and
after a few months, he paid wages. After eight months, some went to
other places to work.
"The master's wife died and he married a daughter of Robert Gillam and
moved to Greenville, S. C.
"The master always had a very big garden with plenty of vegetables. He
had fifty hogs, and I helped mind the hogs. He didn't raise much cotton,
but raised lots of wheat and corn. He made his own meal and flour from
the mill on the creek; made home-made clothes with cards and spinning
wheels.
"They cooked in wide chimneys in a kitchen which was away off from the
big house. They used pots and skillets to cook with. The hands got
their rations every Monday night. They got their clothes to wear which
they made on old spinning wheels, and wove them themselves.
"The master had his own tanyard and tanned his leather and made shoes
for his hands.
"He had several overseers, white men, and some Negro foremen. They
sometimes whipped the slaves, that is the overseers. Once a nigger
whipped the overseer and had to run away in the woods and live so he
wouldn't get caught. The nigger foremen looked after a set of slaves on
any special work. They never worked at night unless it was to bring in
fodder or hay when it looked like rain was coming. On rainy days, we
shucked corn and cleaned up around the place.
"We had old brick ovens, lots of 'em. Some was used to make molasses
from our own sugar cane we raised.
"The master had a 'sick-house' where he took sick slaves for treatment,
and kept a drug store there. They didn't use old-time cures much, like
herbs and barks, except sassafras root tea for the blood.
"We didn't learn to read and write, but some learned after the war.
"My father run the blacksmith shop for the master on the place. I worked
around the place. The patrollers were there and we had to have a pass to
get out any. The nigger children sometimes played out in the road and
were chased by patrollers. The children would run into the master's
place and the patrollers couldn't get them 'cause the master wouldn't
let them. We had no churches for slaves, but went to the white church
and set in the gallery. After freedom, niggers built 'brush harbors' on
the place.
"Slaves carried news from one plantation to another by riding mules or
horses. They had to be in quarters at night. I remember my mother rode
side-saddle one Saturday night. I reckon she had a pass to go; she come
back without being bothered.
"Some games children played was, hiding switches, marbles, and maybe
others. Later on, some of de nigger boys started playing cards and got
to gambling; some went to de woods to gamble.
"The old cotton gins on de farms were made of wooden screws, and it took
all day to gin four bales o' cotton.
"I was one of the first trustees that helped build the first colored
folks' church in the town of Greenwood. I am the only one now living. I
married Alice Robinson, and had five sons and one daughter, and have
five or six grandchildren.
"Abraham Lincoln, I think, was a good man; had a big reputation. Couldn't
tell much about Jefferson Davis. Booker T. Washington--Everybody
thinks he is a great man for the colored race.
"Of course I think slavery was bad. We is free now and better off to
work. I think anybody who is any count can work and live by himself.
"I joined de church when I was 17 years old, because a big preaching was
going on after freedom for the colored people.
"I think everybody should join the church and do right; can't get
anywhere without it, and do good."
Source: William Ballard (88), Greenwood, S. C.
Interviewed by: G. L. Summer, Newberry, S. C. (6/10/37)
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