Willie Buck Charleston
From:
More Arkansas
Interviewer: Miss Irene Robertson
Person interviewed: Willie Buck Charleston, Jr., Biscoe, Arkansas
Age: 74
"I was born up here on the Biscoe place before Mr. Biscoe was heard of
in this country. I'm for the world like my daddy. He was light as I is.
I'm jus' his size and make. There was three of us boys. Dan was the
oldest; he was my own brother, and Ed was my half-brother. My daddy was
a fellar of few words and long betwix' 'em. He was in the Old War (Civil
War). He was shot in his right ankle and never would let it be took out.
Mother had been a cook. She and my grandmother was sold in South
Carolina and brought out here. Mother's name was Sallie Harry. Judging
by them being Harrys that might been who owned them before they was
sold. She was about as light as me. Mother died when I was a litter bit
er of a fellar. Then me and Dan lived from house to house. Grandma Harry
and my Aunt Mat and Jesse Dove raised us. My daddy married right er way
ag'in.
"I recollect mighty little about the war. We lived back in the woods and
swamps. I was afraid of the soldiers. I seen them pass by. I was so
little I can barely recollect seeing them and hiding from them.
"When we lived over about Forrest City I seen the Ku Klux whoop Joe Saw
and Bill Reed. It was at night. They was tied to trees and whooped with
a leather snake whoop. I couldn't say how it come up but they sure
poured it on them. There was a crowd come up during the acting. I was
scared to death then. After then I had mighty little use for dressed-up
folks what go around at night (Ku Klux). I can tell you no sich thing
ever took place as I heard of at Biscoe. We had our own two officers and
white officers and we get along all the time tollerably well together."
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Lewis Chase
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Liney Chambers
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