Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves | Page 9

de Bline Schul.
De fust pa'r ob shoes I eber had wuz atter I kum ter Nashville. Dey had
high tops en wuz called bootees. I had sum red striped socks wid dem.
De ole songs I member:
"De Ole Time 'ligion." "I'm Goin' ter Join de Ban."
W'en dey would sing deze songs hit would almos' mek you ha'r stand

up on yo haid, de way dem peeples would jump en shout!
I member w'en sum ob de slaves run 'way durin' slavery.
I dunno any tales; mah mammy wasn't a 'oman ter talk much. Maybe ef
she had bin I would hab had an easier time. As far as I know de
ex-slaves hab had diff'ent kinds ob wuk since dere freedum. No, I ain'
nebber se'd any ghos'. I'se bin in de woods en dark places, but didn't see
nothin', en I'se not goin' ter say I did kaze I might git par'lized.
I went ter schul one y'ar at Fisk in de y'ar 1869.
De last man I wuk'd fer wuz at de Link Hotel. Den I started keepin'
boarders. Hab fed all deze Nashville police. De police ez de ones dat
hep'ed git deze relief orders fer me. I hab lived on dis street fer 60 years.
I lived 22 y'ars whar de Hermitage Laundry ez. Dat ez whar I got de
name "Mammie." W'iles livin' dere I raised eighteen chilluns white en
black, en sum ob dem iz good ter me now.
I had sum papah's 'bout mah age en diff'ent things, but w'en de back
waters got up, dey got lost. I didn't hab ter move but I kep prayin' en
talkin' ter de Lawd en I b'leeve he 'Yeard me fer de water didn't git in
mah house.
I member w'en de yellow fever en de cholera wuz 'yer, in 1870 en 1873.
Dey didn't hab coffins nuff ter put dem in, so dey used boxes en piled
de boxes in waggins lak hauling wood.
I'se aint worth a dime now w'en hit kums ter wukin' fer I'se aint able ter
do nuthin, thoo I can't complain ob mah livin' since de relief has bin
takin' keer ob me.
Dis young peeples, "Oh mah Lawd!" Dey ain' worth talkin' 'bout. I tries
ter shame deze 'omen, dey drink (I call hit ole bust haid whiskey), en do
such mean things. I'se disgusted at mah own color. Dey try ter know ter
much, en dunno muthin', en dey don' do 'nuff wuk.
I nebber voted en dunno nothin' 'bout hit. Hab nebber had any frens in

office. Cain' member nothin' 'bout re'structon. I hab bin sick en still
don' feel right. Sumtimes I feels krazy.
Hab bin tole dat black cat crossin' road in frunt ob you wuz bad luck. I
nebber did b'leeve in any signs. Ef I ez ter hab bad luck, ah'll hab hit.
I b'long ter de Baptist Chuch.
De culored peeples useter hab camp meetin's, en dey'd last fer two
weeks. Lawd hab mercy did we hab a time at dem meetin's, preachin',
singin', en shoutin'. En ovuh sum whar neah dey would be cookin'
mutton en diff'ent good things ter eat. Sum ob dem would shout 'til dere
throats would be sore en hit seemed dat sum ob dem niggahs didn't keer
ef dey got home ter wuk er not.
I sumtimes wish fer de good ole days. Deze days folks don't hab time
fer 'ligion. De dog-gone ole radio en udder things ez takin' hits place.
Oh Lawdie how dey did baptize down at de wha'f! De Baptist peeple
would gather at de wha'f on de fust Sunday in May. Dey would kum
fum all de Baptist Chuches. Would leave de chuch singin' en shoutin'
en keep dat up 'til dey got ter de river. Hab seen dem wid new clothes
on git down on de groun en roll en git covered wid dirt. Sum ob dem
would almos' luze dere clothes, en dey'd fall down lak dey wuz dying.
Deze last few y'ars dey hab got ter stylish ter shout.

INTERVIEW Precilla Gray 807 Ewing Ave. Nashville, Tenn.
I think I'se 107 Y'ars ole. Wuz bawn in Williamson County 'fore de
Civil wah. Guess de reason I hab libed so long wuz cose I tuk good
keer ob mahself en wore warm clo'es en still do, w'ar mah yarn
pettycoats now. Hab had good health all mah life. Hab tuk very lettle
medicine en de wust sickness I eber had wuz small-pox. I'se bin a
widah 'bout 70 y'ars.
Mah mammy d'ed w'en I wuz young but mah daddy libed ter be 103

y'ars ole. I nebber went ter schul a day in mah life, ma'ied 'fore freedum
en w'en I got free, had ter wuk all