Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States | Page 6

songs of the birds.

Federal Writers' Project of the W.P.A. District #6 Marion County Anna
Pritchett 1200 Kentucky Avenue, Indianapolis, Indiana
FOLKLORE MRS. MITTIE BLAKELEY--EX-SLAVE 2055
Columbia Avenue, Indianapolis, Indiana
Mrs. Blakeley was born, in Oxford, Missouri, in 1858.
Her mother died when Mittie was a baby, and she was taken into the
"big house" and brought up with the white children. She was always
treated very kindly.
Her duties were the light chores, which had to be well done, or she was
chided, the same as the white children would have been.
Every evening the children had to collect the eggs. The child, who
brought in the most eggs, would get a ginger cake. Mittie most always

got the cake.
Her older brothers and sisters were treated very rough, whipped often
and hard. She said she hated to think, much less talk about their awful
treatment.
When she was old enough, she would have to spin the wool for her
mistress, who wove the cloth to make the family clothes.
She also learned to knit, and after supper would knit until bedtime.
She remembers once an old woman slave had displeased her master
about something. He had a pit dug, and boards placed over the hole.
The woman was made to lie on the boards, face down, and she was
beaten until the blood gushed from her body; she was left there and
bled to death.
She also remembers how the slaves would go to some cabin at night for
their dances; if one went without a pass, which often they did, they
would be beaten severely.
The slaves could hear the overseers, riding toward the cabin. Those,
who had come without a pass, would take the boards up from the floor,
get under the cabin floor, and stay there until the overseers had gone.
Interviewer's Comment
Mrs. Blakeley is very serious and said she felt so sorry for those, who
were treated so such worse than any human would treat a beast.
She lives in a very comfortable clean house, and said she was doing
"very well."
Submitted January 24, 1938 Indianapolis, Indiana

Submitted by: Robert C. Irvin District No. 2 Noblesville, Ind.
SLAVES IN MADISON COUNTY CARL BOONE Anderson, Indiana
This is a story of slavery, told by Carl Boone about his father, his
mother and himself. Carl is the last of eighteen children born to Mrs.
Stephen Boone, in Marion County, Kentucky, Sept. 15, 1850. He now
resides with his children at 801 West 13th Street, Anderson, Madison
County, Indiana. At the ripe old age of eighty-seven, he still has a keen
memory and is able to do a hard day's work.
Carl Boone was born a free man, fifteen years before the close of the
Civil War, his father having gained his freedom from slavery in 1829.
He is a religious man, having missed church service only twice in
twenty years. He was treated well during the time of slavery in the

southland, but remembers well, the wrongs done to slaves on
neighboring plantations, and in this story he relates some of the horrors
which happened at that time.
Like his father, he is also the father of eighteen children, sixteen of
whom are still living. He is grandfather of thirty-seven and great
grandfather of one child. His father was born in the slave state of
Maryland, in 1800, and died in 1897. His mother was born in Marion
County, Kentucky, in 1802, and died in 1917, at the age of one hundred
and fifteen years.
This story, word by word, is related by Carl Boone as follows: "My
name is Carl Boone, son of Stephen and Rachel Boone, born in Marion
County, Kentucky, in 1850. I am father of eighteen children sixteen are
still living and I am grandfather of thirty-seven and great grandfather of
one child. I came with my wife, now deceased, to Indiana, in 1891, and
now reside at 801 West 13th street in Anderson, Indiana. I was born a
free man, fifteen years before the close of the Civil War. All the
colored folk on plantations and farms around our plantation were slaves
and most of them were terribly mistreated by their masters.
After coming to Indiana, I farmed for a few years, then moved to
Anderson. I became connected with the Colored Catholic Church and
have tried to live a Christian life. I have only missed church service
twice in twenty years. I lost my dear wife thirteen years ago and I now
live with my son.
My father, Stephen Boone, was born in Maryland, in 1800. He was
bought by a nigger buyer while a boy and was sold to Miley Boone in
Marion County, Kentucky. Father was what they used to call "a picked
slave," was a