Slave Narratives Vol. XIV. South Carolina, Part 2 | Page 8

never been noways scornful bout eatin chitlins. Yes,
mam, when I helps up dere to de house wid hog killin, Mr. Moses, he
does always say for me to carry de chitlin home to make me en Koota a
nice pot of stew."
"I tellin you, when us been chillun comin up, people sho never live like
dey do dis day en time. Oh, I can remember just as good when I used to
go dat Hopewell Presbyterian Church cross de creek dere. Yes, mam,
dat been de white people slavery church en dat dey slavery graveyard
what settin right dere in front de church, too. Dat sho a old, old slavery
time church, I say. Massa Anthony Ross would make us go dere to
preachin every Sunday en dey was mighty strict bout us gwine to
prayer service, too. Us would go up dem steps in dat little room, what

been open out on de front piazza to de church, en set up in de gallery
overhead en de white folks let down dere below us. Yes, mam, dat whe'
de colored people went to church in dem days en some of dem go dere
till dey die cause dat whe' dey been join de church. Some of dem does
go dere often times dese days, too, when de white people axes dem to
sing to dey church. I remember, when I been baptize dere, I was just a
little small child. Oh, de white preacher baptized all us little niggers
dere. Old Massa, he tell all his hands to carry dey chillun up dere en get
dem baptized. Oh, my happy, dey been fix us up dat day. Put on us
clean homespuns en long drawers, dat been hang down round us ankles
like boots, en all us get a new bonnet dat day. I recollects, dey would
march us right up to de front of de church en de preacher would come
down to whe' we was standin wid a basin of water in one hand en a
towel in de other hand. He would take one of us chillun en lay he wet
hand on dey head en say, 'I baptize dee in de name of, etc.' Den dat one
would have to get back en another one would step up for dey turn. De
preacher, he would have a big towel to wipe his hands wid en every
child's mammy would be standin right behind hind dem wid a rag to
wipe de (drain) dren water out dey eyes."
"Oh, my Lord, when de Yankees come through dere, I hear dem say it
was de Republicans. Mr. Ross had done say dat he hear talk dat dey
was comin through en he tell his niggers to hurry en hide all de
plantation rations. Yes, mam, dey dig cellars under de colored people
houses en bury what meat en barrels of flour dey could en dat what dey
couldn' get under dere, dey hide it up in de loft. Mr. Ross say, 'Won'
none of dem damn Yankees get no chance to stick dey rotten tooth in
my rations.' We say, 'Ma, you got all dese rations here en we hungry.'
She say, 'No, dem ration belong to boss en you chillun better never
bother dem neither.' Den when Mr. Ross had see to it dat dey had fix
everything safe, he take to de swamp. Dat what my mammy say cause
he know dey wasn' gwine bother de womens. Lord, when dem Yankees
ride up to de big house, Miss Ross been scared to open her mouth cause
de man was in de swamp. No, child, dey didn' bother nothin much, but
some of de rations dey get hold of. Often times, dey would come
through en kill chickens en butcher a cow up en cook it right dere.
Would eat all dey wanted en den when dey would go to leave, dey been

call all de little plantation niggers to come dere en would give dem
what was left. Oh, Lord, us was glad to get dem vitals, too. Yes, mam,
all dey had left, dey would give it to de poor colored people. Us been
so glad, us say dat us wish dey would come back again. Den after dey
had left us plantation, dey would go some other place where dere was
another crowd of little niggers en would left dem a pile of stuff, too.
Old Massa, he been stay in de swamp till he hear dem Yankees been
leave dere en den he come home en would keep sendin to de colored
people houses to get a little bit of his rations to a time. Uncle Solomon
en Sipp en Leve, dey been eat much of boss' rations dey wanted cause
dey