SLAVE NARRATIVES - Library of Congress

"She was sick only one week and the doctor said she died of old age*
He said it was just her time* She didn 9 t have nothin 9 the matter with her
but jus* old age he said so far as he could find* Dr* Fletcher was our
doctor* She died in Jerome 9 Arkansas about sixteen miles from the
Louisiana line* Leastwise, they tell me it's about sixteen miles from the
lind« She always told us that she had her business fixed with the Lord and
that when she taken sick, it wouldn't be long* And sure 'nough, it wasn't♦
"I farmed until my mother and brother died* Then I came up here with
my sister as I had no children living* I jus 9 wash and iron now whenever I
can get somethin 9 to do*
"I have been married once* I had three children* All of them are
dead. My children are dead and my husband is dead*
"I belong to the Baptist church down on Spring Street* I always unite
with the church whenever I go to a place* I don't care whether I stay
there or not*
"My mama 9 s master was good as far as white folks generally be in
slavery times* He never whipped my grandmother nor my mother* He was good
to the field hands too* He never whipped them* He would feed them too*
He had right smart of field hands but I don f t know just how many* I don 9 t
think he ever sold any of his slaves* I think he come by them from his
father because I have heard them say that his father told him before he
died never to 'part with Black Mammy* That was what he called her* And he
kept them altogether jus 9 like his father told him to* His father said* f I
*ant you to keep all my Negroes together and Black Maaoy I don't want you
to let her be whipped because she nursed all of you*' She said she never
**3 whipped f cept ox(e when she got a cockle berry up her nose and he got it
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°ut and gave her a little brushing—not as much as grandma would have given her*