SLAVE NARRATIVES - Library of Congress

30467 ooo
Interviewer Miss Irene Robertson
Person interviewed Maggie Stenhouse, (a mile down the
railway track}, Brinkleyt Arkansas
Age 78?
"Mama was owned by Master Barton. She lived on the line of North
Carolina and South Carolina. Her husband was sold away from her and two
children. She never seen him no more* '\Rangaents was made with Master
Barton to let Master Liege Alexander have her for a cook. Then she went to
Old Pickens, South Carolina. Liege Alexander had a white wiSe and by her he
had two girls and a boy. He had a black cook and by her he had two boys and
a girl. One of these boys was my papa and I told you the old man bought my
mama from Master Barton for his colored son. My papa never was sold you eee
cause he was the old white man's boy# After his white wife died his two
girls married and the boy left Old Pickens, and they told his colored wife
and her two boys and girl if they would stay and take care of him as long as
he lived they could have the property. My papa went off five or six miles
and built him a log house©
"The old man ~~ Master Liege Alexander — was blind when his wife died
and he had to be tended to like a child. He would knock his stick on the
wall and some of the small children would lead him about where he wanted to
go. His white children didn f t like the way he had lived so they didn't
want to be bothered with him.
"My parents' names was Cheney Barton and Jim Alexander. Papa was
medium dark and so was his own brother but their sister was as white aa the
white woman's two girls and boy.