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Collected by the Federal Writers Project, Works Progress Administration Godbold, Hector Marion County, S.C. Annie Ruth Davis June 28, 1937 Wha' yuh gwinna do wid me? I sho' been heah in slavery time. Talk to dem sodjurs when dey wuz 'treatin' dey way back home. My ole Missus wuz Miss Mary Godbold en den she marry uh Haselden. Dey buy my mamma from da ole man Frank Miles right o'er yonner. Harry en Cindy Godbold wuz my parents. We lib in uh one room house in de slave quarter dere on de white folks plantation. My Gawd, sleep right dere on de floor. Hab granparants dat come haeh o'er de water from Af'ica. Dey tell me dat whey dey come from dey don' ne'er 'low no man en he wife to sleep togedder cause dey is scared uv katchin disease from one annuder. Dat sho' uh good t'ing, yuh know dat. I t'ink dat sho' uh good ting. Dey ain' ne'er gi'e none uv da colored peoples no money in dat day en time. Coase dey gi'e us plenty sumptin to eat. Fed us outer big bowl uv pot licker wid plenty corn bread en fried meat en dat 'bout aw we e'er eat. Dey is le' us hab uh garden uv we own dat we hab to work by da night time. Yuh see de colored folks know'd dey hadder ge' up soon uz dey heared dat cow horn blow an dat been 'fore daylight come heah. Oh, dey work from dark to dark in dat day en time. Didn't but one day outer aw da year stand dat wuz uh week day an dat wuz de Christmas day. Sweet molasses bread wuz da t'ing dat day. Coase dey gi'e us big supper when dey hab dem cornshucking day. Oh, dey hab uh frolic den dat las' 'way up to de midnight. I ne'er lib dere to de Haselden plantation wid my parents long 'fore dey hire me to Massa John Mace en I stay dere till ma en Maggie (his wife) come heah to lib. Nu'se six head uv chillun fa de white folks dere. I hear em say my Missus wus uh Watson 'fore she marry Massa John Mace. Lawd, Lawd, lub dem chillun to death. Effen Moses Mace been libin' yuh wouldn't be talkin' to no Hector Godbold 'bout heah dese days. He de one wha' gi'e me en Maggie dat four room house yuh see settin' dere. My Missus gi'e me uh good beatin' one time when I did drop one uv dem baby. Jes put me head under her feet en beat me dat way. Annuder t'ing I hadder do wuz to carry de baby 'cross de swamp evey four hour en le' my mamma come dere en suckle dat child. One day I go dere an annuder fellow come dere wha' dey call John. He en my mamma ge' in uh a'gument lak en he le' out en cut my mammy a big lick right 'cross da leg en de blood jes pour outer dat t'ing lak uh done uh wha'. My mamma took me an come on to de house en when Miss Jane see dat leg, she say, "Cindy, wha' de matter?" My mamma say, "John call me uh liar en I ne'er take it. "Miss Jane tell em to send a'ter Sam Watson right den. Sam Watson wuz uh rough ole o'erseer en ha been so bowlegged dat effen he stand straddle uh barrel, he'ud be settin' down on it jes uz good uz yuh settin' dere. Sam Watson come dere en make dat fellow lay down on uh plank in de fence jam en he take dat cat o' nine tail he hab tie 'round de waist en strak John 75 times. De blood run down offen him jes lak uh stream run in dat woods. Dat sho' been so cause aw we chillun stand 'bout dere en look on it. I s'ppose I wus 'bout big 'nough to plough den. When dey le' John loose from dere, he go in de woods en ne'er come back no more till freedom come heah. I tellin' yuh when he come back, he come back wid de Yankees. Oh, de colored peoples ne'er know nuthin more den dogs in dem times. Ne'er couldn't go from one plantation to de udder widout dat dey hab uh tickee' wid em. I see Sam Watson ketch many uv dem dat ha' run way en buff an gag em. Ne'er hab no jails no whey in dat day en time. Dey sho' sell de colored peoples 'way plenty times cause I see dat done right heah to Marion. Stand em up on uh block en sell em to uh speculator dere. I hear em bid offen uh 'oman en uh baby en den dey bid offen my auntie en uncle 'way down to da country. Dey wouldn't take no whippin' offen dey Massa an dat how come dey ga' rid uv em. My grandaddy been worth $1000 en it de Lawd's truth I tellin' yuh, he drown 'fore he le' em whip him. Den my granmudder use'er run 'way en ketch rides 'long de roads cause de peoples le' em do dat den. Coase effen dey ketch her, dey didn't ne'er do her no harm cause she wuz one uv dem breed 'omans. Ne'er know nuthin tall 'bout gwinne to school 'bout dere den. Jes pick up wha' l'arnin' we ge' heah, dere en eve'ywhey. Larned sump'tin to de white folks chu'ch dere to Antioch settin' on de back side en dem benches wha' de slaves hab to set on. I is know dis mucha dat I voted t'ree times to de courthouse in Marion 'way back in dem days. Sho' we chillun play game en frolic heap uv de time. Shinney wuz de t'ing dat I lak best. Jes hab stick wid crack in it en see could I knock de ball wid it. I sho' 'member dat. Den I wuz one uv de grandest hollerers yuh e'er hear. Use'er be jes de same us uh parrot. Hear how one go: O-OU-OU-0U, DO-MI-NICI-O, BLACK-GA-LE-LO, O-OU-OU-O-OU, WHO-O-OU-OU. Great King, dat ain' nuthin'. Ain' near believe in none uv dem charms people talk 'bout an ain' know nuthin' 'bout no conjuring neither, but I know dis mucha en dat uh sperit sho slapped Maggie (his wife) one night 'bout 12 o'clock. Den annuder time me an her wuz comin' home from uh party one night en I hab uh jug uv sumptin dere wid me an Maggie ax me fa it. Say sumptin wuz followin' a'ter her. Da next t'ing I know I hear dat jug say guggle, guggle, guggle. I look back en she been pourin' it out on da ground. She say she do dat to make da sperit quit followin' her. Dat sperit sho' been dere cause I see dat licker when it disappear dere on de ground wid me own eyes. Sho' dey hab doctors in dat day en time. Hab plant doctors dat go from one plantation to annuder an doctor de people. Dr. Monroe wuz one uv dem doctor 'bout heah an dere ain' ne'er been no better cures no whey den dem plant cures. I ge' Maggie so she c'n move 'bout dat way. She won' able to walk uh step en I boil some coon root en put uh little whiskey in it en make her drink dat. It sho' raise her up too. Dem coon root look jes lak dese chufas wha' yuh does find down side da river. Dat sho' uh cure fa any rheumatism wha' is. I know dat aw right Mighty right, I 'member when freedom wuz 'clare. I t'ink dat must uv been de plan uv Gawd cause it jes lak dis, ef it haddna been da right ting, it wouldna been. I know it uh good t'ing. De North wuz freed 20 years head uv de South an yuh know it uh good t'ing. I uh history man an I sho' recollect dat de history say de North wus freed 20 years 'fore de South wuz. I heared dem guns at Fort Sumter dere en I 'member when dem sodjurs come t'rough dis way dat da elements wuz blue uz indigo 'bout heah. Hab parade 'bout five miles long wid hoss dancin' 'bout an fiddles jes uh playin'. Some uv dem Yankees come dere to da white folks house one uv dem time, when my Massa wuz 'way from home workin' dere on de Manchester Railroad, an ax my Missus whey dey hossas wuz. Dem hossas done been hide in de bay an dey ne'er ge' nuthin' else dere neither, but uh little bit uv corn dat dey take outer da barn. I 87 year ole now an I heah to tell yuh dat I ne'er done nobody no mean trick in aw me life. I does fight cause I cut uh man up worth 19 stitches one uv dem times back dere. Two uv em been on me one time an I whipped both uv em. I tellin' yuh I been good uz e'er wuz born from uh 'oman. It jes lak dis, I say fight aw right but don' ne'er turn no mean trick back. Turn it to Gawd, dat wha' do. Dem wha' go to chu'ch in de right way, dey don' hab no 'vengful sperit 'bout em. I sho' goes to chu'ch cause de chu'ch de one t'ing dat does outstand eve't'ing -- eve't'ing.
Source: Hector Godbold, age 87, ex-slave, Pea Dee, Marion County.
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