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Cauthier, Sheldon F. 9-16-37 Andy J. Anderson, 94, was born a slave to Mr. Jack Haley, who also owned Andy's parents with 12 other families and a plantation located in Williamson Co., Tex. In view of the fact that all slaves used the name of their owner, Andy was known as Andy Haley but after his freedom, he changed his name to Anderson, the name his father used because he was owned by a Mr. Anderson before his sale to Mr. Haley. Shortly after the Civil War began, Andy was sold to Mr. W. T. House, of Blanco Co., Tex., who sold him again in less than a year to his brother, Mr. John House. After the Emancipation Act became effective, Andy was hired by a Mr. Whisterman. His first wages were his clothes, room and board with $2.00 per mo. He farmed all of his life and has been married three times, now living with his third wife and eight of his children at 301 Armour St., Ft. Worth, Tex. His story: "My name am Andy J. Anderson an' I's bo'n on Marster Jack Haley's plantation in Williamson County, Texas. Marster Haley owned my folks an' 'bout 12 udder fam'lies ob cullud folks. "How come I's took de name ob Anderson, 'stead ob Haley? It am dis away, my pappy was owned by Marster Anderson who sold him to Marster Haley, so he goes by de name ob Anderson. Dey use to call me Haley but aftah Surrendah, I'se change de name to Anderson to have it de same as my pappy's. "I's bo'n in 1843. Dat makes me 94 yeahs ol', an' 18 yeahs ol' w'en de war stahted. Tharfo', dis nigger has seen a good deal of slave life an' some hahd 'speriences dunn' dat time an' good times too. "Marster Haley am kind to his cullud folks. In fact, him am kind to ever'body an' all de folks lak him. Whuppin's am not given 'cept w'en it am necessary an' dat am not often an' am reasonable w'en it am given. De udder w'ite folks use to call weuns de petted niggers. "De plantation have 12 fam'lies ob slaves. Thar am 'bout 30 ol' an' young workers an' 'bout 20 piccaninnies dat am too young fo' work. Dem dat am too young fo' work am took care ob by a nurse durin' de day w'ile de mammies am a workin' in de field an sich. "I's gwine to 'splain how it am managed on Marster Haley's place. Marster Haley am a good manager an' ever'one am 'signed to do certain jobs. It am diffe'nt now, dan 'twas den. A plantation am sort ob lak de small town. Ever'thing dat am used on de place am made thar. So, thar am de shoemaker. Him also am de tanner an' make de leathah f'om de hides. "Thar am 'bout 1,000 sheep on de Marster's place, so thar am de person dat 'tends to de sheep an' de wool. De sheep am sheared twice a yeah. "De wool am carded, spun an' weaved into cloth an' f'om dat cloth, all de clothes am made. Thar am 'bout 25 head ob cattle, sich p'vides de milk an' buttah, also beef meat fo' eatin'. Den thar am turkeys, chickens, hawgs an' bees. "De plantation am planted in cotton, mosly. Co'se, dere am co'n an' wheat. De con am fo' feed fo' de stock an' to make co'n meal fo' de humans. De wheat am fo' to make flouah. Mars- ter don' sell any co'n or wheat, 'less if he have extra. Cotton am w'at he raised fo' sale. "Let me tell yous how we cut an' thresh de wheat. Thar am no binders, or threshin' machines, so weuns cut de wheat by han', usin' a cradle. To thresh de grain, it am hung over a rail wid de heads down, an' de heads am beat wid a stick. Dat knocks de kernels out an' dey falls on a canvass dat am spread to catch dem. Now, to clean de wheat, weuns have to wait fo' a day w'en de wind am blowin' jus' right. W'en dat day comes, weuns pick de wheat up wid pails, raise it up an' pour it out an' de wind blows de chaff an' sich away. "De livin' fo' de cullud folks am good. De quatahs am built f'om logs lak deys all am in dem days. De flooah am dirt but weuns have a table an' bench, a bunk wid straw ticks on fo' sleepin' pupose, an' a fiah place fo' cookin' an' heat. Marster 'lows plenty ob good rations, but he watch close fo' de wastin' oh de food. "De wah stahts an' dat makes a big change on de Marster's place. De Marster j'ins de ahmy an' hires a man named Delbridge fo' overseer to he'p de Marster's son, John. Den, in 'bout three months, de soldiers come an' took Marster John to de ahmy by fo'ce. Deys put him on a hoss an' tooks him away. "Thar come pretty neah bein' some hu't niggers de day deys took Marster John away. You see, weuns don' know dey had de right to took Marster 'way, so weuns cullud folks crowded 'roun' de Marster an' warnt gwine to 'low dem to took him. De Marster tol' weuns to go 'way 'cause de soldiers have de right to took him an' weuns jus' git hu't if weuns try to stop de soldiers, so weuns dispatched. "Aftah Marster John am took away an' de overseer am lef' in whole charge, hell stahts to pop. De fust thing he does am to cut de rations. He weigh out de meat, three pounds to de person fo' de week an' he measures out a peck ob meal, 'twarnt 'nough. He ha'f starve do niggers an' demands mo' wo'k an' he stahts de whuppin's. I's guess he 'cides to edumacate dem. I's guess Delbridge went to hell w'en he died.. .I's don' think he go dat far, though. I's don' see how de devil could stand him. "Weuns cullud folks on Marster's place am not used to sich treatment an' some run off. W'en deys am catched, thar am a whuppin' at de stake. Thar am a couple ob de runaway niggers dat am never catched. "I's 'scaped de worst ob Delbridge 'cause he sol' me. I's sol' to Marster W.T. House ob Blanco County. I's sho glad w'en I's sol', but it am sho't gladness. W.T. House am anudder man dat hell am too good fo'. I's not on dat place long, jus' a few months 'til I's sol' to his brothah, John House, who had a big plantation close by. "I's git one whuppin' while on de W.T. House place. De scahs am on my ahms, see thar, an' on my back too. Dem I's will carry to my grave. De whuppin' I's git am fo' de cause as I's will 'splain. 'Twas dis away; De overseer sent me fo' de dry fiah wood. W'en I's gits de wood loaded an' stahts to drive, de wheel hits a sho't stump, de team jerks an' dat breaks de whippletree. I's tries to fix dat so dat de load could be hauled in. I's delayed quite a spell while de cook am waitin' fo' de wood. Aftah I's tries an' tries, it am necessary fo' me to walk to de bahn fo' anudder whippletree. De overseer am at de bahn wen I's gits dere. He am gittin' ready to staht aftah me. I's tell w'at am de delay. Me am poweful mad 'cause I's hit de stump an' sich. "De overseer ties me to de stake an' ever' ha'f hour, fo' fouah hours, deys lay 10 lashes on my back. Fo' de fust couple ob hours, de pain am awful. I's never fo'git it. Aftah I's stood dat fo' a couple oh hours, I's could not feel de pain so much an' w'en dey took me loose, I's jus' ha'f dead. I's could not feel de lash 'cause my body am numb, an' my mind am numb. De last thing I's 'membahs am dat I's wishin' fo' death. I's laid in de bunk fo' two days gittin' over dat whuppin'. Dat is, gittin' over it in de body but not in de heart. No Sar! I's have dat in my heart 'til dis day. "Aftab dat whuppin', I's don't have my heart in de wo'k fo' de Marster. If I's see some cattle in de co'n field, I's tu'n my back 'stead ob chasm' dem out. I's guess de Marster sees dat I's not to be d'pended on an' dat's m'ybe de reason he sol' me to his brothah, John. "John House am jus' de udder way f'om his brothah 'bout de treatment ob de cullud folks. Marster John never hit a nigger. "W'en surrendah am 'nounced, Marster right away tells his niggers dat dey am free. He calls allus together an' tells weuns dat it am jus' a sho't time 'til de o'dah fo' to free de niggers will be given. He says, "Now, dem who stays will be paid wages, or weuns shall 'range fo' wo'kin' de land on shares". Whar he am a talkin' am in de field undah a big tree. I's standim' neah him an dere's whar my big mouth gits me all fustup. "De Marster finished his statement asayin', "All yous niggers can stay wid me". I's says to myse'f, not loud 'nough fo' anyone to heah, I's thinks, but de Marster heahs me w'en I's says, "Lak hell I's will". "Now, I's don't mean anything 'gainst de Marster. W'at I's mean am dat I's gwine to take my freedom, but he took it to mean something else. Something 'gainst him an' he says: "W'at is dat yous says, nigger?" "Nothin', Nothin Marster", I's says. "I's heahs yous an' I's will 'tend to yous later", he says. W'en dat took place, it am 'bout one hour by sun. I's 'gain talk to mysef, but I's sho keeps my lips closed. I's says, "I's wont be heah long." "I's not realize wat I's am in fo' 'til aftah I's stahted, but 'cose I's couldn't tu'n back. Fo' to tu'n back m'ybe mean a whuppin' an' to go on means dangah f'om de Patter Rollers. Dere I's was, but I's kep' on gwine. De Patter Roller's duties am to watch fo' de nigger dat am widout de pass. No nigger am s'posed to be off his Marster's place 'less he have de statement f'om him. If de Patters catch me, deys would give me a whuppin' an' took me back to de Marster. Well, him am already mad over w'at I's says an' I's 'spected a whuppin' dere, so dis nigger am in a perdicklement "I's travel at night an' ever'time I's see someone acomin', dis nigger sho hide 'til deys pass out oh de way. In de day, I's keeps hidden in de brush wid no an' no wautah 'cept w'en I's come to a creek. I's sho gittin' weak an' tired de second night. Twice I's sho de Patters pass wile I's hidin'. "I's den 21 yeahs ol' but it am de fust time dat I's go any place, 'cept to de neighbahs so I's worried 'bout de right way to Marster Haley's place. However, de monin' ob de third day, I's come to de Marster's place, tired, hongry an' skeert 'bout de overseer 'cause Marster Haley am not home f'om de ahmy yet. I's sho wants to keep away f'om Delbridge, so I's waits my chance to see pappy. W'en I's did, he sho am s'prised to see me. Den I's tol' him w'at I's done an' he hides me in his cabin. Dere I's stay fo' a week, den luck comes to me w'en Marster Haley comes home. "De Marster came home at night. De next mo'nin' befo' noon, Delbridge am shunt off de place. W'en de Marster gits up in de mo'nin , he looks at de niggers. Deys all are ga'nt an' lots have run off an' de fields am not p'operly plowed. Dere am 'bout ha'f ob his sheep lef', an' de same wid ever'thing. "De Marster called Delbridge, an' soon aftah, Hell am a poppin'. De Marster says to him, "Whar is my sheep, chickens, hawgs, an' all de udder stuff? W'at about dem ga'nt niggers, an' w'at did yous do wid de rations?" Delbridge stahts to talk an' de Marster says befo' he could says a word, "Shut up! Dere am no words can 'splain w'at yous done. Git off my place befo' I's smash yous!" Den 'twarnt long 'til Delbridge am gwine down de road wid his bundle. "I's stay wid Marster Haley 'til freedom am o'dered. Den I's hired out to Marster Whisterman fo' $2.00 a month wid de clothes an' boa'd. De work was fahm work. All my life, I's follow fahm work. "I's mai'ied de fust time in 1883. Weuns had two chilluns but dey both died. Den in 1885, I's mai'ied 'gain. My second wife died in 1934. If she had lived 15 days longah, weuns would have been together 50 yeahs. Dere was six chilluns bo'n to weuns. Three am livin' heah an' one in Belton, de udders am dead. I's mai'ied my present wife on June 11th, 1936. Dere am no chilluns yet f'om my third mai'age. "De last few yeahs, I's not fahmed but worked at odd jobs an raise chickens on dis big lot I's live on. Dere am not much mo' work fo' dis person. Still, I's healthy an' able to work but de Bible says fouah score an' ten, an' I's gittin' dere.
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