"Rachel wuz my ma's name. Us don' know what her las' name wuz 'cause shewuz sold off when she wuz too little to 'member. Dr. Riddin' (Redding)bought her an' his fambly always jus' called her Rachel Riddin'. DeRiddin' place wuz whar Hancock Avenue is now, but it wuz all in woods'roun' dar, jus' lak de place whar my pa wuz. Atter dey wuz married mahad to stay on wid de Riddin' fambly an' her chilluns b'longed to deRiddin's 'cause dey owned her. Miss Maxey Riddin' wuz my brudder's youngMissus, an' I wuz give to her sister, Miss Lula Riddin', for to be herown maid, but us didn't git to wuk for 'em none 'cause it wuz jus' atdis time all de slaves got sot free. Atter dat my pa [Pg 3]tuk us all wid himan' went to farm on de old Widderspoon (Witherspoon) place.
the shack william p young ebook free 653
"When I wuz 'bout eight years old, dey sont me to school. I had to walkfrom Epps Bridge Road to Knox School. Dey calls it Knox Institute now. Itoted my blue back speller in one han' and my dinner bucket in de other.Us wore homespun dresses wid [Pg 4]bonnets to match. De bonnets wuz all madein one piece an' had drawstrings on de back to make 'em fit, an' slatsin de brims to make 'em stiff an' straight. Our dresses wuz made long tokeep our legs warm. I don't see, for to save me, how dey keeps deseyoung-uns from freezin' now since dey let 'em go 'roun' mos' naked.
Ten years before the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, a son wasborn to Antony and Patience Walton who lived in Lumpkin, Stewart County,Ga. When this son, Rhodus, was three weeks old, his mother, along withthe three younger children, was sold. His father and the thirteen sonsand daughters that she left behind were never seen again. His parents'birthplace and the name they bore before moving to the Walton home areunknown to Rhodus and he never was able to trace his family even after"freedom."
In Atlanta among that ever decreasing group of persons known asex-slaves there is an old Negro man named Henry Wright. Although Mr.Wright is 99 years of age his appearance is that of a much younger man.He is about 5 feet in height; his dark skin is almost free of wrinklesand his head is thickly covered with gray hair. His speech and thoughtindicate that he is very intelligent and there is no doubt that he stillpossesses a clear and active mind.
"As far as I kin rekellec'," said Laura, "my mother was give." She couldnot remember her age, but estimated that she might be 75 years old. Hernative dignity was evident in her calm manner, her neat clothing and thecomfortable, home-like room. "Dey say in dem days," she continued, "whenyou marry, dey give you so many colored people. My mother, her brotherand her aunt was give to young Mistis when she marry de Baptis' preacherand come to Augusta. When dey brought us to Augusta, I wuz de baby.Round wheh de barracks is now, was de Baptis' [Pg 217]parsonage. My mother was acook. I kin remember de Yankees comin' down Broad Street. Dey put upwheh de barracks is on Reynolds Street. Dey ca'yed me to de fairground.De man was speakin'. I thought it wuz up in de trees, but I know now itmuster been a platform in bushes. Mistis say to me: 'Well, Laura, whatdid you see?' I say: 'Mistis, we is all free.' I such a lil' chile shejus' laugh at me for saying sich a thing. When I was sick, she nuss megood." 2ff7e9595c
Comments