Category: Source Document

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Joseph Ringo

Joseph Ringo lived with the same enslaver from his birth until 11 years after the Civil War.  In this excerpt, he describes a visit the plantation received from Union soldiers and how the enslavers accommodated them out of fear.  He then describes his experience with emancipation, and how his family were all paid to stay on the plantation.  He finished by telling why and how he stayed on that plantation, getting paid and saving his money, for 11 years after emancipation.
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Excerpt:

I remember when the Yankee soldiers were camping’ around Minerva, Kentucky six of them came up to the big house one day, and put their horses in the stable, fed them, and then they laid around on our grass.  Finally, they got up off the ground and went to the house and asked for something to eat.  Ole Miss saw that they were getting food, ‘cause she was feared they’d do some damage if they didn’t’ get it.

I remember Master John calling us one morning and he sat on a stile and told us all we were free, and he said, “Now what are you all going to do?” He offered Eren $130.00 a year and clothes and board. Bill and me he offers $25.00 a year and board and keep, and Mother she is to get $1.50 a week and a place for her and the children, and clothes and a home for them.

We all stayed for one year, then mother and all of them went away, except me.  I stayed on for eleven years after that.  Master John French, he raised my wages every year, and I saved all I earned, or most of it. 

Interviewee 
Formerly enslaved person		Birth Year (Age)Interviewer
WPA Volunteer		Enslaver’s Name
Joseph Ringo86 years oldUnknownJohn French
Interview LocationResidence StateBirth Location
Clark County, OHOhioMason County, KY
Themes & KeywordsAdditional Tags:
Civil War, Emancipation, Economics,First person, dialect, bound out after the war, Union soldiers,

Ringo_J_1

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Julia King

Julia King lived with her entire family on the same plantation.  When she was very young, her father, mother and sister all ran away and escaped via the Underground Railroad.  Here, she tells the tale, as she knows it, of her mother’s escape.
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Excerpt:

Mamma was keeping house. Papa paid the white people who owned them, for her time. He left before Mamma did. He ran away to Canada on the Underground Railroad.

My mother’s mistress—I don’t remember her name—used to come and take Mary with her to market every day. The morning my mother ran away, her mistress decided she wouldn’t take Mary with her to market. Mamma was glad, because she had almost made up her mind to go, even without Mary.

Mamma went down to the boat. A man on the boat told Mamma not to answer the door for anybody, until he gave her the signal. The man was a Quaker, one of those people who says ‘Thee’ and ‘Thou’. Mary kept on calling out the mistress’s name and Mamma couldn’t keep her still.

When the boat docked, the man told Mamma he thought her master was about. He told Mamma to put a veil over her face, in case the master was coming. He told Mamma he would cut the master’s heart out and give it to her, before he would ever let her be taken.

She left the boat before reaching Canada, somewhere on the Underground Railroad—Detroit, I think—and a woman who took her in said: ‘Come in, my child, you’re safe now.’ Then Mamma met my father in Windsor. I think they were taken to Canada free.

Interviewee 
Formerly enslaved person		Birth Year (Age)Interviewer
WPA Volunteer		Enslaver’s Name
Julia King1857 (80)K. OsthimerUnknown
Interview LocationResidence StateBirth Location
Toledo, OHOhioLouisville, KY
Themes & KeywordsAdditional Tags:
Gender/gender roles, familyFirst person, escape, Underground railroad

King_J_1

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Kate Billingsby

The same family enslaved Kate Billingsby from her birth in 1828 until Emancipation. Ms. Billingsby still keeps in touch with the family.   This excerpt describes what she learned from that family, and how they (and their children) still looked after her even after her emancipation.

*Historically-used terms that are offensive, marginalizing and/or disparaging have been removed from the transcripts and replaced with [redacted].  See more information.
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Excerpt:

Her culture and training go back to the old Buckner family, at one time one of the most cultured families in Christian County. She is not a superstitious negro. Being born a Buckner slave, she was never sold and her manners and ways proclaim that she surely must have been raised in “The white folks house” as she claims, being a maid when old enough, to one of Frank Buckner’s daughters. 

She stated, “The Buckners were sure good to me, even now their children come to see me and always bring me something. They don’t let my taxes lapse and I’m never without something to eat.”

No, I don’t believe in ghosts, haints or anything of that kind – my White folks being “quality”. I’ve been raised by “quality”! Why I’m a “quality [redacted]”. When any of my folks get sick or any of my white folks, the doctor would always be sent for.”

Interviewee 
Formerly enslaved person		Birth Year (Age)Interviewer
WPA Volunteer		Enslaver’s Name
Kate BillingsbyUnknownUnknownFrank and Sarah Buckner
Interview LocationResidence StateBirth Location
Hopkinsville, KYKentuckyChristian County, KY
Themes & KeywordsAdditional Tags:
Class, educationThird person, dialect

Billingsby_K_1

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Kate Dudley Baumont

Kate Baumont was very young when slavery ended, but she has specific memories from her childhood, which she shares.  This excerpt describes how the enslaved on the plantation she worked were all given their own land to work while they were enslaved.  They were also given similar plots of land when they were freed, which many continued to live on and work for years after emancipation.
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Excerpt:

When we lived on the Preston farm something happened that raised a lot of talk.  One of the Preston girls fell in love with the Negro coachman and ran off and married him in Canada.  Said she never wanted to marry a white man.  She never did have white beaux as a girl.  Her father was so hurt, and he said he was going to disown her.  But he did give them $10,000, then he said he never wanted them to come back to visit him or his folks, but his folks could go up to Canada and visit with her and her family.  Before, the Prestons threatened to kill the man, but the girl said if they killed him, she would kill some of them and herself, too.  She told them

that she persuaded him to take her, and that she had been in love with him for years, and had tried ever so long to get him to run off with her and marry her.  Ole Miss like to died, but she got over it, and took trips up to Canada when she wanted to see her daughter.  But the girl and her husband, they never came back to her old home.  They had a family, so we heard, and he was doing well and had some kind of business, and later, it was said he made a lot of money.  He was a nice-looking man; dark, but fine featured. 

Interviewee 
Formerly enslaved person		Birth Year (Age)Interviewer
WPA Volunteer		Enslaver’s Name
Kate Dudley BaumontUnknownUnknownPreston
Interview LocationResidence StateBirth Location
Clark County, OHOhioBath County, KY
Themes & KeywordsAdditional Tags:
FamilyFirst person, dialect

Baumont_K_2

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Kisey McKimm

Kisey McKimm spent her entire enslavement (and some time after) on the same plantation.  In this excerpt, McKimm describes how her enslaver treated her and her family better than most enslavers, but how his son was cruel.  It describes an instance of the son whipping one of the enslaved.  The excerpt goes on to describe how McKimm’s family was given land after Emancipation, but when the enslaver father died, the son took over the land and kicked them out.
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Excerpt:

Master Jacob was good to his slaves, but his son, Clay was mean. I remember once when he took my Mammy out and whipped her cause she forgot to put cake in his basket, when he went hunting’. But that was the last time, because the master heard of it and cussed him like God had come down from Heaven.

. . . The great day on the plantation was Christmas when we all got a little present from the Master. The men slaves would cut a whole pile of wood for the fireplace and pile it on the porch. As long as the whole pile of wood lasted we didn’t have to work but when it was gone, our Christmas was over. Sometimes on Sunday afternoons, we would go to the Master’s honey room and he would give us sticks of candied honey, and Lord child, was it good! I ate so much once, I got sick enough to die.

One time, dey sent me down the road to fetch something’ and I heard a bunch of horses coming, I jumped over the fence and hid behind the elderberry bushes until they passed, and I ran home and told them what I had seen. Pretty soon they came to the house, 125 Union soldiers and asked for something to eat. We all jumped around and fixed them a dinner, when they finished, they looked for Master, but he was hidden. They were gentlemen and didn’t bother or take anything. When the war was over the Master gave Mammy a house and 160 acre farm, but when he died, his son Clay told us to get out of the place or he’d burn the house and us up in it, so we left and moved to Paris. After I was married and had two children, me and my man moved north and I’ve been here ever since.

Interviewee 
Formerly enslaved person		Birth Year (Age)Interviewer
WPA Volunteer		Enslaver’s Name
Kisey McKimm1853 (84)Betty Lugabill (or Lugabell)Jacob Sandusky
Interview LocationResidence StateBirth Location
Paulding County, OHOhioBourbon County, KY
Themes & KeywordsAdditional Tags:
Family, EmancipationFirst person, dialect, Union soldiers

McKimm_K_1

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Lucy Ann Warfield

Lucy Warfield spent her childhood and young adult life enslaved.  She doesn’t know her age, but she was an adult and married when the Civil War broke out.  In this excerpt, she describes why she doesn’t know when she was born, as well as the difficulty of the work she was given as an enslaved person.  She finishes by describing how one of her mother’s sisters was able to escape to Canada.
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Excerpt:

Lordy child, I’ve been old so long that the affliction of years makes me forget lots and lots I might tell you.  I was born in Jessamine County, Kentucky, but I can’t say what year, because White folks didn’t keep count of their slaves’ ages.  They were just like chickens- like so many chickens.

I know I was a married woman when the war came, and they say I am more than a hundred, Nannie says I’m about 117.  But I just don’t know.  Anyhow, I know that God’s been awful good to me.

. . . They never did give me a whipping, but they sure worked me hard. I did a man’s work on the place; putting’ up stone fences and rail fences, splitting’ rails, breaking hemp, plowing fields, doing corn planting’, and anything the men were supposed to do, and I was supposed to say nothing. The good Lord only knows just what I’ve been through.

I remember when one of my mother’s sisters ran off and got safe into Canada.  She was a fine woman and she didn’t care for anything except to be free. She did what more of them ought to have done – me, too, because I was grown in size long time before we were free- but they were just afraid.

Interviewee 
Formerly enslaved person		Birth Year (Age)Interviewer
WPA Volunteer		Enslaver’s Name
Lucy Ann Warfield1820 (117 years old – speculated)UnknownScott and Perry Families
Interview LocationResidence StateBirth Location
Clark County, OHOhioJessamine County, KY
Themes & KeywordsAdditional Tags:
Family, Gender/gender rolesFirst person, dialect

Warfield_L_1

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Lucy Davis

In this excerpt, Ms. Davis describes her experiences during the Civil War and her Emancipation.  Of note is the fear that her enslavers had of the Union soldiers, and how she was put on lookout outside the property when they would come, allowing her enslavers to hide while the soldiers took what they wanted from the property.  She finished by retelling the reaction of her and her family when they were told they were free.
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Excerpt:

When the war came Ole Master didn’t go, but he was a regular old secesh! (Secessionist/Southern sympathizer) Young James Andrew went off to war and ole Missus used to grieve for him. We never saw fighting around our place but we could hear the big guns over at Columbus. When the soldiers were around the neighborhood, they’d always have me playing around the front gate so I could tell them when they were coming up the road. Then they’d go and hide before the soldiers got there. They were all scared of the soldiers. I was scared too, but they said soldiers wouldn’t bother a little black gal. The soldiers just came in and ransacked the house—they’d find something to eat and they’d look for money. They want money! But they don’t find any. Then they wanted to know where my folks were, but I told them I didn’t know, “They just left and didn’t say where they were going’.

When the war was over, Ole Master Joe came in and he said, ’Rose, you all ain’t slaves any more. You are all as free as I am.’ Then you should’ve heard my mammy shout! You never heard such shouting in all your born days. And Ole Missus, she joined in the shouting too. She was glad because now James Andrew would be coming home.

Interviewee 
Formerly enslaved person		Birth Year (Age)Interviewer
WPA Volunteer		Enslaver’s Name
Lucy DavisUnknownUnknownJoe Mott
Interview LocationResidence StateBirth Location
Cape Girardeau, MOMissouriHickman, KY
Themes & KeywordsAdditional Tags:
Family, Civil War, Emancipation,First person, dialect, Union Soldiers, 

Davis_L_1

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Rachel Gaines

Rachel Gaines lived enslaved until her early 20’s.  After Emancipation her enslaver hired her to continue to work on his plantation.  This excerpt describes her Emancipation and experiences still living and working in the plantation in the years after.

*Historically-used terms that are offensive, marginalizing and/or disparaging have been removed from the transcripts and replaced with [redacted].  See more information.
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Excerpt:

After freedom was declared the master told all his slaves that they could go wherever they pleased, but if they couldn’t make their own living to come to him and he would help them.  Missus Dickinson kept me there because I was the nurse to their son, Howard, who was sure a wild one. I remember how he would tote out fried chicken, pig meat and other good stuff to us … 

They agreed to pay me $35.00 a year (and keep) and it was given me every Christmas morning. They treated me good, gave me all the clothes and other things I needed, as if I were one of the family.  

Every two weeks the master would send for Jordan McGowan, who was the leader of a string music band. They would get there Friday night early and the slaves would dance in the grape house that night and all day Saturday up to midnite. You don’t have now as good dance music and as much fun as the ole time days had. We always had a big barbecue and watermelon feast every time we had a dance. Never again will there be as good times as we used to have. 

Interviewee 
Formerly enslaved person		Birth Year (Age)Interviewer
WPA Volunteer		Enslaver’s Name
Rachel Gaines1840 (Believes she is 95-100)UnknownDr. Bainbridge Dickerson
Interview LocationResidence StateBirth Location
Nashville, TNTennesseeTodd County, KY
Themes & KeywordsAdditional Tags:
Emancipation,First person, dialect,

Gaines_R_1

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Richard Miller

Richard Miller was the son of an Indian mother and an enslaved father.  In this excerpt he describes his family’s experiences after Emancipation and how his family was separated even after becoming free.
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Excerpt:

Richard Miller was born January 12, 1843 in Danville, Kentucky. 

His mother was an English subject, born in Bombay, India, and was brought into America by a group of people who did not want to be under the English government. They landed in Canada, came on to Detroit, stayed there a short time, then went to Danville, Kentucky. There she married a slave named Miller. They were the parents of five children.

 . . .When slavery was abolished, a group of them started down to the far south, to buy farms, to try for themselves, got as far as Madison County, Kentucky and were told if they went any farther south, they would be made slaves again, not knowing if that was the truth or not, they stayed there, and worked on the Madison County farms for a very small wage. This separated families, and they never heard from each other ever again.

These separations are the cause of so many of the slave race not being able to trace families back for generations, as do the white families.

Interviewee 
Formerly enslaved person		Birth Year (Age)Interviewer
WPA Volunteer		Enslaver’s Name
Richard Miller1843Sarah H. LockeUnknown
Interview LocationResidence StateBirth Location
Marion County, INIndianaDanville, KY
Themes & KeywordsAdditional Tags:
Emancipation, FamilyThird person, separation, 

Miller_R_1

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Richard Miller

Richard Miller was the son of an Indian mother and an enslaved father.  In the following excerpts, he describes two examples of violence.  The first is an example of an enslaved person being burned alive.  The second describes a former enslaved person defending himself after the KKK murdered his wife.
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Excerpt:

He remembers a slave by the name of Brown, in Texas, who was chained hand and feet to a woodpile, oil thrown over him, and the wood, then fire set to the wood, and he was burned to death.

After the fire smoldered down, the white women and children took his ashes for souvenirs.

 . . . George Band was a very powerful slave, always ready to fight, never losing a fight, always able to defend himself until one night a band of Ku Kluxers came to his house, took his wife, hung her to a tree, hacked her to death with knives. Then went to the house, got George, took him to see what they had done to his wife. He asked them to let him go back to the house to get something to wrap his wife in, thinking he was sincere in his request, they allowed him to go. Instead of getting a wrapping for his wife, he got his Winchester rifle, shot and killed fourteen of the Kluxers. The county was never bothered with the Klan again. However, George left immediately for the North.

Interviewee 
Formerly enslaved person		Birth Year (Age)Interviewer
WPA Volunteer		Enslaver’s Name
Richard Miller1843Sarah H. LockeUnknown
Interview LocationResidence StateBirth Location
Marion County, INIndianaDanville, KY
Themes & KeywordsAdditional Tags:
ViolenceThird person, witnessed extreme cruelty, Klan/mob violence

Miller_R_2

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