Former slaves talk about the war: the slave narratives

[Andersonh1]

I've started reading through the slave narratives. This is going to take some time, but there is some information that can be gleaned from them, and if we want words from black men themselves about how they remembered the war, this seems like a good source.

"I well remember when de war came. Old massa had told his folks befo' de war began dat it was comin', so we was ready for it. "Beforehand the master called all the servants he could trust and told them to get together all of the silver and other things of value. Dey did that, he explained and aferward they took the big box of treasures and carried it out in the forest and hid it under the trunk of a tree which was marked. None of the Negroes ever told the Yankees where it was so when the war ended the master had his silver back. Of course the war lef him without some of the things which he used to have but he never suffered.

"Den de war came and we all went to fight the Yankees. I was a body servant to the master, and once a bullet took off his hat. We all thought he was shot but he wasn't, and I was standin' by his side all the time.

"I remember Stonewall Jackson. He was a big man with long whiskers, and very brave. We all fought wid him until his death.

"We wan't beaten, we was starved out! Sometimes we had parched corn to eat and sometimes we didn't have a bite o' nothin', because the Union mens come and tuck all the food for their selves. I can still remember part of my ninety years. I remembers we fought all de way from Virginia and winded up in Manassas Gap.

"When time came for freedom most of us was glad. We liked the Yankees. Dey was good to us. 'You is all now free. You can stay on the plantation or you can go.' We all stayed there until old massa died. Den I worked on de Seaboard Airline when it come to Birmingham. I have been here ever since.

"In all de years since de war I cannot forget old massa. He was good and kind. He never believed in slavery but his money was tied up in slaves and he didn't want to lose all he had.

"I knows I will see him in heaven and even though I have to walk ten miles for a bite of bread I can still be happy to think about the good times we had then. I am a Confederate veteran but my house burned up wid de medals and I don't get a pension. - Interview with Gus Brown —Alexander B. Johnson, Birmingham, Alabama​

 

[MattL]

I've started reading through the slave narratives. This is going to take some time, but there is some information that can be gleaned from them, and if we want words from black men themselves about how they remembered the war, this seems like a good source.

"I well remember when de war came. Old massa had told his folks befo' de war began dat it was comin', so we was ready for it. "Beforehand the master called all the servants he could trust and told them to get together all of the silver and other things of value. Dey did that, he explained and aferward they took the big box of treasures and carried it out in the forest and hid it under the trunk of a tree which was marked. None of the Negroes ever told the Yankees where it was so when the war ended the master had his silver back. Of course the war lef him without some of the things which he used to have but he never suffered.

"Den de war came and we all went to fight the Yankees. I was a body servant to the master, and once a bullet took off his hat. We all thought he was shot but he wasn't, and I was standin' by his side all the time.

"I remember Stonewall Jackson. He was a big man with long whiskers, and very brave. We all fought wid him until his death.

"We wan't beaten, we was starved out! Sometimes we had parched corn to eat and sometimes we didn't have a bite o' nothin', because the Union mens come and tuck all the food for their selves. I can still remember part of my ninety years. I remembers we fought all de way from Virginia and winded up in Manassas Gap.

"When time came for freedom most of us was glad. We liked the Yankees. Dey was good to us. 'You is all now free. You can stay on the plantation or you can go.' We all stayed there until old massa died. Den I worked on de Seaboard Airline when it come to Birmingham. I have been here ever since.

"In all de years since de war I cannot forget old massa. He was good and kind. He never believed in slavery but his money was tied up in slaves and he didn't want to lose all he had.

"I knows I will see him in heaven and even though I have to walk ten miles for a bite of bread I can still be happy to think about the good times we had then. I am a Confederate veteran but my house burned up wid de medals and I don't get a pension. - Interview with Gus Brown —Alexander B. Johnson, Birmingham, Alabama​

Something I've wanted to do for years. I've only looked in brief moments of these. Do you mind others following suit and posting their own findings or would you prefer I create another thread with my own (you won't offend me if you'd prefer to keep this with the context you drive).

 

[Andersonh1]

Something I've wanted to do for years. I've only looked in brief moments of these. Do you mind others following suit and posting their own findings or would you prefer I create another thread with my own (you won't offend me if you'd prefer to keep this with the context you drive).

Please, if you want to post too I think that's great. It'll benefit everyone to share whatever we find.