dom)
Murrells Inlet, S. C.

Project #1655
W. W. Dixon
Winnsboro, S. C.

SAVILLA BURRELL, EX-SLAVE, 83 YEARS

"Our preacher, Beaty, told me that you wanted to see me today. I walked
three miles dis mornin' before the sun gits hot to dis house. Dis house
is my grand daughter's house. Willie Caldwell, her husband, work down to
de cotton mill. Him make good money and take good care of her, bless the
Lord, I say."

"My Marster in slavery time was Captain Tom Still. He had big plantation
down dere on Jackson Crick. My Mistress name was Mary Ann, though she
wasn't his fust wife--jest a second wife, and a widow when she
captivated him. You know widows is like dat anyhow, 'cause day done had
'sperience wid mens and wraps dem 'round their little finger and git dem
under their thumb 'fore the mens knows what gwine on. Young gals have a
poor chance against a young widow like Miss Mary Ann was. Her had her
troubles with Marse Tom after her git him, I tell you, but maybe best
not to tell dat right now anyways."

"Marse Tom had four chillun by his fust wife, dey was John, Sam,
Henretta and I can't 'member de name of the other one; least right now.
Dey teached me to call chillun three years old, young Marse and say
Missie. Dey whip you if dey ever hear you say old Marse or old Missie.
Dat riled dem."

"My pappy name Sam. My mother name Mary. My pappy did not live on the
same place as mother. He was a slave of de Hamiltons, and he got a pass
sometimes to come and be with her; not often. Grandmammy name Ester and
she belonged to our Marse Tom Still, too."

"Us lived in a log cabin wid a stick chimney. One time de sticks got
afire and burnt a big hole in de back of de chimney in cold winter time
wid the wind blowing, and dat house was filled wid fire-sparks, ashes,
and smoke for weeks 'fore dey tore dat chimney down and built another
jest like the old one. De bed was nailed to de side of de walls. How
many rooms? Jest one room."

"Never seen any money. How many slaves? So many you couldn't count dem.
Dere was plenty to eat sich as it was, but in the summer time before us
git dere to eat de flies would be all over de food and some was swimmin'
in de gravy and milk pots. Marse laugh 'bout dat, and say, it made us
fat."

"Dey sell one of mother's chillun once, and when she take on and cry
'bout it, Marse say, 'stop dat sniffin' dere if you don't want to git a
whippin'.' She grieve and cry at night 'bout it. Cl