r: Caldwell Sims, Union, S. C.

Project 1885-1
District #4
Spartanburg, S. C.
May 31, 1937

FOLKLORE: EX-SLAVES

"I was born about 1857 and my wife about 1859. I lived on Squire
Keller's farm, near the Parr place, and after the squire died I belonged
to Mrs. Elizabeth (Wright) Keller. My mother died when I was a boy and
my father was bought and carried to Alabama. My father was Gilliam
Coleman and my mother, Emoline Wright. My master and mistress was good
to me. The old Squire was as fine a man as ever lived on earth. He took
me in his home and took care of me. After the war the mistress stayed on
the place and worked the slaves right on, giving them wages or shares.

"The slaves were not whipped much; I 'member one man was whipped pretty
bad on Maj. Kinard's place. He had a colored man to do whipping for
him--his name was Eph. There was no whiskey on the place, never made
any. Us did cooking in the kitchen wid wide fireplaces.

"When the Yankees came through at the end of the war, they took all the
stock we had. The mistress had a fine horse, its tail touching the
ground, and we all cried when it was taken; but we got it back, as some
men went after it.

"I married in 1874 to Ellen T. Williams. She belonged to Bill Reagan.
After I married I worked in the railroad shops at "Helena", and
sometimes I fired the engine on the road, for about eight years. Then I
went into the ministry. I was called by the Spirit of the Lord,
gradually, and I preached 51 years. I have been superannuated two years.

"I have one child, a son, who is in the pullman service at Washington,
D. C.

"I owned my little house and several acres and am still living on it."

Source: Rev. Tuff Coleman and wife (80 and 78), Newberry, S. C.
Interviewer: G. Leland Summer, Newberry, S. C.

Code No.
Project, 1885-(1)
Prepared by Annie Ruth Davis
Place, Marion, S. C.
Date, May 27, 1937
No. Words ----
Reduced from ---- words
Rewritten by ----

MOM LOUISA COLLIER
Ex-Slave, 78 years.

"I born en raise up dere in Colonel Durant yard en I in my 78th year
now. Dat seem lak I ole, don' it? Coase Colonel Durant hab plenty udder
colored peoples 'sides us, but dey ne'er lib dere in de yard lak we. Dey
lib up in de quarters on de plantation. My pappy name Ben Thompson en he
hadder stay dere close to de big house cause he wus de Colonel driver.
De Colonel hab uh big ole carriage wha' to ride in den. It