ey broke in our do' and got him. I kivvered up my
head and did not make narry a sound. Dat's all dat I can recollect now."

Source: Alice Duke (72), 401 Woods St., Gaffney, S. C.
Interviewer: Caldwell Sims, Union, S. C. 9/16/37

Project, 1885-(1)
Prepared by Annie Ruth Davis
Place, Marion, S. C.
Date, June 9, 1937

AUNT SILVA DURANT
Ex-Slave

"I don' know 'xactly when I wuz born but I hear my white folks say dat I
wuz born de fust (first) year uv freedom. I I c'n tell yuh dis much dat
I wuz uh grown 'oman when de shake wuz. Aw de older peoples wuz at de
chu'ch en ha' left us home to take care uv aw dem little chillun. Fust
t'ing we is know de house 'gin to quiver lak. We ne'er know wha' been to
matter en den de house 'gin to rock en rock en rock. We wuz so scare we
run outer in de yard en eve't'ing outer dere wuz jes uh shaking jes lak
de house wuz. We ne'er know wha' to do. Den we heared de peoples comin'
from de chu'ch jes uh runnin' en uh hollerin'. Didn't nobody know wha'
make dat. I tellin yuh jes lak dat wuz, de jedgment ain' ne'er been no
closer come heah den when dat shake was."

"My mudder wuz name Clorrie en she b'long to Miss Millie Gasque up de
road dere. I born in Miss Millie yard en I stay dere till I wuz six year
old. My pa say I wuz six year old. He been ole man Vidger Hanes en
b'long to Mr. Wesley White o'er dere 'bout laughin 'fore freedom 'clare.
A'ter dat we move on de hill en my pa hire me dere to Colonel Durant to
wash dishes en help 'bout de kitchen. Den dey put me to do de washin' en
I been uh washin' en uh washin' mos' e'er since. Dats de way I done till
I ge' so I ne'er couldn't make it en den I hadder quit offen. Dat how
come I hab aw dese pretty flowers. Miss Durant gi'e me aw dem dahlia
wha' yuh see in dat yard right dere. Dat how I ge' wha' little bit uv
money I hab dese day en time. Dem white folks up dere in town comes down
heah en begs em from me."

"Dey tell me some uv de peoples ge' 'long good en den some uv dem ge'
'long bad back dere in slavery day. Don' care how good peoples is dere
sho' be uh odd'un de crowd some uv de time. Dey say some uv de colored
peoples'ud run 'way from dey Massa en hide in de woods. Den dey slip
back to de plantation in de night en ge' green corn outer de white folks
field en carry em back in de woods en cook em dere. I hear Tom Bostick
tell 'bout when he run 'way one time. Say he use'er run 'way en hide in
de woods a