de women better
not have nuthin to do wid udder men. De chillun wus looked atter by de
ole slave women who were unable to work in de fields while de mothers
of de babies worked. De women plowed an done udder work as de men did.
No books or larnin' of any kind wus allowed.

"One mornin' de dogs begun to bark an' in a few minutes the plantation
wus kivered wid Yankees. Dey tole us we wus free. Dey axed me whur
marster's things wus hid. I tole 'em I could not give up marster's
things. Dey tole me I had no marster dat dey had fighted four years to
free us an' dat marster would not whup me no more. Marster sent to de
fields an' had all de slaves to come home. He told me to tell 'em not
to run but to fly to de house at once. All plow hands an' women come
running home. De Yankees tole all of 'em dey wus free.

"Marster offered some of de Yankees sumtin to eat in his house but dey
would not eat cooked food, dey said dey wanted to cook dere own food.

"I saw slaves sold in slavery time. I saw 'em whupped an many ran away.
Some never come back. When we wus sick we took lots of erbs an roots. I
married Roberta Edwards fifty-one years ago. We had six sons and three
daughters. Atter the war I farmed around from one plantation to
another. I have never owned a home of my own. When I got too ole to
work I come an' lived wid my married daughter in Raleigh. I been here
four years. I think slavery wus a mighty bad thing, though it's been no
bed of roses since, but den no one could whup me no mo."

LE

N.C. District: No. 2
Worker: T. Pat Matthews
No. Words: 1060
Subject: ROBERTA MANSON
Person Interviewed: Roberta Manson
Editor: G.L. Andrews

ROBERTA MANSON

317 N. Haywood Street, Raleigh, N.C. Age 74.

"I wus borned de second year of de war an' de mos' I know 'bout slavery
wus tole to me by other colored folks. My marster wus Weldon Edwards
and my missus wus Missus Lucy. The plantation wus in Warren County near
Ridgeway. My father wus named Lanis Edwards and my mother wus named
Ellen Edwards. They both 'longed to Weldon Edwards. Father and mother
said he wus mighty rough to 'em. I heard my mother say dat marster
whupped father so bad dat she had to grease his back to git his shirt
off.

"Marster allowed de overseers to whup de slaves. De overseers wus named
Caesar Norfeir, Jim Trissel, and David Porter.

"Dere wus a ole man dere by de name of Harris