The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1904-10-27
WEDDING AMONG SLAVES.
courtship and Marriage of Plantation
~ Negroes Before the War.


Negroes Before the War.
it was unusual for a negro to take q
wife at home. He would select one on
PLANTATION adjoining; often going
from one to six miles to suit his
fancy. He would marry in a family
where the owner was regarded aseaual
with his master. He was very particu-
lar about the good name Of the white
people with whose servants he would
form matrimonial alliance. 1t was
common for the negro to take patterh
after his white masters as well as IN
other things that pertained to his life.
A courtship was conducted with
great gallantry. Some would termi-
nate In a month, while others would
continue for a whole year or more. The
engagement, after permission was
granted to the marriage by the owners
of both the man and the woman, was
generally not longer than a few weeks.
Generally a slack time in working the
crop was selected, that they might
have a larger holiday, but otherwise
their nuntials were celebrated almost
any Saturday evening, and have Sun
day for the regular reception day at
tend church and show out, The first
sunday after a marriage, the white
people as we'll as the black, would IN
iyariably show out" Many persons
who were not in the habit Of going
to church would attend on show out"
day.
1t was customary to give all the
negroes on the plantation where the
lgirl lived a holiday. They spent 1t in
cleaning up and preparing the supper,
land having everything in readiness for
| the momentous occasion. Late in the
afternoon the bride was dressed In her
i finest apparel, and sat waiting the
coming of her expected husband
when he enthusiastically dressed-he
was ushered into the presence OF his
1 INTENDED, and there awaited the COM
! ing Of the priest. 1t was not quite
dark; blocks sawed off about three feet
Hong, stood on their ends, held the pine
torches that gave bright light over
i the yard. The wedding supper was al.
5lready arranged on the table-and here
=Ilet me say that it would rank with
i what was often seen in the houses O
1.-THE white folk. Presently q con1motior
Twas noticed BY the crowd. the official.
ling priest had come, and Immediately
i the waiting couple marched out OF tn
i humble cabin into the hallway Of TN
i s,big house." Here the marriage cere'
lmony would be performed with all tllt
dignity and solemnity the occasion
4 called for. The vanity of the officiat,
ling parson always induced him 70 pro
Hong the ceremony. and 1t was hedecket
with some rare flowers of rhetoric tina
never failed to provoke smile among
the sable audience.
After congratulations the next moy'
j was supper The supper was given 3!
the master; pig, or mutton, with
few fat hens, constituted the meats
Il with bread and pies and cakes in pro
/ fusion, and coffee. No wine or LIQUORS
Il of any kind would be tolerated. Whei
q the feast was over they would repal
to a room prepared for dancing Tn
fiddle and the banjo were the onl!
f instruments the negro loved, and suci
dancing as followed would put t
8 shame the round dances of the present
The Irish jig was a favorite with tn
q boys and was INDUCED into show tn
Eaetiyity Of the dancer. When tn
! small hours of the night were come
line party would disband for the night
The morrow being Sunday, and
great day for the show out" at churel
{ negroes from a considerable distanc
Z would attend to do honor to the wed
ding party and to crafty their curio
4 sity.
! 1t was seldom that a man was per
mitted to take wife more than ny
miles from his home, when he wa
given per1nit-a pass--to visit he
every Saturday night till Monda,
! morning. and, If from sickness, or an
other reason he was given specia
luermit to visit her frequently. tn
children were trained by their parent
to be respectful and obedient TO thei
! parents and their owners.
The master had too much at stalk
not to take oversight that they wer
! kept In healthy condition. The valu
lof d new born healthy child was con
sidered to be 500. Negro babies wer
seldom sick, and but few died. Wher
: the mother worked out In the crop. tn
cradle was placed under the super
vision Of some one who remained a
: the house, or as have often seen ther
! left, In the care of the mistress Viii
slavery continued I never heard Of tn
LEGALITY OF marriage questioned.
z have known them married by eminer
ministers of the various denomination
|. but most generally by respectabl
! man of their own color, who was
member OF the church. They had h
: authority by law to celebrate a mai
rige, but common consent gave
!, legality. All the churches recognize
! the validity Of such marriages, and
J am sure that it was never thought
:, in any other light.
? 1t was almost an unheard-of thin
> for negro to ask for divorce. In sci
= Ting up estates sometimes-thou
. rarely-negroes had to be sold, bl
o then an effort would be made to bu
v the husband and wife, so as not |
: separate the couple. The parties wei
t always consulted when one Of the
al was sold whether the other par;
e wished to be and sold off together. ri
= master tried to accommodate Them
$ rare instances they appeared to be pc
Ell fectly Indifferent. am speaking
IAl. Il q. 10