Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1909-08-27


Yes. sab, | was a slave. was
bohn of slave. My mother married
a Cherokee Indian" said Joe Storey, q
fireman on a Diamond 10 steamer.
MY father worked on the plantation
for my master and got pay. The chill
lun would be slaves, the property of
the owner of my mother. Yes, sab!
If my father had been slave and my
mother free, the chillun would have
been slaves and the property OF my
master, just the same.
II took after my mother, 'ceptin in
color. My color Is more Indian than
negro. Ny mother was coal black, but
full blood Ny hair, you see, 10 curly
like the negro and my nose Is fiat
But my mustache is nearly straight.
My sisters hair was straight like
my fathers Her nose was thin and
bent like an Indians; lips thin like
yours and skin like an Indian. was
born in jefferson county, Ga. No, I
CANT read nor write. l am 81 years
old was a Christmas gift to my
mother and she was glad.
My marsters name was Anthony
Storey. He had 800 slaves and never
whipped a one nor sold q one.
Just before the surrender, my
marster died. Then there was a
ohange-the niggers run away and
the missus left the plantation to Tom
Morrison, the boss, to run. And he
did run it. too All the men skun out
and left the plantation for the boys
and women 10 work.
Il was 10 years old then. The boss
sent me to chop wood once. I struck
the axe into pine knot and broke a
piece out'n the bit I didn't mean to
and was sorry, but the boss said l
done it to get out'n de work, den he
struck me. Then he sent me to beat
tan bark, and the boss boy, just my
age, slapped me-and den whipped
him good.
Then the boss told the mtsgus that
was bad, unruly nigger and ought
to be sold out from the rest Of them.
So was sold on the block for 81 400
to Tom Morrison, the boss. He told
me that he bought me SOS he could
whip me, and he did. He tied me be
tween two trees, my arms stretched
out. Den he tied knots In the black
snake cracker and showed 1t to me.
He whipped me widout no clothes on.
Yes, he did whip me; see dem marks
on my back, my legs and hips? You
can feel them with your fingers.
my God! The Indian came up in
me, 90 l couldn't cry. And den |
wanted revenge.
Den he sent me- down to my moth
er and listened to her and run away.
She dressed my sores and give me
ointment and bundle. kissed her
and my sister good-by and started for
Marster Lincoln's soldiers.
-Four days and nights laid in the
thicket, sick Then I travelled nights
l met up with three or four other
men.
Then I met up with rebel soldiers
and they said, Wah you goin', mig
ger?' And I said, I'm looking for my
marster's COW and boss, and I heard
a bell over in de woods I was 30
miles from home them. They said,
Well, yo get home befo' dark. or the
Yankee soldiers will git you. Lawd!
They didn't know how bad I wanted
them to get me. Then we found more
men until there was IL of u.s.
I'VE lived off cornf1elds and sweet
potato patches, raw. Couldn't have
fire nights, on count O. de light;
nor days for de smoke.
Then we travelled night. When
we come to de High Tower Or Chat
tahoockee River, some Of de men
couldn't swim But me and another
could and we swan across and tore
down a muscadine vine and tied it
to log and swan across and ferried
'em across, one by one.
THE next day we could hear the
guns at Atlanta, all day long. We
didn't sleep, just listened and re-
1oicted quiet to ourselves Couldn t
make no noise, Just sort O laughed
to ourselves, cause we could hear
the Yankee guns. Sound like Abe
Lincoln was in de clouds. We sholy
expected to see him any minute and
was afraid we wouldn't de next
Towards evening again, bein' a
boy, dey sent me to hunt for my mas
ter's COW, and l run onto a blue
belly He hollered, Halt, and skeered
me most to death. He said, Where
you going, boy?' Not Niger like
the Southern man.
Il told him / was looking for my
marster's COW.
He laughed and said: Come here
and get some supper And he gave
ME a streak-o'-lean and streak-o'-
fat between two crackers and cup O.
coffee, and | sholy knowed I was in
heaven.
He said, Kin you cook?' ] said
could. cause sholy thought l
couId do ANYTHING then put I didn't