George Key
From:
Arkansas
Interviewer: Miss Irene Robertson
Person interviewed: George Key,
Forrest City, Arkansas
Age: 70 plus
"I was born in Fayette County, Tennessee. My mother was Henrietta
Hair. She was owned by David Hair. He had a gang of children. I was
her only child. She married just after the surrender she said. She
married Henry Key.
"One thing I can tell you she told me so often. The Yankees come by
and called her out of the cabin at the quarters. She was a brown girl.
They was going out on a scout trip--to hunt and ravage over the
country. They told her to get up her clothes, they would be by for
her. She was grandma's and grandpa's owners' nurse girl. She told them
and they sent her on to tell the white folks. They sent her clear off.
She didn't want to leave. She said her master was plumb good to her
and them all. They kept her hid out. The Yankees come slipping back to
tole her off. They couldn't find her nowhere. They didn't ax about
her. They was stealing her for a cook she thought. She couldn't cook
to do no good she said. She wasn't married for a long time after then.
She said she was scared nearly to death till they took her off and hid
her.
"I have voted but not for a long time. I'm too old to get about and
keep too sick to go to the polls to vote. I got high blood pressure.
"Times is fair. If I was a young man I would go to work. I can't
grumble. Folks mighty nice to me. I keeps in line with my kin folks
and men my age.
"The young age folks don't understand me and I don't know their ways
neither. They may be all right, but I don't know."
Next:
Lucy Key
Previous:
W Kerns
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