Mary Crosby
From:
More Arkansas
Interviewer: Mrs. Bernice Bowden
Person interviewed: Mary Crosby
1216 Oak Street, Pine Bluff, Arkansas
Age: 76
"Good morning. I don't know anybody 'round here that was born in slavery
times 'cept me. I don't know exactly when I was born in Georgia but I
can remember my mama said her old master, Mat Fields, sent my father and
all the other men folks to Arkansas the second year of the war. After
the war, I remember there was a colored man named Mose come from
Mississippi to Georgia and told the colored folks they could shake money
off the trees in Mississippi. Of course they was just ignorant as cattle
and they believed him. I know I thought what a good time I would have. I
can remember seeing old master crying cause his colored folks all
leaving, but Mose emigrated all of us to Mississippi.
"He kept emigrating folks over there till he like to got killed. The
white people give him a stayaway and told him not to come back, but he
sure did get some colored folks out of Georgia.
"I 'member they said the war was to free the niggers. They called it the
Civil War. I never did know why they called it that. I can't 'member
things like I used to.
"My mother's old master's granddaughter, Miss Anne, had a baby that was
six months old when I was born and mama said old master come in and tell
Miss Ann, 'I've got a new little nigger for Mary Lou.' He said he was
goin' to give her ten and that I was her first little nigger. When we
was both grown Mary Lou used to write to me once a year and say 'I claim
you yet, Mary.'
"I 'member when Garfield was shot. That was the first time I ever heard
of gangrene.
"Yes'm I have worked hard all my life. When I was in Mississippi I used
to make as much as ten dollars a week washin' and ironin'. But I'm not
able to work now. The Welfare helps me some."
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Isaac Crawford
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