Mary Edwards
From:
South Carolina
Project 1885-1
FOLKLORE
Spartanburg Dist. 4
June 16, 1937
Edited by:
Elmer Turnage
STORIES FROM EX-SLAVES
"I was born in the section of Greenwood County called 'the promised
land'. My parents were Henry and Julis Watkins. I married Frank Edwards
when I was young. Our master, Marshall Jordon, was not so mean. He had
lots o' slaves and he give 'em good quarters and plenty to eat. He had
big gardens, lots of hogs and cattle and a big farm. My master had two
children.
"Sometimes dey hunted rabbits, squirrels, possums and doves.
"De master had two overseers, but we never worked at night. We made our
own clothes which we done sometimes late in evening.
"We had no school, and didn't learn to read and write, not 'till freedom
come when a school started there by a Yankee named Backinstore. Later,
our church and Sunday school was in de yard.
"We had cotton pickings, cornshuckings and big suppers. We didn't have
to work on Christmas.
"One of de old-time cures was boiling fever-grass and drinking de tea.
Pokeberry salad was cooked, too. A cure for rheumatism was to carry a
raw potato in the pocket until it dried up.
"I had 11 children and 8 grandchildren.
"I think Abe Lincoln was a great man. Don't know much about Jeff Davis.
Booker Washington is all right.
"I joined church in Flordia, the Methodist church. I was 50 years old. I
joined because they had meetings and my daughter had already joined. I
think all ought to join de church."
=Source:= Mary Edwards (79), Greenwood, S.C.
Interviewed by: G.L. Summer, Newberry, S.C. (6/10/37)
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