Millie Johnson
From:
Arkansas
Interviewer: Pernella M. Anderson
Person interviewed: Millie Johnson (Old Bill)
El Dorado, Arkansas
Age: ?
"I was born in Caledonia, Arkansas but I don't know when. I just can't
tell you nothing hardly about when I was a child because my mind goes
and comes. I was a slave and my white folks were good to me. They let
me play and have a good time just like their children did.
"After I got grown I run around terrible. My husband quit me a long
time ago. The white folks let me have my way. They said I was mean and
if my husband fooled with me, told me to shoot him. I am going back
home to Caledonia when I get a chance. My sister's boy brought me up
here; Mack Ford is his name.
"A long time ago--I don't know how long it's been--I came out of the
back door something hung their teeth in my ankle. I hollered and
looked down and it was a big old rattlesnake. I cried to my sister to
get him off of me. She was scared, so all I knew to do was run, jump
and holler. I ran about--oh, I don't know how far--with the snake
hanging to my ankle. The snake would not let me go, and it wasn't but
one thing for me to do and that was stop and pull the snake off of me.
I stopped and began pulling. I pulled and pulled and pulled and
pulled. The snake would not let me go. I began pulling again. After
awhile I got it off. When I pulled the snake away the snake brought
his mouth full of my meat. You talk about hurting, that like to have
killed me. That place stayed sore for twenty years before it healed
up. After it had been healed a couple years I then scratched the
place on a bob wire that inflamed it. That has been about 25 or 30
years ago and it's been sore ever since. Lord, I sure have been
suffering too. As soon as it gets well I am going back to Caledonia. I
am praying for God to let me live to get back home. Mack Ford is the
cause of me being up here.
"I was born in slavery time way before the War. My name is Millie
Johnson but they call me Bill."
Next:
Rosie Johnson
Previous:
Martha Johnson
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