Parthena Rollins
From:
Indiana
Federal writers' Project
of the W.P.A.
District #6
Marion County
Anna Pritchett
1200 Kentucky Avenue
FOLKLORE
MRS. PARTHENA ROLLINS
848 Camp Street (Rear)
Mrs. Parthena Rollins was born in Scott County, Kentucky, in 1853, a
slave of Ed Duvalle, who was always very kind to all of his slaves,
never whipping any of the adults, but often whipped the children to
correct them, never beating them. They all had to work, but never
overwork, and always had plenty to eat.
She remembers so many slaves, who were not as fortunate as they were.
Once when the "nigger traders" came through, there was a girl, the
mother of a young baby; the traders wanted the girl, but would not buy
her because she had the child. Her owner took her away, took the baby
from her, and beat it to death right before the mother's eyes, then
brought the girl back to the sale without the baby, and she was bought
immediately.
Her new master was so pleased to get such a strong girl who could work
so well and so fast.
The thoughts of the cruel way of putting her baby to death preyed on her
mind to such an extent, she developed epilepsy. This angered her new
master, and he sent her back to her old master, and forced him to refund
the money he had paid for her.
Another slave had displeased his master for some reason, he was taken to
the barn and killed, and was buried right in the barn. No one knew of
this until they were set free, as the slaves who knew about it were
afraid to tell for fear of the same fate befalling on them.
Parthena also remembers slaves being beaten until their backs were
blistered. The overseers would then open the blisters and sprinkle salt
and pepper in the open blisters, so their backs would smart and hurt all
the more.
Many times, slaves would be beaten to death, thrown into sink holes, and
left for the buzzards to swarm and feast on their bodies.
So many of the slaves she knew were half fed and half clothed, and
treated so cruelly, that it "would make your hair stand on ends."
Interviewer's Comment
Mrs. Rollins is in poor health all broken up with "rheumatiz."
She lives with a daughter and grandson, and said she could hardly talk
of the happenings of the early days, because of the awful things her
folks had to go through
Submitted December 21, 1937
Anatolia, Indiana
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