“No, I don’t care to interfere—I
don’t wish to have anything to do with it.”
White was bloodthirsty, and came back at intervals
during the entire night, where we were working, to
see if he could find Boss. It is quite probable
that White may have long cherished a secret grudge
against Boss, because he had robbed him of his first
love; and, brooding over these offenses, he became
so excited as to be almost insane. Had McGee
returned that night, White would certainly have shot
him. Boss became so uneasy over the situation
that he sent one of his slaves, a foreman, to Panola
county, some seventy-five miles distant, to Mrs. McGee’s
father, to get her brother, a lawyer, to come and
endeavor to effect a settlement. He came, but
all his efforts were unavailing. The men met at
a magistrate’s office, but they came to no understanding.
Our folks became dissatisfied, and did not care to
remain longer in the place, so they began to look
out for other quarters. Boss finally decided to
buy a farm in Bolivar, Miss., and to remove his family
to Memphis, where he secured a fine place, just outside
of the city.
[Illustration: Farmer’s Merchants Bank—Three
Dollar Banknote]
Social and other aspects of
slavery.
* * * *
*
Removal to Memphis, Tennessee.
McGee had decided to build a new house upon the property
which he had purchased at Memphis; and, in August
1850, he sent twenty-five of his slaves to the city,
to make brick for the structure, and I went along as
cook. After the bricks were burned, the work of
clearing the ground for the buildings was commenced.
There were many large and beautiful trees that had
to be taken up and removed; and, when this work was
completed, the excavations for the foundations and
the cellar were undertaken. All of this work
was done by the slaves. The site was a beautiful
one, embracing fourteen acres, situated two miles
southeast from the city, on the Memphis and Charleston
railroad. The road ran in front of the place
and the Boss built a flag-station there, for the accommodation
of himself and his neighbors, which was named McGee
Station.
* * * *
*
A new and splendid house.
The house was one of the most pretentious in that
region, and was a year and a half in building.
It was two stories in height, and built of brick,
the exterior surface being coated with cement and marked
off in blocks, about two feet square, to represent
stone. It was then whitewashed. There was
a veranda in front with six large columns, and, above,
a balcony. On the back there were also a veranda
and a balcony, extending across that end to the servants’
wing. A large hall led from front to rear, on
one side of which were double parlors, and on the
