Interviewer’s Comment

Peggy Sloan’s memory is going.  She is not certain of the number of children her mother had although she knows there were more than seven because she was the seventh.

She remembers nothing about her age, but she knows definitely that all of her mother’s children were born before the War—­that is before the end of the War.  Since the War ended seventy-three years ago and she was the seventh child with possibly seven behind her, I feel that she could not be younger than eighty.  She remembers definitely running at the approach of men she calls pateroles during “slavery time.”

Her mind may be fading, but it is a long way from gone.  She questioned me closely about my reason for getting statements from her.  She had to be definitely satisfied before the story could be gotten.

Interviewer:  Miss Irene Robertson
Person interviewed:  Arzella Smallwood
                    Hazen R.F.D., Green Grove, Arkansas
Age:  60 Doesn’t know exact age

“I was born about eight miles from Williston, South Carolina.  After freedom my mother married Lee Ballinger and she had six children.  He died when I was real small.  My mother was named Hester McCrary.  Old Master McCrary bought grandma and my mother in Virginia.  One sister my mother never did run across after freedom.  She was older and sold to other people.  I think at freedom my mother left and I think grandma did too.  My grandpa was half Indian, but I never did see him to remember what he looked like.  Our young master is a doctor.  He waited on my mother before she died.  Grandma was blind and she lived with us.  Our young master may still be living.  Old mistress was named Sylvania and she sent for my mother to come wait on her when she got sick to die.  I think they had pretty fair treatment there.  My mother was to be a house girl and cook.  I think grandma was a cook and field woman both.

“I heard them say the white folks took them to church to learn to pray, then they didn’t allow them to pray for freedom.  But I don’t think they wanted freedom.  After they was set free they died up so scand’lous.  Grandma said they had to work harder.  My mother brought a good price because she was real light color and sharp to learn.  She had six children and we was all darker than she was a whole lots.  She and grandma was both good on giving advice.  Seem like they could see how things would turn out every time.

“I married a man with a roving nature.  We come here.  He left me, come back for me to look after before he died.  I married again.  I left him.  He told me how I could do five washings a week and take care of us both.  I didn’t aim to do it.  I mighter got some washings but I didn’t aim to keep him.

“I get a little commodities along to help out.  I’m picking berries now twenty-five cents a gallon for the first picking.  Fifteen and twenty cents is the regular prices.