“Yes’m it was all mighty bad, but plenty good things done happen in Mer-ree-dian, too.  I’se seen dis town grow frum nothin’.  When us come here ‘fore de War, dey was hitchin’ dey horses to little oak bushes right in de middle o’ town where de bigges’ stores is now.  I was a grown girl by den an’ could make horsemint tea for chills an’ mullen leaves for fever good as anybody; an’ horehound tea for colds, bitter as gall.  I jus’ now caught up how to cook an’ sew.

“I married when I was nineteen years old.  I had nine chillun an’ five of ‘em’s still livin’.  Dey looks after me right nice, too.  My son in Chicago gimme dis house an’ I lives here by myse’f.  I keeps it nice an’ clean jus’ lak I learnt how to do frum de white folks where I used to work.  I aint never work for no common folks.  I tries to live lak a Christian an’ do jus’ lak Old Mistis say.  Den when I die I can go to Heaven.”

Mississippi Federal Writers
Slave Autobiographies
Smith Hodges, Ex-Slave, Pike County
FEC
Mrs. W.F.  Holmes

[FANNY SMITH HODGES Berglundtown, Mississippi]

Fanny Smith Hodges lives in Berglundtown, in the northern part of town, in the only Negro settlement within the corporate limits of McComb.

“My name’s Fanny Hodges.  I was Fanny Smith befo’ I was mar’ied.  My mammy was Jane Weathersby, an’ she b’long ter old man Weathersby in Amite County.  He was de meanes’ man what ever lived.  My pappy was sol’ befo’ I was born.  I doan know nothin’ ’bout him.  I had one sister—­her name was Clara—­and one brudder—­his name was Jack.  Dey said my pappy’s name was George.  I doan know.

“Mammy said when I was jes big ‘nough to nuss an’ wash leetle chulluns, I was sol’ to Marse Hiram Cassedy an’ dat man give me ter his darter, Miss Mary, to be her maid.  De Cassedys sho’ was good people.  I was big ‘nough to draw water, an’ put it in a tub an’ wash Miss Mary, Miss Annie, an’ Miss July.  I had to keep ’em clean.  I had to comb dey hair an’ dey would holler an’ say I pulled.  I was tol’ not to let anything hurt dem chulluns.

“I slep’ in de Quarters wid de other niggers.  Befo’ sunup I had to git to de Big House ter dress dem chulluns.  I doan’ member whut kind of bed I had, but reckin’ it was good.  I et in de kitchen.  Dey fed fine.  I et whut de white folks lef’, an’ sometimes dey had ‘possum an’ taters.  Dey was good.

“Marse Cassedy was a big Judge.  He went to all de cou’ts, an’ rode in a fine carri’ge with two big horses hitched ter it, an’ a driver.  He wore fine clo’es an’ ever’body said he was a mighty big man.  He had lots an’ lots of money.  I doan know how many acres in his plantation, but he had more’n 50 slaves.

“When Marse Cassedy was gone, his oberseer would be hard on de slaves, but Marse Cassedy would tell him not to be too hard.  He never ’lowed his driver to draw de blood when dey whupped.  He fed his slaves.  Dey all had gardens and he tuk care of us.  He had money in every one of us.  De oberseers was white men workin’ fer wages.