She also remembers how the slaves would go to some cabin at night for their dances; if one went without a pass, which often they did, they would be beaten severely.

The slaves could hear the overseers, riding toward the cabin.  Those, who had come without a pass, would take the boards up from the floor, get under the cabin floor, and stay there until the overseers had gone.

Interviewer’s Comment

Mrs. Blakeley is very serious and said she felt so sorry for those, who were treated so such worse than any human would treat a beast.

She lives in a very comfortable clean house, and said she was doing “very well.”

Submitted January 24, 1938
Indianapolis, Indiana

Submitted by: 
Robert C. Irvin
District No. 2
Noblesville, Ind.

Slaves in Madison county
Carl Boone
Anderson, Indiana

This is a story of slavery, told by Carl Boone about his father, his mother and himself.  Carl is the last of eighteen children born to Mrs. Stephen Boone, in Marion County, Kentucky, Sept. 15, 1850.  He now resides with his children at 801 West 13th Street, Anderson, Madison County, Indiana.  At the ripe old age of eighty-seven, he still has a keen memory and is able to do a hard day’s work.

Carl Boone was born a free man, fifteen years before the close of the Civil War, his father having gained his freedom from slavery in 1829.  He is a religious man, having missed church service only twice in twenty years.  He was treated well during the time of slavery in the southland, but remembers well, the wrongs done to slaves on neighboring plantations, and in this story he relates some of the horrors which happened at that time.

Like his father, he is also the father of eighteen children, sixteen of whom are still living.  He is grandfather of thirty-seven and great grandfather of one child.  His father was born in the slave state of Maryland, in 1800, and died in 1897.  His mother was born in Marion County, Kentucky, in 1802, and died in 1917, at the age of one hundred and fifteen years.

This story, word by word, is related by Carl Boone as follows:  “My name is Carl Boone, son of Stephen and Rachel Boone, born in Marion County, Kentucky, in 1850.  I am father of eighteen children sixteen are still living and I am grandfather of thirty-seven and great grandfather of one child.  I came with my wife, now deceased, to Indiana, in 1891, and now reside at 801 West 13th street in Anderson, Indiana.  I was born a free man, fifteen years before the close of the Civil War.  All the colored folk on plantations and farms around our plantation were slaves and most of them were terribly mistreated by their masters.

After coming to Indiana, I farmed for a few years, then moved to Anderson.  I became connected with the Colored Catholic Church and have tried to live a Christian life.  I have only missed church service twice in twenty years.  I lost my dear wife thirteen years ago and I now live with my son.