Harrison Boyd

Harrison Boyd , of Harrison County, was born in 1850 in Rusk County,nearHenderson and belonged to Wash Trammel . He continued to work for the Trammels until four years after emancipation, at which time he moved to Harrison County where he has continued to reside until the present time. His entire life since reaching manhood has been spent in the employ of the Texas and Pacific Railroad Company, except a few years shortly after he left his parents. This time was spent as a day laborer on the farm. "I was fifteen years old when they said we was free. That's the age my old Mistress give me when the war ceased. She had all the ages of her Niggers down in a book. I was bo'n in Rusk County, twelve miles north of Henderson, and belonged to Wash Trammel . My Master brought my mother, father, oldest sister and mother's mother and father with him from Alabama. Mother was named Juillette and my father was named Amos . My mother's mother was named Jenette and her husband was named Josh . My grandparents say they was treated right by their old Master and Mistress. My Master treated his slaves allright to. We never suffered for eats and clothes. Master Trammel had a big plantation. It was two made into one. He had more than a hundred slaves. He lived in a hewed log house, weather-boarded on the outside and the inside. The qua'ters was good log houses with bed railings hewed out of logs. He raised everything we used 'cept sugar and he bought that in big hogsheads. (barrels) We allus had plenty of greens, collards, meat, corn, flour meal, taters (potatoes) and milk by the barrels. We got our week's rations of vitals every Sunday. When we went to eat, everyones part was put out to them on a tin plate.  Master Wash allus give a big co'n-shucking every fall. He had two bottom fields in co'n. First we gathered the peas, cushaws and pumpkins out of the co'n field, then we gather the co'n and haul in and pile it in front of the cribs. There was two big cribs next to the big road for co'n we used on the place. There was five cribs for sale co'n. I had a uncle that stayed in the "sale co'n" cribs all spring till ginning time. White fo'ks come for miles after co'n. Master had five wheat cribs and one rye crib. We went ten miles to Tatum to have our meal and flour ground. Master Wash didn't allow nobody's Niggers on his place cept his brother's and sister's Niggers. They allus had a pass to come over to our place. Master tell his neighbors, "I'll Pattyroller my own place and don't need no help". The Pattyrollers darsn't come about his place or bother his Niggers. My white fo'ks didn't allow his overseer to mistreat his slaves. Once a overseer jumped on a woman, Mary, in the field and beat her up for a trifle. That night when the hands come in Master Wash fired him and made him leave the place without any supper. I never worked a day in the field for Master Trammel , but allus stayed round the house. I cleaned yards, odd-jobs and went places for Mistress. I never learned to read or write and only went to church once or twice a year fore surrender. I'se heard preachers read the Bible some fore they set us free.  I'se seed the soldiers that fought in the war. They 'fiscated (confiscated) a lot of co'n from my Master and some more of the owners there in Rusk County piled it up in a big heap and made me go and mind it till the rest of the soldiers got there. I remember I was setting on top of the co'n pile minding the co'n, me and my big bull dog, and the General rode up. My dog growled and I made him hush. The General man said to me, "Boy, you is 'scused' (excused) now, go on home". I left and got out to a fence and looked back. The General was hewing him a hoss (horse) trough out of a log. Then the soldiers began to come in droves and set up a camp. I set on a stump and watch them pass. They stayed there three or four days till the co'n was fed up. While they was camped the soldiers would catch chickens. They had a fishing pole, line and hook. They put a grain of co'n on the hook and ride along on a horse and pitch the hook out among the chickens. When they swallowed the co'n they jerked up the line with the chicken and rode off. I told Mistress 'bout them catching her chickens. She told me to go run them in the barn, but they was so many I couldn't get 'em all in. I seed the soldiers when they broke camp and left for Shreveport. Four of the colored men on our place went to the war with my Master's brothers to wait on them. Master had 600 bales of cotton in the Shreveport warehouse when the war was over. He got word that the Yankees had took it and left with it on a boat. He got his brother to take him to Shreveport. He say when he left, "I'll follow that cotton to Hell and back". He followed his cotton to Alabama and got it back, but he died and was buried there in Alabama 'fore Mistress knowed it. I stayed with Master Trammel four years after surrender and moved with the fo'ks to Harrison County and went to farming. I was twenty-five or more years old 'fore I left the fo'ks. I hired out on the farm for $10,00 to $12.00 a month. Then I went to railroading, helping cut the right-of-way for the T. & P Railroad from Marshall to Longview. They paid us $1.50 a day and give us three drinks of whiskey a day. I'se been married four times, but only raised one child.  I'se voted twice in my life. When I first come to Harrison County I set on the jury. But they won't allow that now, or let us vote either. I think that is wrong. I don't know what to say 'bout the young set of Negroes. It has got to the place where you can't have church or gatherings like it ought to be carried on. I live by myself and don't meddle with their doings. The Government gives me $11.00 a month and that feeds me.

Harrison Boyd , 87, was born in Rusk County, Texas, a slave of Wash Tranmel . Boyd remained with his master for four years after emancipation, then moved to Harrison County, where he now lives. His memory is poor, but he managed to recall a few incidents. "I was fifteen years when they says we're free. That's the age my Old Missy done give as when the war stopped. She had all us niggers' ages in a book, and told as I was born near Headerson. My Old Marse was Wash Tranmel and he brunged as and my name and papa from Alabama. MaMa was named Juliet and papa Amos . Marse Tranmel owned my grandpa and grandpa, too, and they was named Jeanette and Joah .  "The plantation was two made into one, and plenty big, and more's a hundred slaves to work it. Marze lived is a big log house, weather boarded out and in, and the quarters was good, log houses with bed railin's sawed out of legs. We raised everything we et, cept sugar, and Marse bought that in big hogsheads. It got our week's rations every Sunday, and when we went to eat, everybody's part was put out to them on a tin plate.  "Marse Tranmel give a big cornshucking every fall. He had two bottom fields in corn. First we'd gather pens and cushavs and pumpkins out the corn field, then get the corn and pile it front the cribs. They was two big cribs for the corn we kep' to use and five big cribs for sale corn. My uncle stayed round the sale corn cribs all spring, till ginnin' time, 'cause folks cose for miles after corn. Marse had five wheat cribs and one rye crib. We went ten mile to Watum to git our meal and flour ground. "The patterrollers daren't come 'bout our place or bother us niggers. Marse Wesh allus say, 'I'll patterroller my own place.' Marse was good to us and only once a overseer beat a woman up a trifle, and Marse Tranmel fired him that same day.  "The sojers 'fiscated lots of corn from Marse and some more owners in Pusk County piled corn up in a big heap and made me go mind it till the rest the sojers got there. I was settin' top that corn pile, me and my big bulldog, and the General rode up. My dog growled and I made him hush. The General man say to me, 'Boy, you is 'scused now, go on home.' I got to a fence and looked back, and that General was hewin' him a hoss trough out a log. The sojers come in droves and set up they camp. I got on a stump and watched them pass. They stayed three, four days till the corn was all fed up.  "While they's camped there they'd cotch chickens. They had a fishin' pole and line and hook. They'd put a grain of corn on the hook and ride on they hoss and pitch the hook out 'mong the chickens. Then a chicken swallowed the corn they'd jerk up the line with that chicken and ride off.  "Marse had six hundred bales cotton in the Sareveport warehouse when was was over. He got word them Yankees done take it on a boat. He got his brother to take him to Shreveport and say. 'I'll follow that cotton to Hell and back.' He followed his cotton to Alabama and got it back, but he died and was buried there in Alabama 'fore Old Missy knowed it  

 "I stayed with her four years after surrender and then went to farmin' with my folks, for $10.00 a month. After a year or two I went to railroadin', helping cat the right-of-way for the T. & P. Railroad, from Marshall to Longview. They paid us $1.50 the day and three drinks of whiskey a day. "I marries four times but had only one child, but I never done nothin' 'citin'. I lives by myself now, and gits $11.00 pension to eat on.