Gus Bradshaw

Gus Bradshaw was born about 1845, at Keecheye, Alabama, a slave of David Cavin . He recalls being brought to Texas in the 1850's, when the Cavin family settled near old Port Caddo. Gus remained with his master for ten years after emancipation. He now lives alone on a fifty acre farm seven miles northeast of Marshall, which he bought in 1877. Gus receives an $11.00 per month pension. "I was born at Keecheye, Alabama, and belonged to old man David Cavin . The only statement I can make 'bout my age is I knows I was 'bout twenty years old when us slaves was freed. I never knowed my daddy, but my mammy was Amelia Cavin . I's heard her say she's born in Alabama more times than I got fingers and toes. Our old master brung us to Texas when I's a good sized kid. I 'members like it am yesterday, how we camped more'n a week in New Orleans. I seed 'am sell niggers off the block there jus' like they was cattle. Then we came to old Port Caddo on Caddo Lake and master settles a big farm close to where the boats run. Port Caddo was a big shipping place then, and Dud and John Perry run the first store there. The folks hauled cotton there from miles away. "Mammy's folks was named Maria and Joe Gloster and they come to Texas with the Cavins . My grandma say to me, 'Gus , don't run you mouth too much and allus have manners to whites and blacks.' Chillen was raise right then, but now they come up any way. I seed young niggers turn the dipper up and drink 'fore old folks. I wouldn't dare do that when I's comin' up. "Maria say to me one day, 'Son, I's here when the stars fell.' She tell me they fell like a sheet and spread over the ground. Ike Hood, the old blacksmith on our place, he told me, too. I says, 'Ike, how old was you when the stars fell?' He say, 'I's thirty-two.' "Massa David had big quarters for us niggers, with chimneys and fire places. They use to go round and pick up old hawg or cow bones to bile-with greens and cabbage. They was plenty of wild game, and deer and wolves howlin' right through this country, but you can't even find the track of one now. "The first work I done was pickin' cotton. Every fellow was out at day-light pickin' cotton or hoein' or plowin'. They was one overseer and two nigger drivers. But at night you could hear us laughin' and talkin' and singin' and pray in', and hear then fiddles and things playin'. It look like darkies git 'long more better then than now. Some folks says niggers oughtn't to be slaves, but I says they ought, 'cause they jus' won't do right unless they is made to do it."Massa David allus give us eggnog and plenty good whiskey at Christmas. We had all day to eat and drink and sing and dance. We didn't git no presents, but we had a good time.  "I don't know much 'bout the war, only Massa Bob Perry come over one day and say to Grandma Maria . 'They is surrender, Maria , you is free.' She say to him. 'I don't care, I gwine stay with my white folks.' "The Klu Klux done lots of cuttin' up round there. Two of 'em come to Dr. Taylor's house. He had two niggers what run off from the Klux and they want to whip 'em, but Dr. Taylor wouldn't 'low 'em. I knowed old Col. Alford , one of the Klux leaders, and he was a sight. He told me once, 'Gus , they done send me to the pen for Kluxing.' I say, 'Massa Alford , didn't they make a gentleman of you?' He say, 'Hell, no!' "I knowed old Col. Eaggerdy , too. He marries a widow of a rich old Indian chief, name McIntosh . He broke a treaty with his people and had to hide out is a cave a long time, and his wife brung food to him. One time when she went to the cave he was come. She knowed then the Indian done git him and kilt him for vi'latin' the treaty. So she marries old Col. Maggerdy . "The only time I votes was against whiskey. I voted for it. Some white folks done say they'd whip no if I voted for it. but Mr. Joe Strickland done told me they jus' tryin' scare me, so I voted for it. I don't think niggers ought to vote. If some niggers had things in hand 'stead of white folks. I couldn't stay here. These eddicated niggers am causin' the devilment. The young niggers ain't got no 'spect for old age. "I bought and paid for fifty acres land here in Barrison County and I has lived on it sixty years. I lived with my wife fifty years 'fore she died and done raise two chillen. These young niggers don't stay married fifty days, sometimes. I don't mess with 'em, but if I needs help I goes to the white folks. If you 'have youself, they allus help you if you needs it.

 Gus Bradshaw , an aged Negro farmer of Harrison County, was born about 1845 at Keecheye, Alabama, as a slave of David Cavin . He recalls being brought to Texas as a young boy, by the Cavins in the early 1850's, who settled near old Port Caddo, on Caddo Lake, which was the head of navigation at that time. Gus remained with the Cavins until about ten years after Emancipation. With the exception of two years in Jefferson, his entire life since Emancipation had been devoted to farming in Harrison County. He now lives alone on a fifty acre farm, seven miles northeast of Marshall on the old Port Caddo Road, which he purchased in 1877. Gus now receives a $11.00 per month pension. "I was bo'n at Keecheye, Alabama, and belonged to old man David Cavin . The only statement I can make of my age is that I knows I was 'bout twenty years old when the slaves was freed. I never knowed my daddy, but my mother was Amelia Cavin . I'se heard her say she was bo'n in Alabama more times that I got fingers and toes. Our old Master brought us to Texas when I was a good sized kid. I 'members that like it was yesterday. We camped more than a week at New Orleans. I seed them sell Niggers off the block there just like they was cattle. Then we come on to old Port Caddo on Caddo Lake, and Master settled a big farm there close to where the boats run. Port Caddo was a big shipping place. Dud and John Perry run the first store there. The owners hauled cotton there from miles away in wagons. I 'members my mother's father and mother. They was named Mariah and Joe Gloster . Both of them come to Texas with the Cavins . My grandma Mariah teached us chil'ren how to behave. She say to me, "Gus , you is my grandson, don't run your mouth too much, and allus have manners with both white and black". Chil'ren was raised right then, but now they come up anyway. I'se seed young Niggers turn a dipper up and drink before old folks. I wouldn't dare do that when I was coming up. Mariah say to me one day, "Son, I was here when the stars fell". I ask her, "Grandma, what did it do, set the world afire?" "No", she said, "they just fell like a sheet and spread over the ground". Ike Hood , an old blacksmith on the place, he told me about it too. He said they stayed on the ground 'bout a half hour. I askt (asked) him, "Ike , how old was you when the stars fell?" He say, "I was thirty-two". I told him, "Good Lord, you musta been here when Noah built his ark". I shouldn't said it but I did. Master David had big "quarters" for the darkies. They was log houses with dirt floor and a chimney and fire place. My mother told me that they use to go round and pick up old hog or cow bones to bile with greens and cabbage. There was plenty of wild game. I'se seed plenty of deer and heard plenty of wolves howling right through this country, but you can't even find the track of one now. The first work I done was picking cotton. Every fellow was in the fiel' at day light picking cotton, hoeing, or plowing. There was one overseer and two "Nigger-Drivers". The overseer whipped them in the fiel' for not doing like he say. I had a Uncle Joe to run off just when the war got gwying (going) good; he never did come back. At night you could hear the darkies laughing, talking, singing and praying, and hear them fiddles and things playing. It look like darkies got long better then than now. Some folks say Niggers ought not to be in slavery, but I say they ought, cause they won't do right less they is made to do it.  There was plenty of "Pattyrollers" in the country. One Nigger on our place made me laugh once. He say he was at a party one Saturday night and two Pattyrollers come in the door and one of them said, "Will, come on, here is that dam Nigger we have been looking for". One of them stood in the door with his arms stretched out, and the other made a dive for him. The Nigger grabbed up a shovel full of coals out of the fireplace and throwed down his shirt and got away from them. He say to me, "I could hear them hounds hollering 'Whoop, Whoop', right on my heels. I couldn't out run them, but I found a way to stop them from running another Nigger". He never told me how he stopped them. Master David allus give us egg-nog and plenty of good whiskey at Christmas. I wouldn't give a chaw of tobacco for this whiskey you get now. I don't 'members much 'bout the war, only Mister Bob Perry come over to our place one day and say to Grandma Mariah , "They is surrendered, Mariah , you is free". Mariah say to him, "I don't care if we is free, I is gwying (going) to stay with my white folks". Bill Cavin , one of Master's boys went to the war. He was a gambler. When you set facing him you was setting 'fore a man that knowed the cards. He got rich at it. Lots of folks thought he made his money dealing in lands, but he made his money dealing in cards. He died in Dallas and left lots of money and property. I 'members the Ku Klux doing lot of cutting up. Two of them come to Dr. Taylor's house. He was Master David's son-in-law. He had two Niggers that run off from the Ku Klux and got home fore they cotched (caught) them. They wanted to whip them anyhow, but Dr. Taylor wouldn't let them. I knowed old Colonel Alford , one of the Ku Klux leaders. He was a sight. He say to me once, "Gus, I made two Niggers split a hundred and fifty rails apiece on Sunday". He told me once, "Gus , they sent me to the pen for Ku Kluxing". I asked him if they hurt him and he say, "No, but they played hell with my hands in them chains". I asked him, "Mr. Alford, didn't they make a gentleman of you?" He say, "Hell, no".  "I knowed old Colonel Haggardy too. He married a widow of a rich Indian Chief, Colonel McIntosh . The Haggardy place jined (joined) our place. McIntosh broke a treaty with his people and had to hide out in a cave for a long time. His wife brought his food to him and was the only one that knowed where he was hiding. One time she went to his cave on Caddo Lake and he was gone. She knowed the Indians had found him and killed him for violating his treaty. Then his widow married old Colonel Haggardy . Old Colonel Alford told me that Haggardy was a mind reader. "If you was in Shreveport and talk about him, he would know it!" Colonel Alford said. The only time I voted was when they was voting against whiskey. I voted for it. Some of the white folks said they would whip me if I voted for it, but Mr. Joe Strickland told me they was just trying to scare me, and to go ahead and vote for it. I don't think Niggers ought to be allowed to vote. If some Niggers had things in hand like the white folks, I couldn't stay here. Some of the darkies give the white folks the devil, but if you behave yourself they will allus help you when you need it These educated Niggers is the ones that is causing all the devilment. The young Niggers ain't got no sense cause they ain't got no respect for age. One young buck walked up to me on the streets last week and say, "Hello, son". I say to him, "How big do men grow where you come from". I bought and paid for fifty acres of land here in Harrison County and has lived on it sixty years. I lived with my wife fifty years fore she died, and raised two chil'ren. These young Niggers don't stay married fifty days sometimes. I don't mess with them, but tends to my own business. If I need help I go to the white folks cause these young Niggers ain't no help to themselves or anybody else.