Eli Coleman

Eli Coleman 91, was born a slave of George Brady , in Kentucky. Eli's memory is poor and his story is somewhat sketchy. He now lives in Madisonville, Texas. I has a old bill of sale, and it shows Its born in 1846 and my massa am George Brady . I know my pappy's name was same as mine, and mammy was Ella , and I had one brother named Sam , and my sisters was Sadie and Rosa and Viols . They's all dead now. "Pappy was owned by Massa Coleman , what was brother to Massa Brady . Pappy could only see mammy once a week when he's courtin' for her. I heard pappy tell 'bout his pappy, over in Africy, and he had near a hundred wives and over three hundred chillen. "Pappy never did work. All he ever did was trade. He'd make one thing and 'nother and trade it for something to eat. He could get lots of fruit and game out of the woods then days, and there was lots of fish. "Our log house was built of logs, trimmed, and had six rooms. It was long, like a cowbarn or chicken house, and my room was third. We had one door to each room, covered over with hides. We dug out one corner for the bed and fenced it up and gathered straw and moss and tore-up corn shucks, and put in the corner to sleep on. What I mean, it was a warm bed.

We did all kinds of work, choppin' cotton and split rails and cut rock, and work in the tobacco field. We'd cut that tobacco and hang it in the shed to dry. It had to be hanged by the stubble end. "We had plenty to eat, sech as corn pones. The corn was grated by hand and cooked in ashes, and no salt or soda or fancy things like they put in bread now. "There was possum and rabbit and we cooked them different to now. A great big, old pot hung over the old rock fireplace. Food cooked that way still eats good. Massa Brady allus give us lots out of the garden. He fed us reg'lar on good, 'stantial food, jus' like you'd tend to you hoes, if you had a real good one. "Massa Brady , he was one these jolly fellows and a real good man, allus good to his black folks. Missy, she was plumb angel. They lived in a old stone house with four big rooms. It was the best house in the whole county and lots of shade trees by it. "We had 'bout a hundred acres in our plantation and started to the field 'fore daylight and worked long as we could see, and fed are stock and got to bed 'bout nine o'clock. Massa whopped a slave if he got stubborn or lazy. He whopped one so hard that slave said he'd kill him. So Massa done put a chain round his legs, so he jus' hardly walk, and he has to work in the field that way. At night he put 'nother chain round his neck and fastened it to a tree. After three weeks massa turnt him loose and that the proudes' nigger in the world, and the hardes' workin' nigger massa had after that. "On Saturday night we could git a pass or have a party on our own place. Through the week we'd fall into our quarters and them patterrollers come walk all over us, and we'd be plumb still, but after they done gone some niggers gits up and out. "On Christmas Day massa make a great big egg hog and let us have all we wants with a big dinner. He kilt a yearlin' and made plenty barbecue for us. "Massa was a colonel in the war and took me along to care for his hoss and gun. Them guns, you couldn't hear nothin' for them poppin'. Us niggers had to go all over and pick up them what got kilt. Them what was hurt we carried back. Them what was too bad hurt we had to carry to the burying place and the white man'd finish killin' them, so we could roll them in the hole. "When massa say we're free, we all 'gun to take on. We didn't have no place to go and asked massa could we stay, but he say no. But he did let some stay and furnished teams and somethin to eat and work on the halves. I stayed and was sharecropper, and that was when slavery start, for when we got our cop made it done take every bit of it to pay our debts and we had nothing left to buy winter clothes or pay doctor bills. "'Bout a year after the war I marries Nora Brady , jus' a home weddin'. I asks her to come live with me as my wife and she 'greed and she jus' moved her clothes to my room and we lived together a long time. One mornin' Nora jus' died, and there warn't no chillen, so I sets out for Texas. I done hear the railroad is buildin' in Texas and they hires lots of niggers. I gits a hoss from massa and rolls up a few clothes and gits my gun "I never got very far 'fore the Indians takes my hoss away from me. It was 'bout fifty mile to a train and I didn't have no money, but I found a white man what wants wood cut and I works near a month for him and gits $2.00. I gits on a train and comes a hundred mile from where that railroad was goin' 'cross the country, and I has to walk near all that hundred miles. Once and now a white man comin' or goin' lets me ride. But I got there and the job pays me sixty cents a day. That was lots of money them days. Near as I 'member, it was 1867 or 1868 when I comes to Texas. "Then I marries Agnes Frazer , and we has a big weddin' and a preacher and a big supper for two or three weeks. Her pappy kilt game and we et barbecue all the time. We had eleven chillen, one a year for a long time, five boys and six gals. One made a school teacher and I ain't seen her nearly forty-five years, 'cause she done took a notion to go north and they won't let her back in Texas 'cause she married a white man in New York. I don't like that. She don't have no sense or she wouldn't done that, no, sir. "Since the nigger been free it been Hell on the poor old nigger. He has advance some ways, but he's still a servant and will be, long as Gawd's curse still stay on the Negro race. We was turnt loose without nothin' and done been under the white men rule so long we couldn't hold no job but labor. I worked most two years on that railroad and the rest my life I farms. Now I gits a little pension from the gov'ment and them white folks am sho' good to give it to me, 'cause I ain't good for work no more.

Eli Coleman ,  According to a Bill of Sale Eli Coleman is 91 year's old, born in 1846, and owned by George Brady . His Father's name, Eli Coleman , and Mother, Ella , one brother, Sam , and 3 Sister's, Sadie , Rosa and Viola . We had good quarters back there in Kentucky, our family life was different. Father's was owned by one man and Mother another although they were brother's. Father was only allowed to see Mother once a week when he was a courting her. I heard them talk about my Grandparent's Father, they said he had near about 100 wives and something over 300 children. They said Father never did work, all he ever did was trade. They would make first one thing and another, and they would trade it for something to eat. They said the country was full of all kinds of wild fruit and the people could get their food out of the woods. Our log house was built of logs trimmed and had 6 rooms. It was long like a cow barn or chicken house and my room was the third room. We only had one door to each room covered over with hides to keep out the rain and cold. My bed was built in one corner. We first dug out the corner, then fenced it up and gathered straw, moss and toreup corn-shucks and put in there. What I mean son, it was a warm bed. We could crawl in bed and keep warm til Maser called us out the next morning.

We did all kinds of work such as, chopping cotton, split rails, cut rock and built fences. Also worked in tobacco fields. We would cut that tobacco and hang it in the shed so it could dry. Every stock would have to be hung up just one way and that was by the root or stubble end. No sir, I never did earn any money. Once and awhile Maser he would give all his slaves a nickel or dime, and I would spend mine for candy or some kind of fireworks We had plenty to eat, such as cornbread pones and the corn was grated by hand, and cooked in the ashes as we had no ovens to cook on. Neither did we have salt, soda or these fancy things that women put in bread these days. Yes, we had plenty 'possum and rabbits, but Lord! Son, fish was always my favorite dish. We cooked them lots of different ways to what they do now. Nearly always had great big old pot that hung over the old rock fireplace that we cooked on. We would clean our fish, 'possum and rabbits and pile them in that old pot to cook. Food cooked that way still eats good. Boss, this here old negro liked them old days. There was not near so many people sick in them days like there is now. Maser, he always had large garden and he gave the slaves what he wanted them to eat, and would feed us regular on some good substantial food just like you would tend to your horse if you had a real good one. We had royal shirts opened all the way down the front in hot weather. On Sunday we had a white royal shirt that both men and women could wear the same kinds. In cold weather we had woolen home spun clothes. That was about all my sister's had to do was to weave clothes for the Maser's folks and the rest of the slaves. Our shoes were what they calls brogans, but we did not like them shoes 'cause some of them still had the fur or hair on them and were roughly built with the hair turned inside. My wedding clothes were woolen home spun breeches and shirts. My shoes they were them brogans, and around my neck was a red rag. Maser, he was one of these jolly fellows, and he was real good man. Always good to his black folks. Mistress, she was plum angel. Never scolded or was mad in her whole life. They had three jolly good children, Miss Mildred . She was around my neck all the time. I would carry her around when I would feed the stock. The two boy's were older than Mildred. They could not do enough for their sister. She was the baby and the life of the whole family. Always asking questions and laughing. They lived in an old stone house with 4 rooms back there in Kentucky. Maser, he done some carpenter work and built some houses besides his farming work. His house was the best house in the whole country - lots of shade trees all around, and Mistress, she planted vines. Sometimes you could hardly see that house for them vines. No sir, Maser, he would not have overse'er, said they would never do anything like he wanted it done. He had about 100 acres in his plantation and 21 slaves, and he always had plenty for them to do. He most generally wake us at 4 o'clock every morning, so'es we would be in the field waiting for daylight to come. We worked just as long as we could see how to work, and when we would get to our quarters at night it would be about 9 or 10 o'clock before we would get to lay down and rest as we had to feed the stock and tend to things.

Yes, Maser would whip a slave if he got stubborn or lazy and did not want to work. He whipped one slave so hard one day that slave said he would kill Maser before long, he was so mad at him. But, Mister, Maser got hold of what that slave done said and believes me when Maser got through with him he was a Christian. Maser took him to his quarters and put a chain around that negroes legs so he just could hardly walk and brings him back to the field and puts that negro to work. At night when he got to his quarters Maser put another chain around his neck, and didn't give him half enough to eat for 3 solid weeks. When he would snap this chain around his neck he fastened the other end to a tree and let that negro sleep on the ground, then he would beg Maser to let him loose as on Saturday he could not go to see his wife or go to the negro dances we would have. Just have to stay chained up to that tree. After the 3 weeks was up Maser turned him loose and I's believes that was the proudest negro in the world. That night Maser give him pass so he could see his wife who lived on the next plantation from ours. That negro was the hardest working negro Maser had after that . Yes sir, Maser tried to teach all his slaves how to read and write. I can only write my name. No, slaves did not have church, but the white folks did and we went to their church. They had a place fixed for us slaves. I'se drove my Mistress to church lots times. Brother Fletcher , he would always devil us no 'count negroes, that is what he thought, but Mister we have a soul same as the white folks. It is the "Old time religion, and it's good enough for our Father's and it's good enough for me". Back there in good old Kentucky they use to have all Summer Meeting, and everybody that didn't have religion, got religion. When it was all over we went down on the bank of some river or creek and while we sang, "On the Stormy Bank of Jordan", they baptize the white folks first and then the slaves. Everybody went home happy cause they all had religion - both old and young. We would carry news to our next plantation if Maser gave us a pass, then he would write note to the other Maser what he wanted. No sir, we worked until noon every Saturday and then the rest of the day slaves would have to wash their clothes, take a bath, and if he didn't take that bath Maser would whip him good. On Saturday night us slaves would be happy cause Maser would let them have dance. Bago picking, Lord! that negro dance all night. Maser would come Sunday morning and tell us to get ready for church. Then the rest of the day that negro would sleep. Them that had wives would get pass so'es they could go stay with them the rest of the day. Through the week when we had to work at night we just fall into our quarters at the door. Them Patter Rollers they would come and walk all over us and I would be plum still while they was there cause them Patter Rollers got negro he sure would tare him up good and plenty. They was sure mean to the slaves and Maser couldn't do anything either but just let them have the slaves. On Christmas Maser would get all the negroes something for a present, then he would make great big egg-nogg and let them negroes have all they wanted with great big dinner. He would kill yearling and have lots of barbecue on that day. This negro never will forget them good old days that I have spent, freedom or no freedom, give this negro them good old slave days. When I'se a kid I'se played Hide and Seek. That was the most kind of play games we had them days and sometime we played "Wolf Over the River". Mister, that was lots of running in that game, give me Hide and Seek. Sometime both old and young they ring up and play game they called Drop the Old Red Rag. When we took notion that we could charm someone we wanted, we got out our rabbit foot and placed it over the door. The first one, if it was Maser or Mistress, would bring us good luck. Maser he would be good to us. We use to hang mistletoe over the door and the first girl that come in that door was our wife. Then I'se put stick under the door steps of Maser and every night I would hit that stick one lick until I get it drove plum down in the ground without Maser catching us. Then he would be made in good humor with us, that would keep him from being mean to us negroes all that year or until that stick rotted plum good. If black cat crosses the road ahead of you, if you don't want to have bad luck that day you had better turn round and go back and wait until the next day. I'se 'member one Sunday when I'se gonna drive Mistress to church black cat he runs cross the road ahead of us and I beg Mistress to turn round and go back, but she only laughed at me. After we got to church and started back, that very day them horses they run away. I lifted Mistress out before they hurt her, but the tore that buggy all to pieces. Mistress never did laugh at me anymore .

When we got sick Maser he looked after us good and, gave us the best of care as we was too valuable to let stay sick or feeling bad. If we wasn't so sick Maser got an old negro mama to look after us and doctor us. She used herbs that she gathered in the woods such as sasfras roots, cami weeds, and then she gathered leaves off peach trees and made syrup and gave us for chills and fever. If we got very sick Maser would have the best white Doctor he could get to take care of us, and was no fooling then with that negro mama after he got the Doctor, only she would wait on us. As long as he kept her I never did hear of a slave dying cause he took good care of us. I'se 'members plenty about the war. Maser he was Colonel in that war, and he took me along with him to take care of his horses and guns. I'se had to feed and unsaddle his horse, also keep him brushed off. I would shine his guns everynight for him. Them guns, son, you could not hear anything for them popping and us negroes we would have to go over the field and pick up and bury all them that got killed. Them that was hurt, what we thought would live, we carried them back and tried to nurse them to health. Them that was hurt too bad we was supposed to carry them to the burying place and the white man he would finish killing them so we could roll them in the hole and cover them up. Boss, I'se seen dead people ever since everytime I hear a gun shoot why I'se see all them dead people again. Maser had one of his horses legs shot off and I had to finish killing that horse. Maser, then he rides over the firing line and steals or takes him another horse so'es he could ride one, one day and the other the next day. When the war was over Maser he called us slaves to him and told us that we was free and we could do just as we pleased. Some of the slaves they begins to holler and shout, but Maser said he would not have any of that hollering and they quieted down. Some of the older negroes they begins to cry and take on cause they realized what that meant was they had no jobs or any place to go. They asked Maser what they was going to do, and if he would let them stay. He said no, as the Government had set them free and he could not go against his Government. He finally told them as many could stay as wanted to and he would furnish them teams and see that they got something to eat and work for him on the halves. Most of them stayed, me for one. I was share cropper, and Mr. White Man, that was really when slavery begins for when we got our crop made he took every bit of it to pay our debts and had nothing left to buy winter clothes or pay Dr. bills and Maser he never owned us anymore. He didn't care what become of us as he wouldn't loose anything then if we got sick or died and it never mattered cause he could get another negro without it costing him anything.

About a year after the war while I was farming with Maser, I married Nora Brady the first time. We just had a home wedding. I asked her to come live with me as my wife and she agreed, so she just come or moved her clothes to my room and we lived together as man and wife long time. One morning I got up and Nora she nearly dead, never could talk or anything. I goes after the Doctor, but she was dead when we got there. He said he didn't know what her sickness was. We never had no children, 'cept one that was dead. Then I'se starts out for Texas. Back there in old Kentucky they says that they was building the first railroad down across Texas and that they had hired lots of negroes to work on that railroad. I'se buys me a horse from Maser and rolls up a few clothes and gets my gun and starts out for Texas. But son, I'se never got very far when the Indians they takes my horse away from me. It was about 50 miles to train and I never had no money, but before I gets to the train, white man he wanted some wood cut and I works nearly month for that white man, and gets nearly $2.00 - I gets on the train and comes near hundred miles off where that railroad was going cross the country and I had to walk nearly all that hundred miles. Once and awhile a white man coming or going to town would let me ride. Yes sir, when I got there I got me a job with that railroad and pays me 60 cents a day. That was lots of money in them days. Mister you asked me what year that was, 'bout as near as I 'members it was 1867 or 1868. Then I's marries again to Agnes Frazer . We had big wedding in her home and preacher he married us. We had a big supper for 2 or 3 weeks. Her Father killed lots of wild game and we barbecue all the time. We have 11 children. There was one a year for long time. We had 5 boy's and 6 girl's and is all farming 'cept one. I haven't seen that child nearly 45 year's as she made school teacher and took notion she wanted to go north and so north she went and they won't let her come back to Texas cause she married a white man there in New York. Son, I'se sure don't like that cause I'se don't believes in the white and negro races mixing that way. She don't have any sense or she wouldn't done that, no sir. Well, Yes sir, I'se thought the Government would give us a home when they freed us but no sir, it looks like the Government would have give us part of our Masers' land cause everything he had or owned the slaves made it for him, but we never got anything, just turned us out like a bunch of stray cattle. Had nothing- not even clothes 'cept what we had on our back the day we was freed and our Maser made us stay as we didn't have no other place to go and promised to pay us, but we never did get but very little pay. The white man he thought we ought to still work for them like we did during slavery time, but still he never fed us or give us anything 'cept some of his old wore out clothes we would work for sometimes. If we wouldn't he would be so mad at us. If we was not careful he would give us a good whipping and fix it so we would starve to death. It is still that way, son, to this day with some white people. They still thinks the negro ought to work for them for nothing and like it. Well, we do, and they make us like it too. Boss, you ask me what I thinks about the days since the war between the States and these days. Since the negro has been freed it has been hell on the poor old negro. It's true the negro he has advance in some ways, but he is still a servant or slave to the white man, and always will be as long as God's curse still stay on the negro race. Since freedom times has been hard on our race of people. First thing- we was turned loose without anything, no education, not even in the way of our people 'cause we had been under the white man rule so long until we had been taken away from our parent's. We could not hold any kind of job 'cept labor, and it has been just a drag for us to feed ourselves during all this time. Yes, that is what I been speaking about them KKK. They would not let the negro exert his freedom. They would take him out somewhere and beat him up good and plenty. Son, I want's to tell you 'bout our race of people that you has never thought about. They are less of them tried for bad crimes than any race of people here in this country. They are not no negroes living tried for big robbery or murder like they is some race of peoples 'specially in their own country over there. I'se believes we ought to be allowed more privileges in voting. We have taxes to pay and we have to shoulder the same load that the white man has, and we don't have any say so in who we 'lect to office here in Texas. Course that is one reason the negro don' get any better deal than he do. I'se never did do anything much 'cept farm. I worked most two year's on that railroad when I first come to Texas. Now I get small pension from the Government and that is barely enough to get by on by me doing odd jobs here and yonder for first one white man and then the other. These young people they do pretty well considering everything They have gone pretty far in education and have learned to hold most any kind of job- when they can get one they have to. They have got to where they can teach school, hold office, work in cafe's and do most anything that comes to hand. Course the worst thing about the young negro he won't tell the truth. We were taught to tell the truth and that goes pretty hard with the old slave time negroes. The old slave negroes time is about over and then I don' know 'bout these here young people as they have begun to teach their young children that they will never go to Heaven unless they can steal from the white man. And this here relief it has ruined some of them 'cause they have begun to think that the Government owe them a living and quit work. I guess if times ever get better they will do lots better than they are doing now at present.