George W Harris
George W Harris' Slave Narrative
State: North Carolina Interviewee: Harris, George W.
"Hey, don't go 'roun' dat post gitting it 'tween you and me, it's bad luck. Don't you
know it's bad luck? Don't want no more bad luck den what I'se already got. My
name is George Harris. I was born November 25, 82 years ago. I have been living
in the City of Raleigh onto 52 years. I belonged to John Andrews. He died about
de time I was born. His wife Betsy was my missus and his son John was my
marster.
State: North Carolina Interviewee: Harris, George W.
"Deir plantation was in Jones County. Dere were about er dozen slaves on de
plantation. We had plenty o' food in slavery days during my boyhood days, plenty
of good sound food. We didn't have 'xactly plenty o' clothes, and our places ter
sleep needed things, we were in need often in these things. We were treated
kindly, and no one abused us. We had as good owners as there were in Jones
County; they looked out for us. They let us have patches to tend and gave us
what we made. We did not have much money. We had no church on the
plantation, but there was one on Marster's brother's plantation next ter his
plantation.
State: North Carolina Interviewee: Harris, George W.
"We had suppers an' socials, generally gatherings for eatin', socials jist to git
together an' eat. We had a lot o' game ter eat, such as possums, coons, rabbits
and birds.
State: North Carolina Interviewee: Harris, George W.
"De plantation was fenced in wid rails about 10 ft. in length split from pine trees.
De cattle, hogs an' hosses run out on de free range. The hosses ran on free range
when de crap was laid by. There was an ole mare dat led de hosses. She led 'em
an' when she come home at night dey followed her.
State: North Carolina Interviewee: Harris, George W.
"De first work I done was drappin' tater sprouts, drappin' corn, thinnin' out corn
and roundin' up corn an' mindin' the crows out of de field. Dey did not teach us to
read an' write, but my father could read, and he read de hymn book and Testament
to us sometimes. I do not remember ever goin' to church durin' slavery days.
State: North Carolina Interviewee: Harris, George W.
"I have never seen a slave whipped and none ever ran away to the North from
our plantation.
State: North Carolina Interviewee: Harris, George W.
"When I was a boy we chillun played marbles, prison base, blind fold and tag,
hide an' seek. Dey gave us Christmas holidays, an' 4th of July, an' lay-by time.
Dey also called dis time "crap hillin' time." Most o' de time when we got sick
our mother doctored us with herbs which she had'in de garden. When we had
side plurisy, what dey calls pneumonia now, dey sent for a doctor. Doctor
Hines treated us.
State: North Carolina Interviewee: Harris, George W.
"We lived near Trenton. When de Yankees took New Bern, our marster
had us out in de woods in Jones County mindin' hosses an' takin' care o'
things he had hid there. We got afraid and ran away to New Bern in Craven
County. We all went in a gang and walked. De Yankees took us at Deep Gully
ten miles dis side o' New Bern an' carried us inside de lines. Dey asked us
questions and put us all in jail. Dey put my father ter cookin' at de jail and give
us boys work 'roun' de yard. Dey put de others at work at de horse stables and
houses.
State: North Carolina Interviewee: Harris, George W.
"De smallpox and yaller fever caught us dere and killed us by de hundreds.
Thirteen doctors died dere in one day. Jist 'fore Gen. Lee surrendered dey carried
us to Petersburg, Va., and I waited on Major Amory and de others worked fer de
Yankees. When de surrender came we went back home to Craven County, next to
Jones County, and went to farmin'. Sumpin' to eat could not hardly be found. De
second year atter de war we went back to old marster's plantation. He was glad
ter see us, we all et dinner wid him. We looked over de place. I looked over de
little log cabin where I was born. Some of de boys who had been slaves, farmed
wid old marster, but I worked at my trade. I was a brick moulder. Yes, a brick maker.
State: North Carolina Interviewee: Harris, George W.
"My mother was named Jennie Andrews and my father was Quash Harris. My father
belonged to de Harris family on de nex' plantation in Jones County. Atter de surrender
we all went in his name. We changed from Andrews to Harris. I do not recollect my
grandmother and grandfather. I can't recollect them.
State: North Carolina Interviewee: Harris, George W.
"Marster told us directly after dey declared war dat he expected we would all soon
be free. De majority of de slaves did not want to be free. Dey were stirred up. Dey
didn't want it to be. Dey didn't want no fightin'. Dey didn't know.
State: North Carolina Interviewee: Harris, George W.
"I married Mary Boylan first, of Johnston County, at Wilsons Mills, Jan. 4, 1878.
Here is de family record. Ole marster made me copies after de war, and I copied
dis. 'George Harris was married the year 1878, January the 4th. George Harris was
born the year 1855 November the 25th."
State: North Carolina Interviewee: Harris, George W.
"I had five brothers, but they are all dead, fur as I know: John Hathan, Louis, David,
Jefferson, Donald and my name George. My sisters, Mary Ann, Sara, Lucy, Penny,
Emaline, Lizzie, Nancy, Leah and one I can't remember. Dats all.
State: North Carolina Interviewee: Harris, George W.
"I thought Abraham Lincoln was a great man. I remember him well. I think he done
de best he knowed how to settle de country. Mr. Roosevelt is a smart man. He is
doing de best he can. I think he is goin' to help de country."
End of Interview
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