MSGenWeb Library
County:  Harrison

Title: Mississippi Slave Narratives from the WPA Records
Submitter:  MSGenWeb Slave Narrative Project
Notice:  This file may be downloaded for Personal Use Only, and may not otherwise be printed or copied without prior written consent of the submitter.
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From the WPA Narratives
Florence Green age 76

"I was born in North Callinah, but I was too young to remember anything much 'bout dem days.

My mother's name was Harriet Wade. My father was Lewis Wade. He belonged to a man name Redmond, and my mother's Old Masta's name was Mitchell Brice. His wife was "Mis' Caroline." My mother had five chillun, named Liza, Wallis, Matthew, Mary and me. All of dem is dead but me. My daddy was a carpenter and worked aroun' de place.

Old Masta died 'fore de war was over, so when "mancipation" come, "Old Mis'" tole all of dem day dey was free, and dey could go if dey wanter--so dey all left.

I was married and had all my chillun 'fore my mother died. She live 'round wid de white folks and works for dem ontil she get too old and "no-count" to wuk, den she come live wid me ontil she die. She uster tell us a lot 'bout slavry days, but she was glad when freedom come. She always say de white folks is her bes' friends, and she go to dem when she is in trouble and dey always hep her out.

I'se been married twice, fust time to Fate Hays, and we has five chillun. Wen de die, I married Henry Green, and he is still living. Henry can't get any work to do much and he works mostly for Mr. Hanun Gardner, in de garden and around de yard. I don't know what we'd do if it want for our good white folks. We's both gittin' old and can't do much, but dey's mighty good to us. Dey lets us live in de servant house in de back yard and we eats outter dere kitchen."

Interviewer note: Ex-slave. 1730 East Beach, Gulfport, Miss. Florence Green is 76 years old, weighs 105 pounds and is four feet and five inches tall. Color------brown. She lives in a small house in the rear of the Hanun Gardner residence. She has worked for the Gardner's for many years, now, she and her husband still live there. He works in the garden and the yard and Florence gets a small washing to do whenever she can to earn some money for herself. She is not able to work regularly and does what she feels able to whenever she can help her "white folks out" sometimes. Her story of slavery times, as she remembers it and what her mother told her, is appended.

Interviewer: Unknown
Transcribed by Ann Allen Geoghegan

Mississippi Narratives
Prepared by
The Federal Writer’s Project of
The Works Progress Administration
For the State of Mississippi