Name:McCommons, Mirriam

Address: 164 Augusta Avenue Athens, Georgia

Age: 76

Written by: Miss Grace McCune (Research Worker, Athens, Georgia)

Edited by: Mrs. Sarah H. Hall (Athens) and John N. Booth (District Supervisor Federal Writers' Project Residencies 6 & 7 Augusta, Georgia)

Citation: Federal Writers' Project: Slave Narrative Project, Vol. 4, Part 3, Kendricks-Styles (1936), Library of Congress, Manuscript/Mixed Material. https://www.loc.gov/item/mesn043/

Interview

It was a bright sunny day when the interviewer stopped at the home of Aunt
Marry, as she is called, and found her tending her old-fashioned flower garden. The old
Negress was tired and while resting she talked of days long passed and of how things
have changed since she was "a little gal."

"My pa was William Young, and he belonged to old Marse Wylie Young and
later to young Marse Mack Young, a son of old marster. Pa was born in 1841, and he
died in 1918.

"Ma was Lula Lumpkin, and she belonged to Marse Jack Lumpkin. I forgits de
year, but she was jus' 38 years old when she died. Ma's young mistis was Miss Mirriam
Lumpkin, and she was sho' good ter my ma. I 'members, 'cause I seed her lots of times.
She married Marse William Nichols, and she ain't been dead many years.

"I was born at Steebens (Stephens), Georgia, in 1862 at seben 'clock in de mornin'
on de 27th day of April. Yassum, I got here in time for breakfast. Dey named me Mirriam
Young. When I was 'bout eight years old, us moved on de Bowling Green road dat runs
to Lexin'ton, Georgia. Us stayed dar 'til I was 'bout 10 years old, den us moved to de old
Hutchins place. I wukked in de field wid my pa 'til I was 'bout 'leben years old. Den ma
put me out to wuk. I wukked for 25 dollars a year and my schoolin'. Den I nussed for
Marse George Rice in Hutchins, Georgia. I think Marse George and his twin sister stays
in Lexin'ton now. When I was twelve, I went to wuk for Marse John I. Callaway. Ma
hired me for de same pay, 25 dollars a year and my schoolin'.

"Missus Callaway sho' was good to me. She larnt me my books - readin' and
writin' - and sewin', knittin', and crochetin'. I still got some of de wuk dat she larnt me to
do." At this point Aunt Merry proudly displayed a number of articles that she had
crocheted and knitted. All were fashioned after old patterns and showed fine
workmanship. "Mistis larnt me to be neat and clean in evvything I done, and I would
walk 'long de road a-knittin' and nebber miss a stitch. I just bet none of dese young
folkses now days could de dat. Dey sho' don't do no wuk, just run 'round all de time, day
and night. I don't know what'll 'come of 'em, lessen dey change deir ways.

"Whilst I was still nussin' Missis' little gal and baby boy dey went down to
Buffalo Crick to stay, and dey give me a pretty gray mare. She was all mine and her name
was Lucy.

"I tuk de chillun to ride evvy day and down at de crick, I pulled off dey clo'es and
baptized 'em, in de water. I would wade out in de crick wid 'em, and say: 'I baptizes you
in de name of de Fadder and de Son and de Holy Ghost.' Den I would souse 'em under de
water. I didn't know nobody was seein' me, but one mornin' Missis axed me 'bout it and I
thought she mought be mad but she just laughed and said dat hit mought be good for 'em,
'cause she 'spect dey needed baptizin', but to be keerful, for just on t'other side of de rock
was a hols dat didn't have no bottom.

"Dere was just two things on de place dat I was 'fraid of, and one was de big
registered bull dat Marster had paid so much money for. He sho' was bad, and when he
got out, us all stayed in de house 'til dey cotched 'im. Marster had a big black stallion dat
cost lots of money. He was bad too, but Marster kept 'im shut up most of de time. De
wust I ever was skeert was de time I was takin' de baby to ride horseback. When one of
de Nigger boys on de place started off on Marster's horse, my mare started runnin' and I
couldn't stop 'er. She runned plumb away wid me, and when de boy cotched us, I was
holdin' de baby wid one hand and de saddle wid t'other.

"I sho' did have a big time once when us went to Atlanta. De place whar us stayed
was 'bout four miles out, whar Kirkwood is now, and it belonged to Mrs. Robert A.
Austin. She was a widder 'oman. She had a gal name' Mary and us chillun used to play
together. It was a pretty place wid great big yards, and de mostes' flowers. Us used to go
into Atlanta on de six 'clock 'commodation, and come home on de two 'clock
'commodation, but evvythings changed now.

"At de Callaway place us colored folks had big suppers and all day dinners, wid
plenty to eat - chicken, turkey, and 'possum, and all de hogs us wanted. But dere warnt no
dancin' or fightin', 'cause old Missis sho' didn't 'low dat.

"I married when I was sebenteen. I didn't have no weddin'. I was just married by
de preacher to Albert McCommons, at Hutchins. Us stayed at Steebens 'bout one year
after us married and den come to Athens, whar I stays now. I ain't never had but two
chillun; dey was twins, one died, but my boy is wid me now.

"I used to nuss Miss Calline Davis, and she done got married and left here, but I
still hears from 'er. She done married one of dem northern mens, Mr. Hope. I 'members
one time whilst dey was visitin' I stayed wid 'em to nuss deir baby. One of Mr. Hope's
friends from New York was wid 'em. When dey got to de train to go home, Miss Calline
kissed me good-bye and de yankee didn't know what to say. Miss Calline say de yankees
'low dat southern folks air mean to us Niggers and just beat us all de time. Dey just don't
know 'cause my white folkses was all good to me, and I loves 'em all."

As the interviewer left, Aunt Merry followed her into the yard asking for a return
visit and promising to tell more, "'bout my good white folkses."

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