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Full Context of Slave Narratives
State: Georgia Interviewee. Jackson, Camilla
"MEMORIES OF HER CHILDHOOD". BY AN EX‑SLAVE, CAMILLA JACKSON
State: Georgia Interviewee: Jackson,
Camilla
Minnie
B. Ross
State: Georgia Interviewee: Jackson,
Camilla
(Colored)
State: Georgia Interviewee: Jackson, Camilla Mrs.
Camilla Jackson doesn't know how old she is, but is so very old that she almost
never leaves her chair. She wears a white rag around her head and is always
spotlessly clean. She speaks distinctly; but her memory is a little slow, due
to her old age. The events related were given only after she had thought them
over carefully, for, as she stated, she did not wish to tell anything but the
truth. She lives in a back room of a large house and is cared for by other
people in the house.
State: Georgia Interviewee: Jackson, Camilla She was
born in Decatur, Georgia, the daughter of Charlotte and Joe Hov!e, and the
tenth child of 18 children. Her family included her mother and father, a
grandmother and 17 sisters and brothers. As far as she can remember, her family
always belonged to Mr. Peter who was a doctor.
Context of
Slave Narratives
State: Georgia Interviewee: Jackson, Camilla Dr.
Hoyle's family included his wife, three boys, and three girls. He owned a very
large plantation, and a large number of slaves, probably 75 or more. All of
them were required to work in the fields and tend the crops, which consisted
mostly of sugar cane and cotton. Syrup was made from the sugar cane, Mrs.
Jackson remembers quite well that everyone was required to work in the fields,
but not until Dr. Hoyle, who was a kind master, was sure that they were old
enough. She was about 12 years old when she was given a job in the house,
operating the fly‑brush. The fly‑brush was constructed so that a
piece of cloth, fastened on a wooden frame with hinges, could be pulled back
and forth with a cord. This constant fanning kept the room clear of flies. As
she related this, she smiled to herself as if her job was particularly amusing.
State: Georgia Interviewee. Jackson, Camilla Dr. Hoyle
did not find it necessary to hire out any of his slaves as he had enough work
to keep them all busy. She frequently said that her master was a kind man and
never punished unnecessarily. It was very seldom that he used the whip. His
slaves respected him for his kindness and tried to please him. As a result of
his good treatment Dr. Howle never found it necessary to sell any one of his
slaves. Once she hesitated and seemed to go into a deep study over something. A
few minutes later she related the incident of the selling of a woman slave.
This woman gave birth to a baby out of wedlock and, since Dr. Hoyle was a firm
believer in marriage, he immediately sold her, to prevent further trouble. Mrs.
Hoyle was not as kind as her husband, and at times was cruel to the slaves.
State: Georgia Interviewee: Jackson, Camilla Mrs.
Jackson clearly related the method of court ship and marriage on her master's
plantation. Dr. Hoyle never selected the mates for his slaves but left it to
each person to chose whomever he wished. However, the selection would have to
be made from among the slaves on some of his friends plantations. They were not
allowed to chose anyone on their own plantation. The person chosen was allowed
to call on Sundays after getting a "pass" from his master. She told
how courtship was carried on in those days. A young man courted the girl in the
presence of the parents. Every now and then he would be seen looking at the
clock. When he left, the mother would go to the door with him. When the master
was properly notified of the intended marriage, he would prepare a feast and
call in his own preacher to perform the ceremony. After the ceremony everybody
was allowed to take part in the feast. When Mrs. Jackson's oldest sister
married the master roasted a pig and stuck a red apple in its mouth. She smiled
over this incident.
State: Georgia Interviewee: Jackson, Camilla A slave's
home life was very simple. After work hours they were allowed to visit other
plantations; however, they could not visit any plantation unless their master
was friendly with the owner of this particular plantation. One of the most
enjoyable affairs in those days was the quilting party. Every night they would
assemble at some particular house and help that person to finish her quilts.
The next night, a visit would be made to some one else's home and so on, until
everyone had a sufficient amount of bed‑clothing made for the winter.
Besides, this was an excellent chance to get together for a pleasant time and
discuss the latest gossip. Most friendly calls were made on Sunday, after
securing a "pass". This "pass" was very necessary to go
from one plantation to another.
State: Georgia Interviewee: Jackson, Camilla Slaves
did not have to prepare their food during the week. Their food was brought to
them in pails from the "big house". (The master's house was called
the "big house".) On Sundays they were given groceries to prepare
their own meals. Mrs. Jackson remembers the bread that was made from
"shorts". "Shorts" was the name given to a second grade of
flour, similar to whole wheat. The first grade was always used in the master's
house. As a whole, Dr. Hoyle gave his slaves enough food; however, on several
occasions she remembers that a friend of her mother's, who lived on the
adjoining plantation, handed pans of food over the fence to them.
State: Georgia Interviewee: Jackson, Camilla Slaves
were never given spending money but her grandmother was very thrifty and
managed to earn a little money. This was done by collecting all the rags she
could find and then carrying them to town in an oxcart to sell them. Old women
used oxcarts because oxen would not run away.
State: Georgia Interviewee: Jackson, Camilla She
smiled when asked if she had ever corn a hoop skirt. "Yes, child", she replied,
"I have worn hoop skirts. They were the fad in those days." She
related how her sister made hoop skirts by cutting slits in the hem of the
skirt, and running a hoop through it. "I can remember the cloth that was
made on the spinning wheel", she said. She told how she had turned the
reel many a day and spun the thread. She could not clearly relate the
construction of a spinning wheel.
State: Georgia Interviewee: Jackson, Camilla Everyone,
particularly the older people, was required to attend church. For Christmas
everyone was given a special Sunday suit to wear to church. The slaves did not
have a separate church of their own but were allowed to attend the white church
and occupy the balcony. Mrs. Jackson began to laugh outright over the memory of
a funny yet serious incident that occurred in church one Sunday. She had a
little white girl friend with whom she played every day. One Sunday she looked
over the balcony and saw her in the audience below. They both began a little
game of looking and snatching back their heads. Finally she leaned over too far
and fell over the balcony into the white audience below. She hurt herself
pretty badly and cried so much that the service was broken up for that day. Dr.
Hoyle carried her home and administered the proper treatment. After this
incident she didn't look over balconies anymore.
State: Georgia Interviewee: Jackson, Camilla Before
she could learn anything definite the Civil War had begun and she began to see
soldiers going here and there dressed in their uniforms. One event stands out
clearly in her memory and that was the time the master took all of his slaves
and as many of his possession as he could and went to Camp Ground, Georgia, to
dodge the Yankee soldiers. After the attack on Decatur, they returned to find
all of the slave quarters torn down. The master's house, which had 13 rooms,
was still standing. Most of the slaves had to stay in the "big house"
until their homes could be rebuilt. Many were still living in the master's
house when the papers were read telling them they were free. Dr. Hoyle asked
his slaves to remain and he would pay them for their services. Her family
remained with Dr. Hoyle's family one year after freedom. Afterwards they moved
to Atlanta, where she has lived practically all of her life. She carried
immediately after freedom and proudly spoke of being the first person to wed in
the old "Big Bethel Church". She is now alone without sister,
brother, or child; but even at her old age she is unusually optimistic and
continues to enjoy life. She believes in serving God and living a clean honest
life. She has just one desire, and that is to enter the Kingdom of Heaven
someday,