Julia Ann James Ex-Slave Narrative

              File                     19/3/270                          District #6 
Clark County 
Copied 
1-15-41                                               Racial Group 
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JULIA ANN JAMES 
Ex-Slave, age 83 years. 
"I cum fum Rickin'ham County, Nawth Cah'lina.  'Course I wuz'nt 
very big when de war broke out, but I can member lots o'things." 
"Mother wuz named Cah'lina, en father wuz Cain Smith.  Dey both 
belong ter de same fam'ly but dey live en diffu'nt places.  Six us chillun 
en mother stayed with ole Marse Drewry Smith.  He had sech er big fam'ly 
dat dey done live en all diffu'nt parts en tended things fer him on his 
other plantations.  Smith owned mos' all o' Stokes, Scurry, Forsyth, en 
Rockin'ham Counties, en he had er thousand slaves. He had 20 chillun- 'leven 
by his first wife en nine by de second wife. 
"Marse Drewry had his own tan yard, right dere on de place, en five 
stillhouses.  Dey wuz shoemakers, harness makers, en weavers what wuk all 
de time.  He done hire sev'ral poor white 'omans what done weavin' fer twenty 
five cents er day.  Three cooks wuk in de kitchen all de time. Some de 
'omens dey kep' busy makin' shirts, en dresses fer de girls. 
"De Smith boys en girls had plenty o' dey own pusnal slaves. 
Dey wuz er gang of em, en eight o'de boys wuz en de Rebel armies at 
one time." 
"Mother wuked en de field. I done lots o' knittin'-  stockin's en 
sech like.  Many de time I used broom straws fer knitten needles. Us 
dyed our own cloth fum walnut hulls en wood, brush blossoms, en sometimes copper 
te help mek er diffu'ny colorin'.  Course de color wuz'nt jes'.  as pretty 
as dey mek now, but dat dye it wash good en diden mek de goods fall ter 
pieces, like some de stuff dey use now.