The Honorable Speaks About War Times
By E. A. Mcllhenny (Copyright, 1938, by E. A. Mcllhenny)
LATE Sunday afternoon, towards the end of September, A found me riding through the Island's maturing crops of corn and sugarcane, to decide where it was best to start the corn harvest which should begin the next morning.
As the sun drew near the western horizon, casting the shadows of the hills far out over the level marshes and woodlands to the east. I found myself on the eastern top of Prospect Hill. the highest spot on the place. It was an impressive outlook point. for to the south and east the gently rolling hills--their wooded tops brilliant with the golden light from the setting sun--threw in sharp contrast the cultivated valleys already filling with the misty shadows of evening.
To the north the land: fell away sharply, seamed by gullies and steep ravines to the level cultivated fields at the base of the hill, and there blending smoothly with the vast flats of marsh and prairie beyond, that swept away unbroken to the horizon. Herons and egrets passed over me in countless flocks. lazily winging their way from their feeding grounds along the Gulf's shores to their homes between the hills to the west, where each evening they gathered in noisy chatter and bustle until darkness quieted them to rest. The glint of the setting sun on the hill tops seemed to be reflected on the white plumage of the flocks of Snowy Egrets, giving one the impression of small banks of snow floating through the air. It was an arresting -and I sat on my horse watching the serene climax of this Indian Summer afternoon in full enjoyment of its inspiring beauty.
the sun dipped below the horizon, I turned my horse AS towards the plantation village to give the field overseer his orders for the next day. Nearing "'The Honorable's" cabin, I saw the old darky sitting on the steps in front of his humble domicile; his elbows rested on his knees, and his hands clasped his head. Thinking my aged friend was ill, I dismounted, hitched my horse and walked up to him. He paid no attention to the sound of my steps as I drew near, and when I got to him ] I put my hand on his shoulder and said: "What's the matter old fellow, are you sick?" At my question he raised a sober face lined with worry, shook his head and said: "No, Mr. Ned, I ain't sick.
I'se jis tired, caise I kaint sleep." "Well." said I. "if you can't sleep there must be something very wrong with you. Have + you any pain?" in de church dese many years, "No suh. Mr. Ned.
I ain't got en every night 'fore I goes ter no pa I ain't slept fer bed, I kneels down en ax Gawd mos' t'ree nights." ter keep me safe fer de night. "Well, Why can't you sleep, Well suh, you see, Mr. Ned, de Honorable? Has anyone done udder night w'en I gits inter my anything to you? What is worry- bed, 'fore I kin go ter sleep, right ing you?" I inquired.. erway I starts er studdin'; en I "Nuttin' me, study en I study, all de night suh. I'se jis been er studdin' en long, I bin studdin' ever er studdin', en w'en I study since, en I ain't t'ru studdin' plenty I kaint sleep." yit." "Well.
what have you been "Well," said I, "what is it studying about, Honorable, that that's worrying you, Honorable? is so important that it keeps you What are you studying about?" awake? If you tell me, perhaps "Mr. Ned," said he, "Mr. Ned, I can help you with your prob- who wuz Gawd's papa?" lem." "I fear, Honorable," said I, "You know, Mr. Ned." said "that is a question over which I the old darky, "I'se bin er elder would have to do considerable.
studying myself. SO let's talk about something else, and leave that question for some other time." Thinking to get his line of thought diverted, I said: "Honorable, why was it you ran away when General Banks' army captured this place during the war?" At once he was all attention, and on the defensive. me run erway f'um dem Yankees? No suh, Mr. Ned, not me! You's got dat wrong. Wen dem Yankees sets fire ter de salt works en de sugar house, I wuz de fus one ter run wid some uv de udder han's en start ter put-| tin' de fires out.
En we woulder done it, only dem dam' Yankees push us erway wid de sharp p'ints on de end uv dere guns. "En w'en dey took all Ole Marster's mules en horses en oxens, en made his niggars drive 'em 'cross de causeway ter de main lan', warn't it me who turn de oxens loose at night en driv' 'em way yonder in de big woods whar dey couldn' find 'em? . En didn' my boys, Jube en Mose, stay wid dem oxens de woods fër Gawd knows how long,-till de war wuz over, en Ole Marster home? Me run erway, Ned? Not comer me! Some uv dose younger niggers follered de Yankees erway, but not me and none uv my boys, needer none er de ole han's. "You see, Mr. Ned, w'en de Yankees took dis place, dey sont Ole Marster en all his fambly 'way yonder somewhar, en tole him ter never come back.
Dey wuz mad at him caise he done give er lot uv money en all de salt ter Marse Jeff Davis so his army mens would have 'nuff grub en seasonin' ter fight wid, en stop dem dam' Yankees f'um settin' all our niggers free, en stealin' all our mules en cattles. None uv our niggers wants ter be free nohow. En es fer me, en lots mo' uv us, we wuz free en had everyting in de worl' we wants, long 'fore dem Yankees come." "How do you mean you were free. Honorable?" I asked. "You see, it wuz dis erway: W'enever one er Ole Master's niggers reach er ageable a age, Ole Marster would say ter him,'Now you, Jim or Jack, or John, whosomeever it might be.
you's bin er y good en faithful han', en you's done yo' share uv work. en f'um now on you en yo' ole 'oman ain't 'bliged ter work no mo'. You has yo' same house, en you draws yo' grub en clothes en 'backer same as always, but f'um now on you don' hafter work no mo', en you free.' En I wuz one uv dem ageable free niggers, long 'fore de Yankees come. NOW er w'ile atter de Yankees/ got here, de boss man uv dem Yankee solgers calls all Ole Marster's niggers up 'fore him. Fus, J he sez he wants take de names uv all Ole Marster's niggers; en he sez fer me ter stan' by him en tell him de names es dey pass by.
Den he calls ter dem ter pass by one by in is.one. De fus nigger wut comes up is ole Mozart, en I sez: "En de 'Dis is Mozartinkee me: 'How you spells dat name?' "I sez: 'Wut you mean spell?' "En he sez: 'How you spells his name so I kin write it down?' 'I don' know nuttin' 'bout no spellin',' sez I. Ef you kaint spell it jis put it down widout spellin'. Dis nigger's name is Mozart.' "Atter he sets all de names wut he kin write down, den he made 'em er talk, en tole us we wuz all free en could go enny- whar we wants; en ef we wanted lan' we could have all de lan' we wants; en ennyting else we wants wut wuz lef' atter de Yankee army done went erway. But he ain't say nuttin' 'bout whar we wuz ter git our clothes en vittles.
En he sez: 'Does enny uv you wants ter.say ennyting, or ax enny questions?' "I waits er w'ile, en es none er dem udder niggers ain't say nuttin', I holds up my han', en he sez: 'Wut is it boy? Come here.' steps out in front en I sez: 'Mr. Yankee, I thanks you kindly fer wut you ain't done fer all Ole Master's niggers. I kaint say 'zackly es knows wut you is done, but do know er lot wut you hasn't done. You sont Ole Marster en Ole Mistes en all our w'ite folks erway f'um here.comin' fo' weeks now. En de day 'fore you alls come, Ole Marster calls all his han's ter de "big house" en he tells 'em all ter git tergedder so he kin say few words t' dem, en he sez sumpin like dis: * 'My peoples, we has bin gedder many years, en mos' uv bin bornded on dis place; yous termorrer de Northe'n troops, dey will be in charge uv dis place, en I will be gone, fer I done got word dat I'se to be im- po'ted; en fer dat reason I kaint take care uv you. I no longer de Northe'n troops will. hopes Befo' I goes, I will he'p you all I kin, en I wants you ter come right now to de storehouse en git wut provisions I have, so you will have food fer yo' famblies, fer er w'ile ennyhow.' "So we all went to de store- house en dere wuz de two over- seers, en t'ree, fo' udder mens. en dey 'gins out, to de haid uv each fambly, grub 'nuff fer t'ree weeks, en dat's all de grub wut's in de storehouse.
En Ole Marster shuk each er his niggers by de han', en to each uv 'em he gives er fi' dollar gold piece, en he wish dem good luck; en he tells us all goodby. wuz fo' Satdays ergo. Ole Marster 'gins us grub fer t'ree Satdays. Who done give us grub fer dat udder Satday since Ole Marster gone--Is you? No suh! -we ain't had grub fer mo' den er week, 'cepin' de fishes en crabs en possums, en sich es we kin ketch. Dere's many er de li'l ones wut's hongry now.
Who's gwinter feed 'em?' "En de solger boss man he say: 'But Mister you is free; you kin do es you please, you kin go whar you please, en work whar you please, en earn yo' own food.' Dat's wut dat Yankee boss man tole us jis like dat. "Den I say: 'Don' Mister me, you Yankee, I ain't no Mister. En es fer bein' free en workin' whar we please, dere's er many er dese niggers bin free fer de longes' ain't done no work since mos' befo' you kin 'member.' "En I turns roun' to de niggers, en I say: 'You niggers wut's say en all say is.free out me en Saul, Pete, kaint terdere caise 6 6 done we our else sont folks give ter none we dom, en don' hafter work, step here side er me.' "En wid dat, dere steps out by Pete en his ole 'oman, Jolin Maria, Bill Yodel, Henry, Sabry, Josua, Tom, Li'l Royal, en some mo' wut I 'member jis now, en all 'omans, en den some mo' 'omans wut ain't got no mens dey's daid. En I sez: 'Mr. Yankee, all dese uv us bin free fer de longes' en don' hafter work, en we gits grub regular, en wut ever we alls need. Dat is, wen Ole Marster wuz here; but you done him en all our udder w'ite erway. Now is you gwinter needin's?' us, our grub en our En he sez: 'No, I ain't got no at'ority ter give you nuttin.' "Den I sez: 'Dat's all wants know.
We alls don' want wants Ole Marster's freeuv yo' kine, uv freedom; en de sooner you brings
.I us him back to us, de better we'll like it." THE Honorable paused and seemed to be thinking; SO I said: "Well, old man, what did all of you do while the Northern troops were on the Island? I believe they were here almost two years. How did you get a living?" "Well, Mr. Ned," said he, "de livin' wuz by de hardes'. Some uv de young mens en wimmens works fer de Yankees, en got dey grub en li'l mo'; en some uv us raises er li'l crop er corn en rice en en sweet 'taters, but mighty sugarcane, skeerse. En w'en our w'ite folks come back, atter 'bout two years, we wuz er mighty po' sorry lookin' lot uv niggers.
"De day Ole Marster en de back to de Island, famblarsits Dudley blowed de'sembly horn, looked like in no time de yard in front de 'big house' wuz plum' full uv niggers. "Time dat horn blowed-teta-too-too-too, te-ta-too-too-too. too-00 too-00, too-, every nigger wut could hear it knowed wut it means, en who wuz er blowin' it. Twarn't nobody could blow er horn like Marse Dudley. u En dey foment er runout de fiel', er de woods, out er de cabins; en everywhar you looked 'peared to be niggers comin' out er sumpin; en dey wuz all er runnin' fer de 'big house'.
En w'en we gits dere, dere wuz Ole Marster, en Ole Mistes, en Marse Ned, en Li'l Miss, en Marse Dudley, en Marse John, en all de chilluns (stan'in' on de front hug gallery. 'em En jis run up en en cry en run erroun' like us wuz crazy. Den Ole Marster, he hole up his han' fer quiet, en he says: 'Well my frens, it 'pears like you is glad ter see us back.' "En all dose niggers, dey jis jump up en down holler en clap dere han's en say: 'Sho we's glad ter see you, en you ain't never gwinter leave us no mo', caise ef you do we's gwine erlong wid you.' "Den Ole Marster say: 'Boys I kaint be uv much use ter you now. You know de Souf done los' de war en you is all free now, en kin go whar you please, en I ain't got no money ter hire you wid, en I ain't got no money ter buy mules en tools wid, sO I s'pose you all will hafter look out fer yo'se'fs.' "W'en Ole Marster said dat, looks like my heart done buss try ter jump outer my mouf, en it wuz er li'l w'ile 'fo I could talk, but by en by, my voice come back, en I says: * 'Ole Marster, you don' need no money fer to pay niggers ter work fer you; dese niggers, dey y all b'longs ter you, en you's gotter give 'em work en grub en sich, jis you allus has 'fo dem dam' Yankees come en meddle in us business. En you don' need no mules; not right now nohow, caise we's got, way back in de big woods paster, more'n 40 yokes uv well broke oxens.
En es fer tools, dem Yankees lef' mo' ole iron en broken wagons en sich es you kin use in 10 years. En yo' same fo' blacksmifs is here, en it won' be no time 'fo' us rig up de blacksmif shop, en 'fo' you knows it, us has all plows en middle busters en harrer's en wagons en.sich es we needs. All we wants is fer you to put dese lazy niggers back ter work, en 'gin us regular grub caise fer de longes' we only eats w'en we kin git it, en dat ain't none too off'n. "Ole didn' say nuttin', but battin' his eyes Marster, mighty hard, en he had ter pass de back uv his han' in his eyes 'fore he could see good, en den he couldn' say nuttin'; but he jis walked out dere 'mongst us en tuk every man en 'oman en chile by de han' en give er squeeze, en he says ter me:" 46 'Cato, you is my right han', we'll pull us out er dis trubble.' "En Bless Gawd, we done it!" "THOSE years right after hard the must have been times for everyone on the Island, Honorable," said I. "Dat dey wuz, Mr. Ned," said the old darky, "but times er lot mo' harder fer our w'ite folks den fer us niggers.
"W'en Ole Marster come back, us didn' have no en no regular grub; dat clothes, mighty quick caise in er few days he en Marse Ned--dat's yo' pa' -en me, we went to N'Awleens; dat is, dey went en tuk me 'long. We rid some er dose horses Ole Marster brung back f'um Texas wid 'im, w'en he come home. Texas wuz de place whar de Yankees sont my w'ite folks, w'en dey sont 'em erway f'um de Island. En w'en dey come back home, dey wuz ridin' en drivin' er lot er dem Texas mustangs; en dem's de tings we travels wid w'en we went ter N'Awleens. Leasttangs es far es Morgan en ways, we rid dem Texas, musdere we gits er boat wut tuk us ter N'Awleens.
Didn' have no railroad trains in dem days. "W'en we gits ter N'Awleens, I never seen so many peoples in all my born days. En houses! I didn' know dey could be sO many houses! En big ones! Lot's uv em was five winders high, right one on top de udder, en dat's de truf, caise I counts 'em En grub! We went in some big storehouse wuts piled to de ceilin' wid grub. Looks like I seen nuff grub in one er dem storehouses ter feed all de peoples in de worl'. Well, we stay in N'Awleens t'ree, fo' days, den we back home.
come, us fi' days ter come en fi' days ter go, en fo' days + wut we wuz in N'Awleens, en dat makes mos' two weeks we wuz I'way f'um de Island, en I gits.mighty oneasy, caise dere's. lots er tings kin happen in mos' two weeks; en I ain't never bin more'n two er t'ree days 'way fum home 'fo'. En I'se feared de Yankees mighter come back en tuk all us folks. But w'en we gits home everyting's all right, en jis like we lef' it. "In t'ree er fo' days mo' atter we gits home, Marse Dudley, he tells me ter have de teamsters hitch up wagons wuts fixed ter travel, en yoke up de oxen, en be ready ter start 'fo' day de nex' day.
We starts. off hour 'fo' nex' morning en went New Town, whar we gits 'bout t'ree hours atter sunup; en dere tied up ter de bayou bank wuz de same ole steamboat wut uster bring our stores f'um N'Awleens 'fo' de war. De rousterbouts wuz unloadin' er big pile er boxes ba'els en grub uv all kine, en tools en udder tings, en I never seen sich er big pile er tings befo'. Ole Marster, he rid up en he say: 'Cato, have de boys load all dat stuff inter our wagons, caise dat's all fer us. Every bit wuts in dat big pile.' "Dis we did, en hauls all dat.stuff home, en none uv us niggers is hongry or widout clothes f'um dat time ter dis caise we never no mo' let any uv our w'ite folks git erway f'um us. Sometimes some uv 'em goes off fer a trip, but we allus makes 'em promise to come back, en dey does." "Honorable," I said, "you must have had a hard time getting sufficient meat to feed every body after my people came back from Texas." "Not so bad, Mr. Ned. Not so bad. We had er lot uv wile cattle in de woods, en de han's had save some chickens en ducks en turkeys, en dere wuz lots uv deers en bears, possums en coons in de woods, en plenty uv fish en crabs in de waters.
We didn' have no trouble a'tall ter git all de fresh meat we wanted. "Atter Ole Marster got settled down f'um his trip, Ole Mistes had all de chickens en turkeys en ducks brought to de chicken yards at de 'big house,' en two er t'ree uv de ole 'omans wuz put in charge uv 'em, en twarn't hardly no time 'fo' we had er lot uv dese tings. "I 'member de secon' winter atter we got everyting gwine, dere wuz er funny ting happen. You know de only likker we had in dose days wuz sugger house rum, wut all de plantations made fer de niggers, out er 'lasses. Ole Marster uster put some uv dis erway in burned ba'els, en atter it had done stood fer two er t'ree years, it made putty good likker, en it wuz sho strong.
W'en he come back home he foun' de Yankees had done drunk up all his rum, but dey don' know how ter make no mo'. . Dere wuz no rum, but dere wuz er lot uv 'lasses lef' in de sugarhouse. We made some rum out uv dis, en Ole Mistes, in de spring, done had er lot uv li'l niggers clim' up de wile cherry trees en pick two er t'ree ba'els er ripe cherries, en she took dose cherries.en mash 'em wid sugar, en den she fill er ba'el ha'f full er cherries, en filled it up wid sugarhouse rum. Dis made wut we calls cherry bounce, en it sho wuz er good drink. "Well, de fus year we put t'ree, fo' ba'els uv dis cherry bounce in de storeroom, en every mornin' atter it wuz mix, one uv de house niggers would go en shake it up ter keep de likker workin'. "Dat summer wuz er lucky summer fer raisin' turkeys, en Ole Mistes nad er flock uv maybe 70 er 80 turkeys wut she 'spects ter use fer er good part uv de winter meat fer de 'big house.' Dey had er couple uv li'l boys wut ten's dem turkeys; en dere job wuz ter drive 'em out every mornin' atter de dew wuz off de grass, int' de fiel's, whar dey could ketch grasshoppers en bugs, en sich; en w'en de sun got hot, ter drive 'em back under de trees whar dey would res' in de middle uv de day. Den in de late atternoon dey'd drive 'em t'ru de fiel's ergin, so dey could have er full belly uv grub ter sleep on.
I'se tellin' you 'bout, wuz de day atter dey had strain de cherry stones en skins out uv de cherry bounce; dis wuz in early November. Dey got maybe er ba'el en er ha'f er de stones en skins; en atter dey squoz all de juice out, dey took de seeds en skins en t'rowed dem in de gully 'hine de garden, under de big oak trees whar de turkeys uster spen' de middle uv de day. "Dat day in de heat uv de sun, de li'l niggers wuts ten's de turkeys druv 'em under dose trees, en de turkeys dey goes down in de gulley en fines all dem cherry stones en skins wut had jis bin dump, en dey fills deyse'fs up plum' full, eatin' dem cherry bounce cherries. "Well suh, w'ile dem li'l boys wuz restin', en mebbeso snoozin' in de shade, dem turkeys fill deyse'fs up plum' full, en w'en does li'l boys 'gins ter look fer 'em ter drive 'em out ter git dere evenin' grub, dey kaint fine one uv dem turkeys wut aint.daid. Every one uv 'em wuz stretch out limber en daid. W'en dey seen dat, dem li'1 niggers sho wuz skeered, en dey run ter de kitchen cryin', en tole de cook. En de cook she went en tole Ole Mistes wut de boys done said. Den all de yard niggers dey run down to de gulley back uv de garden ter see fer deyse'fs.
En sho' nuff, dere wuz all de turkeys daid. "Ole Mistes says: 'Bring t'ree er fo' uv dem turkeys up here fer me ter see.' "Dis dey did, en she says: 'Yes, it's too bad, all our turkeys done daid, but dey ain't er full loss caise we kin save de feddef. Now I wants all you niggers ter start workin' right now, quick, en 'fo' does turkeys git cole, pick all de breas' en back fedders off uv 'em en we kin use 'em fer makin' pillers en fedder baids en sich.' "Well suh, 'bout er dozen uv de yard niggers, dey starts pickin' en fo' sundown dey had every one uv dem turkeys picked clean like dey wuz pickin' 'em fer de pot. Den de stable man, he pile 'em all in his li'l cart, en he haul 'em en dumps 'em in de big gulley back uv de garden, en we wuz all grievin' caise Ole Mistes done los' sich er fine lot uv turkey. "Well suh, de nex' mornin' 'bout daylight, I hears er turkey gobblin', , en I says ter myse'f, 'Ennyhow, dere's one turkey wut didn' git daid.
Dat one muster bin off somewhar by hisse'f.' En I starts walkin' down towards de trees whar dey usually roosts ter see ef I could see dat turkey, 'W'en I gits mos' dere, I could here er powerful lot uv turkey talk. Look like all uv 'em wuz hollerin': 'Quit, quit, quit'—den er turkey would gobble, en er plenty uv turkeys would say-'quit,' ergin. I guess de muskeeters wuz er bitin' 'em. I didn' know wut ter make uv dat turkey talk, caise I knows we didn' have two droves er turkeys. Jis den one uv dem turkeys flewed out de tree en lit on de groun' not far f'um me, en w'en dat turkey done dat, I couldn' believe wut I seed, en w'ile I wuz rubbin' my eyes ter look mo' gooder, t'ree, fo', five uv dem turkeys, den 'bout two dozen mo' flew out de tree en lit by de fus one, en everyone uv 'em wuz jis de same es de fus'; jis es nakid es yo' han'! 'Cepin fer de wings en tail dey didn' have er fedder on 'em.
Twarn't er single one uv dem turkeys wuz daid. Dey wuz jis daid drunk f'um eatin' all dem cherry stones soak in sugarhouse rum, en dey wuz so daid drunk w'en we picks de fedders off uv 'em, we t'ought dey wuz all plum' daid. "W'en I sees de turkeys done.come ter life, I run quick knock on Ole Mistes do', says: 'Ole Mistes, come quick, see all yo' turkeys done come back ter life.' "She say: 'Wait Cato, wait till I come see.' "So she gits up right quick en dress herse'f, en come wid me to de chicken yard, en dere she seen wut I see,- -all de turkeys done come ter life widout dere fedders, 'cepin dere wings en tails. "Ole Mistes says she don't know how dem turkeys gwinter git erlong wid no fedders on fer ter keep de winter cole off, but it's mighty warm now, en mebbeso dey'll grow mo' fedders 'fo' it gits too cole fer 'em. "Well suh, dat same night de warm wedder done change, en er Nor'wes'er done busses out, en de nex' mornin' we had fros', en all dose po' turkeys wuz drawed up in er knot walkin' 'roun' tryin' ter keep de cole win' off'n 'em wid dere tail en wing fedders. Wen Ole Mistes seed dat, she said she couldn' stan' seein' dose tings sufferin', so she went wid some er de seamster 'omans, en dey gits two, t'ree bolts er red flannel out er de storeroom, en dey had dose turkeys druv in er pen, en dey ketch 'em one by one, en Ole Mistes she cut de cloff en de 'omans dey sewed, en dey made er coverin' fer each uv dem turkeys, wut went f'um de haid plum ter de knees, out er red flannel, jis leavin' de wings, de tails en head en legs stickin' out; en all winter long dem turkeys wore dem flannel suits, en dey wuz jis es peart es ef dey had all dere natchel fedders on. Wuts mo', dey gits fat, en I believe mo' fatter den dey would'er bin ef dey had dere.fedders. En tanks ter Ole Mistes fer puttin' red flannel petticoats on dem turkeys—we had turkey fer Christmas dinner.".
