My friends - A few days ago, I posted a request for subscriber input concerning some privacy issues now being considered by the USGenWeb Advisory Board. Of the 700+ subscribers to the List, I received 17 responses. As expected, the opinions varied widely, ranging from the belief that absolutely no data whatever should be posted on any living person to the opinion that there are so many other places where such material is available that genealogical sites would be one of the last places that an identity thief might consult, hence there is no need for any restrictions. I appreciate the input of those who responded, and I have passed these responses on to the appropriate parties(without names or e-mail addresses, of course) In the past, I have occasionally brought to the List some of the Works Progress Administration's slave narratives. These were interviews conducted by WPA workers with former slaves who were still living in the middle and late 1930's. In most cases, the report on the interview was constructed exactly as it had been articulated by the former slave, which made some of them difficult to read and understand, due to the interviewer having to try to write words which, when spoken by the former slave, were understandable and had meaning, but attempts at writing them verbatim was difficult. One of the narratives which I brought to the List was that of Charlie Scruggs, a slave in Calloway and McCracken counties for a time in his life. Today's posting is based out of Ballard County. A WPA interviewer visited in LaCenter with Tennie Ford and Elvira Lewis, both former slaves. He compiled what they had told him into a single narrative in common English, and it is shown below. I find these narratives fascinating, since it is, to us now, unthinkable that fellow human beings were once enslaved in this country. The entire nation, as it was in the early days of the republic, endorsed slavery, but the New England states banned it many decades before the issue came to a head in the late 1850's with the issue of states' rights in the South. Narratives such as this one are good fodder for both reflection and for their historical significance. The second and concluding portion of the narrative will be posted tomorrow. -B ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Remembrances of Former Slaves Tennie Ford & Elvia Lewis WPA Interview Conducted at LaCenter, KY "During the period of slavery in the Purchase region, buying and selling slaves was carried out at irregular intervals. The trading usually took place at the home of the slave owner. The prices paid for slaves was dependent upon certain conditions. In the case of a full grown, robust negro boy, the price was sometimes as much as one thousand dollars. The prices paid varied according to the age, the general health and other conditions of the individual. At times, pathetic scenes prevailed in the selling of slaves; namely, the separation of mother and child. Often, a boy or girl would be sold and taken away from his or her mother. In many cases, the parting was be permanent, and the child and its mother would never see each other again. The slave owner maintained separate housing quarters of his slaves. In some cases, the living quarters were quite comfortable and agreeable; in other cases, living conditions of slaves was anything but agreeable. Some masters were reasonably gentle to their slaves, while others were cruel. One of the saddest, darkest and most pathetic conditions during the period of slavery was the intimate mingling of slave owners, in fact many white men, with negro women. It has become known that very often a slave was sold who was the direct offspring of his or her owner. This practice prevailed to some extent in the Purchase region, but was not universal. When the Emancipation Proclamation became effective and the slaves were given freedom, some of them preferred to remain with their masters, while others started out into the world for themselves. Very often, some of the slaves, who had anticipated that liberty meant more to them than anything else, and who went out into the cold world of indifference, soon returned to their old masters. They found that their former home was a much better place of abode than anything outside of it. In the area of recreation, the following is an old fashioned ballad that was sung during the period of slavery and which was very common throughout the Purchase region: 'Jeff Davis rode a big white horse But Lincoln rode a mule Jeff Davis was a fine smart man But Lincoln was a fool Jeff Davis had a fine white horse Lincoln only had a mule Jeff Davis was a wonderful man And Lincoln was a fool' Ring dancing was largely practiced during the slavery period. Especially was the participated in throughout the Purchase region. This was a rather primitive kind of dancing and was performed mostly by Negro children. The general procedure was to draw a ring on the ground, ranging from 15 to 30 feet in diameter. The size of the ring to be used was determined by the number of persons who were engaged in the dancing ring. The youngsters would congregate within the ring and dance to the rhythmic hand clipping and rhythm of the tambourine, which was performed by the white people in the community. " ~to be continued~ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++