Search Results Search Terms: SMOTHERS (1) Database: Slave Narratives Combined Matches: 1 State: Ohio Interviewee: Lee, Florence and McCarthy, Henrietta Florence Lee's master's name was Old Squire Reed and his wife was called Miss Jensie and their six children the boys, John, Jim and Will, and the girls, Sally, Mandy and Liza. Her parents lived in a two-story house built of logs, weather boarded on the outside with a low celler and stairs from the kitchen to the upper floor. They had some neighbors which were considered poor folks, mostly Irish, living in shanties and mostly worked on the roads. The plantation was a big one, has no idea as to its acreage, had plenty of slaves, she does not know how many. Does not know the exact hours of labor on the plantation, but from quite early until quite late. When slaves couldn't be handled and do their work properly, she remembers they were sold "down the river", had no jail on the plantation, had no chains on the plantation and no as she remembers, but she had heard of slaves being chained in other parts. She never saw an auction sale of slaves and remembers nothing of that sort even from heresay. She remembers that in Harrisburg, Ky., in later years after being free that colored women were worked on the streets of Harrisburg, Ky. Does not remember if it was chain gang, but evidently they were serving time of some sort for some misdemeanor. The white women of the city soon put a stop to this. She went to school when she was a child, also to Sunday School regularly. The town they were in boasted three churches, the Methodist, the Christian and the Baptist. She remembers the name of one preacher, which was Kay Smothers. They baptized in the creek and at times broke ice to do it. As she remembers, any of the slaves on the plantation who wished to visit relatives or friends on another plantation must come to the Big Boss and get a pass before leaving the plantation. They had doctors only in the greatest emergency and were always well dosed with pennyroyal, catnip, elderbroom tea was used for babies and the only charms or things of that sort she remembers was a little bag of asafetida, which was supposed to ward off children's diseases. Their father was in the army at Camp Nelson and their mother had two other younger children than herself and at the time they were freed the master simply called them all together and said they were free and agreed to hire her mother if she cared to stay. However, she did not wish to do so, as she had the promise of a position on another plantation cooking for the family where she could take her two younger children with her and received $3.00 per week, which was more than her former master could offer. Click to view full context -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Viewing records 1-1 of 1 Return to the Global Search Screen More information about this database -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About Us | Contact Us | Partner with Us | Terms & Conditions | Privacy Statement Copyright © 1998-2000, MyFamily.com Inc. and its subsidiaries.