Arkansas Narratives

From Interviews with 87 Former US Slaves.Sample: "A fellow by the name of Jim Holbert was mean to his slaves as a man could be. He would whip them night and day. Work them till dark; then they would eat supper. Cook their own supper. Had nothing to cook but a little meat and bread and molasses. Then they would go back and bale up three or four bales of cotton. Some nights they work till twelve o'clock then get up before daylight?'round four o'clock'and cook their breakfast and go to work again. That was on Jim Holbert and Lard Moore's place. Them was two different men and two different places'plantations. They whipped their slaves a good deal'always beating down on somebody. They made their backs sore. Their backs would be bleeding just like they cut it with knives. Then they would wash it down with water and salt." Typewritten records prepared by the THE FEDERAL WRITERS' PROJECT 1936-1938. Assembled by the Library of Congress Project. Work Projects Administration for the District of Columbia. Sponsored by the Library of Congress. Originally published WASHINGTON 1941