1. Happy Days on the Plantation
BY SUSAN DABNEY SMEDES (1840) The Romance of the Civil War | ||
1. Happy Days on the Plantation
BY SUSAN DABNEY SMEDES (1840)
The subject which most interested people, north and south, from 1830 to 1862, was African slavery in the southern states. No one can understand the life of the time or the course of American history without knowing something of the conditions of slavery and the treatment of slaves—sometimes very cruet and more often as kind as was possible where the poverty or death of a master might make it necessary to sell the household slaves. This account was written by the daughter of a living slaveholder. Servant was the word commonly used in the South instead of slave.
ON wedding occasions, the bride always expected a good many gifts, besides materials for a cake; and some of the master's family must be present. The mistress's big prayer-book was taken over, and the marriage service read by one of the young masters. The slaves would not be satisfied unless the bride and the cake were duly complimented.
At one of the weddings the bridegroom did not respond when his time came. "Solomon," said the young master,"say thou wilt.""Thou wilt,"repeated Solomon in his most solemn voice. The marriage ceremony went on. "Courtenay, wilt thou have this man to thy wedded husband to live together after God's holy ordinance in the holy estate of matrimony ? Wilt thou obey him, and serve him, love, honor, and keep him in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, keep thee only unto him, so long as ye both shall live ? ""I does,"responded the bride.
The nurse who took care of the women when their babies were born received a fee each time. The mothers themselves looked upon these seasons as
When we children were allowed to go to see some of the servants, they delighted in setting out a little feast. If they had nothing else, we were not allowed to go without bringing home a new-laid egg or two. Once at Christmas, Mammy Harriet gave a "high tea"to us children. I was at that time about fourteen years of age, the oldest invited.
Mammy had made a nice cake and hot biscuits and tea for the occasion, set out in her choicest cups, some of rare old china, with sugar in the sugar-bowl that she had inherited from her mother. She gave us besides, sweetmeats, nuts, raisins, fruits of several kinds— indeed, a delightful tea; and she stood behind us waiting on the table, looking very much pleased, her bright bandanna handkerchief towering aloft on her bead.
The children delighted in teaching the house-servants. One night a twelve-year old school-mistress formally invited the whole family, the master, mistress, governess, and guests, to hear her pupils recite poetry. She had about a dozen of the maids, old and young, Mammy Maria among them. One of the guests was quite astonished to see his own slave, whom he had brought with him to Burleigh, get up and recite a piece of poetry that had been learned with pains for this occasion.
Some of the sons taught those of the plantation negroes who cared to learn, but very few were willing to
1. Happy Days on the Plantation
BY SUSAN DABNEY SMEDES (1840) The Romance of the Civil War | ||