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Pope County
- University of Arkansas Press
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Pope County Little,William Age: 83 Atkins, Arkansas Interviewer: Thomas Elmore Lucy [M:9: pt. 4: 262–63] “I was born on the plantation of Dr. Andrew Scott, but my old ma’ster was Col. Ben T. Embry. The 14th of March, in the year 1855, was my birthday . Yes suh, I was born right here at old Galla Rock! My old Ma’ster Embry had a good many slaves. He went to Texas and stayed about three years. Took a lot of us along, and de first work I ever done after I was set free was pickin’ cotton at $2 a hundred pounds. Dere was seventy-five or a hundred of us freed at once.Yes suh! Den we drove five hundred miles back here from Texas, and drove five hundred head of stock. We was refigees—dat’s de reason we had to go to Texas. “Father and mother both passed away a good many years ago. Oh, yes, dey was mighty well treated while dey was in slavery; never was a kinder mas’r anywhere dan my old mas’r. And he was wealthy, too—had lots of land, and a store, and plenty of other property. Many of the slaves stayed on as servants long after the War, and lived right around here at old Galla Rock. “No suh, I never belonged to no chu’ch; dey thought I done too much of the devil’s work—playin’ the fiddle. Used to play the fiddle for dances all around the neighborhood. One white man gave me $10 once for playin’ at a dance. Played lots of the old-time pieces like‘Turkey in the Straw’,‘Dixie’, and so on. “We owns our home here, and I has another one. Been married twice and raised eighteen chillun.Yes suh, we’ve lived here eighteen years, and had fine health till last few years, but my health is sorter po’ly now. Got a swellin’ in my laigs. “(Chuckling) I sure remembers lots of happy occasions down here in days before the War. One day the steamboat come up to the landin’. It was named the Maumelle—yes suh, Maumelle, and lots of horses and cattle was unloaded from the steamer. Sure was busy days then. And our old mas’r was mighty kind to us.” NOTE:“Uncle Bill” did not know how he came about the name “Little.” 299 Lankfordtext:Lankford / Final Pages 7/14/09 10:06 AM Page 299 Perhaps it was a nickname bestowed upon him to distinguish him from some other William of larger stature. However, he stands fully six feet in height, and has a strong, vigorous voice. He is the sole surviving ex-slave of the Galla Rock community. Russell, Henry Age: 72 Russellville, Arkansas Interviewer: Thomas Elmore Lucy [M:10: pt. 6: 109–10] “My father’s name was Ed Russell, and he was owned by Dr. Tom Russell, de first pioneer settler of Russellville—de man de town got its name from.My name is Henry,and some folks call me‘Bud.’I was born at Old Dwight de 28th of October, 1866. Yes suh, dat date is correct. “I was too young to remember much about happenin’s soon after de War, but I kin riccollect my father belongin’ to de militia for awhile during de Reconstruction days. Both Negroes and whites were members of de militia. “My folks come here from Alabama, but I don’t know much about them except dat my grandmother, Charlotte Edwards, give me an old wash pot dat has been in de family over one hundred years.Yes suh, it’s out here in de ya’d now. Also, I owns an old ax handle dat I keep down at de store jist for a relic of old days. It’s about a hundred years old, too. “My wife was Sallie Johnson of Little Rock, and she was a sister of Mrs. Charley Mays, de barber you used to know, who was here sich a long time. “For a long time I worked at different kinds of odd jobs, sometimes in de coal mines and sometimes on de farms, but for several years I’ve run a little store for de colored folks here in Russellville.Ain’t able to do very much now. “I remember very well de first train dat was ever run into Russellville. Must have been 68 or 69 years ago. A big crowd of people was...