[320031]
| N.C. District: | No. 2 |
| Worker: | T. Pat Matthews |
| No. Words: | 1426 |
| Subject: | Sarah Louise Augustus |
| Source: | Sarah Louise Augustus |
| Editor: | George L. Andrews |
SARAH LOUISE AUGUSTUS
Age 80 years 1424 Lane Street Raleigh, North Carolina
I wus born on a plantation near Fayetteville, N.C., and I belonged to J. B. Smith. His wife wus named Henrietta. He owned about thirty slaves. When a slave was no good he wus put on the auction block in Fayetteville and sold.
My father wus named Romeo Harden and my mother wus named Alice Smith. The little cabin where I wus born is still standing.
There wus seven children in marster's family, four girls and two boys. The girls wus named Ellen, Ida, Mary and Elizabeth. The boys wus named Harry, Norman and Marse George. Marse George went to the war. Mother had a family of four girls. Their names wus: Mary, Kate, Hannah and myself, Sarah Louise. I am the only one living and I would not be living but I have spent most of my life in white folk's houses and they have looked after me. I respected myself and they respected me.
My first days of slavery wus hard. I slept on a pallet on the floor of the cabin and just as soon as I wus able to work any at all I wus put to milking cows.
I have seen the paterollers hunting men and have seen men they had whipped. The slave block stood in the center of the street, Fayetteville Street, where Ramsey and Gillespie Street came in near Cool Springs Street. The silk mill stood just below the slave market. I saw the silkworms that made the silk and saw them gather the cocoons and spin the silk.