Georgia BIOS:  Jilson Littlejohn   
   U.S. Work Projects Administration, Federal Writers' Project (Folklore
   Project, Life Histories, 1936-39); Manuscript Division, Library of
   Congress.Copyright status not determined.0001
   
   Jilson Littlejohn
   
   950 Fair Street, S.W.
   
   Preacher
   
   by
   
   Geneva Tonsill
   
   0002
   
   THE VOICE OF GOD SPOKE TO ME
   
   "I can recollect before the War with the States. I have a good memory.
   I can remember far back, even when I was four years old. I was my
   mother's third child. She was the mother of thirteen children, three
   girls and ten boys. My mother was a half Indian. My father was mixed
   with Caucasian and Spanish. He didn't have much Anglo-African blood in
   him. I remember seeing his mother one time and this was when she was
   dying. I was looking through a crack in the wall, for I had heard them
   in the house say she was dying and I wanted to know what it looked
   like to see a dying person. She had a turkey wing in her hand, fanning
   slowly, back and forth, as if she was barely able to muster enough
   strength to take the next stroke. She looked so pale and feeble. This
   was in the house where my aunt used to weave cloth and cook.
   
   "My family was poor, hard working people and slaves. They were
   healthy, robust people and considered very good slaves, and their
   owner was considered quite wealthy due to the healthy bunch of slaves
   he had. For you see in those days slaves were considered property, or
   resources.
   
   "I was born in Union County, South Carolina, in January, 1855, on a
   farm, or rather a big plantation. I remember the old boss, old man
   [DEL: " :DEL] Dick [DEL: " :DEL] , who had several boys on the place.
   He had all of us chopping cotton. He told me to put a hickory switch
   in my belt and see that the boys chopped the cotton right. He then
   said, 'If you don't I'll lick you to a frazzle." After he had gone
   from the field, my cousin, who seemed to want to try me out to see if
   I would really use the swith as the boss had told me, started playing
   and half chopping the cotton. I spoke to him but 00032he didn't [pay
   me?] any attention. I struck him once and he turned [quickly?] to hit
   me with his hoe and the handle struck his nose and it started
   bleeding. One in the crowd got very angry with me because the boss had
   made me somewhat an overseerer over them and said for the boy to go
   the house and tell the master. The master sent for me, but I wasn't
   afraid of him and told him just what happened. When I first walked up
   he said, 'If you want to fight, fight me.' As he said it he beat on
   his chest with his fists. I stood up there and told him [really?] what
   had happened and he told me to go back to the field to work. I didn't
   get a beating. I always tried to keep from getting a whipping for I'd
   rather they kill me than whip me. I was trying to carry out his wishes
   [DEL: if :DEL] is why I attempted to strike the boy at all with that
   hickory.
   
   "The first year after Emancipation the woods were full of run-a-ways.
   We were afraid to get out. They didn't have any place to go and
   couldn't come out before [Emancipation?] because they were afraid of
   being captured. Being unable to make a living, honestly, they were
   desperate. for that reason everyone was scared to go out at night, and
   in the day too , for that matter , for it was dangerous. My boss told
   me one time to go down to the cornfield to see about things and to see
   if there were hogs in the corn. I had to go through the woods to get
   there. I was afraid to go but I knew something must be done so I took
   one of the boys with me. We didn't go near the field, nor the woods ,
   but hid ourselves and played marbles. About the time it would take for
   us to go there and back I told Clifford, who was with me, to put mud
   all over his feet and roll up his breeches legs. When we got back to
   the house my master asked me, 'Well, Jils, did you get around the
   cornfield?" I told him yes. He said, 'well, did you see any hogs'
   tracks?' I told him 00043plenty, but not in the field.
   
   "My father lived at this plantation for many years, in fact he was
   living there when he died. That was the first time I felt the spirit
   of the Lord. It did something to me to see my father dead.
   
   "Then later there came to our vicinity an old man, George Waters, a
   most devout colored man and Christian. I heard him sing many songs,
   and one especially stirred me most and caused me to think much about
   my soul. I would join in and help him sing: 'If I had died when I was
   a childI wouldn't have had this race to runI'm going home to heaven in
   that morning, in the morningGod bless mother, God bless father, why
   not IGod bless a trusting childI'm going home to heaven in that
   morning, in that morning.'
   
   "I joined the church after hearing that song. I was very devilish but
   not mean. I tried hard to get religion. My brother, Junies, was older
   than I. He would tell the people that I was trying to get a religion
   and I got ashamed and [quit?]. I got religion when I was twenty-one
   years old, after I was married. Anyhow I lived a Christian but the
   devil would overtake me, but I would overcome his temptations. After I
   stayed in the church I heard people tell their determination and
   testify. I wasn't that way. I would never get up to talk in these
   meetings. I would, however, ask those who were Christians to pray for
   me.
   
   "Now for over nineteen years, if I have committed any sin I don't know
   but one. That was four years ago when I lived on Chestnut Street. My
   daughter lived in Los Angeles, California. She wrote me to [DEL: sent
   :DEL] send her some numbers [DEL: , :DEL] for the 'bug' and she sent
   me a lot of numbers and told me to pick out the ones she was to play.
   I picked out the numbers and sent her. Then I knew I had sinned. I
   prayed and asked [DEL: Go :DEL] God if I was wrong to speak to me. Out
   of a clear, blue sky, after 00054I had asked him to show me that I was
   wrong, a clap of thunder sounded in the heavens and as surely as you
   sit there in that swing that thunder seemed to say, 'You have sinned
   against God and the Holy Ghost.' After that prayer and that clap of
   thunder I knew then that God was displeased with me for joining in the
   works of the devil, for the voice of God had spoken to me in that
   thunder. I received a letter from my daughter telling me she had
   played those numbers and had won on both of them. She later sent me
   another letter asking me to send her more numbers but God had spoken
   to me in that thunder and showed me it was wrong, that I had sinned ,
   and I wouldn't send her another number. God told me this was wrong and
   the [massage?] came to me where he said, 'If your right hand offend
   you, cut it off' and I was cutting off this sin.
   
   "Lady, God talks to me. I am going to tell you of a vision that I had.
   Last May, four years ago, I saw a number fourteen and it was in the
   sky. To the right of this n;umber was written 'years' and then I heard
   a voice telling me in fourteen years Gabriel was going to put one foot
   on the ocean and the other on the land and declare by him that love
   God that time would be no longer. Well, you will find in Revelations
   where Gabriel was going to put [DEL: on :DEL] one foot on the sea and
   the other on land and swear the coming of the Lord, and the end of
   time. Now , tell me what is the difference between declare and swear?
   
   "I've lived in Atlanta eight years. I lived in Florida just before
   coming to Atlanta. I lived with my son there. Since I have been too
   old to work. I go from one child to the other and they are all very
   good to me.
   
   "You see, I'm cripple. Well, its because I was getting off a train
   near Jacksonville soon after it pulled up and stopped in a [place?]
   00065that I thought was where I was to get off. I picked up my baggage
   and walked off the train. It was a longer step than I thought from the
   ground [?] and as I stepped my foot and leg were badly crushed. I
   didn't know [I was?] hurt so badly and walked three blocks or more to
   try to get someone to take me to the station It wasn't a station at
   all that I got off I was mistaken. I found the people quite nice to me
   and I was taken to a doctor for treatment. I remained unable to walk
   for six months.
   
   "For [thirteen?] years now I have been unable to work but, [DEL: thank
   :DEL] thanks to God , I'm still living and not any the worst off , for
   my children are wonderful to me. This daughter and her husband are
   nice , and I haven't anything to worry about. She has [had?] me
   treated here at Grady Hospital for the injury. Let me show you my leg.
   See how bruised and purple it is? It was a bad looking sight for many
   , many days after it happened. I have to walk with the aid of a cane.
   Everyone thought I was going to [DEL: loose :DEL] lose the leg
   entirely. I had never been to a city hospital before going to Grady
   and when I got there they asked me a thousand questions. I felt like
   walking out and going back home. When they got through with me, a very
   nice doctor came to look at the leg. He examined the leg thoroughly
   and then bandaged it up with gauze, with layer after layer , and as I
   sat there watching him wrap I noticed the skill with which he worked .
   I thought of what a wonderful profession he was engaged in, healing
   the sick and how near Christ he should be. I said, ' do you know you
   are working on a Christian - a man of God? ' He just smiled, as if he
   [DEL: understaood :DEL] understood thoroughly what I meant. When I got
   home I took that bandage off my leg and through faith in God I'm
   healing nicely. I have to walk with a stick.
   
   I told you of the run-away slaves. They had what was called
   run-away-dens.
   
   00076
   
   When the Klu Klux Klan first started in Tennessee [DEL: , :DEL] right
   after the war, they were called the '[White?] Cappers' and then
   'Buskwackers ; and later they took the name of Klu Klux Klans. A lot
   of the wrong done the slaves was not done by the Klu Klux Klan but it
   was laid to the Klu Klux Klan. They would get darkies out of the dens
   and beat them and sometimes they would kill them.
   
     NOTE: [no ∥?]
     
   "Once they whipped my father. I dreamed that morning before he got
   whipped that he was being beaten and so scared was I that I jumped out
   of the bed and ran out in the yard. My brother was standing there
   looking like death. He said, 'They have just whipped father and
   brother [Hamlett?].' I wanted to know how he got out of getting the
   beating [DEL: to :DEL] too, and he told me he had slipped out unseen
   and hidden. My brother that was whipped left home , [/He?] was so
   frightened. He went to Columbia, South Carolina. Soon after that,
   around morning, my mother and sister looked out and saw a crowd of men
   coming. Mother yelled, 'There are the Klu Klux Klan coming for us
   again.' They swarmed around the house like black-birds. I could have
   gotten away but I [DEL: could :DEL] couldn't leave my mother and
   sister to face those horrible men alone. I stood in the chimney
   corner. I had rather they kill me than whip me and the way I felt that
   morning I was quite sure they would have had to kill me , for I wasn't
   going to permit them to whip me. The leader came to the door and
   talked with mother. Told her they weren't going to bother her [DEL: ,
   :DEL] or us , and they came to tell her they weren't the ones that
   whipped my father and brother. They had learned about it and learned
   that the sentiment was that they were beaten by them. They said they
   knew my father was a good slave and he was liked by everyone in that
   country and for us not to fear longer they would protect our family.
   But it was too late, some of the family had already 00087left home.
   They asked for water and wanted to know where my father was. Mother
   told them she didn't know. The Klans had spread terror among the
   slaves and we couldn't believe, although he said he [was?] going to
   protect us, that they are telling the truth.
   
   "The Klu Klux Klan whipped a man, Bill Mathis, with a thorn bush. That
   was a most brutal beating. God wasn't pleased with the treatment given
   us by some of the whites and he sent a people down to protect us.
   Lordy, after the Yankees began picking up every [man?] that was a
   [KKK?], we had a little peace of mind and rest from them. Scott was
   the governor then and , upon investigation , it was found that this
   organization had bought up the rights to ride for a large [DEL: sume
   :DEL] sum of money. They had paid $ 60,000 for this right. The
   governor cut off communication and sent Sam Knuckles or they said Sam
   slipped out and went to Washington and was introduced to Grant and
   Sherman and then Grant sent a committee South to see if he was telling
   the truth about their treatment. He sent the Blue Coats down and they
   protected the [saves?]. I am fully convinced that God was in all of
   this. I was always shown, by a voice, or sign, that he was working for
   us. Governor Scott sent a militia there and they protected the people.
   They never killed one darky. The yankees took the men they rounded up
   as Klu Klux [DEL: Kland :DEL] Klan and put them in jail. They took all
   of their names. I don't know how they were in the state of Georgia but
   I was told they would go from state to state. They would take people
   out and whip [them?] for the least thing. One night after there had
   been about nine put in jail for protection, they were taken out and
   killed. The militia didn't know anything about it until the next day.
   everything was done to round up those men but they failed. The Klu
   Klux Klan went their way , continuing [DEL: , :DEL] wherever they
   could without running into the [DEL: militian, :DEL] militia to scare
   the slaves.
   
   00098
   
   The men thought they had killed all of the nine men , but one lived.
   Chile, it was unexpressable. But I lived through all of [DEL: of :DEL]
   [that?]. I slept in the woods, awoke to find the rain falling in my
   face. There were many darkies sleeping in the woods. We belonged in
   the South. as we had been brought here as property and had worked as
   slaves to further enrich our [masters?], amid horrible conditions.
   still we were faithful to our master. Even when the masters went away
   to fight to keep us in slavery we slaves were left behind to watch
   after the mistress and children. We stayed there, loyal to our trust.
   we didn't bread our trust. I say we, and although I was [quite?]
   young, I too realized the responsibility placed on the men slaves. We
   looked after our mistress as a dog would watch after his master: we
   didn't let one thing happen to the children. we protected them all.
   God saw fit to send the Northerners down to free us . they were good
   people. We weren't afraid of them as we were the Southerners. I
   remember telling them in [DEL: Spartanburgh :DEL] Spartanburg , [DEL:
   that :DEL] ' we are afraid of you but not the Northers people they are
   good. ' " I think of the [tale?] of the rattlesnake and the bear. The
   rattlesnake was in the fire and a bear came along. The snake asked the
   bear to take him out and the bear promised , if he would say he
   wouldn't bite after getting out. The bear took the snake out after his
   promise , and they walked on down the road. The bear noticed the snake
   was continuously licking out his tongue. He'd think of his promise and
   then draw in his tongue. On down [DEL: they :DEL] the road they went ,
   and again [DEL: the bear :DEL] Mr Bear noticed Mr. Snake licking out
   his tongue. Mr. bear said, 'Mr. Snake, I'm afraid, I'm afraid you
   aren't going to live up to your promise.' Mr. Snake said, 'Well, Mr.
   Bear, it is my nature to bite. I can't help it,.'
   
   "My father in heaven has spoken to me five times. On the farm where I
   have spent most of my life, in Spartanburg, I took one plow 00109and
   made twenty-seven bales of cotton with it and never hired a furrow
   [DEL: plowed :DEL] plowed. In [18?] cotton went down to 5¢. I got up
   out of my bed one morning, went to the door , and a voice spoke to me
   and said, [DEL: 'You a re :DEL] 'You're going to make 8¢ cotton.' I
   told my wife it was the voice of God. Bless your soul, I made thirty
   bales of cotton and got 7 1/2¢ for it. I told the buyer that he / was
   going to get 8¢. He told me if /it were true he would give me $5. Two
   weeks later I went to see him and I saw him standing there in his
   office. He said, 'Jils, I got the 8¢ and 1 owe you [$5?] as I
   promised.' I told him he need not give me one penny , that I [DEL: did
   :DEL] didn't [DEL: [?] :DEL] tell him anything. he owed me nothing ,
   for God had told me what cotton would be and , if he owed anyone, it
   was God he owed, not me. [DEL: [?] :DEL] Later I ran a three-horse
   farm. I owed [$905?] and in August , when that cotton was in its
   bloom, I hired two men to help plow. In August I thought I would get
   about 75 bales of cotton. I went to the door and as I stood there a
   voice said, 'If you pay your debts you [DEL: wont :DEL] won't pay out
   of cotton. you will pay out of work done in a brick [DEL: yar.d :DEL]
   yard.' When I had finished picking cotton I had less than seventeen
   bales. The army [worm?] had eated it. In [190/] I got a job making
   brick, paid the debt [ off. I had bee gums. The bees got upset, seemed
   like they were mad about something , and I [DEL: [?] :DEL] went out
   and started to put my hand in to see what the trouble was. My father
   spoke to me again and said, 'Don't put your hand down there. a snake
   will bite you.' I stopped there and then and killed a water moccasin.
   
   "I was in [DEL: Ashville :DEL] Asheville when Vanderbilt was putting
   up his mansion. a man saw me and jumped off the veranda and came down
   to speak with me. I stayed in [DEL: Ashville :DEL] Asheville eight
   days, trying to secure work. People gave me money, people I didn't
   know. I'm saying this that you may see how God takes care of those he
   has set apart. I saw Will Neal, a man I had known for many years. He
   told me he got broke gambling and asked me for a001110dime. I told him
   I didn't gamble and I didn't encourage gamblers by making
   contributions to them. He continued to ask me for the dime. I finally
   gave him the dime. After giving Neal the ten cents, a voice spoke to
   me: 'You aren't a gambler but you are just as guilty. You let him have
   money to gamble with, You will have to [DEL: stan :DEL] stand before
   the bar of justice just as he.' I prayed then as I never prayed
   [before?] for God to forgive me.
   
   I didn't get right until I got home. It came to me one night just
   before daylight. [?] Big white man came and stood before me and I saw
   him just as plainly as if he was flesh standing there. I know, though,
   [that I had?] locked the doors and none could come in. I felt a
   strange feeling [come?] over [me and?] I knew it was the works of God.
   He spoke, a calm sweet voice, 'Go, Jils, into the highways and hedges
   and preach God's word. I will prepare you.' I began to think of this,
   for as suddenly as the figure had appeared, just as suddenly he had
   gone. I wasn't frightened for it seemed I had gotten used to God
   telling me what he wanted. I didn't go on and start preaching, though,
   right away. It was about fifteen years before I agreed to preach and
   that was after God had stricken me down with fever. I promised God if
   he would [heal?] me I would preach his word. I went to God just as I
   was, without one plea , and the fever left me. I was very [low?] that
   day . my wife was near the bedside, walking up and down the floor. I
   told God, ' you made me. [I?] am nothing but mortal man . I'm born to
   die, I know, God . I treated [your?] justice wrong and I'll be ready
   to atone for it if you will raise me from this bed . I will preach. '
   After that my soul was happy. God touched me and killed that fever. I
   told the doctor when he came that God was healing me, that I was not
   going to die. I was happy. The doctor admitted he didn't know what had
   come over me but he had been very upset over 001211[my?] condition and
   didn't believe that I was going to get over it before he came to make
   that visit but I was so much better it was a miracle.
   
   "After I was up from that bed I got in the pulpit. I got a license to
   preach and have been preaching his work since."
   
   As Mr. Littlejohn sat there telling his story, he made a beautiful
   picture with his hair hanging to his shoulders , [DEL: A :DEL] most
   beautiful silky , satiny blonde hair. I had to comment on it. He told
   me, "Yes, people, white and black, stop to admire this hair. I've worn
   it long for years. I remember once a woman stopped me on the streets
   and said she admired my hair so much and it was so pretty that she
   wanted to put her hand on my head. She had never seen hair on a man's
   head like that. I was going from South Carolina to Florida. I went in
   and sat down in the coach designated for colored where I belonged. The
   conductor came in. 'You don't belong here. go in that coach right
   there.' I got up and did as he told me. When I got to where I was to
   change, I took my baggage and headed for the waiting room [DEL: ,
   :DEL] marked 'For colored ', and as I was about to go in a white man
   said, 'You don't belong there . come right around here. ' He ushered
   me to the white waiting room. I went on in and sat down. I didn't fail
   to trust God. He had told me, 'My presence shall [go?] with thee, and
   I will give thee rest.' And I've found that he was [always?] with me.
   I could sit here and tell ;you about the workings of God the rest of
   the day. I love to talk about him. You've been so kind to sit here and
   listen to me and I surely want you to come back to see me. I will
   always preach and tell people about God and when I find someone who
   will talk with me I overflow with joy and talk, talk. I shall always
   keep close to God for he has told me in his work, 'Lo, I am with you
   always, even unto the end of the world.'

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