Frank Childress – Slave Narrative Biographies, Harrison County, MS
Contributed by Ann Allen Geoghegan anniegms@gmail.com
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We next turned to Uncle Frank Childress, who was born 84 years ago in
Memphis Tennessee. His mother had Indian blood, and lived to be 105
years old, and his father lived to be 97. His mother was housekeeper
for Colonel Mark Childress, who served under General Forrest. Frank
lived there until 12 years old. Uncle Frank told us a war story too. 

He said "During the war I went to Richmond with my Marse Mark
Childress, carrying him whiskey and tobacco, wen I was a little over
12 years old. I was captured by Grant at Clayton Mississippi wen I was
14, and to keep fum feein' us He was goin' ter kill us, but Sherman
said No, dont kill him. He served de south, now let him serve de
north, den he sed to me "Load dat cannon or I kill you." an' I loaded
it. I put four buckets of powder, put de flap back, den put de ball
in, and pull de crank, it rolled right on back and nearly jarred me
ter death." 

Frank also told of how they were left with stolen money, As the yanks
had wagon loads piled high requiring 8 horses to pull the wagons, and
of how he was sent to Helena Arkansaw and put in a corral there, where
he stayed until after the close of the war. Frank spoke of having 14
children, now all dead, saying they had worked themselves to death on
plantations making 50 and 60 bales of cotton a year. He said preaching
had always run in his mind and he tried to be a preacher, and was sent
to school for ten years in Nashville Tennessee, to study to preach, as
a methodist, but down here I goes ter de catholic church --- all
churches come out de catholic church, it was de starting place, and a
person must obey de Lord. I preached at Memphis, Friars Point,
Clarksdale, and Little Rock Arkansas, and dey took me fum my church
and sent me down here ter live, en dey ought not to er done it, I
ought to go preachin' ergin. But dey treats me mighty good here. But
de callin' is stronger. I wanter go home."
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Frank Childress Newspaper clipping, THE GUIDE, November 13, 1936 from
Box 128J, folder "Racial Groups" - W.P.A. Collection, Mississippi
Department of Archives and History" 

One day a soldier fighting for the South and the next a soldier, but
firing cannon for the North! A strange sounding record, but it's
altogether true. If the tale told by Frank Childress, 85-year old
negro, who is spending his last years at the Confederate veterans'
home at Beauvoir. 

"Yassuh, I'se the one what fought on both sides," he claims proudly,
"but I neber fought for de Yankees till dey captured me and put me in
a corral and said, 'Nigger, you fought for de South; now you can fight
for de North." 

And confirming every word that Frank says is Nathan Best, the other
remaining negro veteran, who accompanied "massah" to the war only to
return minus one arm. 

Perhaps Nathan doesn't know whether Frank fought on both sides or not,
for he is nearing 92. At any rate state officials who checked back on
the records believe that the white-headed old darkey is telling the
truth. 

Frank Childress will tell you at one time that he was born in St.
Louis and the next time with just as much conviction will declare that
he is a "Memphis nigger, yassuh." He is firm throughout in the belief
that his master was one Colonel Mark Childress and himself lays claim
to the title of "nigger colonel," adopting his master's title. 

The truth about it all is that old Frank did not fight for the South,
but like so many other faithful slaves accompanied his master to the
War Between the States, acting as body servant and dispatch carrier. 

Captured at Richmond, he managed to get back to his master and
accompanied the colonel to Helena, Arkansas. It was at Helena that
while carrying a dispatch he was captured by Yankee forces, and at the
express command of General U. S. Grant, he says, began firing cannon
at Southern forces. For two and a half years he served with the
Yankees. 

Released at the end of the war, he made his way back to Clover Hill,
Mississippi, remaining there as a farmer until about two years ago,
when his "jints begin aching somethin awful" and he was admitted into
Beauvoir, under the provision which allows negro slaves who served
with their masters to be cared for. 

Both Nathan and Frank live in the past, dreaming of the days when the
old South was at the height of its glory. They wouldn't take a million
dollars of those dreams. They know they haven't many more years here
and they are waiting to join their old "massahs." 

Frank Childress from SOURCE MATERIAL FOR MISSISSIPPI HISTORY, Harrison
County, from microfilm"
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********** See Nathan Best – Slave Narrative